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fig1 schematically shows a coordinate measuring machine 1 , as it is used according to the method according to the invention . the coordinate measuring machine has a measuring table 20 , which carries a mask 2 . likewise it is possible that the measuring table 20 carries a mask 2 , which is inserted in a mask holder 2 b . the measuring table 20 is a mirror element , wherein the position of the measuring table 20 is determined via a respectively arranged laser interferometer system 24 . the measuring table 20 is movable on bearings 21 in x coordinate direction and in y coordinate direction . in a preferred embodiment , the bearings 21 are designed as air bearings . the measuring table 20 rests on a block 25 , which defines a plane 25 a . the block 25 is preferably made of granite . the position of the measuring table 20 is determined , as already mentioned , by the laser interferometer system 24 . for this purpose , the laser interferometer system 24 emits a measuring light beam . the block 25 is positioned on vibration absorbers 26 . it is obvious for a skilled person that the provided plane 25 a , in which the measuring 20 can be moved , can be made from any other material . the block 25 being made of granite shall be regarded by no means as limiting the invention . the mask 2 carries a plurality of structures 3 , which are to be measured due to the position with reference to a coordinate system . a light source 14 in the reflected light beam path or a light source 14 in the transmitted light beam path is provided for illuminating the mask 2 . the light source 14 in the reflected light device emits light into the reflected light beam path 5 . the light source 6 in the transmitted light device emits light into a transmitted light beam path 4 . light from the transmitted light device is directed by a condenser 8 onto the mask 2 . the light from the light source 14 of the reflected light device reaches the mask 2 via the measuring objective 9 . the measuring objective 9 is arranged in a shiftable manner with a shifting device 15 in z coordinate direction for focusing . the reflected light beam path 5 is furthermore provided with a decoupling device 12 which channels the light emitted from the mask 2 and cumulated from the objective 9 onto a camera 10 , wherein said camera 10 has a detector 11 . the detector 11 is connected with a computer which determines an intensity profile of the structure 3 just being observed by the measuring objective 9 from the received signals . with the measuring intensity profile it is possible to determine the position of at least one edge of the structure with reference to a coordinate system . fig2 shows a schematic view wherein a mask 2 is inserted in a measuring table 20 . thereby the mask 2 rests onto three supporting points 50 . the supporting points 50 are mounted on the measuring table 20 . according to a further embodiment ( see fig3 ), the mask 2 is inserted in a mask holder 2 b . this mask holder 2 b is finally inserted in the measuring table 20 . thereby , the mask holder 2 b rests on the two supporting points , which are provided on the measuring table 20 . the mask holder 2 b has three supporting points 51 , onto which the mask 2 rests . fig4 shows a system 30 , which has further elements besides a coordinate measuring machine 1 , wherein the elements are used for handling the mask 2 and for the positioning of the mask 2 in the coordinate measuring machine 1 . thereby , the coordinate measuring machine 1 and the further additional elements are arranged in a housing 30 . the coordinate measuring machine 1 is very schematically shown for the sake of clarity , so that only the measuring table 20 and the mask 2 positioned on the measuring table 20 are provided here . the coordinate measuring machine 1 is provided within the housing 30 with a tempering station 32 , a rotator 34 and a transfer station 38 . likewise , a transport robot 36 ( handler ) is provided within the housing 30 , wherein said transport robot 36 ( handler ) is moved along the double arrow 40 . the transport robot 36 is responsible for transporting the mask 2 to the different stations and from and to the coordinate measuring machine 1 respectively . likewise , the transport robot 36 is responsible for positioning the mask 2 in the orientation adjusted with the rotator 34 or positioning a mask 2 which rests in the mask holder 2 b in the orientation thus positioned onto the measuring table 20 of the coordinate measuring machine 1 . likewise , the transport robot 36 is responsible for positioning the mask 2 with a respective predefined shift on the measuring table 20 of the coordinate measuring machine 1 . furthermore , at least on one housing wall 30 a a transfer opening 35 is provided through which masks 2 can be inserted from the outside into the housing 30 of the coordinate measuring machine 1 . the housing 30 is a climate chamber . this is advantageous since generally no tempering times need to be adhered to when handling the masks 2 within the housing 30 . the masks 2 can thus be immediately measured with the coordinate measuring machine 1 apart from a minor temperature adjustment . fig5 a shows a mask 2 in an initial orientation . thereby , the mask 2 can have a relevant area 2 c , which is responsible for imaging the structures on the surface of a wafer . the plurality of structures 3 is arranged in this relevant area 2 c . likewise , a marking in form of a bar code 54 can be provided on the surface of the mask 2 . it is also possible that an alpha numeric marking 56 is on the mask 2 . fig5 b shows the mask 2 in a rotated orientation by 180 °. on the basis of the alpha numeric marking 56 or also on the basis of the bar code 54 the set orientation of the mask 2 can thus be determined . fig6 schematically shows an arrangement with which the orientation of a mask 2 can be determined and controlled respectively . the rotator 34 is provided with a camera 60 in the embodiment shown here . the rotator 34 has a rotating plate 34 a onto which the mask 2 and the mask holder 2 b with the mask 2 respectively are positioned . the orientation necessary for calibration can be adjusted via the rotator 34 . the respective markings ( bar code 54 or the alpha numeric marking 56 ) can be detected on the mask 2 with the camera 60 . on the basis of this detection , the afterwards set orientation of the mask 2 can be detected . the data recorded with the camera 60 are evaluated with the computer 16 , which finally determines the rotating position of the mask 2 depending on the x position and the y position on the basis of the recorded measuring parameters . furthermore , the computer 16 can have a display 62 onto which the relevant data are shown to a user . likewise , the data of the orientation of the mask 2 , which were set by the rotator 34 , can be transferred to the transport robot 36 , so that said transport robot 36 positions the mask 2 in the respective adjusted orientation on the measuring table 20 . likewise , the shift of the mask 2 , which is necessary for the calibration , can be set via the computer 16 , so that the transport robot 36 positions the mask 2 with the required shift on the measuring table 20 . the thought behind the improved correction strategies always is the one that error components exist which merge into themselves for the measured substrate positions ( rotation and / or shift ) and thus are generally not detectable . such error components are not avoidable in principle yet it is possible , however , to reduce those highly so that these error components do not occur in a real arrangement . more precisely , these error components are to be regarded then as insignificant . during correction , the correction functions are applied on the measuring parameters , wherein the measuring parameters are the positions of the structures on a substrate or a mark with reference to the coordinate system of the coordinate measuring machine . a not corrected position ({ right arrow over ( r )}) becomes a position with improved accuracy : the correction function is determined such that the back transformations { circumflex over ( t )} jk from the substrate positioning j to k supplies possibly corresponding parameters , i . e . : { right arrow over ( r )} k ≈{ circumflex over ( t )} jk ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ) ( 2 ) possibly corresponding could be interpreted for example within the meaning of the gaussian least square error , thus thereby , the index i refers to the measurement of the measuring object ( structure ) i . a reduction of the maximum difference is also possible , however . likewise , other methods , preferably robust estimation procedures such as ransac are possible . a substrate having structures , on the basis of which the substrate shall be measured , is a rigid object , a mask for the production of semiconductor structures on a wafer , ( at least calculated rigid for example by deflection correction ). thus the matter with the back transformation is rotation and shift : { circumflex over ( t )} jk ({ right arrow over ( r )})={ circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )}+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk with : rotation { circumflex over ( r )} jk and shifted by { right arrow over ( δ )} jk ( 3 ) the equation ( 2 ) refers to corrected measuring parameters ; said equation ( 2 ) can be rewritten by the equations ( 1 ) and ( 3 ) into : { right arrow over ( r )} k +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·( { right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ))+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk { right arrow over ( r )} k +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ { right arrow over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} j )+ { right arrow over ( δ )} jk ( 4 ) lets consider the case that a portion of the correction function under { circumflex over ( t )} jk ({ right arrow over ( f )}({ right arrow over ( r )})) merges into itself , i . e . the request for translations invariance of a function combined : { right arrow over ( f )} ({ right arrow over ( r )})={ right arrow over ( f )}( { right arrow over ( r )} +{ right arrow over ( δ )} { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( f )} ({ right arrow over ( r )})={ right arrow over ( f )}( { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( r )} ) { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( f )} sym ({ right arrow over ( r )})= { right arrow over ( f )} sym ( { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( r )}+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk ) ( 5 ) typical substrate dimensions ( mask sizes ) are 100 mm on 100 mm , and the typical dimension of the correction is 1 μm . one can experience always under 10 000 measurements on the substrate , thus the typical distance of the measuring positions is always & gt ; 1 mm or the thousand times of the correction parameter . thus , the parameters of a practically determinable correction function are always very much smaller than the distance of the measuring positions , so that the following assumption is just : f ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ f ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )= f ( { circumflex over ( t )} jk ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ))≈ f ( { circumflex over ( t )} jk ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ))= f ( { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk ) f ( { circumflex over ( r )} k )≈ f ( { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk ) thus , the final equation for determining the correction ( 4 ) can be written as : { right arrow over ( r )} k +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ { right arrow over ( r )} k + f ( { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk )≈ { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} j )+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk if any symmetrical function { right arrow over ( f )} sym ( see equation ( 5 )) is added to the correction function , the equation can be written as : thus , if one adds a function which is symmetrical for a respective rotation and translation , to the correction , then accordance of the substrate positions does not change . thus , such a correction component is generally not determinable . the obviously not detectable error component is the enlargement (“ errors during meter definition ”). it is described by the following function : { right arrow over ( f )} 0 ({ right arrow over ( r )})= a ·{ right arrow over ( r )} f 0 is symmetrical for any rotations and shifts and thus ( naturally ) not determinable . with a correction determination , the indeterminable components must be symmetrical to all transformations between the substrate positions . in prior art documents one tried to limit the symmetrical correction function components by letting the substrates rotate about different rotating centers ( see german patent application de 10 2007 000 999 a1 ). according to the present invention one tries to minimize the symmetry by rotation plus shift . from the mathematical point of view all symmetry components except for f o can thus be relatively easily find out . the practical limitation is however : that the hardware of the coordinate measuring machine is able to realize rotation positions being no multiple of 90 °, wherein a great deal of time and effort is expended . with the finite measuring accuracy , an approximate symmetry is already adequate in order to make it possible carrying out the determination of the symmetric correction components with major errors only . the unavoidable shift and rotation during the mechanical positioning of a substrate on the measuring table of the coordinate measuring machine is typical for such an error . this does not solve the symmetry problem , since the correction function remains practically unchanged with minor positioning changes ( see explanation for equation ( 6 )). firstly , the substrate is measured in the not rotated position ( measurement in 0 °); afterwards the substrate is rotated by 90 ° and measured in the rotated position ( measurement in 90 °); then a shift by 10 mm in x coordinate direction and a shift by 9 mm in y coordinate direction is carried out . by means of the first two steps all not 90 ° symmetrically rotatable components can be detected . the shift by 10 mm in x coordinate direction reduces the undeterminable components to 90 ° symmetrically rotatable periodical components with period lengths of 10 mm / n with n = 1 , 2 , 3 , and the shift by 9 mm in y coordinate direction furthermore limits to 9 mm / m with m = 1 , 2 , 3 . thus , only the component with period 1 mm ( i . e . n = 10 and m = 9 ) is undetectable . further shifts and rotations do improve the quality of the correction even more . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims . | 6 |
while the present invention is capable of being embodied in various forms , the description below of several embodiments is made with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention , and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated . headings are provided for convenience only and are not to be construed to limit the invention in any manner . embodiments illustrated under any heading may be combined with embodiments illustrated under any other heading . the use of numerical values in the various quantitative values specified in this application , unless expressly indicated otherwise , are stated as approximations as though the minimum and maximum values within the stated ranges were both preceded by the word “ about .” in this manner , slight variations from a stated value can be used to achieve substantially the same results as the stated value . as used herein , the terms “ about ” and “ approximately ” when referring to a numerical value shall have their plain and ordinary meanings to one skilled in the pertinent art at issue . also , the disclosure of ranges is intended as a continuous range including every value between the minimum and maximum values recited as well as any ranges that can be formed by such values . also disclosed herein are any and all ratios ( and ranges of any such ratios ) that can be formed by dividing a recited numeric value into any other recited numeric value . accordingly , the skilled person will appreciate that many such ratios , ranges , and ranges of ratios can be unambiguously derived from the numerical values presented herein and in all instances such ratios , ranges , and ranges of ratios represent various embodiments of the present invention . without being held to a particular theory , it is believed that eicosapentaenoic acid is a competitive inhibitor of arachidonate metabolism in the cyclo - oxygenase pathway and that reduction of pgd 2 levels by epa attenuates niacin flushing . in addition to attenuating niacin - induced flushing , it is also believed , without being bound by theory , that epa can provide beneficial cardiovascular effects such as reduced platelet aggregation , vasodilation and plaque stabilization , which are independent of an in crease in hdl - c as seen at low doses of niacin . as such , in one embodiment of the invention , a combination of low dose niacin with epa ( or pre - treatment with epa followed by low dose niacin ) is provided . in another embodiment , such therapy provides effective cardiovascular benefits with reduced side effects compared to conventional niacin dosing . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention comprise eicosapentaenoic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester , derivative , conjugate or salt thereof , or mixtures of any of the foregoing , collectively referred to herein as “ epa .” the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable ” in the present context means that the substance in question does not produce unacceptable toxicity to the subject or interaction with other components of the composition . in one embodiment , the epa comprises an eicosapentaenoic acid ester . in another embodiment , the epa comprises a c 1 - c 5 alkyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid , in another embodiment , the epa comprises eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester , eicosapentaenoic acid methyl ester , eicosapentaenoic acid propyl ester , or eicosapentaenoic acid butyl ester . in another embodiment , the epa is in the form of ethyl - epa , lithium epa , mono -, di - or triglyceride epa or any other ester or salt of epa , or the free acid form of epa . the epa may also be in the form of a 2 - substituted derivative or other derivative which slows down its rate of oxidation but does not otherwise change its biological action to any substantial degree . in another embodiment , the epa comprises an epa - fatty acid conjugate , in one embodiment , the epa - fatty acid conjugates are diesters formed between epa , a second fatty acid or epa , and a linker as shown in structures ( i )-( ii ), wherein r 1 and r 2 are acyl fatty acid groups derived from epa or another fatty acid . r 1 and r 2 may both be derived from epa ( epa - epa ) or may be derived from epa and a different fatty acid ( epa - fatty acid ). r 3 is generally either hydrogen , fully hydrocarbon , or containing heteroatoms , and is preferably a c 1 - c 4 alkyl group . the linker may be any suitable diol including , for example , an alkyl diol such as 1 , 3 - propanediol , an alkenyl diol , an alkynyl diol , an aryl diol such as 1 , 4 - dihydroxybenzene ( hydroquinone ), etc ., or a geminal diol , for example a c 1 - c 4 alkyl geminal diol , an alkyl geminal diol , etc . the second fatty acid may be any suitable fatty acid including for example epa , la , aa , ala , sta , eta , or dpa . synthesis of the diester conjugate is accomplished according to methods well known in the art , including for example , using metals , metal - chlorides , or organic acids as catalysts ; using fatty acid chlorides such as epa - chloride , γ - linolenic acid chloride ( gla - chloride ), dihomo - γ - linolenic acid chloride ( dgla - chloride ), linoleic acid chloride ( la - chloride ), arachidonic acid chloride ( aa - chloride ), conjugated linoleic acid chloride ( cla - chloride ), ala - chloride , sta - chloride , eta - chloride , dpa - chloride , etc . ; and the use of immobilized enzymes as catalysts . in another embodiment , a composition of the present invention includes a mixture of epa - fatty acid diesters . in a related embodiment , compositions of the present invention include less than 20 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 15 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 10 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 9 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 8 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 7 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 6 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 5 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 4 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 3 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 2 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 1 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 0 . 5 % epa - dha conjugate , or less than 0 . 1 % epa - dha conjugate , by weight of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , a composition of the present invention includes at least 96 % epa - epa conjugate , at least 97 % epa - epa conjugate , at least 98 % epa - epa conjugate , or at least 99 % epa - epa conjugate by weight of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , a composition of the present invention contains not more than 10 %, not more than 9 %, not more than 8 %, not more than 7 %, not more than 6 %, not more than 5 %, not more than 4 %, not more than 3 %, not more than 2 %, not more than 1 %, not more than 0 . 6 %, not more than 0 . 5 %, not more than 0 . 4 %, not more than 0 . 3 %, not more than 0 . 2 , or not more than 0 . 1 % of any epa - fatty acid conjugate other than epa - epa diester by weight of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , epa is present in a composition of the invention in an amount of about 50 mg to about 5000 mg , about 75 mg to about 2500 mg , or about 100 mg to about 1000 mg , for example about 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1200 mg , about 1225 mg , about 1250 mg , about 1275 mg , about 1300 mg , about 1325 mg , about 1350 mg , about 1375 mg , about 1400 mg , about 1425 mg , about 1450 mg , about 1475 mg , about 1500 mg , about 1525 mg , about 1550 mg , about 1575 mg , about 1600 mg , about 1625 mg , about 1650 mg , about 1675 mg , about 1700 mg , about 1725 mg , about 1750 mg , about 1775 mg , about 1800 mg , about 1825 mg , about 1850 mg , about 1875 mg , about 1900 mg , about 1925 mg , about 1950 mg , about 1975 mg , about 2000 mg , about 2025 mg , about 2050 mg , about 2075 mg , about 2100 mg , about 2125 mg , about 2150 mg , about 2175 mg , about 2200 mg , about 2225 mg , about 2250 mg , about 2275 mg , about 2300 mg , about 2325 mg , about 2350 mg , about 2375 mg , about 2400 mg , about 2425 mg , about 2450 mg , about 2475 mg or about 2500 mg . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention contains not more than about 10 %, not more than about 9 %, not more than about 8 %, not more than about 7 %, not more than about 6 %, not more than about 5 %, not more than about 4 %, not more than about 3 %, not more than about 2 %, not more than about 1 %, or not more than about 0 . 5 ° a , by weight , docosahexaenoic acid or derivative thereof , by weight of the total composition or of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , a composition of the invention contains substantially no docosahexaenoic acid or derivative thereof . in still another embodiment , a composition of the invention contains no docosahexaenoic acid or derivative thereof . in another embodiment , epa comprises at least 60 %, at least 70 %, at least 80 %, at least 90 %, at least 95 %, at least 97 %, at least 98 %, at least 99 %, or 100 %, by weight of all fatty acids present in a composition . in another embodiment , a composition of the invention contains less than 10 %, less than 9 %, less than 8 %, less than 7 %, less than 6 %, less than 5 %, less than 4 %, less than 3 %, less than 2 %, less than 1 %, less than 0 . 5 %, less than 0 . 25 %, by weight of the total composition or by weight of the total fatty acid content , of any fatty acid other than epa . illustrative examples of a “ fatty acid other than epa ” include linolenic acid ( la ), arachidonic acid ( aa ), docosahexaenoic acid ( dha ), alpha - linolenic acid ( ala ), stearadonic acid ( sta ), eicosatrienoic acid ( eta ) and / or docosapentaenoic acid ( dpa ). in another embodiment , a composition of the invention has one or more of the following features : ( a ) eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester represents at least 96 %, at least 97 %, or at least 98 %, by weight , of all fatty acids present in the composition ; the composition contains not more than 4 %, not more than 3 %, or not more than 2 %, by weight , of total fatty acids other than eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester ; ( c ) the composition contains not more than 0 . 6 %, 0 . 5 %, or 0 . 4 % of any individual fatty acid other than eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester ; the composition has a refractive index ( 20 ° c .) of about 1 to about 2 , about 1 . 2 to about 1 . 8 or about 1 . 4 to about 1 . 5 ; the composition has a specific gravity ( 20 ° c .) of about 0 . 8 to about 1 . 0 , about 0 . 85 to about 0 . 95 or about 0 . 9 to about 0 . 92 ; contains not more than 20 ppm , 15 ppm or 10 ppm heavy metals , contains not more than 5 ppm , 4 ppm , 3 ppm , or 2 ppm arsenic , and / or has a peroxide value not more than 5 , 4 , 3 , or 2 meq / kg . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention comprises nicotinic acid ( also referred to herein as “ niacin ”, “ 3 - pyridine carboxamide ” and / or “ vitamin b3 ”). in another embodiment , the nicotinic acid is in crystalline form . in one embodiment , the epa and nicotinic acid are not covalently linked . in one embodiment , the nicotinic acid is present in a composition of the invention in an amount of about 5 mg to about 1200 mg , about 10 mg to about 800 mg , about 15 mg to about 750 mg , about 20 mg to about 500 mg , about 25 mg to about 400 mg , or about 50 mg to about 200 mg , for example in an amount of about 25 mg , about 50 mg , 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1125 mg , about 1150 mg , about 1175 mg , or about 1200 mg . in various embodiments , the nicotinic acid can be in immediate - release , extended - release or sustained - release form . the term “ immediate - release ” in the present context refers to nicotinic acid formulations from which nicotinic acid , upon ingestion by a human subject , is absorbed at a rate of about 400 to about 600 mg / hr , for example about 500 mg / hr . typically , immediate - release nicotinic acid is not coated with any release - modifying barrier or layer . the immediate - release nicotinic acid can be in crystalline form . niacor ® ( upsher - smith laboratories ) is an illustrative immediate - release nicotinic acid formulation . the term “ extended - release nicotinic acid ” herein refers to nicotinic acid formulations from which nicotinic acid , upon ingestion by a human subject , is absorbed at a rate of about 80 to about 200 mg / hr , for example about 100 mg / hr . niaspan ® ( kos pharmaceuticals ) is an illustrative extended - release nicotinic acid formulation . the term “ sustained - release ” in the present context refers to nicotinic acid formulations from which the nicotinic acid , when ingested by a human subject , is absorbed at a rate of about 25 mg / hr to about 75 mg / hr , for example about 50 mg / hr . in one embodiment , nicotinic acid and epa are present in a composition of the invention , or are co - administered in a weight ratio of about 1 : 1000 to about 1000 : 1 , about 1 : 500 to about 500 : 1 , about 1 : 100 to about 100 : 1 , about 1 : 50 to about 50 : 1 , about 1 : 25 to about 25 : 1 , about 1 : 10 to about 10 : 1 , about 1 : 5 to about 5 : 1 , about 1 : 4 to about 4 : 1 about 1 : 3 to about 3 : 1 , about 1 : 2 to about 2 : 1 or about 1 : 1 . in another embodiment , an additional cardiovascular agent is co - formulated with epa and / or nicotinic acid , or is co - administered with epa and / or nicotinic acid . the additional cardiovascular agent can illustratively include a 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl glutaryl coenzyme a ( hmg - coa ) reductase inhibitor ( also referred to as a “ statin ”), a fibrate , or a bile salt sequesterant or binding resin . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention comprises epa and a statin . non - limiting examples of suitable statins that can be used in accordance with various embodiments of the invention include prevastatin , lovastatin , simvastatin , atorvastatin , fluvastatin , pitavastatin and rosuvastatin and salts thereof . in a related embodiment , the composition contains not more than 10 % dha or derivative thereof , if any . in another related embodiment , the composition contains no dha or derivative thereof such as ethyl - dha . a statin , if present in a composition or compositions of the invention , can be present in an amount of about 1 to about 300 mg , about 5 mg to about 200 mg , about 10 mg to about 180 mg , about 20 mg to about 150 mg , about 30 mg about 100 mg , or about 40 mg to about 60 mg . pravastatin ( pravachol ®; manufactured by bristol - myers squibb , princeton , n . j .) is hydrophilic and is best absorbed without food . prevastatin can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 to about 80 mg , about 5 mg to 60 mg , or about 10 mg to about 40 mg . lovastatin ( mevacor ®; by merck , whitehouse station , n . j .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 mg to about 100 mg , about 5 mg to about 80 mg , or about 10 mg to about 40 mg . simvastatin ( zocor ® by merck , whitehouse station , n . j .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 mg to about 80 mg per day , about 2 mg to 60 about mg , or about 5 mg to about 40 mg . atorvastatin ( lipitor ® by pfizer , new york , n . y .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 mg to about 100 mg , about 5 mg to about 80 mg , or about 10 mg to about 40 mg . fluvastatin , ( lescol ® by novartis , new york , n . y .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 5 mg to about 160 mg , about 10 mg to about 120 mg , or about 20 mg to about 80 mg . rosuvastatin ( crestor ® by astra zeneca , wilmington , del .) the dosage of rosuvastatin , in the combined administration of concentrated omega - 3 fatty acids is from 1 to 80 mg , preferably 2 to 60 mg , and more preferably from 5 to 40 mg per dosage of concentrated omega - 3 fatty acids . in another embodiment , a pharmaceutical composition consisting of , or consisting essentially of , epa , nicotinic acid ( and optionally a statin and / or a fibrate ) and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients is provided . in another embodiment , a pharmaceutical composition containing active ingredients consisting of , or consisting essentially of , epa and nicotinic acid niacin is provided . in another embodiment , a pharmaceutical composition containing active ingredients consisting of , or consisting essentially of , epa , nicotinic acid and a statin is provided . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention are orally deliverable . the terms “ orally deliverable ” or “ oral administration ” herein include any form of delivery of a therapeutic agent or a composition thereof to a subject wherein the agent or composition is placed in the mouth of the subject , whether or not the agent or composition is swallowed . thus “ oral administration ” includes buccal and sublingual as well as esophageal administration . in some embodiments , compositions of the invention are in the form of solid dosage forms . non - limiting examples of suitable solid dosage forms include tablets ( e . g . suspension tablets , bite suspension tablets , rapid dispersion tablets , chewable tablets , melt tablets , effervescent tablets , bilayer tablets , etc ), caplets , capsules ( e . g . a soft or a hard gelatin capsule filled with solid and / or liquids ), powder ( e . g . a packaged powder , a dispensable powder or an effervescent powder ), lozenges , sachets , cachets , troches , pellets , granules , microgranules , encapsulated microgranules , powder aerosol formulations , or any other solid dosage form reasonably adapted for oral administration . epa , nicotinic acid , a statin and / or any other desired active ingredient can be co - formulated in the same dosage unit , or can be individually formulated in separate dosage units . the terms “ dose unit ” and “ dosage unit ” herein refer to a portion of a pharmaceutical composition that contains an amount of a therapeutic agent suitable for a single administration to provide a therapeutic effect . such dosage units may be administered one to a plurality ( i . e . 1 to about 10 , 1 to 8 , 1 to 6 , 1 to 4 or 1 to 2 ) of times per day , or as many times as needed to elicit a therapeutic response . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention comprises nicotinic acid and / or a statin dispersed or suspended in epa , wherein the dispersion or suspension is present in a capsule ( for example gelatin or hpmc capsule ), sachet , or other dosage form or carrier as described herein . in another embodiment , the dispersion or suspension is substantially uniform . in still another embodiment , where co - administration of two or more dosage units is desired , the epa is present in a first dosage unit , for example a suspension in a capsule , and the nicotinic acid is present in second dosage unit , for example a tablet . optionally , any desired statin can be present in a third composition . in another embodiment , composition ( s ) of the invention can be in the form of liquid dosage forms or dose units to be imbibed directly or they can be mixed with food or beverage prior to ingestion . non - limiting examples of suitable liquid dosage forms include solutions , suspension , elixirs , syrups , liquid aerosol formulations , etc . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention , upon storage in a closed container maintained at room temperature , refrigerated ( e . g . about 5 to about 5 - 10 ° c .) temperature , or frozen for a period of about 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , or 12 months , exhibit at least about 90 %, at least about 95 %, at least about 97 . 5 %, or at least about 99 % of the active ingredient ( s ) originally present therein . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable excipient ” herein means any substance , not itself a therapeutic agent , used as a carrier or vehicle for delivery of a therapeutic agent to a subject or added to a pharmaceutical composition to improve its handling or storage properties or to permit or facilitate formation of a unit dose of the composition , and that does not produce unacceptable toxicity or interaction with other components in the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable diluents as excipients . suitable diluents illustratively include , either individually or in combination , lactose , including anhydrous lactose and lactose monohydrate ; starches , including directly compressible starch and hydrolyzed starches ( e . g ., celutab ™ and emdex ™); mannitol ; sorbitol ; xylitol ; dextrose ( e . g ., cerelose ™ 2000 ) and dextrose monohydrate ; dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate ; sucrose - based diluents ; confectioner &# 39 ; s sugar ; monobasic calcium sulfate monohydrate ; calcium sulfate dihydrate ; granular calcium lactate trihydrate ; dextrates ; inositol ; hydrolyzed cereal solids ; amylose ; celluloses including microcrystalline cellulose , food grade sources of α - and amorphous cellulose ( e . g ., rexcel ™) and powdered cellulose ; calcium carbonate ; glycine ; bentonite ; polyvinylpyrrolidone ; and the like . such diluents , if present , constitute in total about 5 % to about 99 %, about 10 % to about 85 %, or about 20 % to about 80 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable disintegrants as excipients . suitable disintegrants include , either individually or in combination , starches , including sodium starch glycolate ( e . g ., explotab ™ of penwest ) and pregelatinized corn starches ( e . g ., national ™ 1551 , national ™ 1550 , and colocorn ™ 1500 ), clays ( e . g ., veegum ™ hv ), celluloses such as purified cellulose , microcrystalline cellulose , methylcellulose , carboxymethylcellulose and sodium carboxymethylcellulose , croscarmellose sodium ( e . g ., ac - di - sol ™ of fmc ), alginates , crospovidone , and gums such as agar , guar , xanthan , locust bean , karaya , pectin and tragacanth gums . such disintegrants , if present , typically comprise in total about 0 . 2 % to about 30 %, about 0 . 2 % to about 10 %, or about 0 . 2 % to about 5 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more antioxidants . illustrative antioxidants include sodium ascorbate and vitamin e ( tocopherol ). one or more antioxidants , if present , are typically present in a composition of the invention in an amount of about 0 . 001 % to about 5 %, about 0 . 005 % to about 2 . 5 %, or about 0 . 01 % to about 1 %, by weight . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable binding agents or adhesives as excipients . such binding agents and adhesives can impart sufficient cohesion to a powder being tableted to allow for normal processing operations such as sizing , lubrication , compression and packaging , but still allow the tablet to disintegrate and the composition to be absorbed upon ingestion . suitable binding agents and adhesives include , either individually or in combination , acacia ; tragacanth ; sucrose ; gelatin ; glucose ; starches such as , but not limited to , pregelatinized starches ( e . g ., national ™ 1511 and national ™ 1500 ); celluloses such as , but not limited to , methylcellulose and carmellose sodium ( e . g ., tylose ™); alginic acid and salts of alginic acid ; magnesium aluminum silicate ; peg ; guar gum ; polysaccharide acids ; bentonites ; povidone , for example povidone k - 15 , k - 30 and k - 29 / 32 ; polymethacrylates ; hpmc ; hydroxypropylcellulose ( e . g ., klucel ™); and ethylcellulose ( e . g ., ethocel ™). such binding agents and / or adhesives , if present , constitute in total about 0 . 5 % to about 25 %, about 0 . 75 % to about 15 %, or about 1 % to about 10 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable wetting agents as excipients . non - limiting examples of surfactants that can be used as wetting agents in compositions of the invention include quaternary ammonium compounds , for example benzalkonium chloride , benzethonium chloride and cetylpyridinium chloride , dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers , for example nonoxynol 9 , nonoxynol 10 , and octoxynol 9 , poloxamers ( polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene block copolymers ), polyoxyethylene fatty acid glycerides and oils , for example polyoxyethylene ( 8 ) caprylic / capric mono - and diglycerides ( e . g ., labrasol ™ of gattefossé ), polyoxyethylene ( 35 ) castor oil and polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) hydrogenated castor oil ; polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers , for example polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) cetostearyl ether , polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters , for example polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) stearate , polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters , for example polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 ( e . g ., tween ™ 80 of ici ), propylene glycol fatty acid esters , for example propylene glycol laurate ( e . g ., lauroglycol ™ of gattefossé ), sodium lauryl sulfate , fatty acids and salts thereof , for example oleic acid , sodium oleate and triethanolamine oleate , glyceryl fatty acid esters , for example glyceryl monostearate , sorbitan esters , for example sorbitan monolaurate , sorbitan monooleate , sorbitan monopalmitate and sorbitan monostearate , tyloxapol , and mixtures thereof . such wetting agents , if present , constitute in total about 0 . 25 % to about 15 %, about 0 . 4 % to about 10 %, or about 0 . 5 % to about 5 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable lubricants ( including anti - adherents and / or glidants ) as excipients . suitable lubricants include , either individually or in combination , glyceryl behapate ( e . g ., compritol ™ 888 ); stearic acid and salts thereof , including magnesium ( magnesium stearate ), calcium and sodium stearates ; hydrogenated vegetable oils ( e . g ., sterotex ™); colloidal silica ; talc ; waxes ; boric acid ; sodium benzoate ; sodium acetate ; sodium fumarate ; sodium chloride ; dl - leucine ; peg ( e . g ., carbowax ™ 4000 and carbowax ™ 6000 ); sodium oleate ; sodium lauryl sulfate ; and magnesium lauryl sulfate . such lubricants , if present , constitute in total about 0 . 1 % to about 10 %, about 0 . 2 % to about 8 %, or about 0 . 25 % to about 5 %, of the total weight of the composition . suitable anti - adherents include talc , cornstarch , dl - leucine , sodium lauryl sulfate and metallic stearates . talc is a anti - adherent or glidant used , for example , to reduce formulation sticking to equipment surfaces and also to reduce static in the blend . talc , if present , constitutes about 0 . 1 % to about 10 %, about 0 . 25 % to about 5 %, or about 0 . 5 % to about 2 %, of the total weight of the composition . glidants can be used to promote powder flow of a solid formulation . suitable glidants include colloidal silicon dioxide , starch , talc , tribasic calcium phosphate , powdered cellulose and magnesium trisilicate . compositions of the present invention optionally comprise one or more flavoring agents , sweetening agents , and / or colorants . flavoring agents useful in the present invention include , without limitation , acacia syrup , alitame , anise , apple , aspartame , banana , bavarian cream , berry , black currant , butter , butter pecan , butterscotch , calcium citrate , camphor , caramel , cherry , cherry cream , chocolate , cinnamon , citrus , citrus punch , citrus cream , cocoa , coffee , cola , cool cherry , cool citrus , cyclamate , cylamate , dextrose , eucalyptus , eugenol , fructose , fruit punch , ginger , glycyrrhetinate , glycyrrhiza ( licorice ) syrup , grape , grapefruit , honey , isomalt , lemon , lime , lemon cream , magnasweet ®, maltol , mannitol , maple , menthol , mint , mint cream , mixed berry , nut , orange , peanut butter , pear , peppermint , peppermint cream , prosweet ® powder , raspberry , root beer , rum , saccharin , safrole , sorbitol , spearmint , spearmint cream , strawberry , strawberry cream , stevia , sucralose , sucrose , swiss cream , tagatose , tangerine , thaumatin , tutti fruitti , vanilla , walnut , watermelon , wild cherry , wintergreen , xylitol , and combinations thereof , for example , anise - menthol , cherry - anise , cinnamon - orange , cherry - cinnamon , chocolate - mint , honey - lemon , lemon - lime , lemon - mint , menthol - eucalyptus , orange - cream , vanilla - mint , etc . sweetening agents that can be used in the present invention include , for example , acesulfame potassium ( acesulfame k ), alitame , aspartame , cyclamate , cylamate , dextrose , isomalt , magnasweet ®, maltitol , mannitol , neohesperidine dc , neotame , prosweet ® powder , saccharin , sorbitol , stevia , sucralose , sucrose , tagatose , thaumatin , xylitol , and the like . flavoring agents , sweetening agents , and / or colorants can be present in compositions of the invention in any suitable amount , for example about 0 . 01 % to about 10 %, about 0 . 1 % to about 8 %, or about 1 % to about 5 %, by weight . compositions of the invention optionally comprise a suspending agent . non - limiting illustrative examples of suitable suspending agents include silicon dioxide , bentonite , hydrated aluminum silicate ( e . g . kaolin ) and mixtures thereof . one or more suspending agents are optionally present in compositions of the invention in a total amount of about 0 . 01 % to about 3 . 0 %, about 0 . 1 % to about 2 . 0 %, or about 0 . 25 % to about 1 . 0 %, by weight the foregoing excipients can have multiple roles as is known in the art . for example , starch can serve as a filler as well as a disintegrant . the classification of excipients above is not to be construed as limiting in any manner . excipients categorized in any manner may also operate under various different categories of excipients as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention are useful for treatment and / or prevention of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder . the term “ cardiovascular - related disease or disorder ” herein refers to any disease or disorder of the heart or blood vessels ( i . e . arteries and veins ) or any symptom thereof . non - limiting examples of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder include hypertriglyceridemia , hypercholesterolemia , mixed dyslipidemia , coronary heart disease , vascular disease , stroke , atherosclerosis , arrhythmia , hypertension , myocardial infarction , and other cardiovascular events . the term “ treatment ” in relation a given disease or disorder , includes , but is not limited to , inhibiting the disease or disorder , for example , arresting the development of the disease or disorder ; relieving the disease or disorder , for example , causing regression of the disease or disorder ; or relieving a condition caused by or resulting from the disease or disorder , for example , relieving , preventing or treating symptoms of the disease or disorder . the term “ prevention ” in relation to a given disease or disorder means : preventing the onset of disease development if none had occurred , preventing the disease or disorder from occurring in a subject that may be predisposed to the disorder or disease but has not yet been diagnosed as having the disorder or disease , and / or preventing further disease / disorder development if already present . in one embodiment , the present invention provides a method of blood lipid therapy comprising administering to a subject in need thereof 1 to a plurality of dosage units comprising a composition or compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the subject being treated has a baseline triglyceride level , prior to treatment with a composition of the present invention , greater than about 150 mg / dl or greater than about 175 mg / dl , for example about 200 mg / dl to about 600 mg / dl or about 200 mg / dl to about 500 mg / dl . in a related embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subjects exhibit one or more of : ( a ) reduced triglyceride levels compared to baseline , ( b ) reduced apo b levels compared to baseline , ( c ) increased hdl - c levels compared to baseline , ( d ) no increase in ldl - c levels compared to baseline , ( e ) a reduction in ldl - c levels compared to baseline , ( f ) a reduction in non - hdl - c levels compared to baseline , and / or ( g ) no flushing or reduced flushing compared to : ( i ) treatment with more than 1 g per day of nicotinic acid , ( ii ) treatment with more than 3 g per day of nicotinic acid , or ( iii ) treatment with a combination of about 1 to about 3 g per day of nicotinic acid plus about 4 g of omacor ®. each omacor ® capsule contains 900 mg of the ethyl ester of omega - 3 fatty acids — approximately 465 mg epa and 375 mg dha — and 4 mg α - tocopherol . relevant serum total cholesterol , hdl - c , non - hdl - c , and ldl - c levels can be measured in accordance with any of the well known analytical methods available in the art , for example using a synchron 4cx ® 4ce to perform a blood panel analysis . in one embodiment , subjects fast for up to 12 hours prior to blood sample collection . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , the subject or subjects exhibit one or more of ( a ) a reduction in triglyceride level of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( b ) a reduction in non - hdl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( c ) an increase in hdl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( d ) a reduction in ldl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( e ) a reduction in apo b levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; and / or ( f ) no flushing or reduced flushing compared to : treatment with 1 g or more per day of nicotinic acid or 3 g or more per day of nicotinic acid , or a combination of about 1 to about 3 g per day of nicotinic acid plus omacor ®, for example about 4 g per day of omacor ®. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating or preventing primary hypercholesteremia and / or mixed dyslipidemia ( fredrickson types iia and iib ) in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in a related embodiment , the present invention provides a method of reducing triglyceride levels in a subject or subjects when treatment with a statin or nicotinic acid extended - release monotherapy is considered inadequate ( frederickson type iv hyperlipidemia ). in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating or preventing risk of recurrent nonfatal myocardial infarction in a subject with a history of myocardial infarction , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of slowing progression of or promoting regression of atherosclerotic disease in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to a subject in need thereof one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating or preventing very high serum triglyceride levels ( e . g . types iv and v hyperlipidemia ) in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating subjects having very high serum triglyceride levels ( e . g . greater than 1000 mg / dl or greater than 2000 mg / dl ) and that are at risk of developing pancreatitis , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment optionally associated with any of the methods disclosed herein , administration of any composition or compositions disclosed herein to a subject results in an absence of flushing or reduced flushing by comparison with administration of conventional high dose ( e . g . & gt ; 1 . 5 g , for example about 2 g to about 3 g maintenance dose ) immediate - release , extended - release or sustained - release nicotinic acid therapy or combination therapy . the term “ flushing ” herein includes facial flushing or flushing associated with any other area of the skin , for example redness , itching , burning and / or tingling sensations that typically occur on the face , neck , chest , and back . in another embodiment , administration of a composition of the invention to a subject or plurality of subjects results in no flushing , tolerable flushing or decreased flushing by comparison with : ( a ) 3 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy , ( b ) 2 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy , ( c ) 1 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy , ( d ) at least 2 g , 3 g or 4 g of omacor ® per day plus greater than 1 g per day of nicotinic acid therapy , or ( e ) at least 2 g , 3 g or 4 g omacor ® per day plus 2 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy or 3 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy . in another embodiment optionally associated with any of the methods disclosed herein , administration of any of the compositions of the invention to a subject or plurality of subjects results in substantially no or no liver toxicity or reduced liver toxicity compared to administration of extended - release or sustained - release nicotinic acid dosage units to a subject or plurality of subjects in an amount of more than 1 . 5 g per day or greater , for example 2 g per day or greater , or 3 g per day or greater . in still another embodiment , administration of any of the compositions disclosed herein to a subject results in no flushing or decreased flushing , and no increase in ldl or reduced increase in ldl by comparison with daily co - administration of four 1 g omacor ® capsules plus 3 g of immediate - release nicotinic acid . in still another embodiment , administration of any of the compositions disclosed herein to a subject results in increased subject compliance and or decreased subject withdrawal from treatment by comparison with daily administration of four 1 g omacor ® capsules plus 3 g of immediate - release nicotinic acid . in another embodiment , subject compliance (% of subjects substantially complying with the prescribed dosage regimen ) is greater than 70 %, greater than 80 %, greater than 90 %, greater than 93 %, greater than 95 %, or greater than 98 %, for example over a period of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 or 20 days , and / or subject withdrawal or non - compliance due to flushing (% of subjects substantially not complying with the prescribed dosage regimen due to flushing effects ) is less than 8 %, less than 7 %, less than 5 % or less than 3 %, for example over a period of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 or 20 days . one embodiment of the invention comprises treating or preventing a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder as defined herein by administering to a subject in need thereof about 50 mg to about 1500 mg per day of immediate - release nicotinic acid , about 50 mg to about 5 g per day of epa , for example ethyl ester epa containing no dha , and / or about 10 mg to about 300 mg per day of a statin . in another embodiment , a composition of the invention is administered to a subject in an amount sufficient to provide a daily maintenance dose of nicotinic acid of about 5 mg to about 1500 mg , about 10 mg to about 1000 mg , about 20 mg to about 800 mg , about 50 mg to about 500 mg , or about 75 mg to about 450 mg , for example in a daily amount of about 25 mg , about 50 mg , 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1125 mg , about 1150 mg , about 1175 mg , about 1200 mg , about 1225 mg , about 1250 mg , about 1275 mg , about 1300 mg , about 1325 mg , about 1350 mg , about 1375 mg , about 1400 mg , about 1425 mg , about 1450 mg , or about 1475 mg . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention is administered to a subject in an amount sufficient to provide a daily epa dose of about 1 mg to about 10 , 000 mg , 25 about 5000 mg , about 50 to about 3000 mg , about 75 mg to about 2500 mg , or about 100 mg to about 1000 mg , for example about 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1200 mg , about 1225 mg , about 1250 mg , about 1275 mg , about 1300 mg , about 1325 mg , about 1350 mg , about 1375 mg , about 1400 mg , about 1425 mg , about 1450 mg , about 1475 mg , about 1500 mg , about 1525 mg , about 1550 mg , about 1575 mg , about 1600 mg , about 1625 mg , about 1650 mg , about 1675 mg , about 1700 mg , about 1725 mg , about 1750 mg , about 1775 mg , about 1800 mg , about 1825 mg , about 1850 mg , about 1875 mg , about 1900 mg , about 1925 mg , about 1950 mg , about 1975 mg , about 2000 mg , about 2025 mg , about 2050 mg , about 2075 mg , about 2100 mg , about 2125 mg , about 2150 mg , about 2175 mg , about 2200 mg , about 2225 mg , about 2250 mg , about 2275 mg , about 2300 mg , about 2325 mg , about 2350 mg , about 2375 mg , about 2400 mg , about 2425 mg , about 2450 mg , about 2475 mg or about 2500 mg . in another embodiment , the statin is administered to the subject in a daily amount of about 1 to about 300 mg , about 5 mg to about 200 mg , about 10 mg to about 180 mg , about 20 mg to about 150 mg , about 30 mg about 100 mg , or about 40 mg to about 60 mg . nicotinic acid , epa and / or a statin can be administered as a co - formulation or as individual dosage units . where the nicotinic acid , epa and / or a statin are co - administered as separate dosage units , each dosage unit can be administered to a subject over a time period of 24 hours , 18 hours , 12 hours , 10 hours , 8 hours , 6 hours , 4 hours , 2 hours , 1 hour , 0 . 5 hours , or substantially simultaneously . in another embodiment , nicotinic acid , epa and / or a statin can be administered sequentially . for example , epa can be administered to a subject as a sole agent during an epa loading period . the loading period can be , for example , 1 day , 2 days , 4 days , 6 days , 2 weeks , 3 weeks , 4 weeks , 5 weeks , 6 weeks , 7 weeks , 8 weeks , 9 weeks or 10 weeks . after any such loading period , nicotinic acid and / or statin treatment can be initiated together with epa or in place of epa treatment . in another embodiment , epa is administered to a subject in the morning , for example from about 4 am to about 10 am , and low dose nicotinic acid ( i . e . less than 1500 mg is administered to the same subject in the afternoon or evening , for example from about 12 pm to about 11 pm . in a related embodiment , upon treatment in accordance with the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 12 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subject group exhibits one or more of the following outcomes : ( i ) an increase in apo a - i / apo b ratio compared to baseline ; ( o ) a reduction in fasting plasma glucose ( fpg ) compared to baseline ; ( p ) a reduction in hemoglobin a 1c ( hba 1c ) compared to baseline ; ( q ) a reduction in homeostasis model insulin resistance compared to baseline ; ( r ) a reduction in lipoprotein associated phospholipase a2 compared to baseline ; ( v ) a reduction in high sensitivity c - reactive protein ( hscrp ) compared to baseline ; ( x ) an increase in red blood cell membrane epa compared to baseline ; and / or ( y ) a reduction or increase in one or more of serum phospholipid and / or red blood cell content of docosahexaenoic acid ( dha ), docosapentaenoic acid ( dpa ), arachidonic acid ( aa ), palmitic acid ( pa ), staeridonic acid ( sa ) or oleic acid ( oa ) compared to baseline . in one embodiment , methods of the present invention comprise measuring baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) above prior to dosing the subject or subject group . in another embodiment , the methods comprise administering a composition as disclosed herein to the subject after baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) are determined , and subsequently taking an additional measurement of said one or more markers . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 12 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subject group exhibits any 2 or more of , any 3 or more of , any 4 or more of , any 5 or more of , any 6 or more of , any 7 or more of , any 8 or more of , any 9 or more of , any 10 or more of , any 11 or more of , any 12 or more of , any 13 or more of , any 14 or more of , any 15 or more of , any 16 or more of , any 17 or more of , any 18 or more of , any 19 or more of , any 20 or more of , any 21 or more of , any 22 or more of , any 23 or more , any 24 or more , or all 25 of outcomes ( a )-( y ) described immediately above . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , the subject or subject group exhibits one or more of the following outcomes : ( a ) a reduction in triglyceride level of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( b ) a less than 30 % increase , less than 20 % increase , less than 10 % increase , less than 5 % increase or no increase in non - hdl - c levels or a reduction in non - hdl - c levels of at least about 1 %, at least about 3 %, at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( c ) an increase in hdl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( d ) a less than 30 % increase , less than 20 % increase , less than 10 % increase , less than 5 % increase or no increase in ldl - c levels or a reduction in ldl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( e ) a decrease in apo b levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( f ) a reduction in vldl levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual ° a change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( g ) an increase in apo a - i levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( h ) an increase in apo a - i / apo b ratio of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( i ) a reduction in lipoprotein ( a ) levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( j ) a reduction in mean ldl particle number of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( k ) an increase in mean ldl particle size of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( l ) a reduction in remnant - like particle cholesterol of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( m ) a reduction in oxidized ldl of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( n ) a reduction in fasting plasma glucose ( fpg ) of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( o ) a reduction in hemoglobin a 1c ( hba 1c ) of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( p ) a reduction in homeostasis model index insulin resistance of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( q ) a reduction in lipoprotein associated phospholipase a2 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( r ) a reduction in intracellular adhesion molecule - 1 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( s ) a reduction in interleukin - 2 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( t ) a reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor - 1 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( u ) a reduction in high sensitivity c - reactive protein ( hscrp ) of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( v ) an increase in serum phospholipid epa of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 100 %, at least about 200 % or at least about 400 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( w ) an increase in serum phospholipid and / or red blood cell membrane epa of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, r at least about 50 %, at least about 100 %, at least about 200 %, or at least about 400 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( x ) a reduction or increase in one or more of serum phospholipid and / or red blood cell dha , dpa , aa , pa and / or oa of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; and / or ( y ) a reduction in total cholesterol of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline . in one embodiment , methods of the present invention comprise measuring baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) prior to dosing the subject or subject group . in another embodiment , the methods comprise administering a composition as disclosed herein to the subject after baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) are determined , and subsequently taking a second measurement of the one or more markers as measured at baseline for comparison thereto . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 12 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subject group exhibits any 2 or more of , any 3 or more of , any 4 or more of , any 5 or more of , any 6 or more of , any 7 or more of , any 8 or more of , any 9 or more of , any 10 or more of , any 11 or more of , any 12 or more of , any 13 or more of , any 14 or more of , any 15 or more of , any 16 or more of , any 17 or more of , any 18 or more of , any 19 or more of , any 20 or more of , any 21 or more of , any 22 or more of , any 23 or more of , any 24 or more of , or all 26 or more of outcomes ( a )-( y ) described immediately above . parameters ( a )-( y ) can be measured in accordance with any clinically acceptable methodology . for example , triglycerides , total cholesterol , hdl - c and fasting blood sugar can be sample from serum and analyzed using standard photometry techniques . vldl - tg , ldl - c and vldl - c can be calculated or determined using serum lipoprotein fractionation by preparative ultracentrifugation and subsequent quantitative analysis by refractometry or by analytic ultracentrifugal methodology . apo a1 , apo b and hscrp can be determined from serum using standard nephelometry techniques . lipoprotein ( a ) can be determined from serum using standard turbidimetric immunoassay techniques . ldl particle number and particle size can be determined using nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) spectrometry . remnants lipoproteins and ldl - phospholipase a2 can be determined from edta plasma or serum and serum , respectively , using enzymatic immunoseparation techniques . oxidized ldl , intercellular adhesion molecule - 1 and interleukin - 2 levels can be determined from serum using standard enzyme immunoassay techniques . these techniques are described in detail in standard textbooks , for example tietz fundamentals of clinical chemistry , 6 th ed . ( burtis , ashwood and borter eds . ), wb saunders company . in one embodiment , subjects fast for up to 12 hours prior to blood sample collection , for example about 10 hours . in another embodiment , the invention provides the use of nicotinic acid , epa and optionally a statin or fibrate in the manufacture of a medicament for treatment or prevention of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder such as hypertriglyceridemia , hypercholesterolemia , mixed dyslipidemia , coronary heart disease , vascular disease , stroke , atherosclerosis , arrhythmia , hypertension , myocardial infarction , and other cardiovascular events . in one embodiment , the composition contains not more than 10 % dha , if any . in another embodiment , the composition contains no dha . in another embodiment , the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising nicotinic acid and epa for the treatment and / or prevention of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder , wherein the composition contains not more than 10 % dha , if any . in a related embodiment , the composition contains no dha . in one embodiment , the invention provides a method of treating a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder in a subject in need thereof comprising providing the subject with epa pre - treatment followed by one or more doses of nicotinic acid . in one embodiment , the dose of nicotinic acid is sufficient to provide the subject with not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg of nicotinic acid . the term “ pre - treatment ” in the present context means providing the subject with one or more doses of epa about 0 . 1 to about 96 hours , about 1 to about 48 hours , about 2 to about 24 hours , about 3 to about 15 hours , or about 4 to about 12 hours prior to providing the subject with an initial dose of nicotinic acid as set forth herein , for example a dose of not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg of nicotinic acid . in a related embodiment , the subject is pre - treated with epa in an amount of about 1 mg to about 5000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 4000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 3000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 2000 mg per day , or 1 mg to about 1000 mg per day for a period of about 1 to about 30 days , ito about 20 days , 1 to about 15 days , 1 to about 10 days , ito about 8 days , 1 to about 6 days , 1 to about 4 days or 1 to about 2 days . in another embodiment , the invention provides a method of preventing or reducing niacin - induced flushing in a subject comprising ( a ) providing a subject that is to begin niacin therapy , ( b ) pre - treating the subject with epa and ( c ) administering niacin to the subject after said pre - treatment . in one embodiment , the niacin is administered at a dose of not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg per day . in another embodiment , the subject is pre - treated with epa in an amount of about 1 mg to about 5000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 4000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 3000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 2000 mg per day , or 1 mg to about 1000 mg per day for a period of about 1 to about 30 days , 1 to about 20 days , 1 to about 15 days , 1 to about 10 days , 1 to about 8 days , 1 to about 6 days , 1 to about 4 days or 1 to about 2 days . in another embodiment , the invention provides a method of reducing or attenuating niacin - induced flushing in a subject on niacin therapy , comprising ( a ) identifying a subject on niacin therapy and that is experiencing flushing and ( b ) administering epa to the subject . in one embodiment , the niacin is administered at a dose of not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg per day . in another embodiment , the epa is administered to the subject in an amount of about 1 mg to about 5000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 4000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 3000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 2000 mg per day , or 1 mg to about 1000 mg per day . in other embodiments , any of the methods disclosed herein are used in treatment or prevention of a subject or subjects that consume a traditional western diet . in one embodiment , the methods of the invention include a step of identifying a subject as a western diet consumer or prudent diet consumer and then treating the subject if the subject is deemed to consume a western diet . the term “ western diet ” herein refers generally to a typical diet consisting of , by percentage of total calories , about 45 % to about 50 % carbohydrate , about 35 to about 40 % fat , and about 10 % to about 15 % protein . a western diet may further be characterized by relatively high intakes of red and processed meats , sweets , refined grains , and desserts , for example where half or more or 70 % or more calories come from these sources . the following example is for illustrative purposes and is not to be construed as limiting the invention in any manner . an analysis was performed to assess the impact of red blood cell ( rbc ) epa incorporation on arachidonic acid formation . in various studies , patients were randomized , on a double - blind basis , to receive either placebo ( liquid paraffin ) or 0 . 5 1 , 2 or 4 g of 97 % pure ethyl - epa / day for 12 weeks . all the doses were administered in eight identical appearing capsules . rbcs were analyzed for epa and aa following in general the methodology of manku et al . m . s . manku , d . f . horrobin , y . s . huang and n . morse , fatty acids in plasma and red cell membranes in normal humans . lipids 18 ( 1983 ), pp . 906 - 908 ). venous blood was collected into a tube pretreated with edta and centrifuged at 1500 gav for 15 min . the plasma layer and the buffy coat were separated off and the red cells washed with an equal volume of 0 . 9 % saline . samples were stored at − 80 ° c . prior to analysis . on thawing , the rbcs were suspended in nacl / h 2 so 4 aq . ( 17 mmol / l nacl , 1 mmol / l sulfuric acid , 1 . 8 ml ), then shaken with methanol ( 3 ml ). chloroform ( 6 ml ) and c 17 : 0 internal standard were added and the sample was stirred vigorously using a vortex mixer . after centrifugation at 2000 gav for 10 min , the lower layer containing the total lipid extract was carefully removed and filtered through anhydrous sodium sulphate before evaporation to dryness . the lipids were transesterified using sulfuric acid / methanol . the methyl esters were purified by loading onto an isohexane - washed silica column prior to elution with isohexane : diethyl ether ( 95 : 5 ). the resulting methyl esters of the fatty acids were separated and measured using a hewlett - packard hp5890 series ii plus gas chromatograph ( cp - wax 52cb 25m capillary column , chrompack uk ). the carrier gas was hydrogen ( 1 ml / min ). the oven temperature was programmed to rise from 1701 to 2201 ° c . at 41 ° c ./ min . the detector temperature was 300 ° c . and injector temperature 230 ° c . retention times and peak areas were automatically computed by hewlett - packard hp 3365 chem . station . as shown in fig1 , increasing rbc epa incorporation results in decreasing arachidonic acid formation . the figure below is a average for all data collected from several clinical studies . | 0 |
the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the fig9 through 18 . fig9 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention . packet data , such as an mpeg2 standard transport data stream , are input to an input terminal 21 . in addition to video data packets , other data packets are transmitted . each data packet is assigned with a pid so that the different types of data packets can be discriminated . in addition , identification table packets showing the relationships between the pids and the different types of packet data are that transmitted at prescribed intervals . packet data are supplied to a demultiplexer ( dmpx ) 22 . the demultiplexer 22 separates the data packets according to type based on the pids contained in the data packet , outputs identification table packets to an identification table decoder 23 and a packet memory 24 , and outputs video packets to a trick play video packet generator 25 . the identification table decoder 23 decodes and outputs an identification table showing the relationship between the pid and the type of data to the demultiplexer 22 . the demultiplexer 22 separates the packets by type based on the identification tables . the trick play video packet generator 25 generates trick play video data ( trick play frame data ) from the video data packets , produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data , and outputs the packets to the multiplexer ( mpx ) 26 . further , the trick play video packet generator 25 detects the top of the trick play frame in the trick play video packet and outputs a timing signal to the packet memory 24 at the time of detection . the packet memory 24 stores the identification table packet and outputs it to the multiplexer 26 at the time the timing signal is sent . the multiplexer 26 multiplexes an identification table packet and a trick play video packet from the trick play video packet generator 25 and outputs them to a trick play packet memory 27 as a trick play record packet . the trick play packet memory 27 stores the output of the multiplexer 26 and outputs to a multiplexer 28 . in addition , the data packets which are input to the input terminal 21 are also supplied to a normal reproduced packet memory 29 . the normal reproduced packet memory 29 stores the input data packets and outputs to the multiplexer ( mpx ) 28 . the multiplexer 28 rearranges the trick play video packets from the trick play packet memory 27 and the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 into the recording data sequence and outputs the packets to a recording section ( not shown ) as recording data . further , the recording section adds a prescribed header and an error correction code to the recording data and records all of the data on a magnetic tape ( not shown ) after a prescribed modulation process . the recording section is also capable of recording the trick play video packets in the trick play data recording areas provided at prescribed positions on a magnetic tape and recording normal reproduced packets in other areas on the tape . next , the operation of the embodiment in the construction as described above will be explained referring to fig1 . fig1 is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence of recording data with the frames . fig1 ( a ) shows the recording tracks , fig1 ( b ) shows the recorded data in the trick play data recording area and fig1 ( c ) shows the frame display timing at the time of reproduction . further , the numerical figures shown at the lower end of fig1 ( a ) show track numbers . the scale of the x axis in fig1 ( c ) indicates the display time of one frame . the data packet input through the input terminal 21 is supplied to the demultiplexer 22 . the demultiplexer 22 detects the pid of the data packet and outputs the data packet with the 0th pid to the identification table decoder 23 as the identification table packet . the identification table decoder 23 generates an identification table by decoding the identification table packets and outputs the identification table to the demultiplexer 22 . the demultiplexer 22 separates the sequentially input data packets into identification table packets , video packets and other packets based on the identification table . the identification table packets are supplied to the packet memory 22 for storage . the video packets are supplied to the trick play video packet generator 25 . the trick play video packet generator 25 generates trick play video data ( trick play frame data ) from the video data packets and produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data . the trick play video packet generator 25 also detects the top of the trick play frame contained in the trick play video packet and outputs a timing signal to the packet memory 24 at the time of detection . the packet memory 24 outputs the stored identification table packet to the multiplexer 26 according to the timing signal . the multiplexer 26 multiplexes the trick play video packet and the identification table packet from the packet memory 24 and outputs them to the trick play packet memory 27 . thus , the output of the multiplexer 26 contains the identification table packet in trick play frames . the output of the multiplexer 26 is retained in the trick play packet memory 27 . on the other hand , the data packets input through the input terminal 21 are stored in the normal reproduced packet memory 29 and supplied to the multiplexer 28 . the multiplexer 28 outputs the trick play video packets from the trick play packet memory 27 on a magnetic tape during the period corresponding to the trick play data recording area and outputs the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 during the period corresponding to the areas other than the trick play data recording area . the output of the multiplexer 28 is supplied to the recording section ( not shown ) as recording data and recorded on a magnetic tape with a prescribed header and an error correction code after a prescribed modulation process is applied . fig1 ( a ) shows the recording tracks of a magnetic tape recorded by the recording section . on a magnetic tape 31 , the trick play data recording areas t1 , t2 , etc . ( the shaded areas ) have been provided for recording trick play data of a prescribed speed . data based on the trick play video packets from the trick play packet memory 27 , have been recorded in these trick play data recording areas t1 , t2 etc . further , data based on the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 have been recorded in other areas . fig1 ( b ) shows data recorded in the trick play data recording areas t1 , t2 , etc . the shaded sections in fig1 ( b ) indicate identification table packets with the 0th pid . as illustrated in fig1 ( b ), in trick play data recording area t1 , identification table packet a1 with the 0th pid , the 0th frame data , identification table packet a2 and a part of the first frame data were recorded . in trick play data recording area t2 , a part of the first frame data , identification table packet a3 , and a part of the second frame data were recorded . in trick play data recording area t3 , a part of the second frame data , identification table packet a4 with the 0th pid , and a part of the third frame data were recorded . in trick play data recording area t4 , a part of the third frame data , identification table packet b1 with the 0th pid , and the fourth frame data were recorded . as described above , the identification table packet is inserted into the trick play video packets at the top of each frame data by the packet memory 24 . in other words , the preceding identification table packet is repeatedly recorded for every frame until the next identification table packet is transmitted . for instance , identification table packets a1 through a4 are based on the same identification table packet , and the same identification table is transmitted until identification table packet b1 transmits an identification table which is different from identification table a1 . now , it is assumed that the playback mode is changed from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode . in this case , the first effective trace after the mode change is assumed to be trace 35 to reproduce data from trick play data recording area t2 . then , a part of the first frame data , identification table packet a3 and the top data of the second frame in the trick play data recording area t2 are first reproduced by trace 35 . of these reproduced data , the first frame data is not used for decoding because its top portion has not been reproduced . however , the top data of the second frame can be identified as being a trick play video packet because identification table packet a3 has been decoded . thereafter , the reproduced data obtained by traces 36 and 37 can be decoded using the decoding data of identification table packets a3 , a4 , etc . similarly , when the first effective trace after switching from the normal speed playback mode to the trick play mode is , for instance , trace 36 , data which are reproduced after identification table packet a4 can be decoded . fig1 ( c ) shows a timing chart for displaying a restored image when the first effective trace after changing from the normal speed playback mode to the trick play mode is trace 34 . in this case , reproduced data subsequent to the 0th frame is decoded since identification table packet a1 has been reproduced , as illustrated in fig1 ( c ). the decoded video data of the 0th frame are retained and displayed repeatedly until the decoding process of the first frame is completed . similarly , the decoded data of each frame is retained and displayed repeatedly until the decoding process of the next frame is completed . in this embodiment , since a trick play video packet to be recorded in the trick play data recording area is generated with an identification table packet inserted repeatedly for every trick play frame , the identification table packet can be reproduced whenever the top portion of a frame is reproduced , regardless of when the trace in the trick play mode is started . therefore , it is possible to restore and display a trick play image immediately after the playback mode is shifted from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode . further , although the identification table packet is output for every trick play frame from the packet memory and inserted into the trick play video packet in this embodiment , the identification table packet can be inserted at any other cycle as well . fig1 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , reference numerals used in fig9 will be used to designate the same elements and the explanations of these elements will be omitted . this embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in fig9 in that the packet memory 24 was deleted , a trick play video packet generator 40 has been substituted for the trick play video packet generator 25 , and a trick play identification table packet generator 41 has been provided . the identification table decoder 23 outputs an identification table to the demultiplexer 22 and to the trick play identification table packet generator 41 . the trick play identification table packet generator 41 sets up pids which are different from the pids used for the normal reproduced packets by changing the identification table and outputs the new pids as trick play pids to the trick play video packet generator 40 . further , the trick play identification table packet generator 41 outputs the changed identification table packet to the multiplexer 26 as trick play identification table packets . the trick play video packet generator 40 generates trick play frame data from video data packets and produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data . in this case , the trick play video packet generator 40 uses a trick play pid from the trick play identification table packet generator 41 as a pid in the trick play video packets . the trick play video packets are supplied to the multiplexer 26 . the multiplexer 26 multiplexes the identification table packet from the trick play identification table packet generator 41 and the trick play video packet from the trick play video packet generator 40 and outputs them to the trick play packet memory 27 as a trick play recording packet . for instance , the multiplexer 26 outputs the identification table packet in the trick play frames contained in the trick play video packet . in the embodiment in the construction as described above , the identification table decoded by the identification table decoder 23 is supplied to the demultiplexer 22 and to the trick play identification table packet generator 41 . the trick play identification table packet generator 41 sets up a pid for the trick play video packet which is different from the pid for the normal reproduced packet . the new pid output is output as the pid for trick play to the trick play video packet generator 40 . thus , the pid for the trick play video packet generated by the trick play video packet generator 40 differs from the pid for the normal reproduced packet from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 . the multiplexer 26 outputs the identification table packet with the changed pid by inserting it into the trick play video packet in the trick play frames . other operations are similar to the embodiment shown in fig9 . since the pid for the trick play video packets , which are recorded in the trick play data recording areas , differs from the pid for the normal reproduced packets which are recorded in other areas , it is possible to extract only the trick play video packets from reproduced data by identifying the pid at the decoder side . it is therefore not necessary to record separate information for discriminating whether packets are normal reproduced packets or trick play packets when recording them . fig1 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , the reference numerals used in fig9 will be assigned to the same component elements and their explanation will be omitted . this embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in fig9 in that the packet memory 24 was deleted and a trick play video packet generator 51 has been adopted for the trick play video packet generator 25 . the trick play video data packet generator 51 generates trick play frame data from the video data packets and produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data . in this case , the trick play video packet generator 51 changes the pid for each trick play packet to the pid for trick play of a prescribed code which is not used for the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 . this trick play video packet is output to the trick play packet memory 27 . in other words , in this embodiment , the identification table packets are not recorded in the trick play data recording areas on the magnetic tape . instead , only trick play video packets from the trick play video packet generator 51 are recorded . fig1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a reproducing apparatus for playing back a magnetic tape recorded by the recording apparatus shown in fig1 . reproduced data , obtained by applying the demodulation process and the error correction process to reproduced signals obtained by tracing a magnetic tape ( not shown ), is supplied to an input terminal 61 . this reproduced data is applied to a demultiplexer ( dmpx ) 62 . the demultiplexer 62 detects the pids of packets contained in the reproduced data and separates normal reproduced packets from the trick play video packets based on the detected pids . that is , the multiplexer 62 separates the packets for normal speed playback and the video packets for trick play according to whether the pids are used for the normal reproduced packets or for the trick play packets . the demultiplexer 62 supplies the normal reproduced packets to terminal a of switch 63 and the trick play video packets to a multiplexer ( mpx ) 64 . the multiplexer 64 is also supplied with the output of a trick play identification table generator 65 . the trick play identification table generator 65 generates an identification table responding to the pid for trick play and outputs the identification table to the multiplexer 64 . the multiplexer 64 inserts the identification table packet in the trick play video packet and outputs it to terminal b of switch 63 . the multiplexer 64 may insert the identification table packet immediately after the playback mode has been shifted from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode or at some other prescribed timing . the switch 63 selects terminal a in the normal speed playback mode and terminal b in the trick play mode , and outputs the input data packet to an output buffer 66 . the output buffer 66 outputs the input data packet to a decoder ( not shown ) at a selected reproduction rate . in the recording apparatus shown in fig1 in the construction as described above , trick play video packets are generated by a trick play video packet generator 51 . in this case , the pid for the trick play video packet is changed to a new trick play pid which is not used for normal reproduced packets . the trick play video packet is supplied to the multiplexer 28 via the trick play packet memory 27 . that is , the output of the trick play packet memory 27 contains no identification table packet . the multiplexer 28 outputs the trick play video packet from the trick play packet memory 27 during the period corresponding to the trick play data recording area of a magnetic tape and the normal reproduced packet from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 during the period corresponding to areas other than the trick play data recording area . on the other hand , in the reproducing apparatus shown in fig1 , reproduced data is supplied to the demultiplexer 62 . using the fact that the pid code used for normal reproduced packets differs from the pid used for trick play video packets , the demultiplexer 62 separates the normal reproduced packets from the trick play video packets . the trick play identification table generator 65 generates an identification table responding to the pid for trick play and outputs the table to the multiplexer 64 . the multiplexer 64 inserts the identification table into the trick play video packet and outputs to the switch 63 . the switch 63 selects terminal b in the trick play mode . thus , the output of the multiplexer 64 is output at a selected reproduction rate via the output buffer 66 . the identification table has been inserted into the trick play video packet from the multiplexer 64 , for instance , immediately after the shifting to the trick play mode . therefore , it is possible to decode video data of the trick play video packet by decoding the identification table with the decoder ( not shown ). as described above , in the embodiments shown in fig1 and 13 , the pids used for the trick play video packets are set at a prescribed code which is not used for the normal reproduced packet . only trick play video packets are recorded in the trick play data recording areas of a magnetic tape without recording the identification table packet and thus , it is possible to improve the recording rate . further , it is possible to decode trick play video packets in the trick play mode by generating and inserting the identification table packet corresponding to the trick play pid into the trick play video packet at the reproduction side . trick play images can be restored and displayed with certainty even immediately after shifting from the normal speed playback mode to the trick play mode . further , in the embodiments described above , trick play images have been explained as frame data , but they may be field data or data in prescribed areas on a screen . as described above , the first aspect of the present invention can restore trick play images with certainty even immediately after the playback mode is shifted from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode . in addition , the invention can reproduce trick play data in the trick play mode accurately without the recording of information for discriminating whether packets are for normal speed playback or for trick play . hereinafter , preferred embodiments according to the second aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a data packet recording apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention . packet data such as a transport data stream of the mpeg2 standard , etc ., are input to an input terminal 110 . in addition to video and audio data packets , other data packets are also transmitted . each data packet is assigned with a pid so that the type , etc ., of data packet can be discriminated . in addition , an identification table showing the relationship between the pids and the data packet types is transmitted by the pmt packet , and information indicating the pid of the pmt packet is transmitted by the pat packet . the input data packets are supplied to a multiplexer ( hereinafter referred to as mpx ) 111 and also , to a demultiplexer ( hereinafter referred to as dmpx ) 112 . the dmpx 112 detects a pid contained in the data packet and decodes a pat packet and a pmt packet having a specific pid . the dmpx 112 separates the data packets into its various types based on the pids and the decoding results of the packets and outputs the pat , pmt and video packets to a trick play packet generator 113 . the trick play packet generator 113 generates trick play packets based on the input data packet . further , the embodiment shows an example using only video packets for generating trick play data . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of the trick play packet generator 113 shown in fig1 . video packets are supplied to a depacketizer 116 through a terminal 115 , and pat and pmt packets are supplied to a pat / pmt memory 118 through a terminal 117 . the depacketizer 116 restores the condition of the coded video data stream before packetization by depacketizing the video packets and outputs the coded video data stream to a trick play stream generator 119 . the trick play stream generator 119 generates a trick play data stream by extracting a part of , for instance , the input video data stream . for example , the trick play stream generator 119 may extract intra - frame compression data and various header information as a trick play data stream . further , the trick play stream generator 119 may extract dc components of a coefficient of a dct transform and various header information as a trick play data stream . the trick play stream generator 119 also may use inter - frame compression data as a trick play data stream . the trick play stream generator 119 outputs the generated trick play data stream to a packetizer 120 . the packetizer 120 then produces trick play video packets by packetizing the input trick play data stream and provides the data stream to an mpx 120 . the trick play stream generator 119 supplies information at the top of the trick play frame when generating the trick play data stream to the pat / pmt memory 118 . the pat / pmt memory 118 records the pat and pmt packets which are input through the terminal 117 and outputs the stored pat and pmt packets to the mpx 121 at the timing based on the information in the top position . the mpx 121 multiplexes the pat and pmt packets from the pat / pmt memory 118 with trick play video packets from the packetizer 120 and outputs the packets to the mpx 111 through the output terminal 122 . packet data which are input through the terminal 110 are also supplied to the mpx 111 . the mpx 111 has a buffer ( not shown ) for retaining the trick play packets from the trick play packet generator 113 and the input packets , and the mpx 111 outputs trick play data packets at a timing corresponding to the trick play data recording areas of a magnetic tape and also outputs the input data packets as normal reproduced packets at another timing . further , the output of the mpx 111 is recorded on a recording medium after the recording format process , the error correction code adding process and the modulation process are applied . next , operation of the embodiment as described above will be described with reference to fig1 . fig1 is a diagram illustrating the output of the mpx 121 . in fig1 , the checkered portion indicates the pat packet and the shaded portion indicates the pmt packet . packet data which are input through the input terminal 110 are supplied to the dmpx 112 , which in turn detects a pid of the data packet . if , for instance , a transport data packet of the mpeg2 standard is supplied to the dmpx 112 as a data packet , the dmpx 112 detects a pid of a pmt packet from a pat packet having the 0th pid and identifies the types of the data packets from the pmt packet identification table . the dmpx 112 then sorts the packets into video packets , audio packets , pat and pmt packets and other packets and outputs the video packets and pat and pmt packets to the trick play packet generator 113 . now , it is assumed that the pat packet indicates that the pid of the pmt packet is 13 and the pmt packet indicates that the pid of video packet is 19 . in fig1 , a video packet with pid 19 is supplied to the depacketizer 116 of the trick play packet generator 113 for depacketizing . the depacketizer 116 restores the input video packet to an original video coded bit stream and supplies the bit stream to the trick play stream generator 119 . the trick play stream generator 119 generates a trick play data stream using , for instance , intra - frame compression data out of the input bit stream . in this case , the trick play stream generator 119 outputs the information at the top of the trick play frame whenever outputting a trick play data stream based on a different trick play frame . the generated trick play data stream is packetized again in the packetizer 120 . the trick play video packet from the packetizer 120 is supplied to the mpx 121 . on the other hand , pat and pmt packets are supplied to the pat / pmt memory 118 through the terminal 117 . the pat / pmt memory 118 stores the pat and pmt packets and outputs the stored pat and pmt packets at a timing based on the top position information . the pat and pmt packets from the pat / pmt memory 118 are supplied to the mpx 121 . now , it is assumed that nine trick play video packets are generated according to the trick play data stream based on a first trick play frame . the mpx 121 outputs these nine trick play video packets by adding the pat and pmt packets to the top of the first frame as shown in fig1 . further , with respect to the first trick play frame in fig1 , the pids of the pat packet , the pmt packet and the trick play video packet are assigned to the 0th , 13th and 19th positions , respectively . next , it is assumed that five trick play video packets are generated by the trick play data stream according to a second trick play frame . further , with respect to the original second frame of the second trick play frame , the pid of the pmt packet is assigned to the 13th position and the pid of the video packet is assigned to the 39th position . the pat and pmt packets input through the terminal 117 are supplied to the mpx 121 via the pat / pmt memory 118 . thus , the mpx 121 outputs five trick play video packets of the second trick play frame by adding the pat and pmt packets to the top of these video packets . then , it is assumed that eight trick play video packets are generated by the trick play data stream according to a third trick play frame . further , with respect to the original third frame of the third trick play frame , the pid of the pmt packet is assigned to the 15th position and the pid of the video packet is assigned to the 25th position . the pat and pmt packets input through the terminal 117 are supplied to the mpx 121 via the pat / pmt memory 118 . thus , the mpx 121 outputs eight trick play video packets of the third trick play frame by adding the pat and pmt packets to the top of these video packets . the trick play packets from the mpx 121 are supplied to the mpx 111 through terminal 122 . these trick play packets are retained in a buffer in the mpx 111 . on the other hand , the data packets input through the input terminal 110 are also supplied to the mpx 111 for storing in the buffer ( not shown ). the mpx 111 outputs trick play packets during the period corresponding to the trick play data recording areas of a magnetic tape and outputs the data packets supplied from the input terminal 110 during the period corresponding to areas other than the trick play data recording areas . the output of the mpx 111 is supplied to a recording section ( not shown ) as recording data , and the recording data is recorded on a magnetic tape after a prescribed header and an error correcting code are added and a prescribed modulation process is applied . since the trick play packets are generated with pat and pmt packets inserted in the trick play frames in this embodiment , it is possible to detect a reproduced packet at the boundary between the trick play frames and rearrange the packets in trick play frames without having to insert a flag indicating the frame boundary in the packets or sync - blocks . therefore , it is possible to decode and reproduce a series of reverse trick play frames easily . further , the packetizer 120 uses the same pid as the data packets input through the terminal and as the pid of trick play packets in this embodiment . however , a pid different from the pid of the input data packets may be set up by changing data of the pat / pmt memory 118 . fig1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a data packet reproducing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention . this embodiment is for restoring an image by playing back a magnetic tape recorded using the data packet recording apparatus of the embodiment shown in fig1 . reproduced packet data are supplied to an input terminal . this reproduced packet data are obtained by demodulating data reproduced from a recording medium after an error correction process and a record unformat process are applied . the reproduced packet data are supplied to terminal a of a switch 132 and a packet start position detector 133 . the packet start position detector 133 detects the top of the packet of reproduced packet data using , for instance , the sync byte . as described above , the sync byte is periodically transmitted every 188 bytes if a packet length is 188 bytes and therefore , the top of the packet can be detected by the sync byte . further , since the sync byte is a specific code , some recording apparatus may remove the sync byte . even in this case , however , the top of the packet can be obtained if information conforming to the sync position , which is obtained when data packets are reproduced and errors are corrected , is input . the packet start position detector 133 outputs the information in the top of the packet together with a reproduced data packet to a pid extractor 135 and a rearrange buffer 134 . the pid extractor 135 detects the position of the data packet based on the information on the top of the packet and sequentially extracts pids from a series of data packets and outputs the pids to a pid inspection block 136 . the pid is transmitted in a 13 bit length starting from the fourth bit away from the sync byte as shown in fig1 and the pid extractor 135 extracts these 13 bits . further , if no sync byte is recorded , the same result can be obtained if a sync byte is recorded while outputting data packets from the output terminal 138 . further , even when data packets have been recorded with information in addition to the sync byte removed , it is possible to get the pid position if the sync position information indicating a boundary between data packets is input . the pid inspection block 136 inspects whether the extracted pid is a specific pid showing the top of the trick play frame and outputs the inspection result to a read address controller 137 . the read address controller 137 generates a read address of the rearranging buffer 134 based on the inspection result and supplies the read address to the rearranging buffer 134 . the rearranging buffer 134 stores the reproduced packet data from the packet start position detector 133 in the order of input , reads the read address stored based on the read address from the read address controller 137 , and outputs the reproduced packet data to terminal b of the switch 132 . the switch 132 selects terminal a for normal speed playback and trick play in the forward direction and outputs the reproduced packet data from the input terminal 131 directly from the output terminal 138 . the switch 132 selects terminal b for reverse trick play and outputs the data packet from the rearranging buffer 134 from the output terminal 138 . the operation of this embodiment in the construction as described above will be explained now . here , it is assumed that four trick play packets can be recorded in one trick play data recording area of a magnetic tape ( not shown ). that is , 28 data packets of the 1st through the 3rd trick play frames in fig1 can be recorded in seven trick play data recording areas t1 through t7 . the packet s1 , pmt packet s2 , and trick play video packets p1 , p2 of the 1st trick play frame are recorded in trick play data recording area t1 , and trick play video packets p3 through p6 are recorded in trick play data recording area t2 . similarly , in trick play data recording areas t3 through t7 , packets p7 through p9 , s3 ; packets s4 ; p10 through p12 , packets p13 , p14 , s5 , s6 packets p15 through p18 ; and packets p19 through p22 are recorded , respectively . therefore , during the reverse trick play , reproduced data are obtained in order of the packets p19 , p20 , p21 , p22 ; the packets p15 , p16 , p17 , p18 ; packets p13 , p14 , s5 , s6 ; packets s4 , p10 , p11 , p12 ; packets p7 , p8 , p9 , s3 ; packets p3 , p4 , p5 , p6 ; and packets s1 , s2 , p1 and p2 . a series of the reproduced packet data are supplied in order to the rearranging buffer 134 through the packet start position detector 133 for storage . the packet start position detector 133 detects the top position of each reproduced packet . the pid extractor 135 extracts the pid of every packet based on the information of the top position of the packet and outputs the pid to the pid inspection block 136 . the pid inspection block 136 inspects whether the pid is assigned to the 0th position and supplies the inspection result to the read address controller 137 . for instance , if the reproduced packet data s5 is input to the rearranging buffer 134 , the pid inspection block 136 inspects the data to confirm that the pid is 0 and outputs the inspection result . then , after storing the packets up to a packet next to the reproduced packet data s5 in the rearranging buffer 134 , the read address controller 137 generates read addresses to output the stored data in reverse order in every four packets . that is , the rearranging buffer 134 first outputs the data packet s5 and s6 recorded in the trick play data record area t5 and then outputs data packets p15 through p18 recorded in the trick play data recording area t6 and then outputs the data packet p19 through p22 recorded in the trick play data recording area t7 . next , the data packets p15 through p22 , which are required for decoding the third trick play frame , can be output to the switch 132 . the reproduced packet data s4 , p10 , p11 and p12 are input to the rearranging buffer 134 and then the reproduced packet data p7 , p8 , p9 and s3 are input in order . when the reproduced packet data s3 is input , the pid inspection block 136 outputs the inspection result showing that a pid is a specific pid . then , the read address controller 137 outputs addresses to the rearranging buffer 134 and outputs the stored reproduced packet data s3 , s4 and p10 through p14 in order . thus , the data packets p10 through p14 , which are required for decoding the second trick play frame , can be output to the switch 132 . similarly , it is also possible to output the data packets p1 through p9 , which are required for decoding the first trick play frame , to the switch 132 . in the reverse trick play mode , the switch 132 selects terminal b and outputs the sequentially input data packets in the reverse order of the frames to the output terminal 138 . it is possible to display trick play images in the reverse order of the frames by decoding the data packets from the output terminal 138 in order . further , in normal speed playback mode and trick play in the forward direction , the switch 132 selects terminal a and directly outputs the input reproduced packet data . as described above , in this embodiment the top of the trick play frame is detected by inspecting whether a pid is a specific one , and a read address of the rearranging buffer 134 is generated . the data packet of each frame can be sequentially output in the reverse order of the frames . thus , it becomes possible to restore a reverse trick play image without inserting a flag in any packets or sync blocks . fig1 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment according to the second aspect of the present invention . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , each trick play packet is recorded one at a time on a recording medium . however , when , for instance , the recorded data are reproduced in the reverse direction at 8 times speed , the trick play data recording areas are traced at intervals of eight tracks . therefore , if each trick play packet is recorded one at a time in every trick play data recording area , it is required to bring the tracking phases in agreement with each other at eight track intervals . similarly , for instance , when the recorded data are reproduced in the reverse direction at 16 times speed , it is required to bring the tracking phases in agreement with each other at 16 track intervals . however , a pilot system which is capable of on - tracking at a cycle of four tracks has been adopted in consumer - use digital vtrs , etc . so , in this embodiment the same trick play packet is recorded a multiple number of times so that the trick play packet can be reproduced at any timing allowed in the on - tracking . fig1 shows an example where every trick play packet is recorded two times , which is provided for reverse direction reproduction at 8 times speed . the shaded portions in fig1 show the trick play data recording areas . the solid lines in fig1 show the actual traces k1 , k2 , etc ., and the broken lines show available traces k1 &# 39 ;, k2 &# 39 ;, etc . thus , in either tracking phase , whether traces k1 , k2 , etc ., are obtained or whether the traces k1 &# 39 ; and k2 &# 39 ; are obtained , trick play data can be reproduced accurately when the same trick play data are recorded in two trick play data recording areas which are adjacent to each other at intervals of four tracks . in this embodiment , the apparatus can be constructed with circuits which are nearly the same as those in the embodiment shown in fig1 with a buffer added , and the apparatus retains and repeatedly outputs the output of the trick play packet generator 113 in fig1 so that the mpx 111 outputs the same trick play packet at a timing corresponding to multiple trick play data recording areas at intervals of four tracks . other operations and effects are the same as those of the embodiment shown in fig1 . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . for instance , 0 has been selected for a specific pid in the embodiments , but packets having other pids may be added in trick play frames . further , the boundary between the trick play images is detected at the time of reproduction by arranging a packet having a specific pid immediately before the trick play images in the embodiments described above , but the packets may be recorded by adding the packet having a specific pid at the end of every trick play image instead . further , the packets may be recorded by arranging the packet having a prescribed pid at a specific position . for instance , if the packet having a specific pid is added at the position three packets before the data packet train , the packets may be rearranged from the packet which is three packets behind from the packet detected to have a specific pid in the trick play . thus , when data packets are recorded with a packet having a specific pid arranged at a prescribed position of a packet train for a trick play image , and by detecting the specific pid in the trick play , it is possible to rearrange data packet in trick play images . as described above , the second aspect of the present invention has such an effect that data can be restored without recording information in the packets or sync blocks indicating a packet at the boundary between frames when a packet having a specific packet id is recorded in the prescribed number of packets provided for trick play frames . as described above , the present invention can provide an extremely preferable data packet recording apparatus and reproducing apparatus therefor . while there have been illustrated and described what are at present considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made , and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the present invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teaching of the present invention without departing from the central scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention , but that the present invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . the foregoing description and the drawings are regarded by the applicant as including a variety of individually inventive concepts , some of which may lie partially or wholly outside the scope of some or all of the following claims . the fact that the applicant has chosen at the time of filing of the present application to restrict the claimed scope of protection in accordance with the following claims is not to be taken as a disclaimer or alternative inventive concepts that are included in the contents of the application and could be defined by claims differing in scope from the following claims , which different claims may be adopted subsequently during prosecution , for example , for the purposes of a divisional application . | 7 |
‘ spiralpole ’ ( spiral - dipole ) antenna embodiments have two radiating parts : the shaft and the one - wing spiral . it performs similarly to a resonant half - wave dipole . a representative dipole &# 39 ; s length is : where the spiral length , l spiral , is measured from the opening of the transmission line . for this embodiment , the resonant frequency of the antenna is given by : fig1 depicts an antenna geometry perspective view 100 of an embodiment . spiral 105 connects to center conductor 110 at antenna feed 115 . spiral 105 is coincident with dielectric 120 . in embodiments , the spiral is conductive ( metal ) such as copper etc ., and the handle is dielectric such as teflon ® or plastic such as polyether ether ketone ( peek ). teflon ® is a registered trademark of e . i . du pont de nemours and company corporation , delaware , u . s . a . peek ™ is also a trademark of zeus , inc . of orangeburg , s . c ., u . s . a . center conductor 110 is comprised with probe 125 , which , in embodiments , probe 125 is metal . probe 125 has length l probe 130 , and spiral has length l spiral 140 . toward probe end opposite spiral 105 is sensor 135 . in this embodiment , the spiral - dipole antenna ( one loop - dipole antenna ) has only one turn ( loop ) comprising this antenna element . other embodiments vary from one loop . fig2 depicts plan and elevation views 200 of a spiral - dipole antenna embodiment with a one turn ( loop ) antenna configured in accordance with the present invention . portrayed are top plan view 205 and side elevation view 210 . embodiment particulars include handle 215 outer diameter of 2 . 44 inches and antenna 220 showing an outer diameter of 2 . 146 inches . side elevation 210 includes handle portion height 225 ( 0 . 984 inches in an embodiment ). handle shaft connection 230 to probe has a 0 . 394 inch diameter in embodiments . probe shaft length 235 is 3 . 740 inches in an embodiment . probe shaft outer diameter 240 is 0 . 197 inches in embodiments . in embodiments , probe shaft has a tip tapered 245 at 24 degrees . in embodiments , the tapered portion of the probe shaft tip 250 is 0 . 394 inches long . fig3 depicts an elevation detail view 300 of a shielded wire spiral - dipole antenna embodiment with a one turn ( loop ) antenna . antenna 305 is within handle affixed to probe shaft . handle shaft connection to probe differential radius 310 is 0 . 098 inches in embodiments . tip section contains saw sensor depicted by cross section detail a 315 to be shown in fig4 . fig4 depicts views 400 of perspective and elevation sensor - end detail of an embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . underside perspective view 405 presents the intersection of the handle and the probe shaft . probe shaft end detail 410 shows cross section detail a 315 of fig3 . ground sleeve is soldered to ground pad 415 . sensor component 420 is located proximate connection wire 425 . for a semi - rigid cable , the inner conductor can be copper or other conductor material in embodiments . fig5 depicts views 500 of an antenna geometry embodiment perspective and corresponding dipole representation configured in accordance with the present invention . in perspective 505 , a spiral antenna is shown with a corresponding dipole representation 510 . perspective 505 portrays spiral 515 of antenna element having length l spiral . probe 520 has length l probe . dipole representation 510 represents a resonant one - half wavelength ( λ / 2 ) resonant dipole 530 with length 535 of l spiral plus l probe . fig6 depicts a perspective diagram 600 of a coaxial cable component embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . coaxial cable 605 spans between antenna and sensor . coaxial center conductor 610 is formed as antenna element 615 . coaxial cable inner insulator 620 , shield 625 , and outer insulator 630 are shown for antenna and sensor ends . saw ( or awd ) sensor component 635 is at distal end from antenna . in embodiments , the cable is flexible , semi - flexible , and rigid . in embodiments , outer insulator 630 , outer jacket or conductor 625 & amp ; 620 are combined and comprise shielding . in embodiments , shield 625 is connected to the shaft , providing a common ground connection . for embodiments , stainless steel or other conductive tubing is used as an outer conductor . teflon ® tubing is placed inside the outer tubing and serves as insulation for embodiments . other insertions are used in embodiments , such as shrink - tubing . within the teflon ® tubing is a teflon ® wire where the teflon ® tube is sized to american wire gauge ( awg ) dimensions . embodiment component suppliers comprise zeus , inc . of orangeburg , s . c ., u . s . a . other inner conductors can be used . in embodiments , impedance is thereby maintained , with decreased cost . fig7 depicts a cross - section view 700 of another embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . antenna 705 is in a t - handle probe section connecting to probe tip comprising saw sensor 710 . antenna 705 comprises first loop antenna component 715 and second loop antenna component 720 . in embodiments , loop antenna components 715 and 720 comprise multiple loop turns . in embodiments , loop antenna components 715 and 720 are symmetric . fig8 depicts a cross - section view 800 of another embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . normal mode antenna arm 805 is encapsulated 810 in peek or silicon in embodiments . ground arm 815 extends between and connects antenna arm 805 and temperature sensor 820 . in embodiments , antenna arm 805 comprises a plurality of helical spiral portions and interfaces with ground arm 815 at the termination of the proximate loop 825 . fig9 depicts a cross - section view 900 of another embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . normal mode antenna arm 905 is encapsulated 910 in peek or silicon in embodiments . ground arm 915 extends between and connects antenna arm 905 and temperature sensor 920 . in embodiments , antenna arm 905 comprises a plurality of loop spiral portions and interfaces with ground arm 915 at an intermediate location 925 between terminal ends of antenna element of antenna arm 905 . fig1 is a graph 1000 of theoretical versus calculated resonant frequency results for embodiments configured in accordance with the present invention . simulation values 1005 and theory model values 1010 are shown for probe lengths from 20 mm to 140 mm and resonant frequencies between 400 mhz and 650 mhz . graph 1000 provides a comparison of the analytical data to the numerical modeling data . more particularly , this shows theory data versus finite element method ( fem ) data for an antenna with a length of the spiral of 205 mm and a probe length varying from 30 mm to 140 mm . confirmation of equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) is given by comparison with the numerical simulations as produced in ansys hfss . agreement shown is good , improving toward probe lengths of 100 mm to 140 mm . fig1 is a flow chart 1100 of a method configured in accordance with the present invention . steps comprise providing a spiralpole antenna sensor device 1105 ; transmitting an excitation signal to antenna of a saw ( or awd ) device 1110 ; receiving the excitation signal at the spiralpole antenna 1115 ; reacting , at the saw ( or awd ) device , to the excitation signal conveyed from the spiralpole antenna 1120 ; transmitting from the spiralpole antenna , a response signal conveyed from the saw device 1125 ; and receiving , at a receiver , the response signal 1135 . application environments comprise ovens including , but not limited to , residential microwave ovens , commercial ovens , and conventional thermal ovens . in nonlimiting embodiments the probe is flexible , semi - rigid , and or rigid . the handle , in embodiments , is one - piece , molded over the antenna component . for embodiments , the sensor comprises at least one saw resonator . the probe antenna radiation pattern , in embodiments , is omnidirectional , multi - lobed , or elliptical . for embodiments , the probe radiation pattern is circularly polarized or of mixed polarization . antenna radiation performance is considered for the probe in free space , partially embedded , and fully embedded in a subject for temperature measurement . for embodiments , the antenna is mismatched but provides a broad radiation pattern . for further embodiments , the antenna is mismatched and unbalanced . system embodiments comprise matched and unmatched circuits with or without matching components such as a loading coil . in embodiments , antenna components are orthogonal to the probe shaft . in other embodiments , antenna components are not orthogonal to the probe shaft . antenna embodiments provide a single loop antenna element and multiple , spiral arm , elements . frequency ranges , in embodiments , comprise about approximately 400 mhz to 700 mhz . probe lengths , in embodiments , comprise about approximately 15 mm to 200 mm . transmitter / receiver antennas can be unitary or of multiple component construction . benefits comprise direction independence of performance ; i . e . movement or orientation of the temperature subject does not impact the accuracy or resolution of the temperature measurement . probe configurations support shorter lengths , smaller overall size for given performance , eased insertion into temperature subjects , support for multiple probes through differential operating frequencies of awd components in multiple probes , higher field strengths ( 13 . 5 db in embodiments ), and sensor evaluation for ‘ doneness ’ in addition to raw temperature . in embodiments , the measurand includes and is other than temperature . one or more measurands are detected , implemented with one or more acoustic wave devices ( awds ). in embodiments , the saw sensor is extended to include other awds in addition to those considered as ‘ surface ’ acoustic wave devices . nonlimiting examples include those sensor devices disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 033 , 852 , 7 , 569 , 971 , 7 , 667 , 369 , 7 , 633 , 206 , 7 , 855 , 564 , 11 / 875 , 162 , 12 / 610 , 642 , 12 / 429 , 300 , 12 / 884 , 931 , and 61 / 411 , 130 ( provisional application ), whose contents are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference . the foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . each and every page of this submission , and all contents thereon , however characterized , identified , or numbered , is considered a substantive part of this application for all purposes , irrespective of form or placement within the application . this specification is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure . | 6 |
[ 0017 ] fig1 represents a mosfet device 10 that includes a semiconductor substrate 12 , a pair of wells 14 that serve as the source and drain of the device 10 , a gate dielectric 16 overlying a channel 20 between the source and drain wells 14 , and a gate electrode 18 overlying the gate dielectric 16 . while the device 10 represented in fig1 will be used to illustrate and explain the present invention , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is applicable to various other mos devices having structures that differ from that represented in fig1 . in accordance with conventional practice , the substrate 12 may be formed of various semiconductor materials , though silicon is preferred and the focus of the present invention . examples of other suitable semiconductor materials include ge and sige alloys , and semiconductor materials such as ingaas with deposited oxide layers . silicon dioxide is a preferred material for the gate dielectric 16 , though it is foreseeable that other dielectric materials could be used , such as high - k dielectrics including y 2 o 3 , la 2 o 3 , al 2 o 3 , zno 2 , hfo 2 , and mixtures thereof . the substrate 12 and source and drain wells 14 are appropriately doped to be n or p - type as necessary for the particular device 10 , and in accordance with known practices . finally , the gate electrode 18 is formed by a metal layer . though not necessary for practicing this invention , in a preferred embodiment the mosfet device 10 is a fully - depleted , ultra - thin cmos - soi device , and scaled to have a gate length of less than 0 . 1 micrometer , more preferably about ten nanometers or less . furthermore , the metal of the gate electrode 18 preferably has a midgap workfunction to permit the use of an undoped or lightly - doped channel 20 , e . g ., a doping concentration of not more than about 10 17 cm − 2 . for this purpose , a preferred material for the gate electrode 18 is tungsten , though other suitable gate electrode materials include tungsten and cobalt silicides and tantalum nitride . however , the present invention is generally applicable to gate electrodes formed of essentially any metal that renders the electrode 18 impermeable to molecular hydrogen . finally , the gate dielectric 16 is preferably ultra - thin , which as used herein refers to thicknesses of about 5 nm or less for a silicon dioxide gate dielectric , and thicknesses of about 20 nm or less for other gate dielectric materials . while the teachings of the invention are particularly well suited for the device 10 as it has been described above , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the teachings of this invention are applicable to other mos devices formed with other materials . the present invention is directed to passivating the interface between the semiconductor substrate 12 ( at the channel 20 ) and the gate dielectric 16 , whereby the semiconductor - dielectric interface state ( trap ) density ( d ito ) is reduced to a very low level , preferably less than 5 × 10 10 / cm 2 - ev . in the past , passivation of an si / sio 2 interface beneath an aluminum gate electrode has been performed by forming gas annealing ( fga ) treatments , typically using a mixture of about 5 to 10 % hydrogen and about 90 to 95 % nitrogen and annealing temperatures of about 250 ° c . to about 450 ° c . it is believed that atomic hydrogen is produced during fga by the reaction of aluminum with water vapor adsorbed at the al - sio 2 interface . however , similar fga treatments of mos devices with tungsten electrodes of comparable thickness have not resulted in suitable passivation of the si / sio 2 interface . in an investigation leading to this invention , tungsten gate mos capacitors were processed using fga treatments to evaluate the ability of fga to passivate a semiconductor - dielectric interface beneath a tungsten layer . tungsten was deposited by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) performed at a process temperature of about 680 ° c . and using w ( co ) 6 as the source material , preferably in accordance with the process disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 789 , 312 to buchanan et al ., which is incorporated herein by reference . tungsten was deposited to a thickness of about 100 nm directly on a thermally - grown silicon dioxide layer formed on n - type silicon test wafers ( resistivities of about 1 to 2 ohm - cm ). the silicon dioxide layers were 4 or 20 nm in thickness , the former being termed “ ultra - thin ” as used herein . for this investigation , the mos structure was either defined by conventional photolithography , or defined with a hard etch mask formed by shadow - evaporated aluminum , in which a layer of aluminum remained on the upper surface of the tungsten layer to form an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack . following fabrication , fga ( 5 - 10 % h 2 / 90 - 95 % n 2 ) was performed on each specimen at a temperature of about 350 ° c . for a duration of about thirty minutes . a combination of quasi - static ( 45 mv / sec ) and high frequency ( 10 khz ) capacitance - voltage ( c - v ) curves were then obtained through measurements to extract the interface state density using the well - known high - low method , disclosed in m . kuhn , solid - state electronics , volume 13 , pp . 873 ( 1970 ). the results for both sets of specimens are represented in fig2 and 3 , which evidence that the passivation of the mos structures was completely different . in fig3 those specimens with the aluminum - tungsten stack can be seen to be very well passivated , exhibiting interface state densities ( d ito ) in the low 10 10 / cm 2 - ev range . in contrast , fig2 evidences that interface state densities of the mos structures without the aluminum layer were only somewhat passivated after the same fga treatment , exhibiting interface state densities in the mid - 10 11 / cm 2 - ev range , i . e ., very near the interface state density exhibited in the as - deposited condition . the latter results evidenced that a tungsten layer having a thickness of about 100 nm is substantially impervious to molecular hydrogen . subsequent fga &# 39 ; s performed on the same specimens in the same atmosphere at higher temperatures ( such as about 550 ° c .) were not effective in reducing the interface state density . instead , an increase in interface state density was actually observed . further attempts to passivate specimens without an aluminum layer by annealing in atmospheres containing nitrogen , oxygen and water vapor , both together and separately , also failed to substantially passivate their si / sio 2 interfaces . fga treatments were then performed on additional specimens formed to have an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack by annealing in an inert ambient , such as nitrogen . these treatments were carried out at a temperature of about 350 ° c . for a duration of about thirty minutes , with the result that excellent passivation was again achieved ( e . g ., interface state densities of about 3 × 10 11 / cm 2 - ev ). these results strongly suggested that passivating elements were already present in the aluminumtungsten electrode stack , and that these elements are able to diffuse through a 100 nm - thick layer of tungsten and into an underlying si / sio 2 interface . since aluminum is known to be a source of atomic hydrogen by reacting with a monolayer of water vapor adsorbed on surfaces of a mos structure , it was concluded that the passivating element in each of the specimens equipped with an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack was atomic hydrogen . it was further concluded that atomic hydrogen was somehow stored between the aluminum and tungsten layers of the stack , and that the mos structure was annealed at a temperature sufficient to cause the atomic hydrogen to diffuse through the tungsten layer and into the si / sio 2 interface . suitable temperatures for this purpose are believed to be in the range of about 250 ° c . to about 400 ° c ., though lower and higher temperatures might also yield acceptable results . on the premise that atomic hydrogen was the passivating element , two additional tests were devised to evaluate mos structures with tungsten electrodes , but with atomic hydrogen being made available through other sources , namely , implanted hydrogen and hydrogen plasma . in a first of these additional investigations , three samples with tungsten gate capacitors were provided with atomic hydrogen by ion implantation . the capacitors were mos structures identical to those defined by conventional photolithography in the previous investigation ( i . e ., 100 nm cvd tungsten without an aluminum overlayer ). two different implant energies were selected to set the implant ranges : 10 kev with range in tungsten of 535a and straggle of 300a , and 5 kev with range in tungsten of 300a and straggle of 156a . implant range and straggle were determined using implantation simulation software available under the name trim from international business machines . in addition , two different doses ( 1 × 10 13 / cm 2 and 1 × 10 14 / cm 2 ) were used for the 5 kev samples . the quasi - static and high frequency c - v characteristics for each sample measured as - implanted were severely stretched out for all samples , i . e ., characterized by the lack of a sharp and deep drop in the capacitance value , indicative of a very high interface state density . the heavier - dose , deep - implant specimen particularly exhibited a very high interface state density , likely due to implant damage . following a post metal anneal ( pma ) performed at about 350 ° c . in nitrogen for about 30 minutes , the interface state densities of the specimens were reduced , as evidenced in fig4 . the interface state density ( d ito ) of the sample implanted at 5 kev with a dose level of 1 × 10 14 / cm 2 , was lowered to about 1 × 10 11 / cm 2 - ev . this experiment clearly demonstrated that atomic hydrogen can act as the passivating species . it was theorized that interface state density could be further lowered if the implant energy and dose were optimized . ideally , implant energy and dose should be chosen so as not to implant atomic hydrogen directly into the dielectric layer and the surrounding semiconductor substrate . on this basis , it is believed that suitable atomic hydrogen dose levels are in the range of about 2 × 10 12 / cm 2 to about 2 × 10 14 / cm 2 . a suitable temperature range for the anneal following implant is believed to be about 300 ° c . to about 550 ° c ., though lower and higher temperatures might also yield acceptable results . in the second test , atomic hydrogen was generated by a treatment with hydrogen plasma . samples were again tungsten electrode mos capacitors identical to those of the implantation investigation , i . e ., 100 nm cvd tungsten defined by conventional photolithography and without an aluminum layer . the plasma was created using a single frequency microwave cavity in accordance with cartier et al ., appl . phys . lett ., volume 63 , no . 11 , pp . 1510 ( 1993 ), and brought directly to the samples in a vacuum chamber . in a first procedure , it was shown that a room temperature hydrogen plasma treatment plus a post anneal at 350 ° c . was not sufficient to introduce atomic hydrogen into the si / sio 2 interface of the mos capacitors . in another procedure , a hydrogen plasma treatment was conducted with samples maintained at about 350 ° c ., whereby the efficiency of hydrogen introduction to the si / sio 2 interface was greatly improved , as evidenced by the interface state density being reduced to about 3 . 5 × 10 10 / cm 2 - ev . however , further post anneals at higher temperatures , such as 400 ° c ., was found to deteriorate the passivation , as indicated in fig5 . further plasma treatments were then performed at plasma anneal temperatures of 300 ° c . and 350 ° c ., and hydrogen flow pressures of 100 and 200 mtorr . c - v data represented in fig6 indicates that the quality of passivation was very sensitive to lower treatment temperatures ( 300 ° c .) and lower flow pressures ( 100 mtorr ). the best passivation was produced with hydrogen plasma treatments conducted with a hydrogen flow pressure of about 200 mtorr and a temperature of about 350 ° c . for a duration of about 10 minutes . however , it is believed that suitable results could be obtained with plasma treatment temperatures between 250 ° c . and 400 ° c ., and with a hydrogen flow pressure of about 10 mtorr to about 1000 mtorr . in a final investigation , the ability of molecular hydrogen to diffuse through very thin layers of tungsten was evaluated . this investigation was pursued to determine whether the role of tungsten in preventing passivation performed under conventional fga conditions is simply as a diffusion barrier to molecular hydrogen . for the investigation , mos capacitors were prepared identically to those prepared for the previously described investigations , with the exception that the tungsten electrodes had thicknesses of 20 nm . the samples then received either a 30 minute or a 150 minute fga treatment at about 350 ° c . the c - v data for two specimens are plotted in fig7 which clearly shows that the si / sio 2 interfaces of both samples were passivated , with those samples receiving the longer fga treatment receiving the better passivation . the interface state density measured on the sample annealed for 150 minutes was reduced to about 9 . 5 × 10 10 / cm 2 - ev . in contrast to those earlier samples with a thick ( 100 nm ) tungsten electrode , the improvements in passivation exhibited by these mos devices when subjected to long and low temperature fga treatments suggested that the diffusion of molecular hydrogen through a tungsten layer is possible if the tungsten layer is sufficiently thin ( e . g ., about 20 nm or less ). in summary , the present invention demonstrated that a relatively thick ( above 20 nm , e . g ., about 100 nm ) tungsten electrode prevents passivation of an underlying si / sio 2 interface by conventional fga treatments , because the electrode is impermeable to molecular hydrogen ( though relatively thinner ( 20 nm ) tungsten electrodes may allow passivation by conventional fga ). however , passivation is achieved with thick tungsten electrodes if hydrogen is available in atomic form , such as by implantation into the tungsten electrode or from a source of atomic hydrogen such as hydrogen plasma or the aluminum layer of an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack . it is believed that further optimization can be achieved through enhancements to the annealing process and a fuller understanding of the reaction kinetics relating to the complex interplay between the diffusivity of different species of hydrogen and surface reaction rates . nevertheless , the present invention evidences that passivation of a si / sio 2 interface of a mos device through a tungsten electrode can be achieved . it is believed that the above investigations suggest that passivation of other semiconductor - dielectric interfaces may be possible through other metal electrodes that are impermeable to molecular hydrogen . furthermore , while a particular mos device 10 is represented in fig1 those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is applicable to various other mos devices , including advanced mos devices with sidewalls that might prevent hydrogen gas diffusion into the semiconductor - dielectric interface . accordingly , while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art . therefore , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 8 |
as for the construction of such a column that is free from voids some preferred embodiments will be described along with the manufacturing process thereof : ( a ) into a stainless steel tube is inserted a tube 1 of fluoride resin or fluorocarbon resin , e . g ., polytrifluorochloroethylene , followed by packing or stuffing under pressure of a packing material 2 , to which are applicable all sorts of packing materials conventionally used for liquid chromatography , e . g ., porous polymers , fully porous silica - gel , and etc . having a substantially uniform particle size of a sphere , as shown in fig2 ranging from several tens microns to several microns ( μ ), preferably 40 - 10 μ , in other words , followed by packing or stuffing under pressure of particles made of such packing material into the tube of fluoride resin in such a way as the particles being in a close contact relationship with each other ; ( b ) when the packing materials 2 is packed under pressure after the tube 1 of fluoride resin has been gently pre - heated to such an extent as to be slightly softened , the contact between the packing material 2 and the resin tube 1 would be even better than at a moderate temperature ; ( c ) the tube may be made simply of the aforementioned fluoride resin without the stainless steel external tube , wherein when the packing material is packed thereinto under pressure a column of fluoride resin free from the voids can be obtained , with the external surface thereof being rugged or uneven , due to an appropriate yielding of the internal tube ; and ( d ) packing the end portions of the column with a filter made of quartz wool or the like over a suitable length is surely preferable . the detailed process of manufacturing the column will not be described , as it is not an essence of this invention . since the inventors of this invention have already completed the manufacturing process thereof , an example will be cited from the patent application to the japanese patent office no . toku - gan - sho 49 - 72108 hereinunder . the packing material is mixed with a solvent at a predetermined ratio into a suspension , which is sucked into a soft tube of fluoride resin . upon having securely packed a filter at the ends of the tube , the solvent is extruded out of the tube at a pressure ranging from 100 to 200 kg / cm 2 , leaving the packing material of solid phase in a jammed or close contact state . as a result of this process the particles of the packing material are closely contacted with each other and also with the inner surface of the tube which has yielded to be adapted thereto , as can be seen in fig2 the particles being arranged in multi - layers radially extending , in a fashion that every other layer is repeatedly the same . in the column thus obtained the particles of the packing material are packed in an externally touching relation with each other so that the clearance between the particles may be repeated with a minimum void volume or dead volume having a constant pattern . the hollow tubular body made of softenable or flexible material , when the particles of the packing material are packed under pressure to come to a close contact therewith , yields to be adapted to the shape of the particles , and eventually can be closely contacted with all the particles located on the radially outermost periphery . the yielded or transformed condition may remain as it is even after the removal of the pressure ; a transformation by solidifying with cooling . the tubular body of the column , which may be a column itself or an internal tube of the column according to the situation , can be yielded or changed in form , according to the shape of the particles packed thereinto , to have a rugged or uneven external surface , which has brought about a complete elimination of large or irregular voids observed in the conventional columns . a column comprising such a transformed hollow tubular body and the packing material , the particles of which are packed in close contact with each other and with the inner surface of the tubular body , can be practicable one for liquid chromatography only after having been packed with a filter at the open ends thereof . the column in accordance with this invention has succeeded in preventing the irregularity of flow speed according to positions of the eluent passing therethrough , the turbulence of flowing and / or the local stagnation of flowing , by means of virtually eliminating the presence of fairly large voids 3 which might appear conventionally between the particles of the packing material and the inner surface of the tubular body of the column . this invention enables in this way the enhancing the separating ability and the obtaining of the exact analytical results . in concluding the description on the merits of this invention can be summed up as follows : a . a column of high separating ability suitable for microanalysis having a small internal diameter is obtained ; b . the above column enables high speed microanalysis under high pressure with less fluid to be analyzed ; c . the soft material constituting the inner surface of the tubular body makes it easy to arrange the particles closely and regularly , which enables the diminishing of the column dimension drastically ; and d . the reduction of the column size enables in turn the saving of expensive packing material , that is economizing the manufacturing cost . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification . | 6 |
please refer first to fig1 . item 1 is the moveable saddle post which slides inside of the frame saddle downtube 2 . the horizontal frame tube is 3 , and one of the backstays to the rear axle is 4 . item 5 is a portion of the handlebar on which is mounted the grip 7 . the construction of the frame at the intersection of items 2 , 3 and 4 is normal to the art , with a slot 6 at the top of the rear of the said saddle frame downtube 2 which can be closed around the said saddle post 1 to lock it in position . normally this closure means is a bolt , passing through two tubular bosses welded on opposite sides of said slot 6 . however in may invention , a different embodiment is used to effect this closure as will be described . not a part of this invention , but a benefit thereto is a boss 13 on top of said horizontal tube 3 , to which is a spring 12 is mounted . said spring at the other end is attached to the said saddle post 1 by a means such as an adjustable clamp 14 . this embodiment is the subject of angell &# 39 ; s patent . on the handle bar 5 , near the grip 7 is a mount 30 on which a thumb lever 8 is rotatably mounted . this lever operates a push pull cable 11 the outer sheath 10 of which is socketed in the anchor 15 , which in turn is welded to said horizontal frame member 3 . said inner cable 11 is attached to a special pivot bolts 18 on the clamping mechanism . the internal mechanism within the housing 9 that moves the said cable 11 is not part of this invention . item 29 is a variable friction adjusting knob for the thumb lever 8 . said mechanism 9 , including the hand lever 8 , the adjuster 29 and the mounting clamp 30 is a well known item of commerce as an operator of deraileur chain shifting mechanisms , a typical example being the suntour &# 34 ; xc &# 34 ; power thumb shifter &# 34 ;. now please refer to fig3 . my clamping mechanism consists of two essentially rectangular blocks 20 and 21 welded on each side of said slot 6 near the top of said downtube 2 . said slot 6 extends also between said blocks 20 and 21 as shown . the left hand first block 20 has a short stop screw 25 threaded into the rearmost face and a hole in the outer leftmost corner through which freely passes a pin 23 that also goes through two short levers 17 , one on top of and one below the said block 20 . the pin does not pass through the long lever 16 . the right hand second block 21 has a long stop screw 26 threaded into its rearmost face , and a spherical pocket on the rightmost face which receives a spherical ball 22 partway . said long lever 16 is of a channel shape , with a partition 32 at the right end having a setscrew 19 threaded therein , said setscrew 19 having a cup shaped end partially enveloping said ball 22 opposite to said spherical pocket in block 21 . in a position and size to clear the bodies , but not the heads of stop screws 25 and 26 respectively , are holes 24 and 27 in the rearmost wall 33 of lever 16 . the leftmost end of said long lever 16 extends beyond said first block 20 sufficiently to permit said pivot bolt 18 to pass freely through the a hole in the lever itself then through holes in said short levers 17 , thereby pivoting the long lever 16 and the two short levers 17 together . the said short stop screw 25 has its head positioned between the block 20 and the inside of said rear wall 33 of lever 16 , while the long stop screw 26 has it &# 39 ; s head positioned outside of the said wall 33 . the said pivot bolt 18 has a hole through its body about midway of the griplength which accepts a cable 11 , said cable 11 being clamped in said hole by any suitable means such as a clamping screw ( not shown ). said cable 11 enters a housing 10 at a point where the housing is held in an anchor 15 which is welded to the said frame tube 3 . said housing 10 with the contained cable 11 , extends up to one side of the handlebar 5 , where it enters the body 9 of a hand lever actuator mechanism . said body 9 is rigidly but adjustably mounted on the said handlebar 5 , by the clamp 30 so the hand lever 8 is convenient to the handgrip 7 . item 29 is said friction adjustment dial for the thumblever 8 . item 12 is a torsion spring mounted on boss 13 which is welded to frame member 3 , and to a clamp 14 surrounding the saddle post 1 by suitable fasteners ( not shown ). please refer first to fig4 a . in 4a , the position of the pivot points ( centers of the parts 18 , 32 and 22 ) and the levers 16 and 17 are shown in the clamped position of the mechanism . in fig4 b , when the pivot point 18 is rotated counterclockwise to 18a , lever 17 rotates counterclockwise also . by this rotation , point 22 forced by the displacement of lever 16 , moves to the right to position 22a , thus increasing the distance between points 23 and 22 by an amount 28 . since pivot points 23 and 22 act on blocks 20 and 21 respectively , said blocks also change relative position by the amount 28 thus changing the width of said slot 6 both between the said blocks and said downtube 2 . in the unclamped position illustrated by by fig4 b , the said downtube 2 is undeflected , and said saddle post 1 can move freely up and down within the inner diameter of said downtube 2 . as pivot point 18a is moved clockwise back to point 18 of fig4 a , the distance between points 23 and 22 decreases , pulling said blocks 20 and 21 together , thus deflecting the wall of said downtube 2 as the slot 6 closes . ultimately the downtube closes around and grips the saddle post 1 . the movement of lever 16 is limited in the clockwise direction by the short stop screw 25 , and in the counterclockwise direction by the long stop screw 26 . the closure of said slot 6 is resisted by several forces : 1 . deflection of the wall of downtube 2 is a springlike action wherein the force is a function of the deflection of the tube wall . 2 . the saddle post 1 must be gripped by a frictional force sufficient to prevent movement of said saddle post under the rider &# 39 ; s weight plus acceleration loads . 3 . friction developed in all of the pivots during the closing movement . practically , the sum of these forces can reach 1500 to 2000 pounds during the closing movement . however in reopening , the deflection force 1 aids the opening , and the friction force 3 of the pivots is minimal , so the forces to unclamp are far lower . the clamping load between the saddle post 1 and the downtube 2 decreases almost instantly . the force ratios of the lever system change very rapidly as the pivots approach alignment and displacements are very small . a long lever 16 made of alignment is nowhere near as satisfactory as a steel one because of the lower modulus of elasticity of the alignment : it deflects too much under load . with proper materials and fits , it is possible to obtain operating forces on the pivot 18 as low as 0 to 5 pounds unclamping and 10 - 16 pounds clamping , well within practical operation by the thumb lever mechanism 9 . the unclamping force is very dependent on the setting of the short stop screw 25 , but the clamping force is primarily determined by the lever length ratio and low friction pivots ( hard metals ). the long stop screw 26 has little influence on the loads ; it primarily limits the lever travel , hence the travel of the thumb lever 8 . the setscrew 19 in the long lever bulkhead 32 is used to adjust the clamping force between the deflected downtube 2 and the saddle post 1 . with the lever system in position 4a , clamping , and short stop screw 24 set to have the point 18 slightly counterclockwise of the center line , setscrew 19 is tightened as desired to obtain adequate clamping force . now the unclamping force on point 18 can be fine tuned by readjusting short stop screw 25 . this adjustment is a balance between the allowable &# 34 ; push &# 34 ; capability of the cable 11 , the amount of friction load set into the thumb lever actuator 9 , and the desires of the rider . the latch load is not adjustable ; it is designed into the lever ratio . please refer again to fig1 . in the embodiment shown , the thumb lever assembly 9 is a readily available commercial product . it contains an adjustable friction mechanism which operates one way only to resist the outward movement of the cable ( push ) but contains a ratchet mechanism so there is no friction when the cable is pulled . the cable sheath 10 is also an incompressable type that when anchored at the outer end 15 , aids in the &# 34 ; push &# 34 ; action of the cable 11 . it is possible however to operate my clamping mechanism with a simple pivoted lever of suitable proportions , with or without a friction drag element , although the presence of an adjustable friction element simplifies the adjustment of the clamp mechanism itself . other embodiments of the clamping mechanism are possible : for instance , the blocks 20 and 21 can be attached to a separate narrow band surrounding the top portion of the downtube 2 , said band acting to squeeze the said top of said downtube to accomplish the clamping action . also , the blocks 20 and 21 can be shaped to enter the holes , or surround the conventional bolt bosses as conventionally used at the top of the downtube to accept a bolt for clamping purposes . setscrew 19 and pivot point 22 may be one piece or a screw with a cup - shaped end and a ball . thus the reader can see that my invention serves as a lightweight , simple way of accomplishing a necessary function needed to adjust the bicycle saddle height without stopping or going through hazardous maneuvers while riding . while the above description contains many specifics , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention , but rather as an example of one preferred embodiment thereof . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than the embodiments illustrated or described . | 8 |
as indicated above , the invention involves a phototropic photopolymerizable composition comprising : a . at least one component capable of curing crosslinking or polymerizing upon suitable initiation , b . an initiator for said component that is potentiated by actinic radiation , c . a colorformer capable of becoming more intensely colored upon contact with a color activator , d . a latent activator for the colorformer that is capable of activating the colorformer under the influence of actinic light , comprising a carbonylic halide . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; phototropic &# 34 ; is intended to identify the capability of a system , such as the composition described above , to darken in response to actinic light ; the term is derived from &# 34 ; photo &# 34 ; -- indicating light or radiant energy and &# 34 ; tropic &# 34 ; -- changing or tending to change in a specified manner in response to a specified stimulus . as indicated , there is contemplated a photosensitive compound that contains at least one component capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerizing upon suitable initiation . in one aspect , this component contains at least one polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated group of structure ## str1 ## capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerizing under the influence of free radicals . of these materials , one important class is characterized by the presence of at least one acrylyl or methacrylyl group of formula : ## str2 ## where r is hydrogen or methyl . monomers , polymers , oligomers and compositions whose functionality is attributable to the presence of acrylate and / or methacrylate groups include acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , acrylamide , methacrylamide , methyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate , ethyl acrylate , ethyl methacrylate , hexyl acrylate , cyclohexyl methacrylate , 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate , butoxyethoxyethyl acrylate , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - yl acrylate , dicyclopentenyl acrylate , isodecyl acrylate , ethylene diacrylate , diethylene glycol diacrylate , glycerol diacrylate , glycerol triacrylate , ethylene dimethacrylate ; ethylene glycol diacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , 1 , 2 , 4 - butanetriol trimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - benzenediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanediol diacrylate , neopentyl glycol diacrylate , triethylene glycol diacrylate , tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate , pentaerythritol mono -, di -, tri - or tetracrylate or mixtures thereof , pentaerythritol tri - or tetramethacrylate , 1 , 5 - pentanediol dimethacrylate , trimethylol propane mono -, di , or triacrylate or mixtures thereof , 2 - phenoxyethyl acrylate , glycidyl acrylate , 2 - ethoxyethyl acrylate , 2 - methoxythyl acrylate , 2 -( n , n - diethylamino ) ethyl acrylate , omega - methoxyethyl ( undecaoxyethylene ) acrylate , omega - tridecoxyethyl ( undecaoxyethylene ) acrylate , trimethoxyallyloxymethyl acrylate , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - en - 5 - ylmethyl acrylate , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - en - 5 , 6 - diyl diacrylate , vinyl acrylate , 2 - hydroxypropyl acrylate , 2 - hydroxyethyl acrylate , ( methyl carbamyl ) ethyl acrylate and the bis - acrylates and methacrylate of polyethylene glycols of molecular weight 200 - 1500 . one group of acrylyl and methacrylyl esters that are particularly useful have the general formula ## str3 ## where the acrylyl compound has the formula ## str4 ## m is h or ch 3 m &# 39 ; is cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms ( such as cyclopentyl , dicyclopentyl , methyclyclopentyl , dimethylcyclopentyl , etc .) cycloalkenyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms ( such as cyclopentenyl , methylcyclopentenyl , dicyclopentenyl , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - en - yl , etc .) m &# 34 ; is hydrogen , hydroxyl , phenoxy , alkoxy of 1 to 8 carbon atoms ; and where the acrylyl compound has the formula ## str5 ## g is a polyvalent alkylene group of formula ( for example , divalent alkylene when y ═ o such as -- c 2 h 4 --, c 3 h 6 -- iso -- c 3 h 6 --, -- c 5 h 10 --, neo -- c 6 h 12 etc ; trivalent alkylene when y = 1 such as ## str6 ## or tetravalent alkylene when y is 2 , such as ## str7 ## etc .) or g is a divalent ether or ester group of formula where t is an integer from 1 to 5 and q is an integer from 2 to 4 ( such as oxyethylene , oxypropylene , oxybutylene , polyoxyethylene , polyoxypropylene , polyoxybutylene , etc .) and r is the valence of g and can be 2 to 4 . triethyleneglycol diacrylate , tetraethylene glycol diacrylate , pentaerythritol triacrylate , trimethylolpropane triacrylate and pentacrythritol tetraacrylate are especially useful . acrylate or methacrylate functionality can be incorporated in polymers and oligomers having carboxyl , hydroxyl oxirane or isocyanate groups via reaction with acrylic monomers . addition reactions of isocyanates to form urethanes or oxiranes to form esters are relatively straightforward . other methods of acrylation involving condensation or ester interchange reactions are well known . thus , there can be used epoxy acrylates obtained by reacting an epoxy resin with acrylic or methacrylic acid or obtained by reacting a hydroxyalkyl acrylate with an anhydride and reacting that product with a diepoxide . oils , such as soybean oil and linseed oil , can be epoxidized and acrylated . polyester resins , for example from a glycol - dibasic acid condensation , can be acrylated by using acrylic or methacrylic acid to complete the esterification . another method uses the reaction of an anhydride with a mixture of propylene oxide and glycidyl acrylate to obtain an acrylated polyester . acrylated alkyd resins are obtained by the reaction of , for example , a triol , dibasic acid , phthalic anhydride and a fatty acid such as hydrogenated castor oil . after reaction is complete acrylation is achieved by direct esterification with acrylic acid . urethane acrylates can be prepared directly by the reaction of a diisocyanate with an hydroxyalkyl acrylate , such as 2 - hydroxyethyl acrylate . oligomers are obtained by using an isocyanate - terminated urethane prepolymer for reaction with the hydroxyalkyl acrylate . the urethane prepolymer can be of the polyether or polyester type . acrylate functionality can be incorporated in a variety of polymer backbones by incorporating glycidyl methacrylate into the polymer chain and then reacting the pendant oxirane groups with acrylic or methacrylic acid . other curable systems are based on unsaturated polyesters such as are obtained from fumaric acid , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- stilbenedicarboxylic acid , maleic acid , and diallyl ether . cinnamate ester groups are also useful , for example in a polyvinyl alcohol - cinnamate ester combination and in conjunction with a variety of polymer materials : polycarbonate cinnamate ; polyurethane cinnamate ; cinnamyl - modified poly ( meth ) acrylates ; polyepichlorohydrin / cinnamate ; poly ( cinnamyl methacrylate ); epoxy cinnamylidene acetate ; carboxycinnamate modified polyesters . curable materials are also obtainable from the 2 - phenylmaleimido group , allyl ester - maleimide combinations , allthioether polymers , aromatic polysulfone polymer , polysiloxanes , chalcones , sorbic acid derivatives , itaconic acid derivatives and mixtures containing itaconic acid ; polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl acetate , polyvinyl butyral . another polymerizable or curable polymer system is based on the free - radical addition of a thiol to an olefinic double bond : when a polyene and a polythiol are admixed and a stimulus that generates free - radicals is present , rapid curing occurs by simultaneous chain extending and crosslinking reactions . other crosslinkable , polymerizable or curable materials include the nitriles such as acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile ; the olefins such as dodecene , styrene , 4 - methylstyrene , alphamethylstyrene , cyclopentadiene , dicyclopentadiene , butadiene , 1 , 4 - hexadiene , 4 - methyl - 1 - pentene , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - ene , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 . 5 - diene , cyclohexene ; the vinyl halides such as vinyl chloride , vinylidene chloride ; the vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate , vinyl butyrate , vinyl benzoate , vinyl butyral , vinyl methacrylate , vinyl crotonate ; the vinyl ketones such as vinyl methyl ketone , vinyl phenyl ketone , isopropenyl methyl ketone , divinyl ketone , alpha - chloro - vinyl methyl ketone , vinyl phenyl ketone ; acrolein and methacrolein ; the vinyl ethers and thioethers such as methyl vinyl ether , ethyl vinyl ether , divinyl ether , isopropyl vinyl ether , the butyl vinyl ethers , 2 - ethylhexyl vinyl ether , vinyl 2 - chloro - ether , vinyl 2 - methoxyethyl ether , n - hexadecyl vinyl ether , vinyl methyl sulfide , vinyl ethylsulfide , divinyl sulfide , 1 - chloroethyl vinyl sulfide , vinyl octadecyl sulfide , vinyl 2 - ethoxyethyl sulfide , vinyl phenyl sulfide , diallyl sulfide ; the miscellaneous sulfur and nitrogen containing monomers such as divinyl sulfone , vinyl ethyl sulfone , vinyl sulfonic acid , vinyl ethyl sulfoxide , sodium vinyl sulfonate , vinyl sulfonamide , vinyl pyridine , n - vinyl pyrollidone , n - vinyl carbazole . other curable materials are readily apparent to oneh skilled in the art of polymerization chemistry . the specific compounds mentioned are illustrative only and not all - inclusive . they can be polymerized alone or in mixtures of two or more thereof with the proportions thereof dependent upon the desire of the individual . they can also be blended with polymers . the component capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerizing upon suitable initiation can be used alone in mixtures and / or in conjunction with one or more preformed polymers . among the polymers that can be used one can include , for example , the polyolefins and modified polyolefins , the vinyl polymers , the polyethers , the polyesters , the polylactones , the polyamides , the polyurethanes , the polyureas , the polysiloxanes , the polysulfides , the polysulfones , the polyformaldehydes , the phenolformaldehyde polymers , the natural and modified natural polymers , the heterocyclic polymers . the term preformed polymer as used herein includes the homopolymers and copolymers and includes the olefin polymers and copolymers such as polyethylene , poly ( ethylene / propylene ). poly -( ethylene / norbornadiene ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl acetate ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl chloride ), poly ( ethylene / ethyl acrylate ), poly ( ethylene / acrylonitrile ), poly ( ethylene / acrylic acid ), poly ( ethylene / styrene ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl ethyl ether ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl methyl ketone ), polybutadiene , poly ( butadiene / styrene / acrylonitrile ), poly ( vinylchloride ), poly ( vinylidene chloride ), poly ( vinyl acetate ), poly ( vinyl methyl ether ), poly ( vinyl butyral ), polystyrene , poly ( n - vinylcarbazole ), poly ( acrylic acid ), poly ( methyl acrylate ), poly ( ethyl acrylate ), polyacrylonitrile , polyacrylamide , poly ( methacrylic acid ), poly ( methyl methacrylate ), poly ( ethyl methacrylate ), poly ( n , n - dimethyl acrylamide ), poly ( methacrylamide ), polycaprolactone , poly ( caprolactone / vinyl chloride ), poly ( ethylene glycol terephthalate ), poly ( captolactam ), poly ( ethylene oxide ), poly ( propylene oxide ), copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide with starters containing reactive hydrogen atoms such as the mixed copolymer using ethylene glycol or glycerol or sucrose , etc ., as starter , the natural and modified natural polymers such as gutta percha , cellulose , methyl cellulose , starch , silk , wool , and the siloxane polymers and copolymers , the polysulfides and polysulfones , the formaldehyde polymers such as polyformaldehyde , formaldehyde resins such as phenol - formaldehyde , melamineformaldehyde , urea - formaldehyde , aniline - formaldehyde and acetone - formaldehyde . selection of the preformed polymer will usually depend on the properties desired of the ultimate , cured product . the materials utilized as curing , crosslinking or polymerization initiators are radiation - sensitive catalyst precursors that are potentiated by radiation to provide an effective initiator species . ultraviolet light irradiation is the preferred mode of irradiation . the known photoinitiators include the azo compounds , organic dyes , sulfur containing compounds , metallic salts and complexes , oximes , amines , polynuclear compounds , peroxides , various halogen - containing compounds and organic carbonyl compounds ; they can be used alone , in combination with each other or in combination with various synergistic agents . the aromatic carbonyl compounds are a quite important group of photoinitiators and include benzoin and the benzoin ethers , benzophenone and derivatives of benzophenone , the monoaryl ketones , the diketones , the xanthones , the thioxanthemones , the quinones , and the thioketones . in the group of benzoin and the benzoin ethers are included such ethers as benzoin methyl ether ; benzoin ethyl ether ; benzoin allyl ether ; benzoin propyl ether ; benzoin isopropyl ether ; benzoin butyl ether ; benzoin isobutyl ether ; benzoin see - butyl ether ; benzoin thiophenyl ether ; benzoin amyl ether ; benzoin hexyl ether ; benzoin octyl ether ; benzoin 2 - ethylhexyl ether ; benzoin nonyl ether ; benzoin trimethyhexyl ether ; benzoin diethyl ether ; benzoin phenyl ether ; hydroxyethyl benzoin ether ; ethylene glycol benzoin ether ; 2 - chloroethylbenzoin ether ; benzoin isobutoxymethyl ether ; α - alkoxybenzoin ethers ; benzoin carbamates . in the group of benzophenone and derivatives of benzophenone are the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- di ( loweralkyl ) benzophenones ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- di ( lower alkoxy ) benzophenones ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diallylbenzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- divinylbenzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- di ( loweracyl ) benzophenone ; the alkylamino - benzophenones including 4 &# 39 ;( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( diethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - acryloxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - methoxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( diamino ) benzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( diethylamino ) benzophenone ; and p - dichloromethylbenzophenone ; 4 - iodobenzophenone ; p - chlorobenzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( bromomethyl ) benzophenone ; p - hydroxybenzophenone ; 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxybenzophenone - 5 - sulfonic acid ; p - acryloxybenzophenone ; o - methoxybenzophenone ; p - methoxybenzophenone ; glycidyl ethers of benzophenone ; vinyl - substituted benzophenone ; 2 - isopropenylbenzophenone ; monocarboxyl - substituted benzophenone ; polycarboxyl - substituted benzophenone ; p - nitrobenzophenone ; m - benzophenonesulfonyl chloride ; p - p &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) thiobenzophenone ; phenylthiomethylbenzophenone ; benzylthiomethylbenzophenone ; benzopinacolone ; anthrone ; benzanthrone ; benzanthronesulfonyl chloride ; 9 - fluorenone ; hydroxyfluorenones ; aminofluorenones ; 2 - bromoethyl - 9 - fluorenonesulfonyl chloride ; 2 - methylfluorenone ; 1 - propylfluorenone ; 2 , 7 - dimethylfluorenene ; 2 - vinylfluorenone ; 2 - benzylfluorenone ; 2 - ethoxyfluorenone ; 2 , 6 - dimethoxyfluorenone ; 2 , 4 , 5 - trimethylfluorenone ; 2 - acetylfluorenone ; 2 - chlorofluorenone ; 2 , 7 - dichlorofluorenone ; dibenzosuberone ; 1 - chloromethyl - 6 - chlorosulfonyl - 2 - naphthylphenyl ketone ; n - methylacridone ; poly ( vinyl benzophenone ). the monoaryl ketones include acetophenone , propiophenone , butyrophenone , 3 - methylacetophenone , 4 - vinylacetophenone , 4 -( 2 - ethylhexyl )- acetophenone , 3 - allylacetophenone , 4 - vinylacetophenone , 4 - hexylpropiophenone , 3 - butenylbutyrophenone , 4 - tolylacetophenone , 3 - benzylacetophenone , 3 - xylylacetophenone , 3 - methoxyacetophenone , 3 - methoxybutyrophenone , 3 - decoxyacetophenone , 4 - heptoxypropiophenone , 3 - bromoacetophenone , 4 - chloroacetophenone , 3 - chloropropiophenone , 4 - iodoacetophenone , 1 , 4 - diacetylbenzene , 1 , 3 - diacetylbenzene , 1 , 3 , 4 - triacetylbenzene , 1 , 4 - dipropionylbenzene , 1 , 4 - dibutyrobenzene , 3 , 4 - dimethylacetophenone , 1 - chloroacetophenone , 1 - bromoacetophenone , 1 , 1 &# 39 ;- dichlorobenzophenone , 1 - chloroanthraquinone , 1 - bromoanthraquinone , 1 - chloroxanthane , 1 - chlorothioxanthone , 2 - chlorothioxanthane , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dipyridylketone , 2 - benzolypyridine , 3 - benzoylpyridine , 4 - benzoylpyridine , 3 , 4 - dihexylacetophenone , 3 , 4 - diethylpropiophenone , 3 - methyl - 4 - methoxyacetophenone , chloroalkylphenyl ketones ; α - bromoacetophenone ; ortho - bromoacetophenone ; trichloroacetophenone ; trichloroethylidineacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dichloro - 4 &# 39 ;- tertiary - butylacetophenone ; 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloro - 4 &# 39 ;- tertiary - butylacetophenone ; α - bromoisobutyrophenone ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 ( phenylsulfonyl ) acetophenone ; α , α - dialkoxyacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dimethoxyacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dimethoxy - 2 - phenylacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - diethoxyacetophenone ; o - methoxyacetophenone ; m - methoxyacetophenone ; p - methoxyacetophenone ; 2 - butoxy - 2 - phenylacetophenone ; 2 - phenylthio - 2 - phenylacetophenone ; ethyl benzoylacetate ; para - aminophenyl ketones ; cyclohexylphenyl ketone ; pivalophenone ; valerophenone ; and acetonaphthone . the diketones include biacetyl ; benzil dimethyl ketal ; 2 , 3 - dibenzoyl - 2 - norbornene ; benzoylbenzal chloride ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 -( phenylsulfonyl ) propanedione ; a - naphthil ; 2 , 3 - butanedione ; benzil ; pentanedione ; 1 - aryl - 1 , 2 - propanediones ; 2 , 3 - bornanedione ; phenylpyruvic acid ; 2 , 4 - pentanedione . the xanthones and thioxanthenones include xanthone , 2 - methylxanthone , 3 - pentylxanthone , 2 , 6 - diethylxanthone , 2 - tolyxanthone , 2 - methoxyxanthone , 4 - methoxyxanthone , 2 - acetylxanthone , 2 , 7 - diacetylxanthone , 3 - chloroxanthone , 4 - bromoxanthone , 2 - chloroxanthone , 2 , 7 - dichloroxanthone , 2 - chloro - g - nonylxanthone , 2 - iodo - 5 - methoxyxanthone , thioxanthenone ; 2 - methylthioxanthenone ; 3 , 6 - bis ( dimethylamino ) thioxanthenone ; 2 - chlorothioxanthenone . the quinones include p - benzoquinone ; o - benzoquinonediazide ; anthraquinone ; alkylanthraquinones ; 2 - methylanthraquinone ; 2 - ethylanthraquinone ; 2 - tertiary - butylanthraquinone ; 2 , 6 - dimethylanthraquinone ; 1 , 5 - diethylanthraquinone ; 2 - vinylanthraquinone ; 2 - xylylanthraquinone ; 2 , 6 - dimethoxyanthraquinone ; 2 , 7 - diethoxyanthraquinone ; 2 - acetylanthraquinone ; 2 - chloroanthraquinone ; 2 , 4 , 8 - trichloranthraquinone ; 2 - bromoanthraquinone ; aminoanthraquinone ; 1 , 5 - diaminoanthraquinone ; piperidinoanthraquinones ; anthraquinonesulfonyl chloride ; benzanthraquinone ; 1 , 4 - napthoquinone derivatives ; phenanthrenequinones ; a - chloroanthraquinone ; the azo compounds that are useful include azo compounds , azido compounds and diazonium salts . azo and azido compounds include 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisopropane ; azobisisobutyronitrile ; 2 - phenylazobisisobutyronitrile ; azobisisobutyramide ; azobis ( isobutyl acetate ); di -( 2 , 4 , 6 - tribromophenyl )- 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- azobis ( 4 - cyanovalerate ); p - azidobenzaldehyde ; b - naphthalenesulfonyl azide ; diazomethane ; bis ( phenylsulfonyl ) diazomethane ; diazonaphthalenes ; diazothioethers ; quinone diazides ; m , m &# 39 ;- azoxystyrene . the sulfur containing compounds include n - dodecyl mercaptan ; 2 - mercaptobenzimidazole ; diphenyl sulfide ; cyclohexylphenylsulfide ; benzoin thioethers ; benzoin thiophenyl ether ; phenylthiomethylbenzophenone ; s , s &# 39 ;- diphenyl dithiocarbonate ; calcium sulfide ; metallic tellurides ; diaryl disulfides ; diphenyl disulfide ; dithiolane ; dibenzoyldisulfide ; dixanthate ; benzothiazoles ; 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dithiobis ( benzothiazole ); 2 - mercaptobenzothiazole ; thiazolines ; thiocarbamates ; dithiocarbamic esters ; dithiocarbamic anhydrides ; thiurams ; toluene sulfonic acid ; sulfonyl chlorides ; m -( chlorosulfonyl ) benzyl chloride ; naphthalenesulfonyl chloride ; 2 - bromoethyl - 9 - fluorenonesulfonyl chloride ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 ( phenylsulfonyl ) acetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 ( phenylsulfonyl ) propanedione ; benzophenonesulfonyl chloride ; diphenyl disulfone . the polynuclear compounds include naphthalene ; halogenated naphthalenes ; 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylnaphthalene ; a - naphthol ; 1 - aminonaphthalene ; 1 - methoxynaphthalene ; 2 , 3 - diphenylquinoxaline ; anthracene ; aminoanthraquinone ; phenanthrene ; naphthacene ; fluorene ; 9 - fluorenone ; stilbene ; trinitrofluorenone ; polynuclear quinones . the metal salts and complexes include zinc chloride ; zinc bromide ; zinc sulfide ; ferric chloride ; chromium chloride ; nickel chloride ; tin chloride ; stannous chloride ; vanadium tetrachloride ; vanadium oxychloride ; vanadium naphthenate ; aluminum chloride ; aluminum bromide ; aluminum iodide ; silver halides ; gold salts ; sodium chloraurate ; mercury salts ; mercury iodosulfide ; titanium tetrachloride ; cadmium sulfide ; boron trifluoride ; boron trichloride ; ceric salts ; thallium salts ; uranyl salts ; cobalt octoate ; cobalt naphthenate ; magnesium oxide ; zinc oxide ; titanium dioxide ; alumina ; cupric oxide ; chromium oxide ; silver oxide compounds ; metal chelates ; metal amine complexes ; cobalt edta complexes ; iron edta complexes ; metal acetylacetonate ; manganese tris ( acetylacetonate ); metal salt - saccharide complexes ; metal oxalato complexes ; p - benzoquinone complexes ; copper ( i ) complexes ; manganese carbonyl ; rhenium carbonyl ; osmium carbonyl ; iron carbonyls ; metal thiocarbonyls ; trialkylaluminum ; diethylaluminum chloride ; triphenylmethyldiethyltitanium chloride ; bis ( 2 - chloroethyl ) diethyltitanium ; tetrabenzyltitanium ; ferrocene ; cyclopentadienylmanganese tricarbonyls . the peroxides include hydrogen peroxide ; benzoyl peroxide ; tertiary - butyl peroctoate ; t - butyl a - cyanoperacetate ; t - butyl hydroperoxide ; di - t - butyl peroxide ; cumene hydroperoxide ; a - cumyl peroxide ; ergosterol peroxide ; fluorenone hydroperoxide ; acetyl peroxide . organic dyes that are useful include acridines ; benzacridine ; benzidines ; b - carotene ; chlorophyll ; crystal violet ; eosin ; erythrosine ; fluorescein ; indanthrene yellow ; irgazin yellow ; methyl violet ; methylene blue ; pyronine - g ; rhodamines ; riboflavin ; rose bengal ; thiazine dyes ; thionine ; xanthene dyes ; xanthophyll ; iodoeosine . where the component capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerization contains an ethylenically unsaturated group , and notably an acrylyl or methacrylyl group , the preferred free radical photoinitiators are the benzoin ethers , benzophenone , the alkylamino benzophenones , the xanthones , the thioxanthones as well as combinations of said photoinitiators with each other and with chain transfer agents such as organic amines . as colorformer , there can , in one aspect , be used the free base of : as ketone imine dyestuffs , there can be used the free bases of auramine o and auramine g , c . i . 41000b and 41005 . the amino triarylmethane dyestuffs whose free bases can be used , can be generally represented by the formula ## str8 ## where ar 1 , ar 2 and ar 3 are carbocyclic aryl groups that are unsubstituted or substituted by one to three of : lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower acyl , carboxyl , carboloweralkoxy , sulfo , including the alkali , alkaline earth metal and ammonium salts thereof , nitro , halo , hydroxyl and amino of formula ## str9 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl , phenylloweralkylene , phenyl , sulfoloweralkylene , lower acyl , naphthyl , and where said phenyl and naphthyl groups are optionally substituted by one to three of nitro , sulfo , hydroxyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkyl , amino , sulfamyl , carboxyl , carbamyl , phenylimino and halogen and provided that at least one of ar 1 , ar 2 and ar 3 contains at least one amino group of formula ## str10 ## and where ar 3 can additionally be indolyl that is optionally substituted . the triarylmethane dyes whose free bases are of particular interest herein can be more specifically represented by the following formula : ## str11 ## where r is carbocyclic or heterocyclic aryl of formula ## str12 ## where r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 each independently is hydrogen , hydroxyl , or amino of formula ## str13 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl , lower acyl , sulfoloweralkylene , phenylloweralkylene , phenyl or naphthyl , said phenyl or said naphthyl groups being unsubstituted or substituted by one to three of nitro , sulfo , hydroxyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkyl , amino , sulfamyl , carbamyl , carboxyl , lower acyl , carboloweralkoxy , halogen or phenylimino where said phenyl group may be substituted as described ; and where at least one of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 is amino of formula ## str14 ## and r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 20 , r 21 , r 22 , r 30 , r 31 , r 32 , r 40 , r 41 , r 42 , r 50 , r 51 , and r 52 , each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl , hydroxyl , carboxyl , sulfo including the ammonium , alkali or alkaline earth metal salt thereof , nitro , halo , phenylazo , loweralkoxy , lower acyl , carboloweralkoxy , or amino of formula ## str15 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are as previously defined and r 6 is lower alkyl or phenyl and r 7 is hydrogen or lower alkyl . the free bases of triarylmethane dyestuffs of the following formula are a preferred class of dyes ## str16 ## where the substituents are all as previously defined . within the family of dyes described by the formula immediately preceding , preferred are those where r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are hydrogen or ## str17 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each independently is hydrogen , alkyl of one to four carbonatoms , benzyl , phenyl , sulfoethylene and where said phenyl and benzyl are unsubstituted or substituted in the aromatic moiety by one to three of nitro , sulfo , hydroxyl , alkyl of one to four carbonatoms , alkoxy of one to four carbonatoms , amino or chloro . of the dyes set out immediately above , particularly preferred are those where r 1 and r 2 are ## str18 ## and r 3 is hydrogen , sodium sulfo or ## str19 ## and where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each is hydrogen , methyl , ethyl , phenyl or sodium sulfo phenyl . especially preferred are the free bases of the dyestuffs having the formula ## str20 ## where r 3 is hydrogen or dimethyl amino . the xanthene dyestuffs , whose free bases are useful herein , can be represented by the general formula : ## str21 ## where r 8 is hydrogen or optionally substituted carbocyclic aryl r 60 is oxo , lower alkoxy , hydroxy or ## str22 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are as previously defined ; m is an integer from one to three and r 61 and r 62 are selected from the same group as r 10 and when m is two or three , the substituents can be the same or different . a preferred group of xanthene dyestuffs are represented by the following structural formula : ## str23 ## where r 60 is ## str24 ## m is one or two and r 30 , r 31 and r 32 each independently is hydrogen , sulfamyl , sodium sulfo , halo , carboxyl , carboloweralkoxy , or hydroxyl . a particularly preferred subgroup of compounds have the formula ## str25 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are hydrogen , lower alkyl , phenyl that is unsubstituted or substituted by lower alkyl or lower alkoxy r 61 is lower alkyl m is one r 32 is carboxyl or carboloweralkoxy r 30 and r 31 each independently is hydrogen , chloro , carboxyl or hydroxyl . amino derivatives of acridine dyestuffs whose free bases can successfully be employed herein have the general formula : ## str26 ## where r 70 is hydrogen or lower alkyl r 71 is hydrogen , lower alkyl or phenyl that is unsubstituted or substituted by amino , carboxyl or di ( loweralkyl ) amino , m is one , two or three r 72 and r 73 each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl or halogen r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are hydrogen or lower alkyl . the methine and polymethine dyestuffs whose free bases can be used are those having colour index numbers c . i . 48010 through 48080 . it should be noted that the dyestuffs described hereinabove are independently known to the art , for example , the amino derivitives of triarylmethane dyestuffs that are useful are those having the indicated formula and having a colour index number between c . i . 42 , 000 and c . i . 4 , 520 ; useful amino derivitives of xanthene dyestuffs are those having the indicated formula and having a colour index number between c . i . 45 , 000 and c . i . 45 , 505 ; the acridine dyestuffs are those having a colour index number between c . i . 46 , 000 and c . i . 46 , 080 . fluoran colorformers contemplated herein are those having the following formula : ## str27 ## where r a is hydrogen or an aliphatic group of one to 12 carbon atoms that is unsubstituted or optionally substituted and that may be interrupted by ## str28 ## and that is bound directly via carbon or oxygen ; r b is an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups or mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups or r b is a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members bound via a ring nitrogen and containing in addition to nitrogen , one or more of oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members or r a and r b together form a condensed aromatic nucleus ; r c is hydrogen , halogen , an aliphatic group of one to 12 carbon atoms that is unsubstituted or substituted and that may be interrupted by nitrogen or oxygen and that is bound directly via carbon or oxygen , or r c is an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups , mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups or where r c is a heterocyclic group with three to twelve ring members containing one or more of nitrogen , oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members or r c is an aromatic group that is unsubstituted or optionally substituted or a mixed aliphatic - aromatic group or an aromatic ether or aliphatic - aromatic ether group ; r d is hydrogen , lower aliphatic or an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups , mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups or r d is a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members containing one or more of nitrogen , oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members ; r e and r f each independently is hydrogen , unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic of one to 12 carbon atoms which may be interrupted by oxygen or nitrogen , and which is bound directly via carbon , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups , mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups , or r e and r f , together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members , optionally containing , in addition to nitrogen , one or more of sulfur and oxygen as hetero ring members ; ( r g ) m represents one to 3 , independently , of hydrogen , lower aliphatic bound directly via carbon or oxygen , or is halogen , acetamido or optionally substituted amino . preferably , at least one of r b , r c and r d is an amino group , as defined . particularly useful are the 2 - amino fluoran compounds of formula ## str29 ## where r 1 is hydrogen , halogen , alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 12 carbon atoms r 2 and r 3 each independently is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkenyl of 2 to 12 carbon atoms alkoxyalkyl of 2 to 8 carbon atoms , alkoxycarbonylalkyl of 3 to 9 carbon atoms , cycloalkyl of 5 or 6 carbon atoms , acyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , phenyl , naphthyl or benzyl that are unsubstituted or substituted in the aromatic nucleus by one to 3 of amino , mono - or di - alkyl amino of one to 5 carbon atoms , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 7 carbon atoms , carboxyl , alkoxycarbonyl or 2 to 7 carbon atoms , acyl or acylamino of one to 5 carbon atoms , or meso 3 -- where me is alkali metal or r 2 and r 3 together with the associated nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic radical of 3 to 12 ring members selected from pyrrolidinyl ; piperidyl , pipecolinyl , perhydroazepinyl , heptamethyleneimino , octamethyleneimino , indolinyl , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydroquinolinyl , hexahydrocarbazolyl , morpholinyl , thiomorpholinyl , piperazinyl , n - alkyl piperazinyl where the alkyl group contains one to 4 carbon atoms , pyrazolinyl , or 3 - methyl pyrazolinyl r 4 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 12 carbon atoms , halogen , amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of the substituents as defined for r 2 and r 3 , or r 4 is phenyl , phenoxy , benzyl or benzyloxy that is unsubstituted or substituted in the aromatic nucleus by one to 3 of amino , mono - or di - alkyl amino of one to 5 carbon atoms , lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , carboxyl , alkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 7 carbon atoms , acyl of one to 5 carbon atoms or meso 3 -- where me is alkali metal r 5 is hydrogen , lower alkyl , lower alkoxy or amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of the substituents as defined for r 2 and r 3 , including the heterocyclic members , r 6 and r 7 , each independently is selected from the same group as defined for r 2 and r 3 , including the heterocyclic members thereof ; ( r 8 ) m represents one to 3 members independently selected from hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 7 carbon atoms , halogen , acetamido , amino or mono - or di - alkyl amino of one to 7 carbon atoms . of the compounds described above , those wherein r 1 r 5 and r 8 are hydrogen are of particular interest . these compounds have the general formula ## str30 ## where r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 and r 7 are all as previously defined . r 2 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms or acyl of one to 7 carbon atoms r 3 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , acyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , phenyl , benzyl or naphthyl or where r 2 and r 3 together with the associated nitrogen atom form morpholinyl , piperazinyl , pyrrolidinyl or piperidinyl r 4 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms or alkoxy of one to 7 carbon atoms r 6 and r 7 is each alkyl of one to 5 carbon atoms or together with the associated nitrogen form morpholinyl , piperazinyl , pyrrolidinyl or piperidinyl . especially preferred are the compounds of formula ## str31 ## where r 3 is hydrogen or phenyl r 4 is hydrogen , ( c 1 - c 3 ) alkyl or ( c 1 - c 3 ) alkoxy r 6 and r 7 is each ( c 1 - c 3 ) alkyl ; the compounds found to be notably useful are these where r 6 and r 7 are both ethyl and where r 4 is hydrogen , methyl or methoxy . fluoran compounds as described herein are known in the art ; they are prepared by reacting a suitable benzophenone with an appropriate phenol derivative in the presence of an acidic condensing agent according to the following general formula ## str32 ## where r a , r b , r c , r d , r e , r f and r g are as previously defined and r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are hydrogen or lower alkyl , preferably hydrogen . the reaction is typically carried out at 10 ° to 100 ° c . in the presence of a condensing agent such as acetic anhydride , sulfuric acid , zinc chloride , phosphorous oxychloride and polyphosphoric acid for from 3 to 6 hours ; after cooling , the solution is poured into ice water and the product is neutralized with suitable alkali such as an alkali metal hydroxide solution . the crystals are then recovered and purified in known manner , as by recrystallization . the benzophenone compound can be prepared by reacting a phenol derivative with a phthalic anhydride in an organic solvent such as benzene , toluene , xylene and chlorobenzene , at reflux : ## str33 ## the general art of making fluoran compounds useful herein is described in u . s . patent nos . in describing the activators within the scope of this invention , it must be understood that the colorformers described herein are converted to dark - colored products by contact with an acidic substance . the acidic materials are those falling within the definition of a lewis acid , that is , an electron acceptor . thus the activators useful herein will either generate a lewis acid or will facilitate the production of a lewis acid from some other source . the activators of this invention are the combination of a proton donor and a carbonylic halide in the presence of a free radical type photoinitiator . while not wishing to be bound to any theoretical explanation for the chemistry of this activator system , the perceived results may be explained as follows . the proton donor ( pd ), whether by the effect of the free radical initiator ( in ) or otherwise , provides protons that are effective to convert the colorformer to the dark colored reaction product . the carbonylic halide compound , functioning as an electron sink , pushes the reaction to the right , encouraging proton formation : ## str34 ## the proton donor can be an amine , an arsine or a phosphine and can be represented by the formula ## str35 ## where d is n , as or p r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ;, each independently is hydrogen , linear or branched alkyl of from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms , linear or branched alkenyl of from 2 to about 12 carbon atoms , cycloalkyl of from 3 to about 10 ring carbon atoms , cycloalkenyl of from 3 to about 10 ring carbon atoms , aryl of from 6 to 12 ring carbon atoms , alkaryl of from 6 to about 12 ring carbon atoms , aralkyl of from 6 to about 12 ring carbon atoms , r &# 39 ;&# 34 ; has the same meaning as r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; except that it cannot be hydrogen and cannot be aryl when both r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are aryl ; the aryl groups can be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more of amino , mono - or di ( lower alkyl ) amino loweralkylcarbonyl , loweralkoxycarbonyl , loweralkylcarbonyloxy , phenylcarbonyl or aminophenylenecarbonyl where the amino group is unsubstituted or substituted by lower alkyl . additionally , r &# 34 ; and r &# 39 ;&# 34 ; together with d can form a heterocyclic group . thus r &# 34 ; and r &# 39 ;&# 34 ; together can be divalent alkylene of 2 to 12 carbon atoms , divalent alkenylene of 3 to 12 carbon atoms , divalent alkadienylene of 5 to 10 carbon atoms , divalent alkatrienylene of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms , divalent alkyleneoxyalkylene having a total of from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or divalent alkyleneaminoalkylene having a total of from 4 to 12 carbon atoms . because of ready availability , lower toxicity and stability , the amines are preferred ; representative specific organiamines include methylamine , dimethylamine , trimethylamine , diethylamine , triethylamine , propylamine , isopropylamine , diisopropylamine , triisopropylamine , butylamine , tributylamine , 1 - butylamine , 2 - methylbutylamine , n - methyl - n - butylamine , di - 2 - methylbutylamine , trihexylamine , tri - 2 - ethylhexylamine , dodecylamine , tridodecyl amine , tri - 2 - chloroethylamine , di - 2 - bromoethylamine , methanolamine , ethanolamine , diethanolamine , triethanolamine , n - methyldiethanolamine , n , n - dimethylethanolamine , n - methyldiethanolamine , isopropanolamine , propanolamine , diisopropanolamine , triisopropanolamine , n - butylethanolamine , dihexanolamine , 2 - methoxyethylamine , di - 2 - ethoxyethylamine , tri - 2 - ethoxyethylamine , 2 - hydroxyethyldiisopropylamine , 2 - aminoethylethanolamine , allylamine , butenylamine , dihexadienylamine , cyclohexylamine tricyclohexylamine , trimethylcyclohexylamine , bis - methylcyclopentylamine , tricyclohexenylamine , tricyclohexadienylamine , tricyclopentadienylamine , n - methyl - n - cyclohexylamine , n - 2 - ethylhexyl - n - cyclohexylamine , phenyldimenthylamine , p - acetylphenyldimethylamine , p - caprylyphenyl dimethylamine , methylphenylamine , ditolylamine , p - dimethylaminophenyl acetate , p - dimethylaminophenyl valerate , triphenethylamine , benzyldimethylamine , benzyldihexlamine , ethyl dimethylaminobenzoate , heptyl dimethylaminobenzoate , trischlorophenethylenimine , n - methylethylenimine , n - cyclohexylethylenimine , piperidine , n - ethylpiperidine , 2 - methylpiperidine , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydropyridine , 1 , 2 ,- dihydropyridine , 2 -, 3 - and 4 - picoline , morpholine , n - methylmorpholine , n - 2 - hydroxyethylmorpholine , n - 2 - ethoxyethylmorpholine , piperazine , n - methylpiperazine , n , n &# 39 ;- dimethylpiperazine , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - bis [ 3 -( n - morpholinyl )- propionyloxyl ] propane , 1 , 5 - bis [ 3 -( n - morpholinyl )- propionyloxy diethyl ] ether , n , n - dimethylbenzylamine , ethyldiethanolamine ; triethanolamine ; p - nitroaniline ; n - acetyl - 4 - nitro - 1 - naphthylamine ; aminoanthraquinone . a preferred group of amines are the p - aminophenyl ketones of general formula ## str36 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms and r &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 12 carbon atoms , phenyl , loweralkyliminophenylene or di ( loweralkyl ) aminophenylene . representative compounds include p -( dimethylamino ) acetophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) propiophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) butyrophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) valerophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) myristylphenone ; the p -( diloweralkylamino ) benzoic acid esters such as p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid ethyl ester ; p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid butyl ester ; p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid lauryl ester ; p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid myristyl ester ; 4 - dimethylaminobenzophenone ; 4 - dimethylamino - 4 &# 39 ;- propylaminobenzophenone ; and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone . as indicated , the compositions of this invention are formulated with carbonylic halides . these include the aliphatic ketones , the cycloaliphatic ketones and the esters and amides of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids . the use of the above mentioned carbonylic halides leads to a marked improvement in the intensity of fluoran and free base of a dyestuff colorformers when contrasted with the effects of the prior art such as aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 065 , 315 . while all members of this class will be operative , particularly preferred results are obtained when the halogen atom is located adjacent to the carbonyl group . it may be hypothesized that the carbonyl group affects the alpha - halogen atoms in a manner analogous to the effect of the carbonyl group on the alphahydrogens ; in any event the preferred carbonylic halides are those having at least one halogen atom on a carbon atom alphato a carbonyl group . especially preferred are the carbonylic halides having two halogen atoms on an alpha - carbon atom . one group of halogenated aliphatic ketones has from 3 to about 13 carbon atoms and from one to 4 carbonyl groups ; these compounds are represented by the general formula ## str37 ## where r aa is alkyl of one to eleven carbon atoms or said alkyl containing halogen atoms ; r bb is alkylene of one to ten carbon atoms , or said alkylene containing halogen atoms , or r bb represents a covalent bond ; r cc is alkyl or alkoxy of one to eleven carbon atoms or said alkyl or alkoxy that contains halogen atoms ; another group of carbonylic halides is formed by the cyclic ketones containing one or two ring carboxyl groups ; preferred are the carbocyclic ketones of formula ## str38 ## where e is the halogenated residue of a carbocyclic ketone which , together with the bound carbonyl groups contains from 4 to about 8 carbon atoms in the ring ; a can be substituted , in addition to halogen , by lower alkyl , lower alkoxy or acyl of two to 6 carbon atoms ; nn is 1 or 2 . another group of compounds useful herein are the esters and amides of formula : ## str39 ## where r aa &# 39 ; is amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of lower alkyl or halogenated lower alkyl , or r aa &# 39 ; is alkoxy or halogenated alkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms , or r aa &# 39 ; is ## str40 ## where d is alkoxy or haloalkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms and -- a -- is alkylene or haloalkylene of one to 4 carbon atoms ; r bb &# 39 ; is a covalent bond , alkylene or haloalkylene of one to 4 carbon atoms or the group ; ## str41 ## where a and b each independently is alkylene or haloalkylene of one to 4 carbon atoms ; r cc &# 39 ; is amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of lower alkyl or halogenated lower alkyl , or r cc &# 39 ; is alkoxy or haloalkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms . these compounds will contain up to about 12 carbon atoms and are illustrated by : from the foregoing , it is apparent that in one aspect the invention relates to a phototropic photosensitive composition comprising : a . an ethylenically unsaturated component capable of free radical initiated curing , crosslinking or polymerization ; where the free radical generator is a combination that includes a hydrogen donor , such as benzophenone , and an amine , such as an alkylamino benzophenone , another hydrogen donor need not be added . thus an amine , if present , can perform two functions : as a chain transfer agent and as a proton donor in connection with activation of the fluoran colorformer . 2 . a carbonylic halide selected from aliphatic ketones of 3 to 13 carbon atoms , carbocyclic keto of 4 to 8 ring carbon atoms , esters and amides of dicarboxylic acids and esters and amides of keto acids . the particularly preferred embodiments are those where the photoinitiator is one or more of a benzoin ether , benzophenone , a derivative of benzophenone , a monoaryl ketone , a xanthone , a thioxanthone , or a quinone , the fluoran colorformer colorformer is a 2 - amino fluoran and the amine is a tertiary amine and the carbonylic halide contains at least one alpha halogen . b . a benzoin ether , benzophenone , a loweralkylamino benzophenone , a monoaryl ketone , a xanthone , a thioxanthone , a quinone or mixture thereof 2 . a carbonylic halide containing at least one alpha halogen , selected from halogenated aliphatic ketones of 3 to 13 carbon atoms , halogenated carboxylic ketones of 4 to 8 ring carbon atoms , esters and amides of halogenated dicarboxylic acids containing up to 12 carbon atoms and esters and amides of halogenated keto acids containing up to 12 carbon atoms . the compositions of the present invention may be used in relatively thick layers or may be cast as thin films having thicknesses of from about 0 . 25 to about 5 mils or even more . when prepared in the form of an assembly comprising a support , composition and transparent sheet , i . e ., dry film photoresist , the composition will generally be from 0 . 5 to 5 mils thick . suitable base or support materials include metals such as steel , aluminum , and copper in the form of plates , sheets and foils ; film - forming synthetic resins or high polymers such as addition polymers and copolymers of vinyl chloride , vinylidine chloride , vinyl acetate , acrylonitrile , ethylene propylene , etc . ; and condensation polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyamides and thermoset composites such as fiberglass - epoxy and paper - phenolic laminates . ______________________________________ broad range preferred rangecomponent ( weight %) ( weight %) ______________________________________preformed polymer binder 40 - 70 % 50 - 70 % polymerizable , curable 30 - 50 % 30 - 40 % or crosslinkable componentphotoinitiator ( s ) 1 - 10 % 1 - 5 % fluoran colorformer 0 . 01 - 2 % 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 % carbonylic halide 0 . 1 - 5 % 0 . 5 - 2 % amine 0 . 1 - 10 % 0 . 2 - 5 % ______________________________________ the dry film phototropic photosensitive composition can additionally contain other conventional compounds such as thermal polymerization inhibitors , antioxidants , adhesion promoters and the like . in use , the photopolymerizable dry film is exposed to a source of actinic radiation which may be through a halftone image or a process transparency ; e . g ., a process negative or positive , stencil or a mask . exposure may also be through a continuous tone , negative or positive image . the exposure can be by the contact or projection method , with or without a cover sheet over the photopolymerizable layer or by projection using a cover sheet . these procedures are well known to those skilled in the art . the photoresist compositions are generally used in conjunction with ultraviolet light and the radiation source should furnish an effective amount of this radiation ; point or broad radiation sources are effective . such sources include carbon arcs , mercury - vapor arcs , fluorescent lamps with ultraviolet radiation emitting phosphors , argon glow lamps , electronic flash units and photographic flood lamps . of these , the mercury arcs , particularly the sun lamps , are most suitable . the dry film photoresist compositions after exposure can be developed in known manner , for example by impingement of spray jets , with agitated immersion , brushing or scrubbing to desirable images with an organic solvent or mixture thereof capable of washing away the unexposed portions of the resist film . useful solvents include cellosolve acetate , ethyl acetate , methyl ethyl ketone , acetone , trichloroethylene , carbon tetrachloride , tetrachloroethylene , the alkanols of one to four carbon atoms , butyl cellosolve , chlorobenzene and dimethylformamide . where the resist has been formulated to be developed by aqueous alkali , solutions of sodium carbonate , sodium hydroxide , trisodium phosphate and the like can be used , either alone or in admixture with each other or with one or more solvents . the phototropic compositions are also useful in ultraviolet - curable coating and printing compositions . one advantage that attends such compositions formulated with the phototropic dye systems is that thicker coatings can be employed than was previously the case since actinic light can penetrate through to the bottom of the coating before the color of the composition has intensified . since color can now be obtained without pigments and the like which interfere with the penetration of actinic light , thicker , more resistant coatings are obtainable . the coating and printing compositions will generally contain from about 0 . 1 to about 2 % of fluoran compound , from about 0 . 1 to about 5 % of carbonylic halide from 0 . 1 to 10 % of amine ; the compositions will generally contain from about 1 to 10 % by weight of photoinitiator . the balance of the compositions will be monomeric ( including reactive oligomers ) compounds , polymeric binders , plasticizers , adhesion promoters , antioxidants , fillers , thixotropic agents and leveling agents . pigments can be added if desired . these compositions can be applied by screen or other printing techniques or by brushing , roller coating , knife coating , curtain coating , etc . the acrylyl and methacrylyl compounds , notably the acrylyl oligomers and esters , as described above , are particularly useful . one useful class of oligomers is obtained by reacting an organic polyether or polyester polyol with a diisocyanate to provide an isocyanate - terminated prepolymer . this product can be reacted with an unsaturated alcohol , such as a hydroxy alkyl acrylate to provide , either alone or in combination with other unsaturated monomers , a material that will polymerize under the influence of free radicals to form a hard , tough , adherent film . in a variation of the foregoing , a polymercaptoester such as trimethylolpropane - tris -( thioglycolate ); trimethylolpropane tris -( mercaptopropionate ); pentaerythritol tetrakis ( thioglycolate ); pentaerythritol tetrakis -( mercaptopropionate ); and the like are reacted with a diisocyanate to provide a polythiourethane intermediate which can be reacted with an unsaturated alcohol , such as a hydroxy acrylate to provide , either alone or in combination with other unsaturated monomers , a free radical polymerizable material having excellent film properties after crosslinking . another illustration of a useful oligomer is an acrylate - capped polycaprolactone polyurethane , obtained by reacting a hydroxy - terminated polycaprolactone with a diisocyanate and thereafter reacting the isocyanate - terminated intermediate with an unsaturated alcohol such as a hydroxylalkyl acrylate . still another useful class of oligomers is obtained by reacting an epoxy resin with acrylic acid to obtain an epoxy diacrylate . for example , an epichlorohydrin / bisphenol a - type epoxy resin can be reacted with a stoichiometric amount of acrylic acid . such products are available commercially as under the trademark &# 34 ; epocryl &# 34 ; from shell chemical company . such materials can be combined with a variety of acrylic esters including neopentyl glycol diacrylate , hydroxyethyl acrylate and dicyclopentenyl acrylate and other unsaturated esters of polyols including such esters of methylene carboxylic acid such as , ethylene glycol diacrylate ; diethylene glycol diacrylate ; glycerol diacrylate ; glycerol triacrylate ; ethylene glycol dimethacrylate ; 1 , 3 - propylene glycol dimethacrylate ; 1 , 2 , 4 - butanetriol trimethacrylate ; 1 , 4 - benzenediol dimethacrylate ; pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate ; 1 , 3 - propanediol diacrylate ; 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate ; the bis - acrylates and methacrylates of polyethylene glycols of molecular weight 200 - 500 ; trimethylolpropane triacrylate ; pentaerythritol triacrylate ; and other ethylenically unsaturated compounds , to polymerize under the influence of free radicals to form films of excellent adhesion and toughness . another composition comprises a combination of a terminally unsaturated urethane composition ( polyene ) and a polythiol which are polymerizable under the influence of free radicals generated by the action of actinic light on a photoinitiator . the coating and printing ink compositions will contain a predominant amount of film - forming materials and photosensitizer and a relatively minor amount of fluoran compound halogen compound and amine . for example , a typical composition will contain from 15 to 70 % by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated compound as described above , 10 - 50 % of one or more unsaturated monomers or of a preformed polymeric binder , 0 . 1 to 10 % by weight of a photoinitiator ; 0 . 01 to 2 % by weight of fluoran compound as described above , 0 . 1 to about 5 % of carbonylic halide and 0 . 1 to 10 % of amine . a more narrow range is from about 40 to about 55 % by weight of ethylenically unsaturated compound , from 30 - 45 % of monomer or of polymeric binder from 1 to 5 % of initiator , from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 % of fluoran compound , from 0 . 5 to 2 % of halogen compound and from 0 . 2 to 5 % of amine . examples a through h illustrate the preparation of a variety of useful fluoran colorformers . 2 - anilino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str42 ## heat together 2 . 2 parts by weight of 2 - carboxy - 4 &# 39 ;- diethylamino - 2 &# 39 ;- hydroxybenzophenone , 1 part by weight of p - nitrophenol and 40 parts by weight of 90 weight percent h 2 so 4 for about 1 hour at 150 ° c . thereafter pour the mixture into about 225 parts by weight of ice and raise the ph to about 8 by addition of dilute nh 4 oh . extract this solution with benzene and thereafter wash the benzene with 10 percent by weight aqueous naoh and then with water . purify the washed benzene extract by passage through an activated alumina chromatograph column . concentrate the resulting solution by evaporation , add petroleum ether and recrystallize . reduce the product with stannous chloride solution , extract with benzene and recrystallize to obtain 2 - amino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . reflux 7 . 8 parts by weight of this product , 4 parts by weight of o - bromobenzoic acid , 2 . 8 parts by weight of potassium carbonate , 0 . 1 part by weight of copper powder and 40 parts by weight of amyl alcohol for about 3 hours . cool and add petroleum ether to separate the crude reaction product . heat the crude reaction product to 250 °- 260 ° c . to decarboxylate , then dissolve in benzene and wash twice with 1 weight percent aqueous sodium carbonate and once with water . concentrate the benzene solution by evaporation and precipitate with petroleum ether . dissolve the product in benzene , purify over activated alumina , recrystallize using petroleum ether and recover the product . 2 -( 2 &# 39 ;- methoxycarbonyl anilino )- 6 - diethylamino fluoran ## str43 ## the crude reaction product of example a is methylated by refluxing 1 part by weight of said reaction product with 0 . 3 parts by weight of dimethylsulfate , 0 . 5 parts by weight of dicyclohexylamine and 12 parts by weight of acetone for about 15 minutes . evaporate the solvent and then heat over a steam bath for an additional 15 minutes . extract with benzene and purify through activated alumina . concentrate by evaporation and add petroleum ether to crystallize the reaction product . 2 -( 2 &# 39 ;- methoxycarbonyl - anilino )- 3 - methyl - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str44 ## following the procedure of example a , but using 3 - methyl - 4 - nitrophenol in place of p - nitrophenol , there is obtained 2 - amino - 3 - methyl - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . reacting this product with o - bromobenzoic acid in the manner described in example a provides the carboxylic acid - containing crude reaction product . methylating this crude reaction product according to example b provides the desired product . 2 - anilino - 3 - methyl - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str45 ## decarboxylation of the carboxylic acid - containing crude reaction product of example c as described in example a , provides the desired product . by an alternate route , one gram of 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 4 - diethylamino - 2 - hydroxybenzophenone can be dissolved in a mixture of 4 ml . of concentrated sulfuric acid and an equal volume of fuming sulfuric acid at an so 3 content of 20 % with mechanical stirring , and externally cooled to about 15 ° c . add 1 . 9 grams of 4 - amino - 3 - methylphenol gradually and continue stirring over 16 hours at about 20 ° c . thereafter , pour the reaction mixture into about 200 grams of ice - water , raise the ph to about 8 with a 10 percent by weight aqueous solution of naoh and extract with benzene . wash the benzene successively with 10 % naoh , 2 % nacl and then water . concentrate by evaporation , purify over activated alumina , elute with a 3 : 3 : 1 mixture of benzene : ether : ethyl acetate , evaporate and recover the product . 2 - anilino - 6 - diethylamino - 3 - methoxyfluoran ## str46 ## following the alternate procedure described in example d but using 4 - amino - 3 - methoxyphenol instead of 4 - amino - 3 - methylphenol , there is obtained the indicated product . 2 -( n - benzylamino )- 6 - n - pyrrolidinylfluoran ## str47 ## stir a mixture of 77 . 75 grams of 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 2 - hydroxy - 4 - n - pyrrolidinylbenzophenone 75 . 6 grams n - benzyl - p - anisidine and 250 ml of 98 % h 2 so 4 at 60 ° c . for 5 hours and then quench into 2 , 750 ml . ice water . filter the solid , wash with water and add the solid to a mixture of 500 ml . water , 250 ml . methanol and 26 . 8 grams naoh at 70 ° c . boil this mixture for 2 hours and cool to 85 ° c . filter the solid product , wash with hot water , recrystallize from methanol / acetone and dry . the starting benzophenone compound can be prepared by heating a mixture of 74 grams phthalic anhydride 81 . 5 grams 1 -( 3 &# 39 ;- hydroxyphenyl ) pyrrolidine and 335 ml . xylene for 6 hours at 125 ° c . cool to 25 ° c ., filter the precipitate , wash with methanol and recrystallize from ethanol . 2 , 6 - di -( n - pyrrolidinyl ) fluoran ## str48 ## following the procedure of example f , but condensing the 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 2 - hydroxy - 4 - n - pyrrolidinylbenzophenone with 1 -( 4 &# 39 ;- hydroxyphenyl ) pyrrolidine , instead of n - benzyl - p - anisidine , there is obtained the indicated product . 2 - methyl - 4 - amino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str49 ## react 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 2 - hydroxy - 4 - diethylamino benzophenone with 4 - methyl - 2 - nitrophenol according to the procedure of example a and then reduce the product by suspending one part by weight of product in a solution of 2 . 5 parts by weight of stannous chloride , 2 parts by weight of hcl having a specific gravity of 1 . 15 and about 0 . 6 parts by weight of water ; warm and stir the suspension until a solution forms . cool the solution to room temperature , dilute with about 2 parts by weight of water and raise the ph to about 12 with a 10 weight percent aqueous naoh solution . recover and purify the precipate by washing , extraction and recrystallization , as indicated in the previous examples . colorformers are evaluated with respect to phototropic capacity in the following composition : ______________________________________ parts by wt . ______________________________________acryloid a - 101 . sup . ( a ) 60 . 3 ( solids basis ) trimethylolpropane triacrylate 19 . 6tetraethylene glycol diacrylate 9 . 82 - chlorothioxanthenone 3 . 42 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene bis ( 4 - ethyl - 6 - . 18t - butyl ) phenolmodaflow . sup . ( b ) . 15tricresyl phosphate 4 . 314 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone 0 . 45halide . sup . ( c ) 1 . 51colorformer 0 . 3 100 . 0methyl ethyl ketone 195______________________________________ . sup . ( a ) an acrylic ester polymer in organic solvent from rohm & amp ; haas company . . sup . ( b ) a hydrocarbon flow control agent from monsanto chemical co . . sup . ( c ) tbcy = 2 , 2 , 6 , 6tetrabromocyclohexanone ddb = dimethyldibromomalonate the composition is coated onto a 1 - mil thick polyester film and dried in air . the dry thickness of the photosensitive composition is 1 - 2 mils . the dried layer is covered with a 1 - mil thick polyethylene film . the phototropic capacity is determined visually by removing the polyethylene film , laminating the photopolymerzable composition to a copper - clad panel , placing a light mask over the assembly and exposing this combination to a mercury vapor lamp for 30 seconds . the image is read immediately . zero means no image , a negative rating indicates the dye system is photofugitive ( i . e ., fades ) while a positive rating indicates the system has darkened in response to the light and is phototropic . __________________________________________________________________________ ## str50 ## phototropic developed capacityr . sub . a r . sub . b r . sub . c r . sub . d r . sub . e r . sub . f color tbcy ddb__________________________________________________________________________ ## str51 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 green + + h ## str52 ## ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 purple - black + + h ## str53 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str54 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 dark green + + h ## str55 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str56 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 green + + h ## str57 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str58 ## ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str59 ## h h ## str60 ## green + + h ch . sub . 3 h nh . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 orange + + h nh . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 purple + + h ## str61 ## och . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h cl ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 red + + h h cl h h ## str62 ## yellow - orange + + ## str63 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 pink + + ## str64 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 blue + + h ## str65 ## h h ## str66 ## green + + h ## str67 ## h h ## str68 ## black + + h nch . sub . 3 h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 red + + __________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________rhodamine b base red + + malachite green base blue - green + + c . i . solvent blue 2 red - blue + + c . i . solvent blue 5 red - blue + + c . i . solvent red 49 red - violet + + c . i . solvent violet 10 red - violet + + c . i . 42510b red - violet + + c . i . 42535b blue - violet + + c . i . 42600 blue - violet + + c . i . 44520 violet + + c . i . 45006 red + + c . i . 45015 red + + c . i . 46025 yellow + + c . i . 46055 orange + + c . i . 48013 red - violet + + ______________________________________ a photoresist composition useful to evaluate various combinations of colorformers and carbonylic halides is prepared from the following ingredients : ______________________________________ parts by wt . ______________________________________poly ( methyl methacrylate ). sup . ( 1 ) 60 . 0pentaerythritol triacrylate 32 . 0benzophenone 3 . 22 , 2 &# 39 ; methylene - bis -( 4 - ethyl - 6 - t - butylphenol ) . 9colorformer . 9carbonylic halide 2 . 24 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone . 8methyl ethyl ketone 150 . 0______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) a medium molecular weight product available from e . i . dupont de nemours & amp ; co ., inc ., wilmington , delaware under the trademark elvacite 2010 . the composition is made by dissolving the methyl methacrylate polymer in the solvent , using conventional equipment at low to medium speeds , then adding the monomer and then adding the remaining ingredients . the solution is coated onto a 1 mil thick polyester film and dried in air . the dry thickness of the sensitized layer is 1 - 2 mils . the dried layer is covered with a 1 mil thick polyethylene film . the following table indicates the phototropic capacity of six representative colorformers in the presence of a variety of carbonylic halides ; phototropic capacity is determined as described in example 1 . ______________________________________halogenated compound a b c d e f______________________________________hexabromoacetone + + + + + + 3 , 4 - diiodo - 2 - butanone + + + + + + 3 , 3 - dibromo - 2 - butanone + + + + + + 3 , 3 - dibromo - 2 - heptanone + + + + + + 1 , 1 - dibromo - 4 - ethoxy - 2 , 4 - butanedione + + + + + + 1 , 4 - diiodo - 2 , 3 - butanedione + + + + + + 4 , 4 - dibromo - 2 , 3 - hexanedione + + + + + + 3 , 3 - dibromo - 2 , 4 - hexanedione + + + + + + perchloro - 2 - cyclobuten - 1 - one + + + + + + 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetrabromocyclohexanone + + + + + + 3 , 6 - diiodo - 1 , 2 - cyclohexanedione + + + + + + hexachloro - 2 , 4 - cyclohexanedione + + + + + + 2 - iodo - 1 , 3 - cyclohexanedione + + + + + + 2 , 2 - dibromo - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - cyclo - + + + + + + hexanedionedibromomalonamide + + + + + + iodomalonamide + + + + + + dimethyl dibromomalonate + + + + + + diethyl iodomalonate + + + + + + 3 - iodo - 2 - ketoglutaramide + + + + + + dimethyl 3 - iodo - 4 - ketopimaleate + + + + + + diethyl - 1 , 3 - diiodo - 1 , 3 - acetone - + + + + + + dicarboxylatediethyl - 3 , 6 - diiodo - 1 , 4 - cyclohexane - + + + + + + dione - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylate______________________________________ when the procedure of example is repeated using color - formers a , b , c , d , e and f and dimethyl dibromomalonate , dibromomalonamide , diethyl - 1 , 3 - dibromo - 1 , 3 - acetone dicarboxylate and tetrabromocyclohexanone as the carbonylic halide with a variety of amines as hydrogen donors , the systems display phototropic capacity : __________________________________________________________________________carbonylic halide i ii iii ivcolorformer a b c d e f a b c d e f a b c d e f a b c d e f__________________________________________________________________________propylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + diisopropanolamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + triethylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + dimethylethanolamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + n , n -- dimethyl butylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - acetylphenyl dimethylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - caprylphenyl dimethylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - dimethylaminophenyl acetate + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - dimethylaminophenyl + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + valerateethyl dimethylaminobenzoate + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + amyl dimethylaminobenzoate + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - dimethylamino acetophenone + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4 - dimethylamino benzophenone + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino )- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + benzophenone__________________________________________________________________________ i = dimethyl dibromomalonate ii = dibromomalonamide iii = diethyl1 , 3 - dibromo - 1 , 3 - acetonedicarboxylate iv = tetrabromocyclohexanone combinations of photoinitiators and amines can be evaluated using the following composition and the procedures described in examples 2 and 3 . ______________________________________ parts by wt . ______________________________________poly ( methyl methacrylate ). sup . ( 1 ) 60 . 0pentaerythritol triacrylate 30 . 0photoinitiator 3 . 22 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene - bis -( 4 - ethyl - 6 - t - butylphenol ) . 9colorformer . 92 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetrabromocyclohexanone 2 . 2amine 2 . 8methyl ethyl ketone 150 . 0______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) elvacite 2010 from du pont . the following table indicates phototropic capacity of representative colorformers a and b of example 2 with a variety of photointiators and amines . ______________________________________photoinitiator 1 2 3 4colorformer ab ab ab ab______________________________________dimethylethylanolamine ++ ++ ++ ++ n , n -- dimethyl butylamine ++ ++ ++ ++ p - acetylphenyl dimethylamine ++ ++ ++ ++ p - caprylylphenyl dimethylamine ++ ++ ++ ++ p - dimethylaminophenyl acetate ++ ++ ++ ++ p - dimethylaminophenyl valerate ++ ++ ++ ++ ethyl dimethylamino benzoate ++ ++ ++ ++ amyl dimethylamino benzoate ++ ++ ++ ++ p - dimethylamino acetophenone ++ ++ ++ ++ 4 - dimethylamino benzophenone ++ ++ ++ ++ 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ++ ++ ++ ++ ______________________________________ the following solution is coated onto a 1 mil thick polyester film to provide a dry thickness of about 0 . 001 inch , and dried in air . the dried film is covered with a 1 mil thick polyethylene film . ______________________________________ingredients parts by wt . ______________________________________copolymer of 75 % styrene and 25 % methacrylic 57 . 0acid ; viscosity of a 40 % solution in mek is10 , 360 cpstrimethylolpropane triacrylate 24 . 0tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate 12 . 2benzophenone 4 . 04 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino )- benzophenone 0 . 62 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran 0 . 3diethyliodomalonate 1 . 5benzotriazole . 4methyl ethyl ketone 160 . 0______________________________________ a piece of copper clad , epoxy - fiberglass board is cleaned by scouring with an abrasive cleaner , swabbing and thoroughly rinsing in water . it is given a 20 second dip in dilute hydrochloric acid solution ( 2 volumes water plus 1 volume concentrated hydrochloric acid ), a second rinse with water and then dried with air jets . the polyethylene cover film is removed from a section of the sandwiched photoresist dry film described above . the bared resist coating with its polyester support is laminated to the clean copper with the surface of the photoresist in contact with the copper surface . the lamination is carried out with the aid of rubber covered rollers operating at 250 ° f . ( 121 ° c .) with a pressure of 3 pounds per lineal inch at the nip at a rate of 2 feet per minute . the resulting sensitized copper clad board protected as it is by the polyester film can be held for later use if desired . exposure to light is had through a high contrast transparency image in which the conducting pattern appears as transparent areas on an opaque background . exposure is carried out by placing the sensitized copper clad board ( with polyester film still intact ) and the transparency into a photographic printing frame . exposure is maintained for a period of 90 second to a 400 watt , 50 ampere vapor lamp at a distance of 12 inches . it is seen that the areas of the resist that have been exposed to light have darkened in color considerably , to a black color which contrasts substantially with the unexposed portions of the resist . the polyethylene terephthalate support film is peeled off and the exposed resist layer developed by agitating the board in a tray containing 2 % trisodium phosphate in water for 2 minutes followed by a water rinse . the resulting board which contained a deeply colored resist pattern of the clear areas of the exposing transparency is then etched in ferric chloride solution , rinsed and dried . the resist is removed from the remaining copper by dipping for 2 minutes in a 3 % solution of sodium hydroxide in water at 70 ° c . the result is a high quality printed circuit board . in an alternative embodiment , the surface of the exposed copper obtained after developing is further cleaned by dipping the board into a 20 % ammonium persulfate bath for 30 seconds , washing copiously with water , dipping for 30 seconds in a 20 % solution of hydrochloric acid in water , rinsing with water , then drying the board with jets of air . this cleaned board is then plated for 45 minutes at 30 amperes per square foot in a copper pyrophosphate plating bath at 55 ° c . a copper clad piece of epoxy - fiberglass board is cleaned as described in example 5 above . the cleaned , dried board was sensitized by flowing the following solution over the surface of the board : ______________________________________ingredients parts by wt . ______________________________________copolymer of 37 % styrene and 63 % monobutyl 60 . 0maleate , average mol . wt . 20 , 000 , viscosityof 10 % aqueous solution of ammoniumsalt = 150 cps . pentaerythritol tetraacrylate 34 . 2benzophenone 2 . 54 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino )- benzophenone 0 . 3benzotriazole 0 . 22 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene - bis -( 4 - ethyl - 6 - tert - butylphenol ) 0 . 92 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran 0 . 42 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetrabromocyclohexanone 1 . 5methyl ethyl ketone 150 . 0______________________________________ the excess solution is drained off the board at room temperature for 2 minutes . the coating is further dried by heating in a forced air oven at 60 ° c . for 5 minutes . after cooling , the coated board is exposed as described in example 5 above , and it is seen that where the board is exposed to light , a dark color that dramatically contrasts with the unexposed portions is visible . the resist is developed by agitating the board in a solution of 2 % trisodium phosphate in water for one minute , followed by a water rinse . the board is etched in ferric chloride as described in example 5 , and after etching , the exposed resist is stripped from the protected copper by immersing the board in a 3 % solution of sodium hydroxide in water at 50 ° c . for 2 minutes . the result is a high quality printed circuit board . ______________________________________ composition , parts by wt . components i ii iii iv v______________________________________pcp . sup . ( a ) 36 . 2 -- -- -- -- epoa . sup . ( b ) 4 . 8 4 . 5 -- -- -- e . d .. sup . ( c ) 16 . 2 57 . 0 54 . 5 59 . 5 47 . 6npgda . sup . ( d ) 14 . 2 18 . 1 17 . 3 19 . 0 19 . 0eha . sup . ( e ) 14 . 2 9 . 0 8 . 7 9 . 5 9 . 5dcpa . sup . ( f ) 9 . 6 6 . 9 15 . 2 7 . 2 19 . 0benzophenone 4 . 8 4 . 5 4 . 3 4 . 8 4 . 9colorformer . sup . ( g ) 0 . 9 0 . 9 0 . 9 0 . 9 . sup . ( h ) 0 . 9 . sup . ( i ) dibromomalonamide 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 54 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5benzophenone______________________________________ . sup . ( a ) 80 % solution of union carbide pcp0300 polycaprolactone / toluene diisocyanate oligomer in 20 % hydroxyethyl acrylate . sup . ( b ) polyacrylate of epoxidized soya bean oil available from union carbide . sup . ( c ) epocryl ( epoxy diacrylate ) . sup . ( d ) neopentyl glycol diacrylate . sup . ( e ) 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate . sup . ( f ) dicyclopentenyl acrylate . sup . ( g ) 2 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . sup . ( h ) 2 - anilino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . sup . ( i ) 2 - piperidine - 6 - diethylaminofluoran the compositions are prepared by combining the monomers and mixing in conventional equipment at low to medium speeds until dissolved . the photoinitiator is added and the other ingredients are incorporated . the coatings are applied to a cellulosic substrate ( hardboard ) by direct roller coating . the wet coated substrate is then exposed to uv radiation by being placed on a chain link conveyor and passed under a 200 watt / lineal inch hanovia quartz ultraviolet lamp at a distance of about two inches at a speed of approximately 12 feet per minute . an ink composition is prepared as follows by mixing together the following components in conventional manner . ______________________________________epoxy acrylate 60 . 0ultraflex microcrystalline wax 3 . 3pentaerythritol tetraacrylate 29 . 2benzophenone 4 . 54 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone . 502 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran 1 . 0dibromomalonamide 1 . 50______________________________________ when this ink is silk screened onto a paper substrate and exposed to light using a 200 watt / linear inch medium pressure mercury vapor lamp at a distance of 4 inches for about 5 seconds , there is obtained a dry , tack - free dark - printed substrate having good gloss and adhesion . when the colorformer is replaced by the colorformers described in example 1 , there is obtained an ink that cures to a dry , tack - free , deeply colored product . to a reaction vessel equipped with stirrer , reflux condenser , thermometer and heating means charge ______________________________________ parts by weight______________________________________1 , 3 - butylene glycol 12 . 681 , 6 - hexanediol 66 . 64adipic acid 20 . 58dibutyl tin oxide . 10______________________________________ using a nitrogen sparge . heat to a reflux and react to an acid value less than 3 . the product will have an equivalent weight of about 501 and a molecular weight of about 1000 . to a reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer , thermometer and nitrogen sparge charge 15 . 22 parts by weight of 2 , 4 - tolylene diisocyanate and heat to 50 ° c . add a mixture of 10 . 13 parts by weight of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate and 0 . 0035 parts by weight of phenothiazine over a two hour period , maintaining the temperature at 60 ° c . during this period . hold at 60 ° c . for an additional three hours . cool to 50 ° c . and add 43 . 83 parts by weight of the polyester previously prepared over a one hour period , maintaining the temperature at 60 ° c . ; thereafter hold the temperature at 70 ° c . for 3 hours . cool to 60 ° c . ; add 0 . 35 parts by weight of methanol to obtain zero free isocyanate and hold an additional 1 / 2 hour at 60 ° c . cool and store the product . a . a uv curable composition can be prepared having the following composition : ______________________________________ parts by weight______________________________________acrylated polyester 66 . 61 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate 14 . 5pentaerythritol triacrylate 4 . 6methyl ethyl ketone 1 . 92 - ethylhexyl acrylate 4 . 7dibromomalonamide 2 . 02 - chlorothioxanthenone 3 . 02 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethyl - . 7aminofluorandimethylamino ethanol 2 . 0______________________________________ the composition is mixed until homogeneous . the photopolymerizable composition is applied to a wooden test piece , having a smooth surface , at the rate of 100 grams per square meter and the coated surface is covered with a 30 mm . thick untreated polyethylene film exercising care to ensure that no air bubbles are entrained . this is then exposed to actinic rays with a 2 - kw high pressure mercury - vapor lamp for 30 seconds at a radiation distance of 30 mm . when the polyethylene film is stripped , it is seen that a smooth cured coating is obtained having good hardness , good adhesion to the wood and that is black in color . b . a second uv - curable system can be prepared having the following composition : ______________________________________ parts by weight______________________________________acrylated polyester 65 . 3pentaerythritol tetrakis 26 . 0 ( β - mercaptopropionate ) benzophenone 3 . 02 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . 74 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone 3 . 0dibromomalonamide 2 . 0______________________________________ when coated on a wood test specimen and treated as in part a above , there is obtained a cured coating having a black color . | 6 |
referring first to the fig1 and 4 of the drawings wherein a conventional modern compound cable bowstring archer &# 39 ; s bow is illustrated as comprising a mounted quiver of the invention . therein the bow is illustrated as comprising a cable bowstring having drawing cable 11 a and non - drawing , harness cables 11 b and 11 c , riser 12 , detachable resilient limbs 13 and 14 , and bowstring eccentric wheels 15 and 16 . riser 12 connects with first and second limbs 13 and 14 at connection / adjustment junctions 19 and 19 a respectively . riser 12 comprises an arrow rest 21 , on which a nocked arrow can rest aligned in the shooting position , and hand grip 24 which comprises a slip resistant gripping surface . cable guide 25 is illustrated as having an elongate guide member 25 a extending into the arc of the bow , with an offset mounting end 25 b extending angularly from elongate member 25 a and comprising a hole for mounting the cable guide , by means of bolt 18 , to mounting hole 17 of riser 12 . cable guide 25 is depicted as comprising cable harness restraint 26 , which engages among harness cables 11 b , 11 c and cable guide 25 . the quiver of the invention is depicted as comprising arrow head receiver unit 40 and arrow shaft receiver unit 47 . nocked arrow 30 is depicted in fig1 only , and comprises arrow shaft 31 , arrow nock 32 and arrow tip 33 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 and 2 , the cable drawstring is illustrated as comprised of drawing cable 11 a and two harness cables 11 b , arranged with opposite ends of the drawing cable mounted to opposite wheels 15 and 16 and ends of the harness cables mounted to opposite eccentric supporting shafts , the drawing cable and harness cables arranged in an eccentric pulley mechanical advantage which reduces the force necessary to draw a bow . both the harness cables and drawing cable extend tautly from axle end to axle end of the bow with cable being wound around the eccentrics as the arc of the bow is compressed by drawing the drawing cable . it should be understood that the depicted arrangement of cables and pulleys is merely illustrative and multiple different arrangements of eccentrics , wheels , cables and the like are contemplated as within the scope of the invention . the draw cable and longitudinal central axis of the bow define an arrow launch plane , extending from about the longitudinal axis of the bow to about the longitudinal axis of the drawn cable , in which a drawn arrow passes during shooting . nocking an arrow centers the rear of the arrow upon the axis of the drawing cable and maintains the rear of the arrow in the launch plane through release of the arrow from the draw cable . modern bows generally comprise a riser which is notched 22 along the launch plane of the bow and an arrow rest 21 which places the front shaft of the arrow along the longitudinal axis of the bow at about its centerline , enabling accurate passage of the arrow along the launch plane through launch of the arrow from the bow . harness cables would generally cross the launch plane , and to avoid interfering with the arrow during nocking and launching , is held in an angled position to the side thereof , by means of a cable guide . in the illustrated embodiments of the figures , cable guide 25 comprises a cable harness restraint 26 , which comprises cable slots 26 a , 26 b arranged for slidably capturing harness cables 11 b and 11 c . elongate guide member 25 a of cable guide 25 is offset from mounting end 25 b to enable adjustment of elongate member 25 a in a plane spaced from the arrow launch plane . elongate member 25 a comprises a rounded surface 25 c through at least a portion of its length , while cable harness restraint 26 comprises a rounded surface 26 c which is configured to matingly engage with rounded surface 25 c of elongate member 25 a in an arrangement which enables slidable engagement of cable harness restraint 26 along at least a portion of the length of elongate member 25 a , while holding the harness cables spaced from the launch plane . as drawing cable 11 a is pulled by the archer , the bow is bent into an arc by the shortening of harness cables 11 b and 11 c , and cable harness guide 26 slidably moves from a non - drawn rest position along elongate guide member 25 a nearer to the riser to a drawn position along cable guide 25 spaced further from the riser , and back to the rest position with the archer &# 39 ; s release of the drawing cable , while maintaining the harness cables spaced from the launch plane . fig4 illustrates in detail the quiver arrangement of fig1 and 2 . therein arrow shaft receiver unit 47 is illustrated as comprising holding plate 46 and resilient elastomeric element 45 mounted thereto . each elastomeric element 45 comprises a plurality of integral “ u ” shaped resilient gripping clips 45 a - c formed therein arranged to engage the shaft of the arrow . the holding plate is illustrated as screw 48 mounted to cable guard surface 25 d arranged generally opposite curved surface 25 c of elongate member 25 a of cable guide 25 . in a preferred embodiment , a generally flat surface is formed in the cable guard for mounting the holding plate , and the surface is angled from the offset attachment end 25 a to enable general alignment of the stored arrows with the arrow head receiver unit and / or access to the cable guard mounting screw . it should be understood that any suitable means mounting the arrow shaft receiver unit to the cable guide and / or the elastomeric element to the holding plate is contemplated as within the broad invention . the clips are configured in spaced apart alignment on the elastomeric element and have internal radii , which is sized to securely grip along the shaft of an arrows but allow ready removal of the arrow when desired . such arrangement of clips allows the archer to easily remove and load an arrow by manipulating the arrow shaft with a finger and / or thumb and / or by forcibly inserting a finger and / or thumb between the arrow and the unit , without significant hand or arm movement . arrow head receiver unit 40 is also illustrated in exploded format , and is shown as comprising hood 41 , arrow head support element 42 and mounting plate 43 . hood 41 comprises spacer plate 41 a and holes 41 b through which screws 44 mounted to threaded holes 43 a of mounting plate 43 . mounting plate 43 is mounted to attachment hole 20 of riser 12 by bolt 23 . arrow head support element 42 is illustrated as comprising a formed block of foamed material , preferably a foamed resilient polymeric material , which is configured to grippingly engage a plurality of arrow heads . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , mounting plate 43 is mounted closely spaced from the launch plane of the bow and generally parallel thereto . in a further preferred embodiment , spacer plate 41 a is beveled so that when the hood is mounted to the mounting plate it is angled to generally align with the arrow shaft receiver unit . i should be understood that it is contemplated as within the invention that the mounting plate and / or hood may be angled to provide suitable alignment , and / or that the foamed material be configured to accept a plurality of arrows at an aligned angle with the arrow shaft receiver unit . fig1 and 2 illustrate the balanced arrangement of the mounted quiver of the present invention . therein arrow shaft receiver unit 47 is mounted to an interior surface of offset elongate member 25 a of the cable guide , and the offset of the guide arranged so that arrow shaft receiver unit 47 is positioned closely proximate to the launch plane of the bow , but below handgrip 24 . attachment plate 43 , attaches to the bow above handgrip 24 , with arrow head receiver unit 40 being bolt mounted thereto retaining the arrow head receiver unit spaced from the launch plane of the bow . in such arrangement , the head of the arrows are maintained in the quiver closely proximate one side of the launch plane , while the notched end of the arrows are maintained to the other side of the launch plane . such retention of the arrows provides a balanced weight distribution of the arrows about at the launch plane , which minimizes torque of unbalanced distribution . fig3 is a rear perspective view of a bow riser 52 comprising another quiver arrangement for holding a plurality of arrows in accordance with the invention . in this arrangement , cable guide 55 is illustrated as being attached to a mounting hole of riser 52 above handgrip 54 by bolt means 58 . as in fig2 cable guide 55 is depicted as comprising offset mounting end 55 b and elongate guide member 55 a having rounded surface 55 c for slidably engaging a mating rounded surface of cable harness restraint 59 . arrow shaft ma receiver unit 60 is illustrated being mounted to a surface of the cable guide generally opposite rounded surface 55 c of elongate guide member 55 a as shown in fig1 and 4 . in this embodiment , the offset of the cable guide is arranged so that arrow shaft receiver unit 60 is positioned closely proximate to the launch plane of the bow , but above handgrip 24 , such that the shafts of stored arrows cross the launch plane of bow at a point below the handgrip . in the embodiment of fig3 the arrow head receiver unit is illustrated in exploded format , as being closely similar to the arrow shaft receiver unit and comprising a holding plate 66 and a resilient elastomeric element 65 mounted thereto , with elastomeric element 65 comprising a plurality of integral “ u ” shaped resilient gripping clips 65 a - c formed therein arranged to engage the shaft of the arrow . the holding plate is illustrated as screw mounted to mounting plate 63 by screws 64 , the mounting plate being in turn mounted to riser 52 by bolt 69 . in this embodiment , the arrow is supported at the shaft thereof just below the arrow head . in the mounting arrangement of fig3 the distance between the arrow head receiver and the arrow shaft receiver is shortened , and the angle at which arrows cross the launch plane of the bow is shallower than that illustrated in fig1 and 2 , providing a bow silhouette that is slimmer while continuing to enable balanced weight distribution at about the centerline of the bow . | 5 |
the present invention is useful in addressing the concerns mentioned above relating to the ability to pinpoint the source ( s ) of , for example , ingress in an hfc communication system . in particular , the present invention is directed to the utilization of a distributed set of test points to monitor both downstream and upstream communications , and provide information regarding the location of the communication problem within the network topology . fig1 illustrates a portion of an exemplary hfc network 10 . network 10 serves a plurality of endpoints 12 , where each endpoint 12 may comprise a separate home or office , connected to network 10 via a cable modem . the network portion illustrated in fig1 includes three branches , labeled “ a ”, “ b ”, and “ c ”, all feeding into a cable modem test system ( cmts ) 14 . branch a includes a first group of endpoints 12 a tapping off of a first cable communication path 16 a , branch b includes a second group of endpoints 12 b similarly connected along a second cable communication path 16 b , and branch c is formed of a third group of endpoints 12 c tapping off of a third cable communication path 16 c . in accordance with the present invention , a separate hfc test point 18 is disposed in each path between endpoints 12 and cmts 14 . particularly , a first hfc test point 18 a is located at the “ top ” of branch a between endpoints 12 a and cmts 14 , a second hfc test point 18 b is located at the “ top ” of branch b between endpoints 12 b and cmts 14 and , similarly , a third hfc test point 18 c is located at the “ top ” of branch c between endpoints 12 c and cmts 14 . it is to be noted that this topology is exemplary only , and various other arrangements of test points may be deployed . for example , each branch may include two or more test points , so as to be able to further isolate the location of ingress without having to affect communication along the other portions of the branch . referring back to fig1 a network management system 20 is includes and receives as inputs “ alarm ” signals from cmts 14 regarding error conditions within the network . network management system 20 then provides as outputs , to the test points , specific control signals to mitigate the error condition . the control signals may include , for example , attenuating a particular signal level to reduce a noise signal , switching to a different frequency within an assigned channel , or alternatively , completely turning off a certain problematic channel . in most circumstances , cmts 14 is used to monitor , for example , the digital detection of ingress . that is , cmts 14 includes a predetermined bit error rate ( ber ) threshold that is considered acceptable for receiving valid communication along the upstream communication signal paths . when the predetermined ber threshold is exceeded along one of the branches associated with cmts 14 ( meaning that ingress exists along that branch ), an alarm message is created and sent to monitoring system 20 . in response , monitoring system 20 communicates with the particular test point 18 associated with the affected branch to isolate the source of ingress and mitigate its effect on the rest of the network . as will be discussed below , there exist many alternative structures that may be used within test point 18 , but in general each embodiment is used to isolate ( and at times mitigate ) the source of ingress . fig2 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of network 10 utilizing a plurality of active notch filters 30 as test points within the network . as with the basic arrangement illustrated in fig1 each cable branch a - c in communication with cmts 14 includes a separate active notch filter 30 a - 30 c . in operation , cmts 14 tracks ber as mentioned above . the errors are categorized by branch and frequency within cmts 14 . when the associated ber is exceeded , an alarm message is sent to management system 20 . in turn , management system 20 sends a control signal to the proper active notch filter 30 , instructing the notch filter to be centered at the frequency experiencing the error and either attenuate or “ shut off ” any signals being sent upstream at this frequency . the source of ingress , therefore , is isolated by using the active notch filter test point of the present invention . cmts 14 , in conjunction with management system 20 , may also instruct endpoints 12 along the affected branch to move the upstream transmission from the “ noisy ” channel to a “ cleaner ” channel ( as indicated by the dotted line between management system 20 and exemplary endpoint 12 a ). fig3 illustrates an alternative test point arrangement 40 , where one such test point arrangement 40 would be disposed at the top of each branch within the network just as each branch illustrated in fig2 includes a separate notch filter 30 ). in general , test point 40 comprises ( essentially ) a conventional broadband / telephone interface ( bti ) unit , with the “ downstream ” communication direction between cmts 14 and a set of endpoints 12 ( collectively referred to as “ plant ” in fig3 ) in indicated by an arrow with the letter “ d ”; the upstream is similarly marked with an arrow and the letter “ u ”. a pair of high pass filters 42 , 44 are located at the input and output of downstream path d and a pair of low pass filters 46 , 48 are located at the input and output of upstream path u . a monitoring unit 50 included within arrangement 40 comprises a downstream receiver 52 coupled to downstream path d between filters 42 , 44 and an upstream transmitter 54 coupled to upstream path u between filters 46 , 48 . as with the arrangement discussed above in association with fig2 cmts 14 continues to monitor each branch a - c to perform digital detection of ingress and , when detected , send an “ alarm ” signal to management system 20 . in response to the receipt of an alarm , management system 20 transmits a control signal the cable modem endpoints , instructing the endpoints to move from the “ noisy ” channel to a “ cleaner ” channel . once the move is completed , the “ noisy ” channel will be vacant ( in terms of signal transmission ). isolation of the source of ingress is accomplished by test points 40 of the present invention by each test point analyzing the proper channel . the particular test point 40 which receives the noise signal within its upstream transmitter 54 is then associated with the source of ingress , providing isolation of the ingress source and allowing for subsequent repair of the network at that point . the arrangement of fig3 utilizes the monitoring of one specific upstream channel associated with transmission from the endpoints 12 upward into hfc network . fig4 illustrates as an alternative a scanning test point arrangement 60 , where scanning test point 60 includes a scanning upstream receiver 62 , used in conjunction with the arrangement described above in association with fig3 . in operation , scanning receiver 62 functions to scan all possible upstream channels ( for example , 8 channels , in general , n channels are possible ). each upstream channel is dwelled on for a predetermined period of time and the scanning functions to monitor the “ health ” of all possible channels , not just the single channel currently being used . as an alternative to scanning all n upstream channels , a separate upstream receiver can be used to continuously monitor each upstream channel . fig5 illustrates one exemplary embodiment 70 of this arrangement , using a plurality of separate receivers 72 1 , 72 2 , . . . 72 n . in this arrangement , detection of ingress noise on any channel may be found more quickly than in an arrangement which requires scanning each channel in turn . there exist monitoring systems in the prior art that operating by analyzing the upstream signal as it enters the network at the endpoint . such a system is thus incapable of recognizing and troubleshooting ingress problems that are introduced into the network along the signal paths between the endpoints and the headend . in contrast , the utilization of a distributed set of test points in accordance with the present invention allows for various sources of ingress to be detected , isolated , and repaired without affecting the performance of the remainder of the network . in general , the monitoring arrangement of the present invention is capable of being implemented with any desired network topology . for example , two or more test points may be included along each signal branch , with monitor 20 thus able to pinpoint the source of ingress with greater accuracy . thus , the scope of the present invention is considered to be limited only by the claims appended hereto . | 7 |
in the drawings , the perspective view of fig1 schematically illustrates a spiral conveyor system 10 in which a conveyor belt 11 travels in a helical path through a series of tiers 12 in a driving tower 14 . the conveyor 12 normally rises through the helix defined by the driving tower , exits off the upper end of the tower at 16 and passes over a series of rollers 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , etc . as schematically shown in the drawing , ultimately to be fed back into the bottom of the helical path of the conveyor tower at 30 . as is well known , a spiral conveyor system normally has a support frame 32 which includes a series of columns 34 around the circumference of the conveyor belt , and these have inwardly - extending cantilevered beams or bars 36 , some of which are indicated in the schematic view of fig1 . these , in the typical steel spiral conveyor belt system , support two or sometimes three tracks that follow the helical path to support the width of the belt 11 . these tracks ( not seen in fig1 ) are spaced apart and in the case of two tracks , for example , most of the width of the belt must span between them , the steel belt having considerable beam strength for this purpose . a driving cage 38 is seen in the drawing , located centrally within the frame 14 , for frictionally engaging the inner sides of the spiral conveyor belt 11 to drive the belt in its helical path through the system . in many systems the belt is also driven a series of driving sprockets outside the helical path , in the portion between the exit at 16 and the re - entry to the helix at 30 . fig2 through 4 show an arched - top or curved - top conveyor belt 39 , of the general type as shown in kvp u . s . pat . no . 5 , 613 , 597 . this is an arched - top radius conveyor belt , for travel around curves or in straight travel , such as , for example , kvp no . is6200 with curved top ( 2 inch pitch ) or a similar belt with 2½ inch pitch . a 2½ inch pitch belt may be used for replacement of a typical 2 inch pitch steel belt ( or these pitches can be larger or smaller ). from the side elevation or section view of fig2 , as well as fig5 , it can be seen that a central spine 40 of the belt is taller than the remainder of the belt , because of the curved or arched top 42 , with the spine 40 being located substantially at the highest , deepest point in the belt . fig2 shows a portion of the conveyor belt 39 , illustrating three rows of modules , each module row generally identified as 44 . each module has link ends extending in both directions , including link ends 46 preferably with circular apertures 48 extending in one direction and opposing link ends 50 extending in the opposite direction and having slotted apertures 52 , as are well known in modular plastic conveyor belts for allowing travel through curves . connecting rods are shown at 49 . in curving travel the inner side of the belt collapses closely together while the outer side of the belt in the curve remains fully extended , and in fact accepts essentially all tension in the belt . fig2 a shows a slightly modified module configuration with the center spine 40 a larger rectangular beam for further increased rigidity . fig3 shows in perspective a proportion of the width of an arched - top conveyor belt such as the belt 39 , with the belt traveling over one or a series of driving sprockets 54 . fig3 shows an important function of an arched top conveyor , explained in kvp u . s . pat . no . 5 , 613 , 597 , which is incorporated herein by reference . when the arched top conveyor , with the curving tops being at a prescribed radius , travels over a driving sprocket 54 , the adjacent module rows pivot on the connecting pins 49 and form essentially a true arc while following the sprocket , defining a portion of a circular cylinder as shown in the drawing . this enables a transfer plate 56 , which may have an angled forward edge 58 , to be positioned very closely alongside ( or in contact with ) the cylindrical surface as the belt travels on the sprocket , for effective and seamless transfer articles onto and off the conveyor belt surface . the arched top conveyor , although used for many different products , is especially adaptable for flat - bottomed articles and articles for which minimum contact with the belt is desired , and these types of articles are very efficiently transferred onto or off the belt transfer plate 56 . in addition , scraping the belt is efficiently accomplished , to clean residue off the belt . a scraper 59 is shown in contact with the cylindrical surface formed by the belt in fig3 . fig4 shows an arched top radius conveyor belt such as the belt 39 in a curve , with the outside of the curve shown at 60 , and from this is it is seen that the module rows collapse together at the inner side of the belt . again , this may be a 2½ pitch belt . fig5 shows a short fragment of the belt 39 traveling over a roller 62 such as is typical in spiral conveyor systems for portions of the belt that are not on the spiral tower , where the belt changes plane of direction . this schematic view illustrates that a larger - pitch modular plastic belt 39 may be used on a roller 62 designed for a smaller - pitched steel belt . for smoother action around the roller 62 , the bottom surfaces of the arched - top belt module rows can have arcuate undercuts on a 64 , each undercut defining a short arc of a cylinder at the bottom side of the module row . this causes the belt rows to better conform to the roller when passing over the roller and thus smoother action . another benefit of the undercut is , in the case of a 2½ inch pitch belt on a roller designed for a 2 inch belt ( or any similar conversion using a larger - pitch belt as replacement ), that the cylindrical outer surface 66 can be maintained as the belt passes over the roller , allowing a transfer plate to be used against this surface if desired . the undercut allows the bigger pitch belt to perform in the place of a smaller pitch belt . six - inch diameter rollers and sprockets tend to be standard on most spiral conveyors . so , the undercut allows the benefits of a bigger pitched belt , but still fitting in place of and performing similar to a smaller pitch belt . most spiral conveyors use a scraper to scrape off residue from the top of the belt . this residue can be anything from breading , glaze , marinade , ice or a number of things that would be associated with the product or the process . the arched top surface of the belt and the undercut allow for this belt design to go around the standard six - inch diameter roller or sprocket and to make an almost perfect circle on the outside surface of the belt . this allows for better transfer of the product , but also allows for a scraper to come in contact with almost all of the top surface of the belt , making the belt cleaner and reducing buildup that could reduce airflow or adversely affect the performance of the belt . these benefits outweigh the small loss of beam strength caused by the reduced height at the undercut . the undercut 64 for the roller is also shown in the side view of fig2 . fig6 and 7 show an example of the current belt 39 in plan view , with fig7 being an enlarged view showing the outer side of the belt where two module rows are connected together . in fig6 the spine 40 is seen as extending in a normal thickness through most of the width of the belt . the spine may be at a lesser width ( front to back ) at a region 40 a of the spine near the inner side of the belt as regards travel on a curve . the spine still retains its height ( essentially at the top of the arch ) in this region 40 a , but the thickness is less so that the belt can collapse more closely together at the inside of the curve , to maintain preferably about a 1 . 0 to 1 . 6 turn radius . fig6 shows a belt 39 which has rows made up of several side by side modules , assembled in a staggered or brick laid configuration . the joints in the rows cause some loss of strength across the belt , made up for in part by the staggering of the seams or joints . the advantage of the multiple - module rows is in the ability to fashion a belt of almost any desired width by use of multiple pieces to make up a row . however , more common belt widths can be molded as single - module rows for added strength . the connecting rod also takes some of the bending moment under load , and the rod size and material can be a factor in the beam strength of a belt . as shown in both fig6 and 7 , heavier link ends 50 a , 46 a and 46 b are shown at the outer side of the belt , and similarly , heavier inner link ends 50 b and 46 c are shown at the inner edge of the belt . at the outer edge , these heavier link ends accept nearly all tension in the belt when traveling around a curve . at the inner edge of the belt , the heavy link ends are not under tension as at the outer edge but the stout edge knuckle with a larger area of surface contact with the driving cage will reduce chatter and slippage ; also , the inside edge knuckle 46 c is the portion of the belt that sees the most lateral force as the belt is being pushed up against the cage or wearstrip . in addition , the size of the inner knuckle 46 c provides room to add accessories such as side guards and radius plugs ( which limit the degree of collapse at the inner edge ). further , with the inner edge knuckle formed in the same size and design as the outer edge knuckle , this allows for the connecting rod to be inserted and to lock into the inside knuckle , outside knuckle or both . with both the link end or knuckle 46 c and the adjoining link end 50 b larger than the mid - belt link ends 50 , this helps if the belt ever must go into a reverse curve situation in the return path of the belt . a larger knuckle will be able to handle more tension load than a small knuckle . the larger knuckle can also help absorb more shock if the inside edge of the belt becomes snagged on anything . at both the inner and outer edges of the belt , the edge portions preferably are not arched , but follow the same height from front to back of each module . this accommodates engagement with a hold down guide or slot at the edge of the belt , especially at the outer edge in the spiral , preventing the belt from lifting . the slots 68 seen in the link ends 46 a , 46 b and 46 c are to receive accessories , such as a snap - in side guard . a round hole 69 seen on the link ends 46 c is for a radius limit adjustment plug as noted above . fig7 shows that the link ends preferably are configured to minimize bending moment on the connecting rod 49 that holds module rows together . in the regular link ends 46 and 50 through nearly all the width of the belt , these link ends have wider ends 70 at the ends of the apertures , for increased strength in withstanding pressure against the connecting rod or pin and also for minimizing space where the connecting rod would be exposed between link ends . at the heavier edge link ends 50 a , 46 a and 46 b , these link ends have special rod - supporting lateral projections 72 and 74 as illustrated . the special projections 72 , 74 circumscribe only part of the rod , which may be about 90 ° of the rod , and they overlap in position between link ends of one module row and the interdigited link ends of the adjacent module row , as can be seen in fig7 . this provides a greater width of engagement against the rod , spreading the pressure of belt tension against the rod over a wider area and reducing or effectively eliminating the gap between knuckles by which unsupported portions of the rod would be subject to bending . the illustrated structure reduces bending moment on the rod between the link ends pulling in opposite directions in this outer edge region of the belt . on the knuckles 46 a and b and 50 a the protrusions 72 and 74 preferably actually overlap each other and support the rod without a rod gap between them . this prevents the rod from bending and changes how the tension force is applied . the tension force no longer is applied in a manner which tends to bend the rod ; the rod is now subjected to shear forces and compression between the projections 72 and 74 on its opposite sides , making the connection stronger and enhancing failure resistance and yield resistance . in this way the current design does not simply depend on bending resistance or shear strength of the rod , but the effective strength of the rod is enhanced by the knuckles themselves . a further extrapolation of this design can be one in which modified protrusions 72 and 74 actually contact and lock together each other when the belt is in tension , transmitting the tension load more to the link ends directly and less of this force to the rod . this is shown in fig7 a , where a modified heavier link end 50 d has a lateral projection 74 a that actually engages with and locks onto an enlarged lateral projection 72 a of the adjacent heavy edge link end 46 d of the adjacent module row . here the lateral projection 72 a circumscribes the rod 49 or at least extends across the side of the rod facing the opposing projection 72 a . this can be configured to take away some or all of the force on the rod at this point at the edge of the belt . the engagement between lateral projections could occur on both sides of the link and rod if desired . fig8 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the lower , non - arched edges of the belt 39 . the lower profiled edges are indicated generally at 80 and 82 for the outer and inner edges of the belt 39 , respectively . these outer and inner edges are , of course , made up of the edge components shown in fig4 , 6 and 7 , as indicated . in this view support rails are also shown at 84 and 86 , in positions which might be expected in a conversion situation from a steel spiral belt . each support rail carries a wearstrip 88 against which the belt rests , as is typical . the positions of the support rails can be , for example , about two inches from the inner edge of the belt and about four inches from the outer edge of the belt , for a belt in a width range of about 12 inches to about 60 inches ( most are about 24 inches to about 42 inches ). the lower profile edges allow for clearance on retrofits , especially for any guide strips that hold the belt down . for example , the lower edge height at both outside and inside edges as shown in fig8 can be about 0 . 72 times the maximum height at arches ( more broadly about 0 . 6 to 0 . 8 times maximum height ). one example of maximum and edge heights is about 0 . 83 inch and about 0 . 60 inch . the tips of link ends in the majority of the belt module can be about at the edge height ( e . g . 0 . 6 inch ). an example of a spiral conveyor belt conversion , from steel to a modular plastic conveyor in accordance with the principles of the invention , is as follows : the plastic conveyor belt described above can be used to replace either steel belts or plastic belts . an example of a steel belt spiral system might have two supporting rails for belts up to 36 ″ in width , and three rails for belts up to 54 ″ in width . strength requirements for spanning between these rails always depends on the type of product , product load weight and distribution . the plastic modular belt of the invention can replace steel belts in nearly all spiral configurations of this general type . the above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention , but not to limit its scope . other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims . | 1 |
persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting . other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons . referring now to fig4 , a block diagram illustrates a typical environment in which the present invention may be employed . fig4 shows a system including a microcontroller 10 connected to a ddr - sdram device 12 through a ddr memory controller 14 . an input clock signal , shown at reference numeral 16 , provides a clock reference signal to dqs delay circuitry 18 . the function of dqs delay circuitry 18 is to delay the dqs ( 0 ) and dqs ( 1 ) signals from ddr - sdram device 12 to produce a delayed dqs ( 0 ) and a delayed dqs ( 1 ) signal to control reading data from ddr - sdram device 12 . it is to a dqs delay circuitry 18 that the present invention is directed . as may be seen from an examination of fig4 , the delayed dqs ( 0 ) and delayed dqs ( 1 ) signals are used to clock d - flip - flops 20 and 22 , respectively . d - flip - flops 20 and 22 are used to latch the lower - order and upper - order data bits read from ddr - sdram device 12 and presented to microprocessor 10 on rdata bus 24 . in addition , gated clock 26 and write - data logic 28 in ddr memory controller 14 generate the signals necessary to write data from microprocessor 10 into ddr - sdram device 12 . as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art , bi - directional buffers 30 and 32 are interposed between ddr - sdram device 12 and dqs delay circuitry 18 and bi - directional buffer 34 is interposed between ddr - sdram device 12 and ddr memory controller 14 . these buffers are controlled as known in the art to pass data in the proper direction for read and write operations by conventional circuitry ( not shown ). to make the dqs signal delay stable , a programmable delay line must be used and tuned with regard to variations in the derating factor . this tuning will be automatically performed by a locked loop circuit . therefore a programmable delay line more complex than a simple delay line is used in the present invention . such a programmable delay line employs a programmable number of basic delay units as will be disclosed herein . independent master circuitry is used to keep track of the derating variations to select , in real - time , the number of basic delay elements used in the programmable delay line to provide a given delay for the dqs signal input . the respective dqs and data phases may also vary from one printed circuit board to another due to different printed circuit board topologies and different internal circuit topologies of memory devices , resulting in the necessity to tune the delay applied to the dqs signal . the phase of the dqs signal may also vary due to de - rating factors such internal or external voltage drops . this kind of tuning , used to modify the delay amount , is totally different from automatic tuning of the master locked circuitry . the tuning performed by the present invention provides the capability to adjust a delay around the theoretical value of ¼ of the clock period independent master circuitry is provided with a stable delay reference and locks on to the stable delay reference using a number of basic delay cells identical to the programmable delay line used to delay the dqs signal input . the locked system ensures tracking variations in the derating factor . the stable time reference entered into the master circuitry is the clock signal of the ddr - sdram memory controller or a clock signal having a frequency which is a sub - multiple ( divided by 2 , etc .) of the frequency of the memory controller to make the dqs delay circuitry more simple to design and to make the reference entered into the master circuitry more predictable especially when duty - cycle of the ddr - sdram controller may not be stable or different from a known value such as 50 %. the slave circuitry receives the dqs signal as input and delays it by the stable delay ( about ¼ ddr clock period , subject to fine tuning to match dqs and data phase variations ). therefore the output of the slave circuitry driven by the master circuitry can be used as data sampling command . referring now to fig5 , a simplified schematic diagram shows an illustrative example of dqs delay circuitry 40 that provides the aforementioned features according to the present invention . a simplified schematic includes blocks 42 , 44 , 46 , and 48 . the reference delay will be provided by block 42 , then master locked loop circuitry 44 will determine the number of basic delay elements to cascade to obtain the reference delay . this number of delay elements will be converted in block 46 to get the final number of basic delay elements to delay the dqs signals by means of slave delay lines 48 . block 42 allows obtaining a programmable reference delay by employing circuitry that multiplies the input frequency on line 50 by the programmable ratio n / m in multiplier 52 , whose output has a frequency value equal to [( n / m )* f input ], where f input is the input frequency on line 50 . the output of block 42 is the system clock of the dqs delay circuitry 40 and will act as a reference signal delay . this programmable value allows modification of the optimal data sampling point . the theoretical value of the optimal data sampling point is ¼ of the ddr - sdram clock period , but due to different printed circuit boards on which data and dqs signals are routed with different wire lengths and / or capacitances , plus differences in the internal circuits of the memory devices , the terminal points of these signals may be differently phased . therefore , the optimal sampling point will be nominally about ¼ of the clock period but may end up to be a little bit more or less . as these conditions can vary from one printed circuit board to another , it is important to provide the capability to tune the sampling point through the user interface of the ddr - sdram controller . different methods exist to generate a programmable delay , and the module 40 of fig5 is one example . the fractional coefficient multiplier can use a phase - locked loop ( pll ) and two simple clock dividers to get a fractional divider as will be shown with reference to fig6 . for the descriptions of next modules , it is assumed that module 42 provides an output clock period on signal line 54 being twice the input clock period provided to the ddr - sdram device ( i . e . if the ddr - sdram is clocked at 100 mhz , the frequency at signal line 54 is 50 mhz ). block 44 contains the circuitry that locks on the reference delay provided by module 42 . it allows determination of the number of basic delay elements of a delay line 56 to obtain a delay which is a fraction of the system clock period . the number of delay elements determined by block 44 will be a known fraction of the number of elements required to delay the dqs signal from ddr - sdram devices . the delay line used in module 44 is designed with the same basic delay elements as the one that will be used in the slave delay line to delay the dqs signal . in the following example , the module 44 is designed in such a way that it locks on half of a system clock period . this leads to a simplified circuit architecture to reach the lock state from initial or reset state or from lock to lock state ( due to a derating factor variation ). as in all locked systems , the architecture comprises a phase detector circuit to provide the information necessary to add or remove basic delay elements in the programmable delay line 56 to match the reference delay provided by stable clock signal 54 . in the example shown in fig5 , the phase detector circuit includes d - flip - flops 58 and 60 , delay line elements 62 including a limited number of basic delay elements such as buffers or an even number of inverters , a nor gate 64 and an and gate 66 . the circuit is driven by clock input 54 , and uses the output of delay line 62 and the output of the programmable delay line 56 as a feedback clock . when system reset is asserted on line 68 , the d - flip - flops 58 and 60 are cleared , the programmable master delay line provides a feedback clock at the output of master programmable delay line 56 delayed by a single basic delay element because the up / down counter 70 is set accordingly from the outputs of nor gate 64 and an and gate 66 . after de - assertion of system reset on line 68 , the d - flip - flops 58 and 60 start sampling logical “ 0 ” ( the low portion of the waveform at the output of master programmable delay line 56 ). when the outputs of both d - flip - flops are cleared , the 2 - input nor gate 64 provides a logical 1 at the “ up ” input of up / down counter 70 to indicate that the phase detector 44 is unlocked and requires more basic delay elements to be included in the master programmable delay line to reach the lock state . the 2 - input and gate 66 drives the “ down ” input of the up / down counter 70 with a logical “ 0 ” to indicate that there is no need to remove delay elements in the programmable delay line 56 . an example of this state is shown in fig8 a . the up / down counter 70 modifies its output to instruct master programmable delay line 56 to add more delay . the programmable delay line increases its internal delay accordingly by selecting 1 more basic delay . the phase detector module 44 is still in its unlocked state . if the delay becomes greater than the reference delay provided by the clock period of system clock at its output 54 , both d - flip - flops 58 and 60 sample a logical “ 1 .” the 2 - inputs nor gate 64 returns logical “ 0 ” to the “ up ” input of up / down counter 70 and the 2 - input and gate 66 provides a logical “ 1 ” to the “ down ” input of up / down counter 70 . under these conditions , up / down counter 70 modifies the value provided on its output to instruct the master programmable delay line 56 to remove one basic delay element . the master programmable delay line decreases its internal delay accordingly . the phase detector 44 is still in its unlocked phase . an example of this state is shown in fig8 c . when the programmable delay line 56 delays the system clock on signal line 54 by half the system clock period ( locked state ), d - flip - flop 58 samples a logical “ 1 ” whereas d - flip - flop 60 samples a logical “ 0 .” this difference of sampled values is possible due to the presence of delay line 62 in the path of the data input of d - flip - flop 58 . delay line 62 allows locating the falling edge of the delayed feedback clock at the output of delay line 62 to a time after the rising edge of system clock on line 54 and locating the falling edge of the feedback clock prior to the rising edge of the system clock on line 54 . in this case both nor gate 64 and and gate 66 provide logical “ 0 ” to the “ up ” and “ down ” inputs of up / down counter 70 . the output of up / down counter 70 does not change , indicating that the phase error provided by the phase detector is zero and the phase detector 44 is locked . an example of this state is shown in fig8 b . the delay line 62 can be designed with basic delay elements such classical inverters or buffers . there is no need for more complex delay elements as will be disclosed with reference to the master programmable delay line 56 . the propagation delay between the input of delay line 62 and its output must be greater than a value defined as the sum of the setup and hold time of the d - flip - flops 58 and 60 . this will limit the metastable behavior on both d - flip - flops for each sampling point . if one of the delayed signals to the data inputs of d - flip - flops 58 and 60 arrives in the metastable period of one d - flip - flop , then the other signal cannot be in the metastable period of the second one . persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there is still a probability of one of the d - flip - flops sampling data in a setup or hold period . there is no way to avoid this situation but an improvement exists in the definition of the intrinsic delay value ( in delay line 62 ) of phase detector 44 . if the propagation delay of phase detector 44 is greater than the higher value of the metastable period among d - flip - flops 58 and 60 plus the minimum delay in the programmable delay line 62 , the phase detector will stay in a locked state without metastable behavior of d - flip - flops 58 and 60 . metastable states will occur in transient phases . in its locked state , the phase detector 44 defines a number of basic delay elements needed to delay the system clock by half the system clock period . a main objective of the present invention is to get ¼ of the dqs period or ¼ of the ddr - sdram device clock period . therefore a conversion must be performed and applied to programmable delay line connected to dqs control input signals . referring now to fig6 , an illustrative programmable delay line circuit 80 to use as a programmable delay line such as master programmable delay line 56 in fig5 is shown . the illustrative programmable delay line circuit 80 in fig6 is shown having a plurality of cascaded unit delay elements 82 , 84 , 86 , 88 , 90 , and 92 . each unit delay element includes an inverter and a multiplexer . the inverter of each unit delay element being cascaded with the inverter of the next unit delay element and the multiplexer of each unit delay element has one input cascaded with the inverter of the previous unit delay element . thus unit delay element 82 includes inverter 94 and multiplexer 96 ; unit delay element 84 includes inverter 98 and multiplexer 100 ; unit delay element 86 includes inverter 102 and multiplexer 104 ; unit delay element 88 includes inverter 106 and multiplexer 108 ; unit delay element 90 includes inverter 110 and multiplexer 112 ; unit delay element 92 includes inverter 114 and multiplexer 116 . the purpose of inverter 118 is to balance the capacitive load for each stage of the programmable delay line and therefore balance the propagation delay of each stage . an input buffer 120 and an output buffer 122 are provided to provide a correct input edge and provide a load - independent output . multiplexers 96 , 100 , 104 , 108 , 112 , and 116 are controlled by select inputs s 0 , s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , . . . s ( n - 1 ) and s ( n ) , respectively . if the select input of a unit delay element is set to logic zero , its multiplexer selects the inverted output of the multiplexer in the next unit delay element . if the select input of a unit delay element is set to logic one , its multiplexer selects the output of its own inverter . thus , only one select input in the programmable delay line circuit 80 need be set to logic one , in which unit delay element the signal is turned around and is directed back down through the chain of multiplexers and ultimately to the output buffer 122 . any select inputs further downstream in the chain that are set to logic one do not affect the operation of the programmable delay line circuit 80 . as an example , if the select input s 0 and s 1 are set to logic zero and the select input s 2 is set to logic one , the signal will pass through the input buffer 120 , inverters 94 , 98 and 102 , multiplexers 104 , 100 and 96 , and through output buffer 122 . the states of select inputs s 3 , . . . s ( n - 1 ) and s ( n ) will not affect the operation of the circuit . referring again to fig5 , block 46 functions to convert the data from the output of up / down counter 70 to a value that may be used by the slave programmable delay line circuits 130 and 132 in block 48 of the circuit of fig5 . slave programmable delay line circuits 130 and 132 may also be configured as shown in fig6 . module 46 in the circuit of fig5 performs a converter function and allows to modification of the slave programmable delay lines 130 and 132 at appropriate locations during operation . the delay locked loop comprising phase detector 44 is locked on half the clock period ( i . e . the programmable delay line 56 delays the input clock signal on line 54 by half the clock period ). thus , using an identical slave programmable delay line to delay the dqs input control signal by ¼ of the clock period provided to the ddr - sdram device , the number of basic delay elements to select is ¼ of the value reported by up / down counter 70 because the lock is performed on the half period of a clock which is divided by 2 versus the clock provided to the ddr - sdram memory . block 46 includes a fractional coefficient multiplier 134 , whose input may be updated as necessary by the output of up / down counter 70 . its output is presented to d - flip - flop 136 via multiplexer 138 . the data latched in d - flip - flop 136 is used to drive slave programmable delay lines 130 and 132 of block 48 . the select input of multiplexer 138 is driven by the update delay line signal at line 140 . as long as the update signal is not asserted , the output of d - flip - flop 136 is fed back to its data input through multiplexer 138 . when the update signal 140 is asserted , the input of d - flip - flop 136 is driven by the output of up / down counter 70 . due to the structure of the programmable delay line 56 as has been shown and described with reference to fig6 , the input value to supply to the switching inputs of the multiplexers in the delay line to select the delay amount is not a decimal coded value but rather a one - hot value . therefore to divide the input value by 4 , fractional coefficient multiplier 134 may be configured as a look - up table . the functionality of fractional coefficient multiplier 134 can be seen as a fractional coefficient multiplier on a non - decimal base . table 1 shows an example of look - up table embedded in fractional coefficient multiplier 134 . care must be taken when changing the delay value . the value returned by fractional coefficient multiplier 134 cannot be applied to the slave programmable delay line at any time . it is preferable to apply a new value when there is no access being made to data from the ddr - sdram device . if this value is altered when the memory device is being accessed , the value must be held to avoid modifying the dqs delay when the dqs signal is in use to avoid the risk of a parasitic pulse when switching from one delay to another one in the programmable delay line . at any rate , if accesses are performed without interruption , there is a need to update the delay to take into account the possible derating factor variations . the ddr - sdram devices need to periodically interrupt the accesses to be able to refresh their contents . the times of these refresh cycles are known by the memory controller . this information can be used to safely enable the update of the slave delay line during refresh operations when the dqs signals are not used by the ddr - sdram memory controller and glitches on that line will not matter . if such a scheme is used , when the memory controller ( not shown ) instructs the ddr - sdram device to perform refresh , it asserts a signal on line 140 , thereby refreshing the contents of d - flip - flop 136 . as soon as refresh period is finished , the line 140 is de - asserted and the multiplexer 138 re - circulates data to d - flip - flop 136 . referring now to fig7 , an illustrative circuit for multiplier 52 of fig5 is shown . a n / m multiplier may be formed from a pll 150 and two clock dividers 152 and 154 . as an example , the pll 150 can multiply the input signal by 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , or 12 and the divide the resulting frequency by 10 . the range of frequency on clock line 54 will be within +/− 20 % of the initial frequency . as a consequence , the delay locked loop module 42 will lock on a different reference delay and the user will have the ability to modify the delay of the dqs signal . the fractional coefficient multiplier can be a single value and , in such a case , the design is simpler than a pll . it can be a simple divider by two ( dff with negated output connected on its data input ). while embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described , it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the invention , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims . | 6 |
a first embodiment of this invention will be described referring to fig1 through 12 . a facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment comprises a reading section 1 and a printing section 2 disposed on the printing section 1 . the reading section 1 is constructed as shown in fig1 and is operated in the following way . when a document p 1 is set on a glass document table 10 with a surface thereof having an image facing the table 10 , an exposure lamp 11 irradiates the document p 1 and the light reflected on the document p 1 is guided through mirrors 12 , 13 and 14 to be focused by a lens 15 , whereby the image is projected on a ccd 16 . the ccd 16 converts the image into an electric signal and transmits it to another facsimile apparatus on the other terminal of a line 54 ( fig2 ). the lens 15 is an image reducing optical system for projecting the document image on the ccd 16 with a specified reduction ratio , and the exposure lamp 11 and the mirrors 12 , 13 and 14 are movable to the right and left ( fig1 ) so as to scan the document image . the printing section 2 comprises a laser head section 20 and a developing and fixing section 30 disposed below the laser head section 20 as shown in fig1 and is operated in the following way . a laser diode 21 receives an electric signal from the facsimile apparatus on the other terminal through the line 54 , converts the electric signal into an optical signal and outputs it as a laser beam . then , a polygon mirror 22 scans the laser beam , and the scanning light exposes a photoconductive drum 31 through an f - θ lens 23 and another mirror 24 . since the drum 31 is already charged by a main charger 32 before exposed , an electrostatic latent image is formed on the drum 31 when the drum 31 is exposed . then , the drum 31 is supplied with a toner from a developing unit 33 to form a toner image , and the toner image is transferred by a transfer charger 34 onto a paper p 2 which is sent from a feeding section 35 at an appropriate timing . the paper p 2 having the image transferred thereon is separated from the drum 31 , sent to a fixing device 37 by a transport belt 36 to have the image fixed and delivered to a tray 38 . the data transmitting / receiving operation is controlled by the control section 4 shown in fig2 and 3 in the manner below . first , the data transmitting operation will be explained . when the reading section 1 reads the image of the document p 1 , the ccd 16 converts the image into a binary code and outputs it to a compressing section 50 . the compressing section 50 compresses the binary code by the mr , mh or mmr ( modified modified read ) mode and the compressed data is written into a memory 51 . when the data is completely written in the memory 51 , completion of data writing is informed to a control section 4 , more precisely a cpu 40 ( fig3 ). the cpu 40 sends a specified line connection command to a line connecting section 53 through a control signal line 40a , whereby the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment is connected with another facsimile at the other terminal . in this way , the data stored in the memory 51 is sent to the other terminal through a data link control section 52 , the line connecting section 53 and the line 54 . a signal line 40b ( fig2 ) shows a path for transmitting the data from the compressing section 50 without through the memory 51 . this path is used when the data can be transmitted immediately after the document image is read , for example , when data is transmitted while being read . signal lines 40c show paths which are used when the data stored in the memory 51 has a different compressing mode from the addressee compressing mode of the other terminal . in this case , the data of the memory 51 is first output to an expanding section 55 for restoring the data into its original form and then sent back to the compressing section 50 , where the data is compressed with the addressee compressing mode for transmission . the data receiving operation will be described below . when the facsimile apparatus on the other terminal inputs a line connecting command to the cpu 40 , the cpu 40 executes line connection through the line connecting section 53 . the received data is temporarily stored in the memory 51 through the sections 53 and 52 and then output to the expanding section 55 . then , the section 55 expands the received signal ( a binary code compressed by the mr , mh or mmr mode ) and outputs it to the printing section 2 as the image data . the printing section 2 converts the signal into an optical signal and records it on the paper p 2 as described before . although the cpu 40 controls the above sections through the control signal line 40a in the above , the control operation may be done from one section to another without through cpu 40 . ( the sections 1 , 2 , 50 through 53 and 55 will be referred to as controlled sections for easier explanation .) the control section 4 ( fig3 ) comprises the cpu 40 , a ram 41 for storing information of the other terminal such as a directory number , line number and compressing mode , a timer ic 42 for setting transmission start time . when the above information is input from a key matrix 61 of a display 60 to the cpu 40 , the cpu 40 writes it into or reads it from the ram 41 . the cpu 40 also displays various messages on an lcd display 68 . as shown in fig9 the ram 41 has multiple memory areas , each having seven addresses such as addresses 00 - 06 or 07 - 0d . a first address of each area ( 00 , 07 , . . . ) is used as a directory number area , a second through a sixth addresses ( 01 - 05 , 08 - 0c , . . . ) are as line number areas , and a seventh address ( 06 , 0d , . . . ) is as a compressing mode number area . in fig9 the addresses 00 - 06 store contents of directory number 1 and the addresses 07 - 0d store contents of directory number 2 . more practically , address 00 stores &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ; indicating the directory number is 1 , addresses 01 - 05 store &# 34 ; 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 &# 34 ; indicating the line number of directory number 1 , and address 06 stores &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ; indicating the compressing mode of directory number 1 is mr . in the same way , address 02 stores &# 34 ; 02 &# 34 ; indicating the directory number is 2 , address 08 - 0c store &# 34 ; 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 &# 34 ; indicating the line number of directory number 2 , and address 0d stores &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ; indicating the compressing number of directory number 2 is mh . as shown in fig4 the display 60 comprises , for example , a control panel 6 having the key matrix 61 thereon . the key matrix 61 comprises ten keys 62 , a stop key 63 for stopping the operation of the facsimile apparatus , a transmitting key 64 for starting transmission , a register key 65 for putting the apparatus into a register mode , a multiple addressing key 66 for selecting a multiple addressing mode or registering the addressees for multiple addressing during a register mode , a mode key 67 for registering the compressing modes during the register mode , and keys * and #. multiple addressing will be described in detail hereinafter . multiple addressing means transmitting the same data to multiple addressees by connecting the addresser with one addressee after another . for multiple addressing , the cpu 40 controls the above - mentioned controlled sections , a main routine of which operation is shown in fig5 . the cpu 40 is initiated in a specified way ( s1 ) and i / o processing from and to the key matrix 61 , the reading section 1 and the printing section 2 is conducted ( s2 ), thereafter the cpu 40 checks the control mode number stored in a work area of the ram 41 ( s3 ). the control mode number indicates the operation mode of the control section 4 . the cpu 40 executes waiting mode processing when the control mode number is 0 ( s4 ), multiple addressing mode processing when the number is 1 ( s5 ), and register mode processing when the number is 2 ( s6 ). after s4 , s5 or s6 , the operation goes back to s2 . in a waiting mode , the cpu 40 waits for commands from the key matrix 61 or a signal from the facsimile apparatus of the addressees . in the multiple addressing mode , the cpu 40 controls the controlled sections so as to execute multiple addressing . in the register mode , the addressees and compressing modes are registered . fig6 shows a subroutine of the waiting mode processing . in this mode , the cpu 40 detects which keys of the key matrix 61 are on , whereby to execute the following operation . when the register key 65 is turned on in s101 , the control mode number is set 2 ( s103 ) in order to put the apparatus into the register mode and the operation returns to the main routine . when the multiple addressing key 66 is turned on in s102 , the control mode number is set 1 ( s104 ) in order to put the apparatus into the multiple addressing mode and the operation returns to the main routine . when the register key 65 and the multiple addressing key 66 are both off , the operation goes to s105 for judging whether some of the ten keys 62 are on or not and executing necessary processing , thereafter the operation returns to the main routine . fig7 a and 7b show a subroutine of the register mode processing . when the multiple addressing key 66 is turned on in s201 , the lcd display 68 displays message 1 ( fig8 a ) &# 34 ; input the directory number &# 34 ; ( s202 ). then , which keys among the ten keys 62 and the * and # keys are turned on is detected in s203 , and the operation advances to the next step in accordance with the keys are turned on . when some of the ten keys 62 are turned on , the input value indicated by the keys is stored in a buffer area of the cpu 40 ( s204 ). when the * key is turned on , the value stored in the buffer area is cleared ( s205 ). if the key to turn on is 2 but the 1 key is turned on by mistake , the input of 1 is cancelled by pushing the * key so that the 2 key may be turned on . when the # key is turned on , the value stored in the buffer area is stored in the directory number area as the directory number ( s206 ). practically , if the value stored in the buffer area is n , this value is stored in the address ( n - 1 )× 7 ( the directory number area of the n &# 39 ; th memory area ). instead of n , the directory number may be some other value which indicates that area is not blank . the value may be stored in the directory number area of the smallest - numbered memory area among the blank memory areas . how a line number is registered will be explained hereinafter . after s206 , the operation goes to s207 , where the lcd display 68 displays message 2 ( fig8 b ) &# 34 ; input the line number &# 34 ;. after some of the ten keys 62 are turned on as the line number , the number is stored in a buffer area ( s209 ). when the * key is turned on , the number is cleared ( s210 ). when the # key is turned on , the number is stored in a line number area following the above directory number area ( s211 ). in this way , the directory number and the corresponding line number are registered consecutively . how a compressing mode number is registered will be explained . after s211 , the operation goes to s212 , where the lcd display 68 displays message 3 ( fig8 c ) &# 34 ; input the compressing mode number . mh = 0 , mr = 1 , mmr = 2 &# 34 ;. when the * key and some of the 3 to 9 keys are turned on , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in a compressing mode number area following the above line number area ( s214 ), &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; indicating the mh mode . also when the 0 key is turned on , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in the above area ( s215 ). when the 1 key is turned on , &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; indicating the mr mode is stored in the above area ( s216 ). when the 2 key is turned on , &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; indicating the mmr mode is stored in the above area ( s217 ). when the # key is turned on , the value stored in the compressing mode number area is left as it is but the control mode number stored in the work area of the ram 41 is set 0 in order to put the apparatus into the waiting mode , and the operation returns to the main routine . fig1 shows a subroutine of the multiple addressing mode processing . the cpu 40 judges whether the transmitting key 64 has already been turned on or not , namely , whether it is set to start transmitting at a specified time or not ( s301 ). if so , a first , second and third compressing modes are determined as described below ( s302 ). then , the cpu 40 judges whether the above specified time has come or not based on a signal from the timer ic 42 ( s303 ), and if not , the operation returns to the main routine or repeats the judgment . this judgment may be done immediately after s301 . this judgment is not necessary if the data is transmitted immediately after the transmitting key 64 is turned on . when the cpu 40 judges that the specified time has come , transmission control processing is executed ( s304 ). after the transmission control processing is finished , the control mode number is set 0 in order to put the apparatus into the waiting mode ( s305 ) and the operation returns to the main routine . the compressing mode determination is executed in the following way . the cpu 40 has therein three counters c a , c b and c c ( fig3 ), which respectively count the numbers of the compressing modes stored in the ram 41 . the results are used to determine the first , second and third compressing modes as shown in fig1 a and 11b . the cpu 40 clears all the contents of the counters c a , c b and c c ( s400 ) and a directory number retrieval pointer ( referred to as the first pointer ) is set 1 ( s401 ). then , which compressing mode is registered together with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the first pointer ) is checked ( s402 ). if the mode is mh , the counter c a is incremented ( s403 ); if the mode is mr , the counter c b is incremented ( s404 ); and if the mode is mmr , the counter c c is incremented ( s405 ). each time one of the counters is incremented , the first pointer is incremented ( s406 ). then , whether all the directory numbers have been retrieved or not is judged ( s407 ). the operation of s402 through 407 is repeated until all the directory numbers are retrieved . on confirming retrieval of all the directory numbers , the operation goes to s408 , where a value a of the counter c a , another value b of the counter c b , and still another value c of the counter c c are compared . in other words , the numbers of addressees registered with the mh , mr and mmr modes are compared . if a & gt ; b & gt ; c , namely , if the number of the addressees registered with the mh mode is largest , mh is set as the first compressing mode ( s409 ), mr as the second compressing mode and mmr as the third compressing mode ( s410 ). the first , second and third modes are used for transmission in this order . if a & gt ; c ≧ b , mh is set as the first mode ( s411 ), mmr as the second and mr as the third ( s412 ). if b ≧ a & gt ; c , mr is set as the first mode ( s413 ), mh as the second and mmr as the third ( s414 ). if b & gt ; c ≧ a , mr is set as the first mode ( s415 ), mmr as the second and mh as the third ( s416 ). if c ≧ a & gt ; b , mmr is set as the first mode ( s417 ), mh as the second and mr as the third ( s418 ). if c ≧ b ≧ a , mmr is set as the first mode ( s419 ), mr as the second and mh as the third ( s420 ). on completing the above setting , the operation returns to the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing . the relationship between the values of the counters c a , c b and c c and the compressing modes is mentioned in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ compressing modescounter 1st 2nd 3rd______________________________________a & gt ; b & gt ; c mh mr mmra & gt ; c ≧ b mh mmr mrb ≧ a & gt ; c mr mh mmrb & gt ; c ≧ a mr mmr mhc ≧ a & gt ; b mmr mh mrc ≧ b ≧ a mmr mr mh______________________________________ as apparent from the above , when some or all of a , b , and c have the same value , the compressing mode having the higher or highest compressing ratio may be given the priority . a subroutine of transmission control processing will be described referring to fig1 a and 12b . the image data read out by the reading section 1 is compressed in the compressing mode and stored in the memory 51 ( s500 ). then , another directory number retrieval pointer ( referred to as the second pointer ) is set 1 ( s501 ). the cpu 40 judges whether or not the compressing mode which is registered together with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the second pointer ) is the same as the first compressing mode ( s502 ). if so , the data in the memory 51 is transmitted to the addressees registered with that compressing mode ( s503 ) and the operation advances to s504 . if not , the operation directly goes to s504 . in s504 , the cpu 40 judges whether all the directory numbers are retrieved or not , and if not , the second pointer is incremented ( s507 ). the operation of s502 through s504 and s507 is repeated until the image data is transmitted to all the addressees registered with the first compressing mode . if so in s504 , the operation advances to s505 . after s505 , the image data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode as explained below . the second pointer is set 1 ( s505 ), and the image data in the memory 51 is restored to the original form by the expanding section 55 , thereafter the data is compressed with the second compressing mode and stored in the memory 51 ( s506 ). after that , the data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode as in s502 through 504 and s507 ( s508 through s510 and s513 ). after the above transmission is finished , the data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the third compressing mode in the same way ( s514 through s517 ). when transmission to all the addressees is finished , the operation returns to the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing . a second embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in that the control section 4 is equipped with a switch 43 ( fig1 ) and that the control section 4 operates in a slightly different way . the identical construction and operation as those of the first embodiment will be omitted . when the compressing mode is changed by , for example , apparatus replacement on the other terminal , the switch 43 switches to effect or not a function for automatically changing the present compressing mode into another one . the switch 43 comprises a dip switch provided in the apparatus . the second embodiment is operated in the same way as the first embodiment in the main routine , the subroutine of waiting mode processing and the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing ( fig5 and 10 ), but differently in the subroutines of register mode processing , compressing mode determination and transmission control processing . as shown in fig1 , the register mode processing subroutine is the same as that of the first embodiment ( fig7 a and 7b ) except that s206 &# 39 ; is added . after the directory number is stored in the directory number area of the ram 41 in s206 , a value , for example , &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is stored in the compressing mode number area ( s206 &# 39 ;). the value &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; indicates that no compressing mode number is registered in this area . as will be described later , when the data is transmitted to an addressee , a value corresponding with the addressee compressing mode of that addressee ( table 1 ) is stored in this compressing mode number area . usable instead of &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is &# 34 ; 255 &# 34 ;, which is a maximum value of 8 - bit binary code . after the line number is registered in s207 through s211 ( same as in fig7 a and 7b ), the control mode number is set 0 ( s218 ) and the operation returns to the main routine without registering the compressing mode number . therefore , message 3 ( fig8 ) is not displayed . as shown in fig1 a and 15b , the subroutine of compressing mode determination is operated differently from that of fig1 a and 11b in s402 and thereafter . after the first pointer is set 1 ( s401 ), which compressing mode is registered with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the first pointer ) is checked . in addition , whether any compressing mode is registered with that directory number or not is judged . if not , that means the addressee registered with the directory number 1 is a new one . the new addressee is ignored for compressing mode determination . therefore , the operation goes to s406 without incrementing any counter c a , c b or c c . the subroutine of transmission control processing will be described referring to fig1 a and 16b hereinafter . the second pointer is set 1 ( s600 ). the data read by the reading section 1 is compressed with the compressing mode and is stored in the memory 51 ( s601 ). then , whether all the directory numbers have been retrieved or not is judged ( s602 ), and if not , whether the compressing mode registered with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the second pointer ) is the same as the first compressing mode or not is judged ( s603 ). if not , the operation directly advances to s605 without transmission processing . if so in s603 , transmission processing is executed ( s604 ) and the operation advances to s605 . after the second pointer is incremented in s605 , the operation goes back to s602 , thereafter the operation of s602 through s605 is repeated , whereby transmission is executed to all the addressees registered with the first compressing mode . on confirming all the directory numbers have been retrieved , the operation advances to s606 . next , transmission is executed to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode . the second pointer is set 1 ( s606 ), and the image data is restored to its original form in the expanding section 55 and compressed with the second compressing mode to be stored in the memory 51 ( s607 ). then , the data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode as in s602 through s605 ( s606 through s611 ). on finishing transmission to all the addressees registered with the second compressing mode , transmission to the addressees registered with the third compressing mode is executed in the same manner ( s612 through s617 ). in s618 through s622 , transmission is executed to new addressees whose line numbers are registered not but compressing modes . whether &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is stored in each compressing mode number area or not is judged ( s620 ). if not , transmission is executed . after transmission is completed to all the addressees , the operation returns to the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing . the subroutine of transmission processing will be described referring to fig1 . this subroutine is used when the line number and the compressing mode number are registered , when only the line number is registered , or neither of them is registered ( manual dialing ). after the line number of the addressee is dialed and the line connection is conducted , specified control signals are exchanged ( s701 ), whereby the addressee compressing mode is read out based on the bit information in the frame data using the dis ( digital identification signal ) sent from the addressee . then , dtc ( digital transmit command ) is sent to the addressee . after that , whether the line connection was conducted based on the registered line number or by manual dialing is judged ( s702 ). if by manual dialing , the operation goes to s705 where transmission is executed using the addressee compressing mode obtained in s701 without registering it . if based on the registered line number , whether &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is stored in the compressing mode number area corresponding to the line number or not is judged ( s703 ). if so , the addressee compressing mode is stored in that compressing mode number area ( s704 ). in this way , the addressee compressing mode is automatically registered when the first transmission is executed to that addressee only by registering the line number . after that , the image data is transmitted ( s705 ). if necessary , the data stored in the memory 51 is expanded and compressed so that the data may correspond to the addressee compressing mode before the transmission . then , operation returns to the subroutine of transmission control processing . if the addressee compressing mode is registered in s703 , whether the switch 43 is on or off is judged ( s707 ). if on , the operation advances to s708 , where whether the addressee compressing mode is the same as the registered compressing mode or not is judged . if not , a new compressing mode number is stored ( s704 ). after that , the data in the memory 51 is expanded in the expanding section 55 , compressed with the addressee compressing mode obtained in s701 and transmitted ( s705 ). if the two compressing modes are the same in s708 or if the switch 43 is off in s707 , the data is transmitted in s705 . although the multiple addressing has been explained with the facsimile apparatus according to this invention in the above embodiments , the multiple addressing may be applied to any form of transmission which is conducted by storing line numbers , for example , redialing or coded dialing . or the multiple addressing may be executed based on information on addressees such as recording paper size or vertical resolution as well as compressing mode . although the present invention has been fully described by way of embodiments with references to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention , they should be construed as being included therein . | 7 |
the following examples serve to illustrate the present invention without , however , limiting the same thereto . 99 . 5 g . of amino methane diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 400 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution . 66 g . of ethylene oxide are conducted into the resulting solution at such a speed that the temperature does not exceed 40 ° c . thereafter , the reaction mixture is stirred for two hours at room temperature and is then heated to 80 ° c . for about one hour in order to complete the reaction . after concentrating the solution partly by evaporation in a vacuum preferably at a temperature between about 40 ° c . and about 60 ° c ., methanol is added thereto in an amount sufficient to cause complete precipitation of the crystalline reaction product . preferably twice the amount of methanol is added to the concentrated solution . the precipitated reaction product consists to 90 % of the sodium salt of n , n - bis -( 2 - hydroxy ethane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid or di - ethanol amino methane diphosphonic acid . the remainder is the sodium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid . the crystalline reaction product is converted into the free phosphonic acid by dissolving it in water and treating its aqueous solution with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated : 21 . 52 % c ; 5 . 02 % n ; 22 . 19 % p . found : 21 . 1 % c ; 5 . 2 % n ; 22 . 8 % p . 41 g . of amino ethane diphosphonic acid are added , while stirring , to a solution of 45 g . of potassium hydroxide in 150 cc . of water . after cooling the solution to room temperature , 9 g . of ethylene oxide are introduced thereinto within half an hour . thereafter , the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and is heated to 80 ° c . for one hour in order to complete the reaction . the tripotassium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is precipitated by adding methanol to the reaction mixture . the reaction product is purified by contacting its solution with a cation exchange agent and drying it in a vacuum at 80 ° c . to 100 ° c . analysis : calculated : 19 . 28 % c ; 5 . 62 % n ; 24 . 87 % p . found : 20 . 4 % c ; 4 . 9 % n ; 25 . 8 % p . when using , in place of ethylene oxide , 11 g . of trimethylene oxide and otherwise proceeding as described hereinabove , the tripotassium salt of n -( 3 - hydroxy propane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is obtained . 20 . 5 g . of 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are added to a solution of 16g . of sodium hydroxide in 150 cc . of water . 13 g . of glycidic acid amide or , respectively , 18 g . of glycidic acid ethyl ester , are added thereto while stirring vigorously . after continuing stirring at room temperature for 30 minutes , the temperature of the reaction mixture is gradually increased to 100 ° c . within about two hours . the reaction mixture is kept at said temperature for 30 minutes . the resulting solution is diluted with water to three times its volume and the diluted solution is treated with a cation exchange agent . after concentrating the thus purified and acidified solution by evaporation and adding ethanol thereto , n -( 1 , 1 - diphosphono ethane )- 3 - amino - 2 - hydroxy propionic acid is obtained . analysis : calculated : 20 . 49 % c ; 4 . 78 % n ; 21 . 13 % p . found : 19 . 8 % c ; 5 . 2 % n ; 22 . 1 % p 45 . 6 g . of 2 - carboxy - 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 160 g . of a 35 % sodium hydroxide solution . after cooling , 11 g . of ethylene oxide are introduced into said solution in such a manner that the temperature does not exceed 40 ° c . the reaction mixture is stirred for two hours and heated to 80 ° c . for a short period of time . the sodium salt of 2 - carboxy - n - 2 - hydroxy ethane - 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is precipitated from said solution by the addition of acetone . the substantially pure acid is obtained by treating the aqueous solution of the sodium salt with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated 20 . 56 % c ; 4 . 80 % n ; 21 . 21 % p . found : 20 . 8 % c ; 4 . 9 % n ; 22 . 0 % p . 95 g . of amino methane diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 400 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution while stirring . 63 g . of 1 , 2 - propylene oxide are added drop by drop to said solution at a temperature of 30 ° c . to 40 ° c . within one hour . the temperature of the reaction mixture is then maintained at 40 ° c . for 2 hours and the mixture is heated to 100 ° c . for 2 hours while stirring . after concentrating the resulting solution by evaporation in a vacuum , the sodium salt of n , n - bis -( 2 - hydroxy propane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid is obtained . said salt is contaminated with about 5 % of the sodium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy propane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid . after treating the solution of said sodium salt with a cation exchange agent , a slightly yellowish colored compound is obtained . analysis : calculated : 27 . 37 % c ; 4 . 56 % n ; 20 . 17 % p . found : 26 . 2 % c ; 4 . 5 % n ; 20 . 6 % p . 53 . 4 g . of benzylamino diphosphonic acid are added to a mixture of 44 . 8 g . of potassium hydroxide and 300 cc . of water while stirring . after cooling , 9 . 5 g . of ethylene oxide are introduced into said solution in such a manner that its temperature does not exceed 30 ° c . to 40 ° c . the reaction mixture is then stirred at 50 ° c . for 2 hours . the potassium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethyl ) benzylamino diphosphonic acid is obtained from the reaction solution by precipitation with methanol . the solution of the potassium salt is treated with a cation exchange agent and evaporated to dryness in a vacuum at 80 ° c . analysis : calculated : 34 . 74 % c ; 4 . 50 % n ; 19 . 91 % p . found : 33 . 9 % c ; 4 . 7 % n ; 19 . 8 % p . 55 g . of 1 - amino propane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 200 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution . 35 . 6 g . of 2 , 3 - epoxy - 1 - propanol ( glycidol ) are gradually added thereto at room temperature while stirring . the temperature increases during said addition slowly to 45 ° c . the reaction mixture is then heated slowly to 100 ° c . and is kept at said temperature for 1 hour in order to complete the reaction . after cooling , the solution is concentrated by evaporation in a vacuum . the remaining viscous oil is stirred with ethanol for 3 to 4 hours . the solvent is removed by decanting and the free acid is obtained by treating the aqueous solution of the resulting salt with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated : 29 . 44 % c ; 3 . 81 % n ; 16 . 87 % p . found : 29 . 0 % c ; 3 . 9 % n ; 16 . 1 % p . 102 g . of 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are converted into the tetrasodium salt by dissolving the acid in 400 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution . 73 g . of 2 , 3 - epoxy - 1 - propanol ( glycidol ) are added thereto at 40 ° c . within 1 hour . the reaction mixture is heated to 100 ° c . for 2 hours . the resulting solution is concentrated by evaporation and the crystalline reaction product which consists of the sodium salt of n -( 1 , 2 - dihydroxy propane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is washed with ethanol . the free acid is obtained by treating the solution of the sodium salt with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated : 21 . 52 % c ; 5 . 02 % n ; 22 . 19 % p . found : 22 . 3 % c ; 4 . 9 % n ; 21 . 7 % p . 50 g . of 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are dissolved in a solution of 40 g . of sodium hydroxide in 300 cc . of water . 58 g . of epichlorohydrin are added drop by drop thereto at 50 ° c . within one hour . the reaction mixture is stirred at said temperature for 1 hour and is boiled under reflux for two more hours in order to effect saponification . the reaction solution is passed through a cation exchange agent . the resulting solution is concentrated by evaporation . the n , n - bis -( 1 , 2 - dihydroxy propane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is precipitated by the addition of a mixture of acetone and ethanol in the proportion of 1 : 1 to 1 : 2 . analysis : calculated : 27 . 20 % c ; 3 . 97 % n ; 17 . 54 % p . found : 28 . 5 % c ; 4 . 1 % n ; 17 . 2 % p . the yield of the novel n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids , when produced according to the process of the present invention , is between about 70 % and about 95 %. any commercial cation exchange agents can be used for converting the alkali metal salts into the corresponding free n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids . suitable cation exchange agents are , for instance , those sold under the trademarks &# 34 ; duolite &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; lewalit &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; amberlite &# 34 ;, and others . the following examples serve to illustrate the manner in which the new n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids and their alkali metal salts are used on account of their high sequestering power such as for preventing scale and deposit formation in aqueous systems as they are employed , for instance , in bleaching , in water used for sterilizing cans , for preventing formation of resinous deposits in the manufacture of paper , and the like . 15 g . of desized cotton fabric of a starting degree of whiteness of 58 . 6 , as determined with the &# 34 ; elrepho apparatus with filter r 46 &# 34 ;, and of a degree of polymerization value of 1842 are bleached with the compositions as given hereinafter in a laboratory equipment of the &# 34 ; multicolor &# 34 ; type of the firm pretema a . g . the proportion of fabric to bath was 1 to 20 . bleaching was effected at a temperature of 150 ° c . for 30 minutes ( hot temperature process ). x cc ./ l . of a sodium hydroxide solution in an amount sufficient to adjust the ph - value of the bleaching bath to a ph of 12 , the composition is the same as that of bleaching bath a but with the addition of 4 mg ./ l . of ferric ions to the aqueous bath . the composition is the same as that of bleaching bath a but water of 5 ° german hardness ( magnesium hardness ) is used for making up the bleaching solution . ______________________________________bleaching results : degree of degree of polymerization whiteness______________________________________bleaching bath a 1500 75 . 3bleaching bath b 1400 72 . 1bleaching bath c 1580 75 . 3______________________________________ it is evident from these tests that the degree of whiteness is very considerably increased while the degree of polymerization is reduced by only about 14 % to about 24 % although bleaching is effected at the high temperature of 150 ° c . the following test was carried out in an upright autoclave of a capacity of 10 l . of water . the autoclave was operated at about 4 atmospheres gauge and at a temperature of 140 ° c . the autoclave was charged with conventional tin plate cans . before sterilization of the cans 5 cc . of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid were added to the water . addition of said phosphonic acid resulted in keeping not only the sterilized cans but also the autoclave free of incrustations . the cans had a glossy and shiny appearance . 250 kg . of bleached sulfite pulp known for its property of causing continuously difficulties on the paper machine due to resin deposition were beaten to a 3 % suspension in water . the resulting stock suspension was ground in a hollander beater to about 78 ° schopper - riegler , i . e . so as to form a well beaten pulp suitable for producing dense sheets of parchment - like paper . the ph - value of the resulting slurry was 6 . 0 . before starting beating , 0 . 5 kg . of the trisodium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid were added to the slurry in the hollander beater . after beating and refining , 0 . 8 kg . of the same phosphonic acid were admixed thereto . when proceeding in this manner , no resinous deposits were observed on the walls of the hollander beater and also not on the pipe lines and subsequently on the paper machine . the same or similar results as described in examples 10 to 12 were observed when using other n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids as obtained , for instance , according to examples 1 to 9 . of course , many changes and variations in the process of preparing the novel n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acid of the present invention and in their use as complex forming and sequestering agents , for preventing pitch formation during the manufacture of paper , cardboard , boxboard , and the like , and for other purposes can be made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the principles set forth herein and in the claims annexed hereto . | 2 |
a preferred embodiment of the present invention and its advantages are better understood by referring to the figures , like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the accompanying figures . a system , method , and product are disclosed in a data processing system for verifying a condition of the media of a rewritable storage drive , such as a hard disk drive , dvd ram device , or rewritable cd - rom drive . the storage drive is coupled to a host computer system . the storage drive receives a single command from the host to verify the storage drive &# 39 ; s media . in a preferred embodiment , this command is a scsi command received via a scsi bus that is used to physically connect the host to the drive . when the storage drive receives this command , the storage drive will disconnect itself from the host by going offline . the storage drive will then verify the condition of its media by attempting to read all of the drive &# 39 ; s logical block addresses . if a logical block address is non - readable or requires error recovery procedures in order to be readable , the storage drive will reassign the logical block address . the storage drive will increment through all logical block addresses until the entire media has been verified . the customer data currently stored in the drive will not be altered by the verification process . after the verification process has been completed by the drive , the storage drive will reconnect to the host by going back online . the storage drive may then report its condition to the host . in addition , the host may query the drive by sending the drive a request sense command while the drive is offline performing the verification process . the drive will respond to the host with sense data containing the percentage completion of the verification process , a list of lbas where hard errors occurred during the verification process , and other information . in this manner , a storage drive may be sent only one command from the host that the storage drive needs to execute in order to verify the condition of the drive &# 39 ; s entire media . the drive may also reassign lbas when executing this command . recoverable data errors will be reassigned if the automatic read reassign enable or arre bit on mode select page 1 is set to 1 . also , if it is desired to reassign unrecoverable data error lbas , a bit in the verify command descriptor block cdb ( whose location has to be defined by the ansi scsi committee ) has to be enabled . this verification and repair process is executed by the storage device offline so that the host &# 39 ; s resources are not occupied in the verification process . when an lba is read during the verification process that requires a level or error recovery , that the disk drive vendor believes could result in the data being lost the next time the lba was read , the lba is reassigned . when an lba is encountered that is non - readable , and the hard error reassign bit is set in the verify cdb , the lba will be reassigned . otherwise , if the parameter indicates that reassignment is not permitted , the lba will not be reassigned . it may be preferred that non - readable lbas not be reassigned . when an lba that is non - readable is reassigned , an initialization pattern is written into the data field of the reassigned block . the next time this location is read , no error would occur because the initialization data would be returned if this situation is not preferred , the parameter may be set indicating that reassignment of non - readable lbas is not permitted . during the time the drive is performing the verification process , the host system may determine the progress of the verification process by issuing a request sense command to the drive . bytes 16 - 17 of the sense data field may contain the progress indication field that indicates the current percentage complete . after all of the customer accessible lbas were read , the drive would reconnect to the scsi bus and return good scsi completion status . the g - list , which is a list maintained by the drive that contains a list of all of the lbas that have been reassigned , would be updated so that the host system could issue the scsi read defect list command to determine how many lbas have been reassigned and determine their location . if one or more lbas were encountered that were non - readable , the drive , when it reconnected to the scsi bus , would return a check condition completion status . the sense data would contain a sense key of 03 and a sense code of 1101 which would indicate that one or more unrecoverable data errors had been encountered during the verification process . the request sense data has 19 required bytes ( defined by the appropriate scsi specification ) one of them being the additional sense length field ( byte 7 ). the lba location of the hard error locations would be listed after these bytes with any other vendor specific sense data . the length of the additional bytes would be 8 times the number of unrecoverable errors encountered . the maximum number of unrecoverable errors then would be 255 less than the number of sense bytes normally returned by the drive divided by 8 . if the number of defective lbas exceeds this number , the drive would return a sense key of 03h with a sense code of 11x1 where x would be a hex value assigned by the ansi ( scsi ) committee to represent the fact that not all of the unrecoverable errors could be reported . with reference now to the figures , fig1 depicts a pictorial representation of a network of data processing systems in which the present invention may be implemented . network data processing system 100 is a network of computers in which the present invention may be implemented . network data processing system 100 contains a network 102 , which is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within network data processing system 100 . network 102 may include connections , such as wire , wireless communication links , or fiber optic cables . in the depicted example , a server 104 is connected to network 102 along with storage unit 106 . in addition , clients 108 , 110 , and 112 also are connected to network 102 . these clients 108 , 110 , and 112 may be , for example , personal computers , network computers , or other computing devices . in the depicted example , server 104 provides data , such as boot files , operating system images , and applications to clients 108 - 112 . clients 108 , 110 , and 112 are clients to server 104 . network data processing system 100 may include additional servers , clients , and other devices not shown . in the depicted example , network data processing system 100 is the internet with network 102 representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the tcp / ip suite of protocols to communicate with one another . at the heart of the internet is a backbone of high - speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers , consisting of thousands of commercial , government , educational and other computer systems that route data and messages . of course , network data processing system 100 also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks , such as for example , an intranet , a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), or a wireless network . fig1 is intended as an example , and not as an architectural limitation for the present invention . fig2 is a more detailed illustration of a computer system that may be used to implement any of the computer systems of fig1 in accordance with the present invention . data processing system 200 may be a symmetric multiprocessor ( smp ) system including a plurality of processors 202 and 204 connected to system bus 206 . alternatively , a single processor system may be employed . also connected to system bus 206 is memory controller / cache 208 , which provides an interface to local memory 209 . i / o bus bridge 210 is connected to system bus 206 and provides an interface to i / o bus 212 . memory controller / cache 208 and i / o bus bridge 210 may be integrated as depicted . peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) bus bridge 214 connected to i / o bus 212 provides an interface to pci local bus 216 . a number of modems may be connected to pci bus 216 . typical pci bus implementations will support four pci expansion slots or add - in connectors . communications links to network computers 108 - 112 in fig1 may be provided through modem 218 and network adapter 220 connected to pci local bus 216 through add - in boards . additional pci bus bridges 222 and 224 provide interfaces for additional pci buses 226 and 228 , from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported . in this manner , data processing system 200 allows connections to multiple network computers . a memory - mapped graphics adapter 230 and hard disk 232 drive which is connected to a scsi host bus adapter which in turn may also be connected to i / o bus 212 as depicted , either directly or indirectly . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in fig2 may vary . for example , other peripheral devices , such as optical disk drives and the like , also may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted . the depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention . fig3 - 4 together depict a high level flow chart which illustrates a verification , also called certification , process to verify the condition of a storage drive &# 39 ; s media using a single verification command in accordance with the present invention . the process starts as depicted by block 300 and thereafter passes to block 302 which illustrates a disk drive receiving a single command from a host to verify the condition of the media of the disk drive . next , block 304 depicts the disk drive disconnecting itself from the host by causing the disk drive to be offline . thereafter , block 306 illustrates the disk drive creating a sense data field in which to store various verification information that is generated during the verification process . block 308 , then , depicts the disk reading the first customer logical block address ( lba ) from the disk . the process then passes to block 310 which illustrates a determination of whether or not a hard error occurred while attempting to verify the condition of the media of the particular lba . if a determination is made that a hard error did occur , the process passes to block 312 as depicted through connector a . referring again to block 310 , if a determination is made that a hard error did not occur , the process passes to block 326 as illustrated through connector b . block 312 depicts the disk drive including the location of this lba in the list in the sense data of locations where hard errors occurred . next , block 314 illustrates a determination of whether or not this is the last lba location to verify . if a determination is made that this is the last lba location to verify , the process passes to block 316 which depicts the disk reconnecting itself to the host . next , block 350 depicts a determination of whether or not a hard error occurred . if a determination is made that hard errors did not occur during the verify operation , the process passes to block 352 which illustrates returning a good completion status . the process then terminates as depicted by block 354 . referring again to block 350 , if a determination is made that a hard error did occur during the verification process , the process passes to block 356 which illustrates returning a check condition status . next , block 358 depicts a host sending a request sense command . thereafter , block 360 illustrates the disk drive returning the hard error information plus additional sense bytes containing an identification the lba that is in error . the process then terminates as depicted by block 362 . note that the auto sense scsi protocol for handling check condition status could also be used . referring again to block 314 , if a determination is made that this is not the last lba location to verify , the process passes to block 322 which illustrates the disk reading the next lba from the disk . block 324 , then , depicts the disk updating the sense data field to indicate the current completion percentage of the verification process . the process then passes back to block 310 as illustrated through connector c . referring again to block 326 , block 326 depicts a determination of whether or not this lba location &# 39 ; s media is either non - readable or requires error recover procedures ( erp ) to be performed . if a determination is made that this lba location is readable and does not require erp to be performed , the process passes back to block 314 . referring again to block 326 , if a determination is made that this lba is either non - readable or requires error recover procedure or erp to be performed , the process passes to block 328 . block 328 depicts a determination of whether or not this lba address is non - readable . if a determination is made that this lba address is readable , the process passes to block 329 which depicts a determination of whether or not arre is equal to 1 . if a determination is made that arre is not equal to 1 , the process passes to block 314 . referring again to block 329 , if a determination is made that arre is equal to 1 , the process passes to block 334 . block 334 depicts reassigning the lba to another location . thereafter , block 336 illustrates the disk drive adding this lba to the list of reassigned lbas . the process then passes back to block 314 . referring again to block 328 , if a determination is made that this lba is non - readable , the process passes to block 330 which illustrates a determination of whether or not a parameter is set to indicate that reassignments of non - readable lbas are permitted . if a determination is made that the parameter defined in the verify cdb is not set and thus reassignments of non - readable lbas are not permitted , the process passes to block 332 which depicts adding this lba to the list of lbas that are non - readable and that have not been reassigned . the process then passes back to block 314 referring again to block 330 , if a determination is made that the parameter is set to permit reassignment of non - readable blocks , the process passes to block 334 which illustrates reassigning this lba to another location . next , block 336 depicts the disk drive adding this lba to the list of lbas that have been reassigned . the process then passes back to block 314 . fig5 illustrates a high level flow chart which depicts a storage drive responding to a host &# 39 ; s queries while the storage drive is verifying the condition of its media in accordance with the present invention . the process starts as depicted by block 500 and thereafter passes to block 502 which illustrates the disk drive receiving a request for the disk drive &# 39 ; s sense data . next , block 504 depicts the disk drive returning the sense data including the extended sense data if hard errors were encountered to the host . the process then returns as depicted by block 506 . fig6 depicts a high level flow chart which illustrates a disk drive processing a request for verification percentage completion information in accordance with the present invention . the process starts as depicted by block 600 and thereafter passes t block 602 which illustrates the disk drive receiving a request for the current percentage completion of the verification process . thereafter , block 604 depicts the disk drive returning the verification completion percentage to the disk drive . it is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system , those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution . examples of computer readable media include recordable - type media such a floppy disc , a hard disk drive , a ram , and cd - roms and transmission - type media such as digital and analog communications links . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , and 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 . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention , 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 . | 6 |
the compounds of formula i , and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , are central nervous system stimulants and are useful for relieving depression ( particularly endogenous depression ) in mammals , in a manner similar to imipramine , when administered in a daily dose of from 0 . 5 mg / kg to 3 mg / kg , preferably 1 mg / kg to 2 mg / kg . the compounds of the present invention can be administered orally in the form of tablets , troches , capsules , elixirs , suspensions , syrups , wafers , chewing gum and the like . such compositions and preparations should contain at least 0 . 1 % of active compound . the percentage of active compound in the compositions and preparation can , of course , be varied and can conveniently be between about 5 % and about 75 % or more of the weight of the unit . preferred compositions according to the present invention are prepared so that an oral dosage unit form contains between about 5 and 200 milligrams of active compounds . the compounds of the present invention can be prepared from pyridinimines having the structure ## spc1 ## the pyridinimines of formula ii and the carbodiimides of formula iii can be reacted in an organic solvent , e . g ., an alkanol such as t - butanol , at a temperature of from about 20 ° c to 100 ° c , preferably at the reflux temperature of the solvent , for a period of from about 3 hours to 4 days . the pyridinimines of formula ii where n is 2 are known ; see for example , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 825 , 549 to yale et al . and yale et al ., journal of heterocyclic chemistry , 11 : 331 ( 1974 ). the pyridinimines of formula ii where n is 1 are novel intermediates , and as such they constitute a part of this invention . they can be prepared by treating a quaternary derivative having the structure ## spc2 ## wherein x is an anion such as a halogen , with a base such as sodium alkoxide , potassium hydroxide , potassium carbonate , etc . in a solvent such as an alkanol or a mixture of an alkanol and water . the quaternary derivatives of formula iv can be prepared by reacting an o - aminopyridine of the structure ## spc3 ## the reaction can be run in an organic solvent , e . g ., toluene or xylene , under reflux conditions for about 4 hours to 2 days . the pyridinylidene quanidines of formula i can be converted to their pharmaceutically acceptable acid - addition salts using procedures well known in the art . illustrative of the salts contemplated for use in this invention are the hydrohalides ( e . g ., the hydrochloride and hydrobromide ), sulfate , nitrate , tartrate , phosphate , maleate , fumarate , citrate , succinate , methanesulfonate , benzenesulfonate , toluenesulfonate and the like . those compounds of formula i wherein r 1 and r 2 are different can exist as a tautomeric mixture wherein the tautomers having the structures ## equ3 ## a solution of 1 -[ 2 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) ethyl ]- 2 - iminopyridine ( 2 . 77 g , 0 . 01 mole ) and diisopropylcarbodiimide ( 1 . 05 g , 0 . 012 mole ) in 30 ml of t - butanol is heated at reflux in a nitrogen atmosphere for 24 hours . the solution is cooled to room temperature and concentrated in vacuo to give a solid . this is recrystallized from 50 ml of hexane to yield a semi - solid , after cooling to - 30 ° c . recrystallization of this material from 70 ml of hexane yields 1 . 83 g of the title compound which sinters at 119 ° c and melts at 125 °- 128 ° c . a solution of 1 -( 2 - phenylethyl )- 2 - iminopyridine ( 5 . 9 g , 0 . 030 mole ) and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 7 . 26 g , 0 . 036 mole ) in 100 ml t - butanol is heated at reflux for 24 hours . the solution is cooled and concentrated in vacuo to give a solid . the solid is recrystallized from 200 ml of hexane to give 5 . 48 g of the title compound which sinters at 132 ° c and melts at 142 . 5 °- 145 ° c . a solution of 1 -[ 2 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) ethyl ]- 2 - iminopyridine ( 2 . 77 g , 0 . 01 mole ) and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 2 . 06 g , 0 . 01 mole ) in 30 ml of t - butanol is heated at reflux for 21 . 5 hours under a nitrogen blanket . the solution is cooled to room temperature and diluted with 60 ml of hexane . the diluted solution is cooled and scratched in a dry ice bath to induce crystallization . the mixture is allowed to warm to room temperature and is filtered to give 0 . 58 g of material which sinters at 121 ° c and melts at 125 °- 129 ° c . the filtrate is concentrated in vacuo and the residual oil is cooled in an ice bath and scratched under 40 ml of hexane to give 1 . 32 g of material which sinters at 100 ° c and melts at 108 °- 110 ° c . the two batches of material are combined and dissolved in a boiling solution of 60 ml of cyclohexane and 60 ml hexane and filtered . the solution is cooled for several hours at - 30 ° c , filtered and washed with cooled hexane to yield 1 . 33 g of the title compound , melting point 127 °- 129 . 5 ° c . following the procedure of example 1 but substituting the compound shown in column i for 1 -[ 2 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) ethyl ]- 2 - iminopyridine , and the compound shown in column ii for diisopropylcarbodiimide , the compound shown in column iii is obtained . ## equ4 ## a solution of α - bromotoluene ( 100 . 0 g ), 2 - aminopyridine ( 82 . 0 g ) and 1000 ml of xylene are heated under reflux for 7 hours to give 99 . 1 g of the title compound , melting point 187 °- 190 ° c . to a solution of 2 - amino - 1 -( phenylmethyl ) pyridinium bromide ( 94 . 5 g ) in 700 ml of methanol is added , portionwise , a total of 38 . 5 g of sodium methoxide . the mixture is stirred and heated under reflux conditions for 2 . 5 hours . workup yields 63 . 4 g of the title compound , melting point 52 °- 54 ° c . a solution of 1 -( phenylmethyl )- 2 ( 1h )- pyridinimine ( 5 . 51 g ) and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 7 . 26 g ) in 100 ml of t - butanol is heated under reflux conditions for 23 hours and concentrated in vacuo . the residual solid is recrystallized from petroleum ether to give 6 . 3 g of the title compound , melting point 111 °- 115 ° c . to a solution of methyl 4 - aminobenzoate ( 151 . 0 g ) in 400 ml of 2 . 5 n hydrochloric acid is added , dropwise , a solution of sodium nitrite ( 79 . 0 g ) in 200 ml of water . the mixture is stirred at 0 ° c for 15 minutes and then treated for 2 hours with a stream of gaseous sulfur dioxide . the oil that separates from the aqueous phase is dissolved in 350 ml of ether and the solution is washed with aqueous saturated sodium chloride , dried and added to 500 ml of 2 . 5 n ethanolic dimethylamine which has been cooled to 0 ° c . the mixture is allowed to warm to 20 ° c and then heated under reflux for 1 hour . concentration of the mixture yields the title compound . to a suspension of lithium aluminum hydride ( 19 . 0 g ) and 500 ml of tetrahydrofuran is added a solution of methyl 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzoate ( 121 . 5 g ) in 200 ml tetrahydrofuran , dropwise with stirring . the mixture is heated under reflux for 2 hours . workup yields the title compound . c . 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzyl chloride 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzyl alcohol ( 54 . 0 g ), anhydrous benzene ( 250 ml ) and phosphorous trichloride ( 40 . 0 g ) are heated under reflux for 2 hours , cooled and poured on crushed ice . ether extraction yields the title compound in the form of an oil which is purified by distillation in vacuo . a mixture of 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzyl chloride ( 23 . 4 g ), 2 - amino - 6 - methoxypyridine ( 12 . 4 g ) and 100 ml of anhydrous xylene are heated under reflux conditions for 24 hours . workup yields the title compound . to a solution of 2 - amino - 1 -[ 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) phenylmethyl ]- 6 - methoxypyridinium chloride ( 13 . 8 g ) and 100 ml of methanol is added a solution of sodium methoxide ( 3 . 3 g ) in 50 ml of methanol , dropwise and with stirring . the mixture is stirred and heated under reflux for 2 . 5 hours and concentrated to dryness in vacuo . the residue is partitioned between 100 ml each of chloroform and water and the chloroform layer is separated , washed , dried and concentrated to yield the title compound . a solution of 1 -[ 4 - n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) phenylmethyl ]- 6 - methoxy - 2 ( 1h )- pyridinimine ( 3 . 1 g ) and phenylcyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 2 . 0 g ) in 50 ml t - butanol is heated under reflux conditions for 24 hours and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to yield the title compound . following the procedure of example 7 , but substituting the compound shown in column i for 2 - aminopyridine , the compound shown in column ii for α - bromotoluene , and the compound shown in column iii for dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , the compound shown in column iv is obtained . ## equ5 ## | 2 |
it has now been surprisingly found certain compounds , called herein “ potentiators ”, can effectively increase the activity of active substances which inhibit succinate dehydrogenase in the mitochondrial respiration chain . as a result , the combination of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor with an effective amount of a potentiator has advantages which will be described herein . in conjunction with the present invention , all active substances which inhibit succinate dehydrogenase in the mitochondrial respiration chain can be used . in a particular embodiment of the present invention , the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor is a carboxamide compound . suitable carboxamide compounds include carboxanilides , carboxylic morpholides , benzoic acid amides , and other carboxamides . exemplary carboxanilides include , for example , benalaxyl , benalaxyl - m , benodanil , bixafen , boscalid , carboxin , fenfuram , fenhexamid , flutolanil , fluxapyroxad , furametpyr , isopyrazam , isotianil , kiralaxyl , mepronil , metalaxyl , metalaxyl - m ( mefenoxam ), ofurace , oxadixyl , oxy - carboxin , penflufen , penthiopyrad , sedaxane , tecloftalam , thifluzamide , tiadinil , 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - carboxanilide , n -( 4 ′- trifluoromethylthiobiphenyl - 2 - yl )- 3 - difluoromethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and n -( 2 -( 1 , 3 , 3 - trimethyl - butyl )- phenyl )- 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 5 - fluoro - 1 h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide . exemplary benzoic acid amides include , for example , flumetover , fluopicolide , fluopyram , and zoxamide . exemplary “ other ” carboxamides include , for example , carpropamid , dicyclomet , mandiproamid , oxytetracyclin , silthiofam , niacinamide , nicotienamide and n -( 6 - methoxy - pyridin - 3 - yl ) cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide . each of the above carboxamides is known in the art . a few of special mention include the following : fluopyram having the chemical name n -{[ 3 - chloro - 5 -( trifluoromethyl )- 2 - pyridinyl ]- ethyl }- 2 , 6 - dichlorobenzamide is a fungicide belonging to the chemical class of pyridylethylbenzamides . fluopyram , and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds , is described in ep - a - 1389614 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . penflufen having the chemical name n -[ 2 -( 1 , 3 - dimethylbutyl ) phenyl ]- 5 - fluoro - 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 1h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 03 / 010149 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . bixafen having the chemical name n -( 3 ′, 4 ′- dichloro - 5 - fluoro - 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl - 2 - yl )- 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - 1h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 03 / 070705 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . sedaxane is the mixture of 2 cis - isomers 2 ′-[( 1rs , 2rs )- 1 , 1 ′- bicycloprop - 2 - yl ]- 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methylpyrazole - 4 - carboxanilide and 2 trans - isomers 2 ′-[( 1rs , 2 s r )- 1 , 1 ′- bicycloprop - 2 - yl ]- 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methylpyrazole - 4 - carboxanilide . sedaxane and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 03 / 074491 , wo 2006 / 015865 and wo 2006 / 015866 ; each incorporated by reference in their entirety . isopyrazam is the mixture of 2 syn - isomers 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - n -[( 1rs , 4sr , 9rs )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydro - 9 - isopropyl - 1 , 4 - methanonaphthalen - 5 - yl ] pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and 2 anti - isomers 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - n -[( 1rs , 4sr , 9sr )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydro - 9 - isopropyl - 1 , 4 - methanonaphthalen - 5 - yl ] pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide . isopyrazam and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds are described in wo 2004 / 035589 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . penthiopyrad having the chemical name ( rs )— n -[ 2 -( 1 , 3 - dimethylbutyl )- 3 - thienyl ]- 1 - methyl - 3 -( trifluoromethyl ) pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in ep - a - 0737682 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . boscalid having the chemical name 2 - chloro - n -( 4 ′- chlorobiphenyl - 2 - yl ) nicotinamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in de - a 19531813 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . fluxapyraxad having the chemical name 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - n -( 3 ′, 4 ′, 5 ′- trifluorobiphenyl - 2 - yl )- 1h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 2006 / 087343 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . in addition to the carboxamide compounds , other succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors include compounds such as 3 - nitropropionate and sodium malonate . the carboxamide compounds may be used as a racemate or in enantiomerically pure form or as an enriched mixture of enantiomers . also salts or acid addition compounds may also be used . salts may be sodium , potassium , magnesium , calcium , zinc , aluminum , iron and copper salts of carboxamide . likewise , it should be understood that the acid addition compounds and in particular adducts with hydrogen halide acids , for example , hydrochloric and hydrobromic acid , carboxylic acids , such as formic acid , acetic acid , tartaric acid and oxalic acid , sulfonic acids , such as p - toluenesuifonic acid and sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid and nitric acid may also be used . in one particular embodiment of the present invention , the carboxamide is penflufen . penflufen may be used both as a racemate or in enantiomerically pure form or as an enriched mixture of enantiomers . also salts or acid addition compounds may also be used . salts may be sodium , potassium , magnesium , calcium , zinc , aluminum , iron and copper salts of penflufen . likewise , it should be understood that the acid addition compounds and in particular adducts with hydrogen halide acids , for example , hydrochloric and hydrobromic acid , carboxylic acids , such as formic acid , acetic acid , tartaric acid and oxalic acid , sulfonic acids , such as p - toluenesulfonic acid and sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid and nitric acid may also be used . the potentiators which may be added to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor are generally compounds which exhibit little , if any , antimicrobial properties by themselves , and are generally inexpensive , and readily available compounds within in certain classes of compounds . classes of potentiators include , chelators , organic acids and esters thereof , amines , amine oxides , ammonium carboxylate salts , aldehydes , efflux pump inhibitors , other enzyme inhibitors , betaines , amides , antioxidants , natural compounds , sulfonamides ( respiration inhibitors ), and other miscellaneous compounds . chelators suitable for use as a potentiator include , for example , iron , calcium , magnesium and other hard metal chelators , as well as chelators for copper or other “ soft ” metals . exemplary iron , calcium , magnesium and other hard metal chelators , include , but are not limited to , glycolic acid , salicylic acid , citric acid , 3 , 4 - dihydroxyphenylacetic acid ( dopac ), 4 , 5 - dihydroxy - 1 , 3 - benzenedisulfonic acid , diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid ( dtpa ), n , n ′- bis ( 2 - hydroxybenzyl )- ethylenediamine - n , n ′ diacetic acid ( hbed ), n , n ′- 1 , 2 - ethanediylbis - aspartic acid ( ethylenediamine disuccinate ( edds )), 3 - hydroxy - 2 - methyl - 4 - pyrone ( maltol ), 1 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - hydroxy - 4 - pyridinone , 8 - hydroxyquinoline , phytic acid , n , n - bis ( carboxymethyl )- l - glutamic acid ( glda ), salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazine ( sih ), 1 - hydroxyethane 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid ( hedp ), 2 - hydroxypyridine - n - oxide , dehydroacetic acid and salts ( dha ) and mixtures thereof . other similar iron , calcium or magnesium chelators may also be used . suitable copper or other “ soft ” metal chelators include , but are not limited to , triethylenetetramine , neocuproine , beta - thujaplcin , tropolone , 2 , 6 - pyridinedicarboxlic acid ( dpc ) and mixtures thereof . other similar soft metal chelators may also be used . organic acids suitable for use as a potentiator include , but are not limited to , for example , lactic acid , tartartic acid , octanoic acid , undecanoic acid , benzoic acid , abietic acid and mixtures or salts thereof . other similar organic acids may also be used . esters of organic acids , such as , for example , dodecanoic acid 2 , 3 - diydroxypropyl ester . amines suitable for use as a potentiator include , but are not limited to , for example , myristylamine , tomamine d16 ( c 16 alkyl ether amine ), tomamine d14 ( c 14 alkyl ether amine ), n , n - dimethyldecanamine , n , n - dimethyloctylamine , dimethyloctadecylamine , diisoproanolamine , oleylamine , ethanolamine , ethoxylated amines , such as , n , n ′, n ′- polyoxyethylene ( 15 )- n - tallowalkyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane , and mixtures thereof . other similar amines may also be used . amine oxides suitable use as a potentiator include trialiphatic substituted amine oxide , n - alkylated cyclic amine oxide , dialkylpiperazine di - n - oxide , alkyldi ( hydroxy alkyl ) amine oxide , dialkylbenzylamine oxide , fatty amido propyldimethyl amine oxide and diamine oxides or triamine oxides thereof . other similar amine oxides may also be used . ammonium carboxylate salts suitable for use as a potentiator include any ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid . for example , the ammonium cation may be derived from a primary , secondary or tertiary amine precursor used to synthesize any of the above - described carboxamides . likewise , the carboxylate anion may be the carboxylic acid precursor for one of the above - described carboxamides . long chain glycols include , but are not limited to , for example , capyryl glycol , decanediol , and other similar diols . aldehydes suitable for use as potentiators include , but not limited to , for example , cimmamaldehyde , metaldehyde , glutaraldehyde , and mixture thereof . other similar aldehydes may also be used as the potentiator . efflux pump inhibitors ( epi &# 39 ; s ), include , but are not limited to , for example , phenyl - arginine - b - naphthylamide ( pabn ), berberine , reserpine , farnesol , and piperine . other efi &# 39 ; s may also be used , as well as mixtures thereof . other enzyme inhibitors suitable for use as a potentiator , include , but are not limited to , for example , lysozyme . suitable natural compounds , include , but are not limited to , for example , thymol , hydroxytyrosol , hydroxychavicol , flavonoids , carvacol , tea tree oil , terpinen - 4 - ol , allyl isothiocyanate , hexenal , phytoshingosine and other similar compounds . mixtures of these compounds may also be used . suitable sulfonamides ( respiration inhibitors ), include , but are not limited to , for example , sulfanilamide , p - toluenesulfonamide , 4 - carboxbenzenesulfonamide , 4 - amino - 6 - chloro - 1 , 3 - benzenedisulfonamide , 4 -( 2 - aminoethyl ) benzene sulfonamide , and other similar sulfonamides . mixture of these sulfonamides may also be used . other miscellaneous compounds include , but are not limited to , for example , tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate , tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride , and guanidine hydrochloride . other similar compounds may be used as well , as can mixtures of these compounds . generally , the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor is provided with an effective amount of the potentiator in accordance with the invention . an effective amount in this context means any amount of the potentiator that increases the effectiveness of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor as compared to the inhibitor alone . for example , the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor to potentiator mixture is provided in the range of a ratio of about 100 : 1 to about 1 : 100 on a weight basis . typically , the ratio of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor to potentiator will be in the range of a ratio 50 : 1 to about 1 : 50 on a weight basis . more typically the ratio of the components will be in the range of about 10 : 1 to about 1 : 10 on a weight basis of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor to potentiator . the actual ratios will depend on the potentiator and the particular succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor selected . in one particular embodiment of the present invention , the potentiator contains a sulfonamide compound . any of the sulfonamides described above may be used as the potentiator . in an addition embodiment , the sulfonamide is used in conjunction with an additional potentiator . it has been discovered that the composition of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and the potentiator is more effective against organisms , than the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor compound alone . exemplary organisms which the composition has of the present invention are effective against , include , but are not limited to , botrytis spp , rhizopus spp , penicillium spp ., cladosporium spp ., aspergillus spp , including , for example , aspergillus niger , and aspergillus flavus , alternaria spp ., fusarium spp ., aerobasidium spp ., and trichoderma spp . in addition to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and the potentiator , the composition may further have additional compounds or components which serve as antimicrobial components . these additional compounds or components essentially as co - biocides in the composition . the additional antimicrobial component or composition may be selected based on the activity of the particular component or on the use of the resulting composition . in the case of wood , such as timber , lumber , and other wood products such as plywood , particle board , fiberboard and oriented strand board ( osb ) and wood composites ( plastic - wood ), the additional compounds or components may be compounds or compositions which are known to have fungicidal , bactericidal or insecticidal properties . in the case of other compositions , such as personal care compositions , for example anti - dandruff shampoos , paints and coating compositions , shampoos , additives to plastics , such as polyvinylchloride and the like , wall board , metal working fluids , crop protection , seed protection , and other similar compositions where mold and fungus may need controlling . suitable additional components include , for example benzimidazoles , imidazoles , morpholine derivatives , copper compounds , pyrethroids , triazoles , sulfenamides , boron compounds , pyrithione compounds , tertiary amines , haloalkynyl compounds , quaternary ammonium compounds , phenols , pyrroles , strobilurins , phenylsulfamides , zinc compounds and mixtures thereof . other similar compounds or classes of compounds may be used . selection of a suitable additional component or co - biocide for a given purpose will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . exemplary benzimidazoles include , but are not limited to , for example , carbendazim , benomyl , fuberidazole , thiabendazole or salts thereof . exemplary imidazoles include , but are not limited to , for example , clotrimazole , bifonazole , climbazole , econazole , fenapanil , imazalil , isoconazole , ketoconazole , lombazol , miconazole , pefurazoat , prochloraz , triflumizole and their metal salts and acid adducts . exemplary morpholine derivatives include , but are not limited to , for example , aldimorph , dimethomorph , dodemorph , falimorph , fenpropidin , fenpropimorph , tridemorph , and trimorphamid and arylsulfonic acid salts such as p - toluenesulfonic acid and p - dodecylphenyl - sulfonic acid . exemplary copper compounds include , but are not limited to , for example , bis ( n - cyclohexyldiazeniumdioxy )- copper ( cu - hdo ), copper ( i ) oxide , copper ( ii ) oxide , copper carbonate , copper sulfate , copper chloride , copper borate , copper citrate , copper salt of 8 - hydroxyquinoline , and copper naphthenate . exemplary pyrethroids include , but are not limited to , for example , permethrin , cypermethrin , bifenthrin , cyfluthrin , deltamethrin , prallethrin , fenvalerate , allethrin and etofenprox . exemplary triazoles include , but are not limited to , for example , azaconazole , bitertanol , bromuconazole , cyproconazole , diclobutrazol , difenoconazole , diniconazole , epoxiconazole , etaconazole , fenbuconazole , fluquinconazole , flusitazole , flutriafol , furconazole , hexaconazole , imibenconazole , ipconazole , myclobutanil , metconazole , penconazole , propiconazole , prothioconazole , simeconazole , tebuconazole , tetraconazole , triadimefon , triadimenol , triticonazole and uniconazole and their metal salts and acid adducts . exemplary isothiazolinones include , but are not limited to , for example , n - methylisothiazolin - 3 - one , 5 - chloro - n - methylisothiazolin - 3 - one , 4 , 5 - dichloro - n - octylisothiazolin - 3 - one , 5 - chloro - n - octylisothiazolinone , n - octyl - isothiazolin - 3 - one , 4 , 5 - trimethylene - isothiazolinone , 4 , 5 - benzoisothiazolinones , 2n - butyl - 1 , 2 - benzisothiazolin - 3 - one , and 1 , 2 - benzisothiazolin - 3 - one . exemplary sulfenamides include , but are not limited to , for example , dichlofluanid , tolylfluanid , folpet , fluorfolpet , captan and captofol . exemplary boron compounds include , but are not limited to , for example , boric acid , boric acid esters , and borax . exemplary pyrithione compounds include , but are not limited to , zinc pyrithione , copper pyrithione , sodium pyrithione and mixtures thereof . exemplary tertiary amines include , for example , n -( 3 - aminopropyl )- n - dodecyl propane - 1 , 3 - diamine , n -( 3 - aminopropyl )- n - decyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine , n -( 3 - aminopropyl )- n - tetradecyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine as well as their acid addition compounds . other similar tertiary amines may be used . exemplary haloalkynyl compounds include , for example , iodopropynyl carbamates such as 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl propyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl butyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl hexyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl cyclohexyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl phenyl carbamate , and mixtures thereof . other similar haloalkynyl compounds may also be used . phenols which may be used include , for example , tribromophenol , tetrachlorophenol , 3 - methyl - 4 - chlorophenol , 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - chlorophenol , dichlorophen , 2 - benzyl - 4 - chlorophenol , triclosan , diclosan , hexachlorophene , p - hydroxybenzoic acid , o - phenylphenol , m - phe - nonylphenol , p - phenylphenol , 4 -( 2 - tert - butyl - 4 - methyl - phenoxy )- phenol , 4 -( 2 - isopropyl4 - methyl - phenoxy )- phenol , 4 -( 2 , 4 - dimethyl - phenoxy )- phenol and its alkali metal and alkaline earth metal salts . pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenolate . other similar compounds may also be used . quaternary ammonium compounds include , for example , benzalkoniumchloride , benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride , benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride , dichlorbenzyldimethylalkylammonium chloride , didecyldimethylammmonium chloride , dioctyldimethylammonium chloride , hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride , didecylmethylpoly ( oxyethyl ), didecyldimethylammmonium carbonate , and didecyldimethylammonium hydrogen carbonate and ammonium propionate . polymeric quaternary ammonium compounds , such as polyhexaethylene biguanide may also be used . other quaternary ammonium compounds may also be used . pyrrole fungicides such as fludioxinil ; strobilurin fungicides such as azoxystrobin ; aromatic fungicides such as chlorothalonil ; phenylsulfamide fungicides such as , dichlofluanid or tolylfluanid may also be used . in addition , zinc compounds , such as zinc oxide or zinc borate may also be used . in addition , compounds and compositions known to have insecticidal properties may be added . suitable insecticides , include , for example : abamectin , acephate , acetamiprid , acetoprole , acrinathrin , alanycarb , aldicarb , aldoxycarb , aldrin , allethrin , alpha - cypertnethrin , amidoflumet , amitraz , avermectin , azadirachtin , azinphos a , azinphos m , azocyclotin , bacillus thuringiensis , barthrin , 4 - bromo - 2 - 0 - chloφhenyl )- 1 -( ethoxymethyl )- 5 -( trifluoromethyl )- 1h - pyrrole - 3 - carbonitrile , bendiocarb , benfuracarb , bensultap , betacyfluthrin , bioresmethrin , bioallethrin , bistrifluoron , bromophos a bromophos m , bufencarb , buprofezin , butathiophos , butocarboxin , butoxycarboxim , cadusafos , carbaryl , carbofuran , carbophenothion , carbosulfan , cartap , chinomethionat , clo - ethocarb , 4 - chloro - 2 -( 2 - chloro - 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 6 - iodo - 3 - pyridinyl ) methoxy ]- 3 ( 2h )- pyridazinone ( cas rn : 120955 - 77 - 3 ), chlordane , chlorethoxyfos , chlorfenapyr , chlorfenvinphos , chlorfluazuron , chlormephos , n -[( 6 - chloro - 3 - pyridinyl ) memyl ]- n ′- cyano - n - methyl - ethanimid amides chlopierin , chlopyrifos a , chlorpyrifos m , cis - resmethrin , clocythrin , clothiazoben , cypophenothrin clofentezine , coumaphos , cyanophos , cycloprothrin , cyfluthrin , cyhalothrin , cyhexatin , cypermethrin , cyromazine , decamethrin , deltamethrin , demeton m , demeton s , demeton - s - methyl , diafenthiuron , dialiphos , diazinon , 1 , 2 - dibenzoyl - 1 -( 1 , 1 - dimethyl )- hydrazine , dnoc , dichlofenthion , dichlorvos , dicliphos , dicrotophos , difethialone , diflubenzuron , dimethoate , 3 , 5 - dimethylphenyl methylcarbamate , dimethyl ( phenyl )- silyl - methyl - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ether , dimethyl -( 4 - ethoxyphenyl )- silylmethyl - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ether , dimethylvinphos , dioxathion , disulfoton , eflusilanate , emamectin , empenthrin , endosulfan , o - ethyl - 0 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 1 phenyl phosphonothioat esfenvalerate , ethiofencarb , ethion , etofenprox , etrimphos , etoxazole , etobenzanid , fenamiphos , fenazaquin , - oxide , fenfluthrin , fenitrothion , fenobucarb , fenothiocarb , fenoxycarb , fenpropathrin , fenpyrad , fenpyroximate , fensulfothion , fenthion , fenvalerate , fipronil , flonicamid , fluacrypyrim , fluazuron , flucycloxuron , flucythrinate , flufenerim , flufenoxuron , flupyrazofos , flufenzine , flumethrin flufenprox fluvalinate , fonophos , formethanate , formothion , fosmethilan fosthiazate , fubfenprox , furathiocarb , halofenocid , hch ( cas rn : 58 - 89 - 9 ), heptenophos , hexaflumuron , hexythiazox , hydramethylnon , hydroprene , imidacloprid , imiprothrin , indoxycarb , iodfenfos , iprinomectin , iprobenfos , isazophos , isoamidophos , isofenphos , isoprocarb , isoprothiolane , isoxathion , ivermectin , lama - cyhalothrin , lufenuron , kadedrin , lambda - cyhalothrin , lufenuron , malathion , mecarbam , mervinphos , mesulfenphos , metaldehyde , metacrifos , methamidophos , methidathion , methiocarb , metalcarb , milbemectin , monocrotophos , moxiectin , naled , nicotine , nitenpyram , noviflumuron , omethoate , oxamyl , oxydemethon m , oxydeprofos , parathion a , parathion m , penfluron , permethrin , 2 -( 4 - phenoxyphenoxy )- ethyl - ethylcarbamate , phenthoate , phorate , phosalone , phosmet , phosphamidon , phoxim , pirimicarb , pirimiphos m , pirimiphos a , prallethrin , profenophos , promecarb , propaphos , propoxur , prothiophos , prothoate , pymetrozine , pyrachlophos , pyridaphenthion , pyresmethrin , pyrethrum , pyridaben , pyridalyl , pyrimidifen , pyriproxyfen , quinalphos pyrithiobac sodium , resmethrin , rotenone , salithion , sebufos , silafluofen , spinosad , spirodiclofen , spiromesifen , sulfotep , sulprofos , tau - fluvalinate , taroits , tebufenozide , tebufenpyrad , tebupirimphos , teflubenzuron , tefluthrin , ternephos , terbam , terbufos , tetrachlorvinphos , tetramethrin , tetramethacarb , thiacloprid , thiafenox , thiamethoxam , thiapronil , thiodicarb , thiofanox , thiazophos , thiocyclam , thiomethon , thionazin , thuringiensin , tralomethrin , transfluthrin , triarathen , triazophos , triazamate , triazuron , trichlorfon , triflumuron , trimethacarb , vamidothion , xytylcarb , zetamethrin ; in addition , algaecides and herbicides may also be used . exemplary algaecides and herbicides include , for example : acetochlor , acifluorfen sulfamate , aclonifen , acrolein , alachlor , alloxydim , ametryn , amidosulfuron , amitrole , ammonium , anilofos , asulam , atrazine , azafenidin , aziptrotryne , azimsulfuron , benazolin , benfluralin , benfuresate , bensulfuron , bensulfide , bentazone , benzofencap , benzthiazuron , bifenox , bispyribac , bispyribac - sodium , borax , bromacil , bromobutide , bromofenoxim , bromoxynii , butachlor , butamifos , butralin , butylate , bialaphos , benzoyl - prop , bromobutide , butroxydim , carbetamide , carfentrazone - ethyl , carfenstrole , chlomethoxyfen , chloramben , chlorbromuron , chlorflurenol , chloridazon , chlorimuron , chlornitrofen , chloroacetic acid , chloransulam - methyl , cinidon - ethyl , chlorotoluron , chloroxuron , chlorpropham , chlorsulfuron , chlorthal , chlorthiamid , cinmethylin , cinofulsuron , clefoxydim , clethodim , clornazone , chlomeprop , clopyralid , cyanamide , cyanazine , cybutryne , cycloate , cycloxydim , chloroxynil , clodinafop - propargyl , cumyluron , clometoxyfen , cyhalofop , cyhalofop butyl , clopyrasuluron , cyclosulfamuron , diclosulam , dichlorprop , dichlorprop - p , diclofop , diethatyl , difenoxuron , difenzoquat , diflufenican , diflufenzopyr , dimefuron , dimepiperate , dimethachlor , dimethipin , dinitramine , dinoseb , dinoseb acetate , dinoterb , diphenamid , dipropetryn , diquat , dithiopyr , diuron , dnoc ( 2 - methyl - 4 , 6 - dinitrophenol ), dsma ( disodium methylarsenate ), ( 2 , 4 - dichlorophenoxy ) acetic acid , daimuron , dalapon , dazomet , 2 , 4 - db ( 4 -( 2 , 4 - dichlophenoxy ) butanoic acid ), desmedipham , desmetryn , dicamba , dichlobenil , dimethamid , dithiopyr , dimetharnetryn , eglinazine , endothal , eptc (- ethyldipropylthiocarbamat ) esprocarb , ethalfluralin , ethidimuron , ethofumesate , ethobenzanid , ethoxyfen , ethametsulfuron , ethoxysulfuron , fenoxaprop , fenoxaprop - p , fenuron , flamprop , flamprop - m , flazasulfuron , fluazifop , fluazifop - p , fuenachlor , fluchloralin , flufenacet flumeturon , fluorocglycofen , fluoronitrofen , flupropanate , flurenol , fluridone , flurochloridone , fluroxypyr , fomesafen , fosamine , fosametine , flamprop - isopropyl , flamprop - isopropyl - l , flufenpyr , flumiclorac - pentyl , flumipropyn , flumioxzim , flurtamone , flumioxzim , flupyrsulfuron methyl , fluthiacet - methyl , glyphosate , glufosinate - ammonium , haloxyfop , hexazinone , imazamethabenz , isoproturon , isoxaben , isoxapyrifop , imazapyr , imazaquin , imazethapyr , ioxynil , isopropalin , imazosulfuron , imazomox , isoxaflutole , imazapic , ketospiradox , lactofen , lenacil , linuron , mcpa ( 2 -( 4 - chloro - 2 - methylphenoxy ) acetic acid ), mcpa - hydrazide , mcpa - thioethyl , mcpb ( 4 -( 4 - chloro - 2 - methylphenoxy ) butanoic acid ), mecoprop , mecoprop - p , mefenacet , mefluidide , mesosulfuron , metam , metamifop , metamitron , metazachlor , methabenzthiazuron , methazole , methoroptryne , methyldymron , ethylisothiocyanate , metobromuron , metoxuron , metribuzin , metsulfuron , molinate , monalide , monolinuron , msma ( monosodium methy arsenate ), metolachlor , metosulam , metobenzuron , naproanilide , napropamide , naptalam neburon , nicosulfuron , norflurazon , sodium chlorate , oxadiazon , oxyfluorfen , oxysulfuron , orbencarb , oryzalin , oxadiargyl , propyzamide , prosulfocarb , pyrazolates , pyrazolsulfuran , pyrazoxyfen , pyribenzoxim , pyributicarb , pyridate , paraquat , pebulate , pendimethalin , pentachlorophenol , pentoxazone , pentanochlor , petroleum oils , phenmedipham , picloram , piperophos , pretilachlor , primisulfuron , prodi amines profoxydim , prometryn , propachlor , propanil , propaquizafob , propazine , propham , propisochlor , pyriminobac - methyl , pelargonic pyrithiobac , pyraflufen - ethyl , quinmerac , quinocloamine , quizalofop , quizalofop - p , quinchlorac , rimsulfuron sethoxydim , sifuron , simazine , simetryn , sulfosulfuron , sulfometuron , sulfentrazone , sulcotrione , sulfosate , creosote tca ( trichloroacetic acid ), tca - sodium , tebutam , tebuthiuron , terbacil , terbumeton , terbuthylazine , terbutryn , thiazafluoron , thifensulfuron , thiobencarb , thiocarbazil , tralkoxydim , triallate , triasulfuron , tribenuron , trielopyr , tridiphane , trietazine , trifluralin , tycor , thidiazimin , thiazopyr , triflusulfuron , vernolate . the composition containing the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor of the present invention may be used in the customary formulations , such as solutions , emulsions , suspensions , powders , foams , pastes , granules , aerosols and very fine capsules in polymeric substances . it is also possible to encapsulate the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and / or additional biocide . in addition , by mixing the active compounds with extenders , such as liquid solvents , liquefied gases under pressure and / or solid carriers , and optionally with the use of surfactants , emulsifiers and / or dispersants , the composition may be applied to a surface or article in need of treatment . suitable solvents include , water , organic solvents such as , for example , xylene , toluene or alkyl naphthalenes , chlorinated aromatics or chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons , such as chlorobenzenes , chloride or methylene chloride , aliphatic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane or paraffins , for example petroleum fractions , alcohols , such as butanol , glycerol , and ethers and esters , ketones , such as acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone or cyclohexanone , strongly polar solvents such as dimethylformamide and dimethylsulphoxide , as well as water . liquefied gaseous extenders or carriers are meant liquids which are gaseous at normal temperature and under normal pressure , for example aerosol propellants , such as halogenated hydrocarbons as well as butane , propane , nitrogen and carbon dioxide . suitable solid carriers are : for example ground natural minerals , such as kaolins , clays , talc , chalk , quartz , attapulgite , montmorillonite or diatomaceous earth , and ground synthetic minerals , such as highly disperse silica , alumina and silicates . as solid carriers for granules are : for example crushed and fractionated natural rocks such as calcite , marble , pumice , sepiolite and dolomite , and synthetic granules of inorganic and organic meals , and granules of organic material such as sawdust , coconut shells , maize cobs and tobacco stalks . as emulsifying and / or foam formers are : for example nonionic and anionic emulsifiers , such as polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters , polyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ethers , for example alkylaryl , alkyl sulfates , aryl sulphonates as well as albumin . suitable dispersants are : for example ligninsulfite was liquors and methylcellulose . the present invention is further described in detail by means of the following examples . the following examples are meant to show the effects of potentiator with succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and are not intended to be limiting . sample stock solution of penflufen was prepared in dmso at 20000 ppm ( active ingredient ). serial dilutions of penflufen and the potentiators were made in dmso in a 96 well plate and 10 ul of solution from each well was transferred into a new flat bottom 96 well plate to run a microtiter plate minimum inhibitory concentration ( mic ) test . the potentiators tested are shown in table 1 . microorganisms grown on agar slants were harvested using standard microbiological techniques . the numbers of mold spores were determined by counted using a hemocytometer , and then inoculum was prepared in the media shown in table 2 . then , 190u1 of inoculum was added into each well containing 10 ul of the serially diluted sample solution . the start - up concentration of the sample was 1000 ppm containing 5 % of dmso . the final concentration of mold spores were set up at approx . 10 4 / ml . table 2 shows the details on test organisms , suitable culture broth and incubation conditions . after the incubation , data were collected : the lowest concentrations that visually inhibited the microbial growth were recorded as the mics ( tables 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d and 3e ). as can be seen from the above tables , each of the listed potentiators reduces the amount of the active ingredient penflufen . against certain microbial agents , the combination of the potentiator and the active can achieve a 1 - fold , 2 - fold or more reduction in that amount of the active ingredient needed to inhibit growth of the microbial agent . total 17 samples , including penflufen , 8 penflufen - potentiator blends and 8 potentiators were submitted for evaluation . the concentrations of penflufen and potentiators in the samples are shown in table 4 . the samples were diluted to test at a starting concentration of 1 , 000 ppm active based on the concentration of penflufen in the samples . samples were serially diluted into the molten potato dextrose agar before the agar was solidified . the agar plugs with active fungal hyphae growth were inoculated onto the prepared agar surface . the agar plates were incubated at 28 ° c . for 9 days and following incubation , the minimum concentration of active observed to completely inhibit hyphae growth ( mic ) was determined with stereo microscopic verification . table 5 shows the mic values of penflufen , potentiators and potentiation blends against decay fungi . all concentrations reported are in ppm . “ active ” indicates penflufen present ; “ potentiator ” is the potentiator in each sample . “ act ” and “ pot ” are the concentrations of active and potentiator respectively at the highest dilution to inhibit growth ( mic value ). the initial row highlighted in red with only a value for active is the mic for the active alone ; each row with only a value for potentiator is the mic for that potentiator alone . any combination in which the mic value was reduced by greater than 75 % ( 2 levels of 2 × dilution ) of the mic of the active alone is highlighted in green . there are eight out of nine penflufen - potentiator blends tested for this study showed evidence of potentiation against two decay fungi with significant mic reductions ranging from 75 % up to 94 % compared to the penflufen alone . while the invention has been described above with references to specific embodiments thereof , it is apparent that many changes , modifications and variations can be made without departing from the invention concept disclosed herein . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such changes , modifications , and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
fig1 shows an electromagnetic friction clutch 1 , which may serve , for example , for controllably driving a coolant pump ( not shown ) of an internal combustion engine . the internal construction of the clutch is represented schematically by a section along a clutch axis of rotation 12 . a bearing connection 5 of a pump housing , for example , and an electromagnet 2 are fixedly arranged concentrically with the clutch axis of rotation 12 . a rotor 3 is connected to the bearing connection 5 by a ball bearing 6 so that it can rotate about the clutch axis of rotation 12 . with the drive element 4 , a drive wheel having guide grooves for a belt drive , formed on the rotor 3 , the rotor 3 is intended as drive side of the clutch 1 . a further ball bearing 6 a is arranged inside the bearing connection 5 . the inner ball bearing 6 a holds a rotary shaft 11 in a rotatable position about the clutch axis of rotation 12 . the rotary shaft 11 is part of the output side of the clutch 1 . an armature disk 8 is rotationally fixed to the rotary shaft 11 by way of a spring element 9 and a flange 10 . the armature disk 8 is drawn against the rotor 3 by permanent magnets 2 a , so that a frictional connection occurs between the armature disk 8 and the rotor 3 . as soon as electrical current of sufficient strength flows through the windings of the electromagnet 2 , neutralizing a magnetic field of the permanent magnets , the frictional connection between the armature disk 8 and the rotor 3 is cancelled . the clutch is thereby switched to a de - energized state . an eddy current clutch acts in the disengaged , energized state as described below . adjoining the drive element 4 in an axial direction is a tubular extension 7 of the rotor 3 of somewhat larger radius . the tubular extension 7 extends so far in an axial direction that it fully encloses both the armature disk 8 and an eddy current element 15 . the rotor 3 , the drive element 4 and the tubular axial extension 7 form , for example , an integral component composed of magnetically conductive metal . magnetic elements 14 are fitted to the inside of this tubular extension 7 . this may be a single magnetic element subdivided along its circumference into a plurality of differently magnetized segments . in this case , for example , adjacent segments are each magnetized in opposite directions to one another . it is equally possible to use multiple individual magnets , which are fitted along the circumference on the inside of the tubular extension 7 , so that magnetic north and south poles are alternately directed towards the circumferential surface of the eddy current element . in both cases it is sufficient to bond the magnetic ring or the magnets to the inside of the tubular extension 7 . in the disengaged , energized state of the clutch 1 , that is to say when the armature disk and the rotor are no longer in frictional contact with one another , the magnetic elements 14 and the eddy current element 15 are able to rotate relative to one another . in so doing the magnetic elements 14 induce eddy currents in the eddy current element 15 , so that through electromagnetic interaction between the magnetic elements 14 and the eddy current element 15 , a torque is transmitted to the rotary shaft 11 . here the magnetic material characteristics of the rotor , for example , also assist the eddy current clutch 13 in that the tubular extension 7 produces a concentration of the magnetic flux in the magnetically conductive material . the eddy current element 15 is fitted to the armature disk 8 . in this embodiment it is particularly advantageous to manufacture the eddy current element 15 from a lightweight metal having a high electrical conductivity , such as aluminum , for example . the high electrical conductivity promotes the transmission of higher torques and rotational speeds . the lighter the eddy current element 15 , the lower the inertial forces occurring on the armature disk 8 . this affords the advantage that the armature disk can engage more rapidly , and length of time taken for rotationally fixed frictional contact with the rotor is therefore determined substantially by the mechanical power take - off on the rotary shaft 11 . because the clutch is designed to transmit only a relatively low torque in the absence of frictional contact between the armature disk and the rotor , a magnetic yoke ring on the eddy current element 15 can be dispensed with . some substantial features of the embodiment of a clutch according to the invention as described above also apply to the exemplary embodiments represented in fig2 , fig3 b and fig4 . in particular , all of the following exemplary embodiments comprise a rotor 3 , integrally embodying the tubular axial extension 7 and the drive element 4 and forming the drive side of the clutch . equally , in all the following exemplary embodiments the rotor 3 and the rotary shaft 7 are correspondingly fitted by ball bearings 6 , 6 a to the fixed bearing connection 5 so that they can rotate in relation to the latter . for this reason the descriptions of the following exemplary embodiments will primarily explore their differences . fig2 represents an embodiment of a friction clutch according to the invention in which the eddy current element 15 is connected to the armature disk 8 by the rotary shaft 11 . the eddy current element 15 therefore also remains in its axial position when the clutch 1 is in the engaged state , whilst the armature disk 8 can move axially between the positions corresponding to the clutch states . compared to the embodiment shown in fig1 , the rigid connection to the axis of rotation 11 allows the eddy current element only very small variations in position perpendicularly to the clutch axis of rotation . in this embodiment , therefore , the pole surfaces of the magnetic elements 14 may be arranged at a smaller distance from the circumferential surface of the eddy current element , thereby increasing the efficiency of the eddy current drive . fig2 also shows that a ring composed of a magnetically conductive material 15 a is , in a radial direction , at least partially enclosed by the eddy current element . fig2 also shows that a ring 15 a composed of magnetically conductive material is , in a radial direction , at least partially enclosed by eddy current element 15 . in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig2 the flange 10 and the spring element 9 form an integral component , which rotationally fixes the armature disk to the rotary shaft 11 whilst allowing it to move axially . the rotary shaft 11 is fixed into the flange 10 by caulking . fig3 a shows an integral armature disk component 16 , which combines the functions of the armature disk 8 , the spring element 9 and the flange 10 . the component is composed of magnetically conductive material , the thickness of which is substantially determined by the functional requirements as an armature disk . fig3 b shows a corresponding clutch arrangement 1 , which uses the armature disk component 16 shown in fig3 a . the embodiment of the clutch 1 according to the invention shown in fig4 reduces the number of single components yet further , in that only one integral component , which combines the functions of the eddy current element 15 , the armature disk 8 , the spring element 9 and the flange 10 in one single component , is fixed to the rotary shaft 11 . | 7 |
in the disclosed techniques , the given prefixes are not expanded into a pre - determined set of prefix lengths . on the other hand , the prefix lengths are determined dynamically using the disclosed prefix processing algorithm . sometimes prefixes are collapsed into shorter prefix lengths . the best prefix lengths are determined based on an objective function , which minimizes the number of prefix lengths . given a prefix set sp and an integer c , expand or collapse the prefixes in sp to a new set sp ′ such that the number of prefix lengths in sp ′ is minimized and the number of prefixes in each prefix length is less than c . the exemplary embodiment discussed herein uses a greedy algorithm as outlined below . it produces good solutions in practice . each prefix length that are collapsed or expanded prefixes into is considered a bin with a given capacity . a bin could be a memory . the exemplary embodiment has two parts . the first is prefix collapsing , and the second is prefix expansion . prefix collapsing proceeds as follows ( fig4 ). the largest prefix length ( denoted p from in box 401 in fig4 ) is considered first . if this prefix length is empty ( i . e ., has no prefixes ), p from is decreased until the first populated prefix length if found ( boxes 402 - 404 in fig4 ). this is the “ source ” prefix length from which prefixes will be collapsed . next , a “ destination ” prefix length p to is found into which the collapsed prefixes from p from will be inserted . boxes 405 - 408 in fig4 depicts this . in essence , p to is the largest populated prefix length smaller than p from . then , a “ complete set ” s of 2 pfrom − pto prefixes that have a common sub - prefix of length p to is extracted ( box 409 , fig4 ). for example 0000 → a , 0001 *→ a , 0010 *→ a , 0011 → b comprise a complete set of 4 prefixes of length 4 with a common sub - prefix “ 00 ”. from s , the largest subset of prefixes that have the same destination is extracted ( set ss in box 409 of fig4 ). this subset of prefixes is collapsed into a single prefix of length p to . note that this is possible provided the following two conditions are satisfied , which is ensured by the algorithm in the flowchart of fig4 : ( i ) prefixes of length p to exist ( i . e ., a new prefix length should not be created ) and ( ii ) the common sub - prefix does not already exist in the set of prefixes of length p to ( the “ collapse ” routine in box 411 ensures this ). in the above example consisting of 0000 *→ a , 0001 *→ a , 0010 *→ a , 0011 *→ b , three out of four prefixes have the same destination a . therefore , the three prefixes can be collapsed into a single prefix 00 *−& gt ; a of prefix length 2 , while the fourth prefix 0011 *−& gt ; b is retained in prefix length 4 . such a transformation still provides correct longest prefix match operation . all prefixes from the largest prefix length l 1 are allocated to as many bins as required . if n l1 bins are needed , n l1 - 1 bins will be full , while one bin may be partially filled after this expansion . if a partially filled bin exists , as many prefixes as possible are expanded from the next largest prefix length l 2 and allocated to this bin . if the prefixes in l 2 are exhausted , prefixes are expanded from the next prefix length ; continue until the partially filled bin is full . this is repeated for all prefix lengths . fig5 shows the prefix expansion algorithm . in box 501 , p to is assigned to the largest prefix length . in box 502 - 504 , p to is adjusted to the largest populated prefix length . p to is the destination prefix length into which prefixes will be expanded . next , p from , the source prefix length from which prefixes will be expanded , is found ( box 505 - 508 , fig5 ). in box 509 , the maximum number of prefixes that can be expanded from p from into p to given the capacity constraints of p to is computed . if this number is 0 , the next p from is found ( box 510 ). otherwise , the expansion proceeds until the destination prefix length cannot accommodate any more prefixes ( box 511 ). these two algorithms together comprise the disclosed prefix pre - processing technique . the overall procedure is shown in fig6 . the collapse and expand procedure loop is repeated until no further changes are possible . in network routers , prefix tables are regularly updated . updates include addition of new prefixes , deletion or changing the forwarding information of existing prefixes . prefix pre - processing makes updates a little more complicated since a prefix may have been collapsed or expanded into a different prefix length . assume that the set of prefix lengths after prefix pre - processing is s ={ pl1 , pl2 . . . pll }. all prefixes that existed prior to prefix pre - processing are labeled as “ original ” prefixes . after prefix pre - processing , a tag is appended to every prefix indicating its original prefix length . the tag may be appended in hardware for hardware implementations or within software data structures for software implementations . addition of a prefix : a new prefix of length l is collapsed or expanded using the algorithms in fig4 and fig5 . if a collision occurs with an existing prefix p ′, p ′ is overwritten only if its original length ( determined by examining its prefix length tag ) is less or equal to l . removal of a prefix : in order to remove an original prefix p of length l , all prefix lengths in s are examined since p may have been expanded or collapsed into a different prefix length . prefixes that match p , and whose prefix length tags equal l , are removed . changing the forwarding information of a prefix : in order to change the forwarding information of a prefix p of length l , all prefix lengths in s are examined since p may have been expanded or collapsed into a different prefix length . the forwarding information of prefixes that match p , and whose prefix length tags equal l , is changed accordingly . the above discussed techniques can be implemented in any suitable computing environment . a computer program product including computer readable media that includes instructions to enable a computer or a computer system to implement the disclosed teachings is also an aspect of the invention . other modifications and variations to the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure and teachings . thus , while only certain embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein , it will be apparent that numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the compounds of the invention may be prepared in a number of ways , including the following : 1 . compounds of the formula ( i ), in which r 3 represents a carboxyl or sulpho group , r 2 is as already defined other than a hydroxy group , and x is as already defined other than an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, may be prepared by reacting a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula : ## str3 ## with a cyclic anhydride of the formula : ## str4 ## respectively , wherein x is defined as above in this method . such a reaction may be accomplished by mixing together the reagents , that of the formula ( ii ) optionally as a salt or necessarily as an internal salt in the case where r 2 represents an n - pyridyl group , in a reaction - inert organic solvent medium , e . g . dimethylformamide , methylene dichloride or acetone , optionally containing a tertiary amine base , e . g . triethylamine or pyridine , or an inorganic base , e . g . sodium bicarbonate . generally , the reaction goes substantially to completion during a period from 1 / 2 to 12 lhours when the mixture is maintained within the temperature range 10 °- 45 ° c ., preferably with stirring . isolation of the product is typically achieved by extracting the reaction mixture with an aqueous medium , e . g . water itself or a basic aqueous medium such as saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , overlayering the separated aqueous medium with a suitable water - immiscible solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , acidifying the aqueous phase , e . g . by addition of a mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid and shaking the two - phase solution in order to extract the product into the organic phase , and thereafter separating , washing ( e . g . with a saline solution ), drying ( e . g . with anhydrous magnesium or sodium sulphate ), filtering and evaporating to dryness the organic phase . if necessary , the product may be purified by a standard recrystallization technique . in the case of compounds of the formula ( i ) in which the grouping alk 2 - x - alk . sup . 1 represents or embraces a hydrocarbon chain containing 4 or more carbon atoms , the reaction involving a cyclic anhydride of the formula ( iii ) is generally performed using that compound in a polymeric form in view of the frequent difficulty in obtaining it in a monomeric form . an isolation procedure similar to the one described above would frequently afford a product contaminated with a significant quantity of dicarboxylic acid of the formula : and accordingly it is often necessary to perform more than a single acidification - extraction step at different degrees of acidity and investigate the nature of the extracted product at each stage in order to isolate the desired product in an acceptable state of purity . wherein x represents any of the hereinbefore specified atoms or groups with the exception of an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, and which itself may be prepared according to conventional procedures involving reacting the appropriate compound of the formula ( iii ) with a lower alkanol , r 4 oh , or with the sodio derivative of a lower alkanol , phenol , substituted phenol , 5 - indanol or naphthol , r 4 oha , followed by acidification , may be reacted ( as such , or after conversion to a reactive derivative thereof , e . g . its acid chloride , an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or a mixed anhydride ) with a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( ii ) other than those in which r 2 is a hydroxyl group to produce a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents an ester group , coor 4 as hereinbefore defined , and x is defined as above in this method . if the half - ester is to be reacted as such , this is conveniently effected in the presence of a dehydrating agent , e . g . dicyclohexylcarbodiimide or carbonyldiimidazole . in a typical procedure using carbonyldiimidazole , a solution of the half - ester in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . methylene chloride , is added to a cooled solution of the dehydrating agent in the same solvent , and after evolution of carbon dioxide has ceased the mixture is stirred at room temperature for a short time prior to addition of the δ 3 - cephem derivative . reaction may then be allowed to proceed during several hours at room temperature , preferably with continual stirring of the solution . isolation of the product may be effected by evaporation of the reaction solution in vacuo to dryness , dissolution of the residue in water , extraction of the acidified aqueous solution into a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and evaporation of the optionally washed and dried ( e . g . with anhydrous magnesium sulphate ) organic phase to dryness . the crude product thus produced may be purified , suitably by a standard crystallization technique . the same reaction may alternatively be performed in aqueous solution using a water - soluble diimide as the dehydrating agent , of which a typical example is 1 -( 3 - dimethylamino - n - propyl )- 1 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride . in such a case , a mixture of the two reagents and the water - soluble diimide is added to an aqueous solvent , e . g . water itself or aqueous acetone , and the ph of the solution is adjusted to 5 - 6 , e . g . by addition of hydrochloric acid , and maintained within that acidity range for several hours until stabilization , i . e . when no further quantity of mineral acid is required to maintain the acidity range . the product may then be extracted into a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , after acidifying the aqueous phase further , and isolating by evaporating to dryness the optionally washed and dried organic phase . purification may then be effected by suitable means . if it is desired to react the half - ester of the formula ( vi ) as its acid chloride with the 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative , the initial conversion to the acid chloride may be effected using a well - known standard technique for such a reaction , e . g . by maintaining a solution of the half - ester and a chlorinating agent such as oxalyl chloride or thionyl chloride in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent such as benzene for several hours , preferably with stirring , at a suitable temperature , and isolating the crude product by evaporation of the reaction solution to dryness . thereafter , the residue is conveniently reacted directly with the appropriate δ 3 - cephem derivative , without purification , in a solvent , e . g . aqueous acetone , containing a base of the sort exemplified in method ( 1 ) above . after sufficient reaction time , e . g . several hours , the product is conveniently isolated and purified by extracting it from an acidified aqueous solution into an organic phase , e . g . ethyl acetate , and then following a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) for the isolation and purification of the product . the half - ester of the formula ( vi ) may be converted into an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester prior to reaction with the 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative using the preferred reagent n - hydroxysuccinimide in the presence of a dehydrating agent such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide . the &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester product of the formula : ## str5 ## is conveniently then reacted with the δ 3 - cephem derivative in the reaction solution in which it has been formed , without isolation . in a typical procedure , a solution of the half - ester , n - hydroxysuccinimide and dehydrating agent in a reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . tetrahydrofuran , is stirred for several hours at room temperature , after which the solid n , n &# 39 ;- dicyclohexylurea formed in the reaction may be removed , e . g . by filtration . to the solution containing the &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester is then added a solution of the δ 3 - cephem derivative , and reaction generally goes substantially to completion in the presence of a tertiary amine or inorganic base , as hereinbefore examplified and preferably with stirring during a period from 1 to 12 hours at room temperature . the solvent may then be removed , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , and the residue dissolved in water , the aqueous solution then being acidified , extracted with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and the organic phase subjected to a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) for the isolation and purification of the product . if the half - ester of the formula ( vi ) is to be converted to a mixed anhydride prior to reaction with the 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative , the initial conversion is suitably performed using a lower alkyl chloroformate , e . g . ethyl chloroformate . the reaction may suitably be effected by stirring a mixture of the half - ester , lower alkyl chloroformate and an equivalent quantity of a tertiary amine or inorganic base of the kind hereinbefore exemplified in a suitable solvent , e . g . methylene chloride , at a low temperature , e . g . 0 ° c ., for a short time , e . g . 1 / 2 hour . reaction with the δ 3 - cephem derivative may then be effected , without the necessity to isolate the mixed anhydride , by adding a solution of the former in a suitable solvent , e . g . methylene chloride , containing an equivalent quantity of a base of the kind hereinbefore exemplified , to the reaction solution of the mixed anhydride , of the formula : and stirring the reaction solution at room temperature for several hours . isolation and purification of the product may then be effected by removing the reaction solvent , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , dissolving the residue in water , acidifying the aqueous solution , extracting it with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and subjecting the organic phase to a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) in the final stages . 3 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents a carbamoyl group of the formula conr 5 r 6 , as hereinbefore defined , r 2 is as already defined other than a hydroxyl group , and x is as already defined other than an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, may be prepared by reacting a half - amide of the formula : optionally after conversion to its acid chloride , an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or a mixed anhydride , with a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( ii ) other than those in which r 2 is a hydroxyl group . the half - amide of the formula ( ix ) may itself be prepared by reacting the appropriate amine , nhr 5 r 6 , with a cyclic acid anhydride of the formula ( iii ) according to a conventional procedure . the reaction between the half - amide or aforementioned derivative thereof and the δ 3 - cephem derivative , and conversion of the half - amide into the appropriate derivative , where appropriate , prior to reaction with the δ 3 - cephem derivative , may be achieved according to the analogous procedures given in method ( 2 ), starting from the half - amide instead of the half - ester , and the isolation procedures may also be effected analogously . 4 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 2 represents an n - pyridyl or azido group or any of the heterocyclic - thio groups specified hereinbefore may be prepared from the corresponding compounds in which r 2 represents an acetoxy group ( cephalosporanic acid derivatives ) by a displacement reaction with pyridine , sodium azide or the appropriate heterocyclic - thiol . in the case of r 2 representing an azido or a heterocyclic - thio group , such a reaction may generally be performed by adding one of the latter reagents to a solution of the appropriate cephalosporanic acid derivative in an aqueous buffer solution , e . g . phosphate buffer , at a ph between 6 and 7 . 5 , optionally containing a base , e . g . sodium bicarbonate , and heating the mixture within the temperature range 35 °- 70 ° c . for a period from 1 to 12 hours . the product may then be isolated by diluting the reaction mixture with water , overlayering the aqueous medium with a suitable water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , acidifying the aqueous phase , e . g . to ph 2 by addition of sufficient hydrochloric acid , and thereby inducing extraction of the product into the organic phase , especially with shaking in addition , and thereafter separating , washing , e . g . with a saline solution , drying , e . g . with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtering and evaporating to dryness the organic phase . purification of the crude product , if necessary , may be achieved by a standard recrystallization technique or by washing with a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether . in the case of r 2 representing an n - pyridyl group , the reaction may be performed by adding first pyridine , e . g . in 1 to 3 molar equivalents , and then potassium thiocyanate or iodide , e . g . in 1 to 10 molar equivalents , to a molar equivalent of the cephalosporanic acid derivative dissolved in water containing at least one molar equivalents of a base of the kind hereinbefore exemplified . to the mixture is then added sufficient phosphoric acid until ph 6 is attained , and the whole is suitably heated within the temperature range 25 °- 702 c . for a period from 6 to 48 hours . the product , either as the thiocyanate or iodide salt , may then be isolated by adjusting the ph of the solution to 2 , e . g . by addition of 2n hydrochloric acid , and collecting the resulting precipitate by filtration . the betaine form of the product may be obtained by well - documented standard ion - exchange procedures . 5 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents an ester group , coor 4 , or a carbamoyl group , conr 5 r 6 , as hereinbefore defined , and x represents an oxygen or sulphur atom , or an imino group , -- nr 7 -- , as hereinbefore defined , may be prepared by reacting a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( ii ) other than those in which r 2 is a hydroxyl group to produce a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents an ester group , coor 4 , as hereinbefore defined , with a chloroalkanoyl chloride of the formula : and then reacting the product , of the formula : ## str6 ## first with sodium iodide to convert it to the corresponding iodo compound and then with , as appropriate , one of the compounds of formulae : wherein r 3 is as defined as above in this method . the initial reaction may suitably be effected by maintaining the reactants , of which the acid chloride is preferably in slight excess , at a low temperature , e . g . within the range 0 ° c . to room temperature , in a reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . chloroform , in the presence of a tertiary amine or inorganic base , as hereinbefore exemplified , for several hours , preferably with stirring . isolation of the product , of the formula ( xi ), is suitably accomplished by removing the solvent from the reaction mixture , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , dissolving the residue in an aqueous medium , e . g . water itself or a basic aqueous medium such as saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , extracting the subsequently acidfied , e . g . to ph 2 , aqueous phase with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and thereafter subjecting the organic phase to a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) for the isolation and , if necessary , purification of the product . reaction between the compound of the formula ( xi ) and sodium iodide may conveniently be accomplished by allowing a solution , e . g . acetone , of the two reagents in approximately equimolar proportions to stand in darkness for several hours at room temperature . thereafter , that solvent may be replaced with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and the solution washed , e . g . with a saline solution , dried , e . g . over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness . the final stage is typically performed by dissolving the iodo compound in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . methylene chloride or dimethylformamide and adding , as appropriate , the sodium alcoholate [ formula ( xii )], sodium thiolate [ formula ( xiii )] or amine [ formula ( xiv )] in a slight excess , e . g . 10 %. after stirring the mixture for several hours within the temperature range 20 °- 80 ° c ., the solvent is removed , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , and the residue is dissolved in a suitable waterimmiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate . the solution may then be washed , e . g . with a saline solution , dried , e . g . over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , thus furnishing the desired product , which may be purified , if necessary , by a standard recrystallization technique or by washing in a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether . 6 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 and x represent any of the hereinbefore specified atoms or groups with the exception of a sulpho group and an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, respectively , may be prepared by reacting a trimethylsilyl - protected α - aminoarylacetic acid , r 1 ch ( nh 2 ) co 2 si ( ch 3 ) 3 , with one of the compounds of formulae : ## str7 ## wherein x is defined as above in this method , in each case either as such or having been converted to its acid chloride , an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or a mixed anhydride , to produce a compound of the formula : ## str8 ## wherein r 3 &# 39 ; represents , as appropriate , one of the moieties ph 2 chooc , r 4 ooc and r 5 r 6 nco , which is subsequently hydrolyzed to the corresponding α - aminoarylacetic acid derivative , of the formula : ## str9 ## this then being converted to its functional equivalent as an acylating agent and reacted with a 7 - amino - 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula : ## str10 ## wherein r 2 is as defined for formula ( i ) other than hydroxyl to produce a compound of the formula : ## str11 ## the latter , when r 3 &# 39 ; represents the carbobenzhydryloxy group , ph 2 chooc , finally being acidified to a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents a carboxyl group . the starting trimethylsilyl - protected α - amino - arylacetic acid may be prepared from the unprotected compound by reaction with an approximately equivalent quantity of a silylating agent , e . g . trimethylsilyl chloride , in the presence of a tertiary amine base , e . g . triethylamine , in solution in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . methylene chloride . for convenience , to this solution is added directly one of the compounds of the formulae ( xv ), ( vi ) and ( ix ), either as such together with a condensing agent , e . g . dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , or as an acid chloride , &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or mixed anhydride , prepared according to one of the procedures given in method ( 2 ), and optionally in the reaction medium in which each was formed . the reaction to form the compound of the formula ( xvi ) may suitably be performed by stirring the mixture at room temperature for several hours , after which the mixture is filtered to remove any solids present , e . g . the dicyclohexylurea formed from dicyclohexylcarbodiimide present as a dehydrating agent either in this reaction or in the reaction to form an activated ester if used . treatment of the filtrate with mineral acid , e . g . 10 % hydrochloric acid , converts the product to a free acid by removing the trimethylsilyl protecting group , and the organic phase may then be washed , e . g . with saline solution , dried , e . g . with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered , and evaporated in vacuo thus affording a compound of the formula ( xvii ). conversion of the latter compound to that of formula ( xix ) is preferably achieved by first forming therefrom a mixed anhydride , e . g . with isovaleric or pivalic acid , and then reacting this product with the 7 - amino - 4 - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( xviii ). the reactions are typically achieved by adding isovaleroyl or pivaloyl chloride , in slight excess , to a solution of the acid in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . tetrahydrofuran , in the presence of a tertiary amine base , e . g . triethylamine , at a low temperature , e . g . - 10 ° c . the mixture is then stirred , e . g . for 1 / 2 hour , to effect the converion to the mixed anhydride and added to a stirred solution of the 7 - amino - 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( xviii ) in a suitable aqueous solvent , e . g . aqueous tetrahydrofuran . reaction generally proceeds satisfactorily at room temperature during several hours , after which the product is extracted from the acidified reaction solution into a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , the organic phase then being washed , e . g . with saline solution , dried , e . g . over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo . if the product is of the formula ( xix ) wherein r 3 &# 39 ; represents one of the moieties r 4 ooc and r 5 r 6 nco , it may be purified , if necessary , by recrystallization or washing in a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether . otherwise , being a compound of the formula ( xix ) wherein r 3 &# 39 ; represents a carbobenzhydryloxy group , the latter may be removed by acidification , and the product purified as before . the acidification may be achieved , in a typical case , by adding trifluoroacetic acid ( 3 volumes ) to a solution of the carbobenzhydryloxy derivative in anisole ( 1 volume ) and allowing the mixture to stand at room temperature for several minutes . isolation and purification of the product is then effected by removing the solvent by evaporation in vacuo , dissolving the residue in ethyl acetate , adding the solution slowly to a large volume of petroluem ether , and collecting the resulting preceipitate of the desired product by filtration . 7 . all the compounds of the formula ( i ) in which x represents an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, may be prepared according to methods ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 6 ) given hereinbefore , starting in each case from one of the reagents of the formulae ( iii ), ( iv ), ( vi ), ( ix ) and ( xv ) wherein the moiety x is replaced by -- nr 7 &# 39 ; --, in which r 7 &# 39 ; represents a suitable protecting group for an imino group , e . g . a tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl group . the procedures are performed similarly , and the final products of such procedures , all of the formula ( i ) wherein x is replaced by -- nr 7 &# 39 ; --, are subjected to a further reaction entailing the removal of the protecting group by conventional means . in a typical case , the tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl group may be removed by stirring the appropriate compound in trifluoroacetic acid at 0 °- 25 ° c ., and the deprotected product may then be isolated and purified by removing the excess acid , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , and washing the residue in diethyl ether . however , when method ( 6 ) is used to prepare a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents a carboxyl group , the final acidification stage may also deprotect the protected amino group simultaneously , thus avoiding the necessity to perform an additional acidification reaction . 8 . salts of the compounds of the invention may be prepared , if desired , by standard techniques . for example , preparation of the sodium or potassium salt of a compound of the invention may be accomplished by dissolving the compound in a lower alkanol , e . g . methanol , cooling the resulting solution and adding a solution of the appropriate alkali metal acetate in the same solvent to the stirred organic solution . the reaction is in many cases effected by maintaining the reaction mixture for several hours at room temperature , and the salt may then be isolated by concentrating the reaction solution by partial evaporation in vacuo and adding the concentrate to a large volume of a suitable organic solvent , e . g . diethyl ether , thereby precipitating the salt . purification may then be achieved by washing the salt in a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether , and thereafter drying it , preferably in vacuo . 9 . the compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 2 is a hydroxy group may be prepared by the hydrolysis of the corresponding cephalosporin in which r 2 is an acetoxy group . typically , the hydrolysis may be carried out in aqueous media at ph of from 5 to 8 , using a wheat germ esterase or acetyl citrus esterase . the enzyme is aqueous solution is typically added to the sodium salt of the acetoxy - containing cephalosporin in water . the ph is rapidly adjusted to the desired value . the hydrolysis may then be effected by keeping the mixture at a suitable temperature , preferably between 20 ° and 45 ° c ., by the addition of aqueous alkali until hydrolysis is complete . completion of the hydrolysis can be determined by titration with alkali , or by chromatographic assay . the hydrolysis products may be recovered by conventional methods . typically , the reaction mixture is overlayered with a water - immiscible solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , the mixture cooled and the ph adjusted to a value of from 1 . 5 to 4 . 5 . the insoluble protein may be removed by filtration . the separated organic layer may then be underlayered with water and the ph adjusted to a value of from 4 . 5 to 8 . 5 . the aqueous extract may then be freeze - dried or concentrated in vacuo and the resultant sodium salt purified by recrystallization from a water - miscible solvent mixture , preferably a mixture of lower alcohols , e . g . methanol and isopropyl alcohol . 10 . the compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r and r 2 taken together represent an oxygen atom , i . e . cephalosporins containing a lactone grouping , may be prepared by treating the corresponding derivative in which r and r 2 are each hydroxy with a mineral acid , e . g . 2n hydrochloric acid . typically , the reaction is carried out in aqueous solution containing a water - miscible solvent , e . g . aqueous dioxan at a temperature of preferably from 5 ° to 50 ° c . for a period of several hours , e . g . 1 / 2 hour to 48 hours . the solution may then be concentrated in vacuo , and the precipitated product removed by filtration or centrifugation . 11 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 2 is a carbamoyloxy group may be prepared by reacting the corresponding cephalosporin in which r 2 is a hydroxy group with a conventional protecting agent so as to protect the carboxyl group in the 4 - position of the cephem nucleus , and , if present , the carboxyl group in the 7 - side chain , and then reacting with an isocyanate and finally removing the protecting group or groups . a suitable protecting agent is diphenyldiazomethane which may be reacted with the unprotected cephalosporin in an inert solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , typically at 10 ° to 45 ° c . for from 1 / 2 hour to 48 hours . the resultant mono - or di - ester may then be dissolved in an inert organic solvent , e . g . acetone , and then treated with trichloroacetyl isocyanate at preferably from 0 ° to 50 ° c . to give the corresponding 3 - n - trichloro - acetylcarbamoyloxy - methyl derivative . treatment of this derivative with acid , e . g . 0 . 1n hcl , or chromatography on silica gel , gives the mono - or bis - ( depending on whether 7 - side chain of the starting material contained a free carboxyl group ) diphenyl methyl ester of the 3 - carbamoyloxymethyl derivative . the ester group or groups may then be removed in a conventional manner , e . g . by the use of trifluoroacetic acid and aniaole at temperatures of up to 50 ° c . the in vitro evaluation of the compounds of the invention as antibacterial agents was performed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration ( mic ) of the test compound in a suitable medium at which growth of the particular microorganism failed to occur . in practice , agar ( brain / heart infusion agar ) plates , each having incorporated therein the test compound at a particular concentration , were inoculated with a standard number of cells of the test microorganism and each plate was then incubated for 24 hours at 37 ° c . the plates were then observed for the presence or absence of the growth of bacteria and the appropriate mic value noted . microorganisms used in such tests and against which the compounds were effective included strains of escherichia coli , klebsiella pneumoniae , proteus mirabilis , pseudomonas aeruginosa , staphylococcus aureus , streptococcus pyogenes , proteus vulgaris , haemophilus influenzae and enterobacter aerogenes , and neisseria gonorrhea . a selection of mic values of many of the compounds hereinafter exemplified for activities against the various strains of microorganisms indicated is given in the following table : __________________________________________________________________________ pseudomonas klebsiella enterobacter proteus proteus staphylococcus streptococcusexample no . escherichia aeruginosa pneumoniae aerogenes mirabilis vulgaris aureus pyogenesof compound coli 51a266 52a490 53a009 55a004 57c015 57c060 01a005 02c203__________________________________________________________________________1 3 . 1 6 . 2 1 . 5 3 . 1 1 . 5 1 . 5 6 . 2 1 . 54 25 25 6 . 2 25 3 . 1 3 . 1 12 . 5 3 . 16 50 12 . 5 12 . 5 100 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 3 . 17 50 50 25 50 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 3 . 19 25 25 25 100 25 12 . 5 25 2510 25 12 . 5 50 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 25 2513 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 1 . 5 12 . 5 3 . 114 100 25 25 50 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 12 . 515 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 3 . 1 1 . 5 6 . 2 1 . 516 12 . 5 6 . 2 12 . 5 50 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 0 . 7817 25 -- 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 0 . 7822 1 . 5 6 . 2 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 6 . 2 0 . 823 12 . 5 -- 1 . 5 3 . 1 3 . 1 3 . 1 100 3 . 126 25 25 3 . 1 25 3 . 1 3 . 1 12 . 5 1 . 527 25 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 228 6 . 2 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 12 . 5 3 . 129 25 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 3 . 130 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 3 . 1 0 . 3931 25 25 12 . 5 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 3 . 1 1 . 532 25 6 . 2 12 . 5 50 12 . 5 12 . 5 3 . 1 0 . 3934 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 25 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 235 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 236 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 6 . 237 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 100 6 . 2 3 . 138 12 . 5 50 6 . 2 25 3 . 1 3 . 1 6 . 2 3 . 139 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 540 12 . 5 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 3 . 1 25 6 . 241 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 6 . 2 0 . 442 25 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 243 12 . 5 25 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2__________________________________________________________________________ the compounds of the invention can be administered alone but will generally be administered in admixture with a pharmaceutical carrier selected with regard to the intended route of administration and standard pharmaceutical practice . for example , they may be administered orally in the form of tablets containing such excipients as starch or lactose , or in capsules wither alone or in admixture with excipients , or in the form of elixirs or suspensions containing flavoring or coloring agents . they may be injected parenterally , for example , intravenously , intramuscularly or subcutaneously . for parenteral administration , they are best used in the form of a sterile aqueous solution which may contain other solutes , for example , enough salts or glucose to make the solution isotonic . in treatment of bacterial infections in man , the compounds of this invention may be administered orally or parenterally , in accordance with conventional procedures for antibiotic administration , generally in an amount of from about 5 to 200 mg ./ kg ./ day and preferably about 5 to 20 mg ./ kg ./ day in divided dosage , e . g . three to four times a day . they may be administered in dosage units containing , for example , 125 to 500 mg . of the active ingredient with suitable physiologically acceptable carriers or excipients . the dosage units may be in the form of liquid preparations such as solutions or suspensions or as solids in tablets or capsules . thus , according to a yet further aspect , the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the formula ( i ) as previously defined and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the compositions may preferably be in a form of a dosage unit containing from 125 to 500 mg . of the active cephalosporin . the invention also provides a method of treating animals to cure them of diseases caused by gram - positive or gram - negative bacteria , which comprises administering to the animal an antibacterially effective amount of a compound of the formula ( i ). a mixture of 7 - d -( α - aminophenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid ( cephaloglycin ) ( 228 g ., 0 . 562 mole ) and diglycolic anhydride ( 62 . 2 g ., 0 . 562 mole ) in acetone ( 3 . 3 1 .) was stirred at room temperature for 11 / 2 hours . after the removal by filtration of insoluble material , the filtrate was evaporated in vacuo at a temperature below 30 ° c ., and the resulting gummy residue was stirred in a mixture of ethyl acetate ( 4 . 4 1 .) and water ( 3 . 2 1 .). the aqueous phase was separated and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 2 . 2 1 . ), and the separated organic phase was combined with the initial ethyl acetate solution , the organic solution then being dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo , at a temperature below 30 ° c ., to dryness . produced was a semi - solid foam ( 284 . 4 g .) which was shown from thin - layer - chromatographic and infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to comprise substantially pure 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . to a solution of the product of the previous example in isopropanol ( 2 . 8 1 .) was added a solution of anhydrous sodium acetate ( 45 . 9 g ., 0 . 562 mole ) in methanol ( 460 ml . ), whereupon a bulky gelatinous precipitate formed . the suspension was stirred for 5 minutes to induce any further precipitation and then allowed to stand for 1 hour . the solid product was collected by filtration , washed with 1 : 6 methaol : isopropanol solution and then with isopropanol , and finally dried in vacuo at room temperature for several hours . produced was 244 g . of a solid which was shown from thin - layer - chromatographic and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to comprise substantially pure sodium salt of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . the following 7 - aminocephalosporanic acid or 7 - amino - 3 - desacetoxycephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by a similar procedure to that described in example 1 , starting from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - aminophenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid or corresponding 3 - desacetoxy compound , and the appropriate cyclic anhydride of the formula ( iii ) or ( iv ) herein . all the compounds were characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . __________________________________________________________________________exampler . sup . 2 p q alk . sup . 1 xalk . sup . 2 r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________3 h h h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh5 h h h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh6 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 cooh7 ococh . sub . 3 h h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 cooh8 h h h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 cooh9 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch ( ch . sub . 3 ) och ( ch . sub . 3 ) cooh10 ococh . sub . 3 h h ## str13 ## 11 h h h ## str14 ## 12 2 - methyl - h h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh1 , 3 , 4 - thia - diazol - 5 - yl - thio13 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2cooh14 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 so . sub . 3 h15 ococh . sub . 3 h h ## str15 ## 16 ococh . sub . 3 h h ## str16 ## 17 ococh . sub . 3 ho h ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2cooh18 ococh . sub . 3 ho cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2cooh__________________________________________________________________________ to a stirred solution of cephaloglycin ( 2 g ., 0 . 005 mole ) in dimethylformamide ( 25 ml .) was added a solution of adipic anhydride polymer ( 6 . 4 g ., 0 . 05 mole ) in dimethylformamide ( 30 ml . ), and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for about 16 hours . the resulting solid was then filtered off , and the filtrate , a yellow solution , was poured into petroleum ether ( 60 °- 80 ° c ., 500 ml .) with vigorous stirring . from the resulting solid lower layer the solvent was decanted , and the residue was then treated with 10 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution with stirring . the remaining solid was removed by filtration , and the filtrate was acidified to ph 4 . 5 by cautious addition to dilute hydrochloric acid , and extracted with ethyl acetate . evaporation of the organic phase in vacuo to dryness afforded a pale yellow oil which was found from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to consist principally of adipic acid . the aqueous phase was acidified further to ph 1 and extracted with ethyl acetate , the isolated pale yellow solid ( 2 . 1 g .) from evaporation of the organic phase subsequently being shown to also contain a large proportion of acipic acid . a portion ( 1 . 0 g .) of the yellow solid was dissolved in 10 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , and the solution was acidified in stages to ph 4 . 5 , 4 . 0 and 3 . 3 by addition of the appropriate amount of n hydrochloric acid and extraction with ethyl acetate after each addition . the organic phases were evaporated to dryness at each stage and their contents investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . it was found that each fraction contained a considerable proportion of adipic acid , and so was discarded . finally , the aqueous solution was acidified to ph 2 . 0 and extracted with a mixture of ethyl acetate and chloroform . the separated organic phase was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a solid ( 250 mg .) containing , from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence , a trace of adipic acid and a major proportion of 7 - d -( α -[ 5 - carboxyvaleramido ] phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . by a similar procedure to that described in example 19 , 7 - d -( α -[ 5 - carboxyvaleramido ] phenylacetamido )- 3 - desacetoxycephalosporanic acid was prepared from 7 - d -( α - aminophenylacetamido )- 3 - desacetoxycephalosporanic acid and adipic anhydride polymer , and characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a . to a mixture of iminodiacetic acid ( 13 . 3 g ., 0 . 1 mole ) and tertiarybutyloxycarbonyl azide ( 21 . 5 g ., 0 . 15 mole ) in 1 : 4 water : dioxane ( 125 ml .) at 60 ° c . was added 2n sodium hydroxide solution at the rate required to maintain the solution of ph 10 . 2 . when the ph had stabilized at that value , the reaction mixture was cooled , extracted three times with diethyl ether in order to remove unreacted azide , and cooled to 0 ° c . solid citric acid was added to the aqueous solution to bring it to ph 3 , followed by sufficient sodium chloride to saturate it . the solution was then extracted three times with ethyl acetate and the combined organic phases were washed with water and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate . the white solid ( 13 . 0 g . ), m . p . 124 °- 125 ° c ., produced on evaporation of the ethyl acetate solution in vacuo to dryness , was characterized from infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence as n -( tertiary - butyloxcarbonyl ) iminodiacetic acid . b . a mixture of the product of ( a ) ( 2 . 0 g ., 0 . 0086 mole ) and acetic anhydride ( 25 ml .) was heated over a steam bath for 20 minutes . the resulting purple solution was evaporated in vacuo to an oil , and the latter was decolorized by dissolving it in ethyl acetate , shaking the solution with a little charcoal , removing the latter by filtration and evaporating the filtrate in vacuo , thereby affording a yellow oil . warming of the latter under high vacuum caused it to crystallize as a pale yellow , hygroscopic solid , m . p . 65 ° c . the product was identified by infra - red spectroscopy as n -( tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl ) iminodiacetic anhydride . c . by a similar procedure to that described in example 1 , starting from the product of ( b ) and cephaloglycin , 7 - d -( α -[ n - carboxymethyl - n -{ tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl } amino ] acetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid was prepared , and characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . d . to the product of ( c ) ( 1 . 5 g .) was added cooled trifluoroacetic acid at 0 ° c ., and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 45 minutes . the excess trifluoroacetic acid was then removed by evaporation in vacuo , and to the resulting solid residue was added diethyl ether . after the residue had been triturated , the clear upper ethereal layer was removed by decantation , and a fresh portion of diethyl ether was added to the suspension and further trituration performed . when the clear upper ethereal layer had been removed , the suspension was evaporated in vacuo to drynness , affording a product which was shown from thin - layer - chromatographic and infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to comprise substantially pure 7 - d -( α -[ carboxymethylaminoacetamido ] phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid as its trifluoroacetic acid addition salt . to a vigorously stirred suspension of the trifluoroacetic acid addition salt of 7 - d -( α - amino - phenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 65 g ., 0 . 0029 mole ; prepared as described in british pat . no . 1 , 283 , 811 and u . s . pat . no . 3 , 641 , 021 ) in dry dimethylformamide ( 10 ml .) was added diglycolic anhydride ( 0 . 34 g ., 0 . 0029 mole ). the solid dissolved , affording a light brown solution , and after 30 minutes the solution was added to an equipart aqueous solution comprising saturated sodium chloride and saturated sodium bicarbonate solutions . after the mixed solution had been overlayered with ethyl acetate , sufficient 2n hydrochloric acid was added to bring the aqueous phase to ph 4 , and the ethyl acetate phase ( containing principally unchanged starting 7 - amino - δ 3 - cephem derivative ) was removed from the previously well - shaken two - phase solution . a fresh quantity of ethyl acetate was added to the aqueous solution , and the latter was brought to ph 2 by addition of a further quantity of 2n hydrochloric acid . the two - phase solution was shaken to ensure sufficient extraction , and the ethyl acetate phase was then separated , washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution , dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a gum . trituration of the crude product as a gum in diethyl ether afforded a buff - colored solid , which was collected by filtration and dried for several hours in vacuo . the solid ( 1 . 25 g .) was purified by first washing it with diethyl ether and then dissolving as much of it as possible in methanol , removing insoluble material by filtration , dripping the methanolic filtrate into diethyl ether , collecting the resulting precipitate by filtration and finally drying the solid for several hours in vacuo . produced and characterized as such from infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid . the following 7 - aminocephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by a similar procedure to that described in example 22 , starting from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - amino -[ substituted phenyl ] acetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ . sup . 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid and diglycolic anhydride : __________________________________________________________________________ ## str17 ## example p q__________________________________________________________________________ 23 ho h 24 ho cl__________________________________________________________________________ by a procedure similar to that described in example 22 , starting from the same cephalosporin starting material as example 22 , and n - methyl iminodiacetic acid anhydride , 7 - d -( α - carboxymethyl [ n - methyl ] aminoacetamidophenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid was prepared , and characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a . 5 - indanol ( 73 . 8 g ., 0 . 55 mole ) was added to a solution of sodium methoxide in methanol ( prepared from 11 . 6 g ., 0 . 5 mole of sodium and 400 ml . of dry methanol ), and after the mixture had been allowed to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes the solvent was removed by evaporation in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in dry dimethylformamide ( 200 ml .) and the solution was evaporated in vacuo to dryness , thereby removing some moisture from the residue . to a solution of the residue in dry dimethylformamide ( 400 ml .) was added a solution of diglycolic anhydride ( 58 g ., 0 . 5 ml .) in dry dimethylformamide ( 60 ml . ), after which the mixture , whose temperature had risen to 70 ° c ., was stirred for 3 hours . the solvent was then removed by reduced pressure evaporation to afford a solid , which was distributed between diethyl ether ( 150 ml .) and 2n hydrochloric acid ( 50 ml . ), the separated ethereal phase then being washed with water ( 2 × 100 ml .) and extracted with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution . after the aqueous phase had been washed with diethyl ether ( 100 ml . ), it was acidified with 2n hydrochloric acid and extracted with diethyl ether . the separated ethereal phase was washed with water , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , the resulting solid then being recrystallized from a mixture of chloroform and petroleum ether ( b . p . 60 °- 80 ° c .) to afford 54 g . of mono - 5 - indanyl diglycolate , m . p . 95 °- 98 ° c . analysis : calc &# 39 ; d for c 13 h 14 o 5 : c , 62 . 39 ; h , 5 . 64 %. found : c , 62 . 75 ; h , 5 . 80 % b . to a solution of a portion of the product of ( a ) ( 5 g ., 0 . 02 mole ) in dry benzene ( 50 ml .) was added oxalyl chloride ( 5 ml .) followed by one drop of dimethylformamide . when the ensuing evolution of carbon dioxide had ceased , the solution was left to stand at room temperature for an hour . the solvent was removed by evaporation in vacuo , and a solution of the residue in dry benzene was evaporated in vacuo , thereby effecting removal of some moisture from the acid chloride product . the residue was dissolved in dry acetone ( 50 ml . ), and a portion of this solution ( 13 ml .) was slowly added to a solution of cephaloglycin ( 2 . 0 g ., 0 . 005 mole ) in aqueous acetone ( 45 ml ., containing 5 parts water to 4 parts acetone by volume ) containing sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 84 g ., 0 . 01 mole ). after the solution had been stirred at room temperature for 11 / 2 hours , further quantities of sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 42 g .) and aqueous acetone solution of cephaloglycin ( 13 ml .) were added , and stirring was continued for a further 2 hours . the solution was then filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , the resulting gum subsequently being partitioned between aqueous and ethyl acetate phases . to the separated aqueous phase was added sufficient 2n hydrochloric acid to bring it to ph 2 , and the solution was then extracted with ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate phase was washed with water , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , after which the residual solid was washed with dry diethyl ether and dried for several hours in vacuo . infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence was consistent with the product ( 1 . 3 g .) being 7 - d -( α -[ 5 - indanyl ] oxycarbonylmethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . the following 7 - aminocephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by similar procedures to that described in example 26 from cephaloglycin , oxalyl chloride , and the appropriate half - ester in place of mono - 5 - indanyl diglycolate . all the compounds were characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a . a mixture of diglycolic anhydride ( 27 . 9 g .) and methanol ( 6 . 75 ml .) was heated in a steam bath for two hours , and the resulting clear liquid was then submitted to a reduced pressure distillation , the major quantity of distillate collected ( 8 . 5 g .) having a boiling point of 168 °- 172 ° c ./ 12 mms mercury pressure and being monomethyl diglycolate . b . a portion of the product of ( a ) ( 1 . 48 g ., 0 . 01 mole ) was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 5 ml . ), and the solution was added to a solution of carbonyldiimidazole ( 1 . 62 g ., 0 . 01 mole ) in methylene chloride ( 25 ml .) at 10 ° c . evolution of carbon dioxide occurred , after which the solution was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and then added to a solution of cephaloglycin ( 2 g ., 0 . 005 mole ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 5 g ., 0 . 015 mole ) in methylene chloride ( 100 ml .). the reaction solution was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and then evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a gum . a solution of the gum in water ( 50 ml .) was overlayered with ethyl acetate , sufficient 2n hydrochloric acid added to the aqueous phase to bring ot to ph 2 , and the two - phase solution shaken vigorously for several minutes to effect sufficient extraction . the ethyl acetate phase was then separated , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to afford a gum . the latter was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 20 ml . ), and the solution slowly dripped into dry diethyl ether ( 400 ml .) with vigorous stirring . after decanting the volume of ether above the sediment and replacing it with a fresh quantity of dry diethyl ether , the solid was collected by filtration and dried in vacuo for several hours . thin - layer - chromatographic and infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence was consistent with the product ( 0 . 84 g .) being substantially pure 7 - d -( α - methoxycarbonylmethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . by a similar procedure to that described in example 30 , 7 - d -( α -[ n - butyl ] oxycarbonylmethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid was prepared from cephaloglycin , carbonyldiimidazole , diglycolic anhydride and n - butanol in place of methanol . it was characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a mixture of cephaloglycin ( 2 g .) and n , n - diethylcarboxymethoxyacetamide ( 3 . 4 g .) was suspended in water ( 50 ml .) and the ph was adjusted to 7 by addition of 2n sodium hydroxide solution . to the suspension was added 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide hydrochloride , and the ph of the solution was readjusted to 5 . 8 and kept thereat , by periodic addition of small quantities of 2n hydrochloric acid , for 2 hours , after which time the acidity had stabilized . a sufficient quantity of 2n sodium hydroxide solution was then added to neutralize the solution , and the latter was overlayered with ethyl acetate . extraction into the organic layer was achieved by acidifying the lower aqueous layer to ph 2 and shaking the two - phase solution . the organic phase was subsequently separated , washed with water , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a pale yellow solid . this was washed with dry diethyl ether and dried in vacuo for several hours . produced and characterized as such from infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was 2 . 4 g . of 7 - d -( α -[ n , n - diethylcarbamoyl ] methoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . to a stirred suspension of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid ( 1 g ., 0 . 0019 mole ; the product of example 1 ), in phosphate buffer at ph 7 . 0 ( 15 ml .) was added anhydrous sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 35 g .). when all the solid had dissolved , 5 - mercapto - 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazole ( 0 . 38 g ., 0 . 0024 mole ) was added and the mixture was heated in an oil bath at 60 ° c . for 6 hours . the solution was then diluted to a volume of 100 ml . with water , overlayered with ethyl acetate and acidified to ph 2 . 0 with 2n hydrochloric acid . after the two - phase solution had been shaken vigorously for several minutes to effect sufficient extraction , the ethyl acetate phase was separated , washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution , dried with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness . the resulting off - white gum was dissolved in a small quantity of methanol , the solution was dripped into dry diethyl ether , and the resulting precipitate collected by filtration and dried for several hours in vacuo . produced and characterized as such by infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was 7 - d -( α - carbomethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 35 g .). comparsion of its infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra with those of the product of example 22 confirmed its identity with the latter . the following 7 - amino - 3 - substituted - cephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by similar procedures to that described in example 33 from 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid and the appropriate mercapto - substituted tetrazole , thiadiazole or other heterocyclic derivative . all the compounds were characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . ______________________________________example r . sup . 2______________________________________34 1 - phenyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio35 1 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio36 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio37 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 - thiadiazol - 5 - ylthio38 4 , 6 - dimethylpyrimidin - 2 - ylthio39 4 , 5 - dimethylthiazol - 2 - ylthio40 1 , 3 , 5 - triazin - 2 - ylthio41 1 - benzyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio42 pyrimidin - 2 - ylthio______________________________________ to a stirred suspension of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid ( 1 g ., 0 . 0019 mole ), the product of example 1 ) in phosphate buffer at ph 6 ( 30 ml .) was added anhydrous sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 4 g .). when all the solid had dissolved , sodium azide ( 0 . 65 g ., 0 . 01 mole ) was added and the mixture was heated in a water bath at 50 ° c . for 16 hours . the solution was then diluted to a volume of 100 ml . with water , overlayered with ethyl acetate , and acidified to ph 2 with 2n hydrochloric acid . after the two - phase solution had been shaken vigorously for several minutes to effect sufficient extraction , the ethyl acetate phase was separated , washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution , dried with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness . the resulting foam was triturated in diethyl ether to afford an off - white solid ( 0 . 52 g .) which was characterized by infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as 3 - azidomethyl - 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )-. delta . 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid . the following compounds are similarly prepared from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - acylaminoarylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid derivatives : __________________________________________________________________________r . sup . 1 alk . sup . 1 - x - alk . sup . 2 - r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2con ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 23 - cl - 4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 so . sub . 3 hc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 2ch . sub . 2coohc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4coohc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh4 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2 ph ) ch . sub . 2cooh4 - cf . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h__________________________________________________________________________ the following compounds are prepared from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - aminoarylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid , or corresponding 3 - desacetoxy compound , or 3 - heterocyclic thiomethyl compound . __________________________________________________________________________r . sup . 1 r . sup . 2 alk . sup . 1xalk . sup . 2r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2soch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2chch . sub . 2 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooch . sub . 32 - thienyl h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo5 - indanyl2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo - naphthyl2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2con ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 22 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2 ph ) ch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( 4clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3cooh3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh3 - thienyl h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooch . sub . 33 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2so . sub . 2ch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2coo ( 2 - ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h2 - furyl h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2chch . sub . 2 ) ch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( n - c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 ) 2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooch . sub . 34 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2 coo ( 3 - cf . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 3 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh3 - ic . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( 4 - t - c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 4 - fc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 so . sub . 3 h3 - brc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( c . sub . 6 h . sub . 13 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh3 , 4 -( ch . sub . 3 o ). sub . 2 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 3 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh4 - ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2 ph ) ch . sub . 2cooh4 - cf . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - fc . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( 5 - indanyl ) 3 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2con ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 23 - cl - 4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 3 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h2 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2con ( c . sub . 6 h . sub . 13 ). sub . 2c . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 h ch . sub . 2n ( n - c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 ) ch . sub . 2cooh__________________________________________________________________________ the following 7 - amino - 3 - substituted cephalosporanic acid derivatives are prepared by similar procedures to that described in example 33 from appropriate reactants . __________________________________________________________________________r . sup . 1 r . sup . 2 alk . sup . 1xalk . sup . 2r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________2 - thienyl 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2coch . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - thienyl 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 - thiadi - ch . sub . 2coch . sub . 2cooh azol - 5 - ylthio2 - thienyl pyrimidin - 2 - ylthio ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl 4 , 5 - dimethyl - ch . sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2cooh thiazol - 2 - ylthio3 - thienyl 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio3 - thienyl 1 - phenyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2 cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio3 - thienyl 4 , 6 - dimethylpyrimidin - ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3cooh 2 - ylthio3 - thienyl 1 , 3 , 5 - triazin - 2 - ylthio ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - furyl 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - furyl 1 - benzyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - furyl pyrimidin - 2 - ylthio ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 hc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 - oxadi - ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 cooh azol - 5 - ylthio__________________________________________________________________________ to 5 g . of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid sodium salt , dissolved in 250 ml . water and adjusted to ph 7 by addition of 2n aqueous hydroxide solution , was added 1 . 5 g . of a wheat germ esterase ( lipase from wheat germ type 1 , sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo ., u . s . a .) dissolved in 50 ml . water . the ph was continually re - adjusted to 7 by addition of 2n sodium hydroxide and the mixture stirred at room temperature ( 20 ° c .) for 5 hours , by which time hydrolysis was found to be complete , as shown by thin - layer - chromatography . the product was recovered by saturating the solution with sodium chloride , contacting with 250 ml . ethyl acetate , adjusting the ph of the aqueous phase to 2 with 2n aqueous hydrochloric acid solution , cooling to 0 ° c ., filtering the 2 - phase system through &# 34 ; hi - flo &# 34 ;, separating the organic layer , washing the latter with brine and then with water , contacting it with 150 ml . water , adjusting the ph of the aqueous layer to 5 . 5 with 2n sodium hydroxide , separating the aqueous layer and freeze - drying the latter to give 2 . 5 g . of a buff , fluffy solid . the product was recrystallized from methanol / isopropanol and shown to be 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )- 3 - hydroxymethyl -. delta . 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid sodium salt , identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and infra - red spectrography and by thin - layer - chromatography . the procedure of example 46 is repeated , but using as starting materials the sodium salts of the cephalosporanic acid derivaties of examples 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 13 - 19 and 21 , and those compounds of example 44 in which r 2 is ococh 3 and r 3 is cooh or so 3 h , thereby yielding the corresponding 3 - hydroxymethyl - δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acids as sodium salts . the procedure of example 46 and 47 is repeated , but using acetyl citrus esterase extracted from orange peel by known methods ( arch . biochem ., 1947 , 15 , 415 ) instead of wheat germ esterase , and the same results are achieved . | 2 |
the thermal reaction of silver nitrate with vanadium oxide under an air atmosphere is a typical example of the preparation of ε - phase silver vanadium oxide by a decomposition reaction . this reaction is set forth below in equation 1 : 2agno 3 + 2v 2 o 5 → ag 2 v 4 o 11 + 2no x ( 1 ) the physical characteristics of svo material ( i . e . particle morphology , surface area , crystallinity , etc .) produced by this reaction are dependent on the temperature and time of reaction . in addition , the reaction environment has a dramatic effect on the product material . the same reaction of silver nitrate with vanadium oxide conducted under an argon atmosphere produces a γ - phase silver vanadium oxide , as depicted below in equation 2 : 2agno 3 + 2v 2 o 5 → agvo 3 + ag 0 . 8 v 2 o 5 . 4 + 2no x ( 2 ) thus , the synthesis of svo under an inert atmosphere results in the formation of a mixture of silver vanadate ( agvo 3 ) and γ - phase svo ( ag 0 . 8 v 2 o 5 . 4 ) this is described in the above - referenced publication by leising , r . a . ; takeuchi , e . s . chem . mater . 1994 , 6 , 489 - 495 . in contrast , the current invention discloses that reacting a silver - containing material with a vanadium - containing material in a reduced oxygen atmosphere produces a mixed silver vanadium oxide active material . suitable silver - containing starting materials include silver nitrate ( agno 3 ), silver carbonate ( ag 2 co 3 ), silver lactate ( agc 3 h 5 o 3 ), silver triflate ( agcf 3 so 3 ), silver pentafluoropropionate ( agc 3 f 5 o 2 ), silver laurate ( agc 12 h 23 o 2 ), silver myristate ( agcl 4 h 27 o 2 ), silver palmitate ( agc 16 h 31 o 2 ), silver stearate ( agc 18 h 35 o 2 ), silver vanadate ( agvo 5 ), silver oxide ( ag 2 o ) and combinations and mixtures thereof . suitable vanadium - containing compounds include nh 4 vo 3 , agvo 2 , v 2 o 5 , v 2 o 4 , v 6 o 13 , v 2 o 3 , and mixtures thereof . preferably , the silver - containing compound is in a 1 : 2 mole ratio with the vanadium - containing compound . the synthesis is conducted by heating the reactants in a reduced oxygen atmosphere from a temperature of about 200 ° c . to about 550 ° c . a more preferred heating protocol comprises a first heating at a relatively low temperature , followed by a re - mixing then a second heating regime at a series of stepped temperatures , then another grinding step , and a final heating at a temperature above the last heating of the stepped temperatures . for example , after thoroughly mixing silver nitrate and vanadium oxide , they are first heated to about 220 ° c . for about 5 hours . the intermediate product is then ground at ambient prior to re - heating at about 230 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then at about 260 ° c . for about 2 hours , and finally at about 300 ° c . for about 15 hours . the resulting material is again re - ground at ambient prior to a final heating at about 500 ° c . for about 30 hours . the exact heating protocol depends on the specific starting materials . heating times for any of the first , second and final heating steps range from about 30 minutes to about 30 hours . longer heating times are required for lower heating temperatures . also , while the present invention is described as requiring three heating events with intermediate ambient mixing , that is not necessarily imperative . some synthesis protocols according to the present invention may require one heating step with periodic mixing , or multiple heating events with periodic ambient mixing . furthermore , mixing at the heating temperature can be done in addition to the ambient mixing , or in lieu of it . a reduced oxygen atmosphere is defined as one that has a oxygen content ranging from about 1 . 0 % to about 10 . 0 %. a more preferred range is about 1 . 3 % to about 5 . 0 %. the product material possesses a relatively low internal resistance in comparison to svo active material synthesized by a thermal decomposition reaction under an oxidizing atmosphere . [ 0029 ] fig1 shows an exemplary reactor assembly 10 for conducting a synthesis according to the present invention . the reactor assembly includes a stainless steel reaction chamber 12 connected to a hollow stainless steel conduit 14 by a coupling 16 . the reaction chamber 12 is a container of sufficient volume to house a quantity of reactants 18 comprising a silver - containing material and a vanadium - containing material in a 1 : 2 mole ratio needed to produce a sufficient quantity of cathode active material to build a desired number of electochemical cells . the chamber 12 has opposed open ends , one to which the conduit 14 is connected , the other supporting a glass wool plug 20 . the opposite end of the conduit 14 is connected to an electric motor 22 by a coupling 24 . the motor is supported on a base 26 . the conduit 14 is provided with a plurality of openings 28 through its side wall that serve to provide ambient air to the reaction chamber 12 . the chamber 12 and a portion of the conduit 14 are housed inside an oven 30 provided with a vent 32 . the conduit 14 is supported in the side wall of the oven 30 by a bearing 34 so that the motor 22 can impart rotational movement to the conduit and chamber . finally , a plurality of stainless steel ball bearings 36 are provided in the chamber 12 along with the reactants 18 . the purpose of the plug 20 is to prevent the free flow of ambient air through the chamber 12 , and in that manner provide a reduced oxygen atmosphere therein . for example , when the reactants are silver carbonate and vanadium oxide , the former material will give off co 2 as it reacts . this will displace oxygen while the plug 20 prevents the free flow of ambient air into and through the chamber 12 . depending on the reactants , the product cathode active material has about 30 % to about 70 % γ - phase svo , about 30 % to about 70 % ε - phase svo and about 1 % to about 15 % silver metal . the product cathode active material provides an electrochemical cell that possesses sufficient energy density and discharge capacity required to meet the vigorous requirements of implantable medical devices . these types of cells comprise an anode of a metal selected from groups ia , iia and iiib of the periodic table of the elements . such anode active materials include lithium , sodium , potassium , etc ., and their alloys and intermetallic compounds including , for example , li - mg , li - si , li - al , li - b and li - si - b alloys and intermetallic compounds . the preferred anode comprises lithium . an alternate anode comprises a lithium alloy such as a lithium - aluminum alloy . the greater the amount of aluminum present by weight in the alloy , however , the lower the energy density of the cell . the form of the anode may vary , but preferably the anode is a thin metal sheet or foil of the anode metal , pressed or rolled on a metallic anode current collector , i . e ., preferably comprising titanium , titanium alloy or nickel , to form an anode component . copper , tungsten and tantalum are also suitable materials for the anode current collector . in the exemplary cell of the present invention , the anode component has an extended tab or lead of the same material as the anode current collector , i . e ., preferably nickel or titanium , integrally formed therewith such as by welding and contacted by a weld to a cell case of conductive metal in a case - negative electrical configuration . alternatively , the anode may be formed in some other geometry , such as a bobbin shape , cylinder or pellet to allow an alternate low surface cell design . before the previously described cathode active material comprising γ - phase svo , ε - phase svo and silver metal is fabrication into a cathode electrode for incorporation into an electrochemical cell , they are preferably mixed with a binder material , such as a powdered fluoro - polymer , more preferably powdered polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) or powdered polyvinylidene fluoride , present at about 1 to about 5 weight percent of the cathode mixture . further , up to about 10 weight percent of a conductive diluent is preferably added to the cathode mixture to improve conductivity . suitable materials for this purpose include acetylene black , carbon black and / or graphite or a metallic powder such as of nickel , aluminum , titanium and stainless steel . the preferred cathode active mixture thus includes a powdered fluoro - polymer binder present at about 3 weight percent , a conductive diluent present at about 3 weight percent and about 94 weight percent of the cathode active material . for example , depending on the application of the electrochemical cell , the range of cathode compositions is from about 99 % to about 80 %, by weight , of the present cathode active material comprising γ - phase svo , ε - phase svo and silver metal mixed with carbon graphite and ptfe . cathode components for incorporation into an electrochemical cell according to the present invention may be prepared by rolling , spreading or pressing the cathode active materials onto a suitable current collector selected from the group consisting of stainless steel , titanium , tantalum , platinum , gold , aluminum , cobalt - nickel alloys , nickel - containing alloys , highly alloyed ferritic stainless steel containing molybdenum and chromium , and nickel -, chromium - and molybdenum - containing alloys . the preferred current collector material is titanium and , most preferably , the titanium cathode current collector has a thin layer of graphite / carbon material , iridium , iridium oxide or platinum applied thereto . cathodes prepared as described above may be in the form of one or more plates operatively associated with at least one or more plates of anode material , or in the form of a strip wound with a corresponding strip of anode material in a structure similar to a “ jellyroll ”. in order to prevent internal short circuit conditions , the cathode is separated from the group ia , iia or iiib anode by a suitable separator material . the separator is of electrically insulative material , and the separator material also is chemically unreactive with the anode and cathode active materials and both chemically unreactive with and insoluble in the electrolyte . in addition , the separator material has a degree of porosity sufficient to allow flow there through of the electrolyte during the electrochemical reaction of the cell . illustrative separator materials include fabrics woven from fluoropolymeric fibers including polyvinylidine fluoride , polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene , and polyethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene used either alone or laminated with a fluoropolymeric microporous film , non - woven glass , polypropylene , polyethylene , glass fiber materials , ceramics , a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane commercially available under the designation zitex ( chemplast inc . ), a polypropylene membrane commercially available under the designation celgard ( celanese plastic company , inc .) and a membrane commercially available under the designation dexiglas ( c . h . dexter , div ., dexter corp .). the electrochemical cell of the present invention further includes a nonaqueous , ionically conductive electrolyte which serves as a medium for migration of ions between the anode and the cathode electrodes during the electrochemical reactions of the cell . the electrochemical reaction at the electrodes involves conversion of ions in atomic or molecular forms which migrate from the anode to the cathode . thus , nonaqueous electrolytes suitable for the present invention are substantially inert to the anode and cathode materials , and they exhibit those physical properties necessary for ionic transport , namely , low viscosity , low surface tension and wettability . a suitable electrolyte has an inorganic , ionically conductive salt dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent , and more preferably , the electrolyte includes an ionizable alkali metal salt dissolved in a mixture of aprotic organic solvents comprising a low viscosity solvent and a high permittivity solvent . the inorganic , tonically conductive salt serves as the vehicle for migration of the anode ions to intercalate or react with the cathode active material . preferably , the ion forming alkali metal salt is similar to the alkali metal comprising the anode . in the case of an anode comprising lithium , the alkali metal salt of the electrolyte is a lithium based salt . known lithium salts that are useful as a vehicle for transport of alkali metal ions from the anode to the cathode include lipf 6 , libf 4 , liasf 6 , lisbf 6 , liclo 4 , lio 2 , lialcl 4 , ligacl 4 , lic ( so 2 cf 3 ) 3 , lin ( so 2 cf 3 ) 2 , liscn , lio 3 scf 3 , lic 6 f 5 so 3 , lio 2 ccf 3 , liso 6 f , lib ( c 6 h 5 ) 4 , licf 3 so 3 , and mixtures thereof . low viscosity solvents useful with the present invention include esters , linear and cyclic ethers and dialkyl carbonates such as tetrahydrofuran ( thf ), methyl acetate ( ma ), diglyme , trigylme , tetragylme , dimethyl carbonate ( dmc ), 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane ( dme ), 1 , 2 - diethoxyethane ( dee ), 1 - ethoxy , 2 - methoxyethane ( eme ), ethyl methyl carbonate , methyl propyl carbonate , ethyl propyl carbonate , diethyl carbonate , dipropyl carbonate , and mixtures thereof . suitable high permittivity solvents include cyclic carbonates , cyclic esters and cyclic amides such as propylene carbonate ( pc ), ethylene carbonate ( ec ), butylene carbonate ( bc ), acetonitrile , dimethyl sulfoxide , dimethyl , formamide , dimethyl acetamide , γ - valerolactone , γ - butyrolactone ( gbl ), n - methyl - pyrrolidinone ( nmp ), and mixtures thereof . in the present invention , the preferred anode is lithium metal and the preferred electrolyte is 0 . 8m to 1 . 5m liasf 6 or lipf 6 dissolved in a 50 : 50 mixture , by volume , of propylene carbonate as the preferred high permittivity solvent and 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane as the preferred low viscosity solvent . the preferred form of a primary alkali metal / solid cathode electrochemical cell is a case - negative design wherein the anode is in contact with a conductive metal casing and the cathode contacted to a current collector is the positive terminal . the cathode current collector is in contact with a positive terminal pin via a lead of the same material as the current collector . the lead is welded to both the current collector and the positive terminal pin for electrical contact . a preferred material for the casing is titanium although stainless steel , mild steel , nickel - plated mild steel and aluminum are also suitable . the casing header comprises a metallic lid having an opening to accommodate the glass - to - metal seal / terminal pin feedthrough for the cathode electrode . the anode electrode is preferably connected to the case or the lid . an additional opening is provided for electrolyte filling . the casing header comprises elements having compatibility with the other components of the electrochemical cell and is resistant to corrosion . the cell is thereafter filled with the electrolyte solution described hereinabove and hermetically sealed such as by close - welding a titanium plug over the fill hole , but not limited thereto . the cell of the present invention can also be constructed in a case - positive design . the following examples describe the manner and process of an electrochemical cell according to the present invention , and they set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention , but they are not to be construed as limiting . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver nitrate ( agno 3 ): vanadium oxide ( v 2 o 5 ) was mixed and heated in ambient air to about 220 ° c . for about 5 hours . the intermediate product was ground with a mortar and pestle prior to re - heating in ambient air at about 230 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then at about 260 ° c . for about 2 hours , and finally at about 300 ° c . for about 15 hours . the product was again re - ground prior to heating in ambient air at about 500 ° c . for about 30 hours . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver carbonate ( ag 2 co 3 ): vanadium oxide was milled for about 5 minutes using a spex 8000 mill . the mixture was then placed in a beaker and heated in a muffle furnace under a flow of air . a ramp rate of about 20 ° c ./ minute to about 500 ° c . was used for a total of about 9 hours . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver carbonate : vanadium oxide was milled for about 5 minutes using a spex 8000 mill . the mixture was then placed in a 10 cc stainless steel swagelok sample cylinder with three 6 mm stainless steel bearings . this reaction chamber was partially sealed with glass wool plugs and connected to a hollow stainless steel rod containing holes for air flow . the rod / chamber assembly was then rotated inside a muffle furnace at about 210 rpm using an external electric motor for about 20 hours . at the start of rotation , the furnace was heated at about 20 ° c ./ minutes to about 500 ° c . for about 9 hours . the reaction atmosphere was about 94 % co 2 / 6 % air . three electrochemical cells were built , each having a cathode comprising a binder slurry of , by weight , 4 % polyamic acid / 1 % pvdf in nmp prepared at a concentration of about 8 % solids . the slurry was mixed at low shear for about 15 minutes . a powder mixture consisting essentially of , by weight , 91 % svo from the respective examples 1 to 3 and about 5 % carbonaceous diluent was dry milled to a homogeneous mixture . the milled solids were then added to the previously mixed binder slurry with a second low shear mixing step for about 10 minutes . the resulting cathode slurry was coated onto an aluminum current collector foil using a doctor blade . upon drying , the cathode was cured according to the following heating protocol : about 140 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then about 200 ° c . for about 30 minutes , and finally about 350 ° c . for about one hour . test cells 1 , 2 and 3 according to examples 1 to 3 were assembled using a punched cathode of the respective svo materials contacted to an aluminum current collector foil . the cathodes were electrically associated with an lithium metal anode ( nickel current collector screen ) to give an active area of approximately 2 cm 2 for each cell . each test cell was activated with an electrolyte of 1m liasf 6 dissolved in pc / dme = 1 : 1 . test cells 1 , 2 and 3 were discharged using a series of four 1 , 200 ma / cc cathode volume for a duration of 10 seconds , the pulses being separated from each other by 15 seconds . the data from one train of this pulse discharge protocol was used to construct the graph of fig2 . in particular , curves 40 , 42 and 44 were constructed from respective test cells 1 to 3 . as shown , test cell 3 assembled with a cathode having svo synthesized with the rotation treatment had the least amount of dc resistance . test cells 1 to 3 were then discharged using a series of four 300 ma / g svo pulses for a duration of 10 seconds . the cells were rested at open circuit voltage for 30 minutes after each pulse train of four pulses , the pulses being separated from each other by 15 seconds . this pulsing protocol was repeated until cell voltage reached 1 . 0 v . results of the 300 ma / g svo pulse discharge are presented in the graphs of fig3 to 7 . in fig3 , curve 50 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 1 , curve 52 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 4 , curve 54 is the pulse 1 minima voltage and curve 56 is the pulse 4 minima voltage . in fig4 respective curves 60 , 62 , 64 and 66 are those for the discharge of test cell 2 and , in fig5 respective curves 70 , 72 , 74 and 76 are those for the discharge of test cell 3 . [ 0052 ] fig5 overlays the discharge data presented in fig3 and 4 for the svo material of test cells 1 and 2 ( examples 1 and 2 ). similarly , fig6 overlays the discharge data presented in fig3 and 5 for the svo material of test cells 1 and 3 ( examples 1 and 3 ). again , the largest improvement in cell resistance is for that of test cell 3 ( example 3 ), which included the svo synthesized under the rotation treatment . thus , lithium cells made with this svo material display improved performance toward rate capability . additional experiments were performed to further investigate resistance characteristics of svo produced in a reaction chamber having reduced air atmosphere . these include synthesizing svo in a tube furnace under a reduced air atmosphere using a carbon dioxide / air mixture . a test was also done to discharge the svo to measure degree of product crystallinity . a 1 : 1 molar ratio of silver nitrate : vanadium oxide was mixed and heated in ambient air to about 220 ° c . for about 5 hours . the intermediate product was ground with a mortar and pestle prior to re - heating in ambient air at about 230 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then at about 260 ° c . for about 2 hours , and finally at about 300 ° c . for about 15 hours . the product was again re - ground prior to heating in ambient air at about 500 ° c . for about 30 hours . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver carbonate : vanadium oxide was milled for about 5 minutes using a spex 8000 mill . the mixture was then placed in an aluminum pan and heated in a tube furnace under a flow of carbon dioxide and air ( about 94 % co 2 / 6 % air ). a ramp rate of about 20 ° c ./ minute to about 500 ° c . was used for a total of about 9 hours . test cells 4 and 5 containing the respective svo materials of examples 4 and 5 were assembled in an identical manner as test cells 1 to 3 described above . test cells 4 and 5 were discharged in a similar manner as the 300 ma / g svo pulse discharge regime described above until cell voltage reached 1 . 0 v . the pulse discharge results are presented in the graphs of fig8 . for test cell 4 , curve 80 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 1 , curve 82 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 4 , curve 84 is the pulse 1 minima voltage and curve 86 is the pulse 4 minima voltage . similarly , curves 90 , 92 , 94 and 96 are those for the discharge of test cell 5 . as shown by the graphs , test cell 5 assembled with a cathode having svo synthesized under the carbon dioxide / air mixture had a lower dc resistance than that of test cell 4 containing svo synthesized in an ambient air atmosphere . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 4 . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 5 . example 8 an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 5 except the furnace contained a flow of carbon dioxide and air of about 84 % co 2 / 16 % air . test cells 6 to 8 containing the respective svo materials of examples 6 to 8 were assembled in an identical manner as test cells 1 to 3 described above . test cells 6 to 8 were then discharged using a series of four 400 ma / g svo pulses for a duration of 10 seconds . the cells were rested at open circuit voltage for 30 minutes after each pulse train of four pulses , the pulses being separated from each other by 15 seconds . this pulsing protocol was repeated until cell voltage reached 1 . 0 v . the pulse discharge results are presented in the graph of fig9 . for test cell 6 , curve 100 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 1 , curve 102 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 4 , curve 104 is the pulse 1 minima voltage and curve 106 is the pulse 4 minima voltage . similarly , curves 110 , 112 , 114 and 116 are those for the discharge of test cell 7 , and curves 120 , 122 , 124 and 126 are those for the discharge of test cell 8 . as shown in fig9 test cells 7 and 8 assembled with cathodes having svo synthesized under the respective carbon dioxide / air mixtures again showed a lower dc resistance than that of test cell 6 containing svo synthesized in an ambient air atmosphere . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 4 . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 3 . test cells 9 to 11 containing the respective svo materials of examples 9 to 11 were assembled in an identical manner as test cells 1 to 3 described above . test cells 9 to 11 were then discharged at a constant current of 0 . 5 ma ( current density = 30 ma / g of svo ) to a voltage of 1 . 0 v . the discharge results are presented in the graph of fig1 where curves 130 , 140 , and 150 are of respective test cells 9 to 11 . test cells 9 to 11 containing cathodes synthesized using the reaction chamber ( fig1 ) had a slightly lower amount of capacity . this along with cathodes made with svo synthesized under carbon dioxide / air atmosphere suggests a product with higher crystallinity samples of svo prepared by heating a silver - containing compound with a vanadium - containing compound in a co 2 / air - oxygen atmosphere showed larger peak intensity in x - ray diffraction analysis when compared to svo prepared from the same starting materials and synthesized in ambient air . typically , larger peak intensities indicate a higher percentage of crystallinity for powdered active materials this means that the crystals of the present active material are larger and more ordered than those of the prior art techniques . it is appreciated that various modifications to the inventive concepts described herein may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
fig1 roughly schematically shows a section through a device for wort boiling according to the disclosure . the device comprises an inlet 5 for lauter wort to which preferably an isomerized hop product , e . g . an extract , and / or a common hop product are supplied . in the housing 2 , which preferably has a hollow cylindrical design , there are located heating surfaces 3 a to 3 n arranged one above another in the manner of a cascade . here , the heating surfaces are embodied as conically tapering conical surfaces the points of which face upwards . to heat the heating surfaces 3 , these can be embodied as double - walled shield through the interior of which e . g . hot steam or a heat transfer medium , e . g . water or high pressure hot water , can be conducted . for this , the heating surface can comprise a corresponding non - depicted inlet and outlet for the heat transfer medium . the different heating surfaces 3 a to 3 n arranged one above the other can be either connected to a common heating circuit or else be heatable to different temperatures or pressures , respectively . then , different phases of wort boiling can be performed in one device , such as heating , boiling with or without stripping . in this embodiment , a buffer region 7 is arranged in the lower region of each heating surface 3 , which is here embodied as surrounding chute . the wort can then be conducted , as represented by the arrows , from this buffer region 7 to the next heating surface 3 b located thereunder via a guide means 4 . for this , for example openings can be embodied in the buffer region 7 . as is represented in particular in fig2 , the buffer region can also be embodied as overflow over which the wort flows towards the guide means 4 when a predetermined level is reached . here , the conducting means 4 is also embodied as surface conically tapering downwards in the center of which , for example , an opening 8 is located via which the wort is conducted directly or via a connecting pipe ( not shown ) to the center m of the housing 2 to the heating surface 3 b located thereunder . it is possible for the guide means 4 to be also heatable to thus additionally heat the wort . in the process , the guide means 4 can be also embodied as a double - walled shield . the angle α of the heating surface 3 with respect to a horizontal is approximately between 4 and 45 degrees . the flatter the course of the heating surface , the longer the residence time of the wort in the device . the heating surfaces 3 as well as the guide means 4 are fixed to the housing 2 by means of non - depicted fixing elements . in fig1 , the points of the conical heating surfaces 3 face upwards , so that the wort flows on the outer surface downwards , e . g . to the buffer 7 . however , as can be taken from fig3 , it is also possible for the heating surfaces 3 to be arranged such that the point faces downwards , i . e . towards the wort drain 6 , the heating surface 3 then comprising an opening in its center via which the wort then flows to the guide means 4 , which is here also embodied as preferably heated conical surface and can also comprise a corresponding surrounding buffer 7 . then , the wort flows to the next heating surface 3 . the heating surface shown in fig3 and the guide means then alternate . preferably , at least two heating surfaces are arranged one above the other to ensure sufficient heat supply . the device 1 can also comprise a non - depicted outlet for vapor . the device furthermore comprises a wort drain 6 via which the boiled wort can be supplied , for example , to hot break separation . the device preferably comprises a pressure tight housing 2 in which the pressure can be adjusted by corresponding non - depicted means , such as a pump , pressure gauge , valves . in this case , the pressure can be brought to a vacuum , normal pressure or overpressure . it is possible for the wort at the heating surfaces to be brought to temperatures of 97 - 100 ° c . at normal pressure in the device , at a vacuum to a temperature of 88 - 92 ° c ., and at overpressure to temperatures of up to 110 ° c . as can be taken in particular from fig4 , several , in this case three , devices 1 a , b , c can be connected in series . in this case , the wort discharged via the outlet 6 a is supplied to the wort inlet 5 b of the subsequent device . thus , the wort in the different devices can be , for example , heated to different temperatures . in a first phase in the device 1 a , the wort is e . g . heated . in a further device 1 b , the wort is boiled in a second phase , and in a third device 1 c , flavors , for example dms , can then evaporate in a third phase . the temperatures to which the wort is heated depend , as described before , on the pressure in the device and are adapted to the certain phase . it is , for example , also possible that in one device 1 , the wort is conducted over the heating surfaces 3 at an elevated pressure , e . g . 2 bar , and then a release at normal pressure or vacuum takes place in a means that is arranged downstream . this means arranged downstream can then be e . g . again a device 1 with heating surfaces arranged one above the other in the manner of a cascade . though it is not shown , several devices can also be arranged in parallel . fig5 shows another embodiment according to the present disclosure . here , the wort boiling system comprises a wort heating 9 which is provided for continuously heating the wort to approximately 72 - 99 ° c . such a means can be realized , for example , by a plate heat exchanger . subsequently , the wort is continuously supplied to a first device 1 for continuous wort boiling which comprises several substantially conically tapering heating surfaces arranged one above the other in the manner of a cascade . heat is still supplied to the wort by the heating surfaces 3 . via the wort drain 6 , the wort is here continuously supplied to a tank 10 which is here realized in the form of a stratified storage . the residence time in this stratified storage is approximately 15 to 30 , preferably 20 minutes . at the bottom end of the stratified storage , the wort is discharged and can be again fed to a device 1 with substantially conically tapering heating surfaces 3 arranged one above the other in the manner of a cascade , so that the wort is set in motion , so that wort ingredients , such as protein and tannin compounds , can precipitate and undesired flavors evaporate . the finished boiled wort can then be conducted to a means for hot break separation . that means , according to the method according to the disclosure , the wort is continuously supplied to the device 1 for wort boiling and continuously conducted over the heating surfaces , where the wort simultaneously exits continuously from the means 1 via the outlet 6 . due to the large heating surfaces , the heating temperature of the heat transfer medium can be reduced to 104 - 120 ° c ., compared to conventional wort boiling . due to the fact that heat is continuously supplied to the means for wort boiling , peaks as they occur in conventional wort coppers can be avoided . moreover , the set - up time is eliminated , so that the process time can be optimized . the use of isomerized hop extract is particularly advantageous , as here the boiling time can be considerably reduced . | 2 |
the distilled mha obtained from the condenser is almost colorless , partially crystalline at room temperature and surprisingly turns out to be totally free of dimers and higher oligomers . the dark brown bottom product includes hardly any monomeric mha . it consists mainly of dimers and oligomers in a total amount that increases only insignificantly during the course of the distillation . thus , the deterioration of the product that is expected according to the state of the art does not occur during distillation according to the invention . in addition , it was found that commercial mha solutions can also be distilled advantageously in accordance with the invention . aqueous solutions with an 88 - 90 % by weight mha content are advantageously distilled in a two - stage distillation apparatus , having a film evaporator and a short - path evaporator , as shown in fig2 . the water is separated off essentially in the first stage film evaporator the highly - concentrated mha obtained in the bottom runoff of the first evaporator can be distilled as described above so that essentially only the dimer and oligomer component already present remains as bottom product . on the other hand , the mha monomer component present is separated off as an oligomer - free distillate with a very pale clear color . the iodine color indices ( ifz ) of the distillates of 4 to 5 are much more favorable than the iodine color indices of up to 315 measured for the non - distilled commercial products . in addition to the superb color properties and the absence of the undesired dimer components and oligomer components ( dim + oli ) in the primary product , the mha produced in accordance with the invention and the mha mixed products produced from it surprisingly have a distinctly better stability in storage in comparison to the corresponding products described in de - os 19524054 . this can be recognized in that a highly - concentrated mha distilled in accordance with the invention has a distinctly lower equilibrium component after approximately 120 days storage with 40 molar % dim + oli ( fig3 ) than a non - distilled , highly - concentrated mha according to de - os 19524054 analogously stored with an equilibrium component of approximately 53 molar % dim + oli . the adjustment of the equilibrium takes place in a retarded manner in the case of the mha distilled in accordance with the invention . this extends the availability range of a product with a high monomeric component in a favorable manner . a similar favorable effect on the position of equilibrium was surprisingly also able to be determined in a dilution product of distilled mha and water . the distilled mha diluted to the commercial concentration of 88 % by weight had , after approximately 90 days of storage , an oligomer component in the equilibrium mixture of only 20 molar % dim + oli ( fig4 ) in comparison to the commercial product with 26 molar % dim + oli according to de - os 19524054 . a surprisingly even greater reduction of the oligomer content can be observed in the production of a mixed product consisting of mha and methionine ( met ) starting from the distilled mha produced here . a solution produced in this manner and consisting of 78 % mha + 10 % met in water has , with only 13 molar % dim + oli in equilibrium after more than 90 days storage ( see fig5 ), an oligomer component that is again distinctly lower in comparison to commercial mha 88 and in comparison to the mha 78 %+ 10 % met with 20 molar % dim + oli produced according to de - os 19524054 . the mixtures mha 78 %+ 10 % mha - nh 4 ( ammonium salt ) and mha 69 %+ 19 % mha - nh 4 containing mha - nh 4 salt ( see fig6 and 7 ) have , with only 12 and 11 molar % dim + oli after 30 days storage at 40 ° c ., even lower values in equilibrium and a distinct improvement compared to the mha 78 %+ 10 % mha - nh 4 mixture with 20 molar % of non - distilled highly - concentrated mha according to de - os 19524054 . in addition , iodine color indices of only 2 . 5 to 4 are found in mha 88 as well as in mha / met and mha / mha - nh 4 solutions with 88 % by weight active - substance content , which indices are far more favorable than in the previously available commodity . all the products named here remain clear liquids with almost unchanged color values even after more than 230 days of storage . the viscosity properties of mha formulations are as a rule advantageously influenced by the preceding distillation stage ( see fig8 - 11 ). thus , a viscosity value clearly below the viscosity range of the available commercial products of 61 to 122 mm 2 / s was found for mha 88 from distilled mha with 50 mm 2 / s ( fig9 ). mha / met as well as mha / mha - nh 4 mixtures are in the same viscosity range , given otherwise improved properties ( fig1 and 11 ). stored mha distillate has , with 402 mm 2 / s ( fig8 ), a viscosity value below stored non - distilled highly - concentrated mha of 517 mm 2 / s in accordance with de - os 19524054 . the lower oligomer component of stored distilled mha is an extraordinary advantage because the viscosity is reduced and thus the handling properties are improved as well as improving the ability to pump and transport the mha . even more significant is the distinct improvement of the biological quality due to the amount , which is significantly higher in the equilibrium mixture , of monomeric mha in mha 88 and in mha / mha - nh 4 mixtures as well as of monomeric mha + methionine in mha 78 %+ 10 % met , in comparison to the previously available products . the oligomer component can even be held substantially below 10 molar % if the product is used within only a few days , which results in a further increase of the biological quality . further advantages are the greater purity and the distinctly clearer color , which result in greater product acceptance by the producers of high - grade fodder . in addition thereto , the highly - concentrated mha distilled in accordance with the invention is very well suited for the production of d , l - mha pharmaceutical goods and corresponding pharmaceutical formulations such as the initially cited mha calcium salt for the treatment of renal insufficiency . in this instance the previously customary purification process , which included several stages such as oligomer splitting , extraction and purification of the calcium salt by expensive crystallization , can be eliminated . a simple neutralization of the mha distillate in accordance with the invention with a suitable calcium base , such as e . g . calcium hydroxide , and the subsequent drying is sufficient in this instance to achieve the required product quality . the distillation in accordance with the invention in combination with a short residence time in e . g . a short - path evaporator makes it possible to make available a high - purity mha and , at the same time , an improved mha product distinguished by greater purity and greater storage stability as well as by greater biological quality when used as fodder additive . the combination of the distillation of the invention with a method of producing mha described in de - os 19524054 is especially advantageous . the mha formulations which are stable in storage are directly produced thereby in a corresponding total method as is shown in fig1 starting from 3 - methylmercaptopropionaldehyde ( mmp ) and hydrogen cyanide ( hcn ). in addition , the high - purity method found here can also be used with the currently commercially available 88 - 90 % mha solutions and basically also with any other mha - containing solution in order to produce the corresponding improved mha from them . according to the invention the bottom products accumulating during the distillation and consisting primarily of undesired mha dimers and oligomers do not have to be discarded . rather , there is the possibility of converting these mha dimers and oligomers , hydrolytically by a simple dilution with water , to a suitable concentration of 10 to 90 % by weight and optionally , with the addition of suitable amounts of acid , especially of sulfuric acid , and by simply heating them hydrolytically to a temperature of 50 to 140 ° c ., into the mha monomer and then purifying the mea monomer by distillation . such mha regeneration and recycling can be realized in an especially elegant manner in an appropriate re - circulation process in which the bottom product of the distillation is continuously supplied to an appropriate ester hydrolysis stage and the mha ester hydrolyzate , rich in mha monomers , is subsequently returned into the distillation stage . in this instance too the combination with an mha process , such as the one described in de - os 19524054 , is especially advantageous since the bottom product can be returned into the stage of the sulfuric - acid hydrolysis of mha amide which must be carried out ( see path a ) in fig1 ). the mha ester component , which as a rule does not comprise more than 25 molar % and is to be hydrolyzed in addition , can be reduced without problems , as shown by tests 1 and 2 in example 7 , within this stage to the customary dimer and oligomer component of approximately 5 to 15 molar %. it is possible to add the distillation bottom before the beginning of the hydrolysis stage or at any later time desired during the reaction to the mha hydrolyzate already formed up to that point . the amide hydrolysis stage is only insignificantly loaded thereby and an additional hydrolysis stage can be eliminated . the amount of regenerated mha from the distillation bottom is supplied together with the product stream via extraction and evaporation back to the distillation stage . however , it is just as possible to hydrolyze the dimeric and oligomeric mha ester acids in an additional step ( see path b ) in fig1 ). in order to accelerate the reaction , which can also be carried out autocatalytically , it is especially advantageous in this instance to add small amounts of acid , especially mineral acids such as hcl or h 3 po 4 , but preferably h 2 so 4 , as is made clear in example 7 , test 3 . the use of acidic ion exchangers is also possible in this connection , as test 4 in example 7 shows , in which instance the advantage resides in the fact that no additional acid is entrained into the distillation stage . the last - named variant is mainly to be used if a start is to be made from commercial mha product . the mha distillation and the recovery of monomeric mha from the mha bottom product can thus also be a component of the total mha method shown in fig1 for producing high - purity mha formulations which are stable in storage . both an mha distillation method with mha bottom - product regeneration and the previously cited total method operate practically without mha losses even though a highly purified monomeric mha is produced as final product . this represents a special advantage , particularly from the viewpoints of economy and modern ecology . the following preparative examples clarify the subject matter of the invention further : the contents of mha monomer and methionine were quantitatively determined in the process solutions by hplc by means of a comparison with an external standard ( pure substance ). no distinction can be made analytically thereby between the monomer as free acid and the optional monomeric component also present as mha - nh 4 salt . the mha - nh 4 component is calculated in this instance from the nh 4 content . the content of mha total = mha monomer + mha ( dimers + oligomers )+ methionine ( optional )+ mha - nh 4 ( optional ) was determined by titrimetric determination of the thioether function with kbr / kbro 3 standard solution and expressed as the sum of the corresponding mha monomer equivalents in (% by weight ) and ( g ) and ( mol ) and ( molar %). the content of mha dimers + mha oligomers ( dim + oli ) was determined by calculating the difference of mha total and mha monomer (+ optional methionine ) and expressed as a sum of the corresponding mha monomer equivalents in (% by weight ) and ( g ) and ( mol ) and ( molar %). the water content was determined by titration according to karl - fischer , and the sulfate content and ammonium content were determined by ion chromatography according to standard methods . the iodine color index ( ifz ) was determined according to din 6162 . fig1 shows , schematically the apparatus used for example 1 , having the following arrangement : an industrial metallic short - path evaporator 1 with 0 . 35 m 2 exchange surface , heated double jacket and tempered condensation surface is provided with a container 4 for receiving distillation product and a container 5 for receiving bottom product . condenser 2 of vacuum system 3 for producing a high vacuum are also part of the evaporator system . mha concentrate is fed into evaporator 1 through pipe 6 and any vapors are collected from exit pipe 7 . 8 . 9 kg / h highly - concentrated mha was fed from an evaporation system for obtaining highly - concentrated mha from an mibk - mha extract solution ( analogously to de - os 19524054 ) into short - path evaporator 1 through pipe 6 . 7 . 4 kg / h mha distillate was obtained in container 4 and 1 . 4 kg / h bottom product was obtained in container 5 . the test parameters are set forth in the following table : ______________________________________infeed into short - path evaporator 1 : inflow rate of highly - concentrated mha : 8 . 9 kg / h composition of highly - concentrated mha : mha total 99 . 6 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 84 . 6 % by weight 84 . 9 molar % mha dim + oli 15 . 0 % by weight 15 . 1 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 . 2 % by weight so . sub . 4 0 . 2 % by weight . evaporation pressure : 0 . 1 hpa in evaporator 1 temperatures : in the inflow stream 60 ° c . in the heating jacket 125 ° c . in the condenser 45 ° c . in the bottom runoff 108 ° c . product amounts : & lt ; 0 . 1 kg / h in the cooling trap 2 1 . 4 kg / h in the bottom runoff with 99 . 8 % by weight mha total 7 . 4 kg / h mha distillate in product container 4 with the following composition : mha total 99 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 99 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha dim + oli 0 % by weight 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o & lt ; 0 . 1 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight______________________________________ mha 88 commercial product ( alimet ™ or rhodimet at88 ™) was fed continuously into film evaporator 8 having 0 . 06 m 2 exchange surface , which was provided with a water coated glass condenser 9 . water obtained during the evaporation was collected in container 10 . the bottom runoff product was continuously supplied to short - path evaporator 12 , having 0 . 05 m 2 exchange surface . mha distillate evaporated therein was collected in product container 15 . bottom product containing mha dimers and -- oligomers was collected in bottom product container 16 . ______________________________________test 1 infeed into film evaporator 8 : inflow rate alimet ™ ( novus ): 0 . 196 kg / h composition : mha total 88 . 6 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 67 . 7 % by weight 76 . 4 molar % mha dim + oli 20 . 9 % by weight 23 . 6 molar % h . sub . 2 o 11 . 4 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 . 9 % by weight ifz 24 evaporation pressure : 24 hpa in evaporator 8 temperatures : in the inflow stream 29 ° c . in the heating jacket 140 ° c . vapors 50 ° c . evaporation pressure : 0 . 2 hpa in evaporator 12 temperatures : in the inflow stream ˜ 120 ° c . in the heating jacket 155 ° c . in the condenser 40 ° c . product amounts : 0 . 035 kg / h condensate in container 10 0 kg / h condensate in condenser 13 0 . 113 kg / h mha distillate in product container 15 has the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha dim + oli 0 % by weight 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight ifz 50 . 038 kg / h bottom product in container 16 has the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 14 . 0 % by weight 14 . 0 molar % mha dim + oli 86 . 0 % by weight 86 . 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 4 . 6 % by weighttest 2 infeed into film evaporator 8 : inflow rate alimet ™ ( novus ): 0 . 24 kg / h composition : mha total 88 . 6 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 67 . 7 % by weight 76 . 4 molar % mha dim + oli 20 . 9 % by weight 23 . 6 molar % h . sub . 2 o 11 . 4 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 . 9 % by weight ifz 24 evaporation pressure : 24 hpa in evaporator 8 temperatures : in the inflow stream 26 ° c . in the heating jacket 140 ° c . vapors 47 ° c . evaporation pressure : 0 . 2 hpa in evaporator 12 temperatures : in the inflow stream ˜ 120 ° c . in the heating jacket 155 ° c . in the condenser 40 ° c . product amounts : 0 . 042 kg / h condensate in container 10 0 kg / h condensate in condenser 13 0 . 129 kg / h mha distillate in product container 15 with the following composition : mha total 99 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 99 . 4 % by weight 99 . 5 molar % mha dim + oli 0 . 5 % by weight 0 . 5 molar % h . sub . 2 o & lt ; 0 . 1 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight ifz 50 . 050 kg / h bottom product in container 16 with the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 8 . 0 % by weight 8 . 0 molar % mha dim + oli 92 . 0 % by weight 92 . 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 4 . 3 % by weighttest 3 infeed into film evaporator 8 : inflow rate rhodimet at88 ™ ( rhone poulenc ): 0 . 123 kg / h composition : mha total 89 . 0 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 67 . 5 % by weight 75 . 8 molar % mha dim + oli 21 . 5 % by weight 24 . 2 molar % h . sub . 2 o 10 . 6 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 1 . 39 % by weight ifz 315 evaporation pressure : 24 hpa in evaporator 8 temperatures : in the inflow stream 28 ° c . in the heating jacket 140 ° c . vapors 44 ° c . evaporation pressure : 0 . 4 hpa in evaporator 12 temperatures : in the inflow stream ˜ 120 ° c . in the heating jacket 155 ° c . in the condenser 40 ° c . product amounts : 0 . 013 kg / h condensate in container 10 0 kg / h condensate in cooling trap 13 0 . 057 kg / h mha distillate in product container 15 with the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha dim + oli 0 % by weight 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight ifz 3 . 50 . 035 kg / h bottom product in container 16 with the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 42 . 0 % by weight 42 . 0 molar % mha dim + oli 58 . 0 % by weight 58 . 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 4 . 8 % by weight______________________________________ 800 g mha hydrolyzate ( 37 . 4 % by weight mha total , with 10 . 7 molar % dim + oli ) produced analogously to the method of de - os 19524054 , example 3 , was extracted in a separating funnel with 480 g methylisobutylketone and the extraction solution was washed with 50 g water . the extraction solution was evaporated on a rotary evaporator in a water - jet vacuum . the oily evaporation residue consisting of 91 . 2 % by weight mha total with 81 . 9 molar % mha monomers and 18 . 1 molar % mha dim - oli was distilled in a fractionating procedure via a distillation bridge in an oil pump vacuum : 0 . 5 g mha distillate in the receiving flask with the following composition : ______________________________________mha total 97 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 86 . 8 % by weight 88 . 6 molar % mha dim + oli & lt ; 0 . 1 % by weight & lt ; 0 . 1 molar % ______________________________________ 246 g bottom product in the distillation flask with the following composition : ______________________________________mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 8 . 7 % by weight 8 . 7 molar % mha dim + oli 92 . 3 % by weight 92 . 3 molar % ______________________________________ mha distillate with a content of 99 . 9 % by weight mha total was produced similarly to example 1 . 88 . 0 g ( 0 . 59 mol ) fresh mha distillate from example 1 was diluted in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 12 . 0 g water to a mha total concentration of 88 . 0 % by weight . 78 . 0 g ( 0 . 52 mol ) mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 1 was mixed in a beaker , with magnetic stirring under agitation , with 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 067 mol ) & gt ; 99 % d , l - methionine and 12 . 0 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby with the following composition : 88 . 0 % by weight mha total = 78 . 0 % by weight mha monomer + 10 . 0 % by weight methionine 12 . 0 % by weight water . mha distillate with a content of 100 % by weight mra total was produced according to example 2 , test 1 . 44 . 0 g ( 0 . 29 mol ) 100 % mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 was diluted in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer with 6 . 0 g water to a concentration of 88 . 0 % by weight mha total : ifz 4 . 39 . 0 g ( 0 . 26 mol ) 100 % mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 was mixed in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 5 . 0 g ( 0 . 034 mol ) & gt ; 99 % d , l - methionine and 6 . 0 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby , with the following composition : 88 . 0 % by weight mha total = 78 . 0 % by weight mha monomer + 10 . 0 % by weight methionine 12 . 0 % by weight water ifz 2 . 5 60 . 0 g ( 0 . 40 mol ) mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 , was mixed in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 2 . 26 g ( 0 . 040 mol ) 30 . 5 % ammonia solution and 6 . 71 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby , with the following analytic composition : ______________________________________mha total 87 . 0 % by weight nh . sub . 4 . sup .+ 1 . 08 % by weight corresponding to mha monomer 78 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) + mha - nh . sub . 4 10 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) water approximately 12 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) ifz 2 . 5______________________________________ 60 . 0 g ( 0 . 40 mol ) mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 was mixed in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 4 . 58 g ( 0 . 082 mol ) 30 . 5 % ammonia solution and 5 . 19 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby , with the following composition : ______________________________________mha total 86 . 0 % by weight nh . sub . 4 . sup .+ 2 . 0 % by weight corresponding to mha monomer 69 . 26 % by weight ( calc .) + mha - nh . sub . 4 18 . 63 % by weight ( calc .) water 12 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) ifz 2 . 0______________________________________ mha distillate with a content of 100 % by weight mha total was produced analogously with example 2 , test 3 . the products used in fig3 to 7 were each stored in a closed glass container without agitation at the temperatures indicated there for a period of up to over 230 days . specimens were taken at regular intervals and the content of mha total , mha monomers , mha ( dimers + oligomers ) as well as optionally met determined ( see the methods indicated above ). mha distillate which was produced according to example 4 , test 1 , has after approximately 120 days of storage at 25 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 88 which was produced according to example 4 , test 2 , has after approximately 90 days of storage at 40 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 78 + 10 met which was produced according to example 4 , test 3 has after approximately 90 days of storage at 25 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 78 + 10 mha - nh 4 which was produced according to example 4 , test 7 , has after approximately 6 days of storage at 40 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 which was produced according to example 4 , test 8 , has after approximately 6 days of storage at 40 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of a comparison of fig3 to 7 shows a decrease of the equilibrium components of undesired mha ( dimers + oligomers ) components in the mha formulations in the series mha distillate , mha 88 , mha 78 + 10 met , mha 78 + 10 mha - nh 4 , mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 . all mha formulations cited here have more favorable mha ( dimers + oligomers ) components than the corresponding formulations in de - os 19524054 . all 88 % formulations have much more favorable mha ( dimers + oligomers ) components than commercial mha 88 product . the kinematic viscosities were determined , as can be seen in fig8 to 11 , using a viscosimeter of the cannon fenske opaque type according to the iso 3105 - 1976 method as a function of the temperature for the following mha qualities : mha distillate produced according to example 4 , test 1 , and storage at 25 ° c . for & gt ; 230 days according to example 5 corresponding to curve 1 in fig8 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 402 mm 2 / s mha distillate freshly produced according to example 4 , test 4 , corresponding to curve 2 in fig8 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 555 mm 2 / s mha distillate freshly produced according to example 4 , test 9 , corresponding to curve 3 in fig8 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 717 mm 2 / s mha 88 freshly produced according to example 4 , test 5 , corresponding to curve 4 in fig9 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 50 mm 2 / s mha 88 , commercial product alimet ™ ( novus ), corresponding to curve 5 in fig9 viscosity ( 25 ° c .) : 61 mm 2 / s mha 88 , commercial product rhodimet at 88 ™ ( rhone poulenc ), corresponding to curve 6 in fig9 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 122 mm 2 / s mha78 + 10 mha - nh 4 freshly produced according to example 4 , test 7 , corresponding to curve 7 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 74 mm 2 / s mha 78 + 10 mha - nh 4 produced according to example 4 , test 7 , and storage at 40 ° c . for 30 days according to example 5 , corresponding to curve 8 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 79 mm 2 / s mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 freshly produced according to example 4 , test 8 , corresponding to curve 9 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 96 mm 2 / s mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 produced according to example 4 , test 8 , and storage at 40 ° c . for 30 days according to example 5 , corresponding to curve 10 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 100 mm 2 / s mha 78 + 10 met produced according to example 4 , test 3 , and storage at 25 ° c . for & gt ; 230 days according to example 5 , corresponding to curve 11 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 113 mm 2 / s mha 78 + 10 met freshly produced according to example 4 , test 6 , corresponding to curve 12 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 122 mm 2 / s as a comparison of the viscosity values at 25 ° c . shows , the viscosities of the highly concentrated mha &# 39 ; s are distinctly greater than those of the other mha formulations . the longer storage induces a drop in the viscosities ( see fig8 to 11 ). mha 88 from freshly distilled high concentrate has by far the most favorable viscosity value of 50 mm 2 / s , which is also below the viscosity range of 61 - 122 mm 2 / s of the commercial product ( see fig9 ). the viscosities of the ( mha + mha - nh 4 ) mixtures are at the lower edge to the middle of the viscosity range ( see fig1 ) and those of the ( mha + met ) mixtures on the upper edge of the viscosity range of the commercial product ( see fig1 ) and are thus comparable in this respect to the commercial products . 14 . 33 g ( 0 . 095 mol ) 65 % by weight h 2 so 4 were placed in a 100 ml three - neck flask with reflux condenser , internal thermometer and magnetic stirrer at 25 ° c . and 13 . 43 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) 97 . 7 % 4 - methylthio - 2 - hydroxybutyric - acid nitrile ( mmp - cyanohydrin ) was added dropwise under agitation within 5 min . the reaction mixture was agitated 60 min further at 50 ° c . and the sulfuric - acid mha - amide solution produced thereby subsequently mixed with 3 . 73 g ( 0 . 025 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 , and with 17 . 59 g water . the homogeneous solution with a content of 38 % by weight mha total was heated within 15 min to 108 ° c . to a boil and agitated another 105 min at this temperature . the analytically determined composition of the solution varied with time as follows : ______________________________________time mha amide mha monomer dim + oli ( min ) ( molar %) ( molar %) ( molar %) ______________________________________15 5 . 2 60 . 0 34 . 8 after heating 30 2 . 0 69 . 7 28 . 3 60 0 . 5 81 . 2 18 . 3 90 0 83 . 9 16 . 1 120 0 88 . 6 11 . 4______________________________________ 60 . 0 g ( 0 . 15 mol ) 37 . 4 % by weight mha hydrolyzate ( with 0 . 15 mol mha total , 0 . 15 mol nh 4 hso 4 ) which had been produced by sulfuric - acid hydrolysis of 4 - methylthio - 2 - butyric - acid nitrile according to de - os 19524054 , example 4 , was mixed in a 100 ml three - neck flask with reflux condenser , internal thermometer and magnetic stirrer with 5 . 6 g ( 0 . 037 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 , and with 8 . 2 g water . the homogeneous solution with a content of 38 % by weight mha total was heated within 20 min to 106 ° c . to a boil and agitated another 70 min at this temperature . the analytically determined composition of the solution varied with time as follows : ______________________________________time ( min ) mha monomer ( molar %) dim + oli ( molar %) ______________________________________ 0 79 . 6 20 . 4 before heating 25 86 . 7 13 . 3 35 88 . 6 11 . 4 60 91 . 3 8 . 7 90 95 . 8 4 . 2______________________________________ 16 . 74 g ( 0 . 111 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 , was mixed in a 250 ml laboratory autoclave with glass tray , magnetic stirrer and internal thermometer with 27 . 32 g water and 0 . 44 g h 2 so 4 ( 4 . 5 mmol ). the mixture was heated in the closed autoclave within 20 min to an internal temperature of 130 ° c . and agitated 90 min longer at this temperature and 3 . 5 bar pressure . after having cooled off rapidly to approximately 25 ° c ., the reaction solution was analyzed . the composition of the solution had changed as follows : ______________________________________time ( min ) mha monomer ( molar %) dim + oli ( molar %) ______________________________________ 0 14 . 0 86 . 0 before heating 110 92 . 8 7 . 2______________________________________ 16 . 74 g ( 0 . 111 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 were mixed in a 250 ml laboratory autoclave with glass insert , magnetic stirrer and internal thermometer with 27 . 32 g water and 0 . 62 ml ion exchanger amberlyst 15 ™ ( rohm & amp ; hass , 1 . 8 eq so 3 h / l ). the mixture was heated in the closed autoclave within 45 min to an internal temperature of 124 ° c . and agitated 120 min further at this temperature and a pressure of 2 bar . after a rapid cooling off to approximately 25 ° c . and depositing from the ion exchanger , the reaction solution was analyzed . the composition of the solution had changed as follows : ______________________________________time ( min ) mha monomer ( molar %) dim + oli ( molar %) ______________________________________ 0 14 . 0 86 . 0 before heating 165 87 . 7 12 . 3______________________________________ | 2 |
in this application , the terms “ distal part ” and “ proximal part ” are used relative to the medical professional , i . e . the “ distal part ” is used to describe the part of the device that is inserted first into the patient . the laryngoscope ( 1 ) of fig1 comprises a handle ( 2 ) for holding and manoeuvring the laryngoscope , a blade holding element ( 3 ) that is pivotally attached to the handle ( 2 ) and a blade ( 4 ) that is attached to the blade holding element ( 3 ). the laryngoscope ( 1 ) further comprises means of visualisation including a display screen ( 5 ) to visualise the area captured , for example , by a camera ( not shown ). this embodiment has a viewing means comprising a fibre optic viewing device but within the context of the invention , the viewing means may include any of a fibre optic device , camera , viewing screen and / or other viewing means . the laryngoscope may be used without a visualisation means such as camera , viewer and / or fibre optics for straightforward cases but the use of a visualisation means is recommended in more complex and difficult intubation situations . the handle ( 2 ) is preferably made of stainless steel for robustness , although other materials such as metals or plastics may be used . in the embodiment of fig1 a detachable display screen ( 5 ) is connected at the proximal end of the handle ( 2 ). at the proximal end , the blade holding element ( 3 ) is pivotally connected to the heel of the handle ( 2 ). the blade ( 4 ) may be hollow so that it can be fitted onto the blade holding element by sliding as can be seen in fig2 and 3 ( described in more detail below ). preferably , the blade holding element ( 3 ) is elongated in shape and its outer contour corresponds substantially to the inner shape of the blade ( 4 ). in a preferred embodiment , the blade ( 4 ) may comprise a pair of wings ( 6 ) that fit the contour of the heel of the handle ( 2 ). as can be seen in fig4 , the proximal end of the blade ( 4 ) is connected to the proximal end of the blade holding element ( 3 ) by means of a snap clip . in this embodiment , the blade holding element ( 3 ) comprises a tooth ( 7 ) that can snap into a corresponding groove ( 8 ) in the blade ( 4 ). it can be envisaged a construction in which the blade ( 4 ) comprises a tooth ( 7 ) and the blade holding element ( 2 ), the corresponding groove ( 8 ). the tooth ( 7 ) is shaped to allow the blade ( 4 ) to slide on easily , but prevent its accidental removal . preferably , the height of the tooth ( 7 ) is less than the depth of the groove ( 8 ) so that there are substantially no protruding parts . the blade ( 4 ) is preferably integrally constructed and is for example produced by injection moulding so that the cost of production is relatively affordable . however , two - part blades may also be used , where the components are joined together by welding , gluing or clipping . the blade is preferably disposable to minimise or eliminate any risk of cross - contamination between patients . preferably the blade ( 4 ) is partially or wholly made of a flexible material , such as a flexible thermoplastic material . most preferably , the blade wings ( 6 ) are made of a flexible material , such as a flexible thermoplastic material . also , the blade or part of the blade may be flexible due to its shape , design or dimension ( e . g . thickness ). the blade ( 4 ) may be straight , e . g . a miller laryngoscope blade . preferably , a curved blade may be used , e . g . a macintosh blade , because a curved blade can be dimensioned to conform to the anatomical curve of the patient &# 39 ; s throat . the laryngoscope ( 1 ) may comprise a light source and / or visualisation means such as fibreoptics , camera , display screen or other technology that enable external indirect visualisation of the laryngeal inlet . a light source may be provided so that the distal tip of the blade is illuminated . this can be achieved for example by providing the handle with electrical power , such as a battery supply , which is electrically connected to a light source preferably located at the distal end of the blade holding element so that light exits through an opening in the distal part of the blade ( 4 ). alternatively , electrical power may be provided by the viewer where a viewer is provided . similarly , visualisation means may be provided to view the distal tip of the blade ( 4 ) and the laryngeal inlet . for example , a fibre optic viewing means may be mounted in the blade holding element and comprise optical fibres . the fibres may be arranged so that their proximal end is attached to a screen ( 5 ). the screen is preferably detachable so that the equipment can be easily cleaned after use . the fibres exit from the distal end of the blade holding element ( 3 ) and through an opening in the distal part of the blade ( 4 ) to view the laryngeal inlet . alternatively , the material of the blade may be wholly or partly transparent so as to allow visualisation instead of using an opening which could be considered to be prone to contamination . in another preferred embodiment , a camera is located at the distal end of the blade holding element . the blade ( 4 ) is attached to the blade holding element ( 3 ) by means of a snap clip ( 7 , 8 ). in this embodiment , and as can be seen on fig2 and 3 , the blade holding element ( 3 ) is placed in the operative position ( i . e . substantially perpendicular to the handle ). the user can slide the hollow blade ( 4 ) onto the blade holding element ( 3 )— in a direction from the distal end to the proximal end of the element ( 4 ). preferably , the outer contour of the blade holding element ( 3 ) corresponds substantially to the inner shape of the blade ( 4 ) to minimise or eliminate any movement of blade ( 4 ) relative to the blade holding element ( 3 ) in use . as can be seen in fig4 to 6 , when the limit of travel is reached , the tooth ( 7 ) of the blade holding element ( 3 ) snaps into the groove ( 8 ) of the blade ( 4 ). a correct fit is indicated by audible feedback of the tooth ( 7 ) snapping into place . the blade ( 4 ) is held in place by a tooth ( 7 ) which is shaped to allow the blade ( 4 ) to slide on easily , but prevent its accidental removal . in this embodiment , the blade ( 4 ) is detached from the blade holding element ( 3 ) by setting the laryngoscope ( 1 ) to its inoperative position by folding up the blade holding element ( 3 ) as shown for example in fig7 . as can be seen in fig8 , the blade ( 4 ) may be removed by applying pressure onto the blade wings ( 6 ). the flexibility of the wings material deforms the area around the tooth catch ( 7 ), sending it away from the blade holding element and allowing the blade to clear the tooth ( 7 ) and slide away from it . the fit between the blade ( 4 ) and the heel of the handle ( 2 ) prevents the blade ( 4 ) from being removed whilst the laryngoscope ( 1 ) is in use since it is difficult to deform the blade ( 4 ) by pinching because of the presence of the handle ( 2 ). in operation , the laryngoscope ( 1 ) is inserted into the mouth of the patient . the blade ( 4 ) will push the tongue of the patient to the side of the oropharynx to create space through which the larynx and the epiglottis can be viewed . the blade ( 4 ) is manipulated to lift the epiglottis thereby exposing the laryngeal inlet . an endotracheal tube can then be introduced and advanced past the vocal cords into the trachea . the user can visualise the distal end of the blade ( 4 ) for example on the display screen and manipulate the laryngoscope ( 1 ) accordingly . once the tube is correctly positioned , the laryngoscope ( 1 ) is removed . | 0 |
as discussed above , a number of relatively flat or planar objects are suitable for handling during multi - stage processing by utilizing a compliant cassette in accordance with the present invention . for illustrative purposes , a compliant cassette for handling silicon wafers is shown below . referring to fig2 a - 2c , compliant three - bar process cassette 10 includes two &# 34 ; wishbone &# 34 ;- shaped endpieces 12 which secure the ends of parallel rigid side bars or rods 14 and a third parallel rigid center bar or rod 16 . it will be understood that the term &# 34 ; wishbone &# 34 ; as used in this disclosure refers to the fact that the endpieces of the preferred embodiment , in an end view , are similar in shape to the well recognized forked bone found in most birds near the breastbone , and commonly referred to as a &# 34 ; wishbone &# 34 ;. in the normal processing position ( as can be seen in view 2d ) the center bar is at substantially 6 o &# 39 ; clock , and the two side bars are at substantially 3 o &# 39 ; clock and 9 o &# 39 ; clock , respectively . in this position , the center bar carries most of the weight of wafer ( s ) 5 , which are inserted into cassette 10 as shown and are held and spaced apart from one another by a comb - like or teethed structure 18 . the comb structure 18 is desirably fabricated from an integral pfa material , in the conventional manner . since pfa is flexible , a relatively rigid structural rod 20 maintains the alignment of comb 18 as is well known in the art . endpieces 12 are composed of arms 22 and 24 connected to a bar - securing portion 26 which connects the center bar 16 . the distal ends 28 of arms 22 and 24 secure side bars 14 . arms 22 and 24 are flexible so they can move toward and away from wafer ( s ) 5 . this is accomplished in one embodiment by providing a narrowed section or living hinge 30 in each arm 22 and 24 near the bar - securing portion 26 . as shown in fig2 d , when a wafer is inserted into cassette 10 the side bars 14 flex , causing a clamping force on the wafer , as indicated by the arrows . it will be understood that the thickness of the hinge portion can be adjusted to adjust the degree to which the arms flex as a wafer is inserted . it should also be understood that other hinge arrangements which accomplish this same objective ( provided tensioned flexibility between the side rods ), could also be used . an example would be a single hinge point at the base of the two arms around which the arms would rotate . in this arrangement a spring mechanism could be used to tension the hinge point . operation of cassette 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is best understood with reference to fig3 a and 3b simplified force diagrams . cassette 10 is intended to be engaged and transported via robot and supported in a processing tank 32 via side bars 14 . specifically , side bars 14 rest on sides or shelves 34 of tank 32 and support the cassette 10 . the weight w of inserted wafers 5 is borne solely by center bar 16 . weight w upon center bar 16 is translated from bar - securing portion 26 , through living hinges 30 , to arms 22 and 24 , and then to side bars 14 . sides 34 of tank 32 then provide a reaction force f t . the horizontal component of f t is translated by side bars 14 into a clamping force upon on wafers 5 . wafers 5 resist this horizontal clamping force with a resistive force f w . the result of this configuration is that when cassette 10 is placed into tank 32 , side bars 14 are biased toward wafers 5 , exerting a clamping force . inserted wafers 5 are held securely in place by this clamping force , and in response exert a resistive force f w . the flexible and compliant character intentionally designed into cassette structure 10 permits the translation of forces acting upon cassette 10 to create clamping forces upon the wafers 5 as described above . in this manner , cassette 10 takes advantage of flexion in endpieces 12 to utilize the wafers 5 as a structural component . in other words , when the wafers are inserted within the cassette 10 , the wafer / cassette combination becomes structurally stable . because the clamping force is due to weight w of the wafers , the resistive force f w required by each wafer within the cassette will be uniform regardless of the number of wafers in the cassette . thus it is seen that the addition of more wafers into the cassette will not dramatically increase the clamping force on each wafer , as the number of wafers available to bear the clamping force will also increase . the magnitude of f w can be controlled by changing the angle alpha a at which sides 34 of tank 32 contact side bars 14 . a larger angle alpha generates higher clamping forces upon the wafers 5 . precise control of this clamping force is desirable in order to counteract buoyant , viscous , and pressure forces acting upon the cassette and wafers , while ensuring that the clamping force remains less than the allowable stress limits of the wafers . fig4 a - 4c and fig5 show another preferred embodiment 40 of the compliant process cassette of the present invention . cassette 40 is similar to above - described cassette 10 and the same reference numerals are used where the parts are identical . process cassette 40 has endpieces or endplates 42 , each of which includes an inverted v - shaped bridge element 44 additionally connected between arms 22 and 24 . as explained in greater detail below , bridges 44 serve as engagement points for robotic equipment used to transfer cassette 40 to the various processing sites . each of the two bridges 44 is made up of two legs 46 and 48 , and a triangular or v - shaped contact point 50 . contact point 50 interfaces with a robot end effector hook ( fig1 - 11 ). each leg 46 and 48 is made up of small struts 52 and 54 , joined by a supporting rib 56 . small struts 52 and 54 accomplish both tensile and flexural loading . bridges 44 , like arms 22 and 24 , are flexible . the small members 52 and 54 act as living hinges over their entire length . when fully deformed , each leg 46 and 48 of the bridge 44 take on somewhat of an &# 34 ; s &# 34 ;- shape which further illustrates that the small members 52 and 54 are supporting tensile and moment loading , and ultimately acting as two living hinges for each of leg 46 and 48 . one form of the cassette 40 could be accomplished if actual pinned hinges were used . if so , the endplates would be reduced to four truss members and four pinned hinges ( top , bottom , right and left ). while such a structure is within the scope of the invention , it would have disadvantages for some uses . one problem would be cleanliness . it would be difficult to rinse and dry the hinge areas . in the preferred embodiment , the use of living hinges both in the bridge 44 as well as the arms 22 and 24 ( which are fabricated as integral parts of the endpieces ) makes cleaning and rinsing the cassette easier . also , assembly is easier and requires less stringent tolerances during fabrication of the parts . together with remainder of endpieces 42 , the bridges can function to control the amount of compliance or flex of the cassette 40 . the size and shape of the bridges , the location of the bridges , and the angle formed by the legs 46 and 48 , affect the compliance or flexural motion of the cassette . for example , if the bridge is too flat with respect to a horizontal plane , when the cassette is picked up by the robot the compliant motion and clamping force on the wafers is very high . but if the bridge is made too tall , then the compliant motion and the clamping force on the wafers may not be able to overcome thermal expansion when the cassette is processed in hot chemicals . in this latter case , the cassette grows due to thermal expansion more than the compliant nature of the cassette can pull it back . the result is a poor grip upon the wafers by the cassette . another consideration in the design of the compliant cassette 40 is the effect of buoyant forces on the cassette during processing . the cassette weighs approximately 80 % less when submerged in sulfuric acid as compared with air , due to buoyant forces . the compliance of the cassette is greatly reduced when buoyant forces are present . however , the cassette must be sufficiently compliant to maintain a firm grip on wafers at elevated process temperatures ( thermally expanded ) while submerged in sulfuric acid having a specific gravity of 1 . 6 . if , on the other hand , the cassette is too compliant , difficulties would be encountered handling the cassette with robotic equipment , where buoyant forces are non - existent . bridges 44 are flexible but serve to stiffen endplates 42 against movement in response to external forces f t ( fig3 b ). this stiffening function allows further adjustment of the magnitude of resistive force f w that wafers 5 are required to exert against arms 22 and 24 . fig6 and 7 show the cassette 40 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , placed within a processing tank 32 . the cassette rests at surface or shelf 34 of tank 32 . the cassette is supported only by the two side bars 14 . this positions the cassette 40 in the x - y plane . the side bars 14 are located above the center 58 of the wafers 5 . that is , a line connected between the two side bars 14 passes over the center point 58 of wafer 5 . ( fig7 ) this facilitates the clamping action of the compliant cassette of the present invention since a downward vector is created tending to pull the wafer downwardly . as noted , for example in fig4 b and 5 , tabs 60 are formed from pfa as part of the side bar assemblies . these tabs act to locate the cassette in the z - direction . the tabs 60 engage slots 62 located in the tank shelf 34 to position the cassette fore and aft within the tank 32 . since the cassette 40 of this embodiment is more compact than a four - rod cassette , the tank 32 can conform more closely to the wafers / cassette . this is reflected in the shape of inclined tank wall 33 relative to cassette 40 . since tank volume is lessened , the use of process fluids is reduced . fig8 and 9 show cassette 40 situated on slide table 64 . note that the bar - securing portion 26 of endplate 42 is supported by support member 65 on table 64 , to alleviate the clamping force on the wafers , and allow activities such as the insertion and extraction of the wafers from the cassette . the side bars 14 are supported by shelves 66 . fig1 and 11 illustrate the manner in which the cassette 40 is engaged and transported by a robotic machine . each of the thin legs 46 and 48 have openings 70 formed by small members 52 and 54 . the hook - shaped gripping end or hook 72 of robotic arm or end effector 74 is v - shaped to mate with the v - shaped triangular part 50 of bridge 44 . when the robot end effector 74 passes through the opening 70 between small members 52 and 54 , it simply hooks the triangular part 50 of the bridge 44 . only two simple effector / hooks are required to pickup and transport a cassette . since the end effectors need to be rinsed and dried quite often to avoid cross contamination during wafer processing , the simple geometry of triangular part 50 in accordance with the present invention , is very desirable . fig1 illustrates the flow of processing chemicals in a tank containing a prior art four - bar cassette 1 . chemicals enter through tank 75 at the bottom and flow up through and around the wafers 5 as shown by the arrows . fig1 also indicates that tank 75 includes a gap 76 on each side of the wafers 5 , where fluids pass without aiding in the processing of the wafers . this gap 76 is typically about 0 . 5 to 1 inches . the presence of gap 76 in tank 75 thus results in excess processing fluids being consumed , and reduced process performance . fig1 shows the flow of fluids through wafers 5 in the improved cassette 40 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention . processing tank 32 is specifically constructed such that distal ends 78 of arms 22 and 24 of cassette 40 rest on shelves 66 . this purposeful configuration of tank and cassette forms an impediment to the flow of fluids through the processing tank . the presence of distal ends 78 of arms 22 and 24 upon shelves 66 force processing fluids to within and through the wafers 5 . this is indicated by the arrow 82 . this cassette / tank arrangement maximizes the exposure of wafers within the cassette to the circulating processing fluids , ensuring efficient utilization of these processing fluids and thereby reducing consumption . in the case of the four - bar cassette shown in fig1 , any particles generated by the interface between the feet 84 and cassette 1 are swept up and through the wafers , increasing contamination risk . by contrast , as shown in fig1 , because cassette 40 is supported within tank 32 by shelves 66 , there are no feet required to support cassette 40 within tank 32 , eliminating the feet as a source of contamination . the design of the wishbone endplate 42 optimizes the clamping force on the wafers , both in a tank and in the robot . in a tank , the angle of the shelf 66 can be altered to change the horizontal component of the resultant vector ( fig3 b ). likewise , while being supported by the robot , the angle between the bridge sides 46 and 48 and the arms 22 and 24 can be altered in order to change the horizontal component of the resultant vector . obviously , these features must be designed into the cassette and are not adjustable after the cassette is fabricated . fig1 a - 14d give specific dimensions of the endpiece 42 for one actual embodiment of the cassette in accordance with the present invention used for handling 300 mm semiconductor wafers . table 1 summarizes these dimensions : table 1______________________________________ref . # dimension value______________________________________ 84 * width of spacing in arms 22 and 24 , and legs 1 . 0 &# 34 ; 46 and 48 86 width of v - shaped contact point 50 . 5 &# 34 ; 88 length of first spacing in legs 46 and 48 2 . 0 &# 34 ; 90 length of second spacing in legs 46 and 48 1 . 75 &# 34 ; 92 length of first spacing in arms 22 and 24 1 . 438 &# 34 ; 94 * width of arms 22 and 24 , and legs 46 and 48 1 . 375 &# 34 ; 96 * width of struts 52 and 54 , and solid portion . 188 &# 34 ; of arms 22 and 24 98 width of rib in arms 22 and 24 . 188 &# 34 ; 100 width of supporting rib 56 in legs 46 and 48 . 188 &# 34 ; 102 radius of all inside corners 32x r . 125 &# 34 ; 104 * height of struts 52 and 54 . 188 &# 34 ; 106 * length of struts 52 and 54 6 . 313 &# 34 ; 108 lateral distance between center bar 16 and 6 . 218 &# 34 ; distal end 78 110 * angle defined by arms 22 and 24 90 ° 111 * radius between legs 46 and 48 and arms 22 4x r . 500 &# 34 ; and 24 112 width of distal end 78 , and arms 22 and 24 . 875 &# 34 ; 114 vertical distance between bar - securing 6 . 468 &# 34 ; portion 26 and distal end 78 116 distance between bar - securing portion 26 and 8 . 686 &# 34 ; top of v - shaped contact point 50 118 length of third spacing of arms 22 and 24 1 . 250 &# 34 ; ______________________________________ ( figures marked with an * represent dimensions which affect the extent of cassette compliance ) fig1 a - 15c show detailed views of various portions of endpiece 46 , along with dimensions . fig1 a shows a detailed view of the v - shaped contact point 50 of bridge 44 . fig1 b shows a detailed view of distal end 78 of arm 24 . distal end 78 of arm 24 is seen to include a rounded side bar - securing portion 78a , and a shelf - engaging projection 78b having shelf - engaging face 78c and first and second non shelf - engaging faces 78d and 78e . fig1 c shows a detailed view of the bar - securing portion 26 , connected to arms 22 and 24 by living hinges 30 . the dimensions from fig1 a - 15c are summarized in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ref # dimension value______________________________________120 central angle of v - shaped contact point 50 45 ° 122 outside radius of top of bridge 44 r . 750 &# 34 ; 124 * radius between v - shaped contact point 50 2x r . 188 &# 34 ; and leg 48 126 distance between center and tip of v - shaped . 406 &# 34 ; contact point 50 128 radius of tip of contact point 50 r . 094 &# 34 ; 130 lateral distance between center of side . 250 &# 34 ; bar - securing portion 78a and shelf - engaging face 78c 132 vertical distance between center of side 1 . 250 &# 34 ; bar - securing portion 78a and center of 78b tip radius 134 radius of tip of 78b r . 188 &# 34 ; 136 radius between 78b and arm 24 2x r . 250 &# 34 ; 138 angle between shelf - engaging face 78d and 160 ° arm 24 140 angle between non shelf - engaging face 78e 160 ° and arm 24 142 * thickness of living hinge 30 2x . 100 &# 34 ; 144 * radius at living hinge 30 5x r . 250 &# 34 ; 146 * length of living hinge 30 2x . 250 &# 34 ; 148 width of bar - securing portion 26 . 875 &# 34 ; 150 angle between 24 and undercut face 35 ° ______________________________________ ( figures marked with an * representdimensions which affect the extent of cassette compliance ) in examining the above figures , it is important to recognize that the above description focuses exclusively upon preferred embodiments of the present invention . however , a number of variations upon this basic design are also part of the present invention . for example , a cassette in accordance with the present invention may have more than three bars , so long as the bars are configured to form a compliant structure utilizing inserted wafers as structural members . an alternative embodiment would have a four bar structure with bars at three o &# 39 ; clock , fivethirty , six - thirty , and nine o &# 39 ; clock , as viewed from the end . furthermore , it should be understood that the bars of the cassette need not be precisely parallel to each other . the bars may be skewed from each other , so long as wafers may be inserted between them in order to fit within the cassette . in addition , even with the three - bar design described above , the three bars need not be positioned precisely at 3 , 6 , and 9 o &# 39 ; clock as viewed from the end . rather , the bars may occupy a variety of spatial arrangements , so long as the bars are joined in a manner that allows them to securely engage inserted wafers . and while the preferred embodiment of the present invention shows the side bars as being above the center of the inserted wafers , this is not a requirement of the present invention . other characteristics of the cassette / tank configuration , such as adjustment of the shelf angle , the bridge angle , or the rod position , may also be adjusted to ensure secure contact between the cassette and the inserted wafers . and finally , while the preferred embodiment of the present invention has focused upon a compliant cassette for holding silicon wafers , a variety of materials , including but not limited to optical and magnetic recording disks , may also be secured during processing steps by the present invention . therefore , it is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention , and that structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby . | 7 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings . in each of the drawings , the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals , and duplicate description thereof is omitted . fig1 is a perspective view schematically showing a supporting structure of a circuit board related to a first embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a schematic sectional view of the supporting structure of the circuit board related to the first embodiment . fig3 is a perspective view of a jig in the supporting structure . further , fig1 is an exemplary schematic sectional view showing an electronic apparatus related to the first embodiment . the supporting structure of this circuit board includes an upper casing 11 , a lower casing 12 , and a jig 17 , for housing and holding a circuit board 13 as interposed between the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 from the up - down direction . a boss portion 14 is formed in the upper casing 11 toward the circuit board 13 . in this embodiment , the boss portion 14 is formed in a shape recessed from the upper casing 11 . moreover , a hole is formed in the recessed portion of the boss portion 14 , and a boss screw 16 is inserted through the hole . similarly , a boss portion 15 is formed in the lower casing 12 toward the circuit board 13 . as shown in fig2 , the boss portion 14 of the upper casing 11 and the boss portion 15 of the lower casing 12 face each other . in this embodiment , the boss portion 15 is formed in a shape protruding from the lower casing 12 . moreover , an internal thread into which the boss screw 16 is threadedably inserted from the upper casing 11 is fabricated in the boss portion 15 . in addition , reinforcing ribs 15 a can be suitably formed at a peripheral wall of the boss portion 15 to increase rigidity . the jig 17 assumes a cylindrical shape , and the boss portions 14 and 15 are slidably inserted into an inside 17 c of a cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 . a flange portion 17 b is formed at an intermediate portion of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 . a hole 13 a of a larger diameter than the external diameter of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 is formed in the circuit board 13 , and the jig 17 is adapted to pass through the hole 13 a . a solder joint 18 is provided around the hole 13 a of the circuit board 13 , and the flange portion 17 b of the jig 17 , and the circuit board 13 are solder - joined , thereby securing electric conduction . further , an electronic component 19 is mounted on the circuit board 13 . in this embodiment , the jig 17 is mounted by a soldering process similarly to other components . for example , when an electronic apparatus on which the circuit board 13 is mounted is used at an environmental temperature of 0 ° c . to 40 ° c ., outer peripheries 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions 14 and 15 , and the inside 17 c of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 are slidable in the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 within a temperature range of the electronic apparatus . in addition , as shown in fig1 , the circuit board 13 is fixed at both ends thereof . fig1 shows an electronic apparatus related to the first embodiment . the electronic apparatus has the circuit board supporting structure 10 . since the supporting structure of the circuit board 13 is configured as described above , the circuit board 13 is not fixed at the boss portions 14 and 15 , but is slidable in the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , for example , even in a case where the upper casing 11 is pushed , the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 is not applied to the circuit board 13 . accordingly , since the stress by the external load is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . even in a case where excessive deformation is caused in the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 by the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , an end 17 d of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 contacts the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 . therefore , the electronic component 19 mounted on the circuit board 13 can be prevented from contacting the upper casing 11 . further , the inside 17 c of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 generally contacts and faces the whole peripheries of outer peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions 14 and 15 parallel to the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof can be transmitted . accordingly , with respect to loads other than the load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , a load is transmitted to the circuit board 13 , thereby increasing the rigidity of the whole casing . on the other hand , since the jig 17 is fixed to the solder joint 18 , a flexible structure is obtained as compared with other parts . accordingly , even in a case where temperature fluctuation occurs around or inside an electronic apparatus , since any stress is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . next , a second embodiment of the invention will be described . fig4 is a perspective view schematically showing a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the second embodiment of the invention . fig5 is a schematic sectional view of the supporting structure of the circuit board related to the second embodiment . further , fig6 is a perspective view of a jig 30 in the supporting structure . in this embodiment , configurations other than the jig 30 are the same as those of the first embodiment . as shown in fig4 and fig6 , the jig 30 is formed in such a shape that a portion thereof is cut out in a longitudinal direction , unlike the first embodiment . even if a cylindrical portion 30 a and the flange portion 30 b are cut out partially , the same effect as the first embodiment can be exhibited . further , a sliding surface 30 c inside the cylindrical portion 30 a a portion of which is cut out generally contacts and faces portions of the outer peripheral surfaces of the boss portions 14 and 15 parallel to the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , since the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof is transmitted in a direction in which the sliding surface 30 c face the peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions , the rigidity of the whole casing is increased . on the other hand , the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof is transmitted in a direction in which the sliding surface 30 c does not face the peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , when the jig 30 is arranged such that the direction in which the electronic component 19 is mounted become the direction in the direction in which the sliding surface does not face the peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 can be reduced even against loads other than the load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 . next , a third embodiment of the invention will be described . fig7 is a schematic sectional view of a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the third embodiment of the invention . the supporting structure of this circuit board generally includes an upper casing 11 , a lower casing 12 , and a jig 31 , for housing and holding the circuit board 13 as interposed between the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 from the up - down direction . a boss portion 14 is formed in the upper casing 11 toward the circuit board 13 . in this embodiment , the boss portion 14 is formed in a shape recessed from the upper casing 11 . moreover , a hole is formed in the recessed portion of the boss portion 14 , and a boss screw 16 is inserted through the hole . similarly , a boss portion 15 is formed on the lower casing 12 so as to protrude toward the circuit board 13 . as shown in fig7 , the boss portion 14 of the upper casing 11 and the boss portion 15 of the lower casing 12 face each other . moreover , an internal thread into which the boss screw 16 is threadedably inserted from the upper casing 11 is fabricated in the boss portion 15 . the jig 31 assumes a cylindrical shape , and the boss screw 16 is slidably inserted into an inside 31 c of a cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 . a flange portion 31 b is formed at an intermediate portion of the jig 31 . a hole 13 a of a larger diameter than the external diameter of the cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 is formed in the circuit board 13 , and the jig 31 is adapted to pass through the hole 13 a . a solder joint 18 is provided around the hole 13 a of the circuit board 13 , and the flange portion 31 b of the jig 31 , and the circuit board 13 are solder - joined , thereby securing electric conduction . further , an electronic component 19 is mounted on the circuit board 13 . since the supporting structure of the circuit board 13 is configured as described above , the circuit board 13 is not fixed at the boss screw 16 , but the boss screw 16 and the jig 31 are slidable . therefore , for example , even in a case where the upper casing 11 is pushed , the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 is not applied to the circuit board 13 . accordingly , since the stress by the external load is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . even in a case where excessive deformation is caused in the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 by the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , an end 31 d of the cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 contacts the boss portion 14 or the boss portion 15 . therefore , the electronic component 19 mounted on the circuit board 13 can be prevented from contacting the upper casing 11 . further , the inside 31 c of the cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 generally contacts and faces the whole periphery of an outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 16 . therefore , the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof can be transmitted . accordingly , with respect to loads other than the load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , a load is transmitted to the circuit board 13 , thereby increasing the rigidity of the whole casing . on the other hand , since the jig 31 is fixed to the solder joint 18 , a flexible structure is obtained as compared with other parts . accordingly , even in a case where temperature fluctuation occurs around or inside an electronic apparatus , since any stress is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . next , a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described . fig8 is a schematic sectional view of a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the fourth embodiment . fig9 is a perspective view showing a circuit board , and wirings on the circuit board . in this embodiment , a solder joint includes a first solder joint 22 and a second solder joint 23 . the first solder joint 22 and the second solder joint 23 are respectively connected to wirings 20 and 21 formed on the circuit board 13 . although this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in this regard , other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment . accordingly , the same effects as those described in the first embodiment can be achieved . for example , metallic conductors , such as aluminum , are suitable for the jig 17 . as shown in fig9 , the wiring 20 , the first solder joint 22 , the jig 37 , the second solder joint 23 , and the wiring 21 are electrically connected in this order on the circuit board 13 , and a circuit network which measures the electric resistance value of this connection path is provided . in addition , it is needless to say that a voltage value or a current value can be measured if necessary . normally , the relative displacement of the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 , and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof is larger compared with the relative displacement of a semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof . accordingly , the distortion caused at the boss portions 14 and 15 at which the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 are joined to the circuit board 13 is larger than the distortion caused at the joint of the semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 . since the value obtained by dividing the relative displacement by the height of the joint is an average distortion , in a case where the height of the first solder joint 22 and the second solder joint 23 is equal to or slightly greater than the joint of the semiconductor package 24 , a fatigue life slightly shorter than that of the semiconductor package 24 can be set . generally , for example , resin materials , such as abs resin , or magnesium alloys , are used as the material for the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 . the coefficient of linear expansion of the resin casing is 80 ppm /° c ., and the coefficient of linear expansion of the magnesium casing is about 26 ppm /° c . for example , in a case where the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 are made of resin , the coefficient of linear expansion thereof is about 80 ppm /° c . further , when the coefficient of linear expansion of the circuit board 13 is set to about 15 ppm /° c ., the coefficient of linear expansion of the semiconductor package 24 is set to about 13 ppm /° c ., the temperature range of fluctuation inside a casing is set to 20 ° c ., the distance between the boss portions in a plane is set to 150 mm , and the size of an electronic component is set to 35 mm × 35 mm , the expansion difference between the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 , and the circuit board 13 becomes about 0 . 2 mm , the expansion difference between the semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 is set to about 0 . 002 mm . as such , it is provided that the relative displacement of the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 , and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof is larger compared with the relative displacement of the semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof . accordingly , before the joint of the semiconductor package 24 is ruptured , the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 is ruptured and an electric resistance value rises . as a result , it can be detected in advance that rupture of the joint of the semiconductor package 24 on the circuit board 13 is approaching . next , a fifth embodiment of the invention will be described . fig1 a is a perspective view of a jig in the supporting structure , and fig1 b is a perspective view of a portion of the jig . in this embodiment , the jig 17 is configured of a resinous portion 25 , and a portion 26 made of , for example , metal , such as aluminum . the other configurations are the same as those of the above - described fourth embodiment . accordingly , the same effects as those described in the fourth embodiment can be achieved . the resinous portion 25 of the jig 17 is outsert - molded so as to be attached and fixed to the metallic portion 26 . similarly to that shown in fig9 , the wiring 20 , the first solder joint 22 , the metallic portion 26 of the jig 17 , the second solder joint 23 , and the wiring 21 are electrically connected in this order on the circuit board 13 , and forms a circuit network which measures the electric resistance value of this connection path . in addition , it is needless to say that a voltage value or a current value can be measured . according to this embodiment , since most of the jig 17 is the resinous portion 25 , light - weight and easy molding can be achieved . next , a sixth embodiment of the invention will be described . fig1 is a schematic sectional view of a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the sixth embodiment . fig1 is a perspective view showing a circuit board , and wirings on the circuit board . as shown in fig1 , the jig 32 has a taper 32 a , and a boss portion 33 of the lower casing also has a taper such that its diameter becomes smaller toward the boss portion 14 of the upper casing . in this embodiment , the shapes of the jig 32 and the boss portion 33 of the lower casing differ from those of the above - described fourth embodiment . the other configurations are the same as those of the fourth embodiment . accordingly , the same effects as those described in the fourth embodiment can be achieved . when the relative displacement of the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof is caused by temperature fluctuation , the jig 32 contacts the boss portion 33 of the lower casing , and the force in the direction in which the flange portion 32 b of the jig 32 is separated from the circuit board 13 act on the jig 32 by the taper . therefore , the force in the direction of tension acts on the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 . even if the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 is ruptured , since electrical connection is made when the ruptured surfaces partially contact each other , an electric resistance value may not change . however , in this embodiment , the force in the direction of tension acts on the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 . therefore , even if the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 is ruptured , the phenomenon that an electric resistance value does not change can be prevented . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above and that the present invention can be embodied with the components modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the present invention can be embodied in various forms according to appropriate combinations of the components disclosed in the embodiments described above . for example , some components maybe deleted from the configurations as described as the embodiments . further , the components in different embodiments may be used appropriately in combination . | 7 |
the systems and methods described herein may be particularly applicable to microelectromechanical devices , wherein the vias may be required to carry a relatively large amount of current . mems devices are often fabricated on a composite silicon - on - insulator wafer , consisting of a relatively thick ( about 675 μm ) “ handle ” layer of silicon overcoated with a thin ( about 1 μm ) layer of silicon dioxide , and covered with a silicon “ device ” layer . the mems device is made by forming moveable features in the device layer by , for example , deep reactive ion etching ( drie ) with the silicon dioxide layer forming a convenient etch stop . the movable feature is then freed by , for example , wet etching the silicon dioxide layer from beneath the moveable feature . the moveable features may then be hermetically encapsulated in a cap or lid wafer , which is bonded or otherwise adhered to the top of the silicon device layer , to protect the moveable features from damage from handling and / or to seal a particular gas in the device as a preferred environment for operation of the mems device . through - hole vias are particularly convenient for mems devices , because they may allow electrical access to the encapsulated devices . without such through holes , electrical access to the mems device may have to be gained by electrical leads routed under the capping wafer which is then hermetically sealed . it may be problematic , however , to achieve a hermetic seal over terrain that includes the electrical leads unless more complex and expensive processing steps are employed . this approach also makes radio - frequency applications of the device limited , as electromagnetic coupling will occur from the metallic bondline residing over the normally oriented leads . alternatively , the electrical access may be achieved with through - wafer vias formed through the handle wafer , using the systems and methods described here . the through hole vias may be constructed by first forming a blind trench in the substrate , and then forming a partially exposed seed layer in the blind trench . it should be understood that although the word “ trench ” is used , the term should be construed as including any shape of opening , including a circular hole . in addition , the term “ partially exposed seed layer ” should be understood to mean a seed layer which is only exposed or effective over a particular portion , such as its lower extremity , but nonetheless functions as a terminal for the plating process . a “ through hole via ” should be construed to mean an electrical conduit which extends completely through a material , for example , through a wafer or substrate . the partially exposed seed layer may then be plated with a conductive material , for example , copper . the substrate may then be planarized using , for example , chemical mechanical polishing . the handle layer may then be ground to remove the dead - end wall of the blind trench , to create the through hole via . alternatively , the device and insulating layers of a silicon - on - insulator composite wafer may be removed , to reveal the through - hole vias . fig2 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary substrate 100 after a first step in the fabrication of the plated through hole via . the substrate 100 may be , for example , silicon , float zone silicon or any of a number of other common substrate materials , such as glass . the substrate 100 is first coated with photoresist 110 and exposed in regions where the blind trenches , or blind holes 120 are to be formed . the photoresist 110 is exposed and developed , such that areas which have been exposed are dissolved and removed , if using a positive photoresist . if using a negative photoresist , the areas which have not been exposed may be dissolved and removed . the means for forming the blind trenches or holes 120 may be , for example , deep reactive ion etching ( drie ), which is performed on the region of the substrate over which the photoresist has been dissolved and removed . the remaining photoresist 110 is then removed from the substrate 100 . at this point , a thermal oxidation process or other electrically insulating deposition may be performed to further electrically isolate the vias from each other . fig3 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary wafer 100 after a second step of fabrication of the through hole via . in fig2 , a seed layer 130 may be conformally deposited in the blind trenches 120 . the seed layer 130 may be a two part system , for example , a layer of chrome ( cr ) as an adhesion layer and a layer of gold ( au ) as a plating and conducting layer , are deposited on the substrate 100 . while a cr / au seed layer is described here , it should be understood that the seed layer may be composed of any of a number of other materials , which are effective for adhesion and plating of the conductive material into the blind hole , including titanium ( ti ), copper ( cu ), and nickel ( ni ) the cr / au seed layer 130 may be deposited by , for example , chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ), evaporation or sputtering . an initial adhesion layer of cr , ti or other material may be deposited at thicknesses of 50 a up to 500 a , while the conductive plating base layer may be deposited at thicknesses of a few thousand angstroms up to one micron or more , so long as reasonably low resistance conductive path is made to the bottom of the vias . fig4 is a cross section of the exemplary wafer 100 after a third step of fabrication , which includes deposition of the inhibition layer 140 . the deposition technique may be sputter deposition such as ion beam sputter deposition the inhibition layer 140 is deposited by tilting the substrate 100 with respect to the target 150 at an angle with respect to a line normal to the target 150 surface . because the substrate 100 is disposed at the angle , the deposited species will be ejected from the target 150 at an angle α with respect to the substrate 100 . therefore , the walls of the trench may effectively shadow the lower portions of the trenches 120 , so that the sputtered inhibition layer 140 may not be deposited in the lower portion as shown in fig4 . instead , the sputtered inhibition layer 140 only coats an upper portion of the trench . the inhibition layer 140 may be any number of materials , particularly insulating materials . for example , any oxide material such as silicon dioxide sio 2 , alumina al 2 o 3 , tantalum oxide ta 2 o 5 or chromium oxide cr 2 o 3 may be used . in addition , any sputter - deposited polymer may also be used , as long as the sputtered film is insulating and reasonably predictable in terms of its location and thickness . however , any material which inhibits the plating of material from the plating bath may be used for the inhibition layer 140 . conductive materials can also be deposited and then oxidized in a subsequent step . a conductive layer of chrome cr , for example , may be deposited and then rendered a dielectric by oxidizing it in , for example , an oxygen plasma , to produce chromium oxide . the blind trench 120 may be coated uniformily by the inhibition layer 140 by rotating the tilted substrate 360 degrees . in various exemplary embodiments , the substrate 100 may be disposed at an angle α of between about 45 and about 90 degrees , and preferably between about 60 and about 80 degrees with respect to the axis normal to the target 150 , and rotated at a rate of 1 revolution per 1 minute of sputter time . it should be understood that these details are exemplary only , and that any of a number of alternative sputtering configurations and conditions may exist which may be capable of forming the inhibition layer 140 . although the systems and methods described here use a substrate 100 tilted with respect to the sputtering target 150 , it should be appreciated that the same effect may be produced by tilting the substrate target 150 with respect to the substrate 100 , and then rotating the tilted substrate target 150 about an axis normal to the surface of the substrate 100 . in this embodiment , the sputtering target 150 may be disposed at an angle α with respect to a line normal to a surface of the substrate . the means for forming the partially exposed seed layer may therefore be a cvd system for depositing the seed layer or any metal deposition technique , such as metal evaporation , sputtering , etc ., and a tilted sputtering system for depositing the inhibition layer . fig5 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary substrate 100 after the third step in the formation of the through hole vias . fig5 shows the structure of the inhibition layer 140 , before plating of the conductive material into the blind trenches 120 . as shown in fig5 , the inhibition layer may cover only the upper 125 μm of a 150 μm trench , leaving the lower 25 μm of the seed layer 130 exposed this 25 μm portion may constitute the exposed region 126 of the seed layer 130 . more generally , the inhibition layer 140 may come within about 100 μm or less of the end of the blind trench or blind hole 120 . the width of the trench or diameter of the blind hole 120 may be , for example , about 50 μm wide . fig6 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary substrate 100 at the beginning of the deposition of the conductive species 160 into the blind trenches 120 . the means for depositing the conductive material may be a plating system , including a plating bath and a power supply . the deposition may be performed by immersing the substrate into the plating bath , and coupling the seed layer to one terminal of the power supply . the plating species dissolved in the plating solution then may then be deposited as a layer 160 over the seed layer 130 which is only exposed at the bottom of the trenches 120 . the plating of material 160 then proceeds in an upward fashion , beginning from the bottom of the blind trenches 120 , as indicated by the arrows in fig6 . the plating therefore proceeds uniformly , without forming the voids characteristic of the prior art techniques . using the techniques described here , blind trenches may be plated with nearly arbitrarily high aspect ratios . the plated species may be copper , for example , plated by immersing the substrate in a plating solution containing copper sulfate and sulfuric acid . however , it should be understood that this embodiment is exemplary only , and that any other suitably conductive material which can be plated on the substrate , including gold ( au ) or nickel ( ni ), may be used in place of copper . fig7 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary substrate 100 after completion of the plating step . as shown in fig7 , the plating proceeds to a point at which the plating material 160 is deposited in and over the blind trenches 120 . therefore , the plating process results in a non - planar top surface profile , which can be planarized using any known technique , such as chemical mechanical planarization ( cmp ). the cmp process may stop on the original substrate , such as si , or on the inhibition layer described above . if the latter approach is used , the inhibition layer may be thick enough to remain after cmp of the cu . this allows it to be used additionally as a top isolation layer if additional circuitry is later patterned on the wafer surface . finally , the through hole vias need to be formed from the blind trenches , by removing the dead - end walls of the blind trenches . the through vias may be formed by , for example , grinding or polishing the backside 170 of the substrate 100 , to remove material from the backside to a point 170 at which the blind walls have been removed . for example , grinding may be employed to quickly remove about 100 to about 400 μm of silicon from a 500 μm thick substrate , leaving 100 μm of material as substrate 100 . the grinding can be done either before , but typically after the via substrate 100 is bonded to a device substrate . accordingly , using the methods described here , through hole vias of diameter less than about 50 μm and depths of at least about 100 μm may be made . more particularly , the aspect ratio of the via , that is , the ratio of the depth of the via to its width , may be at least one - to - one . alternatively , instead of grinding , the through hole vias may be made using a silicon - on - insulator composite substrate . the blind holes may be etched as described above through the thick handle wafer , and coated with the seed layer and plated as before . however , using the silicon - on - insulator wafer , the device layer and oxide layers may then be removed , to expose the end of a via plated in the handle wafer , to create the through - hole . in yet another embodiment , the through holes may be created in the thinner device layer , and the oxide layer and handle wafer may then be removed . fig8 shows the exemplary substrate 100 upon completion of the fabrication steps for the through hole vias 120 . the through hole vias 120 may be completed by polishing the top surface 180 to a point at which the seed layer 130 and inhibition layer 140 have been removed from the top surface 180 , and the bottom surface 170 has been background to remove material until the blind walls have been removed . at this point , there is no conductive path between the through hole vias , as the plated material 162 within each via 122 is electrically isolated from the plated material 164 within every other via 124 by the inhibition layer 140 . therefore , the techniques described here may be used to make electrically isolated vias 122 , 124 within a conducting substrate 100 , as well as conducting vias 122 , 124 within an insulating substrate 100 . substrate 100 of fig8 may be assembled into a silicon - on - insulator wafer 1000 as shown in fig9 . in fig9 , the substrate 100 has been overcoated with an insulating layer 200 and bonded to a device wafer 300 , in which the features of a mems device will be formed . the insulating layer 200 may be formed as part of the via isolation layer described above . in various exemplary embodiments , the insulating layer 200 is silicon dioxide , and the device layer 300 is silicon . prior to bonding , the silicon dioxide layer may be patterned with an additional set of thin conductive vias 222 and 224 , which correspond to the through hole vias 122 and 124 , that will connect the through hole vias 122 and 124 to the mems device , as will be described further below . the silicon device wafer 300 is then bonded to the insulating layer 200 . the mems device is then formed in the device layer . the through hole vias as described above , may thereby provide electrical access to a mems device , such as that described next and illustrated in fig1 . fig1 shows an exemplary finished mems device 2000 , sealed in a hermetic package . the mems device may be a switch or relay 300 having two portions , 322 and 324 which , when the switch is activated , may touch to close a circuit . since the details of the mems switch 300 are not necessary to the understanding of the systems and methods disclosed here , the mems switch 300 is shown only schematically in fig1 . it should be understood that the mems switch shown in fig1 is exemplary only , and that any other mems device may make use of the systems and methods disclosed here , including mems sensors , actuators , accelerometers , and other devices . similarly , the systems and methods disclosed here may be applied to non - mems devices . electrical contact with the through hole vias 122 and 124 may be made by depositing a layer of a conductive material 222 and 224 , into a pair of holes made in insulating layer 200 . after securing the device layer 300 to the insulating layer 200 , the features 322 and 324 of the mems switch 300 may be formed in the device layer by , for example , deep reactive ion etching through the device layer to the insulating layer 200 . the features 322 and 324 may be formed in locations corresponding to the locations of the through hole vias 122 and 124 and conductive material regions 222 and 224 . the insulating layer 200 may remain under the outboard portions of mems features 322 and 324 , in order to anchor the mems features 322 and 324 to the substrate surface 100 . elsewhere under mems features 322 and 324 , the insulating layer 200 has been etched away to release mems features 322 and 324 , so that mems features 322 and 324 are free to move . a wet etchant such as hydrofluoric acid ( hf ) may be used to remove the insulating layer 200 under the mems features 322 and 324 . mems switch 300 is then encapsulated in a cap or lid wafer 500 , which has been relieved in areas to provide clearance for the movement of mems switch 300 . the hermetic seal may be made by , for example , forming an alloy seal 400 as taught in greater detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 211 , 625 and u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 211 , 622 incorporated by reference herein in their entirety . the alloy seal 400 may be an alloy of gold ( au ) layers 410 and 430 and indium ( in ) layer 420 , in the stoichiometry of auin 2 . while various details have been described in conjunction with the exemplary implementations outlined above , various alternatives , modifications , variations , improvements , and / or substantial equivalents , whether known or that are or may be presently unforeseen , may become apparent upon reviewing the foregoing disclosure . for example , while the disclosure describes an embodiment including a mems switch , it should be understood that this embodiment is exemplary only , and that the systems and methods disclosed here may be applied to any number of alternative mems or non - mems devices . accordingly , the exemplary implementations set forth above , are intended to be illustrative , not limiting . | 7 |
the accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention , and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification . the drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and , together with the description , serve to explain the principles of the invention . fig2 is a flow chart showing a screening method of a phosphor - based optical film used in a backlight module according to a first embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig2 , the screening method of the phosphor - based optical film comprises following steps : step s 1 : divide the internal surface of the backlight module without a phosphor - based optical film into a plurality of measurement zones , and then gain a transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the plurality of measurement zones can be distributed from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side in this step . for example , a first measurement zone a1 , a second measurement zone a2 , . . . , an m measurement zone am are distributed in order from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side . it is notified that division of the measurement zones of the internal surface of the backlight module is not limited to what is shown in fig3 . the transmittance spectrum refers to the transmittance in response to each wavelength in a visible light band in this embodiment . moreover , chromatic values of the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module without the phosphor - based optical film are measured and collected by an optical measurement device ( such as a spectra - radiometer and a color analyzer ). a chromatic matrix is formed on the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module . the chromatic matrix comprises the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the difference of the chromatic values can be detected from the chromatic matrix . whether the chromatic values are within the range of standard chroma or not can also be detected from the chromatic matrix . the range of standard chroma will be described in detail . step s 2 : gain a chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film . step s 3 : check the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones gained in step s 2 to be within the range of standard chroma . according to the present embodiment , the range of standard chroma refers to “ standard chroma ± tolerance of chroma ” where , in reality , the backlight module comprises a variety of sizes so the range of standard chroma differs according to the size of the backlight module . in step s 3 , if the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film is in the range of standard chroma , screening of the phosphor - based optical film used in the backlight module is successful , and the process of screening is finished . it is notified that , the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones on the internal surface of the backlight module is different from another , so producing parameters ( such as elements , proportion , and density of phosphor ) of the phosphor - based optical film are different for each of the plurality of measurement zones . therefore , a zone with a screened phosphor - based optical film which corresponds to a measurement zone and is produced according to producing parameters comprises producing parameters different from another zone . each zone corresponds to its individual measurement zone . if the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film is not within the range of standard chroma , match at least one measurement zone with a new phosphor - based optical film ( the producing parameters of the new phosphor - based optical film are different from those of the older phosphor - based optical film matching the at least one measurement zone ), and return to step s 2 . step s 21 : gain a transmittance spectrum of the phosphor - based optical film matching each of the measurement zones . step s 22 : multiply the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones by the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the phosphor - based optical film , and then gain the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film . step s 23 : gain the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film based on the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film in step s 22 . in step s 22 , the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film is multiplied by a vision function ( i . e ., a photopic vision value which a wavelength responds to in different states ), and tristimulus values are gained by means of integrals in the visible light band . further , the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film is gained according to the gained tristimulus values . the chromatic value in the present embodiment is defined by the cie 1931 color space though the chromatic value is not limited in the present invention . for example , the chromatic value is defined by the cie1976 color space , etc . in addition , quantum dots ( qds ) have characteristics of wide spectra of excitation , successive distribution , narrow and symmetrical spectra of emission , adjustable color , stable chemical reaction of light , and long life of fluorescence . owing to these strengths , the phosphor - based optical film is preferably a qd film . fig4 is a flow chart showing a screening method of a phosphor - based optical film used in a backlight module according to a second embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , the screening method of the phosphor - based optical film comprises following steps : step s 1 : divide the internal surface of the backlight module without a phosphor - based optical film into a plurality of measurement zones , and then gain a transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the plurality of measurement zones can be distributed from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side in this step . for example , a first measurement zone a1 , a second measurement zone a2 , . . . , an m measurement zone am are distributed in order from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side . it is notified that division of the measurement zones of the internal surface of the backlight module is not limited to what is shown in fig3 . the transmittance spectrum refers to the transmittance in response to each wavelength in a visible light band in this embodiment . moreover , chromatic values of the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module without a phosphor - based optical film are measured and collected by an optical measurement device ( such as a spectra - radiometer and a color analyzer ). a chromatic matrix is formed on the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module . the chromatic matrix comprises the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the difference of the chromatic values can be detected from the chromatic matrix . whether the chromatic values are within the range of standard chroma or not can also be detected from the chromatic matrix . the range of standard chroma will be described in detail . step s 2 : gain the transmittance spectrum of the n phosphor - based optical film where n is a positive integer . step s 3 : multiply the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone by the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the n phosphor - based optical film , and then gain the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film where m is a positive integer . s 4 : gain the chromatic value of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film based on the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone matching the n phosphor - based optical film in step s 3 . in step s 3 , the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone matching the n phosphor - based optical film is multiplied by a vision function ( i . e ., a photopic vision value which a wavelength responds to in different states ), and tristimulus values are gained by means of integrals in the visible light band . further , the chromatic value of the m measurement zone matching the n phosphor - based optical film is gained according to the gained tristimulus values . the chromatic value in the present embodiment is defined by the cie 1931 color space though the chromatic value is not limited in the present invention . for example , the chromatic value is defined by the cie1976 color space , etc . step s 5 : check each of the chromatic values gained in step s 4 to be within the range of standard chroma . according to the present embodiment , the range of standard chroma refers to “ standard chroma ± tolerance of chroma ” where , in reality , the backlight module comprises a variety of sizes so the range of standard chroma differs according to the size of the backlight module . in step s 5 , if the chromatic value of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film is not in the range of standard chroma , return to step s 2 where n is set as n + 1 ( n = n + 1 ). it is notified that , the chromatic value of every measurement zone on the internal surface of the backlight module is different from another , so producing parameters ( such as elements , proportion , and density of phosphor ) of the phosphor - based optical film are different for every measurement zone . therefore , a zone which corresponds to a screened phosphor - based optical film and is produced according to producing parameters comprises producing parameters different from another zone . each zone corresponds to its individual measurement zone . if the chromatic value of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film is within the range of standard chroma , return to step s 3 where m is set as m + 1 ( m = m + 1 ). in addition , qds have characteristics of wide spectra of excitation , successive distribution , narrow and symmetrical spectra of emission , adjustable color , stable chemical reaction of light , and long life of fluorescence . owing to these strengths , the phosphor - based optical film is preferably a qd film . a backlight module 100 comprising a phosphor - based optical film 400 is provided in the present invention . the backlight module 100 is produced according to the screening method as described in the first or second embodiment . the detail of the backlight module 100 is shown in fig5 . the backlight module 100 comprises a light source ( such as a blue light - emitting diode ) 200 and a light guide plate ( lgp ) 300 as shown in fig5 . the lgp 300 comprises a light input surface 301 and a light output surface 302 . the light source 200 is disposed near the light input surface 301 . the phosphor - based optical film 400 is screened according to the screening method as described in the first or second embodiment and disposed on the light output surface 302 by means of printing or spray coating . in addition , qds have characteristics of wide spectra of excitation , successive distribution , narrow spectra and symmetrical of emission , adjustable color , stable chemical reaction of light , and long life of fluorescence . owing to these strengths , the phosphor - based optical film 400 is preferably a qd film . the phosphor - based optical film 400 can be used as backlight of the backlight module 100 , for the phosphor - based optical film 400 eventually converts the light produced by the light source 200 into white light . as described in the first or second embodiment , producing parameters of the phosphor - based optical film 400 vary with which part of the measurement zone ( display zone ) of the backlight module 100 matching the phosphor - based optical film 400 . different phosphor - based optical films 400 have different producing parameters . so the phosphor - based optical film 400 highly matches the backlight module 100 . the backlight module 100 has higher saturation and penetration and better color uniformity . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims . | 6 |
the invention as shown in the attached figures is a method for the virtual donning of wearable goods , generally described in the flow chart of fig1 at 10 . the method first comprises acquiring data 10 , including both image data and contour data from a subject . image data is acquired as described above . the next step is image analysis 20 of the data acquired . this step will perform the contour analysis formulating the 3 - d point cloud data and preparing the 2 - d photo imagery . after the data is analyzed and prepared , the model construction 30 begins . this process entails the point cloud data triangulation for the polygonal 3 - d model construction . this is a generic process that applies equally as well to other body parts , such as hands for glove selection , or other items of the appropriate size for imaging . the next step in the process flow is the 2 - d photorealistic imagery 50 . this is the , camera imagery that will be used for the hybrid ( 2 - d / 3 - d ) composition of the 3 - d occulted frame data and the discrete view imagery . the 3 - d textured model is assembled 60 with the photo imagery and the polygonal model . this phototextured model will be stored at the centralized server database in a conventional open standard 3 - d viewing format ( e . g ., vrml ). the customer data 40 , such as point of sale , store and vendors , customer &# 39 ; s name , address , access pin / password , rx , pd , etc ., will be transmitted to the server database via secure wan ( wide area network ), which is preferably the internet . the remainder of the process flow is preferably outside , though not excluding kiosk access , the doctor &# 39 ; s office . the database 70 will maintain all customer data , the 2 - dimensional photoimagery , and the 3 - dimensional model with associated texture . the server 90 will be a centralized computer system on the wan . a pc , such as a dell dimension 411 series with a pentium iii at 866 mhz using a network card such as the 3c905c txm 10 / 100 remote wake up nic developed by 3com , would operate as this server . in addition , the hard drive for the pc would preferably be a 20 gb ultra ata ( 7200 rpm ), and the pc would have minimum 256 mb of 133 mhz sdram . the monitor that would be used for the network system is preferably a 19 ″ ( 17 . 9 ″, 0 . 26 dpi ) m990 monitor . equivalent hardware is also contemplated . complete kiosk data along with frame manufacturer data will be resident within the secure server database . software for both the 2 - d discrete photo frame composition and the 3 - d phototextured frame / head composite model production will reside on the server . although a 3 - d composite model will be produced , the frame model will be articulated so as not to preclude fine frame adjustments at the customer viewing browser . server access via the internet will preferably use industry standard encryption for all necessary secure transactions . account authority / access will use cgi ( common gateway interface ) scripting software for account / password authentication and / or identification . customers 100 , the ophthalmologist or optometrist 110 , and frame manufacturers can access this server through a secure wan to allow for confidentiality of customer data and the ability to make purchases of the wearable good after viewing and / or selection . an example of wearable goods selection might proceed as follows . after the modeling visit , a customer will go home with pin / password for immediate account access . an internet - ready computer / appliance with standard browser capability is all that is necessary to proceed . no specific software / hardware requirements are necessary above and beyond this minimum . the wearable goods website is called up and displayed . through the browser gui ( graphical user interface ), the process begins . examples / instructions may begin before and / or after account access . when account verification is accomplished , the customer proceeds . the following will detail a glasses frame selection , but in concept would apply to any wearable goods item . the user will choose between the 3 - d phototextured head model and the 2 - d photoimagery for frame composition and viewing . if the 3 - d model is selected , the server composition software will formulate a composite phototextured model of the head and the currently selected frame of choice . once produced , this articulated model is downloaded to the browser via secure transmission . once downloaded , the viewer can rotate and pan / zoom the model using the conventional 3 - d browser plug - in of choice . the process repeats itself for all frames of interest . if the 2 - d selection is made , a similar process occurs . the currently selected frame request is sent to the server for production . once received , the server will use the 3 - d model momentarily to “ wear ” the frames in each discrete view . the occulted frame phototextured data is then merged with the corresponding photoimagery representing the same distance / orientation . the resultant 2 - d imagery ( e . g ., gif ) data is then sent via the secure wan to the customer for display in an imager placeholder within the browser gui . the user can then select between discrete views of already cached image data , through forward / back indicators on the gui . if frame selection is made , a secure electronic commerce transaction will take place . purchase means along with database records will be forwarded to the server for further routing to frame manufacturer , lens manufacturer ( if not the same ), ophthalmologist or optometrist , and for invoice verification back to the customer . in the present invention , the subject &# 39 ; s 3 - d data ( such as full body , or portions of the body like head , hands , and feet ) are acquired and databased at a kiosk . the functional elements of the kiosk may include imaging equipment , sensors , internet communications hardware and software , and a data acquisition terminal . the preferred internet communications hardware and software is the hardware and software described above . in one embodiment , data such as payment method , address , and prescription data for eyeglasses is entered manually or electronically at the data acquisition terminal . the internet serves as a data path between the kiosk , the vendor or manufacturer and the subject nodes . the scope of the present invention is illustrated in fig2 . as shown , several specialized databases for wearable goods 200 are contemplated . a subject would obtain the 2 - d photoimagery and the 3 - d phototextured model at a kiosk at a store 204 such as an optometrist &# 39 ; s office . although the term optometrist is used throughout the disclosure of this invention , the term as used is intended to apply equally to an ophthalmologist or other professional properly licensed to fit prescription eyeglasses . the subject then virtually wears the wearable goods via a pc 202 , such as the subject &# 39 ; s own pc . thus , the subject may virtually wear the goods in the privacy of the subject &# 39 ; s home or at times convenient to the subject . the subject then could even decide to order the wearable goods . at the same time the subject orders goods , such as glasses from the optometrist 204 , the order is also given to the retail vendor of goods such as eyeglass frames 206 and the supplier of the goods , i . e ., the eyeglass frames 208 . the supplier 208 can then ship the necessary ; supply to the appropriate retail vendor . furthermore , suppliers of accessories to the goods sold by the retail vendors may be included in the system . for example , a supplier of blanks 210 could receive the order from a jewelry customer 212 for a retail jewelry store 214 . as shown in fig2 this invention would be useful in the sale and distribution of goods such as glasses , dresses , jewelry and shoes . clearly , this model is contemplated for all wearable goods . fig3 and 4 illustrate the preferred method 300 for obtaining image data for one or more 2 - d photorealistic images and for one or more 3 - d phototextured models via a kiosk 800 . the first step for data acquisition is the positioning of the subject 805 in the appropriate position 310 . the data acquisition will then be accomplished by four camera passes , 320 , 330 , 340 , 350 . the placement of cameras , illumination and the subject are generally illustrated in one embodiment of the invention in fig4 . three cameras , a left camera 810 , a center camera 820 , and a right camera 830 are used in the preferred embodiment . however , more cameras may be used , a single camera may be moved around the subject , or the subject 805 may rotate while one or more cameras either remain in position or rotate in the opposite direction as the subject 805 . as shown in fig4 general illumination sources 840 , 850 , 860 are strategically placed within the kiosk 800 around the subject 805 to provide optimal lighting for imaging . although three general illumination sources 840 , 850 , 860 are illustrated , more or less lights may be used , so long as light is optimized for the imaging process . in addition , in the preferred embodiment , two pattern projectors , a left projector 870 and a right projector 880 , are placed around the subject 805 . however , one pattern projector may be used , and three or more pattern projectors may also be used . for the first camera pass 320 , the subject 805 first faces straight ahead . the left camera 810 and the center camera 820 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with illumination from the left pattern projector 870 . the left camera 810 and the center camera 820 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with general illumination . the center camera 820 and the right camera 830 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with illumination from the right pattern projector 880 . the center camera 820 and the right camera 830 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with general illumination . these images may be taken in any order . a second camera pass 330 is made . in the illustrated embodiment , the subject 805 looks to the left side 890 , approximately half way between the left camera 810 and the center camera 820 . however , the subject may look to the right side . the same exposures are taken as for the first pass 320 . from the data obtained , the operator of the system 100 determines the pupillary data of the subject 805 in step 360 . the operator then places a generic frame on the customer 370 . the generic frame is of the appropriate bridge width for the subject 805 , and the operator records the bridge width and temple length and determines the vertical positioning of the lens centers in the generic frame . a third pass is completed 340 with the customer wearing the generic frame . the images taken for the first pass 320 are repeated . a fourth pass 350 is taken with the subject 805 still wearing the generic frames . in the fourth pass 350 , the subject &# 39 ; s head is turned as it was in the second pass 330 , and the steps for taking images in the second pass 330 are repeated . from the data obtained above , a 3 - d model is created 360 . a database is then generated 370 . the database may include information such as the customer name , address and related contact information . the database will also have the head model to be used in creating the images of the subject 805 and the photoimagery and texture information obtained from the subject 805 . this database is expanded 380 with information from the kiosk 800 , including information such as pupillary distance , temple distance , and bridge distance . this expanded database is communicated to the server 390 . in addition , the database for the frames is also communicated to the server 400 . the subject , using server frame composition software , may perform 2 - d and / or 3 - d viewing of the frames with the obtained imagery and select frames for purchase 410 . the subject then may place an order with the server 420 . the order , using business to business e - commerce applications known in the art , may be placed with the appropriate manufacturers and suppliers 430 . after the order is placed and filled , the optician then can fit the eyeglasses on the subject 440 . this invention also comprises a unique method of selling glasses described in fig5 and generally referred to as 1000 . as shown , the subject 1010 , the optometrist 1020 , the lens manufacturer 1030 and the frame manufacturer 1040 are all interconnected through the kiosk system 1050 . as shown , part of the interconnection comes directly through the pcs 1060 , 1070 , 1080 , 1090 , 1100 of the interconnected parties . in one embodiment , the kiosk system 1050 is owned by an assembling entity 1110 and is physically located within the optometrist &# 39 ; s office 1120 . as shown , the subject &# 39 ; s eyeglass prescription is relayed between the subject 1010 , the optometrist 1020 and the lens manufacturer 1030 through the kiosk system 1050 . the kiosk system 1050 provides the subject with the 2 - d photoimagery and / or textured 3 - d model which can be loaded onto the subject &# 39 ; s pc 1060 . in the context of eyeglasses , the subject 1010 searches for frames in accordance with frame data provided by the frame manufacturer 1040 . the subject accesses the frame data through the kiosk system 1050 . money for the optometrist &# 39 ; s services and the finished eyeglasses is paid directly to the optometrist 1020 . the money is then distributed to the assembling entity 1110 . money may be paid by cash , debit card , credit card or other electronic means . money corresponding to the subject &# 39 ; s order is then distributed to the lens manufacturer 1030 and the frame manufacturer 1040 . alternatively , the subject may pay directly into the kiosk 1050 , which would distribute funds to the optometrist 1020 , lens manufacturer 1030 and the frame manufacturer 1040 . as shown in fig5 when the lens manufacturer 1030 receives the subject &# 39 ; s order for eyeglasses on its pc 1080 , the manufacturer 1030 may then provide the lens to the assembling entity 1110 , properly polished and edged for the frames that the subject selected . simultaneously with the lens manufacturer 1030 , the frames manufacturer may receive the subject &# 39 ; s order on its pc 1090 . the frames manufacturer may then provide the frames to the assembling entity 1110 . the assembling entity 1110 then provides the assembled eyeglasses to the optometrist 1020 , who fits the eyeglasses for the subject 1010 . an important consideration in fitting prescription eyeglasses is to deal with variable lenses that include different degrees of optical differences , such as bifocals , and more particularly , varilux lenses , which blend different optical strengths and have a very specific , precise distance upon which the lenses must relate to the pupil . using special texture for frames and frame shape database information , an important distance of 18 mm can be discerned by looking at the shape of the frame and the texture of the frame to figure out the proper pupil location , so that when the eyeglasses are fitted properly , the 18 mm distance will be properly aligned , so that a variable lens , such as a varilux lens , will be accurately fitted for the wearer . this can be provided in the initial image recognition and 3 - d texture mapping that includes selection of a particularly shaped frame and the dimensions of the frame relative to the pupil eye points created while the glasses are being fitted . as shown in fig6 the system 2000 may easily be adapted for the virtual putting on of other wearable goods , such as a shirt . for example , a subject 2010 may obtain 2 - d photoimagery / 3 - d textured model of his or her head and torso in the manner described above through a kiosk system 2020 operated by a service provider 2040 . the 2 - d / 3 - d data may be accessed by the subject &# 39 ; s pc 2050 . the subject 2010 then uses the kiosk system 2020 to virtually wear a 3 - d model of a shirt that has been input into the kiosk system 2020 . the information for the 3 - d model of the shirt may come from a specific shirt retailer 2030 . the subject 2010 , through his or her pc 2050 , may order a selected shirt through the kiosk system 2020 through its pc 2060 to the shirt retailer 2030 to its pc 2070 . the 2 - d photoimagery / 3 - d textured model of the subject &# 39 ; s head and torso would be so precise to permit uniquely accurate tailoring of the shirt by the shirt retailer 2030 . the subject 2010 then pays the shirt retailer 2030 directly for the shirt . the shirt is directly shipped to the subject 2010 . in the preferred embodiment , the shirt retailer 2030 pays the service provider 2040 that provides the kiosk system 2020 a service fee for use of the kiosk system 2020 . the system described is also suitable for the virtual wearing and purchase of shoes , jewelry , hats and other wearable goods . the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment . it is recognized , however , that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a rotationally symmetrical container 10 of a pyrotechnic source of compressed gas . the container 10 serves to receive a propellant charge which is ignited by a conventional ignitor ( not shown ) arranged outside of the container burning through one wall of the container 10 the container 10 consists of a container body 12 and a container lid 14 , both made of aluminum and contacting each other at annular contact surface areas 16 and 18 where they are ultrasonically welded gas - tight . one such rotationally symmetrical container may be arranged upstream of a piston in a cylinder of a belt tensioner , for instance . a bowden cable necessary for tensioning the belt then extends through the middle of the toroidal container 10 . the container lid 14 comprises at its outer rim a cranked portion supporting the face surface area of the outer peripheral wall 20 of the container body 12 . the inner rim of the container lid 14 locates a raised face 22 configured on the inner peripheral wall 24 of the container body . in this arrangement the container body 12 and container lid 14 thus circumscribe an annular inner space provided to receive the propellant 26 . to weld the container body 12 and container lid 14 to each other , after the propellant has been filled , the container body 12 is supported by its underside and a pressure oriented downwards as shown in fig1 is exerted on the container lid 14 in the region of its outer and inner rim so that an even surface area pressure is produced at the peripheral contact surface areas 16 and 18 . at the same time the container body 12 and container lid 14 are caused to vibrate at least in the region of the contact surface areas 16 and 18 so that they are moved relative to each other horizontally as shown in fig1 . the vibration frequency in this region is in the ultrasonic range and the amplitude is of the order of 30 μm . due to the surface area pressure and the relative movement in the region of the contact surface areas 16 , 18 this region is heated up strongly , resulting in a weld joint . in this arrangement the heating up is restricted substantially to the region of the contact surface areas 16 and 18 so that the remaining regions of the container body 12 and container lid 14 remain more or less cold . as regards gas - tightness the weld features substantially the same properties as the base material of the container body 12 and of the container lid 14 so that excellent properties are achieved without the need for any additional sealing measures . the wall thickness of the peripheral wall 20 of the container body 12 is less than that of the remaining walls and than that of the container lid 14 so that , for one thing , a fast burn - through of the peripheral wall 20 can ; be achieved by the ignitor being arranged outside of the container and , for another , the peripheral wall 20 is the first to burst following ignition of the propellant 26 within the container 10 . referring now to fig2 there is illustrated a section view of a container 30 of a second embodiment of the invention . like the embodiment as shown in fig1 a container body 32 and a container lid 34 define an annular interior space for receiving the propellant . the container lid 34 comprises a bursting diaphragm 36 which is offset meaning positioned on a different plane , relative to the surface of the container lid 34 , as shown in fig2 and is surrounded by a notch 38 . the wall thickness of the container lid 34 is greatly reduced in the region of the bursting diaphragm 36 so that the bursting diaphragm 36 is the first to burst on ignition of the propellant in the container 32 . in producing the container lid 34 , for instance by cold extrusion , the region of the burst diaphragm 36 is strain - hardened to thus burst in a more defined response than would be in the case of a softer material . referring now to fig3 there is illustrated a section view of the outer rim portion of a container 40 which in turn consists of a container body 42 and a container lid 44 . the container body 42 comprises a peripheral flange 46 supporting the rim portion of the container lid 44 . for welding the flange 46 and the rim portion of the container lid 44 to each other , they are pressed together and caused to vibrate horizontally to each other in the ultrasonic range as indicated by the arrows in fig3 . a bursting diaphragm 47 configured in the peripheral wall of the container body 42 is burnt through by a conventional ignitor arranged outside , and a peripheral notch 48 in the container lid 44 ensures a controlled bursting response of the container 40 following ignition of the propellant in the container 40 . the bursting diaphragm 47 formed in the container body 12 is surrounded by a notch . referring now to fig4 there is illustrated a container 50 , wherein for the ultrasonic welding between container body 52 and container lid 54 the face surface area of an outer peripheral wall 56 of the container body 52 is provided . referring now to fig5 there is illustrated a further container 60 comprising a container body 62 and a container lid 64 . the container lid 64 is cranked at right angles in its outer rim portion to thus be reliably supported by the container body 62 . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated section wise a container 70 , the container body of which comprises an outer peripheral wall 72 supporting a container lid 74 . the face surface area 76 of the peripheral wall 72 is chamfered in the direction of the container opening , as a result of which a chamfer 78 is formed . complying with the angle of inclination of the chamfer 78 the container lid 74 is cranked so that it rests against both the face surface area 76 and the chamfer 78 . a uniform ultrasonic weld is achieved in the region of the face surface area 76 and of the chamfer 78 by pressure being exerted on the container body 72 and the container lid 74 in the direction of the arrows as evident in fig6 . as a result , more particularly , mere localized welding at the points of contact is avoided , i . e . instead a full surface area gas - tight weld being achieved . referring now to fig7 and 8 there is illustrated a further embodiment of a pyrotechnic source of compressed gas in accordance with the invention . the pyrotechnic means as shown in fig7 and 8 is configured as an ignitor 80 provided for igniting a conventional propellant charge for a conventional belt tensioner ( not shown ). the ignitor 80 is arranged on a tubular inflator 82 in which a propellant charge ( not shown ) is located and which is held in contact with the inflator 82 by a clamping ring 84 . the ignitor 80 comprises a container comprising a container body 86 and a container lid 88 , both made of aluminum and produced as deep drawn or cold extruded parts . arranged within the container is a squib 90 comprising a filament 92 connecting two electric leads 94 to each other . the electric leads 94 are embedded in a plastic body 96 which together with ferromagnetic components 98 is inserted in the container body 86 . in the region of the squib 90 the container body 86 comprises a projection 100 including a booster charge 102 inserted in an opening of the inflator 82 and the thin wall of which can be penetrated on ignition . container body 86 and container lid 88 are secured and sealed to each other by an ultrasonic weld joint . referring now to fig9 and 10 there is illustrated the situation in which the ignitor can be integrated in an gas generator 110 . in this arrangement the container consisting of the container body 112 and container lid 114 represents not only the housing of the ignitor but also that of the inflator 110 . provided within the container in the region of the squib 116 is space for accommodating a propellant charge 118 . the container body 112 comprises in the region surrounding the squib 116 , i . e . the combustion chamber , a greater wall thickness . container lid 114 and container body 112 are welded to each other by an ultrasonic weld , whilst the contact pins 120 extending through the container lid 114 , as continuations of the leads 122 , are sealed off conventionally , for example , with the aid of a sealing compound . referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a further possibility of sealing off the leads and container lid . the container body 130 and container lid 132 are connected to each other by an ultrasonic weld . formed protruding from the container lid 132 is a tubular sleeve 134 which is sealed off by pressing it for sealing engagement with a sleeve 136 of the electric leads 138 . referring now to fig1 there is illustrated sectionwise a container 140 which has been ultrasonic welded in the region of its peripheral flange as evident from fig1 a . in this arrangement the peripheral flange permits simple and reliable ultrasonic welding whilst causing problems in installing the container in a tube . if the container 140 is thus installed , for example , in the tube of a belt tensioner , the peripheral flange , as shown in fig1 b , is bent up . the container 140 can then be inserted into a tube without problems . | 1 |
with reference to the cited figures , the method according to the invention substantially consists in producing , in a wall system 1 that contains voids or cavities 2 , injection holes 3 which are spaced and whose number varies according to the requirements and the conditions of deterioration of the wall system 1 . the injection holes 3 preferably run along directions that are substantially perpendicular to the surface of maximum extension of the cavities 2 inside the wall system 1 . if , as occurs more frequently , the wall system 1 is extended vertically , the injection holes 3 are preferably produced with a direction that is vertical or slightly inclined with respect to the vertical , since , as it has been assessed , the larger cavities 2 inside the wall system 1 are generally arranged horizontally ( for example a wall of bricks ), so as to be able to pass through the largest possible number thereof with every single injection hole 3 . said injection holes 3 can be provided directly in the wall system 1 , selectively , with different lengths according to the specific requirements established on the basis of previous study of the structure and preferably with a distance between two contiguous injection holes that can vary between 0 . 20 and 2 . 00 m . the injection holes 3 can have variable dimensions according to the specific requirements , in any case with a diameter preferably comprised between 4 mm and 40 mm . in some cases it may be necessary to provide the injection holes 3 in a direction other than vertical but in any case between the planes of arrangement of the two larger opposite faces of the wall system 1 . the depth of the injection holes 3 also can vary according to the specific requirements , as will become better apparent hereinafter . injection tubes 4 are then inserted or driven into the injection holes 3 ; said tubes are made of copper , pvc , steel or other material , and are suitably constituted by and / or treated with lubricating material in order to facilitate their sliding along the corresponding injection hole 3 . then a selected substance 5 , called hereinafter “ substance ” that expands after injection by chemical reaction is injected through the injection tubes 4 into the wall system 1 . preferably , during the injection the injection tubes 4 are gradually retracted along the corresponding injection hole 3 in the opposite direction with respect to the direction of insertion , so that the substance 5 distributes in the plurality of cavities 2 that the injection hole 3 passes through or are connected thereto , with the purpose of involving , with a single operation , a vast volume of wall system 1 and of filling with the substance 5 a plurality of voids , interstices and cavities . in the most frequent case of a wall system 1 that is extended vertically and therefore has injection holes 3 that run vertically or are slightly inclined with respect to the vertical , the injection tubes 3 are gradually retracted upward , during the injection of the substance 5 , at a rate that is preferably variable , as will become better apparent hereinafter . the selected substance 5 , once injected , as a consequence of a chemical reaction among its components , expands with a potential volume increase comprised between 2 and 5 times the volume of the substance before expansion and generates a maximum expansion pressure in conditions of complete confinement that is normally comprised between 20 kpa and 200 kpa , and is in any case selected to be always lower than the bursting limit pressure of the wall system 1 being treated . the maximum expansion pressure of said substance 5 , as it has been established by way of studies carried out while devising the present method , greatly decreases for a minimal increase in volume of said substance as a consequence of the chemical reaction , and so as to ensure , if completely confined within a saturated wall cavity , a considerable reduction of the expansion pressure after minimal expansion and therefore after any minimal and tolerable deformations of the surrounding wall elements . in particular , it has been established that said substance has a strong reduction in maximum expansion pressure following an expansion thereof of even less than 5 % of its initial volume . the term “ dissipable ” used in the present document , in this connection , is intended to express the mentioned concept . the used , selected substance 5 , before expansion , has a permeability coefficient preferably equal to 10 - 9 m / s . the substance 5 has , before the beginning of the chemical expansion reaction , an average viscosity comprised between 200 mpa · s and 300 mpa · s at 20 ° c . and in any case suitable to ensure the easy permeation of the cavities that can be reached by it as its exits from the injection tube 4 in the wall system 1 . the substance 5 has a reaction time , i . e ., the time interval between its introduction in the injection tube 4 and the beginning of the expansion process , that is normally comprised between 3 seconds and 60 seconds so as to avoid , depending on the thickness and characteristics of the wall system 1 to be subjected to the intervention , both an excessive escape of the substance 5 from the treated masonry and a partial permeation of the voids that are present inside the wall system 1 . directly after the beginning of the expansion process , the substance 5 rapidly increases its viscosity until it becomes solid , i . e ., with a viscosity that tends to infinity , once the reaction has ended ; this time period is preferably comprised between 20 and 150 seconds . this characteristic is very important , also because it allows to inject the substance 5 even into wall systems in direct contact with moving water without the risk of washing it away and therefore conveying it out of the wall system . moreover , said substance 5 is capable of performing regular expansion regardless of the presence of surrounding water . once it has expanded and consolidated , the substance 5 cannot be altered by the presence of water , even if said water contains acids and / or rich in sulfates and / or carbonates and / or salts in general . once consolidation has occurred , the substance 5 has good mechanical characteristics , at least equal to those of the disaggregated material that the substance 5 has replaced . these mechanical characteristics can be defined beforehand , within a certain margin , since they depend on the density of said substance 5 after expansion , which is directly a function of the density of the substance 5 expanded in free air and of the amount of substance introduced during the injection step . in particular , said substance 5 , once it has consolidated , preferably , is selected so as to have a tensile strength substantially between an average of 180 n / cm 2 at a density of 200 kg / m 3 and 800 n / cm 2 at a density of 500 kg / m 3 , and a compression strength substantially between an average of 200 n / cm 2 at a density of 200 kg / m 3 and 1300 n / cm 2 at a density of 500 kg / m 3 , a property whereby it improves the mechanical characteristics of the treated wall system 1 even with respect to its original conditions , especially if one considers that usually the density of the injected and consolidated substance 5 is higher than 500 kg / m 3 and therefore its tensile strength and compression strength are even higher than indicated above , while the tensile strength of conventional binders is practically zero . the substance 5 , once it has expanded and consolidated , has a lower relative density than water . the selected substance 5 is conveniently constituted by a mixture of expanding polyurethane foam , preferably a closed - cell polyurethane foam . said substance 5 can be constituted , for example , by a two - part ( component ) foam that is mixed inside a mixing unit of a known type , not shown for the sake of simplicity , which is connected to the injection tubes 4 and is served by a pump that ensures the pressure required to inject the substance through the injection tubes 4 . the first component can be a mixture of polyols comprising a polyether polyol , a catalyst and water , such as that available under the name uretek hydro cp 200 a manufactured by the dutch company resina chemie . the second component can be an mdi isocyanate , such as that available under the name uretek hydro cp 200 b manufactured by the same company . the mixing of these two components produces an expanding polyurethane foam whose density , at the end of expansion in free air ( i . e ., without confinement ), is at least equal to 200 kg / m 3 and varies according to the volume of the cavities 2 that are present in the wall system 1 and to the resistance opposed by the walls that delimit said cavities 2 . clearly , it is also possible to use other expanding substances that have similar properties without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the present invention . according to the requirements , the substance 5 can be injected , through the injection tubes 4 inserted in the injection holes 3 , formed beforehand in the wall system 1 , in a single injection step or , selectively , with partial interruptions , as shown in fig1 and 4 , starting from below , while the injection tube 4 is gradually retracted upward at a rate that is preferably adjusted according to the pressure and / or flow - rate of injection of the substance 5 . if necessary , the substance 5 can also be introduced selectively by performing localized injections in specific points of the wall system 1 selected by appropriate engineering criteria , for example , where there is a greater presence of voids or where there are water infiltrations , or where there is a structural discontinuity or other condition . in this last case , the injection tubes 4 are not necessarily retracted but can be left inside the wall system 1 , as shown in fig3 . in this case also , it can be useful to measure the pressure and / or flow - rate of injection of the substance 5 in order to check that the cavities 2 are filled completely and therefore decide to interrupt the injection . the pressure and flow - rate of injection can be measured constantly by means of a monitoring system that comprises a pressure gauge and / or a flow - rate measurement device 6 of a known type , which are shown schematically for the sake of simplicity and are arranged upstream of the inlet of the injection tube 4 between said inlet and the mixer , for example on an injection nozzle 7 , of a known type , of an injection device 8 , that connects the mixer to the corresponding injection tube 4 , so as to achieve complete filling of the cavities 2 before starting the retraction of the injection tube 4 or interrupting the injection of the substance 5 . in particular , an example is given of the importance of the use of injection monitoring by means of the instruments 6 cited above arranged on the injection nozzle 7 . this example is given merely by way of non - limitative indication : assuming that the characteristics of the intact wall system are already measured and known , so that the maximum pressure that can be withstood by the masonry , i . e ., the limit bursting pressure ( 20 bar ) divided by the safety coefficient ( 10 ), is 2 bar , the injection process is selectively performed by limiting the injection pressures in the steady state between 0 and 2 bar . as the injection pressures measured by the pressure gauge 6 vary , the retraction rate of the injection tube 4 varies proportionally . when the pressure measured by the pressure gauge located on the injection nozzle is 0 bar , the injection tube 4 is retracted at the rate of 0 meters per minute ; when the pressure measured by the pressure gauge located on the injection nozzle tends to , but is in any case lower than , 2 bar , the injection tube 4 is retracted at the rate of 3 meters per minute ; when the pressures measured by the pressure gauge located on the injection nozzle are between 0 and 2 bar , the retraction rate of the injection tube 4 varies proportionally between 0 and 3 meters per minute . the parameters described above , by way of example , can be varied even considerably as a function of the characteristics of the wall system 1 that vary . if a prolonged induction of overpressure occurs suddenly and instantaneously and is measured by the pressure gauge 6 located on the injection nozzle up to 10 bar ( a value that is in any case lower than the bursting limit pressure of the masonry ) and / or if a substantial decrease or stoppage in delivery measured by the flow - rate measurement device occurs , a safety valve 12 or the like stops the injection stream through the feeding tube 14 that exits from the injection nozzle , deactivating the system and therefore the injection of the substance 5 . the induction of overpressure must be prolonged and must last generally between 2 and 10 seconds , depending on the type of masonry . for very rapid overpressure peaks ( generally shorter than 2 - 10 seconds ), it has been observed that the masonry is in any case capable of tolerating certain pressures , which are in any case lower than the bursting limit pressure , without necessarily undergoing deformation . in some cases , moreover , the occurrence of overpressure peaks helps to achieve more complete permeation of the voids on the part of the substance 5 in the wall system . it has been established that for substances whose viscosity is higher than the preferred viscosity cited above , the induction of overpressure produces very small benefits of higher permeation , offset by high risks of bursting the wall system . in the manner described , maximum safety is ensured and risks of collapse of the wall system are avoided , ensuring complete permeation thereof . the flow - rate measurement device and the pressure gauge furthermore allow to manage the injection , avoiding excessive outflows of the substance 5 from the wall system 1 ; if the dispensed flow - rate is excessively high , the injection can in fact be interrupted , checking the wall system visually or with destructive or non - destructive tests in order to determine whether there are excessive dispersions of the substance 5 outside the wall system 1 . this selectable system to be used to control continuously the injection and retraction rate of the injection tubes 4 can be of the programmable type , so that it can be applied to wall systems that have different characteristics . the injection tubes 4 have , at one of their axial ends , an inlet that is designed to be connected to the injection nozzle 7 and , at or proximate to their opposite axial end , one or preferably a plurality of outlets 9 for the substance 5 . in the case of multiple outlets , the sum of the individual passage sections of said outlets is preferably larger than the passage section of the inlet to which the injection nozzle is applied . this characteristic produces , among other effects , a greater uniformity of distribution of the substance 5 in the wall system 1 , a lower risk of sudden increases in pressure caused by obstruction of the injection duct , constituted by the injection tube 4 and / or by the injection hole 3 , or by the filling of sealed cavities present in said wall system and a reduction in the outflow rate of the substance 5 from the injection duct , with a consequent reduction of the risk of escape from the wall system 1 . once injected , solely with the pressure induced by the pump , the substance 5 , owing to its low viscosity ( whose preferred values are cited above ) tends to enter , before expansion , all the cavities 2 that are more easily accessible in the wall system and expansion starts . this behavior causes the controlled filling of the occupied cavities 2 and propels the substance 5 further into the less accessible cavities , consequently filling them . the controlled and dissipable expansion pressure of the substance 5 avoids significant and dangerous breakages and deformations in the wall system 1 . all the solid elements that constitute the wall system 1 that surrounds the injection hole are surrounded by a film of expanded substance whose dimensions are substantially equal to those of the preceding empty interstices , assuredly placed under tension again . any fluids that are present in cavities of the wall system are expelled by the expansion pressure of the substance 5 , and all the stone or brick blocks that constitute the solid skeleton of the wall system are reaggregated without being subjected to excessive tensions . if the wall system is immersed in water or in the ground below the water table level , an expanding substance is used which reacts independently of the presence of water and is not altered by it during the expansion process or after consolidation has occurred . for example , the mentioned uretek hydro cp 200 a expands solely by virtue of the water contained therein , since it is a halogen and totally devoid of propellant compounds such as cfcs , hfcs , hcfcs and cfs . in other words , the chemical reaction of expansion occurs without absorbing water from the surrounding environment and therefore without being damaged by said water or most importantly boosted uncontrollably in its expansion force . moreover , said element derives from renewable and non - polluting material . it should be noted , according to the present invention , that the substance 5 injected into the wall system according to an appropriately designed geometric grid automatically seeks the cavities 2 that are easier to reach during expansion . in this manner , the substance continues to occupy the cavities until they are saturated , consequently causing an overpressure and a reduction in flow - rate , which can be verified at all times by the monitoring system located at the injection nozzle as described above . another monitoring operation that can be performed during use is the monitoring of any movements , along directions that are substantially perpendicular to the planes of arrangement of the two larger opposite faces of the wall system and therefore horizontally , if the wall system is vertical , undergone by the wall system or by the entire outer surface of the wall system during the injection of the substance 5 . this monitoring is optionally performed by using laser levels or similar instruments that are commercially available and are suitable to detect in real time and continuously any minimum movement of the surfaces of said wall system . in the presence of large or in any case appreciable cavities in the wall system that rise to the surface , it is possible to perform interventions prior to the injection of the substance 5 into the wall system . these interventions differ depending on whether the surface of the wall system is in contact with the ground or is exposed , i . e ., its surface is free or immersed in water . in the first case it is possible to act beforehand , according to a known type of technique , with injections of expanding substances 10 that have a high degree of expansion and a great expansion pressure along the surface of the wall system directly in contact with the ground , or in the ground at a distance that can vary from 0 . 20 m to 1 . 00 m from the surface , as shown in fig5 and 6 , in order to push the soil or the injected expanding system toward the cavities of the wall system in order to close and block the openings that are present therein and rise to the surface . in the second case , it is possible to act along the surface of the wall system affected by the surfacing of the cavities , for example by applying a sheet of geotextile material 11 or other material and by “ spray ” covering it by using expanding substances with a high degree of expansion and rapid hardening , as shown in fig7 . all this can be removed rapidly immediately after the operation for injection into the wall system . to achieve the goal of confinement of the wall system , it is optionally possible to use other methods , so long as they are capable of confining any escape of the substance 5 from the cavities that reach the surface of the wall system . in order to define precisely the center distance for performing the injections in the masonry , it is possible to use the system shown in fig8 , i . e ., the method of monitoring the injection performed by introducing closed - end flexible and deformable piezometer pipes 13 into measurement holes 15 made in the wall system 1 in the vicinity of the injection tube 4 . said piezometer pipes 13 are filled with water , and the level of the water is visible in the portion of the piezometer pipes 13 that protrudes upward from the wall system 1 . the substance 5 , during the filling of the cavities 2 that contain the piezometer pipes 13 , by way of its expansion pressure , presses the walls of the piezometer pipes 13 , causing the rise of the level of the water contained therein . this non - destructive monitoring allows to identify the space covered by the expanding substance inside the wall system and to design accordingly the center distance of intervention required to consolidate said wall system . this non - destructive monitoring system can be used systematically during the injection operations where it is important to check that the wall system has been permeated by the substance 5 in every cavity . at the end of the treatment , it is possible to apply to the wall system conventional integrity testing methods , either destructive ones such as coring or others or non - destructive ones such as ultrasound testing or others . in practice it has been found that the method according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim , since it allows , in a simple , rapid , effective , permanent , non - destructive and low - cost manner , to restore the structural integrity of deteriorated wall systems , even in the presence of water , in order to increase their mechanical characteristics , reduce their permeability to water flows , reduce their thermal conductivity , and other effects . the method thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations , all of which are within the scope of the appended claims ; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements . the disclosures in italian patent application no . mi2002a001995 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference . | 4 |
this invention relates to a sulky for powered devices . the invention will be described in its preferred embodiment of a sulky for a self powered commercial lawn mower . the lawn mower disclosed is a cub cadet mower . this device includes a frame 10 which supports an engine ( not shown ) and a forwardly extending mower deck ( not shown ). the frame itself is supported on two pairs of fore and aft displaced wheels so as to provide a constant support for the mower frame 10 ( wheels not shown ). the rear wheels are power driven by a hydrostatic transmission to the engine . the direction and speed of the lawn mower is under the control of the operator by the manipulation of the handlebars 11 together with the controls thereon . in this mower , the speed and direction are controlled by two clutches , one for the left rear wheel and the other for the right rear wheel . this allows for turns to be accomplished without physically moving the mower via the handlebars . this particular mower is given as an example . other self powered devices could be substituted . the invention of this application relates to the sulky 20 . this sulky 20 includes a pivot frame 30 , a sulky frame 40 , and a sulky stand 50 . the pivot frame 30 is for interconnecting the front section 41 of the sulky frame 40 to the back 12 of the mower frame while simultaneously providing a horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot that allows the sulky frame 40 to move angularly upwards and downwards in respect to the mower frame 10 . the pivot frame 30 in addition spaces the front section 41 of the sulky frame by the appropriate distance from the back 12 of the mower frame 10 . the appropriate distance is determined by operator comfort in respect to the distance 13 that the handlebars extend rearwardly of the back 12 of the mower frame . this provides for operator comfort when the operator is on the sulky stand 50 . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot is at the front end 31 of the pivot frame 30 . the particular pivot disclosed are ball ends 32 on the front end of the pivot frame 30 , which ball ends pivot about removable pins 33 to two brackets 34 which are interconnected to the back 12 of the mower frame 10 . the pins 33 allow the pivot frame 30 to pivot about the brackets 34 , thus allowing the sulky stand 50 to float upwards and downwards in respect to the mower frame 10 . the ball ends 32 allow for compensation for any angular misalignment between the holes in the brackets 34 and the holes in the ball ends 32 , thus facilitating assembly . the removable pins 33 allow for easy removal of the sulky for use of the mower without the sulky , transport , storage , etc . to increase the side to side stability of the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot , it is preferred that the brackets 34 be at least two in number and widely spaced as shown . this maximizes the side to side stability between the mower frame 10 and the sulky stand 50 . due to the preferred locating the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot on the back 12 of the mower frame 10 , the longitudinal angular pivoting of the sulky stand 50 is minimized for a sulky 20 having a given length ( for example in contrast to locating the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot at the back end 35 of the pivot frame 30 with the front end 31 fixedly interconnected to the back 12 of the mower frame 10 ). this minimization of the longitudinal angular pivoting is preferred for operator convenience and comfort . in the preferred embodiment disclosed , the front section 41 of the sulky frame is interconnected to the back end 35 of the pivot frame 30 by an optional horizontal &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot . this horizontal &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot allows the sulky stand 50 to float angularly sideways of the mower frame 10 , thus reducing the torsion on the pivot frame 30 and sulky frame 40 . this increases the service life of the sulky 20 for components of the given size . the preferred &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot disclosed is a pin 36 extending longitudinally backwards off of the back end 35 of the pivot frame in combination with a bearing 42 in a hole on the front section 41 of the sulky frame 40 . the combination of this pin 36 and bearing 42 allow the sulky frame 40 to laterally rotate in respect to the pivot frame 30 . the pin 36 and bearing 42 in addition interconnects the sulky frame 40 to the pivot frame 30 so that the sulky frame 40 is interconnected to the mower frame 10 for travel over the ground . note that this pin 36 and bearing 42 in addition interconnect the sulky frame 40 to the pivot frame 30 during turning of the mower . the pin 36 and bearing 42 combination should be sized in recognition of these high angular forces . the sulky frame 40 supports the sulky stand 50 for travel over the ground , in addition to interconnecting the sulky stand 50 to the pivot frame 30 and thence the mower frame 10 . the particular sulky frame 40 disclosed accomplishes this by two widely spaced wheels 60 on either side of the sulky stand 50 . the significant lateral spacing of these wheels provides for a solid support of the sulky stand 50 over uneven ground . since the sulky frame 40 does not longitudinally angularly shift in respect to the mower frame 10 , the wheels 60 are interconnected to the sulky frame 40 by a vertical &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; axis pivot . this vertical &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; axis pivot allows the wheels to rotate in respect to the sulky frame 40 , thus aligning themselves to the direction of movement of the sulky frame 40 over the ground . the particular &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; axis pivot disclosed is accomplished by two off center pins 61 on the wheels in combination with bearings 45 at either lateral side of the sulky frame 40 . by offsetting the pin 61 forward in respect to the axis of rotation of the wheels 60 , a measure of stability is provided for the wheels . this is preferred . note that if the horizontal &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot was omitted , it would be possible to use a single wheel 60 ; two wheels would not be needed to provide any lateral stability for the sulky stand 50 . a single wheel could also be successfully utilized with a stand 51 below the wheel rotational axis . the sulky stand 50 provides the physical support for the operator . in the particular embodiment disclosed , this is provided by a single flat foot stand surface 51 which is fixedly interconnected to the sulky frame 40 by certain side pieces 52 . the surface 51 is preferably sufficiently wide and long such that the largest sized operator could be accommodated . other operator supports could also be utilized , such as an operator seat . this seat would further provide operator comfort . in use , the operator locates the mower on a flat surface and interconnects the sulky 20 to the back 12 of the mower frame 10 by the pins 33 . any slight angular misalignment is compensated for by the ball ends 32 of the pivot frame 30 . the operator then starts the mower and stands on the surface 51 of the sulky . when thus positioned , the operator is located directly behind all of the mower controls which are located on the handlebars 11 . the operator then engages the controls to operate the mower with the power driven mower pulling the operator on the sulky 20 across the ground . whether the operator is going straight or turning the mower , the operator maintains his same relative position in respect to the handlebars 11 . this is true whether the operator is going straight , reverse , or turning . this constant location facilitates operator control of the lawn mower as well as operator comfort . in that in the preferred embodiment disclosed , the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot is located far forward , any longitudinal angular shifting of the sulky stand 50 is minimized . this further assists the operator in control of the mower . if the operator wants to remove the sulky 20 for unfettered manual operation , transportation , etc ., a quick pull on the removable pins 33 drops the sulky until next time . although the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment with a certain degree of particularity , it is to be understood that numerous changes can be made without deviating from the invention as hereinafter claimed . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic diagram of a 4 - bit dual flash adc of the present invention . the necessary storing of a momentary value of the adc input signal can be accomplished by any tha coupled in series with the adc input . the tha 1 consisting of a pair of voltage followers , switch and a capacitor connected to ground is shown as an example . by closing the switch the adc input voltage is applied to the capacitor and stored therein when the switch opens . the output voltage of the tha 1 is applied to the comparator input of the comparator / multiplexer section 10 via the switch 2 . this initiates the first conversion phase . the resistor network 9 consists of resistors coupled in series between a pair of reference signal sources , one of which is ground . the network 9 divides down the voltage of the reference source v for providing a plurality of reference signals . the resistors are equally valued for obtaining all quantization levels . also a current source can be used as the source v . the comparator / multiplexer section 10 includes a plurality of comparators each having a noninverting input coupled to the comparator input of the section 10 , and an inverting input receiving a specific reference voltage deriving from the resistor network 9 . the tha output voltage , which is a first comparison signal , is applied to the comparator input of the section 10 . by these means the tha output voltage is compared against the reference signals , whereby a first code is produced in response thereto . similarly , the section 10 includes a plurality of switches for selecting one of the reference voltages in response to the first code . the switches constitute a multiplexer as each switch is coupled for applying a specific reference voltage deriving from the network 9 to the multiplexer output of the section 10 . only one pair of adjacent comparators , i . e . having inputs coupled to the same resistor of the network 9 , outputs &# 34 ; zero - one &# 34 ;. all comparators receiving higher and lower reference voltages output &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; one &# 34 ; respectively . the code produced by the comparators , referred to as the &# 34 ; thermometer &# 34 ; code , is converted in the first code . this code has only a single &# 34 ; one &# 34 ; indicating the &# 34 ; zero - one &# 34 ; break and is thus well suited for controlling the switches of the multiplexer . for that purpose a plurality of and gates is used , each having an inverting and noninverting inputs and coupled to the outputs of adjacent comparators which are 4 , 5 and 5 , 6 . this also significantly simplifies the multiplexer structure as in place of its decoder the and gates , each controlling a single switch , are used . moreover , the output code of the section 10 is the first code deriving from the gates , as shown in fig1 . generally , the &# 34 ; thermometer &# 34 ; code would result in a more complex structure of an encoder processing the code . in the following the term 1lsb refers to the resolution of the section 10 and thus corresponds to a 2 - bit resolution . the full scale range ( fsr ) of the adc is equal to the voltage of the reference source v plus 1lsb , whereby the voltage drop across each resistor of the network 9 is 1lsb . the multiplexer includes four switches . for instance , for the tha output voltage below 1lsb , the reference voltage at the multiplexer output is zero as the switch controlled by the comparator 4 is on . for the voltages equal or higher than 1lsb one of the remaining switches is on . for example , if the tha output voltage is equal or higher than fsr - 1lsb , the switch controlled by the comparator 6 is on , thus applying the voltage of the reference source v to the multiplexer output . by these means the difference between the tha and multiplexer output voltage , i . e . a residue signal , is zero or positive and smaller than 1lsb . abnormal operating conditions of the adc can be detected by a pair of additional comparators sensing adc input signals below zero and equal or higher than the fsr . during the second conversion phase the residue signal is amplified in the differential amplifier 3 . the amplified signal , which is a second comparison signal , is applied to the comparator input of the section 10 via the switch 2 for comparing against the reference signals and producing the second code . as mentioned , the residue signal is smaller than 1lsb . the on - resistance of the individual switches employed in the multiplexer is insignificant for a high inverting input impedance of the amplifier 3 . the gain of the amplifier 3 is chosen in such a manner that for the residue signal equal 1lsb its output signal is equal to the fsr . in the present embodiment of the 4 - bit adc , the gain is equal 4 . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switch 2 is switched to its initial position and the adc is ready for a new conversion . the tha 1 , switch 2 and differential amplifier 3 are parts of an amplifying means operative to successively provide the first and second comparison signals to the comparator input of the section 10 . during the first and second conversion phases the signals are equal to the output signals of the tha 1 and differential amplifier 3 respectively . the signals are successively applied via the switch 2 to the section 10 . the operation of the adc will become even more clear by further analyzing the above example of the 4 - bit adc by the end of the first conversion phase . for the voltage of the reference source v equal 3v , 1lsb corresponds to 1v and the fsr is 4v . ______________________________________tha output mux output thermometer firstvoltage voltage code code______________________________________0 to 0 . 99 v 0 v 000 0001 to 1 . 99 v 1 v 001 0012 to 2 . 99 v 2 v 011 0103 to 3 . 99 v 3 v 111 100______________________________________ fig2 is a block diagram of the fig1 embodiment including a digital section . a tha , not shown for simplicity , is coupled in series with the adc input and provides an output signal to the comparator input of the comparator / multiplexer section 10 . the section 10 also receives the reference voltages from the resistor network 9 which divides down the voltage of the reference source v . furthermore , a selected reference voltage appears at the multiplexer output in response to the first code . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switch 2 is switched so that the output signal of the differential amplifier 3 is applied to the comparator input for producing the second code . the amplifier 3 amplifies the difference between the tha and multiplexer output signals . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switch 2 is switched to its initial position and the adc is ready for a new conversion . the digital section is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively . it includes the encoder 7 for sampling the codes , correcting faulty code sequences and obtaining a respective first and second binary output codes . the binary codes are added / subtracted in the adder / accumulator 8 for providing the output code of the adc . an encoder of an ordinary flash adc can be employed . the encoder described in the patent application entitled &# 34 ; encoder for flash adcs &# 34 ; having serial number 946 , 598 and filed on 12 / 24 / 86 by the same inventor is recommended for a significantly higher performance . the first and second binary codes represent the output signals of the tha and differential amplifier 3 respectively . therefore , the first binary code has a higher weight proportional to the gain of the differential amplifier 3 . the higher weight can be attained simply by applying the first binary code to input terminals of the adder / accumulator 8 having higher weight . ideally , the first and second binary codes are respectively msbs and lsbs of the adc output code , whereby no adder is necessary . fig3 is another embodiment with a capacitor pair providing a residue signal . the adc input signal is applied to an amplifying means which includes a sampling means for sensing the adc input signal and storing a momentary value thereof , and a means for storing a multiplexer output signal , serial coupling the capacitors and amplifying the residue signal appearing thereacross . the adc also includes the reference voltage source v , resistor network 19 and comparator / multiplexer section 20 , such as shown in fig1 . these components are coupled and operate as the respective components of fig1 and 2 . specifically , the adc input voltage is applied to the capacitor 14 via a voltage follower and the switch 11 coupled in series , whereby a momentary value of the voltage is stored in the capacitor 14 when the switch 11 opens . the multiplexer output signal is applied to and stored in the capacitor 15 . the capacitor voltages are amplified in an amplifier having predetermined gains . for that purpose the operational amplifier ( oa ) 13 , switch 12 and a resistor divider coupled for providing a portion of the oa 13 output voltage are employed . the switch 12 is coupled in series with the inverting input of the oa 13 for selecting a unity gain or a higher gain set by the resistor divider . thus , an ordinary noninverting amplifier configuration is constituted . during the first conversion phase the noninverting input of the oa 13 receives the first comparison voltage . this voltage is stored in the capacitor 14 which is coupled to ground via the closed switch 16 . the first comparison voltage is also applied to the comparator input of the section 20 as the gain selected by the switch 12 is one . the section 20 provides a first code representing the voltage . in response to the first code a nearest reference voltage smaller or equal to the voltage across the capacitor 14 appears at the multiplexer output of the section 20 . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switches 12 , 16 and 17 are switched . specifically , the multiplexer output voltage is applied via the switch 17 to the capacitor 15 and stored therein when the switch 17 is switched . the switch 16 opens simultaneously so that the capacitors 14 and 15 are coupled in series and also to ground via the switch 17 . the adc input sample and the multiplexer output voltage stored in the capacitors respectively 14 and 15 are subtracted , whereby the difference is the residue signal . the oa 13 amplifies the difference for providing the second comparison voltage to the section 20 . as a result , the section 20 provides a second code representing the voltage . the gain selected by the switch 12 is such that for the difference equal 1lsb the voltage is equal to the fsr . a digital section , e . g . as shown in fig2 and described hereinabove , is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively , for obtaining the output code of the adc . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switches 11 , 12 and 16 are switched to their initial positions and the adc is ready for a new conversion . fig4 is an embodiment for a very high speed . the tha 21 , e . g . as 1 shown in fig1 is coupled in series with the adc input . the adc also includes the resistor network 29 and comparator / multiplexer section 30 , such as shown in fig1 which are coupled and operate as in the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 . however , the reference voltage source v and ground connection are replaced by the reference current source j and switch 22 respectively . furthermore , the input polarity of the comparators 4 thru 6 is reversed . the comparator input of the section 30 is coupled to ground . specifically , the output voltage of the tha 21 is applied via the switch 22 to one terminal of the network 29 . the other terminal thereof is coupled to the reference current source j . therefore , the voltage appearing between these terminals is divided for providing first comparison voltages to the section 30 . however , these voltages are now referenced to the altering tha output voltages , rather than a fixed voltage , and thus vary in response thereto . the comparator input of the section 30 is coupled to ground . therefore , the comparators of the section 30 are comparing the first comparison signals against ground for determining polarity thereof and producing the first code . moreover , the comparison voltage selected in response thereto and appearing at the multiplexer output is below 1lsb with reference to ground and thus can be directly amplified by an ordinary amplifier . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switch 24 is switched . the conversion speed is significantly increased as the multiplexer output voltage is applied to and stored in the capacitor 25 when the switch 24 opens . the switch 22 is also switched . the capacitor voltage is amplified and then applied to the network 29 via the switch 22 . the tha output voltage is no longer required and the tha 21 can be used for providing a new sample of the adc input voltage . the conversion speed is thus influenced by the acquisition time of the tha 21 or the second phase conversion time , whichever is longer . the components 21 thru 25 are parts of an amplifying means operative to provide a pair of reference signals to the network 29 . during the first conversion phase , the adc input signal sample stored in the tha 21 is provided as the first reference signal . during the second conversion phase , the amplified multiplexer signal is the second reference signal . the network 29 receives the first and second reference signals for providing respectively a plurality of first and a plurality of second comparison signals in response thereto . the comparators of the section 30 compare the first and second comparison signals against ground , wherein respectively the first and second codes are produced in response thereto . the switch 22 is employed for successively applying the first and second reference signals to the resistor network 29 , whereby its on - resistance is coupled in series therewith . however , the constant current of the reference current source flows thru the switch 22 . for higher accuracy , the switch 22 can be replaced by two single switches , one included in a feedback of the tha 21 and the other in the feedback of the oa 23 , therefore coupled in series with the respective outputs thereof . the current of the reference current source j is chosen in such a manner that for the tha output signal equal to the fsr , the smallest comparison voltage is 1lsb . similarly , the gain of the amplifier is chosen in such a manner that its output signal is equal to the fsr for the multiplexer output signal equal 1lsb . the voltage drop across each resistor of the network 29 is 1lsb for equally valued resistors coupled in series . the amplifier consists of the oa 23 having noninverting input coupled to the capacitor 25 for amplifying the voltage appearing thereacross , and inverting input receiving a portion of the oa 23 output signal from a resistor divider , which also determines the gain . a digital section , e . g . as shown in fig2 and described hereinabove , is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively , for obtaining the output code of the adc . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switch 22 is switched to its initial position and the adc is ready for a new conversion . the operation of the adc will become even more clear by further analyzing the above example of the 4 - bit adc by the end of the first conversion . for clarity and by way of example , three tha output voltages are specified . the order of the outputs of the section 30 can be reversed for obtaining ascent first codes . for the fsr equal 4v , 1lsb corresponds to 1v . ______________________________________tha output mux output thermometer firstvoltage voltage code code______________________________________1 . 89 v 0 . 89 v 100 1002 . 00 v 0 . 00 v 110 0102 . 34 v 0 . 34 v 110 010______________________________________ fig5 is the preferred embodiment for a very high speed . the adc input signal is applied to an amplifying means which includes a sampling means for sensing the adc input signal and storing a momentary value thereof , and an amplifier means for storing and amplifying a multiplexer output signal . the adc also includes the resistor network 29 and comparator / multiplexer section 30 , such as shown in fig1 and the reference current source j . these components are coupled and operate as in the fig4 embodiment , whereas the network 29 is coupled directly to the oa 33 . specifically , the adc input voltage is applied to the capacitor 34 via a voltage follower and the switch 31 coupled in series , whereby a momentary value of the voltage is stored in the capacitor 34 when the switch 31 opens . the multiplexer output signal is applied to and stored in the capacitor 35 . the capacitor voltage is amplified in an amplifier having a predetermined gain . for that purpose the oa 33 , switch 32 and a resistor divider coupled for providing a portion of the oa 33 output voltage are employed . the switch 32 is coupled in series with the inverting input of the oa 33 for selecting a unity gain or a higher gain set by the resistor divider . thus , an ordinary noninverting amplifier configuration is constituted . during the first conversion phase the noninverting input of the oa 33 receives a first reference voltage . this voltage is stored in the capacitor 34 and is also applied to the network 29 as the gain selected by the switch 32 is one . the section 30 provides a first code representing the voltage . in response to the first code a comparison voltage below 1lsb , with reference to ground , appears at the multiplexer output of the section 30 . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switch 36 is switched . thereby , the multiplexer output voltage is applied to the capacitor 35 and stored therein when the switch 36 opens . the switches 32 and 37 are also switched so that the oa 33 amplifies the capacitor voltage for providing the second reference voltage to the network 29 . as a result , the section 30 provides a second code representing the voltage . the gain selected by the switch 32 is such that for the capacitor voltage equal 1lsb the second reference voltage is equal to the fsr . concurrently , a new sample of the adc input voltage can be applied to and stored in the capacitor 34 . the embodiment of fig5 can be further simplified by combining the capacitors 34 and 35 into one , as indicated by the dashed line , whereby the switch 38 is superfluous . however , the adc conversion time will be increased as the adc input sample and multiplexer output signal may be stored in the capacitor one at a time . the on - resistance of the switches 32 , 36 , 37 and also the individual switches employed in the multiplexer is insignificant as the capacitor 35 is charged from a low impedance voltage source and the input bias currents of the oa 33 are very small . a digital section , e . g . as shown in fig2 and described hereinabove , is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively , for obtaining the output code of the adc . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switches 32 and 37 are switched to their initial positions and the adc is ready for a new conversion . in the above embodiments , the reference and comparison signals are used to perform functions indicated by the signal names . in the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 , the resistor network provides a plurality of reference signals to the comparator / multiplexer section . the comparator input thereof successively receives the first and second comparison signals . in the embodiments of fig4 and 5 , the first and second reference signals are successively applied to the resistor network 29 which , in response thereto , provides a plurality of first and a plurality of second comparison signals to the section 30 . the comparator input thereof is coupled to ground . a dual flash conversion of the adc input signal into the output code has been described with reference to specific embodiments . a triple flash conversion will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . generally , the third conversion can be accomplished by amplifying and converting a signal difference between the amplifying means and multiplexer output signals after the first and second conversion phases respectively , for the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 . it can be accomplished by amplifying and converting the multiplexer output signal after the second conversion phase , for the embodiments of fig4 and 5 , whereby the amplification will be performed at yet a higher gain . however , the dual flash conversion will be sufficient in most cases as the final resolution of the comparator / multiplexer section can be effectively doubled . for that purpose , a slightly higher number of resistors , comparators and switches , etc . can be used in order to cover the signal difference or multiplexer output signal , of the respective embodiments , which can be negative or exceed 1lsb . this is caused by inaccuracies of the resistor network , comparator offset voltages , nonlinearity of the amplifying means , etc . in the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 , the resistor network can be coupled between two reference voltage sources of opposite polarities . in the embodiments of fig4 and 5 , the tha can exhibit an output offset voltage or the comparator input of the section 30 can be coupled to a fixed voltage source rather than ground . for instance , a 16 - bit adc can employ 300 rather than 255 comparators and a corresponding number of other necessary components . the embodiments of the present invention described herein are intended to be taken in an illustrative and not a limiting sense . various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
fig1 schematically shows a well installation comprising downhole metallic tubing 1 comprising casing 11 and within this , production tubing 12 . a sub surface safety valve 2 is provided downhole in the well within the production tubing 12 . this sub surface safety valve 2 is provided for permitting the flow of product , that is oil and / or gas , towards the surface during normal circumstances but obstructing such flow when circumstances necessitate this . a sub surface safety valve control unit 3 is provided downhole in the region of the sub surface safety valve 2 . a power signal transmitter 4 is provided at the surface and is connected to the downhole metallic tubing 1 . in practical terms it makes little difference whether the transmitter 4 is connected to the casing 11 or production tubing 12 , or even the well head , because in general terms the casing 11 and production tubing 12 will be in contact with one and other at many locations within the well and thus they tend to act as a single conduction path . another terminal of the transmitter 4 is connected to ground and thus valve controlling signals may be applied to the metallic tubing 1 for transmission downhole towards the valve control module 3 . in some implementations the connections to ground might be via another , nearby , well . the valve control module 3 has a spaced pair of contacts 31 which contact with the downhole metallic tubing 1 , in particular , with the production tubing 12 in this embodiment . although not shown in detail in the drawings , in a set up of the type shown in fig1 , the valve control unit 3 may be completion conveyed with the production tubing 12 for example as a mandrel tool which fits around the production tubing 12 . as such very good electrical connection can be easily achieved between the valve control module 3 and the production tubing 12 . in operation as the transmitter 4 transmits signals into the metallic tubing 1 , a resulting current i will flow in the tubing 11 , 12 . where this current i meets the contacts 31 a proportion of the current . delta . i will flow through the valve control module 3 . this proportion of the current . delta . i can be used to control operation of the valve 2 . in the present embodiment no power source is provided downhole for control of the valve 2 . rather power is extracted directly from the signals i applied to the metallic tubing 11 , 12 by the transmitter 4 . thus there is direct power supply from the surface for controlling the valve 2 . the valve control module 3 is arranged so that provided signals having an appropriate frequency are received from the metallic structure 11 , 12 , the valve 2 will be held open . on the other hand if such signals cease , the valve will be allowed to close . of course such ceasing of the signals i may be as the result of a deliberate act of stopping transmission from the surface transmitter 4 or may be due to more unexpected circumstances such as a failure of the transmitter 4 or some larger scale failure of the well installation as a whole . the valve control module 3 includes some capability to discriminate between signals having the correct characteristic showing them to be from the transmitter 4 and other signals which might be in the metallic structure of the well e . g . noise . to put this another way , the valve control module 3 has filtering capabilities . thus if signals are picked up having the incorrect frequency these will not be sufficient to hold the valve 2 open in the absence of signals i from the surface transmitter 4 . fig2 shows more detail of the valve control module 3 of the well installation shown in fig1 . in this embodiment the valve control module 3 comprises impedance generation means 32 disposed in the region of the valve 2 . the impedance generation means 32 is arranged for generating a local electrical impedance in the production tubing 12 in the region of the valve 2 . the impedance generation means comprises a generally toroidal piece of magnetic material 32 a around which is wound a winding 32 b which is connected in series with a capacitor 32 c . the winding 32 b , magnetic material 32 a and the production tubing 12 passing through the toroid of magnetic material 32 a act as a transformer with the production tubing 12 acting as a single turn winding . the magnetic material 32 a , winding 32 b and capacitor 32 c are chosen so that a significant electrical impedance is seen by electrical signals flowing in the production tubing as it passes through the toroid 32 a . more particularly the value of the capacitor and number of turns of the winding 32 b are chosen so that , in effect , the impedance generation means 32 is tuned to the frequency of the signals i transmitted by the transmitter 4 . that is to say , the impedance generation means 32 is arranged so that there is resonance at the signal frequency of the transmitter 4 generating a high electrical impedance in the tubing 12 at that location to signals having the signal frequency . in order to get good transmission characteristics through the metallic structure 11 , 12 of the well , the transmitter 4 will be arranged to transmit at very low frequencies for example at 10 hz or below . thus the capacitor must be chosen to have a value which is appropriate for generating the high impedance in the tubing 12 at such very low frequencies . the provision of a multi - turn winding around the toroidal core 32 a whilst the production tubing 12 is a single turn winding helps to decrease the capacitance value required to produce a usefully increased impedance in the production tubing in the region of the impedance generation means 32 . it has been found by the applicant that it is possible to generate an impedance of in the order of 50 m . omega . and , whilst in absolute terms this is not a high electrical impedance , compared with the impedance of a section of production tubing without the presence of such impedance generation means there is vast difference . thus such an arrangement helps to drive more current . delta . i through the valve control module 3 so that this current i is available for control of the valve 2 . of course if circumstances were to allow , an insulation joint might be provided in the tubing 12 in the region of the control module 3 , but in many circumstances the provision of such an insulation joint is impossible or highly undesirable . the control module 3 also comprises a solenoid 33 which is connected in series between the spaced contacts 31 and receives the current . delta . i which is caused to flow through the valve control module 3 . this solenoid 33 is used to directly control the operation of the valve 2 , in particular to hold the valve to open whilst there is sufficient current . delta . i flowing through the solenoid 33 . it will be appreciated that the impedance generation means 32 provides a filtering function in that the impendance generated in the production tubing 12 , is tuned to a particular frequency and thus it is this frequency which will be driven through the valve control module 3 . other frequencies which are substantially unaffected by the impedance generation means 32 will continue to flow almost entirely through the production tubing 12 and thus in normal circumstances would be insufficient to provide sufficient current in the solenoid 3 to hold the valve 2 to open . of course in alternatives further filtering means may be provided in the valve control module 3 to block out frequencies outside of a desired range . insulation 34 may be provided on the outer surface of the production tubing 12 between the spaced contacts 31 to insulate against electrical contact between the production tubing 12 and casing 11 in that region . fig3 shows in schematic form an alternative form of valve control module 3 . this form of valve control module 3 is one which is more suited to a retro fitting operation where the provision of an insulation joint or impedance generation means 32 to affect the production string 12 is not possible . such a control module 3 can be used as part of a replacement valve arrangement comprising a valve 2 along with the control module 3 . the valve arrangement can be introduced into the production tubing of the well in place of a tubing retrievable valve unit that has ceased to function and been removed . thus , in this case the valve control module 3 is provided in a tool which is housed within the production tubing 12 . it again has a spaced pair of contacts 31 which in the embodiment shown in fig5 will take the form of a spaced pair setting devices each of which comprises a plurality of teeth which are arranged to bite into the metal of the production tubing 12 in order to make good mechanical and electrical contact . here again the objective is to try to encourage as much current . delta . i from the signaling current i in the metallic structure 11 , 12 to flow through the valve control module 3 . here a solenoid winding 33 is connected in parallel with a capacitor 35 and these two components are connected in series between the spaced contacts 31 . the solenoid winding 33 is provided with a magnetic core 36 and arranged to control the valve 2 . that is to say , the solenoid 33 , 36 is arranged to hold the valve to open whilst sufficient current . delta . i flows through the solenoid 33 . again here the capacitor 35 is chosen in combination with the characteristics of the solenoid winding 33 in order to promote maximum current flow through the solenoid 33 at the signalling frequency of the applied signals i . in an alternative implementation a substantially non - varying dc signal may be applied at the surface by a transmitter corresponding to that 4 shown in fig1 . in such a case a resulting dc current will flow in the metallic structure 11 , 12 which can be “ scavenged ” for use in holding open the valve 2 . with a dc implementation the valve control module 3 will be similar to that shown in fig3 but with the capacitor 35 omitted as ‘ tuning ’ will not be relevant . the scavenged current will flow in the solenoid winding 33 to hold open the valve 2 . using dc gives good signal transmission characteristics but has the disadvantage of not being as helpful in applying differentiation between bona fide and fault / random signals . fig4 a to 4c show more detail of one type of valve 2 which may be used in the arrangements such as those shown in fig1 to 3 . this is a latching poppet valve which can be moved from the closed state to the open state by the application of pressure from the surface . the valve 2 is shown in the closed state in fig4 a , in a transition state in fig4 b and in the open state in fig4 c . in the open state product p can flow through an opening 21 and into the main body 22 of the valve 2 and through and out of the valve 2 for onwards transmission towards the surface . the valve comprises a main piston 23 which is arranged for axial movement within the main body 22 to selectively obscure the opening 22 and thus block the path of product through the valve 2 . the main piston 23 is shown in the obstructing position in fig4 a . the main piston 23 is biased towards this obstructing position by a spring 24 but is held open against the action of this spring 24 by a latch 25 when the valve is in the open position as shown in fig4 c . thus in the open position as shown in fig4 c the latch 25 is holding the piston 23 against the action of the spring 24 . this means that to hold the valve in the open position shown in fig4 c no great amount of energy is required . thus it will be seen how a relatively low energy solenoid 33 in the arrangement shown in fig2 and 3 can be used to hold this latch 25 in the latching position and thus hold the valve 2 open during normal use . it will also be appreciated that the valve control modules 3 are arranged so that when power to the solenoid 33 is ceased the latch 25 can move out of engagement with the main piston 23 such that the main piston 23 may be forced by the spring 24 into the closed position shown in fig4 a . the valve 2 also comprises an auxiliary piston 26 which is shown in a rest position in fig4 a and 4c . it is held in this rest position by a spring 27 . however if the valve 2 is overpressured from the surface then , as shown in fig4 b , this pressure acts on the auxiliary piston 26 driving it downwards against the main piston 23 . together , the auxiliary piston 26 and main piston 23 move downwards from the position shown in fig4 a to the position shown in fig4 b . this means that the main piston 23 may be relatched with the latch 25 to return it to the open position as shown in fig4 c . once the overpressure from the surface is removed , the auxiliary piston 26 can be driven back to its rest position by the spring 27 so that the valve returns so its open state as shown in fig4 c . the details of this valve 2 as shown in fig4 a to 4c are included just by way of example to illustrate the type of valve which might be used with the direct surface powered control systems as shown in fig1 to 3 . useful aspects of this valve 2 are that very low power is required to hold the valve 2 in the open position and no downhole power is required to reopen the valve from a closed position as this may be achieved by applying overpressure from the surface . the present control systems may be used with other similar type valves 2 which are commercially available for use in the oil and gas industry . | 4 |
disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for detecting subsurface anomalies . in general , the techniques provided are directed to detection of tunnels and the like . however , the techniques are useful in the detection of other subsurface conditions , such as the presence of hydrocarbons . in order to provide some context , reference may be had to fig1 , where an embodiment of a detection system is shown . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a tunnel 1 . the tunnel 1 traverses a section of earth 2 . an embodiment of a detection system 10 is shown and provides for detection of the tunnel 1 . in this example , the detection system 10 include a plurality of transmitters 8 , in this case , each transmitter 8 is a horizontal electric dipole ( hed ) transmitter . the detection system 10 further includes at least one receiver 9 . in this example , the receiver 9 includes a five electrode quadrupole receiver . each of the transmitters 8 and the at least one receiver 9 is in electrical communication with a controller 6 by a respective connection 5 . generally , the controller 6 includes apparatus as appropriate for processing data from the at least one receiver 9 and controlling generation of at least one signal 4 by the transmitters 8 . generally , the transmitters 8 transmit the signal 4 into the earth 2 , and the at least one receiver 9 receives a return signal 4 . the signal 4 may be within a time range of , for example , 8 - 32 micro - seconds for shallow targets and between about 30 to 250 milliseconds for deep hydrocarbon targets , while also varying current , i and the like . generally , the detection system 10 uses electric dipole - dipole and dipole - quadrupole measurements for detection and assessment of subsurface anomalies as well as for determination of soil properties . a physical appearance of the transmitters 8 and the receiver 9 may be as similar ( or identical ) electrodes . as a matter of convention , as used herein , the transmitters 8 transmit the electrical signal 4 , while the receiver 9 receives the electrical signal 4 . it should be recognized that any one or more of the electrodes may be reconfigured with minimal effort to modify the detection system 10 . for example , any one or more of the electrodes may be reconfigured within the controller 6 to provide for fulfillment of an opposing function ( e . g ., a transmitter 8 is switched to a receiver 9 , or vice - versa ). more specifically , the controller 6 may include ( and / or be coupled to as appropriate ), for example , at least one processor , memory , data storage , machine executable instructions stored on machine readable media ( i . e ., software ), a power source , a receiver , a transmitter , a switch , a transformer , a converter , at least one communications channel , a sub - system for providing a user - interface ( ui ) and various other components as are known in the art in support of making electromagnetic measurements , providing computer controls , or as appropriate for otherwise enabling the controller 6 to perform tasks or exhibit functionality as provided herein . as shown in fig1 , and only for purposes of convention and the description herein , the detection system 10 may be disposed on a surface ( i . e ., in a plane defined by an x - axis and a y - axis , referred to as an “ x - y plane ”). also for purposes of convention and the description herein , a depth into the earth 2 is measured along a z - axis . referring now to fig2 , a survey area 21 is generally defined by a placement of the plurality of transmitters 8 and the at least one receiver 9 . as a matter of convenience , and for referencing herein , each of the plurality of transmitters 8 and the at least one receiver 9 are labeled numerically (( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), ( 4 ), ( 5 )). such notation is merely for explanation and is not intended to denote an order of arrangement or otherwise be limiting of the teachings herein . aspects of system setup are shown within the survey area 21 . in this example , the detection system 10 includes four grounded horizontal electric dipole ( hed ) transmitters 8 (( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), ( 4 )) and a five - electrode quadrupole receiver . if the potential of the electric field is denoted as u , then a measurement of voltage taken at the receiver 9 measures may be calculated according to eq . ( 1 ): v = d 2 u =( u 1 − 2 u 5 + u 3 + u 2 − 2 u 5 + u 4 )/ 4 ( 1 ); which represents a sum of two second differences of the electric potential between electrodes 1 , 5 , 3 , and 2 , 5 , 4 , respectively , divided by four ( or , a circular second difference of the electric potential ). thus , as depicted , the receiver 9 is in effect a combination of two quadrupoles having negative ( internal ) co - located poles . horizontal components of the electric field , or the first differences of the electric potential u 1 - u 3 , and u 2 - u 4 , are also measured using a standard dipole measurement ( accordingly , receiving heds may also be embedded in the receiver 9 ; but , are not shown in fig1 ). in the setup shown in fig3 , the four horizontal electric dipole transmitters 8 and a five - electrode grounded quadrupole receiver 9 are oriented in the x - y plane . the x - coordinates and the y - coordinates of the receiver 9 are ( x r , y r )=( 0 , 0 ); the coordinates of the transmitters 8 are ( x 1 , y 1 ); (− x 1 , y 1 ); (− x 1 , − y 1 ), and (− x 1 , y 1 ). this setup provides , among other things , complete elimination of axial horizontal current at the grounded electric quadrupole receiver 9 . each transmitter 8 excites the earth 2 ( also referred to as a “ geological formation ” and by other similar terms ) by repeating low - frequency square pulses of an electromagnetic field . when current , i , is on , the geometrical dc sounding is performed in a wide range of the setup offsets , which provides preliminary data on the resistivity of the geological formation . this may reflect the presence of hydrocarbon - bearing rocks , which are often more resistive than surrounding rocks , or another anomaly . the transient response of the geological formation is measured between the pulses ( in what may be referred to as an “ off - time ”). the signal 4 may include square pulses of alternating polarity to remove static , industrial , magnetotelluric , and other types of noise . taking a particular linear combination of these four measurements at the receiver 9 provides a complete vertical focusing of the electric current , i , and elimination of the influence of both x - directed and y - directed axial currents at the receiver 9 . weighting factors are obtained from the condition of equal potentials in the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 , if all transmitters 8 would be excited simultaneously . this solution is equivalent to creating an equal - potential surface around the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 by means of an automatic feedback loop . in a homogeneous half - space or in a horizontally - layered one - dimensional medium , this technique results in equal weights of all four measurements . that is , the response from a single transmitter 8 in a one - dimensional medium would be equivalent to response from each combination of the transmitters 8 with the receiver 9 . in an arbitrary three - dimensional media , all four resulting weighting factors ( or “ coefficients ”) may differ somewhat , for example , as a result of the distorting effects of various shallow lateral heterogeneities . this makes the method significantly less sensitive to unwanted lateral effects while remaining sensitive to a relatively narrow column of rocks situated directly below the receiver . in practice , the detection system 10 of the four transmitters 8 and one receiver 9 may be deployed as a mobile unit , such as by being deployed in a motor vehicle and moving along a predetermined path ( profile ), over a grid ( number of profiles ), above a possible tunnel or other possible subsurface anomaly location . the mobile unit ( not shown ) may configured in a variety of ways ( for example , the mobile unit may be manned or un - manned ). this is discussed in greater detail with regards to fig1 and 13 . in practice , the transient electromagnetic ( em ) data is recorded at a given sampling rate . interpretation and comparison to a baseline ( i . e ., background data ) is done in real time ( e . g ., at a rate that is adequate to satisfy the tolerance of acceptability defined by a user ). anomalous sites that are potential tunnels or other anomalies can be immediately identified , and follow up actions may be immediately initiated . generally , the receiving and transmitting electrodes are grounded . however , perfect grounding is not necessary . more specifically , analysis has shown that for implementations having imperfect equal grounding , the impedance of each electrode may result in different weights of the four measurements , but the final result , after applying the automatic focusing post - processing , is practically undisturbed . refer now to fig3 and 4 for more detail . when using a simplified axial ( a two - dimensional , or linear ) setup as shown in fig4 , two ratios of dipole and quadrupole measurements from each transmitter 8 are analyzed ( i . e ., ratios of the first and the second differences of the electric potential , u ). taking a particular linear combination of these two measurements at the receiver 9 provides vertical focusing of the electric current and elimination of influence of x - directed axial current at the receiver 9 . refer to equation ( 2 ): where u j i is the electric potential in j - th electrode of the receiver excited by i - th transmitter , the weight w 1 = 1 , and the weight w 2 is adjusted from the condition of equal potentials in the electrodes 1 and 3 , when the both transmitters are excited ( as described by equation ( 3 )): by neglecting y - directed current on the setup axis , the effect of the horizontal x - directed current is fully cancelled and the effect of the vertical current is duplicated . therefore , this provides for reducing sensitivity to the lateral variations of the resistivity in the near - surface layer and increasing the sensitivity to deeper structures situated below the receiver 9 . y - directed current is accounted for when using an advanced three - dimensional setup shown in fig3 ( i . e ., a rectangular array of four transmitters 8 ). thus , the four ratios of dipole and quadrupole measurements for each transmitter 8 may be derived . taking a linear combination of these four measurements at the receiver 9 provides for vertical focusing of the electric current and elimination of the influence of both x - directed and y - directed axial current at the receiver 9 . that is , the influence of current in the horizontal direction ( or x - y plane , and therefore may be referred to as “ planar current ” or “ horizontal current ” herein ) is substantially reduced . refer to equation ( 4 ): where w 1 = 1 , and the weights w 2 , w 3 and w 4 are obtained from the condition of equal potentials in the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 , which is observed when all of the transmitters 8 are excited . thus , to obtain the weighting factors for each measurement , the linear system of equation ( 5 ) is solved with respect to the weights w 2 , w 3 , and w 4 : u 1 1 − u 2 1 + w 2 ( u 1 2 − u 2 2 )+ w 3 ( u 1 3 − u 2 3 )+ w 4 ( u 1 4 − u 2 4 )= 0 , u 1 1 − u 4 1 + w 2 ( u 1 2 − u 4 2 )+ w 3 ( u 1 3 − u 4 3 )+ w 4 ( u 1 4 − u 4 4 )= 0 , u 1 1 − u 3 1 + w 2 ( u 1 2 − u 3 2 )+ w 3 ( u 1 3 − u 3 3 )+ w 4 ( u 1 4 − u 3 4 )= 0 . ( 5 ). this solution is equivalent to creating an equal - potential surface around the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 by use of the automatic feedback loop . one may prove that it does not matter what to put in the denominator ( 4 ), u 1 1 − u 3 1 or u 2 1 − u 4 1 . that is , the results are identical and so the denominator ( 4 ) is generally inconsequential . in homogeneous space or in a horizontally - layered one - dimensional medium , this technique results in equal weights of all four measurements . that is , the response from a single transmitter 8 in the one - dimensional medium is identical to the response from the combination of the transmitters 8 shown in fig3 and 4 . in an arbitrary three - dimensional media , all four resulting coefficients or weighting factors w i may differ , for example , as a result of distorting effects of various shallow lateral heterogeneities . this makes the method insensitive to unwanted lateral effects and sensitive to a relatively narrow anomaly situated directly below the receiver 9 . the techniques disclosed herein were validated by modeling of the methods , and comparison to the prior art techniques using ground penetrating radar ( gpr ). reference may be had to fig5 . a wide scope of three - dimensional modeling tests was performed . the models were for a 2 m × 2 m ( cross - section size ) long ( two - dimensional ) tunnel located at several depths below the surface ranging from 3 m to 16 m . the background resistivity ρ bg was set to two relatively low - resistivity values of 2 ωm and 20 ωm . the three - dimensional time - domain forward modeling problem with respect to the em field excited by a grounded electric dipole was discretized on a finite - difference ( fd ) grid and solved iteratively . the gpr method was tested for the shallow targets located at 3 and 5 m below the surface and for the same values of ρ bg = 2 and 20 ωm . in the gpr case , the three - dimensional frequency - domain forward problem for an array of two vertical magnetic dipoles is solved by a similar finite - difference scheme . refer to fig6 , which show results for the disclosed methods . in fig6 , normalized values of the electromagnetic ( em ) signal ( y - axis ) measured at the receiver locations are presented . normalization was done using the background em signal recorded above the homogeneous half - space model without a tunnel . in this example , the survey conditions were 3 m deep , ρ bg = 2 ωm : em anomaly is & gt ; 150 % for times t & gt ; 3 mks . refer now to fig7 for comparative performance of the ground - penetrating radar ( gpr ). in this simulation , τ bg = 2 ωm , and ( fig7 a ) and ( fig7 b )— offset 7 m , f = 200 and 800 khz ; ( fig7 c ) and ( fig7 d )— offset 10 m , f = 200 and 800 khz ; ( fig7 e ) and ( fig7 f )— offset 14 m , f = 200 and 800 khz . in all the cases , the gpr anomaly is & lt ; 2 %. in fig6 , simulation of performance of the detection system 10 is provided for a relatively shallow tunnel located 3 m below the earth &# 39 ; s surface ( for ρ bg = 2 ωm ). in this case , the em anomaly is strong , higher than 150 % for times t & gt ; 3 mks and exceeds 200 % at t & gt ; 4 mks . as may be interpreted from fig6 , detecting this kind of shallow anomaly would be an easy task for the methods disclosed . the data provided in fig7 shows performance to be substantially poor in comparison . fig7 a - 7f show the normalized vertical magnetic ( h z ) component for 200 and 800 khz and for the transmitter - receiver offsets of 7 , 10 , and 14 m . in all the cases , the gpr anomaly is below 2 %, which is insufficient to reliably identify a potential tunnel . fig8 depicts gpr results where resistivity has been substantially increased . fig8 presents gpr simulation results for the same shallow tunnel of fig6 - 7 , but the background resistivity is increased to ρ bg = 20 ωm . as in fig7 , the normalized magnetic h z component for 200 and 800 khz and for the transmitter - receiver offsets of 7 , 10 , and 14 m is displayed . in all the cases , the gpr anomaly is below 4 %. the results of modeling presented in fig7 and 8 indicate that even in the case of a shallow tunnel located 3 m below the surface and the background resistivity ρ bg ≦ 20 ωm , a modeled gpr system does not have enough sensitivity to detect 2 × 2 m air - filled tunnels . accordingly , further tests of the method were restricted to these two background resistivity cases ( ρ bg = 2 and 20 ωm ) and responses from deeper tunnels located from 5 to 16 m below the surface were evaluated ( see fig9 - 11 ). in fig9 , simulation results are presented for a tunnel that is 2 × 2 m , 5 m deep , ρ bg = 2 ωm , offsets ( fig9 a ) 3 . 5 , ( fig9 b ) 5 , and ( fig9 c ) 7 m : em anomaly is up to 50 %. in fig1 , simulation results are presented for a tunnel that is 2 × 2 m , 5 m deep , ρ bg = 20 ωm , offset 5 m : em anomaly is & gt ; 40 %. in fig1 , simulation results are presented for a tunnel that is 2 × 2 m , ( fig1 a ) 8 m , ( fig1 b ) 10 m , ( fig1 c ) 12 m , and ( fig1 d ) 16 m deep ; ρ bg = 2 ωm , offset = 5 m : em anomaly levels are 38 , 21 , 10 , and 2 %, respectively . as a further proof of concept , modeling was performed for a 2 m × 2 m tunnel that was 8 meters deep , with a small obstruction 1 meter deep . in this model , the r bg was set to 2 . 0 ωm and the obstruction resistivity , r o , was set in the first test to r o = 0 . 02 ωm and in the second test to r o = 100 ωm . in summary , the modeling tests showed that gpr was relatively insensitive to the tunnel , however , exhibited sensitivity to the shallow obstruction . in contrast , the detection system 10 was sensitive to both structures . making use of time - differentiation modeling in this example , permitted the shallow obstruction to be fully resolved and removed from the data . simulation results for a 2 × 2 m air - filled tunnel are summarized in table 1 . the levels of anomalous signals for all the simulated cases , except , perhaps , for the case when the tunnel is located at 16 m depth , are sufficient for detecting and fast inversion imaging . a simulated gpr system has been shown to be ineffective for detecting these tunnels embedded in media of background resistivity ρ bg ≦ 20 ωm . in summary , a new method for detecting and imaging small underground tunnels is disclosed . in various embodiments , the tunnel detection focused - source em ( td - fsem ) technology uses four horizontal electric dipole transmitters and a five - electrode grounded quadrupole receiver unit to measure the transient em field . such a setup directs the exciting current under the receiver vertically downward , increasing the sensitivity to a relatively narrow column of rocks directly below the receiver . referring now to fig1 and 13 , an embodiment of the detection system 10 is shown deployed on a mobile unit 100 . in this example , the detection system 10 include a measurement system 16 ( that , in turn , includes a plurality of transmitters 8 and at least one receiver 9 , and other components as appropriate ), a data processing unit 20 , an alert system 26 , a database 18 , a communication system 24 and a navigation system 22 . the detection system 10 may be in communication with a remote center 14 , which , in turn , may include appropriate components such as a remote database 28 , a remote data processing center 30 and a remote alert system 32 . the mobile unit 100 may be operated in a manned or unmanned fashion . during operation , the mobile unit 100 will generally progress to a survey point , ground the electrodes ( i . e ., the plurality of transmitters 8 and the receiver 9 ), turn on a source to commence transmission of the signal 4 , collect data , and then withdraw . the measurement process ( data collection ) may involve varying the signal in the time domain , as well as the frequency domain , as appropriate . multiple measurements at the same point or a number of points during a survey can also be performed to improve a signal - to - noise ratio ( snr ). when using the detection system 10 along a routine route , for example , additional benefits may be realized . for example , specific survey points may be routinely surveyed , thus providing users with data that is statistically more reliable . accordingly , the database 18 may include historic data to provide enhanced information to a user based , for example , on time - lapse ( 4d ) data analysis . such techniques are not limited to tunnel detection , but may be useful in a variety of other settings . for example , when characterizing soil properties , the effect of weathering and other such variables may be better understood . numerical tests have shown that the method disclosed provides data sufficient for reliable real - time detection of deep tunnels embedded in relatively low - resistivity environments ( ρ bg ≦ 20 ωm ), which has not been achievable using prior art ground penetrating radar . advantageously , the disclosed method provides for , among other things , deep depth of investigation and high spatial resolution , a high signal - to - noise ratio , automatic removal of unwanted shallow effects , real - time visual interpretation , and applicability of a fast one - dimensional inversion - based subsurface imaging . the technology may be used in a variety of settings . for example , users are now provided with technology for border security , such as for detection and mapping of subsurface clandestine tunnels / ways ; in agriculture , such as for evaluation of soil properties ; in environmental studies , such as for assessment of waste sites , hydrocarbon spills , new construction sides in civil engineering , such as for construction and monitoring of power stations ( including nuclear ), roads , tunnels , waterways , buildings , underground storage , pipelines ; in the mining industry , such as for exploration for ore and other mineral deposits ; in the petroleum industry , such as for exploration and monitoring of onshore hydrocarbon fields ( in the presence of arbitrary terrain environments ); and in just about any situation where assessment of subsurface resistivity anomalies or cavities or other objects / targets is desired . in the foregoing implementations , and others not listed herein , the detection system 10 may be configured for a particular task . for example , measurement routines and components ( i . e ., signal strength , measurement duration , pulse length , frequency , a number of transmitters and / or receivers , and the like ) may be varied or configured for a particular need . it should be recognized that relative terms such as “ substantially ,” “ reduce ” and the like do not imply any particular limitations . while the invention has been described with reference to 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 will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to adapt a particular instrument , 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 herein , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
referring to fig1 the document feed system forming part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a slotted feed tray 11 having a bottom plate 12 along which a plurality of running belts 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 extend , each belt moving in the direction shown by the arrow &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;. documents such as envelopes , checks , or the like , ( not shown ) are each arranged transversely in a horizontally extending stack . each document stands vertically in tray 11 with its bottom edge resting on bottom plate 12 and belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 , and is urged toward the left hand end 13 of plate 12 by a back plate 28 which is resiliently or otherwise driven forward as documents are sequentially removed at end 13 from feed tray 11 . as illustrated schematically in fig1 back plate 28 is connected to a bracket 30 which slides along a rod - like member 32 , and which plate moves forward to the left as viewed in fig1 to advance the documents towards end 13 of plate 12 under the influence of a constant force mechanism 10 and which will be discussed in further detail below . back plate 28 and its associated drive mechanism are adapted to provide a continual force to the stack of documents as the documents advance in feed tray 11 . in the preferred embodiment , if the stack of documents is relatively long , the force applied by back plate 28 is initially high , and then decreases as the stack of documents 24 becomes shorter . also , back plate 28 advances along feed tray 11 at the same speed as belts 14 - 20 , thus providing a continual and uniform feed of documents to the forward end 13 of feed tray 11 , where a document removal assembly generally designated by the numeral is disposed at the forward end 13 of feed tray 11 . fig1 - 5 illustrate the construction of document feed tray 11 which includes a constant force spring assembly 10 connected to back plate 28 to maintain a continual force upon the rear of a stack of documents to thereby prevent gap from forming between individual documents , which gaps would prevent the steady flow of documents from feed tray 11 . a continual horizontally applied force must be applied to the stack of documents ( fig1 ) to consistently press the lead document into engagement with the document removal system . if a continual force is not applied , and gaps in the stack are allowed to occur , ultimately the lead document will not be pressed against the removal system , thereby disabling the feed mechanism and preventing the proper feeding of the lead document from feed tray 11 . the preferred embodiment of the present invention , as illustrated in fig1 - 5 , provides a back plate 28 pressing against a stack of documents ( not shown for clarity in illustration ) in feed tray 11 to which a continual and progressively decreasing force is applied through back plate 28 , and also provides a conveyor belt system to move the documents toward document removal assembly ( not shown ) at a consistent rate of speed . referring to fig1 wherein like numbers are used to designate like elements in other figures , feed tray 11 comprises a smooth surfaced , relatively thin bottom plate 12 , which is made of stainless steel or other suitable material which offers a low coefficient of friction to the bottom edge of each document 22 moving across the bottom plate . bottom plate 12 is supported by a thicker plate 84 , made of aluminum or other suitable material , which provides strength and rigidity to the feed tray 11 . a rectangular tubular extrusion 86 is connected to the underside of plate 84 along a central axis to add further support to the feed tray , and to support the document advancing mechanisms associated with the feed tray . plate 84 of feed tray 11 includes a pair of longitudinally extending relatively wide slots 88 , 90 . the portions of bottom plate 12 directly above slots 88 and 90 comprise narrower longitudinally extending slots 92 , 94 and 96 , 98 . the mechanism of feed tray 11 which advances documents 22 towards document removal assembly 34 ( fig1 ) includes four belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 mounted on spaced pairs of pulleys 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 ( fig1 and 2 ). the front pulley of each pulley pair is mounted on a drive shaft 108 which is suitably mounted for rotation through tubular extrusion 86 of feed tray 11 by means of bushings or bearings 110 as seen in fig2 . in the preferred embodiment , all pulleys 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 are the same diameter . the upper rims of belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 extend through slots 88 and 90 in plate 84 , and through slots 92 , 94 , 96 and 98 in bottom plate 12 , as seen in fig2 . belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 are thick enough to extend slightly higher than the plane of bottom plate 12 , so that the bottom edges of each document in a stack of documents 22 standing on edge in feed tray 11 will rest on the upper runs of the belts . as the belts are driven in the direction of the arrows a in fig1 as will be explained , the stack of documents 24 is advanced toward document removal assembly . the power for driving belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 is supplied by constant force spring assembly 10 ( fig1 - 3 ), which is connected to , and simultaneously controls the movement of back plate 28 as it moves along rod 32 and advances towards front end 13 of plate 12 ( fig1 ). to this end , a power spool 112 is attached by means of a one way clutch to the free end of drive shaft 108 . power spool 112 comprises a constant diameter portion 114 and a conical - shaped variable diameter portion 116 . a wire or other suitable linkage element 118 is wrapped at one end around constant diameter portion 114 of spool 112 , while the other end of wire 118 is attached to bracket 30 forming part of back plate 28 . a constant force spring motor 122 is supported in a fixed position on the structure that is supporting feed tray 11 . spring motor 122 is a standard mechanism available today which comprises a spring element 124 extending from the spring motor housing , which spring element provides a constant force to a mechanism it is connected to regardless of the change in length of the spring in the motor 122 as the spring is wound on or unwound from a central core ( not shown ). one end of spring element 124 is fastened to a point 126 on the surface of the variable diameter portion 116 of power spool 112 , as shown in fig1 . in operation of the embodiment of feed tray 11 illustrated in fig1 - 3 , back plate 28 is manually moved to its initial position at the rear of feed tray 11 , which is at the opposite end of the feed tray from end 13 of plate 12 . as back plate 28 is moved rearward , wire 118 unwinds from power spool 112 , causing the spool to rotate . simultaneously , constant spring motor 122 is wound , or loaded , as spring element 124 is withdrawn from spring motor 122 and wound around variable diameter portion 116 of spool 112 as spool 112 rotates under the influence of wire 118 . a one - way clutch provided between power spool 112 and drive shaft 108 allows spool 112 to rotate during this &# 34 ; loading &# 34 ; operation without rotating shaft 108 . after back plate 28 has been moved to its rearward position , and power spool 112 and constant force spring motor 112 has been &# 34 ; loaded &# 34 ; as described above , a stack of documents ( not shown ) is placed in feed tray 11 with the bottom edge of each document resting on the upper runs of belts 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 . the lead document is placed against a face plate , and back plate 28 is allowed to move forward until it is in abutment with the last document in the stack . as back plate 28 moves forward , and power spool 112 rotates under the influence of spring motor 122 , the one way clutch between drive shaft 108 and spool 112 causes shaft 108 to rotate and advance belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 slightly in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; ( fig1 ). however , during this loading operation , the bottoms of the documents are manually held so that the bottoms of the documents slide along the top of the belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 . after feed tray 11 has been properly loaded with documents , the document processing apparatus with which feed tray 11 is associated is actuated . as the documents are removed from the stack one at a time by the document processing apparatus , back plate 28 moves forward under the influence of constant force spring motor 122 and wire 118 . simultaneously , drive shaft 108 rotates and drives belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 in the direction indicated by arrows g in fig3 . the continual pressure on the stack of documents by back plate 28 maintains the advance of documents in the feed tray , along with belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 , and prevents the formation of gaps between the documents 22 . thus , a continual document feed progression to a document removal assembly is ensured . when feed tray 11 is adapted to hold and feed lengthy stacks of documents , approximately two to three feet in length in certain instances , it is desireable to provide a larger force to back plate 28 when the feeding operation commences , since more documents have to be moved and the inertia of the documents is greater . in this situation , it is desireable that back plate 28 initially provide a substantial force to the stack of documents , and that this force is then progressively reduced as the stack becomes shorter as documents are removed from the stack . this variable force is supplied by spring element 124 applying its motive force to back plate 28 by means of the variable diameter portion 116 of power spool 112 . when spring element 124 winds around variable diameter portion 116 of spool 112 during the &# 34 ; loading &# 34 ; operation described above , spring element 124 winds from the smallest diameter end of the variable diameter portion 116 to the largest diameter end of the spool . thus , during feeding operations of feed tray 11 , spring element 124 unwinds from the larger diameter end to the smaller diameter end of spool 112 . therefore , the force applied to wire 118 is maximum when back up plate 28 is in its rear most position , and stack of documents 24 is largest . as the stack decreases in size , spring element 124 progressively moves to the smaller diameter end of portion 116 , whereby the force on wire 118 decreases the force on wire 118 proportional to the radial distance between the central axis of spool 112 and the point where spring element 124 contacts variable portion 116 of spool 112 . constant force spring motor 122 rotates spool 112 and drive shaft 108 at a constant speed throughout the document feeding operation described above , even though a variable force is applied to back up plate 28 . this is important in maintaining uniformity of operation of the entire document feed system , document removal assembly , and document transport system with which it is associated . the preferred embodiment of the feed tray 11 illustrated in fig1 - 3 provides for horizontal transport of documents by means of the same constant force spring motor 122 which , through power spool 112 , provides a variable force - constant speed drive for back plate 28 and for the horizontal transport belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 . a feature of the present invention is that the speed of belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 and the degree of force applied to back up plate 28 can be variably controlled by changing the diameters of the various portions of power spool 112 , or the diameters of pulley pairs 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 . the combined movement of belts 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 and back plate 28 apply a continual compressive force to the stack of documents to eliminate the possibility of gaps forming between the documents . fig4 is a modification to the device shown in fig1 wherein similar parts are designated by similar numerals plus the addition of suffix &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; in this modification the constant spring tension means 122 which was found in assembly 10 is replaced by a constant speed motor 150 having substantially greater strength than the spring mechanism 122 and a one - way clutch carrying pulley 140 whereby when the plate 28a is moved to the back of the feed tray bottom plate 12a ( i . e . to the right in fig4 ) the cable 118a causes the pulley 140 to rotate in a clockwise direction , as seen in fig4 and with the clutch mechanism 142 permitting the movement of plate 28a without affecting the continued rotation of the axle 108a and the pulleys 100a - 106a carried thereon to move the belts 14a - 20a . when pressure is released from the plate 28a after being moved to the back of tray 12a it too is then moved forward ( i . e . to the left in fig4 ) by the clutch 142 acting on the pulley 140 to rewind the cable 118a and move plate 28a along the rod support 32a . while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein , various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the present disclosure . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present disclosure . some portions of the detailed description that follows are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits or binary digital signals within a computer memory . these algorithmic descriptions and representations can be the techniques used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . an algorithm is here , and generally , considered to be a self - consistent sequence of acts or operations leading to a desired result . these include physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated . it has proven convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers or the like . it should be understood , however , that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise , as apparent from the following discussions , it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ,” “ computing ,” “ calculating ,” “ determining ,” or the like , refer to the action and / or processes of a computer or computing system , or similar electronic computing device , that manipulate and / or transform data represented as physical , such as electronic , quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s registers and / or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s memories , registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . embodiments of the present disclosure can include apparatuses for performing the operations herein . an apparatus can be specially constructed for the desired purposes , or it can comprise a general purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfigured by a program stored in the device . such a program can be stored on a storage medium , such as , but not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical disks , compact disc read only memories ( cd - roms ), magnetic - optical disks , read - only memories ( roms ), random access memories ( rams ), electrically programmable read - only memories ( eproms ), electrically erasable and programmable read only memories ( eeproms ), magnetic or optical cards , or any other type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions , and capable of being coupled to a system bus for a computing device ( e . g ., non - volatile programmable read - writeable memories such as flash memories ). the processes and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computing device or other apparatus . various general purpose systems can be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein , or it can prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the desired method . the desired structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below . in addition , embodiments of the present disclosure are not described with reference to any particular programming language . it will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages can be used to implement the teachings of the present disclosure as described herein . in addition , it should be understood that operations , capabilities , and features described herein can be implemented with any combination of hardware ( discrete or integrated circuits ) and software . use of the terms “ coupled ” and “ connected ”, along with their derivatives , can be used . it should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other . rather , in particular embodiments , “ connected ” can be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other . “ coupled ” can be used to indicate that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect ( with other intervening elements between them ) physical or electrical contact with each other , and / or that the two or more elements co - operate or interact with each other ( e . g ., as in a cause an effect relationship ). embodiments of the present disclosure can provide several feedback control system concepts for potential use in an adaptive impedance matching module ( aimm ). these concepts can vary in rf system complexity , and hence cost . in an embodiment of the present disclosure , a basic technical objective can be to minimize the magnitude of the input reflection coefficient seen at an rf in port under the boundary condition of a variable load impedance zl . looking at fig1 , generally as 100 , is a first embodiment using simultaneous measurement of magnitude and phase for both forward and reflected waves using identical backward - wave couplers a 115 and b 110 which sample incident and reflected waves respectively at the input side of a tuner 120 . coupled and attenuated rf signals can be fed into a single integrated circuit ( ic ) which can contain dual channel log amplifiers 127 and 129 followed by gain and phase detectors ( such as built into the ad8302 as shown as 125 ). the dual outputs of the ad8302 125 can generate a first voltage , v mag 135 which is proportional to the ratio in db of the input powers ( forward and reversed ), and a second voltage , vphs 140 , which is proportional to the phase difference between the two input signals . these two voltages can be digitally sampled in a closed loop control system . the reference plane 145 for the measurement can be approximated as midway between the two directional couplers 110 and 115 , which should be located as close together as possible . the finite directivity d of the couplers 110 and 115 sets the minimum detectable reflection coefficient . the two rf paths between the couplers 110 and 115 and the ad8302 125 should be as well matched as possible since any differences create measurement errors . also , the frequency response of the couplers 110 and 115 should be as close as possible or the differences can be compensated in software . the phase detector inside the ad8302 125 can uniquely distinguish instantaneous phase over a range of only 180 °. thus , the phase can be identified to within a plus or minus sign . so either γ or its complex conjugate is known . the tuning algorithm will have to account for this degree of uncertainty . in an embodiment of the present disclosure , a microcontroller or dsp chip 105 can sample the complex reflection coefficient information from adc 1 150 and adc 2 155 . since the reflection coefficient phase angle is known , a look - up table can be used to immediately perform a coarse tune function that feeds approximate bias voltages to the three dacs 160 , 165 and 170 that in turn control high voltage buffers driving the ptcs 175 , 180 , 185 . ptcs are a type of variable reactance network denoted as parascan ™ tunable capacitors , and they implement a variable capacitor function . if the magnitude of the reflection coefficient is not below a desired level , then fine tuning can be accomplished using small and iterative adjustments in bias voltage . fine tuning can be necessary to compensate for variations in manufacturing tolerances of tuner component values , or to compensate for temperature variations of the ptcs under high power . in an exemplary embodiment , three ptcs with independent control voltages are used in the tuner 120 . however , it is understood that in general , any finite number of variable reactance networks with independent bias voltages or bias currents could be included . also , the exemplary embodiments herein , a ladder network with series inductors and shunt caps is described . however , other tuner circuit topologies can also be used , and are thus intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure . as an example to help understand the tuning process , consider the smith chart shown in fig2 at 200 . assume the initial input reflection coefficient at a desired frequency is shown at 215 in this example . coarse tuning moves the reflection coefficient γ from point [ 1 ] 215 to point [ 2 ] 205 where the magnitude is now | γ 2 |. application of a fine tuning algorithm moves the reflection coefficient from point [ 2 ] 205 to point [ 3 ] 210 where the magnitude is | γ 3 |. repeated application of the fine tuning algorithm decreases | γ | further until a specified tolerance is achieved . the fine tuning algorithm can be a scalar multi - variable minimization algorithm where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function can be the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including , but not limited to : 1 . downhill simplex method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 4 of numerical recipes ); 2 . conjugate gradient method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 6 of numerical recipes ); a digital processor can drive digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . a charge pump 190 can be used to multiply a typically available supply voltage of 3 . 3 volts to more than 30 volts to power the voltage buffers , although the present disclosure is not limited in this respect . the charge pump 335 can be generalized to include any dc - to - dc converter capable of converting the available supply voltage to a desired higher or lower voltage , and this desired voltage can be positive or negative polarity , or dual positive and negative polarity . furthermore , the 30 volt maximum ptc voltage used in the above example can be higher or lower depending on the design of the variable capacitors . the voltage buffers in fig1 and 3 located between the dacs and ptcs can be replaced with transconductance amplifiers if the ptcs are replaced with variable reactance networks requiring a bias current rather than a bias voltage . depending on the processor implementation , the adcs 150 and 155 and dacs 160 , 165 and 170 can be integrated into the processor ic 105 . the merits of this first embodiment of the present disclosure include that the digital control system can react very quickly to changes in load impedance since coarse tuning can be achieved with only one rf measurement . this is possible since both magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient are simultaneously available . a second embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in fig3 at 300 and provides the simultaneous measurement of magnitude for both forward and reflected waves . in an embodiment of the present disclosure , a single backward - wave coupler 310 can sample incident and reflected power at the input side of the tuner 315 . coupled and attenuated rf signals 305 can be fed into a detector , such as a max2016 dual logarithmic detector 317 . the video output voltages ( in db ) can be subtracted internally to create a difference signal at the output outd 325 which is proportional to the return loss in db . measured return loss is given by the simple formula where v center is the output voltage under the condition of equal voltages at each input channel . the slope is about 25 mv / db . this return loss can then be digitally sampled in a closed loop control system . as with the previous embodiment , the finite directivity d of the coupler sets the minimum detectable reflection coefficient . a microcontroller or dsp chip 320 samples the return loss information using adc 1 330 . since the reflection coefficient phase angle is unknown , an iterative tuning algorithm can be required to minimize return loss . the tuning algorithm can be a scalar multi - variable minimization routine where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function is the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including : 1 . downhill simplex method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 4 of numerical recipes ) 2 . conjugate gradient method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 6 of numerical recipes ) the digital processor drives digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) 335 , 340 and 345 whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . a charge pump 350 can be used to multiply a typically available supply voltage of 3 . 3 volts to more than 30 volts to power the voltage buffers . depending on the processor implementation , the adc 330 and dacs 335 , 340 and 345 can be integrated into the processor ic 317 . the merit of this second embodiment is that return loss can be immediately measured in one digital sample . turning now to fig4 , is a third embodiment of the present disclosure and provides sequential measurement of magnitude for both forward and reflected waves . in this third embodiment of the present disclosure , a closed loop control system is built around a low cost max4003 log amplifier 425 , although the present disclosure is not limited to any specific amplifier . a single backward - wave coupler 410 samples incident and reflected power at the input side of the tuner 415 . the incident and reflected power levels are switched at sw 1 430 such that they can be measured in sequence , as controlled by the processor . the max4003 426 output voltage , which is proportional to coupled power in db , can be digitized and the return loss can then be calculated by the processor using sequential measurements . as with previous embodiments , the finite directivity d of the coupler sets the minimum detectable return loss . the max4003 425 log amp was selected because it has a shutdown mode where it draws only 13 ua of current . furthermore , when powered , it consumes only 6 ma from a 3 . 0 volt supply ( 18 mw ). again , the present disclosure is not limited to using any particular log amp . since the microcontroller or dsp chip 420 computes only the return loss ( no phase information is available ), then an iterative tuning algorithm is required to minimize return loss . the tuning algorithm is a scalar multi - variable minimization routine where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function is the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including : as with the previous embodiments , the digital processor drives digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) 435 , 440 and 445 whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . depending on the processor implementation , the adc 450 and dacs 435 , 440 and 445 can be integrated into the processor ic . the merits of the present third embodiment include , but are not limited to : a relatively low cost log amp is employed . at the time of the present disclosure , the max4003 sells for ˜$ 1 . 09 in qty of 100 . the max4003 log amp consumes only 18 mw of power during normal operation at 3 . 0 volts . the log amp can be powered down when power measurements are not required . turning now to fig5 , is a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure and provides direct measurement of the ratio of the first two nodal voltages . this embodiment is designed to offer an “ indirect ” measurement of input impedance or input reflection coefficient for the tuner 510 . in contrast , a direct measurement would involve directional couplers as in previous embodiments . by eliminating the directional couplers one saves bill of material ( bom ) cost and board real estate and eliminates a bandwidth restriction caused by miniature narrowband couplers . the input impedance sensing circuit consists of two additional known reactive components on the input side of the tuner , namely y m1 535 and z m2 = 1 / y m2 540 . rf voltages v 1 and v 2 are measured using high impedance ( relative to zo = 50 w ) resistive voltage dividers . the input impedance can be expressed as since the input reflection coefficient γ can be expressed in terms of input admittance , then hence the complex value of γ is known with one digital sample of the complex ratio of nodal voltages . it should be noted that components y m1 535 and z m2 540 are not restricted , but they must be known . their values are chosen by the system designer , and y m1 535 can be set to zero ( omitted ) if desired . only a series component is required for this approach to work . the accuracy of the indirectly measured γ is defined largely by the component tolerances of y m1 535 and z m2 540 . one could design the tuner 510 such that y m1 535 is the first shunt voltage tunable capacitor ( ptc ) and z m2 540 is the first series inductor , or a short series transmission line . however , this would require that the ptc capacitance be known very accurately for all bias voltages and temperatures . while it is conceivable to obtain such detailed information , it cannot be practical in high volume production depending on the tolerance required . a microcontroller or dsp chip 530 samples the complex node voltage ratio from adc 1 545 and adc 2 550 and calculates the complex input reflection coefficient directly from the equation above . a look - up table can be used to immediately perform a coarse tune function that feeds approximate bias voltages to the three dacs 555 , 560 and 565 that in turn control high voltage buffers for the ptcs 515 , 520 , 525 . if the magnitude of the reflection coefficient is not below a desired level , then fine tuning can be accomplished using small and iterative adjustments in bias voltage . fine tuning can be necessary to compensate for variations in manufacturing tolerances of tuner component values , or to compensate for temperature variations of the ptcs under high power . the fine tuning algorithm can be a scalar multi - variable minimization algorithm where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function can be the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including the digital processor 530 drives digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) 555 , 560 and 565 whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . a charge pump 570 can be used to multiply a typically available supply voltage of 3 . 3 volts to more than 30 volts to power the voltage buffers . depending on the processor implementation , the adcs 545 and 550 and dacs 555 , 560 and 565 can be integrated into the processor ic . the merits of the present embodiment shown in fig5 include : board real estate can be reduced significantly because directional couplers are not needed , and the resistive dividers occupy a very small footprint . the cost of directional couplers is eliminated . the bandwidth of the reflection coefficient sensing circuit is significantly increased relative to using miniature ceramic hybrid couplers . the digital control system can react very quickly to changes in load impedance since course tuning can be achieved with only one rf measurement . this is possible since both magnitude and phase of the first two nodal voltages are simultaneously available . turning now to fig6 , is a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure and provides direct measurement of the ratio of the first two nodal voltages . in this embodiment is a modification of embodiment 4 where three node voltages are measured instead of two , and only their magnitudes are measured using a single channel log amp or temperature compensated diode detector . ratios of node voltages are calculated by the microcontroller / dsp 640 . any ambiguity of v 1 and v 2 used to calculate z 1 based on magnitude measurements can be resolved by calculating z 2 from a measurement of a second pair of voltages , v 2 and v 3 . then z 2 is mapped into z 1 given the known values of shunt and series measurement impedances . in this manner , three measurements of node voltage magnitude permit a unique determination of the input impedance z 1 for the tuner . the first through third embodiments described above can use directional couplers to measure forward and reflected power . so for these embodiments , the minimum dynamic range needed by the detector is the magnitude of the best case return loss that is desired to be resolved , plus the dynamic range of the input rf signal . so if it is desired to resolve a return loss down to − 20 db and operate the aimm over a 30 db dynamic range of input powers , then a 50 db ( 20 db + 30 db ) log amplifier can be needed . in contrast , the fourth and fifth embodiments measure the total rf voltage at the nodes . these voltages are expected to be fairly similar in magnitude , especially for a well matched tuner . so the detector &# 39 ; s required dynamic range is expected to be less for embodiments 4 and 5 . current consumption will also be less for the max2205 - 2208 family of detectors relative to a log amp . they typically consume only 3 . 5 ma or less at 3 volts , and 0 . 5 ua at shutdown . the ability to create a successful aimm depends on two critical technical achievements . the first requirement is to create a highly - linear , series network of low loss , tunable capacitors . but the second requirement is for a monolithic , low cost , logarithmic amplifier with a broad dynamic range . dynamic range is very important for many cell phone applications where transmit power control over multiple decades is required , although the present disclosure is not limited in this respect . the advent of a log amp with an integrated phase detector provides a dramatic advantage in closed loop settling time compared to conventional log amps with only envelope detection . the reason for the advantage is that phase and magnitude information are used together to achieve coarse tuning with only one sample of reflection coefficient or node voltage . the only commercially available log amp with a phase detector is analog devices part number ad8302 . however , the cost of the ad8302 is expected to be an order of magnitude higher than a conventional single channel log amp . one of the major drawbacks of the ad8302 is its relatively high current consumption at 20 ma and a shutdown feature is needed on a future version of this part . as with fig5 , switch sw 1 is shown at 645 and tuner 610 can include voltage tunable capacitors , such as voltage tunable dielectric varactors , which can be referred to as parascan ® tunable capacitors ( ptcs ). charge pump 630 can also be included such as with the charge pump of fig5 . in some embodiments of the present disclosure described above , the impedances added to the tuner for measurements of f in the fourth embodiment can be any reactance . however , an obvious option is to use a shunt capacitor followed by a series inductor . this will preserve the ladder circuit topology that was employed in each of the previous embodiments . looking now at fig7 is an embodiment of the present disclosure that illustrates a method to compute the terminating impedance of a cascade of 2 - port devices 700 which are characterized through transmission ( or abcd ) parameters and to which a signal from a source with a known impedance is applied by measuring the magnitude of the voltages at the input and output of the cascade and between the devices . depicted in fig7 is : source voltage u s 705 ; reference impedance r w 710 ; network elements z m 725 and 740 and y m 720 and 735 ; terminating impedance z t 745 ; input voltage u i 715 ; voltage u c 730 ; and output voltage u o 750 , given this information we can compute the input voltage u i as we divide the transmission parameters and the termination into real and imaginary components we also solve ( 4 ) for us 2 and substitute in ( 5 ), resulting in the 2 circles must intersect in 2 points , one of which represents the terminating impedance . the following functions are useful to plot the impedance plane circles and to find the intersections of 2 circles . this can be verified by direct computation from the net work elements as the variable reactive elements referred to above can be variable capacitances , variable inductances , or both . the variable capacitors can be semiconductor varactors , microelectromechanical system ( mems ) varactors , mems switched capacitors , and / or voltage tunable dielectric capacitors — although the present invention is not limited in this respect . some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented , for example , using a machine - readable medium or article which can store an instruction or a set of instructions that , if executed by a machine , for example , by a system of the present disclosure which includes above referenced controllers and dsps , or by other suitable machines , cause the machine to perform a method and / or operations in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure . such machine can include , for example , any suitable processing platform , computing platform , computing device , processing device , computing system , processing system , computer , processor , or the like , and can be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware and / or software . the machine - readable medium or article can include , for example , any suitable type of memory unit , memory device , memory article , memory medium , storage device , storage article , storage medium and / or storage unit , for example , memory , removable or non - removable media , erasable or non - erasable media , writeable or re - writeable media , digital or analog media , hard disk , floppy disk , compact disk read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk recordable ( cd - r ), compact disk re - writeable ( cd - rw ), optical disk , magnetic media , various types of digital versatile disks ( dvds ), a tape , a cassette , or the like . the instructions can include any suitable type of code , for example , source code , compiled code , interpreted code , executable code , static code , dynamic code , or the like , and can be implemented using any suitable high - level , low - level , object - oriented , visual , compiled and / or interpreted programming language , e . g ., c , c ++, java , basic , pascal , fortran , cobol , assembly language , machine code , or the like . an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a machine - accessible medium that provides instructions , which when accessed , cause a machine to perform operations comprising minimizing the magnitude of an input reflection coefficient seen at an rfin port under boundary conditions of a variable load impedance zl by an adaptive antenna impedance matching module ( aimm ) by using a tuner connected to said aimm and including a plurality of voltage tunable capacitors with independent control voltages within said tuner , wherein backward - wave couplers sample incident and reflected waves respectively at the input side of said tuner ; and using a microcontroller or digital signal process ( dsp ) chip to sample complex reflection coefficient information from said incident and reflected waves and providing by said microcontroller or dsp a coarse tune function that feeds approximate bias voltages to control said voltage tunable capacitors . the machine - accessible medium can further comprise the instructions causing the machine to perform operations further comprising sampling the complex reflection coefficient information from at least one analog to digital converter ( adc ) by said microcontroller or dsp chip . some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by software , by hardware , or by any combination of software and / or hardware as can be suitable for specific applications or in accordance with specific design requirements . embodiments of the present disclosure can include units and / or sub - units , which can be separate of each other or combined together , in whole or in part , and can be implemented using specific , multi - purpose or general processors or controllers , or devices as are known in the art . some embodiments of the present disclosure can include buffers , registers , stacks , storage units and / or memory units , for temporary or long - term storage of data or in order to facilitate the operation of a specific embodiment . while the present disclosure has been described in terms of what are at present believed to be its preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications to the disclose embodiments can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , a panel board is indicated generally at 10 and comprises a base 12 upon which is supported suitable insulation 14 . a bus bar support assembly is indicated generally at 16 and is disposed as shown directly atop the insulation 14 on base 12 to overlie the former . the assembly 16 is made from any suitable electrical insulative material in the nature of a readily moldable plastic , and is fixedly secured to base 12 by prongs 18 and 20 which extend from the latter into complementary shaped notches 22 and 24 which are formed as shown in the left - most edge of support assembly 16 as best seen in fig1 . locating 26 screws and 28 extend as shown through spaced bores provided therefore adjacent the right - most edge of support assembly 16 into non - illustrated locating holes provided in base 12 to fixedly locate the support assembly 16 atop the base by forcing the former firmly against the prongs 18 and 20 . notches 34 and 36 are formed in wall 30 to extend downwardly from the upper edge thereof . in like manner , notches 38 and 40 are formed in wall 32 to extend downwardly from the upper edge thereof . as best seen in fig3 notches 44 and 46 are formed to extend upwardly from the lower edges of walls 30 and and 32 , respectively . cut - outs 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , and 56 are provided as shown in the bus bar assembly base 57 as shown by fig1 . the generally longitudinally extending bus bar mounting space formed between spaced walls 30 and 32 is indicated at 58 , and the same is divided into upper and lower vertically aligned bus bar receiving recesses by generally longitudinally extending support assembly dividing wall 60 which is best seen in fig2 and 3 , said recesses are perpendicular to base 12 . a lower bus bar is indicated at 62 , and an upper bus bar is indicated at 64 , and each of said bus bars comprises a central or major portion which is preferably of generally rectangular cross section , the opposite sides of said bus bars being perpendicular to base 12 . said bus bars include terminal connectors 66 and 68 for connection to a source of electricity . lower bus bar 62 comprises a plurality of spaced generally parallel terminal blade contacts 72 which extend laterally from the bus bar at opposite sides thereof , respectively . the upper bus bar has similar laterally extending terminal blade contacts 74 which extend laterally thereof , passing through notches 34 , 36 and 38 , 40 in side walls 30 and 32 , respectively . lower bus bar 62 is mounted in the bus bar support assembly 16 prior to the attachment of the latter to the panel board 10 , and this mounting is effected by the insertion of the bus bar from the bottom of the assembly into the recess between the lower parts of side walls 30 and 32 of the generally longitudinally extending space 58 , with the blade contacts 72 being respectively free to pass into the relevant notches formed in walls 30 and 32 and through the cut - outs 48 , 50 , 54 , 56 and 52 which are formed in the base portion 76 of the bus bar support assembly 16 to bring the lower bus bar to the position thereof depicted in the drawings . following such insertion , the lower bus bar 62 is secured to the bus bar mounting assembly 16 by means of attachment screws 78 and 80 which extend therethrough . upper bus bar 64 is mounted in bus bar assembly 16 by simply inserting the bus bar from the top into the upper portion of space 58 with the bus bar blade contacts being free to pass into the relevant notches in walls 30 and 32 and with the lower edge of the bus bar coming to rest against the upper edge of support assembly dividing wall 60 ; and such insertion may be effected before or after the support assembly 16 is secured to the panel board . upper bus bar 64 is then secured to the assembly 16 by attachment screws 82 and 84 which extend therethrough . with the respective bus bars 62 and 64 inserted as described in the bus bar support assembly 16 , it is believed clear that each of said bus bars will be perpendicular to base 12 . by the above description is believed made clear that the novel teaching of the generally aligned , vertical edge - to - edge bus bar mounting features of the invention , the bus bars being perpendicular to the base 10 and positioned in the space between the terminal contact members provide for an extremely compact bus bar arrangement , while maintaining and in some respects increasing the requisite electrical insulation between the respective upper and lower bus bars . in this connection , it is to be noted that the major portions of the bus bars are separated from the other , and , in each instance , from the blade contacts of the other , by the separating wall 60 and the walls 30 and 32 respectively rather than just by an air space as is prevalent in the prior art . further , the extension as described of blade contacts to both sides of each of the bus bars , and the interleaving of said contacts also contributes to the overall compactness of the mounting panel . too , it is believed clear that the substantial measure of support provided for the bus bars by the bus bar support assembly 16 of the invention will result in a mounting panel which is substantially stronger than many of those of the prior art . in addition , it may be understood that assembly of the mounting panel of the invention is relatively easy task in that the same requires only the insertion of the lower and upper bus bars into the support assembly and the tightening of the four attachment screws . it is , of course , to be clearly understood that the terms &# 34 ; vertical &# 34 ; and / or &# 34 ; upstanding &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; upwardly extending &# 34 ; or the like as used in this specification presume the generally horizontal and upward facing disposition of the panel board 10 and have been used for purposes of convenience and clarity of description in accordance with the respective panel board and support assembly orientation as depicted in the drawings ; it being presumed to be clearly understood by those skilled in this art that the panel board and bus bar support assembly may , of course , be disposed and faced other than horizontally and upwardly , respectively . for operational use of the new and improved panel of the invention , it may be understood that one circuit breaker of the plug - in type is operatively mounted thereon in electrical connection with each of the blade contacts , and two such breakers are depicted in phantom at 86 and 88 , respectively , in fig1 and 3 . each of said breakers may , for example , take the form of that disclosed in my u . s . pat . no . 3 , 818 , 168 . a mounting prong for mechanical support of the lower rear surface of the breaker in conventional manner is provided in the panel board base 12 opposite each blade contact , and such prongs are identified , as for example , at 90 . mounting and de - mounting of the respective breakers on the panel is accomplished in conventional manner . panels of the prior art over which the panel of the invention is believed to represent a significant improvement , primarily because of the compactness referred to above , are examplified by those disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 287 , 607 and 3 , 808 , 507 , and 3 , 611 , 048 . various changes may , of course , be made in the disclosed embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims . as panels for plug - in circuit breakers and such breakers are both well known and since the panel of the present invention may be used with such breakers of various types and constructions , only the panel is claimed herein . | 7 |
referring to fig1 - 3b , a performance testing apparatus for heat pipes in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an immovable portion 20 and a movable portion 30 movably mounted on the immovable portion 20 . the immovable portion 20 is made of metal having good heat conductivity and is held on a platform of a supporting member ( not shown ) such as a testing table or so on . cooling passageways ( not shown ) are defined in an inner portion of the immovable portion 20 , to allow coolant flow therein . an inlet 22 and an outlet 22 communicate the passageways with a constant temperature coolant circulating device ( not shown ); therefore , the passageways , inlet 22 , outlet 22 and the coolant circulating device corporately define a cooling system for the coolant circulating therein to remove heat from the heat pipe in test . the immovable portion 20 has a cooling groove 24 defined in a top face thereof , for receiving a condensing section of the heat pipe to be tested therein and removing heat from the heat pipe . two temperature sensors 26 are inserted into the immovable portion 20 from a bottom thereof so as to position detecting portions ( not labeled ) of the sensors 26 in the cooling groove 24 . the detecting portions of the sensors 26 are capable of automatically contacting the heat pipe in order to detect a temperature of the condensing section of the heat pipe . in order to prevent heat in the immovable portion 20 from spreading to the supporting member , an insulating plate ( not shown ) is disposed between the performance testing apparatus and the supporting member . the movable portion 30 , corresponding to the cooling groove 24 of the immovable portion 20 , has a positioning groove 32 defined therein , whereby a testing channel 50 is cooperatively defined by the cooling groove 24 and the positioning groove 32 when the movable portion 30 moves to reach the immovable portion 20 . thus , an intimate contact between the heat pipe and the movable and immovable portions 30 , 20 defining the channel 50 can be realized , thereby reducing heat resistance between the heat pipe and the movable and immovable portions 30 , 20 . cooling passageways ( not shown ) are defined in an inner portion of the immovable portion 30 , for coolant to flow therein . an inlet 33 and an outlet 33 communicate the passageways with a constant temperature coolant circulating device ( not shown ); therefore , the passageways , inlet 33 , outlet 33 and the coolant circulating device cooperatively define a cooling system for the coolant to circulate therein to remove heat from the heat pipe during testing . two temperature sensors 36 are inserted into the movable portion 30 from a top thereof to reach a position wherein detecting portions ( not labeled ) of the sensors 36 are located in the positioning groove 32 and capable of automatically contacting the heat pipe to detect the temperature of the condensing section of the heat pipe . the movable portion 30 has a plurality of cylindrical posts 35 extending downwardly integrally from a bottom face thereof towards the immovable portion 20 . the cylindrical posts 35 are evenly located at two sides of the groove 32 of the movable portion 30 . corresponding to the posts 35 of the movable portion 30 , the immovable portion 20 has a plurality of positioning holes 25 defined in a top face thereof . the posts 35 are slidably inserted into the corresponding holes 25 . the posts 35 are entirely embedded in the holes 25 when the movable portion 30 moves to the immovable portion 20 ; therefore , the bottom face of the movable portion 30 contacts the top face of the immovable portion 20 . the posts 35 and the holes 25 concavo - convexly cooperate to avoid the movable portion 30 from deviating from the immovable portion 30 during test of the heat pipes , thereby ensuring the grooves 24 , 32 of the immovable , movable portions 20 , 30 to precisely align with each other . accordingly , the channel 50 can be accurately formed for precisely receiving the condensing section of the heat pipe therein for test . alternatively , the immovable portion 20 can have a plurality of posts while the movable portion 30 can have a plurality of holes corresponding to the posts . the channel 50 as shown in the preferred embodiment has a circular cross section enabling it to receive the condensing section of the heat pipe having a correspondingly circular cross section . alternatively , the channel 50 can have a rectangular cross section where the condensing section of the heat pipe also has a flat rectangular configuration . generally , in order to ensure that the heat pipe is in close contact with the movable and immovable portions 30 , 20 , a clamping member is applied to retain the movable portion 30 together with the immovable portion 20 . the immovable portion 20 is fixed on a supporting frame 10 . a driving device 40 is installed on the supporting frame 10 to drive the movable portion 30 to make accurate linear movements relative to the immovable portion 20 along a vertical direction , thereby realizing the intimate contact between the heat pipe and the movable and immovable portions 30 , 20 ; thus , heat resistance between the condensing section of the heat pipe and the movable and immovable portions 30 , 20 can be minimized . the supporting frame 10 comprises a seat 12 which in accordance with the preferred embodiment is an electromagnetic holding chuck , by which the testing apparatus can be easily fixed at any desired position which is provided with a platform made of ferroalloy . a first plate 14 is secured on the seat 12 ; a second plate 16 hovers over the first plate 14 ; a plurality of supporting rods 15 interconnect the first and second plates 14 , 16 for supporting the second plate 16 above the first plate 14 . the seat 12 , the first and second plates 14 , 16 and the rods 15 constitute the supporting frame 10 for assembling and positioning the immovable and movable portions 20 , 30 therein . the first plate 14 has the immovable portion 20 fixed thereon . in order to prevent heat in the immovable portion 20 from spreading to the first plate 14 , an insulating plate 28 is disposed between the immovable portion 20 and the first plate 14 . the first plate 14 has a top face defining a positioning concave 145 therein in which the insulating plate 28 is positioned . the insulating plate 28 defines a pond 285 in a top face thereof in which a bottom of the immovable portion 20 is positioned . the insulating plate 28 has an elongated slot 282 defined in a bottom face thereof , wherein the bottom face abuts the first plate 14 , and two through holes 284 vertically extend therethrough and communicate with the slot 282 . the through holes 284 and slot 282 are used for extension of wires ( not shown ) of the temperature sensors 26 to connect with a monitoring computer ( not shown ). the driving device 40 in this preferred embodiment is a step motor , although it can be easily apprehended by those skilled in the art that the driving device 40 can also be a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder . the driving device 40 is installed on the second plate 16 of the supporting frame 10 . the driving device 40 is fixed to the second plate 16 above the movable portion 30 . a shaft ( not labeled ) of the driving device 40 extends through the second plate 16 of the supporting frame 10 . the shaft has a threaded end ( not shown ) threadedly engaging with a bolt 42 secured to a board 34 of the movable portion 30 . the board 34 is fastened to the movable portion 30 . when the shaft rotates , the bolt 42 with the board 34 and the movable portion 30 is moved upwardly or downwardly . two through apertures ( not labeled ) are defined in the board 34 of the movable portion 30 for extension of wires ( not labeled ) of the temperature sensors 36 to connect with the monitoring computer . in use , the driving device 40 drives the movable portion 30 to make accurate linear movement relative to the immovable portion 20 . for example , the movable portion 30 is driven to depart a certain distance such as 5 millimeters from the immovable portion 20 to facilitate the condensing section of the heat pipe which needs to be tested to be inserted into the channel 50 or withdrawn from the channel 50 after the heat pipe has been tested . on the other hand , the movable portion 30 can be driven to move toward the immovable portion 20 to thereby realize the intimate contact between the condensing section of the heat pipe and the immovable and movable portions 20 , 30 during which the test is performed . accordingly , the requirement for the testing , i . e . accuracy , ease of use and speed can be realized by the testing apparatus in accordance with the present invention . it can be understood , positions of the immovable portion 20 and the movable portion 30 can be exchanged , i . e ., the movable portion 30 being located on the first plate 14 of the supporting frame 10 , the immovable portion 20 being fixed to the second plate 16 of the supporting frame 10 , and the driving device 40 being positioned adjacent to the movable portion 30 . alternatively , the driving device 40 can be installed to the immovable portion 20 . in a further alternative , each of the immovable and movable portions 20 , 30 has one driving device 40 installed thereon to move them toward / away from each other . in use , the condensing section of the heat pipe is received in the groove 24 of the immovable portion 20 when the movable portion 30 is moved away from the immovable portion 20 . then the movable portion 30 is moved to the immovable portion 20 with the posts 35 of the movable portion 30 being slidably inserted into the holes 25 of the immovable portion 20 to reach the position wherein the grooves 24 , 32 of the immovable and movable portions 20 , 30 accurately constitute the channel 50 . thus , the condensing section of the heat pipe is tightly fitted in the channel 50 . the sensors 26 , 36 are in thermal connection with the condensing section of the heat pipe ; therefore , the sensors 26 , 36 work to accurately send detected temperatures of the condensing section of the heat pipe to the monitoring computer . based on the temperatures obtained by the plurality of sensors 26 , 36 , an average temperature can be obtained by the monitoring computer very quickly ; therefore , performance of the heat pipe can be very quickly decided . referring to fig4 a and 4b , an immovable portion 20 and a movable portion 30 of a performance testing apparatus for heat pipes in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention are illustrated . the alternative embodiment is similar to the previous preferred embodiment , and the main difference therebetween is that the movable portion 30 of the alternative embodiment has two elongated boards 35 a extending from a bottom face thereof and toward the immovable portion 30 . the two boards 35 a are located at two opposite sides of the groove 32 of the movable portion 30 . the immovable portion 20 defines two positioning slots 25 a in a top face thereof , corresponding to the boards 35 a . the boards 35 a are capable of slidably received in the corresponding slots 25 a so that the movable portion 30 can have an accurate linear movement relative to the immovable portion 20 . alternatively , the immovable portion 20 can extend boards while the movable portion 30 can define slots receiving the boards . additionally , in the present invention , in order to lower cost of the testing apparatus , the insulating plate 28 and the board 34 can be made from low - cost material such as pe ( polyethylene ), abs ( acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ), pf ( phenol - formaldehyde ), ptfe ( polytetrafluoroethylene ) and so on . the immovable portion 20 and the movable portion 30 can be made from copper ( cu ) or aluminum ( al ). the immovable portion 20 can have silver ( ag ) or nickel ( ni ) plated on an inner face defining the groove 24 to prevent oxidization of the inner face . likewise , the movable portion 30 can have sliver or nickel plated on an inner face defining the groove 32 . it is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description , and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages , the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention . | 5 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the present invention , designated generally as 10 , which is a weldless aluminum pallet comprising interlocking parts . the pallet 10 generally may have any design known in the industry as a “ stringer design ,” in that the pallet 10 has at least two outside stringers 11 and at least one inside stringer 12 , to which a plurality of slats 13 are attached . by way of example , the possible pallet 10 designs may include : single - faced , in which slats 13 are arranged to form a top load - bearing face , and the opposite or “ bottom ” slats 13 , if any , do not form a load - bearing face ; double - faced , in which slats 13 are arranged to form top and bottom load - bearing faces ; and reversible , in which the pallet 10 is double - faced and the top and bottom faces are identical . the faces are substantially planar in a plane parallel to the plane defined by lines x and y in fig2 . any pallet 10 design may further be flush , having slats 13 that do not hang over the outer edges of the outside stringers 11 ; or winged , having top slats 13 or top and bottom slats 13 extending beyond the outer edges of the outside stringers 11 . the preferred pallet 10 is a double - faced pallet 10 having 1 inside stringer 12 , 5 top slats 13 and 3 bottom slats 13 . a reversible pallet 10 having 7 top slats 13 and 7 bottom slats 13 is shown in fig3 . the designs shown in fig1 - 3 are flush pallets 10 . the dimensions of the pallet 10 are chosen to conform to a standardized pallet size . the preferred embodiment conforms to the international standard of 48 inches by 40 inches , wherein 48 inches is the stringer 11 , 12 length . the pallet 10 may have any desired height , typically chosen according to the desired use , but preferably the height is between 4 and 5 inches . the present inventive pallet 10 is made of aluminum , which may be pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy . preferably , the material is 6005 - t6 aluminum alloy , representing the most favorable combination of strength and cost - effectiveness . the selection of aluminum alloyed with magnesium and silicon is easier to extrude than other alloys , and can be hardened to near - steel strength . other alloys and degrees of tempering may be used . the preferred alloy allows the parts of the pallet 10 to be extruded with a wall thickness of as thin as 0 . 094 inches . because the weight of the pallet 10 is a significant concern , the present invention contemplates a preferred heavy - duty and a preferred light - duty design . the preferred heavy - duty pallet 10 has stringers 11 , 12 with 0 . 125 inch thick walls . the preferred light - duty pallet 10 has stringers 11 , 12 with vertical walls that are 0 . 094 inches thick . the horizontal exterior walls of the light - duty stringers 11 , 12 remain at 0 . 125 inches thick in order to receive the neck of the slats &# 39 ; 13 projections as described below . further , the light - duty stringers 11 , 12 may be up to an inch shorter than the heavy - duty stringers 11 , 12 to further reduce the weight of the pallet 10 . the light - duty pallet 10 may be about 50 %- 80 % of the weight of the heavy - duty pallet , most preferably about 75 %, depending on the chosen pallet design . referring to fig4 , 5 a , and 5 b , the slat 13 comprises a slat body 30 having an outer surface 31 and an inner surface 32 . the outer surface 31 represents a portion of the top or bottom face of the pallet 10 ; that is , the outer surfaces 31 of all of the top slats 13 form the top face of the pallet 10 , and the outer surfaces 31 of all of the bottom slats 13 form the bottom face of the pallet 10 . the outer surface 31 is substantially flat and may be planar , as shown in fig5 a . the outer surface 31 may alternatively be textured to increase the amount of friction between the face of the pallet and the goods placed thereon . the outer surface 31 may be serrated , as shown in fig5 b , or ribbed , or have nodes or treads formed thereon . preferably , the texture is one that can be formed during the extrusion process , as in the serration shown in fig5 b . alternatively , the texture may be added to the outer surface 31 after the extrusion process , such as by applying a textured coating . the inner surface 32 is planar and contacts the stringers 11 , 12 when the pallet 10 is formed . the slat body 30 may have any dimensions conducive to forming the pallet . the preferred height is 0 . 125 inches , giving the preferred slat 13 sufficient load - bearing capacity . the preferred width is about 5 inches . the length of the slat body 30 depends on whether the pallet 10 is flush or winged , with the preferred slat body 30 measuring 39 . 75 inches in length . at least one projection 33 extends out from the inner surface 32 substantially perpendicularly to the inner surface 32 . preferably , there is 1 projection 33 centrally located on the top surface 32 . the projection 33 is preferably integral with the slat body 30 and is extruded together with the slat body 30 . the projection 33 comprises a neck 34 connected to the top surface 32 , and a tongue 35 connected to the neck 34 . the projection 33 is configured to cooperate with a groove formed into the stringers 11 , 12 as described below , such that the slat 13 interlocks with the stringers 11 , 12 to form the pallet 10 . preferably , the neck 34 is about 0 . 125 inches square in cross - section . the tongue 35 is substantially wider than the neck 34 , having a cross - sectional shape that provides substantial contact with the surfaces of the groove in each stringer 11 , 12 to hold the slat 13 securely to the stringers 11 , 12 . the preferred cross - sectional shape of the tongue 35 is illustrated in fig5 a - b , being a circle having a radius of about 0 . 219 inches , with segments removed from the top and bottom of the circle so that the height of the tongue 35 is about 0 . 313 inches . the preferred height of the projection 33 is therefore about 0 . 438 inches . fig6 - 8 illustrate the preferred outside stringer 11 . the outside stringer 11 has two vertical walls — an outside wall 51 and an inside wall 52 . a horizontal top wall 53 and horizontal bottom wall 54 connect the outside wall 51 to the inside wall 52 , leaving the outside stringer 11 substantially hollow . it will be understood that for double - faced , reversible , and double - winged pallets 10 , the top wall 53 and bottom wall 54 are interchangeable ; that is , the outside stringer 11 is symmetrical about the midpoint of the vertical walls , so “ top ” and “ bottom ” merely identify the wall and do not require one wall to be disposed above or below the other . the outside stringer 11 is preferably 2 inches wide and between 4 and 5 inches high , including the height of the lips 58 described below . one or more ribs 55 may further connect the outside wall 51 to the inside wall 52 , adding structural stability to the outside stringer 11 . a notch 56 may be formed into the outside wall 51 . the notch 56 provides a place to insert a pallet 10 tag ( not shown ), such as a radio frequency identification (“ rfid ”) tag , or a wireless (“ wifi ”) tag . the pallet tag is placed in the notch 56 so that it does not protrude from the outside wall 51 . the notch 56 may be sized to accommodate the desired pallet tag . the preferred heavy - duty pallet 10 has a notch that is 2 . 375 inches wide and 0 . 406 inches deep , accommodating a confidex model 3000072 or similar rfid tag . the preferred light - duty pallet 10 has a notch that is 1 . 375 inches wide and 0 . 25 inches deep , accommodating a confidex model hao122b75 or similar rfid tag . the outside stringer 11 may have a plurality of screw bosses 57 formed onto the inner surfaces of the outside wall 51 , inside wall 52 or both . the screw bosses 57 each receive a fastener used to secure a cap 61 onto either end of the outside stringer 11 . the outside wall 51 may comprise one or two lips 58 that extend vertically past the top wall 53 , bottom wall 54 , or both walls 53 , 54 . the lips 58 serve to abut the ends of the slats 13 , retaining the slats 13 in position and preventing the slats 13 from hanging over the edge of the outside stringer 11 . a lip 58 is preferably the same height as a slat 13 so it does not project above the face of the pallet 10 . the number and orientation of the lips 58 will depend on the pallet 10 design : a single - faced flush pallet 10 may have a lip 58 on the top , and may also have a lip 58 on the bottom if slats 13 are to be attached thereto ; a double - faced or reversible flush pallet 10 may have lips 58 on the top and bottom ; a single - winged pallet 10 may have a lip 58 on the bottom ; and a double - winged pallet 10 will not have any lips 58 . a plurality of grooves 62 are formed into the outside stringer 11 . the grooves 62 project vertically inward from at least the top wall 53 , and also from the bottom wall 54 if slats 13 are used to form a bottom face . as shown in fig6 and 8 , one groove 62 is needed for each slat 13 , so that the preferred outside stringer 11 has five grooves 62 in the top wall 53 and three grooves 62 in the bottom wall 54 . a groove 62 is shaped to receive the projection 33 on a slat 13 , so that the projection 33 fits tightly in the groove 62 . specifically , the groove 62 substantially encloses the tongue 35 , coming into close proximity or contact with the neck 34 so that the tongue 35 can only move along its axis , which is parallel to line x in fig2 , and cannot rotate within the groove 62 . in the preferred embodiment , the groove 62 comprises a circular punch 63 passing through the inside wall 52 , and a channel 64 passing through the top wall 53 or bottom wall 54 . the channel 64 starts at the inside wall 52 and extends to the lip 58 if there is one , or to the outside wall 51 if there is no lip 58 . a second punch 63 may pass through the outside wall 51 if there is no lip 58 . the grooves 62 are preferably uniformly spaced along the length of the outside stringer 11 , with the grooves 62 for front and back slats 13 being located 2 . 5 inches inward from the ends of the outside stringer 11 so that the front and back slats 13 are flush with the ends of the stringers 11 , 12 . fig9 - 10b illustrate the preferred inside stringer 12 . the inside stringer 12 has vertical walls 81 and horizontal walls 82 that form a rectangle . preferably , the inside stringer 12 is 2 inches wide and between 3 . 75 and 4 . 75 inches high . like the outside stringer 11 , the inside stringer 12 may have screw bosses 57 for attaching caps 61 to the ends , and a rib 55 for reinforcing the structure . preferably , the inside stringer 12 has a second rib 55 to add further stability , due to the added force exerted on the inside stringer 12 by heavy loads . grooves 62 are formed into the inside stringer 12 as described above , so that the grooves 62 are aligned with the grooves 62 in the outside stringers 11 . the stringers 11 , 12 and slats 13 may be molded , extruded , or otherwise die cast . extrusion is preferable due to the workability of the preferred alloy and the much lower cost of producing extrusion dies over producing molds . the pallet 10 parts may be produced using as few as 2 extrusion dies , depending on the chosen pallet 10 design . for example , a double - wing pallet 10 has identical outside stringers 11 and inside stringer 12 , so only 2 dies are needed — 1 for the stringers 11 , 12 and 1 for the slats 13 . preferably , however , there are 3 extrusion dies because the pallet 10 is flush , the design benefiting from two lips 58 on each outside stringer 11 . referring to fig1 , three extrusion dies are used in a method of making the preferred pallet 10 . the preferred aluminum alloy is extruded 100 through the dies , creating 8 feet of outside stringer 11 material , 4 feet of inside stringer 12 material , and 26 . 5 feet of slat 13 material . the parts are then cut 105 to length : 2 outside stringers 11 are cut to 48 inches in length , 1 inside stringer 12 is cut to 48 inches in length , and 8 slats 13 are cut to 39 . 75 inches in length . the grooves 62 are then formed 110 into the stringers 11 , 12 , with 5 grooves 62 on the top and 3 grooves 62 on the bottom . most preferably , the grooves 62 are formed 110 using a 2 - part process . first , the punches 63 , preferably about 0 . 875 in diameter , are formed into the inside walls 52 of the outside stringers 11 , and into both vertical walls 81 of the inside stringer 12 . then , the channels 64 are formed , each having a width of about 0 . 125 inches . the channels 64 on the outside stringers 11 extend from the punches 63 to the lips 58 , and the channels 64 on the inside stringer 12 extend fully along the horizontal walls 82 from punch 63 to punch 63 . the grooves 62 may be formed one at a time , but preferably grooves 62 that are horizontally aligned on a stringer 11 , 12 are formed simultaneously using a computer numerical controlled (“ cnc ”) machine tool . this is done to minimize the chance of misalignment of the grooves 62 , so that the slats 13 may interlock precisely with the stringers 11 , 12 . once the grooves 62 are formed 110 , a first slat 13 is taken up and its projection 33 is slid 115 through one of the grooves 62 in the inside stringer 12 . then , the proximal end of the first slat &# 39 ; s 13 projection 33 is inserted 120 into the groove 62 in the first outside stringer 11 that aligns with the groove 62 used on the inside stringer 11 . the projection 33 is inserted 120 until the slat body 30 abuts one of the lips 58 . the sliding 115 and insertion 120 are then repeated 125 with the other slats 13 , until each groove 62 in the inside stringer 12 and first outside stringer 11 contains a projection 33 from a slat 13 . then , the second outside stringer 11 is placed 130 over the slat 13 projections 33 at the slats &# 39 ; distal ends , by feeding the projections 33 into the grooves 62 on the second outside stringer 11 . the parts may then be secured in place by tapping 135 screw holes in the front slats 13 a and rear slats 13 b . see fig1 and 2 . in the preferred embodiment , only 12 screws are needed : 1 screw for each stringer 11 , 12 in each of the 2 front slats 13 a and 2 rear slats 13 b . preferably , two of the screw holes are tapped 135 within 0 . 25 inches of each end of the slats 13 a , 13 b so that the screw may catch a portion of a screw boss 57 to improve its hold in the outside stringers 11 . the third screw hole is preferably tapped 135 at the midpoint of the slat 13 a , 13 b so that the inside stringer 12 is secured substantially centrally between the slats 13 . once the screw holes are tapped 135 , screws 83 are screwed into the slats 13 a , 13 b and stringers 11 , 12 to finish the pallet 10 . optionally , caps 61 may be attached to the ends of the stringers 11 , 12 . the caps 61 are preferably attached using screws that extend into the screw bosses 57 . while there has been illustrated and described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the invention . therefore , it is intended that this invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
fig1 illustrates the probe portion of a locator according to the invention . this probe includes an elongated housing 16 which is shown resting on the bottom of a body of water 11 which may be a river or the like . a pipe 12 is shown in cross section as it lies buried in sub - soil 13 under the body of water 11 . the probe of the locator is made up of the elongated housing 16 that has three signal detectors 17 , 18 and 19 mounted inside of the housing 16 . the detectors 18 and 19 are oriented vertically when the housing in an horizontal position , as illustrated . it may be noted that the detector 17 is located beside the detector 18 and detector 17 is oriented at an angle of 45 ° aimed back from the forward end of the housing 16 . the detectors 18 and 19 are located spaced a predetermined distance ( see arrow 22 ) apart . as will appear more fully below , this distance 22 is designed to be equal to a preselected contemplated depth of the pipe 12 beneath the floor of the body of water 11 . at the forward end of the housing 16 there is a chain 24 attached to a bracket 25 for use in towing the probe along the bottom of body of water 11 . there are electrical connectors 26 which go to the individual detectors 17 , 18 and 19 and carry the signals generated in these detectors from the housing 16 to a boat ( not shown ) or other means for towing the housing 16 across the bottom of the body of water 11 . each of the detectors 17 , 18 and 19 are substantially like the detector coil - and - core structure described in the above mentioned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 988 , 663 . it will be appreciated that the connectors 26 are co - axial cables in order to eliminate any cross talk or pick - up of undesirable stray signals . also , the housing 16 is made of non - metallic material so that the ac signals being detected by the detector coils 17 , 18 and 19 may pass readily therethrough . as indicated in fig2 each of the coils 17 , 18 and 19 is connected to a wien - bridge amplifier means 29 , 30 and 31 respectively . these bridge amplifiers are identical and are each like the corresponding element , i . e . the wien - bridge amplifier circuit , shown and described in the indicated u . s . pat . no . 3 , 988 , 663 . consequently , a null or minimum signal is obtained from each of the detector coils when it is directed with its axis in alignment toward the pipe 12 . the pipe is the source of ac signals being emitted therefrom . then , in order to make the depth determination in accordance with this invention , there are additional electronic circuit means connected to the outputs of the wien - bridge amplifier elements 29 , 30 and 31 . thus there are schmitt triggers 34 , 35 and 36 connected respectively to the pick up coil outputs from the related amplifiers 30 , 29 and 31 . these schmitt triggers are arranged to trip upon a given minimum signal , so that when a null is detected the corresponding trigger will be tripped . there are individual relays 39 , 40 and 41 illustrated in fig4 a , which are actuated when the respective triggers 34 , 35 and 36 are tripped . connected to the output from the relay 39 of the trigger 34 , there is a ramp generator 44 which has output connections to each of two sample - hold circuits 47 and 48 . outputs from the sample - hold circuits 47 and 48 go to a pair of buffers 51 and 52 respectively , which have outputs connected to a multiply - and - divide circuit 55 . the output of circuit 55 provides an analog signal which may energize a meter 56 that is calibrated in terms of the depth in feet to the pipe 12 , which depth is being measured . there may , of course , be a printer 60 connected to the meter 56 in order to make a permanent record of the analog signal which indicates the depth . fig4 a and 4b taken together illustrate a specific circuit diagram which shows elements that may be employed in carrying out the functions indicated by the block diagram of fig2 . the corresponding blocks indicated in fig2 are shown in fig4 a and 4b with dashed line separations , and the corresponding references numbers employed in fig2 are indicated in fig4 a and 4b . thus , the pick - up coil 18 in fig4 a is connected to the input of the amplifier wien - bridge unit 30 , while pick - up coil 17 is connected to the input of the wien - bridge amplifier unit 29 . similarly the pick - up coil 19 is connected to the input of the wien - bridge unit 31 . the outputs of the wien - bridge amplifier units 30 , 29 and 31 are connected to the inputs of the schmitt triggers 34 , 35 and 36 , respectively . these triggers include ( at the outputs thereof ) the relays 39 , 40 and 41 respectively , as indicated above . these relays act to carry out the timing and the sample - hold functions which will be described in greater detail below . the schmitt trigger unit 34 has its relay 39 connected to actuate the ramp generator 44 , and generator 44 has the above indicated output circuit connections to the sample - hold circuits 47 and 48 . these sample - hold circuits , in turn , have outputs connected to the buffers 51 and 52 which are between the sample - hold circuits 47 and 48 and the indicated multiply - divide circuit 55 . fig2 has a schematic indication of a reset switch 63 . in the more detailed showing , it is actually a multipole switch 63 as shown in fig4 b . the operation of a locator may be explained with reference to fig3 . individual signal conditions are represented along the ordinate of the fig3 graph , as indicated by the captions , and the abscissa represents time . as a depth measurement is made the probe housing 16 ( fig1 ) is towed along the bottom of the body of the water 11 and across the direction of the pipeline 12 . the reset switch 63 is closed at the beginning of a run and this sets the ramp voltage at zero . it also readies the schmitt triggers for actuation when null conditions take place . as the reference detector 18 approaches the vertical above the pipe 12 , the amplitude of the signal developed will vary , as indicated by a curve 66 . it will be understood from the explanations provided in the above mentioned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 988 , 663 , that the signal amplitude will reach a minimum , or null signal condition at a time t1 which is when the coil 18 is directly in line with the pipe 12 . this null output will trip the schmitt trigger unit 34 and and so actuate its relay 39 . the relay 39 has contacts 67 that are opened when the relay is actuated and that start the ramp generator 44 by commencing the charging of a capacitor 65 under control of a transistor 64 . the ramp generator signal is indicated by a straight curve 68 shown in fig3 . as the probe housing 16 continues to move along , the signal detector 17 will produce an output signal which varies like the signal produced by detector 18 . however this occurs at a later time , as indicated by a curve 71 which is shown along the ordinate marked &# 34 ; signal detector ( 1 ).&# 34 ; this signal will dip to its null condition at a later time t2 , which takes place when the detector 17 is aligned with the pipe 12 . the second null signal will trip the schmitt trigger 35 that is connected to the wien - bridge amplifier unit 29 , which in turn has received the detector signals from the coil 17 . when the schmitt trigger relay unit 35 has been tripped , the relay 40 is actuated and the sample - hold circuit 47 will be actuated by the closing of contacts 70 on the relay 40 , so as to retain the voltage of the ramp generator at the time t2 . this sampled signal is indicated by a flat curve 74 which is held for the remainder of the operation , to determine the pipe depth . it may be noted that since the distance 22 ( see fig1 ) between the detectors 18 and 19 is a preselected depth at which the pipe 12 might be located , the signal 71 ( fig3 ) from the detector 17 will occur somewhere on the ramp generator rise 68 before the detector 19 reaches its alignment over the pipe 12 . thus , the housing 16 continues along over the bottom of the body of water 12 , the detector 19 will reach the position of vertical alignment over the pipe 12 last ( so long as the pipe depth is less than preselected ), and at that time its signal 77 will null , i . e . provide a minimum signal . this null will take place at a time t3 , indicated in fig3 and the null signal condition will trip the schmitt trigger relay unit 36 . consequently , the relay 41 will be actuated and by closing contacts 76 ( fig4 a ), it will cause a transfer to the sample - hold circuit 48 of the voltage on the ramp generator at that time t3 . such voltage is represented by a flat curve 80 ( fig3 ) which holds and is passed on to the multiply - divide circuit 55 , through the buffer 52 . at the same time , a constant reference voltage which is indicated by a flat curve 83 ( fig3 ) is also applied to an input of the multiplier divider circuit 55 . such constant voltage is determined by a potentiometer 85 illustrated in fig4 b . it will be understood that when the second sample - hold signal ( represented by the curve 80 ) is received by the multiply - divide circuit 55 ( at time t3 ) the circuit will carry out the multiplication and division so as to multiply the predetermined constant signal 83 , by the first sample - hold signal 74 and divide the product by the second sample - hold signal 80 . this provides an output that is proportaional to the depth of the pipe 12 . such output signal is represented by a flat curve 88 along the ordinate of fig3 which carries the caption &# 34 ; v out yz / x &# 34 ;. of course , this output may be calibrated in terms of the depth of the pipe 12 . and , should the pipe depth be greater than the distance 22 , the relative occurrence of the sample - hold signals will be reversed without changing the results . it will be understood that this depth measurement is accomplished by moving the housing 16 at a constant speed along the bottom of the body of water 11 as it crosses the pipe 12 , so that the distances involved are proportional to the time . consequently , as indicated by the foregoing explanation referring to fig3 the time measurement may be employed as being proportional to distance . furthermore , since the system determines the ratio of the indicated ramp generator signal amplitudes , so long as the speed remains constant over the distance 22 ( fig1 ) or the pipe depth if greater , the determination will be accurate . also , since the distance between the detectors 18 and 19 ( or the pipe depth ) is not extremely great , the speed change , if any , will be relatively minor and will not affect the accuracy of the measurement to a substantial degree . it will be clear to anyone skilled in the art that the various elements indicated in the circuit diagram of fig4 a and 4b , may be commercial items which are available as integrated circuits . for example , an integrated circuit unit 89 which is used in the multiply - divide circuit 55 , may be one designated by the commercial identification ad 530 . also , it may be noted that the multiply - divide circuit 55 includes a reference voltage source 87 from which is derived the constant signal 83 ( fig3 ). after reading of the depth of pipe 12 has been noted , and / or recorded by the printer 60 , the reset switch 63 will be actuated . that wlll open normally closed contacts 90 and 91 , which will release the relay 39 and both the relays 40 and 41 , respectively . then the system is reset and ready for another run . it may be noted that the normally closed contacts 90 are in a holding circuit for the relay 39 , while similarly , the contacts 91 are in both of the holding circuits for relays 40 and 41 . it will be appreciated that a depth locator instrument according to this invention , may be employed to determine a distance from a datum level of any sort , so long as the instrument housing or probe is moved along such datum level . it is , of course , particularly well suited to the indicated use of measuring depths of pipe lines beneath bodies of water such as rivers or the like . while a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail in accordance with the applicable statutes , this is not to be taken as in any way limiting the invention but merely as being descriptive thereof . | 6 |
in the present invention , an additional voltage level v low is used to improve the generation of dark levels . although best suited for conformal gems devices , the invention may also be applied to other electromechanical grating devices such as the grating light valve ( glv ) made by silicon light machines . when v low is applied to a conformal gems device , a partially actuated state is generated , as illustrated in fig7 . the electrostatic force generated by v low produces a slight deformation in the elongated ribbon element 23 b and generates a weak grating with period λ . the elongated ribbon element 23 b therefore stays suspended well above the underlying structure , i . e ., above the standoffs 29 . in this partially actuated state , the majority of the incident beam 30 is reflected into the 0th order light beam 32 , with a small portion of the incident beam diffracted into the various non - zero diffracted orders (+ 1st order 35 a , − 1st order 35 b , + 2nd order 36 a and − 2nd order 36 b ). typically , v low is selected to be a few volts less than the pull - down voltage v pd , where the ribbon element 23 b snaps into contact with the standoffs 29 . fig8 which is a plot of normalized intensity versus applied voltage for a digital input signal , illustrates the selection of v low and v high for a particular conformal gems device . here , v high ˜ 22v , v pd ˜ 20v and v low ˜ 16v . when the voltage is at v high , the reflected 0 th order is almost completely extinguished and most of the incident light is diffracted into the non - zero orders . on the other hand , at v low , most of the incident light is reflected with only a small percentage present in the non - zero orders . this small percentage can be used to produce finer and more predictable dark levels . fig9 illustrates a dual - level pwm waveform 51 for the present invention also showing the corresponding diffracted light intensity . the two voltage amplitudes v high and v low generate associated intensity levels i high and i low , respectively . to obtain a desired gray level within each modulation window 54 , the controller 80 selects the voltage amplitude ( either v high or v low ), the voltage pulse width , and ( optionally ) the polarity . at transitions in the dual - level pwm waveform 51 from 0 v to ± v high , the elongated ribbon elements of a conformal gems device actuate into contact with the standoffs , thereby causing diffraction of most of the incident light into the non - zero orders . at transitions from 0 v to ± v low , the device partially actuates and diffracts a small percentage of light into the non - zero orders . as before , gray levels are obtained from the integrated light intensity 52 within a modulation window 54 . since the stress on the ribbon element is less in the partially actuated state than in the fully actuated state , and since the majority of image content is relatively dark , the use of a dual - level pwm waveform has the added benefit of reducing device aging . a gray scale 61 produced by the dual - level pwm waveform 51 , of fig9 is shown in fig1 . the two voltage amplitudes v high and v low each have associated curves that relate gray level to pulse width . for bright levels in an image , the controller 80 selects the voltage amplitude selected to be v high , whereas for dark levels it is v low . at a given pulse width , for pulses wider than approximately 0 . 1 μsec , the gray level corresponding to v = v low is approximately one tenth of the level for v = v high . the non - monotonic region 50 of fig6 can be bypassed by using v = v low with the appropriate pulse width to generate the gray levels of interest . a transition region , where the gray levels can be formed with either v high or v low , can be used to provide headroom for calibration between the two gray level curves so as to produce a smooth continuous gray scale . it is instructive to compare the clock rate of the dual - level pwm waveform 51 of the present invention with conventional ( single - level ) pwm waveform 45 for a high - quality projection display based on linear arrays of conformal gems devices . in this example , the system is chosen to have hdtv resolution with 1 , 920 scanned lines ( 1 , 080 by 1 , 920 pixels ), a frame rate of 60 hz and a gray scale capability of 13 linear bits per color per frame ( 8 , 192 gray levels ). for the case of ordinary pwm , the pulse width increment must be somewhat less than 1 /( 1 , 920 * 60 * 8 , 192 ) seconds ˜ 1nanoseconds to allow for some overhead for scanning . the digital electronics in the controller , therefore , need to generate an effective pwm clock of approximately 1 ghz . this effective clock frequency can be reduced substantially by implementing dual - level pwm , while maintaining the same system specifications . for example , by choosing v high and v low so that the ratio of the intensity levels is i low / i high ˜ 10 , the effective pwm clock frequency can be reduced to approximately 100 mhz . a multi - level pwm waveform ( not shown ) with more than two voltage amplitudes can be used to further improve the gray scale 63 of an image , as illustrated in fig1 for the case of tri - level pulse width modulation . in this example , the application of v high causes the elongated ribbon elements to fully actuate into contact with the standoffs , whereas v low1 and v low2 & lt ; v low1 produce two different states of partial ribbon actuation . the gray scale 63 then consists of bright levels formed using v high , dark levels ( labeled dark levels 1 in fig1 ) formed using v low1 and very dark levels ( labeled dark levels 2 in fig1 ) formed using v low2 . transition regions can again be used at the intersections between the usable ranges of the different gray level curves . the arrows in fig1 , which point towards increasing gray levels , illustrate one example of a continuous gray scale 63 formed from three segments on the three curves . fig1 shows a block diagram of an electronic architecture for implementing dual - level pwm in an image - forming system , which could be a projection display or a printing system . a data source 100 provides a ( serial ) data stream 105 that has been appropriately preprocessed for generating an image from a linear array of electromechanical grating devices , preferably an array of conformal gems devices . since each electromechanical grating device 120 of the linear array has its own device driver 108 , a serial - to - parallel converter 102 is needed to demultiplex the data stream 105 into the appropriate parallel data channels 115 . for example , in the hdtv system mentioned above , there would be 1080 parallel data channels 115 in order to address 1080 electromechanical grating devices 120 , although only one of these parallel data channels 115 is shown in fig1 . the pulse - width - modulated output from each device driver 108 is determined by a pulse width generator 106 which controls the width of each voltage pulse via a clock 104 , and a voltage selector 110 which selects the amplitude and polarity of each voltage pulse . the result is a dual - level pwm waveform similar to the waveform shown in fig9 . in the embodiments described above , the selection of voltage amplitude is done independently for every pixel image . the voltage amplitude applied to each electromechanical grating device of the linear array can be therefore selected independently . this approach provides the most flexible and is most light efficient . if there is sufficient illumination available from the light source , the voltage amplitude may be varied in a periodic fashion . for example , the waveform could transition from v high to v low to − v high to − v low on a line - by - line basis or frame - by - frame basis . although simpler to implement , this approach wastes nearly half of the incident light . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
referring now to the drawings and in particular to fig1 a system for carrying out the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10 . the system basically comprises an insulated reservoir 11 for containing liquefied natural gas ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; lng &# 34 ;). an insulated conduit 12 is connected between the outlet of the reservoir 11 and the inlet of a high pressure storage tank 13 to be filled with gas . a control valve 14 is connected between the conduit 12 and the outlet of the reservoir 11 . another control valve 15 is connected between the conduit 12 and the inlet of the tank 13 . a small pump 16 having a meter 17 for measuring the volume of lng transmitted by the pump is operatively connected into the conduit 12 between the reservoir 11 and the tank 13 . a weigh scale 18 may be optionally used beneath the tank 13 to confirm the readings of the meter 17 , or may serve as the primary measure of lng added , rather than the meter 17 . the tank 13 can be filled with lng in either a vertical or horizontal position . if mounted on a vehicle it would ordinarily be horizontal . in operation of the invention using the system shown in the embodiment of fig1 a precisely controlled amount of lng is pumped by the pump 16 from the reservoir 11 through conduit 12 to the tank 13 . the tank 13 is a heavy walled pressure vessel of a know volume and which is deigned to carry an internal pressure in the range of 2 , 000 to 3 , 000 psi ( 140 to 210 kg / cm 2 ). lng is a cryogenic liquid which can exist only at very low temperatures and cannot be liquefied by merely pressuring the material to very high pressures at ambient temperatures . natural gas ( predominantly methane ) does not have a critical pressure at ambient temperatures , but achieves critical pressures at temperatures so low that , for practical purposes , it is usually liquefied at temperatures at or below its boiling point at atmospheric pressure , which is - 265 ° f . (- 151 . 5 ° c .) or less . the specific gravity of lng is 0 . 42 which corresponds to a density of 3 . 6 pounds per gallon ( 0 . 416 kg / cm 2 ). operation of the invention relies upon computations based on gas laws , the most fundamental of which relate pressure ( p ), volume ( v ) temperature ( t ) and amount of gas in mols ( n ) as used in the equation pv = nrt , where r is a constant which applies to all gases . using english units for temperature ( degrees rankine ), volume ( cubic feet ) and pressure in atmospheres ( absolute ), it is only necessary for present purposes to utilize the value derived from this equation which tells us that one pound - mol of natural gas , 16 pounds ( 7 kg ) occupies 359 cu ft ( 10 , 160 l ) at a standard temperature of 32 ° f . ( 0 ° c . ), ( 273 ° k .) or ( 492 ° r .) and a pressure of one atmosphere , 14 . 5 psi ( 1 . 02 kg / cm 2 ). from the use of this formula , simple relationships between pressure and volume of any given amount of gas can be derived . therefore , in order to utilize the system illustrated in fig1 one can , by using the previously described formula , calculate the amount of lng which must be transferred from the reservoir 11 to the gas tank 13 to provide a specified amount of gas at a desired pressure when the interior of the tank is at a certain temperature . for example , a mol of natural gas , weighing 16 lbs ( 7 kg ), ( neglecting the small amounts of higher molecular weight components ) will occupy 2 . 38 cu ft ( 67 . 5 l ) at 150 atmospheres absolute , 2 , 200 psi ( 150 kg / cm 2 ) absolute , which is a typical pressure for a vehicle tank . from this it follows that a 6 . 0 cu ft ( 169 . 5 l ) tank , ( a typical size used on buses ) would accommodate 40 . 4 lbs ( 18 kg ) of natural gas at the design pressure of 2 , 200 psi ( 150 kg / cm 2 ) absolute . the amount of lng to be injected into the tank 13 is , therefore , 11 . 3 gallons ( 43 l ) or 1 . 52 cu ft . in the foregoing example the tank being filled contains no residual gas and therefore is at ambient pressure . in many instances the tank to be filled will contain some residual gas from a previous filling and , therefore , will contain some pressure above ambient in such instance the amount of lng required to re - pressure the tank to its design pressure when full of gas may be calculated from the following equation : ## equ1 ## where p d is design pressure , p g is gauge pressure ( in atmospheres ) and w is the weight of lng to be introduced into the tank . thus , if the gauge pressure were 14 atmospheres , 205 psi , ( 14 . 5 kg / cm 2 ), the amount of lng needed in the 6 . 0 cu ft ( 169 . 5 l ) tank of the foregoing example would be 38 . 1 lbs ( 16 . 6 kg ) or 10 . 3 gallons ( 39 l ), rather than the 11 . 3 gallons ( 42 . 8 l ) that would be required to sufficiently pressurize a substantially empty tank . in the embodiment shown in fig2 the overall fuel system is indicated by the numeral 20 . the system 20 contains a reservoir 21 for storing lng for transfer to a large bulk supply tank 22 through an insulated conduit 23 . connected into the conduit 23 is a pump 24 having a meter for measuring the amount of lng pumped through the conduit 23 . also connected into the conduit is a valve 26 near the outlet of the reservoir 21 and a similar valve 27 near the inlet of the tank 22 . a valve 28 is positioned at the outlet of the tank 22 to control the flow of gas to a main service line 29 from which extends a plurality of branch service lines 29a , 29b and others ( not shown ) which are respectively connected to a plurality of vehicle fuel tanks 30 through a valve 31 which is located at each tank inlet . the valves 31 can be standard on / off type valves or can be pressure sensitive valves which restrict the pressure flowing into the tanks 30 to the desired maximum pressure within the tanks . each of the fuel tanks is equipped with a pressure gauge 32 . the bulk storage tank 22 is also equipped with a pressure gauge 33 to measure the pressure within the tank . when charging the bulk tank 22 with lng , if desired , the vaporization of the lng can be accelerated by applying to the tank , a suitable heating means , such as coil heater 22a mounted inside the tank 22 and connected to a heat transfer medium such as steam or hot water from a source ( not shown ). in most operational situations , the concept shown in fig2 of filling a large bulk storage tank with lng which is vaporized into gas is preferable to inserting lng directly into the vehicle fuel tank and permitting it to vaporize in the fuel tank . as an example of the concept shown in fig2 a 100 cu ft ( 2 , 830 l ) tank with a design operating pressure of 4 , 500 psi ( 316 kg / cm 2 ) absolute ( 305 atmospheres ) would hold 1 , 380 lbs ( 602 kg ) of compressed gas , would be initially charged with 37 . 8 gallons ( 143 l ) of lng and would be capable of charging at least 12 vehicle fuel tanks such as the tanks 30 having a capacity of 6 . 0 cu ft ( 169 . 5 l ) when empty , assuming the pressure in the bulk tank 22 was drawn down to the 2 , 200 psi ( 150 kg / cm 2 ) pressure of the vehicle fuel tanks . it would , however , be impractical to draw down the pressure of the bulk tank to such a low pressure , because the rate of filling the vehicle tanks decreases rapidly when the bulk tank pressure drops so low . when filling the vehicle tanks 30 it is not necessary to accurately measure the volume of gas fed to each tank since the pressure gauge 32 for each tank would normally determine the shut - off pressure , and the flow of gas into the vehicle tank could be automatically shut off by a pressure sensitive device ( not shown ). since the gas temperature changes as it expands on reaching the lower pressure in the vehicle tank , it is necessary to compensate for this temperature change when determining the shut - off pressure of the vehicle tank . referring now to the embodiment of fig3 the numeral 33 indicates a tank similar to the tank 13 in fig1 or the tank 22 in fig2 . the tank 33 is fitted with a cylindrical perforate thin walled insert or distributing member 34 of aluminum or other suitable material which extends from the tank inlet to the interior of the tank . the member 34 forms an inner chamber which preferably occupies a volume of no more than 25 % of the internal volume of the tank 33 . the walls of the member 34 contain a plurality of small pin hole perforations 35 which permit lng to slowly seep from the chamber of the member 34 into the interior of the tank 33 surrounding the insert . in operation , lng is pumped from a source such as the tank 11 in fig1 through an insulated conduit 36 , through valve a 37 and into the member 34 . the valve 37 is closed and the lng dribbles into the interior of the tank 33 surrounding the member 34 where it contacts the walls of the tank 33 and vaporizes due to the temperature of the tank walls . thus it can be seen that the member 34 impedes exposure of the lng to the tank walls and therefore slows down the cooling of the tank walls and the rate at which the internal pressure builds up within the tank 33 . the use of aluminum distribution members such as 34 as described herein , enables the use of low cost steel tank walls without the concern for the tendency of the steel to develop cracks from the rapid cooling when contacted directly by a large volume of cryogenic liquid . since steel tanks are both less expensive and stronger than aluminum tanks , use of the aluminum distribution members as cryogenic liquid receiving chambers or &# 34 ; ante chambers &# 34 ; will improve the economics and operational efficiencies of fueling stations by permitting the use of steel tanks . referring now to the embodiment of fig4 another system for carrying out the invention is indicated generally by the numeral 40 . the system 40 comprises an insulated supply tank or reservoir 41 for containing lng . an insulated conduit 42 is connected between the outlet of the reservoir 41 and the inlet of an insulated high pressure intermediate or charging tank 43 . a control valve 44 is connected between the conduit 42 and the outlet of the reservoir 41 . another control valve 45 is connected between the conduit 42 and the inlet of the charging tank 43 . the outlet of the charging tank 43 is connected through a valve 46 which in turn is connected to an insulated conduit 47 which connects through a valve 48 to the inlet of the gas storage tank 49 which may in some instance be a fuel tank of a vehicle . the charging tank 43 has a pressure inlet 50 located at the top of the tank in communication with the vapor space at the upper interior of the tank . the inlet 50 is connected through a valve 51 , a conduit 52 and then through another valve 53 to a pressurizing tank 54 having a pressure gauge 55 . the pressurizing tank 54 will preferably have the capability of carrying a pressure of over 1 , 000 psi ( 70 . 3 kg / cm 2 ), which should be sufficient pressure to rapidly drive lng from the charging tank 43 into the gas tank 49 as will be explained later in further detail . the insulated charging tank 43 selected for use in each situation can be a specific size which is large enough to hold the correct measured amount of lng which will be needed to fill the particular size of tank 49 being charged with lng to be vaporized . this approach would be an alternative to using a meter or weigh scale . different sizes of charging tanks ( for example 1 , 4 and 10 gallons ( 3 . 79 , 15 . 2 and 37 . 9 l ) or other sizes ) may be retained on hand to satisfy the requirements of filling different sizes of empty or partially empty fuel tanks . in operation , when a gas tank such as the tank 49 is to be filled , the valves 44 and 45 are opened allowing lng to flow by gravity or with low pressure assistance from the lng supply tank or reservoir 41 through the insulated conduit 42 into the charging tank 43 . when the tank 43 is full , except for a small vapor space at the top , the valves 44 and 45 are turned off . the valves 46 and 48 are opened and at approximately the same time the valves 51 and 53 are opened to permit the high pressure gas within the pressurizing tank 54 to pass through the high pressure line 52 and into the vapor space at the top of the tank 43 and drive the lng out of the tank 43 through the insulated conduit 47 into the gas tank 49 . when the tank 49 has received a sufficient amount of lng , the valves 46 , 48 , 51 and 53 are all closed and the necessary pressure is then permitted to build up in the tank 49 due to the warming of the lng . the tank 49 can then be disconnected and replaced with another empty tank and the process can then be repeated . while the embodiments shown in fig1 through 4 have been described in conjunction with the use of lng , the concepts and apparatus described previously can also be applied to other cryogenic gases such as liquefied nitrogen and oxygen . practically all commercial uses of these two gases are based on their separation from air which is first liquefied cryogenically , allowing them to be separated by fractional distillation . thus , such gases must go through the liquefied state as an unavoidable step in the process of their eventual use in the gaseous form . many gases are supplied from high pressure steel tanks requiring the liquefied nitrogen or oxygen to be he first gasified by heating and then compressed to the high pressures ( usually over 2 , 000 psi ( 140 kg / cm 2 ) required before shipping the tanks to the customer . reducing the investment and operating costs of tank filling stations would have the same attractions to owners of such stations as it would for the owners of lng fueling stations . if the example used in connection with filling the 6 . 0 cu ft ( 169 . 5 l ) tank 13 shown in fig1 instead of being applied to lng , were to be applied to liquefied nitrogen having the properties of boiling point =- 321 ° f . (- 196 . 1 ° c . ), specific gravity at boiling point = 0 . 808 , corresponding to a density of 6 . 8 lbs per gallon ( 0 . 785 kg / l ), then the amount of liquefied nitrogen to be admitted to the tank would be 69 . 8 lbs ( 30 . 4 kg ), or 10 . 2 gallons ( 38 . 5 l ), in order to build up to the design pressure of 2 , 200 psi ( 150 kg / cm 2 ) when warmed to ambient temperatures . a similar computation can be made for liquefied oxygen which has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of - 297 ° f . (- 182 . 8 ° c .) and specific gravity of 1 . 14 . it is further evident that the use of large high pressure bulk tanks as described in fig2 and the use of thin walled perforate distribution members or &# 34 ; ante - chambers &# 34 ; as described in fig3 for use with lng , would also be applicable to liquefied nitrogen , oxygen or other cryogenic gases . while the examples cited herein are calculated for specific conditions of pressure , volume , amount of gas and assumed temperature (&# 34 ; ambient &# 34 ;) in each case , it is within the scope of this invention that amounts of gas charged in actual operating conditions will be adjusted for such factors as the expected temperature range where the high pressure cylinder is to be used , permissible safety factor for the cylinders being used and the like . thus , a cylinder charged to read 2 , 200 psi ( 150 kg / cm 2 ) in a cold 0 ° f . (- 17 . 8 ° c .) environment may quickly reach a substantially higher pressure if mounted near the vehicle &# 39 ; s exhaust system . accordingly , normal practice would be to charge the maximum amount of gas permissible , consistent with safety factors of the equipment , expected temperature environment , and other service conditions that may be encountered . these and various other modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention . | 5 |
the reference numeral 1 in fig1 refers to a portion of the upper part of a building having a flat roof 3 which has laterally upwardly extended masonry sections 5 to form a retention basin 7 for the retaining of rainwater which is temporarily retained during a rainfall . the construction of the flat roof is not shown in detail since it does not constitute an object of the present invention . nor is there shown in the drawing the inclination of the roof 3 which causes the water collecting on it to flow to an outlet 9 from which it can feed by a drain pipe 11 ordinarily present in the building 10 to a sewer line ( not shown ) buried in the ground , or to a drain . in the examples shown in fig1 to 5 , the outlet 9 is flush with the upper edge of the roof so that no weakening of the roof takes place in the region of the outlet 9 by a collecting basin , such as shown , for instance , in fig6 . on the upper end 15 of the drain pipe 11 which passes through the flat roof 3 there is present a vortex throttle 17 which , in the example shown in fig1 to 3 , consists of two plates 19 and 21 which are arranged parallel to each other , the two plates 19 , 21 being connected to each other by two arcuate vertically standing guide plates 23 and 25 . each of the two plates 23 and 25 comprise a fourth part of the circumference and , adjoining same , a linear section . between one end in each case of the linear section 31 and one end of the linear section 29 there is a slot or opening 33 of the width a . the slot - shaped openings 33 and the two plates 19 and 21 form an inlet for the feeding of the water to the drain pipe 11 which is located in the center of the vortex throttle 17 and connects upon a pipe socket 16 . in the lower plate 21 there is accordingly arranged a corresponding recess 22 which is connected to the upper end 15 of the drain pipe 11 . a replaceable run - off diaphragm 12 having a pipe part 16 can be placed on or inserted in the recess 22 and by means of it the maximum run - off quantity passing through can furthermore as well as subsequently be adjusted or changed . a pipe socket 35 of the height h can also be placed in the upper plate 19 , it forming a direct connection into the inside of the vortex throttle 17 and lying coaxial to the upper end 15 of the drain pipe 11 . the upper edge 37 of the pipe socket 35 lies at the height h max , which corresponds to the maximum retention height in the retention basin 7 . in order to protect against foreign substances which float on the collected retained water and might clog the vortex throttle , a semicircular length of pipe 38 such as shown for instance in fig1 and 14 or an immersion bell 40 such as shown for instance in fig1 can be placed on the upper end of the pipe socket 35 . the immersion bell 40 has an outer wall 42 and a cover section 44 . between the upper end of the pipe 35 and the cover section 44 there is a slot corresponding at least to the cross section of the pipe 35 . foreign substances floating on the surface of the water are held back by the wall surface 42 and the water can flow below the wall 42 into the pipeline 35 . the vortex throttle 17 may be made of steel or plastic . in a preferred embodiment , the upper plate 19 can be lifted off for instance by loosening wing nuts 39 which are arranged on corresponding screw bolts which are passed through the plate and arranged on the vertical plates 23 and 25 , so as to permit cleaning of the inside of the vortex throttle 17 . instead of arcuate guide plates 23 , singly or multiply bent guide plates 24 , 26 or guide plates welded together from sections can be connected , in the manner described , to the two plates 19 and 21 . in fig7 and 8 the guide plates 24 are each bent twice and have linearly extending sections 24 , 26 . the openings 33 can be developed fixed or , as shown in fig2 variable ( no illustration ). when there is only a slight flow of water , i . e . upon a light rain , all the entering water can pass continuously through the openings 33 into the inside of the vortex throttle 17 and from there through the pipe 11 into the sewer . as soon as the amount of water arriving becomes greater , revolving water vortices are formed within the vortex throttle 17 , they limiting the discharge as a function of the cross section a of the opening 33 and the development of the two vertically bent plates 23 and 25 or the plates 24 in fig7 to 10 and the cross section of the drain pipe 11 or of the discharge diaphragm 12 possibly arranged over it . in this way , the excess water arriving is stored above the vortex throttle 17 in the retention basin 7 and a constant amount discharges at all times . if the water level exceeds the height h max so that there is the danger of an over - flooding of the roof , water can pass directly through the pipe socket 35 from above , through the vortex throttle 17 to the drain pipe 11 and from there , for instance , into the sewer . instead of a pipe socket 35 placed on the vortex throttle 17 as emergency relief or overflow , a length of pipe 41 ( shown in broken line in fig1 ) which terminates at the same height can also be connected directly to the drain pipe 11 or to an additional pipe leading to the sewer ( not shown ). in order to prevent a clogging of the slot 33 , the entire vortex throttle 17 is preferably surrounded by a removable grate 43 . the grate 43 can surround the vortex throttle 17 completely on its sides and on top ( fig1 ) or it can be developed as a round or rectangular basket 48 which is open on top ( fig1 ). in order to get along with only a slight number of vortex throttles 17 in stock , it is possible , with a small maximum amount of run - off and a vortex throttle 17 which is dimensioned too large for the amount of water to be led away , at least one of the openings 33 can be closed by a cover ( not shown ) or be reduced in size or closed by the displaceable slide 34 ( fig2 ). in the embodiment according to fig4 to 6 , instead of the vortex throttle consisting of two bent plates 25 , 27 and two plates 19 and 21 lying spaced one above the other , there is used a cylindrical vortex throttle 45 of known construction , such as used in catch basins , in which the water enters through a tangentially debouching inlet opening 47 and can discharge , throttled , through the central discharge opening 49 . the manner of operation of the vortex throttles 45 shown in fig4 to 6 is identical to those in fig1 to 3 . these vortex throttles 45 can also be protected against dirt by a basket or grate 43 . the vortex throttles 17 , 45 can also be inserted directly in a gravel bed on the flat roof 3 . the manner of operation of vortex throttles is described for instance in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 198 , 214 . therefore , no further description is given here with regard to the manner of operation and the design of vortex throttles . as an alternative to the vortex throttles 17 , 45 which are placed directly on the surface of the flat roof 3 , they can of course also be arranged within a sump 55 recessed in the flat roof 3 ( fig6 ). for a temporary retention of rainwater which arrives in larger quantity than can be taken up by the sewage treatment plant , a vortex throttle 45 , such as shown in fig1 , can also be used . this vortex throttle 45 does not have an emergency overflow passing through it ; rather , the latter must be provided independently and at some other place on the roof . in the developments of the vortex throttles shown in fig1 , 13 and 14 , emergency overflow pipes 35 are provided which are arranged coaxial to the throttle 45 . in the simplest embodiment , shown in fig1 , the emergency overflow line is open on top . in the embodiment according to fig1 , a semi - circular elbow 52 is placed on the end of the pipe socket 35 of the emergency overflow line , it preventing foreign substances which float on the surface of the retained water from passing into the emergency overflow line and clogging it . in the event of the subsequent installation of a vortex throttle 17 on the roof of an existing building 10 in the case of which the upper end 15 of the drain pipe 11 has a substantially larger cross section than the diameter of the discharge - side opening on the vortex throttle 17 , the latter can be fastened to an adapter 54 which consists of a plate 62 to which a collar 64 is fastened and can be inserted into the upper end 15 of the pipe 11 ( fig1 ). the vortex throttle 77 shown diagrammatically in fig1 has in inlet 79 which debouches into the upper cover surface . this vortex throttle 77 can be used either in a sump , as shown in fig6 or on a roof with continuous retention of the height a . the vortex throttle 69 shown in fig1 can be provided with a radial inlet socket 71 or have , in addition , a tangential inlet 73 . the tangential inlet 73 can be located at a higher level than the inlet socket 71 . this makes it possible , in the event of the possible clogging of the lower inlet 71 , for it to act as emergency inlet with throttling properties . in front of the lower inlet 71 , instead of a grate 43 which surrounds the entire vortex throttle 69 as shown in fig1 a strainer 75 can be provided . the strainer 75 consists in this case of a tubular section which is closed at its end and is made from perforated plate or of gridshaped material . the use of the vortex throttle 69 shown in fig1 is similar to those already described . in the case of flat roofs 3 with permanent retention of water up to the height h 3 ( see fig1 the outlet - side opening of the vortex throttle 55 is arranged above the height h 3 . the vertically arranged vortex throttle 55 may have a development corresponding to the vortex throttle 45 shown in fig4 the water inlet opening 47 being located below the height h 3 . of course , a vortex throttle 17 , such as shown in fig2 , 8 and 9 could also be used if one of the two inlet openings , namely the upper one , is closed . the emergency overflow line 35 is arranged in the vertical extension of the drain pipe 11 and can have a hood or immersion bell 40 , as described and shown in fig1 , in order to prevent the admission of foreign substances floating on the water . an immersion wall 67 can also be arranged around the inlet 47 of the vortex throttle 55 . the immersion wall 67 consists of vertical metal sheets or plastic plates which prevent the introduction of floating foreign objects into the water inlet opening 47 . in the event of only slight amounts of rain , the water collecting on the roof 3 can pass through the immersed inlet opening 47 unthrottled into the drain pipe 11 and from there into the sewer . however , if the level rises above the height h 3 up to the height h 4 , which lies above the top of the outlet - side opening of the vortex throttle 55 , then vortices are formed in the vortex throttle 55 and limit the passage of water to the extent pre - established by the development of the vortex throttle 55 . accordingly , there is a rise in the water level with constant throttled discharge up to the height h max . if the water level rises further due to intense rainfalls , water can be fed unthrottled through the emergency overflow line 35 to the drain pipe 11 . as an alternative , it is also possible to conduct the emergency overflow water to a pipe , not shown here , which discharges directly into a waterway , circumventing a sewage treatment plant . in the development of the invention according to fig1 , which shows the arrangement of the individual parts only diagrammatically , the vortex throttle 55 or its outlet - side opening 47 lies at the height h 3 which corresponds to the intended height of the continuous retention . upon a further increase of the water level , the water can flow unthrottled to the drain pipe 11 as long as the level does not exceed the height h 4 . if the height h 4 is exceeded , then the action of the vortex throttle 55 commences , i . e . the water which flows from now on to the vortex throttle 55 is discharged in the amount determined by the development of the vortex throttle 55 , which amount cannot be exceeded . upon a further rise above the height max , the water can discharge via the emergency overflow line . the front end 59 of the emergency overflow line 35 which dips into the water level h max , in its turn , prevents floating foreign bodies from entering into the drain pipe 11 and clogging it . if the vortex throttle 55 in the embodiment of the invention shown in fig1 is arranged at the level of the roof 3 , its manner of operation corresponds to that shown in fig1 . | 4 |
a general three - dimensional view of the multiportal device with linked cannulae of the invention for percutaneous surgery ( hereinafter referred to as “ multiportal device ”) is shown in fig5 . in the embodiment shown in this drawing , the multiportal device , designated in general by reference numeral 20 , consists of three linked cannulae 22 , 24 , and 26 . it is understood that three cannulae are shown only as an example and that the principle of the invention is equally applicable to the embodiments with two or more than three cannulae . the device per se is very simple and consists of a required number of cannulae , 22 , 24 , and 26 in the illustrated case , pre - linked at their distal ends 22 a , 24 a , and 26 a , respectively , with flexible elements such as wires or threads 28 and 30 . more specifically , both threads 28 and 30 are passed through the central cannula 22 and their ends that project through the distal end 22 a are secured to the walls of the neighboring cannulae 24 and 26 respectively . as shown in fig5 , in order to prevent interference of the threads inside the cannula 22 with the surgical instruments guided through the cannula 22 and protect the threads from entanglement or the like , both threads 28 and 30 are additionally guided through individual small - diameter tubes 32 and 34 , respectively , which have diameters significantly smaller than the inner diameter of the cannula 22 and which are attached to the inner wall of the cannula 22 . in order to prevent full penetration of the threads 28 and 30 below the proximal end 22 b of the cannula 22 , each thread has a stopper 36 and 38 , respectively , e . g ., in the form of a large knot . in the embodiment of fig5 , the lower ends of the threads 38 and 30 are secured to the walls of the respective cannulae 24 and 26 , preferably close to their distal ends 24 a and 26 a . connection can be made by fusion , welding , riveting , etc . the connection should not interfere with the insertion of surgical tools through the respective cannula . a percutaneous surgical procedure with the use of the device 20 of the invention will now be described with reference to fig6 through 13 , which illustrate sequential steps of the surgery , e . g ., intervertebral disc discectomy . after being diagnosed as having a prolapsed disc causing a nerve root impingement of the type shown in fig3 and 4 , the patient is positioned on a radiolucent table ( not shown ) in a prone position . first , a surgeon inserts a special needle 40 , which usually has a bore ( not shown ), as shown in fig6 . the needle 40 is rigid enough to stay straight and helps the surgeon to get to a desired position inside the patient &# 39 ; s body 42 under the fluoroscopic guidance ( not shown ). a guidewire 44 ( fig7 ) made of suitable stainless steel , of about 1 . 0 to 1 . 25 mm in diameter is advanced through the needle 40 through the skin of the patient &# 39 ; s body 42 at a predefined entry point 46 under the fluoroscopic observation . the guidewire 44 is advanced until it reaches the target position specified by the surgeon . after the guidewire 44 is in the right position , the needle 40 is removed from the patient &# 39 ; s body ( fig8 ), and a surgeon does an incision around the entry point 46 in order to be able to insert other tools . at this time , a cannulated obturator 48 ( fig9 ) with a lumen , diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the guidewire 44 , is passed over the guidewire 44 through the patient &# 39 ; s skin until a distal end of the obturator 48 reaches the same position as the guidewire 44 . at this step , the guidewire 44 may or may not be removed . in fig1 is shown a large - diameter cannula 50 , which may accommodate all working cannulae . in the illustrated embodiment working cannulae 22 , 24 , and 26 bound into a single pack shown in fig1 . the large - diameter cannula 50 is fitted onto the obturator 48 ( fig1 ), and then advanced over the obturator 48 until the distal end of the cannula 50 reaches the position of the distal end of the obturator 48 . at this time , both the obturator 48 and the guidewire 44 ( if it has still not been removed ) are removed . the position of the cannula 50 inserted into the patient &# 39 ; s body 42 , with the obturator 48 and the guidewire 44 removed is shown in fig1 . as mentioned above , the working cannulae 22 , 24 , 26 are packed into a single unit , e . g ., by fixing them together with a binding element such as a rubber band 52 shown in fig1 . in this drawing , the entire pack is designated by reference numeral 54 . the cannula pack 54 is inserted into the large - diameter cannula 50 till the distal ends of the working cannulae 22 , 24 , 26 reach the distal end of the large - diameter cannula 50 . the large - diameter cannula 50 is then removed from the patient &# 39 ; s body 42 and hence from the cannula pack 54 ( this step is not shown ). the surgeon then releases working cannulae 22 , 24 , 26 from the binding element such as the rubber band 52 . however , as shown in fig1 , the distal ends 22 a , 24 a , 26 a of the respective working cannulae 22 , 24 , 26 remain linked together with the flexible elements 28 and 30 . the surgeon can freely manipulate the working cannulae for using them in association with various surgical tools ( not shown ). in other words , the flexible elements 28 and 30 which are passed through the working cannulae 22 , always link the distal ends of the cannulae 22 , 24 , 26 , while leaving for the cannulae a freedom of movement along the flexible elements 28 and 30 . when it is necessary to reorient the cannulae and rejoin their distal ends , it is sufficient to pull up the proximal ends of the flexible elements 28 and 30 . this operation can be done without any x - ray monitoring . since all the working cannulae are inserted into the same incision , their removal from the patient &# 39 ; s body 42 after completion of the surgery presents no problem . another embodiment of the multiportal device with linked cannulae is shown in fig1 to 17 , where fig1 is a three - dimensional exploded view of the device consisting of three cannulae linked at their distal ends by flexible elements such as wires or threads , fig1 is a three - dimensional view illustrating the device of fig1 in a working position with distal ends of the cannulae being locked together , fig1 is the same as fig1 with the distal ends of the cannulae being unlocked for manipulation , and fig1 is a sectional view along the line xvii — xvii of fig1 illustrating a possible version of the guide channel for threads formed in the cannula wall . more specifically , as shown in fig1 , a multiportal device of the invention , which in general is designated by reference numeral 60 , consists of three cannulae 62 , 64 , and 66 . one of these cannulae , e . g ., the cannula 62 has at least one long longitudinal groove 68 and at least one short longitudinal groove 70 , both grooves being started from the upper edge of the cannula 62 . the cannula 62 is also provided with a tubular latch 72 telescopically insertable with a sliding fit into the proximal end of the cannula 62 . the latch 72 is provided with at least one short pin 74 extending outward radially from the outer wall of the tubular latch 72 and selectively insertable into the aforementioned grooves 68 and 70 . as in the previous embodiment shown in fig5 , 11 , 13 , the respective distal ends 62 a , 64 a , and 66 a of the cannulae 62 , 64 , and 66 are linked together with the use of flexible elements such as wires or threads 76 and 78 . the threads 76 and 78 are guided through the cannula 62 and their distal ends are passed through openings 80 and 82 formed in the sidewall of the cannula 62 close to the distal end thereof . the threads are then guided through the corresponding openings 84 , 86 in the cannula 64 and openings 88 , 90 in the cannula 66 ( the opening 90 is not seen in fig1 ). the distal free ends of the threads 76 and 78 associated with the cannulae 64 and 66 , respectively , can be either fixed inside these cannulae or tied around the adjacent openings . this is shown in fig1 by knot 92 on the cannula 64 . the free proximal ends of the threads 76 and 78 protrude through both the cannula 62 and the tubular latch 72 . it is also possible to have the distal free ends of the threads guided along the cannula 62 back towards the proximal end of this cannula after passing them through both openings in the sidewalls of the respective cannulae 64 and 66 to form loops . in this case , both distal free ends of the threads 76 and 78 will protrude outward through cannula 62 and through the tubular latch 72 together with the proximal free ends of these threads . reference numeral 94 shown in fig1 designates a tubular stopper that can be telescopically fitted with a tight fit onto the proximal end of the tubular latch 72 clutching the threads 76 and 78 between the walls of the tubular latch and 72 and the tubular stopper 94 . the multiportal device with linked cannulae made in accordance with the embodiment of fig1 operates in the same manner as the device of the previous embodiment except for the steps of cannulae reorientation and fixation of the threads . the device is inserted into the incision 96 in the position shown in fig1 with the pin 74 being located in the short longitudinal groove 70 . in this state , the tubular latch 72 is in its uppermost position , and the threads 76 and 78 are tightened so that the cannula distal ends 62 a , 64 a , and 66 a are hold together and cannot be moved apart , but still can be tilted with respect to each other . location of the pin 74 in the short groove 70 prevents the tubular latch 72 from accidental angular displacement from the selected position . for loosening the threads 76 and 78 in order to provide freedom of manipulation with the cannulae 62 , 64 , and 66 , the pin 74 of the tubular latch 72 is removed from the short groove 70 and is inserted into the long groove 68 , so that the tubular latch 72 assumes the lowermost position shown in fig1 . it is understood that in this position the loosened threads allow the surgeon to freely manipulate with the cannulae . fig1 is a cross - sectional view along the line xvii — xvii of fig1 , which illustrates possible design of the cannula 62 . it can be seen that in addition to the main central opening 98 for guiding surgical instrument , the wall of the cannula may have a thickened portion for forming a smaller through opening 99 for guiding the threads 76 and 78 . in this case , the cross - section of the cannula 62 is not necessarily circular . thus it has been shown that the present invention provides a multiportal device with linked cannulae for percutaneous surgery , which is very simple in construction , reliable and simple in use , allows insertion of several cannulae and permanently maintaining them in controlled positions without resorting to additional x - ray . the device of the invention does not need the use of a separate guiding unit , does not cause excessive damage to the tissue , allows the use of plastic materials , makes it possible to be used disposably and to increase the number of cannulae used simultaneously . although the invention has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments , it is understood that these embodiments should not be construed as limiting the areas of application of the invention and that any changes and modifications are possible , provided these changes and modifications do not depart from the scope of the attached patent claims . for example , the cannula pack 54 can be inserted either without being bound or bound with another binding element . two or more than three working cannulae can be used . the flexible elements 28 , 30 , 76 , 78 can be represented with a single flexible element , extended through all used cannulae 22 , 24 , 26 , 62 , 64 , 66 and having its both ends protruding from the proximal end of the central cannula 22 , 62 . the flexible elements 28 , 30 , 76 , 78 can be made of a thread , wire , string , etc . they can be connected to the cannulae 24 , 26 , 64 , 66 by welding , gluing , tying , etc ., or can be guided through a small - diameter tube attached to the inner wall of respective cannulae 24 , 64 and 26 , 66 as it is done for the central cannula 22 , 62 . the central cannula 22 , 62 may have flexible elements 28 , 30 , 76 , 78 guided through the individual small - diameter tubes 32 and 34 , or through the common small - diameter tube . the cross - sectional shape of the cannula shown in fig1 with reference to the cannula 62 is also applicable to cannula 22 . the tubular stopper 94 can be used instead of those designated by numbers 36 and 38 . the short groove 70 may not be present in the cannula 22 , or several short grooves can be made on the side of the long groove 68 , allowing different degrees of flexibility of cannulae manipulation . the stopper means 36 , 38 , 94 can have different positions ensuring that distal ends of cannulae 22 , 24 , 26 , 62 , 64 , 66 cannot be moved apart further than by predefined distance . | 0 |
the self - locking step - by - step switching mechanism is intended for an adjustment device of a vehicle seat . such an adjustment device is , for example , the adjusting means for a backrest relative to a seat frame , the height adjusting means for a front edge of a seat relative to the seat frame or the adjusting means for a rear rocker of a base frame of a motor vehicle seat . such adjustment devices are known to the person skilled in the art from the prior art . the step - by - step switching mechanism comprises a clamping roller lock . this will not be discussed in detail below . a clamping roller lock is used as it is known from the two patent applications mentioned in the introduction . this clamping roller lock comprises an axis 20 , which at the same time is the axis of the step - by - step switching mechanism . furthermore , it comprises a release wheel 22 . this is configured as a normal , externally toothed gear . it is rotatable about the axis 20 . the step - by - step switching mechanism moreover comprises a step - by - step switching device . the step - by - step switching device comprises an actuating lever 24 , which is mounted so as to be pivotable about the axis 20 . it comprises connecting means in order to connect it to a hand lever . a user grips such a hand lever , which is not shown , and initiates an actuating movement . furthermore , the step - by - step switching device comprises a driver 26 . this comprises two driver regions 28 , which are configured as gearings ; they are directed towards the release wheel 22 . the driver 26 comprises a bore through which an axis pin 30 reaches that is disposed on the actuating lever 24 . it forms a driver axis 32 about which the driver 26 can pivot relative to the actuating lever 24 . in the known manner , in particular just like in the step - by - step switching device of the type mentioned in the introduction , only one of the two driver regions 28 , respectively , is in engagement with the gearing of the release wheel 22 in one direction of rotation of the release wheel , i . e . in the case of a driving process . in the central position of the actuating lever 24 , none of the two driver regions 28 is in engagement with the gearing . if the actuating lever 24 is pivoted starting from the central position , one of the two driver regions 28 comes into engagement with the gearing , the other remains out of engagement . once the engagement has taken place , the release wheel 22 can be driven and rotated . the step - by - step switching device moreover comprises a drag lever 34 . it is preferably configured as a plastic part , whereas the other parts are formed as metal parts . the drag lever 34 is substantially annular . in the assembled state of the step - by - step switching device , it grasps around the release wheel 22 and is supported by it . the drag lever 34 has a recess 36 which accommodates the driver 26 . in the assembled state , this recess 36 is covered by partial sections of the actuating lever 24 . thus , the driver 26 is fixed in the axial direction . it can be pulled free in a radially inward direction . the step - by - step switching device moreover comprises a spring 38 . in this specific exemplary embodiment , this spring 38 has a variety of tasks ; it is a bent spring punched out from flat stock . the spring 38 has two projections 40 . they are disposed a three o &# 39 ; clock and nine o &# 39 ; clock and are situated diametrically opposite from one another . they are formed by flat sheet metal strips which are connected to the main body of the spring 38 via an upper and a lower bridge . the sheet metal strips stand in a plane transverse to the main body ; it is defined by the axes 20 and 32 . the driver axis 32 is situated in the central position of the actuating lever in the 12 o &# 39 ; clock direction . in their central region , the sheet metal strips are bent out towards the release wheel 22 ; these bent - out portions form the projections 40 . the projections 40 cooperate with indentations 42 that are provided in the same position on the outer shell of the drag lever 34 . the spring 38 comprises a holding arm 44 disposed in the 12 o &# 39 ; clock position . this holding arm 44 serves for the rotational fixation of the spring 38 . the holding arm 44 comprises a lug that points downwards , towards the axis 20 . it reaches into an opening of a base plate 46 . this base plate 46 comprises an arm 48 located beneath the holding arm 44 . the latter &# 39 ; s function will be discussed below . the spring 38 forms a tongue 50 located in the 12 o &# 39 ; clock position . the tongue 50 is substantially rectangular ; it reaches freely over the gearing of the release wheel 22 over a small angle range , for example 1 to 8 °. in the assembled state of the step - by - step switching device , it is located , viewed radially , between the gearing of the release wheel 22 and the driver 26 . the tongue 50 protrudes transversely from the main body of the spring 38 . the spring 38 has a braking tab 52 , which , similar to the tongue 50 , axially protrudes transversely from the main body of the spring 38 . the tab 52 is disposed in the 6 o &# 39 ; clock position . it rests in a dragging manner on the outer shell of the drag lever 34 and causes a braking torque . the base plate 46 is connected to a housing 54 of the clamping roller lock . this housing 54 is located between the base plate 46 and the spring 38 . the spring 38 is located between the housing 54 and the release wheel 22 ; only parts of it are located in the plane of the release wheel . the step - by - step switching device moreover comprises a zero - position spring 56 . it is configured as a leg spring . it has two windings and two legs 58 . the legs 58 substantially protrude radially outwards . one leg 58 is located in a position between twelve and one o &# 39 ; clock , the other leg 58 is located in a position between eleven and twelve o &# 39 ; clock . in the assembled state , these legs 58 rests resiliently against holding indentations 60 formed by the actuating lever 24 . specifically , they are formed in a transverse part of the actuating lever 24 which , in the assembled state , reaches over the holding arm 44 of the spring 38 . the arm 48 is located between the two legs 58 . the driver 26 is displaceable within the recess 36 of the drag lever 34 . no physical axis is provided about which the driver 26 is pivotable relative to the drag lever 34 . thus , this is a difference to the prior art of the kind mentioned in the introduction . opposing supporting surfaces 62 are provided the recess 36 ; the driver 26 can come into contact with them . the contact takes place on corresponding counter surfaces of the driver 26 . in the central position of the actuating lever 24 , a small amount of play may be present between the supporting surface 62 and the associated counter surface of the driver 26 on both sides . however , this play can also be very small , it has to be just sufficient for assembly . as can be seen from fig3 , in particular , the counter surfaces are configured in a partially cylindrical or ball - like shape . the recess 36 is generally configured in a step - shape ; the supporting surfaces 62 are located on opposite steps . the zero - position spring 56 is manufactured from spring wire . it has an annular portion formed by two windings . this annular portion grasps around the housing 54 of the clamping roller lock . the zero - position spring 56 is fixated by its legs 58 resting , as described , in the holding indentations 60 and the grasp around the housing 54 . when the actuating lever 24 is deflected from the central position shown in fig3 , the leg 58 present in the direction of rotation is also moved . the zero - position spring 56 is tightened . in the process , the other leg 58 braces itself on the arm 48 . fig3 shows the initial position . the assembly shown , apart from the three coupling sections for the release wheel 22 , is axially symmetrical to a plane defined by the axis 20 and the driver axis 32 . the two driver regions 28 are not in engagement with the gearing of the release wheel 22 . the tongue 50 , viewed radially , is located between the driver 26 and the gearing of the release wheel 22 . seen in the circumferential direction , the tongue 50 is located between the two driver regions 28 . the illustration according to fig4 shows the state of the left - hand driver region 28 latching into the gearing of the release wheel 22 . starting from the initial position according to fig3 , which shows the central position , a force f , which is introduced via the actuating lever 24 , acts on the driver 26 . it causes the driver 26 to pivot towards the left . thus , its left counter surface comes into contact with the corresponding supporting surface 62 ; a reaction force r is produced there . both forces f and r cause the driver 26 to tilt in a generally counter - clockwise direction and thus cause the left driver region 28 to come into engagement with the gearing ; this engagement is shown in fig4 . it is apparent in fig4 that the projections 40 are in engagement with the respective indentation 42 . fig5 shows an intermediate position during the actual drive of the release wheel 22 . now , the drag lever 34 is also rotated about the axis 20 in the counter - clockwise direction . the two indentations 42 are now free from the projections 40 . fig6 shows the end state of the actuation stroke . this is limited by a stop for the actuating lever 24 which is not shown here . the state is as in fig5 , but the indentation 42 has distanced itself even more from the projection 40 on each side . fig7 shows the beginning return stroke , starting from the position according to fig6 . as the pivoting movement of the actuating lever in the opposite direction , i . e . now in the clockwise direction , is initiated , the other supporting surface 62 of the recess 36 comes into contact with its associated counter surface on the driver 26 , so that the latter is pivoted in the opposite direction and its previously driving driver region 28 gets out of engagement with the gearing . in order for the other driver region 28 not to be led into the engagement , the tongue 50 is provided , which is now located beneath the other engagement region . it forms a kind of protection and prevents the engagement of the other engagement region . this impediment lasts for so long until the initial position according to fig3 has been reached again . | 6 |
the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a traffic control system that continuously monitors and communicates with , when necessary , approaching traffic . the time history of the range of an approaching vehicle is analyzed by a conventional digital computer coupled to the range - sensing device . for the purposes of the present invention , a vehicle is any means to transport people or cargo , including land vehicles , watercraft , and aircraft . a decision is made whether or not the approaching vehicle will be able to stop in the remaining distance . a message is transmitted to warn the dangerously approaching vehicle to the point of jarring a driver without special equipment installed in the vehicle . the preferred embodiment of the above invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings , as illustrated in fig1 is a pictorial view of the audible communication system constructed in accordance with the invention , same being generally indicated by numerical designation 1 . the system 1 generally includes an ultrasonic sound projection system 2 in wired or wireless communication with a range sensing system 10 . a schematic of the audible communication system 1 is illustrated in fig2 . as shown in fig2 the ultrasonic sound projection system 2 preferably includes a digital computer 128 with storage capacity 133 for preprocessed messages , a digital - to - analog converter 134 , an amplifier 136 , and an ultrasonic sound projector 138 . the range sensing system 10 preferably includes a radar transceiver 130 with a radar antenna 129 , an analog - to - digital converter 131 , and a digital computer 132 . the range sensing system 10 signals the ultrasonic sound projection system 2 with information , such as vehicle range , vehicle type , and a message , when a subject vehicle is approaching a predetermined point at a dangerous speed . the vehicle type information is used to cross reference characteristics , such as model , make , year , windshield angle , windshield thickness , and windshield material , for the transmission of the appropriate warning signal that will demodulate to an audible sound once the warning signal passes through the windshield . all vehicle window information will be stored in either or both of the digital computers 128 , 132 , in cases where the ultrasonic sound project system 2 is positioned to transmit a signal directed towards the side of the vehicle . the ultrasonic sound projection system 2 transmits a warning signal to the subject vehicle ( s ). provided below is a detailed analysis of the concepts underlying the various embodiments of this invention . more specifically , the production of sound from nonlinearities of air . air is excitable by an intense ultrasonic wave , which has been modulated with audible communications . the ultrasonic wave modulated by the audible communication , e ( t ), is given by : p 1 ( t )= p 1 e ( t ) sin ( ω c t ) equation 1 and the secondary wave generated by the nonlinearities of the air demodulating the ultrasound wave given by : p 2 ( t )=[( β p 1 2 a )/( 16πρ o αc o 4 z )] θ 2 / θt 2 e 2 ( t ) equation 2 θ 2 / θt 2 is the partial second derivative with respect to time p 1 is amplitude of the launched ultrasonic carrier wave p 1 ( t ) is the primary , ultrasonic carrier , wave pressure as a function of time , t . p 2 ( t ) is the pressure of the secondary , audible , wave demodulated by the nonlinearities z is the axial distance is the absorption coefficient of the medium at ω c equation 1 sets forth a square - law nonlinearity due to the saturation of air in which the intense ultrasonic waves are traveling . the amplitude of the secondary ( demodulated ) wave is proportional to the second derivative of the square of the modulation envelope . it is preferred that the pressure intensity be large with respect to the physical constants of the air as set forth in equation 2 . the generation of audible sound is achievable by reflecting ultrasonic waves off of a solid surface in the direction of the source of the modulated ultrasonic waves . the nonlinear stress / strain relationship of the solid surface is responsible for demodulation of the audible communication and the generation of the audible sound . this takes place in much the same way as the nonlinearities of air generating sound in open air as described by equation 2 . the present invention expands this known technique to the generation of the demodulated sound on the other side of a window or other panels enclosing a compartment so that a person can be hear the message on the opposing side of the window or compartment relative to the incoming wave . [ 0078 ] fig3 illustrates the arrival of the millimeter - wavelength ultrasonic wave 84 focused on the windshield 86 . the approximately 6 to 1 ratio of the velocity of sound in windshield 86 to the velocity in air causes the ultrasonic wave 84 to be reflected 89 . if the angle of incidence is within a few degrees of normal to the surface of the windshield 86 , the ultrasonic wave 84 is also refracted , refracted ultrasonic wave 91 . with or without refraction the ultrasonic wave 84 striking the surface of the windshield 86 undergoes a nonlinear interaction with the windshield 86 much as intense sound undergoes in air driven into saturation as described in equation 2 . the ultrasonic wave 84 interacts with the non - linear stress - to - strain relationship of the windshield 86 . this nonlinear interaction with the windshield 86 demodulates the ultrasonic wave 84 resulting in the reproduction of 0 . 1 - meter wavelength audible sound 90 near the surface , but on the opposing side , of the windshield 86 . further demodulation may take place if the ultrasound wave 84 is refracted through the windshield 86 . in many cases , the windshield 86 will be made up of a laminate of glass and plastic . a further feature of the present invention relies upon preprocessing the transmitted sounds for optimum generation of audible sound by demodulating the ultrasonic wave as it passes through the windshield . in the present invention , the calibration process described in fig4 is used for recording the audible sound 104 generated in the passenger compartment 110 by the ultrasonic wave 106 interacting with the windshield 108 of the vehicle 100 . these recordings are used to develop messages that have been preprocessed for optimal generation of intelligible audible sounds 104 inside the vehicle 100 utilizing the techniques of fig5 and 6 that are discussed below . these preprocessed messages are stored in the ultrasonic sound projection system 2 for later use . [ 0080 ] fig4 represents a test range used to demonstrate the concepts of the present invention and to preprocess messages for use with the system 1 . in fig4 an ultrasound wave projector 94 is mounted on a suitable movable mount 96 so that the range 98 , r , can be varied during the data gathering process . ( in some cases , it is necessary to vary the height of the projector 94 during the data gathering process .) a cross section of a land vehicle 100 is shown . a microphone 102 is mounted where a typical driver &# 39 ; s head would be . the microphone 102 records the audible sound 104 that is generated by the demodulation of the ultrasonic wave 106 as it interacts with the windshield 108 and enters the passenger compartment 110 of the vehicle 100 . the audible sound 104 recorded by the microphone 102 is filtered by a receive filter 112 and then amplified by amplifier 114 . the amplifier 114 and filter 112 remove vestiges of the ultrasonic wave 106 and image frequency generated by the demodulation process in the windshield 108 . the audio signal is also band limited by the filter 112 to prevent distortions that can result from aliasing of noise and other signals above the nyquist frequency as they are digitized by the analog - to - digital converter ( a / d ) 116 . the digital samples of the audio waveform are passed to the digital computer 118 for processing and storage . the digital computer 118 is also used to generate a stream of digital samples of messages modulating an ultrasonic wave 106 , which are converted to analog signals by the digital - to - analog converter ( d / a ) 120 . the output of the d / a 120 are filtered by the transmit filter 122 . the transmit filter 122 smoothes the so called boxcar effects of the digital - to - analog conversion process and removes other undesirable higher frequency components from the signal before they are amplified by the power amplifier 124 . the amplified signal drives an array of electrostatic or piezoelectric speakers 126 used to project the ultrasonic wave 106 onto the windshield 108 of the test vehicle 100 . a block diagram of the flow of signals through the calibration of fig4 is presented in fig5 . the objective is to compute a source waveform , e ( t ), needed to generate a prescribed voice waveform , v ( t ). for example , the desired waveform , v d ( t ), might be the waveform of the audible utterance : “ stop .” in fig4 one might desire an utterance of the word : stop 104 to be received inside of the passenger compartment 110 of the vehicle 100 . the problem is to compute which digital waveform needs to be transferred to the d / a converter 120 by the digital computer 118 for “ stop ” to be audible inside the vehicle . the transmission of the signal , e ( t ), through the system to generate v ( t ) is a nonlinear process . the ultrasonic wave compresses and decompresses the solid as it propagates through the surface of the solid . the stress - to - strain relationship of the solid will in general be nonlinear . a technique for compensating for the distortions introduced by the nonlinear interactions is disclosed by singhal et al in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 603 , 408 , incorporated herein by reference . the synthesis of the transmitted waveform works with linear prefiltering of the waveform . a procedure for the linear prefiltering is given in fig6 . one begins with the desired audio waveform : v d ( t ). then to begin the preprocessing procedure the starting input waveform , e ( t ) is computed : e ( t )=[∫∫ v d ( t ) dtdt ] ½ equation 3 the resulting input waveform , e o ( t ), is used to drive the sound projector 126 in the test range depicted in fig4 . the audible sound 104 , v o ( t ), received by the microphone 102 is then used to compute an improved wave form , e 1 ( t ). the received wave form , v o ( t ), is transformed to the frequency domain using the fast fourier transform ( fft ) algorithm : similarly the input wave form , e o ( t ), is transformed with the fft . the complex transfer function h o ( ω ) is used to compute the frequency - domain representation of the improved waveform : the frequency domain version is then transformed to the time domain e 1 ( t ) with the inverse fft ( ifft ): e 1 ( t )=[ ifft * e 1 ( ω )] ½ equation 8 the square root is taken to obtain the improved transmitted wave from , e 1 ( t ). ( the square root is needed because of the squaring that takes place from the nonlinearities as modeled by equation 2 .) the preprocessing procedure then continues by inputting e 1 ( t ) and measuring v 1 ( t ). the received audio signal , v 1 ( t ), is then transformed to v 1 ( ω ), the frequency domain equivalent : v 1 ( ω ) and e 1 ( ω ) then serve as the inputs to a recursive averaging operation : h 1 ( ω )= h o ( ω )+( 1 / n )[{ v 1 ( ω )/ e 1 ( ω )}− h o ( ω )] equation 10 the recursive averaging process of equation 10 yields an improved transfer function h 1 ( ω ). note that in equation 10 , h o ( ω ) is subtracted from h 1 ( ω ). ( h 1 ( ω ) is computed from the ratio of v 1 ( ω ) and e 1 ( ω ) in equation 10 .) after a few iterations , the latest update to the transfer function will be very similar to the previous version and thus the recursive averaging procedure will cease to change the values . the procedure then uses the desired frequency - domain spectrum and the latest estimate of the transfer function to compute an improved frequency spectrum : e 2 ( t )=[ ifft * e 1 ( ω )] ½ equation 12 in the same way as in equation 8 . the procedure then continues by inputting e 2 ( t ) and measuring v 2 ( t ). this procedure can be iterated until convergence is reached . for example , suppose the utterance “ stop !” was needed . the test range depicted in fig4 would be setup and “ stop ” will be processed with the procedure of fig6 to obtain a version that will yield an intelligible “ stop ” inside of the vehicle . it may be necessary to carry out the preprocessing of fig6 for different ranges , type of vehicle , angle of incidence , atmospheric conditions , and amplitudes of signals due to the nonlinearity of the system . the preprocessed messages are stored in the digital computer 128 of the ultrasonic sound projection system 2 . examples of other preprocessed messages include reduce speed or change course . returning now to fig2 the block diagram illustrates an embodiment of the invention suitable for mounting on a sign or signal . a microwave radar transceiver 130 monitors the range of approaching vehicles by processing the radar returns 135 with the digital computer 132 . though the range sensing system 10 is preferably microwave , any conventional radar system , including radio , laser , and acoustic , is acceptable . an analysis of the time histories of the approaching vehicle &# 39 ; s range as well as an measurement of the approaching vehicle &# 39 ; s radar cross section are input to a computer program , as illustrated in fig7 executable by the digital computer 132 . the flow chart in fig7 sets forth the mode of operation in words . the chart describes the control of the launching of available lights and sounds at unresponsive drivers . if the unsafe driver fails to respond to the lights or sounds , cross traffic is warned of the danger and police ticketing cameras can be triggered . the digital computer 132 then passes information such as : the number of the desired message , the range of the vehicle and the type of vehicle to the digital computer 128 . digital computer 128 then selects the requested message from its set of stored preprocessed digital waveforms that are appropriate for the range and type of vehicle and transfer them to the d / a converter 134 . the analog signal output of the d / a converter 134 is then amplified by the power amplifier 136 and used to drive at least one sound projector 138 . it should be noted that computers 128 and 132 could be incorporated into a single computer ( not shown ). a sound projector 138 can be electrostatic or piezoelectric thin sheets mounted directly on the face of a sign 142 , as illustrated in fig8 or , as illustrated in fig9 a 5 × 7 array of electrostatic or piezoelectric sheets . each of the thirty - five individual sheets of the 5 × 7 array is a functioning speaker 154 . the individual speakers 154 are used as a phased array 152 . the resulting ultrasound waves ( not shown ) emitted from the individual speakers 154 are steered by controlling the phase between speakers with phase - shifter 153 . fig1 illustrates a multiple - wave sound projector 182 steering , by conventional means , its waves 184 through an angle θ 180 so the waves 184 converge on the windshield 178 of an approaching vehicle 186 . now returning to fig9 the phase shifters 153 are driven by a control signal 151 generated by second digital computer 128 . the output of the phase shifters 153 drives the speakers 154 using power amplifiers 155 . the amount of phase shift introduced by the phase shifters 153 is under the control of the digital computer 128 in fig2 . the digital computer 128 receives automatically the subject vehicle coordinates from the range sensing system 10 via the computer 132 , and calculates the phase shift for each of the individual speakers 154 to focus the wave upon the windshield of the moving vehicle . the preferred embodiment utilizes one amplifier and one phase shifter per speaker . in this case , there would be thirty - five phase shifters and amplifiers . the array of speakers can be implemented in several configurations not just the rectangular configuration illustrated in fig9 . circularly - shaped arrays and polygon - shaped arrays are also effective for phased - arrays . the generation of audible sound in open air as opposed to projecting the sound into the interior of a vehicle can facilitate , as illustrated in fig1 , a blind pedestrian 78 crossing a roadway 72 . the ultrasound source 82 is directing a warning to the pedestrian 78 whose location is determined by the radar sensor 80 . the objective is to generate the audible message 76 only in the vicinity of the pedestrian 78 . this can be accomplished with the embodiment of the present invention depicted in fig1 , 13 , 14 , and 15 . as illustrated in fig1 , the ultrasound projector 159 is made up of a number of phased arrays 161 . each phased array is steerable and its wave can be moved in azimuth and elevation , as discussed above . as illustrated in fig1 , the projector 156 shows the individual waves 160 aimed so that they converge at point 162 which is located at a range of r 1 from the sound projector 156 . the convergence of multiple waves 160 whose waveforms are in phase in one region increases the intensity of the pressure of the ultrasound in that region . the intense sound drives the air into its nonlinear mode of behavior as given by equation 2 . the nonlinear behavior demodulates the ultrasonic wave 160 and generates an audible secondary sound 164 emanating from the region located at a range of r 1 . in fig1 , a sound projector 168 makes use of its individual phased arrays 170 to aim its waves 172 so that they converge at point 166 located at a range 176 of r 2 from the sound projector 168 . this technique of moving the region of wave convergence permits the secondary source of the audible sound to be moved back and forth from the sound projector to address pedestrians at different locations in the cross walk . the different regions could receive different messages . for example , the pedestrian is being asked to return to the curb from which she came . a pedestrian close to the sound projector might be told to quickly mount the curb , as traffic would soon restart . [ 0101 ] fig1 illustrates the convergence of multiple sound waves emanating from a projector 178 on which are mounted phased arrays 180 , 182 , 184 and 186 . the waves 189 and 190 converge on point 192 . the dimensions of the phased array can be quite small since the ultrasound will typically have wavelengths in the range of a few millimeters . now returning to fig1 an ultrasound sound projector system 2 is installed on a traffic light signal 4 . a narrow ultrasonic wave 6 is focused on an approaching vehicle 8 . the traffic light 4 is also outfitted with a vehicle range sensing means 10 such as a radar sensor . the range of the approaching vehicle 8 is detected by the radar range sensor &# 39 ; s wave 12 . the range measurement is used to set the parameters of the ultrasonic sound projector system 2 and steer its ultrasound wave 6 . an example of a decision process for a system with visual and audible warning means as well as a police - ticketing camera is diagramed in fig7 . the ultrasonic wave 6 is demodulated by the nonlinearities of the windshield 14 generating an audible message 16 inside the approaching unequipped vehicle 8 . though a single approaching vehicle is illustrated as being detected by the sensing means , it is within the contemplation of the invention that any vehicle within the line of sight of the sensing means , whether it is the first , second or third vehicle in line from the sensing means , is detectable for the purposes of determining safety at a preselected location . an alternative application , fig1 , illustrates a system 1 mounted on a traffic warning sign 18 . the modulated - ultrasound projector 20 is mounted on the face of the sign 18 . an ultrasound wave 22 is focused on the windshield 24 of the approaching vehicle 26 . an audible message 28 is generated inside of the vehicle 26 by demodulation of the ultrasonic wave 22 as it interacts with nonlinearities of the windshield 24 . the approach of the vehicle 26 is sensed by a magnetic loop detector 30 or the like implanted in the roadway 32 . a radar system , television camera or other range sensing means could also be used . another alternative application , fig1 , illustrates the mounting of an ultrasound projector 35 on the rear of a land vehicle 27 in order to communicate with a trailing vehicle 33 via an ultrasonic wave 29 . communications can be automatically issued by a radar system 30 that detects the distance to and approach speed of the trailing vehicle 33 with , preferably , microwaves 32 or other waves . an audible message 32 is generated inside of the vehicle 33 by demodulation of the ultrasonic wave 29 as it interacts with nonlinearities of the windshield 31 . additionally , the ultrasound projector illustrated in fig1 can be place in the front of a vehicle ( not shown ), such as a police car , to transmit an audible message to a leading vehicle or an approaching vehicle . additionally , the ultrasound projector illustrated in fig1 can also be place in the front and rear of a vehicle ( not shown ), such as a delivery truck , to transmit an audible message at a preselected range to warn pedestrians and other vehicles of the approaching vehicle , where the view of the vehicle is obstructed by buildings , trees , shrubs , or other vehicles . the range of the demodulated audible message is a function of the speed of the vehicle and the safe stopping distance of the vehicle at the speed of the vehicle plus an additional distance as a safety margin . yet another application , fig1 , illustrates the ultrasound wave 34 being steered using either conventional mechanical means or electronic phased - array techniques . the steering commands come from the computer ( not shown ) analyzing the radar returns 35 or data from another range sensing system . a further application , fig1 , illustrates the ultrasonic sound projection system 36 at a location remote from the intersection traffic signal 38 . the approaching vehicle 42 is monitored by a radar wave 40 . a message is communicated to the remote ultrasonic sound projection system 36 that transmits an ultrasonic wave 44 against the vehicle 42 side , rear or front glass . an audible message is generated inside of the vehicle 42 by the nonlinear interaction of the ultrasound wave 44 with the window of vehicle 42 . [ 0109 ] fig2 illustrates a dangerously approaching vehicle 46 whose progress is monitored by a radar - type range sensor &# 39 ; s wave 48 emanating from the traffic light 49 . an analysis of the time history of the approaching vehicle &# 39 ; s range is carried out by a conventional digital computer running the programming flow chart of fig7 . this analysis shows that it is unlikely that vehicle 46 will stop before the light 50 at the intersection changes to red . a warning carried by an ultrasound wave 54 is then issued to a vehicle 52 that might enter the intersection and be in the path of the dangerously approaching vehicle 46 . [ 0110 ] fig2 shows a sound generator 58 in use by a public safety official 56 to communicate with one vehicle 68 among many . an example would be a multilane toll plaza or a large parking lot . in this case the megaphone - like sound generator 58 consists of the sound generating array 60 , a range and direction sensor ( which maybe a microwave radar and / or tv camera ) 62 and a microphone 64 for the user 56 to speak into . the measurements of the range sensor 62 are used to set the preprocessing parameters of the ultrasonic wave 69 so that audible sound 66 is generated inside the vehicle 68 by the ultrasonic wave 69 being demodulated by the windshield 70 . [ 0111 ] fig2 shows a public safety application of the system 1 . an official uses a megaphone device 57 to transmit an ultrasound wave 61 onto a window 63 of the building 59 . an audible warning message is generated inside the building by the interaction of the ultrasound wave 61 and the window 63 . returning to fig1 , the system 1 in use at a pedestrian crossing 72 whose crossing control light 73 is outfitted to assist , in particular , blind pedestrians 78 . in this case the ultrasonic wave 74 interacts with the air and generates the audible sounds 76 near the blind pedestrian 78 using information from a distance and angle sensor 80 to set the parameters of the sound transmitter 82 . an interesting characteristic of this embodiment is that the sound 76 is generated in the vicinity of the pedestrian 78 and not closer to the sound projector 82 . this is accomplished by focusing multiple waves of sound on the targeted region as illustrated in fig1 and 15 . there are other embodiments , such as controlling a crowd , when sound generation in the air can be used . yet another application is illustrated in fig2 , where waves 89 of modulated ultrasound are projected by sensors 75 and 77 such that a pathway 79 , or channel , is defined between the waves . the pathway 79 could include , but is not limited to , use by pedestrians , watercraft or land vehicles . exiting the pathway 79 and entering one of the waves 89 results in a message 85 , 87 directing the pedestrian 81 or vehicle 83 back in to the pathway 79 will be transmitted to the intruding object 81 , 83 . the messages 85 and 87 could be transmitted after a radar - type scanner has detected the intrusion of a wave 89 , or the wave 89 can continuously transmit instruction for returning to the pathway 79 which will be heard whenever the very narrow waves 89 have been entered . now returning to fig1 , an additional feature to the present invention is a microphone 188 that monitors the transmissions and relays characteristics of the transmitted wave 184 back to the transmitting system 182 . should rain , snow , blowing sound , fog or other substances change the nonlinear properties of the air as described by equation 2 or otherwise scatter the ultasonic waves 184 , the transmitting system 182 would use the detected changes to modify the parameters of the transmission such as transmitter power , carrier frequency , degree of modulation and preprocessing filtering to compensate for the effects of the substances that have entered the path of the wave 184 . yet another application of the present invention is aviation ground and air traffic control . aircraft taxiing to and from the terminal , runway , and maintenance hanger can be contacted by the control tower ( not shown ) or specially equipped aircraft ( not shown ) with greater speed and accuracy than the current reliance on radio transmission and reception . in - flight near misses will be eliminated with aircraft equipped ( not shown ) with the present invention . audio communication in the cockpit will no longer rely on the radio being turned on or being tuned to the correct frequency . although the invention has been described with respect to various embodiments , it should be realized this invention is also capable of a wide variety of further and other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
in the following , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a digital signal processing apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention . in an embodiment of the present invention , the digital signal processing apparatus 1000 is applied to a remaining battery charge amount detection circuit 101 . in fig1 , the remaining battery amount detection circuit 101 may be formed , for example , on a single semiconductor board . the remaining battery amount detection circuit 101 includes , for example , a detection part 111 , a sigma - delta modulator 112 , a cpu 113 , a memory 114 , a regulator 115 , and a communication circuit 116 . the detection part 111 includes , for example , a voltage detection part 121 , a temperature detection part 122 , a current detection part 123 , and a multiplexer 124 . the voltage detection part 121 is connected to both ends of a lithium ion battery 102 ( hereinafter referred to as “ battery 102 ”) for detecting the voltage of the battery 102 . the detection signals detected by the voltage detection part 121 are supplied to the multiplexer 124 . the temperature detection part 122 , which is for detecting ambient temperature , generates and outputs detection signals corresponding to detected ambient temperature . the detection signals of the temperature detection part 122 are supplied to the multiplexer 124 . the current detection part 123 includes , for example , a differential amplifier . the current detection part 123 is connected to both ends of a current detection resistance rs connected between the battery 102 and a terminal t −. the current detection part 123 detects voltage generated in the current detection resistance rs according to current flowing through the current detection resistance rs and outputs detection signals corresponding to charge and discharge currents of the battery 102 . for example , the detection signals output from the current detection part 123 have a value equal to a reference voltage v 0 when there is neither charge current or discharge current flowing in the battery 102 , have a value greater than the reference voltage v 0 when charge current is flowing in the battery 102 , and have a value less than the reference voltage v 0 when discharge current is flowing in the battery 102 . the detection signals of the current detection part 123 are supplied to the multiplexer 124 . the multiplexer 124 selects the detection signals of the voltage detection part 121 , the detection signals of the temperature detection part 122 , or the detection signals of the current detection part 123 in accordance with a control signal from the cpu 113 and supplies the selected detection signals to the sigma - delta modulator 112 . the sigma - delta modulator 112 performs pdm ( pulse density modulation ), that is , 1 bit digital modulation on the analog signals from the multiplexer 124 and supplies the modulated signals to the cpu 113 . the cpu 113 executes a digital filtering process program stored in the memory 114 for converting the pdm signals to digital values of multiple bits . in other words , the cpu 113 converts the pdm signals to pcm ( pulse code modulation ) data . furthermore , the cpu 113 executes a remaining battery amount calculation program for calculating the amount of charge remaining in the battery 102 . it is to be noted that the cpu 113 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes , for example , a processor such as a microprocessor . the communication circuit 116 transmits signals indicating the remaining amount of battery calculated by the cpu 113 to an outside circuit . the regulator 115 obtains power supply from the battery 102 , generates power supply voltage required in the remaining battery amount circuit 101 , and supplies the generated voltages to respective parts of the remaining battery amount circuit 101 . fig2 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a sigma - delta modulator 112 according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig2 , the sigma - delta modulator 112 includes , for example , a subtractor 131 , an integrator 132 , a comparator 133 , a delay circuit 134 , and a 1 bit d / a converter 135 . the subtractor 131 obtains difference by subtracting the output of the d / a converter 135 from an analog signal supplied from the multiplexer 124 via an input terminal tin and outputs a difference signal according to the obtained difference . the difference signal output from the subtractor 131 is supplied to the integrator 132 . the integrator 132 integrates the difference signal supplied from the subtractor 131 and outputs an integration signals according to the integration . the integration signal output from the integrator 132 is supplied to the comparator 133 . the comparator 133 compares the integration signal supplied from the integrator 132 with a reference voltage v 0 set in the comparator 133 . the comparator 133 outputs a high level signal when the integration signal ( integrated analog signal ) is greater than the reference voltage v 0 and outputs a low level signal when the integration signal is less than the reference signal . the output signal of the comparator 133 is output from an output terminal tout and is also supplied to the delay circuit 134 . the delay circuit 134 delays the output signal of the comparator 133 for a period equal to a single sampling period and outputs a delayed signal . the delayed signal output from the delay circuit 134 is supplied to the 1 bit d / a converter 135 . the 1 bit d / a converter 135 performs 1 bit d / a conversion on the delayed signal from the delay circuit 134 and supplies the converted signal to the subtractor 131 . a pdm ( pulse density modulation ) signal , that is , a 1 bit digital modulated signal obtained by modulating the analog signal from the multiplexer 124 is output from the output terminal tout of the sigma - delta modulator 112 . the pdm signal output from the output terminal tout of the sigma - delta modulator 112 is supplied to the cpu 113 . accordingly , the cpu 113 executes a process based on a program stored in the memory 114 . the memory 114 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes recording media ( e . g . a rom and a ram ) having relatively small memory space of approximately 2k bytes . the rom stores programs to be executed by the cpu 113 . the rom in the memory 114 stores , for example , a digital filtering process program 141 and a remaining battery amount calculation program 142 as shown in fig3 . the ram is used , for example , as a working space when the cpu 113 executes programs . for example , the digital filtering process program 141 is for performing a digital filtering process on a pdm signal from the sigma - delta modulator 112 , in which the pdm signal from the sigma - delta modulator 112 is converted to a digital value of multiple bits , that is , pcm data . the digital filtering process program 141 includes , for example , a program for executing a decimation filtering process . the decimation filtering process includes cic ( cascaded integrated combinatorial ) filtering process and a fir ( finite impulse response ) filtering process . it is to be noted that a iir ( infinite impulse response ) filtering process may be used as an alternative of the fir filtering process . the remaining battery amount calculation program 142 is for calculating the amount remaining in the battery 102 by integrating the pcm data converted by the digital filtering process program 141 . the calculated remaining amount is stored in the memory 114 . next , a process executed by the cpu 113 is described . fig4 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the cpu 113 according to an embodiment of the present invention . in this example shown in fig4 , the cpu 113 intermittently executes a process for reducing the amount of power consumption in accordance with a built - in interruption timer . whenever a timer interruption is generated ( yes in step s 1 - 1 ), the cpu 113 obtains a pdm signal from the sigma - delta modulator 112 . for example , the cpu 113 generates a timer interruption each predetermined interval ( e . g . approximately 1 ms ) equaling to a pdm signal comprising a bit string of eight bits . then , the cpu 113 executes a digital filtering process program 141 with respect to a pdm signal obtained from the sigma - delta modulator 112 ( s 1 - 2 ). accordingly , the pdm signal obtained from the sigma - delta modulator 112 is converted to a digital value having multiple bits , that is , pcm data . it is to be noted that the cpu 113 controls the multiplexer 124 so as to sequentially obtain pdm signals corresponding to the analog detection signals output from the voltage detection part 121 , the temperature detection part 122 , and the current detection part 123 and sequentially convert the pdm signals to pcm data by executing the digital filtering process program 141 . accordingly , the cpu sequentially stores the converted data in the memory 114 . then , the cpu 113 executes the battery remaining amount calculation program 142 and calculates the amount remaining in the battery 102 based on voltage value , temperature , and current value that are converted to pcm data . for example , the remaining amount of battery can be calculated by integrating the current values . the voltage value and the temperature may be used for correcting the calculated remaining amount . next , a decimation filtering process is described . fig5 is a block diagram showing an exemplary hardware configuration of a decimation filter 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the decimation filter 150 includes a cic ( cascaded integrated combinatorial ) filter part 151 and a fir ( finite impulse response ) filter part 152 . the cic filter part 151 includes three levels of cascade connected integration circuits 153 , 154 , and 155 , a decimation circuit 156 , and three levels of cascade connected differential circuits 157 , 158 , and 159 . each of the integration circuits 153 - 155 includes an adder 161 and a delay device 162 . the adder 161 is for adding input data and output data of a delay device 162 and the delay device 162 is for delaying the output data of the adder 161 for a period equal to a single sampling period and supplying the delayed data to the adder 161 . each of the differential circuits includes a delay device 163 , a subtractor 164 , and a divider 165 . the delay device 163 is for delaying input data for a period equal to a single sampling period . the subtractor 164 is for subtracting the output data of the delay device 163 from the input data . the divider 165 is for dividing the output data of the subtractor 164 by n . the decimation circuit 156 extracts a part of the pcm data output from the integration circuit 155 one time during n sampling periods and supplies the extracted pcm data to the differential circuit 157 . after pdm signals supplied from a terminal 175 are integrated in the integration circuits 153 - 155 and converted to pcm data , the decimation circuit 156 performs decimation of n : 1 on the pcm data . then , the pcm data are differentiated in the differential circuits 157 - 159 and output as pcm data . the fir filter part 152 includes i levels of cascade connected delay devices 171 1 - 171 i , multilpliers 172 1 - 172 i for multiplying coefficients a 1 - a i to the pcm data output from the corresponding delay devices 172 1 - 172 i , an adder 173 for adding data output from each of the multilpliers 172 1 - 172 i , and a decimation circuit 174 . the pcm data output from the differential circuit 159 are sequentially delayed in the delay devices 171 1 - 171 i and multiplied with coefficients a 1 - a i in the multilpliers 172 1 - 172 i , respectively , then the adder 173 adds the total data output from the multilpliers 172 1 - 172 i . then , the decimation circuit 174 extracts a part of the pcm data output from the adder 173 one time during m sampling periods ( decimation of m : 1 ) and outputs the extracted pcm data to a terminal 176 . thereby , the digital filtering process is completed . the digital filtering process program 141 executed by the cpu 113 is achieved by using software to perform the same process executed by the decimation filter having the hardware configuration shown in fig5 . fig6 is a flowchart showing , in more detail , a digital filtering process executed by the cpu 113 in step s 1 - 3 of fig4 . in fig6 , the cpu 113 reads out a pdm signal comprising a bit string of eight bits from the memory 14 and performs the same integration process executed in the integration circuits 153 - 155 ( step s 2 - 1 ). then , the cpu 113 performs a decimation process of n : 1 ( step s 2 - 2 ). then , the cpu 113 performs the same differential process executed in the differential circuits 157 - 159 and stores the obtained pcm data in the memory 114 ( step s 2 - 3 ). then , the cpu 113 sequentially reads out i pcm data ( pcm data items ) and i coefficients a 1 - ai from the memory 114 and performs the same multiplication process executed in the multilpliers 172 1 - 172 i ( step s 2 - 4 ). then , the cpu 113 performs the same addition process executed in the adder 173 ( step s 2 - 5 ). then , the cpu 113 performs a decimation process of m : 1 and stores the obtained pcm data in the memory 114 ( step s 2 - 6 ). fig7 is a schematic diagram for describing the operation of the digital signal processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig7 , time “ t 11 ”, time “ t 12 ”, and time “ t 13 ” indicate the timing of timer interruption . in a case where a timer interruption occurs at time “ t 11 ”, “ t 12 ”, and “ t 13 ”, the cpu 113 obtains a pdm signal from the sigma - delta modulator 112 ( step s 1 - 2 ) and performs a process in accordance with the digital filtering process program 141 ( step s 1 - 3 ). accordingly , analog signals obtained from the voltage detection part 121 , the temperature detection part 122 , and the current detection part 123 are converted to pcm data . the cpu 113 calculates the amount remaining in the battery 102 based on the pcm data obtained in step s 1 - 3 . the calculated remaining battery amount is stored in the memory 114 . the calculated remaining battery amount stored in the memory is retrieved according to a request from an outside circuit and is transmitted to the outside circuit via the communication circuit 116 . with the digital signal processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention , analog signals are converted to pcm data by modulating the analog signals to pdm signals with the sigma - delta modulator 112 and performing a digital filtering process on the pdm signals with the cpu 113 . accordingly , an a / d converter having a complicated configuration can be replaced with a sigma - delta modulator 112 having a simple configuration . furthermore , the process of calculating the remaining battery amount can be performed with the cpu 113 . this can be achieved given that the workload for the cpu 113 to perform the battery remaining amount calculation is small and that the digital filtering process can be performed efficiently . although the detection part 111 , sigma - delta modulator 112 , the cpu 113 , and the memory 114 in the above - described embodiment of the present invention are mounted on the same semiconductor chip , the analog circuits of the detection part 111 and the sigma - delta modulator 112 may be mounted on one semiconductor chip while the digital circuits of the cpu 113 and the memory 114 are mounted on another separate semiconductor chip . alternatively , the detection part 111 may be configured as a semiconductor apparatus of a single chip on which the sigma - delta modulator 112 , the cpu 113 , and the memory 114 are mounted . the cpu 113 and the memory 114 may be provided to an outer part of a battery pack . further , the present invention is not limited to these embodiments , but variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the present application is based on japanese priority application nos . 2006 - 035593 and 2007 - 022195 filed on feb . 13 , 2006 and jan . 31 , 2007 , with the japanese patent office , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . | 7 |
an improved breaded products fryer 10 constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention is shown in the drawings , referring particularly to fig1 and 2 . the improved fryer 10 includes a frame 11 supported by four upstanding legs 12 provided with level adjustment mechanisms 13 which are operable to enable a uniform , accurate vertical flow pattern of the cooking oil which will be described in more detail below . it is desirable that the frame which supports a pan 14 , which retains the cooking oil supply prior to its return for reheating , be maintained level both fore and aft as well as side to side for smooth even flow of the oil curtains . a hood 16 is mounted on the frame 11 and is equipped with an exhaust stack 17 which serves for the removal of cooking vapors generated beneath the hood 16 and to enable those vapors to be conveyed to a treatment facility ( not shown ) so as to minimize atmosphere contamination . a product carrying conveyor 18 is arranged in the pan 14 for moving products 19 deposited thereon from an inlet 21 to an outlet 22 . the product conveyor 18 is configured with an inside return so that the conveyor belt , which may be of woven wire mesh or other suitable material affording oil pervious construction , returns along the bottom of the pan 14 moving from right to left , as viewed in fig2 so as to sweep any product fines or residue into the sump 23 for removal therefrom through the conduit 24 . desirably , the width of the conveyor 18 is such that it extends substantially the full width of the fryer so that the return run will sweep the pan bottom completely of product fines . it will be understood that the product carrying conveyor 18 receives products transferred thereto through the fryer inlet 21 at the left of fig2 and conveys the product towards the fryer outlet 22 . the outlet end of the conveyor is inclined upwardly so as to raise the treated food products 19 out of contact with the cooking oil and thence for subsequent removal from the fryer 10 . the top or product carrying run of the conveyor 18 may operate either above or below the oil liquid level maintained in the pan 14 . the selection and control of the cooking oil depth in the pan 14 with respect to the food products on the conveyor top run is determined by the product cooking specifications and more specifically whether it is desirable to have the lower portions of the product conveyed through the cooking oil or to be moved above the cooking oil liquid level . the product conveyor 18 is driven through a variable speed motor drive 23 ( fig1 ) which affords an accurate rate of progression for treatment of the products 19 moving through the fryer 10 . typical products 19 which are treated in the fryer 10 include , for example , onion rings as well as other vegetables ; meats such as chicken and beef as well as fish . these food products may be first dipped in a viscous batter and then covered with a layer of bread crumbs or similar coating which adheres to the batter , thus increasing the weight of the product . unless handled carefully in the cooking operation , a portion of the breading or other coating will not adhere to the product and will fall into the cooking oil which is undesirable as discussed above . described below are steps which materially reduce the amount of bread and batter material stripped from the product through the cooking operation . certain products tend to move , tumble or shift as they are carried on the conveyor 18 or to “ float ” in cooking oil residing in the pan 14 . for these reasons it is desirable to arrange a holdown conveyor system 26 under the hood such that the lower run of the hold - down conveyor is positioned to engage the upper surfaces of the product 19 and maintain the food product in its initial position on the main conveyor during the cooking process . the vertical position of the hold - down conveyor may be varied to accommodate products 19 of different vertical dimensions . as is the case of the principal product conveyor 18 , the conveyor belt of the hold - down conveyor 26 is of wire mesh construction to permit the easy flow there through of the cooking oil dispensed from the cooking oil distribution stations 27 arranged above the conveyor 18 carrying the products 19 , as clearly shown in fig2 and 3 . one desirable oil level 30 is indicated in fig2 as coextensive with the lower run of the conveyor 26 . i will be understood that the conveyor 26 may be shifted vertically to either engage or be disengaged from a particular size of product and the oil level 30 may be adjusted to accommodate particular processes and products . the oil distribution stations 27 , best shown in fig3 and 4 , extend - laterally of the conveyor belt 18 and are substantially co - extensive of the width of the conveyor belt so that the full width of the belt may serve as a food cooking area as shown in fig5 . the conveyor belt and the distribution stations extend fully with only marginal clearances between the two sides of the fryer as indicated in fig5 . the stations 27 serve to distribute or pour hot cooking oil onto the products 19 carried by the belt 18 through at least one and preferably a plurality of curtains 28 of smooth , virtually ripple - free cooking oil . it will be understood that the term “ cooking oil ” as used herein is intended to embrace oil substitutes such as olean or olestra which are trademarks of proctor and gamble , co . the incoming hot cooking oil flows from a laterally extending , horizontally disposed trough 29 of relatively small volume as compared to that of the pan . the trough 29 is provided with two upwardly rising , smoothly contoured shoulders 31 which merge into descending guide walls or skirts 32 . thus there is established for each distribution station 27 two oil inlet weirs that generate two smooth flowing curtains of cooking oil . cooking oil is supplied to each trough 29 through a delivery conduit 33 which is provided with oil discharge openings along its bottom perimeter , the openings being positioned below and between the shoulders 31 . incoming oil flows from the conduit 33 to fill the trough 29 from the bottom up to the level of the shoulders from whence the weir action occurs . the spaced apart , horizontally disposed shoulders 31 serve to define or establish the top oil surface in the distribution station . this surface is above the oil discharge openings of the delivery conduit 33 . thus , as incoming oil flows into the rough 29 a corresponding volume of oil flows from the top or overflow oil surface . thus the cooking oil overflows over the smoothly contoured shoulders 31 and flows downwardly along the guide walls or skirts 32 . this creates the weir action and establishes the flow curtains 28 of cooking oil which contact the products in an enrobing action for cooking , e . g ., controlled curtain spillage . the vertical drop of the oil or vertical length of the oil curtains is dictated somewhat by the product height and for this reason the distribution stations include means 35 permitting vertical adjust for raising or lowering and accurate leveling of the stations with respect to the main conveyor belt . the delivery conduits 33 are supplied from a manifold 34 , fig1 and 4 , including the cross supply tubes 36 . the manifold 34 is connected to an oil supply from a heat exchanger or the like ( not shown ) for delivery of oil to the distribution stations 27 at a precise flow rate and temperature . once deposited upon and having flowed over the product , the cooking oil then flows through the conveyor belts and through openings 38 in the deadplate or false bottom 37 , shown best in fig4 . the areas and locations of the openings 38 may be selected to compensate for dynamic pressure differences in the oil flowing under the deadplate 37 so as to minimize any longitudinal oil flow through the product zone above the conveyor 18 . the oil flows longitudinally along the pan 14 as indicated by the lower arrows in fig2 in the relatively shallow space between the deadplate 37 and the pan bottom in a flow pattern which is substantially uniform across the full width of the fryer . from one viewpoint , the pan 14 serves merely to contain the cooking oil for recirculation and reheating as contrasted to the prior art fryers where all of the product cooking was conducted under turbulent condition within the oil bath maintained in the pan . the oil is discharged through the conduit 24 and is circulated to the heat exchanger ( not shown ) for reheating and return to the fryer at a preselected input initial temperature . for certain applications , the deadplate 37 may function as a puddler panel as it is arranged along the distribution stations 27 and is disposed underneath the infeed run of the conveyor . the panel is co - extensive with the width of the conveyor belt . the panel functions to collect with the openings in the wire belt a meniscus or puddle of hot cooking oil flowing unto it from the oil curtains above . the oil puddle wets the bottom o the food product to transfer additional heat to the product . this is an efficient arrangement to ensure oil treatment to the lower portions and the bottom of a food product when it is undesirable to fully immerse the lower portions of the product in cooking oil . an improved fryer 10 having four oil inlet distribution stations 27 each with two oil overflow weirs 32 , 32 and a variable - speed product - carrying conveyor 18 , 23 was operated in accordance with the principles of the present invention . a first group of product samples 19 was fried for a range of processing times in the fryer 10 , with sufficient oil level to fully submerge all samples . another group of product samples was fried in the same fryer 10 but with the oil level below the perforated deadplate 37 . sets of control samples were fried either in a conventional breaded products fryer ( not shown ) or in a still - bath batch fryer , to provide a basis for comparison of cooking times and finished product quality . chicken breasts without any coating were fried at 365 ° f . for times between 30 seconds and 3 minutes , to compare processing times . there was no measurable difference , as determined by the depth of visible color change , between those samples fried submerged in oil in the improved fryer 10 and those fried for the same lengths of time in the conventional fryer . samples fried in the fryer 10 but with the oil level below the perforated deadplate 37 required approximately 25 % longer total cooking time to show equivalent depths of visible color change . thick potato slices without any coating were fried at 365 ° f . for times between 30 seconds and 3 minutes , to compare processing times . there was no measurable difference , as determined by the depth of visible opacity change , between those samples fired submerged in oil in the breaded products fryer 10 and those fried for the same lengths of time in the conventional fryer . samples treated in the fryer 10 but with the oil levels below the perforated deadplate 37 appeared to require approximately 25 % longer total cooking time to show equivalent depths of visible opacity change . chicken breasts were battered and flour - coated , then fried at 365 ° f . in the breaded products fryer 10 with the oil level below the perforated deadplate 37 . the product conveyor 18 was advanced manually to simulate a greater range of weir spacing , number of weirs and processing times . control samples were fried in a batch fryer for 40 seconds at 365 ° f . there was no significant coating loss either from the control samples or from any of the trial samples . total cooking time required to most closely duplicate the control samples varied between 40 seconds at the closest simulated weir spacing and 80 seconds at the maximum simulated weir spacing . chicken breasts were battered and coated with “ j ” crumbs , then fried in the fryer 10 , for 40 seconds at the closest simulated weir spacing , with the oil level below the perforated deadplate 37 . some were fried directly while others were pre - treated by immersion in a still - bath batch fryer for 5 seconds immediately prior to entering the improved breaded products fryer . control samples were batch fried . those samples fried without the pre - treatment showed some coating loss but were otherwise comparable to the control samples . those samples which were prereated in the batch fryer showed negligible coating loss and most closely resembled the control samples . these examples demonstrate the versatility of the fryer 10 and the flexibility of the process enabled by it . other process steps will occur to those skilled in this field and additions and modifications to the apparatus will be envisioned by those skilled art workers . a second preferred embodiment of the invention 40 is shown in fig6 - 8 and this fryer is constructed in accordance with and embodies the principles of the present invention . where previously described corresponding parts are indicated in the drawings these are identified with a “ prime ” (′). the fryer 40 has an inclined inlet section of the conveyor 18 ′ as well as an incline outlet section , as is apparent from fig6 . the oil level 30 ′ extends over the top of the product 19 ′ or in other words the products are treated in the fryer in a submerged condition . there is no hold down conveyor present in the embodiment 40 which then is most useful for products 19 ′ which do not tend to float or in which the floating of the product in the oil is within the intended operating parameters . referring particularly to fig7 it will be seen that the bottom run of the conveyor 18 ′ is closely spaced with respect to the pan bottom so as in operation to sweep the bottom of the pan 14 ′. the top run of the conveyor 18 is guided and supported by lane guides 42 which are so positioned with respect to the fryer bottom to define oil return paths as indicated by the arrows 43 in fig8 . more specifically , the oil return paths are from the central portion of the fryer to the side and then to urge the oil to migrate toward the sump 24 ′ for removal from the fryer to a reheating unit . thus the lane guides 42 serve with the conveyor runs to define oil passageways over the fryer bottom for removal of the oil and its recirculation . five such lane guides 42 are indicated in fig8 although the number may be higher or lower depending upon the width of the fryer and the return flow rate desired . a third preferred embodiment of the invention 50 is shown in fig9 and this fryer is construction in accordance with and embodies the principles of the present invention . where previously described corresponding parts are indicated in the drawing , these are identified with a “ prime ” (′). the improved fryer 50 is constructed with parts previously identified and in this instance includes a principal products conveyor 51 which is configured for an outside return . that is to say the return 52 of the conveyor does not travel across the inside of the pan , but returns outside of the pan as indicated in fig9 . the top run of the conveyor is arranged to sweep the bottom of the pan and to move any fines that develop in the frying process toward the sump 24 ′ which is positioned adjacent to the discharge end of the fryer . while there has been disclosed above and illustrated in the drawings what is considered to be the preferred embodiments of the present invention and teach those skilled in the art the principles of the applicants &# 39 ; development , the true scope of the invention shall not be limited except as set out in the claims below . | 0 |
the following detailed description of the present invention refers to the accompanying drawings that illustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with this invention . other embodiments are possible , and modifications may be made to the embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , the detailed description is not meant to limit the invention . rather , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims . it would be apparent to one of skill in the art that the present invention , as described below , may be implemented in many different embodiments of software , hardware , firmware , and / or the entities illustrated in the figures . any actual software code with the specialized control of hardware to implement the present invention is not limiting of the present invention . thus , the operational behavior of the present invention will be described with the understanding that modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible , given the level of detail presented herein . various aspects of the present invention can be implemented by software , firmware , hardware ( or hardware represented by software such as , for example , verilog or hardware description language instructions ), or a combination thereof . fig1 is an illustration of an example computer system in which the present invention , or portions thereof , can be implemented as computer - readable code . it should be noted that the simulation , synthesis and / or manufacture of the various embodiments of this invention may be accomplished , in part , through the use of computer readable code , including general programming languages ( such as c or c ++), hardware description languages ( hdl ) such as , for example , verilog hdl , vhdl , altera hdl ( ahdl ), or other available programming and / or schematic capture tools ( such as circuit capture tools ). this computer readable code can be disposed in any known computer usable medium including a semiconductor , magnetic disk , optical disk ( such as cdrom , dvd - rom ) and as a computer data signal embodied in a computer usable ( e . g ., readable ) transmission medium ( such as a carrier wave or any other medium such as , for example , digital , optical , or analog - based medium ). as such , the code can be transmitted over communication networks including the internet and internets . it is understood that the functions accomplished and / or structure provided by the systems and techniques described above can be represented in a core ( such as a gpu core ) that is embodied in program code and may be transformed to hardware as part of the production of integrated circuits . the detailed description is divided into several sections as shown by the following table of contents : table of contents 1 . system 1 . 1 . cache update module 1 . 1 . 1 . match engine 1 . 2 . event module 1 . 2 . 1 . event propagation 1 . 2 . 2 . no - block bit 1 . 3 . flush module and eviction in write combining cache 2 . selective flushing and flush events 2 . 1 . cache flush event 2 . 2 . surface sync flush event 2 . 3 . shader flush events 2 . 4 . acknowledge flush event 3 . conclusion fig1 is a block diagram illustration of a write combining cache 100 according to an embodiment of the invention . the write combining cache 100 includes cache update module 110 , event module 120 and flush module 130 . additionally , write combining cache 100 includes memory arbiter 140 and cache memory 150 . cache update module 110 monitors and updates cache lines of write combining cache 100 . fig2 is a more detailed illustration of cache update module 110 , shown in fig1 . in the illustration of fig2 , cache update module 110 is associated with a plurality of cachelines 106 a - n . cache update module 110 receives probe 102 and probe 104 . additionally , tag bit ( s ) 108 are received by cache update module 110 . the operation of tag bit ( s ) 108 is further described below , in relationship to comparators 170 and match engine 110 . in the exemplary illustration of fig2 , the cache update module 110 receives a “ probe .” generally speaking , a probe is a message passed from a memory controller in a computer system to one or more caches in the computer system to determine if the caches have a copy of data . by way of example , a probe 102 or probe 104 are transmitted to write combining cache 100 in response to a command from a component ( e . g . a processor ), to read or write to cache memory 150 . since write combining cache 100 can only write to a specific portion of the cache memory 150 , a ‘ probe ’ signal may direct data to the correct cache line in write combining cache 100 . once incoming data is received by cache update module 100 , the incoming data is correctly processed in an appropriate manner and sent to memory arbiter 140 . memory arbiter 140 prioritizes writes to the cache memory 150 depending on how full the write combining cache 100 is , and whether collisions result from the writes . memory arbiter 140 determines an order of priority of writes to the cache memory 150 between cache update module 110 , event module 120 , and flush module 130 . as soon as write combining cache 100 receives a probe transaction , the cache update module 110 determines whether there is a ‘ hit ’ or a ‘ miss ’ in cachelines 106 a - n . if there is a cache hit , the new incoming data is allowed to combine with the data that is present in write combining cache 100 . empty cachelines are filled with the new incoming data . if there is a cache miss , cache update module 110 creates a new cacheline in the cache . cache update module 110 determines , for every incoming probe , if the probe is a completely new probe using an address associated with the probe . thus , if incoming data is new , cache update module 110 creates a new cacheline . however , if it is old , cache update module 110 combines it with an existing cacheline within the write combining cache 100 . cache update module 110 can selectively update cache - lines with data based on one or more write requests . in the exemplary illustration if fig2 , cache update module 110 updates a 16 - way set associative write combining cache . as an example , write requests received by cache update module 110 for the sixteen - way set associative cache can receive one probe per set for each of the sets of a set associative cache and one set empty bit per probe . additionally , per cache - line , cache update module 110 receives sixteen valid bits , one global valid bit , seven bits corresponding to an event time stamp ( ets ) of the received events , four type bits , twenty - six bits of address or tag bit ( s ) 108 , and one flush bit . a probe received by write combining cache 100 includes data that is to be written to cache memory 150 . as an example , probe 102 or probe 104 can be received by the write combining cache 100 . the match engine 220 uses tag bits 108 to determine if a cache - hit or a cache - miss occurred . cache - hits and cache - misses are computed by match engine 220 using one or more comparators 170 a - n . tag bits 108 are compared against cachelines 106 a - n in write combining cache 100 . in an embodiment , write combining cache 100 is a sixteen - way set associative cache . selected bits of an address , associated with a probe , determine which bank of the cache memory 150 a cache line is to be flushed to . thus only sixteen bits of tag bits 108 need to be compared by match engine 220 . in the embodiments described above , for each of the cachelines , a first section of the address that is associated with every incoming probe determines which cache - line is selected . for example , an incoming address associated with probe 102 determines whether cacheline 106 a is selected . furthermore , only one cacheline from each of the ‘ n ’ banks is transmitted to the comparators 170 a - n . the remainder of the address , in tag bit ( s ) 108 of an incoming probe , is compared by match engine 220 against a tag of cachelines 106 a - n to determine if there is a match . in this way , match engine 220 receives outputs of the comparators 170 a - n and determines , based on the outputs , if one or more matches have occurred . if no matches have occurred , a new cacheline is allocated for the incoming probe data . if a new cacheline needs to be created and cache memory 150 is full , the cache update module 110 may selectively choose a cacheline for eviction to system memory to allow for room to be created in the cache memory 150 for any incoming data probe . in the embodiments described above , all synchronization in write combining cache 100 is carried out by event module 120 . event module 120 uses a plurality of event time stamps ( ets ) to execute this synchronization . fig3 is a more detailed illustration of event module 120 , shown in fig1 . event module 120 is associated with a plurality of cachelines 106 a - n , and is configured to receive ets 312 and probe 102 . additionally , event module 120 can include pending ets count 310 , current ets count 314 , counter bank 330 , match counter 320 , and pending event fifo 316 . when an event is received that marks one or more cachelines for eviction , or for flushing to cache memory 150 , it may be necessary for event module 120 to know , for synchronization purposes , when cachelines 106 a - n where flushed by flush module 130 . it may also be necessary for even module 120 to know when data is written to cache memory 150 . ets 312 can be used to track which cacheline needs to be evicted next . when an event is received , it is associated with an ets value , for example , ets 312 . after an event is received , event module 120 then checks cachelines 106 a - n in write combining cache 100 and sets appropriate mask bits in ets mask 340 . when a mask bit is set by event module 120 , a cacheline associated with the mask bit is marked for eviction and is flushed out by flush module 130 . thus , event module 120 compares the received data with the state of each cacheline . if a match occurs , a mask bit is set in ets mask 340 . the event module 120 then checks all ets values in the order in which they are received in order to maintain an order of events . furthermore , event module 120 calculates one or more priority values for each event based on the ets values . as an example , ets 312 can be a seven bit field , thus yielding 128 different ets values . once an event reaches write combing cache 100 , all cache lines are compared to see if the event matches a request to write data to cache memory 150 . cachelines that match are marked as “ flush ” and receive the ets of the current event , for example ets 312 . the number of matches is stored in match counter 320 , and are recorded in counter bank 330 . they are recorded at a position that can be determined by ets 312 . by way of example , counter bank 330 can be a bank of 128 counters . if no matches result and there are events in write combining cache 100 , an event is pushed with no - block bit set onto pending event fifo 316 . thus , an event may go through as it is no longer blocked in write combining cache 100 . when a no block bit is set , a shader or any other requesting entity need not wait for any acknowledgement from write combining cache 100 before a new event can be sent out to write combining cache 100 . if matches occur , the event module 120 finds and identifies the last evicted cacheline in the write combining cache 100 , marks it as acknowledged , and pushes an event with no - block bit cleared onto pending event fifo 316 . pending event fifo 316 can be any form of queue or data structure that processes events in a “ first in , first out ” manner . if write combining cache 100 is fully empty , an event is pushed with a no - block bit set . on each event request , pending ets count 310 is incremented by event module 120 . fig4 is a more detailed illustration of the flush module 130 , shown in fig1 . fig5 is a flowchart of an exemplary method 500 of practicing an embodiment of the present invention . method 500 can be used to push one or more events onto pending event fifo 316 . method 500 begins at step 502 with an event module receiving an event ( step 502 ). the event module then increments a pending ets count 310 ( step 504 ). as an example , event module 120 increments pending ets count 310 . the event module then checks for matches between events and cachelines ( step 506 ). for every cacheline that matches an event request ( step 508 ), it is marked for flush and the counter pointed by the ets of the event is incremented ( step 522 ). then the event is pushed to a event fifo with the no block bit cleared ( step 524 ) if an event does not match cachelines ( step 508 ), the event module checks if there are any events pending the event fifo ( step 510 ). as an example , event module 120 checks to determine whether there are events in pending event fifo 316 . if there are events pending ( step 510 ), an event is pushed with a no - block bit set ( step 520 ). if there are no events in the pending event fifo , the event module finds an empty cacheline by parsing all sets in case of a set associative cache ( step 512 ). the event module then marks the found cacheline with an acknowledge ( ack ) bit and pushes the event with the no - block bit cleared ( step 516 ). a state machine in event module 120 walks through the plurality of ets values checking them one at a time starting at a value of zero . it then checks a counter at the ets value and then evicts cachelines corresponding to the flush bit that has been set . on the last cacheline evicted , the state machine marks it with an ack bit . once it has completed evicting all cachelines marked as flush , the state machine decrements the current ets count 312 and select the next ets value . next , it decrements the pending ets count 310 , and event module 120 waits for the ack bit to return from system memory controller 152 before it sends a synchronization token back to a shader or any other entity that requested data . the synchronization token , for example , includes data that confirms that all marked lines were evicted or flushed to cache memory 150 by flush module 130 . fig6 is a flow chart of an exemplary method 600 of practicing the present invention . the method 600 is used by event module 120 to control event propagation . method 600 begins at step 602 with a state machine identifying a cacheline that requires flushing ( step 602 ). as an example , a state machine in event module 120 identifies a particular cacheline that needs to be flushed . the event module will then determine whether it is the last cacheline that needs to be flushed ( step 604 ). if it is not the last cacheline that needs to be flushed ( step 604 ), the event module determines other cachelines that need to be flushed ( step 616 ). on the other hand , if it is the last cacheline that needs to be flushed ( step 604 ), the event module will send an acknowledge ( ack ) request to system memory controller 152 , for example , a shader ( step 606 ). the event module subsequently decrements a pending ets count ( step 608 ). as an example , event module 120 will decrement pending ets count 310 . the event module will then push an event onto a pending event fifo ( step 610 ), such as the fifo 316 . next , the event module checks whether a pending ets equals zero ( step 612 ). for example , event module 120 check whether pending ets count 310 equals zero . if so ( step 612 ), method 600 ends ( step 614 ). if a pending ets count does not equal zero , method 600 proceeds to step 604 . in this manner , event module 120 synchronizes events in write combining buffer 100 by using event time stamps ( ets ). additionally , at all times data is still accepted to the cache and while the cacheline status is updated by event module 120 . a no - block bit is set when an event by write combining cache 100 from a shader or any other entity but there is no data in write combining cache 100 that can be flushed to cache memory 150 . in an embodiment , a no - block bit is then set by event module 120 when write combining cache 100 is empty and the event is then returned to the shader with the no - block bit set . thus , for example , when the shader receives the no - block bit , it knows that write combining cache 100 has no data that can be flushed to cache memory 150 . this assists in pipelined synchronization of write combining cache 100 . when an event is received , flush module 130 selectively flushes other cachelines , in addition to the ones pertaining to a particular event . by way of example , if more than one shader requests data to be written to cache memory 150 , event module 120 sends sync tokens to each shader . if several sync events are generated , event module 120 checks if all events preceding a certain event have been serviced . furthermore , any incoming request from a shader will be checked to see whether the data requested by the event has been flushed by the shader . thus , when event module 120 is operating and synchronizing events , input events received from a shader , for example , are never stalled . at all times data is accepted by write combining cache 100 while status of cachelines 106 a - n is updated by event module 120 . 1 . 3 . flush module 130 and eviction in write combining cache 100 in the exemplary embodiment above , write combining cache 100 only evicts data in cachelines 106 a - n if incoming tag bits 108 do not match with any of the cacheline tag bits . the write combining cache 100 also evicts if a cacheline is fall . write combining cache 100 then selects one of cache lines 106 a - n and evicts them . although in the present embodiment a strict round robin policy is used for eviction , other well known eviction techniques can be used . for example , fully random eviction techniques are available , and are known to those skilled in the art . in the present embodiment , data is only read from write combining cache 100 after it has been flushed to cache memory 150 . thus in order to read the cache - lines , data in the cache lines 106 a - n needs to be flushed to memory . furthermore , cachelines 106 a - n need to be selectively flushed in a manner that prevents stalling of the input probes . also , for effective use of bandwidth , only relevant data in cachelines 106 a - n needs to be flushed . event module 120 selectively identifies cachelines require flushing . flush module 130 checks if there are any full cachelines in write combining cache 100 . if there is a full cache - line , flush module 130 flushes the cache - line to cache memory 150 . cachelines 106 a - n are flushed if there is an update to a cacheline from an incoming probe and there is no cacheline available to store data associated with the update . additionally a cacheline can be flushed by flush module 130 if it is full and can be flushed to memory for an efficient memory transaction . however , all cache - lines need not be flushed , and cache - lines that include requested data are selectively flushed . a cache flush event is a generic type of a flush event to flush all cache - lines to memory . when event module 120 receives a cache flush event , all cache lines in write combining cache 100 will be marked for eviction and flushed to cache memory 150 by flush module 130 . as an example , a cache flush event can be generated by flush module 130 at the end of a frame of data to flush all cache - lines to cache memory 150 . a surface sync flush event is used to selectively flush cachelines 106 a - n that have a “ sync ” bit set . a sync bit is part of synchronization data that is stored by each cacheline 106 a - n in write combining cache 100 . when a request for a write operation is received by write combining cache 100 , it sets the sync bit of certain cache - lines . when a surface sync event is received by event module 120 , event module 120 flushes cache - lines that have their sync bits set . in this way , selected cache - lines are flushed to cache memory 150 . in an exemplary scenario , not intended to limit the invention , in addition to a sync bit , each cache - line may have two additional bits set by different types of shaders . shaders , for example , include a set of instructions used by a graphics processing unit to perform rendering effects . as an example , write combining cache 100 can receive data from different types of shaders , such as a vertex shader , a pixel shader , or a geometry shader . in any case , data that needs to be processed by a shader needs to be flushed out to cache memory 150 from cachelines 106 a - n prior to use by another shader . when data being processed by a vertex shader needs to be processed by a geometry shader , the geometry shader waits to begin processing the same data until it is available in cache memory 150 . shader flush events are issued by a shader indicating that it has completed processing data and the data can now be flushed to cache memory 150 . thus , the data is flushed to cache memory 150 by flush module 130 before the event is returned . in this way , all cachelines 106 a - n have a two - bit field corresponding to a shader type and when a write request is received for a particular shader type . if the bit filed in a cache - line corresponding to a shader type is set , that cache - line is marked for eviction and will be flushed by flush module 130 . ack flush events are used when temporary arrays need to be used in association with write combining cache 100 . as an example , if a shader is using too many general purpose registers ( gprs ), data might need to be written or “ spill ” into system memory 151 . when data is to be written to system memory 151 , it &# 39 ; s first sent to cache memory 150 through write combining cache 100 . however , when data is “ spilled ” to memory , an ack bit is set on all transfers and is stored on a per cacheline basis by flush module 130 . this way the shader can know when the data arrived in system memory 151 and thus that it is safe to read it . an ack bit , for example , can be state information that is stored per cacheline . when a request for data from a gpr occurs , event module 120 sends an ack event . as a result , flush module 130 then flushes all cachelines that have their ack bit set . after cachelines having their ack bit set have been flushed by flush module 130 , a synchronization token is sent back to the shader , or any other entity that requested the data . once the token is received , the shader reads data from a system memory . in this way , synchronization is achieved using an ack bit and a synchronization token . the present invention has been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the performance of specified functions and relationships thereof . the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description . alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed . the foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can , by applying knowledge within the skill of the art , readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments , without undue experimentation , without departing from the general concept of the present invention . therefore , such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments , based on the teaching and guidance presented herein . it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation , such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance . the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
in particular the present invention relates to a deceleration controller for use in controlling the increase in hydraulic or pneumatic brake pressure as a brake is applied . such a deceleration controller is especially important in railway vehicles , it being a requirement for most railway vehicles that the rate of change of deceleration , i . e . the so - called ` jerk rate `, during braking , falls within a specified range . hydraulic brake systems tend to respond too quickly to produce a jerk rate which is acceptable for passenger comfort . in contrast a very low jerk rate results in the brakes lacking the necessary responsiveness . the aim of the present invention is to provide a deceleration controller for use in controlling the hydraulic or pneumatic pressure applied to a brake , to thus provide a jerk rate within a required range . according to the present invention there is provided a deceleration controller comprising a valve member which is axially movable in a chamber in a body between an open position and a closed position to control fluid flow between an inlet and an outlet , a passage connecting one part of the chamber which includes the outlet , with another part of the chamber , defining a volume chamber located between said valve member and a spring loaded piston . in one embodiment of the present invention , designed for hydraulically or pneumatically applied brakes , the valve member and piston are axially slidably located in a : chamber in the form of a cylindrical bore which extends through the body , and is of substantially uniform diameter . the cylindrical bore is closed at both axial ends and a main spring is located between one closed end and said piston , the piston being sealed with the wall of the bore . between the valve member and said piston a light spring , i . e . a spring of negligible spring rate , is located , the springs biassing the valve member in its rest condition against the other closed end of the cylindrical bore . the valve member has a passage incorporating a restrictor orifice , extending axially therethrough and an annular groove in its periphery , the inlet from a pressurised supply of brake fluid opening into this groove . alternatively , a passage extending through the body around the valve member and likewise incorporating a restrictor orifice , may replace the passage through the valve member . part of the cylindrical bore including said other closed end is radially enlarged to form a pressure chamber which connects with the pressure fluid outlet leading to the brakes . the shoulder formed between the enlarged diameter region and the uniform diameter region of the bore provides a valve seat in the form of an annular knife edge against which part of the valve member can be engaged to disconnect said inlet from said outlet . in operation , when the brakes are applied , the fluid pressure in the inlet increases and initially the valve member remains in its rest position against upstanding projections on said other closed end of the bore , whilst fluid flows through the controller to rapidly take up the brake pad clearance . the fluid pressure in the controller will not rise significantly whilst brake clearance is being taken up and so there will be no appreciable movement of the piston and no significant flow through the passage in the valve member . however , when the brake is engaged and the clamp load builds up , the pressure in said pressure chamber will tend to rise rapidly . this pressure build - up acts on the piston via said passage and the piston moves to compress the main spring and attain an equilibrium position . the resulting increase in volume of the chamber between the piston and valve member causes a rapid fluid flow through the passage in the valve member , resulting in a pressure drop across the valve member . the valve member thus moves towards the piston closing the controller and reducing the rise in pressure in said pressure chamber . a state of balance will then exist where the fluid flow through the passage is just sufficient to create a pressure drop across the valve member which corresponds to the load in the light spring . the resulting movements of the valve member will thus control the pressure rise in the pressure chamber and in the said outlet . as the static fluid pressure in the said outlet is proportional to deceleration , and the controller controls the rate of the rise in pressure in the outlet , when a step rise in pressure is applied at the inlet so the controller controls deceleration irrespective of how rapidly the operator applies the brakes . thus , the desired jerk rate can be achieved , mathematical calculation confirming that it is solely the physical design characteristics of the controller which determine the deceleration , i . e . the rate of increase in outlet pressure . in another embodiment of the present invention , designed for spring applied , hydraulically or pneumatically released brakes , the operation of the valve member is reversed as compared to the above described embodiment . the balanced condition now occurs when pressure fluid is flowing out of the chamber between the piston and valve member , through the passage and into the pressure chamber , as a result of the falling pressure in the pressure chamber ; a light spring being located between the valve member and said other closed end of the bore to ensure that the controller is open in the rest condition . one of each of the above embodiments could be connected in series to provide for the control of the rate of release of a brake as well as the control of the rate of application ; this being desirable to provide for smoother operation in the event of spasmodic or cadence braking . alternatively two of either of the above embodiments could be connected in parallel with suitably positioned non - return valves , to produce the desired effect . control of the rate of release can , however , be additionally obtained by a still further embodiment of the present invention , wherein the cylindrical valve member has a radial passage which connects with the passage extending axially right through the valve member . the valve member is spring biassed in the bore in both axial directions , towards a centralised position wherein the radial passage is aligned with a port in the bore wall , which port is connected to a source of pressurised fluid . by virtue of this construction fluid flow in either direction produces a pressure drop across the valve member such that the valve member moves in an appropriate direction and thus varies the overlap between the radial passage and the port . the pressure drop across the valve member is balanced by the spring bias and thus the rate of fluid flow movement in either direction is controlled . as a result , the rate of brake application and the rate of brake release is controlled , and smoother operation is attained the present invention will now be further described , by way of example , with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which : fig1 is a schematic axial cross - sectional view through one embodiment of the present invention ; fig2 is a schematic axial cross - sectional view through another embodiment of the present invention , and fig3 is a schematic axial cross - sectional view through a still further embodiment of the present invention . the deceleration controller schematically illustrated in fig1 of the accompanying drawings , is especially for use with hydraulically applied brakes . the same design can , however , be used with pneumatically applied brakes the controller comprises a cylindrical bore 1 formed in a body 3 , the cylindrical bore being closed at both ends 5 , 6 and having a uniform diameter for the majority of its length , an enlarged diameter end region partially defining a pressure chamber 7 . a cylindrical valve member 9 and a cylindrical piston 11 are axially slidably located in said cylinder bore 1 , with a main spring 13 located between the piston 11 and one closed end 5 of the bore 1 , and a light spring 15 located between the valve member 9 and the piston 11 a seal 12 being provided between the piston 11 and the wall of the bore 1 . this spring arrangement 13 , 15 biasses the valve member to a rest position against raised projections 17 formed at the other closed end 6 of the bore 1 . the valve member 9 has a passage 19 incorporating a restrictor orifice 20 , extending axially therethrough , said orifice 19 connecting the pressure chamber 7 with the chamber 21 between the valve member 9 and the piston 11 . further , the valve member 9 has an enlarged diameter end region 23 which projects radially into the enlarged diameter pressure chamber 7 , an outlet 25 connecting with the brakes , leading from the pressure chamber 7 . this enlarged diameter end region 23 forms , together with an annular groove 27 extending circumferentially around the valve member 9 , an angled surface 29 which can ( as illustrated ) engage a knife edge valve seat 31 formed by the shoulder between the uniform diameter portion and the enlarged diameter portion of the bore 1 . an inlet 33 connectible to a source of pressurised brake fluid , opens into the annular groove 27 in the valve member 9 in operation with the brakes released , the spring arrangement 13 , 15 holds the valve member 9 against the projections 17 so that the controller is open , angled surface 29 being spaced from the valve seat 31 . when the brake is initially applied , pressurised brake fluid flows from the inlet 33 through the controller to the outlet 25 and the brake . however , the initial flow of pressure fluid through the controller is to take up pad clearance , and whilst this is occurring the fluid pressure in the controller will not rise significantly so there will be no appreciable movement of piston 11 and no significant fluid flow through the passage 19 . when the clearance is taken up and the clamp load builds up , the pressure in the chamber 7 will tend to rise rapidly . this pressure rise will also act on the piston 11 , causing the piston 11 to move to compress the main spring 13 and attain an equilibrium position . the resulting increase in the volume of chamber 21 causes a rapid fluid flow through the passage 19 which in turn causes a pressure drop across the valve member 9 resulting in the valve member 9 moving to the right in fig1 . the angled surface 29 thus approaches the valve seat 31 closing the controller and reducing the rise in pressure in chamber 7 . a state of balance is thus achieved when the fluid flow through passage 19 is just sufficient to create a pressure drop across the valve member 9 , which pressure drop corresponds to the load in the light spring 15 . the resulting movements of the valve member 9 will thus control the pressure rise in the pressure chamber 7 and in the outlet 25 . as the static fluid pressure in the outlet 25 is proportional to deceleration and the controller controls the rate of rise in pressure in the outlet 25 , when a step rise in pressure is applied at the inlet 33 so the controller controls deceleration irrespective of how rapidly the operator applies the brakes . thus , the desired deceleration , i . e . jerk rate , can be achieved , this being solely dependent upon the physical design characteristics of the controller as confirmed by the following mathematical analysis : k = orifice constant as defined by ## equ1 ## assuming that the orifice ( 19 ) is ` short ` p 7 = pressure in chamber 7 dp 21 / dt = rate of change of pressure in chamber 21 ## equ2 ## if pressure in chamber 21 changes by ` p 21 `, spring load changes by ` p 21 × a `. the length of main spring 13 will therefore change by ## equ3 ## if all of these changes occur in unit time , then : ## equ5 ## from equation ( e ) it is seen that the change in pressure in chamber 7 is purely dependent upon physical design characteristics of the controller . thus , the controller can be designed to provide the required deceleration . another embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated in fig2 of the accompanying drawings . like parts to the components of fig1 are identified by the equivalent reference numeral . however , basically the valve member 9 in fig2 operates in the reverse manner to the valve member 9 of the embodiment of fig1 the embodiment of fig2 being designed for use with spring applied , hydraulically or pneumatically , released brakes . in this embodiment the light spring 15 is located between the valve member 9 and said other closed end 6 of the bore 1 . further , groove 27 in the valve member 9 of fig1 is now replaced by a groove 35 formed in the wall of the bore 1 . the balanced condition in the embodiment of fig2 occurs as a result of the falling pressure in the pressure chamber 7 , when pressure fluid is flowing out of chamber 21 between the piston 11 and valve member 9 , through the passage 19 and into the pressure chamber 7 . the light spring 15 ensures that the controller is open in the rest condition . one of each of the above embodiments can be connected in series to provide for the control of the rate of release of a brake as well as the control of the rate of application ; this being desirable to provide for smoother operation in the event of spasmodic or cadence braking . alternatively , two of either of the above embodiments can be connected in parallel with suitably arranged non - return valves , to produce the desired effect . a still further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig3 of the accompanying drawings . again , equivalent parts to the components of the embodiments of fig1 and 2 are identified by the like reference numeral . however , whilst the embodiments of fig1 and 2 control the actual application of a braking system in hydraulically / pneumatically applied and hydraulically / pneumatically released systems respectively , the controller of fig3 controls both the rate of application and the rate of release of such brake systems . thus , besides being suitable for either of the above types of braking system for the control of the brake application , the embodiment of fig3 additionally controls the rate of brake release and thereby provides for smoother operation in the event of spasmodic or cadence type braking . this latter controller comprises a cylindrical valve member 9 which is axially slidable under the effect of fluid pressures , within a cylindrical bore 1 in a body 3 , the cylindrical valve member 9 being biassed towards a centralised rest position ( illustrated ) by a spring 15 which is located over a reduced diameter portion 37 of said cylindrical valve member 9 . the spring 15 is located between two annular abutment plates 31 , 41 which can engage against the respective shoulders 43 , 45 defining the axial limits of said reduced diameter portion 37 . the abutment plates 31 , 41 also extend radially into an annular groove 47 formed in the wall of the bore 1 , the annular groove 47 having a slightly reduced axial dimension as compared to the axial extent of said reduced diameter section 37 of the valve member 9 . thus , whilst the spring 15 presses the abutment plates 31 , 41 against opposite axial ends of the annular groove 47 , the valve member 9 can move axially to a limited degree relative to the abutment plates 31 , 41 without the spring 15 having to be compressed . rather than provide the axial clearance ` d ` between the abutment plates 31 , 41 and the axial limits 43 , 45 of the reduced diameter portion 37 of the valve member 9 , the axial dimension of the annular groove 47 can be larger than the axial extent of the reduced diameter portion 37 , such that the axial clearance occurs between the abutment plates 31 , 41 and the axial ends of the groove 47 . alternatively , if desired , the annular groove 47 and reduced diameter portion 37 can have the same axial dimension . however , the provision of a clearance does have an advantage as is explained later . in this centralised rest position an annular groove 49 formed in the outer surface of the valve member 9 , is aligned with a port 51 in the wall of bore 1 , this annular groove 49 connecting via radial passages 53 with a passage 19 extending axially right through the valve member 9 . the passage 19 has a restrictor orifice 20 formed at one end , said one end being adjacent to a cylindrical piston 11 which is axially slidably and sealingly located in said bore 1 . a main spring 13 is arranged between the piston 11 and a closed end 5 of the bore 1 . the other end 6 of the bore 1 is , in use , connected via outlet 25 , to a brake ( not shown ) and the port 51 is connected to a supply of pressure fluid . in a normal continuous braking operation , the controller of fig3 initially remains in the illustrated state whilst pressurised fluid flows through port 51 , groove 49 , radial passage 53 , and passage 19 to the brake . however , when the brake clearance has been taken up and the clamp force increases , the pressure in the bore 1 increases until main spring 13 is compressed by the piston 11 moving under the effect of the pressure fluid . this piston movement causes an initial increase in the volume of the portion of the bore 1 between the valve member 9 and the piston 11 , and pressure fluid thus flows along passage 19 and through the restrictor 20 to maintain the said volume full of fluid . the flow of fluid through restrictor 20 causes a pressure drop across the valve member 9 , which if sufficiently large , causes the valve member 9 to move towards the piston 11 , abutment plate 39 compressing spring 15 . this axial valve member movement in one direction moves the groove 49 across port 51 reducing the flow - through cross - section for the pressurised fluid until the fluid flow is just sufficient to produce a pressure drop which balances the load on the spring 15 . the resulting movements of the valve member 9 thus control the pressure rise in the bore 1 and in the outlet 25 , and thereby control the rate of application of the brake irrespective of how the operator applies the brake . if during braking the brakes are released and then reapplied , then on release fluid flows into the bore 1 from outlet 25 , through the passages 19 and 53 , and back to port 51 and the fluid supply . this return flow is accompanied by a drop in fluid pressure in passages 19 and 53 . piston 11 thus moves under the action of spring 13 to reduce the volume of the portion of the bore 1 between the piston 11 and the valve member 9 . pressure fluid is therefore displaced through orifice 20 and passage 19 , causing a pressure drop across the valve member 9 . if this pressure drop is sufficiently large it will cause the valve member 9 to move away from the piston 11 , abutment plate 41 compressing the spring 15 . this axial valve member movement in the opposite direction to the valve member movement under brake application , again moves the groove 49 across the port 51 reducing the flow - through cross - section for the pressurised fluid until the fluid flow is just sufficient to produce a pressure drop which balances the load on the spring 15 . the resulting movements of the valve member 9 thus control the decrease in pressure in the bore 1 and in the outlet 25 , and thereby control the rate of release of the brake irrespective of how the operator releases the brake . referring to the clearance ` d ` previously mentioned as being advantageously provided to allow for a limited amount of axial movement for the valve member 9 before the spring 15 has to be compressed to allow for further valve movement , both for the control of brake application and brake release , the advantage obtained arises from the fact that this clearance or lost motion ` d ` allows the valve member 9 to move smartly to a position appropriate to the flow direction , i . e . dependent upon it being brake application or brake release , before actual throttling of the fluid flow between port 51 and groove 49 occurs . due to the practical size of port 51 there is a dead stroke of the valve member 9 around the centralised position in which negligible throttling of the fluid flow occurs . by virtue of the clearance ` d ` the valve member 9 has , in effect , advance warning of the direction in which it is about to operate . as a result , as soon as the pressure drop across the valve member 9 is sufficient to compress the spring 15 , the valve member 9 operates with a better initial response because the necessary movement has been reduced by the amount of the clearance ` d `. in all of the above described embodiments of the present invention , the passage 19 extends through the valve member 9 . however , in an alternative embodiment ( not illustrated ) passage 19 is replaced by a passage which extends through the body 3 bypassing the valve member 9 . the present invention thus provides a deceleration controller which can be used with hydraulically or pneumatically applied or released brakes , to provide the required ` jerk rate ` however rapidly an operator should apply the brakes . | 8 |
the invention is discussed below in a more detailed way with examples , the first being illustrated by the following figure : fig1 shows triptorelin , lhrh agonist , serum levels obtained with the pharmaceutical biodegradable composition of example 1 , fig2 shows triptorelin , lhrh agonist , serum levels obtained with the pharmaceutical biodegradable composition of example 3 , fig3 shows triptorelin , lhrh agonist , serum levels obtained with the pharmaceutical biodegradable composition of example 4 , in the following examples the viscosity is expressed in dl / g and is measured at a polymer concentration of 0 . 5 g / dl . a formulation of microgranules of triptorelin pamoate is prepared with the following process . approximately 12 % ( w / w ) of triptorelin pamoate is mixed with approximately 88 % ( w / w ) plga 75 / 25 having a viscosity of 0 . 65 dl / g , at room temperature . the given mixture is duly homogenized , subjected to progressive compression and simultaneously to a progressive heating , before extrusion . the extrudate is cut into pellets and ground at a temperature of about − 100 ° c . the microgranules obtained after grinding are sieved below 180 micrometers . their size distribution is defined as follows : d ( v , 0 . 1 )= 23 micrometers d ( v , 0 . 5 )= 55 micrometers d ( v , 0 . 9 )= 99 micrometers a formulation of microspheres of triptorelin pamoate and plga 85 / 15 having an inherent viscosity of 0 . 68 dl / g is prepared as follows : aqueous phase is prepared by mixing , under magnetic stirring , at a temperature of 40 ° c ., 240 g of polyvinyl alcohol and 11760 g of purified water . in parallel , the organic phase is prepared by total dissolution of 12 g of polymer 85 / 15 poly ( d , l lactide - co - glycolide ) ( plga ) in 45 g of ethyl acetate under magnetic stirring . 3000 mg of triptorelin pamoate are suspended in 30 g of ethyl acetate and placed under magnetic stirring . this solution is incorporated to the organic phase previously prepared . the organic phase is then introduced in a homogenisation chamber simultaneously with the said aqueous phase . both phases are mixed in order to obtain an emulsion and the extraction of the solvent from the organic phase and to isolate a suspension of microspheres . finally the formulation of microspheres is recovered by filtration and dried by lyophilization . the formulation of microspheres and the formulation of microgranules are mixed in a vial in order to have a 50 : 50 dose ratio of each formulation . the mixture is suspended in an appropriate aqueous medium , lyophilised and sterilized by gamma irradiation . the purity measured on the obtained pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is 98 . 3 % and the burst evaluated in vitro ( in a phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 ) over a 6 hours period is 22 . 1 %. in this example , the obtained pharmaceutical formulation is tested in vivo and the animal model is the rat . the formulation as described above is suspended in water for injection and is administered at a concentration dose of 18 mg / kg to 6 rats . the lhrh agonist triptorelin of said pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is released in an important immediate amount within hours following injection and then shows a constant and significant release over a long period of at least 168 days , i . e . 6 months . a formulation of microgranules of triptorelin pamoate is prepared as described in example 1 . a formulation of microspheres of triptorelin pamoate is prepared as described in example 1 with plga 90 / 10 having an inherent viscosity of 0 . 7 dl / g . d ( v , 0 . 1 )= 17 . 6 micrometers d ( v , 0 . 5 )= 39 . 9 micrometers d ( v , 0 . 9 )= 84 . 2 micrometers the formulation of microspheres and the formulation of microgranules are mixed in a vial in order to have a 50 : 50 dose ratio of each formulation . the mixture is suspended in an appropriate aqueous medium , lyophilised and sterilized by gamma irradiation . the purity measured on the obtained pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is 98 . 3 % and the burst evaluated in vitro ( in a phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 ) over a 6 hours period is 19 . 4 %. the lhrh agonist triptorelin of said pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is released in an important immediate amount within hours following injection and then shows a constant and significant release over a long period of at least 168 days , i . e . 6 months . a formulation of microgranules of triptorelin pamoate is prepared as described in example 1 . another formulation of microgranules is prepared as described in example 1 with plga 85 / 15 having an inherent viscosity of 0 . 66 dl / g . approximately 20 % ( w / w ) of triptorelin pamoate is mixed with approximately 80 % ( w / w ) plga 85 / 15 at room temperature . the given mixture is duly homogenized , subjected to progressive compression and simultaneously to a progressive heating , before extrusion . the extrudate is cut into pellets and ground at a temperature of about − 100 ° c . the microgranules obtained after grinding are sieved below 180 micrometers . their size distribution is defined as follows : the 2 formulations of microgranules are mixed in a vial in order to have a 50 : 50 dose ratio of each formulation . the mixture is suspended in an appropriate aqueous medium , lyophilised and sterilized by gamma irradiation . the purity measured on the obtained pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is 98 . 8 % and the burst evaluated in vitro ( in a phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 ) over a 6 hours period is 45 . 0 %. in this example , the obtained pharmaceutical formulation is tested in vivo and the animal model is the rat . the formulation as described above is suspended in water for injection and is administered at a concentration dose of 18 mg / kg to 6 rats . the lhrh agonist triptorelin of said pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is released in an important immediate amount within hours following injection and then shows a constant and significant release over a long period of at least 168 days , i . e . 6 months ( see fig2 ). a formulation of microspheres of triptorelin pamoate and plga 95 / 5 having an inherent viscosity of 0 . 18 dl / g is prepared as follows : aqueous phase is prepared by mixing , under magnetic stirring , at a temperature of 40 ° c ., 800 g of polyvinyl alcohol and 40 l of purified water . in parallel , the organic phase is prepared by total dissolution of 80 g of plga 95 / 5 in 334 g of isopropyl acetate under magnetic stirring . 20 g of triptorelin pamoate are suspended in 100 g of isopropyl acetate and placed under magnetic stirring . this solution is incorporated to the organic phase previously prepared . the organic phase is then introduced in a homogenisation chamber simultaneously with the said aqueous phase . both phases are mixed in order to obtain an emulsion and the extraction of the solvent from the organic phase and to isolate a suspension of microspheres . finally the formulation of microspheres is recovered by filtration and dried by lyophilization . this formulation of microspheres is suspended in an appropriate aqueous medium , lyophilised and sterilized by gamma irradiation . the purity measured on the obtained pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is 99 . 2 % and the burst evaluated in vitro ( in a phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 ) over a 6 hours period is 10 . 9 %. in this example , the obtained pharmaceutical formulation is tested in vivo and the animal model is the rat . the formulation as described above is suspended in water for injection and is administered at a concentration dose of 18 mg / kg to 6 rats . the lhrh agonist triptorelin of said pharmaceutical biodegradable composition is released in an important immediate amount within hours following injection and then shows a constant and significant release over a long period of at least 168 days , i . e . 6 months ( see fig3 ). in order to increase patients &# 39 ; compliance and convenience the inventors also developed a formulation as defined in previous example 3 which allows one injection every 6 months ( 24 weeks ). the study discussed in this example investigated the efficacy and safety of this formulation after 2 consecutive intramuscular injections of triptorelin pamoate 22 . 5 mg in 120 patients with advanced prostate cancer . four - weekly testosterone assessments were performed over 48 weeks . serum testosterone concentrations fell to castrate levels (≦ 1 . 735 nmol / l ) in 97 . 5 % of the patients on d29 , and 93 % of the patients maintained castration from week 8 to 48 . five out of 8 patients who escaped castration had only an isolated testosterone breakthrough without rising psa ( prostate specific antigen ), indicating maintained efficacy . only one of these isolated breakthroughs was a true “ acute - on - chronic ” phenomenon after the second injection . the median relative decreases in psa from baseline were 96 . 9 % at week 24 , and 96 . 4 % at week 48 , when 80 . 9 % of patients had a normal psa . the type and incidence of aes ( adverse events ) were comparable with those observed with the registered triptorelin formulations . as with other gnrh agonists , the most frequent drug related aes were hot flushes ( 71 . 7 % of patients ). the study drug was very well tolerated locally . the study discussed above shows that triptorelin 6 - month formulation is efficacious and safe in inducing chemical castration in patients with advanced prostate cancer . this new convenient formulation requires only 1 injection every 24 weeks , and shows comparable efficacy and safety with the marketed 1 - and 3 - month formulations . | 0 |
while this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments , with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described . in the description below , like reference numerals are used to describe the same , similar or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings . the above - mentioned csma / ca system does not generally provide sufficient qos ( quality of service ) for audio / video transmission . the next generation network , as currently proposed , will introduce tdma ( time division multiplex access ) and time slot management to guarantee a higher qos level . in this next generation system , a bus master divides the time axis to small time slots and assigns some of them to each communication based on its priority . each time slot in this proposed next generation network is reserved for a single stream of data destined for a single receiver . unfortunately , in such a proposed system , carriers may not be used efficiently . when the transmitter communicates with a receiver , it uses only the available carriers — that is , carriers that are able to communicate with a particular receiver with a particular service quality . the other unavailable carriers are left unused . when only a small number of carriers are available , the bandwidth available in unavailable carriers is not negligible . also , another problem can occur when the transmitter broadcasts a stream to multiple receivers . since the availability of carriers is highly dependent upon each network path between transmitter and receiver , the transmitter sends the same data repeatedly to each receiver using different carriers . this redundant transmission is wasteful of bandwidth and is compounded when the same message is destined for many receivers . [ 0030 ] fig1 illustrates an example of a simple home plc system . server 104 , client ( 1 ) 108 and client ( 2 ) 112 are connected to the home power line 116 for use as a physical data distribution medium for the current exemplary network . power line 116 serves further serves to distribute power to electrical outlets such as 120 and 124 . server 104 stores various types of data possibly including , but not limited to , audio / video data and sends a stream data to a client . also , server 104 receives an audio / video stream , e . g ., from a cable television network 130 and redistributes it to the clients . for purposes of this document , the word “ stream ” is used for both isochronous and asynchronous communications . an exemplary server such as server 104 is depicted in fig2 in block diagram form . tuner front - end 202 receives an rf signal from the cable network 130 . codec block 206 decodes the demodulated digital signal from tuner front - end 202 using memory 210 . the decoded video signal is then digital to analog converted in d / a converter 214 for display on a display 218 such as a monitor . a decoded audio signal is similarly digital to analog converted in d / a converter 222 , amplified in an amplifier 226 and ultimately sent to a loudspeaker or loudspeaker system 230 . to record a video stream , codec 206 sends the video stream to hdd 234 through bus 238 and interface 242 . to replay the recorded stream , codec 206 receives the stream from hdd 234 via interface 242 and bus 238 , decodes it and the audio and video are converted to analog at 214 and 222 and further processed as previously described . assume that server 104 sends a video stream to client 108 over power line 116 ( or other suitable transmission medium ). the stream from tuner front - end 202 is sent to a plc interface 250 through codec 206 . plc interface 250 sends the stream to client 108 . similarly , to play the recorded stream in hdd 234 , the stream from hdd 234 is sent to plc interface 250 and sent to client 108 over the power line 116 . plc interface 250 may include an encrypter and a decrypter ( not shown ). this permits all of the communication to be encrypted before sending to the power line 116 and decrypted after receiving from the power line 116 . the server can be controlled by user inputs into a key pad 254 or remote commander 258 . key pad 254 sends commands to a central processing unit ( cpu ) 264 through interface 268 and bus 238 . similarly , remote commander 258 sends commands to cpu 264 through an infrared or other wireless interface 272 and bus 238 . cpu 264 operates under program control in conjunction with its associated memory 274 to oversee operation of the server . server 104 may also incorporate a modem 280 for communication between the server 104 and a computer network or the internet . modem 280 can be , for example , an adsl modem or a cable modem . [ 0033 ] fig3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an embodiment of plc interface 250 . in this exemplary embodiment , data to be transmitted are received from bus 238 by bus interface 304 and can be stored in buffer memory 308 if necessary . error correction code is added to the data in forward error correction ( fec ) encoder 312 . interleaver 316 interleaves the resulting error correction encoded data . the interleaver 316 spreads out data to minimize errors in consecutive bits that might otherwise be caused by transient noise , etc ., thus enhancing the ability to correct errors . a serial - to - parallel converter ( s / p ) 320 converts the interleaved data to parallel data . the parallel signals from s / p 320 are modulated by a modulator 324 and sent to inverse fast fourier transform ( ifft ) block 330 . a second path for transmitted data can also be provided through fec 334 , interleaver 338 , s / p 342 and modulator 346 for a second stream . the components 334 through 346 of the second path function in the same manner as that of components 312 through 324 . if the performance of components 312 through 324 is fast enough to process two streams within a required time , components 334 through 346 may be eliminated . in ifft 330 , a carrier is assigned to each input signal and the input signals are inverse fast - fourier - transformed . the resulting transformed signal is sent to analog front end 350 that interfaces with the power line 116 through the power plug 354 . the lower blocks of fig3 are used for data reception . afe 350 receives a stream from one or more clients over the power line 116 . this received data are fast - fourier - transformed by fft 360 , demodulated by demodulator 364 and converted to serial data by parallel - to - serial converter ( p / s ) converter 368 . the result is de - interleaved by de - interleaver 372 , error - corrected by forward error correction ( fec ) decoder 376 and sent to bus interface 304 . in a similar manner , received data from fft 360 for a second data stream are fast - fourier - transformed by fft 360 , demodulated by demodulator 380 and converted to serial data by parallel - to - serial converter ( p / s ) converter 384 . the result is de - interleaved by de - interleaver 388 , error - corrected by forward error correction ( fec ) decoder 392 and sent to bus interface 304 . as with the transmission side , if components 364 through 3376 are fast enough to process two streams , components 380 to 392 are not required . plc interface 250 , thus , simultaneously transmits or receives two independent data streams using different carriers , in accordance with certain embodiments consistent with the present invention . [ 0037 ] fig4 shows an exemplary embodiment of client 108 or client 112 ( e . g ., client 108 is shown ). a power line communication interface ( plc if ) 402 receives a data stream from server 104 and sends the received data stream to decoder 406 through bus 410 . decoder 406 decodes the stream using its associated memory 414 . the resulting decoded video signal is converted to analog using digital to analog converter 420 for display on a display 424 . the resulting decoded audio signal is converted to analog in d / a 430 , amplified in amplifier 434 and sent to one or more loudspeakers 440 . plc interface 112 may include an encrypter and a decrypter ( not shown ) to encrypt transmitted data and decrypt received data . in this embodiment , all of the communication is encrypted before sending to the power line and decrypted after receipt from the power line 116 . the user can input commands using keypad 450 or remote commander 454 . keypad 450 sends command to a cpu 460 through interface 464 and bus 410 . cpu 460 operates under control of one or more computer programs stored in memory 466 . similarly , remote commander 454 sends commands to cpu 460 through interface 468 and bus 410 . cpu 460 controls each component connected to or through bus 410 . plc interface 402 can have the same components illustrated in fig3 . if the client does not have to simultaneously send two streams , components 334 through 346 may be omitted . in the proposed ofdm - tdma system , “ tone maps ” are used to identify carriers that are used for communication between a transmitter and a receiver . the transmitter and receiver frequently exchange a tone map , for example , on a periodic basis of every 5 seconds , so that the transmitter and receiver each know what carrier frequencies to use to carry out communications . the tone map table can be renewed every time tone maps are exchanged . the transmitter sends transmission data with a tone map to the receiver . from the tone map , the receiver knows the carriers and fourier - transforms used for the transmitted data . [ 0040 ] fig5 depicts an exemplary tone map shown in table form wherein time slots are shown as columns on the table . the rows indicate carriers . for simplification , this illustrative embodiment depicts only eight carriers ( carriers # 0 through # 7 ) and seven time slots ( time slots s 0 through s 6 ) in fig5 but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the present teaching that actual systems may use any number of such carriers , and it is contemplated that much larger numbers of carriers ( e . g ., more than 100 carriers ) will generally be used . the ifft 330 described above stores data representing this table . based on the table , ifft 330 assigns carriers to input signals . due to the nature of the power line communications medium , there are frequently carriers that exhibit high levels of interference or attenuation such that these carriers are unusable for data communication between certain transmitters and receivers . however , these carriers may be usable between the same transmitter and different receivers . thus , when a transmitter communicates with a receiver , the transmitter transmits only over “ available carriers ”— that is , carriers that are able to support data communication with some degree of reliability between the transmitter and receiver . the other “ unavailable carriers ” in the same time slot are left unused in the proposed ofdm - tdma system . in accordance with certain embodiments consistent with the present invention , these unavailable carriers can in fact be used and are assigned to another stream sent to another receiver . [ 0042 ] fig5 illustrates a tone map table in which the transmitter of interest sends data to two different receivers using time slots s 0 and s 1 respectively in a manner contemplated by a conventional interpretation of tdma . in this example , the transmitter uses five carriers to send a data stream to the receiver . the five dotted blocks in time slot column s 0 indicate the available carriers , # 1 , # 2 , # 4 , # 5 and # 6 are used for transmitting this data stream to the receiver using time slot s 0 ). the transmitter also uses five carriers to communicate with a second receiver . the five hatched blocks (# 0 , # 2 , # 3 , # 4 and # 6 ) in time slot s 1 depict the carriers used for communication with the second receiver . when the network is not busy and there are adequate available slots , the transmitter may use a slot for each stream . however , when the network is busy , the transmitter manages time slot assignment so that time - critical data such as isochronous data streams are given high priority . in accordance with an embodiment consistent with the present invention , unused carriers are assigned to non - time - critical , asynchronous data streams and a time slot is saved for a time - critical data stream . this is illustrated in fig6 . if the stream in time slot s 1 is not time - critical , carrier # 0 and # 3 in time slot s 0 can be used to carry data destined for another receiver than that normally assigned to slot s 0 . thus , time slot s 0 carries two streams destined for two receivers . a data frame is associated with s 0 and has two destinations , the first receiver and the second receiver . also the data frame contains carrier information that specifies which destination receiver uses which of the carriers . as a result of this , carriers # 0 and # 3 can be used to send information destined for the second receiver during the time slot s 0 . therefore , two carriers are used for the second stream destined for the second receiver during time slot s 0 . this frees up two slots from time slot s 1 to thereby increase the bandwidth thereof and increase the actual throughput of data during the time slot s 0 . the empty time slots in s 1 are then available to be similarly utilized to enhance the throughput of the system . when independent data streams from the transmitter share the same destination , they may share a time slot , in accordance with certain embodiments consistent with the present invention . in one example , the transmitter may send an audio / video stream and control commands to the same receiver . control commands are sent as an asynchronous stream , whereas the audio / video stream may be isochronous . when the network is not congested , the transmitter may send the two streams using two different time slots . however , when the network is congested , the two slots can be merged into one slot . this is depicted in the example of fig7 and fig8 . the five dotted blocks ( carriers # 1 , # 2 , # 4 , # 5 and # 6 ) in time slot s 0 indicate available carriers for communication between the transmitter and the receiver . in accordance with certain embodiments consistent with the present invention , one of the carriers , e . g ., carrier # 6 , is assigned to the asynchronous stream during time slot s 0 . the block having the vertical hatching marks indicates this time slot and carrier combination . carriers # 1 , # 2 , # 4 and # 5 are used for the first stream . usually , control command communication ( i . e ., a control stream ) is short and not time - critical , therefore it is wasteful of bandwidth to assign a whole time slot for such a short command . although the bandwidth for the first , isochronous stream in time slot s 0 may be narrower , the time slot assigned for the second stream is now available for the first stream . as a result , carriers and time slots can be used more efficiently , in accordance with certain embodiments . it may be desirable to limit the bandwidth available for carrying the second stream by limiting the bandwidth to no more than , for example , 10 % of all available carriers , but other limits may be suitable depending upon the exact implementation . the data frame of s 0 has only one destination . as discussed previously , the data frame associated with time slot s 0 can be used to carry information that determines which stream uses which carrier ( s ) during the time slot . in view of the above discussion of the assignment of carriers , a time slot assignment algorithm consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention is depicted in fig9 which is made up of fig9 a and fig9 b . the previous discussion generally described how carriers are assigned . this flow chart 500 describes an algorithm that assigns a time slot for each stream . the algorithm is applied at 504 to each stream every time tone maps are exchanged , for example , every 5 seconds . also , the algorithm can preferably be performed when a new stream starts or an existing stream terminates . if the stream is a new stream at 508 , the process goes to 512 . if an empty slot is available at 512 , the slot is assigned for the stream at 516 and the process ends at 520 . if no empty slot is available at 512 , the process proceeds to 524 . if the stream is asynchronous at 524 , the process goes to 528 . if the stream is synchronous , the process goes to 532 . at 528 , if there is a slot that has the same destination ( receiver ), the slot is assigned to the new stream at 516 . at 516 , some of available carriers in the time slot are assigned for the new stream . if “ no ” at 528 , the process seeks another available slot at 536 . if another slot is found , it is assigned to the new stream at 516 . if no available slot exists at 536 , the transmitter may provide a busy message , for example that is displayed on the display 218 at 540 and the transmission is refused . at 508 , if the stream is not a new one , its tone map is checked at 544 . if there is no change in the tone map , no action is needed and the process ends at 520 . if there are change ( s ) in the tone map at 544 , the process checks to see whether the new carriers in the tone map are available at 548 . ( note that some carriers might be already used by another stream .) if available , all carriers are assigned at 516 and the process ends at 520 . if new carriers are not available at 548 , all the carriers assigned for this stream are released at 552 and the stream is processed as a new stream starting at 512 as described above . if the stream is isochronous at 524 , control passes to 532 ( of fig9 b ). an asynchronous stream , which has lower priority than an isochronous stream will be stopped and instead the isochronous stream will get the time slot ( s ). time slots assigned only for an asynchronous stream are checked at 532 . if such a slot is found , the transmitter stops the asynchronous stream at 560 . then , the slot is re - assigned for the synchronous stream at 564 . at 568 , another slot is re - assigned for the asynchronous stream by calling the current algorithm recursively . at 532 , if no slot is available , the transmitter may indicate a busy message on the display 218 and refuses the isochronous transmission and the process ends at 520 . a transmitter may often broadcast the same stream to multiple receivers . for example , the transmitter may send background music data and each receiver receives and decodes it . because signal conditions for each network path is not the same , available carriers are not necessarily common in the receivers . in the proposed ofdm - tdma scheme , the transmitter sends the same data repeatedly to each receiver based on the tone map . that is , the same message may occupy multiple carriers spanning multiple time slots to transmit the same message repeatedly . this redundancy is not negligible when there are many receivers , especially , when the network is busy . such situation can result in a serious network congestion . in accordance with certain embodiments consistent with the present invention , commonly available carriers are used to create a broadcast mechanism . when there are few or no commonly available carriers , two time slots can be merged into one to cut the number of time slots in half . [ 0051 ] fig1 shows an example tone map table for broadcast by the proposed ofdm - tdma system . in this example , the transmitter sends a stream to four receivers . time slot s 0 is for the first receiver and carriers # 1 , # 2 , # 4 , # 5 and # 6 are available . data d 0 through d 4 are assigned to each carrier . the next time slot s 1 is for the second receiver . carrier # 0 , # 1 , # 2 , # 3 , # 4 and # 6 are used to send data d 0 through d 5 . similarly , s 2 and s 3 are used for the third and the fourth receiver , respectively . in accordance with this scheme , each data block is sent four times — once to each receiver creating a situation in which bandwidth is wasted by redundant transmissions . [ 0052 ] fig1 shows an example of a broadcast tone map table used by certain embodiments consistent with the present invention . in this embodiment , the system detects that there are commonly available carriers for all four of the target receivers ( see fig1 ). the carriers # 1 , # 2 , # 4 and # 6 are commonly available carriers for all four receivers and are depicted as surrounded by bold lines . in accordance with this embodiment , these four carries and two slots are used to send data d 0 to d 7 . the multiple recipients are called out in the frame structure used to send slots s 0 and s 1 . this arrangement saves two time slots over the arrangement shown in fig1 . moreover , the system of fig1 is at best able to send d 0 to d 5 ( i . e . six segments of data ) using four time slots , while the system depicted by fig1 can send d 0 to d 7 ( eight segments of data ) to all four receivers using only two time slots . when few carriers are commonly available , this approach does not provide the above benefits . this is especially the case , if the number of common carriers is less than a half of the maximum available number of carriers . for example , if the maximum number of carriers is six in s 1 and s 3 and the number of common available carriers is less than 3 , 3 or more slots are used and no benefit is obtained . in this case , two slots can be merged into one . fig1 shows an example of a worst - case scenario . in this example , the four receivers are shown to share no common carriers . carriers # 2 and # 5 ( enclosed by bold lines ) are commonly available between slots s 0 and s 1 . fig1 shows a merged result . carriers # 2 and # 5 carry data d 0 and d 1 to both receivers ( the receivers associated with slots s 0 and s 1 ). carrier # 0 is assigned to send d 2 to the second receiver . the first receiver cannot receive carrier # 0 . carrier # 1 sends d 2 to the first receiver . carrier # 3 and # 4 sends d 3 to each receiver , respectively . similarly , carrier # 5 and # 6 sends d 4 . the data frame of s 0 is configured to have two destinations . the data frame also contains carrier information that the receiver uses to determine which carriers contain data destined for it . in the same way , s 2 and s 3 in fig1 are merged into s 2 shown in fig1 . s 1 and s 3 in fig1 can be used for other communications or s 1 can be used instead of s 2 . [ 0054 ] fig1 shows a time slot assignment algorithm 600 for broadcast communications starting at 604 . the number of common carriers is checked at 608 and if the number is equal to or larger than a half of the maximum number of carriers ( or equal to or larger than some other threshold number of carriers ), control passes to 612 . at 612 , a new slot number is calculated such that the maximum number of carriers is divided by the number of common carriers . the result is rounded up to the closest integer . for example , in case of fig1 , the result of division is 6 / 4 = 1 . 5 , which is rounded up to 2 . at 616 , actual time slots are assigned . the stream of data is divided among the available common carriers at and assigned accordingly at 620 in the same manner as was described previously . the process ends at 624 . at 608 , if the result is less than a half of the maximum number of carriers ( or other threshold number of carriers ), control passes to 630 . a number of slots is determined by calculating half ( or other fraction ) of the original number of slots , and this number of slots is assigned . if the value is not an integer , it will be rounded up to the closest integer . in the example of fig1 , the result of the division is 4 / 2 = 2 ; thus , the number of slots is two . pairs of the time slots are merged into a single slot at 634 . the stream of data is divided to each of the carriers at 638 and the process again ends at 624 . this algorithm can be applied to each stream every time tone maps are exchanged , for example , every five seconds . also , the algorithm can be performed when a new stream starts or an existing stream terminates . those skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations of embodiments of the present invention are possible without departing from the invention . for example , in one variation , three or more streams can share a single time slot . embodiments of this invention can also be applied not only to power line networks , but also to wireless , phone line , cable or any other networks . embodiments consistent with this invention can also be applied to fdma ( frequency division multiplex access ). in an fdma system , carriers and time slots change places . time slots on the same carrier are assigned to two or more streams . thus , in accordance with certain embodiments consistent with the present invention , when the network is busy , two or more independent streams are assigned to one time slot based on time criticalness of each stream . time slots and carriers can be efficiently and dynamically allocated . also , using common carriers , in certain embodiments consistent with the invention , can reduce redundancy of multiple broadcast transmissions . in the case of few common carriers , two or more time slots can be merged into one to reduce the number of 30 total time slots needed . with small additions of hardware and software , transmission efficiency will be improved in certain embodiments . those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments that are based upon use of a programmed processor such as cpu 264 and cpu 460 with program code stored in hdd 234 or memory 274 and memory 466 . however , the invention should not be so limited , since the present invention could be implemented using hardware component equivalents such as special purpose hardware and / or dedicated processors , which are equivalents to the invention as described and claimed . similarly , general purpose computers , microprocessor based computers , micro - controllers , optical computers , analog computers , dedicated processors and / or dedicated hard wired logic may be used to construct alternative equivalent embodiments of the present invention . those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the program steps and associated data used to implement the embodiments described above can be implemented using disc storage as well as other forms of storage such as for example read only memory ( rom ) devices , random access memory ( ram ) devices ; optical storage elements , magnetic storage elements , magneto - optical storage elements , flash memory , core memory and / or other equivalent storage technologies without departing from the present invention . such alternative storage devices should be considered equivalents . the present invention , as described in embodiments herein , is implemented using a programmed processor executing programming instructions that are broadly described above in flow chart form that can be stored on any suitable electronic storage medium or transmitted over any suitable electronic communication medium . however , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the processes described above can be implemented in any number of variations and in many suitable programming languages without departing from the present invention . for example , the order of certain operations carried out can often be varied , additional operations can be added or operations can be deleted without departing from the invention . error trapping can be added and / or enhanced and variations can be made in user interface and information presentation without departing from the present invention . such variations are contemplated and considered equivalent . while the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , permutations and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , it is intended that the present invention embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
in fig1 , a basic diagram of the invention is shown . the fig2 , 3 and 4 show related flow diagrams . a rack 100 has means for holding a plurality of trays 400 , 401 , 402 , 403 . the term trays is used herein also for boxes , cartridges and other means for holding smaller articles , like balancing weights , tire valves , or other goods like grease , or tools which are required in a wheel and tire workshop . preferably , at least a plurality of the trays is held by slides 410 , 411 , 412 , 413 . each slide has a front end 420 and a rear end 421 . preferably , the slide has a slope wherein the rear end is higher than the front end , thus allowing the trays to slide from the rear end to the front end . at the front end , there may be a stop for stopping the trays to fall out of the rack and sliding over the end of the slide . the slides may also have a spring for pushing the trays towards the front end . they also may have a drive like an electrical motor or any other drive means for moving drive means for moving the trays to the front end . furthermore , sensors 151 , 152 , 153 , 154 are provided for detecting the presence of trays on a slide . the sensors may be optical , magnetic , or mechanical sensors . the sensors may also comprise a bar code reader for reading bar codes attached or printed on the trays . they may also comprise rfid readers for reading rfid tags associated with trays . reading rfid tags may be also be used for identifying the position of a tray within the rack or within a slide . the rack may also provide locations for storing trays or for storing goods without slides . furthermore , it is preferred if the rack has a terminal 160 for manually entering information and / or reading information . such information may be ordering information for additional articles , which are not provided in trays , which are monitored by sensors . the sensors and / or the terminal may be connected to at least one network . the network may be a wired network and / or a radio network . it furthermore may be connected to the internet . information collected by the sensors and / or the terminal is processed by a server 200 , which generates orders and / or forecasts . this procedure is shown in more detail in fig2 . a start 300 of an automatic ordering procedure may be triggered by a sensor indicating a change of fill level , by a timer , which for example may run once a hour , once a day or once a week , or by a manual input to terminal 160 or any other user action requesting an automatic ordering procedure . in a first step with the level of at least one rack , tray or slide is checked in step 301 by at least one sensor . a fill level may also be determined by storing a fill level value and amending this value , if a sensor indicates a change in fill level . therefore , the actual fill levels may be read from a memory without further sensor requests . detected fill levels or other sensor values are transferred in step 302 to a local server 200 ( e . g ., via a transmitter , such as , for example , an i / o device of the sensor itself or a multiplexer or hub that is connected to one or more of the sensors via a wired connection to , or network transceiver or network interface controller ( nic ), network interface card , lan adapter , and / or any other device configured to transmit a detection or data detected by at least one sensor to the local server via a wired or wireless connection ). this local server may also be integrated into the terminal 160 . besides the automatic ordering procedure , there may be a manual ordering procedure 310 . in step 311 an order is manually entered into the terminal 160 . entering may be assisted by a lookup table 319 supplying additional information like part number and / or prices . this lookup table may be provided electronically either in terminal 160 or readable by a separate personal computer or as a printed paper . in step 312 the manually entered data is transferred to the server 200 . it is further preferred , if a manual ordering process also triggers an automatic ordering process . a manual ordering process is preferred for goods and articles which are not checked by sensors and therefore supplements an automatic ordering process . the provided information in the automatic ordering request is processed in step 303 , while the information in the manual ordering request is processed in step 313 . when processing the automated request , in step 304 it is checked , whether the level is below a minimum threshold level . if the level is still above a minimum level , the information or data is stored in step 328 and the procedure is stopped 329 . otherwise , when the level is below the minimum level , it is further checked in step 320 , whether a minimum order volume has been reached . this check is also performed with all manually entered orders . if this minimum order volume has not been reached , data is further stored in step 328 and processing is stopped 329 . for the case , the minimum order volume has been reached , an order is forwarded 211 to a manufacturer or supplier 210 in step 321 ( e . g ., to a local server or computer of the manufacturer or supplier 210 via a wired or wireless network ). this terminates 322 local processing at the workshop . the orders and / or forecasts may also be generated based on the number of actually used trays and / or articles . this is preferably done in the server 200 . in an alternate embodiment , simply a new tray of articles may be ordered if there is only one tray remaining in the rack . of course , ordering may be done depending on any other number of remaining trays . for example , another three trays may be ordered if there are still two trays remaining in the rack . preferably , the orders may be based on the actual consumption of articles and / or trays , based on information 201 received by the sensors , and / or information 202 received by the terminal . the ordering information 211 generated thereby is provided to a supplier 210 which forwards the collected information as a manufacturing information 221 to a manufacturing and delivery site 220 ( e . g ., to a local server or computer of the manufacturing and delivery site 220 via a wired or wireless network ). here , the required articles are manufactured or at least provided to be delivered by delivery 231 to a delivery service 230 , transporting 241 the articles to the workshop , where they can be placed into the rack . the process flow at the manufacturer or supplier is shown in more detail in fig3 . processing at the supplier starts in 330 . first , the order transmitted by the workshop in step 321 is received in step 331 by the supplier . then in step 332 it is checked , whether the warehouse stock is sufficient . if it is sufficient , pre - packing of goods is done in step 333 . if it is not sufficient , a production process is started by processing of production data in step 334 and manufacturing and packaging of the goods in step 335 . in step 336 the goods of steps 335 and / or 333 are delivered to the workshop . then the supplying process is completed 337 . this may further be complimented by a confirmation procedure starting in step 340 and ending in 343 . there may be a customer confirmation step 341 . this confirmation may be done by manually entering confirmation data into terminal 160 and / or by reading sensor values indicating that at least one rack and / or slide and / or tray has been refilled . furthermore , there may be a double check 342 which may be done by considering the total inventory . it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this invention is believed to provide a method and device for delivering of tire supplies and balancing weights . further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description . accordingly , this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention . it is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments . elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein , parts and processes may be reversed , and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently , all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention . changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims . | 6 |
reference is first being made to fig1 that shows a general flow chart of an embodiment of the virtual treatment method in accordance with the invention . upon initiation 20 , a virtual diagnostic setup model is inputted . this model may be obtained by a number of different ways . the basis is a virtual teeth model obtained through a variety of teeth scanning or direct teeth imaging techniques , or through scanning or otherwise capturing a negative teeth impression or a positive teeth model . an example of a method for obtaining three - dimensional digital model of teeth is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 099 , 314 . from such a model a virtual setup model may be obtained through an automatic or manual procedure in which the setup model the teeth are separated from one another in a manner that permits separate manipulation of the position of each of the teeth . at the next step 24 a set of orthodontic appliances is selected for subsequent association with the teeth . as will be appreciated , the invention is not limited to a specific set of orthodontic appliances and the general principle described herein applies to any selected set . however , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , the set of orthodontic appliances which is to be used is a straight wire set that comprises a straight wire and brackets . as known , each bracket has a horizontal slot for receiving the wire . in addition , similarly as in real life orthodontic treatment , other orthodontic appliances such as hooks , elastic components , and others may be included in the set . the selection of the set may be automatic by the system or may be manual . for selection of a set of orthodontic appliances , different options may be presented to the user , for example , sets of different manufacturers , and the orthodont may then choose the one most familiar to him or the set which he prefers to use . alternatively , rather than selecting a complete set , optionally the user may select individual components that together will comprise the set . at a next step 26 the appliances are attached to or made to associate with the teeth . in one embodiment of the invention this is an automatic operation . in such an embodiment , after selection of the set for orthodontic appliances , the brackets are automatically attached to teeth . in such an automatic attachment , the brackets are typically attached to the center point of the teeth crown ( namely at the center of the exposed surface of the teeth ). in accordance with another embodiment the user may be permitted to select the position of all or of only some of the brackets . once all brackets have been selected , a wire , typically a straight wire as pointed out above , is added , and the first sequence of orthodontic treatment follows . in this first sequence , teeth are repositioned in a manner so that all the wire - receiving slots on the brackets snap onto the wire . this causes all slots to align in the plane defined by the wire and the teeth to align in an overall arch is also defined by the wire . this step may be carried out , for example , in a manner as described in pct publication wo 99 / 34747 . thereby , a first treatment state of the virtual model is obtained . a more detailed description of the step appears further below . in a next step 30 , this initial treatment state is analyzed and graded by a variety of criteria c 1 , c 2 , . . . cn . these grading criteria include , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , the following : alignment , marginal ridges , buccolingual inclination , overjet , occlusal relationship , occlusal contact and interproximal contacts . reference is made to the explanation above of these criteria . the grading , as pointed out above , is based on the deviation of the teeth arrangement from a standard or ideal arrangement , in accordance with one or more of established standards . an example of a standard which may be applied is that set by the american board of orthdontics , referenced above . it should , however , be noted that in some embodiments only part of the above criteria or at times even one , e . g . only the criteria of alignment , may be used to grade the teeth arrangement . in a typical embodiment of the invention , the grading is carried out automatically , although optionally , the grading may be manually done by the user . following the grading according to one or more of the above criteria , at a next step 32 an overall model analysis is carried out . in this analysis the different grading scores are combined , which combination may be a simple combination , may be a weighted combination ( ascribing a different way to a different criteria ) or any other acceptable analysis of the system . here again , the overall model analysis is typically automatic , although it is possible also to permit the user to do it manually . following this overall analysis , at a distant point 34 an assessment is made whether the model meets orthodontic standards or whether an improvement is required . if no improvement is required , the virtual treatment ends 36 . if a decision is made and an improvement is required , which decision may be automatic or may be a decision made by the user , a next step 38 teeth for repositioning are selected , then at 40 the orthodontic appliances are virtually detached from at least the selected teeth , the detached appliances are then repositioned at 42 , to yield repositioning of the teeth . for example , where a bracket is repositioned to a different lateral portion of the tooth , it causes axial rotation of the tooth . where , by another example the bracket is repositioned to a different vertical position of the tooth crown , it causes extraction or retraction of the tooth . where , by a further example , the attachment of the bracket to the wire is the different anteoposterior point on the wire , it causes the tooth to move in the anterior or posterior direction . it should be noted that optionally in steps 40 and 42 , orthodontic appliances are at least temporary removed or hidden for easier visualization of the manipulation outcome . then , at 44 , the detached orthodontic appliances are reassociated to the teeth and a resulting altered treatment state is obtained . the appliances repositioning may be done using an optimization algorithm employing one of many optimization or goal - seeking algorithms where the variable set is the set of appliances positions and the goal is best grade . possible algorithms include deepest descent , newton - raphson method and others . in addition , the goal may also include additional restrictions such as having minimal angle between teeth to avoid results that may give a goal grade but are less aesthetically appealing . the resulting altered treatment state so obtained is analyzed and graded in the same manner as described above . typically in the orthodontic treatment , each tooth is assembled with its corresponding bracket such that the base point of the bracket falls initially on the facial axis point of the tooth , as typically done in orthodontry . the assembled teeth may then translocate along the wire &# 39 ; s curve according to the following criteria : ( i ) the two central incisors are translocated along the wire curve ( along the curve falling on the andrews plane ) until they are brought into at least one point of contact , preferably such that their contact point falls on the mid - platal plane . ( ii ) the lateral incisors on each side of the mid - platal ( the left and right lateral incisors ) may be translocated towards their respective central incisors ( i . e . the left and right incisors , respectively ), followed by translocating the canine , premolar ( first premolar , then premolar ) and molar ( for the first molar , then second molar and optionally then the third molar ) teeth such that each flanking teeth have at least one point of contact therebetween . it should be clear that the same procedure is applied whenever a tooth is extracted or stripped , taking into consideration which tooth exactly was extracted . the outcome of the above procedure is an arch wire set with brackets which are fixed with the respective tooth , the teeth being optimally arranged according to orthodontic criteria . at times , movement of the first molar teeth by the system of the invention may result in a distilization of the mandibular molar teeth in an amount greater than that allowed in a real life treatment according to real life treatment considerations . accordingly , after translocation of teeth as described above , the system verifies whether the mandibular distilization performed would be allowed in real life considerations and if in the negative , the result displayed on the display screen , will show the user that the procedure performed would not be feasible in the real life orthodontic treatment . the user will then know that the orthodontic treatment plan he selected should be changed , e . g . by selecting a different wire , different brackets , performing other , if any manipulations on the teeth , etc . the resulting arrangement of the teeth may further be processed by applying a vertical repositioning of the teeth , and if necessary , move in a manner similar to that in step ( ii ) above . the result obtained for one arch , i . e . the maxillary arch or the mandibular arch , is then used for determination of the inter arch relationship . the algorithm employed may also use some optimization criteria for obtaining the initial treatment stage . for example , the mandibular arch may be first aligned with the mandibular jaw by their central point ( an average distance between the central incisors ) to fall onto the mid palatal plane . the maxillary arch fixed onto the maxillary jaw may then be vertically aligned onto the mandibular jaw in the manner as described in pct publication no . wo 98 / 52493 . the alignment between the two jaws may be according to a fixed mandibular jaw or alternatively according to a fixed maxillary jaw . the following description refers to alignment of the maxilla according to the fixed mandibular jaw . however , it should be understood that the same steps apply in flow diagram , for alignment of the mandible according to the fixed maxilla jaw ( muatis mutandis ). for determining the inter arch relationship , first the parameters of the mandibular jaw are provided , with which the mandibular arch is aligned by determining their center antheroposterior point ( lower center point a - p56 ). then occlusion of the mandibular first molar with the maxillary first molar is dictated by the features of class ( i ) type of occlusion . if necessary , i . e . when the outcome obtained and displayed on the display screen is not the desired outcome or when the user decides it is required to change the class type , he may change the class by which the mandibular first molar and the maxillary first molar interlock until reaching the desired outcome . at times , the horizontal alignment performed will result in a mandibular distilization which is greater than that acceptable in real life orthodontic treatment . as a result , the procedure according to the invention may be carried out while each arch is positioned onto their respective jaw by defining their center antheroposterior point , the steps of interlocking the molar teeth according to standard orthodontic guidelines is not performed . the definition of the different classes which can be selected by the user in a manner as shown herein in fig3 , which shows an example of a screen display showing a virtual model 100 with an upper jaw 102 and a lower jaw 103 . shown in this view is also a view control window 105 which permits control of position of orientation as well as view angles in a manner as described in pct application , publication no . wo 98 / 53428 . the treatment parameters may be controlled through user interface window 106 . a front view of the same jaw is seen in fig4 . fig3 and 4 also show a virtual diagnostic setup model of an individual &# 39 ; s jaws , in its original , untreated form . once an orthodontic treatment is executed , a second three dimensional digital model is obtained . the second three dimensional digital model includes the jaw carrying teeth assembled with brackets and a wire . the teeth in the second model are arranged in an optimal dental and skeletal arrangement as obtained by the system of the invention . the teeth are automatically associated with brackets , the later set on a wire . the outcome of virtual treatment of the original model ( shown in fig3 and 4 ) is seen in fig5 and 6 . in this case the parameters of the system were automatically selected , including the arch wire ( rothoformiii - ovoid ), the brackets ( clarity ™), and class ( class i ) and yielded one optimal outcome . there are different classes which may be applied . class 1 , which is a default class in the system and is that applied in fig5 and 6 . change in the class may be achieved by ticking off box 120 in user interface window 106 and moving scroll bar 122 to either side . another parameter which may be selected is a lower center point , which may be automatically selected ( the automatic selection is dictated by the original center point in the individual &# 39 ; s jaw before treatment ), as in fig3 - 6 or , it may be moved between the interior posterior direction by ticking off box 124 and moving scroll bar 126 to either the left , as seen in fig7 or the right directions . in addition , the arch wire selection may be automatic , as in fig6 and 7 , which in this case is the default arch wire known as ortho form11 - ovoid , but may also be manually selected within selection window 130 . the user may also control the parameters of which jaw will be fixed during the procedure . this is achieved by ticking in the set up design user interface 140 between the mandible 142 selection point or the maxilla 144 selection point . in the case of fig8 , the parameters of maxillary jaw are fixed during the procedure and after aligning therewith the maxillary arch , the inter arch arrangement is performed . by the default of the system , the mandible parameters are fixed and the maxilla is moved accordingly . the reverse selection is shown in fig9 ( 145 ). thus , as can be seen , in view of the initial structure of the teeth , the two jaws are more forwardly oriented in fig9 as compared to fig8 . another manner of control is a virtual extraction of teeth . in fig1 , the treatment is preceded normally without extraction . by ticking alleviation box 138 and marking in the user interface window 106 the tooth or teeth to be extracted , the marked tooth , in this particular case , the second molar 148 is virtually extracted and the void 150 which is left is at least partially filled by lateral movement of the flanking teeth , as seen in fig1 . this feature of the system of the invention enables the user to decide whether extraction of a tooth in a real life treatment will be effective in achieving a desired orthodontic outcome before performing such an irreversible manipulation in the real life treatment . reference is made now to fig2 which shows the manner of using the results of the virtual orthodontic treatment for guidance for the real - life orthodontic treatment . following start 50 , the virtual model with the altered treatment state obtained through the virtual orthodontic treatment ( 36 in fig1 ) is inputted at 52 . the teeth are then , at 54 , permitted to reposition to their original position in the original diagnostic setup model with the orthodontic appliances remaining attached thereon . the association of the orthodontic appliances with the teeth is then recorded as 56 and this is served as an input for guidance of the real - life orthodontic treatment for the purpose of achieving results similar to those obtained in the virtual treatment in accordance with the invention . the manner of association of the orthodontic appliances may be displayed on the screen or may be outputted to a guidance system for proper placing of an orthodontic element on a tooth &# 39 ; s surface , such as that described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 334 , 772 . | 0 |
referring to fig1 an embodiment of a fuel cell system 10 includes a working fluid subsystem connected to a fuel cell stack 12 . the working fluid subsystem may include stack components ( described below ) that are designed to pass fluids , such as ( reformate containing hydrogen ), air or a coolant , as examples . the working fluid subsystem is formed in part by plates ( of the stack 12 ) that include flow channels for circulating the working fluids and manifold passageways ( of the stack 12 ) that communicate the working fluid through the fuel cell system 10 . the fuel cell stack 12 may be formed from repeating units called plate modules 16 . an exemplary plate module 16 a ( having a design similar to the other plate modules 16 ) includes flow plates ( graphite composite or metal plates , for example ) that include flow channels to form several fuel cells . the flow plates also include aligned openings to form passageways of a manifold that communicates reactants such as hydrogen and air and the coolant with the stack 12 . as an example , the plate module 16 a may include the following flow plates : bipolar plates 20 and 26 ; cathode cooler plates 18 , 24 and 30 ; and anode cooler plates 22 and 28 . an exemplary working fluid subsystem for hydrogen is illustrated in fig1 . a reformer 14 converts a hydrocarbon ( natural gas or propane , as examples ) into a hydrogen flow that is communicated to the fuel cell stack 12 for reaction with oxygen ( provided by an air flow ) to produce electrical power . to control the hydrogen production by the reformer 14 , a sensor 34 may be mounted in a female receptacle 38 to sense an anodic exhaust flow that exits the stack 12 through the receptacle 38 . this exhaust flow may include , for example , unconsumed hydrogen . the output signal of the sensor 34 may be communicated to a controller 36 that may control the reformer 14 in response to the temperature that is indicated by the sensor 34 . the sensor 34 may be any suitable sensor , typically a temperature sensor , such as a resistance temperature device ( rtd ) or a thermistor , but other sensors may also be used , such as pressure sense sensors or flow meters , to sense properties of the working fluid . the sensor 34 is mounted in a quick release sensor mount assembly , illustrated in fig2 through 8 . the sensor mount assembly includes the female receptacle 38 , illustrated in fig2 and a male sensor body 40 illustrated in fig6 . the sensor 34 is housed within the sensor body 40 and may include electrical circuitry 35 that is disposed within the sensor body 40 as well as a probe 80 ( a metal probe , for example ) that extends outside of and is secured to the sensor body 40 . the female receptacle 38 is illustrated as mounted on a segment of tubing 42 having a first flange 44 and a second flange 46 at opposite ends of tubing 42 . the flanges 44 and 46 may be used to mount the receptacle 38 to , for example , a manifold passageway of the stack 12 or other conduits to communicate a fluid . thus , the receptacle 38 , however , could also be used on any segment or configuration of conduit or structure containing fluid . referring to fig3 and 4 , the receptacle 38 includes a housing 48 that is mounted on the tube 42 and includes an orifice 50 that extends through the housing 48 and opens into the interior of the tube 42 . in some embodiments , the housing 48 is generally cylindrical . a proximal section 52 immediately adjacent the tube 42 has a cylindrical bore 54 extending or opening into the tube 42 . filets 56 may be provided adjacent the union of the female receptacle 38 and the tube 42 to provide additional mechanical strength and support . a distal segment 58 of the housing 48 may be frusta - conical . an interior bore 50 of the distal segment 58 becomes slightly smaller farther away from the tube 42 . the distal segment 58 is crenellated by four longitudinal slots 60 , 62 , 64 and 66 ( see fig3 ) that define two opposed tabs 68 , 70 . one of the tabs 68 can be seen in an enlarged cross - section in fig5 . each of the tabs 68 , 70 has an inwardly directed lip 72 , 74 . each lip 72 and 74 has an upwardly or distally facing inclined face 76 and a downwardly or proximally facing abutment surface 78 . as will be explained below , the tabs 68 and 70 with the associated lips 72 and 74 act to retain the sensor body 40 in the receptacle 38 . the invention is not limited by the particular placement of tabs . for example , tabs might extend from the orifice of the receptacle as shown in fig4 or they might extend from the sensor body 40 ( not shown ). other tab configurations are possible . it will be appreciated that suitable tabs may be include snap hooks , snap beams , or other arrangements , and that the tabs can be flat or annular . in some embodiments , the housing 48 may be a plastic that is formed by injection molding . each tab 68 , 70 has a sufficient resiliency to grasp and release the sensor body 40 , as described herein . of course , the tabs 68 and 70 may be constructed from materials other than plastic as long as long as the tabs 68 and 70 remain sufficiently resilient to grasp and release the sensor body 40 . it can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that because the receptacle 38 does not include threads for establishing a threaded connection with the sensor body 40 , the receptacle 38 may be easier to manufacture via injection molding than conventional sensor mount assemblies that use threaded connections , and may be easier to install ( e . g ., may not require rotation for installation ). turning now to the sensor body 40 , a temperature sensor is illustrated in fig6 . as explained above , any suitable sensor may be used with this invention , including , without limitation , flow sensors , pressure sensors and so on . the illustrated sensor body 40 may be made from an injection molded plastic ( as an example ) and may secure the probe 80 that extends proximally from a shaft 82 of the sensor body 40 . a main body 84 of the sensor body 40 is connected distally from the shaft and is generally configured to fit snugly in the orifice 50 . the main body 84 has a circumferential o - ring groove 86 for receiving an elastomeric o - ring , for sealably seating the sensor body 40 in the receptacle 38 . a chamfer 88 may be provided on the main body 84 proximally , adjacent the shaft 82 . a frusta - conical section 90 is provided distally from the main body 84 . this frusta - conical section 90 corresponds generally to the interior shape of the frusta - conical segment 58 of the receptacle 38 . a circumferential notch 92 distal from the frusta - conical segment 90 receives the lips 72 , 74 on the tabs 68 , 70 . this action snaps the sensor body 40 into the receptacle 38 . a handle such as hexagonal head 94 above the notch 92 is provided so that the body 40 may be rotated to release it from the receptacle , as will be explained below . a connector 96 provides an electrical connection for a conductor ( not shown ) between the sensor and the controller 36 , for example . of course , other forms of connectors would be used for different types of sensors such as , hydrogen , pressure or carbon monoxide sensors , as examples . in the notch 92 , two longitudinal ridges 98 , 100 are provided . these ridges 98 , 100 can best be seen in fig8 in through section . preferably , the ridges are generally semicircular in cross - section , as can be seen in fig8 . at least one ridge 98 , 100 is provided for each tab 68 , 70 . the ridges 98 , 100 , are placed in the notch such that each ridge 98 , 100 will engage in associated lip 72 , 74 simultaneously when the sensor body 40 is rotated . the ridges 98 , 100 act to spread the tabs , disengaging the lips from the notch and allowing the sensor 40 to be withdrawn from the receptacle . although two opposing tabs and corresponding opposing ridges have been illustrated , it is clear that a single tab and ridge could be employed or that more than two tabs and ridges could also be used without departing from the teachings of the invention . an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in perspective view in fig9 . instead of ridges 98 , bores 102 , 104 are provided which extend through the hexagonal head 94 and into the groove 92 . a key 106 is provided for releasing the sensor . the key 106 has a support ring 108 that will fit over any connector 96 on the sensor and that supports prongs 110 , 112 . the prongs 110 , 112 are inserted into the bores 102 , 104 in place of the ridges 98 , 100 and removably form the same configuration as the ridges 98 , 100 . as can be seen in fig1 , with the key 106 in place , ridges 114 , 116 are formed in the notch 92 . the lips are thereby disengaged to allowing the sensor to be withdrawn from the receptacle . it will be appreciated that the key arrangement described above provides the advantage of tamper resistance in that the key 106 is needed to remove the sensor from the receptacle . while the invention has been disclosed with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having the benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom . it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar element , in the prepress shown in fig1 a prepress nip n 1 is formed between a load shoe 10 and a back - up roll , preferably a vacuum roll 11 . wires / weaves h 1 and h 2 carry a web w therebetween and are conducted via nip n 1 from the left side in fig1 . water removal occurs in nip n 1 into an internal vacuum space o in the vacuum roll 11 defined by chamber means . the vacuum or suction effect is intensified by pressing the load shoe 10 against an outer surface 11 &# 39 ; a of a shell 11a of the vacuum roll 11 . the load shoe has an outer or front surface 10 &# 39 ; which substantially corresponds to the shape of the roll shell 11a . the load shoe 10 is movably connected to a seat 13 . the load shoe 10 comprises a web plate part 10a and branch parts 10b 1 , 10b 2 extending therefrom . the seat 13 comprises a web plate part 13a and branch parts 13b 1 , 13b 2 , and at ends of the branch parts , inwardly directed edges 13d 1 , 13d 2 . in the approximate center point of the web plate part 13a , a neck part 13c is attached so that spaces e 1 and e 2 are defined between the neck 13c and the side walls 13b 1 , 13b 2 . the side branches 10b 1 , 10b 2 of load shoe 10 are disposed in a respective one of the spaces e 1 , e 2 . a medium , preferably water , is conducted by pressure via channel 15 in neck 13c into a space defined between the neck 13c of the seat 13 and the load shoe 10 which is chamber d . the medium is passed or flows from the space d onward via a channel 16 in web plate part 10a into a groove 17 on the front surface 10 &# 39 ; of the load shoe . the medium is liquid , preferably water or an aqueous mixture . the groove 17 is arranged to extend over substantially the entire length of the load shoe . also , the medium may be passed to a longitudinally extending groove 17b in the front surface of the web plate part 10a through a channel 16b in a center region of the web plate part 10a to thereby lubricate a larger portion of the front surface of the web plate part 10a . in space d , the pressure of the medium generates a force on the undersurface ( rear surface ) of the web plate part 10a of the load shoe 10 , thereby pressing the load shoe 10 against its abutting surface , preferably against the outer surface 11a &# 39 ; of the shell 11a of the vacuum roll 11 . the branch parts 10b 1 , 10b 2 move in the spaces e 1 , e 2 , respectively , during movement of the web plate part 10a of the load shoe 10 . web w and the wires / weaves h 1 and h 2 pass via the surfaces , i . e ., via the nip n 1 between the front surface 10 &# 39 ; of the load shoe 10 and the outer surface 11 &# 39 ; a of the shell 11a of the vacuum roll 11 . the medium , which is preferably water , is conducted via branch channels c 1 , c 2 , . . . of a manifold j arranged within a frame beam p and mounted thereto into channel 15 to be conducted into space d . any spilled water and water leaving the load shoe are conducted into a trough 20 arranged after the frame beam p in a running direction of the wires / weaves and web and then back into water circulation . the prepress shown in fig1 comprises a vacuum roll 11 as a backing element . however , it is possible that another roll may be used instead of vacuum roll 11 , such as a roll provided with a recessed surface . fig2 shows a liquid circulation arrangement of a prepress in accordance with the invention . the medium is conducted via the branch channels c 1 , c 2 , . . . of the manifold j within the frame beam p to one or more chambers d between the rear surface of the load shoe 10 and the seat 13 , and the load shoe 10 is pressed in line with the surfaces of the branch parts 13b 1 , 13b 2 of the seat 13 towards the backing element 11 , e . g ., especially toward the vacuum roll 11 . any water discharged from the load shoe 10 with wire / weave h 2 is conducted into a collector tank 20 situated below the vacuum roll 11 , from there along a channel 21 into a liquid container 22 and furthermore , is then pumped through a pump 23 along channel 24 back into the manifold j to be recirculated through the load shoe 10 . fig3 shows an application of the prepress in accordance with the invention . traveling of the web w is represented by arrows l 1 and the circulation directions of felt transfers with arrows l 2 and l 3 . web w is conducted from a felt circulation wire / weave h 3 , at the point of separation after the forming section , and is transferred in line with wire / weave h 1 between wire / weave h 1 and wire / weave h 2 , and into nip n 1 . the water is gathered in trough 20 and moved back into manifold j . thereafter , the web is carried on wire / weave h 1 to be transferred therefrom and carried further by additional wire , weaves or felts into the press section of the paper machine . thus , in this embodiment , the prepress is arranged between the forming section and the press section of the paper machine . in the embodiment shown in fig4 a and 4b are sectional view of different embodiments taken through the line 4 -- 4 of fig1 . in these embodiments , there are a plurality of chambers d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , . . . between the neck portion 13c and the web plate part 10a . a dedicated channel h leads to each of the chambers d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , . . . . as shown in fig4 a , the neck portion 13c has projections g 2 and the rear surface of the web plate part 10a also has projections g 1 . between projections g 1 and g 2 , sealing structures e 1 , e 2 are provided to seal the chambers . as shown in fig4 b , the neck portion 13c has projections g 1 and recesses t 2 and the rear surface of the web plate part 10a also has projections g 2 and recesses t 1 . between projections g 1 and g 2 , sealing structures e 1 , e 2 are provided to seal the chambers . in this manner , by directing variable amounts of the pressure medium to the chambers , e . g ., by appropriate regulation of the flow of the medium from the manifold j , it is possible to adjust the loading pressure provided by the load shoe along the width of the shoe , e . g ., to profile the moisture content of the paper web at different positions of width . also , in these embodiments , the web plate part 10a of the load shoe 10 may be made of a flexible material such as plastic . the examples provided above are not meant to be exclusive . many other variations of the present invention would be obvious to those skilled in the art , and are contemplated to be within the scope of the appended claims . | 3 |
the induction heated , pressure welding apparatus 20 ( fig1 ) of the present invention comprises a floor supported frame 22 which includes end plates 24 , 26 and a pair of component supporting tubes 28 , 30 . it is apparent that the apparatus 20 is a prototype apparatus designed specifically to test the induction heating , pressure welding concept of the present invention , and is not intended for production work . a cylinder mounting block 32 ( fig1 and 4 ) forms a portion of the frame 22 , is rigidly secured to the tubes 28 , 30 and has a hydraulic cylinder assembly 34 supported thereon . the cylinder assembly 34 ( fig4 ) includes a cylinder case 36 having one end rigidly secured to the block 32 . the other end of the cylinder case is bored at 38 to receive a piston rod 40 that extends through the bore 38 and through a bore 41 in the block 32 , as well as through a flanged bushing 44 that is rigidly secured to one wall 46 of an inert gas chamber 48 supported on the tubes 28 , 30 by clamps 49 . a piston 50 is secured to the piston rod 40 intermediate its ends and between two ports 52 , 54 connected to hydraulic valving ( not shown ) by hoses 56 , 58 . a mechanical fixture is connected to the inner end of the piston rod 40 for gripping and releasing the first member m1 which is to be welded to a second member m2 at weldable surfaces s1 and s2 of the members , respectively . a collar 64 is rigidly connected to the other end of the piston rod 40 in adjusted position to limit the stroke of the piston rod and workpiece or member m1 toward the right in fig4 . as illustrated in fig4 the second member m2 is rigidly clamped to the lower wall 70 of a rectangular box 72 by a pair of clamps 74 and connectors 76 such as cap screws or bolts which align the longitudinal axis of the member m2 with the longitudinal axis of the member m1 which is concentric with the axis of the cylinder case 34 . the box 72 includes an open top wall 78 with a cover 79 pivoted thereon , two side walls 80 , and an end wall 82 . the inner end of the lower wall 70 extends through an opening in the adjacent wall 84 of the inert gas chamber 48 with the adjacent open end portion of the box 72 being welded to the wall 84 in substantially air tight engagement . in order to provide an air gap between the members m1 , m2 and one or more induction heating coil 88 , and to assist the clamp 74 to resist the material upsetting pressure applied by the cylinder assembly 34 after the weldable surfaces s1 , s2 have been heated , a spacer 90 of predetermined length is disposed between the member m2 and an adjustable positioning mechanism 92 . the mechanism 92 includes a threaded shaft 94 which is screwed into the end wall 82 and has a plurality of nuts 98 , 98a and 98b secured thereto for accurately positioning the member m2 and maintaining it stationary during the upsetting operation . the inert gas chamber 48 ( fig1 and 4 ) is provided to maintain the members m1 , m2 and the induction coil 88 in an inert atmosphere such as argon or helium during heating and upsetting to prevent oxidation and scaling of the weldable surfaces and thereby minimizing the presence of bond weakening debris between the welded surfaces thus improving the weld . the chamber 48 includes a removable cover 100 attached thereto by wing nuts 102 which allows an operator to gain access to the chamber for purposes of inserting and clamping member m1 to the fixture 60 . when the cover is closed , air is first evacuated from the chamber 48 through a conduit 104 by a vacuum pump 106 driven by motor 108 . thereafter , the inert gas is directed into the chamber 48 from a supply source ( not shown ) through a conduit 110 . as best shown in fig2 and 4 , the induction coil 88 is mounted in the inert gas chamber 48 , and is movable between a position out of alignment with the members m1 , m2 to be welded as shown in solid lines and a position in alignment between the members as shown in phantom lines in fig2 . the induction coil 88 is actuated between its two positions by a pneumatic cylinder assembly 112 pivotally connected to brackets 114 ( fig1 ) secured to the mounting block 32 . the piston rod 116 of the cylinder assembly 112 is pivotally connected to a lever 118 ( fig2 and 3 ) which is secured to a shaft 120 that extends through and is journaled in one wall 46 ( fig1 ) of the chamber 48 and extends through a hole in a tongue 124 projecting forwardly from an end support of a bus bar 126 . the tongue 124 , ( fig2 and 3 ) bus bar 126 and two bus bar - tongue connectors 128 ( only one being shown ) are separated by an electrical insulating or nonconducting strip 130 thus permitting current from a transformer 132 ( fig1 ) to establish a circuit from one side of the bus bar 126 , through the induction coil 88 and returns through the other side of the bus bar 126 . the bus bar 126 and connectors 128 are provided with internal water cooling passages through which cooling water is circulated . the cooling water enters the passages through conduits 134 and is discharged through other conduits not shown . a pair of rotary bus bar arm joints 136 are held in rotatable electrical contact with the adjacent sides of the tongue 124 by a pair of non - conducting clamp arms 138 that are keyed to the shaft 120 and are held in frictional engagement with the tongue 124 by threaded tie rods 140 . the bus bar arm joints 136 are electrically insulated from each other and each includes copper tubes 142 which act as portions of an electrical circuit and also serves as cooling water conduits which circulate cooling water therethrough in the direction indicated by the arrows in fig2 and 3 . an induction heating coil mount 146 is formed from a pair of electrical conducting bars 148 , 149 separated by a non - conducting strip 150 . the bars 148 , 149 are electrically connected to associated ones of the joints 136 and conduits 142 which conduct current and also carry cooling water as best shown in fig2 . a pair of spaced conducting and ported blocks 152 , 153 are secured to the bars 148 , 149 and are rigidly secured to an electrical insulating pad 154 . the coil 88 is formed from copper tubing which carries electrical current and also cooling water , and has its lower ends separated by a non - conducting strip 156 . a pair of copper tubes 158 , 159 are separated from each other by the strip 156 of insulation with tube 158 being electrically connected to the bars 148 , and also connected in fluid flow engagement to the block 152 . similarly , the copper tube 159 is electrically connected to the bar 149 and is connected in fluid flow engagement to the block 153 . an inlet coolant hose 160 is connected to the block 152 , and an outlet hose 161 is connected to the block 153 . thus , cooling water is circulated from hose 160 through the induction coil 88 and out hose 161 thereby cooling the induction coil during operation . the coil 88 is secured to a pair of non - metallic supports 164 that are rigidly connected to the non - metallic pad 154 by angle brackets 166 and bolts . as best shown in fig3 and 4 , a pair of angle arms 168 are rigidly secured to the shaft 120 and have their free ends bolted to the insulating pad 154 and thus cause the rotary bus bar joints 136 to rotate as the pneumatic cylinder assembly 112 raises and lowers the induction coil 88 . fig7 illustrates the upset portion 169 of the two members m1 and m2 in central section after they have been welded together . fig8 represents a common condition that occurs when two members m3 and m4 are welded together , i . e ., the weldable surfaces s3 , s4 of the members are not the same in area since surface s3 is much thicker than surface s4 . in this case , the apparatus is substantially the same as that described above except that two induction heating coils 170 , 172 are mounted side by side with an insulator 174 disposed therebetween . a first optical temperature sensor 176 such as an infrared pyrometer senses the temperature of the surfaces s3 , and a second optical temperature sensor 178 senses the temperature of the surfaces s4 . the amount of current directed to the coils 170 , 172 or the length of time the current is applied ( or both ) may be varied so that both surfaces s3 and s4 are raised to the desired welding temperatures at the same time . thin generally u - shaped silicon iron strips or laminations 180 may surround the coils 170 and 172 to more effectively direct the heat of the induction coils onto the surfaces s3 and s4 to be induction heated and thereafter welded together . in other respects , the operation of the fig8 embodiment is the same as that of the first described embodiment of the invention . in operation of the induction heated , pressure welding apparatus 20 of the present invention , the two members to be welded together are first firmly clamped in welding position with the weldable surfaccs s1 and s2 spaced a slight distance from the induction coil 88 as indicated in fig5 . the vacuum pump 106 ( fig1 ) is then started to evacuate air from the inert gas chamber 48 . after the air has been evacuated , an inert gas is fed into the chamber 48 and the induction coil 88 is energized to heat the weldable surfaces to an upsetting or welding temperature . after the temperature has been raised to the welding temperature as determined with the aid of an infrared pyrometer or the like , the coil 88 is immediately deenergized and is moved from between the two surfaces to its inactive position as shown in solid lines in fig2 and 6 . upsetting pressure is then immediately applied by the hydraulic cylinder assembly 34 to upset the surfaces s1 , s2 forming a weld 169 as shown in fig6 . the above heating and pressure applying steps require about 5 to 7 seconds . from the foregoing description it is apparent that the method and apparatus of the present invention mounts two members with surfaces to be welded together close to each other but permitting one or two induction coils to be positioned therebetween to first heat the weldable surfaces to a welding temperature . the induction coils are then moved away from the heated weldable surfaces , and the surfaces are pressed together with sufficient force to upset the heated surfaces thus forming a strong weld . destruction tests indicate that the welds formed by the present invention are stronger than those formed by conventional fusion welding . although the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention has been herein shown and described , it will be apparent that modification and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be the subject matter of the invention . | 1 |
in a first embodiment , the present invention provides a compound of formula ( i ): r 1 comprises — so 3 m or — co 2 m ; r 2 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , - halogen , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , — so 3 m , or — co 2 m ; r 3 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , — o - tower - alkylene - co 2 m , - lower alkylene - co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )— co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , or — co 2 m ; r 4 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or - lower alkoxy ; r 5 comprises a group of the formula — nh - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; — nh - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; — s - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; or — s - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; wherein r 9 and r 13 comprise , independently , — so 3 m or — co 2 m ; r 10 and r 14 comprise , independently , — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , - halogen , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , — so 3 m , or — co 2 m ; r 11 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , — o - lower - alkylene - co 2 m , - lower alkylene - co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )— co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , or — co 2 m ; r 12 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or - lower alkoxy ; — nh - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; — nh - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; — s - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; — s - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; or — nh — r 17 , wherein r 15 comprises — so 3 m or — co 2 m ; r 16 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , - halogen , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , — so 3 m , or — co 2 m ; r 17 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or —( ch 2 chr 8 — o )— h , r 18 comprises — h , — ch 3 , — ch 2 ch 3 , or — ch 2 oh , m is 1 or 2 ; m comprises — h , — li , — na , — k , — n ( r 19 ) 4 , or — hn ( r 19 ) 3 , wherein r 19 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or —( ch 2 chr 20 — o )— h , r 20 comprises - h , — ch 3 , — ch 2 ch 3 , or — ch 2 oh . in a preferred embodiment , the present invention provides a compound of formula ( ii ): r 3 comprises a / lower alkoxy group ; and r 5 and r 6 are as defined above for formula ( 1 ). m comprises — h , — li , — na , — k , — n ( r 19 ) 4 , or — hn ( r 9 ) 3 , wherein r 19 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or —( ch 2 chr 20 — o )— h , r 20 comprises — h , — ch 3 , — ch 2 ch 3 , or — ch 2 oh . especially preferred dyes of the present invention include dyes of the formula ( iii ), ( iv ), and ( v ): this invention also encompasses the following variations of the foregoing dye ( iiia ). wherein m comprises — h , — li , — na , — k , — n ( r 1 ) 4 , or — hn ( r 1 ) 3 , wherein r 1 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or —( ch 2 chr 2 — o )— h , and r 2 comprises — h , — ch 3 , — ch 2 ch 3 , or — ch 2 oh . this invention also encompasses the following variations of the foregoing dye ( iva ). wherein m comprises — h , — li , — na , — k , — n ( r 1 ) 4 , or — hn ( r 1 ) 3 , wherein r 1 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or —( ch 2 chr 2 — o )— h , and r 2 comprises — h , — ch 3 , — ch 2 ch 3 , or — ch 2 oh . the azo dyes of the present invention are useful as dyes , especially as dyes in ink jet ink compositions . the azo dyes of the present invention have improved solubility which results in improved ink jet printhead reliability , especially when utilized with smaller diameter nozzles , while maintaining a good to excellent balance of optical density , color value , waterfastness and lightfastness . a further aspect of the present invention provides an ink composition comprising . ( a ) at least 0 . 1 % by weight of a compound of formula ( 1 ): r 1 comprises — so 3 m or — co 2 m ; r 2 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , - halogen , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , — so 3 m , or — co 2 m ; r 3 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , — o - lower - alkylene - co 2 m , - lower alkylene - co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )— co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , or — co 2 m ; r 4 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or - lower alkoxy ; r 5 comprises a group of the formula — nh - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; — nh - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; — s - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; or — s - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; wherein r 9 and r 13 comprise , independently , — so 3 m or — co 2 m ; r 10 and r 14 comprise , independently , — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , - halogen , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , — so 3 m , or — co 2 m ; r 11 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , — o - lower - alkylene - co 2 m , - lower alkylene - co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )— co 2 m , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , or — co 2 m ; r 12 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or - lower alkoxy ; — nh - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; — nh - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; — s - lower alkylene - so 3 m ; — s - lower alkylene -( co 2 m ) m ; or — nh — r 17 , wherein r 15 comprises — so 3 m or — co 2 m ; r 16 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , - lower alkoxy , - halogen , — nh — c ( o )- lower alkyl , — so 3 m , or — co 2 m ; r 17 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or —( ch 2 chr 18 — o )— h , r 18 comprises — h , — ch 3 , — ch 2 ch 3 , or — ch 2 oh , m is 1 or 2 ; m comprises — h , — li , — na , — k , — n ( r 19 ) 4 , or — hn ( r 19 ) 3 , wherein r 19 comprises — h , - lower alkyl , or —( ch 2 chr 20 — o ) h , r 20 comprises — h , — ch 3 , — ch 2 ch 3 , or — ch 2 oh . ( b ) water , and ( c ) at least one co - solvent . in the above formulae , and hereafter the term “ lower alkyl ” refers to a straight or branched - chain c 1 - c 4 alkyl group . examples include methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , t - butyl , and isobutyl . the term “ lower alkoxy ” refers to a c 1 - c 4 alkoxy group . examples include methoxy , ethoxy , propoxy , and butoxy . likewise , the terms “ lower hydroxyalkyl ” and “ lower cyanoalkyl ” preferably refer to c 1 - c 4 alkyl groups substituted by at least one hydroxy or cyano group , respectively . the term “ lower alkylene ” refers to a divalent group of the formula —( ch 2 )- m wherein m is an integer of from 1 to 4 . examples include methylene , ethylene , propylene , and butylene . the compounds of this invention may be prepared by diazotizing , for example , an optionally and appropriately substituted aminobenzene sulfonic acid , aminobenzoic acid , or aminophthalic acid , coupling with aniline , or an appropriately substituted aniline such as , for example , ortho - or meta - toluidine , ortho - or meta - anisidine , ortho - or meta - phenetidine , cresidine , dimethoxyaniline , diethoxyaniline , an appropriately substituted 3 - aminophenoxyacetic acid , propionic , or butyric acid or an appropriately substituted 3 ′- aminophenylacetic , propionic or butyric acid , reacting the resultant aminoazobenzene intermediate compound in equimolar quantity with cyanuric chloride , then optionally reacting the product with a second molar equivalent of the same or a different aminoazobenzene intermediate compound , or with a suitable aminoalkylenesulfonic acid , an aminoalkylene - mono or dicarboxylic acid , an aminobenzene mono or di - carboxylic acid , an aniline - mono - or disulfonic acid , an amino - naphthalene mono - or di - sulfonic acid , a mercaptoacetic , propionic , or succinic acid , or a mercaptoalkylenesulfonic acid , and finally reacting this product with an equimolar quantity of ammonia , a primary aliphatic or alkanolamine , an aminoalkylenesulfonic acid , an aminoalkylene mono - or di - carboxylic acid , an , aminobenzene mono - or dicarboxylic acid , an aminobenzene mono or disulfonic acid , an aminonaphthalene mono or disulfonic acid , a mercaptoalkylene sulfonic acid or a mercaptoalkylene mono - or dicarboxylic acid , the final dye structure containing at least three sulfonic acid groups or an equally water - solubilizing combination of carboxylic and sulfonic acid groups , such as two or three carboxylic acid groups with two sulfonic acid groups , or three to four carboxylic acid groups with one sulfonic acid group . examples of compounds from which the diazonium component may be derived include : metanilic acid , sulfanilic acid , anisidine sulfonic acids , phenetidine sulfonic acids , toluidine sulfonic acids , 4 - or 6 - chlorometanilic acid , anthanilic sulfonic acid , 2 , 3 or 4 - aminobenzoic acid , 3 - or 4 - aminophthalic acid , 4 - or 5 - aminoisophthalic acid , 2 - amino - 3 - methoxybenzoic acid , 4 - amino - 3 - methylbenzoic acid . suitable couplers include , for example , aniline , o - or m - toluidine , o - or m - anisidine , o - or m - phenitidine , m - aminoacetanilide , m - aminoacetanilide sulfonic acid , an ortho or meta - amino phenylacetic , - propionic or - butyric acid , an ortho or meta - aminophenoxyacetic , propionic or - butyric acid , 2 , 5 - dimethoxyaniline , 2 , 5 - diethoxyaniline , cresidine , and anthranilic acid . examples of intermediates suitable for the second and third reactions with the cyanuric chloride to produce r 5 and r 6 , in addition to a substituted aminobenzene compound for r 5 include , for example , taurine , 3 - aminopropanesulfonic acid , orthanilic acid , metanilic acid , sulfanilic acid , 2 , 3 , or 4 - aminobenzoic acid , 3 or 4 - aminophthalic acid , 4 or 5 - aminoisophthalic acid , an anisidinesulfonic acid , a toluidine sulfonic acid , 4 - or 6 - chlorometanilic acid , 4 - amino - 3 - methoxybenzoic acid , phenetidine sulfonic acids , m - aminoacetanilide sulfonic acid , aniline disulfonic acid , amino g acid , amino j acid , amino r acid , napthionic acid , broenner &# 39 ; s acid , laurent &# 39 ; s acid , c acid , epsilon acid , cleve &# 39 ; s acid , 2 - mercaptoethanesulfonic acid , 3 - mercapto - 1 - propanesulfonic acid , 3 - aminoadipic acid , mercaptosuccinic acid , thiolactic acid , mercaptoacetic acid , 2 , 3 , or 4 - aminobutyric acid , 3 - aminoisobutyric acid , 5 - aminovaleric acid , ethanolamine , ammonia , methyl amine , ethyl amine , propyl amine , 3 - aminopropanol , and 2 -( 2 ′- aminoethoxy )- ethanol . a salt form of the dyes of the present invention may be obtained by employing throughout the synthesis the corresponding hydroxide , carbonate , or bicarbonate of an alkali metal , or by using throughout the synthesis a non - reactive tertiary amine or quaternary ammonium hydroxide , such as triethanolamine , trimethyl amine , triethyl amine or tetramethyl or tetraethyl ammonium hydroxide . in addition , a salt form may be conveniently converted to a different salt form , or the free acid , by ion exchange , using well - known equipment and procedures . purification to remove impurities and salts may be accomplished by reverse osmosis , using readily available equipment following usual procedures . the dye concentration may be adjusted by either evaporation or dilution to the desired percentage . the present invention relates also to ink compositions , for example aqueous ink compositions . an aqueous ink composition according to the present invention comprises a dye of formula ( 1 ), water , and , optionally , at least one co - solvent . in table 1 , there are listed representative examples of the water - soluble dyes having the above formula ( i ) for use in inks in the present invention . the inks preferably have a total content of dyes of from 0 . 5 to 30 % by weight , preferably from 1 to 30 % by weight and more preferably from 1 to 15 % by weight , based on the total weight of the ink . as a lower limit , a limit of 1 % by weight , preferably 2 % by weight and most preferably 3 % by weight , is preferred . in one embodiment of the present invention , the ink composition may optionally comprise a humectant acting as a co - solvent . selection of a suitable humectant depends on the requirements of the specific application involved , such as desired surface tension and viscosity , the desired drying time of the ink , and the type of paper onto which the ink will be printed . representative examples of humectants that may be selected include ( i ) alcohols , such as methyl alcohol , ethyl alcohol , n - propyl alcohol , isopropyl alcohol , n - butyl alcohol , sec - butyl alcohol , t - butyl alcohol , iso - butyl alcohol , furfuryl alcohol , and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol ; ( 2 ) ketones or ketoalcohols , such as acetone , methyl ethyl ketone and diacetone alcohol ; ( 3 ) ethers , such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane ; ( 4 ) esters , such as ethyl acetate , ethyl lactate , ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate ; ( 5 ) polyhydric alcohols , such as ethylene glycol , diethylene glycol , triethylene glycol , propylene glycol , tetraethylene glycol , polyethylene glycol , glycerol , 2 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentanediol , 1 , 2 , 6 - hexanetriol and thiodiglycol ; ( 6 ) lower alkyl mono - or di - ethers derived from alkylene glycols , such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ( or monoethyl ) ether , diethylene glycol monomethyl ( or monoethyl ) ether , propylene glycol monomethyl ( or monoethyl ) ether , triethylene glycol monomethyl ( or monoethyl ) ether and diethylene glycol dimethyl ( or diethyl ) ether ; ( 7 ) nitrogen - containing cyclic compounds , such as pyrrolidone , n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone , and 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - imidazolidinone ; and ( 8 ) sulfur - containing compounds , such as dimethyl sulfoxide and tetramethylene sulfone . other useful organic solvents include lactones and lactams . mixtures of these solvents may be used in the present invention . of the above mentioned humectants , preferred humectants include ; diethylene glycol , polyethylene glycol ( 200 to 600 ), ethylene glycol , triethylene glycol , tetraethylene glycol , glycerin and n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone , by which the solubility of the employed dye in the solvent of the ink composition can be increased and the evaporation of water from the ink composition can be appropriately controlled , so that the initial properties of the ink composition can be maintained even for an extended period of continuous use or storage , or during the periods when the apparatus is not in use , whereby reliable ink droplet stability and ink droplet ejection response of the ink composition , particularly after a prolonged period of non - use of the apparatus , are obtained . the amount of humectant is determined by the desired properties of the ink and may range from about 0 . 1 % to about 30 % by weight of the ink composition . the ink composition may also optionally comprise colorants . colorants useful in the present invention include pigments , self - dispersed pigment blends , polymeric pigment dispersions , pigment - dye blends , and combinations thereof . the pigment can be a polymeric pigment concentrate or self - dispersed pigment concentrate , or a combination of both . as is known in the art , a pigment dispersion is a mixture of a pigment and a dispersing agent , typically a polymeric dispersant compound . a wide variety of organic and inorganic pigments , alone or in combination , may be selected for use in the aqueous inks of the present invention . the key selection criterion for the pigment is that they must be dispersible in the aqueous medium . the term “ pigment ,” as used herein , means an insoluble colorant . the selected pigment may be used in dry or wet form . suitable pigments include organic and inorganic pigments , and essentially any of the classes of pigments heretofore used in this art , of a particle size sufficient to permit free flow of the ink through the ink jet printing device , especially at the ejecting nozzles that usually have a diameter ranging from about 10 microns to about 50 microns . thus , a suitable pigment particle size ranges from about 0 . 02 to about 15 , preferably from about 0 . 02 to about 5 , and more preferably from about 0 . 02 to about 1 , micron ( s ) so that when jetted , the pigment particle size ranges from about 0 . 005 to about 0 . 02 microns . pigments suitable for use in the present invention include azo pigments , such as azo lakes , insoluble azo pigments , condensed azo pigments and chelate azo pigments , polycyclic pigments , perylene pigments , anthraquinone pigments , quinacridone pigments , dioxazine pigments , thioindigo pigments , isoindolinone pigments , quinophthalone pigments , and dry lakes . suitable organic pigments include nitro pigments , aniline black and daylight fluorescent pigments . preferred pigments include carbon black , pigment red 122 , pigment red 202 , pigment yellow 74 , pigment yellow 128 , pigment yellow 138 , pigment yellow 155 , pigment blue 15 : 3 and pigment blue 15 : 4 . dispersants may optionally be used in the present invention , for example , when a insoluble pigment is used . appropriate dispersants include those known in the art , such as the acrylic terpolymers taught in commonly - assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 719 , 204 , and other commonly known dispersants . factors to be considered in selecting an appropriate dispersant include the following : first , the dispersant must firmly anchor to the pigment particle surface to withstand shear force and the competition of other chemical species . to ensure this anchoring , a careful match of the polarity of the pigment particle surface and the hydrophobic group in the dispersant is required . second , the physical dimensions of the hydrophobic group in the dispersant must be adequate to fully cover the pigment surface , otherwise , the adsorbed polymer will act as a flocculent . third , an electrostatic layer of a requisite thickness around the particle is needed to prevent aggregation of particles within the aqueous medium . the pigment to dispersant ( weight ) ratio is preferably from about 3 : 1 to about 5 : 1 , but may vary from about 1 : 1 to about 9 : 1 . a binder may also optionally be used in the ink composition of the present invention to bridge the pigment particles within the ink and aid in their adhesion to the print medium . the use of a binder allows for greater ink durability and increased image permanence . high tg binders are generally preferred for long term jetting requirements , but low tg binders are preferable for smear permanence . also preferred are unimodal random ( not block ) polymer binders . binder may be present in amounts from 0 - 100 parts to 100 parts of pigment , preferably 5 - 30 parts to 100 parts pigment . preferred binders for use in the present invention comprise a polymer or copolymer formed from monomer classes , including , but not limited to : acrylate esters , methacrylate esters , styrenes , substituted styrenes , vinyl acrylates , vinyl acetates , fluoromethacrylates , acrylamides , substituted acrylamides , methacrylamides , substituted methacrylamides , and combinations thereof . among the esters of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid , preferred monomers include methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , propyl acrylate , butyl acrylate , lauryl acrylate , methyl methacrylate , ethyl methacrylate , propyl methacrylate , butyl methacrylate , lauryl methacrylate , and isobutylene methacrylate . in one embodiment , the binder may comprise a copolymer of butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate . in a further embodiment , the polymeric binder may comprise a copolymer ranging from about 20 % to about 40 % by weight of methyl methacrylate and about 60 % to about 80 % by weight of butyl acrylate . the polymeric binder may comprise a copolymer ranging from about 27 % to about 33 % by weight of methyl methacrylate and about 66 % to 72 % by weight of butyl acrylate . in another embodiment , the polymeric binder comprises 10 % to 50 % by weight methyl methacrylate , 50 % to 85 % by weight butyl acrylate , and 3 % to 10 % by weight methacrylic acid , based on the total weight of the polymeric binder ; for example 14 . 5 % by weight methyl methacrylate , 80 . 5 % by weight butyl acrylate , and 5 % by weight methacrylic acid . the foregoing merely represent example of suitable polymeric binder compositions . the polymeric binder may further comprise an acid component . the acid component may comprise acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , itaconic acid , vinyl sulfonic acid , maleic acids or combinations thereof , or may be derived from salts or anhydrides of such acids , such as methacrylic or maleic anhydride or sodium vinylsulfonate or acrylomidopropane sulfonate . in one embodiment the acid component is methacrylic acid . in another embodiment , the acid component is methacrylic acid in combination with another acid . the acid component of the polymeric binder ranges from about 1 % to about 10 % by weight of the total weight of the polymeric binder . in one embodiment , when the acid component is methacrylic acid , the acid component is about 1 . 1 % to about 1 . 5 % by weight of the total weight of the polymeric binder . in another embodiment , when the acid component is methacrylic acid , the acid component is about 1 . 3 % by weight of the total weight of the polymeric binder . it should be noted , however , that the examples of ink compositions discussed herein do not represent the only possible formulations encompassed by the present invention , and that the present invention includes ink compositions when the acid component of the polymeric binder ranges from about 1 % to about 10 % by weight of the total weight of the polymeric binder . the most preferred binder in the present invention may comprise from about 0 % to about 5 % by weight in the ink composition , a unimodal acrylic emulsion which contains a random copolymer comprised of butylmethacrylate and methylmethacrylate monomers as described in co - pending u . s . pat . no . 6 , 646 , 024 b2 of beach et al . assigned to lexmark international , inc . the same assignee here . a penetrant may also optionally be used in the ink composition of the present invention to improve penetration by the ink drops into the surface of the printed substrate and to reduce or eliminate intercolor bleeding ( i . e ., lateral bleeding of color ). penetrants ( which include surfactants ) are preferred for use in the invention . preferred penetrants for use in the present invention include 1 , 2 alkyl diols containing from about 4 to about 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl group such as those taught in commonly - assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 364 , 461 . most preferred are 1 , 2 - hexanediol and hexyl carbitol . in a preferred embodiment , the penetrant is present in the ink composition in an amount of from between about 0 . 01 % to about 10 % by weight , preferably 0 . 1 % to about 3 %. the ink compositions may also optionally comprise surfactants to modify the surface tension of the ink and to control the penetration of the ink into the paper . suitable surfactants include nonionic , amphoteric , cationic , and anionic surfactants . preferred surfactants include alkyl sulfate , nonyl phenyl polyethylene glycol , the silwet ® series of surfactants ( osi sealants , inc . ), the tergitol ® series of surfactants ( union carbide ) and the surfynol ® series of surfactants ( air products and chemicals , inc .). the ink compositions may also optionally comprise additives that inhibit the growth of fungi and / or bacteria ( biocides ). such additives are usually used in amounts of from 0 . 01 to 1 . 0 % by weight , based on the total weight of the ink . sodium dehydroacetate , sodium sorbate , 2 - pyridine thiol - 1 - oxide sodium salt , sodium benzoate and sodium pentachlorophenol can be employed as biocides . a preferred biocide is 1 , 2 - benzisothiazolin - 3 - one , commercially available as proxel ® gxl manufactured by zeneca . any known ph adjustment agents may optionally be used in the present invention , so long as they do not have an adverse effect on the ink composition and can control the ph of the ink composition . buffering agents , such as borax , borates , phosphates , polyphosphates or citrates ( for example , sodium borate , sodium tetraborate , sodium phosphate , sodium dihydrogen phosphate , disodium hydrogen phosphate , sodium tripolyphosphate , sodium pentapolyphosphate and sodium citrate ) may also be added to adjust or maintain a desired ph for the ink . a preferred buffer is potassium hydroxide , sodium phosphate or sodium borate . as will be appreciated , the amount of buffer will depend on the other components in the ink . however , it has been found that the addition of small amounts of buffer to the ink , such as from about 0 . 01 % to about 0 . 3 % by weight , preferably from 0 . 1 to 1 % by weight , is useful . the ink compositions may also optionally comprise chelating agents . chelating agents , such as for example , ethylene diamine tetraacetate ( edta ), trisodium nitrilotriacetate , hydroxyethyl ethylenediamine trisodium acetate , diethylene triamino pentasodium acetate and uramil disodium acetate , may be added to prevent any deleterious effects from metal or alkali metal ion contaminants or impurities . typically , a chelating agent may be added to the composition in an amount of from about 0 . 1 % to about 1 . 0 % by weight . a preferred chelating agent is edta . other additives , for example , ultra - violet - ray - absorbing agents , infrared - ray - absorbing agents , polymeric compounds , and solubility increasing agents for increasing the solubility of the dye dissolved in the solvent of the ink composition can be employed as thought necessary in specific embodiments of an aqueous ink composition for ink - jet recording according to the present invention . preferred embodiments of an aqueous ink composition for ink - jet recording according to the present invention will now be explained by referring to the following examples . the following examples serve to illustrate the invention . unless otherwise indicated , parts are parts by weight and percentages relate to percent by weight . the relationship between parts by weight and parts by volume is the same as that between kilograms and liters . a dye of formula ( iv ) can be prepared according to the following procedure . a solution was prepared of 61 . 4 g of 4 - amino - 3 - methoxyazobenzene - 3 ′- sulfonic acid ( prepared in conventional manner ) in 300 ml of water containing 8 g of sodium hydroxide . when the solution was complete , it was diluted to 400 ml with water . a 2 liter beaker containing 200 ml water and 200 g ice was placed in an ice / water bath . 18 . 4 g of finely ground cyanuric chloride was added to the beaker . with vigorous agitation , half of the amino - azobenzene derivative solution was added dropwise over 25 minutes . the temperature of the reaction was held at 0 ° c . by further addition of ice as required . when all of the solution was in , the ph of the mixture was slowly raised to about 6 . 2 by sifting in 8 . 4 g of sodium bicarbonate slowly over 15 minutes . after stirring further for about 15 minutes the red - brown slurry had changed to bright yellow and a thin - layer chromatogram showed completion of the reaction . the ph was also stable at 6 . 2 . the second half of the amino - azobenzene derivative solution was then dropped in over 30 minutes . the ice / water bath was removed and the reaction temperature was allowed to rise to ambient , about 20 ° c . after stirring for 15 minutes more an additional 8 . 4 g of sodium bicarbonate was sifted into the reaction slurry over 15 minutes . the ph rose to 7 . 5 and the reaction was a clear yellow solution at 1100 ml volume . the reaction was stirred for an additional 16 hours at about 20 ° c . next , 25 g taurine ( 2 - aminoethanesulfonic acid ) was added . the ph was raised to 9 by addition of sodium hydroxide solution . the solution was heated to 80 - 85 ° c . and held at this temperature and at ph 8 . 5 to 9 for at least four hours . the resultant bright yellow dye was highly soluble in water over a wide ph range and had very good lightfastness when used for ink jet printing on plain and special papers . the dye solution was subjected to reverse osmosis to remove excess taurine , impurities and salts . conversion to other salt forms was accomplished by means of ion exchange according to well - known procedures . the general method of example 1 was repeated except that the second half of the aminoazobenzene derivative solution was replaced by an equimolar amount of amino g acid ( 2 - naphthylamine - 6 , 8 - disulfonic acid ) in solution , and the taurine was replaced by 12 . 2 g of ethanolamine as the third reactant . a highly water - soluble yellow dye of formula ( iii ) was obtained . this dye also exhibited very good lightfastness when used in inks for ink jet printing on plain and special papers . a dye of formula ( v ) can be prepared according to the following procedure . the general method of example 1 was repeated except that the second half of the aminoazobenzene derivative solution was replaced with 12 . 5 g taurine . the product was a solution of a highly water - soluble bright yellow dye , having very good lightfastness on plain or special papers when applied in inks by ink jet printing . further examples of especially preferred embodiments of the present invention include the following wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 and m of formula ( 1 ) are as set fourth below in table 1 : in addition to the dyes described herein , the present invention comprises ink formulations which employ the novel dyes . ink formulations generally comprise a colorant and a carrier as well as optional additives as enumerated above . some examples of ink formulations are shown below , as well as test results for the specified inks . the inks of the present invention can be prepared in customary manner by mixing the individual constituents together , for example , in the desired amount of water . these inks are especially suitable as the yellow component for multicolor printing . to a sample of the dye of formula ( iii ) ( 5 % based on total weight ), 0 . 1 % sodium edta was added , followed by stirring for 10 minutes . tetraethylene glycol ( 8 % based on total weight ) was then added and stirring continued for 20 minutes . 1 , 2 - hexanediol ( 7 % based on total weight ) was added followed by stirring for 20 minutes . proxel ® gxl biocide ( 0 . 2 % based on total weight ) was then added and stirring continued for an additional 20 minutes . sodium phosphate ( 0 . 5 % based on total weight ) and sodium borate ( 0 . 5 % based on total weight ) were added and stirring continued for 40 minutes . the ph was adjusted to 8 . 5 with either acetic acid or sodium hydroxide and filtered through a 0 . 22μ filter unit . the balance of the formulation was deionized water . the ink was filled in heads and tested on execjet iic machines ( idle test after 5 , 10 , 15 and 20 minutes ) as described below . to a sample of the dye of formula ( iv ) ( 5 % based on total weight ), 0 . 1 % sodium edta was added , followed by stirring for 10 minutes . tetraethylene glycol ( 8 % based on total weight ) was then added and stirring continued for 20 minutes . 1 , 2 - hexanediol ( 7 % based on total weight ) was added followed by stirring for 20 minutes . proxel ® gxl biocide ( 0 . 2 % based on total weight ) was then added and stirring continued for an additional 20 minutes . sodium phosphate ( 0 . 5 % based on total weight ) and sodium borate ( 0 . 5 % based on total weight ) was added and stirring continued for 40 minutes . the ph was adjusted to 8 . 5 with either acetic acid or sodium hydroxide and filtered through a 0 . 22μ filter unit . the balance of the formulation was deionized water . the ink was filled in heads and tested on execjet iic machines ( idle test after 5 , 10 , 15 and 20 minutes ) as described below . to a sample of the dye of formula ( v ) ( 5 % based on total weight ), 0 . 1 % sodium edta was added , followed by stirring for 10 minutes . tetraethylene glycol ( 8 % based on total weight ) was then added and stirring continued for 20 minutes . 1 , 2 - hexanediol ( 7 % based on total weight ) was added followed by stirring for 20 minutes . proxel ® gxl biocide ( 0 . 2 % based on total weight ) was then added and stirring continued for an additional 20 minutes . sodium phosphate ( 0 . 5 % based on total weight ) and sodium borate ( 0 . 5 % based on total weight ) was added and stirring continued for 40 minutes . the ph was adjusted to 8 . 5 with either acetic acid or sodium hydroxide and filtered through a 0 . 22μ filter unit . the balance of the formulation was deionized water . the ink was filled in heads and tested on execjet iic machines ( idle test after 5 , 10 , 15 and 20 minutes ) as described below . the idle test results are summarized below , showing the % probability that the head would fail with the following dyes : * project yellow ig is a commercially available yellow dye used as a standard for the purposes of this test . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the present invention . since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , the foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and all suitable modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims are deemed within the present inventive concept . the features of the present invention , together with the other objectives of the invention , and along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention , are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure . | 2 |
while this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there are shown in the drawings , and will be described herein in detail , specific embodiments thereof 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 specific embodiments illustrated . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the storage system . the storage system 10 is shown being used on car seat 20 with a seat back 30 and a seat bottom 40 , typically characteristic of a front seat . the storage system 10 comprises a bottom panel 50 connected to two side panels 60 along a seam line 61 . the front of the bottom panel 50 is connected to the front panel 70 along a seam line 71 ( fig2 - 4 ). the front panel 70 is removeably connected to side panels 60 via an engagement mechanism 75 . the front panel 70 can comprise storage pockets 80 as illustrated in fig1 . the engagement mechanism 75 can be any engagement mechanism which allows the front panel to be releaseably attached to the side panels 60 . the engagement mechanism can be , for example , the use of complementary velcro strips on the side panel 60 and on the front panel 70 , or the use of a velcro strip 75 a connected to the front panel 70 , threaded through a buckle 76 on the side panel 60 . other engagement mechanisms such as snap buttons , clasps and the like , can also be used . the bottom and side panels can be made of a flexible material to allow the user to accommodate various objects and their shapes . the flexible material can be fabric , made from synthetic or natural materials . materials such as nylon or polyesters can be used . flexible material such as rubber , or rubber like materials with elastic properties can also be used . other materials , such as silicone or silicone - based materials , can be used to increase the friction between the storage system and the objects contained therein to decrease movement of the loose objects . the storage system comprises several different mechanisms for securing the storage system to the seat of a vehicle . the storage system can comprise upper seat back straps 90 and lower seat back straps 100 . upper seat back straps 90 exert an upward force on the rearward portion of the side panels 60 , while the lower seat back straps 100 exert a rearward force on the side panels 60 . the upper and lower seat back straps are adjustable to suit various sizes of seat backs . buckles , belts , clasps , velcro material , snap buttons , and other suitable mechanisms can be used to impart adjustablity to the straps . the straps can also be made of a resilient , elastic material such as rubber or spandex to allow the straps to adapt to various seat back sizes . straps can be removeably attached to each other on their distal ends by complementary snap on buckle ends 95 ( fig3 ), velcro , snap buttons , and the like . in one embodiment , a rearward force on the bottom panel 50 and on the side panels 60 is achieved using a tuck strip 120 ( fig2 - 4 ), tuck strip 120 is tucked between , and through , a gap 30 a between the seat back 30 and seat bottom 40 as illustrated in fig2 , to exert a rearward force on the bottom panel 50 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 , both the upper 90 and lower 100 seat back straps are in use , in conjunction with the tuck strip 120 . in other embodiments , the tuck strip 120 can be used with just the upper seat back strap 90 , in car seats where it is not feasible to tuck the tuck strip 120 between the seat back 30 and seat bottom 40 , such as when a car seat cover is in use , the upper and lower seat back straps can be used . the tuck strip 120 comprises a generally elongated or cylindrical body 121 disposed within a tubular region 122 of fabric or outer covering . the tuck strip 120 is on the distal end of a tuck panel 130 which is a rearward extension of the bottom panel 50 . the tuck panel 130 remains between the seat back 30 and seat bottom 40 . the elongated or cylindrical body 121 of the tuck strip can be made of a flexible , resilient material such that it can be compressed to be tucked between the seat back 30 and seat bottom 40 , and conform to its original shape once on the other side of the seat back . the elongated or cylindrical body 121 should be of sufficient cross sectional size and of sufficient length to provide enough force to keep the bottom panel 50 in position , even in the event of a sudden stop . the tuck panel 130 is adjustable in length to accommodate for the different sizes in car seats . in vehicles where the seat back 30 is less thick , the tuck panel 130 may be too long , and much of the tuck panel 130 is slack on the back side of the seat back 30 . to minimize the slack in the tuck panel 130 , the tuck panel 130 can be rolled around the tuck strip 120 . the portion of the tuck panel 130 taken up by the tuck strip 120 can be held in place by complementary sided velcro strips 135 , 125 on the tuck panel 130 and tuck strip 120 respectively ( fig4 ). other methods of keeping the tuck panel wrapped in place by the tuck strip 120 can also be used . as shown in fig1 and 4 , a removal strap 120 a can be provided to make for easier removal of the storage system 10 when not in use . the strap 120 a comprises a generally u - shaped strap , connected at ends 120 b , 120 c to the tuck strip 120 by stitching , fasteners , adhesive for other means . the removal strap 120 a extends between the seat back 30 and seat bottom 40 on top of the bottom panel 50 . the removal strap 120 a is exposed on the front side of the car seat back 30 and allows a user to pull on the strap 120 a to pull the tuck strip 120 back through the gap 30 a between the seat back 30 and seat bottom 40 as a step to disengage and remove the storage system from the seat . in one embodiment , at least one hook or a pair of hooks 110 ( fig2 - 3 ) is used to provide stability to the front end of the storage system . hooks 110 are located on first bottom strap portion 115 b which is connected to second bottom strap portion 115 a by removable engagement mechanisms 111 . removable engagement mechanisms 111 allow strap first bottom strap portion 115 b and the hooks 110 to be disengaged from the second bottom strap portion 115 a when a user does not desire the use of the hooks 110 . removable engagement mechanism 111 also allows the length of first bottom strap portion 115 b ( or alternately second bottom strap portion 115 a ) to be adjusted such that the hooks 110 can be located at the appropriate distance . the hooks 110 can be used to connect to any protruding ledge , frame , or structure underneath the seat . as illustrated , second bottom strap portion 115 a is attached to the back of the front panel to minimize the forward movement of the front panel in the event of an abrupt stop . in one embodiment , the front panel 70 comprises a core panel 72 surrounded by the fabric 74 used for the bottom panel 50 and the side panels 60 ( fig6 ). the core panel 72 is made of a flexible , resilient material , and preferably exhibits shape memory characteristics . the core panel 72 is of sufficient rigidity to maintain an upright position . materials suitable for the core panel 72 include polyurethane and polystyrene foams , rubber , and silicone . other materials can also be used . the front panel preferably exerts a sufficient rigidity such that when the contents press against the top portion 76 ( fig2 ) of the front panel 70 , exerting a force as indicated by the arrow “ p ” in fig6 , the front panel 70 pivots generally about seamline 71 ( fig2 ) which generally corresponds to the edge 45 of the seat bottom 40 . without wishing to be bound by any particular theory , it is believed that when contents press against the top portion 76 of the front panel , the bottom portion 78 of the front panel presses against the seat bottom 40 , causing the seat bottom 40 to exert a force in an opposing direction , which results in causing the top portion 76 of the front panel to move rearward , to keep contents of the storage system in place . in another embodiment , the seat storage system can be configured to provide an expanded storage area . if a larger storage area is desired to carry loose objects in a vehicle , the larger space of the back seats can be used to support two adjacent storage systems as illustrated in fig5 . to connect two storage systems to provide an expanded storage area , two storage systems can be placed side - by - side , with adjacent side panels disconnected from the front panel and overlaid on a portion of the bottom panel of the adjacent storage system . as illustrated in fig5 , side panel 60 a from storage system 10 a is over laid over a portion of the bottom panel 50 b . side panel 60 b ( show in dashed lines ) from storage system 10 b is disposed underneath the bottom panel 50 a of storage system 10 a . by overlaying the side panel 60 a over a portion of the adjacent storage system to act as a second layer over a portion of the bottom panel 50 b , the bottom panels are continuous , and allows for an object to be placed within the area of space defined by the boundaries of two connected storage systems . to connect the front panels of the adjacent storage system together , engagement mechanisms 75 which are used to connect the side panels 60 to the front panel 70 ( fig1 and 2 ), are disengaged from the adjacent side panels 60 a , 60 b in fig5 to allow the panels 60 a , 60 b to lay flat along the back seat . the engagement mechanisms 82 a , 82 b on adjacent front panels 70 a , 70 b are connected with each other to join the front panels 70 a , 70 b together . engagement mechanism 82 a , 82 b can be complementary parts which can join together by snap fitting such as a releasable clasp or buckle . alternatively , engagement mechanism 82 a and 83 b can be complementary velcro strips . depending on the type of engagement mechanism selected to join the side panels to the front panels , and the front panels to each other , engagement mechanisms on either side of the front panel 82 a , 83 a , and 82 b , 83 b may be complementary to allow engagement mechanisms which are adjacent 82 a , 82 b in the expanded storage configuration to complementarily engage with each other . in the expanded configuration , in one embodiment , the upper seat back straps 90 a , 90 b are joined together to secure the expanded storage system to the seat back . the straps can also be secured in other ways , such as around the back of the seat , depending on the configuration of the back seats . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , tuck strips ( not visible .) are used to anchor the rearward portion of the bottom panel to the region between the seat back and seat bottom . depending on the configuration of the back seats , a user may be able to use the lower seat back straps as well or in lieu of the tuck strips to secure the expanded storage system to the seats , or to provide more rigidity to the storage system . in another embodiment , the side panels and / or the bottom panels can also be made with a core panel similar to the front panel to provide for a padded effect . in use , the user places the storage system on the desired seat ( s ) and secures the storage system to the seat using the upper seat back straps with the tuck strip and / or with the lower seat back straps . if using the tuck strip , the user determines an appropriate length of the tuck panel for the thickness of the seat back , and scrolls any excess tuck panel material around the tuck strip , alternatively , the tuck strip can remain in the region between the seat back and the seat bottom , and need not extend to exit on the back side of the seat . a user can secure the front panel by adjusting the straps connected to the hook to determine the appropriate length needed for the hooks to reach a support or a frame with which to engage . if a passenger desires to sit in the seat being occupied by a storage system , the user can disconnect the side panels from the front panels and sit over the bottom panel of the storage system . this allows a user to easily change the seating area from being able to carry a passenger to being a storage area , without having to disassemble or remove the storage system from the seat . from the foregoing , it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . it is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred . | 1 |
referring first of all to fig1 , this shows a perspective view of an apparatus for packaging elongate members , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . the apparatus 10 includes a pair of u - shaped frame members 11 , each comprising two upright side portions 12 connected by an elongate base member 14 . each of the u - shaped frame members has a number of packing members 15 extending between the upright portions of the u - frame 12 . in use , sections of drill pipe or other tubulars may be loaded onto the apparatus , with a packing member supporting either end of the tubulars . elements of the packing members 15 deform under the weight of the tubulars , to hold the tubulars securely in position . a number of layers of tubulars may be built up , with elastomer on the lower portions of the packing members engaging the upper surfaces of the lower layers of tubulars . once all layers of tubulars have been assembled , a retaining arrangement is tightened to urge the layers of tubulars and packing members together . reference will now be made to fig2 of the drawings , which is a sectional view of a packing member 100 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , and also to fig3 , which is a sectional view of the packing member of fig2 , showing the behaviour of the packing member 100 under load . the packing member 100 comprises a frame member featuring a central spine 102 and four deformable members 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 having lower and upper tubular - engaging surfaces 108 , 109 for engaging and locating a row of tubulars located below the packing member 100 and for engaging , locating and supporting a row of tubulars located above the member 100 . the spine 102 is in the form of a solid steel bar and is located between the deformable members 104 - 107 . the spine 102 and the deformable members 104 - 107 are coupled together by bolts 110 , the bolt heads 112 and associated lock nuts 114 engaging constraining members in the form of steel channels 116 , 117 mounted on the lateral faces of the outermost deformable members 104 , 107 . the deformable members 104 - 107 are formed of oval urethane extrusions . in this embodiment the outermost members 104 , 107 are taller and softer than the members 105 , 106 directly adjacent the spine 102 . thus , in use , the outermost members 104 , 107 will tend to experience a greater degree of deformation under load . this allows the packing member 100 to operate effectively and safely under a wide range of conditions . when the packing member 100 experiences relatively light loading the members 104 , 107 will deform to grip the tubulars and limit or prevent relative movement of the tubulars across the member 100 . in this situation the harder members 105 , 106 may experience relatively little deformation . under heavy loading , the degree of deformation of the softer members 104 , 107 will be limited by the harder members 105 , 106 , which thus protect the softer member 104 , 107 , while also providing an additional degree of support and grip for the tubulars . reference is now made to fig4 to 6 of the drawings , which illustrate a packing member 200 in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . the packing member 200 is generally similar to the packing member 100 described above , but features deformable members 204 , 205 , 206 , 207 of somewhat different cross - section . in particular , the softer ( shore a 60 ) outermost members 204 , 207 are generally lozenge - shaped and the bearing faces 220 , 221 each define a groove 224 . the harder ( shore a 85 ) inner members 205 , 206 also have central portions with straighter sides , to assist in creating a more stable packing member 200 , but retain rounded upper and lower portions . fig5 and 6 also illustrate the t - shaped pieces 230 , 232 provided at the ends of the spine 202 for engaging with corresponding undercut channels in the uprights of the u - frame 12 . fig6 is a plan view of the packing member 200 and illustrates , in exaggerated form , an effect that may be achieved by selectively tightening the bolts 210 which couple the members 204 - 207 to the spine 202 . in particular , the bolts 210 a towards the ends of the packing member 200 are tightened to a greater extent than the bolts 210 b towards the centre of the member 200 . this tends to provide the member 204 - 207 with a degree of pre - loading or compression , such that the end portions of the members 204 - 207 resist vertical compression and deformation to a greater degree than the central portion of the members 204 - 207 . this facilitates gripping of the tubulars by the members 204 - 207 , as the loading experienced by the packing member 200 has been found not to be constant across the u - frame . in particular , it has been found that the loading experienced by the central portions of packing members 200 between the middle layers of tubulars in a u - frame is relatively low , and it is otherwise difficult to provide sufficient loading and grip in these areas without overloading other portions of the packing members 200 . thus , by configuring selected packing members 200 such that the deformable members 204 - 207 are more easily deformed in a central portion of the member 200 , it is possible to provide a member 200 which will provide substantially consistent grip and support across its length , even when the loading experienced by the member 200 is not consistent . reference is now made to fig7 and 8 of the drawings , which illustrate a packing member 300 in accordance with a still further embodiment of the invention . the packing member 300 is similar to the member 200 described above , however the upper surface of the inner pair of deformable members 305 , 306 is shaped to define recesses to positively locate and space tubulars across the upper surface of the member 300 . this is useful where it is desired to ensure that there is no contact between adjacent tubulars in a layer . reference is now made to fig9 to 14 of the drawings , which illustrate features of a packing member 400 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the packing member 400 comprises a frame member including a skeleton 402 , and three deformable elements 404 , 406 , 407 having lower and upper tubular - engaging surfaces 408 , 409 . the skeleton 402 comprises two spine members 402 a , 402 b joined by two short cross - members 402 c , 402 d . an end piece 402 e extends from each cross - member member 402 d and provides mounting for a round bar lockhead 402 f for co - operating with side portions 12 of the u - frame 11 . the skeleton 402 receives the central deformable element 404 , and the outer deformable elements 406 , 407 are mounted to respective spine members 402 a , 402 b . the various parts are fixed together by bolts 410 , the bolt heads 412 and associated lock nuts 414 engaging side constraints 416 , 417 mounted on the lateral faces of the outermost deformable elements 406 , 407 . the deformable elements 404 , 406 , 407 are formed of pressure moulded rubber , and in particular a blend of virgin and recycled rubber . the elements are themselves recyclable . the central element 404 has an upper face defining two spaced - apart contact surfaces 420 , 421 and a single central lower contact surface 422 . thus , when compressed between two layers of pipes or tubulars the element 404 tends to experience triangular loading , which it is believed will tend to reduce transverse direction laddering , that is a tendency for the packing members 400 to deform under load by an upper contact surface moving longitudinally relative to a lower contact surface . the outer deformable elements 406 , 407 are generally lozenge - shaped , but have inclined contact faces such that an inner raised edge of each face makes initial contact with the pipe or elongate member . the outer elements 406 , 407 extend above and below the central element 404 and thus provide the primary contact with the pipes or tubulars , while the central elements 404 , which may be formed of a harder rubber compound , provides the secondary contact . the deformable elements may have a constant cross - section or may define pipe - receiving recesses , as evident in the embodiments illustrated in fig1 and 16 of the drawings . in these embodiments the respective central elements 504 , 604 each feature pipe - receiving recesses 505 , 605 . the recesses 505 , 605 ensure that there is little or no lateral movement of pipes relative the packing members 500 , 600 , but fix the maximum number of pipes that may be carried in a frame provided with such members 500 , 600 . in contrast to conventional profiled packing members , packing members 500 , 600 made in accordance with these embodiments of the present invention may safely secure a range of pipe sizes . for example , a pipe having a smaller external diameter than the recesses 505 will still be gripped and held over a relatively large area by the outer deformable elements 506 , 507 , which extend above the lowest point of each recess 505 . also , only the upper face of each element features recesses 505 , such that each pipe will experience a relatively large area contact with the central element 504 above the pipe . it will be clear to those of skill in the art that the above - described embodiments of the invention are merely exemplary of the invention , and that various modifications and improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention . | 1 |
reference is now made to fig1 to 3 , which show a card reader 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the card reader 10 has a bezel 12 which includes a transparent cover 20 that aligns with an led ( not shown ) in the bezel 12 . the bezel 12 has a card entry slot 26 arranged to pass an inserted card into a card chamber 27 in the card reader housing portion 16 . the card reader 10 further comprises a magnetic read head 28 for reading a magnetic stripe on a card ; a pin or portcullis style shutter 30 for locking a card within the reader 10 and preventing a tool from being used to open the shutter ; a solenoid 32 for activating the shutter 30 ; and a card sensor 34 for sensing the presence of a card . the housing portion 16 incorporates a controller 50 , as illustrated in fig4 , for controlling the operation of the card reader 10 . the controller 50 is coupled to a communications interface 52 , in addition to being coupled to the shutter mechanism ( including the pin shutter 30 and solenoid 32 ), the magnetic read head 28 , the smart card interface 42 , and the card sensor 34 . fig4 also illustrates a hybrid card 60 having a magnetic stripe 62 . throughout this specification and claims the term foreign object or foreign body is intended to include , but not be limited to : dental floss , wire , vcr tape , fishing line and adhesive tape . in accordance with the present invention the entrance to the card slot 26 can be monitored internally by using an ‘ image capture device ’ ( icd ), in the form of a miniature camera 70 , arranged to view the full width of the card entrance slot 26 . this arrangement enables the immediate detection of interference with the reader , and allows system software , within the controller 50 to immediately ( within a few clock - cycles ) recognize the fact that an unauthorized action is occurring , and to take whatever action is deemed necessary to ensure the protection of customer details . in particular the controller 50 can arrange to close the pin shutter 30 . in addition , the icd system is arranged to immediately detect any inappropriate movement of the card guide - plates 40 , 42 . detecting any movement of the guide - plates 40 , 42 and / or guide rollers ( not shown ) will also assist the controller 50 in identifying the presence of a foreign object within the card reader 10 . alternatively a foreign object can be detected directly by analyzing the view through the card travel area or chamber 27 . in addition the card reader shutter 30 can be opened periodically in order to ascertain whether external interference has occurred . a further benefit of the system is that due to the high resolution of the icd , any embossing on the surface of the card 60 can be detected . in this way the system can identify whether a genuine card 60 has been introduced . as it is common practice for fraudsters to use ‘ blank stock ’, the system can identify a potential fraudulent action and allow the card 60 to be retained by the reader 10 , by the closure of the shutter 30 . in a method of processing in accordance with the present invention the captured image ( either real - time or snapshot ) will be transferred to a binary file , and the post - processing includes taking a ‘ pixel - count ’ relating to the area of interest . a software algorithm is utilized in order to compare the captured image with pre - defined ‘ good - state ’ parameters . the icd device , in the form of a camera 70 , is positioned such that it facilitates the image capture of the entire width of the card throat 43 . this can be achieved by situating the camera 70 at the extreme rear of the card reader chamber 27 . clearly , in order to allow for complete and full functionality of the card reader 10 , it is necessary to mount the camera 70 such as to allow for the passage of an inserted card 60 . alternatively , the image capture device 70 is positioned above or below the passageway 27 and an image of the entry slot 26 is achievable using an optical device 72 , such as a mirror or prism , in the passageway 27 . it has been determined that in order for this invention to function well that the image must be taken from less than 5 degrees ( and preferably less than 2 degrees ) from the plane containing the card in order to detect a filament . various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment within the scope of the invention , for example , it will be appreciated that the card reader may be a card reader and writer . | 6 |
fig1 a illustrates a domain name lessor 100 using a personal computer to access the domain marketplace 500 over a network 400 such as the internet . the domain name lessor 100 registers and lists one to many domain names which that individual or business owns and is interested in leasing to others . a potential domain name lessee 200 using a personal computer connects to the marketplace 500 over the network 400 . the domain name lessee 200 then browses the marketplace for open auctions for domain names . the marketplace 500 can present the information to the domain name lessor 100 and domain name lessee 200 using web pages which require web server software on the marketplace server 500 such as websphere from ibm . the domain name lessor 100 and domain name lessee 200 can then view the information using browser software such as internet explorer 6 . 0 from microsoft . fig1 b shows that the marketplace server 500 requires management of a great deal of information , which for purposes of illustration is shown stored in a number of databases . those skilled in the art will recognize that a variety of options are available for storing and managing this information . in fig1 b , a lessor database 600 holds information about individuals or businesses leasing domain names , such as the name of the individual or business , the domain names being leased , address , e - mail , bank information , etc . the system assigns the lessor 100 a unique system identifier . a lessee database 601 holds similar information about the individuals or businesses interested in leasing domain names , as well as the domain names to which traffic is redirected . the system assigns each lessee 200 a unique system identifier . an auction database 602 holds information about the domain names being auctioned including for each auction a unique identifier , bid open and close times for every auction period of time ( for example every month ), minimum bid amount , and the unique system identifier of the lessor 100 of the domain being auctioned . in addition , once an auction is won by a lessee 200 , the unique identifier of that lessee 200 is captured in the auction database 602 . a bid database 603 holds the bids in an auction . each record in the bid database 603 includes a unique bid identifier , the auction identifier associated with the bid , the lessor identifier of the bidder , and a timestamp to capture the time the bid was made . a redirect database 604 is used to redirect web traffic from the lessor domain name to the domain name of the lessee that won the auction . fig2 a shows an example of the process that a lessor 100 follows when registering with the marketplace server 500 . the lessor starts by providing a unique username , password , and contact e - mail 2001 . next , the lessor provides bank information 2002 including account number , bank routing number , and bank name . the bank information is used by the marketplace 500 to pay the lessor for leased domain names . next , the lessor provides one or more domain names 2003 . for each domain the lessor 100 can optionally provide a minimum monetary amount required to lease the domain 2004 . next , the marketplace 500 assigns the lessor a unique identifier and sends the lessor an e - mail confirming the registration 2006 . finally , all of the information relating to the lessor is stored in the lessor database 600 . the marketplace can require proof of or verify the lessor &# 39 ; s right to lease the domain . in an alternate embodiment the marketplace 500 sets a minimum monetary amount required to lease domains instead of the lessor 100 specifying this amount . fig2 b provides an example of the process by which a lessee 200 registers with the marketplace 500 . the lessee provides a unique username , password , and contact e - mail 2101 . next , the lessee provides bank information 2102 including account number , bank routing number , and bank name . the bank information is used to pull funds owed to the marketplace 500 and the lessor 100 on the agreed basis . next , the lessee provides one or more domain names 2103 to which it would like to redirect web traffic . as described below , when bidding on a domain name the lessor indicates to which of the domain names provided during registration internet traffic should be redirected . next , the marketplace 500 assigns the lessee a unique identifier and sends the lessee an e - mail confirming the registration 2105 . finally , all of the information relating to the lessee 200 is stored in the lessee database 601 . fig2 c shows an alternate embodiment of the invention . step 2205 allows the lessor to set a lockout amount and lockout period for a domain , allowing a lessee to receive traffic from the domain exclusively for a pre - specified period . other steps of the lessor 100 registration are identical to the steps described in fig2 a . the first lessee 200 to bid above the lockout amount will then have all traffic redirected from that domain to the winning bidder &# 39 ; s website until the lockout period ends . while the lockout amounts and periods can be set by the lessor during the lessor registration , the lockout values can also be set using a lessor account management feature provided by the marketplace 500 . in another embodiment of the invention the marketplace 500 sets the lockout values for lessor domains . the marketplace 500 can set the lockout at any time except when a lockout is in effect for a lessor &# 39 ; s domain . fig2 d shows another embodiment of the invention . in step 2303 , a lessee provides a maximum dollar amount per day , or any other time period , for spending on redirected web surfers . other steps of the registration are identical to the steps described in fig2 b . as an example , a lessee 200 such as espn . com could specify a maximum of $ 1000 per day , which could translate to 10 , 000 web surfers redirected to the espn . com website at an average cost of $ 0 . 10 per web surfer , all redirected from websites owned by lessors using the marketplace services . the maximum budget amount can be modified after the original registration using an account management function . such a function could , for example , be accessed over the internet on a website provided by the marketplace 500 or by contacting the marketplace 500 by phone . with this type of a cap on the amount spent per day set by a lessee , the marketplace 500 could redirect all traffic to the highest bidder and when the cap is reached start redirecting traffic to the second highest bidder , up to that bidder &# 39 ; s cap , and then onto the third highest bidder and so on . this mechanism can be used with any bidding embodiments , with lessees able to bid on specific times of day , month , year , geographical locations , etc ., and lessors able to optimize lessees to maximize revenue by considering repeat business , segmentation by time and geography , etc . as seen in fig3 , the process of bidding for a domain name requires the lessee 200 to login 3001 to the marketplace 500 using its unique username and password . next , the lessee must select a domain name auction 3002 from a list provided by the marketplace 500 . then the lessee 200 must check whether the auction is open for bidding 3003 . if not , the lessee must select another auction ; otherwise , the lessee can place a bid on the auction 3004 . the bid includes a monetary amount that the lessee 200 is willing to pay per web visitor that is redirected from the leased domain name to a domain name owned by the lessee 200 . the bid amount must be greater than any other bid placed on the auction . in addition , if a minimum bid amount was indicated by the lessor 100 then the bid must be greater than that amount . the bid must also contain the domain name to which the lessee 200 wants to redirect traffic . finally , the lessee 200 receives a confirmation through e - mail of the bid . fig4 illustrates the process which the marketplace 500 uses to settle the auctions . the process starts with the marketplace 500 checking for an auction whose bidding period has ended 4001 that have bids but no selected winning bid 4003 . the marketplace 500 checks the auction database 602 and bid database 603 every minute ( or other set time ) for this information 4002 . for every auction found that meets the above criteria , the marketplace 500 selects the highest bid amount and records in the auction database 602 the bid as the winning bid . if a minimum bid amount is available for the auction then the highest bid must be above the minimum amount for it to be recorded as the winning bid . in addition , a record is added to the redirect database 604 indicating the leased domain , the domain to which internet traffic is redirected , a redirect expiration date , and the monetary amount associated with the bid 4005 . the domain to which traffic is redirected can be obtained from the bid record . then the winner and the domain name owner 4006 are notified . fig5 illustrates the process used to redirect traffic from the website for the leased domain name to the website of the lessee . the process begins when a web surfer 5000 using a browser such as internet explorer 6 . 0 from microsoft visits the website for the leased domain name 5001 . the web surfer accesses the website for the leased domain name over a network 400 such as the internet . the web server hosting the leased website then redirects the web surfer to the marketplace server 5002 . this can be accomplished by having the lessor 100 place an html metatag in the default page of the leased website that redirects traffic to the marketplace website after the default page is loaded . next the marketplace 500 confirms that the redirected web surfer 500 came from a domain name listed in the lessor database 600 . this can be accomplished by having software check the header of the internet protocol packets that arrive at the marketplace server 500 . next , if the marketplace 500 successfully confirms the origin of the web surfer , the marketplace 500 checks the redirect database 604 for the domain name to which the web surfer is redirected . the marketplace 500 redirects the web surfer to the lessee &# 39 ; s website 5003 found in the redirect database 604 . the marketplace 500 then retrieves from the redirect database 604 the monetary amount to charge for the redirect , and adds a record in the billing database 605 indicating that the lessee owes that monetary amount to the lessor . a further embodiment of the invention requires lessors 100 to map their domains to domain name servers belonging to the marketplace before lessors can use the marketplace service . in order to point the domains to the domain servers of the marketplace 500 , lessors must go to the domain registrar whom they used to buy the domains and change the dns settings for the domains they are leasing . the dns settings for the leased domains should be updated to point to the primary and secondary domain servers of the marketplace 500 . the domain registrar might also require that the internet protocol address of the primary and secondary marketplace 500 domain servers be specified . for example , the lessor 100 of tennistoday . com would go to its domain registrar ( for example register . com ) and change the dns setting for tennistoday . com to point to the marketplace domain servers , for example server1 . marketplace . com and server2 . marketplace . com . the domain registrar might also require that the internet protocol address of the primary and secondary domain servers be specified , for example 223 . 32 . 24 . 234 and 223 . 32 . 24 . 235 . once the lessor domain is pointing to the domain servers of the marketplace 500 , the process of redirecting web surfers is depicted in fig5 b . initially a web surfer working on a personal computer 5100 types into his web browser a domain name of a lessor 100 . next , the marketplace domain server 5101 is reached through the dns architecture and the lessor 100 domain is resolved to the internet protocol address of the marketplace server 5102 . then the marketplace server 5102 finds the appropriate lessee web server 6103 in the redirect database 604 to which to redirect the web surfer . an alternate embodiment requires lessors 100 to use domain forwarding instead of re - pointing their domains . as with re - pointing domains , domain forwarding can be set up through the domain registrar ( e . g . register . com ). the forwarding address would be a web address owned by the marketplace 500 and the forward would include the domain name that set to forward . for example tennistoday . com would use the following forwarding address : http :// www . marketplace . com / tennistoday . com . fig6 illustrates the process used to settle funds between the parties . the process starts with the marketplace 500 retrieving a billing record from the billing database 605 . the marketplace then retrieves from the lessor database 600 the bank account number and routing number of the lessee associated with the billing record . next the marketplace , using a technology such as ach , retrieves the funds indicated on the billing record from the bank of the lessee into the marketplace &# 39 ; s bank account . once the funds have been deposited into the marketplace &# 39 ; s bank account the marketplace using ach transfers , a subset of the funds is transferred to the lessor associated with the billing record . the bank information of the lessor is retrieved from the lessor database 600 . the funds settling processes is performed periodically , for example once a month . instead of using ach , the marketplace can also use credit cards , debit cards , or solutions such as paypal to transfer funds . therefore , in fig2 a instead of providing bank information in step 2002 , the lessor 100 can provide a paypal account where funds owed will be placed by the marketplace on a regular basis . similarly in fig2 a step 2102 , instead of providing bank information the lessee can provide credit or debit card information . the marketplace then on a regular basis charges the lessee &# 39 ; s credit or debit card the amount owned . alternatively , all funds owed by a specific lessee cam be retrieved using one ach transaction or one credit or debit transaction that is performed periodically . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , the auctions for domain names have no time limit . the auctions are always open for bids . at any time a lessee can outbid the highest bid for a domain name . the process for bidding remains as described in fig3 . however , the process for finding the winning bid described in fig4 changes slightly . periodically , for example every few minutes , all auctions are reviewed and if a new highest bid is placed for a given auction the marketplace checks whether the bid is above the minimum bid amount , if one exists , and if so sets the new bid as the winning bid in the auction database 602 and resets the redirect database 604 to the lessee &# 39 ; s domain name indicated by the winning bid . alternatively , whenever a new bid is placed the marketplace checks in the auction database 602 whether the new bid is higher than existing bids for the given auction . in addition , the new bid is checked to be above the minimum bid amount , if one exists . if both conditions are met , the marketplace 500 sets the new bid as the winning bid in the auction database 602 and resets the redirect database 604 to the lessee &# 39 ; s domain name indicated by the winning bid . it may be desirable to some lessees and / or lessors to group domain names into categories . domain names that relate to a certain topic are grouped by the system administrator , either manually or automatically . the group names and the domain names they contain are stored in a group database on the marketplace server . the auction database 602 stores the category name being auctioned and the associated domain names for each auction . the process described in fig3 remains the same , except that lessees bid on groups instead of individual domains . the process described in fig4 also remains the same , except that in step 4005 the marketplace 500 records in the redirect database 604 a record per domain name in the category that was bid on . in addition , in step 4006 all of the domain name owners in the category bid on are notified of the winning bid . in another embodiment of the invention , multiple bidders win the bidding for a category . during the bidding described in fig3 , bidders submit bids 3004 that are higher than the specified minimum . bids do not need to be higher than other bids made for the same auction . all other steps of fig3 remain the same . also , in fig4 step 4003 which determines the winning bids the marketplace 500 finds the highest set of bids . for example , the marketplace 500 finds the top three bids placed in the auction . in step 4005 , the marketplace 500 records all of the winning bids in the auction database 602 and the redirect database 604 . finally , in fig5 , before the marketplace redirects the visitor web surfer to a lessee 200 , the marketplace 500 finds all of the lessees that won the auction for the category to which the leased domain name belongs . the marketplace 500 then picks in order one of the lessee and redirect the user to that lessee &# 39 ; s website . the next time the marketplace 500 redirects to a different lessee among the winning lessees for that category . in order to keep track of the last lessee to which the marketplace redirected a web surfer , the marketplace can mark the record of that lessee in the redirect database 604 . the marketplace 500 can start with the highest bid among the lessees and next redirect to the domain of the next highest bid . when the marketplace 500 reaches the lowest bid among the winning bids for the category the marketplace 500 can again redirect to the domain owned by the highest bidder for the category . alternatively , when the marketplace 500 picks among the winning bids , the marketplace could pick the lessee with the higher bid more often than the lessees with lower bids . this can be accomplished by having the marketplace administrator assign percentages to each winning bid , with larger percentages being assigned to higher bidding lessees . alternatively , an algorithm can be used to assign these percentages . for example , the algorithm could provide the highest bidder with 50 % of the redirected traffic , the next higher bidder 30 %, and the third highest bidder 20 %. also , the algorithm could redirect all traffic to the highest bidder until some maximum amount of traffic ( or expense ) is reached for the day ( or other period ). that maximum amount could be provided by the lessee when bidding . once the maximum is reached the next highest bidder would get the balance of the redirected traffic until the day ends ( or some other period ). the marketplace allows lessees to bid in bulk on domains . for example , a lessee could specify a bid for all domains in a certain category or for multiple categories . alternatively , the lessee could manually select a set of domains to bid on and provide one bid value for all of the selected domains . the marketplace then informs the lessee of the domains for which its bid is the highest , or domains for which its bid is one of a set of winning bids . lessees can also specify for a set of bulk domains a maximum dollar amount per day , or any other time period , for spending on redirected web surfers . this amount would be in place of the maximum dollar amount provided during registration described in fig2 d . lessees 200 may also provide keywords that relate to the domain name to which they want to redirect web surfers . the marketplace 500 then matches the keywords with lessors &# 39 ; domain names that contain those keywords . lessees also provide the amount they are willing to pay per web surfer redirected to their domain . thus , as part of fig2 b , in step 2103 in addition to providing a domain name , lessees provide a set of keywords that relate to each domain name and a monetary amount per domain name that the lessee would pay per redirected web surfer . instead of the bidding described in fig3 and fig4 , a matching algorithm described in fig7 is used . in step 7001 the marketplace 500 checks whether a certain amount of time past since the last time the matching algorithm ran , for example have five minutes past . the last run time can be recorded in the database . if the necessary amount of time has not passed then in step 7002 the marketplace waits a minute and then returns to step 7001 . if enough time has passed since the last run , then the marketplace 500 selects one lessee 7003 and selects one keyword provided by the lessee 7004 . the marketplace 500 then searches all of the registered lessor domain names for the keyword . all domain names that contain the keyword are identified and for each match a record is created in the redirect database 604 . next , the marketplace 500 checks if another keyword was provided by the lessee 7007 , and if so it repeats steps 7004 to 7005 for that keyword . once all keywords for a lessee 200 have been processed the marketplace 500 checks for another lessee 200 that has not been processed . the database can be used to keep track of lessees that have been processed , or matched with domain names . if the marketplace 500 finds a lessee 200 that was not processed , it repeats the steps starting at 7003 , or else it returns to the waiting state 7002 . next , the marketplace 500 after running the matching algorithm can use a round robin when multiple lessees 200 match a lessor &# 39 ; s 100 domain name , as described above . alternatively , the marketplace 500 can assign percentages to higher bids as described in above . instead of only matching keywords provided by the lessee , the marketplace 500 alternatively can look up synonyms and related words based on the provided keywords . synonyms can be looked up using a dictionary . related words can be looked up from a database , such as those used in speech processing applications . an example of related words is “ baseball ” and “ bat ”. once related words and synonyms are identified , they can also be used in the matching step 7006 . lessors can also provide keywords in addition to the lessees providing keywords . lessors provide keywords related to the domain name they register with the marketplace . this is done in fig2 a as part of step 2004 . in fig7 , step 7006 matching can be done between the key words and related words of the lessors and key words and related words of the lessee , thereby optimizing redirection of web surfers . furthermore , in another embodiment of the invention lessers lessees provide a set of keywords and the monetary amount they will pay per visitor redirected to their domain . lessors register with the marketplace and provide a minimum monetary amount per visitor redirected from their domain . a software program then matches lessees with lessors by finding domain names registered with the marketplace that contain one or more of the keywords supplied by individual lessors ; for those domains the program checks that the specified minimum monetary amount is less than the monetary amount supplied by the individual lessees . in cases when multiple lessors are matched with a lessee a round robin is used to redirect web surfers to the domains associated with the lessors . lessees with higher bids can receive a higher percentage of redirected web surfers . lessees can use an interface provided by the marketplace , such as a web interface , to find a list of lessor domains that relate to a keyword or a set of keywords . the process of identifying the domains is identical to the matching process described above , where keywords provided by the lessee are searched within the lessor domains . in addition to the provided keywords , synonyms of the keywords can be searched in the lessor domains . misspellings and commonly associated words can also be searched in the lessor domains . once a list of lessor domains is provided , the lessee can choose to bid on all or a subset of the domains . a computer program or an electronic agent can be used to assist with the bidding . a lessee would use such an electronic agent to avoid having to manually monitor the bidding on a domain . the electronic agent can be given by the lessee specific domains to bid on and a maximum bid amount per domain . the electronic agent then bids on behalf of the lessee , bidding above other bidders up to the maximum amount specified per domain by the lessee . in another embodiment , the electronic agents do not bid but instead notify lessees when one of their bids has been out - bid . it is then the lessees &# 39 ; decision whether to increase their bids . notifications can be made using communication media such as e - mail or phone . in a further embodiment , the web surfer is only redirected to a lessee &# 39 ; s 200 domain name if the web surfer is identified as being from a pre - specified geographic location . in this embodiment , the lessee when bidding in fig3 step 3004 provides geographic restrictions that it would like to have associated with the bid . the marketplace then uses the geographic restriction in fig5 step 5002 . by looking at the ip address of the web surfer , the marketplace can determine the general geographic location of the web surfer . only when the web surfer is within the required region will the marketplace 500 redirect that user to the lessee 200 . the lessee 200 can also specify a certain time frame during which web surfers should be redirected to their site . the implementation of this embodiment is identical to the one described in the previous paragraph except that the restriction is time based as opposed to location based . the marketplace can also track and capture the action of a web surfer after he is redirected from a lessor 100 domain to the website of a lessee 200 . one way to accomplish this tracking is by placing an image link that loads from the marketplace 500 server on pages belonging to the lessee 200 . thus , whenever those images are loaded the marketplace 500 can capture the action in the redirect database 604 . it is also possible to place sponsored links on the lessor &# 39 ; s domain until a lessee successfully bids for the domain , such as google &# 39 ; s adsense . with sponsored links , a set of links are placed on a web page . such a web page appears when the lessee &# 39 ; s domain is typed into a web browser . each click on a sponsored link makes the lessor some money . once a lessee is matched with a lessor , the redirect model can be used instead of sponsored links . winning bids may be determined by multiple criteria , not just bid amount . for example , customer conversion rate and maximum daily budget can also be used to determine winning bids . for example , in step 4003 of fig4 , the marketplace 500 can calculate the weighted average of the bid amount , daily budget amount and customer conversion rate ( calculated using tracking information stored in the redirect database ). this weighted average can then be used to determine winning bids . while certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the methods and apparatus disclosed herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
previously , we developed a toolkit of coiled coils comprising homo - dimer , trimer and tetramers , and a number of heterodimers . these synthetic peptides , of ≈ 30 residues in length , assemble reversibly and form stable structures at micromolar to nanomolar concentrations . to expand this toolkit and to ease the construction of the building blocks for the sage design , we engineered two new coiled - coil modules : a shorter (˜ 20 residues ) homotrimer ( cc - tri3 ), and a similarly short obligate heterodimer ( cc - di - ab ) comprising acidic ( cc - di - a ) and basic ( cc - di - b ) sequences ( see fig2 ). we chose a heterodimer for the second module to give control in the following self - assembly process . our goal was to link copies of cc - tri3 and cc - di - a or cc - di - b through their external surfaces via disulfide bonds ( fig1 ). these covalent constructs , dubbed cc - tri3 — cc - di - a and cc - tri3 — ccdi - b , should assemble into complementary trimeric hubs , hub a and hub b , respectively . alone , these should be water - soluble , discrete , partly folded helical structures ; i . e ., cc - tri3 should spontaneously assemble , leaving cc - di - a and cc - di - b orphaned on the outside of the assemblies . upon mixing , however , the two hubs should co - assemble via association of the cc - di - a and cc - di - b modules to produce hexagonal networks with pores of ≈ 5 - 6 nm . because the hubs are flexible and to maximize coiled - coil interactions , we argue that these networks should fold to form closed objects , i . e ., sages . the two coiled coils were synthesized and characterized in solution using a combination of circular dichroism ( cd ) spectroscopy to measure secondary structure , stability , and dissociation constants ( k d values ); dynamic light scattering , and analytical ultracentrifugation to probe peptide association . these methods confirmed cc - tri3 as a highly helical trimeric assembly , with concentration - dependent folding ( k d , 20 ° c .= 3 . 99 × 10 − 14 m 2 ), and a midpoint of thermal unfolding ( t m ) of 65 ° c . at 50 μm peptide . similarly , cc - di - a and cc - di - b alone were unfolded in the micromolar range , but co - assembled when mixed to form a helical heterodimer , cc - di - ab , ( k d , 20 ° c .= 5 . 83 × 10 − 8 m ; t m = 51 ° c .). we verified that cc - tri3 and cc - di - ab did not form mixed species in the presence of each other by showing that the melting profile of the two coiled coils , when mixed , was the same as the average of the two independent profiles ( data not shown ). building toward hubs a and b , the two - peptide constructs cc - tri3 — cc - di - a and cc - tri3 — cc - di - b had reduced mean residue ellipticities ( mres ) compared with cc - tri3 alone . moreover , these values were close to averages of cc - tri3 plus either cc - di - a or cc - di - b , respectively . in addition , the melting curves for the hubs were near simple averages of the component curves . next , we mixed three equivalents of cc - di - a with hub b , and of cc - di - b with hub a ; i . e ., equimolar amounts of the underlying peptide components cc - di - a and cc - tri3 — cc - di - b , and of cc - di - b and cc - tri3 — cc - di - a . in both cases , this should produce “ terminated ”, 9 - helix assemblies ( fig1 ). indeed , the increased mres observed were indicative of near - complete folding of all of the modules . moreover , the thermal denaturation curves for these assemblies were sigmoidal , and the apparent t m values measured were near the theoretical value for fully decoupled folding of the cc - tri3 and cc - di - ab components of 55 ° c . ( data not shown ). in all of these cases , dls showed that the particle sizes of the peptide modules , hubs and terminated assemblies were ≈ 2 - 5 nm , consistent with discrete and appropriately sized objects . auc gave solution molecular weights consistent with the compositions of each of the assemblies ( data not shown ); except for the terminated hub b , which had a mass higher than expected , but nonetheless was still a discrete assembly . these findings all corroborate the modular design approach that underpins the sage concept . when hub a and hub b were mixed in an equimolar ratio a fine white precipitate formed within minutes , accounting for the & gt ; 90 % of peptide initially in solution . fresh samples diluted fivefold in pbs and analyzed by dls indicated particles of hydrodynamic diameter 132 ± 42 nm . the role of the disulfide linkage in the assemblies was confirmed by adding the disulfide reducing agent tcep to the suspension . this ruptured the particles producing smaller structures of diameter 2 . 3 ± 0 . 9 nm similar to that observed for a mixture of cc - tri3 and cc - di - ab ( 2 . 5 ± 0 . 6 nm ). scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) revealed closed spherical objects of similar diameter ( 97 ± 19 nm , n = 135 ) ( fig8 ). although the particles appear as aggregates in these particular micrographs , they dispersed in solution and separated when deposited on porous membranes . tapping - mode atomic force microscopy ( tm - afm ) was performed on particles deposited and dried onto mica . these particles were flattened disks 9 . 2 ± 1 . 0 nm thick ( averaged from scans over 5 particles ) with diameters of 95 ± 14 nm ( from 4 measurements each on 5 particles ). as the coiled - coil modules are estimated to be ˜ 3 nm in length , the observed thickness of these disks is strong evidence that , in solution , the spheres are hollow and unilamellar rather than being solid , multi - walled , or onion - like structures . that is , they collapse upon drying , presumably releasing water through pores in the assembly . this fits our concept for the sages ; i . e ., a folded sheet comprising a hexagonal network of peptides ( fig1 ). lateral molecular - force microscopy ( lmfm ) with optical feedback was used in a non - contact regime to explore the assemblies in solution . again , this showed approximately spherical objects ( diameter 79 ± 12 nm ( n = 19 ); height 82 ± 16 nm ( averaged from scans over 6 particles ; data not shown ). these dimensions are similar to those found by sem , which should be ˜ 10 nm larger because of the sputtered metal coating estimated from the manufacturer &# 39 ; s technical notes to be ˜ 5 nm thick . moreover , and intriguingly , the lmfm revealed ultra - structure on the surfaces of the assemblies , notably clear hexagonal shapes . the edges of the hexagons averaged 7 ± 2 nm ( n = 22 ); although such x - and y - dimensions in scanning probe microscopies are tip dependent and are not as reliable as measurements made in z . our observations of closed spheres with a tight size distribution , confirmed by three independent methods , is intriguing . it raises two immediate questions : how do the hexagonal networks fold and close , and why are the resulting closed structures so uniform in size ? the first question arises because rigid hexagonal networks should form flat assembles ( like a graphite sheet ); and closing a sphere ( as illustrated by a football ) cannot be achieved with hexagons alone and requires , for example , 12 pentagons . however , the coiled - coil modules and hubs of the sages are more flexible , and the assemblies that they produce may tolerate imperfections required to close . such imperfections , which are inevitable when closing such structures , could include a few mismatched hub pairings , rather than the perfect hexagonal array shown in fig1 . closing the particles may be driven by thermodynamic and geometric constraints : regarding thermodynamics , the hubs are designed to associate with their complementary partners , which has two consequences : ( 1 ) hubs from solution co - assemble to grow the network ; and ( 2 ) these expanding edges have unsatisfied coiled coils , which drive the sheets to close and satisfy as many coiled - coil interactions as possible . in terms of geometry , it is likely there is some intrinsic tendency for the hubs to prefer tripod - like structures , with arms arranged at less than 120 ° creating curvature . we tested these ideas computationally and experimentally as follows . complete sages are too large for atomistic simulations , so we modeled smaller fragments of the hexagonal network . from x - ray crystal structures and standard coiled - coil parameters , we generated an array of 19 tessellated hexagons built from cc - tri3 and cc - di - ab modules , and with 306 chains in total . after 5 ns of molecular dynamics ( md ) in water , uniform curvature was evident in both the x and y directions . this was reproducible : in this , and multiple md simulations for smaller 7 - hexagon networks , the cc - tri3 modules remained perpendicular to the curved surface with their n - termini always facing “ out ”. a sphere of diameter 100 nm has a girth of ≈ 314 nm , corresponding to ≈ 40 equatorial hexagons . thus , each hexagon is required to be wedge - shaped subtending an angle of ≈ 10 ° at the center of the sphere . further examination of the md trajectories , and retrospective inspection of the designed sequences suggest a molecular interpretation for this wedging : the disulphide bridges linking the coiled coils are slightly offset towards the c - termini ; and each peptide has a positively charged lysine residue at the f site between these bridges and the n - termini ( fig2 ). as borne out by the md , the positively charged lysine residues repel each other , while the disulfide bonds act as a tether . the overall effect is to splay the collective n - termini of each coiled - coil unit apart resulting in wedge - shaped hubs , producing local and then global curvature . the question regarding the tight size distribution of the sages is more difficult to rationalize , though this is likely to involve elements such as hub rigidity , the proportion of imperfections required to close a sphere , and entropic factors . to examine how hub rigidity and any preferred local curvature may vary , we analyzed multiple md simulations of 7 - hexagon tessellates from different starting conditions . after 10 ns simulations , the hub - hub angle approached equilibrium settling to 33 . 9 ± 17 . 2 °. the simulations overestimate the local , and therefore , global curvature . nonetheless , the 10 ° angle estimated from the experiments is sampled in the simulations . to exploit this apparent flexibility , and to test the importance of burying unsatisfied edges en route to closure , we attempted to engineer smaller sage particles . we prepared an additional heterodimer module , cc - di - a i b i ( table 2 ). in these peptides , asn → ile mutations were made at complementary a sites in the hydrophobic face to give a variant with more than two orders of magnitude higher affinity than the cc - di - ab parent ; otherwise , we do not expect this change to alter coiled - coil or hub structure or geometry . thus , the free - energy penalty associated with unsatisfied edges , and proposed to drive closure , should be higher for the variant . when compared by sem , the parent sage particles had diameters of 97 ± 19 nm ( n = 135 ), whereas those incorporating the variant had diameters of 68 ± 12 nm ( n = 97 ) ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). this translates to the latter having about half the surface area , and provides strong evidence that satisfying coiled - coil interactions on the edge of a growing disk is a key driving force in closing assemblies . moreover , it illustrates another advantage of our modular design strategy ; namely , that altering the k d of the individual coiled coils can be used to control sage size . the sage concept , though inspired by natural examples , offers routes to closed systems of reduced complexity with the potential for encapsulation . because the components are modular , interchangeable , and bear termini and side chains that could be derivatized , it should be possible to tune their properties for applications such as vehicles for drug and biomolecule delivery , cages for trapping functional enzyme cascades that allow flux of starting materials and products , components of sensing systems , and as new frameworks for the development of protocells . we have explored the possibility of forming sage particles from square lattices . this design is somewhat different from the parent sage particles and has seen us take a homotetramer ( ostensibly the same sequence as described in fletcher et al ., ( fletcher et al ., acs synth . biol . 1 , 240 ( 2012 )) and link it to the same heterodimer sequence as used in the parent sage system . this design is presented in schematic form in fig4 . peptides were synthesised and linked together in a similar fashion to that described in the first generation system . peptide sequences are provided in table 1 . a three heptdad variant of the tetramer sequence shown above was found to produce a trimer . mixing cc - tet - 4 — cc - di - a & amp ; cc - tet - 4 — cc - di - b ( 50 + 50 μm in pbs ) gave a fine white precipitant over the course of several minutes . the material was analysed by scanning electron microscopy ( see fig5 ). in this design we use a heterohexamer ( zaccai et al ., nature chemical biology 7 935 - 941 ( 2011 )), ( fig6 ), as the three - fold symmetry element in conjunction with a homodimer ( such as that described in fletcher et al ( fletcher et al ., acs synth . biol . 1 , 240 ( 2012 )), we can produce a system capable of forming an extended network of tessellated hexagons . the advantage of this design is that one of the heterohexamer components need be added as a simple linear peptide . without the need to form an unsymmetric side chain - to - side chain linkage between two peptides as in the original design , we can readily make use of molecular biology techniques to decorate the surface of the sage particles formed . indeed a variety of different proteins ( or other small molecules ), represented by stars in fig6 could be incorporated into the assembly . whilst , potentially , using similar building blocks to those utilised in the parent sage assemblies , this strategy , like alternative design # 2 , opens the possibility of utilizing molecular biology techniques for the synthesis of additional components . in this design , the homotrimer is linked to the heterodimer peptides by way of a flexible linker producing two long helix - turn - helix peptides which can self - associate to produce a network of tessellated hexagons . this design is summarised in fig7 . analogues of the peptides first used to produce sage particles were synthesized to determine if it is possible to increase and decrease the size of the particles . to increase the curvature , analogues were produced which made use of a more stable heterodimer ( thus increasing the energy associated with the unsatisfied “ edge ”) which we reasoned would give rise to smaller sage particles . in contrast , to decrease the curvature of the network we removed the positively charged lysine residues on the exterior surface of the coiled coils , replacing them with glutamine residues which have the potential to form hydrogen bonds ; most importantly though , they are not repulsive . we reasoned this second modification would see a decrease in local curvature and thus an increase in the size of the sage particles . results : all peptides were prepared and mixed ( in pbs , 50 μm ) with their respective partners . in all cases a fine white precipitant was seen to form over the period of several minutes . this material was examined by scanning electron microscopy ( fig8 ). molecular dynamic simulations indicated that the sage particles formed such that the n - terminus of the homotrimer coiled pointed “ out ”. the n - terminus was therefore chosen as the initial location for modification of the sage particles . as discussed below , the inventors have modified the sage particles in 3 different ways : ( 1 ) added a tetralysine ( kkkkgg ) tag to reduce “ clumping ” of sage particles . the rationale being that such cationic cages should repel each other and be significantly less “ sticky ” ( 2 ) to aid imaging , the inventors have produced analogues possessing a carboxyfluorescein moiety , thus enabling the visualisation of sage particles in solution using light microscopy . ( 3 ) used sage particles as a platform for the presentation of antigenic peptides . the inventors have prepared particles functionalised with tetanus toxoid peptide 632 - 651 ( idkis dvsti vpyig palni ) in addition , the inventors have also shown that it is possible to use several of the “ functionalised ” hubs in conjunction . for instance : parent sequences , tetralysine variants , and fluorescent peptides at once . synthesis of these peptides was performed in an identical fashion to that detailed above . the cationic peptide sequences simply have an addition kkkkgg appended to their n - terminus . fluorescent peptides were prepared by manual coupling of 5 ( 6 )- carboxyfluorescein ( novabiochem ) as the final , n - terminal residue . to form cages , peptides were mixed together in ratios as indicated . in vitro conditions — samples were prepared by mixing 10 μm solutions of the component hubs in pbs ( ph 7 . 4 ) at desired stoichiometry for 1 hour at room temperature before 50 μl of each sample was transferred a 96 - well imaging plate . imaging was performed on a leica sp5 - ii confocal laser scanning microscope attached to a leica dmi 6000 inverted epifluorescence microscope employing the 488 nm line of a 150 mw ar laser and a 63 × oil lens . fig9 shows the effects of using such modified peptides . in these experiments acidic and basic hubs where mixed , and the ratio between k4 modified and parent sequences varied . throughout all experiments , the fluorescent hub cbhub b was present at 5 % total peptide concentration . fig9 shows that as the percentage of the k4 modified hub increased the level of clumping of the particles is reduced . the inventors have also shown that peptide epitopes can be appended to the hubs without unduly affecting assembly . fig1 , below , shows sage particles functionalised with tetanus toxoid peptide 632 - 651 . this sequence was appended to the n - terminus of the trimer sequence of hub b ( used in conjunction with the parent huba ). the peptides were prepared , handled and analysed using the same methods as described above . fig1 shows that the hubs correctly form sage peptides . | 0 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , there is shown a tattoo needle case constructed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention . the preferred embodiment is comprised of a seat 20 , a plurality of needles 30 , and a thermoplastic sheath 40 . each component will be described in detailed below . the rectangular seat 20 comprises a rear section 21 and a front section 22 formed integrally therewith . the rear section 21 comprises a plurality of lengthwise , parallel grooves 211 with the needles 30 disposed therein , a plurality of first risers 212 formed on one side , a plurality of second risers 213 formed on the other side , a cavity 221 provided on the front section 22 with the pointed ends 31 of the needles 30 disposed therein , a forward flat 222 , and a breaking section 25 interconnected the rear section 21 and the front section 22 and including a well 251 and two side openings 252 and 253 . the thermoplastic sheath 40 has a section of rectangle . the thermoplastic sheath 40 is sleeved on the seat 20 after placing the needles 30 on the grooves 211 of the rear section 21 . the thermoplastic sheath 40 is adapted to tightly wrap both the seat 20 and the needles 30 after being subject to heat . as a result , the needles 30 disposed in the rear section 21 are protected by the thermoplastic sheath 40 . the pointed ends 31 of the needles 30 are completely concealed in the cavity 221 after wrapping the seat 20 by the thermoplastic sheath 40 . thus , the invention can completely and satisfactorily solve the safety problem of being accidentally pricked during use . moreover , the needle storage is easy and reliable . in use , a user may hold the flat 222 to bend the front section 22 until the front section 22 is separate from the rear section 21 at the breaking section 25 ( i . e ., at the well 251 and the side openings 252 and 253 ). as a result , the pointed ends 31 are exposed . this process is quick , safe , and convenient . note that preferably , solder is applied around the seat 20 so that the fastening of the needles 30 can be successfully carried out by heating the solder and cooling thereafter . alternatively , tattoo needle case of the invention can be comprised of a seat 20 and a metal sheath 50 ( see fig8 ). the sheath 50 is sleeved on the rear section 21 . next , pressing the sheath 50 will tightly wrap both the rear section 21 and the needles 30 . as a result , the needles 30 disposed in the rear section 21 are protected . referring to fig3 , there is shown a tattoo needle case constructed in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention . the second preferred embodiment substantially has same structure as the first preferred embodiment . the characteristics of the second preferred embodiment are detailed below . the case comprises a seat 20 , a plurality of needles 30 , and a thermoplastic sheath 40 . the rectangular seat 20 comprises a rear section 21 , a front section 22 formed integrally therewith , and a cover 23 put on the rear section 21 to form a receiving space 24 therebetween . the rectangular cover 23 comprises a plurality of lengthwise , parallel grooves 231 on its underside , a plurality of first flanges 232 formed on one side , and a plurality of second flanges 233 formed on the other side . similarly , the rear section 21 comprises a plurality of parallel grooves 211 with the needles 30 disposed therein , a plurality of first risers 212 formed on one side , a plurality of second risers 213 formed on the other side , a cavity 221 provided on the front section 22 with the pointed ends 31 of the needles 30 disposed therein , a forward flat 222 , and a breaking section 25 interconnected the rear section 21 and the front section 22 and including a well 251 and two side openings 252 and 253 . the grooves 231 are adapted to engage with upper portions of the needles 30 when the cover 23 is put on the rear section 21 . as such , the needles 30 are tightly retained by both the cover 23 ( i . e ., the grooves 231 ) and the rear section 21 ( i . e ., the grooves 211 ). note that each of the receiving space 24 and the cavity 221 has a sufficient height so as to successfully store the needles 30 therein . the thermoplastic sheath 40 has a section of rectangle . the thermoplastic sheath 40 is sleeved on the seat 20 after putting the cover 23 on the rear section 21 and placing the needles 30 in the grooves 211 in the receiving space 24 thereafter . the thermoplastic sheath 40 is adapted to tightly wrap both the seat 20 and the needles 30 after being subject to heat . as a result , the needles 30 disposed in the rear section 21 are protected by the thermoplastic sheath 40 . moreover , preferably , liquid adhesive is applied after placing the needles 30 in the rear section 21 and sleeving the thermoplastic sheath 40 thereon . as such , the fastening of the needles 30 can be successfully carried out by heating the adhesive and cooling thereafter . still preferably , solder is applied so that the fastening of the needles 30 can be further enhanced by heating the solder and cooling thereafter . likewise , the pointed ends 31 of the needles 30 are completely concealed in the cavity 221 after wrapping the seat 20 by the thermoplastic sheath 40 . thus , the invention can completely and satisfactorily solve the safety problem of being accidentally pricked during use . moreover , the needle storage is easy and reliable . in use , a user may hold the flat 222 to bend the front section 22 until the front section 22 is separate from the rear section 21 at the breaking section 25 ( i . e ., at the well 251 and the side openings 252 and 253 ). as a result , the pointed ends 31 are exposed . this process is quick , safe , and convenient . referring to fig4 , there is shown a tattoo needle case constructed in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the invention . the third preferred embodiment substantially has same structure as the second preferred embodiment . the characteristics of the third preferred embodiment are detailed below . the cavity 221 is a parallelogram and comprises an oblique side 221 a such that the pointed ends 31 of the needles 30 can be arranged along the oblique side 221 a . each of the front end of the cover 23 ′ and the breaking section 25 ′ is oblique and is substantially parallel to the side 221 a . the lengths of the needles 30 ′ exposed from the cover 23 ′ and the breaking section 25 ′ are about the same after breaking the front section 22 . in other words , the prolonged portions of the obliquely disposed needles 30 ′ can be supported by the breaking section 25 ′ and the front end of the cover 23 ′ by the provisions of the breaking section 25 ′ and the cover 23 ′. as a result , strength of the seat 20 can be enhanced for accommodating elongated needles . note that each of the front end of the cover 23 ′ and the breaking section 25 ′ can be formed as a curve or arc depending on applications . also , the pointed ends 31 of the needles 30 ′ are in close proximity with the curve or arc . referring to fig5 and 5 a , needles 30 are arranged in two layers and three layers in the receiving space 24 formed by the rear section 21 and the cover 23 respectively . the two - layer or three - layer arrangement can provide a convenient and quick use of the needles . referring to fig6 and 6 a , the grooves 231 of the cover 23 are engaged with the corresponding grooves 211 of rear section 21 . also , the cover 23 are spaced apart from the rear section 21 by the side flanges 232 . in a mounting operation , first place the needles 30 in the receiving space 24 and next put the cover 23 thereon for concealing the needles 30 . next , put the thermoplastic sheath 40 thereon and heat the same for fastening . referring to fig7 and 7 a , needles 30 are arranged in two layers and three layers in the rear section 21 respectively . next , put the thermoplastic sheath 40 thereon and heat the same for fastening both the rear section 21 and the needles . referring to fig8 and 8 a , needles 30 are arranged in two layers and three layers in the rear section 21 respectively . next , put the metal sheath 50 thereon . next , pressing the sheath 50 will tightly wrap both the rear section 21 and the needles 30 . as a result , the needles 30 disposed in the rear section 21 are protected . while the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments , numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims . | 0 |
referring specifically to fig1 there is shown a handheld viewer 10 designed specifically for the purposes of the invention . the viewer includes a housing member 11 with a central aperture and a pair of brackets 12 which each carry a resilient mounting strip 12a . the mounting strips are cemented to the edge of a filter 13 . a guide channel 14 formed from sheet metal is attached to the block and covers the central aperture , the channel having a matching aperture in its center aligned with the housing aperture . additional resilient strips 15 are mounted on the opposite side of the filter along the same edge portions of the filter as strips 12a . a standard film strip carrier 16 slides snugly but freely in the channel member under a slight pressure from strips 15 . an eyepiece 18 designed to match the 35 mm image format without vignetting and providing a magnification and a focal length identical to the thermal viewer is mounted in the central aperture and focussed on the film strip . the eye 19 of the trainee thus experiences approximately the same angle of view , eye relief , and image size as the operator of a thermal viewer . the film strip 17 carries a plurality of pictures or images of targets having contrast of the same order as provided by the light emitting elements of a thermal viewer . the strip is in fact a record of such images obtained by photographing the light emitting elements while the operating thermal viewer is focussed on the targets in question . black and white film captures this contrast more faithfully than does color film with its multilayer filter structures . to restore the original color the film 13 is carefully chosen . it has been found that a filter 2 &# 34 ; square 1pl limited red nbs 3215 - 60 - 7 provides an outstanding match when the images are viewed by the light from a tungsten or daylight source . this arrangement permits the trainee to learn the infrared signatures of many targets with very little effort or expense . fig2 shows the same handheld viewer 10 in combination with a special lightbox 20 . the lightbox is merely a housing 21 with a translucent light diffuser plate 22 forming the front wall . a tungsten light bulb 23 and socket 24 are mounted on the backwall and wired to any convenient power source ( not shown ) in or outside of the lightbox . a motor 25 is mounted on the same wall with a shaft 26 that extends further from the backwall than the light bulb . a chopper wheel 27 is mounted at the extreme end of the shaft and rotates in front of the light bulb . if the power source for the motor is a standard alternator , the motor can be of the synchronous type and the chopper blade can be designed to produce the same light modulations present in the thermal viewer due to the scan mirror . a variable speed motor with a control adjustment for speed will do the same . this permits the trainee to adapt himself to long periods of continuous observation and to ignore this effect when evaluating real targets . fig3 shows a far more versatile arrangement that allows for viewing of moving targets . the viewer is shown in combination with a tv type receiver 30 and a medium focal length intermediate lens 31 . the target information in this arrangement is best recorded on video tape . a video tape player 32 can then be wired by a cable 37 to the video input of the receiver to display the recorded night sight image . the information can be directly recorded from the real thermal sight using a video camera or transferred from a photographic image using video recording techniques well known in the art . the medium focal length intermediate lens forms a 35 mm image on the tv screen at the focal plane of the eyepiece of the handheld training viewer 10 . the image size can be adjusted to provide the same angle of view as a thermal viewer . a pair of contrast and brightness controls 34 and 35 are mounted in a control box 33 wired by leads 36 to the appropriate portions of the tv receiver circuits . the control box is located adjacent to and preferably on the training viewer 10 . the trainee can thus exercise the similar control over the brightness and contrast image controls that the operator of a thermal viewer can . for further realism a mock up of the actual thermal viewer housing can be made to contain the video monitor , the intermediate lens and the training viewer . the monitor brightness and contrast controls can be wired into the actual brightness and gain control pots of the mock up viewer so the trainee will actually manipulate the same controls for image quality as he would on the actual thermal viewer . since the images can vary with time , the sintillation effect of the light box of fig2 will already be present . the new dimension of moving images is also present . image information can be broadcast to any number of such receivers from a central records means or can even be generated live or delayed from remote locations , even military vehicles , aircraft or ships carrying thermal viewers . fig4 shows another arrangement which has separate advantages . instead of a tv screen , a backlighted movie projection screen 41 is provided . the ir image is projected on this screen by a moving picture projector 42 . since the images are produced from a continuous film strip 43 , a great deal of faithfully reproduced information can be easily stored at minimum expense . this arrangement can also have a control box 44 . one control 45 can vary brightness by directly or indirectly varying the current to the projector through lead 47 and the other 46 can control the projector speed for special effects and study by the trainee . many variations of the above devices and methods will immediately occur to those skilled in the art but the invention is not limited except by the claims which follow . | 0 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown . as those skilled in the art would realize , the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways , all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . it shall be noted that the drawings are schematic and do not necessarily depict exact dimensions . the relative proportions and ratios of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated or diminished in size for the sake of clarity and / or convenience , and such arbitrary proportions are intended only to be illustrative , and are not intended to be limiting in any way . like reference numerals are used for like structures , elements , or parts shown in two or more drawings to show similar characteristics . when one part is said to be “ over ” or “ on ” another part , the one part may be directly over the other part or may be accompanied by one or more other parts interposed therebetween . the drawings specifically show exemplary embodiments of the present invention . as a result , various modifications of the drawings in accordance with the present invention are anticipated . accordingly , exemplary embodiments are not limited to certain forms of the regions illustrated , but may include forms that are modified due to manufacturing , for example . hereinafter , a running machine 101 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to fig4 . as shown in fig1 and fig2 , the running machine 101 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a rotator 200 , a display unit 100 , and a support 500 , which may include two or more individual supports . the rotator 200 is in the shape of a hollow cylinder , which is set on the side of the cylinder when the rotator 200 is upright , and has a diameter that is greater than the height of an intended user , and also has a constant thickness ( e . g ., a width , or a geometric height of the cylinder ). a user may walk or run on the running machine 101 by stepping on an interior of the rotator 200 with his foot ( e . g ., at a point higher than the lowest point of the rotator 200 ). the rotator 200 of the present embodiment is formed of a transparent material . for example , the rotator 200 may be formed of glass or plastic . the display unit 100 is formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder corresponding to the shape of the rotator 200 ( e . g ., the display unit 100 may have a slightly larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of the rotator 200 ). in addition , the display unit 100 is arranged to overlap ( e . g ., encircle ) the rotator 200 and to be positioned on an exterior of the rotator 200 . that is , the interior circumference of the display unit 100 is located outside of the external circumference of the rotator 200 . in addition , as shown in fig3 , the display unit 100 and the rotator 200 are spaced from each other . the display unit 100 displays an image in a direction toward an interior of the cylinder that is the display unit 100 . further , the display unit 100 includes an organic light emitting element ( e . g ., a plurality of organic light emitting elements ). that is , the display unit 100 may be a flexible organic light emitting diode display formed in the shape of a cylinder . the flexible organic light emitting diode display forming the display unit 100 may employ various known organic light emitting diode displays . in addition , the running machine 101 may further include a pair of support rings 300 located at both edges of the rotator 200 and the display unit 100 to support the rotator 200 and the display unit 100 . in the present embodiment , the pair of support rings 300 supports the rotator 200 to be rotatable ( e . g ., the rotator 200 is able to move with respect to the rings 300 ). in addition , the display unit 100 may be fixed by the pair of support rings 300 ( e . g ., fixed with respect to the support 500 , in a non - rotatable state ) rather than rotating along , or along with , the rotator 200 . thus , the rotator 200 rotates according to motion ( i . e ., walking or running ) of the user , and the display unit 100 may provide an image and / or image information to the user walking or running along the interior of the rotator 200 . furthermore , the rotator 200 functions as a surface for supporting the user , and also functions as a protection window to protect the display unit 100 . in further detail , the display unit 100 of the present embodiment can provide exercise information of the user such as , for example , walking or running speed , calories burned , distance traveled , etc . in addition , the display unit 100 can provide an image of a user - desired environment . that is , the display unit 100 may provide images selected by the user such as , for example , a forest park , an exotic street landscape , and / or other scenes found in nature , such that exercise experience of the user can be improved . in fig3 , the running machine 101 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the rotator 200 and the display unit 100 are separated from each other , but the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto . thus , the rotator 200 and the display unit 100 may be integrally formed . in this case , the display unit 100 rotates together with the rotator 200 . in addition , the display unit 100 is driven to display an image in consideration of a rotation speed ( e . g ., the images displayed on the display unit 100 may be adjusted to produce an image that appears to be steady or stable with respect to the user despite the rotation of the display unit 100 ). for rotation of the rotator 200 , the support 500 supports the rotator 200 and the display unit 100 while putting them in an erected ( e . g ., upright ) state . the support 500 may be at opposite sides of the rotator 200 , and may be offset in a thickness or width direction of the rotator 200 , or may be aligned on opposite sides of the rotator 200 in a rotation direction of the rotator 200 . in addition , the support 500 may rotatably drive the rotator 200 , and may do so using various devices and / or methods known to a person skilled in the art . for example , the support 500 can rotate the rotator with a motor roller . the support 500 of the present embodiment is provided at both sides of the rotator 200 while the rotator 200 is in the erected ( e . g ., upright ) state . the support 500 may be formed in the shape of a triangle or a triangular pyramid including two triangle - shaped sides and three square - shaped , or rectangularly - shaped , sides coupling the two triangle - shaped sides . in this case , one of the two triangular - shaped sides contacts the rotator 200 , and one of the three squared - shaped sides may be a bottom side , or a base . in addition , at least one of an information display unit and a control panel may be provided at another side of the third square - shaped sides in the support 500 . the user may control a rotation speed of the rotator 200 through the control panel 550 of the support 500 , and / or may select the type of image displayed in the display unit 100 . with such a configuration , the running machine 101 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can improve the exercise experience of the user . hereinafter , operation of the running machine 101 provided on a table according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig4 . as shown in fig4 , the user stamps on , or steps on , the interior of the rotator 200 to walk or run . in this case , the user controls a rotation speed of the rotator 200 through the control panel 550 located in or on the support 500 , and selects an image displayed in the display unit 100 . the display unit 100 provides images such as , for example , a forest park , an exotic street landscape , and / or other scenes in nature in accordance with a rotation speed of the rotator 200 to provide the user walking or running on the rotator 200 with a visual effect of walking or running outside . accordingly , the user can expect an improved exercise experience . while embodiments of the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments , but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , and their equivalents . | 0 |
referring now in detail to the drawings and in particular , to fig1 and 2 thereof , a storage system 10 in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention , is shown in operative association with a storage area generally designated by the numeral 12 . the storage area 12 may typically consist of a clothes closet or similar structure 14 having an access opening 16 which is normally closed by one or more doors or similar movable members . by way of example , the access opening 16 of the closet 14 is normally closed by a plurality of coplanar arranged louvered doors 18 , 20 , 22 and 24 which are arranged in hingedly mounted pairs . in particular , door 18 is hingedly mounted along a generally vertical axis 26 to one side edge of the opening 16 , while door 20 is hingedly mounted along a vertical axis 28 to the opposite side edge of door 18 . in a similar manner door 24 is hingedly mounted along a vertical hinged axis 32 to the opposite side edge of the opening 16 , and door 22 is hingedly mounted to the door 24 along hinge axis 30 . with this arrangement , the doors 20 and 22 may be folded about the axes 28 and 30 , respectively , such that the forward ( outwardly facing ) sides thereof confront the forward ( outwardly facing ) sides of the aforesaid doors 18 and 24 , while the doors 18 , 20 and 22 , 24 may be folded or pivoted conjointly about the axes 26 and 32 to the fully &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; position shown in fig2 . with this arrangement , convenient access is provided to the interior of the closet 14 and at the same time access is provided to the rearward sides of the doors 18 - 24 for purposes hereinafter to be described . referring now in detail to fig3 and 4 , in accordance with the principles of the present invention , at least one , and preferably all four of the doors 18 - 24 , is provided with a storage panel member which is generally designated by the numeral 34 and for purposes of illustration is operatively associated with the door 18 which typically comprises a pair of spaced parallel vertically extending rail sections 36 and 38 between which a plurality of louvers , filler panels , etc ., 40 extend . the panel member 34 comprises a pair of vertically extending spaced parallel mounting sections 42 and 44 which define mounting surfaces 46 , 48 , respectively , that lie along an imaginary plane 50 which is spaced slightly away from the plane of the panel member 34 . the member 34 is fixedly secured to the door 18 by means of suitable screws , bolts or the like 52 which extend between the outer marginal edges of the member 34 and rails 36 , 38 of the door 18 . it will be appreciated , of course , that various alternative means may be utilized for operatively securing the panel 34 to the door 18 , such as by a suitable adhesive or the like ( not shown ). preferably , however , the panel member 34 is coextensive of the entire side of the associated door 18 , as best seen in fig3 although for certain applications , it may be desired to have the panel member 34 extend only partially or a fraction of the entire length of the door 18 , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . the mounting sections 42 , 44 of the panel member 34 and in particular , the surfaces 46 , 48 thereof define pairs of laterally aligned apertures or bores , generally designated by the numeral 54 which , as best seen in fig5 are inclined slightly upwardly toward the rearward sides of the doors 18 - 20 . the bores 54 are adapted to nestingly receive mounting elements , generally designated by the numeral 56 , which are generally rod - shaped or of a dowel configuration and are adapted to operatively support hereinafter to be described storage containers , generally designated by the numeral 58 , upon the associated panel member 34 . as best seen in fig3 and 7 , the storage containers 58 may be of a variety of different constructions but are all preferably of a generally parallelpiped or rectangular configuration having front portions 60 , side portions 62 , 64 and a bottom portion 66 . the containers may have an open upper side or top 68 into which articles to be stored may be inserted , and the front portions or sides 60 thereof may be cut away , as seen at 70 in fig3 to facilitate removal of the articles . if desired , suitable partitions , as indicated at 72 in fig3 may be provided for separating articles within the containers 58 , and the containers 58 may be relatively shallow ( for storing small articles ), or relatively deep as indicated at 74 in fig3 . if desired , multiple partitions 76 , 78 may be utilized in the containers 58 and the forward sides 60 thereof may be removed in order to provide convenient access and removal of articles as indicated in the container 80 in fig3 . if desired , the storage containers may merely consist of a shelf or horizontal platform 82 as seen in fig7 having a pair of end members 84 , 86 and rearwardly extending back flanges 88 , 90 . a preferred construction of the sotrage containers is depicted in fig1 and hereinafter described . regardless of the relative size , dimension , number and type of access openings and / or internal partitions , each of the storage containers 58 is provided with a back or rearward side , as indicated at 92 in fig5 ( or in the case of the shelf 82 , the back flanges 88 , 90 ). formed in the rearward side 92 is a pair of openings or apertures 94 which are spaced apart a distance equal to the space between the mounting sections 42 , 44 and are adapted to align with the apertures 54 formed therein , whereby the outer ends of the mounting elements 56 may extend through the apertures 94 and thereby support the containers 58 upon the panel member 34 . by virtue of the upwardly inclined orientation of the mounting elements 56 , the various storage containers 58 will be mounted in tight contiguous engagement with the surfaces 46 , 48 so as to assure that the containers 58 do not become inadvertently disassembled from the panel member 34 , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . fig6 illustrates a slightly modified embodiment of the present invention wherein a door 100 is fabricated of a molded material , such as a suitable rigid ( or reinforced ) polyurethane foam or the like and comprises a pair of spaced parallel vertically extending mounting sections 102 and 104 . as will be apparent , the mounting sections 102 , 104 are formed integrally of the door 100 and as such obviate the need for having an entire panel , such as the panel 34 , secured to the door per se . the mounting sections 102 , 104 are formed with a plurality of laterally spaced pairs of aligned bores 106 which are analogous to the aforementioned bores 54 , and like the bores 54 , are inclined upwardly slightly and adapted to receive the ends of associated mounting elements , such as the mounting elements 56 , whereby one or more of the aforediscussed storage containers 58 may be mounted at selected vertical positions along the door 100 . fig7 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention where a standard door 110 may be adapted to the principles of the present invention through the provision of a pair of mounting strips 112 and 114 which are mounted in the spaced parallel relationship on one surface of the door 110 . the strips 112 , 114 may be secured to the door 110 by any suitable means , such as screws , bolts , adhesive , etc ., and are provided with a plurality of aligned blind bores 116 adapted to receive mounting elements 56 which function to support storage containers 58 . it is to be noted that while particular reference has been made herein to the specific application of the present invention to the door per se , the present invention is not necessarily so limited in view of the fact that the principles of the present invention could be applied satisfactorily to any suitable partition , vertical wall surface or the like whereby to achieve the objects of the present invention , namely , to provide storage space at a location where suitable storage facilities were previously unavailable . this object is particularly satisfied in connection with the door arrangement shown in fig1 - 3 wherein doors 18 - 24 normally close at access opening 16 to the closet 14 . when the doors 18 - 24 are in their closed position , all of the storage containers 58 are entirely hidden from view so as to not be objectionable from an aesthetic standpoint . however , through simple manipulation or opening of the respective doors , complete access may be had to all of the storage containers 58 for purposes of removing articles from or replacing articles thereinto . by virtue of the fact that the containers 58 do not extend any significant distance into the closet 14 , there is no interference whatsoever with the articles which are normally stored therein , such as hanging clothes , etc . consequently , the present invention significantly enhances or supplements existing storage space without in any way interfering with articles which are normally stored therein . referring now in detail to fig8 and 9 , another embodiment of the present invention is shown in the form of a unitized storage structure , generally designated 150 , which is in the form of a totally prefabricated or preassembled structure adapted to be operatively mounted within a rough opening or recess 152 formed in a wall or similar structure 154 . the structure 150 includes spaced apart sides 156 , 158 , top 160 , bottom 162 and defines a forwardly exposed access opening 164 . as in the case with the opening 16 , the opening 164 is adapted to be closed by louvered or similar type doors 166 , 168 , 170 and 172 which are preferably , although not necessarily , hingedly mounted in the same manner as the doors 18 - 24 . preferably , the entire storage structure 150 is fabricated of molded fiberglass , plastic or the like so that it may be entirely preassembled and have the doors 166 - 172 prehung or mounted therein preparatory to assembly within the recess 152 in much the same way as molded fiberglass tub and shower enclosures are premanufactured and assembled . the dimensions of the structure 150 may vary , of course , depending upon the application thereof , although in the embodiment disclosed herein , the depth and width thereof are sufficient to accommodate a pair of transverse closet bars 174 , 176 and a laterally extending closet bar 178 upon which clothes or similar articles may be hung in a manner well known in the art . if desired , the structure may be provided with an interior mirror or the like 180 and have a stool or similar structure 182 be provided , which stool 182 may be combined with a shoe rack or the like . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , by having the storage structure entirely premanufactured , installation time and effort will be minimized to the extreme and that it will merely be necessary to place the structure 150 into the recess or opening 152 and secure the structure 150 in place by any suitable means , i . e ., screws , nails , adhesive , etc . the doors 166 - 172 are preferably , although not necessarily , of the type shown in fig6 and as such are adapted to have a plurality of storage containers 184 located at selected vertical locations or positions on the rearward or interior sides thereof . the storage containers 184 may take the form of any of the containers 58 hereinbefore described or alternatively , may take the form of the preferred construction shown in fig1 wherein a storage container , generally designated by the numeral 190 is shown as comprising a generally vertically disposed back member 192 which is connected at the lower edge thereof to a generally horizontally arranged bottom member 194 . the back member 192 includes a pair of openings 196 formed in a pair of upstanding leg sections 198 which are intended to cooperate with suitable mounting elements ( not shown ) such as the aforedescribed dowel or rod - shaped mounting elements 56 , in securing the container 190 to the associated door . as will be appreciated , the container 190 may be used merely as a storage shelf in the form depicted in fig1 , or if desired , one or more partition members , such as the member 204 , may be operatively associated with the back and bottom members 192 , 194 in providing a partitioned shelf . by way of example , openings 200 and 202 may be formed in the members 194 and 192 , respectively , and adapted for cooperation with complementary - shaped lugs or bosses 206 on the partition member 204 for securing the latter in place . if desired , multiple partition members may be utilized when necessary . if it is desired to convert the container 190 to a partially enclosed container , an enclosure member , such as is designated by the numeral 208 , may be operatively associated with the members 192 , 194 . the enclosure member 208 includes a front or forward side 210 and opposed end portions 212 and 214 . the enclosure member 208 is adapted to be surmounted upon the bottom member 194 for providing a partially enclosed container , with downwardly directed lugs or bosses 216 being receivable within complementary - shaped openings 218 in the bottom member 194 and rearwardly directed hooks or the like 222 on the enclosure member 218 being operatively received within suitable recesses or openings 220 on the leg portions 198 . if desired , a suitable dust cover member or the like 224 may be operatively associated with the members 192 , 194 and 208 for providing a totally enclosed container . such a cover member 224 may be provided with lugs or bosses 226 which are cooperative with complementary - shaped bores or openings 228 for securing and properly orienting the cover member 224 . alternatively , a pair of end members 250 , 252 may be located at the opposite ends of the container 190 and be secured therein in the same manner as the aforementioned end portions 212 , 214 of the enclosure member 208 . a plurality of dove - tailed or other suitably shaped slots 254 and 256 may be provided in the members 192 , 194 for cooperating with a front plate or side member 258 in supporting one or more partition members , such as the member 204 . as will be appreciated , the aforementioned bosses and boss receiving recesses or bores may , for certain applications , be eliminated by properly designing the edges of the partition member ( s ) 204 to slide into the slots 254 , 256 . the container 190 consisting of the members 192 , 194 and end members 250 , 252 may be enclosed by a suitable dust cover or closure member 260 which may , if desired , be transparent to permit viewing of the interior of the container . suitable securing means , such as fastening bosses or the like ( not shown ) may be cooperative with the openings 218 , etc ., in operatively securing the dust cover 260 in place . the various members 192 , 194 , 204 , 208 , 224 , 250 , 252 , 258 and 260 are preferably fabricated of a molded plastic material or the like and are adapted to provide universality of application by standardizing as many component parts of the storage containers 190 as possible yet provide maximum versatility for storing articles of different sizes and shapes . with the arrangement described above , it is possible to provide a storage system consisting merely of a plurality of shelves and to later convert such shelves to storage containers ( either partially or totally enclosed ) through the utilization of additional members 208 , 204 , 224 , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . while it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated , it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims . | 0 |
the “ l - arabinose metabolic pathway ” or “ bacterial l - arabinose metabolic pathway ”, such as it occurs in e . coli , is shown in fig2 . this metabolic pathway contains 3 enzymes : l - arabinose isomerase , l - ribulokinase and l - ribulose - 5 - p - 4 - epimerase . the genes that code for these enzymes are called araa , arab and arad . l - arabinose isomerase converts l - arabinose to l - ribulose , which is further metabolised to l - ribulose - 5 - phosphate by the l - ribulokinase . finally , the l - ribulose - 5 - p - 4 - epimerase converts l - ribulose - 5 - phosphate to d - xylulose - 5 - phosphate . the intermediate metabolite d - xylulose - 5 - phosphate is formed by the heterologously expressed genes of the l - arabinose metabolic pathway , particularly the bacterial l - arabinose metabolic pathway , in the yeast cell . d - xylulose - 5 - phosphate functions as an intermediate of the pentose phosphate pathway and can be further decomposed to ethanol under anaerobic conditions in a yeast cell . enzymes of the xylose metabolic pathway are also found in fungi , and these and other enzymes isolated from eukaryotes can also be used as enzymes for the l - arabinose metabolic pathway . the three nucleic acid sequences of the nucleic acid molecules according to the invention , each of which codes for a polypeptide of an l - arabinose metabolic pathway , are preferably araa ( l - arabinose isomerase ), arab ( l - ribulokinase ) and arad ( l - ribulose - 5 - p - 4 - epimerase ). the nucleic acid molecules according to the invention preferably comprise nucleic acid sequences that are identical with the naturally occurring nucleic acid sequence or that have been codon - optimised for use in a host cell . each amino acid is encoded by one codon . however , there are several different codons that code for an individual amino acid . the genetic code is , thus , degenerated . the preferred codon selection for a corresponding amino acid varies from one organism to another . for example , problems may arise in heterologously expressed genes if the host organism or host cell has a very different codon usage . the gene can only be expressed very slowly , if at all . differing codon usage may even be observed in genes of different metabolic pathways within the same organism . the glycolysis genes from s . cerevisiae are known to be expressed strongly . they have a highly restrictive codon usage . adapting the codon usage of the bacterial genes of the arabinose metabolic pathway to the codon usage of the glycolysis genes from s . cerevisiae leads to improved arabinose metabolism in yeast . for codon optimisation , the inventors did not rely on the usual platforms of synthetic gene designers for heterologous expression ( such as synthetic gene designer as described in wu et al . 2006 ), instead they adapted the codon optimisation specifically to the codon usage of the glycolysis genes in the yeast . the glycolysis genes in the yeast have a highly restrictive codon usage , which is aligned with the frequency of the corresponding trna . the glycolysis genes use mainly codons for which there are high concentrations of the corresponding trnas , which in turn results in greater translation efficiency and gene expression ( bennetzen and hall , 1982 , hoekema et al ., 1987 ). in contrast , the usual synthetic gene designers are geared more to the average codon usage of all the genes in an organism , not just those that are highly expressed , and they also take into account other factors , such as stability . accordingly , codon optimisation with the aid of such an electronic platform , such as the one described in wu et al . 2006 , results in a nucleic acid sequence that is entirely different from the one disclosed in this patent specification . according to the invention , at least two of the three nucleic acid sequences , and preferably all three nucleic acid sequences , have been codon optimised for use in a host cell . the nucleic acid sequence for arab ( l - ribulokinase ) and the nucleic acid sequence for arad ( l - ribulose - 5 - p - 4 - epimerase ) are preferably derived from e . coli . thereby , the nucleic acid sequence for arab preferably comprises a nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 1 and the nucleic acid sequence for arad preferably comprises a nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 2 . the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 1 is the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of arab mut from e . coli in a codon - optimised form . the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 2 is the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of arad from e . coli in a codon - optimised form . the nucleic acid sequence for araa ( l - arabinose isomerase ) is preferably derived from bacillus licheniformis or clostridium acetobutylicum . these l - arabinose isomerases are advantageous for the growth of yeast transformants on an arabinose medium . example 1 shows ( see also fig4 ) that , compared with the isomerase from b . subtilis , particularly the expression of the l - arabinose isomerase from c . acetobutylicum and b . licheniformis significantly improved the growth of yeast transformants on arabinose medium . thereby , the nucleic acid sequence for araa preferably comprises a nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 3 , 4 or 5 . the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 3 is the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of araa from bacillus licheniformis in a codon - optimised form . the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 4 is the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of araa from bacillus licheniformis . the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 5 is the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of araa from clostridium acetobutylicum . accordingly , the nucleic acid sequences with seq id nos : 4 and 5 are naturally occurring nucleic acid sequences . in a particularly preferred embodiment , a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention comprises the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 1 , the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 2 and the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 3 , 4 or 5 . most preferable is a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention that comprises the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 1 , the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 2 , and the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no : 3 . yeast transformants that have the two codon - optimised genes of the kinase ( arab , seq id no : 1 ) and the epimerase ( arad , seq id no : 2 ), and yeast transformants in which all three genes have been codon - optimised ( arab : seq id no : 1 , arad : seq id no : 2 and araa : seq id no : 3 ), show a considerable growth advantage in a medium containing arabinose compared to yeast transformants that have only one codon - optimised gene . the strains show a considerably shorter lag phase and grow to their maximum optical density considerably faster ( see example 2 ). the combination of three codon - optimised genes enables recombinant s . cerevisiae cells to convert l - arabinose considerably more efficiently . the object is further solved according to the invention by the provision of expression cassettes comprising a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention . furthermore , the expression cassettes according to the invention preferably comprise promoter and terminator sequences . promoter sequences are preferably selected from hxt7 , truncated hxt7 , pfk1 , fba1 , pgk1 , adh1 and tdh3 . terminator sequences are preferably selected from cyc1 , fba1 , pgk1 , pfk1 , adh1 and tdh3 . thereby , it is preferable that different pairs of promoter and terminator sequences control each of the three nucleic acid sequences . this is necessary to avoid possible homologous recombination between the promoter and / or terminator regions / sequences . according to the invention , the pairs of promoter and terminator sequences are preferably selected from an hxt7 or truncated hxt7 promoter and cyc1 terminator , a pfk1 promoter and fba1 terminator , and an fba1 promoter and pgk1 terminator . particularly preferred is a nucleic acid sequence for araa controlled by the hxt7 or truncated hxt7 promoter and the cyc1 terminator . particularly preferred is a nucleic acid sequence for arab controlled by the pfk1 promoter and the fba1 terminator . particularly preferred is a nucleic acid sequence for arad controlled by the fba1 promoter and the pgk1 terminator . the expression cassettes according to the invention preferably comprise 5 ′ and / or 3 ′ recognition sequences as well . the object is further solved according to the invention by provision of expression vectors , comprising a nucleic acid molecule or an expression cassette according to the invention . the expression vectors according to the invention preferably comprise a selection marker as well . the selection marker is preferably selected from a leucine marker , an uracil marker or a dominant antibiotic marker . a preferred dominant antibiotic marker is selected from geneticin , hygromycin and nourseothricin . an expression vector according to the invention is preferably selected from the group p425h7synthara , prs303x , p3rs305x or p3rs306x . for industrial applications , it would be ideal if the microorganism used were capable of metabolising all of the sugars present in the medium . since the yeasts that are currently used are not capable of metabolising the arabinose in the medium , it would be highly advantageous to provide the strains with this additional capability in stable manner . in order to achieve this , an expression vector with genes of an arabinose metabolic pathway is highly beneficial . this expression vector can then be genomically integrated in a stable manner and can allow for the metabolisation of arabinose in industrial strains . this invention succeeded ( see also examples ) in constructing a vector that codes for an expression cassette with three genes of an arabinose metabolic pathway , particularly a bacterial metabolic pathway . in this way , it is possible to circumvent the problems that may arise when several plasmids are present in the same cell at the same time (“ plasmid stress ”, review of e . coli by bailey ( 1993 )). furthermore , stable genomic integration of the arabinose metabolic pathway genes is enabled . the problems associated with constructing an expression cassette of the arabinose metabolic pathway genes and integrating it in a manner that is genomically stable have already been shown by becker ( 2003 ) and wiedemann ( 2005 ). by selecting promoters and terminators in combination with using the improved l - arabinose isomerase and the codon - optimised versions of the genes involved , the construction of this functional expression cassette according to the invention was achieved . the expression cassette constructed with the three genes according to the invention represents an excellent starting point for a direct genomic integration as well as enables subcloning into the integrative plasmids of the series prs303x , prs305x and prs306x ( taxis and knop , 2006 ). furthermore , a plurality of experimental obstacles and difficulties had to be overcome in the process of cloning the three genes with the different promoters and terminators , and these are reported in greater detail in the examples and figures . finding an l - arabinose isomerase that functions better , such as is more efficient , in yeast . cloning the isomerase proved to be difficult and time - consuming . the vector according to the invention is the first vector described that contains all the essential genes for converting arabinose in yeast . the vector contains all the genes in functional form and enables the recombinant yeast a good arabinose growth . functionality as well as very good arabinose growth were by no means expected . the object is further solved according to the invention by providing host cells that contain a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention , an expression cassette according to the invention , or an expression vector according to the invention . in a particularly preferred embodiment , a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention , an expression cassette according to the invention or an expression vector according to the invention is integrated in stable manner in the genome of the host cell . for industrial applications , it would be ideal if the microorganism used were capable of metabolising all of the sugars present in the medium . since the yeasts that are currently used are not capable of metabolising the arabinose in the medium , it would be highly advantageous to provide the strains with this additional capability in stable manner . in order to achieve this , a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention , an expression cassette according to the invention or an expression vector according to the invention can be genomically integrated in stable manner and can allow for the metabolisation of arabinose in industrial strains . using the nucleic acid molecules according to the invention ensures a very efficient arabinose conversion in industrial strains . previously , the practice of introducing the genes of the bacterial l - arabinose metabolic pathway individually was associated with the difficulty that the genes were not present in an optimal ratio to each other . the transformations were time - consuming and the resulting arabinose metabolism was often not as efficient as desired . moreover , the properties provided were often not stable . in contrast , the expression cassette according to the invention or the expression vector according to the invention , respectively , enable the bacterial l - arabinose metabolic pathway to be introduced quickly and functionally . with the selection of the promoters , it was possible to combine the genes together on one nucleic acid molecule , one expression cassette or one expression vector . the integration of the nucleic acid molecule according to the invention , the expression cassette according to the invention or the expression vector according to the invention , respectively , further guarantees an efficient arabinose conversion . a host cell according to the invention is preferably a fungus cell , and more preferably a yeast cell , such as saccharomyces species , kluyveromyces sp ., hansenula sp ., pichia sp . or yarrowia sp . in particular , a host cell according to the invention is selected from bwy1 , cen . pk113 - 7d , red star ethanol red and fermiol . the object is further solved according to the invention by providing methods for producing bioethanol . one method according to the invention comprises the expression of a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention , an expression cassette according to the invention , or an expression vector according to the invention in a host cell . thereby , the method is preferably carried out in a host cell according to the invention . the object is further solved according to the invention by the use of a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention , an expression cassette according to the invention , an expression vector according to the invention , or a host cell according to the invention to produce bioethanol . the object is further solved according to the invention by the use of nucleic acid molecule according to the invention , an expression cassette according to the invention , an expression vector according to the invention , or a host cell according to the invention for recombinant fermentation of pentose - containing biomaterial . for the methods and uses , see the examples and figures . the results of fermentation recorded in example 2 show that especially the codon - optimised genes of araa , arab and arad enable the yeast transformants to metabolise arabinose more efficiently . the result of this is faster conversion of the sugar and a significantly higher ethanol yield . the object is further solved according to the invention by providing a polypeptide selected from the group of a . a polypeptide which is at least 70 %, preferably at least 80 % identical to the amino acid sequence that is coded by seq id no : 3 , 4 or 5 , and has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function , b . a naturally occurring variant of a polypeptide including the amino acid sequence that is coded by seq id no : 3 , 4 or 5 , which has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function , c . a polypeptide which is identical to the amino acid sequence that is coded by seq id no : 3 , 4 or 5 , and has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function , and d . a fragment of the polypeptide from a ., b . or c ., comprising a fragment of at least 100 , 200 or 300 continuous amino acids of the amino acid sequence that is coded by seq id no : 3 , 4 or 5 . a . a polypeptide which is at least 70 %, preferably at least 80 % identical to the amino acid sequence according to seq id no : 6 or 7 , and has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function , b . a naturally occurring variant of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence according to seq id no : 6 or 7 , which has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function , c . a polypeptide which is identical to the amino acid sequence according to seq id no : 6 or 7 , and has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function , and d . a fragment of the polypeptide from a ., b . or c ., comprising a fragment of at least 100 , 200 or 300 continuous amino acids according to seq id no : 6 or 7 . a polypeptide according to the invention preferably comprises a polypeptide which is at least 90 %, preferably 95 % identical to the amino acid sequence that is coded by seq id no : 3 , 4 or 5 , and has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function . such a polypeptide according to the invention preferably comprises a polypeptide which is at least 90 %, preferably 95 % identical to the amino acid sequence according to seq id no : 6 or 7 , and has an in vitro and / or in vivo pentose isomerase function . the amino acid sequence with seq id no . 6 is the amino acid sequence of bacillus licheniformis l - arabinose isomerase ( araa ). this amino acid sequence is preferably coded by the nucleic acid sequences with seq id nos . 3 or 4 . the amino acid sequence with seq id no . 7 is the amino acid sequence of clostridium acetobutylicum l - arabinose isomerase ( araa ). this amino acid sequence is preferably coded by the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no . 5 . the polypeptide according to the invention preferably originates from a bacterium , more preferably from bacillus licheniformis or clostridium acetobutylicum . these l - arabinose isomerases are advantageous for the growth of yeast transformants on arabinose medium . a number of different experiments indicated that the l - arabinose isomerase from b . subtilis that was used previously represents a limiting step in the decomposition of arabinose in yeast ( becker and boles , 2003 ; wiedemann , 2003 ; karhumaa et al , 2006 ; sedlak and ho , 2001 ). example 1 shows ( see also fig4 ) that the growth of yeast transformants on arabinose medium is significantly improved particularly by the expression of l - arabinose isomerase from c . acetobutylicum and from b . licheniformis , in comparison to the isomerase from b . subtilis . the object is further solved according to the invention by providing an isolated nucleic acid molecule that codes for a polypeptide according to the invention . additionally , the object is further solved according to the invention by providing a host cell that contains such an isolated nucleic acid molecule . for preferred embodiments of the isolated nucleic acid molecule and of the host cells , reference is made to the embodiments described above . the polypeptide according to the invention , the isolated nucleic acid molecule according to the invention and the host cell according to the invention are preferably used in the production of bioethanol and for recombinant fermentation of pentose - containing biomaterial . a further aspect of the present invention are host cells that contain one or more modifications , such as nucleic acid molecules . an additional modification of such kind is a host cell that overexpresses a tal1 ( transaldolase ) gene , such as is described by the inventors in ep 1 499 708 b1 , for example . a further such additional modification is a host cell that contains a nucleic acid coding for a specific l - arabinose transporter gene ( arat ), particularly such as a specific l - arabinose transporter gene from the genome of p . stipitis , such as is described by the inventors in german patent application de 10 1006 060 381 . 8 , filed on dec . 20 , 2006 . further biomass with significant amounts of arabinose ( source of the data : u . s . department of energy : the nucleic acids , expression cassettes , expression vectors and host cells according to the invention are also of great importance for their utilization . possible uses of the nucleic acids , expression cassettes , expression vectors and host cells according to the invention include both the production of bioethanol and the manufacture of high - quality precursor products for further chemical synthesis . the following list originates from the study “ top value added chemicals from biomass ”. here , 30 chemicals were categorized as being particularly valuable , which can be produced from biomass . it is important to have the nucleic acids , expression cassettes , expression vectors and host cells according to the invention available as soon as these chemicals are produced from lignocellulose by biokonversion ( e . g . fermentations with yeasts ). the present invention will be explained in greater detail in the following figures , sequences and examples , without limitation thereto . the references cited are fully incorporated herein by reference thereto . in the sequences and figures are shown : seq id no : 1 shows the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of arab mut from e . coli in a codon - optimised form . seq id no : 2 shows the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of arad from e . coli in a codon - optimised form . seq id no : 3 shows the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of araa from b . licheniformis in a codon - optimised form . seq id no : 4 shows the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of araa from b . licheniformis . seq id no : 5 shows the gene sequence of the open reading frame ( orf ) of araa from c . acetobutylicum . seq id no . 6 shows the amino acid sequence of the bacillus licheniformis l - arabinose isomerase ( araa ). this amino acid sequence is preferably coded by the nucleic acid sequences with seq id nos . 3 or 4 . seq id no . 7 shows the amino acid sequence of the clostridium acetobutylicum l - arabinose isomerase ( araa ). this amino acid sequence is preferably coded by the nucleic acid sequence with seq id no . 5 . biomass consists of cellulose , hemicellulose and lignin . the second most frequently occurring hemicellulose is a highly branched polymer consisting of pentoses , uronic acids and hexoses . the hemicellulose consists in a large proportion of the pentoses xylose and arabinose . fig2 scheme of the metabolism of l - arabinose in recombinant s . cerevisiae by integration of a bacterial l - arabinose metabolic pathway . the initial plasmid for construction of the vector p425h7synthara ( fig3 a ) was the plasmid p425hxt7 - 6his ( fig3 b ). the open reading frames of the codon - optimised genes of araa from b . licheniformis and arab mut and arad from e . coli were amplified and cloned into the plasmid p425hxt7 - 6his after various promoters and terminators . the primers were selected in such manner that the resulting expression cassette was flanked by the restriction sites of enzymes paci and asci . thereby , the plasmid p425h7synthara was produced , which has a leucine marker . fig4 growth on arabinose using various l - arabinose isomerase genes . growth curves of recombinant s . cerevisiae strains containing the bacterial l - arabinose metabolism with various l - arabinose isomerases . growth tests were conducted in 5 ml sm medium with 2 % arabinose under aerobic conditions . the l - arabinose isomerases of c . acetobutylicum , b . licheniformis , p . pentosaceus , l . plantarum and l . mesenteroides were tested . the l - arabinose isomerase from b . subtilis and the empty vector p423hxt7 - 6his were used as controls . fig5 growth on arabinose using codon - optimised arabinose metabolic pathway genes . growth curves of recombinant s . cerevisiae strains containing the bacterial l - arabinose metabolism with different combinations of codon - optimised genes and the genes with original sequences . growth tests were conducted in 5 ml sm medium with 2 % arabinose under aerobic conditions . each of the combinations that contained one of the codon optimised genes respectively , and the combination containing all three codon - optimised genes were tested . in addition , the combination in which the codon - optimised genes of kinase and epimerase were present was also tested . a recombinant yeast strain with the four genes having the original sequences was used as a control . fig6 a - 6b ethanol formation using codon - optimised arabinose metabolic pathway genes . the figure shows the results of hplc analyses of the media supernatants from two fermentations . ( 6 a ) one fermentation was carried out with strain bwy1 , which possesses plasmids p423h7synthiso , p424h7synthkin , p425h7synthepi and phl125 re ( 3xsynth ). ( 6 b ) in the other fermentation , strain bwy1 was tested , containing plasmids p423h7araabs re , p424h7arab re , p425h7arad re and phl125 re ( 3xre ). the fermentations were carried out in sfm medium with 3 % l - arabinose . the strains were grown to a high optical density in the fermenter . then , the fermentation was changed to anaerobic conditions ( after 48 hours ). the plots show arabinose consumption and ethanol production . fig7 growth on arabinose using the constructed expression plasmid p425h7 - synthara . growth curves of recombinant s . cerevisiae strains containing bacterial l - arabinose metabolism in the form of the vector p425h7 - synthara . growth tests were conducted in 5 ml sc medium with 2 % arabinose under aerobic conditions . a recombinant yeast strain with the plasmids p423h7araabs re , p424h7arab re , p425h7arad re and phl125 re , which had been tested in 5 ml sm medium with 2 % arabinose , was used as the control . e . coli sure ( stratagene ) e . coli dh5α ( stratagene ) bacillus licheniformis ( dsmz ) clostridium acetobutylicum ( dsmz ) leuconostoc mesenteroides ( dsmz ) pediococcus pentosaceus ( dsmz ) lactobacillus plantarum ( dsmz ) full medium lb 1 % trypton , 0 . 5 % yeast extract , 0 . 5 % nacl , ph 7 . 5 ( see maniatis , 1982 ). 40 μg / ml ampicillin was added to the medium after autoclaving for selection based on plasmid - coded antibiotic resistance . solid culture media also contained 2 % agar . culturing was performed at 37 ° c . bwy1 is based on the strain jby25 ( mata leu2 - 3 , 112 ura3 - 52 trp1 - 289 his3 - δ1mal2 - 8c suc2 + unknown mutations for better growth on arabinose ); the strain jby25 was selected further and possesses additional mutations for improved growth on l - arabinose under reduced oxygen conditions ( wiedemann , 2005 ) 0 . 67 % yeast nitrogen base w / o amino acids , ph 6 . 3 , amino acid / nucleobase solution , carbon source at the concentration indicated in each case 0 . 16 % yeast nitrogen base w / o amino acid and ammonium sulphate , 0 . 5 % ammonium sulphate , 20 mm potassium dihydrogen phosphate , ph 6 . 3 , carbon source at the concentration indicated in each case ( verduyn et al ., 1992 ), ph 5 . 5 salts : ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 , 5 g / l ; kh 2 po 4 , 3 g / l ; mgso 4 * 7h 2 o , 0 . 5 g / l trace elements : edta , 15 mg / l , znso 4 * 4 . 5 mg / l ; mncl 2 * 4h 2 o , 0 . 1 mg / l ; cocl 2 * 6h 2 o , 0 . 3 mg / l ; cuso 4 , 0 . 192 mg / l ; na 2 moo 4 * 2h 2 o , 0 . 4 mg / l ; cacl 2 * 2h 2 o , 4 . 5 mg / l ; feso 4 * 7h 2 o , 3 mg / l ; h 3 bo 3 , 1 mg / l ; ki , 0 . 1 mg / l vitamins : biotin , 0 . 05 mg / l ; p - aminobenzoic acid , 0 . 2 mg / l ; nicotinic acid , 1 mg / l ; calcium pantothenate , 1 mg / l ; pyridoxin - hcl , 1 mg / l ; thiamin - hcl , 1 mg / l ; m inositol , 25 mg / 1 concentration of amino acids and nucleobases in the synthetic complete medium ( based on zimmermann , 1975 ): adenine ( 0 . 08 mm ), arginine ( 0 . 22 mm ), histidine ( 0 . 25 mm ), isoleucine ( 0 . 44 mm ), leucine ( 0 . 44 mm ), lysine ( 0 . 35 mm ), methionine ( 0 . 26 mm ), phenylalanine ( 0 . 29 mm ), tryptophan ( 0 . 19 mm ), threonine ( 0 . 48 mm ), tyrosine ( 0 . 34 mm ), uracil ( 0 . 44 mm ), valine ( 0 . 49 mm ). l - arabinose and d - glucose were used as the carbon source . solid full and selective media also contained 1 . 8 % agar . the yeast cells were cultured at 30 ° c . the synthetic mineral medium used for the fermentations contained salts , trace metals and vitamins in the concentrations listed above and l - arabinose as the carbon source . stock solutions of the trace metals and of the vitamins were prepared . both solutions were sterile filtered . both were stored at 4 ° c . the ph value are critically important to the preparation of the trace metal solution . the various trace elements had to be completely dissolved in water one after the other in the order given above . after each addition , the ph value had to be adjusted to 6 . 0 with koh before the next trace element could be added . finally , the ph value was adjusted to 4 . 0 with hcl . 200 μl antifoaming agent ( antifoam2004 , sigma ) was added to the medium to prevent foaming . since the tests were carried out under anaerobic conditions , 2 . 5 ml / l of a tween80 - ergosterol solution had to be added to the medium after autoclaving . this consists of 16 . 8 g tween80 and 0 . 4 g ergosterol , which was filled to 50 ml with ethanol and dissolved therein . the solution was sterile filtered . the salts and the antifoaming agent were autoclaved together with the complete fermenter . the arabinose was autoclaved separately from the rest of the medium . after the medium cooled down , the trace elements and vitamins were added to it . plasmid source / reference description p423hxt7 - 6his becker and boles , 2003 2μ expression plasmid for overexpression of various genes (= p423h7 ) and for fusing the e . coli l - arabinose isomerase with an his 6 epitope ; his3 selection marker gene , shortened hxt7 promoter and cyc1 terminator ( hamacher et al ., 2002 ) p424hxt7 - 6his becker and boles , 2003 2μ expression plasmid for overexpression of various genes (= p424h7 ) and for fusing the mutated and the wild type e . coli l - ribulokinase with an his 6 epitope ; trp1 selection marker gene , shortened hxt7 promoter and cyc1 terminator ( hamacher et al ., 2002 ) p425hxt7 - 6his becker and boles , 2003 2μ expression plasmid for overexpression of various genes ; (= p425h7 ) leu2 selection marker gene , shortened hxt7 promoter and cyc1 terminator ( hamacher et al ., 2002 ) p426hxt7 - 6his hamacher et al ., 2002 2μ expression plasmid for overexpression of genes (= p426h7 ) producing an his 6 epitope ; ura3 selection marker gene , shortened hxt7 promotor and cyc1 terminator p423h7araabs re becker and boles , 2003 b . subtilis araa in p423hxt7 - his , re - isolated from jby25 - 4m p424h7arab becker and boles , 2003 e . coli arab in p423hxt7 - his p424h7arab re becker and boles , 2003 e . coli arab in p423hxt7 - his ; re - isolated from jby25 - 4m , mutation in arab , which enables arabinose growth p425h7arad re becker and boles , 2003 e . coli arad in p425hxt7 - his ; re - isolated from jby25 - 4m p423h7 - synthiso b . licheniformis araa codon - optimised in p423hxt7 - his p424h7 - synthkin e . coli arab codon - optimised in p424hxt7 - his , with mutation in arab p425h7 - synthepi e . coli arad codon - optimised in p425hxt7 - his p425h7 - synthara 2μ plasmid with codon - optimised genes araa , arab mut and arad ; araa under control of the fba1 promoter and pgk1 terminator , arab mut under control of the pfk1 promoter and fba1 terminator , and arad under control of the shortened hxt7 promoter and the cyc1 terminator , leu2 selection marker gene phl125 re liang and gaber , 1996 2μ plasmid with the gal2 gene expressed after the adh1 promoter , ura3 selection marker gene ; re - isolated from jby25 - 4m the e . coli cells were transformed by the electroporation method described by dower et al . ( 1988 ) and wirth ( 1993 ) using an easyject prima device ( equibo ). s . cerevisiae strains were transformed with plasmid dna or dna fragments using the lithium acetate method of gietz and woods ( 1994 ). plasmid dna was isolated from e . coli with the alkaline lysis procedure developed by birnboim and doly ( 1979 ), modified according to maniatis et al . ( 1982 ), or alternatively with the “ qiaprep spin miniprep kit ” manufactured by qiagen . highly pure plasmid dna for sequencing was prepared with the “ plasmid mini kit ” manufactured by qiagen according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . the cells of a stationary yeast culture ( 5 ml ) were harvested by centrifuging , washed and resuspended in 400 μl p1 buffer ( plasmid mini kit , qiagen ). after the addition of 400 μl p2 buffer and ⅔ volume glass beads ( ø0 . 45 mm , cell disruption was performed by shaking for 5 minutes on a vibrax ( vibrax - vxr manufactured by janke & amp ; kunkel or ika ). the residue was filled with ½ volume p3 buffer , mixed and incubated on ice for 10 min . after centrifuging for 10 minutes at 13000 rpm , the plasmid dna was precipitated at room temperature by adding 0 . 75 ml isopropanol to the residue . the dna was pelletized by centrifuging at 13000 rpm for 30 min . and washed with 70 % ethanol , dried and resuspended in 20 μl water . 1 μl of the dna was used for the transformation in e . coli . the dna concentration was measured by spectrophotometry in a wavelength range of 240 - 300 nm . if the purity of the dna , as determined by the quotient e 260nm / e 280nm , is 1 . 8 , extinction e 260nm = 1 . 0 corresponds to a dna concentration of 50 μg dsdna / ml ( maniatis et al ., 1982 ). the polymerase chain reaction was carried out in a total volume of 50 μl with the “ phusion ™ high fidelity pcr system ” manufactured by the company finnzymes in accordance with the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . each stock solution consisted of 1 - 10 ng dna or 1 - 2 yeast colonies as a synthesis model , 0 . 2 mm dntp - mix , 1 × buffer 2 ( contains 1 . 5 mm mgcl 2 ), 1 u polymerase , and 100 pmol of each of the corresponding oligonucleotide primers . the pcr reaction was carried out in a thermocycler manufactured by the company techne and the following pcr conditions were selected according to requirements : the polymerase was added after the first denaturation step (“ hot start pcr ”). the number of synthesis steps , the annealing temperature and the elongation time were adapted to the specific melting temperatures of the oligonucleotides used and the size of the expected product . the pcr products were tested with agarose gel electrophoresis and then cleaned up . the pcr products were purified with the “ qiaquick pcr purification kit ” manufactured by qiagen in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer . dna fragments having a size of 0 . 15 - 20 kb were separated in 0 . 5 - 1 % agarose gels with 0 . 5 μg / ml ethidium bromide . 1 × tae buffer ( 40 mm tris , 40 mm acetic acid , 2 mm edta ) was used as the gel and running buffer ( maniatis et al ., 1982 ). a lambda phage dna digested with the restriction endonucleases ecori and hindiii was used as the size standard . before loading , 1 / 10 volume blue marker ( 1 × tae buffer , 10 % glycerin , 0 . 004 % bromophenol blue ) was added to the dna samples , which were rendered visible after separation by irradiation with uv light ( 254 nm ). the desired dna fragment was cut out of the tae agarose gel under long - wave uv light ( 366 nm ) and isolated with the “ qiaquick gel extraction kit ” manufactured by qiagen in accordance with the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . sequence - specific cleaving of the dna with restriction endonucleases was conducted for 1 hour with 2 - 5 u enzyme per μg dna under the incubation conditions recommended by the manufacturer . several experiments indicated that the l - arabinose isomerase from b . subtilis represents a limiting step in the breakdown of arabinose in yeast ( becker and boles , 2003 ; wiedemann , 2003 ; karhumaa et al , 2006 ; sedlak and ho , 2001 ). in order to improve the arabinose metabolic path , five l - arabinose isomerases from different organisms were tested . for this , genomic dna was isolated from the organisms c . acetobutylicum , b . licheniformis , p . pentosaceus , l . plantarum and l . mesenteroides ( see “ isolation of plasmid dna from s . cerevisiae ”). the cells were cultivated , harvested and absorbed in the buffer . cell disruption was effected using glass beads . then , the dna was precipitated , washed , and used for the pcr . the open reading frame ( orf ) of araa from the organisms listed was amplified with primers , which also had homologous areas to the hxt7 promoter and cyc1 terminator . the pcr products obtained were transformed in yeast together with the ecori / bamhi linearised vector p423hxt7 - 6his and cloned by in vivo recombination into the plasmid between the hxt7 promoter and cyc1 terminator . the sequence of the plasmids obtained was verified by restriction analysis . the functionality of the new isomerases and their effect on the arabinose metabolism also needed to be studied . for this purpose , recombinant yeast strains were produced , containing one of the new isomerases and the rest of the bacterial arabinose metabolic pathway genes ( p424h7arab re , p425h7arad re and phl125 re ). growth of the strains was tested under aerobic conditions in a medium containing arabinose . the recombinant yeast strain containing the isomerase from b . subtilis was used as the control . a yeast strain with the empty vector p423hxt7 - 6his was constructed as the negative control . the strains with the various isomerase plasmids were cultured in sm medium with 2 % arabinose and inoculated with a od 600nm = 0 . 2 in 5 ml sm medium with 2 % arabinose . this was incubated in test tubes on a shaking flask under aerobic conditions at 30 ° c . samples were taken regularly to determine optical density . the results are shown in fig4 . it was shown that , compared with the isomerase from b . subtilis , particularly the expression of l - arabinose isomerase from c . acetobutylicum and from b . licheniformis significantly improved the growth of yeast transformants on arabinose medium . a ) codon - optimisation of genes according to the codon usage of the glycolysis genes from s . cerevisiae the preferred codon usage of the glycolysis genes from s . cerevisiae was calculated and is listed in table 1 . the orf of genes araa and arab mut from e . coli were codon - optimised as well as the orf of the gene araa from b . licheniformis . this means , the sequences of the open reading frames were adapted to the preferred codon usage listed below . the protein sequence of the enzymes remained unchanged . the genes were synthesised at the facilities of an independent company delivered in dried form in company owned house vectors . table 1 preferred codon usage of glycolysis genes from s . cerevisiae . amino acid preferred codon ala gct arg aga asn aac asp gac , ( gat ) cys tgt gln caa glu gaa gly ggt his cac ile att , ( atc ) leu ttg lys aag met atg phe ttc pro cca ser tct , ( tcc ) thr acc , ( act ) trp tgg tyr tac val gtt , ( gtc ) stop taa in order to transform the three codon - optimised genes into the bwy1 strain and test them , the genes had to be subcloned in yeast vectors . for this purpose , the codon - optimised araa orf , the arab mut orf and the arad orf were amplified with primers , so that homologous overhangs to the shortened hxt7 promoter and the cyc1 terminator were created . the 2μ expression plasmids p423hxt7 - 6his , p424hxt7 - 6his , p425hxt7 - 6his were linearised with restriction endonucleases in the range between the hxt7 promoter and the cyc1 terminator . the pcr product from araa was transformed in yeast with the linearised p423hxt7 - 6his and cloned to the plasmid p423h7 - synthiso by in vivo recombination . the same procedure was followed with the pcr product arab mut and the linearised vector p424hxt7 - 6his . this produced the plasmid p424h7synthkin . plasmid p425h7 - synthiso was produced by in vivo recombination of pcr product arad and the linearised vector p425hxt7 - 6his in yeast . the plasmids were isolated from the yeast and amplified in e . coli . after the plasmids were isolated from e . coli , the plasmids were examined by restriction analysis . one of each of the plasmids with the codon - optimised genes was transformed into the yeast strain bwy1 together with the three original , re - isolated plasmids , to test for functionality and for further analysis , so that all of the recombinant strains produced contained a complete arabinose metabolic pathway . in addition , the combination p424h7synthkin and p42457synthepi was tested with the original , re - isolated plasmids as well as a batch in which the yeast transformant possessed all three new plasmids . the transformation with the four plasmids in each case took place at the same time . the transformants were plated on sm medium with 2 % glucose . after two days , the colonies obtained were streaked out onto sm medium with 2 % arabinose . a yeast strain that contained the four original , re - isolated plasmids was used as a positive control . the growth of the strain bwy1 with the various plasmid combinations of codon - optimised genes and original genes was examined in growth tests on arabinose - containing medium under aerobic conditions . the strains with the various plasmid combinations were cultured in sm medium with 2 % l - arabinose and inoculated with an od 600nm = 0 . 2 in 5 ml sm medium with 2 % l - arabinose . incubation took place in test tubes under aerobic conditions at 30 ° c . samples were taken regularly to determine optical density . the results of the aerobic growth curve are shown in fig5 . it can be seen clearly that recombinant yeast strains that possess only one of the optimised genes show little or no growth advantages compared to the strain with the four original plasmids in a medium containing arabinose . however , yeast transformants with the two optimised genes of kinase and epimerase and yeast transformants with three optimised genes showed a clear growth advantage in a medium containing arabinose . the strains manifested a significantly shorter lag phase and grew to their maximum optical density considerably more quickly . this shows that the combination of the three codon - optimised genes enables recombinant s . cerevisiae cells to convert l - arabinose significantly more efficiently . fig6 ( a ) and ( b ) shows the results of hplc analyses of two fermentations . one recombinant yeast strain contains plasmids p423h7synthiso , p424h7synthkin , p425h7synthepi and phl125 re , the other contains plasmids p423h7araabs re , p424h7arab re , p425h7arad re and phl125 re . the fermentations were conducted in sfm medium with 3 % l - arabinose . fig6 ( a ) shows the arabinose consumption and the dry weight of both strains . fig6 ( b ) illustrates the ethanol production of the two strains . the strains were cultivated in the fermenter aerobically until they reached a dry weight of approx . 2 . 8 g / l . when sufficient cell mass was present , the fermentations were switched to anaerobic conditions . the figure shows the plots of arabinose metabolism and ethanol production . the byproducts produced , arabitol , acetate and glycerin , have not been listed because they were produced in comparable quantities by both strains . as the plots show , ethanol production begins immediately after the switch to anaerobic conditions for both strains ( the switch to anaerobic conditions is shown in fig6 ( a ) and ( b ) by an arrow ). the ethanol that was already present in the medium at the start of the fermentation was not produced by the yeasts , it originated from the tween80 / ergosterol solution . under the aerobic conditions that prevailed in the beginning , ethanol was decomposed by yeast by respiration . after about 80 hours , the strain that has the arabinose metabolic pathway genes in codon - optimised form demonstrates significantly improved arabinose metabolism and increased ethanol production . the arabinose present in the medium has been completely consumed after just 150 hours . in contrast , even after 180 hours there is still arabinose in the medium with the strain with the original , reisolated plasmids . the fermentation results show that the codon - optimised genes enable the yeast transformants to metabolise arabinose more efficiently . the result of this is that the sugar is metabolised faster and a significantly higher ethanol yield is obtained . construction of an expression cassette with three genes for the arabinose metabolic pathway the vector with the expression cassette with three genes for the arabinose metabolic pathway was constructed both to circument the problems that can arise when several plasmids are present in the same cell at the same time (“ plasmid stress ”, review of e . coli by bailey ( 1993 )), and to enable stable genomic integration of the arabinose metabolic pathway genes . the issues associated with constructing an expression cassette of the arabinose metabolic pathway genes and integrating it individually in a manner that is genomically stable have already been shown by becker ( 2003 ) and wiedemann ( 2005 ). the expression cassette with the three genes that has now been constructed represents an excellent starting point for direct genomic integration and enables subcloning into the integrative plasmids of the series prs303x , prs305x und prs306x ( taxis und knop , 2006 ). the starting point for constructing the expression cassette was the plasmid p425h7 - synthepi , in which the codon - optimised form of epimerase was expressed from e . coli behind the shortened hxt7 promoter and in front of the cyc1 terminator . in order to prevent possible homologous recombination between identical promoter or terminator regions , the codon - optimised arab mut - orf must be expressed from e . coli between the pfk1 promoter and the fba1 terminator , the codon - optimised araa - orf from b . licheniformis between the fba1 promoter and the pgk1 terminator . the plasmid p425h7 - synthepi was opened before the hxt7 promoter with restriction endonuclease saci , streaked on an agarose gel , and eluted from the gel . the arab mut orf was amplified by pcr . the pfk1 promoter and fba1 terminator were amplified from genomic dna of s . cerevisiae , the primers having been selected so that a 500 bp long sequence of the promoter and a 300 bp long sequence of the terminator were synthesised and homologous overhangs to the plasmid p425h7 - synthepi and to the arab mut orf were produced at the same time . the primer that amplified the pfk1 promoter with the homologous regions to p425h7 - synthepi also contained a sequence for a paci restriction site . the three pcr products were transformed in yeast together with the linearised vector and cloned into the plasmid via in vivo recombination . restriction analysis was used to verify that the p425h7synthepisynthkin plasmid produced had been successfully reconstructed . the functionality of the vector was tested . to do this , yeast transformants that contained the plasmids p425h7synthepisynthkin and p423h7araabs re were prepared . the transformants were tested for arabinose growth . the strain was capable of growing on a medium containing arabinose . a yeast strain containing the vectors p424h7synthepi and p423hxt7 - 6his was used as the negative control . this strain was not able to grow on the medium . in the next step , the codon - optimised form of the isomerase from b . licheniformis was integrated into the vector . for this , plasmid p425h7synthepisynthkin was linearised with ngomvi after the cyc1 terminator , streaked onto an agarose gel and eluted from the gel . a 500 bp long sequence of the fba1 promoter was amplified from genomic dna of s . cerevisiae , and the primers were selected so that homologous overhangs to plasmid p425h7synthepisynthkin in the cyc1 terminator and to the orf of the codon - optimised araa were produced . a 300 bp long sequence of the pgk1 terminator was also amplified from genomic dna of s . cerevisiae , in which a primer had overhangs to the orf of the codon - optimised araa and the other primer included homologous overhangs to plasmid p425h7synthepisynthkin and an asci restriction site . restriction analysis was again used to verify the successful construction of the plasmid p425h7synthara , and its functionality was tested . the test for functionality was performed for arabinose growth . yeast transformants that contained the plasmid p425h7synthara demonstrated growth on a medium containing arabinose . growth curves in 5 ml sc medium with 2 % arabinose were recorded . fig7 shows that the transformants with vector p425h7synthara demonstrate growth comparable to a strain with the four original , re - isolated plasmids . in order to avoid possible homologous recombination between the promoter and terminator regions , the three genes were cloned behind different promoters and terminators . in this context , the selection of the promoters was particularly important . it had been found in previous research ( becker and boles , 2003 ) that the gene dose of the three genes relative to each other was critically important . in addition , all genes were to be strongly expressed . for these reasons , the decision was made to use the shortened hxt7 promoter , which is expressed strongly and constitutively , and the promoters pfk1 and fba1 , which are both known to promote strong expression of genes . the starter plasmid for the construction of p425h7synthara was the plasmid p425h7synthepi , which is based on the plasmid p425hxt7 - 6his . the vector is a 2μ expression plasmid that possesses a leucine marker . the three arabinose metabolic pathway genes were cloned into a vector one after the other under the control of various promoters and terminators . the expression cassette is flanked by the recognition sequences of the enzymes paci and asci . other possible expression vectors are come from the series prs303x , p3rs305x and p3rs306x . these are integrative vectors that have a dominant antibiotic marker . more information about these vectors is provided in taxis and knop ( 2006 ). a modified saccharomyces cerevisiae strain that consumes l - arabinose and produces ethanol . high efficiency transformation of e . coli by high voltage electroporation . in : molecular genetics of yeast : practical approaches , j . a . johnston ( ed .). hamacher , t ., becker , j ., gárdonyi , m ., hahn - hägerdal , b . und boles ., e . ( 2002 ) characterization of the xylose - transporting properties of yeast hexose transportes and their influence on xylose utilization . hoekema a , kastelein r a , vasser m , de boer h a . ( 1987 ) codon replacement in the pgk1 gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae : experimental approach to study the role of biased codon usage in gene expression . karhumaa , k ., wiedemann , b ., hahn - hägerdal , b ., boles , e . and gorwa - grauslund , m f . ( 2006 ) co - utilisation of l - arabinose and d - xylose by laboratory and industrial saccharomyces cerevisiae strains . expression of e . coli arabad operon encoding enzymes for metabolizing l - arabinose in saccharomyces cerevisiae . system of centromeric , episomal , and integrative vectors based on drug resistance markers for saccharomyces cerevisiae . verduyn , c ., postma , e ., scheffers , w . a . und van dijken , j . p . ( 1992 ) effect of benzoic acid on metabolic fluxes in yeasts : a continuous - culture study on the regulation of respiration and alcoholic fermentation . molekulargenetische und physiologische charakterisierung eines rekombinanten pentose - vergärenden hefestammes . diplomarbeit . johann wolfgang goethe - universität , frankfurt am main . elektroporation : eine alternative methode zur transformation von bakterien mit plasmid - dna . forum mikrobiologie 11 ( 507 - 515 ). the synthetic gene designer : a flexible web platform to explore sequence manipulation for heterologous expression . procedures used in the induction of mitotic recombination and mutation in the yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae . | 8 |
for simplicity and illustrative purposes , the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof . however , one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to , and can be implemented in , all types of mobile communication devices , and that any such variations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention . moreover , in the following detailed description , references are made to the accompanying figures , which illustrate specific embodiments . electrical , mechanical , logical and structural changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents . embodiments pertain generally to methods and apparatus for personalizing a mobile telephone . more particularly , a controller can be configured to couple with a network of sensors . the sensors can be distributed over the housing of the mobile telephone . each sensor can be assigned to an area of the housing and can be implemented as a capacitive , pressure , conductive , or other touch sensitive sensor . the controller can execute a personalization module that can be configured to personalize or program the mobile telephone to the user . more specifically , the personalization module can generate an image of a mode , e . g ., talking , of the mobile telephone for the user to emulate in a calibration ( or configuration , program , etc .) mode . as the user emulates the displayed image , the personalization module can then be configured to collect the data from the network of sensors through the controller to obtain a set of data for a predetermined amount of time as a sensor profile . the received sensor profile is associated with the mode and stored . subsequently , as the user manipulates the mobile telephone , the mobile telephone can determine a use mode by comparing the stored sensor profiles with the current sensor profile . the personalization module can also be configured to update the configuration data associated with a ( use ) mode . more particularly , a user may eventually drift from the initial position captured by the data collection during the programming mode , i . e ., tactile interaction . accordingly , the personalization module can periodically collect data from the network of sensors during a selected mode as a current sensor profile and compare the use data with the associated configuration data , i . e ., stored sensor profiles . if the variance between the current sensor profile and the stored sensor profiles exceeds a predetermined threshold , the personalization module can be configured to initiate the programming mode for the selected mode . alternatively , the personalization module can update the stored sensor profile with the current sensor profile . fig1 a - c collectively illustrate an exemplary distribution of sensors over a housing of a mobile telephone . for the shown embodiments , it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the number of sensors and the placements of the sensors can be varied without departing from the scope and breadth of the claimed invention . moreover , fig1 a - c share some common features . accordingly , the description of the common features in the latter figures are being omitted and that the description of these feature with respect to the first figure are being relied upon to provide adequate description of the common features . fig1 a shows a front view of a mobile telephone 100 and fig1 b depicts a back view of the mobile telephone 100 . the mobile telephone 100 includes an exterior display 105 and a housing 110 . the housing 110 can be a “ clamshell ” configuration . other embodiments of the housing 110 can be a “ candy - bar ”, a slider configuration , or other mobile telephone housings . the housing 110 can be partitioned into sensor areas 115 . each sensor area 115 can be serviced by a single sensor or multiple sensors ( e . g ., tactile , distance , gyroscope , accelerometer , etc .). fig1 c illustrates a side view of the mobile telephone 100 with side sensor areas 120 . in some embodiments , the side sensor areas 120 can be part of respective sensor area 115 from the top and bottom of the housing 110 . fig1 d shows a view of the mobile telephone 100 in an open configuration . as shown 9 in fig1 d , the interior sensor areas 125 can be placed surrounding the speaker 130 , an interior display 135 , a keypad 140 , and a microphone 145 . while the sensors associated with a particular surface are illustrated as being fairly uniform in size and shape , one skilled in the art will readily recognize that the size , shape and concentration of discrete sensors can vary relative to different areas of a particular housing surface of the handheld device without departing from the teachings of the present invention . for example , there may be an increase in the density of discrete sensors and a corresponding increase in the number of sensors proximate an area where a user is more likely to interact with the housing . the sensor ( s ) ( not shown in fig1 a - d ) servicing each sensor area 115 , 120 , and 125 can be implemented as sensor deposits . the sensor can be deposited as carbon paint during the housing manufacturing phase , which is then painted over ( in the event of outside skin deposits ) to internal sensing deposits placed on the inside of the housing material . the sensor deposits can be prepared from materials such as copper , carbon , or other materials with some level of conductivity . other methods for applying conductive material on exterior surfaces can include a flex circuit , a conductive paint , a conductive label , plating , vacuum metallization , plasma coating , in mold decoration ( conductive ink ), film insert molding ( conductive ink ), metal insert ( e . g ., glob label or decorative metal bezel ), conductive plastic molding , etc . the sensor deposits can be designed to make contact with a hardware contact of the sensor network that connects the sensors with the controller . the controller can be configured with numerous integrated electrical switches , which then drives the sensing hardware . the switches can be controlled by the processor of the mobile telephone and can be re - programmed as needed . examples of the electrical interface between the sensor deposits and the sensor network are shown in fig2 a - d . fig2 a shows a capacitive interconnect 200 a between an exterior conductive material 205 a and an interior conductive material 210 a . the exterior conductive material 205 a can be deposited over the interior conductive material 210 a , which is then coupled to an external sensor plate ( not shown ). fig2 b depicts an insert molded contact configuration 200 b in accordance with another embodiment . as shown in fig2 b , the configuration 200 b has a metal clip 205 b that can be insert molded into a plastic 210 b . the plastic 210 b can be flush with an exterior surface of the housing 110 . an in mold / film decoration 215 b can be used as a conductive surface with a decorative / protective overcoat 220 b . in other embodiments , the mold / film decoration 215 can be painted with a conductive paint . fig2 c illustrates a spring contact configuration 200 c in accordance with yet another embodiment . as shown in fig2 c , the configuration 200 c can comprise a protective surface 205 c deposited over a cosmetic layer 210 c and underneath the housing of the mobile telephone . the cosmetic layer 210 c can be adjacent to a conductive sensor material 215 c , which abuts a wall 220 c of the housing 110 . the wall 220 c can then be positioned next to the interior of the mobile telephone . the cosmetic layer 210 can have a voided area that exposes the conductive sensor material 215 c . a spring clip can then be used to connect the exterior contact zone to the interior part of the phone . the configuration 200 c can require an opening in the housing 110 . fig2 d shows a flex / conductive label contact configuration 200 d in accordance with yet another embodiment . as shown in fig2 d , configuration 200 d can comprise a cosmetic overlay layer 205 d deposited over a flex circuit 210 d embedded within housing wall 215 d . in this embodiment , a tail portion of the flex circuit 210 d can be coupled through a housing opening for contact to the interior electronics . a pressure contact 220 d can be coupled to a capacitive touch sensor circuit 225 d . as a user presses or holds the exterior of the housing wall , the housing wall can make contact with flex circuit 210 d and complete the circuit of the flex circuit 210 d , the pressure contact 220 d and the capacitive touch sensor circuit 225 d . fig3 illustrates a block diagram 300 of the mobile telephone 100 in accordance with yet another embodiment . it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the block diagram depicted in fig3 represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed , combined or modified . as shown in fig3 , the mobile telephone 100 can include a controller 310 , input / output ( i / o ) circuitry 320 , transmitter circuitry 330 , receiver circuitry 340 , and a bus 350 . in operation , the bus 350 allows the various circuitry and components of the mobile telephone 100 to communicate with each other . the i / o circuitry 320 provides an interface for the i / o devices such as the exterior display 105 , the speaker 130 , the display 135 , the keypad 140 , and the microphone 145 . the transmitter circuitry 330 provides for the transmission of communication signals to other mobile communication devices , base stations , or the like . the receiver circuitry 340 provides for the reception of communication signals from other mobile telephones , base stations , or the like . the controller 310 controls the operation of the mobile telephone 100 . in some embodiments , the controller 310 can be interfaced with a sensor network as shown in fig4 . as shown in fig4 , the controller 310 can be coupled to a sensor network 405 through a switch 410 . the sensor network 405 can be implemented with skin sensors as previously described . one or more skin sensors can be implemented in a sensor area ( see fig1 a - d , areas 110 , 115 , 120 , and 125 ) on the housing 110 of the mobile telephone 100 . the switch 410 can be configured to direct data from the sensor network 405 to the controller 310 for processing . the controller 310 can be configured to include a personalization module as shown in fig5 , which depicts an exemplary block diagram of the personalization module 500 in accordance with yet another embodiment . it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the block diagram 500 depicted in fig5 represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified . as shown in fig5 the personalization module 500 can comprise a manager module 505 , a sensor module 510 , a mode library module 515 and a sensor profile module 520 . the manager module 505 can be configured to provide the functionality of the personalization module 500 as described previously and in greater detail below . the manager module 505 can be coupled to the sensor module 510 . the sensor module 510 can be configured to interface with the sensor network 405 through the switch 410 . the sensor module 510 can then provide an interface for the manager module 505 to collect data from the respective sensors 415 of the sensor network 405 . the manager module 505 can also be coupled with the mode library module 515 . the mode library module 515 can be configured to store images or icons associated with respective modes of the mobile telephone . for example , image 525 a can be an image of a user holding a telephone to represent or image 525 b can be an image of a user using the telephone in a speakerphone mode . accordingly , when the manager module 505 is placed in a calibration ( or personalization , program , etc .) mode , the manager module 505 can display a selected image of a user mode for a user to emulate . as the user is emulating the displayed image , the manager module 505 can then collect a set of configuration / calibration data , i . e ., a sensor profile , from the sensors 415 of the sensor network 405 through the sensor module 510 . subsequently , the manager module 505 can store and associate the received sensor profile with the selected mode in the sensor profile module 520 . as a result of storing sensor profiles for each mode of operation of the mobile telephone , a user can operate a mobile telephone in different modes by merely changing how the user holds the mobile telephone . the sensor profile module 520 can store use modes such as anticipation modes . one example of an anticipation mode can be a mobile telephone can initiate full power on , the display being turned on , etc . in response to detecting that it is being picked up by the user . another example of an anticipation mode can be the mobile telephone changing ring tone , increasing the volume , turning off the display , etc ., in response to detecting that it is being put on a table . yet another example of an anticipation mode can be the mobile telephone enabling an idle mode in response to detecting that it is plugged to a charger . fig6 shows a flow diagram 600 executed by the manager module 505 in accordance with yet another embodiment . it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the flow diagram 600 depicted in fig6 represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified . as shown in fig6 , the manager module 505 can be configured to be in a calibration mode , in step 600 . more particularly , a user may have manipulated the keypad 140 of the mobile telephone 100 to enter a configuration / calibration mode . the manager module 505 can be configured to display a predetermined number of images that represent each mode of the mobile telephone . a user could scroll through the images by operating appropriate buttons of the keypad 140 . the manager module 505 can then enter a wait state until a user selects a mode to calibrate or program . in step 610 , the manager module 505 can receive the selection of the mode to program . accordingly , the manager module 505 can display the selected image on the lcd 140 . in step 615 , the manager module 505 can be configured to collect data from the sensors 415 of the sensor network 405 for a predetermined amount of time . the manger module 505 can buffer the incoming data from sensor network . in step 620 , the manager module 505 can be configured to store the collected data as a set of configuration data , i . e ., a sensor profile , for the selected mode . the manager module 505 can then store the sensor profile linked with the selected mode in the sensor profile module 520 . subsequently , the manager module 505 can then exit the calibration / programming mode . fig7 shows a flow diagram 700 executed by the manager module 505 in accordance with yet another embodiment . it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the flow diagram 700 depicted in fig7 represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified . as shown in fig7 , the manager module 505 of the personalization module 500 can be configured to detect a tactile interaction by the user , in step 705 . more particularly , the sensor module 510 can receive a set of operating data as a current sensor profile from the active sensors 415 of the sensor 405 . in step 710 , the manager module 505 can be configured to initially buffer the current sensor profile from the sensor module 510 . in step 715 , the manager module 505 can be configured to determine a mode based on the collected sensor profiles stored in the sensor profile module 520 . more particularly , the manager module 505 can compare the current sensor profile with the stored sensor profiles . if there is a match between the current sensor profile and a stored sensor profile , in step 720 , the manager module 505 can notify the controller 310 to operate the mobile telephone in the matching mode , in step 725 . subsequently , the manager module 505 can enter a monitoring state , in step 730 . otherwise , if there is not a match , in step 720 , the manager module 505 can be configured to determine whether the current sensor profile is within a predetermined threshold of any of the stored sensor profiles , in step 735 . if one of the stored sensor profiles is within the predetermined threshold , the manager module 505 can be configured to update the matching sensor profile with the current sensor profile , in step 750 , thereby allowing the previously stored interaction associated with a particular mode to migrate and / or change over time without necessarily requiring a new interaction to be associated with an existing mode to be expressly detected and stored to accommodate an aggregate of multiple subtle migratory changes in user interaction over time , which might no longer match the originally stored interaction . subsequently , the manager module 505 can then enter the monitoring state , in step 755 . if none of the stored sensor profiles are within the predetermined threshold , in step 735 , the manager module 505 can be configured to collect the operating parameters of the mobile telephone 100 , in step 740 . the manager module 505 can then be configured to associate the current sensor profile with the current operating parameters of the mobile telephone 100 as a new mode . the manager module 505 can then store the sensor profile in the sensor profile module 520 . subsequently , the manager module 505 can enter a monitoring state of step 730 . certain embodiments may be performed as a computer program . the computer program may exist in a variety of forms both active and inactive . for example , the computer program can exist as software program ( s ) comprised of program instructions in source code , object code , executable code or other formats ; firmware program ( s ); or hardware description language ( hdl ) files . any of the above can be embodied on a computer readable medium , which include storage devices and signals , in compressed or uncompressed form . exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system ram ( random access memory ), rom ( read - only memory ), eprom ( erasable , programmable rom ), eeprom ( electrically erasable , programmable rom ), and magnetic or optical disks or tapes . exemplary computer readable signals , whether modulated using a carrier or not , are signals that a computer system hosting or running the present invention can be configured to access , including signals downloaded through the internet or other networks . concrete examples of the foregoing include distribution of executable software program ( s ) of the computer program on a cd - rom or via internet download . in a sense , the internet itself , as an abstract entity , is a computer readable medium . the same is true of computer networks in general . while the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope . the terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations . in particular , although the method has been described by examples , the steps of the method may be performed in a different order than illustrated or simultaneously . those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims and their equivalents . | 8 |
referring to fig2 , a slip agent can be applied to a glass sheet in one technique through compression when preparing a stack of glass sheets for shipment ( hereinafter to be referred to as the “ compression method ”). a single sheet of the interleaf paper or polymer film containing slip agent 26 is positioned between adjacent glass sheets 28 , 30 and 30 , 32 in a stack 34 of glass sheets ( fig4 ). a stack of glass sheets can include 100 or more sheets , for example . referring to fig3 , slip agent protrudes from both sides 37 , 39 of interleaf sheet 40 facing opposing surfaces 42 , 44 of the glass sheets . when the interleaf sheet ( s ) 40 are compressed between the glass sheets 28 , 30 due to the weight of the glass sheets in the stack ( fig4 ), a small portion of the slip agent is transferred to the surfaces 42 , 44 of the glass . upon unstacking of the glass sheets 28 , 30 and separation of the interleaf paper or film from the glass sheets , the transferred portion of the slip agent remains on the glass sheets ( fig5 ) providing the first scratch protection for the glass . when the glass sheets are stacked with the interleaf sheet ( s ) 40 between the glass sheets 28 , 30 , the slip agent provides the second scratch protection for the glass sheets against any particles 46 located between the glass sheets during handling and storage of the stack of glass sheets . although the mechanics of the first and second scratch protection are not fully understood , it is believed particles such as glass chips may roll or slide upon the slip agent rather than on the bare glass , thereby preventing scratches on the glass . the slip agent may roll between the glass sheet and the interleaf paper or film , or it may coat particles that roll between the interleaf paper or film , or both . while the slip agent protruding from the interleaf sheet or film and transferred onto the glass sheet is depicted in the figures , it will be appreciated that the slip agent , interleaf , and glass sheets are not to scale . only nanogram amounts per centimeter 2 of the slip agent is transferred to the glass sheet . the slip agent may not actually resemble what is shown in the drawings . the slip agent molecules may be polar , which could help to align the molecules on the interleaf paper and film , and on the glass sheet . this may produce a glass sheet with surface roughness on one or both sides thereof . interior glass sheets of the stack may include a discontinuous layer of slip agent that forms surface roughness layer on both sides of the glass sheet . another approach is to use the compression method to apply the slip agent when coated on only one side of an interleaf sheet . two such single - sided interleaf sheets 50 , 52 would be used . the interleaf sheets 50 , 52 can be placed between two glass sheets with their slip agent coated sides facing outwardly away from each other , as shown in fig6 . upon compression of the interleaf sheets between the two glass sheets 28 , 30 due to the weight of the stack of glass sheets ( fig7 ), a portion of the slip agent is transferred to the glass sheets surfaces 58 , 60 and provides second scratch protection . while the glass is stacked with interleaf sheets as shown in fig7 , particles such as glass chips 46 between the glass sheets can roll or slide on the slip agent 36 on the interleaf sheets 50 , 52 instead of on the bare glass surfaces 58 , 60 , or the particle movement could be inhibited by the slip agent contact between the paper or film sheet and the glass sheet . the facing surfaces 64 , 66 of the interleaf sheets may provide some slip in the stack , but the primary slip would be along the plane between the slip agent coated interleaf surfaces 54 , 56 and the glass surfaces 58 , 60 . a portion of the slip agent is then transferred onto the inwardly opposing surfaces 58 , 60 of adjacent glass sheets as shown in fig8 , providing the first scratch protection for the glass in which the particles roll or slide on the slip agent 48 remaining on the glass after the interleaf sheets 50 , 52 have been removed from the glass sheets . the compression method for applying the slip agent to the glass sheets via interleaf sheets placed between the sheets of glass in a stack of glass sheets offers second scratch protection to the glass sheets within the stack . that is , any glass particles from the cut edge ( or other particles ) that are located between the glass sheets will move against the slip agent on the interleaf sheets rather than against the bare glass , which prevents scratching of the glass when the glass sheets of the stack move relative each other . on the other hand , slip agent may be located between the glass sheet and the particles . moreover , once the glass sheets of the stack are separated , the interleaf sheets are removed and the glass sheets are ready to be placed on the finishing line ; the glass sheets contain the slip agent ( first scratch protection ). at this point , no interleaf sheets remain on the glass sheets during the finishing run . the glass sheets are solely protected by the slip agent on the surface of the glass . the interleaf paper that performed better than others as described in the examples below is one which was imbibed with or coated with erucamide as the long chain fatty amide as well as a sizing agent such as alkyl ketene dimer . another technique for applying slip agent to glass sheets disclosed herein is coating ( laminating ) a polymer film containing the slip agent to the glass sheet ( e . g ., visqueen polymer film that includes erucamide slip agent ) and then stripping the film from the glass sheet . after the film is stripped from the glass , some of the slip agent remains on the glass sheet . this provides the first form of scratch protection of the glass along the finishing line after the film has been removed . in a process of applying the slip agent from the paper or polymer film to the glass sheets using rolls , the method includes providing on both sides of a glass sheet the paper or polymer film 80 wound on a feed roll 84 , the paper or film extending from the feed roll to a take - up roll 82 . next , as the paper or film 80 advances onto the take - up rolls , the paper or film and the glass sheet 86 are compressed between rollers 88 on either side of the glass sheet ( in a direction shown by arrows 90 ). the glass sheet moves in a direction 92 . the glass sheet may also move in the opposite direction , opposite to the traveling direction of the paper or film . this presses the slip agent 36 protruding from the paper or film 80 onto the glass sheet 86 and transfers some slip agent 36 from the paper or film onto the glass sheet . the paper or polymer film is removed from the glass sheet once the sheet passes through the rollers and then it travels to the take - up roll where it is wound up . the paper or film may still contain a sufficient quantity of slip agent after contacting the glass sheet for enabling reuse of the paper or film to apply slip agent to additional glass sheets or it might only be used one time . two single - sided interleaf sheets 68 , 70 between adjacent glass sheets in a stack of glass sheets , wherein the coated sides 72 , 74 of two interleaf sheets are inwardly facing relative to each other ( fig9 ), may be employed to achieve the second scratch protection only for the glass sheets . the interleaf sheets have outer surfaces 76 , 78 without slip agent facing the inner surfaces 58 , 60 of the adjacent glass sheets . in this way , the friction where the two interleaf sheets &# 39 ; uncoated sides contact the sheets of glass is greater than the friction where the two interleaf sheets &# 39 ; coated sides contact each other . upon compression of the interleaf sheets between the glass sheets as shown in fig1 any particles 46 on the bare glass are prevented from scratching the glass because the principal movement between adjacent glass sheets is via slip agent 36 along the plane between the interleaf sheet surfaces 72 , 74 ( e . g . where friction is the lowest ), thereby providing the second scratch protection of the glass . once the glass sheets are separated no slip agent transfers to the opposing surfaces 58 , 60 of the glass sheets ( fig1 ). if first scratch protection of the glass is desired for the finishing line after the interleaf sheets have been removed from the glass , then the slip agent would need to be applied to the surface of the glass sheets through another means . the paper used in this disclosure is made using a fourdrinier paper making machine . an overview of a fourdrinier machine is described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 189 , 308 , which is incorporated herein by reference . the optional alkyl ketene dimer sizing agent is added at the wet end of the process . in addition , the slip agent can be added at the size press such as passing the paper through a bath including the sizing agent . then , the paper passes through drier cans at a temperature exceeding a melting point of the erucamide . next , at the dampener where water is added to obtain a proper curl of the paper , this is another location at which the slip agent can alternatively be added . at the dampener the slip agent can be coated onto one side of the paper . then , the paper passes to the supercalendar , which squeezes the paper between opposing denim covered stainless steel rolls and stainless steel rolls . at this location fibers are locked down in the paper . the paper of this disclosure can be calendared or uncalendared . then the paper travels to a rewinder . the slip agent can alternatively be coated onto the paper by spraying at the supercalendar or the rewinder . suitable paper is described in publication wo 2008 / 002584 , which is incorporated herein by reference . the slip agent can be added to the paper as a dispersion ( e . g ., a wax dispersion ) or an emulsion . the slip agent may be added as a solid to the polymer resin that forms the polymer film . stable aqueous wax dispersions are disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 743 , 949 and 4 , 481 , 038 , which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . an erucamide dispersion can be obtained from polymer dynamix in new jersey . the supplier of the emulsion can also provide defoamer and surfactant in the slip agent emulsion or dispersion to facilitate application of the slip agent to the paper . a suitable defoamer is ethylene bis distearamide . compounds that might be suitable as slip agents include at least one long chain fatty acid ester or fatty acid amide . the long chain fatty acid esters and fatty acid amides of this disclosure are derivatives of saturated and unsaturated normal fatty acids ranging from fourteen to thirty - six carbon atoms . representative fatty acids are , for example , tetradecanoic , pentadecanoic , hexadecanoic , heptadecanoic , octadecanoic , nonadecanoic , eicosanoic , hencosanoic , decosanoic , tetracosanoic , pentacosanoic , tricosanoic , hexacosanoic , triacontanoic , dotriacontanoic , tetratriacontanoic , hentriacontanoic , pentatriacontanoic , hexatriacontanoic acids , myristic , palmitic , stearic , arachidic , behenic and hexatrieisocontanoic ( c 36 ) acids , oleic , palmitoleic , linolenic and cetoleic , and the like . long chain fatty amides are preferred as slip agents , suitable slip agent might include one or more of the following : unsaturated fatty acid monoamide ( e . g ., oleamide , erucamide , recinoleamide ); saturated fatty acid monoamide ( preferably , lauramide , palmitamide , arachidamide , behenamide , stearamide , 12 hydroxy stearamide ); n - substituted fatty acid amide ( e . g ., n - stearyl stearamide , n - behenyl behenamide , n - stearyl behenamide , n - behenyl stearamide , n - oleyl oleamide , n - oleyl stearamide , n - stearyl oleamide , n - stearyl erucamide , erucyl erucamide , erucyl stearamide , stearyl erucamide , n - oleyl palmitamide ); methylol amide ( e . g ., methylol stearamide , methylol behenamide ); unsaturated fatty acid bis - amide ( e . g ., ethylene bis - oleamide , hexamethylene bis - oleamide , n , n ′- dioleyl adipamide , ethylene bis oleamide , n , n ′- dioleyl sebacamide ); saturated or unsaturated fatty acid tetra amide ; and saturated fatty acid bis - amide ( e . g ., methylene bis - stearamide , ethylene bis - stearamide , ethylene bis - isostearamide , ethylene bis - hydroxystearamide , ethylene bis stearamide , ethylene bis - behenamide , hexamethylene bis - stearamide , hexamethylene bis - behenamide , hexamethylene bis - hydroxystearamide , n , n ′- distearyl adipamide , n , n ′- distearyl sebacamide ). specific long chain fatty amides that may be suitable are erucamide , stearamide , oleamide and behenamide . fatty amides are commercially available from humko chemical company and include , for example kemamide s ( stearamide ), kemamide u ( oleamide ), kemamide e ( erucamide ). in addition , fatty amides are commercially available from croda universal ltd ., and include , for example , crodamide or ( oleamide ), crodamide er ( erucamide ), crodamide sr ( stereamide ), crodamide br ( behenamide ). the sizing agent used herein is known as an alkyl ketene dimer ( akd ); these types of sizing agents are described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 576 , 049 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . specific examples of akd sizing agents that may be suitable in the present invention include but are not limited to octyl ketene dimer , dodecyl ketene dimer , tetradecyl ketene dimer , decyl ketene dimer , hexadecyl ketene dimer , eicosyl ketene dimer , docosyl ketene dimer , octadecyl ketene dimer , tetracosyl ketene dimer . also included are those prepared from organic acids and mixtures of fatty acids such as those found in palmitoleic acid , rincinoleic acid , oleic acid , linoleic acid , linolenic acid , olive oil , coconut oil , palm oil , and peanut oil . mixtures of any of such acids may also be used . akd sizing agents can include but are not limited to those comprising at least one alkyl group comprising from about 8 to about 36 carbon atoms . the slip agent can be washed off the glass at the finishing line using known washing processes and equipment , including brushes , ultrasound , water jet spraying , and detergent ( e . g ., potassium hydroxide detergent ) at a ph of 10 - 12 . the washing fluids will not dissolve the erucamide surface roughness , but it is nevertheless removed from the glass sheets by the mechanical action cleaning processes and devices of the finishing line . this disclosure will now provide a description by way of the following examples , which are for the purpose of illustration and should not be interpreted to limit the invention as defined in the claims . the following conditions were evaluated : 2 - sided erucamide imbibed paper in which the erucamide was applied at the size press ( condition 1 ); 1 - sided erucamide imbibed paper in which the erucamide was applied at the size press ( condition 2 ); 2 - sided erucamide imbibed paper in which the erucamide was applied at the size press , the paper including alkyl ketene dimer ( akd ) ( condition 4 ); 2 - sided stearamide imbibed paper in which the stearamide was applied at the size press , the paper including akd ( condition 6 ); erucamide coated paper in which the erucamide was applied at the dampener ( condition 7 ); and stearamide coated paper in which the stearamide was applied at the dampener ( condition 8 ). the supercalendaring conditions were as indicated in the following table 1 . the number of nips in the supercalendar conditions refer to the number of rollers through which the paper passed and these rollers were either heated or cold as indicated . the erucamide and stearamide were applied to the paper as aqueous dispersions , wherein the 10 % value indicates the concentration of the erucamide or stearamide in the dispersions . the coefficient of friction ( cof ) data support the understanding that the mechanism of action of the slip agent is not primarily by lowering the coefficient of friction . in table 2 , cof to steel means rubbing a steel plate across the paper to ascertain the cof . the above data shows that most papers have similar cof values . this includes un - coated paper . the only significantly lower cof results were obtained from the single sided dampener trial results ( e . g . the slip agent was applied to the paper at the dampener ), for both calendared and uncalendared papers . therefore , cof alone is not responsible for the scratch protection differences to be shown later in this disclosure , produced by condition 1 ( 2 - sided erucamide imbibed paper in which the erucamide was applied at the size press ) using supercalendared paper . this was supported by earlier testing using solid slip agents on glass versus the liquid slip agent , glycerol , in which the solid slip agents outperformed the liquid slip agents . here the solid particles were better in scratch prevention , although both provided low cof . in addition , the supercalendar differences indicate that the calendared paper may not be driving the slip agent towards or away from the surfaces . finally , from contact angle data discussed below , it was inferred that the dampener process results in the most slip agent on the felt - side paper surfaces , and that it does not migrate to the papers wire - side upon rolling . testing of coated papers and selection of 2 - sided erucamide coated paper from the supercalendar process for scale up the paper - conditions that were deemed acceptable from the mill trial were condition 1 ( 2 - sided erucamide imbibed paper applied at the size press ) and condition 6 ( 2 - sided stearamide imbibed paper applied at the size press and including akd ), with calendared and uncalendared paper available from each . other conditions became useful primarily for later testing since there were line issues with foaming , coating pumping , coating concentration variations , and roll alignment during other conditions . although the dampener trials were satisfactory , the 1 - sided coatings were not used for scale - up , since at this time two sheets of coated paper per substrate had a high cost . best results were obtained under condition 4 ( 2 - sided erucamide imbibed paper in which the erucamide was applied at the size press , the paper including akd ). stain testing was conducted using washed glass ( e . g ., 2 % semiclean kg solution at 45 ° c . for 15 minutes ) having a low particle count , stacked for 16 hours at 50 ° c . and 85 % relative humidity under a packing weight ( e . g ., 4 . 4 kg ). particle density of the glass sheets was measured after washing using ethan ( or mdm2 ) inspection system . a scratch test was developed to evaluate motion of the materials rubbed across the glass surface . as in stain testing , the glass sheets were 5 × 5 inches . the glass was washed and had a low particle count . this test used a simple flat - bottomed container with the material attached to the base to ride across the glass , not including glass chips , in a repeatable way . loading , speed and number of passes can be controlled . once the test was complete the results after washing were compared using a particle density instrument . 4 materials at the top of table 3 were evaluated to choose candidates for on - line tests . all results are listed in particles per square centimeter left on glass surfaces after testing . results of 10 or less for stain are acceptable , while scratch numbers below 40 are generally acceptable . all slip agents in table 3 were applied at the size press except the two noted for the dampener application . the tests showed that stearamide had higher stain results compared to erucamide , which made erucamide a more suitable slip agent . from table 3 , the best choices were from condition 1 ( c1 ), the 2 - sided erucamide imbibed materials . super - calendared ( sc ) and uncalendared versions of c1 were evaluated further . all scratch analysis results ( table 3 ) are shown to be in an acceptable range . stearamide with akd , condition 6 ( c6 ) stained the glass more than the erucamide . later data ( table 5 ) will show stearamide was in higher concentration at the glass surface , before washing , compared to erucamide . the alkyl ketene dimer ( akd ) used in c6 is a common sizing agent used in the paper industry . addition of this less expensive material ( akd ) was intended to bind to the paper interior and allow more slip agent to migrate to or remain at the surface . for erucamide imbibed in the paper at the size press , condition 4 ( c4 ), there was a higher amount of material found on glass surfaces after contact with akd versus without akd . the month 3 result listed in table 3 for condition c1 was high ( 50 . 1 ), as was the control result ( 16 ) since these samples were aged for 2 weeks at 50 ° c . in a humidity chamber with dense pack loading ( 23 g / cm 2 ) and 50 % relative humidity . this temperature effect has been observed by several techniques to bring more erucamide slip agent to the paper surface . also shown are limited results for the polymer single layer ( sl ) interleaf . those results were based on 3 replicates per test , due to sample availability . usually stain is based on 15 replicates , and scratch on at least 5 replicates . the sample was a single layer polymer film (“ sl polymer film ”; i . e ., no other separate independent layers ) that included three sublayers , one being a central medium density polyethylene core . the core was made of a foam of medium density polyethylene . two outer skin layers of low density polyethylene sandwiched the core . the total film thickness ranged from about 70 to 120 microns . on line testing of 2 - sided erucamide coated paper and single layer polymer paper glass surfaces contacting one paper imbibed with erucamide (“ coated paper ”) and one single layer polymer film imbibed with erucamide (“ sl polymer film ”) were compared along with glass surfaces contacting un - coated paper and glass surfaces with visqueen film residue after peeling (“ manually peeled visqueen film ”). generation 8 lots of 100 for each interleaf type were packed in separate crates then loaded onto the finishing line . the order of run may be relevant . the visqueen peeled surfaces were run first while the uncoated paper was run second to be followed by the coated paper and sl polymer film test materials . the visqueen stripping left the most slip agent at the surface , while the uncoated paper left no slip agent protection . the expectation was that slip agent residue from visqueen deposited on machine parts would be removed prior to testing the new materials by the glass packed in un - coated paper . testing was carried out over two days with about a week of separation between tests , due to line availability . results are listed in table 4 below . sis is a known optical method for identifying defects in which defects are measured by strobing light onto the glass and locating the defects using a scanning camera . ipc is a similar known optical defect measurement technique . controllable yield was the number of glass sheets that included a critical defect that would have required scrapping or recutting of the glass sheet divided by the total number of glass sheets tested . a useful representation of this data is shown in fig1 . this figure shows results from bod through finishing testing of materials . note that sis defect counts while not including rejectable defects are a measure of surface cleanliness of the substrates , and therefore an indicator of performance beyond yield criteria . fig1 shows that the lowest number of defects and best yields were achieved using manually peeled visqueen film ( data labeled a ), the coated paper ( data labeled c ), and the sl polymer film ( data labeled d ), whereas the worst yields were from the uncoated paper ( data labeled b ). when the contact angle measured for a treated sheet of glass is higher , it means there is more of the treatment material on the glass . fig1 first shows the anticipated range of contact angles expected from the surface of glass after peeling off visqueen film , which included erucamide . the aged bod surface is the contact angle that resulted from many months of aging bod sourced glass in a crate before peeling ( indicated as vpa in fig1 ), while other contact angle data was obtained by using washed glass with laminated visqueen film which was immediately stripped ( indicated as vpf in fig1 ). this table verifies that aging deposits more erucamide on the surface of the glass vpa , raising the contact angle relative to the glass with the stripped laminated visqueen film vpf . in fig1 the 100 % yields are observed for the aged visqueen film peeled surfaces . the next small bar p of fig1 represents the glass samples held overnight with only the dense pack uncoated paper ; this had almost no effect , and low contact angle indicates no transfer of coating material to the glass . the next set of bars c1 , c1unc , c2 , c4 , c6 and c6unc show the various conditions from the slip agent coated paper trials , with the unc in c1unc and c6unc indicating uncalendared paper , with the remaining bars being calendared paper . d1 and d2 were dampener trials of paper having 10 % solids , erucamide loading . the last bar at the end pf was for the single layer polymer film run in fig1 . the higher contact angle of c1 versus the polymer film concurs with the yield of 97 % versus 90 % observed in fig1 . all conditions were further lab - tested for stain and scratch as table 1 shows , and condition c4 , showed favorable results . condition c4 with alkyl ketene dimer ( akd ) showed a higher contact angle ( fig1 ) than other conditions of coated paper . for this reason , the next trial used paper made by c4 . the glass was placed in contact with the coated paper and held overnight in a clean room . this simulates the transfer of slip agent due to compression of the glass sheets in a stack . the glass surfaces after paper contact were examined to confirm the transfer of slip between paper and glass surfaces . many analytical techniques were attempted but were unable to determine this transfer due to the presence of very small particles of erucamide not uniformly spread on the surface of glass with low coverage . the mass esi ( electrospray ionization )- ms - ms , mass spectrometry results did show both the identity and amount , using a solvent wash of the surface . table 5 shows esi ms - ms results for several trial paper coating conditions . each test was done in duplicate . stearamide coatings were shown to be contaminated with erucamide , which shows that the stearimide samples were not pure . erucamide with akd showed transfer to the glass surface in the range of peeled visqueen film , with 1 - sided erucamide coating transferring less to glass , although the cof of the 1 - sided ( table 2 ) was lower . the uncoated paper showed no slip agents . the high amounts of stearamide transferred were not easily washed off the surfaces as shown in table 3 . the highest amount of stearamide transferred was without akd but at the dampener , where a higher surface concentration is likely since the paper is near the end of the papermaking process , and completely formed , and denser versus at the size press . to enhance the amount of erucamide transferred from interleaf paper or polymer film interleaf , the materials were tested at elevated temperatures . there were higher contact angles with increased temperatures for the two sided erucamide coated paper , pc , but the effect for the film , pf , was much less significant than for the paper . there is a possibility that transfer of glass at higher than usual temperatures in the shipment container with paper contact , or temperature rises in warehouses could enhance the surface protection of coated papers . fig1 shows this result . the base temperature of 19 . 4 degrees c . was the clean room temperature . many modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing disclosure . therefore , it is to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention can be practiced otherwise than has been specifically shown and described . | 8 |
referring to fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ), a powdered slush molding device is shown generally at 20 . reservoir 22 , includes a holding chamber 23 on the bottom of the reservoir and a pair of entry openings 24 for allowing entry and exit of materials disposed within holding chamber 23 . a sealing member 25 , preferably of an elastic material , is fixed to the edge of entry openings 24 . a resin powder material 26 , for forming the film , is shown disposed in holding chamber 23 . debris 27 , are shown mixed in resin powder material 26 . capturing means 28 , shown more completely in fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) includes a base 32 , and a shaft 28a with cavities and projections on the surface of the shaft for capturing debris . for example , shaft 28a can be formed with a screw - shaped groove or a spiral - shaped projection . as shown in fig1 ( b ), when powdered slush molding device 20 is used , mold 21 is heated to a high temperature and attached to reservoir 22 . sealing member 25 ensures that mold 21 and reservoir 22 are kept sealed together . powdered slush molding device 20 is then rotated and shaken in the direction indicated by arrow r so that the structure ends up inverted as shown by the image having dotted lines . this allows resin powder material 26 to drop down to mold 21 and melt in places where the resin comes into contact with molding surface 21a . sealing member 25 also heats up because of heat transferred to it from the mold through conduction . as resin powder material 26 drops to mold 21 , some of the resin touches now heated sealing member 25 and solidifies . this solid resin powder on the sealing member 25 later becomes fused debris 27 . then , powdered slush molding device 20 is brought back to its original orientation as shown by the image with solid lines . this procedure of rotating the powdered slush molding device 20 is repeated a prescribed number of times corresponding to the size and shape of the molded product . the rotations stop when the molded product ( film ) is at a prescribed thickness . when that occurs , the powdered slush molding device 20 is then reoriented so that the mold 21 is again above the reservoir 22 as shown by the image with solid lines . unmelted surplus resin powder material 26 is returned from mold 21 to the holding chamber 23 . mold 21 and reservoir 22 are then separated , and mold 21 is cooled . the resulting film is removed from molding surface 21a , thus completing the film forming process . in this film forming process , the rotation and shaking that is performed moves resin powder material 26 back and forth between holding chamber 23 and mold 21 through entry openings 24 . as resin powder material 26 flows back and forth , debris 27 formed on sealing member 25 , get mixed into resin powder material 26 , and finally becomes caught on capturing means 28 . it has been observed that debris 27 is formed from resin powder material 26 especially that which has been caught between sealing member 25 and heated mold 21 . this caught resin powder material melts and forms a film . this film adheres to fluid resin powder material as it is rotated and shaken , and thus the film is stretched to form debris 27 . this debris drops into holding chamber 23 and is mixed into resin powder material 26 . debris 27 are often found to have lengths from 30 cm to almost 1 meter . therefore , in the film forming process , the probability that the debris 27 will become caught on capturing means 28 is very high , and thus the debris 27 can be captured and removed easily . referring now to fig2 ( a ) and fig2 ( b ), a plurality of capturing means 28 are mounted on side wall 231 and upper wall 232 of holding chamber 23 with the implementation of screw holes 233 formed on side wall 231 and upper wall 232 . shafts 28a of capturing means 28 mounted on side wall 231 extend past an opening 241 of entry openings 24 . after a production lot is completed , debris 27 caught on shaft 28a are removed by hand through entry openings 24 . this removal is done during a time that mold 21 is out of service and so production is not affected . a user may also open upper wall 232 of holding chamber 23 and manually remove the debris . furthermore , capturing means 28 itself can be rotated out of screw hole 233 and removed from reservoir 22 so that debris 27 are removed along with capturing means 28 . debris 27 can then be easily removed from now isolated shaft 28a . then , capturing means 28 is screwed back into screw hole 233 to allow the next production lot to begin . according to the invention as described above , capturing means 28 captures debris 27 mixed in resin powder material 26 that were generated during film formation . the capturing means 28 captures debris 27 each time the powdered slush molding device 20 is rotated or shaken during film formation . the capturing is performed automatically , and the cavities and projections formed on the surface of shaft 28a allow debris to be captured efficiently . this eliminates the need to remove debris periodically using a comb , and does not require molding operations to be interrupted . thus , productivity is improved , and the defect rate is decreased . a user need only remove the debris 27 tangled on shaft 28a when a production lot is completed . as described more clearly above , the removal can be effectuated either through entry openings 24 or by removing capturing means 28 itself from reservoir 22 and then removing the debris 27 . thus , the unhealthy generation of powder fumes that accompanies the use of a comb is eliminated , the debris cleaning process is greatly simplified , and productions cycles are uninterrupted . referring now to fig3 a second embodiment of the powder slush molding device of the present invention is shown generally at 22 . elements that are identical to those in the first embodiment are given like numerals and the corresponding descriptions are accordingly omitted . shaft 29 , replaces shaft 28a of capturing means 28 of the first embodiment . shaft 29 extends from base 32 and then bends substantially perpendicularly with respect to the base 32 . as in the first embodiment described above , shaft 29 is formed with a screw - shaped groove or a spiral projection . shaft 29 is inserted roughly perpendicular to upper wall 232 through screw hole 233 and is bent roughly midway in holding chamber 23 so that it extends close to opening 241 of entry openings 24 . a plurality of capturing means 28 , each including shaft 29 , are screwed into respective screw holes 233 . each capturing means extends from upper wall 232 of holding chamber 23 into the holding chamber 23 itself as was described in the first embodiment . screw hole 233 is used for attachment and removal of capturing means 28 with shaft 29 , and is formed as a somewhat large circular hole so that bent shaft 29 can be inserted easily . shaft 29 is inserted at an angle and then screwed in . alternatively , a slot ( not shown ) can be used instead of screw hole 233 in order to allow shaft 29 of capturing means 28 to be more easily inserted . in that case , a cover ( not shown ) would be disposed over the slot . shaft 29 would be fixed to the cover and would extend downward into holding chamber 23 . shaft 29 would be then screwed into screw hole 233 so that the cover would overlay the slot . with shaft 29 structured in this manner , either the vertical section or the horizontal section of the shaft would cross the flow of the resin powder material 26 in holding chamber 23 and thus increase the probability of capturing debris . this is because , during film formation , the resin powder and any debris move back and forth between holding chamber 23 and mold 21 . now portions of shaft 29 would intersect that flow . therefore , debris 27 can be caught easily and effectively with the utilization of shaft 29 . referring now to fig4 there is shown a third embodiment relating to the powder slush molding device of the present invention . elements that are in common with the first and second embodiments are assigned like numbers and overlapping descriptions are omitted . a plurality of shafts 30 replace shaft 28a and shaft 29 of the first and second embodiments respectively . shafts 30 are identical in shape to shafts 28a and 29 from the first and second embodiments or slightly thinner . however , in this embodiment , a plurality of shafts 30 are connected to a single base 32 . the plurality of shafts 30 are arranged together like a claw . these claw - shaped shafts 30 are inserted from screw hole 233 of upper wall 232 . one shaft 30 is bent with respect to the base 32 so that it extends close to entry openings 24 of opening 241 . another shaft 30 is bent toward the bottom of holding chamber 23 . remaining shafts 30 are disposed so that they extend between the two shafts described above . shafts 30 are all inserted into holding chamber 23 from upper wall 232 through screw hole 233 . screw hole 233 allows shafts 30 to be attached and removed . in order to allow claw - shaped shafts 30 to be easily inserted , screw hole 233 can be formed as a slot ( not shown ) as described in the second embodiment . during the film forming process , shafts 30 described above provide even more efficient capture of debris 27 since they can intersect the complex flows of resin powder material 26 in holding chamber 23 . consequently , debris 27 formed in resin powder material 26 have an even greater chance of getting captured on this embodiment of the capturing means . in the described embodiments , 2 entry openings are shown illustrating a situation when more than one mold is being formed at one time . however , entry openings 24 can include only one opening as well . the number of openings corresponds to the number of molds being made during the pertinent cycle . debris 27 is created by melted or carbonized resin powder material 26 . it can take the form of any shape including ball shaped . such a ball shape could be formed if debris 27 is rolled around itself . in the described embodiments , resin powder material 26 may be a vinyl chloride resin that has been suspension polymerized and to which has been added a plasticizing or a stabilizing agent . the resin is then processed to form a powder having an outer diameter of approximately 200 microns . however , any material which has the property of being able to flow through an opening when gravity urged and which solidifies when heated would work with this invention . having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
referring first to fig1 a first exemplary method of carrying out the invention is shown . the first step 100 , comprises applying a colloidal suspension 10 to a substrate 12 , such as a microelectronic substrate . a first exemplary method of applying the colloidal suspension 10 to the substrate 12 in accordance with step 100 is shown in fig2 and 3 . with reference to fig2 the first exemplary method includes depositing a glob 14 of the colloidal suspension 10 substantially at the center of a surface 16 of the substrate 12 . the colloidal suspension 10 comprises a plurality of colloidal particles 18 suspended in a suspension medium 20 . a conventional device 22 may deposit the colloidal suspension 10 on the surface 16 . with reference to fig3 one method of distributing the colloidal suspension 10 across the surface 16 of the substrate 12 is by rotating or spinning the substrate about a longitudinal axis 24 . the rotational velocity of the substrate 12 is important to achieving proper dispersion of the colloidal suspension 10 across the surface 16 of the substrate 12 . while spinning the substrate 12 causes the colloidal suspension 10 to disperse across the surface 16 , it fails to break up any aggregations or clumps of the colloidal particles 18 . etching of the substrate 12 through the resulting mask will produce a plurality of field emitter tips , many of which will be clumped together . an second exemplary method of applying the colloidal suspension 10 to the surface 16 of substrate 12 , in accordance with step 100 ( fig1 ) is shown in fig4 . in this case , the colloidal suspension 10 is sprayed over the surface 16 , substantially covering the entire surface 16 . thus , the spinning or rotating of the substrate 12 about the longitudinal axis 24 may be eliminated . after the application of the colloidal suspension 10 to the substrate 12 , the colloidal suspension 10 is agitated as in accordance with step 102 ( fig1 ). there are a variety of methods for agitating the colloidal suspension such that any aggregation of particles is broken up . for example , with reference to fig5 applying a mechanical vibration directly to the colloidal suspension 10 or indirectly to the colloidal suspension 10 through the substrate 12 can sufficiently agitate the colloidal suspension 10 . the mechanical vibration may be along axes 26 , 28 which are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 24 the vibration should be of sufficient intensity , duration and period to effectively break up any aggregation of colloidal particles 18 in the suspension medium 20 . applying ultrasonic or megasonic acoustic energy , having frequencies greater than approximately 16 khz will also agitate the colloidal suspension 10 sufficiently to raise the effective temperature of the particles to break apart any aggregation of colloidal particles 18 therein . the mechanical or acoustical energy may be of a period and amplitude sufficiently large to set up a standing wave in the colloidal suspension 10 . further control over the colloidal particles 18 may be realized by establishing a potential energy gradient across the substrate 12 . such can be realized by application of a charge to the plurality of colloidal particles 18 and the substrate 12 , or through the application of a heat to the substrate 12 to establish a temperature gradient thereacross or , by establishing a gravitational gradient across the substrate 12 by , for example , tilting the substrate 12 with respect to a gravitational vector . in the exemplary embodiment , the colloidal suspension 10 comprises of a plurality of colloidal particles 18 suspended in a suspension medium 20 . the colloidal particles 18 may take the form of beads or spheres of a polymer , such as polystyrene , polydivinyl benzene , or polyvinyl toluene . the spheres are often made by either suspension or emulsion polymerization . the spheres can be conveniently fabricated in sizes ranging from 0 . 5 to 5 microns . suitable spheres are available from interfacial dynamics corporation of portland , oreg . and bangs laboratories , incorporated of fishers , ind . the suspension medium 20 comprises deionized water , photoresist and a solvent , in the exemplary embodiment . for example , a suitable mixture may comprise : one milliliter of particles in deionized ( di ) water combined with 20 milliliters of a photoresist and 5 milliliters of a solvent , such as isopropyl alcohol . the preferred range of for the mixture is approximately 2 - 20 milliliters of photoresist and approximately 5 - 50 milliliters of solvent per litter of particles in di water . in accordance with step 104 ( fig1 ), removal of the solvent from the suspension medium 20 occurs after the aggregation of colloidal particles 18 have been broken up . removal of the solvent may occur through conventional evaporative steps , such as the application of heat to the composition . the removal of the solvent leaves behind a layer of colloidal particles 18 on the surface 16 of the substrate 12 . as shown in fig6 the photoresist fixes the position of each of the particles 18 relative to the surface 16 of the substrate 12 . the colloidal particles 18 serve as a mask for the etching step 106 ( fig1 ). etching may be performed in any known manner such as by chemical means , reactive plasma etching , or ion beam etching . for example , ion beam etching directs a beam of ions at the surface 16 of the substrate 10 through the mask of colloidal particles 18 . the incident ion beam etches away the particles 18 and the surface 16 . the relative etching rates of the particles 18 and the surface 16 determine the configuration of the etched surface 30 , the etching may thereby form microelectronic devices , such as field emitter tips 32 , in the surface 16 of the substrate 12 . a second exemplary method of carrying out the invention is shown in fig8 wherein like numerals correspond to similar elements and steps carried out in the first exemplary method . in the second exemplary embodiment , the colloidal particles 18 left behind on the surface 16 after step 104 serve as a deposition mask . in step 108 material is deposited on the surface 16 of substrate 12 between the colloidal particles 18 . depositing of the material may be accomplished through conventional means , such as lift off , plating , and ion implanting . although specific embodiments of , and examples for , the present invention are described herein for illustrative purposes , various equivalent modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant art . the teachings provided herein of the present invention can be applied to other substrates to define other microstructures , not necessarily the exemplary microelectronic devices , such as field emission emitter tips , generally described above . these and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above - detailed description . in general , in the following claims , the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and claims , but should be construed to include all substrates and manufacturing of such substrates that operate in accordance with the claims . accordingly , the invention is not limited by the disclosure , but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 a microprogram module 20 has a microprogram read only memory ( rom ), a microinstruction register and a priority logic circuit . when a microprogram word is addressed , the word is read from the microprogram rom into the microinstruction register . this register supplies control signals and a numeric literal field which is used by the digital computer for a variety of addressing and indexing operations as well as for arithmetic operations . an instruction module 30 has an instruction register which can shift its contents to the left in one or three 4 - bit byte increments . this shifting property accomodates variable length instructions which may be packed several instructions per word and may be split across the bounderies of adjacent words . the contents of the instruction register come from a user program . separate instructions are accessed and their field format determined by a microprogram in the microprogram rom , while the boundaries of the instruction words and the fetching of new words is kept track of by a byte counter . a program module 40 has a memory which is divided into two sections . the user program resides in a rom , and a read / write ( data ) memory contains space for input / output buffers , subroutine linkage stack and the general registers . a processor module 50 has a register file and an arithmetic logic unit ( alu ) which can perform a variety of arithmetic and logic operations . operands for the various operations are read by the microprogram from the program module 40 into the register file ( which cannot be directly accessed by the user program ) and are processed by the alu . results may be written back into the program module 40 . memory addresses for the program module 40 may come from the processor module 50 and from the instruction module 30 . a sequencer module 60 controls access to the microprogram rom in the microprogram module 20 . for a given macroinstruction ( user program instruction ) the first microprogram rom address is determined from the opcode of the instruction word presently in the instruction register . succeeding microprogram rom addresses are under the control of the microprogram itself . this module also contains hardware to generate addresses for input / output ( i / o ) and realtime microdiagnostic operations . data is acquired by the computer via an input module 70 for serial digital data , and via analog to digital converters for analog data to provide parallel digital data to the processor module 50 . the input module 70 has an input register acting as a shift register which is filled serially , which operation is asynchronous with respect to the computer program execution . input data is entered in parallel from the most significant bits of the input shift register of the input module 70 , or from the converted analog data , via the processor module 50 to an input buffer in the data memory of the program module 40 on an interrupt basis at the completion of an instruction execution of the user program . later , the input data is transferred from the input buffer to other locations in the data memory via the processor module 50 under program control . output data from the output module 80 may be in three forms . data to missile servos is converted from digital to analog by a digital - analog converter ( dac ). a serial digital output is obtained by converting from parallel to serial by an output shift register . the third form of data is kept in parallel for high rate requirements , and is transmitted via a buffering register . the allocation of output buffers in the data memory of the program module 40 is made by the programmer and is not restricted to any particular area in the data memory . the control module 90 contains the hardware to perform several distinct and unrelated functions . a demultiplexer decodes a microorder control field in the microprogram instruction to provide infrequently used , mutually exclusive control signals . two groups of logic in the control module use &# 34 ; internal conditions &# 34 ; as inputs . the first of these groups is used to shift bits in a multiplier during multiplication , the control being derived from the demultiplexer . the second group ors part of a data , or literal , field of the microinstruction with either the most significant byte from the instruction register of the instruction module 30 or certain internal conditions derived from the microinstruction of the microprogram module 20 . this second group outputs to the sequencer module 60 to select the next microprogram address . a byte counter and associated control logic are used in the loading of the instruction register and in the transfer of data from the input module 70 to locations in the input buffer . referring now to fig2 - 9 , a detailed description of a specific embodiment is described . the microprogram module 20 , shown in fig2 has a read only memory ( rom ) 22 with 512 48 - bit words , the output of which is loaded into a microinstruction register 24 , and provides internal control signals for the computer . as shown , the microinstruction register 24 may be divided into functional fields , with each field corresponding to a specific control function . each microinstruction is encoded only to the level where it can drive medium scale devices such as multiplexers , consequently it is wide enough ( 48 bits ) to allow considerable parallel operation . fourteen bits of the microinstruction register 24 from the multiplexer control field is broken down into seven 2 - bit fields -- amx , rmx , tmx , fmx , wmx , mmx , and cmx . each of these fields supplies an address to a single data multiplexer . these multiplexers will be discussed in detail along with the computer module in which they appear . the remainder of the microinstruction register 24 is comprised of several fields whose functions will now be summarized and will be discussed in greater detail along with the computer module in which they appear . cnd selects internal combustion for use by the control module 90 for input to the sequencer module 60 is generating microaddresses . imcc increments a multiple cycle counter in the control module 90 which is used in operations requiring repetition of a set of microinstructions such as shifting or multiplying . the microorder control field supplies addresses to the demultiplexer in the control module 90 and thereby controls various micro - operations within the computer . l slave causes the loading of a slave register in the processor module 50 . cin provides a carry into the least significant bit of the alu in the processor module 50 via logic in the control module 90 . the logic / function field tells the alu what operation to perform on the operands supplied to it . the register input / output field contains the addresses of register files in the processor module 50 to be written into and read from respectively . the literal field , along with its associated sign bit from the micro - order demultiplexer , supplies a literal which may be used by various parts of the computer in operations such as address modification . clock , when enabled , in conjunction with mmx reduces the rate of the system clock 26 , such as from 300 nsec clock pulses to 400 or 500 nsec clock pulses per microroutine , so that operations which encounter extensive logic delays within the computer may be used . lar enables loading of one of two registers in the sequencer module 60 . shift controls the shifting and loading via the byte counter in the control module 90 of the instruction register in the instruction module 30 . the three least significant bits of the microinstruction from the microprogram rom 22 are unique in that they are not buffered through the microinstruction register 24 , but are applied to combinational logic directly . this is done so that the next user program instruction may be fetched immediately , rather than waiting for the clock pulse which loads the microinstruction register 24 and initiates decoding of the microinstruction . the remainder of the microprogram module will be described subsequently . referring now to fig3 the instruction module 30 has an instruction multiplexer 32 with four inputs which loads an instruction register 34 in parallel . the inputs to the instruction multiplexer 32 are various concatenations of bytes presently in the instruction register with bytes of a user program instruction from the program module 40 . going from most significant to least significant bytes , assuming that the instruction multiplexer 32 and the instruction register 34 are 24 bits wide and that the user program instruction is 16 bits long , these inputs are : ( 1 ) the two most significant bytes from the instruction register followed by the presently addressed user program instruction from the program module 40 , ( 2 ) the most significant byte in the instruction register followed by the presently addressed user program instruction from the program module , ( 3 ) the present addressed user program instruction from program module , and ( 4 ) the previous contents of the lower three bytes of the instruction register which are now placed in the upper three bytes ( shift left 3 ). the particular input selected is determined by the byte counter ( bt ) from the control module 90 which keeps track of the number of shifts of the instruction register 34 by counting the number of empty least significant bytes , i . e ., bytes devoid of information supplied by the user program . the inputs are loaded into the most significant bytes of the instruction register 34 , and , since the instruction register is not entirely filled by all the given inputs , the remaining insignificant bytes are empty . by shifting continuously and loading in this manner the instruction register 34 supplies an apparently endless string of bytes to the microprogram . the instruction in the instruction register 34 is broken down into its component fields ( opcode , addresses , etc .) by analyzing the high order byte or bytes in the register , then left - shifting the contents of the register in one or three byte increments until the next field is placed in the most significant position of the register . each field may be isolated and read out from the instruction register 34 by a read multiplexer 36 which can select the most significant byte ( ir ) or the three most significant bytes ( id ). the particular input to the read multiplexer 36 is determined by the rmx field from the microinstruction register 24 . the other two inputs to the read multipler 36 are the output from a slave register in the processor module 50 and data from the program module 40 . the latter input gives the read multiplexer 36 its name since it is used to access data from the program module 40 that is required by the rest of the computer . the output of the read multiplexer 36 is connected to the input of the processor module 50 , the output module 80 and the program module 40 . fig4 shows the program module 40 which has a program memory 42 ( read only memory ) in which the user program is stored and a data memory 44 ( read / write memory ) which contains the general registers and the input / output buffers . the program memory 42 is the source of user program instructions for the instruction module 30 , and the data memory 44 is the source of data for the processor module as well as data for output via the read multiplexer 36 of the instruction module 30 . a write signal , decoded from the micro - order field of the microinstruction register 24 by the control module 90 , enables the data memory 44 to receive data from the processor module 50 . an address multiplexer 46 is controlled by the amx field of the microinstruction register 24 and connects directly to an address register 48 . address source are from the address register 48 itself ( in lieu of a disable signal for the loading of the address register ), the processor module 50 , the read multiplexer 36 of the instruction module 30 , and ir from the instruction register 34 of the instruction module . the output of the address register 48 is connected directly to the address inputs of the program memory 42 and the data memory 44 . the output of the address multiplexer 46 also connects with the input of the output module 80 . for a total memory of 2 , 816 words , a 12 - bit address register is required . the processor module 50 , shown in fig5 has a register file 51 with a plurality of registers which are addressed by the register output / input field of the microinstruction register 24 . the register file 51 may be simultaneously written into and read out from different addresses . the register file 51 provides one operand to an arithmetic logic unit ( alu ) 53 . the alu 53 may perform a large number of operations using two operands . these operations include addition , subtraction , left - shifting , incrementing , and logical anding and oring . the particular operation is chosen by the logic / function field of the microinstruction register 24 . the second operand is the present contents of a slave register 57 . a function multiplexer 55 has four inputs controlled by the fmx field of the microinstruction register 24 . one of the inputs is the literal field of the microinstruction register 24 , the second input is the presently addressed contents of the data memory 44 , and the last two inputs select the output of the alu 53 directly or right - shifted . the output of the function multiplexer 55 is connected to the slave register 57 , the multiple cycle counter in the control module 90 , the address multiplexer 46 of the program module 40 , a write multiplexer 59 , and the output module 80 . the slave register 49 is used by the microprogram as an accumulator register . the l slave field of the microinstruction register 24 enables the loading of this register by the function multiplexer 55 . the slave register 59 may be shifted left one bit by adding it to itself via the alu 53 , and new bits may be entered serially under control of cin which allows a carrying ( rlink ) by the alu . the write multiplexer 59 selects the source of all input to the data memory 44 , as well as making the selected data available to the output module 80 , depending upon the wmx field of the microinstruction register 24 . the inputs are : ( 1 ) the most significant bits of the input data from the input module 70 , ( 2 ) the output of the register file 51 , ( 3 ) the output of the function multiplexer 55 , or ( 4 ) the output of one of a plurality of analog to digital converters . the selected data is written into the area of the data memory 44 presently addressed by the address register 48 if the write signal is present . referring now to fig6 the sequencer module 60 contains the logic that controls microinstruction sequencing . a microaddress register ( mar ) 62 is the source of microaddresses for executing instructions , an alternate register ( ar ) 63 is the source of microaddresses for executing input / output ( i / o ), and a subroutine register 64 establishes a hierarchy for using microsubroutines . microprograms can be two levels deep in executing user program instructions and one level deep in i / o . the microprogram rom 22 addresses are output from the sequencer module by a control multiplexer 65 . the control multiplexer 65 by itself accesses only one - half of the microprogram rom 22 , so a ninth address bit is supplied by a bank bit from the combinational logic 27 in the microprogram module 20 to control access to either half of the microprogram rom . the control multiplexer 65 is the only multiplexer in the computer whose input select signals are derived in part from external conditions . the selection is determined by cmx which is generated by the microprogram in conjunction with a priority logic 29 in the microprogram module 20 ( see fig2 ). the input to the control multiplexer 65 from a micromultiplexer 66 is selected when the computer is executing a user program . when an i / o interrupt is processed , the microprogram selects the alternate register 63 which becomes the microprogram address source for the i / o routine . the address for an interrupted program is saved pending resumption of the interrupted program in the microaddress register 62 which is not used by the i / o routine . as the instruction register 34 of the instruction module 30 is emptied , program execution must be temporarily suspended at some time while a new instruction is &# 34 ; fetched &# 34 ; from the program memory 42 . this is done by selecting the control module 90 input to the control multiplexer 65 for one instruction cycle which results in a hard wired branch to a location in the microprogram rom 22 containing a routine for fetching bytes from the program memory 42 and placing them in the vacated positions in the instruction register 34 . this microroutine also saves the contents of the microaddress register 62 and the slave register 57 in the processor module 50 so that program execution may be resumed after the fetch cycle is complete . the remaining input to the control multiplexer 65 is provided by a status word which is part of the data input to the input module 70 . the status word appears periodically and creates a real - time jammed interrupt to start the user program . this word specifies one of a plurality of microdiagnostic programs which runs just prior to the user program and supplies a hardware test result to the output module 80 . at the time of this interrupt , the microprogram module 20 , the instruction module 30 , the processor module 50 , the sequencer module 60 and the control module 90 are devoid of information relevant to the program state , this information existing entirely in the program module 40 . thus , these modules are available for fault testing with the microdiagnostic routines . since the memory oriented architecture implies that these modules are also responsible for the logical functioning of much of the i / o processing ( in a time sharing sense ), a great deal of information is available which would otherwise be unobtainable during actual computational processing , i . e ., during a missile flight , for example . a key feature of the microdiagnostic routines is that they are executed in real - time while a mission is in progress , thus providing logical fault data about the computer while in flight . the inputs to the micromultiplexer 66 are selected by the mmx field of the microinstruction register 24 . the inputs are : ( 1 ) the literal from the microinstruction register 24 , ( 2 ) ir φred in the control module 90 with the least significant byte of the literal ( lit + ir ), ( 3 ) the output of condition logic in the control module 90 , which is determined by the cnd field of the microinstruction register 24 , φred with the least significant bits of the literal ( lit + cnd ), and ( 4 ) the output of the miocroaddress register 62 . the microaddress and alternate registers 62 , 63 are both loaded from a bypass / increment logic 67 , and the lar field of the microinstruction register 24 and its logical inverse ( lmar ) enable the loading of one or the other of these registers . the bypass / increment logic 67 is an arithmetic unit which uses the outputs of the control multiplexer 65 and a subroutine multiplexer 68 as index arguments and updates the microaddress value for each microinstruction cycle of the computer . the address generated by the bypass / increment logic 67 depends on the &# 34 ; fetch &# 34 ; status and the micro - order field of the microinstruction register 24 . during interrupt operations the control module 90 places the bypass / increment logic 67 in the &# 34 ; bypass &# 34 ; mode . during program execution lar and lmar cause the value of either the microaddress register 62 or the alternate register 63 to be incremented by one and used as the next microprogram address ( branching within the microprogram being accomplished by the micromultiplexer 66 using the literal field as mentioned previously ). the subroutine multiplexer 68 and subroutine register 64 are used by the microprogram to enter and leave microsubroutines . the subroutine multiplexer 68 allows the present microaddress to be stored in the subroutine register 64 and later restored to the microaddress register 62 or alternate register 63 when the microsubroutine is exited . the subroutine multiplexer 68 output drives both the subroutine register 64 and the bypass / increment logic 67 . access to the subroutine register 64 is via the subroutine multiplexer 68 controlled by the micro - order field of the microinstruction register 24 via the control module 90 which provides the following operations : load subroutine register with contents of microaddress register 62 , load with contents of alternate register 63 , and read subroutine register . the destination register in the latter operation is either the microaddress register 62 or alternate register 63 depending upon lar / lmar . the remaining input to the subroutine multiplexer 68 is the output of the microaddress multiplexer 66 . the input module 70 is composed of a set of input shift registers 72a , 72b , 72c , 72d as shown in fig7 . input is received serially and is shifted in until the registers are full , at which point an input interrupt is generated by an input sequencer 74 and sent to the microprogram module 20 . the least significant bit of register 72a in conjunction with an address code register 76 are placed into an input code register 78 and indicate what kind of data has been received . this information is used by the control module 90 to generate the microaddress of an input handling routine . the input data is divided into a plurality of words , such as four 12 - bit words as illustrated , which are placed in the data memory 44 of the program module 40 by the write multiplexer 59 of the processor module 50 through successive shits in parallel of the contents of registers 72b , 72c , 72d , into register 72a . after the first such shift the contents of register 72b have replaced those of register 72a , the contents of register 72c are in register 72b , etc . the data words , ie ., the contents of registers 72b , 72c , 72d , are read into an input buffer set up by the microprogram in the data memory 44 from register 72a , one after each shifting process . the microprogram adds the address code register 76 to the base address determined by the type of data to tell the computer where the data goes into data memory 44 . all input data is read into a portion of an input array section of the data memory 44 , the exact location used being a function of the kind of data as indicated by the input code and address code registers 78 , 76 . the user program must then move the data to a different location in the data memory 44 before the next set of input data is received or the data will be lost . another feature of the input register structure is that it allows extra buffering so that serial data words may be accepted more rapidly . as soon as the data words have been shifted in parallel once , register 72d may accept data in serial independently while the other registers 72c , 72b , 72a are supplying data to the data memory 44 in parallel mode . the input sequencer 74 controls this operation and clears registers 72a , 72b , 72c at the conclusion of the input interrupt . if the input data word is a microdiagnostic word , a portion of register 72c is input to the control multiplexer 65 of the sequencer module 60 to select the microaddress of the particular one of a plurality of microdiagnostics specified . the output module 80 is shown in fig8 . a test multiplexer 82 is under the control of the tmx field of the microinstruction register 24 and selects either ( 1 ) the output of the address multiplexer 46 from the program module 40 concatenated with other test points , ( 2 ) the output of the write multiplexer 59 from the processor module 50 , ( 3 ) the output of the read multiplexer 36 from the instruction module 30 , or ( 4 ) the output of the control multiplexer 65 concatenated with the output of the subroutine multiplexer 68 from the sequencer module 68 . the test multiplexer 82 is in turn connected to an output buffer 83 and an alternate output buffer 84 . the output buffer 83 and its associated output shift register 85 are under the control of an output counter and control circuit 86 which controls the loading of the output shift register from the output buffer and the serial unloading of the output shift register . the output counter and control circuit 86 is in turn controlled by the micro - order field of the microinstruction register 24 via the control module 90 . the serial output is connected through an output logic circuit 87 under control of the output counter and control circuit 86 to a line or lines to provide a serial digital output . the output logic circuit 87 also provides the microprogram module 20 with an output interrupt signal to indicate the output buffer 83 is ready for the next output interrupt . the alternate output buffer 84 is loaded by a signal from the micro - order field of the microinstruction register 24 via the control module 90 and is connected to provide a parallel digital output for high rate devices . a digital to analog converter ( dac ) 88 , under the control of the micro - order field via the control module 90 , receives its input from the read multiplexer 36 of the instruction module 30 and provides an analog output to drive analog devices . returning now to fig2 a priority sub - module located in the microprogram module 20 has a priority logic circuit 29 and the combinational register 27 . the priority logic circuit 29 receives the interrupt inputs from the input module 70 ( input ), the output module ( output ), the control module ( fetch ), the unbuffered cycle lookahead from the microinstruction register 24 , and the output of the status latch ( sstar ) from the combinational register 27 , and determines whether the computer should be executing an instruction , fetching an instruction or processing an interrupt . when more than one of these conditions is pending , the action taken is determined by the priority logic circuit 29 . whenever a new instruction must be fetched from program memory 42 of the program module 40 , since the three least significant bits ( cyc ) of the current microinstruction are unbuffered , the &# 34 ; fetch &# 34 ; condition is detected as soon as the microinstruction word containing it is accessed . thus the addressing portion of the fetch takes place before any other operation indicated by the microinstruction , and the fetch can take place on the next cycle of the program memory 42 concurrently with any other indicated operation . cyc also may indicate a condition called end which is used to determine when the computer may be interrupted . when a user program instruction is begun , the computer enters the microprogram segment associated with that particular instruction . in most cases this segment will make use of several registers in the register file 51 of the processor module 50 for local bookkeeping operations . this data is discarded at the end of the segment , and the next program instruction may use the register file 51 for a different set of bookkeeping operations . to prevent data in the register file 51 from being lost , the interrup subroutine of the microprogram can interrupt the processor module 50 only when the end condition occurs . the last microinstruction associated with each macroinstruction ( program instruction ) contains such an end condition so the pending interrupt may be acted upon when instruction processing is complete . under these circumstances an interrupt address is generated by the control module 90 and is selected by control multiplexer 65 of the sequencer module 60 . on the next computer cycle execution switches to the alternate register 63 . the inputs to the combinational register 27 are from the priority logic circuit 29 to determine cmx and whether an input or output interrupt exists , and from status condition from the input module 70 which , together with the bank bit , selects the one - half of memory which contains the microdiagnostic routines . the last module to be described is the control module 90 shown in fig9 which contains the hardware to perform several distinct and unrelated functions . a micro - order demultiplexer 91 outputs a number of signals which enable various conditions within the computer . these signals are produced by the micro - order field of the microinstruction register 24 since they are used less frequently than the signals which are assigned their own unique control fields in the microinstructionn register . they do not have to be explicitly specified for each microinstruction and no two of them must be activated at the same time , thus saving several bits in each microinstruction , i . e ., instead of 32 bits for 32 signals , only 5 bits are required . the signals from the micro - order field include load multiple cycle counter ( lmcc ), load byte counter ( lbt ), address register transfers in the sequencer module 60 as discussed supra , bit manipulations involving the slave register 57 in the processor module 50 as used by the multiply microroutine , and several others . they are divided into two classes -- clocked and unclocked . the unclocked signals , when selected , become active as soon as demultiplexer decoding of the micro - order field is complete and remain so until the next clock pulse places a new microinstruction into the microinstruction register 24 . these signals drive circuitry which is itself clocked , such as j - k flip - flops , and thus any decoding spikes from the micro - order demultiplexer 91 have no effect and are assumed to have settled out before the next clock pulse . conversely , clocked signals drive combinational circuitry directly . since decoding spikes are undersirable in this case as they might cause errors , they are avoided by clocking the micro - order demultiplexer enable line . clocked signals are thus active only during the clock pulse following the one in which they were loaded into the microinstruction register 24 . a multiple cycle counter 92 allows control of cyclic processes such as multiplying and shifting , is loaded with the output of the function multiplexer when lmcc ( unclocked micro - order signal ) is active , and is incremented whenever the imcc field of the microinstruction register 24 is active . end of process is indicated when a carry out of the counter ( c out ) is detected and a conditional transfer is made on the basis of this condition . two groups of logic appear in the control module 90 which use &# 34 ; internal conditions &# 34 ; as inputs . the first of these groups is derived from an auxiliary slave register 93 which is used to shift bits in the multiplier / shift logic 94 during multiplication . all internal conditions used by this logic are outputs of the micro - order demultiplexer 91 and the cin field of the microinstruction register 24 which produce the carryin signal for serially entering bits via the alu 53 into the slave register 59 . the other group of logic performs two functions . the first is the oring of part of the literal field from the microinstruction register 24 with either the ir field of the instruction register 34 or certain internal conditions which are treated as a two - bit field . the other is to choose one of these internal conditions which are derived from the auxiliary slave register 93 , the multiple cycle counter 92 and the processor module 50 . selecting pairs of these signals in the computer is accomplished via a condition multiplexer 97 addressed by the cnd field of the microinstruction register 24 and provides conditional transfers based upon the conditions selected . a byte counter 98 and associated interrupt control logic 99 are used in the loading of the instruction register 34 , and in the transfer of data from the input shift register 72 to locations in the input buffer of the data memory 44 as determined by the bits from the input code register 78 , respectively . the byte counter 98 is loaded from the three least significant bits of the literal field when enabled by the micro - order signal lbt from the micro - order demultiplexer 91 . output from the byte counter 98 goes to the instruction multiplexer 32 and the interrupt control logic 99 . the byte counter 98 also notifies the priority logic 29 of an impending fetch , and when the fetch condition is enabled by the priority logic the interrupt control logic 99 generates the microaddress of a fetch routine which is input to control multiplexer 65 . whenever the byte counter 98 indicates four bytes are empty in the instruction register 34 ( due to shifting ), or three bytes are empty and the shift condition is active , the fetch signal becomes active . this signal is processed by the priority logic 29 in conjunction with the cyc field of the next microinstruction . when the cyc field indicates either an end or a fetch enabling condition in conjunction with the fetch signal and the absence of a higher priority interrupt , the interrupt control logic 99 generates a microaddress which is selected by the control multiplexer 65 and causes the computer to enter a fetch processing microroutine . the interrupt control logic 99 also generates microaddresses for input and output microroutines when the priority logic 29 processes the appropriate interrupt . the instruction set for the computer is organized around bytes four - bits in length even though program and data memory words are several bytes long . the number of bytes used in a given instruction is dependent on the amount of information required and is fixed by the microprogram associated with that instruction . length may be as short as one byte or of an indefinite length for an arithmetic string depending on the complexity of the arithmetic expression involved . the variable length instruction scheme allows memory space to be conserved by using the minimum number of bytes required for each instruction rather than multiples of a fixed word length . if an instruction occupies less than a full computer word , the following instruction will begin in the first unused byte of the word and , if necessary , continue to the next full word . since the computer is word - addressable rather than byte - addressable in order to minimize the size of instruction address fields , it is not possible to transfer program control via a branch instruction to an instruction which begins in the middle of a word . this condition is remedied by the insertion of no - op instructions until the instruction to be tranferred to begins in the first byte of a word , the insertion being accomplished automatically by a program compiler . the actual field formats of each instruction , excluding the opcode ( which is used directly as an address to the microprogram rom 22 and thus must appear at the beginning of an instruction ), are determined entirely by the microprogram , making the number and placement of the fields entirely arbitrary . since a single byte is used as an opcode , the number of basic opcodes is fixed by the hardware as sixteen . however , under microprogram control additional fields ( called variant fields ) may be used to modify the opcode and thus extend the instruction set . in the general case the variant operations of a single opcode need not be related at all , and thus no flexibility is lost in the possible instruction set by restricting the number of basic opcodes to sixteen . the sixteen basic types of instructions can be subdivided into several classes . three instructions allow data transfers between the general registers and memory . all arithmetic operations derive their operands from the general registers which reside in the first sixteen locations of the data memory 44 . thus , general registers may be addressed by a single byte rather than three bytes ( for a 12 - bit address register ), allowing an appreciable storage saving in the case of arithmetic expressions . the polish string instruction allows a sequence of operations of indeterminate length to be performed using the contents of the general registers . any arithmetic expression that can be expressed as a chain calculation is valid . intermediate results are accumulated in the slave register 57 . arithmetic operations , such as addition , subtraction , mulitplication , incrementing , decrementing , etc ., shifting operations , and logical operations such as anding and oring of two words are available . also several types of branching operations are available , including both unconditional and conditional branching ( if instructions ) as well as subroutine branch and return operations . finally , various types of indexed data transfers are available . microprogram execution of instructions will be illustrated by reference to the if instruction . referring now to fig1 , it is desired to set z to the smaller of x and y , where x , y and z specify general registers , or , if x & lt ; y , then z = x , else z = y . the assembled instruction would appear in program memory 42 as a string of bytes as illustrated , where 6 = if opcode , d = if test , c = condition to be tested , 3 = register tranfer opcode , o = no - op . a flow chart of the implementing microprogram is shown at the left and the consequent instruction register activity is shown at the right . the instruction numbers correspond to the flow chart level numbers where the instruction is executed . the boxes in the flow chart represent microinstructions , microaddresses in hexadecimal are shown above each box , and , if a logic condition is required to invoke a particular microinstruction , it is shown underlined at the top of the box . each instruction is responsible for emptying the instruction register of that instrution &# 39 ; s string and starting the next instruction . this is done by oring the literal oo 16 with the most significant byte of the instruction register . when an instruction is ending , the terminating microinstruction &# 39 ; s literal is always oo 16 ; therefore , the or of this literal and the opcode is always the opcode . this forces a branch to one of the first 16 locations in the microprogram which contains the first step for that instruction . the if will actually start with its opcode 6 shifted out and the address of the general register y at the left of the instruction register . the microinstruction transfers the address of y to the memory address register and a memory cycle begins , placing the actual number y in one of the file registers . again the instruction register shifts , the address of x appears and is transferred to the memory address register . the sequence 06 - 1b - 1c are common to all instructions which use two operands . at this point 16 different things could happen . in the example the byte following x is a d ( binary 1101 ). this means that the two preceding bytes have specified registers whose contents are to be compared . if x were followed by c , it would mean that location x contains a number to be compared with a number y , as opposed to the number in location y . the other 14 possibilities specify arithmetic operations . to establish what action is to occur , the byte following x is tested against literal 30 16 , and , as the outcome is 3d , a branch takes place in the microprogram . the microinstruction in 3d places the contents of x in one of the file registers . 3d can be reached by another route when the first byte of an instruction is 7 ( and the microprogram sequence begins at 07 ). this instruction compares the contents of a register against 0 , and is used frequently enough to justify its own shorter ( two bytes ), faster format . the separate sequence saves program memory space and time , and illustrates the type of optimization possible . the byte in the string after the d is a c ( binary 1100 ), which is again tested . this byte specifies the kind of comparison to take place -- equal , unequal , greater than , less than - and what to do if the comparison succeeds -- branch immediately , branch after incrementing or decrementing a register , or execute another instruction ( the then part of the if instruction ). the test is against literal a3 ( binary 1010 0011 ), which effectively masks the lower two bits of the byte and tests only the upper two bits to establish comparison . here the test of c with a3 yields af : the microinstruction in location af calls for the &# 34 ; less than &# 34 ; instruction . byte c remains in the instruction register so that its other two bits can be tested in due time . since for the purposes of this example the comparison shows that x is indeed less than y , the microprogram proceeds to check their signs , and then to look at the other two bits of c by a test against literal 9c to find out what to do about it . the remainder of the microprogram sequence is not shown , but in the long run it sets a register z with the contents of register x as specified in the programmer &# 39 ; s instruction . the last byte it sees in the immediate sequence is a 3 , which is the opcode calling for the contents of one register to be moved to another register ; however , before it knows which two registers are involved , it has to fetch more of the instruction from the program memory . this fetch is necessary because the byte counter is greater than 3 and is signaled by a fetch from the cyc ( cycle lookahead ) field of the microinstruction ; and it is possible because the relation between x and y , which previously occupied part of the file register , has been determined and they may now be overlaid with new instruction bytes . therefore , the present invention provides a variable architecture digital computer where the most complex design features are concentrated in the microprogram which controls the instruction set , input / output and diagnostic tests . developmental changes in the software , thus , don &# 39 ; t affect the hardware , and the variable instruction length provide maximum flexibility with minimum memory space which is so important in aerospace applications . | 6 |
fig1 illustrates a schematic diagram of the inputs that may be collected for objectively assessing a landing condition in the present invention . a processor may be used to collect , process , and store data using a computer program of the present invention , where input from each wheel in the landing gear is provided to the program . the program outputs a condition report that may be stored , broadcasted , or otherwise made available to subsequently landing aircraft at the same runway . other modes can be implemented to carry out the invention without a computer program , and the invention is not limited to just a computer program . input to the program may include the following : the autobrake setting 10 from the cockpit , the pilot &# 39 ; s pedal commands 12 from the cockpit , the brake metered pressure 14 from a sensor , the aircraft deceleration 16 along with other various parameters such as inertial reference system ground speed , weight on wheels 18 , etc . ; thrust reverse value 20 , and spoiler / speedbrake deployment 22 . each of these inputs are fed to the anti - skid / brake control system 24 , along with the actual wheel speed 26 taken at the axle wheelspeed transducer 28 and the brake pressure 30 using a pressure transducer 32 ( if available ) at the wheel 34 . each of these factors are used to evaluate a braking quality factor of the tire - runway interface 40 . in a first preferred embodiment , a processor in the anti - skid / brake control system 24 receives all of the data and undertakes a data processing program that incorporates : ( a ) wheel speed ( b ) wheel spin - up time ( c ) time on ground ( d ) wheel deceleration ( e ) aircraft ground speed ( f ) aircraft deceleration ( g ) wheel speed spin - up recovery ( h ) hydroplaning condition ( i ) autobrake commanded pressure ( j ) autobrake deceleration error ( k ) anti - skid wheel slip error ( l ) anti - skid velocity reference ( m ) anti - skid pbm / integral command ( n ) braking command ; and ( o ) wheel slip velocity . each of these various factors are analyzed to arrive at a braking quality factor of the runway condition determination 44 , which may be “ dry ,” “ moderate ,” “ poor ,” or no report is made available . other conditions are also possible , such as “ good ,” “ satisfactory ,” “ hazardous ,” and “ insufficient data .” the ultimate condition is compiled in a condition report 50 , which may be made available to subsequent pilots landing on the same runway , as well as kept for future analysis . in this way , a more objective approach to runway landing conditions is available to the pilots . the terms described in the condition report may be replaced or modified with synonymous terms or numerical representation . in other words , the outcome can be tailored based on the needs users &# 39 ; community or the specific reporting system . it is possible that in the future an industry or regulatory agency will adopt standard terms for describing tire / runway friction , and the present invention would incorporate those terms for reporting to the aircraft information system . one advantage of the present invention is that all of the data used to determine the braking condition can be taken from the aircraft &# 39 ; s brake control system . the determination of the runway condition can be used with either autobraking or pedal braking , where each option uses a separate branch to evaluate the braking surface . in one embodiment , the runway condition is determined during the landing roll , such as immediately after landing when the wheels spin up , and throughout various phases during the deceleration of the aircraft ( e . g ., at 100 kts groundspeed , 75 kts , 50 kts , etc .). the determination of the braking conditions evaluates whether autobrake or maximum brake pressure is employed , partial brake pressure employed , and if hydroplaning is occurring . in a preferred embodiment , all of the wheels in the landing gear are evaluated using the techniques referenced herein to better evaluate the conditions on the runway surface . the method of the present invention can best be understood by reference to the flow chart illustrated in fig2 a , 2b . the method is preferably performed by an onboard processor on the aircraft that includes a communication device that communicates the conditions on the runway to a remote location , such as a control tower , flight deck , or other central database . the flow chart goes through various decisions that ultimately determine if a condition is reported , and if so , the nature of the condition . the first decision in diamond 100 is whether the aircraft is in landing mode . if the aircraft is not in landing mode , the program is inactive and reports nothing in bubble 105 . if the aircraft is in landing mode , the next decision is whether the autobrake setting is off in diamond 110 . if the aircraft &# 39 ; s autobrake setting is not off , this means that the autobrake is active and the next decision is in diamond 115 to determine if the autobrake setting is low or “ 1 .” this query is based on the landing speed thrust reverse , which is provided in box 155 . if the autobrake setting is not “ low ” or “ 1 ,” the selected deceleration is evaluated in diamond 145 . if the selected deceleration is achieved , the program reports that conditions are “ good ” to the tower in bubble 150 . if the selected deceleration is not achieved , if the maximum pressure commanded the program reports that the conditions are “ hazardous ” in bubble 130 , and if the maximum pressure is not commanded the program reports that the conditions are “ poor ” in bubble 135 . if the autobrake setting is set to low or 1 , the program determines if the selected deceleration is achieved under these settings in diamond 120 . if yes , the program reports that conditions are “ satisfactory ” in bubble 140 . if the selected deceleration is not achieved , the program reports that the conditions were “ poor ” in bubble 135 . if at the decision diamond 110 the autobrake setting is off , the landing speed , pedal position , spoilers , and reverse thrusters are activated or entered into the program in box 155 . this information is passed to a decision diamond 160 where the program queries whether there is antiskid activity . if there is no antiskid activity , the program determines whether the braking command is greater than the braking threshold in diamond 165 . if it is not , the program is unable to determine a condition and reports in bubble 170 that there is insufficient data to evaluate the conditions . if the braking command is greater than the braking threshold , the program seeks to determine in diamond 175 whether the aircraft &# 39 ; s deceleration is greater than a predetermined value in feet per second squared . if the deceleration is not greater than the predetermined threshold , the program reports in bubble 170 that there is insufficient data to evaluate the landing conditions . however , if the program determines that the deceleration is greater than the predetermined value , the program reports in bubble 180 that the conditions are “ good - moderate .” if the program determines in diamond 160 that there is antiskid activity , then the program evaluates whether the antiskid pbm indicates a low pressure region in diamond 185 . if the pbm indicates a low pressure region , the program again seeks to determine if the deceleration is less than a predetermined value in diamond 190 . if the deceleration is not less than a predetermined value , the program reports that conditions are “ moderate - poor ” in bubble 210 . if the program determines that the deceleration is less than a predetermined value , the program next seeks to determine if a hydroplaning condition exists in diamond 195 . if hydroplaning does not exist , the program reports in bubble 205 that the conditions are “ poor .” if hydroplaning does exist , the program reports in bubble 200 that conditions are “ hazardous .” if the program in diamond 185 determines that the pbm does not indicate a low pressure region , the program in diamond 215 evaluates whether the pbm indicates a mid - range pressure region . if the pbm does indicate a mid - range pressure region , the program in diamond 220 determines whether the deceleration is below a predetermined value in diamond 220 . if the aircraft &# 39 ; s deceleration is not less than the predetermined value , the program reports that the conditions are “ good - moderate ” in bubble 225 . if the deceleration is less than the predetermined value , the program reports in bubble 180 that the landing conditions are “ moderate .” if the program does not determine that the pbm level indicates a mid - range pressure region in diamond 215 , then the pressure region must be high . the program then makes a determination in diamond 230 whether the deceleration is less than a predetermined value . if the aircraft &# 39 ; s deceleration is not less than the predetermined value , the program reports that the conditions are “ dry ” in bubble 240 . if the program determines that the deceleration is less than the predetermined value , the program reports in bubble 235 that the conditions are “ good .” the foregoing flow chart illustrates how a program can evaluate readings from various landing gear data and instruments to make a scaled evaluation of the available tire / runway friction conditions for a particular runway that is not subjective to the pilot but rather objectively determined . other factors may be added to the calculus to arrive at more quantitative scores , but the foregoing example still provides excellent feedback to subsequent aircraft regarding the conditions on the approaching runway . moreover , because the factors that go into the reporting are not subjective , pilots will gain further confidence and understanding of the various terms such as “ good ” or “ moderate ” since they will be consistent each time the pilot lands . in this way , the present invention is a significant improvement over other systems for determining landing conditions on an aircraft runway . the program described in the flow chart is but one example of the types of factors that can be considered in such a landing conditions reporting system . other factors may also be used or combined into an even more comprehensive program . for example the program can also incorporate the rate of wheel spin - up from the brake control antiskid system ( wheel acceleration ) to determine if the aircraft is in landing mode or take off mode . the program may also consider the rate of wheel spin - up ( wheel acceleration ) for each wheel when in landing mode , at initial aircraft touchdown , as an initial indication of runway friction and runway condition . this data can be incorporated into the final evaluation of the landing conditions as well . the program may also use data from the brake control antiskid systems autobrake function when it is the method chosen over manual braking , or use autobrake commanded pressure and deceleration setting as criteria for determining runway condition . additional embodiments of the present invention can use data from the brake control antiskid system when manual braking is applied by the pilot or first officer , and where the system distinguishes if antiskid activity is present or not . when braking is insufficient to produce antiskid activity , the system may use aircraft generated deceleration reference or brake control system ( wheel speed ) generated deceleration to determine sufficient braking deceleration is achieved . alternatively , when braking is sufficient to produce antiskid activity , the system may use antiskid brake control command integrator / pressure bias modulation ( pbm ) and / or brake pressure feedback to determine if braking activity is in a low pressure region . other factors may also influence the determination of the landing conditions . for example , when braking is sufficient to produce antiskid activity the system may use antiskid brake control determined wheel slip velocity and wheel slip error as an indication of runway condition , or the program may use the rate of wheel spin - up ( wheel acceleration ) during skid recovery as an indicator of runway condition . the program could also use an antiskid / brake control command and aircraft deceleration as criteria for determining runway condition . a comparison can be made as to the aircraft deceleration with wheel speed to determine if individual wheel hydroplaning conditions exist . the system then uses a hydroplane condition as a criteria for determining the braking quality factor . other factors that may be incorporated into the program include inputs such as landing speed , brake pedal position or pilots metered brake pressure and ground spoiler handle position and thrust lever actuation as additional criteria for determining runway condition . the system may also conduct an initial evaluation and reporting of condition upon touchdown , as well as periodic evaluation and reporting of condition throughout the landing roll . additionally , the program may compare its inputs with time phased profiles representative of the landing conditions to dynamically determine runway condition throughout the landing roll , and evaluate information from each main landing gear wheel channel to establish the overall runway condition being reported . it will be apparent from the foregoing that while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described , various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the invention be limited but rather all modifications and substitutions that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be included in the scope of the invention . | 6 |
the following description sets forth an embodiment wherein the invention takes place in the context of reporting of website visitation data gathered in the course of an online purchase . however , the description is merely illustrative of the techniques of the invention ; one skilled in the art will recognize that the techniques of the invention can be applied in any context wherein it is desirable to filter website visitation data . in the course of purchasing an item from an online retailer , a visitor / customer generally follows a basic path . the visitor enters a website ( by , for example , typing the url for the website , or selected from a favorites menu , or clicking on a link ) and is presented with a home page for the online retailer . during the process , the visitor generally is presented with an item description . if the visitor wants to buy the item , he or she clicks on an “ add to cart ” link and navigates to a checkout page and then to a page for entering billing and shipping information . after entering such information , the visitor generally is presented with a confirmation page where he or she is given the opportunity to review the order and finalize it before exiting the website . analysis of visitor navigation through such sequence is extremely valuable to website administrators . techniques for collecting site path sequences are known in the art . a particular visitor is recognized as he or she moves from page to page ; the mechanics of visitor tracking are known in the art and need not be described in detail here . visitor / customer web page visit records are stored in sequence according to they time that they occurred . each visitation record typically contains two types of information : an identifier of the page visited , and metadata that provides further criteria for filtering and analyzing the sequential data . in some contexts , certain elements of the visitor navigation are designated as “ checkpoints ,” meaning that they are of importance in analyzing website visitation paths . generally , all instances of a particular sequence of checkpoints are considered to be equivalent , regardless of the presence or absence of any other ( non - checkpoint ) nodes within the sequences . greater detail regarding the use of checkpoints can be found in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 609 , 008 , filed jun . 27 , 2003 by brett error et al ., entitled “ capturing and presenting site visitation path data ,” which is incorporated herein by reference . in one embodiment , the system automatically designates certain nodes as checkpoints based on particular characteristics , location , name , popularity , or any other factor . for example , the home page , and / or the five most popular pages , can automatically be designated as checkpoints . these automatic , or default , checkpoints can , in one embodiment , be used to construct an initial target path . it is within this context that the description of one embodiment present invention is described herein . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of incrementally adding segmentation criteria to a data set according to one embodiment of the present invention . as an optional preliminary step , user input is received 110 to select one or more defined reports for viewing . in one embodiment , the user initiates this step by clicking on a user interface control such as a reports button . in addition , a data set associated with the one or more defined reports is then received 120 , for example comprising website visitation data . in one embodiment , this is accomplished by sending report queries to a network , and receiving report data from the network corresponding to the queries . the network replies , in one embodiment , with data . in this embodiment the retrieval includes interpreting the data , for example using hash codes or look up tables stored , e . g ., in local cache . in another embodiment , the process begins at step 130 . the system displays 130 defined reports . in one embodiment , each report displays a set of default metrics , and the data are sorted by that metric . for example , an initial default metric may be visits to a website , although this can be customized by the user via an options screen . in one embodiment , the user can customize the default metrics on a per - report basis , for example by changing , adding , or deleting metrics . in one embodiment , the defined reports are displayed 130 in a report display area of a user interface . in one embodiment , preprogrammed default metrics include page views ; visits ; hourly , daily , weekly , monthly , quarterly , or yearly unique visitors ; revenue ; orders ; units ; cart opens , adds , removes , and views ; checkouts ; custom events ; occurrences ( the product view , campaign click - thru , instance equivalents ); and participation metrics . initially , the report shows a default number of data rows ( such as 10 ), although the user can adjust the default number as desired . in various embodiments , the reports are standard , preset reports associated with a set of predefined filters ; user - customized reports built during a current session ; previously customized reports retrieved from storage ; or fall - out reports . a “ fall - out report ” is a report based , in one embodiment , on a target path specified in terms of checkpoints as described herein . a fall - out report indicates how many visitors continued to the next checkpoint in target path , regardless of whether the visitor / customer visited other , tangential pages before continuing . in one embodiment , the present invention provides a mechanism for generating and tailoring a “ fall - out report ” that provides statistics on visitation paths for specific checkpoint pages , without regard to other pages that are not designated as checkpoints . if the user chooses to apply one or more filters by clicking on elements of the report , the fall - out report is automatically updated accordingly . thus , the user can easily specify the particular filter parameters for a fall - out report , and can easily modify , add , or remove such parameters as he or she sees fit . in some embodiments , various views of the report data are available . for example , types of views include tended , improved , ranked , over time , fall - out , conversions , averages , graphical , gantt , tabular , raw data , and flexible . some reports also include a search field that allows the user to search for and view entries for specific keywords or phrases . when a user desires to filter a report , the system receives 140 user input to adjust segmentation criteria to filter the report . in various embodiments , the adjustment to segmentation filter criteria includes adding segmentation criteria ; removing pre - existing segmentation criteria ; adjusting a date range ; creating a new segmentation criterion ; and activating a contextual menu of options for the segmentation criteria . in one embodiment , the information in the rows of the report is mutually exclusive , such that selection of a single criterion or filter collapses the report to the selection . in another embodiment , the information is not mutually exclusive , thus selection of multiple rows , and thus multiple filters , is possible . the user can filter a report by various means . for example , the user can click on a filter icon (“ funnel ”) adjacent to the desired filter criterion . the icon acts as a toggle in one embodiment , switching between activating and deactivating the criterion depending on its current state . in one embodiment , clicking on a funnel icon causes the filter to be applied as an “ and ” logical operation . in one embodiment , the user can use various operations to apply a filter as an “ or ” criterion . for example , the user can , in one embodiment , shift - click to apply the filter as an “ or ” criterion . thus , the system can receive user input to apply more than one filter to a single defined report , using either an and or an or logical operation for combing the filters , in response to receiving input to apply two or more filters in series . all reports will adjust according to the filters . the user can then further filter the adjusted reports , if desired . in one embodiment , the user can right - click to see a menu of options for applying the filter . according to one embodiment , elements of the displayed reports are themselves user input elements for specifying filters . thus , the user can click on an area ( such as a line ) within a tabular report to apply a filter that corresponds to the data item being displayed in that area . in one embodiment the applied filters are shown in a segment filter area of a user interface , which displays a summary of the filters and the method by which they are combined ( e . g ., and or or ). next , the system processes 150 a the selected criteria , displaying 150 b one or more adjusted reports . in one embodiment , each report is adjusted according to the segmentation criteria . in one embodiment , the adjusted reports are displayed virtually instantaneously following the user input to adjust the segmentation criteria . in addition , if the reports have been adjusted by more than one filter , all filters will be reflected in the displayed adjusted reports , e . g ., in a report display area of a user interface . in one embodiment , sampling rate for reports is selected based on requested date range , available ram and other technological considerations . in one embodiment , the processing 150 a is part of an executable process that combines filters and applies them to the reports . an executable process also displays a summary of the filter criteria in a segment filter area of a user interface and adds filter criteria to the summary as filters are selected according to one embodiment . as part of this process that system also may store the reports . a user can save and later re - open a project . when a user saves a project , the data set , filters , reports , and canvas appearance are all preserved . subsequently , when the user opens the saved project , everything looks exactly as he or she left it . one skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be used in connection with any type of filtering criteria that can be specified by the user , and / or with any combination of such filtering criteria . examples include the ordinal visit number ( indicating whether this is the visitor &# 39 ; s first visit , second visit , etc . ), which particular pages were visited , time of day of the visit , geographic location of the visitor , web browser being used , whether or not the visitor is using a beta version of the browser , and the like . referring now to fig2 a , there is shown an example of a system 200 useful for practicing the present invention according to one embodiment . one skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced using other embodiments that differ from the examples shown . the system 200 includes a client 201 , a network 202 , and optionally a cache 209 , for incrementally adding segmentation criteria to a data set . the client 201 includes software including of a number of executable code portions and data files . these include code for viewing and interacting with website usage reports according to one embodiment of the present invention , as well as for supporting functionality of a user interface , as will be described in greater detail in conjunction with fig2 c . client 201 is responsible for orchestrating the processes performed according to the methods of the present invention . for example , client 201 receives input 212 from an input device , and sends reports to display 207 ( or other output device ) for output to the user . client 201 runs on a standard personal computer . network 202 is a centralized network for handling and responding to client requests for data on website usage , as described further in conjunction with fig2 b . a cache 209 , if present , is a standard cache of small , fast memory holding recently accessed data . the cache 209 may include , for example a list of hash codes or other look up tables for report data as described below . in one embodiment , the components shown in fig2 a operate as follows . when a user requests one or more reports via an input device 210 , client 201 receives input 212 to this effect . client 201 sends a query 203 to network 202 , specifying which reports are requested , and optionally specifying one or more filters for the reports . in one embodiment , query 203 is in xml format . in response to query 203 , network 202 returns data 204 that contains a representation of the report data . data , in various embodiments , may be coded or not , and may be hashed data or may be included in a standard look up table . for example , data 204 may specify , in hash coded terms , the text string name of an item in a report . the data 204 is received by client 201 . client 201 stores , in local cache 209 in one embodiment , a list of previously received and decoded hash codes or look up table information , so that it can correctly interpret a hash code or table data that it has encountered previously . in one embodiment , local cache 209 is used and is cleared at the end of a session , so that only those codes previously received in the same session are stored in cache 209 . in other embodiments , local cache 209 is implemented in a more persistent or less persistent fashion , depending on user needs . upon receiving data 204 , client 201 consults cache 209 if present ; if cache 209 contains the hash code ( s ) or meaning ( s ) of data 204 ( in other words , if client 201 has previously received data containing the same hash code / meaning ), client 201 can interpret the meaning of the hash - coded or look up tabled data without any further communication with network 202 . for example , a hash code / meaning may specify that hash term # 299 signifies a visitor using internet explorer 6 . 0 . if hash code ( s )/ meaning ( s ) from data 204 is / are not present in cache 209 , client 201 sends a query 205 to network 202 ; network 202 responds by sending translation 206 to client 201 . translation 206 provides client 201 with the meaning of terms . in one embodiment , client 201 stores this meaning in cache 209 for future use . once client 201 has received sufficient data to generate a report , it sends report to display 207 for output to the user . in one embodiment , if some meanings have not yet been received , client 201 still sends report , and report states that certain terms are unknown . in another embodiment , client 201 displays an error message and / or waits until more complete meaning data is available . the user can interact with the displayed report via user input device 210 such as a mouse , keyboard , or the like . the user can click on areas within report ; when the user clicks on an area that can be interpreted as a filter , client 201 generates and sends a new query 203 containing the new report filter criteria . the above process then repeats , and an updated report is sent to display 207 . referring now to fig2 b , there is shown an example of an architecture for network 202 according to one embodiment . network 202 includes any number of front - end web servers 250 that receive queries 203 , 205 from client 201 , and any number of back - end servers 260 that obtain data from storage , e . g ., from database 270 , analyze the obtained data , and send report data back to client 201 . servers 250 , 260 are computers or devices that send and receive information using well known network protocols , such as tcp / ip and http , for communication across a network . back - end servers 260 send an appropriate data set to client 201 based on the filter request . for example , if a filter request specifies that the user is only interested in visitors that used a particular web browser , back - end servers 260 remove the data that does not match the specified criterion , and only forward to client 201 the data that does match . database 270 may be a relational database or any other type of database that stores the data used by client 201 . database 270 may be accessible by client 201 through a user interface , e . g ., as described in conjunction with fig3 a - 3g . database 270 contains website visitation data , which in one embodiment is stored in a binary format stored in some storage medium such as a hard drive . in one embodiment , the website visitation data is broken up into files , or “ bricks ,” to facilitate extraction of portions of the data . when servers 260 extract data from database 270 , they are provided with specific bricks that match the criteria . in one embodiment , when the user requests a report showing website visitation data for a specified time period , back - end servers 260 extract data from database 270 that contains web visitation logs and / or statistics . in one embodiment , servers 260 obtain data from database 270 that represents a snapshot of website visitation over a specified time period . servers 260 then store this website visitation data in temporary local storage ( such as random access memory ), using for example a binary format that is encoded according to an algorithm so as to minimize bandwidth usage . in one embodiment , this binary format is identical to the format used in database 270 , so that no file format translation need be performed when servers 260 extract data from database 270 . servers 260 and then apply filters as requested , and send the filtered data to client 201 . in one embodiment , whenever the user requests a broader date range for website visitation data , back - end servers 260 perform a new data extraction from database 270 . however , when the user narrows the date range from a previously specified range , no new data extraction is performed ; rather back - end servers 260 filter the previously extracted data according to the new filter parameters . fig2 c is a block diagram illustrating software modules used by a client according to one embodiment of the present invention . the modules include of a number of executable code portions and data files . these include code for creating and supporting a user interface according to one embodiment of the present invention , as well as for supporting incrementally adding segmentation criteria to a data set . the modules include an input module 275 , a query module 280 , an interpret module 285 , and an output module 290 . the input module 275 is configured for receiving input to select one or more reports ; receiving input to adjust segmentation criteria for one or more reports ; receiving input to adjust one or more metrics ; and receiving input for adjusting various aspects of displayed data . thus , when a user requests one or more reports via an input device , the input module allows the client to receive input to this effect . in one embodiment , the input module 275 is further configured to receive user input to apply more than one filter to one or more reports , e . g ., using logical operators . the query module 280 is configured for retrieving a data set comprising website visitation data associated with one or more reports ; sending report queries to a network and receiving report data from the network corresponding to the queries ; storing adjusted reports as one of the one or more defined reports . in one embodiment , when user input is received to filter the reports , a new query is generated and sent , repeating the process . the interpret module 285 is configured for , in response to receiving data from the network , interpreting the data . in one embodiment , the interpret module 285 uses hash codes / meanings stored for this purpose . if hash codes / meanings are not present , for example in local cache , in one embodiment the interpret module 285 sends a query to the network , and receives back translation , providing the meaning of term . the output module 290 is configured for processing and displaying one or more defined reports ; displaying one or more ( singly or multiply ) adjusted reports , each adjusted according to segmentation criteria ; displaying one or more twice - adjusted reports , each adjusted according to the segmentation criteria . in one embodiment , the processing takes place as described in conjunction with fig1 . in one embodiment , the output module 290 sends reports to a display device for output to the user . in one embodiment , the output module 290 is further configured to display the reports in a report display area of a user interface . if the information in the rows of the report is mutually exclusive , the selection of a single criterion or filter collapses the report in the user interface to the selection according to one embodiment . in one embodiment , the output module 290 is further configured for displaying the applied filters in a segment filter area of a user interface . the above software portions 275 - 290 need not be discrete software modules . the software configuration shown is meant only by way of example ; other configurations are contemplated by and within the scope of the present invention . fig3 a illustrates a user interface 305 for incrementally adding segmentation criteria to a data set according to one embodiment of the present invention . in one embodiment , the user interface is implemented using a known environment such as macromedia flex , java , dhtml , or any combination thereof . the user interface 305 includes two main functional areas , a report control area 310 and a report display area 315 . the report control area 310 includes functionality for creating projects and reports and for displaying report statistics . the report display area 315 includes functionality for displaying and filtering reports . the report control area 310 further includes a project title 320 , a project toolbar 325 , a report selection area 330 , a segment filter area 335 , and a date filter area 340 according to one embodiment . the project title 320 displays the title of the project in use , and in one embodiment defaults to “ untitled project 1 ” when no title has been selected , as illustrated in fig3 a . the project toolbar 325 is a standard toolbar , and includes icons for various project functionalities such as creating a new project , opening an existing project , saving the project in use , printing the project , etc . the report selection area 330 includes an open report button 345 , a list of selected reports 355 , and a clear button 350 . the open report button 345 allows the user to open an existing report . once opened , the report name is added to the list of selected reports 355 , and the report 360 is displayed in the report display area 315 . each of the selected reports 360 in the list of selected reports 355 is displayed in the report display area 315 . report data is retrieved , e . g ., by the process described in conjunction with fig2 a - 2b . the segment filter area 335 displays a list of selected segmentation criteria , as shown in fig3 c . the segmentation filter area 335 also includes a new segment button 365 for manually adding segmentation criteria . the date filter area 340 allows the user to filter the selected reports 360 by date , for example by selecting a date range for which the user would like to see the report 360 data . the date filter area 340 includes to and from date selectors 370 and a show by selector 375 . the two and from data selectors 370 allow the user to set start and end dates for the data displayed in the report 360 , either by typing in the desired dates or by clicking the calendar icon and selecting the dates on a calendar . the show by selector 375 allows the user to select the granularity of the report , for example , by day , week , or month . fig3 e shows a user interface with another embodiment of a report control area 310 . the report control area 310 includes a title 320 and toolbar 325 similar to those described in conjunction with fig3 a . however , this embodiment includes different user interface elements for selecting reports and filtering criteria . the report control area 310 includes a reports button 332 that operates to allow the user to select reports for viewing , similar to the functionality of open button 345 . once a report 360 is open , it is displayed in a report display list 334 . the report display list 334 of fig3 e shows that no report has been selected . see fig3 f - 3g for other examples of report display lists 334 . the report control area 310 also includes a filter button 336 that allows the user to select segment and date filter criteria . clicking on the filter button 336 activates a drop - down that allows the user to choose date or segment filters , as shown in fig3 f - 3g . once a filter is chosen , a textual description of the filter displays in the filter list 338 . the filter list 338 of fig3 e shows that no filters have been selected . see fig3 f - 3g for other examples of filter lists 338 . the report display area 315 includes the reports 360 chosen in the reports selection area 330 . fig3 b illustrates a report 360 in greater detail according to one embodiment of the present invention . each report 360 displays data corresponding to one dimension within the context of a larger data set , for example , website visitation data . the report name 362 is the dimension that the selected report 360 displays . for each report 360 , data is sorted according to one or more default metrics 364 . in this example , the default metric 364 is visitors ( to the website ). in another embodiment , the metric ( s ) used can be user defined , as shown in the metric selector 364 of fig3 f . reports 360 also include a set of standard function keys , including a print button 366 , a download button 368 , and view selector 372 . the print button 366 allows the user to print online reports without having to first download the reports . clicking the print button opens a pop - up window with a printer - friendly version of the report . the download button 368 allows the user to select the format in which to download the report ( e . g ., word , excel , pdf , html ). once the user selects a format , the report is sent to the user as an email attachment or is downloaded directly to the user &# 39 ; s computer . the view selector 372 allows the user to select various views of the report data . the ranked view , shown in fig3 b , is the default view for most reports , allowing the user to view report data in tabular format according to the selected time periods . other views include improved , which allows the user to see how selected items performed between previous and current time periods based on success metrics such as revenue of checkouts , and trended , which allows the user to view report trends over a given time . the user may select other available views using the view selector 372 drop - down . a trended view 378 is shown in fig3 f ; the view selector 372 displays trended . in addition , some reports 360 include a search field 374 . a search field 374 allows the user to search for and view entries for specific keywords or phrases . as a result of clicking “ go ,” the report displayed will be filtered by the entered search term . in addition an advanced search button 376 allows the user to search with greater specificity , for example , by choosing whether to search for the exact phrase , perform an “ and ” or “ or ” search using the search terms , or exclude entries with the entered search terms . in one embodiment , clicking the advanced search button 376 opens a pop - up window displaying these options . each report 360 is divided into columns , including a filter column 380 , a data column 385 , and one or more metric columns 390 . the data column 385 includes a list of various forms of the dimension corresponding to the report 360 . in the depicted example , the dimension is browsers , thus various browsers , such as microsoft internet explorer 6 . 0 , netscape navigator 6 . 2 . 3 , etc ., are listed . the metric column ( s ) 390 includes statistics for the respective row &# 39 ; s 395 data column 385 . in the example depicted , for each browser ( data column 385 ), the metric column 390 displays visitors by number and percentage of the whole . the filter column 380 of each row 395 includes an icon that allows the user to filter the data by that row 395 . all reports 360 are filtered to reflect the filter . in one embodiment , the filter column 380 icon acts as a toggle , narrowing or expanding the data depending on the present state of the data . data may be further filtered if desired , and again all reports 360 are filtered by the additional criterion . in one embodiment , the filtering occurs virtually instantaneously . in addition , the rows are totaled in a totals row 396 . reports 360 display rows up to a pre - selected number for the user interface 305 . in one embodiment , the number of rows can be edited . the user can interact with on - screen report windows according to well known interaction techniques for window - based operating systems . for example , the user can drag edges to change the height and width ; minimize , delete , and maximize ; reposition / rearrange windows on the canvas by dragging the window title bar ; and drag the column margins to resize column width . fig4 a illustrates a user interface 405 for filtering website visitation data according to one embodiment of the present invention . the user interface 405 is similar to the user interface described in fig3 a - c . the user interface 405 includes a report control area 310 and a report display area 315 , which function as described above . in the embodiment displayed , a date range of apr . 1 through apr . 9 , 2005 has been selected in the date filter area 340 . the report display area 315 includes various reports 410 . fig4 a shows two unfiltered reports 410 . each of the displayed reports 410 is shown in the report selection area 330 . in this example , the default metric 364 for the displayed reports 410 is page views . report data for the reports 410 is retrieved , e . g ., by the process described in conjunction with fig2 a - 2b . because no filters have been applied , the segment filter area 335 does not display any segmentation criteria . each report 410 is divided into columns and rows 415 , as described in conjunction with fig3 b . the filter column 420 of each row 415 includes an icon that allows the user to filter the data by that row 415 . as one or more rows 415 are selected as filters , for example filter criterion rows dashboard 415 a and products 415 b , each report 410 updates to reflect the filters . fig4 b illustrates the user interface 405 of fig4 a with two filters applied via an and combination . thus , fig4 b displays the user interface 405 showing results for visitors who viewed both the products report and the dashboard . in one embodiment , the user may select an and combination by clicking on filter icons corresponding to various filtering criteria in series . because visitors may have accessed other reports 410 in addition to the reports 410 selected for filtering , the remainder of the report data is updated accordingly . note that both reports 410 reflect application of these filters . once the filter ( s ) are chosen , a textual description of the filter ( s ) displays in the segment filter area 335 , including information about the combination type , e . g ., and operation . the user also may combine filters from different reports 410 . for example , by selecting the filter icon of row 415 c of fig4 b , advanced search is added as a filter criterion . fig4 c illustrates the user interface 405 of fig4 b with an additional filter applied via an and combination . thus , fig4 c displays the user interface 405 showing results for visitors who looked at the products report and the dashboard , and performed an advanced search . again both reports 410 reflect application of the additional filter and the segment filter area 335 is updated . fig4 d illustrates the user interface 405 of fig4 a with two filters applied via an or combination . specifically , filter criterion rows dashboard 415 a and products 415 b have been selected . thus , fig4 d displays the user interface 405 showing results for visitors who viewed either the products report or the dashboard . in one embodiment , the user may select an or combination by clicking on a first filter icon , and then clicking on a second filter icon while holding a keyboard key , e . g ., the shift key . as described above , the remainder of the report data is displayed reflecting this update and the segment filter area 335 is updated accordingly . both reports 410 reflect application of these filters . fig4 e illustrates the user interface 405 of fig4 d with an additional filter applied via an and combination . for example , by selecting the filter icon of row 415 c of fig4 d , advanced search is added as a filter criterion . thus , fig4 e displays the user interface 405 showing results for visitors who looked at either the products report or the dashboard , and performed an advanced search . again both reports 410 reflect application of the additional filter and the segment filter area 335 is updated . as described in conjunction with fig3 a - e , the user can interact with on - screen report windows according to well known interaction techniques for window - based operating systems . fig5 a illustrates a user interface 505 for incrementally adding segmentation criteria to a data set according to one embodiment of the present invention . the user interface 505 is similar to that described in conjunction with fig3 a , however , a fall - out report 510 is one of the displayed reports . a fall - out report 510 is based , in one embodiment , on a target path specified in terms of checkpoints as defined herein . greater detail regarding the use of checkpoints , defining checkpoints , and detailed information about fall - out reports can be found in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 609 , 008 , filed jun . 27 , 2003 by brett error et al ., entitled “ capturing and presenting site visitation path data ,” which is incorporated herein by reference . in the example , four pages have been designated as checkpoints : the homepage , the add product to cart page , the buy process — billing page , and the buy process — order confirmation page . fall - out report 510 indicates how many users continued to the next checkpoint in target path , regardless of whether the user visited other , tangential pages before continuing . users that did not continue are denoted as “ lost .” fall - out report 510 thus corresponds to a target path through the website . an edit checkpoints link 515 takes the user to a screen for editing the target path . the fall - out report 510 indicates , for example , that of those users that visited the homepage , 37 . 73 % continued to the add product to cart page and 64 . 27 % were lost . of those that visited the add product to cart page , 7 . 66 % continued to the buy process — billing page and 92 . 34 % were lost . similar information is displayed for the remaining checkpoints . cumulative percentages are shown for each checkpoint as well ; these indicate the percentage of users reaching that checkpoint , based on the total number of users that visited the homepage at the beginning of target path . the actual number of users that reached each checkpoint is also shown , adjacent to the percentage . the report also includes statistics for total conversion ( the number of users that visited all of the checkpoint nodes in the target path ) and total fall - out ( the number of users that visited the homepage but did not complete the target path ) in terms of numbers and percentages . displayed with the fall - out report 510 is a standard products report 515 . the reports 510 , 515 displayed in fig5 a are unfiltered . the following is a description of interface functionality for adding segmentation criteria according to one embodiment of the present invention in the context of fig3 a - 3g . the user begins by launching a report , for example using the open button 345 of fig3 a or the reports button 332 of fig3 e , or by right - clicking anywhere on the canvas . fig3 e shows a blank canvas and fig3 a shows a canvas with four reports 360 . initially , no filter is applied . in one embodiment , a user can filter the report 360 by various means . for example , the user can click on an icon in the filter column 380 adjacent to the desired filter criterion . this icon can function as a toggle , so that when the filter is already added to the report , clicking on the icon causes it to be removed . in the report 360 shown in fig3 a , the user applies a filter on the term “ browser ” to only see visits from visitors using internet explorer 6 . 0 . this is accomplished by clicking on the icon to the left of the data , i . e ., by clicking on the filter column 380 of row 395 a . all reports 360 then filter based on the criteria selected ; thus the other three reports 360 are showing only data with browser i . e . 6 . 0 as shown in fig3 c . in another embodiment , the filter criteria are not mutually exclusive and the criteria can be combined , for example via an and or an or operation . as a result , the remainder of the report data remains displayed after being filtered . fig4 a and 4b illustrate an example of this embodiment . the filter criterion rows dashboard 415 a and products 415 b of fig4 a are selected as and criterion by the user , resulting in the interface 405 displayed in fig4 b , which shows these criterion as well as the remaining filtered data . fig4 a and 4d illustrate another example . the filter criterion rows dashboard 415 a and products 415 b of fig4 a are selected as or criterion by the user , resulting in the interface 405 displayed in fig4 d . next , in one embodiment , the user adds another filter to the interface 305 of fig3 c to see only visitors running the windows 98 operating system . this is done by clicking on the filter icon adjacent to windows 98 , i . e . filter column 380 of row 395 c of fig3 c . then all four displayed reports 360 , including the one that already had the filter applied , show only data for visitors running both windows 98 and i . e . 6 . 0 , as shown in fig3 d . another way to filter the reports 360 is shown in fig3 e - 3g . the user can click on the filter button 336 to apply date or segment filters to report data . clicking on the filter button 336 activates a drop - down that allows the user to choose date or segment filters , as shown in fig3 f - 3g . if the user filters by segment , in one embodiment an additional drop - down menu 344 displays with recently used segments , e . g ., as shown in fig3 f . the menu 344 also includes an option to create a new segment 346 . if the user filters by date , in one embodiment a calendar 338 displays , e . g ., as shown in fig3 g . the calendar 338 allows the user to select standard date ranges , such as days , weeks , months , and quarters , as well as custom date ranges . similar functionality for filtering by date and by segment can be accomplished in the embodiment shown in fig3 a - 3d , using the segment filter 335 and date filter 340 sections and accompanying functionality as described herein . the user can save and later re - open any set of reports using the save button on the toolbar 325 . another example of report filtering is shown in conjunction with fig5 a - 5b . in one embodiment , a user can filter the reports 510 , 515 by various means . for example , the user can click on a filter icon 520 adjacent to the desired filter criterion . in the reports 510 , 515 shown in fig5 a , the user applies a filter on “ hewlett - packard refurb : pavilion 7965 mini . . . ” to filter the information to visitors who purchased this product . this is accomplished by clicking on the icon 520 . all reports , in this example 510 and 515 , then filter based on the criteria selected ; thus the fall - out report also shows only data for which the hewlett - packard refurb : pavilion 7965 mini was purchased , as shown in fig5 b . the present invention has been described in particular detail with respect to one possible embodiment . those of skill in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced in other embodiments . first , the particular naming of the components , capitalization of terms , the attributes , data structures , or any other programming or structural aspect is not mandatory or significant , and the mechanisms that implement the invention or its features may have different names , formats , or protocols . further , the system may be implemented via a combination of hardware and software , as described , or entirely in hardware elements . also , the particular division of functionality between the various system components described herein is merely exemplary , and not mandatory ; functions performed by a single system component may instead be performed by multiple components , and functions performed by multiple components may instead performed by a single component . some portions of above description present the features of the present invention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on information . these algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . these operations , while described functionally or logically , are understood to be implemented by computer programs . furthermore , it has also proven convenient at times , to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules or by functional names , without loss of generality . unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the above discussion , it is appreciated that throughout the description , discussions utilizing terms such as “ determining ” or “ displaying ” refer to the action and processes of a computer system , or similar electronic computing device , that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical ( electronic ) quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . certain aspects of the present invention include process steps and instructions described herein in the form of an algorithm . it should be noted that the process steps and instructions of the present invention could be embodied in software , firmware or hardware , and when embodied in software , could be downloaded to reside on and be operated from different platforms used by real time network operating systems . the present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein . this apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes , or it may include a general - purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored on a computer readable medium that can be accessed by the computer . such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium , such as , but is not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical disks , cd - roms , magnetic - optical disks , read - only memories ( roms ), random access memories ( rams ), eproms , eeproms , magnetic or optical cards , application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions , and each coupled to a computer system bus . furthermore , the computers referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability . the algorithms and operations presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus . various general - purpose systems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein , or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps . the required structure for a variety of these systems will be apparent to those of skill in the , along with equivalent variations . in addition , the present invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language . it is appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the present invention as described herein , and any references to specific languages are provided for invention of enablement and best mode of the present invention . the present invention is well suited to a wide variety of computer network systems over numerous topologies . within this field , the configuration and management of large networks include storage devices and computers that are communicatively coupled to dissimilar computers and storage devices over a network , such as the internet . finally , it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes , and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter . accordingly , the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative , but not limiting , of the scope of the invention , which is set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
preferred embodiments of a battery holding method related to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings . [ 0027 ] fig1 is a perspective view illustrating a battery holding structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 a battery holder 11 is provided with a battery chamber 14 , which can house two size aa batteries 12 side by side , and nails 16 for pressing side surfaces of the batteries 12 are arranged on a side portion of the holder 11 . the nails 16 and the battery holder 11 are made of resin in an integrated form , and the nails 16 function as resin springs capable of swinging with root end portions 17 as supporting points . a lengthwise direction of the nails 16 is parallel to an insertion direction for the batteries 12 , and the root end portions 17 are arranged on positions upstream of the insertion direction for the batteries 12 ( the positions nearer to an insertion opening 14 a of the battery chamber 14 rather than the bottom of the battery chamber 14 ). the head portions of the nails 16 are provided with pads 18 abutting to the side surface of the batteries 12 . in the present invention , the shape and number of the batteries 12 are not limited to the example shown in fig1 . [ 0028 ] fig2 is a sectional view along a line 2 - 2 in fig1 and fig3 is a sectional view along a line 3 - 3 in fig1 . as shown in these drawings , an inner diameter of each tubular portion of the battery chamber 14 is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the battery 12 in consideration of the tolerance for the outer diameter of the battery 12 . when there is no battery inserted , the pad 18 slightly protrudes to an interior space of the battery chamber 14 ( see the left - hand half of fig2 ), while when the battery 12 is inserted into the battery chamber 14 ( see the right - hand half of fig2 ), the side surface of the battery 12 comes into contact with the pad 18 , and the nail 16 is pressed upward in fig2 . the thus elastically deformed nail 16 presses the battery 12 along the radial direction of the battery 12 ( in the downward direction in fig2 ) through the restoring force thereof . the battery 12 is held by the point of the pad 18 abutting to the battery 12 and by the portion of the inner wall of the battery chamber 14 which portion opposes to that point , as illustrated with arrows in fig2 . according to the first embodiment illustrated in fig1 to 3 , the insertion operation of the battery 12 elastically deforms the nail 16 , and the force exerted by the nail 16 holds the battery 12 in the interior of the battery chamber 14 in a state of being pressed to one side of the chamber ( the under side in either of fig2 and 3 ). consequently , the battery 12 is fixed in a definite arrangement in the battery chamber 14 , and hence the contact points between the battery connection terminals ( not shown ) and the battery 12 can be maintained invariant in location and thereby the contact resistance can be stabilized . [ 0030 ] fig4 is a perspective view illustrating a relevant portion of a battery holding structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention . in the example shown in fig4 a holding member 22 for fixing the batteries 12 is arranged on an interior surface of a battery chamber cap 20 . the battery chamber cap 20 is arranged in the body or the battery holder of an electric appliance ( not shown ) in a freely rotatable and free in sliding displacement manner . when the battery chamber cap 20 is opened or closed by sliding , a latch mechanism ( not shown ) of the battery chamber cap 20 can lock or release the battery chamber cap 20 . the sliding movement of the battery chamber cap 20 makes the holding member 22 press the edges of the batteries 12 , in touch with the side surfaces of the batteries 12 , along the radial direction of the batteries 12 ( along the sliding direction indicated with an arrow a in fig4 ), to fix the batteries 12 with a slight eccentric displacement . [ 0031 ] fig5 ( a ) is a plan view illustrating a released state of the batteries 12 , and fig5 ( b ) is a plan view illustrating a locked state of the batteries 12 . as is shown in fig5 ( a ), in the released state , the holding member 22 is not in contact with the batteries 12 , so that the batteries 12 are freely movable in the battery chamber 24 . when the battery chamber cap 20 is slid to the left - hand side in fig5 ( a ), as shown in fig5 ( b ), the holding member 22 abuts to the edges of the batteries 12 , and the batteries 12 are fixed in a state of being pressed to one side ( the left - hand side in fig5 ( b )) in the battery chamber 24 . the arrows in fig5 ( b ) indicate the holding points of the batteries 12 . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) are sectional views of a relevant portion of a battery holding structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention . fig6 ( a ) shows a released state , and fig6 ( b ) a locked state . in the example shown in fig6 a battery holder 31 is provided with a link lever 32 on the side surface thereof . the link lever 32 has a nearly l - shaped form , and its apex portion is supported with a shaft . when the battery 12 is inserted to a battery chamber 34 , a top end face of the battery 12 presses the shorter component 32 a of the link lever 32 to turn the link lever 32 clockwise in fig6 ( a ) and consequently the longer component 32 b presses the battery 12 in touch with the side surface of the battery as shown in fig6 ( b ). in this manner , the battery 12 is pressed upward in fig6 ( b ), and is fixed in the battery chamber 34 in a state of being slightly and eccentrically displaced upward . when the battery 12 is removed from the battery chamber 34 , the link lever 32 is turned counterclockwise in fig6 ( b ) to lift the locked state . a combination of the above described second and third embodiments is also a possible embodiment . [ 0033 ] fig7 is a perspective view illustrating a relevant portion of a battery holding structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the example shown in fig7 has a structure in which a battery holder 41 is provided with a nearly u - shaped presser lever 42 on the side surface of the battery holder 41 , and the presser lever 42 takes the releasing position and the locking position respectively in conjunction with the opening and closing of a battery chamber cap 44 . openings 46 are formed on the side surface of the battery holder 41 , and the top portions of the presser lever 42 can abut to the side surfaces of the batteries 12 through the openings 46 . a rotary shaft 47 of the presser lever 42 is borne by the side surface of the battery holder 41 in a rotatable manner , and a tongue portion 42 a is formed to work as a power point at another end of the presser lever 42 ( the bottom end in fig7 ). in a rear end portion of the battery chamber cap 44 , there is formed a protrusive portion 48 which can exert a force to the tongue portion 42 a of the presser lever 42 . a shaft 50 in the battery chamber cap 44 is inserted with play into a slot 52 in the bottom portion of the battery holder 41 , so that the battery chamber cap 44 can be turned about the shaft 50 and in addition can be slid along the lengthwise direction of the slot 52 . a metal plate of battery connection terminals 54 is mounted on the interior surface of the battery chamber cap 44 . now , description is made on an operation of the battery holding structure shown in fig7 . fig8 ( a ) and 8 ( b ) are sectional views along a line 8 - 8 in fig7 . as fig8 ( a ) shows , in an opened state of the battery chamber cap 44 , the presser lever 42 takes an escape position ( releasing position ) where the presser lever 42 does not abut to the battery 12 . when the battery chamber cap 44 is slid to the left - hand side in fig8 ( a ) to close the battery chamber cap 44 , as is shown in fig8 ( b ), the protrusive portion 48 of the battery chamber cap 44 presses the tongue portion 42 a of the presser lever 42 . consequently , the presser lever 42 is turned clockwise about the rotary shaft 47 in fig8 ( a ), and presses the battery 12 along the radial direction of the battery 12 ( to the right - hand direction in fig8 ( b )). the battery 12 is pressed to a wall 57 ( the inner wall of the battery holder 41 ) of a battery chamber 56 by the operation of the presser lever 42 , and fixed with a slight and eccentric displacement . the presser lever 42 is energized toward the escape position by an energizing device ( not shown ) such as a spring or the like , so that when in the locked state shown in fig8 ( b ) the battery chamber cap 44 is opened , the presser lever 42 is restored to the escape state shown in fig8 ( a ) by the force exerted by the energizing device . although the sliding direction of the battery chamber cap 44 and the battery 12 pressing direction of the presser lever 42 are parallel to each other in the structure described with reference to fig7 , 8 ( a ) and 8 ( b ), the exploitation of the present invention is not limited to the structure of the present example . [ 0038 ] fig9 is a perspective view illustrating a relevant portion of a battery holding structure according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . fig9 shows an example of a type in which a sliding direction of a battery chamber cap and a battery pressing direction of a presser lever are perpendicular to each other . to be more specific , a battery holder 61 is provided with a rotary shaft 63 of a presser lever 62 on the side surface thereof , and the presser lever 62 can be turned on the side surface of the battery holder 61 . on the other hand , a battery chamber cap 64 can be freely slid along directions of an arrow b in fig9 and can be turned counterclockwise in fig9 about a shaft 65 in the opened state . on the interior surface of the battery chamber cap 64 , a protrusive portion 68 is formed which exerts a force to a tongue portion 62 a of the presser lever 62 . when the battery chamber cap 64 is slid to a closing direction , the protrusive portion 68 presses the tongue portion 62 a of the presser lever 62 along the same direction . by this movement , the presser lever 62 is turned clockwise in fig9 and presses the side surfaces of the batteries 12 through an opening 66 . the presser lever 62 is energized by a coil spring 70 toward the escape position ( the counterclockwise direction in fig9 ), so that when the battery chamber cap 64 is slid to the opening direction , the presser lever 62 is restored to the previous escape state owing to the force exerted by the coil spring 70 . fig1 ( a ) and 10 ( b ) are sectional views along a line 10 - 10 in fig9 . as fig1 ( a ) shows , in the opened state of the battery chamber cap 64 , the presser lever 62 takes the escape position ( releasing position ), where the batteries 12 can move freely in a battery chamber 72 . when the battery chamber cap 64 is closed , as fig1 ( b ) shows , the presser lever 62 is turned to press the batteries 12 along the radial direction thereof ( the upward direction in fig1 ). in this manner , the batteries 12 are pressed to the inner wall of the battery chamber 72 , and held with a slight and eccentric displacement . according to the above described first to fifth embodiments , for the purpose of battery holding there is adopted a structure in which the battery is held with several holding points ( for example , 2 to 3 points ), and hence there is eliminated the displacement and rotation of the battery in the battery chamber , and it becomes possible to make the contact points with the terminals invariant , which prevents the contact resistance from fluctuating . as described above , according to the present invention , in the battery housing unit in which the battery is inserted into the battery housing chamber along the lengthwise direction thereof , the battery is fixed in arrangement by applying a force to the battery along the transverse direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction ( the insertion direction ), and hence the contact points between the battery and the terminals can be made invariant in location and consequently the relevant contact resistance can be stabilized . in this manner , it is possible to improve the fluctuating battery life due to the individual differences in appliances themselves and those in batteries . it should be understood , however , that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed , but on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , alternate constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims . | 7 |
describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that only enough of the relatively movable parts have been shown , assumed to be used in conjunction with a chair or similar piece of equipment , as will be necessary for those skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of the present development . turning attention now to the figures of the drawings , reference numeral 1 designates the movable part or component of a backrest , shown for instance in the form of a tube of substantially oval or elliptical cross - sectional configuration . the movable part or component 1 slides telescopically within a second tube 2 of likewise oval or elliptical cross - sectional configuration . the internal diameter of the second tube 2 is coordinated to the external diameter of the movable tube 1 , such that the latter can be vertically shifted , free of play , within the second tube 2 , which is here assumed to be stationary in the described environment of use . the first tube 1 carries , at its upper end , any suitable and therefore not particularly shown backrest of the chair or the like . the tube 2 or equivalent element is connected with an arm or bracket 3 which is attached to the likewise not particularly shown seating surface or seat or with the so - called upright standing tube of the chair . thus , the first movable tube 1 may be considered as constituting a first movable part , whereas the second tube 2 together with the arm or bracket 3 or equivalent structure may be considered as constituting a second part or means at which there is guided said first movable part . operatively connected with the arm 3 is a slide member or slide 4 which can be mounted at the arm or bracket 3 so as to slide transversely thereat , as indicated by the double - headed arrow 5 . the slide member 4 can be secured , for instance , by means of straps or brackets at the arm 3 or can be located in a recess or channel thereof , as generally indicated by reference character 3a . what is of importance is only the fact that the slide member 4 can be moved to - and - fro . displacement of the slide member 4 back - and - forth within the recess or channel 3a can be accomplished by any suitable actuation element , for instance here shown as a push knob 6 by way of example , but of course it is to be expressly understood that also any other suitable actuation element can be equally used . a resilient element or spring 7 can act for instance upon the slide member 4 in such a manner that , when the latter is moved towards the left , the spring 7 is compressed . the stationary tube 2 or equivalent structure possesses a single essentially circular bore 8 or equivalent structure having a diameter d la . on the other hand , the vertically movable inner tube 1 is provided with a plurality of likewise essentially circular bores 9 or equivalent recesses arranged vertically above one another . the arrangement of such circular bores 9 corresponds to the different relative positions of the movable tube 1 , and , in the specific exemplary embodiment under discussion serve the purpose of fixing the different possible elevational positions of the backrest mounted in conventional fashion at the tube 1 , for instance by bolts or any other suitable fixation means . the bores 9 have a diameter d li which is smaller than the diameter of the single essentially circular bore 8 . arranged coaxially with respect to the bores 8 and 9 and provided at the arm 3 of the second part 2 , 3 is an essentially cylindrical bore 10 . this cylindrical bore 10 is constructed such that it slightly conically tapers , as generally indicated by reference character 10a , at the bore end neighboring the bore 8 of the stationary tube 2 . this bore 10 serves for the reception of the major part of the arresting or locking ball 11 and at its cylindrical portion has a diameter d b which is slightly larger than the diameter d k of the ball or sphere 11 , so that such is not hindered in its movement . the length of such bore 10 must be smaller than the aforementioned ball or sphere diameter d k . this length depends upon the field of use , upon the loadability of the ball locking mechanism , and also , in part , upon the construction of the system . advantageously , the length of such bore 10 amounts to about two - thirds of the ball diameter d k . continuing , it is here mentioned that a further bore 12 is provided in the slide member or slide 4 . this further bore 12 has been shown conveniently in the drawing by broken lines , i . e ., in that position where the entire ball locking mechanism can be unlocked . it is for these reasons that also the actuation element , namely here the exemplary push or pressure knob 6 , has been shown in phantom lines to the left of its original position . with this illustration it is intended to indicate that the slide member 4 must be displaced against the force of the spring 7 . normally , the bore 12 is not co - axially arranged with respect to the bores 8 , 9 and 10 , so that then the cylindrical bore 10 is closed by the slide member 4 . having now had the benefit of the above description of the exemplary embodiment of ball locking mechanism its mode of operation will now be considered and is as follows : if the bore 10 , as just mentioned , is closed by the slide member 4 , then the arresting or locking ball 11 is blocked . on the one hand , such arresting or locking ball 11 can tangentially contact the slide member 4 and , on the other hand , protrudes at its side , diametrically opposite such contact point , partially into one of the bores 9 of the movable tube 1 , whereby it contacts the edge of such bore 9 . due to this contact there is precluded any possible displacement of the movable tube 1 , since the ball 11 cannot move back , owing to the locking action exerted by the slide member 4 . only when this slide member 4 has been shifted into the unlocking position , is there realized such unlocking possibility by virtue of the now assumed coaxial position of the bores 10 and 12 . by exerting pressure or force upon the movable element , the tube 1 , acting in this case perpendicular to the plane of the drawing , is there produced a resultant displacement force upon the arresting ball or sphere 11 which moves such out of the bore 9 . the tube 1 is now free to be positionally shifted . at the same time there is released the slide member 4 , so that the spring 7 strives to push such back into its starting position , and thus , exerts a force upon the arresting or locking ball 11 now partially located in the bore 12 of the slide member 4 . this pressure or force displaces the ball 11 back into the next one of the bores 9 which , during the positional shifting of the tube 1 , assumes a position which is essentially coaxial with respect to the bore 8 of the stationary or fixed tube 2 . therefore , it will be appreciated that the locking action is accomplished automatically . the aforementioned pressure , exerted upon the tube 1 , which is transmitted also to the ball 11 , is not absolutely necessary for displacing the ball 11 . it is also in fact possible for the ball 11 , when with an inclined or vertical position of the ball locking mechanism the bore 12 is located lower than the remaining bores 8 to 10 , to roll out of the bore 9 of the tube 1 under the action of its inherent weight , and therefore to release such tube 1 . the bore 12 in the slide member 4 has a diameter d s which must be slightly smaller than the ball diameter d k , so that the ball or sphere 11 can penetrate into such bore 12 , but however not pass through such bore . instead of using such bore 12 it is also sufficient to provide a depression or recess 12a as shown in fig2 which preferably is concave and whose largest depth is equal to the requisite displacement path of the ball 11 , the so - called ball stroke h k . therefore , conceptually the bore 12 also can be considered to be a recess or depression , serving the explained function . the ball stroke , and more precisely stated , the penetration depth of the ball 11 into the bore 9 of the movable part or component 1 , is limited by certain boundaries , so that the ball locking mechanism can function in a faultless manner and also can be appropriately loaded . thus , the minimum penetration depth amounts to about one - tenth of the ball diameter d k . if this penetration depth is further reduced , then there no longer would be insured for a positive functioning of the ball locking mechanism , since the resultant forces acting upon slide member 4 theoretically could increase to infinity . this would have the result that the bore 9 would be widened or enlarged and the slide member 4 could be bent by the forces acting thereon through the intermediary of the ball 11 . on the other hand , the maximum penetration depth amounts to about one - third of the ball diameter d k . if this value is further increased , then , the ball 11 must be displaced by the action of external forces , because the difference of the diameter of both bores 8 and 9 is no longer adequate for the automatic unlatching and displacement of the ball 11 . also , here the compressive force exerted upon the movable part 1 would be too large , in order that there could even be attained a force component which would move the ball 11 out of the bore 9 . the penetration depth can be identical to the ball stroke or displacement path h k . however , such ball stroke h k , shown in the drawing , can also be greater and , specifically , by the wall thickness s of the tube 2 . the loadability of the ball locking mechanism , i . e ., the force which can be exerted thereat , without it unlocking , varies by a factor which is derived from the following relationship : in the above , the symbol α represents the arc angle between oppositely situated contact points 13 , 14 of the ball 11 with the edge of the bore 9 . this relationship corresponds to the well known equation for the circular segment projected from the ball or sphere , in other words that projection surface 15 lying within the bore 9 . the above mentioned equation for the loadability is , however , only decisive if there is provided in tube 1 , instead of the bore 9 , a concave recess corresponding to the ball or sphere 11 . however , in the case of a cylindrical bore , not shown in the drawing , there are to be taken into account the usually prevailing shearing and deformation properties of the ball and oval tube 1 . tests have shown that for a given ball diameter the remaining dimensions can have the following percentage values of the ball diameter : these values can be changed , without any disadvantage as concerns proper functioning of the ball locking mechanism . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims . accordingly , | 8 |
in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views : fig1 is an elevational view illustrating the wire stretching device of the present invention employed to stretch fence wire between posts ; fig2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken generally along line 2 -- 2 of fig1 in the direction of the arrows , with the device in position to tightly clamp the fence wire ; fig3 is a cross sectional view similar to fig2 but with the device in position to release the fence wire ; and fig4 is a cross sectional view taken generally along line 4 -- 4 of fig3 in the direction of the arrows . referring now to the drawing in detail and initially to fig1 the fence wire stretching device of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10 . the device serves to tightly stretch a length of fence wire 11 between fence posts 12 to which the wire is to be attached . the device 10 is constructed in two separate parts , a base plate 13 and a camming bar 14 . the base 13 is a flat , rectangular plate which has a plurality of generally l - shaped lugs or fingers 16 projecting from its flat upper surface . the fingers 16 are spaced equidistantly from one another along the length of plate 13 . with additional reference to fig2 and 3 , each finger 16 is a curved member which includes a shank 16a that is welded to the upper surface of plate 13 to project therefrom at a right angle . an intermediate portion 16b of the finger gradually curves through 90 ° from shank 16a and joins an outer end portion 16c which is spaced outwardly from and parallel to the upper surface of plate 13 . fingers 16 are each circular in cross section , as best shown in fig4 and portions 16c are thus cylindrical . a guide bar 18 serves to prevent the device from twisting or otherwise becoming misaligned with respect to the fence wire . bar 18 is parallel with the side edge of plate 13 and is spaced outwardly therefrom . the bar has a pair of integral end legs 18a ( fig1 ) which extend from its opposite ends along the underside of plate 13 . the legs 18a are each welded to the surface of plate 13 in order to attach the guide bar 18 thereto . intermediate brace rods 19 which are parallel to legs 18a are welded to bar 18 and to the underside of plate 13 in order to strengthen the connection between the bar and plate . since the legs 18a and the braces 19 extend along a flat surface of plate 13 which is opposite the surface from which fingers 16 project , there is a large surface area of the plate to which the legs and braces are securely welded , while interference with the function of the fingers is avoided . the camming bar 14 is an elongate cylindrical bar section in which a plurality of eccentric grooves 20 are formed . as best illustrated in fig2 and 3 , each groove 20 extends only partially around the circumference of the bar . preferably , the grooves extend through an arc no greater than about 270 °. as previously suggested , each groove 20 is eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of bar 14 . the grooves 20 are spaced uniformly apart from one another along the length of the bar to correspond with spacing between fingers 16 , and the grooves are sized to closely receive the respective fingers . as best shown in fig4 the bottom area and the lower side portions of the grooves are smoothly rounded in order to correspond with the curved shape of the finger end portions 16c . the width of each groove 20 , or its dimension in the direction of the axis of bar 14 , is substantially equal to the diameter of the finger end portion 16c . accordingly , the fingers are able to closely fit in the grooves , and bar 14 is unable to slide axially along base 13 due to the engagement between fingers 16 and the side walls of grooves 20 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the distance between base 13 and the finger end portions 16c is somewhat less than the normal diameter of bar 14 and somewhat greater than the bar diameter within grooves 20 . there are preferably seven fingers and seven grooves ( see fig1 ) in order to provide firm clamping of the fence wire 11 along the entire length of bar 14 . a pair of hooks 22 are welded to project outwardly from bar 14 at locations spaced on opposite sides of its center . triangular gussets 23 reinforce the connection of hooks 22 to the bar . the hooks 22 are curved and are able to receive a towing chain 24 which is in a v - shape and which may be attached to a towing vehicle such as a tractor ( not shown ). in use , the device 10 assists in tightly stretching the fence wire 11 between posts 12 . with bar 14 separated from base 13 , the fence wire is received on the flat surface of the base plate as shown in fig3 . the bar 14 is then inserted on top of the fence wire with the long eccentrics of grooves 20 oriented toward finger portions 16c so that the grooves are able to register loosely with the fingers . to clamp the fence wire 11 tightly between base 13 and bar 14 , the bar is rotated about its axis in a clockwise direction as viewed in fig3 . the hooks 22 provide handles which facilitate turning of the bar . as bar 14 rotates to turn the eccentric grooves 20 relative to fingers 16 , the round outer surface of the bar rolls against plate 13 ( and wire 11 ), while the portions of the bar within grooves 20 cam against the finger end portions 16c due to the eccentricity of the grooves . as a result , when the bar has been rotated approximately 90 ° to the clamping position shown in fig2 it is tightly wedged between plate 13 and the finger end portions 16c , thereby firmly clamping the fence wire between bar 14 and plate 13 . with the device oriented vertically as shown in fig1 the towing chain 24 is attached to hooks 22 and to the towing vehicle , and the vehicle is then driven forwardly to string the fence wire 11 between the fence posts 12 . the towing force exerted on hooks 22 urges the hooks clockwise as viewed in fig2 in order to more firmly retain bar 14 in its clamping position during stretching of the wire . the guide bar 18 engages the fence wire to prevent twisting or other misalignment of the device . the device may be quickly and easily released from wire 11 for movement to a different location thereon by rotating bar 14 counterclockwise from the clamping position of fig2 to the release position of fig3 . the long eccentrics of grooves 20 are rotated toward finger portions 16c , and bar 14 is thus moved out of engagement with portions 16c . in the release position , the bar may be easily separated from plate 13 , and the device may be moved to a new position on the fence wire . it is again noted that the close fit of fingers 16 in grooves 20 absolutely prevents bar 14 from sliding axially relative to plate 13 . in the clamping position ( fig2 ) the long eccentrics of grooves 20 are offset only 90 ° from the release position ( fig3 ), and portions 16c of the fingers therefore remain in relatively deep areas of the grooves such that they are firmly retained therein . consequently , when strong forces are applied to the device as when it is being pulled by the towing vehicle ( not shown ), the camming bar and base plate cannot inadvertently shift in position to possibly work loose and slip on the wire . since standard round bar stock may be used to construct bar 14 , the fabrication cost of the bar is reduced in comparison to existing devices . the relatively small grooves 20 are easily formed as compared to making the bar eccentric along its entire length or a substantial portion thereof , as is typically done in the prior art . also , the grooves extend only partially around bar 14 and they are thus formed more easily and with less waste of material than would be the case if they were to extend completely around the bar . the narrow width of the grooves is also significant in regard to ease of formation and conservation of material . from the foregoing , it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure . it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations . this is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims . since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof , it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 8 |
referring now to fig1 a no delivery device 2 is shown connected to a patient 4 . in its most general sense , the no delivery device 2 includes a bathing unit 6 that is fluidically connected to a no gas source 8 , a flow control valve 22 , and a vacuum unit 10 . fig1 illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention . in fig1 the no gas source 8 is a pressurized cylinder containing no gas . while the use of a pressurized cylinder is the preferably method of storing the no - containing gas source 8 , other storage and delivery means , such as a dedicated feed line ( wall supply ) can also be used . typically , the no gas source 8 is a mixture of n 2 and no . while n 2 is typically used to dilute the concentration of no within the pressurized cylinder , any inert gas can also be used . when the no gas source 8 is stored in a pressurized cylinder , it is preferable that the concentration of no in the pressurized cylinder fall within the range of about 800 ppm to about 1200 ppm . commercial nitric oxide manufacturers typically produce nitric oxide mixtures for medical use at around the 1000 ppm range . extremely high concentrations of no are undesirable because accidental leakage of no gas is more hazardous , and high partial pressures of no tends to cause the spontaneous degradation of no into nitrogen . pressurized cylinders containing low concentrations of no ( i . e ., less than 100 ppm no ) can also be used in accordance the device and method disclosed herein . of course , the lower the concentration of no used , the more often the pressurized cylinders will need replacement . fig1 also shows source of dilutent gas 14 as part of the no delivery device 2 that is used to dilute the concentration of no . the source of dilutent gas 14 can contain n 2 , o 2 , air , an inert gas , or a mixture of these gases . it is preferable to use a gas such as n 2 or an inert gas to dilute the no concentration since these gases will not oxidize the no into no 2 as would o 2 or air . the source of dilutent gas 14 is shown as being stored within a pressurized cylinder . while the use of a pressurized cylinder is shown in fig1 as the means for storing the source of dilutent gas 14 , other storage and delivery means , such as a dedicated feed line ( wall supply ) can also be used . the no gas from the no gas source 8 and the dilutent gas from the dilutent gas source 14 preferably pass through pressure regulators 16 to reduce the pressure of gas that is admitted to the no delivery device 2 . the respective gas streams pass via tubing 18 to an optional gas blender 20 . the gas blender 20 mixes the no gas and the dilutent gas to produce a no - containing gas that has a reduced concentration of no . preferably , the no - containing gas that is output from the gas blender 20 has a concentration that is less than about 200 ppm . even more preferably , the concentration of no - containing gas that is output from the gas blender 20 is less than about 100 ppm . the no - containing gas that is output from the gas blender 20 travels via tubing 18 to a flow control valve 22 . the flow control valve 22 can include , for example , a proportional control valve that opens ( or closes ) in a progressively increasing ( or decreasing if closing ) manner . as another example , the flow control valve 22 can include a mass flow controller . the flow control valve 22 controls the flow rate of the no - containing gas that is input to the bathing unit 6 . the no - containing gas leaves the flow control valve 22 via flexible tubing 24 . the flexible tubing 24 attaches to an inlet 26 in the bathing unit 6 . the inlet 26 might include an optional one way valve 64 ( see fig3 ) that prevents the backflow of gas into the tubing 24 . still referring to fig1 the bathing unit 6 is shown sealed against the skin surface of a patient 4 . the infected area 30 which can be an abscess , lesion , wound , or the like , is enclosed by the bathing unit 6 . the bathing unit 6 preferably includes a seal portion 32 that forms a substantially air - tight seal with the skin of the patient 4 . substantially air - tight is meant to indicate that the no - containing gas does not leak out of the bathing unit 6 in significant amounts ( i . e ., no more than about 5 % of the no - containing gas delivered to the bathing unit 6 ). the seal portion 32 may comprise an inflatable seal 61 , such as that shown in fig2 and 3 , or alternatively the seal portion 32 may comprise a flexible skirt or the like that conforms to the surface of the patient 4 . the seal portion 32 also might include an adhesive portion that adheres to the skin surface of a patient 4 . in other envisioned embodiments , the sealing portion 32 may merely comprise the interface of the bathing unit 6 with the surface of the patient &# 39 ; s 4 skin . the bathing unit 6 can be made of a virtually limitless number of shapes and materials depending on its intended use . the bathing unit 6 might be formed as a rigid structure , such as that shown in fig1 that is placed over the infected area 30 . alternatively , the bathing unit 6 can be formed of a flexible , bag - like material that is inflatable over the infected area 30 . fig2 shows such a structure in the shape of a boot that is placed over the patient &# 39 ; s 4 foot . fig3 shows another inflatable bathing unit 6 that is formed in the shape of a mitten or glove that is worn over the patient &# 39 ; s 4 hand . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , the bathing unit 6 includes an no sensor 34 that measures the concentration of no gas within the bathing unit 6 . the no sensor 34 preferably reports this information to a controller 36 via signal line 38 . an optional no 2 sensor 40 can also be included within the bathing unit 6 . the no 2 sensor 40 preferably reports the concentration of no 2 to the controller 36 via signal line 42 . the sensors 40 , 42 can be a chemilluminesence - type , electrochemical cell - type , or spectrophotometric - type sensor . the bathing unit 6 also includes an outlet 44 that is used to remove gas from the bathing unit 6 . the outlet 44 is preferably located away from the gas inlet 26 such that no gas does not quickly enter and exit the bathing unit 6 . preferably , the inlet 26 and outlet 44 are located in areas of the bathing unit 6 such that the no gas has a relatively long residence time . flexible tubing 46 is connected to the outlet 44 and provides a conduit for the removal of gases from the bathing unit 6 . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , the flexible tubing 46 is in fluid communication with an absorber unit 48 . the absorber unit 48 preferably absorbs or strips no from the gas stream that is exhausted from the bathing unit 6 . it is also preferable for the absorber unit 48 to also absorb or strip no 2 from the gas stream that is exhausted from the bathing unit 6 . since these gases are toxic at high levels , it is preferable that these components are removed from the delivery device 2 prior to the gas being vented to the atmosphere . in addition , these gases can react with the internal components of the vacuum unit 10 and interfere with the operation of the delivery device 2 . the now clean gas travels from the absorbing unit 48 to the vacuum unit 10 via tubing 50 . the vacuum unit 10 provides a negative pressure within the tubing 50 so as to extract gases from the bathing unit 6 . the vacuum unit 10 is preferably controllable with respect to the level of vacuum or suction supplied to the tubing 50 and bathing unit 6 . in this regard , in conjunction with the flow control valve 22 , the amount of no gas within the bathing unit 6 can be regulated . preferably , the vacuum unit 10 is coupled with the controller 36 via a signal line 52 . the controller 36 , as discussed below , preferably controls the level of output of the vacuum unit 10 . the gas then passes from the vacuum unit 10 to a vent 54 that is open to the atmosphere . it should be understood that the absorbing unit 48 is an optional component of the delivery device 2 . the gas laden with no and no 2 does not have to be removed from the gas stream if there is no concern with local levels of no and no 2 . for example , the gas can be exhausted to the outside environment where high concentrations of no and no 2 will not develop . alternatively , a recirculation system ( not shown ) might be used to recycle no within the bathing unit 6 . still referring to fig1 the delivery device 2 preferably includes a controller 36 that is capable of controlling the flow control valve 22 and the vacuum unit 10 . the controller 36 is preferably a microprocessor - based controller 36 that is connected to an input device 56 . the input device 56 is used by an operator to adjust various parameters of the delivery device such as no concentration , residence time of no , pressure within the bathing unit 6 , etc . an optional display 58 can also be connected with the controller 36 to display measured parameters and settings such as the set - point no concentration , the concentration of no within the bathing unit 6 , the concentration of no 2 within the bathing unit 6 , the flow rate of gas into the bathing unit 6 , the flow rate of gas out of the bathing unit 6 , the total time of delivery , and the like . the controller 36 preferably receives signals from sensors 34 , 40 regarding gas concentrations if such sensors 34 , 40 are present within the delivery device 2 . signal lines 60 , 52 are connected to the flow control valve 22 and vacuum unit 10 respectively for the delivery and receipt of control signals . in another embodiment of the invention , the controller 36 is eliminated entirely . in this regard , the flow rate of the gas into the bathing unit 6 and the flow rate of the gas out of the bathing unit 6 are pre - set or adjusted manually . for example , an operator can set a vacuum output that is substantially equal to the flow rate of the gas delivered to the bathing unit 6 via the flow control valve 22 . in this manner , no gas will be able to bathe the infected area 30 without any build - up or leaking of no or no 2 gas from the delivery device 2 . fig2 illustrates a bathing unit 6 in the shape of a boot that is used to treat an infected area 30 located on the leg of the patient 4 . the bathing unit 6 includes an inflatable seal 61 that surrounds the leg region to make a substantially air - tight seal with the skin of the patient 4 . this embodiment shows a nozzle 62 that is affixed near the inlet 26 of the bathing unit 6 . the nozzle 62 directs a jet of no gas onto the infected area 30 . the jet of gaseous no aids in penetrating the infected area 30 with no to kill or inhibit the growth of pathogens . fig3 shows another embodiment of the bathing unit 6 in the shape of a mitten or glove . the bathing unit 6 is also inflatable and contains an inflatable seal 61 that forms a substantially air - tight seal around the skin of the patient 4 . fig3 also shows an optional one way valve 64 located in the inlet 26 . as seen in fig3 and 4 , the inlet 26 and outlet 44 are located away from one another , and preferably on opposing sides of the treated area such that freshly delivered no gas is not prematurely withdrawn from the bathing unit 6 . for treatment of an infected area 30 , the bathing unit 6 is placed over the infected area 30 . an air - tight seal is then formed between the skin of the patient 4 and the bathing unit 6 . if the bathing unit 6 has an inflatable construction , the bathing unit 6 must be inflated with gas . preferably , the bathing unit 6 is initially inflated only with the dilutent gas to prevent the leaking of no and no 2 from the device 2 . once an adequate air - tight seal has been established , the operator of the device initiates the flow of no from the no gas source 8 to the bathing unit 6 . as described above , this may be accomplished manually or via the controller 36 . once the bathing unit 6 has started to fill with no gas , the vacuum unit 10 is turned on and adjusted to the appropriate output level . for an inflatable bathing unit 6 , the output level ( i . e ., flow rate ) of the vacuum unit 10 should be less than or equal to the flow rate of no gas entering the bathing unit 6 to avoid deflating the bathing unit 6 . in embodiments of the device where the bathing unit 6 is rigid , the vacuum unit 10 can be set to create a partial vacuum within the bathing unit 4 . in this regard , the partial vacuum helps to form the air - tight seal between the skin of the patient 4 and the bathing unit 6 . of course , the vacuum unit 10 can also be set to withdraw gas at a substantially equal rate as the gas is delivered to the bathing unit 6 . an effective amount of no is delivered to the bathing unit 6 to kill pathogens and / or reduce the growth rate of the pathogens in the infected area 30 . pathogens include bacteria , viruses , and fungi . fig4 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the bathing unit 6 includes an agitator 66 that is used to create turbulent conditions inside the bathing unit 6 . the agitator 66 preferably is a fan - type of mechanism but can include other means of creating turbulent conditions within the bathing unit 6 . the agitator 66 aids in refreshing the infected area 30 with a fresh supply of no gas . while embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention . the invention , therefore , should not be limited , except to the following claims , and their equivalents . | 0 |
an embodiment of a known apparatus for forming a meltspun web is shown schematically in fig1 and is represented generally by the numeral 10 . as is conventional , the apparatus includes a reservoir 11 for supplying a quantity of fiber - forming thermoplastic polymer resin to an extruder 12 driven by a motor 13 . the fiber - forming polymer is provided to a melt die apparatus 14 and heated therein by conventional electric heaters ( not visible in the view shown ). a primary flow of heating fluid , preferably air , is provided to die 14 by a blower 17 , which is powered by a motor 18 . an auxiliary heater 19 may be provided to bring the primary flow of heating air to higher temperatures on the order of the melting temperature of the polymer . at the discharge opening of die 14 , quenched fibers 20 are formed and collected on a continuous foraminous forming wire screen , or belt 22 , into a nonwoven web 24 as the wire 22 moves in a machine direction indicated by the arrow designated by the numeral 26 . the fiber forming distance is the distance between the upper surface of the forming wire 22 and the plane of the discharge opening of die 14 . as shown in fig1 the collection of fibers 20 on the forming wire 22 may be aided by a suction box 28 . the formed nonwoven web 24 may be compacted or otherwise bonded by rolls 30 , 32 . the forming wire 22 may be rotated via a driven roll 34 . an embodiment of the fiber forming portion of the meltspun die apparatus 14 looking along line 2 - 2 of fig1 is shown schematically in fig2 . as shown therein , the fiber forming portion 36 of die apparatus 14 includes a die tip 40 that is connected to the die body ( not shown ) in a conventional manner . die tip 40 is formed generally in the shape of a prism that defines a knife edge 21 . the knife edge 21 forms the end of the portion of the die tip 40 . die tip 40 is further defined by at least one opposed side surface 42 that intersects in the embodiment shown in fig2 at the horizontal plane perpendicular to knife edge 21 . knife edge 21 at die tip 40 forms the apex of an angle that ranges from about thirty degrees to sixty degrees and allows for formation of a hot air stream , or jet , 57 beginning at the knife edge 21 . the airstream , or jet , 57 is formed to carry and attenuate the molten polymer streams . capillaries ( not shown ) carrying the molten polymer also exit the fiber forming apparatus 20 the knife edge 21 . referencing fig1 and 2 , an air jet momentum measuring device 51 is mounted on the die 14 by a magnetic stand 71 ( fig2 ) and comprises a cantilever arm 53 attached to a mounting means 73 held by the magnetic stand 71 . the person having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other placement options may be available for the measuring device 51 within a fiber - forming apparatus , such as , e . g . within a fiber draw unit ( fdu ) which further attenuates the fibers by airflow . attached at the suspended end of the cantilever beam 53 is a deflection head 59 placed to be in the flow of the air stream 57 ( fig2 ) before fiber formation , i . e . extrusion of the thermoplastic polymer . a transducer 61 is attached to the cantilever beam 53 to record the force placed on the deflection head 59 by the air stream 57 , which will be understood by those in the art to be a jet with the primary direction carrying the molten polymers indicated by an arrow 58 . the transducer 61 may be mechanical , optical , or any other sensory apparatus considered desirable for the task , such as strain gauges or force transducers . connected to the transducer is a dial 63 , or other data output means , capable of displaying , or further transmitting , the data acquired from the transducer as to the force placed on the deflection head 59 . referencing fig3 and 4 , the cantilever beam 53 is a flat piece of steel about 0 . 05 inches thick t , about 1 . 75 inches wide w and about 7 . 0 inches long l 1 , although the dimensions may be varied according to the particular die to be monitored . the exemplary embodiment was sized to accommodate the monitoring in a particular setting of a meltspun die , and sizes may be varied if needed or desired . as seen in fig3 the deflection head 59 is mounted on one end of the cantilever beam 59 and is 2 . 0 inches long l 2 and extends about 1 . 57 inches downwardly d from the cantilever beam 53 . referencing particularly fig4 an end view of the cantilever beam 53 and deflection head 59 along line 4 - 4 of fig3 the deflection head is also 1 . 75 inches wide w and is aerodynamically shaped in a streamlined profile to extend downwardly to a point 65 with the lower half of each side , collectively 67 , of the deflection head 59 being radiused r at about 1 . 75 inches to minimize buffeting of the deflection head 59 within the air stream 57 ( fig2 ). during operation , one or more of the momentum measuring devices 51 will be placed at several points across the width of the die 14 into the air stream of the free air jet used to propel the meltspun filaments downward towards the wire 22 . because the total momentum of a free air jet remains constant downstream of the jet source due to the law of conservation of momentum , the momentum can be determined by the force imparted on the measuring device 51 placed in the air stream without regard to exacting placement . as the deflection head 59 is moved by the air stream , the attached cantilever beam 53 will record the force through transducer 61 and display the force measured at a read out 63 . the data may further be transmitted to additional equipment such as automated feedback controls , or recording devices , or the like . in particular embodiments , the monitoring may consist of two or more measuring devices . for example , there may be a measuring or monitoring device 51 placed in the air stream to measure flow at each lateral end of the die to help monitor deckle , or edge formation of the web 24 , which is a particularly sensitive area of uniform formation of the web and in which a good deal of waste may be eliminated through proper production techniques . while in the foregoing specification means and method for monitoring air jet momentum in formation of nonwoven webs has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof , and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention . | 3 |
in this embodiment of the present invention we provide an improved method and apparatus for performing scanning exposure of a colorant donor sheet by a laser induced thermal transfer of colorant from the donor sheet . the composite image is recorded directly on the back of a lenticular array or the blocking line screen . the recorded composite image is rotationally aligned with the lenticular array or the blocking line screen by sensing and control of the angular relationship between fast - scan axis and either a lenticular array direction , or the blocking line screen direction . the lenticular array direction is defined as direction parallel to the long axis of the lenticules . the blocking line screen direction is defined as a direction parallel to the blocking lines of the blocking line screen . more specifically , according to this embodiment , the improved apparatus forms interdigitated image lines using one or more focused scanning laser beams while providing : i ) an automatic rotational alignment of the fast - scan axis with the lenticular or the blocking line screen direction , ii ) an improved automatic measurement of lenticule or blocking line pitch , and iii ) an improved center view alignment . this apparatus is shown schematically in fig2 a . it is assumed that image data 5 , corresponding to a composite image that provides a plurality of views of either a three - dimensional image or a motion image sequence or a multiple - still image sequence , has been prepared as a digital file 7 according to procedures that are well known in the art . this digital file 7 contains code values for each pixel location of the composite image to be printed . the composite image corresponding to the image data 5 stored in the digital file 7 is printed directly on the back of lenticular array 8 ( having a plurality of lenticules 8 a ) or the blocking line screen 9 ( not shown ), in precise registration with the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 as described below . a light source , preferably a diode laser 10 having single mode character in one dimension , is mounted on a heat conducting block 20 and directs a light beam 15 toward a rotating scan - mirror 40 mounted on a galvanometer 30 . other scanning methods include polygon scanning and hologon scanning . galvanometer scanning is particularly preferred because of its combination of simplicity , low cost , flexibility , and wavelength insensitivity . the output power level of the diode laser 10 is controlled by amplitude modulation via a driver circuit 45 , which provides a drive signal modulated according to the image data 5 . preferably , the desired printed densities in each successively printed cyan , magenta , and yellow layer are achieved by employing look - up tables to account for the specific response of the printer system . other modulation techniques besides amplitude modulation are also possible , for example , pulse - width modulation . after reflection from the scan - mirror 40 , the modulated light beam 15 passes through a scan - lens 50 which focuses the light beam 15 to a spot in the plane of a donor sheet 55 . the motion of the scan mirror 40 sweeps the focused light beam across the donor sheet 55 . the scanning light beam 15 moves along the fast - scan axis 56 ( fig2 b ) forming image line 57 ( not shown ) the direction of the scanning beam 15 across the donor sheet 55 is called the fast scan direction . suitable donor sheet compositions are taught in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 772 , 582 . the donor sheet 55 is in close contact with a receiver surface 60 which is the back surface ( i . e ., the surface that does not contain the lenticules ) of the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 . ( see fig2 a .) the donor sheet 55 is separated from the receiver surface 60 by beads ( not shown ) as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 876 , 235 . however , the donor sheet 55 may be held in close proximity to the receiver surface 60 using any convenient method . the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 is supported on a stage 65 ( fig3 a , 3 b ). in this embodiment , the donor sheet 55 is also supported by the stage 65 . this is shown in fig2 a and 3a . the stage 65 is capable of rotation and of linear translation . the translation of the stage 65 is in a direction 71 , which is perpendicular to the optical axis 72 of the scan - lens 50 and , is also perpendicular to a fast - scan axis 56 defined by the path of the scanning focal spot in the plane of the donor sheet 55 . the rotation of the stage 65 is about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the lenticular array 8 ( or the blocking line screen 9 ) and is indicated by the arrow 73 . ( see fig2 a , 3 a , and 3 b .) at least a section of the stage 65 is transparent . preferably , the platen 66 or a section of the platen 66 is made from an acrylate or polycarbonate polymer to satisfy the transparency requirement . the need for the transparency requirement is discussed later in the specification . the stage 65 includes a vacuum platen 66 . the vacuum platen includes a recess 67 for receiving a lenticular array or a blocking line screen , surface 68 for supporting a donor sheet 55 , a vacuum groove 69 a for holding the donor sheet in place and a vacuum groove 69 b for holding either the lenticular array or the blocking line screen in the recess 67 . preferably , the scan lens 50 is an f - theta lens having a flat image surface . an f - theta lens is characterized by an amount of barrel distortion , such that the focal spot &# 39 ; s distance measured along the fast - scan axis from the optical axis 72 of the f - theta lens 50 is proportional to the incoming angle of the light beam . it is preferred that the plane of the receiver surface 60 and the linear translation stage 65 be tilted slightly by an angle δθ about the fast - scan axis 56 to eliminate any stray light reflections ( off the donor or receiver or other surfaces from and going back to the laser 10 ). it is preferred that the angle δθ be about five degrees ( 5 °). this is shown in fig4 . a lenticular image viewed from a particular viewing distance ( from the lenticular array ) needs to present a single view to the observer over the entire image surface . thus , it is necessary that the pitch of the image lines 57 ( forming the composite image ) be adjusted precisely with respect to the pitch of the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 . a composite image with the fine pitch that is adjusted for the pitch of the lenticular array used with this composite image is called a scaled composite image . more specifically , a scaled composite image is defined as a composite image that is scaled in the cross lenticular array direction in accordance with the pitch of the lenticular array for the purposes of achieving the desired viewing distance when viewing the three - dimension or motion images . a typical viewing distance is 8 - 20 inches and , preferably , 10 - 16 inches . furthermore , it is also necessary that the image lines 57 of the scaled lenticular image are rotationally aligned with respect to the lenticular array , such that they are parallel to the long axis of lenticules ( see fig5 ). as stated above , a lenticular array can present the viewer with a sequence of images . a person swinging a baseball bat from one position to another position would be an example of such sequence of images . this sequence of images can be viewed by tilting the lenticular array with respect to the viewer ( fig6 a - 6 c ). it is preferable that the middle picture ( i . e ., the center view of the motion sequence ) be viewed when the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 is perpendicular to the observer &# 39 ; s line of site . in order for the center - view of a motion sequence to be viewed when the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 is oriented at an appropriate angle of tilt with respect to the observer , center image line 75 of the image line set corresponding to the center - view of the sequence should be located at a position directly behind the center of the middle lenticule 76 of the lenticular array ( this is shown in fig7 ) or the center of the middle blocking line of the blocking line screen 9 . an embodiment of rotational alignment of the lenticular array 8 and the image lines of the composite image is accomplished as described hereinbelow . the method of alignment preferably comprises two steps : step 1 — coarse rotational alignment , step 2 — precise rotational alignment . the two - step rotational alignment technique results in a correction of a high range of allowable misalignment and of very precise alignment of the composite image with respect to the lenticular array . each of the two steps may be used singly , i . e ., independent of the other step . the coarse alignment step may be forgone if an initial mechanical registration on placement of the lenticular array on the stage results in a rotational misalignment of less than one half of one lenticule width w over the substantially entire scan line ( fig8 ). this is because the precise alignment that will be described later in the specification provides multiple stable solutions for misalignments of integer multiples of lenticule widths . in other cases , coarse alignment alone may give sufficiently accurate alignment . referring again to fig2 a , the coarse rotational alignment of the lenticular array or the blocking line screen with the image lines forming the scaled composite image will be described . prior to any transfer of colorant to the receiver surface 60 , and preferably before the mounting of a donor sheet 55 , a coarse alignment source 80 , for example an led or a laser diode , emits a beam of light 82 which passes through the array with a periodic structure ; i . e ., the blocking line screen or the lenticular array 8 ( through both the image receiving surface and the lenticules containing surface ) and through a transparent section of stage 65 towards a coarse alignment lens 90 . the coarse alignment source 80 is imaged by the coarse alignment lens 90 as a light line 100 , the light line 100 having a direction that is precisely perpendicular to the lenticular array direction for any rotation angle of the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen about the optical axis of the scan lens 50 . thus , when the blocking line screen or the lenticular array 8 is rotated by the stage 65 about the axis parallel to the optical axis 72 , the light line 100 rotates in the image plane 101 of the coarse alignment lens 90 . the image plane 101 is the plane containing the rotating light line 100 . the light line 100 formed by the coarse alignment lens 90 and the lenticular array 8 is perpendicular to the lenticular array direction because the interposed lenticular array 8 is made of lenticules 8 a that have no optical power along a direction corresponding to the long axes of the lenticules , effectively causing the light beam to refract along the direction perpendicular to this direction . ( see fig9 a and 9b .) the light line formed by the blocking line screen and the coarse alignment 90 is perpendicular to the blocking line screen direction . a coarse - rotation detector 110 is positioned in the image plane 101 of the lens 90 some distance away from the optical axis of the lens 90 and is coincident with the light line 100 . preferably , the long axes of the lenticules or the blocking lines of the blocking line screen should be parallel to the fast - scan axis 56 . then , while rotating the lenticular array or the blocking line screen , the detector 110 detects the maximum signal when the lenticular array or the blocking line screen direction is parallel to the fast - scan axis 56 . detection and rotation stage motion control act cooperatively to achieve coarse rotational alignment of the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen with respect to the fast - scan axis 56 . more specifically , the blocking line screen or the lenticular array 8 is placed in the recess 67 of the stage 65 . stage 65 is capable of translation and rotation . the rotational motion of the stage 65 is activated by a cpu unit 114 . as the lenticular array 8 is rotated , the detector detects the presents of light and provides a variable amplitude signal to the cpu 114 . the cpu 114 , in turn , provides appropriate data that drives the rotation of the stage 65 . the angular position either the blocking line screen of the lenticular array 8 corresponding to the maximum signal provided by the detector 110 is determined by the cpu 114 and , the cpu 114 drives the rotation of the stage 65 until the stage 65 reaches its optimum angular position . that is , based on this data , the cpu 114 activates the rotation of the stage 65 until the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen is in proper alignment with the fast - scan axis 56 and thus with the image lines about to be written . using this method we achieved a degree of alignment that is well below the half - lenticule requirement . also , in this embodiment , a misalignment of up to +/− 6 ° was automatically corrected . this method could easily accommodate higher misalignments , however it is felt that any reasonable method for mechanically positioning a lenticular array on the stage 65 could register the lenticular array well within the +/− 6 degrees of the optimal rotationally aligned position . the process of providing a coarse rotational alignment of the blocking line screen 9 with respect to the interdigitated image lines is similar to the coarse alignment of the lenticular array 8 . however , the light line 100 is formed through interference and diffraction from the blocking line screen 9 . more specifically , the blocking line screen acts as many slits and cause a diffraction pattern . the result is a standard many slit diffraction pattern which is approximately a line oriented perpendicular to the slits . there will be some minima where the intensity may be greatly decreased . therefore , one must choose an off axis region where there is a maximum in intensity ( not a minimum ) for the placement of the off axis detector 110 . fig9 c shows the diffraction pattern through many slits . the precise rotational alignment is accomplished after the coarse rotational alignment . the precise rotational alignment is achieved by using two small photodetectors 120 and 130 . these photodetectors 120 and 130 are positioned behind the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 , preferably with each detector 120 , 130 being located near one of the opposite sides 121 , 131 of the lenticular array 8 and with each detector being coincident with the fast - scan axis 56 . ( fig2 a ) a second light beam , which is preferably the writing beam 15 from the diode laser 10 having a reduced power level ( preferably by factor of 10 or more ) as compared to actual writing levels , is brought by the scan mirror 40 through a transparent section of the stage 65 to one of the detectors , for example , detector 120 , and the resulting signal is stored in the cpu memory while the array 8 is translated in a direction 71 ( slow scan direction ). it is noted that this light beam could also be from a different light source . the recorded signal is a periodic one and , the maximum signal occurs when the light beam becomes collinear with the optical axis of each scanned lenticule 8 a . because of the short focal length typical of lenticules , the light beam on traversing a lenticule 8 a while this translation is occurring , undergoes a significant sweeping deflection about the detector 120 , with the light beam 15 striking the detector 120 when the beam 15 is undeflected . this step is then repeated with the light beam instead being incident upon the second detector 130 . the two periodic records of intensity versus position are compared and the phase difference δ between the two sets of signals is determined . the phase difference δ gives a measure of the remaining misalignment . the relative position of the stage 65 and thus of the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen with respect to fast scan axis 56 can be determined very accurately , for example , by microstepper motor drive or through the use of position encoders such as strip gauges . fig1 shows examples of periodic signals from the detectors 120 and 130 and also shows the phase difference δ corresponding to the rotational misalignment . this information is used to drive the stage 65 until any remaining misalignment between either the blocking line screen or the lenticular array 8 and the fast - scan axis 56 is rendered negligible . alternatively , a light beam can be scanned between the two detectors 120 , 130 during translation of the lenticular array or the blocking line screen , or two light beams can simultaneously impinge on two detectors 120 , 130 , or a single wide beam can simultaneously impinge on both detectors 120 , 130 . the detectors 110 , 120 , and 130 may be simple photodetectors as opposed to linear array detectors or position sensitive detectors . preferred types of detectors include photodiodes , phototransistors , and split photodiodes capable of performing difference measurements . in the case of the split photodiodes , as is well known , rather than identifying a detected signal maximum to verify the incidence of a light beam on a detector , a zero - crossing point is identified instead . it should be pointed out that the linear translation of the stage 65 may be accomplished in at least two different ways . first , the stage 65 may be stepped to a new position before writing the next image line and then held in a constant position during the writing of the image line . alternatively , the stage 65 may be driven continuously . it has been found by experiment , that as translation speed increases , it is preferable to drive the stage 65 continuously . continuous translation of the stage 65 avoids the mechanical ringing associated with strong accelerations required to move the stage 65 in the step and hold mode . however , as a consequence of continuous translation of the stage 65 , an additional rotational misalignment arises by the fact that the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 moves during the fast - scan time . this additional misalignment is constant and may be easily eliminated by an additional rotation of the stage 65 after the rotational alignment steps described above . in practice , the additional rotation is accounted for and the stage 65 is rotated only once . the periodic signals from detectors 120 or 130 are also used for determining the pitch of the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 . if the signals are collected during translation of substantially the entire cross lenticular array dimension ( i . e ., across most lenticules ) or across the blocking line screen 9 , the average period of the lenticular array 8 or the blocking line screen 9 may be found with the greatest accuracy . a preferred method of obtaining the pitch of the lenticular array or the blocking line screen from the periodic signals , is to perform a fourier transform of the periodic signals from one of the detectors , 120 or 130 . care is taken to include the information carried by the harmonics of the fundamental spatial frequency in order to increase the precision of the measurement . absent the inclusion of harmonics , the precision of the period measurement will be limited by the finite number of scanned lenticules or the blocking lines that generate the periodic signal . using the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the pitch of the lenticular array was measured within 200 parts per million . since the pitch determines the viewing distance , this pitch accuracy is sufficient to have a viewing distance control within +/− 1 inches around a nominal viewing distance of 12 inches . the periodic signals also carry sufficient information to allow center - view alignment , i . e . the condition whereby the appropriate view ( for example , of a motion image sequence ) is presented to an observer by the appropriate tilt angle of the lenticular array or the blocking line screen with respect to the observer . often it is preferable that the center view of a motion sequence is observed when a lenticular array or a blocking line screen is oriented perpendicular to the observer &# 39 ; s line of site . this condition requires that an image line corresponding to the center view and located substantially near the center lenticule or the center gap between the blocking line should be located on or near the optical axis for that lenticule or along the center of that center gap . for example , such a location is achieved by first using the periodic signals to determine the absolute position of the fast - scan axis 56 relative to the lenticular array 8 and then translating the composite image relative to the lenticular array 8 until the image lines corresponding to the center view of the motion sequence are positioned such that the center image line of the center view is be located on or near the optical axis for the center lenticule . after rotational alignment , pitch measurement , and center view alignment are performed , the scaled composite image is ready to be printed . a donor sheet 55 containing a dye layer , described , for example , in embodiment 2 of the u . s . pat . no . 5 , 183 , 798 , is attached or is placed at the receiving surface 60 of the lenticular array 8 . beads situated in the donor sheet are used to separate the dye layer from the surface 60 . this is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 876 , 235 . the scanning laser beam 15 exposes the donor sheet 55 ( during the linear translation of the lenticular array ) and transfers dye in registration with the lenticules . the focussed ( writing ) laser beam size is preferred to be less than 60 micrometers and more preferably less than 15 micrometers in width . it is most preferred that the width of the focussed laser beam 15 and , thus , the width of transferred colorant line be about 10 micrometers or less . narrow written width of the image lines d is important since the total number of views ( which is directly proportional to the number of image lines that can be written behind a given lenticule or a blocking line ) is limited by printer resolution in the cross - lenticule or cross - line direction . for full color images , multiple pass colorant transfer is required . in order to produce color images , the first donor sheet is removed without disturbing the receiver and a new donor is applied . the described exposure method is repeated for the second color and then repeated with the third color . the image may be solvent - fused , thermally - fused or left unfused into the material on the back of the lenticular array . a backing sheet may be applied to add protection to the media , increase stiffness , and give a reflective backing . possible limiting factors to image writing speed include the available power of the writing laser , and the fast - scan frequency ( number of scans per second ). each of these factors can be overcome by providing instead of a single writing laser , multiple independently modulated lasers . each of the multiple lasers write along or parallel to the fast - scan axis scanner ( scan mirror 40 and the galvanometer 30 ) and the scan lens 50 in order to form multiple scanning spots in the image plane of the scan lens 50 . with this arrangement , multiple lines are written simultaneously , with the writing time being inversely proportional to the number of lasers . it is noted that the above method and apparatus for alignment of image lines with a lenticular arrays can be also used to align the image lines with the blocking line screen or another periodic structure . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 8 |
fig1 of the drawing illustrates a wheeled supporting frame 10 having the wheels 10a . the wheeled frame is connected to a suitable towing unit such as the tractor 11 by a conventional draw bar 10b . a pair of stationary hollow base strut members 15 are rigidly mounted in inclined relation on the frame unit 10 as best shown in fig2 and 3 . a hollow extensible strut member 16 is telescopically received in each of the base strut members 15 , and an upper extensible strut member 17 is telescopically received within each of the intermediate strut members 16 . a dump box 20 is pivotally mounted on pivot pins on the top of the upper strut members 17 and has a back panel 20a disposed at substantially right angles to the bottom 20b . a cross bar 22 is connected by a pair of links 24 to the upper end of the upper strut member 17 to form an upper frame unit as best shown in fig4 . the outer ends of the cross bar 22 provide an elevated pivotal support for a pair of dumping cylinders 26 , the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to intermediate portions of the respective sides of the dump box 20 as by the brackets 27 and are maintained in substantially vertical position . the cross bar 22 has a pair of rollers 30 that are journaled for rotation on suitable shafts and are respectively aligned with the longitudinal top sloping surfaces of the intermediate strut members 16 as best shown in fig5 and 7 . when the struts 16 and 17 are in extended relation , the cross bar provides interlocking latch connection between the upper end of intermediate strut member 16 and the lower end of the uppermost strut 17 . this interlocking relationship is produced by a bracket member 22a fixed to the cross bar . the upper edge of each bracket 22a has an interlocking notch 22b formed therein as best shown in fig5 . a laterally extending bracket 16a is fixed to each of the intermediate struts 16 and has an interlocking pin 16b fixed on the bottom edge thereof as best shown in fig5 and 6 . this bracket and pin interlocking system forms a substantially rigid connection between the upper portion of the intermediate strut 16 and the cross bar 22 . thus , the cross bar 22 rigidly interconnects the two struts 16 and 17 when the upper strut 17 is in extended position and the bracket pin 16b is interlocked in notch 22b . each bracket 22a is provided with a guiding flange 22c as best shown in fig7 . this flange 22a extends inwardly to overlap the bracket 16a and maintains the cross bar and roller in the desired alignment on the intermediate strut 16 when the two struts 16 and 17 are in fully extended position and also engages a flange plate 15c when the struts are in lowered position as best shown in fig5 . a pair of tension springs 32 are respectively connected to the intermediate strut members 16 as by brackets 16c and connect the struts 16 to the respective bottom stationary strut members 15 . the positive connection between the cross bar 22 and the upper ends of intermediate strut members 16 by means of the interfitted brackets 22a and 16a provides the required substantially rigid stability between the extended strut members 16 and 17 . the springs 32 insure that the intermediate struts 16 will be lowered from extended position into the base strut members 15 before the upper strut members 17 are lowered into the intermediate strut members 16 . the springs thus maintain the stable rigid connection between the two upper struts 16 and 17 , until the struts 16 are fully retracted into the base strut 15 . as the two upper sections 16 and 17 are lowered as a unit into the stationary base struts 15 , the rollers 30 will reach the upper ends of the base sections 15 and ride smoothly up onto the upper inclined surface on the ramps 15b provided at the top of upper surfaces of the stationary base struts 15 . a pair of main extension cylinder assemblies 35 are suitably mounted within the hollow extensible strut sections 15 , 16 , and 17 to produce the desired extension and contraction of the strut sections . suitable connections and control valving of conventional design are connected with the tractor hydraulic system to provide the controlled operation of the hydraulic cylinders 26 and 35 . the upper ends of the upper strut sections 17 are cut out to form stop recesses 17a which receive but stop plates 20d below the lip of the box to limit the dumping rotation of the box . the problems with the prior art dump boxes have become critical in view of the use of dump boxes in the expanded agricultural market , which includes the use of trucks and trailers with higher sides as shown diagrammatically in fig2 . this problem is combined with the need for a low loading elevation of the box to facilitate receiving the discharge from the various harvesting machines . frequently , a lip extension such as the lip plate 20c as shown in fig2 is provided and extends approximately 10 inches outwardly beyond the normal dumping lip of the box 20 . depending upon the exact dumping angle of the box , this plate would lower the dumping edge by several inches . the dumping edge of the lip 10 overlies the upper edge of the body of the truck or trailer unit t into which the contents of the box are being dumped . it is very undesirable to have the dumping edge of the box or lip project down into the truck body below the upper edge of the side of the truck t . this could produce an inadvertent contact between the truck and the dump box and cause damage to both vehicles . by providing an increased , highly stable increment of high lift capability , this invention permits a lower center of gravity when the box is in down position and thus facilitates loading and stable transportation of a loaded dump box when in down position . it will be seen that i have provided a relatively simple yet highly efficient stabilizing mechanism for high lift dump box extensible strut assemblies . | 1 |
in the embodiment according to fig1 to 3 , a pneumatic cylinder 1 is closed by a bottom piece 2 , fixedly attached to the cylinder 1 . in the cylinder 1 is tightly guided an annular piston 3 which constitutes an actuating piston of the pneumatic system , and a central piston 4 is tightly guided in the annular piston 3 . a collar or flange 5 of the piston 4 coacts with the outer surface of the piston 3 to limit the movement of the piston 4 opposite the piston 3 . a pressure connecting means 6 is provided in the bottom piece 2 for supplying pressurized air to a working area or space 7 for the piston 3 or piston 4 . a collar 8 is located at the end of the cylinder 1 remote from the bottom piece 2 , with the collar being formed by a circular part 9 fixedly connected with the cylinder . a circular space 16 is formed in the part 9 , and the part 9 is delimited at its side facing the piston 3 by an area 17 of a flat conical shape positioned transversely to the axis of the cylinder 1 . a pressure - connecting means 23 is associated with the circular part 9 and communicates with the space 16 . a cylindrical tension part 10 is tightly positioned in the collar 8 and a portion thereof extends into the cylinder 1 . the piston 4 has a shoulder 26 with which it is supported towards an inwardly extending flange 27 of the part 10 . a plurality of swinging levers 11 are mounted on axles 12 of the cylindrical part 10 and are evenly positioned around the circumference of the central piston 4 . the levers 11 are of a forked shape and guide - rollers 14 are rotatably positioned on axles 15 provided between fork - arms 13 of the levers . the piston 4 is provided with an annular groove 18 in which the guide rollers 14 are located while the starting stroke is at an idle position ( fig1 ). a nose 19 of the levers 11 , which constitutes a sensor or feeler abuts or engages inner wall 20 of the cylinder 1 , and holds the guide - rollers 14 in their position in the annular groove 18 . a collet or sleeve 21 is fixedly connected to the piston 3 , encircling loosely the central piston 4 , and a front area or edge 22 thereby coacts with the guide rollers 14 . when the space 7 is placed under pressure via the pressure connection 6 , the piston 3 and piston 4 move into the direction of the stroke indicated by arrow 24 . the front edge 22 of the collet 21 thus pushes against the guide - rollers 14 and levers 11 try to swing outwardly about the axles 12 into the stroke direction 24 , but such a movement is limited since the noses 19 engage the wall 20 of the cylinder 1 . as soon as the noses 19 enter the area of the recess 16 , the noses move or dip so to speak into the recess 16 . this is effected as the front edge 22 of the collet 21 engages eccentrically at the guide rollers 14 , thereby resulting in a force component towards the outside . the levers 11 , together with the guide rollers 14 and the noses 19 , reach the positions 11 &# 39 ;, 14 &# 39 ;, 19 &# 39 ; in fig2 . the guide rollers 14 roll on the periphery of the collet 21 and leave the annular groove 18 and hence the piston 4 . the starter stroke ends in this position . the collet 21 enters into an annular space 25 between the piston 4 and the part 10 , whereby the annular piston 3 continuously moves further into the direction 24 . the piston 4 moves into the direction 24 only until it meets resistance . since the starting stroke is measured so that at the end of such stroke the working stroke begins , the piston 4 will only very slowly continue its stroke , when the levers 11 together with the noses 19 enter the recess 16 . the mechanical step - up mechanism is defined by the collet 21 , the levers 11 together with the feelers 19 and the guide rollers 14 . the further the annular piston is lifted , the further movement of the collet 21 in the annular space 25 and the further the guide rollers 14 and the levers 11 are pushed outwardly , so that the guide rollers 14 now function as pressure means which support themselves on the area of flat conical shape 17 . the tension part 10 is thereby displaced with great force by a small distance into the direction 24 , as shown in fig2 . the collet 21 is illustrated on a larger scale in fig3 . at the free end , adjacent the front edge 22 , the periphery has an outwardly inclined guide area or section 28 for the guide rollers 14 , which , merges with a cylindrical guide area 29 . the guide area 29 merges with a further outwardly inclined guide area 30 , while an inwardly inclined guide area 31 merges with the guide area 30 . instead of the cylindrical guide area 29 , there may be provided also a guide area which is inwardly inclined and in place of the inwardly inclined guide guide area 31 there may be a cylindrical guide area . as long as the guide rollers 14 move on the outwardly inclined guide areas 28 and 30 , the levers are pushed outwardly and this is in accordance with the working stroke . if the guide rollers move on the cylindrical or inwardly inclined guide areas , no working stroke is then performed and in this area a resetting or loosening can thus not be effected even with the highest pressure on the tension part 10 opposite the direction 24 , eventhough the working space 7 is relieved of pressure . at the end of the working stroke , the guide rollers contact the area 31 . due to this self - locking , the annular piston 3 remains in its position 3 &# 39 ;, in which the levers 11 together with the feelers 19 , are pressed into the circular area 16 and because of pressure relief in the working space 7 , a resetting of the tension part 10 , from the working area 10 &# 39 ; cannot be effected . in order to effect the resetting , the circular area 16 is pressurized via the connecting means 23 . the annular piston 3 is moved in a direction opposite to the stroke direction 24 , the collet 21 which is in the position 21 &# 39 ; is drawn from the annular area 25 , and the tension device moves back into the starting position , shown in fig1 . as illustrated , a piston - shaped insertable member 32 is guided in the tension part 10 to be axially movable , and is biased by a spring 33 towards the flange 27 of the tension member 10 . the member 32 carries a threaded connection member 34 to which may be connected any type of adapter piece for the purpose of correctly setting the starter stroke . the member 32 may be threaded into the central piston 4 by means of a thread 35 , so that it is securely guided over a comparatively large distance . the spring 33 effects on one hand , the avoiding of an overload of the tension device and on the other hand , it permits the precise setting of the tensional force by the spring 33 . since , at the end of the working stroke , the spring 33 is compressed , the tension force will not substantially decrease , when at a pressure loss , the guide rollers 14 abut an outwardly inclined area 30 of the collet 21 and force the collet 21 together with the piston 3 until they are moved onto a cylindrical or inwardly inclined area . in the embodiments shown in fig4 and 5 , a second roller 36 is carried by the lever 11 , with the roller 36 defining a sensor or feeler 19 . the rollers 36 are rolling off the inner wall 20 of cylinder 1 , until they enter a circular space or area 37 which is somewhat differently shaped , but has in principle the same function as the circular area 16 in fig1 and 2 . the area 17 of flat conical shape merges into the cylinder via a rounding 38 . the rollers 14 move again in the same manner as in fig1 and 2 at the end of the starting stroke onto the collet 21 . the levers 11 are again urged outwardly and the rollers 36 roll onto the area 17 , whereby tension part 39 is moved by a strong force and a small distance in the direction 24 . in this embodiment , an insertable member 40 , which in general is similar to the member 32 of fig1 and 2 , is threaded together with the central piston 4 at 35 and is axially movably guided in the tension member 39 . the supporting of the member 40 against the tension part 39 is , in this embodiment , effected by means of cup springs 41 which has the same function as the springs 33 in fig1 and 2 . at the lower part of the central piston 4 is located a collar 42 similar to the collar 5 but the collar 42 is not mounted immediately adjacent the central piston , but is attached thereto by means of a bolt nut 43 via cup springs 44 . a ring 49 of an elastic material is inserted into bottom piece 50 of the cylinder 1 for the purpose of mounting the annular piston 3 . in this embodiment , the tension member is supported against the cylinder near the pivotal points of the levers 11 . the supporting is constituted by a circular collar or flange 48 by which the tension member 39 is guided in the cylinder . in general , the function of the apparatus according to fig4 and 5 is the same as that of fig1 and 2 , and identical parts thereof are identified by the same numerals . the embodiment of fig6 differs from fig4 and 5 and also from fig1 and 3 in that the collet 21 is provided with a uniform outwardly inclined area 45 which changes into a cylindrical area 46 . furthermore , a tension part 47 , which , in its function , is the same as the tension part 39 or 10 , and which again is threaded together with the central piston 4 , is connected immediately and without the insertion of an insertable member 40 or 32 with the threaded connection member 34 . as shown by the drawings , the device of the present invention permits the performing of a working stroke after completion of a starting stroke , thereby enabling a very high application of power at a short tension - distance . if , for example , pressurized air with a pressure of 6 over atmospheric pressure is available , it is then possible that a starting power of 200 kp may be utilized whereby a power of approximately 3 , 000 kp is obtained during the working stroke . | 5 |
referring to fig1 , a first embodiment provides an optical processor . the optical processor , typically for a spectrograph , includes a light source 20 , a first slit plate 21 , a collimator 22 , a grating device 23 , a first lens 24 , a reflector 25 , a second lens 26 , a second slit plate 27 , an array of mirror cells 28 , a color wheel 29 , a third lens 30 and a screen 31 all located along a continuous optical path . the light source 20 is an inductively - coupled - plasma source ( icp source ) for emitting light beams . the icp source has the advantages of satisfactory stability , high excitation temperature , wide linear range , and rare chemical interference . alternatively , a laser source can be used as the light source 20 . the light beams enter the collimator 22 via the first slit plate 21 . the first slit plate 21 is an entrance slit plate , and is positioned between the light source 20 and the collimator 22 . the collimator 22 gathers the light beams from the first slit plate 21 , and collimates the light beams into parallel light beams . the grating device 23 is a kind of phase - type optical device , and is preferably a diffractive optical grating device . the grating device 23 and the light source 20 are spaced apart a particular distance . if the distance is great enough to assume that the light beams entering the grating device 23 are substantially parallel , then the collimator 22 can be omitted . the grating device 23 includes a planar surface 23 b and a non - planar surface 23 a . the non - planar surface 23 a reflects the parallel light beams received from the collimator 22 or the first slit plate 21 . the grating device 23 further includes a plurality of grooves 23 ′ on the non - planar surface 23 a . with the grooves 23 ′, the thickness of the grating device 23 varies along the non - planar surface 23 a . due to the thickness variation , the non - planar surface 23 a of the grating device 23 is capable of reflecting the parallel light beams to form a spectrum distribution on a focal plane . the parallel light beams received from the collimator 22 ( or the first slit plate 21 ) induce coma aberration and flare . the coma aberration and flare cause distortion aberration and curvature of field to the parallel light beams . when the parallel light beams are reflected by the grating device 23 , the distortion aberration and the curvature of field are substantially corrected by the grooves 23 ′ of the grating device 23 . when parallel light beams enter the grooves 23 ′ on the non - planar surface 23 a , diffraction occurs due to the geometry of the grooves 23 ′. in this diffraction , a grating equation can be expressed in the following way : d sin θ = kλ ( k = 0 , ± 1 , ± 2 , . . . ), where d is the grating constant of the grating device 23 , λ is a wavelength of the light beams , k is the diffraction order , and θ is the diffraction angle . the values of k specify the order of various principal maxima . the principal maximum of each k order shows up as a thin and bright line . after the light beams with the wavelengths enter the grating device 23 , the thin and bright lines of the principal maxima are arranged to respectively correspond to the wavelengths of the light beams . the combination of the lines , shown on the focal plane of the first lens 24 ( e . g ., a focus lens ), is a so - called diffractive spectrum . the greater the absolute value of the diffraction order k , the more dispersive the corresponding lines , and the lower the energy of the corresponding light beams . when the grating device 23 is rotated to an oblique angle relative to the parallel light beams , the wavelength range of the diffractive spectrum is changed . based on this changeability , spectra with different wavelength ranges can be analyzed . additionally , the number of grooves 23 ′ may be adjusted to detect different wavelength ranges of the diffractive spectrum . the number of grooves 23 ′ may be adjusted by using a new grating device 23 having a different number of grooves to replace the original grating device 23 . this additional adjustment enables the optical processor to detect a spectrum having wavelengths in the range from 200 nm to 1600 nm . after the diffractive spectrum is formed on the first lens 24 , the light beams pass through the first lens 24 and are then reflected by the reflector 25 . the reflector 25 reflects the light beams to the second lens 26 , which may for example be an aspherical correction lens . the second lens 26 generates no three - dimensional spectrum focal plane , unlike what is often the case if a conventional prism is used . further , the second lens 26 replaces a conventional combination of a prism and a focus lens , thereby saving space , avoiding light loss , and eliminating aberration and chromatism . after the light beams pass through the second lens 26 , they pass through exit holes 27 a of the second slit plate 27 and then strike the array of mirror cells 28 . the array of mirror cells 28 serves as a digital micromirror device , and is preferably a special semiconductor chip . the array of mirror cells 28 is made by simultaneously locating and forming optical devices through micro electro mechanical system ( mems ) technology . using mems technology , the formed array of mirror cells 28 can be precisely aligned with the striking light beams . the array of mirror cells 28 reflects the light beams to the color wheel 29 for rgb coloring . the color wheel 29 colors the light beams , and the colored light beams then propagate to and are projected by the third lens 30 . the third lens 30 is preferably a projection lens , and projects and focuses the light beams onto a monitor 31 ( or a screen or a display ). the monitor 31 images the light beams , so that a spectrum image is output . the light beams processed by the optical processor may have some special frequencies . in use of the optical processor , the responses of special frequencies are measured by a modulation - transfer - function ( mtf ) technique . such measurement evaluates the quality of the optical processor and the devices thereof . in measurement of visible light , the light image is electrically scanned by a detector ( not shown ) that includes an array of photodiodes . such detector performs the measurement promptly , and additionally measures the focal length , back focal distance and optical deformation of the devices . “ back focal distance ” means the distance from a flange of a lens ( at the edge of the lens mount ) to a focal plane of the lens . referring to fig2 , each of mirror cells 28 a of the array of mirror cells 28 includes a square mirror 35 and a driver 36 on a silicon substrate 32 . the square mirror 35 is a preferably a silicon chip , and includes a reflecting plane 35 a . the driver 36 is for tilting the square mirror 35 on the silicon substrate 32 , and includes an electrode . the driver 36 is provided under the square mirror unit 35 , on a top surface of the silicon substrate 32 . each of the mirror cells 28 a further includes two pedestals 33 and two cantilevers 34 . the pedestals 33 are positioned at opposite sides of the square mirror 35 respectively , and support the cantilevers 34 respectively . the cantilevers 34 are for cantilevering the square mirror 35 . the square mirrors 35 and the color wheel 29 collectively serve as a detecting assembly for the optical processor . in operation of the detecting assembly , the square mirrors 35 firstly reflect the light beams to the color wheel 29 . the first reflected light beams serve as a first optical signal . after the first reflection , the square mirrors 35 secondly reflect the light beams to a light absorber ( not shown ) within microseconds . the second reflected light beams serve as a second optical signal representing “ 0 .” after the second reflection , the square mirrors 35 thirdly reflect the light beams to the color wheel 29 within microseconds . the third reflected light beams serve as a third optical signal . the first and the third optical signals , which respectively represent “ 1 ,” are digitally displayed by being projected onto the monitor 31 . this projection is performed by the third lens 30 . the first , second and third reflecting steps are performed by tilting the normal line of the square mirror 35 using the driver 36 . the driver 36 is able to drive the square mirror 35 to tilt the normal line to an angle of about 10 to − 10 degrees or about 12 to − 12 degrees . referring to fig1 , in summary , the present invention provides the array of mirror cells 28 made on a micro scale . according to the present invention , the array of mirror cells 28 , the color wheel 29 and the third lens 30 are operated to transform the first and the third optical signals into two spectrum images . in the prior art , if the first and the third optical signals are transformed into electrical signals before being transformed into the spectrum images , a photomultiplier or a charged coupled device ( ccd ) is conventionally used . such photomultiplier or ccd is limited to sensing short wavelengths of light beams only . the present invention requires no photomultiplier or ccd , and directly transforms the first and the third optical signals into the spectrum images . therefore , the present invention is able to sense a wider range of wavelengths of light beams . although only preferred embodiments and a preferred method have been described in detail above , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . therefore the invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments and method , but rather has a scope defined by the appended claims and allowable equivalents thereof . | 6 |
the preferred embodiments of the present invention are presented with reference to the drawings as follows . in light of the shortcomings of the practical card number intelligent service provided by the existing traditional intelligent networks , the embodiments of present invention put forward a new solution , which allows the calling party of the card number service to release his current call actively by dialing a special key combination that can be configured such as “##”, and then initiate a new call by dialing the number of another called party following the intelligent voice prompt , instead of waiting for the previous called party , whom he is talking with , to hang up to release the current call and dialing the number of another called party following the intelligent voice prompt , or the calling party actively hanging up to release his current call and initiating a new call by dialing again a long string of digits including access number , card number and password number etc . the embodiments of the present invention can be achieved with modification of the exiting intelligent networks or relying on the new generation of soft switch device , if there are any other systems that can support the card number intelligent service , the embodiments of the present invention can also be achieved on the basis thereof . fig1 is a schematic flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , service control point ( scp ) 10 , call controller 11 , calling gateway 12 and calling party 13 are the key parts in the whole system . it should be noted that , if the embodiment of the present invention is achieved on the existing intelligent networks , then call controller 11 is the service switch point ( ssp ) of the traditional intelligent networks . ssp is generally integrated on the digital program control exchanger . if the system is achieved with soft switch system architecture , then call controller 11 is the soft switch device . if there are any other systems supporting the card number intelligent service , then call controller 11 is the corresponding device in the system . the embodiments of the present invention are presented in combination of soft switch and scp , with media gateway control protocol ( mgcp ) or gateway control protocol ( h . 248 ) terminal taken as the examples , therefore , call controller 11 is actually the soft switch device , calling gateway 12 adopts the media gateway of mgcp or h . 248 protocol , and the equipment adopted by calling party 13 is actually the mgcp / h . 248 terminal . it should be noted that , the soft switch system architecture involves three parts : signaling gateway , media gateway and media gateway control , with standard mgcp and h . 248 protocol adopted to achieve the separation of call control and bearer control . interaction among the key equipments is described in detail according to the flowchart in fig1 as follows : in step 100 , when calling party 13 enters the card number call process by the standard card number call interactive operation and the called party replies , i . e ., the call succeeds , call controller 11 issues a detecting command to calling gateway 12 in the home network of calling party 13 , instructing calling gateway 12 to detect the special key combination that calling party 13 might dial at any moment in the session between calling party 13 and the called party , wherein , the key combination is set up beforehand . the soft switch system adopts the mode in which the soft switch device issues digits - collecting request to the gateway to which the calling party belongs , and different modes like digitmap or immediate report can be adopted to request a detection for voice frequency dialing of special events . it should be noted that , digitmap is a type of special events specified in mgcp / h . 248 protocol , and it is issued by call controller 11 to calling gateway 12 , and the parameters contained in it are the specified events to be detected by calling gateway 12 , these events are one or plural columns of digit strings that are listed according to a certain order , and each column corresponds to an event sequence instead of a separate event . when the detected digit string matches one column in the detect event command , calling gateway 12 sends a notify to call controller 11 . in step 110 , it is a process in which calling gateway 12 detects calling party 13 to monitor the calling party &# 39 ; s dialing the preset key combination , and it is in fact to activate a process in calling gateway 12 to detect the user &# 39 ; s dialing , which is well known to those skilled in the art , and once the condition is met , the process is triggered to make response . in step 120 , when the calling party of the card number service , i . e ., calling party 13 wants to dial another called party in the session , he dials the preset key combination , which is reported to calling gateway 12 and the next response is triggered . in step 130 , calling gateway 12 detects that calling party 13 has dialed the preset key combination and reports the event message to call controller 11 immediately . in the soft switch system , the process is : calling gateway 12 converts the key combination dialed by calling party 13 into the card number service special event code that is preset , i . e ., calling gateway 12 collects digits of the detected event and reports it to the soft switch device . in the following step 140 , call controller 11 immediately makes response to the message and releases the current call initiated by calling party 13 , and simultaneously sends the indication that the called party has hung up to scp 10 , and it should be noted that , according to the conventional phone calling process , after call controller 11 receives the message that called party has actually hung up , it sends the indication that the called party has hung up to scp 10 , but in this case , it neglects whether the called party has actually hung up , instead , call controller 11 automatically reports the message that the called party had hung up to scp 10 according to the preset special key combination . similarly , the corresponding procedure in the soft switch system is : after it receives the special event code of the card number service dialed by the calling party in card number service , the soft switch device sends a call - released message to the called party and releases the called party , and simultaneously reports originating party hang up to scp 10 to instruct that the called party has hung up . it is well known to those skilled in the art that the detect point ( dp ) is used for triggering the intelligent call and detecting the call - related events in the intelligent call process , and it is one of the interfacing parameters for soft switch and scp , it defines a triggering detection point ( tdp ) at ssp for the corresponding service key to signify that ssp will trigger the intelligent services at the tdp or detect the call - related events in the intelligent call process . according to the specification , the range of the dp number is from 1 to 18 but 11 , and every dp number describes a capacity - concentrated originating or terminal call model , of which , dp 9 is to report originating party hang up . this step is important , because only when it receives the event reported by the soft switch that the called party has hung up , can scp 10 send an instruction of playing the prompt voice for the calling party to prompt the calling party to hang up , change password or dial another user . this is the conventional process of modern intelligent card number services , and this process must be used in the embodiments of the present invention so that scp 10 can permit the calling party to initiate a new call . in step 150 , call controller 11 prompts calling party 13 via calling gateway 12 that he can initiate a new call , and waits for the calling party to dial a new called party number . the following steps starting from this one are similar to the steps of normal card number services when the current called party has hung up , no matter what the current called party &# 39 ; s situation is , the current called party has hung up on the part of the key devices of the system . in step 160 , the new calling number dialed by calling party 13 is reported to calling gateway 12 . in step 170 , after receiving the new call number dialed by calling party 13 , calling gateway 12 reports it to call controller 11 to initiate a new call process , call controller 11 prompts the user that he can initiate a new call and waits for him to redial . it should be noted that call controller 11 can successfully initiate a new call process because scp 10 has given calling party 13 the resources and authority to initiate a new call after step 140 is completed . as a summary of the above , according to embodiments of the present invention , the call controller releases the current called party by controlling and handling the preset key combination reported by the calling party in the use of intelligent card number services , and prompts the calling party to initiate a new call , so as to avoid the nuisances for the calling party to input the associated numbers again ( including access number , card number and password number etc ., usually exceeding 20 digits ). additionally , the embodiment of the present invention causes no affects on the common card number intelligent service processes . the forgoing is a detailed description to the general system embodiment of the present invention , and the following is a description combining soft switch and scp , with mgcp and h . 248 terminals respectively taken as examples . the configured special event code is ##, i . e ., when the calling party presses # twice successively in the session with the current called party , he can dial a new number to call another user . it should be noted that ## is only one of the key combinations for a special event code , and other key combinations , not limited to two keys , can also be adopted , that is to say , the key combination for special event code can be any random combination of all the keys , such as **, #*#, # 91 #, and so on , which have the same effect . the following is a further description of the embodiments of the present invention in regard to the specific case . one embodiment of soft switch system adopting mgcp terminal in accordance with the present invention is introduced firstly . fig2 is the interactive flowchart between a soft switch and gateway . compared with fig1 , soft switch 21 performs the function of call controller 11 , and the function of calling gateway 22 is similar to that of calling gateway 11 in fig1 , but it specially supports mgcp . in step 200 , it is the normal interactive procedures of the card number service among soft switch 21 , scp and calling gateway 22 , that is the conventional procedures of the intelligent networks for the calling party to dial the access number , card number , password and the called party &# 39 ; s number , and when these normal procedures are completed , the called party has picked up the phone receiver and prepares to enter the session . in step 210 , soft switch 21 issues a message to calling gateway 22 , and this message is modify connection ( mdcx ) attribute message issued by the media gateway controller to the media gateway in the mgcp . according to the embodiment of the present invention , soft switch 21 works as the media gateway controller in the mgcp , and calling gateway 22 is the media gateway in the mgcp , the attribute of mdcx issued in this step includes session description protocol ( sdp ) and digitmap . wherein , the digitmap includes the preset special event code ##. it should be noted that , sdp is the specific protocol adopted by the media gateway controller to describe the connection parameters to the media gateway in the mgcp , and the special event code ## is the key combination to be monitored . in step 220 , calling gateway 22 sends a response to mdcx message issued by soft switch 21 , and the response is called modify connection_rsp ( mdcx_rsp ) message in the mgcp . after step 220 is completed , soft switch 21 has instructed calling gateway 22 to detect the special key combination ## that the calling party might dial in the session between the calling and called parties . if the calling party keeps from dialing ## or neither of the calling and called parties hangs up , the calling and called parties enter and remain the session . if the calling party dials ## in the session , then it enters step 230 . call gateway 22 reports the event to soft switch 21 as soon as it detects the event , and in mgcp the report message is called notify ( ntfy ) command reported by the media gateway to the media gateway controller in the mgcp , and the parameters of the command mean that the calling party has dialed the ## keys . successively , soft switch 21 reports to scp that the user has hung up and sends a response message to calling gateway 22 in step 240 , and in mgcp , the response is called notify_rsp ( ntfy_rsp ), which includes ok parameter signifying that soft switch 21 has received the event reported by calling gateway 22 and is performing the successive procedures . in step 250 , soft switch 21 issues request notify ( rqnt ) message to calling gateway 22 , and the massage includes dialtone and normal mgcp digitmap parameters , wherein , the first parameter dialtone instructs calling gateway 22 to detect the dial tone , while the second parameter normal mgcp digitmap instructs calling gateway 22 to collect the called number dialed by the calling party according to normal calling digitmap , and report the called number to soft switch 21 after they are all collected . in step 260 , calling gateway 22 sends request notify_rsp ( rqnp_rsp ) to soft switch 21 , wherein its parameter is ok signifying that calling gateway 22 has received the rqnt sent in step 250 . at the moment , if the calling party dials another user &# 39 ; s called number , then it enters step 270 , calling gateway 22 sends a report to soft switch 21 via the ntfy message as well , but the parameter included in the message turns into dials digits to another user , and this is the dial digitmap that call gateway 22 requests to detect in rqnt of step 250 . in step 280 , soft switch 21 responds to calling gateway 22 , i . e ., sends ntfy_rsp ( ok ) message to calling gateway 22 . another embodiment of the present invention in soft switch system adopting protocol h . 248 - support terminal is presented in the following with reference to fig3 . in step 300 , it is the normal interactive procedures of the card number service among soft switch 31 as well , scp and calling gateway 32 , and after the normal procedures are completed , the called party has picked up the phone receiver and prepares to enter the session . in step 310 , soft switch 31 also issues a message to calling gateway 32 , and in protocol h . 248 system this message is terminal characteristics modify_request ( mod_req ), whose parameters are sdp and digitmap ##, and in fact , the message is the combination of mod ( sdp ) and req ( digitmap ##), wherein , mod ( sdp ) issues the media information of the called party to calling gateway 32 , so that the calling and called parties can communicate with each other , and the message exists in the normal call procedures , while req ( digitmap ##) is a message issued to achieve the new functions of the embodiment of the present invention , and it serves to instruct calling gateway 32 to detect the key combination ## in the session , of course the key combination might also be other keys preset by soft switch 31 according to its own configuration . in step 320 , calling gateway 32 sends a response to mod_req issued by soft switch 31 , and in mgcp , the response is called terminal characteristic modify_reply ( mod_reply ). after step 320 is completed , soft switch 31 has instructed calling gateway 32 to detect the special key combination ## that the calling party might dial in the session between the calling and called parties . only when calling gateway 32 detects this key combination and reports it to soft switch 31 , can soft switch 31 start the active redial procedure of the calling party in the card number service if the calling party dials ## in the session , then it enters step 330 . calling gateway 32 reports the event to soft switch 31 as soon as it detects the event and in h . 248 protocol , the report message is called notify request ( ntfy_req ) whose parameter “ a dials ##” signifies that the calling party has dialed the key combination ##. successively , soft switch 31 reports scp that the called party has hung up , and sends a response message to calling gateway 32 in step 340 , in h . 248 protocol , the response is called notify_reply ( ntfy_reply ). in step 350 , soft switch 31 issues mod_req to calling gateway 32 , and the message includes the parameters such as dialtone , normal h . 248 digitmap and etc ., wherein , the first parameter dialtone instructs calling gateway 32 to detect dial tone as well , while the second parameter normal h . 248 digitmap instructs calling gateway 32 to collect the called number dialed by the calling party according to normal calling digitmap , and report the called number to soft switch 31 after they are all collected . in step 360 , calling gateway 32 sends mod_replty to soft switch 31 to signify that calling gateway 32 has received mod_req sent in step 350 . at the moment , if the calling party dials another user &# 39 ; s number , then it enters step 370 , calling gateway 32 sends a report to soft switch 31 via ntfy_req as well , but the parameter included in the message turns into dials digits to another user . in step 380 , soft switch 31 responds to calling gateway 32 , i . e ., sends ntfy_reply message to calling gateway 32 . it is shown from the signaling flows of the two embodiments that they have many similarities , the major difference is that they use different commands , because protocol h . 248 is developed from mgcp , it expands the function limits that mgcp is only restrained in voice communication , and is able to provide multimedia services , therefore , it is normal to make use of mgcp in some places . in light of the common phone service , similar methods can be adopted to achieve the call process for the calling party to dial a new call . although the present invention is illustrated and presented with some preferred embodiments of the present invention , the common technical persons in this field know that various changes can be made in both form and detail without deviating from the spirit and scope specified in the attached claims . | 7 |
fig1 shows the wall of a washroom . underneath the mirrors 1 , 2 are the two wash basins 3 , 4 . a continuous wall - mounted unit 5 extends along the wall between the mirrors and the wash basins , which combines the functions of a storage shelf with those of a mounting member for attachments , the essentially horizontal upper surface 6 serving for the depositing of any objects , and the mounting member supporting the attachments being provided with a front section which partly conceals the latter , forming a storage compartment in which the attachments are accommodated in a suspended fashion , the upper surface of this compartment being constituted by the underside of the storage surface 6 . the masking member is divided into several sections , for example into parts 7 and 8 , whereby a dispenser for soap , hand - cream , a disinfectant , bath lotion , detergents or the like , may be located behind the masking section 7 , the dispenser having an outward projecting operating handle 9 and a discharge opening 10 for the dispensed medium . by pressing the handle 9 downwardly , the chosen medium passes through the discharge opening onto the hands held underneath the opening . the masking section 8 at the side of this section 7 does not conceal attachments but an empty compartment serving for the storage of any goods such as cosmetics , spare bottles used for the topping up of the dispensers , or other toiletries . the symmetrically designed wall mounting unit 5 finally comprises in its middle section a dispenser for paper hand - towels , the delivery slot being either at the bottom or in the front wall of the dispenser . the storage compartment of the wall mounting unit shown in fig1 is completely covered by masking strips , each being detachably assembled with the storage shelf so that access is given into the compartment as and when required . a unit of this type not only is pleasing to the eye , it is also extremely hygienic . the dimensions of the individual masking elements may conveniently correspond to those of the wall tiles . masking elements covering a gap between two attachments such as , say , the space corresponding to section 8 , may support sockets or electric switches , for example a lighting switch , or they may be provided with ventilation slots for fresh - and waste - air ducts opening into the storage chamber . the range of application of this invention is , however , not limited to toilets , washrooms , and the like or certain rooms in hospitals such as rooms for medical examinations or rooms attached to operating theaters . the unit according to the invention might equally find a useful application in restaurants or bars , in which case the dispensers would be filled with drinks or beakers . moreover , the storage shelves , the masking units or rather their individual sections , will be cut to the required lengths from standard sections supplied by the meter . in this manner it is feasible to install wall mounting units of any desired length without having to incur additional expense . this is indicated , in fig1 in the broken line section . while it is not necessary that the storage compartment be covered completely with masking elements , it is advisable for esthetic reasons , to adapt the design of any attachments which are left unmasked , to the design of the masking sections used , and to ensure that no dirt collecting corners are created . to examine the details of the wall mounting unit according to the invention , one has to analyse fig2 which depicts the design of the first embodiment in cross - section . fig2 shows the section of a wall mounting unit where the dispenser is accommodated . a storage shelf 16 is fixed to the wall 15 . the upper surface 17 of the shelf 16 is essentially horizontal but slopes slightly downwards towards the wall 15 , to avoid the danger of round objects rolling off the shelf surface 17 . a vertical mounting element 18 , fixed to the wall 15 , extends downwards from the shelf surface 17 , approximately at right angles . the masking element 19 which is detachably assembled with the shelf 16 extends , as seen in cross - section , from the front edge 20 of the shelf surface 17 , which is remote from the wall 15 , in a downward direction which is essentially slanting towards the wall 15 . this masking element 19 comprises approximately at mid - height , a zone 21 which is recessed towards the wall . the outlet 22 of the dispenser in the storage compartment 23 , which is shown in the figure in broken lines , projects through the masking element 19 or rather the component constituted by it , at a position above the recessed portion . it is because of this recess 21 in the masking element 19 , that the danger of dirt or germs being spread by the users &# 39 ; hands , positioned underneath the dispenser outlet 22 in order to receive the medium such as soap , is averted . the dispenser comprises moreover an operating lever 24 which , relative to the dispenser outlet 22 , is staggered , and projects , like the outlet itself , towards the front . the part of the lever 24 inside the storage compartment 23 has a cranked section 25 and adjacent to it a horizontal section 26 , hinged at point 27 in a manner which is not shown in the drawing . the operating lever acts on a pump 28 which is likewise presented in the drawing in broken lines , and is immersed into a tank 29 . thus , when swivelling the lever 24 in the direction indicated by the arrow 30 , the medium in the tank 29 is enabled to reach the dispenser outlet 22 . needless to say , the outlet could also be located in the underside of the masking section . finally , the masking section 19 comprises a vertical slot accommodating the operating lever 24 , the region of the slot being provided with a grid or grooves 31 . these grooves 31 serve for the anchorage of an adjustable stopping element having the form of a set - screw 32 which determines the end positions of the operating lever 24 , thus controlling the stroke of the pump 28 . as an alternative for a pump and a valve , the underside may be provided with a drain cock operated under excess pressure conditions . the masking section 19 is designed as a sliding unit which accommodates the media - dispenser . with the embodiment according to fig2 it is therefore feasible to divide the entire storage space into drawer - like sliding units each accommodating an attachment or any other object , the front of each compartment being formed by individual masking sections . with this arrangement the tank 29 can be replenished without having to unscrew any component , nor is it necessary to remove parts in a cumbersome way or take any objects off the shelf surface 17 . all that is required when refilling the tank 29 is to pull the drawer out . the drawer is prevented from dropping out by accident , by a stopping member 33 projecting from the swivelling plane of the operating lever 24 and engaging with a stop 34 ; when the lever 24 is operated the stopping member 33 disengages the stop 34 , so that the drawer may be taken out intentionally , say for cleaning purposes . the runners of the drawer are located immediately beneath the shelf surface 17 as shown in fig3 . fig3 which depicts the drawer - control as seen in the direction of the arrow 35 in fig2 shows that it comprises two thin groove elements 36 , 37 , which are interconnected through a web 38 and fixed to the shelf . the two twin groove elements 36 , 37 engage with correspondingly designed members 39 , 40 on the drawer . in this manner it has been ensured that the drawers move absolutely accurately and parallel to each other , whereby the installation height of the drawer control is so small that it is almost unnoticeable from the outside of the assembly . the direction of the drawer control is moreover adjustable by means of set - screws . the drawers are provided with a front - and / or rear lug 41 / 42 engaging with a corresponding groove 43 / 44 to facilitate the safe fitting and reliable holding of the fitted units . the front fitting groove 43 is located in the front part 20 of the shelf 17 , while the rear groove 44 is accommodated in the fixing unit 18 of the shelf . the front groove 43 is moreover provided with a sealing section 45 against which the front lug 41 rests when the drawer is in its inserted state , said seal enabling the drawer to be pushed in smoothly , and avoid any rattling noise . in the illustrated embodiment , the rear lug 42 is located at a stiffening link 46 which reinforces the drawer and consequently the shelf , the link engaging with grooves 47 and 49 which are located , on the one hand at the upper , front edge of the masking section 19 , and on the other hand at the rear wall 48 of the masking section 19 , which is adjacent to the wall 15 , extending upwards . the stiffening link 46 consists of two sections , the front section being composed of parts 50 , 51 , 52 which are firmly interconnected , and the rear section 53 being the part which comprises the rear lug 42 . the two sections are vertically adjustable by the aid of a slot connection 54 . this means that also the two guide lug 41 , 42 , are vertically adjustable relative to each other , this facilitating their correct setting . obviously it is feasible to include more than one stiffening link , depending on the required stability of the system . regarded in the longitudinal direction of the shelf unit , these stiffeners will always be located outside the pump range and they will not interfere with the charging hole of the tank . additional means of stiffening could be constituted by cross beams 46a , 46b , hooked in at any chosen positions of the system seen in the longitudinal direction . the cross beams 46a extend from a front tie groove 55 towards the rear , being inclined downwards towards the rear fitting groove 44 while the cross beams 46b may extend from the front tie groove 55 to a tie groove 56 at the bottom rear end . the total design is stable to an extent which enables the cross section of the unit 16 to be relatively small , and the fixing unit 18 to be relatively short . in addition to this there is no danger of drawers being deformed when drawn out , the mechanical strength being great enough even with pneumatically operated media - dispensers . the length of the cross beams 46a and 46b may moreover be variable , because they may consist for example of two longitudinally adjustable beam elements as indicated in fig2 in a schematic manner . the lower edge zone 57 of the fixing unit 18 is staggered towards the front . the resulting gap enables a wall panelling 58 to be sandwiched in by the aid of a foam section 59 , which may serve as a masking element covering say dowel holes or the like which deface the wall surface 15 . it is similarly possible to cover any bolting recesses if present . the lower part of the fixing unit 18 may moreover comprise a holding connection 60 , for example , a &# 34 ; sticky &# 34 ; seal as an additional means of fastening it to the masking element . the seal is additionally tightened by means of a clamp 60a . finally , a funnel shaped projection 65 which facilitates the topping of the tank 29 , is provided as an integral member , at the upper edge of the masking section 19 . the projecting part comprising the dispenser outlet 22 , which is shown in detail in fig4 consists of a detachable or rather hinged , discharge nipple 68 . being easily disconnected the nipple detatches itself when it is unintentionally hit , thus reducing the danger of damage . apart from this the packing of the unit is facilitated by the disconnectability of the outlet nipple . finally , it seems noteworthy that the shelf 16 and the masking section 19 are extruded profiles made for example of a plastic material or of metal , and that the front edge of the shelf surface 17 is rounded off downwards , while the edge of this surface 17 , which is adjacent to the wall 15 is rounded upwards ; the shelf is therefore free from a dangerously sharp front edge and its connection with the wall is reliably smooth . fig5 shows another embodiment in the form of a shelving unit 70 with a masking section 71 . in this case , the masking section 71 is connected with the tank 72 through a link 73 , so that a single unit is created . this unit , however , is not designed in the form of a drawer , but it is connected with the storage shelf through a locking connection 74 , 75 . there is no need for topping the tank . the latter is exchanged when its contents are used up . as above , this embodiment too is provided with an additional adhesive connection 76 . the embodiment according to fig6 includes a tank 77 which is not concealed by a masking section . instead , the form of the front surface 78 of the tank is adapted to the form of the masking section , and it is fully visible from the outside . it seems evident that masking sections may be inserted between the individual dispensers . the tank 77 which may comprise a built - in pump , is directly suspended from the shelf 79 . it is therefore not difficult to replace an empty tank by a full tank . in addition to this , the head in the tank can be read off at any time . so far , only the use of extruded profiles has been discussed . their lateral end fittings are cap shaped elements which act as additional stiffeners and thus make it possible to use thin - walled sections . it is for example moreover feasible to use -- with the most widely installed forms -- injection moulded parts or die - cast members , which may be considered advisable for economical reasons . this means that standardised sections are used which , again , may consist of metal or of a plastic material . it is easy to realise that the embodiments described above could be modified in order to manufacture integral units which combine the shelving space and the masking elements into one single piece . in this case , the storage compartments could be accessible through hinged doors or recesses and it would therefore not be necessary to withdraw a drawer or the like in order to fill up a tank . components manufactured by the injection moulding process may of course comprise any number of compartments , each associated with a refill flap . in a further embodiment of the invention , intermediate wall sections could be used which are similar to the end caps and are inserted between the attachments or rather between the masking sections , to increase the stiffness of the unit and create an attractive surface by an optically pleasing division . these intermediate wall sections could for example be designed as drawers or comprise embossed portions which serve as stops . | 0 |
a prior art lift axle suspension , generally identified by reference numeral 10 , will first be described with reference to fig1 through 3 . referring to fig1 , pivot arm 12 having pivotal end 14 that is pivotally attached to vehicle frame 16 by pivot arm bracket 18 . remote end with adapter 20 is attached to axle with wheels 22 and is actuated by first suspension air bag 24 shown in extended mode . all elements 12 through 24 are shown as basic lift axle suspension 26 . preferred embodiment 10 comprises lever 28 having a first end 30 and second end 32 which rotates about fulcrum 34 which is attached to frame 16 by lever bracket 36 . an adjustable sling 38 adapts first end 30 to axle with wheel 22 . referring to fig2 , lever 28 is further adapted with a plurality of adjustably positioned fulcrum points 40 and a sling adjusting mechanism 42 . referring to fig1 , second end 32 is actuated by lift air bag 44 shown in deflation mode . air supply 46 provides pressure through connection hoses 48 a - 48 d . pressurized air is channelled through load leveler valve 50 to air diverter 52 and regulator 54 . referring to fig3 , axle with wheels 22 is shown in the elevated position relative to any other axle with wheels at ground level 56 . lift air bag 44 is shown in extension mode and first suspension air bag 24 is shown in deflation mode . in operation , the weight and contact height of select axles with wheels 22 in multiple , tandem - axle type vehicles may be changed by changing the settings of load leveler valve 50 , air diverter 52 and regulator 54 . depending upon the need , air will be diverted to lift air bag 44 which in turn actuates second end 32 of lever 28 causing lever 28 to rotate about the fulcrum 34 and , in turn , lift first end 30 . first end 30 then exerts upward pressure on adjustable sling 38 , lifting axle with wheel 22 which , in turn , lifts remote end with adapter 20 which is now able to deflate and compress first suspension air bag 24 by exhausting air to atmosphere through diverter valve 52 . the result is an elevated wheel position relative to ground level 56 such that the tires on axles with wheels 22 that are part of lift axle suspensions 10 are conserved . further , should the need to adapt the lift axle suspension 10 to a different vehicle , an operator may select one of adjustably positioned fulcrum points 40 and adjust the sling by operating sling adjustment mechanism 42 . in order to allow for safe operation of a lift axle , the prior art lift axle suspension 10 described above was designed to ensure that the safe operating load limit could not be exceeded when a trailer is being operated in the “ lift ” or “ up ” mode . in the lift axle mode , diverter 52 is set to supply air to lift bag 44 , which causes corresponding air bag 24 to be compressed and axle 22 to be raised . regulator 54 is set to prevent the pressure in line 48 d from exceeding a maximum value . with diverter 52 in the “ up ” position , this also limits the pressure in lines 48 a that connects suspension bag 24 a to load leveller valve 50 and line 48 b that connects load leveller valve 50 to diverter 52 thereby reducing the lift capacity of air bag 24 a related to the “ always down ” axle 22 a . this ensures that the load limit , as set by regulation , the manufacturer , or the user to ensure the lift axle is operated within safe operating ranges . as the load on rear axle 22 a , or “ always down ” axle , increases , the air pressure required to maintain the desired ride height will increase . however , regulator 54 will prevent the air pressure from exceeding the maximum value when diverter 52 is set to supply pressure along line 48 d . as the load on the trailer is increased beyond the safe operating load limit , the trailer deck will continue to lower as regulator 54 prevents the air pressure from increasing to maintain the ride height . this will either draw the operator &# 39 ; s attention to the problem , and at high enough pressures , will prevent the axles from being lifted outside the safe operating range . referring now to fig5 , a modified lift axle suspension 100 is shown . in this embodiment , similar reference numbers have been used for similar components . it will be understood that , even though the reference numbers are the same , the operation of some components may be different . some of these differences are described below , while other differences will be implicitly understood by those skilled in the art , including changes in the design based on different operating ranges or specifications . as can be seen , lever 28 on modified lift axle 100 does not require the same mechanical advantage to raise axle 22 in the lift mode when compared to lift axle suspension 10 described previously . it was previously found that such a mechanical advantage was required when lift bag 44 was supplied with a lower air pressure . however , in the present system , diverter 52 is able to supply lift bag 44 with air up to the pressure found in air supply 46 such that a mechanical advantage is not required . as such , the presently described system can be installed with different types of lift axles that use a wide range of lever designs to lift and hold lift axle 22 in the “ up ” position . modified lift axle suspension 100 permits lift bag 44 to be operated at higher pressures . this may be desirable , for example , when lift bag 44 is from a different system that has been designed to require a higher pressure , such a pressure up to the pressure of air supply 46 . as the pressure allowed by regulator 54 will be inherently less than the maximum pressure of air supply 46 . this higher pressure may be required due to a different design or position of lift bag 44 that may not benefit from the mechanical advantage of using a lever as in the embodiment depicted in fig4 , or if a greater lifting force is desired , such as to hold lift axle 22 in the raised position more securely in order to prevent any wear that may result from vibrations or other movement . as shown , lift axle suspension 100 has a pilot valve 102 on line 104 that connects air supply 46 to lift bag 44 . pilot valve 102 moves between an open position to supply lift bag 44 with air from air supply 46 and a closed position that isolates lift bag 44 from air supply 46 . as shown , pilot valve 102 is a pneumatic valve that is connected to airline 48 d via line 106 and configured such that , when diverter 52 is in the “ on ” or “ lift ” position , in which line 48 c is vented and air is supplied to line 48 d , the air pressure is applied to pilot valve 102 via line 106 , causing it to move to the open position . pilot valve 102 will be set to be actuated at a lower pressure than regulator 54 , and also lower than the normal operating pressure of suspension bag 24 a associated with the “ always down ” axle 22 a . preferably , pilot valve 102 is also configured to vent line 104 and deflate lift bag 44 when in the closed position . other types of pilot valves 102 may also be used , such as an electronic valve or a mechanical valve that moves with diverter 52 . a pneumatic valve is preferred as it provides a fails safe . in the event that hydraulic pressure is lost , pilot valve 102 will close , and lift bag 44 will not be energized . other locks or checks may also be used , such as switch 108 , which provides an override to shut off the lift system . as depicted , switch 108 may be used to force diverter 52 to supply air to line 48 c instead of 48 d and is connected to diverter 52 by a line 110 , which may be a pneumatic , mechanical , or electrical connection . for example , if diverter 52 is normally biased to the position that pressurizes suspension bag 24 and is pushed to the lift position by a control line of pressurized air , switch 108 may vent the control line , allowing the internal bias to return diverter 52 to the suspension position by supplying air to suspension air bag 24 along line 48 c . at the same time , switch 108 may also vent line 104 a to disconnect and vent lift bag 44 from air supply 46 . similarly to lift axle suspension 10 , modified lift axle suspension 100 uses regulator 54 to limit the maximum pressure applied to suspension bag 24 a for the always - down axle 22 a . however , by connecting lift bag 44 to air source 46 separately from regulator 54 , the pressure applied to lift bag 44 is not limited to the maximum pressure allowed by regulator 54 . referring to fig5 and fig6 , the increased pressure applied to lift bag 44 may also allow for the removal of the second pivot lever 28 used in the embodiment of fig4 . as shown in fig5 , when axle 22 is in a raised position , lift bag 44 is expanded . as the maximum pressure is greater than the maximum pressure allowed by regulator 54 , lift bag 44 applies sufficient force to pivot arm 12 about pivotal end 14 to raise the front axle 22 . referring to fig6 , when lift bag 44 is compressed , axle 22 can be lowered to ground surface 56 . in this patent document , the word “ comprising ” is used in its non - limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included , but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded . a reference to an element by the indefinite article “ a ” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present , unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements . the scope of the following claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples above and in the drawings , but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole . | 1 |
the basic steps in the process of one embodiment of the present invention include : ( 1 ) cracking harvested garlic bulbs into individual cloves that are then peeled and washed ( process - ready cloves ); ( 2 ) slicing and / or dicing the peeled and washed cloves into garlic bits of generally similar thickness ; ( 3 ) reducing the bitterness and strength of the garlic flavor from the bits ; and ( 4 ) frying the reduced bits into garlic pieces . referring to fig1 , process 11 is initiated by step 12 which transforms harvested bulbs of garlic into skinned and washed garlic cloves . in ways known to those skilled in the art , the harvested garlic bulbs are cracked into individual cloves and the bulb &# 39 ; s outer skins and root crowns removed . an air process can be used to remove the skins from the individual cloves , leaving skinned cloves which are then washed . cloves with obvious defects are discarded . in step 13 a , the process - ready cloves are cut into bits of a desired thickness as by a slicer . while the thickness can vary depending on the desired shape and size of the final product , pieces cut to a thickness of between approximately one - sixteenth and three - sixteenths of an inch have been found to produce excellent results . regardless of the thickness selected , the best results are achieved when the bits have a generally uniform thickness so that later processing of the bits has a uniform effect . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that “ generally uniform thickness ,” as used with reference to sliced garlic cloves , can include variations within a range that still produces generally uniform results . by step 13 b , the garlic is diced . process - ready cloves from step 12 or sliced bits from step 13 a can be fed to a dicer where they are chopped into smaller size bits . thus , in one embodiment of the invention , bits are formed by step 13 a alone . in yet another embodiment , process step 13 b follows process step 13 a . in yet another embodiment , process step 13 b follows step 12 and step 13 a is not employed . in all of the embodiments , however , garlic bits of generally uniform thickness result . slicing and dicing garlic cloves is known to those skilled in the art , as is the equipment for doing so and , thus , need not be described in further detail herein . the garlic bits produced by step 13 a and / or step 13 b are then processed by step 14 in which the strength of the garlic flavor and the bitterness of the raw garlic bits are reduced . because the bits have a generally uniform thickness , the reducing step will have a uniform effect on all of the bits . in one embodiment of the invention , process step 14 is performed by blanching the garlic bits with heated water . the garlic bits can be blanched by immersion in a vat of heated water or by being carried on a conveyor where heated water is applied to the garlic bits . when immersed in a vat of heated water , the bits are retained in water at a temperature from approximately 170 to 195 degrees f . for 30 to 120 seconds . in some instances , boiling water can be used . because garlic can vary in flavor strength and bitterness , depending on a number of factors including the season when they are harvested , the time between harvesting and processing and the variety of garlic , the optimal time and temperature will vary . when blanching by applying heated water to garlic bits on a conveyor , the several variables mentioned above will dictate how long the bits are exposed to the heated water . in most cases , 30 to 120 seconds will suffice . in another embodiment of the invention , step 14 is carried out by applying steam to the bits for 10 to 120 seconds . as used herein , “ heated water ” includes steam . before being fried by step 16 , it is advantageous for the blanched garlic bits to be dried to remove any water remaining from the blanching process . this can be accomplished by exposure to ambient conditions for a few minutes , the use of warm air applied to the blanched garlic bits , shaking the garlic bits or any other method effective to remove moisture remaining from the reducing step 14 . in another embodiment of the invention , step 14 reducing the bitterness and strength of the garlic flavor of the raw garlic bits is performed by baking rather than blanching . in this embodiment , garlic bits are placed on a conveyor that travels through an oven where the garlic bits are exposed to heat in the range of 200 to 600 degrees f . for a time period of 10 to 180 seconds . the particular temperature and time will depend on the factors mentioned above , as well as the desired characteristics of the finished product . for most applications , the baking process will not remove all of the moisture from the bits . because the bits have been formed to have a generally uniform thickness , the reducing step 14 , whether by blanching or baking , will operate generally uniformly on all of the bits to produce bits having substantially the same strength of garlic flavor and reduced bitterness . if , by contrast , the blanching process is applied to whole , process - ready cloves before they are formed into bits of generally uniform thickness , two adverse effects have been observed . cloves , even from the same bulb , vary so much in size that blanching or baking them for the same time and temperature results in widely varying degrees of effectiveness in reducing the bitterness and the strength of garlic flavor . also , in order to penetrate to the center of the cloves , the process would have to be carried out for so long and / or at such an elevated temperature that the outer portions of the cloves would be structurally broken down into a pulpy mass that could not be readily sliced and / or diced . after step 14 , the garlic bits can be processed by step 16 in which they are fried . frying the garlic bits transforms them into crispy , roasted - flavor pieces of garlic that are ready to use . the following are two methods for carrying out step 16 . in one embodiment of the invention , garlic bits are placed in cooking oil at between 300 and 400 degrees f . the bits are left in the oil for 30 seconds to two and one - half minutes , depending on the size of the bits , the temperature of the oil , the degree of crispiness desired and the amount of roasted - flavor desired . in one embodiment , the bits are fried in oil at approximately 340 degrees f . for about one minute . the oil used can be any oil typically used to fry foods . safflower oil has the advantages of economy , a near neutral flavor and low absorption . olive oil can add a more complex flavor . other vegetable oils used for frying foods can also be used . in another embodiment , step 16 is performed by applying frying oil to garlic bits while they are transported on a conveyor . the time that the frying oil is applied to the garlic bits will depend on such variables as the temperature of the oil , the size of the garlic bits , the degree of crispiness desired and the strength of roasted - flavor desired . in one embodiment , the garlic bits are exposed to the frying oil at between 300 and 400 degrees f . for 30 to 180 seconds , and preferably 340 degrees f . for 60 seconds . in step 17 , any excess oil on the garlic bits is drained away and the bits cooled to room temperature . this step can be carried out by transporting the bits from the fryer on a three - layered belt chamber where the bits pass back and forth , removing excess oil and drying . the bits can then be conveyed into a cooling tunnel where ambient temperature air is blown on the bits to further cool and dry them . in step 18 , the fried garlic bits can be sized by passing them through a screen of a selected size . in an alternative embodiment , step 13 a is performed to create garlic bits that are slices of process - ready cloves of a selected thickness ( e . g ., one - eighth of an inch ). these slices are processed by steps 14 , 16 and 17 , as described above , to create fried , crispy , roasted - flavor garlic pieces . before these garlic pieces are sized by step 18 , however , step 19 is performed in which the fried garlic slices ( pieces ) are chopped into smaller random - size garlic pieces . referring to fig2 , the process 11 a is the same as process 11 previously described through step 14 . in process 11 a , the garlic bits are fried at a lower temperature , between 250 degrees f . and 300 degrees f ., and preferably 280 to 285 degrees . by frying at the lower temperatures , the risk of burning some of the bits ( especially any that are smaller than the rest ) is essentially eliminated . the garlic pieces from the frying step 16 a are then baked in step 21 at between 200 degrees f . and 250 degrees f ., and preferably at between 220 degrees f . and 230 degrees f . in the preferred embodiment , the baking step 21 is advantageously carried out by placing the garlic pieces onto a tiered conveyor in an oven so they make a plurality of passes through the oven before they are removed , as is well known in the art . other known baking procedures that produce the desired results are within the scope of the invention . by frying the garlic bits at a lower temperature , the number of bits that are burnt is greatly reduced , if not eliminated altogether . by baking the garlic pieces after the frying step , essentially all of the pieces become crisp and crunchy ( fully cooked ) without being burnt . in addition , the bitterness and the strong garlic flavor that might survive the reducing step 14 and the frying step 16 a are reduced even further by the baking step 21 . of course , various changes , modifications and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof . as such , it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims . | 0 |
the following examples set forth preferred materials and procedures in accordance with the present invention . it is to be understood , however , that these examples are provided by way of illustration only , and nothing therein should be deemed a limitation upon the overall scope of the invention . this example compares the relative yields of orf2 using methods of the present invention with methods that are known in the prior art . four 1000 ml spinner flasks were each seeded with approximately 1 . 0 × 10 6 sf + cells / ml in 300 ml of insect serum free media , excell 420 ( jrh biosciences , inc ., lenexa , kans .). the master cell culture is identified as sf +( spodoptera frugiperda ) master cell stock , passage 19 , lot # n112 - 095w . the cells used to generate the sf + master cell stock were obtained from protein sciences corporation , inc ., meriden , conn . the sf + cell line for this example was confined between passages 19 and 59 . other passages will work for purposes of the present invention , but in order to scale the process up for large scale production , at least 19 passages will probably be necessary and passages beyond 59 may have an effect on expression , although this was not investigated . in more detail , the initial sf + cell cultures from liquid nitrogen storage were grown in excell 420 media in suspension in sterile spinner flasks with constant agitation . the cultures were grown in 100 ml to 250 ml spinner flasks with 25 to 150 ml of excell 420 serum - free media . when the cells had multiplied to a cell density of 1 . 0 - 8 . 0 × 10 6 cells / ml , they were split to new vessels with a planting density of 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 × 10 6 cells / ml . subsequent expansion cultures were grown in spinner flasks up to 36 liters in size or in stainless steel bioreactors of up to 300 liters for a period of 2 - 7 days at 25 - 29 ° c . after seeding , the flasks were incubated at 27 ° c . for four hours . subsequently , each flask was seeded with a recombinant baculovirus containing the pcv2 orf2 gene ( seq id no : 4 ). the recombinant baculovirus containing the pcv2 orf2 gene was generated as follows : the pcv2 orf2 gene from a north american strain of pcv2 was pcr amplified to contain a 5 ′ kozak &# 39 ; s sequence ( seq id no : 1 ) and a 3 ′ ecor1 site ( seq id no : 2 ), cloned into the pgem - t - easy vector ( promega , madison , wis .). then , it was subsequently excised and subcloned into the transfer vector pvl1392 ( bd biosciences pharmingen , san diego , calif .). the subcloned portion is represented herein as seq id no : 7 . the pvl1392 plasmid containing the pcv2 orf2 gene was designated n47 - 064y and then co - transfected with baculogold ® ( bd biosciences pharmingen ) baculovirus dna into sf + insect cells ( protein sciences , meriden , conn .) to generate the recombinant baculovirus containing the pcv2 orf2 gene . the new construct is provided herein as seq id no : 8 . the recombinant baculovirus containing the pcv2 orf2 gene was plaque - purified and master seed virus ( msv ) was propagated on the sf + cell line , aliquotted , and stored at − 70 ° c . the msv was positively identified as pcv2 orf2 baculovirus by pcr - rflp using baculovirus specific primers . insect cells infected with pcv2 orf2 baculovirus to generate msv or working seed virus express pcv2 orf2 antigen as detected by polyclonal serum or monoclonal antibodies in an indirect fluorescent antibody assay . additionally , the identity of the pcv2 orf2 baculovirus was confirmed by n - terminal amino acid sequencing . the pcv2 orf2 baculovirus msv was also tested for purity in accordance with 9 c . f . r . 113 . 27 ( c ), 113 . 28 , and 113 . 55 . each recombinant baculovirus seeded into the spinner flasks had varying multiplicities of infection ( mois ). flask 1 was seeded with 7 . 52 ml of 0 . 088 moi seed ; flask 2 was seeded with 3 . 01 ml of 0 . 36 moi seed ; flask 3 was seeded with 1 . 5 ml of 0 . 18 moi seed ; and flask 4 was seeded with 0 . 75 ml of 0 . 09 moi seed . a schematic flow diagram illustrating the basic steps used to construct a pcv2 orf2 recombinant baculovirus is provided herein as fig1 . after being seeded with the baculovirus , the flasks were then incubated at 27 ± 2 ° c . for 7 days and were also agitated at 100 rpm during that time . the flasks used ventilated caps to allow for air flow . samples from each flask were taken every 24 hours for the next 7 days . after extraction , each sample was centrifuged , and both the pellet and the supernatant were separated and then microfiltered through a 0 . 45 - 1 . 0 μm pore size membrane . the resulting samples then had the amount of orf2 present within them quantified via an elisa assay . the elisa assay was conducted with capture antibody swine anti - pcv2 pab igg prot . g purified ( diluted 1 : 250 in pbs ) diluted to 1 : 6000 in 0 . 05m carbonate buffer ( ph 9 . 6 ). 100 μl of the antibody was then placed in the wells of the mictrotiter plate , sealed , and incubated overnight at 37 ° c . the plate was then washed three times with a wash solution which comprised 0 . 5 ml of tween 20 ( sigma , st . louis , mo . ), 100 ml of 10 × d - pbs ( gibco invitrogen , carlsbad , calif .) and 899 . 5 ml of distilled water . subsequently , 250 μl of a blocking solution ( 5 g carnation non - fat dry milk ( nestle , glendale , calif .) in 10 ml of d - pbs qs to 100 ml with distilled water ) was added to each of the wells . the next step was to wash the test plate and then add pre - diluted antigen . the pre - diluted antigen was produced by adding 200 μl of diluent solution ( 0 . 5 ml tween 20 in 999 . 5 ml d - pbs ) to each of the wells on a dilution plate . the sample was then diluted at a 1 : 240 ratio and a 1 : 480 ratio , and 100 μl of each of these diluted samples was then added to one of the top wells on the dilution plate ( i . e . one top well received 100 μl of the 1 : 240 dilution and the other received 100 μl of the 1 : 480 dilution ). serial dilutions were then done for the remainder of the plate by removing 100 μl form each successive well and transferring it to the next well on the plate . each well was mixed prior to doing the next transfer . the test plate washing included washing the plate three times with the wash buffer . the plate was then sealed and incubated for an hour at 37 ° c . before being washed three more times with the wash buffer . the detection antibody used was monoclonal antibody to pcv orf2 . it was diluted to 1 : 300 in diluent solution , and 100 μl of the diluted detection antibody was then added to the wells . the plate was then sealed and incubated for an hour at 37 ° c . before being washed three times with the wash buffer . conjugate diluent was then prepared by adding normal rabbit serum ( jackson immunoresearch , west grove , pa .) to the diluent solution to 1 % concentration . conjugate antibody goat anti - mouse ( h + 1 )- hrp ( jackson immunoresearch ) was diluted in the conjugate diluent to 1 : 10 , 000 . 100 μl of the diluted conjugate antibody was then added to each of the wells . the plate was then sealed and incubated for 45 minutes at 37 ° c . before being washed three times with the wash buffer . 100 μl of substrate ( tmb peroxidase substrate , kirkgaard and perry laboratories ( kpl ), gaithersburg , md . ), mixed with an equal volume of peroxidase substrate b ( kpl ) was added to each of the wells . the plate was incubated at room temperature for 15 minutes . 100 μl of 1n hcl solution was then added to all of the wells to stop the reaction . the plate was then run through an elisa reader . the results of this assay are provided in table 1 below : these results indicate that when the incubation time is extended , expression of orf2 into the supernatant of the centrifuged cells and media is greater than expression in the pellet of the centrifuged cells and media . accordingly , allowing the orf2 expression to proceed for at least 5 days and recovering it in the supernate rather than allowing expression to proceed for less than 5 days and recovering orf2 from the cells , provides a great increase in orf2 yields , and a significant improvement over prior methods . this example provides data as to the efficacy of the invention claimed herein . a 1000 ml spinner flask was seeded with approximately 1 . 0 × 10 6 sf + cells / ml in 300 ml of excell 420 media . the flask was then incubated at 27 ° c . and agitated at 100 rpm . subsequently , the flask was seeded with 10 ml of pcv2 orf2 / bac p + 6 ( the recombinant baculovirus containing the pcv2 orf2 gene passaged 6 additional times in the sf9 insect cells ) virus seed with a 0 . 1 moi after 24 hours of incubation . the flask was then incubated at 27 ° c . for a total of 6 days . after incubation , the flask was then centrifuged and three samples of the resulting supernatant were harvested and inactivated . the supernatant was inactivated by bringing its temperature to 37 ± 2 ° c . to the first sample , a 0 . 4m solution of 2 - bromoethyleneamine hydrobromide which had been cyclized to 0 . 2m binary ethlylenimine ( bei ) in 0 . 3n naoh is added to the supernatant to give a final concentration of bei of 5 mm . to the second sample , 10 mm bei was added to the supernatant . to the third sample , no bei was added to the supernatant . the samples were then stirred continuously for 48 hrs . a 1 . 0 m sodium thiosulfate solution to give a final minimum concentration of 5 mm was added to neutralize any residual bei . the quantity of orf2 in each sample was then quantified using the same elisa assay procedure as described in example 1 . the results of this may be seen in table 2 below : this example demonstrates that neutralization with bei does not remove or degrade significant amounts of the recombinant pcv2 orf2 protein product . this is evidenced by the fact that there is no large loss of orf2 in the supernatant from the bei or elevated temperatures . those of skill in the art will recognize that the recovered orf2 is a stable protein product . this example demonstrates that the present invention is scalable from small scale production of recombinant pcv2 orf2 to large scale production of recombinant pcv2 orf2 . 5 . 0 × 10 5 cells / ml of sf + cells / ml in 7000 ml of excell 420 media was planted in a 20000 ml applikon bioreactor . the media and cells were then incubated at 27 ° c . and agitated at 100 rpm for the next 68 hours . at the 68 th hour , 41 . 3 ml of pcv2 orf2 baculovirus msv + 3 was added to 700 ml of excell 420 medium . the resultant mixture was then added to the bioreactor . for the next seven days , the mixture was incubated at 27 ° c . and agitated at 100 rpm . samples from the bioreactor were extracted every 24 hours beginning at day 4 , post - infection , and each sample was centrifuged . the supernatant of the samples were preserved and the amount of orf2 was then quantified using sds - page densitometry . the results of this can be seen in table 3 below : this example tests the efficacy of seven pcv2 candidate vaccines and further defines efficacy parameters following exposure to a virulent strain of pcv2 . one hundred and eight ( 108 ) cesarean derived colostrum deprived ( cdcd ) piglets , 9 - 14 days of age , were randomly divided into 9 groups of equal size . table 4 sets forth the general study design for this example . seven of the groups ( groups 1 - 7 ) received doses of pcv2 orf2 polypeptide , one of the groups acted as a challenge control and received no pcv2 orf2 , and another group acted as the strict negative control group and also received no pcv2 orf2 . on day 0 , groups 1 through 7 were treated with assigned vaccines . piglets in group 7 were given a booster treatment on day 14 . piglets were observed for adverse events and injection site reactions following vaccination and on day 19 , piglets were moved to the second study site . at the second study site , groups 1 - 8 were group housed in one building while group 9 was housed in a separate building . all pigs received keyhole limpet hemocyanin ( klh )/ incomplete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant ( icfa ) on days 21 and 27 and on day 24 , groups 1 - 8 were challenged with a virulent pcv2 . pre - and post - challenge , blood samples were collected for pcv2 serology . post - challenge , body weight data for determination of average daily weight gain ( adwg ), and clinical symptoms , as well as nasal swab samples to determine nasal shedding of pcv2 , were collected . on day 49 , all surviving pigs were necropsied , lungs were scored for lesions , and selected tissues were preserved in formalin for immunohistochemistry ( ihc ) testing at a later date . this was a partially blinded vaccination - challenge feasibility study conducted in cdcd pigs , 9 to 14 days of age on day 0 . to be included in the study , pcv2 ifa titers of sows were ≦ 1 : 1000 . additionally , the serologic status of sows were from a known prrs - negative herd . twenty - eight ( 28 ) sows were tested for pcv2 serological status . fourteen ( 14 ) sows had a pcv2 titer of ≦ 1000 and were transferred to the first study site . one hundred ten ( 110 ) piglets were delivered by cesarean section surgeries and were available for this study on day − 4 . on day − 3 , 108 cdcd pigs at the first study site were weighed , identified with ear tags , blocked by weight and randomly assigned to 1 of 9 groups , as set forth above in table 4 . if any test animal meeting the inclusion criteria was enrolled in the study and was later excluded for any reason , the investigator and monitor consulted in order to determine the use of data collected from the animal in the final analysis . the date of which enrolled piglets were excluded and the reason for exclusion was documented . initially , no sows were excluded . a total of 108 of an available 110 pigs were randomly assigned to one of 9 groups on day − 3 . the two smallest pigs ( no . 17 and 19 ) were not assigned to a group and were available as extras , if needed . during the course of the study , several animals were removed . pig 82 ( group 9 ) on day − 1 , pig no . 56 ( group 6 ) on day 3 , pig no . 53 ( group 9 ) on day 4 , pig no . 28 ( group 8 ) on day 8 , pig no . 69 ( group 8 ) on day 7 , and pig no . 93 ( group 4 ) on day 9 , were each found dead prior to challenge . these six pigs were not included in the final study results . pig no 17 ( one of the extra pigs ) was assigned to group 9 . the remaining extra pig , no . 19 , was excluded from the study . the formulations given to each of the groups were as follows : group 1 was designed to administer 1 ml of viral orf2 ( vorf2 ) containing 16 μg orf2 / ml . this was done by mixing 10 . 24 ml of viral orf2 ( 256 μg / 25 μg / ml = 10 . 24 ml vorf2 ) with 3 . 2 ml of 0 . 5 % carbopol and 2 . 56 ml of phosphate buffered saline at a ph of 7 . 4 . this produced 16 ml of formulation for group 1 . group 2 was designed to administer 1 ml of vorf2 containing 8 μg vorf2 / ml . this was done by mixing 5 . 12 ml of vorf2 ( 128 μg / 25 μg / ml = 5 . 12 ml vorf2 ) with 3 . 2 ml of 0 . 5 % carbopol and 7 . 68 ml of phosphate buffered saline at a ph of 7 . 4 . this produced 16 ml of formulation for group 2 . group 3 was designed to administer 1 ml of vorf2 containing 4 μg vorf2 / ml . this was done by mixing 2 . 56 ml of vorf2 ( 64 μg / 25 μg / ml = 2 . 56 ml vorf2 ) with 3 . 2 ml of 0 . 5 % carbopol and 10 . 24 ml of phosphate buffered saline at a ph of 7 . 4 . this produced 16 ml of formulation for group 3 . group 4 was designed to administer 1 ml of recombinant orf2 ( rorf2 ) containing 16 μg rorf2 / ml . this was done by mixing 2 . 23 ml of rorf2 ( 512 μg / 230 μg / ml = 2 . 23 ml rorf2 ) with 6 . 4 ml of 0 . 5 % carbopol and 23 . 37 ml of phosphate buffered saline at a ph of 7 . 4 . this produced 32 ml of formulation for group 4 . group 5 was designed to administer 1 ml of rorf2 containing 8 μg rorf2 / ml . this was done by mixing 1 . 11 ml of rorf2 ( 256 μg / 230 μg / ml = 1 . 11 ml rorf2 ) with 6 . 4 ml of 0 . 5 % carbopol and 24 . 49 ml of phosphate buffered saline at a ph of 7 . 4 . this produced 32 ml of formulation for group 5 . group 6 was designed to administer 1 ml of rorf2 containing 8 μg rorf2 / ml . this was done by mixing 0 . 56 ml of rorf2 ( 128 μg / 230 μg / ml = 0 . 56 ml rorf2 ) with 6 . 4 ml of 0 . 5 % carbopol and 25 . 04 ml of phosphate buffered saline at a ph of 7 . 4 . this produced 32 ml of formulation for group 6 . group 7 was designed to administer 2 ml of pcv2 whole killed cell vaccine ( pcv2 kv ) containing the max pcv2 kv . this was done by mixing 56 ml of pcv2 kv with 14 ml of 0 . 5 % carbopol . this produced 70 ml of formulation for group 7 . finally group 8 was designed to administer klh at 0 . 5 μg / ml or 1 . 0 μg / ml per 2 ml dose . this was done by mixing 40 . 71 ml klh ( 7 . 0 μg protein / ml at 0 . 5 μg / ml = 570 ml ( 7 . 0 μg / ml )( x )=( 0 . 5 )( 570 ml )), 244 . 29 ml phosphate buffered saline at a ph of 7 . 4 , and 285 ml freunds adjuvant . table 5 describes the time frames for the key activities of this example . following completion of the in - life phase of the study , formalin fixed tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry ( ihc ) for detection of pcv2 antigen by a pathologist , blood samples were evaluated for pcv2 serology , nasal swab samples were evaluated for pcv2 shedding , and average daily weight gain ( adwg ) was determined from day 24 to day 49 . animals were housed at the first study site in individual cages in five rooms from birth to approximately 11 days of age ( approximately day 0 of the study ). each room was identical in layout and consisted of stacked individual stainless steel cages with heated and filtered air supplied separately to each isolation unit . each room had separate heat and ventilation , thereby preventing cross - contamination of air between rooms . animals were housed in two different buildings at the second study site . group 9 ( the strict negative control group ) was housed separately in a converted finisher building and groups 1 - 8 were housed in converted nursery building . each group was housed in a separate pen ( 11 - 12 pigs per pen ) and each pen provided approximately 3 . 0 square feet per pig . each pen was on an elevated deck with plastic slatted floors . a pit below the pens served as a holding tank for excrement and waste . each building had its own separate heating and ventilation systems , with little likelihood of cross - contamination of air between buildings . at the first study site , piglets were fed a specially formulated milk ration from birth to approximately 3 weeks of age . all piglets were consuming solid , special mixed ration by day 19 ( approximately 4½ weeks of age ). at the second study site , all piglets were fed a custom non - medicated commercial mix ration appropriate for their age and weight , ad libitum . water at both study sites was also available ad libitum . all test pigs were treated with vitamin e on day − 2 , with iron injections on day − 1 and with naxcel ® ( 1 . 0 ml , 1m , in alternating hams ) on days 16 , 17 , 18 and 19 . in addition , pig no . 52 ( group 9 ) was treated with an iron injection on day 3 , pig 45 ( group 6 ) was treated with an iron injection on day 11 , pig no . 69 ( group 8 ) was treated with naxcel ® on day 6 , pig no . 74 ( group 3 ) was treated with dexamethazone and penicillin on day 14 , and pig no . 51 ( group 1 ) was treated with dexamethazone and penicillin on day 13 and with naxcel ® on day 14 for various health reasons . while at both study sites , pigs were under veterinary care . animal health examinations were conducted on day 0 and were recorded on the health examination record form . all animals were in good health and nutritional status before vaccination as determined by observation on day 0 . all test animals were observed to be in good health and nutritional status prior to challenge . carcasses and tissues were disposed of by rendering . final disposition of study animals was records on the animal disposition record . on day 0 , pigs assigned to groups 1 - 6 received 1 . 0 ml of pcv2 vaccines 1 - 6 , respectively , im in the left neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × ½ ″ needle . pigs assigned to group 7 received 2 . 0 ml of pcv2 vaccine no . 7 im in the left neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × ½ ″ needle . on day 14 , pigs assigned to group 7 received 2 . 0 ml of pcv2 vaccine no . 7 im in the right neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × ½ ″ needle . on day 21 all test pigs received 2 . 0 ml of klh / icfa im in the right ham region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × 1 ″ needle . on day 27 all test pigs received 2 . 0 ml of klh / icfa in the left ham region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × 1 ″ needle . on day 24 , pigs assigned to groups 1 - 8 received 1 . 0 ml of pcv2 isuvdl challenge material ( 5 . 11 log 10 tcid 50 / ml ) im in the left neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × 1 ″ needle . an additional 1 . 0 ml of the same material was administered in to each pig ( 0 . 5 ml per nostril ) using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and nasal canula . test pigs were observed daily for overall health and adverse events on day − 4 and from day 0 to day 19 . observations were recorded on the clinical observation record . all test pigs were observed from day 0 to day 7 , and group 7 was further observed from day 14 to 21 , for injection site reactions . average daily weight gain was determined by weighing each pig on a calibrated scale on days − 3 , 24 and 49 , or on the day that a pig was found dead after challenge . body weights were recorded on the body weight form . day − 3 body weights were utilized to block pigs prior to randomization . day 24 and day 49 weight data was utilized to determine the average daily weight gain ( adwg ) for each pig during these time points . for pigs that died after challenge and before day 49 , the adwg was adjusted to represent the adwg from day 24 to the day of death . in order to determine pcv2 serology , venous whole blood was collected from each piglet from the orbital venous sinus on days − 3 and 14 . for each piglet , blood was collected from the orbital venous sinus by inserting a sterile capillary tube into the medial canthus of one of the eyes and draining approximately 3 . 0 ml of whole blood into a 4 . 0 ml serum separator tube ( sst ). on days 24 , 31 , and 49 , venous whole blood from each pig was collected from the anterior vena cava using a sterile 18 g × 1½ ″ vacutainer needle ( becton dickinson and company , franklin lakes , n . j . ), a vacutainer needle holder and a 13 ml sst . blood collections at each time point were recorded on the sample collection record . blood in each sst was allowed to clot , each sst was then spun down and the serum harvested . harvested serum was transferred to a sterile snap tube and stored at − 70 ± 10 ° c . until tested at a later date . serum samples were tested for the presence of pcv2 antibodies by bivi - r & amp ; d personnel . pigs were observed once daily from day 20 to day 49 for clinical symptoms and clinical observations were recorded on the clinical observation record . to test for pcv2 nasal shedding , on days 24 , 25 , and then every other odd numbered study day up to and including day 49 , a sterile dacron swab was inserted intra nasally into either the left or right nostril of each pig ( one swab per pig ) as aseptically as possible , swished around for a few seconds and then removed . each swab was then placed into a single sterile snap - cap tube containing 1 . 0 ml of emem media with 2 % ifbs , 500 units / ml of penicillin , 500 μg / ml of streptomycin and 2 . 5 μg / ml of fungizone . the swab was broken off in the tube , and the snap tube was sealed and appropriately labeled with animal number , study number , date of collection , study day and “ nasal swab .” sealed snap tubes were stored at − 40 ± 10 ° c . until transported overnight on ice to bivi - st . joseph . nasal swab collections were recorded on the nasal swab sample collection form . bivi - r & amp ; d conducted quantitative virus isolation ( vi ) testing for pcv2 on nasal swab samples . the results were expressed in log 10 values . a value of 1 . 3 logs or less was considered negative and any value greater than 1 . 3 logs was considered positive . pigs that died ( nos . 28 , 52 , 56 , 69 , 82 , and 93 ) at the first study site were necropsied to the level necessary to determine a diagnosis . gross lesions were recorded and no tissues were retained from these pigs . at the second study site , pigs that died prior to day 49 ( nos . 45 , 23 , 58 , 35 ), pigs found dead on day 49 prior to euthanasia ( nos . 2 , 43 ) and pigs euthanized on day 49 were necropsied . any gross lesions were noted and the percentages of lung lobes with lesions were recorded on the necropsy report form . from each of the 103 pigs necropsied at the second study site , a tissue sample of tonsil , lung , heart , liver , mesenteric lymph node , kidney and inguinal lymph node was placed into a single container with buffered 10 % formalin ; while another tissue sample from the same aforementioned organs was placed into a whirl - pak ( m - tech diagnostics ltd ., thelwall , uk ) and each whirl - pak was placed on ice . each container was properly labeled . sample collections were recorded on the necropsy report form . afterwards , formalin - fixed tissue samples and a diagnostic request form were submitted for ihc testing . ihc testing was conducted in accordance with standard isu laboratory procedures for receiving samples , sample and slide preparation , and staining techniques . fresh tissues in whirl - paks were shipped with ice packs to the study monitor for storage (− 70 °± 10 ° c .) and possible future use . formalin - fixed tissues were examined by a pathologist for detection of pcv2 by ihc and scored using the following scoring system : 0 = none ; 1 = scant positive staining , few sites ; 2 = moderate positive staining , multiple sites ; and 3 = abundant positive staining , diffuse throughout the tissue . due to the fact that the pathologist could not positively differentiate inguinal ln from mesenteric ln , results for these tissues were simply labeled as lymph node and the score given the highest score for each of the two tissues per animal . results for this example are given below . it is noted that one pig from group 9 died before day 0 , and 5 more pigs died post - vaccination ( 1 pig from group 4 ; 1 pig from group 6 ; 2 pigs from group 8 ; and 1 pig from group 9 ). post - mortem examination indicated all six died due to underlying infections that were not associated with vaccination or pmws . additionally , no adverse events or injection site reactions were noted with any groups . average daily weight gain ( adwg ) results are presented below in table 6 . group 9 , the strict negative control group , had the highest adwg ( 1 . 06 ± 0 . 17 lbs / day ), followed by group 5 ( 0 . 94 ± 0 . 22 lbs / day ), which received one dose of 8 μg of rorf2 . group 3 , which received one dose of 4 μg of vorf2 , had the lowest adwg ( 0 . 49 ± 0 . 21 lbs / day ), followed by group 7 ( 0 . 50 ± 0 . 15 lbs / day ), which received 2 doses of killed vaccine . pcv2 serology results are presented below in table 7 . all nine groups were seronegative for pcv2 on day − 3 . on day 14 , groups receiving vorf2 vaccines had the highest titers , which ranged from 187 . 5 to 529 . 2 . pigs receiving killed viral vaccine had the next highest titers , followed by the groups receiving rorf2 vaccines . groups 8 and 9 remained seronegative at this time . on day 24 and day 31 , pigs receiving vorf2 vaccines continued to demonstrate a strong serological response , followed closely by the group that received two doses of a killed viral vaccine . pigs receiving rorf2 vaccines were slower to respond serologically and groups 8 and 9 continued to remain seronegative . on day 49 , pigs receiving vorf2 vaccine , 2 doses of the killed viral vaccine and the lowest dose of rorf2 demonstrated the strongest serological responses . pigs receiving 16 μg and 8 μg of rorf2 vaccines had slightly higher ifa titers than challenge controls . group 9 on day 49 demonstrated a strong serological response . the results from the post - challenge clinical observations are presented below in table 8 . this summary of results includes observations for abnormal behavior , abnormal respiration , cough and diarrhea . table 9 includes the results from the summary of group overall incidence of clinical symptoms and table 10 includes results from the summary of group mortality rates post - challenge . the most common clinical symptom noted in this study was abnormal behavior , which was scored as mild to severe lethargy . pigs receiving the 2 lower doses of vorf2 , pigs receiving 16 μg of rorf2 and pigs receiving 2 doses of kv vaccine had incidence rates of ≧ 27 . 3 %. pigs receiving 8 μg of rorf2 and the strict negative control group had no abnormal behavior . none of the pigs in this study demonstrated any abnormal respiration . coughing was noted frequently in all groups ( 0 to 25 %), as was diarrhea ( 0 - 20 %). none of the clinical symptoms noted were pathognomic for pmws . the overall incidence of clinical symptoms varied between groups . groups receiving any of the vorf2 vaccines , the group receiving 16 μg of rorf2 , the group receiving 2 doses of kv vaccine and the challenge control group had the highest incidence of overall clinical symptoms (≧ 36 . 4 %). the strict negative control group , the group receiving 8 μg of rorf2 and the group receiving 4 μg of rorf2 had overall incidence rates of clinical symptoms of 0 %, 8 . 3 % and 9 . 1 %, respectively . overall mortality rates between groups varied as well . the group receiving 2 doses of kv vaccine had the highest mortality rate ( 16 . 7 %); while groups that received 4 μg of vorf2 , 16 μg of rorf2 , or 8 μg of rorf2 and the strict negative control group all had 0 % mortality rates . pcv2 nasal shedding results are presented below in table 11 . following challenge on day 24 , 1 pig in group 7 began shedding pcv2 on day 27 . none of the other groups experienced shedding until day 33 . the bulk of nasal shedding was noted from day 35 to day 45 . groups receiving any of the three vorf2 vaccines and groups receiving either 4 or 8 μg of rorf2 had the lowest incidence of nasal shedding of pcv2 (≦ 9 . 1 %). the challenge control group ( group 8 ) had the highest shedding rate ( 80 %), followed by the strict negative control group ( group 9 ), which had an incidence rate of 63 . 6 %. the summary of group incidence of icterus , group incidence of gastric ulcers , group mean lung lesion scores , and group incidence of lung lesions are shown below in table 12 . six pigs died at the first test site during the post - vaccination phase of the study ( group 4 , n = 1 ; group 6 , n = 1 ; group 8 , n = 2 ; group 9 , n = 2 ). four out of six pigs had fibrinous lesions in one or more body cavities , one pig ( group 6 ) had lesions consistent with clostridial disease , and one pig ( group 9 ) had no gross lesions . none of the pigs that died during the post - vaccination phased of the study had lesions consistent with pmws . pigs that died post - challenge and pigs euthanized on day 49 were necropsied . at necropsy , icterus and gastric ulcers were not present in any group . with regard to mean % lung lesions , group 9 had lowest mean % lung lesions ( 0 %), followed by group 1 with 0 . 40 ± 0 . 50 % and group 5 with 0 . 68 ± 1 . 15 %. groups 2 , 3 , 7 and 8 had the highest mean % lung lesions (≧ 7 . 27 %). each of these four groups contained one pig with % lung lesions ≧ 71 . 5 %, which skewed the results higher for these four groups . with the exception of group 9 with 0 % lung lesions noted , the remaining 8 groups had ≦ 36 % lung lesions . almost all lung lesions noted were described as red / purple and consolidated . the summary of group ihc positive incidence results are shown in table 13 . group 1 ( vorf2 - 16 μg ) and group 5 ( rorf2 - 8 μg ) had the lowest rate of ihc positive results ( 16 . 7 %). group 8 ( challenge controls ) and group 9 ( strict negative controls ) had the highest rate of ihc positive results , 90 % and 90 . 9 %, respectively . post - challenge , group 5 , which received one dose of 8 μg of rorf2 antigen , outperformed the other 6 vaccine groups . group 5 had the highest adwg ( 0 . 94 ± 0 . 22 lbs / day ), the lowest incidence of abnormal behavior ( 0 %), the second lowest incidence of cough ( 8 . 3 %), the lowest incidence of overall clinical symptoms ( 8 . 3 %), the lowest mortality rate ( 0 %), the lowest rate of nasal shedding of pcv2 ( 8 . 3 %), the second lowest rate for mean % lung lesions ( 0 . 68 ± 1 . 15 %) and the lowest incidence rate for positive tissues ( 16 . 7 %). groups receiving various levels of rorf2 antigen overall outperformed groups receiving various levels of vorf2 and the group receiving 2 doses of killed whole cell pcv2 vaccine performed the worst . tables 14 and 15 contain summaries of group post - challenge data . results of this study indicate that all further vaccine efforts should focus on a rorf2 vaccine . overall , nasal shedding of pcv2 was detected post - challenge and vaccination with a pcv2 vaccine resulted in a reduction of shedding . immunohistochemistry of selected lymphoid tissues also served as a good parameter for vaccine efficacy , whereas large differences in adwg , clinical symptoms , and gross lesions were not detected between groups . this study was complicated by the fact that extraneous pcv2 was introduced at some point during the study , as evidenced by nasal shedding of pcv2 , pcv2 seroconversion and positive ihc tissues in group 9 , the strict negative control group . seven pcv2 vaccines were evaluated in this study , which included three different dose levels of vorf2 antigen administered once on day 0 , three different dose levels of rorf2 antigen administered once on day 0 and one dose level of killed whole cell pcv2 vaccine administered on day 0 and day 14 . overall , group 5 , which received 1 dose of vaccine containing 8 μg of rorf2 antigen , had the best results . group 5 had the highest adwg , the lowest incidence of abnormal behavior , the lowest incidence of abnormal respiration , the second lowest incidence of cough , the lowest incidence of overall clinical symptoms , the lowest mortality rate , the lowest rate of nasal shedding of pcv2 , the second lowest rate for mean % lung lesions and the lowest incidence rate for positive ihc tissues . interestingly , group 4 , which received a higher dose of rorf2 antigen than group 5 , did not perform as well or better than group 5 . group 4 had a slightly lower adwg , a higher incidence of abnormal behavior , a higher incidence of overall clinical symptoms , a higher rate of nasal shedding of pcv2 , a higher mean % lung lesions , and a higher rate for positive ihc tissues than group 5 . statistical analysis , which may have indicated that the differences between these two groups were not statistically significant , was not conducted on these data , but there was an observed trend that group 4 did not perform as well as group 5 . post - vaccination , 6 pigs died at the first study site . four of the six pigs were from group 8 or group 9 , which received no vaccine . none of the six pigs demonstrated lesions consistent with pmws , no adverse events were reported and overall , all seven vaccines appeared to be safe when administered to pigs approximately 11 days of age . during the post - vaccination phase of the study , pigs receiving either of three dose levels of vorf2 vaccine or killed whole cell vaccine had the highest ifat levels , while group 5 had the lowest ifat levels just prior to challenge , of the vaccine groups . although not formally proven , the predominant route of transmission of pcv2 to young swine shortly after weaning is believed to be by oronasal direct contact and an efficacious vaccine that reduces nasal shedding of pcv2 in a production setting would help control the spread of infection . groups receiving one of three vorf2 antigen levels and the group receiving 8 μg of rorf2 had the lowest incidence rate of nasal shedding of pcv2 ( 8 . 3 %). expectedly , the challenge control group had the highest incidence rate of nasal shedding ( 80 %). gross lesions in pigs with pmws secondary to pcv2 infection typically consist of generalized lymphadenopathy in combination with one or a multiple of the following : ( 1 ) interstitial pneumonia with interlobular edema , ( 2 ) cutaneous pallor or icterus , ( 3 ) mottled atrophic livers , ( 4 ) gastric ulcers and ( 5 ) nephritis . at necropsy , icterus , hepatitis , nephritis , and gastric ulcers were not noted in any groups and lymphadenopathy was not specifically examined for . the mean % lung lesion scores varied between groups . the group receiving 16 μg of vorf2 antigen had the lowest mean % lung lesion score ( 0 . 40 ± 0 . 50 %), followed by the group that received 8 μg of rorf2 ( 0 . 68 ± 1 . 15 %). as expected , the challenge control group had the highest mean % lung lesion score ( 9 . 88 ± 29 . 2 %). in all four groups , the mean % lung lesion scores were elevated due to one pig in each of these groups that had very high lung lesion scores . most of the lung lesions were described as red / purple and consolidated . typically , lung lesions associated with pmws are described as tan and non - collapsible with interlobular edema . the lung lesions noted in this study were either not associated with pcv2 infection or a second pulmonary infectious agent may have been present . within the context of this study , the % lung lesion scores probably do not reflect a true measure of the amount of lung infection due to pcv2 . other researchers have demonstrated a direct correlation between the presence of pcv2 antigen by ihc and histopathology . histopathology on select tissues was not conducted with this study . group 1 ( 16 μg of vorf2 ) and group 5 ( 8 μg of rorf2 ) had the lowest incidence rate of pigs positive for pcv2 antigen ( 8 . 3 %), while group 9 ( the strict negative control group − 90 . 9 %) and group 8 ( the challenge control group − 90 . 0 %) had the highest incidence rates for pigs positive for pcv2 antigen . due to the non - subjective nature of this test , ihc results are probably one of the best parameters to judge vaccine efficacy on . thus , in one aspect of the present invention , the minimum portective dosage ( mpd ) of a 1 ml / 1 dose recombinant product with extracted pcv2 orf2 ( rorf2 ) antigen in the cdcd pig model in the face of a pcv2 challenge was determined . of the three groups that received varying levels of rorf2 antigen , group 5 ( 8 μg of rorf2 antigen ) clearly had the highest level of protection . group 5 either had the best results or was tied for the most favorable results with regard to all of the parameters examined . when group 5 was compared with the other six vaccine groups post - challenge , group 5 had the highest adwg ( 0 . 94 ± 0 . 22 lbs / day ), the lowest incidence of abnormal behavior ( 0 %), the second lowest incidence of cough ( 8 . 3 %), the lowest incidence of overall clinical symptoms ( 8 . 3 %), the lowest mortality rate ( 0 %), the lowest rate of nasal shedding of pcv2 ( 8 . 3 %), the second lowest rate for mean % lung lesions ( 0 . 68 ± 1 . 15 %) and the lowest incidence rate for positive ihc tissues ( 16 . 7 %). in another aspect of the present invention , the mpd of a 1 ml / 1 dose conventional product that is partially purified pcv2 orf2 ( vorf2 ) antigen in the cdcd pig model in the face of a pcv2 challenge was determined . of the three groups that received varying levels of vorf2 antigen , group 1 ( 16 μg of vorf2 ) had the highest level of protection . group 1 outperformed groups 2 and 3 with respect to adwg , mean % lung lesions , and ihc . groups 1 and 2 ( 8 μg of vorf2 antigen ) performed equally with respect to overall incidence of clinical symptoms , group 3 ( 4 μg of vorf2 antigen ) had the lowest mortality rate , and all three groups performed equally with respect to nasal shedding . overall , vorf vaccines did not perform as well as rorf vaccines . in yet another aspect of the present invention , the efficacy of a maximum dose of a 2 ml / 2 dose conventional killed pcv2 vaccine in the cdcd pig model in the face of a pcv2 challenge was determined . of the seven vaccines evaluated in this study , the killed whole cell pcv2 vaccine performed the worst . piglets receiving two doses of killed whole cell pcv2 vaccine had the lowest adwg , the second highest rate of abnormal behavior ( 58 . 3 %), the second highest overall incidence of clinical symptoms ( 58 . 3 %), the highest mortality rate ( 16 . 7 %), the second highest incidence of nasal shedding ( 41 . 7 %), highest mean % lung lesions ( 9 . 88 ± 29 . 2 %), a high incidence of lung lesions noted ( 75 %) and a moderate ihc incidence rate in tissues ( 41 . 7 %). however , it was still effective at invoking an immune response . in still another aspect of the present invention , nasal shedding of pcv2 was assessed as an efficacy parameter and the previous pcv2 efficacy parameters from previous studies were reconfirmed . results from this study indicate that nasal shedding of pcv2 occurs following intra nasal challenge and that pcv2 vaccines reduce nasal shedding of pcv2 post - challenge . furthermore , results from this study and reports in the literature indicate that ihc should continue to be evaluated in future pcv2 vaccine trials as well . some additional conclusions arising from this study are that lymphadenopathy is one of the hallmarks of pmws . another one of the hallmarks of pmws is lymphoid depletion and multinucleated / giant histiocytes . additionally , no adverse events or injection site reactions were noted for any of the 7 pcv2 vaccines and all 7 pcv2 vaccines appeared to be safe when administered to young pigs . this example tests the efficacy of eight pcv2 candidate vaccines and reconfirms pcv2 challenge parameters from earlier challenge studies following exposure to a virulent strain of pcv2 . one hundred and fifty ( 150 ) cesarean derived colostrum deprived ( cdcd ) piglets , 6 - 16 days of age , were blocked by weight and randomly divided into 10 groups of equal size . table 16 sets forth the general study design for this example . the vaccine formulation given to each group were as follows . pcv2 vaccine no . 1 , administered at 1 × 2 ml dose to group 1 , was a high dose ( 16 ug / 2 ml dose ) of inactivated recombinant orf2 antigen adjuvanted with ims 1314 ( 16 ug rorf2 - ims 1314 ). pcv2 vaccine no . 2 , administered at 1 × 2 ml dose to group 2 , was a high dose ( 16 ug / 2 ml dose ) of a partially purified vido r - 1 generated pcv2 orf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol ( 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ). pcv2 vaccine no . 3 , administered at 1 × 2 ml dose to group 3 , was a high dose ( 16 ug / 2 ml dose ) of inactivated recombinant orf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol ( 16 ug rorf2 - carbopol ). pcv2 vaccine no . 4 , administered at 1 × 1 ml dose to group 4 , was a high dose ( 16 ug / 1 ml dose ) of a partially purified vido r - 1 generated pcv2 orf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol ( 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ). vaccine no . 5 , administered at 1 × 2 ml dose to group 5 , was a 4 ug / 2 ml dose of an inactivated recombinant orf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol ( 4 ug rorf2 - carbopol ). pcv2 vaccine no . 6 , administered at 1 × 2 ml dose to group 6 , was a 1 ug / 2 ml dose of an inactivated recombinant orf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol ( 1 ug rorf2 - carbopol ). pcv2 vaccine no . 7 , administered at 1 × 2 ml dose to group 7 , was a low dose ( 0 . 25 ug / 2 ml dose ) of inactivated recombinant orf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol ( 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol ). pcv2 vaccine no . 8 , administered at 1 × 2 ml dose to group 8 , was a high dose ( pre - inactivation titer & gt ; 8 . 0 log / 2 ml dose ) inactivated conventional killed vido r - 1 generated pcv2 struve antigen adjuvanted with carbopol (& gt ; 8 . 0 log kv - carbopol ). on day 0 , groups 1 - 8 were treated with their assigned vaccines . groups 1 - 3 and 5 - 8 received boosters of their respective vaccines again on day 14 . the effectiveness of a single dose of 16 μg of vorf2 - carbopol was tested on group 4 which did not receive a booster on day 14 . piglets were observed for adverse events and injection site reactions following both vaccinations . on day 21 the piglets were moved to a second study site where groups 1 - 9 were group housed in one building and group 10 was housed in a separate building . all pigs received keyhole limpet hemocyanin emulsified with incomplete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant ( klh / icfa ) on days 22 and 28 . on day 25 , groups 1 - 9 were challenged with approximately 4 logs of virulent pcv2 virus . by day 46 , very few deaths had occurred in the challenge control group . in an attempt to immunostimulate the pigs and increase the virulence of the pcv2 challenge material , all groups were treated with ingelvac ® prrsv mlv ( porcine reproductive and respiratory vaccine , modified live virus ) on day 46 . pre - and post - challenge blood samples were collected for pcv2 serology . post - challenge , body weight data for determination of average daily weight gain ( adwg ) and observations of clinical signs were collected . on day 50 , all surviving pigs were necropsied , gross lesions were recorded , lungs were scored for pathology , and selected tissues were preserved in formalin for examination by immunohistochemistry ( ihc ) for detection of pcv2 antigen at a later date . this was a partially - blind vaccination - challenge feasibility study conducted in cdcd pigs , 6 to 16 days of age on day 0 . to be included in the study , pcv2 ifa titers of sows were ≦ 1 : 1000 . additionally , the serologic status of sows were from a known prrs - negative herd . sixteen ( 16 ) sows were tested for pcv2 serological status and all sixteen ( 16 ) had a pcv2 titer of ≦ 1000 and were transferred to the first study site . one hundred fifty ( 150 ) piglets were delivered by cesarean section surgeries and were available for this study on day − 3 . on day − 3 , 150 cdcd pigs at the first study site were weighed , identified with ear tags , blocked by weight and randomly assigned to 1 of 10 groups , as set forth above in table 16 . blood samples were collected from all pigs . if any test animal meeting the inclusion criteria was enrolled in the study and was later excluded for any reason , the investigator and monitor consulted in order to determine the use of data collected from the animal in the final analysis . the date of which enrolled piglets were excluded and the reason for exclusion was documented . no sows meeting the inclusion criteria , selected for the study and transported to the first study site were excluded . no piglets were excluded from the study , and no test animals were removed from the study prior to termination . table 17 describes the time frames for the key activities of this example . following completion of the in - life phase of the study , formalin fixed tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry ( ihc ) for detection of pcv2 antigen by a pathologist , blood samples were evaluated for pcv2 serology , and average daily weight gain ( adwg ) was determined from day 25 to day 50 . animals were housed at the first study site in individual cages in seven rooms from birth to approximately 11 days of age ( approximately day 0 of the study ). each room was identical in layout and consisted of stacked individual stainless steel cages with heated and filtered air supplied separately to each isolation unit . each room had separate heat and ventilation , thereby preventing cross - contamination of air between rooms . animals were housed in two different buildings at the second study site . group 10 ( the strict negative control group ) was housed separately in a converted nursery building and groups 1 - 9 were housed in a converted farrowing building . each group was housed in a separate pen ( 14 - 15 pigs per pen ) and each pen provided approximately 2 . 3 square feet per pig . groups 2 , 4 and 8 were penned in three adjacent pens on one side of the alleyway and groups 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , and 9 were penned in six adjacent pens on the other side of the alleyway . the group separation was due to concern by the study monitor that vaccines administered to groups 2 , 4 , and 8 had not been fully inactivated . each pen was on an elevated deck with plastic slatted floors . a pit below the pens served as a holding tank for excrement and waste . each building had its own separate heating and ventilation systems , with little likelihood of cross - contamination of air between buildings . at the first study site , piglets were fed a specially formulated milk ration from birth to approximately 3 weeks of age . all piglets were consuming solid , special mixed ration by day 21 ( approximately 4½ weeks of age ). at the second study site , all piglets were fed a custom non - medicated commercial mix ration appropriate for their age and weight , ad libitum . water at both study sites was also available ad libitum . all test pigs were treated with 1 . 0 ml of naxcel ®, im , in alternating hams on days 19 , 20 , and 21 . in addition , pig no . 11 ( group 1 ) was treated with 0 . 5 ml of naxcel ® im on day 10 , pig no . 13 ( group 10 ) was treated with 1 ml of penicillin and 1 ml of predef ® 2 × on day 10 , pig no . 4 ( group 9 ) was treated with 1 . 0 ml of naxcel ® im on day 11 , and pigs 1 ( group 1 ), 4 and 11 were each treated with 1 . 0 ml of naxcel ® on day 14 for various health reasons . while at both study sites , pigs were under veterinary care . animal health examinations were conducted on day − 3 and were recorded on the health examination record form . all animals were in good health and nutritional status before vaccination as determined by observation on day 0 . all test animals were observed to be in good health and nutritional status prior to challenge . carcasses and tissues were disposed of by rendering . final disposition of study animals was recorded on the animal disposition record . on days 0 and 14 , pigs assigned to groups 1 - 3 and 5 - 8 received 2 . 0 ml of assigned pcv2 vaccines 1 - 4 , respectively , im in the right and left neck region , respectively , using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × ½ ″ needle . pigs assigned to group 4 received 1 . 0 ml of pcv2 vaccine no . 2 , im in the right neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × ½ ″ needle on day 0 only . on day 22 all test pigs received 2 . 0 ml of klh / icfa im in the left neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × 1 ″ needle . on day 28 all test pigs received 2 . 0 ml of klh / icfa in the right ham region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × 1 ″ needle . on day 25 , pigs assigned to groups 1 - 9 received 1 . 0 ml of pcv2 isuvdl challenge material ( 3 . 98 log 10 tcid 50 / ml ) im in the right neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × 1 ″ needle . an additional 1 . 0 ml of the same material was administered in to each pig ( 0 . 5 ml per nostril ) using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer - lock syringe and nasal canula . on day 46 , all test pigs received 2 . 0 ml ingelvac ® prrs mlv , im , in the right neck region using a sterile 3 . 0 ml luer0lock syringe and a sterile 20 g × 1 ″ needle . the prrsv mlv was administered in an attempt to increase virulence of the pcv2 challenge material . test pigs were observed daily for overall health and adverse events on day − 3 and from day 0 to day 21 . each of the pigs were scored for normal or abnormal behavior , respiration or cough . observations were recorded on the clinical observation record . all test pigs were observed from day 0 to day 7 , and group 7 was further observed from day 14 to 21 , for injection site reactions . average daily weight gain was determined by weighing each pig on a calibrated scale on days − 3 , 25 and 50 , or on the day that a pig was found dead after challenge . body weights were recorded on the body weight form . day − 3 body weights were utilized to block pigs prior to randomization . day 25 and day 50 weight data was utilized to determine the average daily weight gain ( adwg ) for each pig during these time points . for pigs that died after challenge and before day 50 , the adwg was adjusted to represent the adwg from day 25 to the day of death . in order to determine pcv2 serology , venous whole blood was collected from each piglet from the orbital venous sinus on days − 3 and 14 . for each piglet , blood was collected from the orbital venous sinus by inserting a sterile capillary tube into the medial canthus of one of the eyes and draining approximately 3 . 0 ml of whole blood into a 4 . 0 ml serum separator tube ( sst ). on days 25 , 32 , and 50 , venous whole blood from each pig was collected from the anterior vena cava using a sterile 20 g × 1½ ″ vacutainer ® needle ( becton dickinson and company , franklin lakes , n . j . ), a vaccutainer ® needle holder and a 13 ml sst . blood collections at each time point were recorded on the sample collection record . blood in each sst was allowed to clot , each sst was then spun down and the serum harvested . harvested serum was transferred to a sterile snap tube and stored at − 70 ± 10 ° c . until tested at a later date . serum samples were tested for the presence of pcv2 antibodies by bivi - r & amp ; d personnel . pigs were observed once daily from day 22 to day 50 for clinical symptoms and scored for normal or abnormal behavior , respiration or cough . clinical observations were recorded on the clinical observation record . pigs nos . 46 ( group 1 ) and 98 ( groups 9 ) died at the first study site . both of these deaths were categorized as bleeding deaths and necropsies were not conducted on these two pigs . at the second study site , pigs that died after challenge and prior to day 50 , and pigs euthanized on day 50 , were necropsied . any gross lesions were noted and the percentages of lung lobes with lesions were recorded on the necropsy report form . from each of the pigs necropsied at the second study site , a tissue sample of tonsil , lung , heart , and mesenteric lymph node was placed into a single container with buffered 10 % formalin ; while another tissue sample from the same aforementioned organs was placed into a whirl - pak ® ( m - tech diagnostics ltd ., thelwall , uk ) and each whirl - pak ® was placed on ice . each container was properly labeled . sample collections were recorded on the necropsy report form . afterwards , formalin - fixed tissue samples and a diagnostic request form were submitted for ihc testing . ihc testing was conducted in accordance with standard laboratory procedures for receiving samples , sample and slide preparation , and staining techniques . fresh tissues in whirl - paks ® were shipped with ice packs to the study monitor for storage (− 70 °± 10 ° c .) and possible future use . formalin - fixed tissues were examined by a pathologist for detection of pcv2 by ihc and scored using the following scoring system : 0 = none ; 1 = scant positive staining , few sites ; 2 = moderate positive staining , multiple sites ; and 3 = abundant positive staining , diffuse throughout the tissue . for analytical purposes , a score of 0 was considered “ negative ,” and a score of greater than 0 was considered “ positive .” results for this example are given below . it is noted that pigs no . 46 and 98 died on days 14 and 25 respectively . these deaths were categorized as bleeding deaths . pig no . 11 ( group 1 ) was panting with rapid respiration on day 15 . otherwise , all pigs were normal for behavior , respiration and cough during this observation period and no systemic adverse events were noted with any groups . no injection site reactions were noted following vaccination on day 0 . following vaccination on day 14 , seven ( 7 ) out of fourteen ( 14 ) group 1 pigs ( 50 . 0 %) had swelling with a score of “ 2 ” on day 15 . four ( 4 ) out of fourteen ( 14 ) group 1 ( 28 . 6 %) still had a swelling of “ 2 ” on day 16 . none of the other groups experienced injection site reactions following either vaccination . average daily weight gain ( adwg ) results are presented below in table 18 . pigs no . 46 and 98 that died from bleeding were excluded from group results . group 4 , which received one dose of 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol , had the highest adwg ( 1 . 16 ± 0 . 26 lbs / day ), followed by groups 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , and 10 which had adwgs that ranged from 1 . 07 ± 0 . 23 lbs / day to 1 . 11 ± 0 . 26 lbs / day . group 9 had the lowest adwg ( 0 . 88 ± 0 . 29 lbs / day ), followed by groups 8 and 7 , which had adwgs of 0 . 93 ± 0 . 33 lbs / day and 0 . 99 ± 0 . 44 lbs / day , respectively . pvc2 serology results are presented below in table 19 . all ten ( 10 ) groups were seronegative for pcv2 on day − 3 . on day 14 , pcv2 titers remained low for all ten ( 10 ) groups ( range of 50 - 113 ). on day 25 , group 8 , which received the whole cell killed virus vaccine , had the highest pcv2 titer ( 4617 ), followed by group 2 , which received 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol , group 4 , which received as single dose of 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol , and group 3 , which received 16 ug rorf2 - carbopol , which had titers of 2507 , 1920 and 1503 respectively . on day 32 ( one week post challenge ), titers for groups 1 - 6 and group 8 ranged from 2360 to 7619 ; while groups 7 ( 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol ), 9 ( challenge control ), and 10 ( strict negative control ) had titers of 382 , 129 and 78 respectively . on day 50 ( day of necropsy ), all ten ( 10 ) groups demonstrated high pcv2 titers (≧ 1257 ). on days 25 , 32 , and 50 , group 3 , which received two doses of 16 ug rorf2 - carbopol had higher antibody titers than group 1 , which received two doses of 16 ug rorf2 - ims 1314 . on days 25 , 32 and 50 , group 2 , which received two doses of 16 ug vorf2 had higher titers than group 4 , which received only one does of the same vaccine . groups 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , which received decreasing levels of rorf2 - carbopol , of 16 , 4 , 1 , and 0 . 25 ug respectively , demonstrated correspondingly decreasing antibody titers on days 25 and 32 . the results from the post - challenge clinical observations are presented below . table 20 includes observations for abnormal behavior , abnormal respiration , cough and diarrhea . table 21 includes the results from the summary of group overall incidence of clinical symptoms and table 22 includes results from the summary of group mortality rates post - challenge . the incidence of abnormal behavior , respiration and cough post - challenge were low in pigs receiving 16 ug rorf2 - ims 1314 ( group 1 ), 16 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 3 ), 1 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 6 ), 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 7 ), and in pigs in the challenge control group ( group 9 ). the incidence of abnormal behavior respiration and cough post - challenge was zero in pigs receiving 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ( group 2 ), a single dose of 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ( group 4 ), 4 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 5 ), & gt ; 8 log kv - carbopol ( group 8 ), and in pigs in the strict negative control group ( group 10 ). the overall incidence of clinical symptoms varied between groups . pigs receiving 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ( group 2 ), a single dose of 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ( group 4 ), and pigs in the strict negative control group ( group 10 ) had incidence rates of 0 %; pigs receiving 16 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 3 ), and 1 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 6 ) had incidence rates of 6 . 7 %; pigs receiving 16 ug rorf2 - ims 1314 ( group 1 ) had an overall incidence rate of 7 . 1 %; pigs receiving 4 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 5 ), 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol ( group 7 ), and & gt ; 8 log kv vaccine had incidence rates of 13 . 3 %; and pigs in the challenge control group ( group 9 ) had an incidence rate of 14 . 3 %. overall mortality rates between groups varied as well . group 8 , which received 2 doses of kv vaccine had the highest mortality rate of 20 . 0 %; followed by group 9 , the challenge control group , and group 7 , which received 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol and had mortality rates of 14 . 3 % and 13 . 3 % respectively . group 4 , which received one dose of 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol had a 6 . 7 % mortality rate . all of the other groups , 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , and 10 had a 0 % mortality rate . the summary of group mean percentage lung lesions and tentative diagnosis is given below in table 23 . group 9 , the challenge control group , had the highest percentage lung lesions with a mean of 10 . 81 ± 23 . 27 %, followed by group 7 , which received 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol and had a mean of 6 . 57 ± 24 . 74 %, group 5 , which received 4 ug rorf2 - carbopol and had a mean of 2 . 88 ± 8 . 88 %, and group 8 , which received the kv vaccine and had a mean of 2 . 01 ± 4 . 98 %. the remaining six ( 6 ) groups had lower mean percentage lung lesions that ranged from 0 . 11 ± 0 . 38 % to 0 . 90 ± 0 . 15 %. tentative diagnosis of pneumonia varied among the groups . group 3 , which received two doses of 16 ug rorf2 - carbopol , had the lowest tentative diagnosis of pneumonia , with 13 . 3 %. group 9 , the challenge control group , had 50 % of the group tentatively diagnosed with pneumonia , followed by group 10 , the strict negative control group and group 2 , which received two doses of 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol , with 46 . 7 % of 40 % respectively , tentatively diagnosed with pneumonia . groups 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 9 , and 10 had 0 % of the group tentatively diagnosed as pcv2 infected ; while group 8 , which received two doses if kv vaccine , had the highest group rate of tentative diagnosis of pcv2 infection , which 20 %. group 7 , which received two doses of 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol , and group 4 , which received one dose of 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol had tentative group diagnoses of pcv2 infection in 13 . 3 % and 6 . 7 % of each group , respectively . gastric ulcers were only diagnosed in one pig in group 7 ( 6 . 7 %); while the other 9 groups remained free of gastric ulcers . the summary of group ihc positive incidence results are shown below in table 24 . group 1 ( 16 ug rorf2 - ims 1314 ) had the lowest group rate of ihc positive results with 0 % of the pigs positive for pcv2 , followed by group 2 ( 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ) and group 4 ( single dose 16 ug vorf2 - carbopol ), which had group ihc rates of 6 . 7 % and 13 . 3 % respectively . group 9 , the challenge control group , had the highest ihc positive incidence rate with 100 % of the pigs positive for pcv2 , followed by group 10 , the strict negative control group , and group 8 ( kv vaccine ), with 93 . 3 % and 80 % of the pigs positive for pcv2 , respectively . seven pcv2 vaccines were evaluated in this example , which included a high dose ( 16 μg ) of rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with ims 1314 administered twice , a high dose ( 16 μg ) of vorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol administered once to one group of pigs and twice to a second group of pigs , a high dose ( 16 μg ) of rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol administered twice , a 4 μg dose of rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol administered twice , a 1 μg dose of rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol administered twice , a low dose ( 0 . 25 μg ) of rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol administered twice , and a high dose (& gt ; 8 log ) of killed whole cell pcv2 vaccine adjuvanted with carbopol . overall , group 1 , which received two doses of 16 μg rorf2 - ims 1314 , performed slightly better than groups 2 through 7 , which received vaccines containing various levels of either vorf2 or rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol and much better than group 8 , which received two doses of killed whole cell pcv2 vaccine . group 1 had the third highest adwg ( 1 . 80 ± 0 . 30 lbs / day ), the lowest incidence of abnormal behavior ( 0 %), the lowest incidence of abnormal respiration ( 0 %), a low incidence of cough ( 7 . 1 %), a low incidence of overall clinical symptoms ( 7 . 1 %), was tied with three other groups for the lowest mortality rate ( 0 %), the second lowest rate for mean % lung lesions ( 0 . 15 ± 0 . 34 %), the second lowest rate for pneumonia ( 21 . 4 %) and the lowest incidence rate for positive ihc tissues ( 0 %). group 1 was , however , the only group in which injection site reactions were noted , which included 50 % of the vaccinates 1 day after the second vaccination . the other vaccines administered to groups 2 through 7 performed better than the killed vaccine and nearly as well as the vaccine administered to group 1 . group 8 , which received two doses of killed pcv2 vaccine adjuvanted with carbopol , had the worst set of results for any vaccine group . group 8 had the lowest adwg ( 0 . 93 ± 0 . 33 lbs / day ), the second highest rate of abnormal behavior ( 6 . 7 %), the highest rate of abnormal respiration ( 6 . 7 %), was tied with three other groups for the highest overall incidence rate of clinical symptoms ( 13 . 3 %), had the highest mortality rate of all groups ( 20 %), and had the highest positive ihc rate ( 80 %) of any vaccine group . there was concern that the killed whole cell pcv2 vaccine may not have been fully inactivated prior to administration to group 8 , which may explain this group &# 39 ; s poor results . unfortunately , definitive data was not available to confirm this concern . overall , in the context of this example , a conventional killed pcv2 vaccine did not aid in the reduction of pcv2 associated disease . as previously mentioned , no adverse events were associated with the test vaccines with exception of the vaccine adjuvanted with ims 1314 . injection site reactions were noted in 50 . 0 % of the pigs 1 day after the second vaccination with the vaccine formulated with ims 1314 and in 28 . 6 % of the pigs 2 days after the second vaccination . no reactions were noted in any pigs receiving carbopol adjuvanted vaccines . any further studies that include pigs vaccinated with ims 1314 adjuvanted vaccines should continue to closely monitor pigs for injection site reactions . all pigs were sero - negative for pcv2 on day − 3 and only group 2 had a titer above 100 on day 14 . on day 25 ( day of challenge ), group 8 had the highest pcv2 antibody titer ( 4619 ), followed by group 2 ( 2507 ). with the exception of groups 7 , 9 and 10 , all groups demonstrated a strong antibody response by day 32 . by day 50 , all groups including groups 7 , 9 and 10 demonstrated a strong antibody response . one of the hallmarks of late stage pcv2 infection and subsequent pmws development is growth retardation in weaned pigs , and in severe cases , weight loss is noted . average daily weight gain of groups is a quantitative method of demonstrating growth retardation or weight loss . in this example , there was not a large difference in adwg between groups . group 8 had the lowest adwg of 0 . 88 ± 0 . 29 lbs / day , while group 4 had the highest adwg of 1 . 16 ± 0 . 26 lb / day . within the context of this study there was not a sufficient difference between groups to base future vaccine efficacy on adwg . in addition to weight loss — dyspnea , lethargy , pallor of the skin and sometimes icterus are clinical symptoms associated with pmws . in this example , abnormal behavior and abnormal respiration and cough were noted infrequently for each group . as evidenced in this study , this challenge model and challenge strain do not result in overwhelming clinical symptoms and this is not a strong parameter on which to base vaccine efficacy . overall , mortality rates were not high in this example and the lack of a high mortality rate in the challenge control group limits this parameter on which to base vaccine efficacy . prior to day 46 , groups 4 and 7 each had one out of fifteen pigs die , group 9 had two out of fourteen pigs die and group 8 had three out of fifteen pigs die . due to the fact that group 9 , the challenge control group was not demonstrating pcv2 clinical symptoms and only two deaths had occurred in this group by day 46 , porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus ( prrsv ) mlv vaccine was administered to all pigs on day 46 . earlier studies had utilized ingelvac ® prrs mlv as an immunostimulant to exasperate pcv2 - associated pmws disease and mortality rates were higher in these earlier studies . two deaths occurred shortly after administering the prrs vaccine on day 46 — group 4 had one death on day 46 and group 7 had one death on day 47 — which were probably not associated with the administration of the prrs vaccine . by day 50 , group 8 , which received two doses of killed vaccine , had the highest mortality rate ( 20 %), followed by group 9 ( challenge control ) and group 7 ( 0 . 25 ug rorf2 - carbopol ), with mortality rates of 14 . 3 % and 13 . 3 % respectively . overall , administration of the prrs vaccine to the challenge model late in the post - challenge observation phase of this example did not significantly increase mortality rates . gross lesions in pigs with pmws secondary to pcv2 infection typically consist of generalized lymphadenopathy in combination with one or more of the following : ( 1 ) interstitial pneumonia with interlobular edema , ( 2 ) cutaneous pallor or icterus , ( 3 ) mottled atrophic livers , ( 4 ) gastric ulcers and ( 5 ) nephritis . at necropsy ( day 50 ), icterus , hepatitis , and nephritis were not noted in any groups . a gastric ulcer was noted in one group 7 pig , but lymphadenopathy was not specifically examined for . based on the presence of lesions that were consistent with pcv2 infection , three groups had at least one pig tentatively diagnosed with pcv2 ( pmws ). group 8 , which received two doses of killed vaccine , had 20 % tentatively diagnosed with pcv2 , while group 7 and group 4 had 13 . 3 % and 6 . 7 %, respectively , tentatively diagnosed with pcv2 . the mean % lung lesion scores varied between groups at necropsy . groups 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 and 10 had low % lung lesion scores that ranged from 0 . 11 ± 0 . 38 % to 0 . 90 ± 0 . 15 %. as expected , group 9 , the challenge control group , had the highest mean % lung lesion score ( 10 . 81 ± 23 . 27 %). in four groups , the mean % lung lesion scores were elevated due to one to three pigs in each of these groups having very high lung lesion scores . the lung lesions were red / purple and consolidated . typically , lung lesions associated with pmws are described as tan , non - collapsible with interlobular edema . the lung lesions noted in this study were either not associated with pcv2 infection or a second pulmonary infectious agent may have been present . within the context of this study , the % lung lesion scores probably do no reflect a true measure of the amount of lung infection due to pcv2 . likewise , tentative diagnosis of pneumonia may have been over - utilized as well . any pigs with lung lesions , some as small as 0 . 10 % were listed with a tentative diagnosis of pneumonia . in this example , there was no sufficient difference between groups with respect to gross lesions and % lung lesions on which to base vaccine efficacy . ihc results showed the largest differences between groups . group 1 ( 16 μg rorf2 - ims 1314 ) had the lowest positive ihc results for pcv2 antigen ( 0 %); while groups 9 and 10 had the highest positive ihc results with incidence rates of 100 % and 93 . 3 % respectively . groups 3 , 5 , 6 and 7 , which received 16 , 4 , 1 or 0 . 25 μg of rorf2 antigen , respectively , adjuvanted with carbopol , had ihc positive rates of 20 %, 20 %, 40 % and 46 . 7 %, respectively . group 2 , which received two doses of 16 μg vorf2 adjuvanted with carbopol had an ihc positive rate of 6 . 7 %, while group 4 which received only one dose of the same vaccine , had an ihc positive rate of 13 . 3 %. due to the objective nature of this test and the fact that ihc results correlated with expected results , ihc testing is probably one of the best parameters on which to base vaccine efficacy . thus in one aspect of the present invention , the minimum protective dosage ( mpd ) of pcv2 rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol in the cdcd pig model in the face of a pcv2 challenge is determined . groups 3 , 5 , 6 and 7 each received two doses of rorf2 antigen adjuvanted with carbopol , but the level of rorf2 antigen varied for each group . groups 3 , 5 , 6 and 7 each received 16 , 4 , 1 or 0 . 25 μg of rorf2 antigen respectively . in general , decreasing the level of rorf2 antigen decreased pcv2 antibody titers , and increased the mortality rate , mean % lung lesions and the incidence of ihc positive tissues . of the four groups receiving varying levels of rorf2 - carbopol , groups 3 and 5 , which received two doses of 16 or 4 μg of rorf2 antigen , respectively , each had an ihc positive rate of only 20 %, and each had similar antibody titers . overall , based on ihc positive results , the minimum protective dosage of rorf2 antigen administered twice is approximately 4 μg . in another aspect of the present invention , the antigenicity of recombinant ( rorf2 ) and vido r - 1 ( vorf2 ) pcv2 antigens were assessed . group 2 received two doses of 16 μg vorf2 and group 3 received two doses of 16 μg rorf2 . both vaccines were adjuvanted with carbopol . both vaccines were found to be safe and both had 0 % mortality rate . group 2 had a pcv2 antibody titer of 2507 on day 25 , while group 3 had a pcv2 antibody titer of 1503 . group 3 had a lower mean % lung lesion score than group 2 ( 0 . 11 ± 0 . 38 % vs . 0 . 90 ± 0 . 15 %), but group 2 had a lower ihc positive incidence rate that group 3 ( 6 . 7 % vs . 20 %). overall , both vaccines had similar antigenicity , but vorf2 was associated with slightly better ihc results . in yet another aspect of the present invention , the suitability of two different adjuvants ( carbopol and ims 1314 ) was determined . groups 1 and 3 both received two doses of vaccine containing 16 ug of rorf2 antigen , but group 1 received the antigen adjuvanted with ims 1314 while group 3 received the antigen adjuvanted with carbopol . both groups had essentially the same adwg , essentially the same incidence of clinical signs post - challenge , the same mortality rate , and essentially the same mean % lung lesions ; but group 1 had an ihc positive rate of 0 % while group 3 had an ihc positive rate of 20 %. however , group 3 , which received the vaccine adjuvanted with carbopol had higher ifat pcv2 titers on days 25 , 32 and 50 than group 1 , which received the vaccine adjuvanted with ims 1314 . overall , although the pcv2 vaccine adjuvanted with ims 1314 did provide better ihc results , it did not provide overwhelmingly better protection from pcv2 infection and did induce injection site reaction . whereas the pcv2 vaccine adjuvanted with carbopol performed nearly as well as the ims 1314 adjuvanted vaccine , but was not associated with any adverse events . in still another aspect of the present invention , the feasibility of pcv2 orf2 as a 1 ml , 1 dose product was determined . groups 2 and 4 both received 16 μg of vorf2 vaccine adjuvanted with carbopol on day 0 , but group 2 received a second dose on day 14 . group 4 had a slightly higher adwg and a lower mean % lung lesions than group 2 , but group 2 had higher ifat pcv2 titers on day 25 , 32 and 50 , and a slightly lower incidence rate of ihc positive tissues . all other results for these two groups were similar . overall , one dose of vorf2 adjuvanted with carbopol performed similar to two doses of the same vaccine . | 0 |
fig1 very generally depicts a device that shows various inventive features . herein , 1 denotes a piece of laser material , in a laser cavity delimited by a first cavity mirror 2 and a second cavity mirror 3 . a q - switch is indicated by 4 , and an optional polarizing beam splitter with 5 . a focusing lens 6 is also optional . a first diode 7 with a diode lens 8 emits a beam 9 , which forms a laser beam 10 in the laser material 1 , that is shaped to a focused beam 11 having a focal point 12 . an optical pump is indicated by 13 , with a pump diode 14 and a lens 15 , and emits a pump beam 16 . a diode 17 with diode lens 18 , emits a beam 19 that is focused on a diode beam focal spot 21 , causing a laser beam 22 . the laser material may be any material suitable for laser action with a desired wavelength . such wavelength may e . g . be anywhere in the optical range , i . e . uv , visible or infrared . for shaving purposes , desirable wavelengths are around 800 - 2000 , especially between about 1000 and 1100 nm . the laser material may be in the form of a rod , such as a crystal , or also as a container with a gas or fluid . an example of a useful laser material could be yag , emitting at 1064 nm . the cavity mirrors 2 and 3 may be any suitable laser mirrors , with a shape that fits the beam profile . the q - switch 4 may e . g . be a saturable absorber , such as cr4 +: yag , for the above mentioned yag - laser . such a saturable absorber absorbs a large part of incident radiation , until a threshold is reached , at which point the absorption decreases to practically zero , and laser action can start . the polarizing beam splitter 5 is an optional part , that serves a special purpose especially when using the device for detection , to be discussed further below . optical pump 13 comprises a diode 14 , which emits sufficient energy , absorbable by the laser material 1 , to bring the latter into simmer mode . thereto , the diode 14 is optionally provided with collimating optics 15 , and emits a pump beam 16 . the wavelength and energy of the pump beam depend on the absorption characteristics and simmer threshold of the laser material 1 , but may be readily selected by the skilled person , if necessary after some experiments . alternatives for the diode 14 could be a pumping laser , a lamp , etc . note that the “ optical pump ” relates to pump radiation of any suitable wavelength , and not particularly to laser wavelengths . an important remark here is that the laser material 1 emits , in the pumped simmer state , a weak cw beam , though not a true laser beam . in most known laser devices that have a q - switch , said switch is positioned at an output end of the device , to prevent low power “ noise ”. however , the present invention puts this low power cw radiation to good use , in that it serves as an illumination means that is emitted across the complete output surface of the laser material ( or laser device ) if a cavity mirror , filter , housing or the like would add extra constraints . thereto , the q - switch is positioned opposite the intended output face . use of the simmer mode cw radiation will be elucidated in connection with fig5 and 6 . diode 7 , with a diode lens 8 , is arranged to emit a substantially parallel , or at least narrow , beam 9 of radiation that is absorbable by the laser material 1 . when such beam 9 is absorbed , a corresponding volume in the laser material will be excited above the laser threshold , and will show ase ( amplified spontaneous emission ), which , in the dashed volume , will saturate the absorber in its transmissive state , and start laser action in a localized laser action . in order to determine where the localized laser action is to be obtained , the diode 7 may be displaceable , or its beam 9 could be manipulated to be incident on a desired spot . this will be elucidated further below . as an alternative , diode 17 with diode lens 18 could emit a beam 19 that is focused by lens 20 on a focal spot 21 . the focal spot 21 , and possibly a surrounding part of the volume of the laser material 1 , may be excited above laser threshold , in a similar way to that described above , and provide a laser beam in the volume partly indicated with the short dashes . thus , illumination from the sides is also possible . even an unfocussed beam could provide laser action , when its intensity is high enough . the laser beam 10 thus produced may be emitted at the second cavity mirror 3 , and may be put to good use , e . g . illuminating or ablating an object . the lens 6 is optional , and could e . g . serve to provide a focused , high - intensity laser beam , for increased and more localized laser action , such as for precision operations . an example could be the generation of a laser - induced optical breakdown phenomenon ( liob ), as already discussed in the introductory part . fig2 diagrammatically shows a number of steps in the method of the invention , for three different quantities , from left to right the total pump intensity , i . e . radiation incident on the laser material , the inversion level ( of relevant energy levels ) and the output power . the three diagrams each show a distinct peak , which peaks substantially coincide in time . the pump intensity reflects the more or less constant pumping , e . g . with the optical pump 13 of fig1 . the basic intensity is often rather low . the effect of this constant pumping is that it brings the molecules or the like of the laser material into a simmer mode , with an increased inversion level , but not yet with such an inversion level that laser action occurs . in the diagram in the middle , this is indicated by an inversion level that increases , under the influence of the pumping , to above the simmer threshold but below the laser threshold . the inversion level at the time of the pump intensity peak rapidly increases to above the laser threshold , and laser action suddenly sets in , causing a laser pulse to be emitted . then also , the inversion level drops to zero , due to the stimulated emission . after that , the continuing pump intensity re - increases the inversion level to between the inversion and the laser threshold . the resulting output power is shown in the diagram to the right . at first , there is no , or hardly any output . then , when the simmer threshold is reached , a continuous wave output is obtained , indicated by the low level plateau . at the time of the pump intensity peak , the laser pulse is generated at a very much higher output level . after the laser pulse , the zero inversion level causes zero ( or low ) output , and the cycle can begin again . fig3 diagrammatically shows a cross - sectional view of a device according to the invention . herein , as in all figures , similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals . the laser device still comprises a laser material 1 and q - switch 4 between cavity mirrors 2 and 3 . 30 denotes a beam deflection mirror , with a pivot point 31 , and 32 is a scanning lens . an optical pump is not shown here . a lens array 35 , with focus lenses 6 ′ is movable with an array mover 36 . the beam deflection mirror 30 serves to aim an incident beam ( not shown ) at the laser material 1 , and is pivotable about a pivot 31 . in order to provide a beam that is incident in parallel , a scanning lens is provided . preferably , the pivot 31 is in the focal point of the scanning lens 32 . with this arrangement , a single source can provide a single beam , that can still address every part of the laser material 1 . in the device shown here , the lens array 35 is optional , and could be used to provide a focal spot , such as for liob to cut a hair or the like . although a single movable lens could suffice , a multitude of lenses improves the speed of addressing , and also allows the provision of more than one laser beam pulse at the same time . another very important advantage is that a large number of small lenses can much more easily provide an optical system with a high numerical aperture ( na ). such a high na is safer when focused laser beams are used , since then the focal spot is limited in the beam direction . the field of view , both when detecting and when supplying pulses , is limited when compared to the size of the lens . however , when using a movable lens , and preferably an array of movable lenses , this may be compensated . in practice , an na of at least about 0 . 3 , preferably at least about 0 . 6 is suitable for performing safe liob based cutting of hair in ( human ) skin tissue . for other purposes , some other na could be expedient . furthermore , the lens array 35 can be moved into a corresponding correct position to guide the generated beam further , by means of the array mover 36 , which may be any mechanical device , such as a piezo - electrical or electromechanical actuator , micro - motor and so on . the lens array 35 may e . g . be moved in the y - direction or in any other way in a plane perpendicular to the z - direction . the control of the array mover 36 , by a control unit not shown here , may be coupled to the control of the beam deflection mirror . the positioning of the lens array 35 may be done in such a way that the focus lens 6 ′ that is closest to the desired position of the laser beam pulse is moved into position . fig4 diagrammatically shows a cross - sectional view of another device according to the invention . herein , 40 is a diode array , with diodes 41 , 42 . a beam splitter is denoted by 5 . the diodes 41 , 42 are individually addressable , and may each provide a beam 45 , as does diode 42 in this case . the diode array 40 could also be made movable , in order to make the addressing of the laser material even more accurate and versatile . the diode array may be used to generate laser beam pulse patterns according to the way in which the diodes are addressed . many uses are conceivable , e . g . in materials processing and so on . the beam 45 generates a laser beam pulse of width d , which , however , need not be equal to the width of diode beam 45 . in fig4 , the emitted laser beam pulse is addressing focus lens 6 ′, while neighboring focus lenses 6 ″ also are illuminated partly . in principle , this would lead to three focal points . in some cases , such as addressing individual optical fibers , this is not desirable . however , especially in the case of using the liob phenomenon , such as in cutting hairs or treating skin in a similar fashion , the fact that the focus lenses 6 ″ are not completely “ filled ” means that the total intensity in these additional focal points is ( much ) less than in the main focal point associated with lens 6 ′. hence , liob will not occur and no damage need be done . in such case , the width d of the laser pulse beam may be larger than the diameter of the lenses 6 ′, 6 ″. alternatively , the addressing of the lenses 6 ′, 6 ″ with respect to the beam need not be extremely accurate . furthermore , in any practical situation , there will be inter - lens spaces , which then also form inherent safety zones . suitable inter - lens dead spaces may depend on e . g . the number of lenses and diodes ( or other light sources ), the lens diameter and on the required safety level . for example , the lens dead space could be taken equal to the radius of the lens times the ratio of the number of lenses and the number of diodes . in the case of as many diodes as there are lenses , the required dead space could be ( at least ) one lens radius . similar calculations may be made for all situations . also shown is the beam splitter 5 , without any additional features . such a beam splitter may be used for detection purposes , as will be explained below in connection with fig5 and 6 . fig5 diagrammatically shows a detection device according to the invention . it comprises a polarizing beam splitter 5 , with , in this case two , beam splitter surfaces 50 - 1 and 50 - 2 . furthermore , a detector system 60 comprises a silicon photodetector 61 behind a pin hole 62 and a lens 63 . radiation returning from a hair 71 in skin 70 is formed into a beam 75 . in the detection device , with an optional addressing diode 7 , the pump diode 14 is used to bring the laser material into simmer mode , in which it emits cw radiation . this radiation can enter the skin 70 , preferably having a first polarization state . this radiation is reflected and scattered by various parts of the skin , not in the least by its surface , but also by a hair 71 . the radiation from this hair returns with a probability that is polarization dependent . in any case , independent of polarization , some radiation will return through the focus lens 6 to the laser material 1 . since the laser material 1 is in simmer mode , it will amplify the incoming radiation , in beam 75 . this beam is reflected at least partly at interfaces 50 - 1 and 50 - 2 , again passes the laser material 1 , by which it is amplified again . note that the detector device could also be provided to the right of the laser material , e . g . when only a single interface 50 - 1 would be provided . alternatively , more intricate patterns of interfaces 50 - 1 , 50 - 2 , . . . and / or additional mirrors could be provided , to create a path with even more amplification . in any case , the amplified radiation 75 then passes the lens 63 , the pin hole 62 and is incident on the photodetector 61 . since a pin hole 62 rejects a large fraction of the background radiation , and the returning radiation is amplified ; the signal - to - noise ratio is improved . this may be further improved if use is made of a desirable state of polarization of the radiation incident on the skin , as has been described in european patent application ep 06125915 . 6 , and which will be elucidated further in connection with fig6 . the detection device thus obtained shows a good ability to detect hairs , or other structures buried in materials such as skin , up to a relatively large depth , and with good sensitivity . note that a bias will be measured by the photodetector 61 , due to the cw radiation from the simmer mode . however , it will be easy to subtract this bias from the measured signal . in fact , this bias may be put to good use . the device may generally be arranged to control the optical pump , such as pump diode 14 , with the bias signal from the photodetector , such that the simmer mode is kept constant , e . g . with respect to the inversion level . that increases the accuracy of the measurements . when the device further comprises an addressing ( or pulse ) diode 7 , the device will be a laser treatment device , and may also be used to provide a laser pulse at a desired position , e . g . in order to cut the hair , with liob or the like . thereto , once a hair position has been detected , a laser pulse may be generated by having diode 7 supply additional energy to bring the laser material 1 from simmer mode into laser mode , at least at the desired location . this desired location may be determined and addressed by means of the detected hair position . then , the laser pulse reaches the detected hair position , and cuts it . in order to protect the detector against reflected parts of the laser pulse , a shutter may be built in , that shuts the detector system 60 when a laser pulse is generated , e . g . by closing the pin hole 62 . the device of fig5 may be moved across the skin for shaving . then , the device may detect hairs . the focus lens 6 may be movable , but could also be an array of lenses , which could be moved as well , e . g . reciprocatingly or rotatingly , in order to scan the skin while the device is moved . instead of the addressing diode 7 , movable or not , the device could also e . g . comprise a set - up similar to fig3 , with a movable mirror 30 and a scanning lens 32 . fig6 diagrammatically shows a cross - sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the detection device shown in fig5 . this embodiment comprises two additional parts , viz . a quarter wave plate 80 and a faraday rotator 81 . the faraday rotator rotates the direction of the linearly polarized light over 45 ° clockwise or counter clockwise depending on the direction of travel through the rotator . the quarter wave plate 80 converts the linear polarization as output by the faraday rotator to circularly polarized radiation , and vice versa . as described in ep 06125915 . 6 , this is useful to further increase the sensitivity for radiation returning from subcutaneous hair . in this way the cross - polarized backscattered light remitted by the tissue will , after passing through the wave - plate , effectively be polarized in parallel with the incident light . by passing through the faraday rotator in the reverse direction , the light will effectively be cross polarized compared to the light emanating from the laser cavity and , hence , will be separated by the polarizing beam splitter 5 to be detected by detection system 60 . in any case , this detection device shows a very good sensitivity , as it is arranged to emit and detect circularly polarized light , and comprises the detection device according to the invention , i . e . comprises a light amplifier using a laser material in simmer mode . if the device comprises a radiation source for additionally exciting the laser material 1 above laser threshold , the device of fig6 could also be a laser treatment device , similar to the one described in connection with fig5 . again , the laser treatment device could be arranged to provide a laser pulse at the position where a hair has been detected . the devices shown in fig3 - 6 may be used for detecting and / or cutting hairs subcutaneously and so on , and then may be called a detection device and / or laser treatment device , in particular a hair detection and / or treatment device . advantageously , these devices then comprise a hair recognition device , that is arranged to detect and recognize a hair from an image made by the detection device . for example suitable software or the like , in a control unit comprised in the device , to recognize a hair is known in the art . furthermore , the laser treatment device for cutting hairs could include such a detection feature . the device could also cut hairs based on liob . thereto , a pulse energy control device could be included , such as a control device arranged to control the size of the volume of laser material involved in the emitted laser pulse , as may be done by addressing a suitable number of pulse diodes , or across a suitable area of the laser material . the present invention has been described with reference to a number of exemplary embodiments . the scope should , however , not be limited thereto , but should rather be determined by means of the appended claims . | 0 |
the invention relates to a linear differential amplifier with improved voltage swing . the linear amplifier according to the invention corrects for an error voltage inherent in differential pair amplifiers , without hindering the available voltage swing , and thus , is particularly suited for low - voltage applications . embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to fig3 - 5 . however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments . fig3 is a block diagram of a differential pair amplifier 48 according to a basic embodiment of the invention . the differential pair amplifier 48 is constructed from several amplifiers . in particular , the differential pair amplifier 48 includes an input differential amplifier 50 , a distortion correction differential amplifier 52 , and an output differential amplifier 54 . both the input differential amplifier 50 and the output differential amplifier receive a differential input voltage ( v in ). the distortion correction differential amplifier 52 monitors an error voltage ( δv be ) associated with the input differential amplifier 50 and produces an error current in accordance therewith . the error current is then forwarded to the output differential amplifier 54 . the output differential amplifier 54 amplifies the differential input voltage ( v in ) to produce an output voltage ( v out ). in addition , the output differential amplifier 54 eliminates ( cancels out ) an error voltage ( δv be ) associated with the output differential amplifier 54 using the error current received from the distortion correction differential amplifier 52 . consequently , the output voltage ( v out ) is free of non - linear distortion otherwise caused by the error voltage ( δv be ) even in low voltage situations . actually , the error voltage ( δv be ) is not completely eliminated , but is eliminated at least to a first order . hence , as used herein the terms &# 34 ; linear &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; eliminate &# 34 ; when referring to the differential amplifier mean &# 34 ; substantially linear &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; substantially eliminate &# 34 ;, such as to a first order , as well understood by those skilled in the art . fig4 is a block diagram of a differential pair amplifier 55 according to a first embodiment of the invention . as with the basic embodiment illustrated in fig3 the differential pair amplifier 55 according to the first embodiment is also constructed from several amplifiers . the construction of the differential pair amplifier 55 includes circuitry corresponding to the input differential amplifier 50 , the distortion correction differential amplifier 52 , and the output differential amplifier 54 . the differential pair amplifier 55 includes a first pair of amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ). the base of the amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ) receive a differential input voltage ( v in ) from a voltage source ( not shown ) via source resistors 60 and 62 ( r s ). the source resistors 60 and 62 ( r s ) represent the resistance associated with the voltage source . the emitters of the amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ) are respectively coupled to a potential source ( v ee ) through current sources 64 and 66 , respectively . the emitters of the amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ) are also coupled together through an emitter resister 68 ( r e ). the collectors of the amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ) are respectively coupled to a potential source ( v cc ) through load diodes 70 and 72 ( q 7 and q 8 ). the differential pair amplifier 55 also includes a pair of amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ). the bases of the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) are respectively coupled to the collectors of the amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ). the emitters of the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) are coupled to the potential source ( v ee ) through current sources 78 and 80 , respectively . in addition , the emitters of the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) are coupled together through an emitter resistor 82 ( r e ). the collectors of the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) couple to circuitry corresponding to the output differential amplifier 54 as will be discussed below . the differential pair amplifier 55 still further includes a third pair of amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ). the emitters of the amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ) are coupled to the potential source ( v ee ) through current sources 88 and 90 , respectively . in addition , the emitters of the amplifying transistor 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ) are coupled together through an emitter resistor 92 ( r e ). the collectors of the amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ) couple to the collectors of the amplifying transistors 76 and 74 ( q 6 and q 5 ), respectively . furthermore , the collectors of the amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ) also couple to the potential source ( v cc ) through load resistors 94 and 96 ( r l ), respectively . the current in the collectors of the amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ) directly drive the load resistors 94 and 96 ( r l ), while the current in the collectors of the amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ) drive the diode loads 70 and 72 ( q 7 and q 8 ). the voltage appearing across the emitters of the diode loads 70 and 72 ( q 7 and q 8 ) is an error voltage ( δv be1 ). the following formula ( 2 ) more accurately defines the error voltage ( δv be1 ): where i c is a collector current and v t = kt / q , with k being the boltzmann constant , t being temperature ( kelvin ) and q being electronic charge magnitude . this error voltage ( δv be1 ) replicates the signal - dependent difference in the base - emitter voltages of the amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ) because the base emitter voltage of the diode load 70 ( q 7 ) matches the base emitter voltage of the amplifying transistor 56 ( q 3 ) and because the base emitter voltage of the diode load 72 ( q 8 ) matches the base emitter voltage of the amplifying transistor 58 ( q 4 ). the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) convert this error voltage ( δv be1 ) into an error current using the emitter resistor 82 ( r e ). thereafter , this error current is added to the current flowing through the load resistors 94 and 96 ( r l ) and thereby operates to correct for the non - linearity in the pair of amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ). in particular , the signal current in the collectors of the amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ) is : where δv be2 = v t ln ( i c1 / i c2 ) and r e is the resistance of the emitter resistors . the error current in the collectors of the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) is approximately : therefore , the total signal current in the load resistors 94 and 96 ( r l ) is : the above simplification assumes that δv be2 is approximately equal to δv be3 which is normally reasonable , particularly when the associated transistors are fabricated on the same semiconductor wafer . hence , the total signal current through the load resistors 94 and 96 ( r l ) is a linear output current with respect to v in . consequently , the output voltage ( v out ) is likewise linear . comparing fig4 with fig3 the circuitry in fig4 that is associated with the input differential amplifier 50 includes the first pair of amplifying transistors 56 and 58 ( q 3 and q 4 ), the current sources 64 and 66 , the emitter resister 68 ( r e ), and the load diodes 70 and 72 ( q 7 and q 8 ). the circuitry in fig4 that is associated with the distortion correction differential amplifier 52 includes the pair of amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ), the current sources 78 and 80 , and the emitter resistor 82 ( r e ). the circuitry in fig4 that is associated with the output differential amplifier 54 includes the third pair of amplifying transistors 84 and 86 ( q 1 and q 2 ), the current sources 88 and 90 , and the load resistors 94 and 96 ( r l ). fig5 is a block diagram of a differential pair amplifier 98 according to a second embodiment of the invention . the differential pair amplifier 98 is largely the same as the differential pair amplifier 55 shown in fig4 . the difference is that the load diodes 70 and 72 of fig4 are replaced by load transistors 100 and 102 . the load transistors 100 and 102 share a common base coupled to a predetermined supply voltage ( v bb ). in the first and second embodiments of the invention discussed above , there are preferred aspects to the invention . preferably , the transistors are all the same , i . e ., having the same type and size , except for minor differences resulting from ic processing . the current sources 64 , 66 , 78 , 80 , 88 and 90 are also preferably the same , and each of which is preferably constructed from a single transistor . also , the first through third emitter resistors 68 , 82 and 92 ( also known as emitter degeneration resistors ) may have essentially the same resistance , but it may be preferable to form one or both of the first and second emitter resistors 68 and 82 so as to have a resistance slightly smaller than the resistance of the third emitter resistor 92 . the slight difference in resistance causes the error voltage produced to be slightly higher so as to compensate for the fact that the distortion correction differential amplifier 52 itself has errors . also , such error could also be reduced or compensated by adding another distortion correction amplifier to correct the error voltage ( current ) produced by the distortion correction differential amplifier 52 . note also that the error voltage δv be is small compared to the input voltage . as a result , the amplifying transistors 74 an 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) operate in a relatively more linear range than do the other two pairs of amplifying transistors q 1 , q 2 and q 3 , q 4 . however , the voltage error ( δv be3 ) generated by the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) can also be compensated for by slightly reducing the value of one or both of the emitter resistors 68 and 82 ( r e ), thereby increasing the signal which appears across the bases of the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ). this is effective because the error always decreases the gain of the amplifier ; hence , reducing the value of one or both the emitter resistors 68 and 82 ( r e ) increases the gain and therefore offsets the reduction caused by the error . in addition , depending on the output requirements the bases and the collectors of the diode loads 70 and 72 ( q 7 and q 8 ) may be at a lower potential than the supply potential v cc . by lowering the voltage potential applied to the collectors of the diode loads 70 and 72 ( q 7 and q 8 ), the voltage at the bases of the amplifying transistors 74 and 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ) is lowered , which in turn advantageously allows more signal swing at the collectors of the amplifying transistors 74 an 76 ( q 5 and q 6 ). in fig5 the lowering of the predetermined supply voltage ( v bb ) has the same effect . the many features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the written description , and thus , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention . further , 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 operation as illustrated and described . hence , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the invention . | 7 |
a particularly tight and mechanically strong sintered material is obtained by molding under vacuum . fig1 is a section through an electric hotplate 11m , whose hotplate body 12m is made from sintered material . hotplate body 12m is made from sintered material , which is based on iron dust and which can contain different pulverulent additives of different metals , such as copper , chrome , nickel , aluminium , manganese , etc . the upper flat cooking surface 13 is depressed somewhat in the central area 14a and terminates at the outer periphery in an outwardly directed flange 36m , in whose vicinity is connected an outwardly projecting ring edge 19m , onto whose outer surface a flush ring ( not shown ) can be tightly pressed . below the annular , closed cooking surface 13 the hotplate heating system is in the form of heating resistors 17m , received in spirally arranged slots 40 . the slots 40 are located on the bottom of the hotplate body and are separated from one another by ribs 41 of said body 12m . unlike in the case of conventional hotplates , the depth and width of the slots is very small and is less than 5 mm and is preferably 3 . 5 mm . the thickness of the ribs need only be 0 . 8 to 1 mm , so that there is an inside slot diameter of approximately 2 . 5 mm . heating resistors are placed in the slots . the heating resistors 17m are in the form of slightly undulating solid wires , which consequently do not have to be used in the conventional helical form . the slight undulation of the wires makes it possible for the wire to adapt to the hotplate body in the case of any elongation or extension differences . for example , the resistor can be formed from wire which is initially helically wound and is then not completely pulled taut . however , it is also possible to produce the heating resistors from stranded wires , which comprise e . g . 3 to 5 strands , which are twisted or stranded relative to one another with a relatively limited twist , as shown in fig3 . as shown in fig2 it is also possible to produce the heating resistors from a strip 17m , which is also slightly undulated and is arranged at right angles to the bottom of the hotplate body in slot 40 . heating resistors 17m , n are embedded in the slots in an embedding material 42 , which comprises electrically insulating pulverulent loose material which , during manufacture , is consolidated by compaction . due to the limited width or spacing of the slots , it is possible to wind the heating resistor or resistors round in a very large number of spiral turns . thus , for example , if three electrically differently switchable heating resistors are used , as are required , e . g . for a hotplate with 7 heating settings , said three heating resistors in parallel spiral slots can be placed round a total of 5 times , which leads to a total of 15 parallel slots arranged in accordance with a triple spiral . during manufacture , which can take place in conventional manner , i . e . working preferably takes place with inert gas in the process stage of molding and sintering in the oven at temperatures well below the melting point ( in the case of iron approx . 1100 ° to 1200 ° c .). it is advantageously possible to modify the material composition in layers , for example , to use in the vicinity of the outer surfaces particularly dense materials , which consequently have limited sensitivity to fracture , so that a sandwich body is obtained . on the outsides , particularly the top , it is also possible to use materials which are protected against corrosion after sintering . the present hotplate offers considerable advantages , particularly an improvement in efficiency compared with conventional hotplates and ease of manufacture , which essentially involves no machining . the very narrow construction of the slots and ribs is made possible by manufacturing by sintering . this process more particularly ensures that the slots are free from any undesired projections and that they have a precisely predetermined surface structure , so that it is also possible to accurately space the heating resistors from the walls of the slots . however , manufacture by sintering also leads to other advantages . thus , the rib height can be reduced to roughly half , i . e . preferably also 3 . 5 mm , and the plate thickness , i . e . the distance between cooking surface 13 and the bottom of the slot , can be reduced to approximately 2 . 5 mm . this also leads to a reduction in the height of the ring edge 19mand therefore the complete hotplate to less than 15 mm . thus , a hotplate can be obtained , which only weighs roughly half compared with a conventional hotplate . the slight undulation of the heating resistors makes it possible with all types of hotplates made from the most varied materials and different manufacturing modes , to insert a substantially non - undulating wire or a strip into very narrow slots , without there being any danger of fracturing or tearing , or coming into contact with the hotplate body in the case of thermal expansion differences . | 7 |
the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are intended to describe some , but not necessarily all , examples or embodiments of the invention only and does not limit the scope of the invention in any way . the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are intended to describe some , but not necessarily all , examples or embodiments of the invention only and does not limit the scope of the invention in any way . a number of the drawings in this patent application show anatomical structures of the male reproductive and / or urinary system . in general , these anatomical structures are labeled with the following reference letters : urethra ut urethral lumen ul urethral opening uo urinary bladder ub ureters ur prostate gland pg capsule of prostate gland cp testis ts vas deferens vd fig1 a shows a sagittal section of a male human body through the lower abdomen showing the male urinary tract . the male urinary tract comprises a pair of tubular organs called ureters ( ur ) that conduct urine produced by the kidneys . the ureters empty into the urinary bladder . the urinary bladder is a hollow muscular organ that temporarily stores urine . it is situated posterior to the pubic bone . the inferior region of the urinary bladder has a narrow muscular opening called the bladder neck which opens into a soft , flexible , tubular organ called the urethra . the muscles around the bladder neck are called the internal urethral sphincter . the internal urethral sphincter is normally contracted to prevent urine leakage . the urinary bladder gradually fills with urine until full capacity is reached , at which point the sphincter relaxes . this causes the bladder neck to open , thereby releasing the urine stored in the urinary bladder into the urethra . the urethra begins at the bladder neck , terminates at the end of the penis , and allows for urine to exit the body . the region of the urethra just inferior to the urinary bladder is completely surrounded by the prostate gland . the prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system and is usually walnut shaped . clinically , the prostate is divided into lobes . the lateral lobes are located lateral to the urethra ; the middle lobe is located on the dorsal aspect of the urethra , near the bladder neck . most commonly in bph , the lateral lobes become enlarged and act like curtains to close the urethral conduit . less commonly , the middle lobe grows in size and becomes problematic . because of its superior location near the bladder neck with respect to the urethra , an enlarged middle lobe acts like a ball valve and occludes fluid passage . fig1 b shows a coronal section through the lower abdomen of a human male showing a region of the male urinary system . the prostate gland ( pg ) is located around the urethra at the union of the urethra and the urinary bladder . fig2 a through 2h show various alternate approaches to deploy implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . specific examples of implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) useable in this invention are shown in other figures of this patent application and are described more fully herebelow . fig2 a shows a first trans - urethral approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 a , an introducing device 200 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening of the penis . introducing device 200 comprises an elongate body 202 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 204 . one or more working device ( s ) 206 is / are then introduced through distal opening 204 into the urethra . the working device ( s ) 206 penetrate the urethral wall and thereafter one or more lobes of the prostate gland . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 206 may further penetrate the prostate capsule and enters the pelvic cavity . working device ( s ) 206 are also used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 b shows a second trans - urethral approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 b , an introducing device 210 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening uo of the penis . introducing device 210 comprises an elongate body 212 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 214 . one or more working device ( s ) 216 is / are insertable through distal opening 214 into the urethra . working device ( s ) 216 penetrate ( s ) the urethral wall inferior to the prostate gland and enters the pelvic cavity . thereafter , working device ( s ) 216 penetrate ( s ) the prostate capsule cp and thereafter one or more lobes of the prostate gland . in some applications of the method the working device ( s ) 216 may further penetrate the urethral wall enclosed by the prostate gland eg and enters the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 216 may then be used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 c shows a third trans - urethral approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 c , an introducing device 220 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening uo of the penis . introducing device 220 comprises an elongate body 222 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 224 . introducing device 220 is positioned such that distal opening 224 is located in the urinary bladder ub . thereafter , a one or more working device ( s ) 226 is / are introduced through distal opening 224 into the urinary bladder ub . working device ( s ) 226 penetrate ( s ) the wall of the urinary bladder ub and thereafter penetrate ( s ) one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , the working device ( s ) 226 may further penetrate the prostate capsule and enter the pelvic cavity . working device ( s ) 226 may then be used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 d shows a transperineal approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 d , an introducing device 230 is introduced in the pelvic cavity percutaneously through the perineum . introducing device 230 comprises an elongate body 232 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 234 . introducing device 230 is positioned such that distal opening 234 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 236 is / are introduced through distal opening 234 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 236 penetrate ( s ) the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate ( s ) one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , the working device ( s ) 236 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland pg and enter the urethral lumen . working device 236 may then be used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 e shows a percutaneous / transvesicular approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 e , an introducing device 240 is introduced percutaneously through the abdominal wall . introducing device 240 comprises an elongate body 242 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 244 . after passing through the abdominal wall , introducing device 240 is advanced through the wall of the urinary bladder ub such that distal opening 244 is located in the urinary bladder ub . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 246 is / are introduced through distal opening 244 into the urinary bladder ub . one or more working device ( s ) 246 are advanced through the wall of the urinary bladder ub and into the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 246 may further penetrate through the prostate gland capsule and enter the pelvic cavity . working device ( s ) 246 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 f shows a percutaneous trans - osseus approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 f , an introducing device 250 is introduced percutaneously through the abdominal wall . introducing device 250 comprises an elongate body 252 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 254 . introducing device 250 is used to penetrate a pelvic bone ( e . g . the pubic bone pb ). thereafter , introducing device 250 is positioned such that distal opening 254 is located adjacent to the prostate gland pg . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 256 is / are introduced through distal opening 254 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 256 penetrate the prostate capsule and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 256 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 256 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 g shows a percutaneous suprapubic approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 g , an introducing device 260 is introduced in the pelvic cavity percutaneously in a trajectory that passes superior to the pubis bone . introducing device 260 comprises an elongate body 262 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 264 . introducing device 260 is then positioned such that distal opening 264 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 266 is / are introduced through distal opening 264 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 266 penetrate the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 266 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 266 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 h shows a percutaneous infrapubic approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland . in fig2 h , an introducing device 270 is introduced in the pelvic cavity percutaneously in a trajectory that passes inferior to the pubis bone . introducing device 270 comprises an elongate body 272 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 274 . introducing device 270 is introduced percutaneously in the pelvic cavity in a trajectory that passes inferior to the pubic bone . introducing device 270 is then positioned such that distal opening 274 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 276 is / are introduced through distal opening 274 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 276 penetrate the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 276 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland pg and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 276 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 i shows a trans - rectal approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 i , an introducing device 280 is introduced in the rectum . introducing device 280 comprises an elongate body 282 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 284 . introducing device is then advanced such that it penetrates the rectal wall and enters the pelvic cavity . introducing device 280 is then positioned such that distal opening 284 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 286 is / are introduced through distal opening 284 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 286 penetrate the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 286 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 286 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig3 a to 3f show various examples of devices and systems that are useable to treat conditions where the prostate gland pg is compressing a region of the urethra such that the urethra does not expand normally during micturition and urine outflow is impeded . fig3 a shows the perspective view of an introducer device 300 . introducer device 300 comprises an outer body 301 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . body 301 comprises a working device lumen 302 . distal end of working device lumen 302 emerges out of the distal end of body 301 . in one embodiment , distal end of working device lumen 302 has a bent or curved region . proximal end of working device lumen 302 emerges out of a first flexible tube 304 . the proximal end of first flexible tube 304 comprises a stasis valve 306 . body 301 further comprises a cystoscope lumen 308 . distal end of cystoscope lumen 308 emerges out of the distal end of body 301 . proximal end of cystoscope lumen 308 emerges out of a second flexible tube 310 . the proximal end of second flexible tube 310 comprises a stasis valve 312 . cystoscope lumen 308 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a first side port 318 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . working device lumen 302 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a second side port 320 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . fig3 b shows a perspective view of an injecting needle . injecting needle 330 is used for injecting one or more diagnostic or therapeutic substances . in some applications of the invention , the injecting needle 330 may be used to inject local anesthetic in the urethra , prostate gland and / or tissues near the prostate gland . specific examples of target areas for injecting local anesthetics are the neurovascular bundles , the genitourinary diaphragm , the region between the rectal wall and prostate , etc . examples of local anesthetics that can be injected by injecting needle 330 are anesthetic solutions e . g . 1 % lidocaine solution ; anesthetic gels e . g . lidocaine gels ; combination of anesthetic agents e . g . combination of lidocaine and bupivacaine ; etc . injecting needle 330 comprises a hollow shaft 332 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . in this example , the distal end of hollow shaft 332 comprises a sharp tip 334 . the proximal end of hollow shaft 332 has a needle hub 336 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . in one embodiment , needle hub 336 comprises a luer lock . fig3 c shows an example of an introducing device or introducing sheath 340 . introducing sheath 340 comprises a hollow , tubular body 342 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . tubular body 342 further comprises two marker bands : a proximal marker band 344 and a distal marker band 346 . the marker bands can be seen by a cystoscope . in one embodiment , proximal marker band 344 and distal marker band 346 are radiopaque . the position of proximal marker band 344 and distal marker band 346 is such that after introducing sheath 340 is placed in an optimum location in the anatomy , proximal marker band 344 is located in the urethra where it can be seen by a cystoscope and distal marker band 346 is located in the prostrate gland or in the wall of the urethra where it cannot be seen by a cystoscope . tubular body 342 further comprises a series of distance markers 348 on the outer surface of tubular body 342 . the proximal end of tubular body 342 further comprises a hub 350 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . in one embodiment , hub 350 comprises a luer lock . fig3 d shows a perspective view of a trocar . trocar 360 comprises a tubular trocar body 362 . the proximal end of trocar body 362 comprises a hub 364 . trocar body 362 and hub can be constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . distal end of trocar body 362 ends in a sharp trocar tip 366 . fig3 e shows a perspective view of an anchor delivery device . anchor delivery device 370 comprises a body 372 having a distal opening 373 . a section of the distal region of body 372 has been removed to show a view of the anchor assembly . body 372 encloses a distal anchor 374 and a proximal anchor 376 . proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 can have a variety of designs including , but not limited to the designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 can be constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . in one embodiment , shown in fig3 f and 3g , proximal anchor 9976 and distal anchor 9974 comprise splayable elements that expand in a radially outward direction when a radial compression force , as enacted by body lumen 9972 , on proximal anchor 9976 and distal anchor 9974 is removed . the splayable elements can be made of suitable super - elastic materials such as nickel - titanium alloys etc . proximal anchor 9976 and distal anchor 9974 are connected to each other by a tension element 9978 . tension element 9978 can be made of suitable elastic or non - elastic materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , suture materials , titanium etc . or polymers such as silicone , nylon , polyamide , polyglycolic acid , polypropylene , pebax , ptfe , eptfe , silk , gut , or any other braided or mono - filament material . tension element 9978 can have a variety of designs including the designs shown in fig5 a through 5f . as shown in fig3 e , the proximal end of proximal anchor 9976 is connected by an attachment mechanism 9980 to a torquable shaft 9982 . the proximal end of torquable shaft 9982 is attached to a control button 9984 . control button 9984 can be used to deploy proximal anchor 9976 by sliding control button 9984 along groove 9985 in the distal direction . control button 9984 is then used to deploy distal anchor 9974 by turning control button 9984 in the circumferential direction along groove 9985 . fig3 h shows a perspective view from the proximal direction of a particular embodiment of the attachment mechanism of fig3 e . attachment mechanism 380 comprises a circular plate 386 made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . polycarbonate , pvc , pebax , polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep etc . the proximal face of circular plate 386 is connected to torquable shaft 382 . circular plate 386 further comprises a semicircular groove 388 . one end of semicircular groove 388 comprises an enlarged region 390 . a knob 392 located on the proximal portion of proximal anchor 376 slides on semicircular groove 388 . the size of knob 322 is larger than the size of semicircular groove 388 but smaller than size of enlarged region 390 . this keeps proximal anchor 376 attached to circular plate 386 . when control button 384 is turned in the circumferential direction along groove 385 , torquable shaft 382 is turned . this turns circular plate 386 causing knob 392 to slide on the groove 388 . ultimately , knob 392 reaches enlarged region 390 . this releases knob 392 from circular plate 386 thereby releasing proximal anchor 376 from anchor delivery device 370 . fig4 a through 4h show a coronal section through the prostate gland showing the various steps of a method of treating prostate gland disorders by compressing a region of the prostate gland using the kit shown in fig3 a through 3f . in fig4 a , introducer device 300 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening at the tip if the penis . a cystoscope is inserted in introducer device 300 through cystoscope lumen 308 such that the lens of the cystoscope is located in the distal opening of cystoscope lumen . the cystoscope is used to navigate introducer device 300 through the urethra such that the distal region of introducer device 300 is located in a target region in the prostatic urethra . thereafter in fig4 b , injecting needle 330 is advanced through working device lumen 302 such that the distal tip of injecting needle 330 penetrates into a region of the urethral wall or the prostate gland . injecting needle 330 is then used to inject one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents into the urethral wall or the prostate gland . this step may be repeated one or more times to inject one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents in one or more regions of the urethral wall and / or the prostate gland . in one method embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to inject an anesthetic in one or more regions of the urethral wall and / or the prostate gland . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver energy in the form of radiofrequency energy , resistive heating , laser energy , microwave energy etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver alpha antagonist agents , such as phenoxybenzamine , prazosin , doxazosin , terazosin , tamsulosin , alfuzosin etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - androgen , such as flutamide or 5 - alpha reductase inhibitors , such as finasteride , dutasteride , 3 - oxosteroid compounds , 4 - aza - 3 - oxosteroid derivatives of testosterone etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - inflammatory agents , such as rapamycin , paclitaxel , abt - 578 , everolimus , taxol etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver ablative agents such as methyl alcohol etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver energy in the form of radiofrequency energy , resistive heating , laser energy , microwave energy etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver alpha antagonist agents , such as phenoxybenzamine , prazosin , doxazosin , terazosin , tamsulosin , alfuzosin etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - androgen , such as flutamide or 5 - alpha reductase inhibitors , such as finasteride , dutasteride , 3 - oxosteroid compounds , 4 - aza - 3 - oxosteroid derivatives of testosterone etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - inflammatory agents , such as rapamycin , paclitaxel , abt - 578 , everolimus , taxol etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver ablative agents such as methyl alcohol etc . in step 4 c , injecting needle 330 is withdrawn from introducer device 300 . thereafter , introducer sheath 340 and trocar 360 are advanced through working device lumen 302 . in the example shown , introducer sheath 340 and trocar 360 are advanced till the distal tip of trocar 360 penetrates the capsule of the prostate gland and the distal end of introducer sheath 340 is located outside the prostate gland in the pelvic cavity . thereafter , trocar 360 is withdrawn from working device lumen 302 leaving introducer sheath 340 in place . in fig4 d , anchor delivery device 370 is introduced through the lumen of introducer sheath 340 till the distal end of body 372 protrudes through the distal tip of introducer sheath 340 . in step 4 e , distal anchor 374 is deployed . it should be noted that the anchor may be carried to the site and deployed from within an introducer , on the outside of an introducer , or it may be the distal tip of the introducer itself . thereafter , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 so that distal anchor 374 is anchored on the outer surface of the prostate capsule . this step may be used to create tension in the tension element 378 . in one method embodiment , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 such that the distal end of anchor delivery device 370 is located in the prostate gland . in another method embodiment , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 till the distal end of anchor delivery device 370 is located in the urethral wall or the urethral lumen . in step 4 f , proximal anchor 376 is deployed . proximal anchor 376 may be deployed in the prostate gland , in the urethral wall or in the urethral lumen . proximal anchor 376 is still attached by attachment mechanism 380 to anchor delivery device 370 . the proximal anchor may be pre - loaded on the tension element , or may subsequently be loaded by the operator on the tension element . fig4 g through 4h show the steps of deploying proximal anchor 376 in the prostate gland . in fig4 g , proximal anchor 376 is separated from anchor delivery device 370 . this separation may be achieved via numerous means including cutting , melting , un - locking a link , or breaking the tensioning element at a desired location . ideally this residual end of the tensioning element will not protrude substantially into the lumen of the urethra . thus proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 are anchored in the anatomy . thereafter , anchor delivery device 370 and introducer sheath 340 are both pulled in the proximal direction and are withdrawn into introducer device 300 . thereafter , introducer device 300 is pulled in the proximal direction to pull it out of the urethra . in fig4 h , the steps from fig4 a through 4g are repeated in a second region of the prostate gland if desired to implant two or more sets of anchoring devices . alternatively , fig4 g ′ through 4 h ′ show the steps of deploying proximal anchor 376 in the urethra . after the step in fig4 f , in fig4 g ′, proximal anchor 376 is separated from anchor delivery device 370 in the urethra . thus proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 are anchored in the urethra and the prostate capsule respectively . thereafter , anchor delivery device 370 and introducer sheath 340 are both pulled in the proximal direction and are withdrawn into introducer device 300 . thereafter , introducer device 300 is pulled in the proximal direction to pull it out of the urethra . in fig4 h ′, the steps from fig4 a through 4 g ′ are repeated optionally in a second region of the prostate gland to implant two or more sets of anchoring devices . it should be understood that this method and devices may be applied to any lobe ( middle or lateral lobes ) of the prostate and further more may be used multiple times in the same lobe to achieve the desired effect . fig4 h ″ shows a coronal section through the prostate gland showing the final deployed configuration of an embodiment of bone anchoring devices for treating prostate gland disorders by compressing a region of the prostate gland . in the method of deploying this device , introducer sheath 340 and trocar 360 are advanced till the distal tip of trocar 360 penetrates a bone in the abdomen ( e . g . the pelvic bone , etc .) and the distal end of introducer sheath 340 is located outside the bone . thereafter , trocar 360 is withdrawn from working device lumen 302 leaving introducer sheath 340 in place . thereafter , anchor delivery device 370 is introduced through the lumen of introducer sheath 340 until the distal end of body 372 touches the bone through the distal tip of introducer sheath 340 . thereafter , distal anchor 374 is implanted in the bone . distal anchor 374 may comprise a variety of designs including , but not limited to designs of distal tips of kirschner wires . examples of such kirschner wire distal tips are spiral drill tips , lancer tips , threaded trocar tips , lengthwise knurled tips , 3 - sided trocar tips , 4 - sided trocar tips , thereafter , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 . this step creates tension in the tension element 378 . in another method embodiment , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 till the distal end of anchor delivery device 370 is located in the urethral wall or the urethral lumen . the remaining method steps are similar to steps 4 f through 4 h . one or more anchors disclosed in this patent application may be implanted in anatomical locations that include , but are not limited to : a location within prostatic lobe ; a location within peripheral zone of prostate ; a location within prostatic capsule ; a location between prostatic capsule and pubic fascia ; a location within the pubic fascia ; a location within the levator ani muscle a location within the obturator internus muscle ; a location within the pelvic bone ; a location within the periostium of pelvic bone ; a location within the pubic bone ; a location within the periostium of pubic bone ; a location within the symphysis pubica ; a location within the urinary bladder wall ; a location within the ischiorectal fossa ; a location within the urogenital diaphragm ; and a location within the abdominal fascia . fig4 i and 4j show a crossection of the urethra through the prostate gland pg showing the appearance of the urethral lumen before and after performing the method shown in fig4 a through 4h . fig4 i shows a crossection of the urethra through the prostate gland showing the appearance of the urethral lumen in a patient with bph . fig4 j shows a crossection of the urethra through the prostate gland pg showing the appearance of the urethral lumen after performing the procedure shown in fig4 a through 4h . the urethral lumen shown in fig4 i is larger than the urethral lumen in fig4 j . fig5 a through 5f show perspective views of some designs of the tension elements that can be used in the embodiments disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . fig5 a shows a perspective view of a tension element 500 comprising a single strand of an untwisted material . examples of materials that can be used to manufacture tension element 500 include but are not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig5 b shows a perspective view of a tension element 502 comprising one or more serrations 504 or notches . serrations 504 may be aligned in a particular direction to allow relatively easy movement of an outer body along tension element 502 in one direction and offer significant resistance to movement of the outer body along the tension element in the other direction . fig5 c shows a perspective view of a tension element 506 comprising multiple filaments 507 of a material twisted together . examples of materials that can be used include to manufacture multiple filaments 507 include but are not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . multiple filaments 507 may be coated with a coating 508 including , but not limited to a lubricious coating , antibiotic coating , etc . it is also possible for the tension element to comprise a composite braided structure in a plastic / metal or plastic / plastic configuration to reduce profile and increase strength . such materials could have preset levels of elasticity and non - elasticity . fig5 d shows a perspective view of a tension element 509 comprising a flexible , elastic , spiral or spring element . examples of materials that can be used include to manufacture tension element 509 include but are not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . fig5 e shows a perspective view of a tension element 510 comprising a screw threading 511 on the outer surface of tension element 510 . screw threading 511 enables tension element 510 to be screwed through an outer element to advance or withdraw tension element through the outer element . fig5 f shows a perspective view of a tension element 512 comprising a hollow shaft 514 comprising one or more collapsible regions 516 . a collapsible region 516 comprises one or more windows 518 . windows 518 are cut in hollow shaft 514 in such a way that several thin , collapsible struts 520 are created between adjacent windows 518 . when tension element 512 is compresses along its length , collapsible struts 520 are deformed in the radially outward direction to create one or more anchoring regions . fig5 g shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 522 comprising a tension element and two anchors . distal end of a tension element 524 is attached to a distal anchor 526 . proximal end of tension element 524 is attached to a proximal anchor 528 . fig5 h shows a perspective view of a tensioning element device comprising a detachable region . anchoring device 530 comprises a first anchor 532 and a second anchor 534 . first anchor 532 and second anchor 534 may comprise a variety of anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . in one embodiment , one or both of first anchor 532 and second anchor 534 comprise a substantially flat plate . the substantially flat plate may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . first anchor 532 and second anchor 534 are connected to a tensioning element . the tensioning element comprises two flexible members : a first tensioning member 536 and a second tensioning member 538 . the distal end of first tensioning member 536 is connected to first anchor 532 and the proximal end of second tensioning member 538 is connected to second anchor 534 . proximal end of first tensioning member 536 and distal end of second tensioning member 538 are connected to a releasable member 540 . releasable member 540 can be releasably connected to a deploying device . in one embodiment of a method using anchoring device 530 , first anchor 532 is deployed out of an anatomical tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) into a first anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ). thereafter , second anchor 534 is deployed into a second anatomical cavity ( e . g . the urethral lumen ). thereafter , releasable member 540 is released from the deploying device to deliver anchoring device 530 in a target region . fig5 i shows a perspective view of a tensioning element comprising telescoping tubes . tensioning element 544 may comprise two or more telescoping tubes . in this example , tensioning element 544 comprises three telescoping tubes : a first telescoping tube 546 , a second telescoping tube 548 and a third telescoping tube 550 . second telescoping tube 548 slidably fits into a lumen of first telescoping tube 546 . similarly third telescoping tube 550 slidably fits into a lumen of second telescoping tube 548 . the telescoping tubes have a locking mechanism to prevent a telescoping tube from completely disengaging from another telescoping tube . the telescoping tubes may be made from a variety of biocompatible materials including , but not limited to plastics , metals etc . all the components of the systems disclosed herein ( including but not limited to the tensioning elements , inner and outer anchor members ) may be coated or embedded with therapeutic or diagnostic substances ( e . g ., drugs or therapeutic agents ) or such therapeutic or diagnostic substances may be introduced into or near the prostate or adjacent tissue through a catheter , cannula needles , etc . examples of therapeutic and diagnostic substances that may be introduced or eluted include but are not limited to : hemostatic agents ; antimicrobial agents ( antibacterials , antibiotics , antifungals , antiprotozoals ; antivirals ; antimicrobial metals ( e . g ., silver , gold , etc . ); hemostatic and / or vasoconstricting agents ( e . g ., pseudoephedrine , xylometazoline , oxymetazoline , phenylephrine , epinephrine , cocaine , etc . ); local anesthetic agents ( lidocaine , cocaine , bupivacaine ,); hormones ; anti - inflammatory agents ( steroidal and non - steroidal ); hormonally active agents ; agents to enhance potency ; substances to dissolve , degrade , cut , break , weaken , soften , modify or remodel connective tissue or other tissues ; ( e . g ., enzymes or other agents such as collagenase ( cgn ), trypsin , trypsin / edta , hyaluronidase , and tosyllysylchloromethane ( tlcm )); chemotherapeutic or antineoplastic agents ; substances that prevent adhesion formation ( e . g ., hyaluronic acid gel ); substances that promote desired tissue ingrowth into an anchoring device or other implanted device ; substances that promote or facilitate epithelialization of the urethra or other areas ; substances that create a coagulative lesion which is subsequently resorbed causing the tissue to shrink ; substances that cause the prostate to decrease in size ; phytochemicals that cause the prostate to decrease in size ; alpha - 1a - adrenergic receptor blocking agents ; 5 - alpha - reductase inhibitors ; smooth muscle relaxants ; agents that inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone , etc . specific examples of antitumor agents ( e . g ., cancer chemotherapeutic agents , biological response modifiers , vascularization inhibitors , hormone receptor blockers , cryotherapeutic agents or other agents that destroy or inhibit neoplasia or tumorigenesis ) that may be delivered in accordance with the present invention include but are not limited to ; alkylating agents or other agents which directly kill cancer cells by attacking their dna ( e . g ., cyclophosphamide , isophosphamide ), nitrosoureas or other agents which kill cancer cells by inhibiting changes necessary for cellular dna repair ( e . g ., carmustine ( bcnu ) and lomustine ( ccnu )), antimetabolites and other agents that block cancer cell growth by interfering with certain cell functions , usually dna synthesis ( e . g ., 6 mercaptopurine and 5 - fluorouracil ( 5fu ), antitumor antibiotics and other compounds that act by binding or intercalating dna and preventing rna synthesis ( e . g ., doxorubicin , daunorubicin , epirubicin , idarubicin , mitomycin - c and bleomycin ) plant ( vinca ) alkaloids and other anti - tumor agents derived from plants ( e . g ., vincristine and vinblastine ), steroid hormones , hormone inhibitors , hormone receptor antagonists and other agents which affect the growth of hormone - responsive cancers ( e . g ., tamoxifen , herceptin , aromatase inhibitors such as aminoglutethimide and formestane , triazole inhibitors such as letrozole and anastrozole , steroidal inhibitors such as exemestane ), antiangiogenic proteins , small molecules , gene therapies and / or other agents that inhibit angiogenesis or vascularization of tumors ( e . g ., meth - 1 , meth - 2 , thalidomide ), bevacizumab ( avastin ), squalamine , endostatin , angiostatin , angiozyme , ae - 941 ( neovastat ), cc - 5013 ( revimid ), medi - 522 ( vitaxin ), 2 - methoxyestradiol ( 2me2 , panzem ), carboxyamidotriazole ( cai ), combretastatin a4 prodrug ( ca4p ), su6668 , su11248 , bms - 275291 , col - 3 , emd 121974 , imc - 1c11 , im862 , tnp - 470 , celecoxib ( celebrex ), rofecoxib ( vioxx ), interferon alpha , interleukin - 12 ( il - 12 ) or any of the compounds identified in science vol . 289 , pages 1197 - 1201 ( aug . 17 , 2000 ) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference , biological response modifiers ( e . g ., interferon , bacillus calmette - guerin ( bcg ), monoclonal antibodies , interluken 2 , granulocyte colony stimulating factor ( gcsf ), etc . ), pgdf receptor antagonists , herceptin , asparaginase , busulphan , carboplatin , cisplatin , carmustine , cchlorambucil , cytarabine , dacarbazine , etoposide , flucarbazone , fluorouracil , gemcitabine , hydroxyurea , ifosphamide , irinotecan , lomustine , melphalan , mercaptopurine , methotrexate , thioguanine , thiotepa , tomudex , topotecan , treosulfan , vinblastine , vincristine , mitoazitrone , oxaliplatin , procarbazine , stereopticon , taxol , taxotere , analogs / congeners and derivatives of such compounds as well as other antitumor agents not listed here . additionally or alternatively , in some applications such as those where it is desired to grow new cells or to modify existing cells , the substances delivered in this invention may include cells ( mucosal cells , fibroblasts , stem cells or genetically engineered cells ) as well as genes and gene delivery vehicles like plasmids , adenoviral vectors or naked dna , mrna , etc . injected with genes that code for anti - inflammatory substances , etc ., and , as mentioned above , macrophages or giant cells that modify or soften tissue when so desired , cells that participate in or effect the growth of tissue . fig6 a through 11a show various examples of anchor designs and / or anchoring device designs . fig6 a and 6b show examples of a crumpling anchor 600 . in fig6 a , crumpling anchor 600 comprises a substantially flattened body 602 . body 602 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . further , in any of the implantable tissue compression devices , any or all of the anchors , the tensioning element ( s ) and any other components may be coated , impregnated , embedded or otherwise provided with substance ( s ) ( e . g ., drugs , biologics , cells , etc .) to reduce the likelihood of infection , inflammation , treat the prostatic adenoma directly or enhance the likelihood of endothelialization , deter adhesion formation , promote healing or otherwise improve the likelihood or degree of success of the procedure . such substance ( s ) may be released primarily at the time of delivery or may be released over a sustained period . examples of such substances are listed above and include but are not limited to certain metals with bacteriostatic action ( i . e . silver , gold , etc . ), antibiotics , antifungals , hemostatic agents ( i . e . collagen , hyaluronic acid , gelfoam , cyano - acrylate , etc . ), anti - inflammatory agents ( steroidal and non - steroidal ), hormonally active agents , stem cells , endothelial cells , genes , vectors containing genes , etc . body 602 may be non - woven or woven . body 602 may have a variety of shapes including , but not limited to square , rectangular , triangular , other regular polygonal , irregular polygonal , circular etc . body 602 may have a substantially one dimensional , two dimensional or three dimensional shape . the material chosen for this device may have hemostatic properties to reduce bleeding from the implantation tract or site . distal end of body 602 is connected to the distal end of tension element 604 . body 602 further comprises one or more attachment means 606 . attachment means are used to create a channel in the body 602 through which tension element 604 passes . crumpling anchor 600 is introduced through a region of tissue ( e . g . through prostate gland tissue ) into a cavity or lumen e . g . pelvic cavity , urethral lumen etc . in fig6 b , tension element 604 is pulled in the proximal direction . the causes crumpling ( e . g ., collapsing ) of the crumpling anchor 600 between the tissue and the distal end of tension element 604 . this process prevents tension element 604 in the tissue and prevents further movement of tension element 604 in the proximal direction . fig7 a and 7b show an example of a deployable anchor 700 in an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration , respectively . this deployable anchor 700 comprises one or more anchoring arms 702 . anchoring arms 702 may be made from a variety of elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials etc . typical examples of such materials include but are not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . anchoring arms 702 are connected to a central hub 704 . central hub in turn is connected to the distal end of a tension element 706 . in fig7 a , anchoring arms 702 are folded inside a hollow deploying sheath 708 . this reduces the undeployed diameter of anchoring arms 702 and also prevents unwanted anchoring of anchoring arms 702 . in fig7 b , deploying sheath 708 is pulled in the proximal direction . this releases anchoring arms 702 from the distal end of deploying sheath 702 . this causes anchoring arms 702 to open in the radially outward direction . anchor 700 can then anchor to tissue and resist movement of tension element 706 in the proximal direction . fig8 a and 8b show sectional views of an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration respectively of a “ t ” shaped deployable anchor . anchor 8110 comprises an elongate region 802 . elongate region 802 may be made from a variety of elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials etc . typical examples of such materials include but are not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . middle section of elongate region 802 is connected to the distal end of a tension element 804 to form a “ t ” shaped anchor . in one embodiment , middle section of elongate region 802 is connected to the distal end of a tension element 804 by a hinge . in fig8 a , elongate region 802 is folded inside a hollow deploying sheath 806 . this reduces the undeployed diameter of the distal region of anchor 8110 and also prevents unwanted anchoring of elongate region 802 to tissue . in fig8 b , deploying sheath 806 is pulled in the proximal direction . this releases elongate region 802 from the distal end of deploying sheath 806 . this in turn causes elongate region 802 to twist and orient itself perpendicular to the distal end of a tension element 804 . anchor 800 can then anchor to tissue and resist movement of tension element 804 in the proximal direction . anchoring arms 702 in fig7 a and 7b can have a variety of configurations including , but not limited to configurations shown in fig9 a through 9d . fig9 a shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising two triangular arms . anchor 900 comprises two anchor arms 902 . anchor arms 902 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . anchor arms 902 are connected to a tension element 904 . in one embodiment , anchor arms 902 are connected to a central hub , which in turn is connected to tension element 904 . the arms in each of these devices may be folded or contained prior to deployment through the use of a sheath or grasping or mounting device . fig9 b shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising four rectangular arms . anchor 906 comprises four anchor arms 908 . anchor arms 908 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . anchor arms 908 are connected to a tension element 910 . in one embodiment , anchor arms 908 are connected to a central hub , which in turn is connected to tension element 910 . fig9 c shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising a mesh or a woven material . anchor 912 comprises four anchor arms 914 . anchor arms 914 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . anchor arms 914 are connected to a tension element 916 . in one embodiment , anchor arms 914 are connected to a central hub , which in turn is connected to tension element 916 . a layer of porous material 918 is located between anchor arms 914 . porous material 918 comprises a plurality of pores that allow for tissue ingrowth . porous material 918 may also help to distribute the pressure on anchor arms 914 over a wider area . porous material 918 can be made of variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . porous material 918 may be non - woven or woven . any of the arms or struts in one or more anchoring devices may comprise bent or curved regions . for example , fig9 d shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising four curved arms . anchor 920 comprises four curved anchor arms 922 . curved anchor arms 922 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . curved anchor arms 922 are connected to a tension element 924 . in one embodiment , curved anchor arms 922 are connected to a central hub which in turn is connected to tension element 924 . fig1 a shows a distal end view of an anchor comprising a spiral element having a three dimensional shape . anchor 1000 comprises a three dimensional spiral element 1002 . diameter of spiral element 1002 may be substantially constant or may substantially vary along the length of spiral element 1002 . spiral element 1002 may be made of an elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials . spiral element 1002 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . spiral element 1002 is connected to a central hub 1004 , which in turn is connected to a tension element . in one embodiment , spiral element 1002 is directly connected to a tension element without using central hub 1004 . fig1 a ′ shows a side view of the anchor in fig1 a . fig1 a ′ shows anchor 1000 comprising spiral element 1002 connected to central hub 1004 which in turn is connected to a tension element 1006 . fig1 b shows a distal end view of an anchor comprising a spiral element having a two dimensional shape . anchor 1000 comprises a two dimensional spiral element 1010 . spiral element 1010 may be made of an elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials . spiral element 1010 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . spiral element 1010 is connected to a central hub 1012 which in turn is connected to a tension element . in one embodiment , spiral element 1010 is directly connected to a tension element without using central hub 1012 . fig1 b ′ shows a side view of the anchor in fig1 b . fig1 b ′ shows anchor 1008 comprising spiral element 1010 connected to central hub 1012 which in turn is connected to a tension element 1014 . fig1 c shows a distal end view of an anchor comprising one or more circular elements . in fig1 c , anchor 1016 comprises an inner circular element 1018 and an outer circular element 1020 . a series of radial arms or struts 1022 connect inner circular element 1018 to outer circular element 1020 and to a central hub 1024 . central hub 1024 may have a lumen 1026 . anchor 1016 may be substantially two dimensional or three dimensional . fig1 c ′ shows a perspective view of the anchor in fig1 c . fig1 c ′ shows an anchor 1016 comprising an inner circular element 1018 , an outer circular element 1020 and series of radial arms or struts 1022 connecting inner circular element 1018 to outer circular element 1020 and to a central hub 1024 . central hub 1024 is connected to a tension element . fig1 d shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an anchoring device comprising an outer ring . anchor 1040 comprises a central hub 1042 and an outer ring 1044 . in one embodiment , central hub 1042 acts as a plug to plug an opening in the anatomy to reduce or prevent bleeding or leakage of fluids . central hub 1042 is connected to outer ring 1044 by one or more bars or struts 1046 . in one embodiment , central hub 1042 is connected to an inner ring 1048 which in turn is connected to outer ring 1044 by one or more bars or struts 1046 . central hub 1042 further comprises a locking element 1050 . locking element 1050 comprises a lumen 1052 through which a tension element can slide . after positioning anchor 1040 in a desired position with respect to the tension element , locking element 1050 is used to securely attach anchor 1040 on the tension element . locking element 1050 may comprise a design disclosed including various locking designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . anchor 1040 may be made from a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig1 e shows a partial perspective view of an anchoring device comprising a hemostatic element . anchor 1060 comprises a central hub 1062 . in one embodiment , central hub 1062 acts as a plug to plug an opening in the anatomy to reduce or prevent bleeding or leakage of fluids . central hub 1062 comprises a cinching mechanism to allow central hub 1062 to cinch on to a tension element 1064 passing through central hub 1062 . the free end 1066 of tension element 1064 is severed to minimize the presence of tension element 1064 in the anatomy . anchor 1060 further comprises an outer ring 1068 . central hub 1062 is connected to outer ring 1068 by one or more struts 1070 . anchor 1060 further comprises a mesh or porous element 1072 between outer ring 1068 and struts 1070 . the mesh or porous element 1072 may be concave shaped as shown in fig1 e . mesh or porous element 1072 allows for tissue ingrowth over a period of time thus providing additional securing of anchor 1060 to tissue . fig1 a shows a perspective view of a device having a set of anchors comprising a curved sheet . anchoring device 1100 may comprise one or more anchors comprising a curved sheet . in this example , anchoring device 1100 comprises a first anchor 1102 and a second anchor 1104 . first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 may comprise elastic , super elastic or shape memory materials . first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the concave surface of first anchor 1102 is connected to a first end of a tension element 1106 . second end of tension element 1106 is connected to the convex surface of second anchor 1104 . in one embodiment of a method to deploy anchoring device 1106 , first anchor 1102 is deployed out of an anatomical tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) into a first anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ). thereafter , second anchor 1104 is deployed into a second anatomical cavity ( e . g . the urethral lumen ). this method embodiment has the advantage of using the natural curvature of first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 to distribute pressure on first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 over a large area . fig1 a through 17i show further examples of anchor designs and / or anchoring device designs . fig1 a shows a perspective view of an anchor comprising an arrowhead . anchor 1200 comprises an arrowhead 1202 . arrowhead 1202 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . arrowhead 1202 may comprise a sharp distal tip . arrowhead 1202 may have a three dimensional or a substantially two dimensional design . proximal region of arrowhead 1202 is wider that the distal region of arrowhead 1202 to resist motion of arrowhead 1202 along the proximal direction after it is deployed in a tissue . proximal region of arrowhead 1202 is connected to a tension element 1204 . fig1 b shows a crossectional view of an anchor comprising a cup - shaped element that encloses a cavity . anchor 1208 comprises a cup - shaped element 1210 . proximal , concave surface of cup - shaped element 1210 encloses a cavity . cup - shaped element 1210 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . proximal region of cup - shaped element 1210 is connected to a tension element 1212 . fig1 c shows a perspective view of an anchor comprising a screw . anchor 1216 comprises a screw 1218 . screw 1218 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . screw 1218 may comprise a sharp distal tip . proximal region of screw 1218 may be wider that the distal region of screw 1218 to resist motion of screw 1218 along the proximal direction after it is deployed in a tissue . screw 1218 comprises a thread rolled thread including , but not limited to wood screw style thread , double lead thread , tapping style thread , tapered wood thread etc . proximal region of arrowhead 1202 is connected to a tension element 1204 . fig1 a and 13b show perspective views of an uncollapsed state and a collapsed state respectively of an anchor comprising a collapsible region . in fig1 a , anchor element 1300 is in an uncollapsed state . anchor element 1300 comprises a hollow shaft 1302 comprising one or more collapsible regions . a collapsible region comprises one or more windows 1304 . windows 1304 are cut in hollow shaft 1302 in such a way that several thin , collapsible struts 1306 are created between adjacent windows 1304 . in fig1 b , anchor element 1300 is in a collapsed state . when anchor element 1300 is compresses along its length , collapsible struts 1306 are deformed in the radially outward direction to create one or more anchoring regions . fig1 c and 13d show perspective views of an undeployed state and a deployed state respectively of an anchor comprising radially spreading arms . in fig1 c , anchor 1312 comprises a hollow tube 1314 . hollow tube 1314 is made from suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials such as metals including , but not limited to titanium , stainless steel , nitinol etc . ; suitable elastic polymers etc . u - shaped slots 1316 are cut in hollow tube 1314 in such a way that arms 1318 are created within u - shaped slots 1316 . in this embodiment , u - shaped slots are substantially parallel to the axis of hollow tube 1314 . in absence of an external force , arms 1318 tend to spread in a radially outward direction . anchor 1312 is kept in an undeployed state by enclosing anchor 1312 in a sheath . anchor 1312 is deployed by removing the sheath to allow arms 1318 to spread in a radially outward direction as shown in fig1 d . hollow tube 1314 may comprise one or more cinching elements . cinching elements may be located on the proximal region , distal region or a middle region of hollow tube 1314 . the cinching element or elements may comprise cinching mechanisms including , but not limited to cinching mechanisms disclosed in fig2 a through 29p . fig1 e shows perspective views of an alternate embodiment of an undeployed state of an anchor comprising radially spreading arms . in fig1 c , anchor 1320 comprises a hollow tube 1322 . hollow tube 1322 is made from suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials such as metals including , but not limited to titanium , stainless steel , nitinol etc . ; suitable elastic polymers etc . u - shaped slots 1324 are cut in hollow tube 1322 in such a way that arms 1326 are created within u - shaped slots 1324 . in this embodiment , u - shaped slots are at an angle to the axis of hollow tube 1322 as shown in fig1 e . fig1 a and 14b show perspective views of anchoring devices comprising an adhesive delivering element . fig1 a shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 1400 comprising a hollow shaft 1402 with a shaft lumen . hollow shaft 1402 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . distal end of shaft lumen ends in a delivery opening 1404 . when an adhesive is injected through the shaft lumen , it emerges out of anchoring device 1400 through delivery opening 1404 . hollow shaft 1402 may also comprise an attachment element 1406 such as a porous woven or non - woven circular sleeve securely attached to hollow shaft 1402 . the circular sleeve may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the adhesive flowing out through delivery opening comes into contact with attachment element 1406 and securely attaches attachment element 1406 to surrounding tissue . fig1 b shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 1408 comprising a hollow shaft 1410 with a shaft lumen . hollow shaft 1410 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . distal end of shaft lumen ends in a delivery opening 1412 . when an adhesive is injected through the shaft lumen , it emerges out of anchoring device 1408 through delivery opening 1412 . hollow shaft 1410 may also comprise an attachment element 1414 such as porous foam securely attached to hollow shaft 1410 . the porous foam may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the adhesive flowing out through delivery opening comes into contact with attachment element 1414 and securely attaches attachment element 1414 to surrounding tissue . typical examples of adhesives that can be used with anchoring device 1400 and anchoring device 1408 include but are not limited to cyanoacrylates , marine adhesive proteins , fibrin - based sealants etc . fig1 a and 15b show two configurations of an anchoring device comprising a ratcheted tension element . anchoring device 1500 comprises a distal anchor . distal anchor may comprise a design selected from the variety of designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . in this particular example , distal anchor comprises a series of radial arms 1502 connected to a central hub 1504 . the proximal end of central hub is attached to a ratcheted tension element 1506 . a proximal anchor is located on ratcheted tension element 1506 proximal to the distal anchor . proximal anchor may comprise a design selected from the variety designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . in this particular example , distal anchor comprises a series of radial arms 1508 connected to a central hub 1510 . central hub 8368 has a central lumen through which ratcheted tension element 1506 can slide . ratcheted tension element 1506 has ratchets arranged such that proximal anchor can slide easily over ratcheted tension element 1506 in the distal direction but cannot slide easily in the proximal direction . in fig1 b , proximal anchor slides over ratcheted tension element 1506 in the distal direction . this causes a compression of tissue between distal anchor and proximal anchor . the compression of tissue can be maintained since proximal anchor cannot slide easily in the proximal direction . in one embodiment of a method using anchoring device 1500 , distal anchor is introduced via an anatomical lumen ( e . g . the urethral lumen ) and through a tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) into an anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ). thereafter , proximal anchor is advanced along ratcheted tension element 1506 till it encounters a wall ( e . g . the urethral wall ) of the anatomical lumen . anchoring device 1500 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . fig1 shows a perspective view of an anchor comprising a trocar lumen . anchor 1600 comprises a hollow shaft 1602 comprising a lumen . a trocar 1604 or a penetrating device can pass through hollow shaft 1602 such that the distal tip of trocar 1604 emerges out through the distal end of hollow shaft 1602 . distal end of hollow shaft 1602 comprises a tapering region 1606 with a smaller distal diameter and a larger proximal diameter . tapering region 1606 further comprises a series of sharp projections 1608 located on the proximal end of tapering region 1606 . projections 1608 may be projecting in the proximal direction , radially outward direction etc . projections 1608 prevent the movement of anchor 1600 in the proximal direction after it has penetrated through a tissue . anchor 1600 may also comprise a sleeve 1610 located proximal to tapering region 1606 . sleeve 1610 is made of a porous material that has a plurality of pores that allow for tissue ingrowth thus anchoring sleeve 1610 firmly in tissue . sleeve 1610 may also help to distribute the pressure on tapering region 1606 over a wider area . sleeve 1610 may be non - woven or woven . sleeve 1610 can be made of variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig1 a shows a perspective view in the undeployed state of an anchor comprising a rigid or partially flexible t element and a crumpling element . in fig1 a , anchoring device 1700 comprises a distal , t element 1702 . the t element 1702 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . further it may be a composite material or have cut out sections to allow it to be flexible in certain dimensions but rigid in other dimensions . in this example , t element 1702 is in the form of a hollow cylinder . the proximal end of t element 1702 is in contact with the distal end of a delivery rod 1704 . delivery rod 1704 is hollow and is used to deliver t element 8266 in a target anatomical region . a trocar 1705 can pass through delivery rod 1704 and through t element 1702 such that the distal tip of trocar emerges through the distal end of rigid element 1702 . the t - element could also be contained within a lumen of the trocar or may be the trocar itself . of the t element 1702 is connected to the distal end of a flexible tension element 1706 . various connection means are possible such as the tension element being tied or crimped to the t element , or passing through a loop in the t element , or being adhered by adhesive or weld , or by being made of a continuous material which becomes the t element . although the t element is shown as a t , any shape which is larger in at least one dimension compared to its other dimensions could appropriately be released and cause to change it &# 39 ; s orientation to produce an anchoring effect . examples of materials that can be used to manufacture tension element 1706 include but are not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . a substantially flattened body 1708 is located on the distal region of tension element 1706 . tension element 1706 is threaded through body 1708 in such a way that tension element 1706 can slide through body 1708 . body 1708 may be non - woven or woven . body 1708 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . body 1708 may have a variety of shapes including , but not limited to square , rectangular , triangular , other regular polygonal , irregular polygonal , circular etc . body 1708 may have a substantially one dimensional , two dimensional or three dimensional shape . fig1 b and 17c show various steps of a method to deploy the anchoring device shown in fig1 a . in fig1 b , anchoring device 1700 is introduced in an anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ) through a tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ). thereafter , trocar 1705 is withdrawn by pulling trocar 1705 in the proximal direction . thereafter , delivery rod 1704 is withdrawn by pulling delivery rod 1704 in the proximal direction . thereafter , tension element 1706 is pulled in the proximal direction . tension element 1706 in turn pulls t element 1702 in the proximal direction . in fig1 c , rigid element 1702 is pulled against a wall of the tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) but is unable to penetrate the tissue because of its size . this causes body 1708 to crumple because of compression of body 1708 between the wall of the tissue and rigid element 1702 . crumpled body 1708 may be designed to cause tissue ingrowth or epithelialization in body 1708 as well as healing , hemostasis or a more even force distribution . fig1 d and 17e show perspective views of an undeployed and deployed configuration of an anchor comprising a rigid or partially flexible t element with one or more openings or perforations . fig1 d shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 1720 comprising an anchor 1722 . anchor 1722 comprises a tubular body . the tubular body may comprise one or more openings or perforations 1724 in the tubular body . openings or perforations 1724 increase the flexibility of anchor 1722 . this makes it easier to navigate anchoring device 1720 through the anatomy before reaching its target location . further it enables anchoring device 1720 to be passed through a tight bend in the anatomy or through a delivery device . within tubular body of anchor 1722 is trocar tip 1727 that is fixedly attached to tensioning element 1728 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 d , anchor 1722 comprises a lumen . a length of the distal end of deployment element 1726 passes through the proximal end of the lumen and abuts trocar tip 1727 that enables anchor 1722 to puncture tissue . in an alternate embodiment trocar tip is fixedly attached to elongate deployment element 1726 and is retracted fully into element 1729 upon anchor deployment . in an alternate embodiment , distal tip of deployment device 1726 is not exposed through the distal end of anchor 1722 . distal end of anchor 1722 comprises a sharp tip to enable anchor 1722 to puncture tissue . anchoring element 1720 further comprises a tension element 1728 attached to tubular body 1722 . in this embodiment , distal end of tension element 1728 attached to the inner surface of the trocar tip 1727 . proximal region of tension element 1728 passes through deployment element 1726 . anchor 1722 is deployed by pushing in a distal direction one elongate deployment element 1726 , that runs within lumen of anchor 1722 abutting trocar tip 1727 distally , in tandem with another elongate deployment element 1729 that abuts the proximal end of anchor 1722 . anchoring device 1720 punctures tissue to transport anchor 1722 through a first anatomical location ( e . g . a prostate gland ) to a second anatomical location ( e . g . the pelvic cavity , urethra etc .). thereafter , deployment element 1726 is withdrawn by pulling deployment element 1726 in the proximal direction . thereafter , tension element 1728 is pulled in the proximal direction . this causes anchor 1722 to anchor in tissue as shown in fig1 e . proximal portion of tension element 1728 emerges out of anchor 1722 through a lengthwise groove in anchor 1722 to create a t shaped anchor as shown in fig1 e . tension on tensioning element 1728 causes trocar tip 1727 to retract into lumen 1722 . in the example shown , the first anatomical location is the prostate gland pg and the second anatomical location is the pelvic cavity . anchoring device 1720 can be made from a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals such as synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . tension element 1728 may then be connected to any one of the other anchoring elements such as anchor 10 d . fig1 f and 17g show perspective views of an undeployed and deployed configuration of an anchor comprising a stent . anchor 1730 comprises a self - expanding stent 1732 and a tension element 1734 . distal end of tension element 1734 is attached to stent 1732 . in one embodiment , distal end of tension element 1734 is attached on the mid section of stent 1732 . stent 1732 may comprise various designs including , but not limited to metallic tube designs , polymeric tube designs , spiral designs , chain - linked designs , rolled sheet designs , single wire designs etc . stent 1732 may have an open celled or closed celled structure . a variety of fabrication methods can be used for fabricating stent 1732 including but not limited to laser cutting a metal or polymer element , welding metal elements etc . a variety of materials can be used for fabricating stent 1732 including but not limited to metals , polymers , foam type materials , super elastic materials etc . a variety of features can be added to stent 1732 including but not limited to radiopaque coatings , drug elution mechanisms etc . anchor 1730 is introduced through a sheath 1736 into a target anatomy . thereafter , sheath 1736 is withdrawn . this causes stent 1732 to revert to its natural shape as shown in fig1 g and act as an anchor . fig1 h and 17i show perspective views of an undeployed and deployed configuration of an anchor comprising a spring . anchor 1740 comprises an elastic spring 1742 and a tension element 1744 . distal end of tension element 1744 is attached to spring 1742 . in one embodiment , distal end of tension element 1744 is attached on the mid section of spring 1742 . a variety of materials can be used for fabricating spring 1742 including but not limited to metals , polymers , foam type materials , super elastic materials etc . a variety of features can be added to spring 1742 including but not limited to radiopaque coatings , drug elution mechanisms etc . anchor 1740 is introduced through a sheath 1746 into a target anatomy to reduce the profile of spring 1742 . thereafter , sheath 1746 is withdrawn . this causes spring 1742 to revert to its natural shape as shown in fig1 i and act as an anchor . fig1 a through 22e show various embodiments of mechanisms to deploy one or more anchors . fig1 a shows a crossection of an anchor deploying mechanism comprising a screw system . fig1 a shows an anchor deploying mechanism comprising an anchor 1800 comprising an anchor body 1802 and anchoring elements 1804 attached to anchor body 1802 . anchor body 1802 comprises an inner lumen . inner lumen of anchor body 1802 comprises screw threading . anchoring elements 1804 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . anchor body 1802 and anchoring elements 1804 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the anchor deploying mechanism further comprises a deploying shaft 1806 . distal region of deploying shaft 1806 comprises a screw threading such that deploying shaft 1806 can be screwed into anchor body 1802 . fig1 b shows the method of deploying an anchor comprising a screw mechanism . deploying shaft 1806 is rotated to release the distal region of deploying shaft 1806 from anchor body 1802 after positioning anchor 1800 in a desired location . such a mechanism can be used to deploy one or more anchors . in one embodiment , more than one anchors are located on deploying shaft 1806 . the anchors can be sequentially deployed by rotating deploying shaft 1806 . deploying shaft 1806 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . in one embodiment , the anchor deploying mechanism is located inside an outer sheath . fig1 a and 19b show a crossectional view of an anchor deploying system comprising an electrolytic detachment element . fig1 a shows a crossection of an anchor deploying mechanism comprising a deployable anchor 1900 . deployable anchor 1900 comprises an anchor body 1902 and anchoring elements 1904 attached to anchor body 1902 . anchoring elements 1904 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . anchor body 8402 and anchoring elements 8404 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . proximal region of deployable anchor 1900 further comprises an electrolyzable element 1906 . electrolyzable element 1906 is made of a length of metallic wire e . g . steel wire . proximal region of electrolyzable element 1906 is electrically connected to a deploying shaft 1908 . proximal region of deploying shaft 1908 is further connected to a first electrode . the anchor deploying system further comprises a second electrode 1910 connected to a bodily region of the patient to be treated . in fig1 b , the first electrode is connected to a positive terminal of a power supply and the second electrode is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply to form an electrical circuit . electrical current flowing between electrolyzable element 1906 and second electrode 1910 causes metallic ions from electrolyzable element 1906 to dissolve into surrounding anatomy . this causes electrolyzable element 1906 to detach from deploying shaft 1908 . fig2 shows a perspective view of an anchor deploying system comprising a looped ribbon . the anchor deploying system comprises a deployable anchor 2000 . deployable anchor 2000 comprises an anchor body 2002 and anchoring elements 2004 attached to anchor body 2002 . anchoring elements 2004 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . anchor body 2002 and anchoring elements 2004 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . proximal region of deployable anchor 2000 further comprises a looping lumen 2006 . a looped ribbon 2008 is looped through looping lumen 2006 . looped ribbon 2008 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . looped ribbon 2008 extends to a proximal region where it can be cut by a user . in a method of deploying deployable anchor 2000 , a single cut is made in looped ribbon 2008 at a proximal region . this turns looped ribbon 2008 into a straight ribbon . the straight ribbon can then be pulled in the proximal direction to remove it from deployable anchor 2000 . looped ribbon 2008 may also be in the form of a looped monofilament or multifilament wire or suture . fig2 a shows a crossectional view of an anchor deploying system comprising a locked ball . the anchor deploying system comprises a deployable anchor 2100 . deployable anchor 2100 comprises an anchor body 2102 . deployable anchor 2100 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . proximal end of anchor body 2102 is connected to a thin shaft 2104 . proximal end of thin shaft 2104 comprises a locking ball 2106 . anchor body 8428 , thin shaft 2104 and locking ball 2106 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the anchor deploying system further comprises an outer locking sheath 2108 . distal end of locking sheath 2108 comprises an opening 2110 . diameter of opening 2110 is greater than the diameter of thin shaft 2104 but greater than diameter of locking ball 2106 . thus , locking ball 2106 is locked in locking sheath 2108 . the anchor deploying system further comprises a deploying shaft 2112 located within locking sheath 2108 . deploying shaft 2112 can be pushed in the distal direction within locking sheath 2108 by a user . locking sheath 2108 and deploying shaft 2112 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . in one embodiment , distal region of locking sheath 2108 comprises one or more longitudinal grooves or windows to allow distal region of locking sheath 2108 to expand easily in the radial direction . fig2 b and 21c show a method of deploying an anchor comprising a locked ball . in fig2 b , deploying shaft 2112 is pushed in the distal direction by a user . this causes distal end of deploying shaft 2112 to push locking ball 2106 in the distal direction . this in turn causes locking ball 2106 to exert a force on the distal end of locking sheath 2108 . this force causes opening 2110 to enlarge and release locking ball 2106 . in fig2 c , locking ball 2106 is released by locking sheath 2108 thus releasing deployable anchor 2100 . fig2 a through 22c show various views of an anchor deploying system comprising two interlocking cylinders . the anchor deploying system comprises a proximal interlocking cylinder and a distal interlocking cylinder . the distal interlocking cylinder is located on an anchor to be deployed . fig2 a shows a perspective view of a proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 comprising a locking element 2202 located on the distal end of proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 . in this example , locking element 2202 comprises a solid cylinder with a ninety degree bend . proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 and locking element 2202 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . fig2 b shows a crossectional view of the anchor deploying system comprising proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 interlocked with a distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . distal interlocking cylinder 2204 comprises a groove 2206 which locks locking element 2202 . locking element 2202 can be unlocked from distal interlocking cylinder 2204 by turning proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 . distal interlocking cylinder 2204 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig2 c shows a crossectional view through plane a - a in fig2 b . fig2 c shows distal interlocking cylinder comprising groove 2206 . also shown is locking element 2202 located in groove 2206 . turning proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 turns locking element 2202 . at a particular orientation , distal region of locking element 2202 can pass easily through groove 2206 unlocking proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 from distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . fig2 d and 22e show the steps of a method of unlocking the two interlocking cylinders from the anchor deploying systems of fig2 a through 22c . in fig2 d , locking element 2202 of proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 is locked in groove 2206 of distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . in fig2 e , proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 is turned in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to unlock locking element 2202 from groove 2206 . thereafter , proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 is pulled in the proximal direction to separate proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 from distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . fig2 a shows a perspective view of a distal end of an anchoring device that has an imaging modality . anchoring device 2300 comprises an elongate shaft 2302 comprising a lumen . elongate shaft 2302 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials such as metals , polymers etc . the lumen of shaft 2302 terminates in a window 2304 located on the distal region of shaft 2302 . anchoring device further comprises an imaging modality such as a cystoscope , an ultrasound imaging system etc . in this example , the imaging modality is a cystoscope 2306 . distal end of cystoscope 2306 is located in window 2304 to allow visualization of the anatomy adjacent to window 2304 . in one embodiment , cystoscope 2306 is permanently fixed to anchoring device 2300 . in another embodiment , cystoscope 2306 can be introduced through the proximal region of anchoring device 2300 . anchoring device 2300 further comprises a puncturing device 2308 . puncturing device 2308 comprises a sharp distal tip and a lumen that holds an anchor . anchoring device 2300 further comprises an anchor deployment device 2310 . distal end of anchor deployment device 2310 is detachably attached to the anchor . fig2 b through 23g show various steps of a method for compressing an anatomical region using the anchoring device of fig2 a . in fig2 b , anchoring device 2300 is introduced in an anatomical region such that distal end of anchoring device 2300 is located adjacent to a target anatomical region to be treated . in one method embodiment , anchoring device 2300 is introduced transurethrally into the prostatic urethra . thereafter , puncturing device 2308 is advanced to puncture the anatomical region . in this example , puncturing device 2308 punctures the prostate gland pg such that distal end of puncturing device 2308 is located in the pelvic cavity . puncturing device comprises an anchor located in the lumen of puncturing device 2308 . the anchor comprises a distal anchor 2312 , a tension element 2314 connected at one end to distal anchor 2312 and a proximal anchor 2316 that can slide over tension element 2314 . puncturing device 2308 comprises a groove at the distal end such that tension element exits puncturing device 2308 through the groove . puncturing device 2308 further comprises a pusher 2318 that can push distal anchor 2312 out of puncturing device 2308 . proximal anchor 2316 is detachably attached to the distal region of anchor deployment device 2310 . proximal anchor 2312 , distal anchor 2316 and tension element 2314 may comprise designs including , but not limited to the designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . the imaging modality may be used to verify the accurate placement and working of anchoring device 2300 . in fig2 c , pusher 2318 is pushed in the distal direction to push distal anchor 2312 out of puncturing device 2308 . distal anchor 2312 is thus deployed in the anatomy e . g . in the pelvic cavity surrounding the prostate gland pg . thereafter , in step 23 d , puncturing device 2308 is withdrawn by pulling it in the proximal direction . in step 23 e , tension element 2314 is pulled in the proximal direction through anchor deployment device 2310 . thereafter , in step 23 f , tension element 2314 is pulled further in the proximal direction such that the anatomical region between proximal anchor 2316 and distal anchor 2312 is compressed . thereafter , in step 23 g , proximal anchor 2316 is securely locked on to tension element 2314 . further in step 23 g , proximal anchor 2316 is detached from anchor deployment device 2310 . the detachment can be performed by a variety of mechanisms including , but not limited to the anchor detachment mechanisms disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . further in step 23 g , excess length of tension element 2314 is removed . this removal can be done using a variety of methods including , but not limited to the methods disclosed elsewhere in this patent application such as cutting , delinking , melting , and breaking . thereafter , anchoring device 2300 is withdrawn from the anatomy . it should be understood that these deployment steps may be repeated in the same , opposing or neighboring tissues to essentially tack up the encroaching tissue ( i . e . prostatic tissue , tumor , relaxed tissue , expanded tissue or growth ). it may be desired that over time both anchors become completely embedded within the tissue and covered to prevent encrustation , clotting or other tissue or body - fluid interaction — this may be facilitated by the processes , therapeutic agents and coatings described elsewhere in the application . although these anchors are shown on either side of the tissue , it may be possible to deploy either or both of them within the body of the tissue itself to help bury them and eliminate the possibility that they may interact with other parts of the body . it should further be noted that in the case of application to the prostate , that this technique may be used on any of the lateral or middle lobes to compress or hold the prostate gland pg away from the lumen of the urethra . if removal of the intra or para luminal anchor is required , it may be possible to resect that region completely , capturing the anchor embedded within the tissue and removing it en - bloc , severing the tether in the process . in the case of prostate applications , such removal may be accomplished with a standard resectoscope system . in other regions , and energized rf or sharp curette or blade may be used to resect the anchor minimally invasively . alternatively if engagement with the locking mechanism is still achievable , it may be possible to simply unlock the tether , releasing the anchor . lastly , if applying additional tension at some point after the procedure is required , it may be possible to engage and grasp the tether as it exits the locking device in the anchor and apply additional tension . fig2 a through 24 c ′ show various steps of a method of compressing an anatomical region using a device with deploying arms deployed through a trocar . in fig2 a , an anchoring device 2400 is introduced in an anatomical region . anchoring device 2400 comprising a distal anchor 2402 is introduced in the anatomy . distal anchor 2402 comprises a hollow shaft . distal end of distal anchor 2402 comprises one or more outwardly curling or spreading arms 2404 . curling or spreading arms 2404 are made of an elastic , springy , super - elastic or shape memory material such that they tend to curl or spread in a radially outward direction in absence of an external force . anchoring device 2400 further comprises a proximal anchor comprising a variety of designs including , but not limited to the designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . in this example , proximal anchor is designed similar to anchor 1040 in fig1 d . anchor 1040 can slide along proximal region of distal anchor 2402 . anchor 1040 can also be attached to distal anchor 2402 after a desired positioning between anchor 1040 and distal anchor 2402 is achieved . anchoring device 2400 is delivered through a trocar 2406 . trocar 2406 comprises a sharp distal tip 2408 that can penetrate through tissue . the proximal region of distal tip 2408 comprises one or more grooves or notches such that distal ends of curling or spreading arms 2404 can be temporarily held together by distal tip 2408 to allow for easy introduction into a target anatomy . anchoring device 2400 is introduced into a target tissue to be compressed such that curling or spreading arms 2404 are distal to the target tissue and anchor 1040 is proximal to the target tissue . fig2 a ′ shows the distal end view of the anchoring device 2400 . in fig2 b , trocar 2406 is pushed in the distal direction relative to proximal anchor 2402 . this releases the distal ends of curling or spreading arms 2404 causing them to curl or spread outwards . fig2 a ′ shows the distal end view of the anchoring device 2400 with released curling or spreading arms 2404 . in fig2 c , anchor 1040 is pushed in the distal direction over distal anchor 2402 to compress tissue between anchor 1040 and distal anchor 2402 . thereafter , anchor 1040 is attached to the hollow shaft of distal anchor 2402 . thereafter trocar 2406 is withdrawn from the anatomy . in the above embodiment , the tethering function is performed by the shaft of the distal anchor , and the force is created by the curling arms . this tension may be pre - set into the arms through heat forming . it should be noted that any mechanism capable of expanding from within a tubular shape and capable of applying retrograde forces on the tissue are within the scope of this invention such as expandable flanges , balloons , cages , molly - bolt - like structures , stent - like structures and springs . fig2 d shows a crossection through the deployed anchoring device 2400 of fig2 a . in one anchoring device embodiment , anchoring device 2400 comprises a distal anchor such as the distal anchor described in fig1 a instead of distal anchor 2412 . fig2 a shows a perspective view of a spring clip that can be used to spread the anatomy . clip 2500 comprises two or more spreading arms 2502 . spreading arms 2502 may be curved or straight . distal ends of spreading arms 2502 may comprise a flattened region . the proximal ends or curved arms 2502 are connected to each other by a heel region 2504 . heel region 2504 may be made from the same material as curved arms 2502 . in an undeployed configuration , spreading arms 2502 are held close to each other . when clip 2500 is deployed , spreading arms 2502 tend to expand away from each other thus spreading the anatomical region or regions between spreading arms 2502 . clip 2500 can be made of suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory biocompatible materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , etc . fig2 b through 25f show various steps of a method of spreading an anatomical region or regions using the spring clip of fig2 a . in fig2 b , a delivery tool 2506 comprising a clip 2500 is introduced in the anatomy and positioned near the target anatomy to be spread . delivery tool 2506 comprises an elongate hollow body 2508 comprising a lumen . distal end of body 2508 may comprise a blunt , atraumatic end . distal region of body 2508 comprises a slot 2510 that is in fluid communication with the lumen of body 2508 . delivery tool may further comprise an outer sheath 2512 and an imaging modality 2514 . imaging modality 2514 may be permanently attached to delivery tool 2506 or may be introduced into delivery tool 2506 by a user . in this example , imaging modality 2514 is a cystoscope . in fig2 c , clip 2500 is introduced into the anatomy by pushing clip 2500 out of slot 2510 such that the distal ends of spreading arms 2502 emerge first . slot 2510 is designed such that spreading arms 2504 are biased towards each other as they emerge out of slot 2510 . in fig2 d , clip 2500 is further advanced such that distal tips of spreading arms 2502 penetrate into the tissue to be spread . in fig2 e , clip 2500 is advanced further such that the biasing forces on spreading arms 2502 are removed . spreading arms 2502 tend to spread away from each other thus spreading the tissue between them . clip 2500 is detachably attached to delivery tool 2506 by a detaching mechanism 2516 including , but not limited to the several detaching mechanisms disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . in fig2 f , detaching mechanism 2516 is used to detach clip 2500 from delivery tool 2506 or deploy clip 2500 in the target anatomy . in this example , distal region of delivery tool 2506 is inserted transurethrally into the prostatic urethra . clip 2500 is then delivered into the anterior commissure to spread the two lateral lobes of the prostate gland pg apart . in one method embodiment , an opening in the commissure is made prior to the method of fig2 b through 25g . in another embodiment , the spreading force exerted by spreading arms 2502 cause cutting of the anterior commissure . clip 2500 may be placed completely sub - urethrally or a small amount of heel region 2504 remains in the urethra . the embodiments of anchoring devices wherein a sliding anchor is slid over a tension element may comprise one or more cinching elements . these cinching elements may be present on the sliding anchors , on the tension elements etc . a cinching element may be a separate device that cinches to a tension element . in doing so , it increases the effective diameter of that region of the tension element and prevents the tension element from sliding through a sliding anchor . cinching elements may allow only unidirectional motion of the sliding anchor over the tension element or may prevent any substantial motion of the sliding anchor over the tension element . typical examples of such cinching mechanisms include , but are not limited to mechanisms described in the fig2 series . for example , fig2 a and 26b show a crossectional view and a perspective view respectively of a mechanism of cinching a tension element or tether to an anchor . in fig2 a , cinching mechanism 2600 comprises an outer base 2602 . outer base 2602 comprises one or more grooves created by the presence of two or more leaflets 2604 . leaflets 2604 are biased along a first axial direction as shown in fig2 a . when a tension element 2606 is located in the one or more grooves , cinching mechanism 2600 allows motion of tension element 2606 only along the first axial direction and prevents substantial movement of tension element 2606 in the opposite direction . fig2 c and 26d show a partial section through a cinching mechanism comprising a cam element . in fig2 c , cinching mechanism 2610 comprises an outer body 2612 made of suitable biocompatible metals , polymers etc . body 2162 comprises a cam 2614 located on a pivot 2616 . cam 2614 may comprise a series of teeth to grip a tension element 2618 passing through body 2612 . in one embodiment , body 2162 comprises an opening 2620 located proximal to cam 2614 . proximal region of tension element 2618 passes out of body 2612 through opening 2620 . cinching mechanism 2610 allows movement of body 2162 over tension element 2618 in the proximal direction . in fig2 d , body 2162 is moved over tension element 2618 in the distal direction . motion of tension element 2618 over cam 2614 causes cam 2614 to turn in the anti - clockwise direction . this causes tension element 2618 to be pinched between cam 2614 and body 2612 . this in turn prevents further motion of body 2162 over tension element 2618 . fig2 e shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a locking ball . cinching mechanism 2630 comprises an outer body 2632 comprising a lumen . a tension element 2634 passes through the lumen of outer body 2632 . the lumen of outer body gradually reduces in the proximal direction as shown in fig2 e . a locking ball 2636 is present in the lumen . motion of outer body 2632 over tension element 2634 in the distal direction pushes locking ball 2636 in the proximal region of outer body 2632 . a proximal end region 2638 of a small diameter prevents locking ball 2636 from falling out of outer body 2632 . the large lumen diameter in the proximal region of outer body 2632 allows free motion of locking ball 2636 . thus , presence of locking ball 2636 does not hinder the motion of outer body 2632 over tension element 2634 in the proximal direction . when outer body 2632 is moved over tension element 2634 in the proximal direction , locking ball 2636 is pushed in the distal region of outer body 2632 . the small lumen diameter in the proximal region of outer body 2632 constricts motion of locking ball 2636 . this causes a region of tension element 2634 to be pinched between anchoring ball 2636 and outer body 2632 . this in turn prevents further motion of outer body 2632 over tension element 2634 in the proximal direction . this mechanism thus allows unidirectional motion of outer body 2632 is over tension element . fig2 f shows a side view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising multiple locking flanges . in this embodiment , cinching mechanism 2644 comprises a body 2646 comprising a lumen lined by a first locking flange 2648 and a second locking flange 2650 . first locking flange 2648 and second locking flange 2650 are biased in the proximal direction as shown . a tension element 2652 passes through the lumen of body 2646 . first locking flange 2648 and second locking flange 2650 together allow the movement of body 2646 over tension element 2652 in the distal direction , but prevent movement of body 2646 over tension element 2652 in the proximal direction . similar cinching mechanisms may be designed comprising more than two locking flanges . fig2 g shows an end view of body 2646 comprising a lumen lined by first locking flange 2648 and second locking flange 2650 . body 2646 may be made of suitable biocompatible metals , polymers etc . fig2 h shows a side view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a single locking flange . in this embodiment , cinching mechanism 2656 comprises a body 2658 comprising a lumen lined by a locking flange 2660 . locking flange 2660 is biased in the proximal direction as shown . a tension element 2662 passes through the lumen of body 2658 . locking flange 2660 allows the movement of body 2658 over tension element 2662 in the distal direction , but prevents movement of body 2658 over tension element 2662 in the proximal direction . fig2 i shows an end view of body 2658 comprising a lumen 2662 lined by locking flange 2660 . body 2658 may be made of suitable biocompatible metals , polymers etc . fig2 j shows an end view of a cinching mechanism comprising a crimping lumen . cinching mechanism 2670 comprises a body 2672 comprising a crimping lumen 2674 . crimping lumen 2674 is in the form of an arc with a gradually reducing size as shown in fig2 j . a tension element 2676 passes through crimping lumen 2674 . in fig2 j , tension element 2676 is locked in a region of crimping lumen 2674 of a diameter smaller than the diameter of tension element 2676 . tension element 2676 can be unlocked from crimping lumen 2674 by rotating body 2672 in the anti - clockwise direction . similarly , rotating body 2672 in the clockwise direction causes an unlocked tension element 2676 to be locked into crimping lumen 2674 . in an alternate embodiment , cinching mechanism comprises a disk shaped body comprising a central lumen . central lumen is large enough to allow a tension element to slide easily through the central lumen . one or more radially oriented slits emerge from the central lumen . the radially oriented slits have a diameter that is of the same size or is slightly smaller than the diameter of the tension element . to lock cinching mechanism to the tension element , the tension element is forced through one of the radially oriented slits . the friction between the disk shaped body and the tension element prevents or resists sliding of tension element through the disk shaped body . to unlock cinching mechanism from the tension element , the tension element is moved back to the central lumen . in another alternate embodiment , cinching mechanism comprises a disk shaped body comprising a small central lumen . the central region of the body comprises three or more triangular flaps biased together out of the plane of the body . the ends of the triangular flaps together form the central lumen that is of the same size or is slightly smaller than the diameter of the tension element . tension element can pass easily through the central lumen in the direction of the bias of the triangular flaps . but , tension element cannot pass or encounters substantial resistance when the tension element is pulled through the central lumen in the opposite direction . fig2 k and 26l show crossections of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a crimping anchor in the undeployed and deployed configurations respectively . cinching mechanism 2680 comprises a crimping anchor 2680 comprising a lumen . crimping anchor 2680 can be made of a variety of biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ., polymers , etc . a tension element 2684 passes through the lumen of crimping anchor 2680 . the lumen of an undeployed crimping anchor 2680 is larger than the diameter of tension element 2684 . in fig2 l , crimping anchor 2680 is deployed by compressing the middle section of crimping anchor 2680 such that crimping anchor 2680 compresses tension element 2684 . friction between crimping anchor 2680 and tension element 2684 prevents relative motion between crimping anchor 2680 and tension element 2684 . crimping anchor 2680 may be a component of a sliding anchor or may be a stand - alone device used to prevent or restrict motion of a sliding anchor over a tension element . fig2 m shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising an element providing a tortuous path to a tension element . in this example , cinching mechanism 2686 comprises a spring 2688 . a tension element 2690 is passed through spring 2688 such that the path of tension element 2690 through spring 2688 is tortuous . when spring 2688 is moved over tension element , motion of tension element 2690 through the tortuous path generates high frictional forces that prevent or reduce motion of spring 2688 over tension element 2690 . the frictional forces are strong enough to resist motion of spring 2688 over tension element 2690 after deploying cinching mechanism 2686 in the anatomy . a user can move spring 2688 over tension element 2690 by applying a force that overcomes the resistive frictional forces that prevent movement of spring 2688 over tension element 2690 . similarly , other cinching mechanisms comprising a tortuous path can be used instead of spring 2688 . examples of such mechanisms are solid elements comprising tortuous lumens , elements comprising multiple struts or bars that provide a tortuous path etc . in another embodiment the cinching mechanism comprises a knot on one or more tensioning element . said knot can be advanced fully tightened or can be loose when advanced and tightened in situ . fig2 n shows a crossectional view of an embodiment of a locking mechanism comprising a space occupying anchor securely attached to a tension element . locking mechanism 2692 comprises a hollow element 2694 comprising a lumen . hollow element 2694 is a component of a sliding anchor that slides over tension element 2696 . tension element 2696 comprises a space occupying anchor 2698 comprising a tapering distal end 2699 . anchor 2698 is securely attached to tension element 2696 . diameter of anchor 2698 is larger than the diameter of the lumen of hollow element . due to this , anchor 2698 cannot pass through hollow element 2694 effectively locking the position of tension element 2696 with respect to the position of hollow element 2694 . fig2 o and 26p shows a partial sectional view and a perspective view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a punched disk . cinching mechanism 2602 ′ comprises a disk 2604 ′ comprising a punched hole 2606 ′. punched hole 2606 ′ is made by punching disk 2604 ′ along the proximal direction such that the punching action leaves an edge that is biased along the proximal direction as shown in fig2 o . disk 2604 ′ can slide over a tension element 2608 ′ along the distal direction . however , motion of disk 2604 ′ over tension element 2608 ′ along the proximal direction is substantially resisted by the proximally biased edges of punched hole 2606 ′. excess lengths of tension elements or other severable regions of one or more devices disclosed in this patent application may be cut , severed or trimmed using one or more cutting devices . for example , fig2 q and 26r show a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutting device before and after cutting an elongate element . in fig2 q , cutting device 2610 ′ comprises an outer sheath 2612 ′ comprising a sharp distal edge 2614 ′. outer sheath 2612 ′ encloses an inner sheath 2616 ′. inner diameter of outer sheath 2612 ′ is slightly larger than outer diameter of inner sheath 2616 ′ such that inner sheath 2616 ′ can slide easily through outer sheath 2612 ′. inner sheath 2616 ′ comprises a lumen that terminates distally in an opening 2618 ′. an elongate severable device passes through the lumen and emerges out of opening 2618 ′. an example of an elongate severable device is a tension element 2620 ′. in the method of cutting or trimming tension element 2620 ′ the desired area of tension element 2620 ′ to be cut or severed is positioned near opening 2618 ′ by advancing or withdrawing cutting device 2610 ′ over tension element 2620 ′. thereafter , outer sheath 2612 ′ is advanced over inner sheath 2616 ′ to cut tension element 2620 ′ between sharp distal edge 2614 ′ and an edge of opening 2618 ′. inner sheath 2616 ′ and outer sheath 2612 ′ may be substantially rigid or flexible . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . fig2 s show a crossectional view of a second embodiment of a cutting device for cutting an elongate element . cutting device 2622 ′ comprises an outer sheath 2624 ′ comprising a lumen that opens in an opening 2626 ′ in outer sheath 2624 ′. outer sheath 2624 ′ encloses an inner sheath 2628 ′ that comprises a lumen and a sharp distal edge 2630 ′. inner diameter of outer sheath 2624 ′ is slightly larger than outer diameter of inner sheath 2628 ′ such that inner sheath 2628 ′ can slide easily through outer sheath 2624 ′. an elongate severable device passes through the lumen of inner sheath 2628 ′ and emerges out of distal end of inner sheath 2628 ′ and out of outer sheath 2624 ′ through opening 2626 ′. an example of an elongate severable device is a tension element 2632 ′. in the method of cutting or trimming tension element 2632 ′ the desired area of tension element 2632 ′ to be cut or severed is positioned near opening 2626 ′ by advancing or withdrawing cutting device 2622 ′ over tension element 2632 ′. thereafter , inner sheath 2628 ′ is advanced through outer sheath 2624 ′ to cut tension element 2632 ′ between sharp distal edge 2630 ′ and an edge of opening 2626 ′. inner sheath 2628 ′ and outer sheath 2624 may be substantially rigid or flexible . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . in a third embodiment of a cutting device for cutting an elongate element , the cutting device comprises an outer hollow sheath . outer hollow sheath has a distal end plate comprising a window . an elongate severable device passes through the window . an example of an elongate severable device is a tension element . an inner shaft can slide and rotate within outer hollow sheath . distal end of inner shaft comprises a blade that is usually located away from the window and adjacent to the distal end plate of the outer hollow sheath . in the method of cutting or trimming tension element the elongate severable device , the desired area of the elongate severable device to be cut or severed is positioned near the window . this is done by advancing or withdrawing the cutting device over the elongate severable device . thereafter , the inner shaft is rotated within outer hollow sheath such that the blade cuts the elongate severable device between a sharp edge of the blade and an edge of the window . inner shaft and outer hollow sheath may be substantially rigid or flexible . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . the end plate and the blade are preferentially rigid . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to metals like stainless steel , polymers like polycarbonate , polyimide , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep etc . the anchoring devices disclosed herein may be used in a variety of configurations depending on the location of the disease process , ease of procedure etc . fig2 a through 27d show axial sections through the prostate gland pg showing various configurations of anchoring devices comprising distal anchors 2700 and a tension element 2702 that is anchored at a suitable location such that a sufficient tension exists in tension element 2702 . fig2 and 28a show perspective views of an embodiment of an anchoring device comprising an elongate element comprising multiple barbs or anchors . fig2 shows a perspective view of anchoring device 2800 comprising an elongate element 2802 . elongate element 2802 can be made of several biocompatible materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . elongate element 2802 may comprise natural or artificial suture materials . examples of such materials include but are not limited to polyamide ( nylon ), polypropylene , polyglycolic acid ( pga ), polylactic acid ( pla ) and copolymers of polylactic acid , polyglycolic acid and copolymers of polyglycolic acid , copolymers of pla and pga , silk , polyester , silicone , collagen , polymers of glycolide and lactide . a particular example of a suture is the nordstrom suture which is a highly elastic silicone suture . in one embodiment , the suture material is bioabsorbable . elongate element 2802 comprises two sets of projections such as barbs , anchors or hooks . in the example shown , elongate element 2802 comprises a set of distal barbs 2804 and a set of proximal barbs 2806 . distal barbs 2804 are oriented in the proximal direction and proximal barbs 2806 are oriented in the distal direction as shown in fig2 . fig2 a shows a magnified view of the region 28 a of anchoring device 2800 showing proximal barbs 2806 . fig2 b through 28e show a coronal section through the prostate gland pg showing various steps of a method of treating the prostate gland pg using the device of fig2 . in fig2 b , introducer device 300 of fig3 a comprising a working device lumen and a cystoscope lumen 308 is introduced into the urethra such that the distal end of introducer device 300 is located in the prostatic urethra . thereafter , a hollow puncturing device 2808 is inserted in the working device lumen of introducer device . puncturing device 2808 is advanced such that distal end of puncturing device 2808 penetrates the prostate gland pg . in fig2 c , anchoring device 2800 is introduced through puncturing device 2808 into the prostate gland pg . thereafter , puncturing device 2808 is pulled in the proximal direction . simultaneously , anchoring device 2800 is pulled in the proximal direction to anchor distal barbs 2804 in the anatomy . in fig2 d , puncturing device 2808 is pulled further in the proximal direction to expose the entire anchoring device 2800 . thereafter , in step 28 e , the proximal end of anchoring device 2800 is detached to deploy anchoring device 2800 in the anatomy . thus , tissue between distal barbs 2804 and proximal barbs 2806 is anchored to anchoring device 2800 . fig2 a shows an axial section of the prostate gland pg showing a pair of implanted magnetic anchors . in fig2 a , a first magnetic anchor 2900 and a second magnetic anchor 2902 are implanted in the prostate gland pg on either side of the urethra . like poles of first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 face each other such that there is magnetic repulsion between first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 . this causes the urethral lumen to widen potentially reducing the severity of bph symptoms . fig2 b through 29d show a coronal section through the prostate gland pg showing the steps of a method of implanting magnetic anchors of fig2 a . in fig2 b , a deployment device 2904 is advanced trans - urethrally . deployment device 2904 comprises a sharp distal tip 2906 and first magnetic anchor 2900 . distal tip 2906 of deployment device 2904 penetrates prostatic tissue and implants first magnetic anchor 2900 in the prostate gland pg . similarly , another deployment device 2908 comprising a sharp distal tip 2920 is used to implant second magnetic anchor 2902 in the prostate gland pg . first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 are implanted on opposite sides of the urethra such that like poles of first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 face each other . this causes magnetic repulsion between first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 . this causes the urethral lumen to widen potentially reducing the severity of bph symptoms . in one embodiment , deployment device 2904 can be used to deploy multiple magnetic anchors . fig3 a shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device inserted into the prostate gland pg from the urethra . cutting device 3000 comprises an outer body 3002 comprising a side port 3004 . outer body 3002 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3000 further comprises an access device 3006 that can be deployed out of side port 3004 . access device 3006 can be retracted back into side port 3004 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3006 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3006 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3006 penetrates the walls of the urethra and enters the prostate gland pg by creating an access channel in the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3000 further comprises a cutting element 3008 that is introduced into the prostate gland pg through the access channel in the prostate gland pg . in one embodiment , cutting element 3008 enters the prostate gland pg through access device 3006 . cutting element 3008 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3008 may be moved through prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3008 ; one or more articulating elements located on cutting element 3008 ; motion of cutting device 3000 along the urethra etc . cutting element 3008 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including peripheral zone , transition zone , central zone or prostatic capsule . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3008 and access device 3006 are withdrawn into cutting device 3000 . thereafter , cutting device 3000 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3000 comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 b shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device that accesses outer surface of the prostate gland pg by passing through the walls of the urethra distal to the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3020 comprises an outer body 3022 comprising a side port 3024 . outer body 3022 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3020 is advanced into the urethra such that side port 3024 is located distal to the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3020 further comprises an access device 3026 that can be deployed out of side port 3024 . access device 3026 can be retracted back into side port 3024 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3026 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3026 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3026 is deployed from side port 3024 in a desired orientation such that access device 3026 penetrates the wall of the urethra . access device 3026 is advanced further such that distal end of access device 3026 is located near the prostate gland pg . thereafter , a cutting element 3028 is introduced through access device 3026 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting element 3028 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3028 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting element 3028 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3028 ; motion of cutting element 3028 along access device 3026 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting element 3028 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3026 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3028 and access device 3026 are withdrawn into cutting device 3020 . thereafter , cutting device 3020 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3020 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 c shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device that accesses outer surface of the prostate gland pg by passing through the wall of the urinary bladder . cutting device 3040 comprises an outer body 3042 comprising a side port 3044 . outer body 3042 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3040 is advanced into the urethra such that side port 3044 is located inside the urinary bladder . cutting device 3040 further comprises an access device 3046 that can be deployed out of side port 3044 . access device 3046 can be retracted back into side port 3044 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3046 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3046 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3046 is deployed from side port 3044 in a desired orientation such that access device 3046 penetrates the wall of the urinary bladder . access device 3046 is advanced further such that distal end of access device 3046 is located near the prostate gland pg . thereafter , a cutting element 3048 is introduced through access device 3046 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting element 3048 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3048 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting element 3048 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3048 ; motion of cutting element 3048 along access device 3046 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting element 3048 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3046 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3048 and access device 3046 are withdrawn into cutting device 3040 . thereafter , cutting device 3040 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3040 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 d shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device that accesses outer surface of the prostate gland pg by passing through the walls of the urethra enclosed to the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3060 comprises an outer body 3062 comprising a side port 3064 . outer body 3062 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3060 is advanced into the urethra such that side port 3064 is located in the region of the urethra enclosed by the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3060 further comprises an access device 3066 that can be deployed out of side port 3064 . access device 3066 can be retracted back into side port 3064 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3066 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3066 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3066 is deployed from side port 3064 in a desired orientation such that access device 3066 penetrates the prostate . thereafter , a cutting element 3068 is introduced through access device 3066 such that the distal region of cutting element can access the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting element 3068 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3068 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting element 3068 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3068 ; motion of cutting element 3068 along access device 3066 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting element 3068 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3066 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3068 and access device 3066 are withdrawn into cutting device 3060 . thereafter , cutting device 3060 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3060 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue by a percutaneous device that accesses the prostate gland pg through an incision in the abdomen . in this method , a cannula 3100 is introduced percutaneously into the lower abdomen . cannula 3100 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers etc . cannula 3100 is advanced into the abdomen such that it passes below the pubic bone . the distal end of cannula 3100 is positioned near the prostate gland pg . thereafter , a cutting device 3102 is advanced through distal end of cannula 3100 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3102 can be retracted back into cannula 3100 . cutting device 3102 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting device 3102 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting device 3102 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting device 3102 ; motion of cutting device 3102 along cannula 3100 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting device 3102 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into cannula 3100 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting device 3102 is withdrawn into cannula 3100 . thereafter , cannula 3100 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cannula 3100 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue by a percutaneous device that penetrates the urinary bladder and accesses the outer surface of the prostate gland pg through an incision in the urinary bladder . in this method , a cannula 3200 is introduced percutaneously into the lower abdomen . cannula 3200 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers etc . cannula 3200 is advanced into the abdomen such that it passes above the pubic bone . the distal end of cannula 3200 enters the urinary bladder . thereafter , an access device 3202 is advanced through cannula 3200 such that access device 3202 penetrates the urinary bladder wall as shown in fig4 . thereafter , a cutting device 3204 is advanced through distal end of access device 3202 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3202 can be retracted back into access device 3202 . cutting device 3202 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting device 3202 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting device 3202 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting device 3202 or access device 3202 ; motion of cutting device 3202 along access device 3202 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting device 3202 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3202 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting device 3202 is withdrawn into access device 3202 . access device 3202 is then withdrawn into cannula 3200 . thereafter , cannula 3200 is withdrawn from the urinary bladder . in one device embodiment , cannula 3200 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 series shows a perspective view of a prostate treatment kit to cut prostate tissue . fig3 a shows a perspective view of an introducer device . introducer device 3300 comprises a first tubular element 3302 enclosing a working device lumen 3304 . first tubular element 3302 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials such as pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . the proximal end of working device lumen 3304 comprises a first stasis valve 3306 . the distal end of working device lumen 3304 comprises a deflection mechanism . the deflection mechanism is used to bend the distal region of working device lumen 3304 . one example of deflection mechanism is a pull wire and a deflection dial 3310 to adjust the magnitude and / or the direction of deflection caused by the pull wire . similarly , other deflection mechanisms can be used in the introducer device instead of a pull wire . introducer device 3300 further comprises a second tubular element 3312 which encloses a cystoscope lumen 3314 . a cystoscope can be introduced through cystoscope lumen 3314 into the urethra . typical examples of cystoscopes that can be used with introducer device are those manufactured by olympus , pentax , storz , wolf , circon - acmi , etc . these may have pre - set angles ( i . e . 0 , 30 , 70 , 120 degrees ) or may be flexible scopes where in the tip may be deflectable . the proximal end of cystoscope lumen 3314 comprises a second stasis valve 3316 . the cystoscope is inserted through the proximal end of cystoscope lumen 3314 and emerges out into the urethra from the distal end of cystoscope lumen 3314 . the cystoscope can then be used to visualize the anatomy and various instruments during a procedure . working device lumen 3314 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a first side port 3318 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . cystoscope lumen 3314 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a second side port 3320 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . fig3 b shows a perspective view of an injecting needle . injecting needle 3330 is used for injecting one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents in the anatomy . in one method embodiment , injecting needle 3330 is used to inject local anesthetic in the urethra and / or prostate gland pg . specific examples of target areas for injecting local anesthetics are the neurovascular bundles , the genitourinary diaphragm , the region between the rectal wall and prostate , etc . examples of local anesthetics that can be injected by injecting needle 3330 are anesthetic solutions e . g . 1 % lidocaine solution ; anesthetic gels e . g . lidocaine gels ; combination of anesthetic agents e . g . combination of lidocaine and bupivacaine ; etc . injecting needle 3330 comprises a hollow shaft 3332 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . the length of hollow shaft 3332 can range from to centimeters . the distal end of hollow shaft 3332 comprises a sharp tip 3334 . the proximal end of hollow shaft 3332 has a needle hub 3336 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . like stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene etc . in one embodiment , needle hub 3336 comprises a luer lock . fig3 c shows a perspective view of a guiding device . guiding device 3338 comprises an elongate body 3340 comprising a sharp distal tip 3342 . in one embodiment , guiding device 3338 is a guidewire . distal end of elongate body 3340 may comprise an anchoring element to reversibly anchor guiding device 3338 into tissue . examples of suitable anchoring elements are barbs , multipronged arrowheads , balloons , other mechanically actuable members ( e . g . bendable struts ), screw tips , shape memory elements , or other suitable anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . fig3 d shows a perspective view of a rf cutting device . cutting device 3343 comprises an inner sheath 3344 and an outer sheath 3346 . inner sheath 3344 comprises a lumen of a suitable dimension such that cutting device 3343 can be advanced over guiding device 538 . outer sheath 3346 can slide on inner sheath 3344 . outer sheath 3346 also comprises two marker bands : a proximal marker band 3348 and a distal marker band 3350 . the marker bands can be seen by a cystoscope . in one embodiment , proximal marker band 3348 and distal marker band 3350 are radiopaque . the position of proximal marker band 3348 and distal marker band 3350 is such that after cutting device 3343 is placed in an optimum location in the anatomy , proximal marker band 3348 is located in the urethra where it can be seen by a cystoscope and distal marker band 3350 is located in the prostrate gland pg or in the wall of the urethra where it cannot be seen by the cystoscope . cutting device 3343 further comprises a cutting wire 3352 that is capable of delivering electrical energy to the surrounding tissue . the distal end of cutting wire 3352 is fixed to the distal region of outer sheath 3344 . the proximal end of cutting wire 3352 is connected to a distal region of outer sheath 3346 and is further connected to a source of electrical energy . in fig3 d , cutting wire 3352 is in an undeployed configuration . fig3 d ′ shows the distal region of cutting device 3343 when cutting wire 3352 is in a deployed configuration . to deploy cutting wire 3352 , inner sheath 3344 is moved in the proximal direction with respect to outer sheath 546 . this causes cutting wire 3352 to bend axially outward thus deploying cutting wire 3352 in the surrounding anatomy . fig3 e shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a plugging device to plug an opening created during a procedure . plugging device 3354 comprises a tubular shaft 3356 comprising a distal opening 3358 . distal opening 3358 is used to deliver one or more plugging materials 3360 in the adjacent anatomy . plugging material 3360 may comprise a porous or non - porous matrix formed of a biodegradable or non - biodegradable material such as a flexible or rigid polymer foam , cotton wadding , gauze , hydrogels , etc . examples of biodegradable polymers that may be foamed or otherwise rendered porous include but are not restricted to polyglycolide , poly - l - lactide , poly - d - lactide , poly ( amino acids ), polydioxanone , polycaprolactone , polygluconate , polylactic acid - polyethylene oxide copolymers , modified cellulose , collagen , polyorthoesters , polyhydroxybutyrate , polyanhydride , polyphosphoester , poly ( alpha - hydroxy acid ) and combinations thereof . in one embodiment , plugging material 3360 comprises biocompatible sealants including but not limited to fibrin sealants , combination of natural proteins ( e . g . collagen , albumin etc .) with aldehyde cross - linking agents ( e . g . glutaraldehyde , formaldehyde ) or other polymeric , biological or non - polymeric materials capable of being implanted with the body , etc . plugging device 3354 may be introduced in the anatomy by various approaches including the approaches disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . plugging device 3354 may be introduced in the anatomy through a cannula , over a guiding device such as a guidewire etc . in the embodiment shown in fig3 e , plugging material 3360 is preloaded in plugging device 3354 . plugging material 3360 is introduced through distal opening 3358 by pushing plunger 3362 in the distal direction . in another embodiment , plugging device 3354 comprises a lumen that extends from the proximal end to distal opening 3358 . plugging material 3360 may be injected through the proximal end of the lumen such that it emerges out through distal opening 3358 . fig3 f through 33n show various alternate embodiments of the electrosurgical cutting device in fig3 d . fig3 f and 33g show perspective views of the distal region of a first alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device in the undeployed and deployed states respectively . fig3 f show an electrosurgical cutting device 570 comprising an elongate shaft 3372 . shaft 3372 is made of an electrically insulating material . electrosurgical cutting device 3370 further comprises an electrosurgical cutting wire 3374 . electrosurgical cutting wire 3374 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to tungsten , stainless steel , etc . distal end of cutting wire 3374 is attached to distal region of shaft 3372 . the proximal region of cutting wire 3374 can be pulled in the proximal direction by an operator . in one embodiment , electrosurgical cutting device 3370 is introduced in the target anatomy through a sheath 3376 . in fig3 f , electrosurgical cutting device 3370 is deployed by pulling cutting wire 3374 in the proximal direction . this causes distal region of shaft 3372 to bend . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3374 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3370 along the proximal or distal direction . fig3 h and 33i show perspective views of the distal region of a second alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device in the undeployed and deployed states respectively . electrosurgical cutting device 3380 comprises an elongate sheath 3382 comprising a lumen . distal region of sheath 3382 has a window 3384 . electrosurgical cutting device 3380 further comprises an electrosurgical cutting wire 3386 located in the lumen . distal end of cutting wire 3386 is fixed to the distal end of sheath 3384 . proximal end of cutting wire 3386 can be pushed in the distal direction by a user . in fig3 , cutting wire 3386 is deployed by pushing cutting wire 3386 in the distal direction . this causes a region of cutting wire 3386 to bend in the radially outward direction and thus emerge out of window 3384 . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3386 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3380 along the proximal or distal direction . fig3 j through 33l show perspective views of the distal region of a second alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device showing the steps of deploying the electrosurgical cutting device . electrosurgical cutting device 3390 comprises an elongate sheath 3391 comprising a lumen 3392 . in fig3 j , an electrosurgical cutting wire 3394 is introduced through lumen 3392 such that it emerges out through the distal opening of lumen 3392 . in fig3 k , cutting wire 3394 is further advanced in the distal direction . distal end of cutting wire 3394 has a curved region so that cutting wire 3394 starts to bend as it emerges out of lumen 3392 . in fig3 l , cutting wire 3394 is further advanced in the distal direction to fully deploy cutting wire 3394 . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3394 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3390 along the proximal or distal direction . fig3 m through 33n show perspective views of the distal region of a third alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device showing the steps of deploying the electrosurgical cutting device . electrosurgical cutting device 3395 comprises an elongate sheath 3396 comprising a lumen . cutting device 3395 further comprises a cutting wire 3398 located in the lumen of elongate sheath 3396 . the proximal end of cutting wire 3398 is connected to a source of electrical energy . distal end of cutting wire 3398 is connected to the inner surface of the distal region of elongate sheath 3396 . cutting wire 3398 may be made from suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials including but not limited to nitinol , titanium , stainless steel etc . in fig3 n , electrosurgical cutting device 3395 is deployed by pushing the proximal region of cutting wire 3398 in the distal direction . this causes a distal region of cutting wire 3398 to emerge from the distal end of elongate sheath 3396 as a loop . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3398 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3395 along the proximal or distal direction . electrosurgical cutting device 3395 can be used to cut multiple planes of tissue by withdrawing cutting wire 3398 in elongate sheath 3396 , rotating elongate sheath 3396 to a new orientation , redeploying cutting wire 3398 and delivering electrical energy through cutting wire 3398 . the devices 33 h through 33 n may be introduced by one or more access devices such as guidewires , sheaths etc . fig3 shows a perspective view of the distal region of a balloon catheter comprising a balloon with cutting blades . balloon catheter 3400 can be introduced into a lumen or in the tissue of an organ to be treated using one or more of the introducing methods disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . balloon catheter 3400 comprises a shaft 3402 . shaft 3402 may comprise a lumen to allow balloon catheter 3400 to be introduced over a guidewire . in one embodiment , shaft 3402 is torquable . shaft 3402 comprises a balloon 3404 located on the distal end of shaft 3402 . balloon 3404 can be fabricated from materials including , but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate , nylon , polyurethane , polyvinyl chloride , crosslinked polyethylene , polyolefins , hptfe , hpe , hdpe , ldpe , eptfe , block copolymers , latex and silicone . balloon 3404 further comprises one or more cutter blades 3406 . balloon catheter 3400 is advanced with balloon 3404 deflated , into a natural or surgically created passageway and positioned adjacent to tissue or matter that is to be cut , dilated , or expanded . thereafter , balloon 3404 is inflated to cause cutter blades 3406 to make one or more cuts in the adjacent tissue or matter . thereafter balloon 3404 is deflated and balloon catheter 3400 is removed . cutter blades 3406 may be energized with mono or bi - polar rf energy . balloon catheter 3400 may comprise one or more navigation markers including , but not limited to radio - opaque markers , ultrasound markers , light source that can be detected visually etc . fig3 shows a perspective view of the distal region of a balloon catheter comprising a balloon with cutting wires . balloon catheter 3500 can be introduced into a lumen or in the tissue of an organ to be treated using one or more of the introducing methods disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . balloon catheter 3500 comprises a shaft 3502 . shaft 3502 may comprise a lumen to allow balloon catheter 3500 to be introduced over a guidewire . in one embodiment , shaft 3502 is torquable . shaft 3502 comprises a balloon 3504 located on the distal end of shaft 3502 . balloon 3504 can be fabricated from materials including , but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate , nylon , polyurethane , polyvinyl chloride , crosslinked polyethylene , polyolefins , hptfe , hpe , hdpe , ldpe , eptfe , block copolymers , latex and silicone . balloon 3504 further comprises one or more radiofrequency wires 3506 . balloon catheter 3500 is advanced with balloon 3504 deflated , into a natural or surgically created passageway and positioned adjacent to tissue or matter that is to be cut , dilated , or expanded . thereafter , balloon 3504 is inflated and an electrical current is delivered through radiofrequency wires 3506 to make one or more cuts in the adjacent tissue or matter . thereafter the electrical current is stopped , balloon 3504 is deflated and balloon catheter 3500 is removed . radiofrequency wires 3504 may be energized with mono or bi - polar rf energy . balloon catheter 3500 may comprise one or more navigation markers including , but not limited to radio - opaque markers , ultrasound markers , light source that can be detected visually etc . fig3 a and 36b series show perspective views of an undeployed state and a deployed state respectively of a tissue displacement device . fig3 a shows a tissue anchoring device 3600 in the undeployed state . anchoring device 3600 comprises an elongate body having a proximal end 3602 and a distal end 3604 . anchoring device 3600 may be made of a variety of elastic or super - elastic materials including , but not limited to nitinol , stainless steel , titanium etc . anchoring device 3600 is substantially straight in the undeployed state and has a tendency to become substantially curved in the deployed state . anchoring device 3600 is maintained in the undeployed state by a variety of means including , but not limited to enclosing anchoring device 3600 in a cannula or sheath , etc . fig3 b shows tissue anchoring device 3600 in the deployed state . anchoring device 3600 comprises a curved region . when anchoring device 3600 changes from an undeployed state to a deployed state , the anatomical tissue adjacent to the central region of anchoring device 3600 is displaced along the direction of motion of the central region . anchoring device 3600 can be deployed by a variety of methods including , but not limited to removing anchoring device 3600 from a sheath or cannula , etc . in one embodiment , anchoring device 3600 is made from a shape memory material such as nitinol . in this embodiment , anchoring device 3600 is maintained in the undeployed state by maintaining anchor device 3600 in a temperature lower than the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . anchoring device 3600 is converted to the deployed state by implanting anchoring device 3600 in a patient such that the device is warmed to the body temperature which is above the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . fig3 c and 36d show a coronal view and a lateral view respectively of a pair of deployed tissue displacement devices of fig3 a and 36b implanted in the prostate gland pg . in fig3 c , two anchoring devices are implanted in the prostate gland pg near the prostatic urethra in a patient with bph . a first anchoring device 3600 is introduced on a first side of the urethra and is deployed there as shown . similarly , a second anchoring device 3606 comprising a proximal end 3608 and a distal end 3610 is introduced on the other side of the urethra and is deployed there as shown . first anchoring device 3600 and second anchoring device 3606 change into the deployed curved configuration . this causes prostate gland pg tissue near the central regions of first anchoring device 3600 and second anchoring device 3606 to be displaced radially away from the urethra . this displacement of prostate gland pg tissue can be used to eliminate or reduce the compression of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland pg . fig3 d shows a lateral view of the urethra enclosed by the prostate gland pg showing deployed first anchoring device 3600 and second anchoring device 3606 . the various cuts or punctures made by one or more cutting devices disclosed in this patent application may be plugged or lined by a plugging or space filling substance . fig3 e through 36h show an axial section through a prostate gland showing the various steps of a method of cutting or puncturing the prostate gland and lining or plugging the cut or puncture . fig3 e shows a section of the prostate gland showing the urethra , the lateral lobes and the middle lobe surrounded by the prostatic pseudocapsule . in fig3 f , one or more cuts are made in a region of the prostatic pseudocapsule . in addition , one or more cuts may be made in a region of between two lobes of the prostate gland . in fig3 g , a plugging material 3619 is introduced in the one or more regions of the prostate gland that are cut or punctured . plugging material 3619 may be delivered through one or more delivery devices including , but not limited to the device disclosed in fig3 e . plugging material 3619 may comprises a material such as plugging material 3360 . the various cuts or punctures made by one or more cutting devices disclosed in this patent application may be spread open by a clipping device . for example , fig3 h shows an axial section through a prostate gland showing a clip for spreading open a cut or punctured region of the prostate gland . spreading device 3620 comprises a body having a central region and two distal arms . spreading device 3620 may be made of a variety of elastic or super - elastic materials including , but not limited to nitinol , stainless steel , titanium etc . spreading device 3620 has a reduced profile in the undeployed state by maintaining distal arms close to each other . spreading device 5000 is maintained in the undeployed state by a variety of means including , but not limited to enclosing spreading device 3620 in a cannula or sheath , etc . when spreading device 3620 changes from an undeployed state to a deployed state , the distance between the two distal arms increases . this causes any anatomical tissue between two distal arms to spread along the straight line between two distal arms spreading device 3620 can be deployed by a variety of methods including , but not limited to removing spreading device 3620 from a sheath or cannula , etc . in one embodiment , spreading device 3620 is made from a shape memory material such as nitinol . in this embodiment , spreading device 3620 is maintained in the undeployed state by maintaining anchor device 3620 in a temperature lower than the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . spreading device 3620 is converted to the deployed state by implanting spreading device 3620 in a patient such that the device is warmed to the body temperature which is above the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . stretching of prostate gland tissue can be used to eliminate or reduce the compression of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland or to prevent cut edges of a cut from rejoining . more than one spreading device 3620 may be used to treat the effects of an enlarged prostate or to eliminate or reduce the compression of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland or to prevent cut edges of a cut from rejoining . fig3 a through 37k show an embodiment of a method of treating prostate gland disorders by cutting a region of the prostate gland using the devices described in fig3 a through 33e . in fig3 a , introducer device 3300 is introduced in the urethra . it is advanced through the urethra such that the distal tip of introducer device 3300 is located in the prostatic urethra . thereafter , injecting needle 3330 is introduced through introducer device 3300 . the distal tip of injecting needle 3330 is advanced such that injecting needle 3330 penetrates the prostate gland . injecting needle 3330 is then used to inject a substance such as an anesthetic in the prostate gland . thereafter , in fig3 b , injecting needle 3330 is withdrawn from the anatomy . the distal region of introducer device 3300 is positioned near a region of the prostate gland to be punctured . thereafter , in fig3 c , first tubular element 3302 is bent or deflected with a bending or deflecting mechanism such as the bending mechanism in fig3 c ″ and 37 c ′″ to align the distal region of first tubular element 3302 along a desired trajectory of puncturing the prostate gland . fig3 c ′ shows the proximal region of introducer device 3300 . a cystoscope 3700 is introduced through second stasis valve 3316 such that the distal end of cystoscope 3700 emerges through the distal end of introducer device 3300 . cystoscope 3700 is then used to visualize the anatomy to facilitate the method of treating prostate gland disorders . fig3 c ″ shows a perspective view of the distal region of an embodiment of introducer device 3300 comprising a bending or deflecting mechanism . in this embodiment , first tubular element 3302 comprises a spiral cut distal end and a pull wire . in fig3 c ′″, the pull wire is pulled by deflection dial 3310 . this deflects the distal tip of first tubular element 3302 as shown . after the step in fig3 c , guiding device 3338 is introduced through first tubular element 3302 . guiding device 3338 is advanced through first tubular element 3302 such that the distal tip of guiding device 3338 penetrates into the prostate gland . in one method embodiment , guiding device 3338 is further advanced such that the distal tip of guiding device 3338 penetrates through the prostate gland and enters the urinary bladder . in one embodiment , distal region of guiding device 3338 comprises an anchoring element 3702 . anchoring element 3702 is deployed as shown in fig3 e . thereafter , guiding device 3338 is pulled in the proximal direction till anchoring element 3702 is snug against the wall of the urinary bladder . cystoscope 3700 can be used to visualize the steps of penetrating the prostate gland by guiding device 3338 and deploying anchoring element 3702 . if guiding device 3338 is not positioned in a satisfactory position , guiding device 3338 is pulled back in introducer device 3300 . the deflection angle of distal end of first tubular lumen 3302 is changed and guiding device 3338 is re - advanced into the urinary bladder . fig3 e ′ shows a perspective view of an embodiment of anchoring element 3702 . anchoring element comprises a hollow sheath 3704 . distal region of hollow sheath 3704 is attached to distal region of guiding device 3338 . a number of windows are cut in the distal region of hollow sheath 3704 such that several thin , splayable strips are formed between adjacent windows . pushing hollow sheath 3704 in the distal direction causes splayable strips to splay in the radially outward direction to form an anchoring element . in fig3 f , cutting device 3343 is advanced over guiding device 3338 into the prostate gland . in fig3 g , cutting device 3343 is positioned in the prostate gland such that proximal marker band 3348 can be seen by cystoscope 3700 but distal marker band 3350 cannot be seen . thereafter , in fig3 h , relative motion between outer sheath 3343 and inner sheath 3344 causes cutting wire 3352 to deploy outward in the axial direction . in one embodiment , this step is carried out by moving outer sheath 3343 in the distal direction while the inner sheath 3344 is stationary . in another embodiment , this step is carried out by moving inner sheath 3344 in the proximal direction while outer sheath 3343 is kept stationary . also during step , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3352 to cut tissue . in fig3 i , cutting device 3343 is pulled in the proximal direction such that the deployed cutting wire 3352 slices through tissue . thereafter , cutting wire 3352 is withdrawn again in cutting device 3343 . cutting device 3343 is then removed from the anatomy . in fig3 j , plugging device 3354 is introduced over guiding device 3338 through the puncture or opening in the prostate gland . thereafter , in fig3 k , anchoring element 3702 is undeployed and guiding device 3343 is withdrawn from the anatomy . thereafter , plugging device 3354 is used to deliver one or more plugging materials in the adjacent anatomy . the plugging materials can be used to plug or line some or all of the cuts or punctures created during the method . fig3 a to 38d show various components of a kit for treating prostate gland disorders by compressing a region of the prostate gland . fig3 a shows the perspective view of an introducer device 3800 . introducer device 3800 comprises an outer body 3801 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , polymers like pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . body 3801 comprises a working device lumen 3802 . distal end of working device lumen 3802 emerges out of the distal end of body 3801 . proximal end of working device lumen 3802 incorporates lock thread 3803 such that introducer device may join with other devices . device lumen 3802 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a first side port 3804 and a second side port 3805 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . fig3 b shows a perspective view of a bridge device 3806 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , polymers like pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . bridge device may insert into introducer lumen 3802 and lock into place by threadably mating thread lock 3807 with thread 3803 . bridge may incorporate port 3808 for cystoscope with locking means 3809 that joins to cystoscope when inserted . bridge device may incorporate one or more working lumens . working lumen 3810 emerges out of the distal end of body 3806 . in one embodiment , distal end of working device lumen 3810 has a bent or curved region . proximal end of lumen 3810 emerges from port 3811 that may incorporate fluid stasis valve 3812 and a luer lock . working lumen 3813 emerges distally in straight fashion through blunt obturator 3814 at distal end of body 3806 and emerges proximally through second port that may incorporate fluid stasis valve and luer lock . fig3 c shows a perspective view of a distal anchor deployment device 3815 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to polymers like polycarbonate , pvc , pebax , polyimide , braided pebax , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . deployment device 3815 comprises handle 3816 , which incorporates movable thumb ring pusher 3817 and anchor deployment latch 3818 ; and distal shaft 3819 which has trocar point 3820 at distal end . mounted on distal shaft 3819 is distal anchor 3821 that incorporates tether 3822 . tether 3822 can be made of suitable elastic or non - elastic materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , suture materials , titanium etc . or polymers such as silicone , nylon , polyamide , polyglycolic acid , polypropylene , pebax , ptfe , eptfe , silk , gut , or any other monofilament or any braided or mono - filament material . proximal end of tether 3822 may incorporate hypotube 3823 . distal anchor 3821 is constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , braided pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . deployment device 3815 is inserted into bridge working lumen 3810 . advancement of thumb ring 3817 extends distal shaft 3819 through distal end of working lumen 3810 , preferably into tissue for deployment of distal anchor 3821 . depth of distal shaft deployment can be monitored on cystoscope by visualizing depth markers 3824 . once distal shaft 3819 is deployed to desired depth , anchor deployment latch 3818 is rotated to release distal anchor 3821 . retraction of thumb ring 3817 then retracts distal shaft 3819 while leaving distal anchor 3821 in tissue . bridge 3806 is then disconnected from introducer device 3800 and removed . fig3 d shows the proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to polymers like polycarbonate , pvc , pebax , polyimide , braided pebax , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 comprises handle 3826 , which incorporates anchor deployment switch 3827 in slot 3828 and tether cut switch 3829 ; and distal shaft 3830 which houses hypotube 3831 . lumen of hypotube 3831 emerges proximally at port 3832 which may incorporate a luer lock . mounted on the hypotube and distal shaft is the proximal anchor 3833 with cinching hub 3834 . proximal anchor 3833 is constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , braided pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe or biodegradable polymers e . g . polyglycolic acid , poly ( dioxanone ), poly ( trimethylene carbonate ) copolymers , and poly ( ε - caprolactone ) homopolymers and copolymers etc . fig3 e shows a close - up perspective view of proximal anchor 3833 mounted on hypotube 3831 and distal shaft 3830 of proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 . hypotube 3831 biases open the cinching lock 3835 of cinching hub 3834 . in order to deploy proximal anchor 3833 , hypotube 3823 is loaded into hypotube 3831 until it exits proximal port 3832 . hypotube 3823 is then stabilized while proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 is advanced into introducer device lumen 3802 and advanced to tissue target . because hypotube 3831 biases open cinching lock 3835 , the proximal anchor delivery tool travels freely along tether 3822 . once proximal anchor 3833 is adequately apposed to urethral wall of prostate , anchor deployment switch 3827 is retracted . during retraction of switch 3827 , hypotube 3831 is retracted proximal to cinching hub 3834 and tether 3822 is tightened . when switch 3827 is fully retracted or desired tension is accomplished , tether 3822 is cut within cinching hub 3834 by advancing cutting switch 3829 . any of the anchoring devices disclosed herein may comprise one or more sharp distal tips , barbs , hooks etc . to attach to tissue . various types of endoscopes can be used in conjunction with the devices disclosed herein such as flexible scopes that are thin , flexible , fibre - optic endoscopes and rigid scopes that are thin , solid , straight endoscopes . the scopes may have one or more side channels for insertion of various instruments . further they may be used with in conjunction with standard and modified sheaths intended for endoscopic and transurethral use . local or general anesthesia may be used while performing the procedures disclosed herein . examples of local anesthetics that can be used are anesthetic gels e . g . lidocaine gels in the urethra ; combination of anesthetic agents e . g . combination of lidocaine and bupivacaine in the urethra ; spinal anesthetics e . g . ropivacaine , fentanyl etc . ; injectable anesthetics e . g . 1 % lidocaine solution injected into the neurovascular bundles , the genitourinary diaphragm , and between the rectal wall and prostate ; etc . an optional trans - rectal ultrasound exam may be performed before and / or during the procedures disclosed herein . in this exam , a device called ultrasound transducer is inserted into the rectum . the ultrasound transducer is then used to image the prostate gland pg using ultrasound waves . the devices may be modified so that they are more visible under ultrasound such as etched surfaces . other imaging devices may also be optionally used such as mri , rf , electromagnetic and fluoroscopic or x - ray guidance . the anchoring devices or delivery devices may contain sensors or transmitters so that certain elements may be tracked and located within the body . the tethering devices may be used as cables to temporarily transmit energy to the distal and / or proximal anchors during deployment . the invention has been described hereabove with reference to certain examples or embodiments of the invention but various additions , deletions , alterations and modifications may be made to those examples and embodiments without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the invention . for example , any element or attribute of one embodiment or example may be incorporated into or used with another embodiment or example , unless to do so would render the embodiment or example unsuitable for its intended use . also , where the steps of a method or process are described , listed or claimed in a particular order , such steps may be performed in any other order unless to do so would render the embodiment or example un - novel , obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art or unsuitable for its intended use . all reasonable additions , deletions , modifications and alterations are to be considered equivalents of the described examples and embodiments and are to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 0 |
embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating an internal construction of a revolver controller of a microscope in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention . further , fig2 a is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of a revolver . fig2 b is a sectional view taken along the line 2b -- 2b on fig2 a . as depicted in fig2 a , a knurl 100 serving as a body of the revolver includes four mounting portions 150a - 150d provided at equal intervals , in which addresses are sequentially set . four objective lenses having magnifications different from each other are mounted in these mounting portions 150a - 150d in a peripheral direction in the sequence of the magnifications . in accordance with this embodiment , it is assumed that the objective lens having a minimum magnification is mounted in the address - 1 mounting portion 150a ; the objective lenses are mounted in the address - 2 mounting portion 150b and the address - 3 mounting portion 150c so that the magnification becomes gradually larger ; and , thus , the objective lens having a maximum magnification is mounted in the address - 4 mounting portion 150d . note that each objective lens is so mounted as to protrude from a convex surface of the knurl 100 as seen in fig2 b . then , the knurl 100 is so driven by an unillustrated motor as to make forward / reverse revolutions . revolving the revolver in the forward direction ( the knurl 100 is revolved clockwise in fig2 a ) makes it possible to sequentially switch over the objective lens passing through an optical path of the microscope from the address - 1 lens having the minimum magnification to the address - 4 lens having the maximum magnification via the addresses 2 , 3 . further , revolving the revolver in the reverse direction ( the knurl 100 is revolved counterclockwise in fig2 a ) makes it possible to sequentially switch over the objective lens passing though the optical path of the microscope from the address - 4 lens having the maximum magnification to the address - 1 lens having the minimum magnification via the addresses 3 , 2 . address detecting switches 110a - 110d are disposed at equal intervals in the peripheral direction , corresponding to positions of the four objective lenses . further , stop position detecting switches 120a - 120d are , as illustrated in fig2 a , disposed at equal intervals in the peripheral direction of the knurl 100 . further , as shown in fig2 b , two non - contact sensors 130 , 140 are disposed in a face - to - face relationship with the address detecting switches 110a - 110d and the stop position detecting switches 120a - 120d . thus , an item of address data recorded in each address detecting switch is read by the sensor 130 , thereby making it possible to detect an address of the mounting portion mounted with the objective lens located in the optical path of the microscope , i . e ., a type of objective lens disposed on the optical path . further , the sensor 140 reads an item of stop position data recorded in the stop position detecting switch , thereby making it possible to detect the fact that the objective lens has reached a predetermined position in the optical path of the microscope . a detection device constructed by a combination of the above detecting switch and the non - contact sensor may involve the use of a micro switch , a photoelectric sensor and a magnetic sensor . the device shown in fig1 includes a command - of - revolution operating unit 1 for giving a command of revolution to the revolver . the command - of - revolution operating unit 1 has two switches 11 , 12 , and the revolver revolves in the forward direction when depressing the forward revolution indicating switch 11 . that is , the objective lens disposed in the optical path of the microscope can be switched over gradually from the minimum - magnification objective lens to the higher - magnification objective lenses . when depressing the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 , the revolver revolves in the reverse direction . that is , the objective lens disposed in the optical path of the microscope can be switched over gradually from the maximum - magnification objective lens to the lower - magnification objective lenses . the command - of - revolution signals transmitted from the switches 11 , 12 are inputted respectively to a forward revolution trigger pulse side of a trigger pulse generating unit 3 and a reverse revolution trigger pulse side thereof via a forward revolution signal transmitting transistor 22 and a reverse revolution signal transmitting transistor 23 of a command signal processing unit 22 . the trigger pulse generating unit 3 generates a short single pulse at a fall of each input signal . a forward revolution flip - flop 41 of a revolution signal holding unit 4 and a reverse revolution flip - flop 42 are set by this pulse . a motor driver 61 of a motor driving unit 6 causes the forward / reverse revolutions of a motor 62 and , in turn , the revolver on the basis of an output signal from the revolution signal holding unit 4 . note that when the non - contact sensor 140 detects any one of the above stop position detecting switches 120a - 120d , a switch 71 of a stop - of - revolution signal generating unit 7 is closed . then , a single pulse signal assuming a low level is outputted from a pulse generator 72 , and both of the forward revolution flip - flop 41 and the reverse revolution flip - flop 42 are reset , thereby stopping the motor 62 . at this time , any objective lens is located and stopped in the optical path of the microscope . accordingly , address signals encoded by the address detecting switches 51 , 52 , 53 of the address detecting unit 5 are inputted to a decoder 54 . note that the address signal , as stated above , indicates an address , i . e ., a type of the objective lens located on the optical path of the microscope . among respective output signals of the decoder 54 , a low - level output signal indicating that the objective lens located in the optical path of the microscope is the minimum - magnification lens is transmitted to a base of the reverse revolution signal transmitting transistor 23 via a diode 24 . hence , if the objective lens located in the optical path of the microscope is the minimum - magnification lens , a base electric potential of the reverse revolution signal transmitting transistor 23 decreases , and , therefore , the signal from the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 is not transmitted to the trigger pulse generating unit 3 . that is , if the objective lens located in the optical path of the microscope is the minimum - magnification lens , the switchover from the minimum - magnification lens to the maximum - magnification lens is not executed even when depressing the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 . on the other hand , a base of the forward revolution signal transmitting transistor 22 is connected to the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 , while a base of the reverse revolution signal transmitting transistor 23 is connected to the forward revolution indicating switch 11 . when simultaneously depressing both the forward revolution indicating switch 11 and the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 , there is prevented such a situation that both the forward revolution flip - flop 41 and the reverse revolution flip - flop 42 are set with the result that the motor 62 is halted . further , the low - level output signal from the decoder 54 is inputted also to a nand gate 21 . connected , moreover , to the nand gate 21 are the forward revolution indicating switch 11 and the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 while being pulled up by resistors 26 , 27 , respectively . then , an output signal from the nand gate 21 is inputted to the reverse - revolution trigger pulse generating side of the trigger pulse generating unit 3 . as described above , if the objective lens located in the optical path of the microscope is the minimum - magnification lens , the command signal is not transmitted to the trigger generating unit 3 even when depressing only the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 , and consequently the revolver is not revolved reversely . herein , when depressing both the forward revolution indicating switch 11 and the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 , all three inputs of the nand gate 21 assume the low level , and the output thereof also assumes the low level . in consequence of this , it seems as if there is developed the same state as transmitting the signal from the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 to the trigger pulse generating unit 3 . then , the trigger pulse generating unit 3 generates the reverse revolution trigger pulse , and the switchover from the minimum - magnification lens to the maximum - magnification lens can be done . in other words , the operation with a special consideration of the operator is conducted , whereby the switchover from the minimum - magnification lens to the maximum - magnification lens can be exceptionally done . note that the signals from the base and from the emitter of the reverse revolution signal transmitting transistor 23 are connected to a negative input and gate ( unillustrated ), and an led and a buzzer , etc . may be connected to an output of this and gate . with this construction , a warning is given when depressing the reverse revolution indicating switch 12 if the objective lens located in the optical path of the microscope is the minimum - magnification lens . the operator of the microscope can be thus informed of an invalid input . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal construction of the revolver controller of the microscope in a second embodiment of the present invention . fig4 is a view schematically illustrating the configuration of the revolver in this embodiment . further , fig5 is a flowchart showing operations of a cpu of fig3 . next , the second embodiment will be explained with reference to fig3 and 5 . this second embodiment is constructed such that a cpu 82 substitutes for the command signal processing unit 2 , the trigger pulse generating unit 3 and the revolution signal holding unit 4 in the first embodiment discussed above . note that the present invention is applied to the revolver including five mounting portions in this embodiment . referring to fig3 an address indication operating unit 81 corresponds to the revolution indication operating unit 1 of fig1 ; an address detecting unit 80 corresponds to the address detecting unit 5 of fig1 ; a motor driving unit 83 corresponds to the motor operating unit 6 of fig1 ; and a stop - of - revolution signal generating unit 84 corresponds to the stop - of - revolution signal generating unit 7 of fig1 . accordingly , the constructions and operations of the elements incorporating the same functions as those of the corresponding elements in the first embodiment will be omitted in the second embodiment . in an apparatus of fig3 the address detecting unit 80 , the address indication operating unit 81 , the motor driving unit 83 , the stop - of - revolution signal generating unit 84 and a warning buzzer generation unit 85 are connected to the cpu 82 . the cpu 82 controls the motor operating unit 83 and the warning buzzer generating unit 85 on the basis of the signals inputted from the address detecting unit 80 , the address indication operating unit 81 and the stop - of - revolution signal generating unit 84 . the address indication operating unit 81 includes five switches . the individual switches correspond to addresses of the five objective lens mounting portions through which the revolver is mounted with the objective lenses . referring to fig4 the knurl 100 serving as the body of the revolver includes five mounting portions 250a - 250e provided at equal intervals , in which addresses are sequentially set . five objective lenses having magnifications different from each other are mounted in these mounting portions 250a - 250e in the peripheral direction in the sequence of the magnifications . in accordance with this embodiment in the same way as the preceding first embodiment , it is assumed that the objective lens having the minimum magnification is mounted in the address - 1 mounting portion 250a ; the objective lenses are mounted in the address - 2 through address - 4 mounting portions 250b - 250d so that the magnification becomes gradually larger ; and , thus , the objective lens having the maximum magnification is mounted in the address - 5 mounting portion 250e . address detecting switches 210a210e are disposed in the peripheral direction at equal intervals in the peripheral area of the knurl 100 , corresponding to positions of the five objective lenses . further , stop position detecting switches 220a - 220e are , as illustrated in fig4 disposed at equal intervals in the peripheral direction of the knurl 100 . also , non - contact sensors 130 , 140 ( unillustrated ), in the same way as the preceding first embodiment , read address data and stop position data of the address detecting switches 210a - 210e and the stop position detecting switches 220a - 220e . accordingly , when depressing a switch 81a among five switches 81a - 81e of the address indication operating unit 81 , the revolver is driven to revolve , whereby the address - 1 lens having the minimum magnification is located in the optical path . further , when depressing the switch 81e , the revolver is driven to revolve , whereby the address - 5 lens having the maximum magnification is located in the optical path . thus , by selecting one switch among switches 81a - 81e , the indicated address , i . e ., the address of the desired objective lens which is to be moved in the optical path of the microscope , can be inputted to the cpu 82 . next , an operation of switching over the objective lens of the thus constructed revolver will be explained with reference to a flowchart of fig5 . to start with , an address of a desired objective lens is inputted from the address indication operating unit 81 to the cpu 82 . inputted further from the address detecting unit 80 to the cpu 82 is an address signal indicating a type of the objective lens disposed at present in the optical path of the microscope . the cpu 82 checks whether the present address is 1 or not ( step 91 ). if the present address is not 1 , the cpu 82 calculates a shortest revolving direction and revolving distance to switch over the present address to an indicated address ( step 92 ). for instance , if the present address is 2 , and the indicated address is 5 when the revolver is revolved in the forward direction the address 5 is reached through the addresses 3 , 4 from the address 2 . on the other hand , when the revolver is revolved in the reverse direction , the address 5 can be reached through only the address 1 from the address 2 . in this instance , the cpu 82 determines that the revolver should be revolved in the reverse direction through only the two addresses . then , the cpu 82 controls the motor operating unit 83 on the basis of the revolving direction and revolving distance that are calculated in step 2 and thus causes the revolver to revolve ( step 93 ). the cpu 82 , when determining that the present address is 1 in step 91 , checks whether the indicated address is 5 or not ( step 94 ). the cpu 82 , if the indicated address is not 5 , calculates a revolving distance in the forward revolving direction to switch over the present address to the indicated address ( step 95 ) and causes the revolver to revolve in the forward direction ( step 93 ). that is , if the present address is 1 , the revolver is revolved in the forward revolving direction even when the revolving distance elongates so that the maximum - magnification objective lens does not pass through the optical path of the microscope . in step 94 , the cpu 82 , if the indicated address is 5 , transmits a signal to the warning buzzer generating unit 85 to emit a warning buzzer , and the operation of switching over the objective lens is thus ended ( step 96 ). that is , the apparatus does not work even by trying to effect the switchover to the maximum magnification when the minimum - magnification lens is disposed in the optical path of the microscope . incidentally , in this case , the address indication operating unit 81 may be operated so that the revolver is revolved , e . g ., at first from the address 1 to the address 3 , and , thereafter , the revolver is revolved from the address 3 to the address 5 . thus , an arbitrary switch among the five switches 81a - 81e of the address indication operating unit 81 is depressed to revolve the revolver in the shortest - distance revolving direction , whereby the desired objective lens can be located in the optical path . as discussed above , however , the apparatus does not work even by selecting the maximum - magnification lens when the minimum - magnification lens is disposed in the optical path . further , when the minimum - magnification lens is disposed in the optical path , the desired objective lens is located in the optical path of the microscope by revolving the revolver in the forward revolving direction so that the maximum - magnification objective lens does not pass through the optical path of the microscope . further , in this embodiment , there has been considered only a relationship between the minimum - and maximum - magnification objective lenses . if there is an objective lens the lens barrel front edge of which is disposed within a focal depth of the minimum - magnification objective lens ( see fig6 ) in addition to the maximum - magnification objective lens , however , a construction may be such that a command of switching over the minimum - magnification objective lens to that objective lens is cut off . it is apparent that , in this invention , a wide range of different working modes can be formed based on the invention without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . this invention is not restricted by its specific working modes except being limited by the appended claims . | 6 |
[ 0012 ] fig1 a through 1g are process explanatory diagrams showing a method of forming a metal layer according to a first embodiment of the invention . in a method of forming a metal layer according to the first embodiment , firstly , as shown in fig1 a , an insulating layer 102 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 101 . the semiconductor substrate 101 is constituted of , for instance , silicon . furthermore , the insulating layer 102 is constituted of , for instance , silicon oxide and so on . however , constituent materials are not restricted to particular ones . in the next place , as shown in fig1 b , by use of known photolithography technology and etching technology , a groove 103 is formed in the insulating layer 102 . the groove 103 is formed in a region corresponding to a layer pattern formed in the insulating layer 102 . a depth of the groove 103 is , for instance , 0 . 3 μm , and a width of the groove 103 is , for instance , 0 . 3 μm . a shape of the groove 103 and the number thereof are not restricted to ones shown in the drawing . furthermore , dimensions of the groove 103 are neither restricted to ones cited above . next , as shown in fig1 c , on the insulating layer 102 therein the groove 103 is formed , an additive - containing barrier layer 104 and a cu seed layer 105 are sequentially formed . the additive - containing barrier layer 104 functions as a diffusion stop layer that inhibits a constituent metal of a layer formed thereon from diffusing into the insulating layer 102 . the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is , for instance , a tamgn layer obtained by adding mg to tan . a thickness of the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is , for instance , 40 nm . a thickness of the cu seed layer 105 is , for instance , 100 nm . however , the dimensions of the respective layers are not restricted to the cited ones . the additive - containing barrier layer 104 and the cu seed layer 105 are sequentially formed in the sputtering apparatus ( not shown in the drawing ) by use of a sputtering method in which the directional characteristics are enhanced . the tamgn layer as the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is formed , with an ar / n 2 mixture gas introducing into evacuated sputtering apparatus , by use of a tamg target . the cu seed layer 105 is formed , with ar gas introducing into evacuated sputtering apparatus , by use of a cu target . when thus the cu seed layer 105 is sequentially formed on the additive - containing barrier layer 104 that is disposed in the evacuated sputtering apparatus , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 104 can be inhibited from being exposed to air and thereby from being oxidized . as the additive element of the additive - containing barrier layer 104 , at least one or more of ag , ca , zn , cd , au , be , mg , sn , zr , b , pd , al , hg , in , ni and ga can be used . a content (% by weight ) of the additive in the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is in the range of 0 . 05 to 10 % by weight . as other examples of the constituent materials of the additive - containing barrier layer 104 , tan , tacn , tasin , tasicn , wn , wcn , wsin , wsicn , tin , ticn , tisin , tisicn , zrn , zrcn , zrsin , and zrsicn can be cited . as the method of forming the additive - containing barrier layer 104 and the cu seed layer 105 , without restricting to the sputtering method , other methods such as the cvd method can be adopted . subsequently , the sample ( wafer ) thereon the cu seed layer 105 is formed is taken out of the sputtering apparatus , and while exposing to air , transferred to the plating apparatus ( not shown in the drawing ). then , as shown in fig1 d , on the cu seed layer 105 , a cu plating layer 106 is formed by use of an electroplating method . the cu plating layer 106 is formed so that the groove 103 may be completely buried . in the next place , in order to stabilize layer qualities such as the hardness , the crystallinity and the specific resistance of the cu plating layer 106 , heat treatment is applied at a first temperature ( for instance , 100 to 350 degree centigrade ) for 1 min to 5 hr in nitrogen atmosphere . however , the most preferable heat treatment temperature is different depending on various kinds of factors such as a width of the layer and so on . in the first embodiment , in order to make the diffusion of the additive element from the additive - containing barrier layer 104 to the cu seed layer 105 and the cu plating layer 106 as small as possible , the heat treatment is carried out at a relatively low temperature , and in order to grow cu grains of the cu seed layer 105 and the cu plating layer 106 the heat treatment is performed for a relatively longer time period . according to the heat treatment , as shown in fig1 e , the cu seed layer 105 and the cu plating layer 106 are promoted in integrating . subsequently , as shown in fig1 f , the respective layers on the insulating layer 102 , that is , the additive - containing barrier layer 104 , the cu seed layer 105 and the cu plating layer 106 are partially removed until a top portion of the insulating layer 102 is exposed . the removing is performed according to a cmp polishing method by use of cmp ( chemical - mechanical polishing ) apparatus ( not shown in the drawing ). according to the process , a conductive layer 107 ( constituted of part of the cu seed layer 105 and part of the cu plating layer 106 ) is left in the groove 103 . the conductive layer 107 becomes a metal layer of a semiconductor element . slurry used in the cmp method is silica - based one and mixed with h 2 o 2 as an oxidant . respective down forces of a carrier ( a system that holds a wafer to be polished ) and a retainer ring ( a member that surrounds an outer periphery of the wafer held by the carrier ) of the cmp apparatus are , for instance , 4 psi and 5 psi . furthermore , respective rotation speeds of the carrier and a platen ( polishing cloth for polishing a sample held by the carrier ) of the cmp apparatus are , for instance , 80 rpm and 80 rpm . the polishing process of the cmp method comprises two steps . in the first polishing step , the cu plating layer 106 and the cu seed layer 105 are polished and the additive - containing barrier layer 104 on the insulating layer 102 is left . in the subsequent second polishing step , by use of a different silica - based slurry , the additive - containing barrier layer 104 disposed on a top portion of the insulating layer 102 is completely removed . when a polishing speed of the cu plating layer 106 is set at , for instance , one tenth that of the additive - containing barrier layer 104 , the conductive layer 107 can be suppressed from dishing . at this time , the down forces of the carrier and the retainer ring of the cmp apparatus are , for instance , 4 psi and 5 psi , respectively . furthermore , the rotation speeds of the carrier and the platen of the cmp apparatus are , for instance , 50 rpm and 50 rpm , respectively . in the next place , as shown in fig1 g , heat treatment is carried out at a second temperature ( for instance , in the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade ) for 0 . 5 to 5 hr in a mixture atmosphere of nitrogen and hydrogen . in the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is diffused into the conductive layer 107 and thereby an additive - containing conductive layer 108 is formed . accordingly , the second temperature is higher than the first temperature . furthermore , the second temperature , without restricting to the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade , can be a temperature in the range of 250 to 450 degree centigrade . owing to the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is allowed diffusing into the conductive layer 107 , and thereby the additive - containing conductive layer 108 is formed . in the above , the formation of the cu layer in the semiconductor element comes to completion . as mentioned above , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the first embodiment , after the cu seed layer 105 is formed in the sputtering apparatus , the sample is transferred through air to the plating apparatus . accordingly , the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is not exposed to air . as a result , the additive element of the additive - containing barrier layer 104 is not oxidized with the air , and thereby the cu plating layer 106 can be inhibited from deteriorating in the adhesion . furthermore , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the first embodiment , in order to promote grain growth of the cu seed layer 105 and the cu plating layer 106 , the heat treatment is carried out at the first temperature that is relatively low , and thereafter at the relatively higher second temperature that enables the additive element to diffuse from the additive - containing barrier layer 104 to the conductive layer 107 , the heat treatment is implemented . thus , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the first embodiment , since the grain growth and the diffusion of the additive element that are two countermeasure for improving the em resistance can be implemented , the cu layer excellent in the em resistance can be formed . in the above explanation , the method of forming a cu layer to a semiconductor element is explained . however , the invention can be applied also to a method of forming a metal layer other than the cu layer . [ 0027 ] fig2 a through 2g are process explanatory diagrams showing a method of forming a metal layer according to the second embodiment of the invention . the method of forming a metal layer according to the second embodiment is different from that according to the first embodiment in that a barrier layer 204 is provided between an insulating layer 202 and an additive - containing barrier layer 205 . here , the barrier layer 204 is either a barrier layer that does not contain an additive or a barrier layer whose additive content is smaller than that of the additive - containing barrier layer 205 . in a method of forming a metal layer according to the second embodiment , firstly , as shown in fig2 a , an insulating layer 202 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 201 . the semiconductor substrate 201 is constituted of , for instance , silicon . furthermore , the insulating layer 202 is constituted of , for instance , silicon oxide and so on . however , the constituent materials are not restricted to particular ones . in the next place , as shown in fig2 b , by use of known photolithography technology and etching technology , a groove 203 is formed in the insulating layer 202 . the groove 203 is formed in a region corresponding to a layer pattern formed in the insulating layer 202 . a depth of the groove 203 is , for instance , 0 . 3 μm , and a width of the groove 203 is , for instance , 0 . 3 μm . a shape of the groove 203 and the number thereof are not restricted to ones shown in the drawing . furthermore , dimensions of the groove 203 are neither restricted to one cited above . next , as shown in fig2 c , on the insulating layer 202 therein the groove 203 is formed , a barrier layer 204 , a additive - containing barrier layer 205 and a cu seed layer 206 are sequentially formed . the barrier layer 204 and the additive - containing barrier layer 205 work as a diffusion stop layer that inhibits a constituent metal of a layer formed thereon from diffusing into the insulating layer 202 . the barrier layer 204 is formed by use of one material selected from a group of tan , tacn , tasin , tasicn , wn , wcn , wsin , wsicn , tin , ticn , tisin , tisicn , zrn , zrcn , zrsin and zrsicn . the additive - containing barrier layer 205 is formed by use of a material in which one material selected from a group of tan , tacn , tasin , tasicn , wn , wcn , wsin , wsicn , tin , ticn , tisin , tisicn , zrn , zrcn , zrsin and zrsicn is mixed with at least one or more additive elements selected from ag , ca , zn , cd , au , be , mg , sn , zr , b , pd , al , hg , in , ni and ga . the barrier layer 204 , the additive - containing barrier layer 205 and the cu seed layer 206 are sequentially formed in the sputtering apparatus by use of a sputtering method in which the directional characteristics are enhanced . as the method of depositing the barrier layer 204 , the additive - containing barrier layer 205 and the cu seed layer 206 , without restricting to the sputtering method , other methods such as the cvd method can be adopted . subsequently , the sample ( wafer ) thereon the cu seed layer 206 is formed is taken out of the sputtering apparatus , while exposing to air , transferred to the plating apparatus ( not shown in the drawing ). then , as shown in fig2 d , on the cu seed layer 206 , a cu plating layer 207 is formed by use of an electroplating method . the cu plating layer 207 is formed so that the groove 203 may be completely buried . in the next place , with an intension of stabilizing layer qualities such as the hardness , the crystallinity and the specific resistance of the cu plating layer 207 , the heat treatment is carried out at a first temperature ( for instance , 100 to 350 degree centigrade ) for 1 min to 5 hr in nitrogen atmosphere . owing to the heat treatment , as shown in fig2 e , the cu seed layer 206 and the cu plating layer 207 are promoted in integrating . subsequently , as shown in fig2 f , the respective layers on the insulating layer 202 , that is , the barrier layer 204 , the additive - containing barrier layer 205 , the cu seed layer 206 and the cu plating layer 207 are partially removed until a top portion of the insulating layer 202 is exposed . the removing is performed according to a cmp polishing method . according to the process , a conductive layer 208 ( constituted of part of the cu seed layer 206 and part of the cu plating layer 207 ) is left in the groove 203 . the conductive layer 208 is used as a metal layer of a semiconductor element . in the next place , as shown in fig2 g , heat treatment is carried out at a second temperature ( for instance , in the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade ) for 0 . 5 to 5 hr in a mixture atmosphere of nitrogen and hydrogen . in the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 205 is diffused into the conductive layer 208 and thereby an additive - containing conductive layer 209 is formed . accordingly , the second temperature is set higher than the first temperature . furthermore , the second temperature , without restricting to the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade , can be a temperature in the range of 250 to 450 degree centigrade . owing to the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 205 is allowed to diffuse into the conductive layer 208 , and thereby the additive - containing conductive layer 209 is formed . in the above , the formation of the cu layer in the semiconductor element comes to completion . as mentioned above , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the second embodiment , after the cu seed layer 206 is formed in the sputtering apparatus , the sample is transferred through air to the plating apparatus . accordingly , the additive - containing barrier layer 205 is not exposed to the air . as a result , the additive element of the additive - containing barrier layer 205 is not oxidized with the air , and the cu plating layer 207 can be inhibited from deteriorating in the adhesion and from generating voids when the cu plating layer 207 is formed . furthermore , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the second embodiment , in order to promote growing grains of the cu seed layer 206 and the cu plating layer 207 , the heat treatment is carried out at the first temperature that is relatively low , and thereafter at the relatively higher second temperature that enables the additive element to diffuse from the additive - containing barrier layer 205 to the conductive layer 208 , the heat treatment is implemented . thus , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the second embodiment , since the grain growth and the diffusion of the additive element that are two countermeasure for improving the em resistance can be implemented , the cu layer excellent in the em resistance can be formed . furthermore , in the method of forming the metal layer according to the second embodiment , as an under layer of the additive - containing barrier layer 205 , the barrier layer 204 is provided . accordingly , an effect that inhibits the cu element from diffusing into the insulating layer 202 can be furthermore enhanced . except for the above , the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment . [ 0041 ] fig3 a through 3j are process explanatory diagrams showing a method of forming a metal layer according to a third embodiment of the invention . a method of forming a metal layer according to the third embodiment is one in which a metal layer is formed on a sample ( wafer ) provided with a conductive layer 308 such as shown in fig3 a . in fig3 a , reference numerals 301 , 302 and 304 denote a semiconductor substrate , an insulating layer and a barrier layer , respectively . the sample shown in fig3 a may be whatever samples provided with a metal layer . furthermore , the sample shown in fig3 a may be one that is formed according to the first or second embodiment . in the method of forming a metal layer according to the third embodiment , as shown in fig3 b , on the insulating layer 302 provided with the conductive layer 308 , a sin layer 311 as a cap layer , an insulating layer 312 , a sin layer 313 as an etch stop layer , and an insulating layer 314 are sequentially formed . the insulating layer 312 and the insulating layer 314 are formed of , for instance , silicon oxide . the sin layer 311 has a function of inhibiting the insulating layer 312 from oxidizing the conductive layer 308 . however , constituent materials are not restricted to these . subsequently , as shown in fig3 c , by use of known photolithography technology and etching technology , a groove 315 is formed in the insulating layer 314 , and at a lower portion of the groove 315 , a via 316 that penetrates through the sin layer 313 , the insulating layer 312 , and the cap layer 311 and thereby exposes the conductive layer 308 is formed . the groove 315 is divided into regions corresponding to layer patterns formed in the insulating layer 312 . a depth of the groove 315 is , for instance , 0 . 3 μm , and a width of the groove 315 is , for instance , 0 . 3 μm . furthermore , a depth of the via 316 is , for instance , 0 . 8 μm , and a diameter of the via 316 is , for instance , 0 . 3 μm . shapes of the groove 315 and the via 316 and the numbers thereof are not restricted to ones shown in the drawing . furthermore , dimensions of the groove 315 and the via 316 are neither restricted to ones cited above . next , as shown in fig3 d , on a side surface of the groove 315 of the insulating layer 314 as well as on a side surface and a bottom surface of the via 316 , an additive - containing barrier layer 317 is formed . the additive - containing barrier layer 317 functions as a diffusion stop layer that inhibits a constituent metal of a layer formed thereon from diffusing into the insulating layers 312 and 314 . the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is , for instance , a tamgn layer obtained by adding mg to tan . a thickness of the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is , for instance , 80 nm ( a thickness of a deposition layer above the insulating layer 314 ). however , the dimensions are not restricted to the cited ones . the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is formed in the sputtering apparatus ( not shown in the drawing ) by use of a sputtering method in which the directional characteristics are enhanced . the tamgn layer as the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is formed , with an ar / n 2 mixture gas introducing into evacuated sputtering apparatus , by use of a tamg target . as the additive element of the additive - containing barrier layer 317 , at least one or more of ag , ca , zn , cd , au , be , mg , sn , zr , b , pd , al , hg , in , ni and ga can be used . a content (% by weight ) of the additive in the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is in the range of 0 . 05 to 10 % by weight . as other examples of the constituent materials of the additive - containing barrier layer 317 , tan , tacn , tasin , tasicn , wn , wcn , wsin , wsicn , tin , ticn , tisin , tisicn , zrn , zrcn , zrsin , and zrsicn can be cited . as the method of depositing the additive - containing barrier layer 317 , without restricting to the sputtering method , other methods such as the cvd method can be adopted . subsequently , as shown in fig3 e , the additive - containing barrier layer 317 on the bottom surface of the via 316 , without exposing the sample to the air , is removed by use of anisotropic etching . for instance , when the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is deposited by 80 nm , a layer thickness at a bottom portion of the via 316 is substantially 15 nm , and a film thickness of a sidewall portion of the via 316 is substantially 4 nm . accordingly , when the additive - containing barrier layer 317 on the bottom portion of the via 316 is removed , the additive - containing barrier layer 317 on the sidewall portion of the via 316 and an external portion of the groove 315 ( a top portion of the insulating layer 314 ) can be left . in the next place , after the additive - containing barrier layer 317 on the bottom portion of the via 316 is removed , without exposing the sample to the air , as shown in fig3 f , a cu seed layer 318 is formed . since the additive - containing barrier layer 317 on the bottom portion of the via 316 is removed , the cu seed layer 318 is directly connected to the conductive layer 308 that is a lower layer . subsequently , the wafer thereon the cu seed layer 318 is formed is taken out of the sputtering apparatus , and while exposing to air , transferred to the plating apparatus . then , as shown in fig3 g , on the cu seed layer 318 , a cu plating layer 319 is formed by use of an electroplating method . the cu plating layer 319 is formed so that the via 316 and the groove 315 may be completely buried . in the next place , in order to stabilize layer qualities such as the hardness , the crystallinity and the specific resistance of the cu plating layer 319 , heat treatment is carried out at a first temperature ( for instance , 100 to 350 degree centigrade ) for 1 min to 5 hr in nitrogen atmosphere . however , the most preferable heat treatment temperature is different depending on a width of the layer . furthermore , the most preferable heat treatment time period is different depending on a width of the layer . in the third embodiment , in order to make the diffusion of the additive element from the additive - containing barrier layer 317 to the cu seed layer 318 and the cu plating layer 319 as small as possible , the heat treatment is carried out at a relatively low temperature , and in order to grow cu grains of the cu seed layer 318 and the cu plating layer 319 the heat treatment is performed for a relatively longer time period . according to the heat treatment , as shown in fig3 h , the cu seed layer 318 and the cu plating layer 319 are promoted in integrating . subsequently , as shown in fig3 i , the respective layers on the insulating layer 314 , that is , the additive - containing barrier layer 317 , the cu seed layer 318 , and the cu plating layer 319 are partially removed until a top portion of the insulating layer 314 is exposed . the removing is performed according to the cmp polishing method . according to the process , a conductive layer 320 ( constituted of part of the cu seed layer 318 and part of the cu plating layer 319 ) is left in the groove 315 and the via 316 . the conductive layer 320 is used as a metal layer of a semiconductor element . the cmp method is similar to one in the first embodiment . in the next place , as shown in fig3 j , heat treatment is carried out at a second temperature ( for instance , in the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade ) for 0 . 5 to 5 hr in an atmosphere of a mixture gas of nitrogen and hydrogen . in the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is diffused into the conductive layer 320 and thereby an additive - containing conductive layer 321 is formed . accordingly , the second temperature is set higher than the first temperature . furthermore , the second temperature , without restricting to the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade , can be a temperature in the range of 250 to 450 degree centigrade . owing to the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is allowed to diffuse into the conductive layer 320 , and thereby the additive - containing conductive layer 321 is formed . in the above , the formation of the cu layer in the semiconductor element comes to completion . as mentioned above , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the third embodiment , after the cu seed layer 318 is formed in the sputtering apparatus , the wafer is transferred through air to the plating apparatus . accordingly , the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is not exposed to air . as a result , the additive element of the additive - containing barrier layer 317 is not oxidized with the air and the cu plating layer 319 can be inhibited from deteriorating in the adhesion . furthermore , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the third embodiment , in order to promote grain growth in the cu seed layer 318 and the cu plating layer 319 , the heat treatment is carried out at the first temperature that is relatively low , and thereafter at the relatively higher second temperature that enables the additive element to diffuse from the additive - containing barrier layer 317 to the conductive layer 320 , the heat treatment is implemented . thus , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the third embodiment , since the grain growth and the diffusion of the additive element that are two countermeasure for improving the em resistance can be implemented , the cu layer excellent in the em resistance can be formed . furthermore , since the conductive layer 308 that is a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer 321 are directly connected through the via 316 , the layer low in the resistance can be formed , that is , a layer configuration preferable for improving an operation speed of the semiconductor element is obtained . still furthermore , in the above explanation , the method of forming a cu layer to a semiconductor element is explained . however , the invention can be applied also to a method of forming the metal layer other than the cu layer . [ 0058 ] fig4 a through 4j are process explanatory diagrams showing a method of forming a metal layer according to the fourth embodiment of the invention . the method of forming a metal layer according to the fourth embodiment is different from that according to the third embodiment in that a barrier layer 417 is provided between insulating layers 412 , 414 and an additive - containing barrier layer 418 . here , the barrier layer 417 is either a barrier layer that does not contain an additive or a barrier layer whose additive content is smaller than that of the additive - containing barrier layer 418 . a method of forming a metal layer according to the fourth embodiment is one in which a metal layer is formed on a sample ( wafer ) provided with a conductive layer 408 such as shown in fig4 a . in fig4 a , reference numerals 401 , 402 and 404 denote a semiconductor substrate , an insulating layer , and a barrier layer , respectively . the sample shown in fig4 a may be any one of samples that are provided with a metal layer . furthermore , the sample shown in fig4 a may be either one that is formed according to the first embodiment or one that is formed according to the second embodiment . in the method of forming a metal layer according to the fourth embodiment , as shown in fig4 b , on the insulating layer 402 provided with the conductive layer 408 , a sin layer 411 as a cap layer , the insulating layer 412 , a sin layer 413 as an etch stop layer , and an insulating layer 414 are sequentially formed . the insulating layers 412 and 414 are constituted of , for instance , silicon oxide . the sin layer 411 has a function of inhibiting the insulating layer 412 from oxidizing the conductive layer 408 . however , constituent materials are not restricted to these . in the next place , as shown in fig4 c , by use of known photolithography technology and etching technology , a groove 415 is formed in the insulating layer 414 , and at a lower portion of the groove 415 a via 416 that penetrates through the sin layer 413 , the insulating layer 412 , and the cap layer 411 and thereby exposes the conductive layer 408 is formed . shapes and the sizes of the groove 415 and the via 416 are the same as that of the third embodiment . next , as shown in fig4 d , on a side surface of the groove 415 of the insulating layer 414 , as well as on a side surface and on a bottom surface of the via 416 , the barrier layer 417 and the additive - containing barrier layer 418 are sequentially formed . the barrier layer 417 and the additive - containing barrier layer 418 work as a diffusion stop layer that inhibits a constituent metal of a layer formed thereon from diffusing into the insulating layers 412 and 414 . the barrier layer 417 is formed by use of one material selected from a group of , for instance , tan , tacn , tasin , tasicn , wn , wcn , wsin , wsicn , tin , ticn , tisin , tisicn , zrn , zrcn , zrsin , and zrsicn . the additive - containing barrier layer 418 is formed by use of a material in which one material selected from a group of tan , tacn , tasin , tasicn , wn , wcn , wsin , wsicn , tin , ticn , tisin , tisicn , zrn , zrcn , zrsin and zrsicn is mixed with at least one or more additive elements selected from ag , ca , zn , cd , au , be , mg , sn , zr , b , pd , al , hg , in , ni and ga . in the next place , as shown in fig4 e , the barrier layer 417 and the additive - containing barrier layer 418 on the bottom surface of the via 416 , without exposing the sample to air , are removed by means of the anisotropic etching . next , after the barrier layer 417 and the additive - containing barrier layer 418 on the bottom surface of the via 416 are removed , without exposing the sample to air , as shown in fig4 f , a cu seed layer 419 is formed . since the barrier layer 417 and the additive - containing barrier layer 418 on the bottom surface of the via 416 have been removed , the cu seed layer 419 is directly connected to the conductive layer 408 that is a lower layer . subsequently , the wafer thereon the cu seed layer 419 is formed is taken out of the sputtering apparatus , and while exposing to air , transferred to the plating apparatus . then , as shown in fig4 g , on the cu seed layer 419 , a cu plating layer 420 is formed by use of the electroplating method . the cu plating layer 420 is formed so that the via 416 and the groove 415 may be completely buried . in the next place , in order to stabilize layer qualities such as the hardness , the crystallinity and the specific resistance of the cu plating layer 420 , the heat treatment is carried out at a first temperature ( for instance , 100 to 350 degree centigrade ) for 1 to 5 hr in an atmosphere of a gas mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen . the most preferable heat treatment temperature differs depending on a width of the layer . furthermore , the most preferable heat treatment time period differs depending on a width of the layer . in the fourth embodiment , in order to make the diffusion of the additive element from the additive - containing barrier layer 418 to the cu seed layer 419 and the cu plating layer 420 as small as possible , the heat treatment is performed at a relatively low temperature , and in order to grow cu grains of the cu seed layer 419 and the cu plating layer 420 , the heat treatment is performed for a relatively long time . according to the heat treatment , as shown in fig4 h , the cu seed layer 419 and the cu plating layer 420 are promoted in integrating . subsequently , as shown in fig4 j , the respective layers on the insulating layer 414 , that is , the barrier layer 417 , the additive - containing barrier layer 418 , the cu seed layer 419 and the cu plating layer 420 are partially removed until a top portion of the insulating layer 414 is exposed . the removing is performed according to a cmp polishing method . according to the process , a conductive layer 421 ( constituted of part of the cu seed layer 419 and part of the cu plating layer 420 ) is left in the groove 415 and the via 416 . the conductive layer 421 is used as a metal layer of a semiconductor element . in the next place , as shown in fig4 j , heat treatment is carried out at a second temperature ( for instance , in the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade ) for 0 . 5 min to 5 hr in nitrogen atmosphere . in the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 418 is diffused into the conductive layer 421 and thereby an additive - containing conductive layer 422 is formed . accordingly , the second temperature is set higher than the first temperature . furthermore , the second temperature , without restricting to the neighborhood of 400 degree centigrade , can be a temperature in the range of 250 to 450 degree centigrade . according to the heat treatment , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 418 is allowed to diffuse into the conductive layer 421 , and thereby the additive - containing conductive layer 422 is formed . in the above , the formation of the cu layer in the semiconductor element comes to completion . as mentioned above , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the fourth embodiment , after the cu seed layer 419 is formed in the sputtering apparatus , the wafer is transferred through air to the plating apparatus . accordingly , the additive - containing barrier layer 418 is not exposed to the air . as a result , the additive element in the additive - containing barrier layer 418 is not oxidized with the air , and the cu plating layer 420 can be inhibited from deteriorating in the adhesion and from generating voids when the cu plating layer 420 is formed . furthermore , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the fourth embodiment , in order to promote grain growth of the cu seed layer 419 and the cu plating layer 420 , the heat treatment is carried out at the first temperature that is relatively low , and thereafter at the relatively higher second temperature that enables the additive element to diffuse from the additive - containing barrier layer 418 to the conductive layer 421 , the heat treatment is implemented . thus , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the fourth embodiment , since the grain growth and the diffusion of the additive element that are two countermeasure for improving the em resistance can be implemented , the cu layer excellent in the em resistance can be formed . furthermore , since the conductive layer 408 that is a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer 422 are directly connected through the via 416 , the layer low in the resistance can be formed , that is , a layer configuration preferable for improving an operation speed of the semiconductor element is obtained . still furthermore , in the method of forming the metal layer according to the fourth embodiment , as a under layer of the additive - containing barrier layer 418 , the barrier layer 417 is provided . accordingly , an effect that inhibits the cu element from diffusing into the insulating layers 412 and 414 can be furthermore enhanced . except for the above points , the fourth embodiment is the same as the third embodiment . as explained above , according to the method of forming a metal layer according to the invention , in order to promote grain growth of a metal seed layer and a metal layer , the heat treatment is carried out at a first temperature that is relatively low , and thereafter at a relatively higher second temperature that enables an additive element to diffuse from an additive - containing barrier layer to a metal layer , the heat treatment is implemented . thus , according to the methods of forming a metal layer set forth in claims 1 through 9 , since the grain growth and the diffusion of the additive element that are two countermeasure for improving the em resistance can be implemented , there is an effect that a cu layer excellent in the em resistance can be formed . | 7 |
in centralized mode of operation , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 249 , 714 , a network distributed search and design application using evolutionary agents has one node where an evolutionary agent is resident . the remaining nodes in the network participate in the search by simply providing information to the evolutionary agent upon request . in this mode , a search of the full space of the system takes place from only the one node occupied by the evolutionary agent , while the remaining nodes simply respond to queries from the agent . based on the responses received , the evolutionary agent creates and evaluates virtual designs , and uses proportional selection and stochastic variational operations to evolve virtual designs for evaluation . the present invention , by contrast , provides a solution method and architecture in which multiple evolutionary agents operating at different , distributed nodes all work to solve the same problem simultaneously . referring now to the drawings , in which like reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar elements , fig1 illustrates a distributed network architecture 10 for supporting multiple coevolutionary agents 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d spread among several nodes 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , 20 d . each node 20 a - 20 d includes a networked computer 25 a - 25 d , a connected local database 50 a - 50 d , an evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d and several mobile agents 60 . each of the nodes 20 a - 20 d shown in fig1 may be a member of a logical cluster of nodes networked together in a local network , as will be further described herein . further , while only four nodes 20 a - 20 d are illustrated , there may be as few as 2 nodes and up to any number of nodes which can actively work together on the same network . the evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d are actually co - evolutionary agents because they can evolve simultaneously with each other , using some overlapping information and some unique information . each evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d includes primary search variables 32 a - 32 d and secondary search variables 34 a - 34 d . the search variables 32 a - 32 d and 34 a - 34 d are partitioned among the evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d . the evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d at each of the nodes 20 a - 20 d performs a local evolutionary search using its corresponding primary search variable 32 a - 32 d . the local evolutionary search is based on local and rapidly accessible information from the corresponding local database 50 a - 50 d . during the local evolutionary search , the secondary variables 34 a - 34 d are clamped , or held constant . following execution of the local evolutionary search , the secondary variables 34 a - 34 d at each node 20 a - 20 d are updated by intercommunication between the nodes 20 a - 20 d . mobile agents 60 are used to effect the intercommunication between the nodes 20 a - 20 d by carrying information from an originating node to a destination node . the mobile agents 60 provide missing computational functionality at the nodes 20 a - 20 d where they migrate . the local search phase and intercommunication phases are alternated to produce a cooperative search by the nodes 20 a - 20 d , guided by the same objective search function . the evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d at each node 20 a - 20 d performs the following functions . each evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d implements a local evolutionary algorithm that searches over the subspace corresponding to locally available information in the local database 50 a - 50 d . each evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d initializes using appropriate information that permits the agent 30 a - 30 d to do local decision - making . the evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d each generate and execute queries on the corresponding local database 50 a - 50 d . finally , the evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d co - exist in a pool of evolutionary agents , and participate in coordinating a global computation of a given problem via interactions with other ones of the evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d and mobile agents 60 . the coordination of the evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d is most critical , since a coordination operation essentially provides an updated view of the local information from a certain node 20 a - 20 d to another of the nodes 20 a - 20 d where that information is not currently available locally . that is , the coordination function permits the several evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d to co - extensively evolve based on their local searches , while being fed new information from other nodes 20 a - 20 d between searches . when more than one node exists in a logical cluster of nodes 20 a - 20 d , the virtual designs generated by each node 20 a - 20 d in the logical cluster compete with each other during the coordination operation . this function allows local solutions generated by the evolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d at each of the nodes within a logical cluster to compete against all of the other local solutions produced . further , the subproblems solved by each node 20 a - 20 d in a logical cluster are different , despite being functionally similar . that is , the subproblems are different because of the differences in local resources , such as local databases 50 a - 50 d , available to each evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d , and each evolutionary agent 30 a - 30 d searches over a different , smaller space of the whole search space of planning decisions . the coevolutionary algorithms embodied in coevolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d have no direct means to search the full space of all planning decisions in the network architecture 10 . while a single , centralized evolutionary agent compiles a list of all available decision resources at all nodes and explicitly searches the full space of planning decisions , such an operation can be slow and time - consuming in a distributed network environment . in contrast , the distributed co - evolutionary model of the invention allows each agent 30 a - 30 d at each node 20 a - 20 d to explore the full space of planning decisions using an information splicing operation in which information from each of the other nodes 20 a - 20 d carried by mobile agents 60 is stochastically combined at the first node 20 a - 20 d . the stochastic information splicing may be viewed as a crossover operation for combining information from the nodes 20 a - 20 d . it is possible that as a practical matter , at some local nodes in a logical cluster of networked nodes , the evolutionary agents will not achieve convergence with the overall solution being produced by the other evolutionary agents as part of a global solution . this is inevitable to a distributed coevolutionary processing problem as some evolutionary agents will not have sufficient local information or useful local information for solving the global problem . in such case , evolutionary algorithms in the evolutionary agents will eliminate designs produced from the non - converging nodes as unsuitable for further consideration , while the remaining nodes with good local information and advantageous resources for solving the global problem will continue to evolve to produce a solution accessible at substantially any one of the nodes 20 a - 20 d in the architecture 10 . as an example of an evolutionary algorithm which can be adapted for use with the distributed computation of the invention , let χ be the decision space . then , x ε χ is the variable vector , and x =( x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , . . . , x p ) represents a partition of the vector into p blocks . at any node i , x i is its primary variable set 32 a - 32 d , while x i is the secondary variable set 34 a - 34 d . given a feasible space χ and a variable distribution , the evolutionary agent at each node i performs a local evolutionary search in its primary subspace χ i , and so χ is the product space χ = π p i = 1 χ i . ( x * i | x i )= arg min [ x i εχ i ] ψ ( x | x i ) is the optimizer in the restricted space (·| x i ). the evolutionary search in the primary subspace of each node i utilizes proportional selection and stochastic variational operations . each evolutionary search described above is initialized with a randomly selected complete vector of variables x g . mobile agents facilitate the broadcast of this vector to all nodes 20 a - 20 d in the network architecture 10 . the evolutionary search starting from this point may be represented by the mapping t i : χ → χ i that generates the sequence : x ( i , g + m + 1 ) = ti ( x ( 1 , g ) , . . . x ( i − 1 , g ) , x ( i , g + m ) , x ( i + 1 , g ) , . . . , x ( p , g ) ), m ≧ 0 x g ( i ) =( x ( 1 , g ) , . . . x ( i − 1 , g ) , x ( i , g + m ) , x ( i + 1 , g ) , . . . , x ( p , g ) ) and x g ( i ) converges to ( x * i | x i ), where x g ( i ) is the result of m generations of evolutionary search at node i , starting from point x g . now , let z g ={ x g , x g ( 1 ) , . . . , x g ( p ) } be a set of local results and the vector x g , and let s : χ → χ represent the computation that selects that vector from z g - x g which has the highest fitness and makes it the new iterate x g + 1 only if its fitness is greater than that of x g . otherwise , x g + 1 = x g . the computation x g + 1 = s ( x g ) represents a global iteration that encapsulates the combined m - step local search at each node and the intercommunication operation , or coordination , that facilitates selection and update of new iterates . from the architectural perspective , mobile software agents 60 facilitate the coordination by transferring necessary information between coevolutionary agents 30 a - 30 d . there are presently six preferred distributed coordination schemes , each of which uses information splicing . the schemes are referred to as local , joint , pool , elite local , elite joint and elite pool . the implementation of information splicing takes p vectors of the same dimension and creates a vector such that each of its coordinates is a random selection from the set of p coordinates along the same dimension . to help describe the coordination schemes , the following assumptions are made : 1 ) the network environment has p network nodes ; 2 ) x g ( i ) is the best vector from node i at generation g ; 3 ) { x g ( i ) } is a set of vectors from node i at generation g ; 4 ) { x g ′} is a set of randomly created vectors at generation g ; and 5 ) y g is the vector obtained by combining the best local result portions from each node . in the local coordination scheme , from the set { x g ( 1 ) , . . . , x g ( p ) , { x g ′}}, select the best one as the new global iterate . the set { x g ′} consists of p elements created by splicing from the set { x g ( 1 ) , . . . , x g ( p ) }. the joint coordination scheme has the set { x g ( 1 ) , . . . , x g ( p ) , { x g ′}}∪ y g from which the best is selected as the new global iterate . the elements of set { x g ′} are the same as in the local coordination scheme . for the pool coordination scheme , from the set {{ x g ( 1 ) }, . . . ,{ x g ( p ) }, { x g ′}} select the best as the new global iterate . each set { x g ( i )} represents t = 5 top performers from each node i , and the set { x g ′} is created as described above for the local and joint schemes from a set of size ( t × p ) rather than a set of size p . for the elite local scheme , from the set x g ∪{ x g ( 1 ) , . . . , x g ( p ) , { x g ′}}, select the best as the new global iterate where x g is the previous global iterate . in the elite joint scheme , select the best from the set x g ∪{ x g ( 1 ) , . . . , x g ( p ) , { x g ′}}∪ y g as the new global iterate . and , in the elite pool scheme , select as the new global iterate the best from the set x g ∪{{ x g ( 1 ) }, . . . , { x g ( p ) }, { x g ′}}. one network system that can be used to implement the distributed co - evolutionary agent problem solving system uses java programming language developed by sun microsystems inc . the implementation executes over multiple processing units distributed over a network . the implementation is based on the use of the voyager object request broker developed by objectspace inc . as the underlying distributed communications environment . the voyager broker is described in the objectspace voyager orb 3 . 3 developer guide ( 2000 ), incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . the voyager program serves as a middle - ware layer that provides a location - transparent and standardized environment for execution of the java modules . a significant advantage to using voyager is that it simplifies the task of remote enabling applications modules by automatically adding this feature at run - time , and it supports the inter - node migration of modules . the latter feature is an important requirement for realizing the mobile agents 60 in architecture 10 . as will be readily apparent , there are many applications for the distributed coevolutionary problem solving architecture 10 of the invention . the following provide specific examples of how the distributed coevolutionary problem solving architecture 10 can be used to rapidly provide solutions to complex problems . planning new product designs by coordinating between designers , suppliers and manufacturers is a very complex problem which is dependent on many factors , including availability of parts and manufacturing resources , and costs for parts and tooling and assembly and the ability to generate efficient designs . [ 0072 ] fig2 displays a pictorial model of the problem of integrated design , supplier and manufacturing planning for modular products where suppliers and manufacturing resources are network distributed . the mathematical structure of this planning task is given by the equation : where x represents a complete decision vector , ψ (·) is a nonlinear objective function , a is a constraint matrix , and b is a constraint vector . a decision problem in this formulation consists of three assignment problems , a 1 , a 2 , and a 3 , as represented by the corresponding arrows in fig2 . the assignment problem a 1 is the assignment of parts 210 from parts library 200 to one or more designs 510 in a pool 500 of possible designs . assignment problem a 2 is the assignment of suppliers 310 from a list of available suppliers 300 who can supply the parts 210 for a given design 510 . assignment problem a 3 is the assignment of designs 510 to available manufacturers 410 in a manufacturing resource pool 400 . as will be apparent , each of the assignments in each assignment problem a 1 , a 2 , a 3 contributes to the overall product cost and product realization time . further , each assignment has a non - linear effect on the cost and time ; that is , the effect cannot be evaluated as weighted sums . the assignment problem triple ( a 1 , a 2 , a 3 ) constitutes a set of highly coupled problems and each of the assignments cannot be considered independent of the others . product cost is computed as an aggregate of the cost of parts 210 in a given design 510 and the cost of manufacturing the design 510 , while product realization time is computed as an aggregate of the cost of parts supply lead time and time to manufacture the design 510 . the overall objective function that is to be minimized is an heuristic weighting of the product cost and an exponential function of the product realization time , as given by : where c ( x ) and t ( x ) respectively represent the product cost and product realization time for a complete design - supplier - manufacturing assignment x , and α and β are non - zero constants . [ 0077 ] fig3 illustrates the organization of a networked environment 600 used to solve the problem depicted in fig2 in the context of printed circuit board assemblies . the networked environment 600 of fig3 is depicted as a high - level configuration that consists of several logical clusters 700 , 800 , 900 of network nodes 720 , 820 and 920 and a product design node 620 . the nodes 720 , 820 , 920 in each logical cluster 700 , 800 , 900 correspond to a class of functionally equivalent resources , and typically are physically distributed across the entire network 600 . in fig3 the logical clusters 700 , 800 , 900 correspond to parts distributor nodes 720 , printed circuit board fabricator nodes 920 and printed circuit assembly nodes 820 . each parts distributor nodes 720 in the parts distributor logical cluster 700 corresponds to a parts distributor or parts warehouse that stocks components parts from several manufacturers . each node 920 in the printed circuit board ( pcb ) fabricator logical cluster 900 corresponds to a pcb manufacturer having one or more pcb manufacturing lines . each printed circuit assembly node 820 of the printed circuit assembly logical cluster 800 corresponds to a manufacturing facility having alternative manufacturing lines , each of which is capable of manufacturing printed circuit assemblies given a design , or collection of parts , and an associated pcb to assemble the parts on . the product design node 620 generates functional specifications that serve as partial templates for virtual designs . while the search at a parts distributor node 720 is over the space of functionally equivalent designs and is achieved by selecting alternative parts and suppliers for those parts , the search at a pcb fabricator node 920 is over the space of available board manufacturing resources , and the search at a printed circuit assembly node 820 is over the space of available assembly resources . mobile agents 60 ( not shown in fig3 ) communicate results between the various nodes 620 , 720 , 820 , 920 , so that the final minimized result can be obtained from any of the nodes 620 , 720 , 820 , 920 . another application of the distributed coevolutionary problem solving invention is in the context of an internet or world wide web ( www ) search engine . presently , the www as it is commonly known consists of a vast collection of diverse information which is estimated to be about 1 . 5 billion documents large and growing . a large percentage of that material is available in the form of web pages whose content is organized according to a markup protocol , such as xml or html . web pages frequently provide content - dependent links to other web pages , and their organization may be visualized as a graph whose nodes are the web pages , and whose edges , or connections between nodes , are the links between pages . searching and organization of web pages for rapid retrieval has been the critical focus of contemporary search engines , and without these search engines most of the information on the web would be inaccessible to users . known search engines are essentially user - queryable centralized databases which contain indexed maps of the information on the www . the indices in the databases are populated and refreshed on a periodic basis by “ crawlers ” or “ spiders ” or “ bots ” that retrieve and parse web pages by visiting nodes ( pages ) and following the edges ( links ) between nodes . essentially , these crawlers employ one of many graph search techniques in an attempt to traverse , retrieve , and organize distributed content based on index terms . in addition to web pages , there are also many searchable dynamic databases reached through individual web pages which process directed queries posed at the entry web page . current crawlers are incapable of accessing and conducting searches on the content of these databases . the large size and dynamic qualities of these databases make it impractical for a crawler to index them , because it effectively requires replicating the database in the crawler search engine database , and constant change would quickly make the search engine database out of date . further , most crawlers are not capable of making the structured , directed queries necessary to locate information in the dynamic databases . it is generally accepted that the www follows a widely distributed multi - database architecture . to a local user , any single database in the www environment appears as a centralized repository , while it appears as a distributed collection of databases to a global user who wants to access coupled content from several databases . the following describes the application of the coevolutionary problem solving method of the invention to a dynamic retrieval and globally optimal organization , viewed from the perspective of search relevance , of logically interrelated information distributed across several www databases . first , assume there is a space of p database nodes available on the www . let a query q =( q 1 , q 2 , . . . , q p ) represent a partition and assignment of q over each of the p nodes . let χ i be the space of local results at node i due to sub - query q i . as a consequence , χ is the product space of results χ = π p i = 1 χ i . let x =( x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x p ) εχ represent a specific result . min { ψ ( x ): x = ( x 1 , . . . , x p ), x i εχ i ∀ i where ψ (·) is a metric that measures the search relevance of a global result . this problem can visualized as the search for an optimal space of joint results from a cartesian space of result tuples , wherein optimality is measured with respect to the search relevance of global results . the organization of the networked environment for the database search application is naturally a collection of nodes over which the coevolutionary search process executes using the planning problem as a foundation . coevolutionary agents are created with programming to evaluate the planning problem and distributed to each of the collection of nodes . nevertheless , there is an advantage to consider a networked environment of logical node clusters ( similar to that of fig3 ), wherein each logical cluster represents a certain topic - based specialization of available information . the role of the product design node 620 of fig3 for example , in the search engine application would be the node at which the user is resident and generates the search queries . the coevolutionary agents are created as a result of the user formulating search queries and local searches are performed by coevolutionary agents at each node 620 , 720 , 820 , 920 . following the initial local searches based on the primary search variables and updating the evolutionary agent solutions with the local search results ( the primary search variables ), mobile agents are used to communicate the results of the local searches to the other coevolutionary agents resident at the other nodes 620 , 720 , 820 , 920 in the system architecture . the coevolutionary agents are updated with the transported local search solutions ( the secondary search variables for the agents at different nodes ) from where the using one of the coordination schemes discussed above . the search and updating steps may be repeated to produce evolved solutions which are further optimized based on the underlying algorithm and are superior to those of prior generations . although the distributed coevolutionary problem solving method is discussed in terms of producing printed circuit boards and conducting database searches , clearly , the method is adaptable to solving other complex , coupled manufacturing or delivery problems or performing distributed database searches across any collection of distributed sources . while a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 6 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a transmission system of the first embodiment according to the present invention . fig2 shows a state that electronic devices 10 and 20 are connected to each other via a cable 30 . the electronic devices 10 and 20 include lsis 12 and 22 , and instruction sections 11 and 21 for monitoring the operation of the lsis 12 and 22 and instructing generation , transmission and reception of data mutually transmitted to the electronic devices 20 and 10 , respectively . the lsis 12 and 22 incorporate variable drive current driver circuits 13 and 23 for transmitting data adjusted in drive current so that the data are received by the electronic devices 20 and 10 , and control circuits 14 and 24 for generating and outputting control signals to control drive currents of data transmitted by the variable drive current driver circuits 13 and 23 , respectively . each of the instruction sections 11 and 21 is controlled by a cpu , which operates according to software and which is not illustrated . the control circuits 14 and 24 are incorporated in the lsis 12 and 22 together with the variable drive current driver circuits 13 and 23 , respectively . fig3 is a circuit diagram showing the first embodiment of the variable drive current driver circuit shown in fig2 . with reference to fig3 , the variable drive current driver circuit according to the first embodiment is supplied with a constant current ia from a constant current source 100 . on the basis of the constant current ia , the variable drive current driver circuit generates an output current . first , a current ic is generated by a current mirror formed of transistors nmos 11 , nmos 12 and nmos 15 . from the current ic , a constant current id 1 is further generated by a current mirror formed of transistors pmos 11 and pmos 12 . concurrently with them , a constant current id 2 is generated by a current mirror formed of transistors nmos 11 , nmos 12 and nmos 16 . in this case it is necessary to design the drive circuit so as to satisfy the relation id 1 = id 2 in order to balance the output currents . the current id 1 is outputted from the driver circuit to the outside , passed through resistors r 11 and r 12 , and drawn in as the current id 2 . the output voltage is determined by the value of the current id 1 and values of the resistors r 11 and r 12 . a node ve between the resistor r 11 and the resistor r 12 is a node of a common level . this node is supplied with a constant potential from a constant voltage source mainly including an operational amplifier . by the way , transistors pmos 13 and nmos 17 form a first push - pull circuit , whereas transistors pmos 14 and nmos 18 form a second push - pull circuit . since a signal inputted to gates of the transistors pmos 13 and nmos 17 is complementary to a signal inputted to gates of the transistors pmos 14 and nmos 18 , the first push - pull circuit and the second push - pull circuit complementarily drive the resistors r 11 and r 12 serving as a load circuit . in accordance with the present invention , transistors nmos 13 and nmos 14 and a control signal input terminal are further added . the logic values of a control corresponds to cmos levels . according to the logic value , the value of the drive current changes . in a case where the logic value of the control signal is “ 1 ,” a current ib flows and a voltage va becomes va 1 . on the other hand , in a case where the logic value of the control signal is “ 0 ,” the current ib does not flow and the voltage va becomes va 2 , wherein va 2 & gt ; va 1 . the currents ic , id 1 and id 2 when the logic value of the control signal is “ 0 ” are larger than those when the logic value of the control signal is “ 1 ”, respectively . as a result , the control signal can generate two different drive current ( s ). fig4 is a circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of a variable drive current driver circuit shown in fig2 . comparing fig4 with fig3 , it is apparent that the variable drive current driver circuit according to the second embodiment differs from the variable drive current driver circuit according to the first embodiment in that a control circuit , including transistors pmos 24 , pmos 25 , pmos 26 , nmos 25 , nmos 26 and nmos 27 , is added to an output stage . in the variable drive current driver circuit according to the first embodiment , the control circuit is added not to the output stage but to the constant current source side . in fig4 , the voltage va is constant . in a case where the logic value of the control signal is “ 1 ,” currents ic 1 and ic 2 flow . in a case where the logic value of the control signal is “ 0 ,” currents ic 1 and ic 2 do not flow . when the logic value of the control signal is “ 1 ,” therefore , the sum of currents ic 1 and id 1 or the sum of currents ic 2 and id 2 becomes the drive current . when the logic value of the control signal is “ 0 ,” only the current id 1 or id 2 becomes the drive current . accordingly it is possible that ic 1 = ic 2 and id 1 = id 2 . like the variable drive current driver circuit according to the first embodiment , the variable drive current driver circuit according to the second embodiment has two kinds of drive current controlled by the control signal . fig5 is a circuit diagram showing the third embodiment of a variable drive current driver circuit shown in fig2 . comparing fig5 with fig3 , it is apparent that the variable drive current driver circuit according to the third embodiment is structured by preparing a plurality of sets of the transistors nmos 13 and nmos 14 of the variable drive current driver circuit according to the first embodiment and connecting the sets in parallel . transistors nmos 131 , nmos 141 , nmos 132 , nmos 142 , . . . , nmos 13 n and nmos 14 n correspond to the plurality of sets of the transistors nmos 13 and nmos 14 . gates of the transistors nmos 141 , nmos 142 . . . nmos 14 n are supplied with their respective control signals . therefore , the variable drive current driver circuit according to the third embodiment can drive its load with a plurality of drive currents . it is a matter of course that , like the circuit of the third embodiment , the variable drive current driver circuit according to the second embodiment can be expanded to enable the circuit to drive its load with a plurality of drive currents . to expand the circuit of fig4 , or the second embodiment , a plurality of sets of the transistors pmos 22 , pmos 23 and nmos 28 are prepared . the plurality of sets are connected in parallel with the transistor pmos 24 . a plurality of sets of the transistors nmos 23 , nmos 24 and pmos 27 are prepared . the plurality of sets are connected in parallel with the transistor nmos 25 . | 7 |
the technology claimed by the present invention is further described in detail in conjunction with the drawings and particular embodiments . fig1 shows a frame structure of the present embodiment . the frame structure is in an overall rectangular shape , wherein a lengthwise edge is formed by combining four connecting columns 1 connected via a connecting beam 2 , and a widthwise edge is formed by two connecting columns 1 connected via a connecting beam 2 . the connecting column 1 located at the corner part is a right - angle column , and the maximum included angle between the two connecting beams 2 connected to the right - angle column is 90 degrees . the connecting column 1 located between two flat - angle columns is a flat - angle column , and the maximum included angle between the two connecting beams 2 connected to the flat - angle column is 180 degrees . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the right - angle column in the present embodiment is , approximately an overall square column . the right - angle column is provided with a circular channel 11 with the radian being about 300 degrees , and the arc channel 11 penetrates through two ends of the right - angle column and thus forms holes on two end faces . a groove 111 is formed at the corner edge of the side of the connecting column 1 . five pairs of anchor slots 12 are shaped on both sides of the groove 111 , and the anchor slots 12 of the same pair are at the same height . the inner walls of the anchor slots 12 of the same pair are at 90 degrees , such that the maximum included angle between two connecting beams 2 connected in the anchor slots of the same pair on the right - angle column is 90 degrees . the middle of the connecting column i is further provided with two notches 13 in the arc channel 11 , and the area of the notch 13 is so large that the jointing column head 22 on the connecting beam 2 can extend into the notch . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the flat - angle column and the right - angle column have a similar structure , and the difference in structure lies in that the inner walls of the anchor slots 12 of the same pair on the flat - angle column are at 180 degrees , such that the maximum included angle between two connecting beams 2 in the anchor slots of the same pair on the flat - angle column is 180 degrees . fig6 shows a connecting beam 2 in the present embodiment . mounting parts 21 are shaped on both ends of the connecting beam 2 . the shape of the mounting part 21 matches the anchor slot 12 . a circular jointing column head 22 is formed on one half of the outer side of the mounting part 21 at one end of the connecting beam , and the mounting part 21 and the jointing column head 22 form a half t - shaped structure . the size of the jointing column head 22 matches that of the arc channel 11 . a jointing hook head 23 is formed at the outer end of the mounting part 21 at the other end of the connecting beam , and the mounting part 21 and the jointing hook head 23 form a half t - shaped structure . the width of the jointing hook head 23 is less than the width of the groove 111 . alternative to the connecting beam 2 exemplified in the present embodiment , a jointing column head 22 or a jointing hook head 23 can be formed on the mounting parts 21 at two ends of the connecting beam 2 , and the jointing column head 22 or the jointing hook head 23 on the mounting parts 21 at two ends can also be respectively formed at two different halves of the outer side of the mounting parts 21 . as shown in fig7 . for connection , the jointing column head 22 on the connecting beam 2 is firstly inserted into the arc channel 11 from the hole at the top of the connecting column 1 . since the shape of the jointing column head 22 matches that of the arc channel 11 , the jointing column head 22 can slide in the arc channel 11 to the corresponding position of the anchor slot 12 . then with the jointing column head 22 as the axis of rotation , the connecting beam 2 is rotated such that the mounting part 21 on the connecting beam 2 is just snapped into the anchor slot 12 , which is the effect generated by the cooperation of the mounting part 21 and the anchor slot 12 in shape . after the mounting part 21 is snapped into the anchor slot 12 , the connecting beam 2 cannot slide up and down along the an channel 11 via the jointing column head 22 . at the same time , since the jointing column head 22 is clamped in the arc channel 11 by the inner walls of the arc channel 11 and cannot be directly removed from the anchor slot 12 , the jointing column head 22 has the function of further fixing the connection between the connecting beam 2 and the connecting column 1 . after one of the anchor slots 12 is connected to the jointing column head 22 , the jointing hook head 23 is used to connect the other anchor slot . since the width of the jointing hook head 23 is less than the width of the groove 111 , the jointing hook head 23 can be directly pushed into the arc channel 11 from the groove 111 of the arc channel 11 and the mounting part 21 is snapped into the other anchor slot 12 . the jointing column head 22 and the jointing hook head 23 are respectively formed at two different halves of the outer side of the respective mounting part 21 , specifically in the present embodiment , the jointing column head 22 is formed at the lower half of the outer side of the mounting part 21 , and the jointing hook head 23 is formed at the upper half of the outer side of the mounting part 21 . therefore , for connection , the two heads can only occupy the respective space in the arc channel 11 and may not cause incompatibility with each other , and the cooperation thereof can also ensure a more stable connection between the two connecting beams 2 and the connecting column 1 . in the other embodiment , two connecting beams 2 provided with jointing column heads 22 are connected to a pair of anchor slots 12 at the same height , since the jointing hook head 23 can directly enter and exit the groove 111 , the stability of the structure after connection is inferior to the jointing column head 22 . the jointing hook head 23 is used only in the situation where the jointing column head 22 is not available , such as when two fixed connecting columns 1 which cannot rotate are connected . in the present embodiment , since a notch 13 is rimed in the middle of the connecting column 1 , the jointing column head 22 on the connecting beam 2 can firstly extend into the notch 13 and then push the jointing column head 22 into the arc channel 11 , without needing of guiding the jointing column head 22 into the arc channel 11 via holes at two ends of the connecting column 1 , which simplifies the operation in connection and installation . moreover , when it is necessary to replace a connecting beam 2 later , there is also no need to dismount other connecting beams 2 located between the hole and the connecting beam 2 to be replaced , which facilitates the adjustment of columns and beams of the furniture by a user . as shown in fig8 , with regard to two connecting beams 2 connected in the anchor slots 12 of the same pair at the same height , a corner brace 3 can be used to ensure a more stable connection therebetween . tenons are shaped on both sides of the corner brace 3 of the present embodiment , and recesses fitted to the tenons are formed in the corresponding positions of the connecting beam 2 . the tenon on the corner brace 3 is inserted into the recess of the connecting beam 2 to achieve the connection between the corner brace 3 and the connecting beam 2 . the corner brace 3 can effectively fix the included angle between two connecting beams 2 to prevent the connecting beams from rotating . as shown in fig9 , a cross beam 4 is transversely connected between two opposite connecting beams 2 . tenons are shaped on both ends of the cross beam 4 and can be fitted and connected to the recesses on the connecting beam 2 . as shown in fig1 , the frame structure of the present embodiment is formed by longitudinally connecting two frame structures of embodiment i . more specifically , it is formed by longitudinally connecting the connecting columns 1 on the two frame structures of embodiment i . two connecting columns 1 can be connected via an anti - rotation connecting , core 5 . as shown in fig1 , the shape of the anti - rotation connecting core 5 matches those of the arc channel 11 and the groove 111 of the connecting column , and the anti - rotation connecting core can be connected to the arc channels 11 of upper and lower connecting columns 1 and snap with the groove 111 , so as to longitudinally connect two connecting columns 1 and prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower connecting columns 1 . for connection , the anti - rotation connecting core 5 is firstly inserted into the arc channel 11 from the hole of the lower connecting column 1 , and then the hole of the upper connecting column 1 is aligned with the anti - rotation connecting core 5 projecting from the half of the lower connecting column 1 , such that the anti - rotation connecting core is inserted into the arc channel 11 of the upper connecting column 1 . with the above operation , the anti - rotation connecting core 5 can be inserted into the arc channels 11 of the two connecting columns 1 and is snapped into the groove 111 so as to complete the longitudinal connection between the two connecting columns 1 . with the fitting and connection between the connecting columns 1 and the anti - rotation connecting core 5 , the frame structure can be expanded in the perpendicular direction . as shown in fig1 , the frame structure of present embodiment is a hexagon framework which is formed by six flat - angle columns in embodiment i connected by six connecting beams 2 in closed connection . the maximum included angle between two connecting beams 2 connected in the anchor slots of the same pair on the flat - angle column is 180 degrees , which means that the included angle between two connecting beams 2 can be adjusted within 180 degrees . in the present embodiment , the flat - angle columns form the corner parts of the frame structure , and the angle of each corner is 120 degrees . the flat - angle column can also be used to provide the frame structure with more angles , such that the frame structure extends in the horizontal directions at various angles . compared to the right - angle column , the connecting beam 2 on the flat - angle column can achieve a greater range of included angle , and theoretically also covers the range of an included angle of the right - angle columns . however , since the anchor slot 12 of the flat - angle column is relatively large , the anchor slot 12 may have a relatively large gap in the case that the included angle between the two connecting beams 2 is not 180 degrees , and the appearance is relatively unpleasant . therefore , unless the frame structure has a corner part with an angle unequal to 90 degrees , the flat - angle column is generally used at the edge of the frame structure . since a number of pairs of anchor slots 12 at different heights are formed on the connecting beam 2 , a user can choose the anchor slots 12 at different heights to be connected to the connecting beam 2 , thereby achieving the adjustment of the height of the connecting beam 2 . meanwhile , the flat - angle column and the anti - rotation connecting core 5 can be used to enable the frame structure to be expanded in the horizontal directions at various angles and in the perpendicular direction . the user can customize the assembling and connection of the column - beam assembly provided by the present invention according to personal requirements so as to achieve a frame structure which meets the requirements . the above - mentioned embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention , and are not intended to limit the range of the implementation of the present invention , and therefore , changes made according to the shape and principle of the present invention shall be contained within the scope of protection of the present invention . | 0 |
the present invention provides a valve assembly ( 21 ) that is used to stop the flow of oil and gas up a riser ( 20 ) or casement tube ( e . g ., in a drilled well in dry land ). the valve assembly ( 21 ) utilizes the pressure of the oil / gas coming up a riser ( 20 ) to close the valve assembly ( 21 ), instead of employing the traditional approach which requires fighting against such pressure . the stop flow plug is driven into closure position by that pressure and stops the flow of the oil / gas . as the well is drilled , casement tubes are inserted into the drilled well to contain the earth and cut debris . as the well goes deeper and deeper , closeout casement tubes are progressively inserted and attached to each other to line the well and to contain the well wall . this invention provides the means for stoppage of all flow of oil / gas coming up the riser and containment tubes of newly drilled and previously drilled wells on land , by using the available intense pressures encountered . after loosening the nut , the operator will monitor by electronic remote control the engagement or disengagement of the drill string tool to the probe , thus controlling the closing of the flow by pulling up on the probe , or opening the system in order to start the flow by pushing the probe down to activate the oil well , either way according to the circumstances . at the moment to leave the well , the operator will use the remote control to check the conditions in the valve and thru the valve , and all data is electronically transmitted . the plug driven by the intense pressure in the well , closes the valve and stops all flow . this feature completely eliminates the expensive need for pumping concrete down into the well to stop the flow . in addition , the invention contains a seal means that encircles the valve , providing for sealing fine line leak paths between the riser and the valve . there is a closeout plate on the top of the valve as an additional optional redundant method for complete stoppage of the oil / gas through the valve by the use of a nut that is screwed down tightly and cinches up the stop flow plug to firmly lock the plug against the closeout plate at the top of the valve . in case the well has been previously closed up and needs to be reopen , or the pressures encountered are low in a new well , an heavy - duty doughnut - shaped expandable insert will be added to the interior circular base of the valve assembly to increase the sealing pressure needed to entirely stop leakage , if necessary . fig1 is a perspective view of a valve assembly ( 21 ) seated in a riser ( 20 ). fig2 is a sectional view thereof illustrating the stop flow plug ( 25 ) in the open position . fig3 is a sectional view of the valve assembly illustrating the stop flow plug ( 25 ) in the closed position . as shown in fig1 , the valve assembly ( 21 ) is at the top of a riser ( 20 ) or containment tube ( 20 ), with a vertical plunger or probe ( 22 ) threaded and extended upwards the upper close - out plate ( 23 ) and retained by a large retention nut ( 36 ). the valve upper sidewall extension ( 37 ) may be attached with screws ( 41 ), through pilot holes , to the riser ( 21 ). there may be additional screws ( 39 ) retaining the upper close - out plate ( 23 ) to the structure of the valve . cap screws ( 32 ) may be used to seal relief vents , and the sealed cover of the electronic component ( 43 ). the annular lower base plate ( 24 ), may have a riser seal ( 35 ) that encircles the valve in a provided retention cavity for the purpose of stopping possible oil / gas flow escaping up the outside surface of the valve . between the interior wall of the riser and the exterior wall of the stop flow plug ( 25 ), there may be an outer diameter that leaves a passage ( 34 ) through which oil / gas may flow from the bottom of the stop flow plug ( 25 ) to the top of the stop flow plug ( 25 ). as shown in fig2 the valve assembly ( 21 ), using the attachment screws ( 39 ) of the upper sidewall extensions ( 37 ) is attached to the riser ( 20 ). the stop flow plug is shown in in the open position allowing oil / gas ( 30 ) to flow up to the surface through the riser ( 20 ). the upper close - out plate ( 23 ), the electronic component ( 43 ), two relief vents ( 40 ) and their cap screws ( 32 ), a threaded vertical plunger ( 22 ), and its large retention nut ( 36 ), the weld ( 38 ), may be present in the valve assembly ( 21 ). the stop flow plug ( 25 ) may have the conical nose ( 27 ) shaped to match the conical shape of the socket cavity ( 28 ). the lower portion of the valve assembly ( 21 ) may have a stop flow plug hex cavity ( 29 ), the annular lower base plate ( 24 ), bolts ( 26 ) fit through threaded holes ( 46 ) to attach the annular lower base plate ( 24 ) to the valve housing ( 26 ). the valve assembly ( 21 ) may be seated in a well ( 33 ) for up flowing of oil / gas , and also have a riser seal ( 35 ) that encircles the valve assembly ( 21 ) existing between an outer surface ( 44 ) of the valve assembly ( 21 ) and the inside surface of the riser ( 20 ). the term “ conical ” is hereby defined to include any form of conical shape , and / or any other form of tapered shape , or equivalent shape that may be designed by those skilled in the art for the function described herein . as shown in fig3 , the valve assembly ( 21 ) with its upper sidewall extensions ( 37 ) may be attached through drilled pilot holes ( 41 ) to the riser ( 20 ), with the stop flow plug ( 25 ) moved to the closure location , and the relief vents ( 40 ) fully closed with cap screws ( 32 ). the plug with its conical shape ( 27 ) mates with the socket cavity of the valve ( 28 ) and is forced to seal tightly within the cavity by the pressure of the rising oil . to ensure that the close - out plug , or stop flow plug firmly seals , the vertical plunger ( 22 ) on the upper end of the plug is extended up through the upper close - out plate ( 23 ) in the valve , and a retention nut ( 36 ) threaded down on the close - out plate ensures complete stoppage of the flow coming up the riser . the riser seal ( 35 ) that encircles the valve impedes any intense pressure leak paths . the valve assembly ( 21 ) of this invention , ( fig1 ) which may be cylindrical in shape to match the inside surface of the riser , is held by the operator with the drill string tool . holding the valve , it may be operated in a closure position , or in an open position , as desired . to initiate the closure of the valve , the operator , while holding the valve by the extended probe , also holds the drill string tool to allow the oil coming up the well to move the stop flow plug into closure position . the oil coming from the well will then be stopped ( fig3 ). the cap screws at the top of the valve can now be attached to the top of the riser as there is no oil coming up . to ensure that the stoppage of the flow will hold , the operator tightens up the large nut on the probe which cinches up the stop flow plug into its full closure position . in the recently adopted method of fracking , when the well operators enter the shale strata in the place where they wish to set the explosive charge , they generally have inserted an interior riser in the assembly to use it for containment of the oil / gas to the surface . prior to the initiation of the fracking process , and before the operators set the explosive charge off in the strata of shale , the stop flow plug object of this invention should be installed using the drill string tool because the oil / gas under intense pressure would otherwise be driven to the surface thru the riser tube . the drill string operator attaches the valve upper wall extension projecting surface ( 37 ) to the riser tube ( 20 ) with fasteners ( 41 ) ( e . g ., bolts , screws , etc .) through the pilot holes ( 45 ) provided , and that ensures the firm position of the valve housing within the riser . the valve contains within its internal shape a stop flow plug ( 25 ) that has a conical shape nose ( 27 ) to mate with the cavity socket in the valve ( 28 ) and that is driven to the stop flow condition by the intense escaping pressure that forces the stop flow plug to seal tightly within its retention socket cavity . this intense pressure seals the plug firmly in the valve and contains the flow of oil / gas . additionally , to ensure that the close out plug seals , a vertical probe or plunger , threaded ( 22 ) and welded to the upper end of the stop flow plug , is extended up , through the upper close - out plate ( 23 ) in the valve , and a large retention nut ( 36 ) is threaded down on the close - out plate to ensure complete stoppage of the flow coming up through the valve . the complete closure , as illustrated in fig3 , may be performed by the operator at the surface either mechanically , or electronically by remote control , using the drill string tool with the valve attached to it , to activate the probe of the valve , and to pull it up tight against the conical cavity existing in the valve so that the flow is firmly restrained and providing visual inspection capability of the complete closure function . fig4 is a top plan view of the valve assembly . fig4 shows the upper closeout plate ( 23 ) of the valve ( 21 ) as it is attached to the riser ( 20 ) and the bolting pattern for the connection of the valve into the riser ( 41 ), screws ( 39 ) to retain the upper plate to the structure of the valve , and cap screws ( 32 ) that plug bleed holes of the relief vents ( 40 ) for management of oil / gas flow through the valve , and the cover of the electronic component ( 43 ). a large retention nut ( 36 ) retains the top of the probe or plunger ( 22 ) on the oil / gas stop flow plug . the operator has the means to re - open up the well by using a drill string tool to come down and apply load at the end of the probe or plunger ( 22 ) which is on top of the valve ( fig4 ) allowing the retention nut to be unscrewed , and as the said nut is unscrewed , the plunger is pushed down with the drill string tool , or equivalent equipment , and allows the oil / gas to flow up the riser again , ready for storage . there are vent passages ( 40 ) ( fig3 ), preferably two , that terminate at the upper close - out plate ( 23 ), on the top of the valve , that are sealed by cap screws ( 32 ). these vent passages are automatically sealed closed when the stop flow plug moves into closure position . the stop flow plug has a stop flow position and the retention nut ( 36 ), screwed down tight against the upper close - out plate , ensures that the relief vent passages ( 40 ) are fully stopped , and it shows no flow of the gas and oil through the valve to the surface . at the upper closeout plate , there are provisions for installing testing instruments that either mechanically , or electronically actuated by remote control , can read and detect from the interior of the valve all pertinent data such as the pressures , temperatures , volume and composition of the flow of oil and gas . at the bottom exterior surface of the valve there is an optional electronic read out of data to evaluate the conditions inside the well . the stop flow plug contains at its base a hex cavity ( 29 ) for assembly purposes of the valve at manufacturing . this stop flow plug also has in its sealing features a condition to stop leaks in fine line leak paths . this is done with a riser seal ( 35 ) encircles the valve in a provided retention cavity for the purpose of stopping any oil / gas escaping up the outside surface of the valve , between the interior wall of the riser ( 20 ) and the exterior wall of the valve . fig5 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the valve assembly illustrating a heavy - duty doughnut - shaped expandable insert in an unexpanded condition . fig6 is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the valve assembly illustrating the heavy duty doughnut shaped expandable insert in an expanded condition . as shown in fig5 , one embodiment of the valve assembly further includes the heavy - duty doughnut - shaped expandable insert ( 42 ) ( i . e ., an annular expandable insert ), which may be optionally added to the valve assembly when dealing with well , to stop the flow by using the pressure coming from the well , even if the pressure from the well is low . the insert is an expandable doughnut shaped unit , with a hole in the middle , that will expand as necessary to permit pressure to be applied to the base of the stop flow plug ( 25 ) to drive it upward to the stop flow closure position , if desired , in order to allow oil / gas to pass upwards through the valve . the insert also applies pressure against the lower annular base plate ( 24 ). in cross section view , the stop flow plug ( 25 ) is shown in open , down position inside the valve ( 21 ) as oil / gas is passing through the passages ( 34 ) and the relief vents ( 40 ). the heavy duty insert ( 50 ) is captured in this location by the inside wall of the valve &# 39 ; s cylindrical housing ( 31 ) while imposing upward force on the base surface of the plug ( 25 ), and a downward force on the annular lower base plate ( 24 ), which is attached with screws ( 26 ) to the inner surface of the valve &# 39 ; s housing ( 31 ), and in the compressed condition , ensures that it is guided by this inner surface of the valve &# 39 ; s housing and ready to force the plug to its oil / gas closure location , by the drill string operator . fig6 shows the valve with the heavy - duty doughnut - shaped expandable insert ( 42 ) expanded in case the well pressure is low . the stop flow plug ( 25 ) is in the closure position to stop oil flow through the valve . a cross section view of the valve with the heavy - duty doughnut - shaped expandable insert ( 42 ) shows its shape when expanded for upward force on the base of the stop flow plug ( 25 ) in order to supplement the pressure to move the valve into closure on the oil / gas flow though the valve assembly ( 21 ) the attachment of the annular lower base plate ( 24 ) provides a means for installation and assembly of the heavy - duty doughnut - shaped expandable insert into the valve &# 39 ; s enclosed cavity for the same . the heavy duty doughnut insert ensures that there will be enough force in the well to move the plug into closure and complete stoppage of leakage of oil / gas through the valve . a second embodiment of the present invention is presented considering the multitude of wells that have been drilled in search of new oil and gas sites , and the diverse conditions encountered mainly in terms of magnitude of the oil / gas pressures . many of the wells show intense pressure , while others show little or no pressure , and a third group show both conditions alternatively . all such wells can leak oil / gas to the surface if not capped correctly , creating adverse environmental crises and major expenses to correct the derivative problems . under these circumstances , the inventors believe that it is necessary to consider and cope with all three conditions of the oil wells . this second embodiment of the present invention has the capability to address the leaking problem independent of the intensity of the pressure encountered in all types of wells , from newly drilled ones to the previously drilled , but not correctly capped on on - shore wells . the main concern of the oil industry has been concentrated on leakage in the wells showing intense oil / gas pressures to avoid big disasters . in the first embodiment of the present invention , it was addressed the intense pressures problem to seal leaks in the most common wells on shore , which are the ones showing that condition . this second embodiment of the present invention , comprises , in addition , a new improvement to be used in those wells showing low insufficient pressures . the heavy - duty doughnut - shaped expandable insert ( 42 ) with a hole in the middle to allow the oil pass through , is installed captured in its own cavity and in the compressed state inside the valve , fig5 , will let the oil / gas passing up through the passages ( 34 ) and the relief vents ( 40 ) to the surface . when the insert is expanded it will apply pressure against the annular lower base plate ( 24 ) of the valve assembly ( 21 ) which is attached with screws ( 26 ) to the side wall of the valve &# 39 ; s housing , and at the same time , the insert is pressing upward against the base of the stop flow plug ( 25 ) to supplement the pressure and force the stop flow plug to move to complete closure position , as shown in fig6 . the drill string operator controls the flow and stoppage of the oil / gas when dealing with wells without the extreme pressures that are normally encountered . with the help of said insert , the flow is stopped with the additional pressure obtained , even when the pressure from the well is low . thus , the basis of the present invention , that is — to use the coming up pressure of oil / gas from the wells , instead of the traditional method of fighting it — is retained in this embodiment with the use of a simple mechanical means that provides capability to replace the insufficient up - coming oil / gas pressure impulse to drive the stop flow plug ( 25 ) to plug any leaks , providing full confidence on the closure of the oil / gas flow from the well under any condition . | 4 |
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