Split (3)

train · 25k rows

text stringlengths 1.55k 332k	label int64 0 8
referring now to the drawings , wherein like numerals indicate the same elements throughout the views , fig1 illustrates an exemplary prior art variable stator vane assembly . in fig1 the stator vane is indicated at 1 and is shown located between a pair of compressor blades 2 and 3 representing adjacent compressor stages . the compressor casing is illustrated at 4 and is provided with an outwardly extending boss 5 . the compressor casing is provided with a bore 6 having an inner portion 6a , an intermediate portion 6b of lesser diameter , and an outer portion 6c having a diameter greater than the portion 6b and slightly less than the portion 6a . an annular shoulder 7 is formed between bore portions 6a and 6b . a second annular shoulder 8 is formed between bore portions 6b and 6c . the variable stator vane 1 has a base 9 provided with an annular portion 10 and a central spindle 11 . the spindle 11 has a first portion 11a terminating in a second threaded portion 11b of lesser diameter . the base portion 9 , annular portion 10 and spindle 11 extend into and through the casing bore 6 . a composite thrust washer 12 is located between the base 9 and the annular shoulder 7 . a composite bushing 13 is also provided . the composite bushing 13 has a cylindrical journal bearing portion 13a located between the bore portion 6b and the annular portion 10 of the variable stator blade base 9 . the bushing 13 also has an annular thrust washer portion 13b overlying the shoulder 8 . the stator vane spindle portion 11a extends through a perforation 14 in a spacer 15 . the spacer 15 has a circular peripheral configuration and a depending outer rim portion 15a which faces the portion 13b of bushing 13 . the portion 11a of spindle 11 also passes through a perforation 16 through one end of a lever arm 17 . spindle portion 11a has a flat formed thereon ( not shown ) and the perforation 16 is correspondingly configured , so that the lever arm 17 is non - rotatable with respect to the spindle portion 11a . the lever arm 17 is operatively connected to the variable stator vane actuation system ( not shown ) described heretofore . the spindle 11 passes through an alignment sleeve 18 and the assembly thus far described is held together by a nut 19 threadedly engaged on the spindle portion 11b . when nut 19 is tightened , the outer end of annular portion 10 abuts spacer 15 assuring a running clearance between the base 9 and the thrust washer 12 as well as between the depending outer rim portion 15a of the spacer 15 and the portion 13b of bushing 13 . from the above description , it will be apparent that in order to replace the thrust washer 12 and bushing 13 , it is necessary to remove the casing 4 from the compressor section of the engine and to remove the variable stator vane base elements 9 , 10 and 11 from the casing bore 6 . reference is now made to fig2 wherein the variable stator vane assembly of the present invention is illustrated . the variable stator vane is indicated at 20 and is located between a pair of compressor blades 21 and 22 , representing adjacent compressor stages . the compressor casing is illustrated at 23 and is provided with a high , upstanding boss 24 . the boss 24 has a rectangular peripheral configuration . a bore 25 is located centrally of the boss . the bore 25 has a first portion 25a and a second portion 25b of lesser diameter , forming a shoulder 26 therebetween . the embodiment of fig2 also includes a housing 27 . the housing 27 is also shown in fig3 and 4 the housing 27 is a metal member having a cylindrical body 27a . at its inner end , the body 27a terminates in a planar , annular bottom surface 27b . at its outer end , the body 27a is provided with a lateral flange 27c having a rectangular peripheral configuration . the housing 27 has a central bore 28 . the bore 28 has a first portion 28a and a second portion 28b of greater diameter . an annular shoulder 29 is formed between the two bore portions . the housing 27 supports a bushing assembly 30 . the bushing assembly 30 preferably constitutes an integral , one - piece structure and is made of any material appropriate for this use . excellent results have been obtained using a woven fabric impregnated with resin and formed directly within the housing 27 . under these circumstances , the resin bonds the bushing assembly 30 to the housing 27 . the bushing assembly has a journal bearing cylindrical portion 30a . the bushing assembly portion 30a terminates at its inner end in an annular thrust bearing portion 30b overlying the inner end 27b of housing 27 . the bushing assembly portion 30a terminates at its outer end in an annular thrust bearing portion 30c which overlies the housing shoulder 29 . the housing body 27a has an external diameter equivalent to the internal diameter of the casing bore portion 25b and is receivable therein , as is shown in fig2 . the flange 27c of housing 27 is adapted to overlie the high boss 24 of the compressor casing 23 . the housing flange 27c has a pair of perforations 31 and 32 located in opposite corners thereof . the compressor casing boss 24 is provided with a pair of threaded bores ( not shown ) coaxial with the flange perforations 31 and 32 , respectively . a pair of bolts 33 and 34 extend through the perforations 31 and 32 and threadedly engage in the threaded boss bores ( not shown ) to secure the housing 27 in its mounted position as shown in fig2 . the bolt 34 is shown in phantom lines in fig2 since it would not normally be visible in this figure . the adjustable stator vane 20 is provided with a base 35 and an upstanding spindle 36 . the spindle 36 has a first portion 36a , a second portion 36b of lesser diameter , and a third portion 36c of yet lesser diameter . the third portion 36c is externally threaded , as shown in fig2 . a shoulder 36d is formed between spindle portions 36a and 36b . the base 35 of the variable stator vane 20 is receivable with clearance in the bore portion 25a of the casing bore 25 . it will be noted that the thrust bearing portion 30b of bushing assembly 30 is located between the variable stator vane base 35 and the inner annular end surface 27b of housing 27 . the first spindle portion 36a is of a diameter approximating the internal diameter of the journal bearing portion 30a of bushing assembly 30 and is rotatively received therein . a disc - like spacer 37 has a peripheral diameter slightly less than the diameter of housing bore portion 28b and is receivable therein , overlying the thrust bearing portion 30c of bearing assembly 30 . it will be noted that the periphery of spacer 37 is relieved as at 37a to provide clearance for the heads of bolts 33 and 34 . the spacer 37 has a central perforation 38 through which the spindle portion 36b extends with clearance . the spacer 37 is surmounted by an alignment sleeve 39 having a central bore 40 , coaxial with the spacer perforation 38 . the variable stator vane spindle portion 36b extends into the bore 40 of alignment sleeve 39 . spindle portion 36b has a number of flats ( not shown ) formed thereon and the alignment sleeve bore 40 is correspondingly configured to render the alignment sleeve non - rotatable with respect to the spindle 36 . the elements thus far described are held in place by a hex nut 41 , threadedly engaged on the threaded shaft portion 36c and abutting the alignment sleeve 39 . when the hex nut 41 is tightened , the spacer 37 abuts the spindle shoulder 36d assuring a running clearance between the base 35 and bushing portion 30b as well as between the spacer 37 and bearing portion 30c . the threaded portion 36c of shaft 36 extends through a perforation 42 in a lever arm 43 . the alignment sleeve 39 is provided with three peripheral flats , one of which is shown at 39a in fig2 . each of the alignment sleeve flats is engaged by a depending tab on the lever arm 43 . one such tab is shown at 43a in fig2 and 6 . a second one of the tabs is shown at 43b in fig6 . this arrangement assures that the lever arm 43 is non - rotatable with respect to the alignment sleeve 39 . since the alignment sleeve 39 is non - rotatable with respect to spindle 36 , the lever arm 43 is also non - rotatable with respect thereto . the other end of lever arm 43 ( not shown ) is operatively attached to the variable stator vane actuation system , described above . the lever arm 43 is held in place by a nut 44 threadedly engaged on shaft portion 36c . it would be within the scope of the present invention to provide a multi - piece bearing assembly of any appropriate bearing material such as a carbon composite material , rather than the one - piece bearing assembly 30 . this is illustrated in fig5 . the housing of fig5 is designated by index numeral 45 and is essentially identical to the housing 27 of fig4 . to this end , the housing 45 is a metallic member having a cylindrical body 45a , terminating at its inner end in a planar , annular bottom surface 45b . at its outer end , the body 45a is provided with a lateral flange 45c identical to the flange 27c of fig4 . as in the case of the housing 27 of fig4 the housing 45 of fig5 has a central bore 46 having a first portion 46a and a second portion 46b of greater diameter , an annular shoulder 47 being formed therebetween . in this instance , the bushing assembly comprises a cylindrical journal bearing 48 , an inner thrust washer 49 and an outer thrust washer 50 . the cylindrical journal bearing 48 and the outer thrust washer 50 are held in place by an interference fit . the inner thrust washer 49 is maintained in place by an annular swaged area 51 about the inner surface 45b of housing 45 . alternatively , the annular swaged area 51 could be replaced by an annular bead of solder or the like . it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the housing 45 and its bushing elements 48 , 49 and 50 could be readily substituted in the assembly of fig2 for the housing 27 and the bearing assembly 30 . the invention having been described in detail , the manner in which the housing 27 and its bearing assembly 30 can be rotated 180 ° or replaced , can now be set forth . reference is made to fig6 which is an exploded view of the structure of fig2 and wherein like parts have been given like index numerals . to rotate or remove and replace the housing 27 and bearing assembly 30 , the nut 44 is first removed , enabling disengagement of the lever arm 43 from spindle 36 and alignment sleeve 39 . hex nut 41 is thereafter removed from the threaded portion 36c of spindle 36 , permitting removal of alignment sleeve 39 . at this point , the bolts 33 and 34 , affixing housing 27 to boss 24 , are removed . the spacer 37 can now be removed , or can simply be removed with the housing 27 . to assist in removal of the housing 27 from the boss bore 25 , it is within the scope of the invention to provide the housing flange 27c with a pair of threaded bores 52 and 53 ( see fig3 ). the threaded bores 52 and 53 enable the use of jack screws ( not shown ) to assist in lifting the housing 27 from the bushing bore 25 . once the housing 27 has been removed , it can be rotated 180 ° and repositioned in the boss bore 25 , or it and its bushing assembly 30 can be replaced , depending upon the condition of the bushing assembly . thereafter , the spacer 37 is reinstated and the housing 27 is affixed to the boss 24 by the bolts 33 and 34 . the alignment spacer 39 is mounted on spindle 30 , followed by hex nut 41 . the lever arm 43 is mounted on spindle 36 with its tangs engaged on the flats of alignment sleeve 39 and the nut 44 is again threadedly engaged on the portion 36c of spindle 36 . from the above , it will be apparent that rotation or replacement of the housing 27 and its bushing assembly 30 can be accomplished quickly and easily . furthermore , rotation or replacement of the housing 27 and bushing assembly 30 can be accomplished from the exterior of the compressor casing 23 , without the necessity of removing the compressor casing 23 from the compressor and removing the variable stator vane spindle 36 from the bushing bore 25 . modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of it .	5
the present invention provides a system and method for construction of weld - stabilized rebar panels . by way of overview and with reference to fig1 the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a welded rebar manufacturing center 10 including a rebar shear 12 used to cut the rebar to predetermined lengths ; a rebar bender 14 used to impart required curvature to the rebar ; a welding jig 16 used to align the rebar in the desired rebar panel configuration ; a rebar welder 18 , preferably a gas metal arc welder ( gmaw ); a power source 20 , such as an 100 - 185 kw electrical generator ( for example , a lincoln power source 400 ); and one or more rolling tables 22 facilitating the movement of the rebar from the rebar shear to the rebar bender and ultimately to the welding jig . in operation , the rebar starts at rebar shear 12 , where the rebar is cut , as necessary , to predetermined lengths . the rebar then travels along rolling table 22 a to rebar bender 14 , where any required curvature is imparted to the rebar . the rebar is then forwarded along rolling table 22 b to welding jig 16 , where is comes to a stop aligned within the jig to facilitate intersection with other rebar in the panel assembly . once the rebar is properly aligned in the welding jig , rebar welder 18 , powered by power source 20 , is used to fusion weld the rebar intersections , and described with more particularity below . welding jig 16 is described in more detail with reference to fig2 and 3 . welding jig 16 includes a frame 30 , a base reference spacer 32 , an adjustable stop bar 34 , and adjustable stopping pins 36 for placing the rebar in the desired spatial relationship to the intersecting rebar . in the preferred operation of this embodiment , a layer of rebar is placed in jig 16 and is held in proper spatial relation to the intersecting rebar via base reference spacer 32 and spacer bar 34 . subsequently , as the adjacent layer of rebar is applied , adjustable stop pins 36 dictate the proper spacing of the rebar . critical to the ability of the rebar to function as a tensional load - bearing member is the maintenance of the rebar metallurgical properties . a specific welding process to achieve a flare bevel groove weld of grade a706 must be carried out to ensure that the metallurgical properties of the rebar is not compromised during the fusion weld . after extensive experimentation , its was determined that this welding process is accomplished as follows . in the preferred embodiment , specific settings are used on welder 18 and power source 20 in order to achieve a flare bevel groove weld that meets the grade a706 requirements . with respect to welder 18 , initially the shielding gas supply hose of the welder ( not shown ) must be disconnected and a flow filter with manual adjustment attached . this results in diffusing the typical narrow flow pattern to a more open spray pattern . the gas flow rate is set to approximately 35 cubic feet per hour . the spot time on the welder is set to approximately 0 . 02 seconds , and the voltage to approximately 26 volts . a 0 . 046 inch diameter or equivalent i . e . murimatic d2 - er80s - d2 electrode wire is fed into the welding area at a feed rate of 350 inches per minute . additional adjustments are likewise made with respect to power supply 20 , preferably an electrical power generator . specifically , the cover of the electrical generator is removed , after which the main feed cable is removed from the internal breaker . next , a voltage booster is inserted where the main feed cable was previously attached . following the insertion of a voltage booster , the main feed cable is attached to the voltage booster in a manner understood by those skilled in the relevant art , or as specifically indicated on the junction plate of a lincoln power source 400 . in the preferred embodiment , and as applied using an electrical generator , the selected arrangement is red = black , 0 = green , b = white . in this manner , the required voltage ( optimally 25 - volts ) is achieved at an even ratio in order to create the desired weld without affecting the metallurgical properties of the rebar . in operation of the gmaw rebar welder upon rebar sections in the welding jig , the weld area is flooded with an argon - carbon dioxide shielding gas ( approximately 90 % argon , 10 % co 2 ). the argon / co 2 shielding gas pours at approximately 35 cubic feet per hour ( cfh ). filler weld material grade la90 or murematic d2 — single shield or dual shield consumable electrode — is placed near the rebar intersection areas . in a preferred embodiment , an arc is struck for two or three seconds , resulting in a molecular fusion weld approximately ¼ to ⅝ inches long . it will be appreciated that longer or shorter welds may also be made . by american welding society standard , a flare bevel groove weld is produced . this welding process is repeated at all or a desired subset of rebar intersections of a panel . the shielding gas contains not only heat , but also helps create the fusion between the rebar and consumable electrode without causing any carbon breakdown in the heat - affected zone of the rebar , thus maintaining the rebar ductility . based on experimentation , using argon / co 2 shielding gas with the 90 / 10 % ratio and at approximately 35 cfh flow rate obtains the strongest fusion rebar weld . a rebar panel containing a plurality of such fusion welds is inherently strong and self - stabilizing . thus , the fusion welded rebar panels do not require any additional stabilizing structure to maintain panel integrity . an independent testing facility was employed to examine the strength value of the weld and to examine the overall effect of the weld on the structural integrity of the rebar . the conclusions reached by researchers at the independent testing facility are presented in appendix a and incorporated by reference herein . the present invention anticipates a variety of alternative embodiments of the welded rebar manufacturing center without deviating from the scope of the present invention . [ 0027 ] fig4 discloses a portable welded rebar panel manufacturing center 40 made in accordance with the present invention . the portable welded rebar panel manufacturing center is mounted on a movable vehicle , such as a trailer , but otherwise includes the same components as described above , namely , rebar shear 12 ; rebar bender 14 ; welding jig 16 ; rebar welder 18 ; power source 20 ; and one or more rolling tables 22 . the portable manufacturing center is designed to be transported to a construction job site for manufacture of rebar panels of various sizes . this portable version of the invention is especially useful for producing large welded rebar panels that are difficult to transport intact from remote manufacturing facilities using existing technology . in addition , the portable manufacturing center is useful when especially complex panels are required in the construction process . an alternative embodiment is shown with reference to fig5 - 7 , which disclose a stationary welded rebar panel manufacturing center 50 . fig5 discloses a building 52 . at an end of the building is a pile of stock rebar 54 — no precut rebar is necessary . within the building is a welded rebar manufacturing center similar to system described above . following the same processes disclosed above , welded rebar panels are produced . the welded panels are then placed on a transport vehicle 56 and hauled to the construction site . fig6 discloses a frontal view of the stationary center in which a plurality of welded rebar manufacturing centers 60 are employed . in this manner , the production capabilities of the stationary center is greatly improved . further , a loading space 58 is maintained between the assembly systems 50 to allow efficient transport of the completed welded panels . the stationary center is generally more useful when employed with smaller welded panels more easily capable of being transported to the construction site from a remote location . fig7 discloses the welded rebar panel manufacturing center having similar components but a slightly different layout in which additional rolling tables are added and the welder is located between the welding jig and the rolling tables . [ 0029 ] fig8 is a lifting device 70 . the lifting device is used to move completed welded rebar panels from the welded rebar panel assembly control , whether the portable or stationary , to transport vehicle 56 , to a the concrete form ( not shown ), or to a storage pile ( not shown ). in the preferred embodiment , a cable is attached to a picking eye 72 of the lifting device . the picking eye is also connected to a spreader bar 74 , which in turn attaches to evenly spaced cable connectors 76 . the cable connectors are attached to the welded rebar panel to facilitate movement of the panels to the desired location . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , as noted above , many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment . instead , the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow . a unique spot welding process has been developed to be used when appropriate in lieu of ties between reinforcement bars being placed prior to pouring concrete . this evaluation was completed to qualify the process based on testing and analyses . the rebar spot welds were examined for strength and ductility . furthermore , the effect of the welding on the reinforcement was examined to ensure the process does not degrade the material strength or ductility . specific issues of concern are the weld strength and ductility as well as quantification of the effect of the weld on the reinforcement . a test program was procedurized and testing completed to collect laboratory data appropriate for analyses and evaluation of the weld process suitability . the following evaluation summary memorializes the program results . the minimum failure load and rotational angle at failure are 120 pounds and 19 °. this failure load is compatible with the material strength . all failure surfaces show ductility . the welding process does not degrade the reinforcement strength . the weld and haz are stronger than the parent material and did not exhibit any non - ductile behavior . a total of eight specimens will be tested . four of them shall be welded # 4 bars and four welded # 8 bars . the specimens shall be identified , photographed , and visually inspected prior to testing . the inspection results shall be recorded . it is necessary to note the weld locations and sizes as well as any weld defects such as undercut or lack of fusion . two twisting and two rolling bend tests shall be conducted for each specimen size as shown in the following figure . the specimens shall be rigidly restrained and loaded to failure . the maximal load applied as each specimen is broken shall be recorded in the following load data summary table along with the rotation angle at maximal load application . the broken specimens shall be photographed and visually inspected . the inspection results shall be recorded . pretest inspection correlations comments must be made . specimen weld failure surfaces shall be photographed and the failure surface characteristics shall be noted to establish whether ductile or brittle failures occurred . failure load tabulation failure load rotational angle at specimen test condition ( pounds ) failure ( degrees ) 4 - 1 twisting 4 - 2 twisting 4 - 3 rolling 4 - 4 rolling 8 - 1 rolling 8 - 2 twisting 8 - 3 twisting 8 - 4 rolling one piece from each type of broken specimen shall be selected and sectioned through the broken weld so that microstructure and microhardness characteristics may be obtained in the weld , heat affected zone , and parent material . the specimens ( 4 ) shall be appropriately etched and photographed to show the metallurgical characteristics of the weld , heat affected zone , and parent material . microhardnesses shall be recorded in the following data summary table . this same size ( 4 ) provides confidence that the complete weld population ( 16 ) does not contain different attributes . the data required by this test program procedure shall be included as the following section of this evaluation . microhardness data summary weld haz material specimen ( hrc ) ( hrc ) ( hrc ) 4 - 1 4 - 2 4 - 3 4 - 4 8 - 1 8 - 2 8 - 3 8 - 4 failure load tabulation failure load rotational angle at specimen test condition ( pounds ) failure ( degrees ) 4 - 1 twisting 120 19 4 - 2 twisting 200 28 4 - 3 rolling 280 27 4 - 4 rolling 210 28 8 - 1 rolling 320 50 8 - 2 twisting 615 36 8 - 3 twisting 415 42 8 - 4 rolling 505 35 [ 0047 ] microhardness data summary weld haz material specimen ( hrc ) ( hrc ) ( hrc ) 4 - 1 33 . 5 45 . 0 87 . 0 4 - 2 35 . 0 32 . 0 85 . 0 4 - 3 39 . 0 45 . 0 86 . 0 4 - 4 35 . 0 40 . 0 88 . 0 8 - 1 36 . 0 45 . 0 93 . 0 8 - 2 33 . 0 40 . 0 91 . 0 8 - 3 32 . 0 47 . 0 96 . 0 8 - 4 28 . 0 44 . 0 91 . 0 test and inspection program results follow on a specimen - by - specimen basis . pretest specimen photographs and inspection comments are followed by equivalent posttest information . maximal loads and deflections are summarized . lastly , failure surface and material photomacrographs are provided with a microhardness data recapitulation . the minimum failure load and rotations angle at failure are 120 pounds and 19 °. all failure surfaces show ductility . the minimum ultimate parent material strength converted from hrb data is 81 ksi . the minimum haz and weld material ultimate strength converted from hrc data are 150 ksi and 134 ksi respectively . the weld and haz are stronger than the parent material and they did not exhibit any observed non - ductile behavior . failure loads are compatible with the material strength .	1
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . a plasma display panel according to the present invention has a feature in that electrodes thereof are formed by an offset process or ink - jet process . specifically , with the offset process or ink - jet process , address electrodes may be formed on a lower panel of the plasma display panel , and bus electrodes may be formed on an upper panel of the plasma display panel . fig2 is a schematic view illustrating an electrode of a plasma display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a view illustrating the lifting of a conventional electrode formed by an ink - jet process or off - set process . fig4 is a sectional view illustrating the electrode of the plasma display panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention . now , the first embodiment of the plasma display panel according to the present invention will be explained with reference to fig2 to 4 . referring to fig2 schematically illustrating the electrode of the plasma display panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention , the electrode is formed on a substrate 200 in such a manner that a ratio of width 210 to thickness 220 thereof is preferably in a range of 5 : 1 ˜ 50 : 1 , and more preferably , the width 210 of the electrode is in a range of 50 ˜ 100 μa . if the ratio of width to thickness of the electrode formed by an ink - jet process or offset process is greater than 50 : 1 , the electrode may exhibit the lifting at opposite ends thereof after being fired , and thus , suffer from an irregular shape as shown in fig3 . conversely , if the ratio of width to thickness of the electrode formed by an ink - jet process or offset process is smaller than 5 : 1 , only a small amount of electrode paste or ink is injected or transcribed onto the substrate through nozzles of an ink - jet device or a blanket of an offset device . accordingly , this results in a limit in the number of electrodes to be formed on the substrate , and makes it impossible to obtain a superior electrode pattern because of an irregular surface . to solve the above described problems , it is desirable that the electrode formed by an ink - jet process or offset process have a ratio of width to thickness in a range of 5 : 1 ˜ 50 : 1 . in this case , as shown in fig4 , the resulting electrode can achieve a regular cross section . fig5 and 6 are schematic views illustrating a first embodiment of a method for forming electrodes of the plasma display panel according to the present invention . now , the first embodiment of the electrode forming method according to the present invention will be explained with reference to fig5 and 6 . the present embodiment describes a method for forming electrodes of a plasma display panel by an offset process . first , a master mold 500 having recesses 510 is prepared . the recesses 510 are used for the injection of an electrode paste , and preferably , have a ratio of width to thickness in a range of 5 : 1 ˜ 50 : 1 . more preferably , the recesses 510 have a width in a range of 50 ˜ 100 μm . subsequently , an electrode paste 520 is injected into the recesses 510 . preferably , the electrode paste 520 contains silver , binder , solvent , dispersing agent , etc . after the electrode paste 520 is injected into the recesses 510 of the master mold 500 , the electrode paste 520 is finished in shape by means of a blade , to have the same shape as that of a desired electrode . thereafter , as shown in fig5 , a roll 530 , around which a blanket 540 is wound , is rolled on the master mold 500 , such that the electrode paste 520 injected in the recesses 510 is transferred onto a surface of the blanket 540 . then , as shown in fig6 , the blanket 540 is rolled on a substrate 550 , to transcribe the electrode paste 520 onto the substrate 550 . finally , if the electrode paste 520 is fired , the formation of electrodes is completed . with the above described embodiment , the electrodes are formed by the offset process to have a ratio of width to thickness in a range of 5 : 1 ˜ 50 : 1 , and thus , have a regular surface without causing the lifting of opposite ends of the electrode . fig7 is a view illustrating a second embodiment of the method for forming electrodes of the plasma display panel according to the present invention . now , the second embodiment of the electrode forming method according to the present invention will be explained with reference to fig7 . the present embodiment describes a method for forming electrodes by an ink - jet process . the ink - jet process is a method performed by injecting a compressed electrode material , such as ink containing silver , binder , solvent , and dispersing agent , from nozzles , to form an electrode pattern . this is an economic method performed in a very simplified procedure and not causing waste of material . the ink - jet device used in the present embodiment includes a controller 700 , head 710 , ink reservoir 720 and nozzles 730 . in operation , if the controller 710 transmits a signal for controlling an injection position and injection amount of the ink to the head 720 , the head 710 injects the ink received in the ink reservoir 720 onto a substrate 750 of the plasma display panel through the nozzles 730 in response to the control signal , to form electrodes 760 . in this case , preferably , the control signal transmitted from the controller 710 is set up such that the electrode has a ratio of width to thickness in a range of 5 : 1 ˜ 50 : 1 and a width in a range of 50 ˜ 100 μm , similar to the above described first embodiment . finally , if the ink injected onto the substrate 750 is dried and fired , the formation of the electrodes 760 is completed . with the above described embodiment , the electrodes are formed by the ink - jet process to have a ratio of width to thickness in a range of 5 : 1 ˜ 50 : 1 , and thus , have a regular surface without the lifting of opposite ends of the electrode . fig8 is a plan view illustrating the electrode of the plasma display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention . fig9 to 12 are sectional views illustrating the electrode of the plasma display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention . now , the electrode of the plasma display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig8 to 12 . the plasma display panel according to the present embodiment has a feature in that transparent electrodes , a black electrode , and a bus electrode are formed on an upper panel in sequence to constitute each sustain electrode pair , and the black electrode has a width greater than that of the bus electrode within a pad portion because it is difficult to coincide outer lines of the black electrode and bus electrode with each other during formation thereof . when the electrodes are formed by an offset process , the above described inconformity in electrode lines especially becomes worsen . in the plasma display panel according to the present invention , the upper panel has a feature in that sustain electrode pairs are formed on an upper glass plate 850 , and each sustain electrode pair includes a pair of transparent electrodes 860 , a black electrode 800 , and a bus electrode 810 . as shown in fig9 , the plasma display panel of the present invention has a feature in that the black electrode 800 is wider than the bus electrodes 810 by a predetermined distance m at each side of the bus electrode 810 . preferably , the predetermined distance m is in a range of 1 ˜ 100 μm . as described above , it is difficult to coincide outer lines of the black and bus electrodes in an offset process , and therefore , it is desirable that the width of the black electrode 800 located below the bus electrode 810 be greater than that of the bus electrode 810 to facilitate the conformity of electrode lines . in fig8 , a portion including the line a - a ′ indicates an effective display portion for displaying images , a portion including the line b - b ′ indicates a non - effective display portion , and a portion including the line c - c ′ indicates a pad portion connecting the panel to a circuit substrate of a module . here , the effective display portion and non - effective display portion create an electric discharge region . as can be seen from fig8 , a width of the electrode pattern gradually increases from the electric discharge region to the pad portion . it can be expected that the smaller the predetermined distance m , the more difficult it is to coincide the bus electrode 810 with the black electrode 800 , and the greater the predetermined distance m , the easier it is to coincide the bus electrode 810 with the black electrode 800 . however , an excessive increase in the predetermined distance m has the possibility of a short circuit in neighboring electrodes . accordingly , the predetermined distance m must be greater than at least 1 μm and smaller than 100 μm , to prevent a short circuit in neighboring electrodes . in the present embodiment , under the assumption that a distance between neighboring bus electrodes 810 is 200 μm , the predetermined distance m is determined to be a half of the maximum value 200 μm , i . e . 100 μm . of course , if the arrangement of electrodes is different , the predetermined distance m must be correspondingly changed . fig9 is a sectional view taken along the line a - a ′ of fig8 . as shown , in the effective display portion of the panel , the width of the black electrode 800 is greater than that of the bus electrodes 810 by the predetermined distance m at each side of the bus electrode 810 . also , fig1 and 11 are sectional views taken along the lines b - b ′ and c - c ′ of fig8 , respectively . as shown , even in the non - effective display portion and the pad portion of the panel , the width of the black electrode 800 is greater than that of the bus electrode 810 by the predetermined distance m at each side of the bus electrode 810 . also , fig9 illustrates the effective display portion and thus , the transparent electrodes 860 formed on the substrate 850 are shown , but fig1 illustrates the non - effective display portion and thus , no transparent electrodes are shown . also , referring to fig1 illustrating the pad portion , although the black electrode 800 and bus electrode 810 have widths greater than those of the effective display portion and non - effective display portion , the predetermined distance m is still maintained . the predetermined distance m is essential to accurately align the bus electrode on the black electrode because the bus electrode can fulfill its function when being formed on the black electrode . as shown in fig9 , in the effective display portion of the panel according to the above described embodiment , the black electrode 800 is connected to the transparent electrodes 860 on the substrate 850 . however , as shown in fig1 , the black electrode 800 may be divided so that the divided portions of the black electrode 800 are located on the respective transparent electrodes 860 to form sustain electrodes . in this case , preferably , a black matrix 870 is provided between neighboring sustain electrodes . the black matrix 870 is made of the same composition as that of the black electrode 860 , and serves to absorb an external light being introduced into the plasma display panel , thereby preventing the external light from being reflected from a surface of the panel . hereinafter , a third embodiment of the method for forming electrodes of the plasma display panel according to the present invention will be explained . the method is related to the above described second embodiment of the plasma display panel according to the present invention . first , black electrodes are formed on a substrate by an offset process using a first master mold . a process for forming the black electrode on the substrate using the first master mold will be explained as follows . the first master mold having first recesses is manufactured . the first recesses are used to form black electrodes , and therefore , preferably have the same width as that of desired black electrodes . next , a first electrode paste for forming the black electrodes is injected into the first recesses . then , a blanket is rolled on the first master mold such that the first electrode paste is transferred onto the blanket . subsequently , the blanket is rolled on the substrate , to transcribe the first electrode paste transferred thereon onto the substrate . finally , if the electrode paste is fired , the formation of the black electrodes is completed . the firing process may be performed after transcription of the bus electrodes that will be explained hereinafter . subsequently , bus electrodes are formed on the black electrodes by use of a second master mold . a process for forming the bus electrodes using the second master mold is basically the same as that of the black electrodes using the first master mold . however , second recesses formed in the second master mold must have a width smaller than that of the first recesses , and preferably , must have a width difference of 1 ˜ 100 μm at each side thereof . it will be clearly understood that a second electrode paste to be injected into the second recesses for forming the bus electrodes has a different composition from that of the first electrode paste . in a process for transcribing the above described bus electrodes , since the black electrode is wider than that of the bus electrodes by a predetermined distance at each side of the bus electrode , the bus electrodes can be easily aligned on the black electrodes when the blanket , on which the second electrode paste is bonded , is rolled . with the conformity of the black electrode and bus electrode , the efficiency of electric discharge can be increased . fig1 is a view illustrating an electrode pattern of a plasma display panel formed by a conventional electrode forming method . fig1 is a view illustrating an electrode pattern of a plasma display panel formed by an electrode forming method according to a third embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a schematic view of the electrode pattern of the plasma display panel according to the third embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a view comparing the electrode pattern of the plasma display panel according to the third embodiment of the present invention with the prior art . now , the electrode pattern of the plasma display panel according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig1 to 16 . the present embodiment has a feature in that an electrode pattern has a curved electrode line in a connecting portion . herein , the connecting portion is represented as the non - effective display portion in the above described second embodiment , and the electrode line of the connecting portion serves to connect an electrode line formed in the effective display portion to an electrode line formed in the pad portion . in the prior art as shown in fig1 , when an electrode line is applied to the panel in an offset process , an advance direction of the electrode line is suddenly bent in a connecting portion 1310 between an effective display portion 1300 and a pad portion 1320 . the present invention provides an embodiment to solve the irregularity of the electrode line . in fig1 illustrating the third embodiment of the present invention , an electrode line 1400 formed in an effective display portion defines an image display region . specifically , in the image display region , if so - called opposed discharge occurs between an address electrode and a scan electrode and so - called flat discharge occurs between the scan electrode and a sustain electrode , phosphors are excited by ultraviolet rays emitted from discharge cells to emit visible rays to the outside , thereby enabling the display of images . an electrode line 1420 formed in a pad portion is a region where electrodes of the panel are bonded to a flexible printed circuit board ( fpc ) of a module , and an electrode line thereof is wider than an electrode line 1400 of the effective display portion . an electrode line 1410 of a connecting portion is a region connecting the electrode line 1400 of the effective display portion to the electrode line 1420 of the pad portion , and a width of the electrode line thereof gradually increases toward the pad portion . in the present embodiment , as shown in fig1 , the electrode pattern is spaced apart from a conventional electrode pattern , which is shown by a dotted line , by a predetermined distance , and forms a curved line as shown by a solid line . specifically , the electrode pattern of the present embodiment is spaced apart from an imaginary straight line 1650 , which connects a distal end 1620 ′ of the electrode line formed in the effective display portion to a distal end 1600 ′ of the electrode line formed in the pad portion , by predetermined distances d 1 and d 2 . preferably , the predetermined distances d 1 and d 2 are in a range of 1 ˜ 50 μm . if the predetermined distances d 1 and d 2 are smaller than 1 μm , the electrode pattern has no difference from the conventional straight electrode pattern . also , if the predetermined distances d 1 and d 2 are greater than 50 μm , it may cause a short circuit in neighboring electrodes . fig1 schematically illustrates the above described electrode line pattern . as shown , the electrode pattern is configured in such a manner that the electrode line of the connecting portion , which connects the electrode line formed in the effective display portion with the electrode line formed in the pad portion , has a curved shape . a distance between the electrode line of the connecting portion and the above described imaginary straight line 1650 is larger at the outer periphery of the panel than at the center of the panel . accordingly , in the present invention , the electrode line of the connecting portion is formed evenly , and thus , there is no lifting of opposite ends of the electrode after completion of a firing process . this is efficient to prevent an increase in the resistance of electrodes , which is caused by the concentration of electric field occurring in a bent portion of the conventional electrode pattern . hereinafter , a fourth embodiment of the method for forming the electrodes of the plasma display panel according to the present invention will be explained . the method is related to not described another embodiment of the plasma display panel according to the present invention . first , a master mold to be used in an offset process is manufactured . the master mold is formed with recesses where an electrode paste for forming electrodes will be injected . preferably , the recesses are arranged along a curved path in a portion corresponding to the electrode line of the connecting portion that connects the electrode line formed in the effective display portion to the electrode line formed in the pad portion . in this case , the resulting curved electrode pattern is preferably spaced apart from the above described imaginary straight line , which connects the distal end of the electrode line formed in the effective display portion to the distal end of the electrode line formed in the pad portion , by a distance in a range of 1 ˜ 50 μm . after completing the formation of the recesses , the electrode paste is injected into the recesses . the electrode paste for forming the electrodes preferably contains silver , binder , solvent , dispersing agent , etc . thereafter , the electrode paste injected in the recesses of the master mold is finished in shape by means of a blade , to have the same shape as that of desired electrodes . then , the blanket is rolled on the master mold , to transfer the electrode paste injected in the recesses to the surface of the blanket . subsequently , the blanket , to which the electrode paste is bonded , is rolled on the substrate , to transfer the electrode paste onto the substrate . in this case , the electrode line of the connecting portion that connects the electrode line formed in the effective display portion to the electrode line formed in the pad portion forms a curved line . the curvature of the curved electrode line in the connecting portion , etc . is the same as the above description . with the above described method , the electrode pattern of the plasma display panel can be easily formed using an offset process , and this has the effect of simplifying an electrode forming process and reducing material costs . in the above described embodiments of the plasma display panel and method for forming the electrodes thereof , other constituent elements except for the electrodes and method for forming the same are the same as those of the prior art . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	8
an embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig3 as a combination solenoid check valve assembly 10 . the valve assembly 10 comprises a valve body housing 20 having an inlet 22 , an outlet 24 , an inlet passageway 26 , an outlet passageway 28 and a through port 30 ( also referred to as the valve seat ), providing a fluid passageway between the inlet passageway 26 and the outlet passageway 28 . the valve assembly 10 also comprises a piston 40 reciprocable within a bore 35 in the valve body housing 20 which includes a valve member 44 being adapted to sealingly mate with the valve seat 30 to open and close the valve 10 . the piston 40 is positioned such that the valve 10 opens by moving the valve member 44 of the piston 40 into the inlet passageway 26 and away from the outlet passageway 28 ( similar to the prior art valve of fig1 and opposite the prior art valve of fig2 ). the piston 40 also includes a bleed hole check valve 42 which allows fluid to bleed from the inlet passageway 26 to the portion of the bore 35 above the piston 40 which is also referred to herein as the chamber 36 above the piston 40 . an adapter plate 50 is attached to the open bore end of the housing 20 . the adapter plate 50 has a first and second conduit connecting the chamber 36 in the housing 20 and the valve outlet passageway 28 . the first conduit is formed by the combination of a first passageway 52 from chamber 36 above the piston 40 and a second passageway 54 which is fluidly connected to a passageway 38 in the housing 20 that leads to the outlet passageway 28 . the first passageway 52 and the second passageway 54 are fluidly connected and disconnected by a solenoid valve 60 . the second conduit is formed by the combination of the first passageway 52 and a third passageway 56 which is fluidly connected to the passageway 38 in the housing 20 that leads to the outlet passageway 28 . the first passageway 52 and the third passageway 56 are fluidly connected regardless of whether the solenoid is on or off as these passageways effectively bypass the control of the solenoid valve 60 . the second conduit includes a check valve 58 shown positioned at an end of the by - pass passageway 56 which allows fluid to flow from the outlet passageway 28 to the chamber 36 above the piston 40 , but prevents fluid flow in the opposite direction . the operation of the valve 10 is controlled by the solenoid valve 60 . when the solenoid valve 60 is energized , fluid is allowed to flow from chamber 36 above the piston 40 to the outlet passageway 28 ( low pressure ) side of the valve 10 . the pressure difference across the piston 40 ( low on top / high internally ) allows a spring 62 force to be overcome and the higher inlet pressure to push the piston 40 away from the seat 30 and open the valve 10 . the valve 10 remains in the open position as long as the solenoid 60 is energized . once the solenoid 60 is de - energized the pressure on top of the piston 40 in chamber 36 can no longer bleed to the outlet passageway 28 as the first conduit is blocked by the solenoid valve 60 and the second conduit is blocked by the check valve 58 . the bleed hole check valve 42 in the piston 40 opens and allows the pressure on top of the piston 40 in chamber 36 to equalize with the pressure in the internal portions of the piston 40 . once the pressure has equalized , the main valve spring 62 can now push the piston 40 closed shutting off the valve port 30 . once again a pressure difference is created between the inlet passageway 26 and the outlet passageway 28 , helping to hold it shut tightly . this operation of the valve is similar to the operation of the prior art valve 110 of fig1 . in the prior art valve 110 , if the outlet passageway 28 ′ is at a pressure higher than the inlet passageway 26 ′, the fluid pressure would simply lift the piston 40 ′ away from the valve port 30 ′. in the valve 10 as shown in fig3 , the check valve 58 and the second conduit formed by the combination of the first passageway 52 and the third passageway 56 ( which is fluidly connected to the passageway 38 in the housing 20 that leads to the outlet passageway 28 ) allow the valve 10 to automatically prevent fluid flow from the outlet passageway 28 to the inlet passageway 26 . the check valve 58 is oriented to allow high pressure fluid from the outlet passageway 28 to enter the chamber 36 above the piston 40 which forces the piston 40 to move into a valve closed position against the valve seat 30 . the high pressure in the chamber 36 above the piston 40 holds the piston 40 in a closed position . when the pressure in the chamber 36 is greater than the pressure in the inlet passageway 26 , the bleed hole check valve 42 prevents fluid flow from the chamber 36 to the inlet passageway 26 . with the design of the valve 10 , any high pressure build up on the outlet side of the valve 10 is utilized to hold the valve shut , versus letting it flow backwards through the valve 10 . the concept is the same as that used to hold the valve shut during normal operation ; utilize pressure to hold the valve shut . being able to utilize the high pressure on the outlet side of the valve eliminates the need for a separate check valve . the key to making this valve work is in two small pilot flow check valves 42 , 58 inside the valve 10 . these small pilot flow check valves comprise a metal orifice or seat , and a small ptfe ball . pressure or flow either pushes the ptfe ball out of the way and allows passage of the fluid or gas , or pushes it back against the seat , closing the passage . one of these passages ( formed by the combination of first passageway 52 , third passageway 56 and passageway 38 ) connects the chamber 36 on top of the piston 40 to the outlet passageway side 28 of the valve 10 . during normal operation the higher pressure on top of the piston 40 pushes the ptfe ball of check valve 58 against the seat , closing this passage . this prevents the valve 10 from leaking when in the closed position . if an abnormal high pressure is experienced on the outlet side 28 of the valve 10 , the same ptfe ball of check valve 58 is pushed off the seat allowing the pressure to be applied to the top of the piston 40 , thus holding it shut . the other ptfe pilot flow check valve 42 is installed in the small bleed hole in the top of the piston 40 . during normal operation this pilot flow check valve 42 allows passage from the internal portion of the piston 40 to the chamber 36 on top of the piston 40 to allow pressure equalization . when the valve experiences a high pressure on the outlet side and the first pilot flow check valve 58 opens , the check valve 42 in the top of the piston 40 closes to prevent leakage through to the inlet side 26 of the valve 10 . these two small pilot flow check valves 42 , 58 working in conjunction allow the main solenoid valve &# 39 ; s piston plug assembly to act as a check valve , stopping any flow backwards through the valve 10 . the combination of the solenoid valve and the check valve into a single valve 10 can save in manufacturing costs , inventories , additional welds for two components , etc . although the principles , embodiments and operation of the present invention have been described in detail herein , this is not to be construed as being limited to the particular illustrative forms disclosed . they will thus become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention .	8
the present invention will be described by way of an embodiment shown in fig1 to 4 . fig1 shows the overall schematic arrangement of an exhaust gas measuring apparatus to which the present invention is applied , in which reference numeral 1 denotes an air purifier installed in , e . g ., the machine room of a building . a main body la of the air purifier 1 has an air inlet port 2 open to the atmosphere and an air outlet port 3 . a blower fan 4 and a cleaner 5 are disposed in the main body 1a . the blower fan 4 takes in air in the atmosphere from the air inlet port 2 and supplies it to the air outlet port 3 with a variable air blowing performance . the cleaner 5 removes impurities , e . g ., hc , co , and no x , contained in the intake air . the arrangement of the air purifier 1 will be described in detail with reference to fig2 . in fig2 a pipe 51 connected to an inlet port 2 is connected to a suction fan 4 . air in the atmosphere is drawn by the suction fan 4 . the downstream side of the suction fan 52 is connected to an electric heater 54 and a catalyst 55 through a u - shaped pipe 53 . the electric heater 54 heats the atmosphere drawn by the suction fan 52 to about 400 ° c . the catalyst 55 is an oxidizing catalyst for generating h 2 o and co 2 by complete combustion of hc and co . since the electric heater 54 also serves to activate the catalyst , it is placed on the upstream side of the catalyst 55 . the downstream side of the catalyst 55 is connected to a cooling unit 57 through an l - shaped pipe 56 . air is cooled by the cooling unit 57 . the downstream side of the cooling unit 57 is connected to an activated carbon adsorption layer 59 through a pipe 58 . no x is removed by the activated carbon adsorption layer 59 . the air outlet port 3 is connected to a main duct 7 ( corresponding to the main passage ) disposed on , e . g ., the ceiling of the first floor of the building , through a connecting duct 6 . the main duct 7 is connected to sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . provided in units of test benches ( to be described later ) installed on the floor of the first floor . air purified by the air purifier 1 is sent to the respective sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . through the main duct 7 . for example , one end portion of the main duct 7 is closed with a detachable blind cover 8 to allow extension of the main duct 7 . the air purifier 1 is provided with a controller 1b ( comprising a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits and corresponding to a flow rate controller ) for supplying purified air at an appropriate flow rate in accordance with the number of sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . in operation . more specifically , the controller 1b is connected to the blower fan 4 . the controller 1b is also connected to a sensor 7a for detecting a pressure p 1 in the main duct 7 and a sensor 7b for detecting an atmospheric pressure p 2 . the controller 1b has a function of controlling the rotation speed of the blower fan 4 in order to set a difference δp between the pressures p 1 and p 2 at a substantially constant value , so that a necessary supply gas volume can always be ensured . with this function , a necessary amount of diluting air is automatically adjusted in accordance with the number of sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . in operation and supplied to the main duct 7 . a plurality of test benches , e . g ., two sets of test benches a and b ( the first and second test benches ) are disposed on the floor surface of the first floor . the first and second test benches a and b employ the same structure . fig3 shows the structure around one of the test benches , e . g ., the test bench a . the structure around the test bench a will be described . reference numeral 9 denotes a chassis dynamometer for driving a test vehicle 10 ( corresponding to the automobile ) while the vehicle body stands still . the sampling unit 11 is installed near the chassis dynamometer 9 . the sampling unit 11 employs , e . g ., a cvs ( constant volume sampler ). the sampling unit 11 will be described . a main body 12 of the sampling unit 11 has an inlet port 13 for taking in diluting air and an outlet port 14 open to the atmosphere . the inlet port 13 is connected to a branch duct 15 ( corresponding to a branch passage ) branching from the main duct 7 for each sampling unit . air purified by the air purifier 1 can be taken in as the diluting air through the inlet port 13 . a passage 16 ( corresponding to the first passage portion ) is provided in the main body 12 so that the inlet port 13 and the outlet port 14 communicate with each other . a mixing unit 18 , and a cyclone 19 for removing dust are disposed in the passage 16 from the upstream side in this order . a turbo blower 20 ( corresponding to a suction unit ) for drawing air to the downstream side is disposed on the downstream side of the passage 16 . the turbo blower 20 draws diluting air from the inlet port 13 . a connecting pipe 23 ( corresponding to the second passage portion ) which is to be detachably connected to an exhaust pipe 21 ( through which exhaust gases from an engine 22 mounted on the test vehicle 10 are emitted into the atmosphere ) extends from the mixing unit 18 . thus , the exhaust gases emitted from the engine 22 are diluted by mixing with diluting air flowing through the passage 16 . a venturi unit 24 for setting an appropriate diluting rate is inserted at a passage portion between the turbo blower 20 and cyclone 19 on the down stream side of the cyclone 19 . more specifically , the venturi unit 24 has a venturi setting portion 25 arranged where the venturi unit 24 is set , and a plurality of types of venturis attachable on and detachable from the venturi setting portion 25 . the plurality of types of venturis are , e . g ., three types of venturis including a large venturi 26 , a medium venturi 27 , and a small venturi 28 that are classified in accordance with the specific flow rate performance . the turbo blower 20 has such a suction force that sufficiently maintains a critical flow regardless of which one of the venturis 26 to 28 is selected . when one of the venturis 26 to 28 is selected , a gas mixture ( a mixture of the exhaust gases and the diluting air ) flows through the passage 16 at a predetermined flow rate determined by the selected venturi . in other words , the necessary supply amount of diluting air is adjusted by setting a venturi selected from the large , medium , and small venturis 26 to 28 to the venturi setting portion 25 . hence , an appropriate diluting rate is selected by properly using the three types of venturis 26 to 28 in accordance with the exhaust gas test mode and the size ( test conditions ) of the engine 22 . a measuring system 40 for measuring the amount of diluted exhaust gases is provided on the upstream side of the venturi setting portion 25 which is maintained at a predetermined flow rate . the measuring system 40 is constituted by , e . g ., a sensor unit 41 , an arithmetic unit 42 , and a flow rate display unit 43 . the sensor unit 41 measures the temperature and pressure at the inlet port of the venturi . the arithmetic unit 42 calculates the amount of diluted exhaust gases in the standard state based on the information on the temperature and pressure , the flow rate coefficient of the venturi , and the time . the flow rate display unit 43 displays the calculation result . hence , a diluted exhaust gas amount necessary for obtaining the emission amount of exhaust gases can be obtained . furthermore , a collecting unit 30 is provided on the upstream side of the venturi setting portion 25 . in the collecting unit 30 , diluted exhaust gases ( a gas mixture of the exhaust gases and diluting air ) are collected from a sampling venturi 32 disposed on the upstream side of the venturi setting portion 25 at a predetermined flow rate with the suction force of a suction pump 31 disposed outside the passage , and is stored in a bag 33 . with this collecting structure , in the exhaust gas test mode , the diluted exhaust gases are stored in the bag 33 , so that information on the average concentration of the exhaust gas in the exhaust gases test mode can be obtained . a collecting unit 36 for the diluting air is interposed on the upstream side of the mixing unit 18 . in the collecting unit 36 , only the diluting air is collected with a suction pump 34 and stored in a bag 35 through a passage 38 . with this collecting unit 36 , in the exhaust gas test mode , the regulated materials ( impurities ), e . g ., hc , co , and no x , remaining in the purified air ( diluting air ) are stored . gases in the bags 33 and 35 are analyzed by an analyzer 37 ( constituting a measuring means together with the measuring system 40 ), so that the net exhaust gas concentration can be obtained . more specifically , the analyzer 37 has a function of obtaining the net exhaust gas concentration by subtracting the regulated materials ( impurities ), e . g ., hc , co , and no x , contained in the purified air collected in the bag 35 from the diluted exhaust gases collected in the bag 33 , and a function of obtaining the emission amount of exhaust gases by calculation of the net exhaust gas concentration and the prescribed diluted exhaust gas amount in the standard state . hence , the emission amount of exhaust gases emitted from the test vehicle 10 is obtained . as shown in fig1 a duct 44 ( corresponding to a passage for taking in air in the atmosphere ) extending to the machine room is connected to the outlet port of the branch duct 15 to communicate with it . the distal end portion of the duct 44 is connected to an atmosphere introducing unit 45 installed on , e . g ., the rooftop of the building and incorporating a filter . the duct 44 and the branch duct 15 are respectively provided with valve units , e . g ., motor - driven first and second valves 46 and 47 ( switching valve units ; corresponding to valve units ) for opening / closing the ducts 44 and 15 . the purified air from the air purifier 1 or air in the atmosphere is selectively supplied to the sampling unit 11 as diluting air through the first and second valves 46 and 47 , or purified air is supplied to the sampling unit 11 at a flow rate corresponding to the diluting rate . more specifically , the first and second valves 46 and 47 are connected to a controller 48 ( comprising , e . g ., a microcomputer and its peripheral equipment ) provided to each sampling unit 11 . an operating unit 49 provided to each controller 48 has various types of operation button portions , e . g ., a power button portion for turning on / off the sampling unit 11 , a button portion for setting an exhaust gas test mode which uses air in the atmosphere as the diluting air , a button portion for setting an exhaust gas test mode which uses purified air as the diluting air , and a venturi selection button portion ( not shown ) for inputting which venturi is used . the function of stopping the operation of the sampling unit 11 and driving the first and second valves 46 and 47 to fully close them when the power button portion is turned off . the function of driving the first and second valves 46 and 47 to fully open and fully close , respectively , when the button portion of an exhaust gas test mode which uses air in the atmosphere as the diluting air is turned on . the function of driving the first valve 46 to fully close and the second valve 47 to fully open , semi - open , or slightly open it in accordance with which one of the large , medium , and small venturis 26 to 28 is selected by the venturi selection button portion when the button portion of an exhaust gas test mode which uses purified air as the diluting air is turned on . the function of operating the sampling unit 11 in accordance with the exhaust gas test mode when the power button portion is turned on . with these functions , only by operating the operating unit 49 , purified air from the air purifier 1 or air in the atmosphere is used as the diluting air , or purified air at a predetermined flow rate corresponding to the selected one of the large , medium , and small venturis 26 to 28 is taken in from the air purifier 1 . the second test bench b also employs this structure . necessary purified air can be supplied to a plurality of sampling units , e . g ., two sampling units 11 and 11a in this case , with one air purifier 1 , which is a necessary minimum number . regarding information output upon operation of the operation buttons of the operating unit 49 , a signal output from the operation unit ( not shown ) of the sampling unit 11 or from an automatic measuring apparatus ( not shown ), which is of the same type as that output from the operating unit 49 , may be directly connected to the controller 48 . the air purifier 1 can purify and blow a maximum diluting air amount necessary for the plurality of sampling units . referring to fig1 suffix &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; is added to the reference numeral of each component around the second test bench b , so that the first and second test benches a and b can be discriminated from each other . the operation of the exhaust gas measuring apparatus having the above arrangement will be described . in this case , assume that the emission amount of exhaust gases of each of the test vehicles 10 and 10a in the exhaust gas test mode is to be measured by using both of the first and second test benches a and b and using purified air as the diluting air . as a preparation for this , for example , in the first test bench a , the connecting pipe 23 is connected to the exhaust pipe 21 of the test vehicle 10 placed on the chassis dynamometer 9 . an appropriate venturi , e . g ., the small venturi 28 , is selected from the three venturis 26 to 28 in accordance with the exhaust gas test mode and the size ( test conditions ) of the engine 22 of the test vehicle 10 , and is set in the venturi unit 24 , so that an appropriate diluting ratio ( the ratio of exhaust gas amount emitted from the test vehicle 10 to the amount of diluting air ) is obtained . in this selection , a consideration is made so that the water content in the exhaust gases will not be condensed and the measuring precision will not become low ( the exhaust gas measurement concentration will not become excessively low ). when the small venturi 28 is set , the necessary supply amount of diluting air for the sampling unit 11 is determined . similarly , in the second test bench b , a connecting pipe 23a is connected to an exhaust pipe 21a of a test vehicle 10a placed on a chassis dynamometer 9a , and an appropriate venturi is selected from three venturis 26 to 28 and set in the venturi portion of the sampling unit 11a , so that an appropriate diluting ratio ( the ratio of exhaust gas amount emitted from the test vehicle 10 to the amount of diluting air ) is obtained . subsequently , the operating units 49 and 49a provided in units of test benches are operated . this operation is done when the type of venturi selected with the venturi selection button is input , the button portion of the exhaust gas test mode which uses purified air as the diluting air is turned on , and the power button portion is turned on . in response to this operation , the purified air draft system is set , and the air purifier 1 and the respective sampling units 11 and 11a are operated . fig4 shows the control flow chart of this purified air draft system . how to obtain the emission amount of exhaust gases will be described by using this control flow chart . upon reception of information input from the operating unit 49 , the controller 48 of the sampling unit 11 checks whether the test is to be performed in accordance with whether the power button portion of the operating unit 49 is turned on , as shown in step s1 . since the power button portion of the operating unit 49 is on , the flow advances to step s2 in response to this on signal . in step s2 , whether the test requires purified air is checked in accordance with whether the button portion of the exhaust gas test mode which uses purified air as the diluting air is turned on . since the button portion of the exhaust gas test mode which uses purified air as the diluting air is on , it is determined from this on signal that highly precise exhaust gas measurement which uses purified air is to be performed , and the flow advances to step s3 . since an input indicating that the small venturi 28 is set to the venturi setting portion 25 has been made in the operating unit 49 , the controller 48 enters step s5 via steps s3 and s4 . in step s5 , the controller 48 drives the first valve 46 to a fully closed position and the second valve 47 to a slightly opened position so that a passage for the purified air is ensured and a supply amount of diluting air corresponding to the specific flow rate of the small venturi 28 is ensured . in this manner , the purified air draft system of the first test bench a is set . the purified air draft system of the second test bench b is also set in the same manner under the control of a controller 48a of the sampling unit 11a . when the sampling unit ( non - operating sampling unit ) is not used , i . e ., is stopped , both the first and second valves 46 and 47 ( 46a and 47a ) are fully closed by the off signal from the power button portion which is input through the controller 48 ( 48a ) ( step s8 ). by these control operations , a preparation for supplying only necessary amounts of diluting air to the sampling units 11 , 11a is done . thereafter , the air purifier 1 and the sampling units 11 and 11a are operated . upon operation of the air purifier 1 , air in the atmosphere is taken in by the blower fan 4 , and any impurities contained in this air are removed by the cleaner 5 , thereby purifying the air . this purified air is supplied from the connecting duct 6 to the respective branch ducts 15 and 15a through the main duct 7 . in the sampling unit 11 , the turbo blower 20 is activated to draw air in the passage 16 to be exhausted to the atmosphere . then , the flow velocity of the gas flowing through the small venturi 28 is maintained at a critical flow , and the gas in the passage 16 flows while it maintains a predetermined flow rate determined by the small venturi 28 . with the suction force generated at this time , the purified diluting air is taken in from the inlet port 13 and reaches the mixing unit 18 . at this time , on the chassis dynamometer 9 of the first test bench a , the test vehicle 10 is being driven in accordance with the exhaust gas test mode . the exhaust gases emitted from the test vehicle 10 reach the mixing unit 18 through the connecting pipe 23 , and are diluted as they are mixed with the diluting air flowing through the mixing unit 18 . when this diluted exhaust gases pass through the cyclone 19 , dust in the diluted exhaust gases is removed . the diluted exhaust gases pass through the small venturi 28 and are emitted to the atmosphere from the turbo blower 20 . the temperature and pressure of the diluted exhaust gases flowing at the predetermined flow rate are detected by the sensor unit 41 at the inlet side of the small venturi 28 . the arithmetic unit 42 performs a calculation based on the information on temperature and pressure , the flow rate coefficient of the venturi , and the time , to obtain the amount of diluted exhaust gases in the standard state . the flow rate display unit 43 displays the amount of diluted exhaust gases in this exhaust gas test mode . meanwhile , both the sampling suction pumps 31 and 34 are in operation . with the suction force of the suction pump 31 , the sampling venturi 32 draws the diluting air maintained at a critical flow . the diluted exhaust gases flowing in the passage 16 are collected through the sampling venturi 32 and a collection pipe 32a , and are stored in the bag 33 at a predetermined flow rate in the exhaust gas test mode . the diluting air before being mixed with the exhaust gases is collected by the suction force of the suction pump 34 , and is stored in the bag 35 in the exhaust gas test mode in the same manner . the analyzer 37 calculates the net exhaust gas concentration by subtracting the regulated materials ( impurities ), e . g ., hc , co , and no x , contained in the purified air collected in the bag 35 from the diluted exhaust gases collected in the bag 33 . the net exhaust gas concentration and the prescribed diluted exhaust gas amount in the standard state metered by the small venturi 28 are subjected to calculation by using the analyzer 37 , thereby obtaining the emission amount of exhaust gases emitted from the test vehicle 10 traveling in the exhaust gas test mode . this measurement is performed by the second test bench b as well in the same manner , thereby obtaining the emission amount of exhaust gases emitted from the test vehicle 10a . while the sampling units 11 and 11a are operating in this manner , the controller 1b of the air purifier 1 controls the rotation speed of the blower fan 4 by detecting the pressure p 1 in the main duct 7 and the atmospheric pressure p 2 and monitoring the pressure difference δ between them , so that necessary diluting air is supplied . when the two sampling units 11 and 11a operate , the blower fan 4 is controlled to increase its rotation speed so that a necessary amount of diluting air is always ensured . with this control , the exhaust gas test can be performed well in which one air purifier 1 is used and two sampling units 11 and 11a ( test benches a and b ) are used simultaneously . when one of the two test benches , e . g ., the test bench b , is stopped , the sampling unit 11a of the test bench b is stopped , and the first and second valves 46a and 47a are fully closed . simultaneously , the controller 1b of the air purifier 1 decreases the rotation speed of the blower fan 4 to suppress variations in pressure difference δp occurring upon closing of the branch duct 15a , thereby ensuring the diluting air amount which is necessary by only the sampling unit 11 . hence , even when one air purifier 1 and one sampling unit 11 ( test bench a ) are used , the exhaust gas test can be performed well . when an exhaust gas test is performed which does not require high precision , unlike in a case wherein purified air is used as the diluting air , and air in the atmosphere is directly used as the diluting air , the button portions of the exhaust gas test mode using air in the atmosphere as the diluting air , which are located on the operating units 49 and 49a of the test benches that are to perform this test , may be turned on , and the power button portion may be turned on . then , the first and second valves 46 and 47 of these test benches are respectively opened and closed ( step s9 of fig4 ), so that the ducts 44 are opened . upon this operation , the sampling units 11 and 11a take in air in the atmosphere as the diluting air from the atmosphere introducing unit 45 . in this manner , with the structure of supplying the purified air from the air purifier 1 to the sampling units 11 and 11a through the main duct 7 , purified diluting air can be appropriately supplied , by effectively using a small number of air purifiers 1 ( one in this case ), to the sampling units 11 and 11a that are larger in number than the air purifiers 1 . this means that even if a plurality of sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . are employed , the number of air purifiers can be a necessary minimum , leading to a rather low cost . also , spaces necessary for installing the air purifiers 1 can be small , leading to down sizing of the exhaust gas measuring apparatus . in addition , regarding the structure using the main duct 7 , if the blind cover 8 of the main duct 7 is removed and the main duct 7 is extended , as indicated by an alternate long and two dashes line in fig1 the number of test benches can be increased easily . in measurement of the emission amount of exhaust gases , the net exhaust gas concentration is calculated by subtracting the impurities in the diluting air from the collected exhaust gases . the diluted exhaust gas amount is measured , and the net exhaust gas concentration and the diluted exhaust gas amount are subjected to calculation to obtain the emission amount of exhaust gases . as a consequence , when purified diluting air is used , a highly precise emission amount of exhaust gases can be obtained . when the blowing flow rates of the sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . for the air purifier 1 are controlled by controlling the capacity ( rotation speed ) of the blower fan 4 that substantially stabilizes the pressure difference δp between the atmospheric pressure and the internal pressure of the main duct 7 , a necessary diluting air amount in accordance with the number of operating sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . can be obtained from the air purifier 1 with a simple control operation . if the branch ducts 15 , 15a , . . . are controlled by the second valves 47 , 47a , . . . that are opened and closed when the sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . are operative and non - operative , respectively , thereby introducing the diluting air to the operating sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . , then the branch ducts 15 , 15a , . . . can be reliably opened / closed in accordance with the operative / non - operative states of the sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . with a simple structure . if a structure that introduces air in the atmosphere to the sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . by using the ducts 44 and the first valves 46 , 46a , . . . is employed , exhaust gas measurement directly using air in the atmosphere as the diluting air , which complies with the conventional exhaust gas regulations , can also be performed . to collect the diluted exhaust gases , a structure is employed in which the diluting air is drawn with the turbo blower 20 , the diluting air is mixed with the exhaust gases from the engine , and a portion of the diluted exhaust gases is collected . therefore , a predetermined volume of diluted exhaust gas can be collected with a simple structure . in addition , if the venturi unit 24 capable of adjusting the diluting ratio of the exhaust gases is provided on the upstream side of the turbo blower 20 and the open degree of the second valve 47 is adjusted in accordance with the present diluting ratio when the sampling units 11 , 11a , . . . are in operation , the emission amount of exhaust gases can be measured for exhaust gases which are diluted with an appropriate diluting ratio . in the above embodiment , two sampling units 11 and 11a are connected to one air purifier 1 . however , the present invention is not limited to this , and more than two sampling units may be connected to one air purifier . also , even if two air purifiers are employed and sampling units larger in number than the air purifiers , i . e ., three or more sampling units , are connected to the two air purifiers through a main duct , the same effect as that of the embodiment described above can be obtained . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details , and representative devices shown and described herein . accordingly , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents .	6
please referring to fig1 , 3 a and 5 , the present invention is located under a desktop 101 and may be moved horizontally and vertically relative to the desktop 101 to a desired location for holding a keyboard ( not shown in the drawings ) at an operating position . the invention includes a mounting bracket 10 fastening to the desktop 101 , an upper arm 20 pivotally engaged with the mounting bracket 10 through a first axle a which runs through pivot holes 11 and 221 , a side arm 30 pivotally coupled on two sides of the mounting bracket 10 through a second axle b which runs through pivot holes 12 and 32 , and a holding bracket 40 pivotally engaged with the upper arm 20 through a third axle c through pivot holes 211 and 43 . the first axle a is coupled with an elastic restoring element 80 which provides a biased pressure upwards . the pivot holes 221 and 211 of the upper arm 20 are formed respectively on a front flap 21 and a rear flap 22 that are extended from the front end and the rear end of the upper arm 20 to couple with the first axle a and the third axle c . the front and rear flaps 21 and 22 aim at providing a selected interval between the upper arm 20 and the mounting bracket 10 and the holding bracket 40 to facilitate vertical adjustment and thread the cables of the keyboard . the desktop 101 has a lower side fastening to a track plate 90 . the mounting bracket 10 has a sliding track dock 70 fastened thereon . the sliding track dock 70 has two side flanges 71 each fastens to a sliding rail 72 which may move horizontally on the track plate 90 . the mounting bracket 10 further has a swivel zone 13 which holds a rotary disk 60 between the rotary zone 13 and the sliding track dock 70 . the first , second and third axles a , b and c are pivotally engaged at fixed locations to form a linkage movement . the side arm 30 has an outer diameter greater than the fourth axle d and the height of the adjusting hole 31 . inside the side arm 30 , there is a brake element 34 which has a brake side 341 facing the holding bracket 40 . the outer side of the holding bracket 40 forms a harness side 421 corresponding to and capable of in contact with the brake side 341 of the brake element 34 . in addition , the middle portion of the upper arm 20 has a transverse slot 23 relative to the vertical displacement . the transverse slot 23 is coupled with a fifth axle e which runs through pivot holes 33 formed on the side arm 30 and the upper arm 20 . the bottom of the two side arms 30 has a lower arm 50 . the fifth axle e aims at aiding the movement of the upper arm 20 and the side arm 30 to prevent them from skewing or tilting during movement . it also can increase friction force and overall strength of the product . referring to fig3 a and 3b , before proceeding vertical displacement adjustment , the sliding rail 72 on the two side flanges 71 of the sliding track 70 is coupled on the track plate 90 to move horizontally relative to the desktop 101 ( i . e . the entire keyboard may be moved outwards or inwards through the support bracket to user &# 39 ; s operating position ). when the horizontal movement and adjustment is finished , as shown in fig5 , a leftward or rightward swivel adjustment relative to the sliding track 70 may be made through the rotary disk 60 on the swivel zone 13 of the mounting bracket 10 . of course , the horizontal adjustment and swivel adjustment may also be done after the vertical adjustment is finished . the vertical adjustment procedures of the invention can be divided as follows : 1 . as shown in fig3 a and 3b , the side arm 30 is closed to the highest position of the desktop 101 . it is to be noted that the harness side 421 of the holding bracket 40 has its lower section forming a bucking relationship with the brake side 341 . referring to fig3 c and 3d , when a force is applied to move the holding bracket 40 upwards , the third axle c is pivotally engaged in a movable manner . thus when the holding bracket 40 is moved upwards , the holding bracket 40 takes the third axle c for the axle to move upwards and enable the harness side 421 of the holding bracket 40 to be separated from the brake side 341 to release the bucking condition . the corresponding friction force is absent in such a condition . 2 . because the friction force is absent , user can easily move the holding bracket 40 , through the third axle c to move the upper arm 20 , then use the first axle a and the second axle b as fulcrums to move vertically in an endless manner to the middle position . a harness hole 35 is set up on the side arm 30 corresponding to the holding bracket . when the holding bracket 40 moves upwards , the front side of the holding bracket 40 fits the harness hole 35 and withstands along the side arm 30 . users can press the holding bracket 40 and make the side arm 30 move downwards as shown in fig3 e and 3f ; or move to the bottom as shown in fig3 i and 3j . it is to be noted that the harness side 421 and the brake side 341 have the curvature of the same shape and the selected concave surface . thus in the vertical movement , the gap between the harness side 421 and the brake side 341 becomes smaller gradually . therefore , adjustment range is limited to prevent the harness side 421 from exceeding the adjustment range and resulting in ineffective positioning . 3 . after a desired vertical position has been adjusted to suit the user , the force on the holding bracket 40 may be released to move the holding bracket 40 downwards . the harness side 421 of the holding bracket 40 is in contact with the brake side 341 . the arched sides generate friction force to press each other and form an anchoring effect . this step is shown in fig3 g and 3h . when the position of the side arm 30 moves away from the middle portion of the desktop 101 , the harness side 421 of the holding bracket 40 has its middle portion bucking against the brake side 341 . referring to fig3 k and 3l , when the side arm 30 is moved away from the lowest position of the desktop 101 , the harness side 421 of the holding bracket 40 has its upper portion bucking against the brake side 341 to form a latching relationship . 4 . referring to fig6 , the holding bracket 40 includes a holding board 41 to fasten to a holding seat 102 . the holding seat 102 , in addition to holding a keyboard , may also hold other peripheral devices such as a mouse ( not shown in the drawing ). after having completed the horizontal , swivel and vertical adjustment , the holding seat 102 of the holding bracket 40 is substantially in parallel with the desktop 101 and becomes horizontal to hold the keyboard . thus it can be adjusted to a desired position to suit user &# 39 ; s sitting posture and hand position . during the operations set forth above , the side arm 30 and the holding bracket 40 have angular alterations relative to the desktop 101 . details of those angular alterations are depicted below . when the holding bracket 40 is lifted by forces and the harness side 421 is separated from the brake side 341 in a non - contact condition , if the gap between the harness side 421 and the brake side 341 is w 1 after separated when the side arm 30 is closest to the desktop 101 ( referring to 3 d ), and the gap is w 2 when the side arm 30 is moved downwards to a medium location from desktop 101 ( referring to fig3 f ), and the gap is w 3 when the side arm 30 is moved downwards to a lowest location from desktop 101 ( referring to fig3 j ), the relationship of the gaps is w 1 & gt ; w 1 & gt ; w 3 . through the bucking arched sides of the brake side 341 and the harness side 421 , the holding bracket 40 may form various inclined angles relative to the desktop 101 . in the following discussion , in order to facilitate explanation of the related positions , the lowering of the horizontal line of the desktop 101 is shown by an imaginative broken line , and the angles are the included angles relative to the desktop 101 , not the variations of included angle of the holding bracket 40 relative to the side arm 30 . first , refer to the variations of the gap between the holding bracket 40 and the side arm 30 discussed previously . referring to fig4 a , the holding bracket 40 may have a preset inclined angle θ 1 ( about 3 degrees ), the included angle of the side arm 30 relative to the desktop 101 is θ 7 . the angles θ 1 and θ 7 indicate that the side arm 30 is closed to the highest position of the desktop 101 as shown in fig3 a . when the holding bracket 40 is lifted to a position as shown in fig3 c , the angular variations are shown in fig4 b , with the inclined angle of the holding bracket 40 relative to the desktop 101 increased to θ 2 . in this condition , the position of the side arm 30 does not change , thus the angle relative to the desktop 101 is θ 8 = θ 7 . when the holding bracket 40 is moved vertically downwards to a middle position as shown in fig3 e , the included angle θ 9 between the side arm 30 and the desktop 101 increases as shown in fig4 c . as the force applied on the holding bracket 40 is not yet released , the angle θ 3 relative to the desktop 101 remains unchanged , i . e . θ 3 = θ 2 . when the force applied on the holding bracket 40 is released as shown in fig3 g , and the holding bracket 40 is anchored at the middle position , the included angle of the side arm 30 relative to desktop 101 remains unchanged as shown in fig4 d , i . e . θ 10 = θ 9 . but due the gap is eliminated , the included angle of the holding bracket 40 relative to the desktop 101 decreases slightly to become θ 4 which is smaller than θ 3 ( about 7 degrees ), but θ 4 is still greater than θ 1 . namely , the included angle of the holding bracket 40 relative to the desktop 101 is greater than the inclined angle . referring to fig3 i , when the holding bracket 40 is moved vertically to the lowest position without releasing the force , the included angle θ 11 between the side arm 30 and the desktop 101 is maximum as shown in fig4 e . due to the force on the holding bracket 40 is not yet released , its angle relative to the desktop 101 θ 5 remains unchanged , i . e . θ 5 = θ 3 = θ 2 . referring to fig3 k , when the force on the holding bracket 40 is released and the holding bracket 40 is moved to the lowest position , the relative included angle between side arm 30 and the desktop 101 remains unchanged as shown in fig4 f , i . e . θ 12 = θ 11 . but due to the gap has been eliminated , the included angle of the holding bracket 40 relative to the desktop 101 decreases , i . e . θ 5 & lt ; θ 6 ( about 9 degrees ). however , θ 6 is still greater than θ 4 and θ 1 . namely , the inclined angle of the holding bracket 40 relative to the desktop 101 has changed to the maximum . based on previous discussions , the angular relationship can be summed up as follows : the included angle relative to the desktop 101 is θ 1 when the holding bracket 40 is located at the highest position , θ 4 when the holding bracket 40 is located at the middle position , and θ 6 when the holding bracket 40 is located at the lowest position , and θ 6 & gt ; θ 4 & gt ; θ 1 . thus the inclined angle of holding bracket 40 increases as the operation position of the holding bracket 40 lowers . therefore it conforms to ergonomics and enables the forearms of users to form the same inclination ( relative to the vertical angle of human body ), thereby to get effective support and can prevent injury that might otherwise happen when operating at the same posture for a long period of time . in summary , compared with u . s . pat . no . 5 , 924 , 664 , the invention offers features and advantages as follows : 1 . the invention permits vertical adjustment after the frictional anchoring between the harness side 421 and the brake side 341 has been released . during adjustment , there is no limitation of friction forces , thus adjustment may be made with less effort , and no metal friction sound occurs , and noise may be prevented . 2 . in the invention , the anchor fulcrum is located between the holding bracket 40 and the side arm 30 , and the frictional force borne by the brake element 34 is merely the weight of the holding bracket 40 and the keyboard . it requires a smaller frictional force . thus the invention can achieve an effective anchoring at every position when doing the endless adjustment . by contrast , the stopping means in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 924 , 664 has to bear the weight of the side arm 30 , upper arm 20 , lower arm 50 , holding bracket 40 and keyboard . the moment of force is greater , and required frictional force also is greater , and damage is prone to occur . 3 . the angle of the holding bracket 40 relative to the desktop 101 is not constant . the inclined angle of the holding bracket 40 changes as the angle of the side arm 30 increases . thus it better conforms to ergonomics .	5
according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the present invention provides a synthesis method of ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride and compounds for the synthesis of ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride . the person skilled in the art will understand the present invention through the disclosure of the present invention and all modifications such as changes of reaction parameters and conditions encompassed within the spirit and scope of the disclosure of the present invention are included in the present invention . it is worth mentioning that any changes or substitution made by the skilled in the art which is obvious to the skilled in the art is are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the disclosure of the present invention and are included in the present invention . it will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished . it embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles . a process of making ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention add 72 g ( 409 mmol ) of 5 - methoxy - 2 - tetralone , 62 g ( 512 mmol ) of r -(+)- a - phenylethylamine , 3 . 2 g of p - toluenesulfonic acid and 2500 ml of toluene into a 5 l reaction flask which is opened to manifold ; under the protection of nitrogen atmosphere , stir and heat until the reflux reaction is complete . then concentrate the reaction liquid under vacuum to obtain an oily liquid of compound i . the reaction is illustrated as follows : the oily liquid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to the compound i . add 125 g ( 409 mmol ) of compound i obtained from the above method and 1500 ml anhydrous ethanol into a 2 l four - necked flask ; stir until the temperature of the reacting mixture is decreased to reach − 20 ° c .˜− 10 ° c . ; and then start adding 24 g ( 631 mmol ) of sodium tetrahydridoborate slowly and allow reaction at − 20 ° c .˜− 10 ° c . until the reaction is complete . adjust ph to about 7 by 10 % hydrochloric acid . concentrate and drying the reactants and then add 400 ml of water and 100 ml ethyl acetate . while stirring , adjust ph to about 10 by 10 % sodium hydroxide solution and allow settling for stratification . then the water layer is extracted by 1000 ml of ethyl acetate . mixing the organic layer obtained from the above two extraction process . wash twice with 400 ml and 200 ml water respectively . dry by anhydrous na 2 so 4 . filter and concentrate to obtain 126 g of oily liquid , which is compound ii . the reaction is illustrated as follows : the oily liquid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to that of the compound ii . the results are shown as follows : 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ( ppm )): 2 . 02 ( 1h ), 2 . 12 - 2 . 18 ( 3h ), 2 . 28 ( 1h ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 42 ( 2h ), 2 . 95 - 3 . 02 ( 2h ), 3 . 38 - 3 . 42 ( 2h ), 3 . 74 ( 3h ), 4 . 50 - 4 . 52 ( 1h ), 6 . 53 - 6 . 61 ( 2h ), 6 . 98 - 7 . 03 ( 1h ), 7 . 25 ( 1h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 44 ( 2h ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 71 ( 2h ). dilute 126 g of compound ii obtained from the above process with 200 ml ethyl acetate . then add 500 ml ethyl acetate - hcl solution . obtain a solid by precipitation . filter and vacuum drying to obtain 100 g of a generally white solid , which is compound ii salt . add 100 g ( 404 mmol ) of compound ii salt , 2300 ml anhydrous ethanol , 80 ml water and 18 g pd ( oh 2 )/ c into a 5 l four - necked flask . introduce nitrogen gas into the flask for 30 minutes . then , introduce h 2 while increasing temperature to 25 ° c .˜ 35 ° c . and allow reaction . after the reaction is complete , stop the supply of h 2 . filter to obtain a filtrate . concentrate and dry the filtrate . add 1000 ml ethyl acetate to the residue , reflux for 30 min , cooling and allow crystallization . filter , dry and vacuum drying to obtain 60 g of a generally white solid , which is ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride . based on the quantity of 5 - methoxy - 2 - tetralone , the overall yield is 68 . 7 %, the purity is greater than 99 % and the enantiomeric excess is 98 . 5 %. if this generally white solid is further refined once , the refining yield is 93 %, the overall yield is 63 . 9 %, the purity is greater than 99 . 5 % and the enantiomeric excess is 99 . 9 %. the reaction is illustrated as follows : the generally white solid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to that of the ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride . the results are shown as follows : 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o , δ ( ppm )): 1 . 75 - 1 . 80 ( 1h ), 2 . 14 - 2 . 17 ( 1h ), 2 . 52 - 2 . 63 ( 1h ), 2 . 75 - 2 . 87 ( 2h ), 3 . 06 - 3 . 13 ( 1h ). 3 . 45 - 3 . 56 ( 1h ), 3 . 75 ( 3h ), 6 . 74 - 6 . 83 ( 21 - 1 ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 17 ( 1h ). a process of making ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention add 72 g ( 409 mmol ) of 5 - methoxy - 2 - tetralone , 62 g ( 512 mmol ) of r -(+)- a - phenylethylamine , 3 . 2 g of methanesulfonate and 3000 ml of ethyl acetate into a 5 l reaction flask which is opened to manifold ; under the protection of nitrogen atmosphere , stir and heat until the reflux reaction is complete . then concentrate the reaction liquid under vacuum to obtain an oily liquid of compound i . the reaction is illustrated as follows : the oily liquid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to the compound i . add 125 g ( 409 mmol ) of compound i obtained from the above process and 3000 ml tetrahydrofuran into a 2 l four - necked flask ; stir until the temperature of the reacting mixture is decreased to reach − 20 ° c .˜− 15 ° c . ; and then start adding 631 mmol potassium borohydride slowly and allow reaction at − 20 ° c .˜− 15 ° c . until the reaction is complete . adjust ph to about 7 by 10 % hydrochloric acid . concentrate and dry the reactants and then add 500 ml of water and 100 ml ethyl acetate . while stirring , adjust ph to about 10 by 10 % sodium hydroxide solution and allow settling . then the water layer is further extracted by 1500 ml ethyl acetate . mixing the organic layer obtained from the above two extraction process . wash twice with 500 ml and 300 ml water respectively . dry with anhydrous na 2 so 4 . filter and concentrate to obtain an oily liquid , which is compound ii . the reaction is illustrated as follows : the oily liquid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to that of the compound ii . dilute the compound ii obtained from the above process with 300 ml ethyl acetate . then add 500 ml ethyl ether - hcl solution . obtain a solid by precipitation . filter and vacuum drying to obtain a generally white solid , which is compound ii salt . add 100 g ( 404 mmol ) of compound ii salt , 2500 ml anhydrous ethanol , 100 ml water and 18 g pd / c into a 5 l four - necked flask . introduce nitrogen gas into the flask for 30 minutes . then , introduce h 2 while increasing temperature to 30 ° c .˜ 35 ° c . and allow reaction . after the reaction is complete , stop the supply of h 2 . filter to obtain a filtrate . concentrate and dry the filtrate . add 1500 ml ethyl acetate to the residue , reflux for 30 min , cool and allow crystallization . filter , dry and vacuum drying to obtain a generally white solid , which is ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride . based on the quantity of 5 - methoxy - 2 - tetralone , the overall yield is 69 . 3 %, the purity is greater than 99 % and the enantiomeric excess is 98 . 5 %. if this generally white solid is further refined once , the refining yield is 91 %, the overall yield is 62 . 5 %, the purity is greater than 99 . 5 % and the enantiomeric excess is 99 . 9 %. the reaction is illustrated as follows : the generally white solid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to that of the ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride . a process of making ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention add 72 g ( 409 mmol ) of 5 - methoxy - 2 - tetralone , 62 g ( 512 mmol ) of r -(+)- a - phenylethylamine , 3 . 2 g isopropyl titanate and 2000 ml of xylene into a 5 l reaction flask which is opened to manifold ; under the protection of nitrogen atmosphere , stir and heat until the reflux reaction is complete . then concentrate the reaction liquid under vacuum to obtain an oily liquid of compound i . the reaction is illustrated as follows : the oily liquid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to the compound i . add 125 g ( 409 mmol ) of compound i obtained from the above process and 1000 ml anhydrous methanol into a 2 l four - necked flask ; stir until the temperature of the reacting mixture is decreased to reach − 15 ° c .˜− 10 ° c . ; and then start adding 631 mmol lithium borohydride slowly and allow reaction at − 15 ° c .˜− 10 ° c . until the reaction is complete . adjust ph to about 7 by 10 % hydrochloric acid . concentrate and dry the reactants and then add 350 ml of water and 150 ml ethyl acetate . while stirring , adjust ph to about 10 by 10 % sodium hydroxide solution and allow settling . then the water layer is further extracted by 1200 ml ethyl acetate . mixing the organic layer obtained from the above two extraction process . wash twice with 350 ml and 200 ml water respectively . dry with anhydrous na 2 so 4 . filter and concentrate to obtain an oily liquid , which is compound ii . the reaction is illustrated as follows : the oily liquid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to that of the compound ii . dilute the compound ii obtained from the above process with 300 ml ethyl acetate . then add 500 ml ethyl ether - hcl solution . obtain a solid by precipitation . filter and vacuum drying to obtain a generally white solid , which is compound ii salt . add 100 g ( 404 mmol ) of compound ii salt , 2000 ml anhydrous ethanol , 100 ml water and 18 g pd ( oh ) 2 / c into a 5 l four - necked flask . introduce nitrogen gas into the flask for 30 minutes . then , introduce h 2 while start increasing temperature to 25 ° c .˜ 30 ° c . and allow reaction . after the reaction is complete , stop the supply of h 2 . filter to obtain a filtrate . concentrate and dry the filtrate . add 1200 ml ethyl acetate to the residue , reflux for 30 min , cool and allow crystallization . filter , dry and vacuum drying to obtain a generally white solid , which is ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride . based on the quantity of 5 - methoxy - 2 - tetralone , the overall yield is 67 . 5 %, the purity is greater than 99 % and the enantiomeric excess is 98 . 5 %. if this generally white solid is further refined once by ethyl acetate , the refining yield is 93 . 6 %, the overall yield is 64 . 1 %, the purity is greater than 99 . 5 % and the enantiomeric excess is 99 . 9 %. the reaction is illustrated as follows : the generally white solid is analyzed by nmr spectroscopy and is determined to have a structural formula consistent to that of the ( s )- 2 - amino - 5 - methoxytetralin hydrochloride . one skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting . it will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished . it embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles . therefore , this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims .	2
referring to fig1 – 4 , a preferred embodiment of our exercise apparatus comprises a pair of outer rings 10 and 12 , preferably formed of tubular steel , aluminum or another rigid material . the rings 10 each have a number of tapped holes 14 , formed in regular intervals about their perimeter for securing inner rotatable rings in a manner which will be subsequently described . the two outer rings 10 and 12 are joined to one another by a pair of curved , tubular , connecting bars 16 and 18 . the ends of the bars are welded , or otherwise secured to spaced points on the perimeter of the outer rings 10 and 12 . a straight center bar 20 , which is preferably rectangular in cross - section , extends intermediate the two curved connecting bars 16 and 18 and also has its ends secured to the outer perimeter of the two rings 10 and 12 midway between the points of connection of the bars 16 and 18 . the connecting bar 20 may be solid or tubular . the bars 16 , 18 and 20 are connected to the rings 10 and 12 so that the rings , as well as their connecting bars , all lie in a common plane . the lengths of the bars 16 , 18 and 20 are preferably such that the centers of the two rings 10 and 12 are separated by approximately 10 – 15 inches , which represents a comfortable distance for gripping the exercise apparatus . a pair of inner rings 22 and 24 which have outer diameters slightly smaller than the inner diameters of the rings 10 and 12 , are secured within the outer rings by opposed pairs of retaining plates 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 . the retaining plates 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 have a number of screw holes 36 formed through their thickness . the retaining rings may be secured to the opposed faces of the outer rings 10 and 12 with screws 31 , to capture the inner rings 22 and 24 between them . inner rings 22 and 24 make a loose fit within the inner diameters of the outer rings 10 and 12 . each of the inner rings 22 and 24 has a cylindrical grip member 38 and 40 , preferably with a serrated surface , extending diametrically across the respective ring . a metal weight 42 is slidably supported on the straight connecting bar 20 . the fit is such that it may easily slide from one side to the other , as the bar is appropriately inclined . in fig1 , the weight 42 is shown at the end toward the right arm of the exerciser 50 and shown in phantom at a position adjacent to his left arm . in the embodiment of fig1 through 4 , weight supporting , rectangular cross - section extensions 52 and 54 , are fixed to the outer rings 10 and 12 respectively , at points diametrically opposed to the points where the center connecting bar 20 joins those rings . a plurality of weights may be supported on each extension 52 and 54 in the manner of a conventional barbell . fig1 and 3 illustrate crescent - shaped weights formed in accordance with the present invention . fig3 illustrates several conventional disc - shaped weights 60 secured on a bar end 52 and retained by a conventional spring clip 62 . another novel aspect of the present invention resides in the use of crescent - shaped weights 64 a , 64 b , and 64 c , rather than the conventional disc - shaped weights 60 . these crescent - shaped weights preferably have a thickness similar to the thickness of outer rings 10 and 12 and have central holes which allow them to be supported on the extensions 52 and 54 . they may be retained with conventional spring slips 62 . when equipped with the crescent - shaped weights , the exercise apparatus has a relatively flat profile and my be conveniently stored or packaged . the crescent - shaped weight 64 a has a concave surface with a diameter that approximates that of the outer ring so it slightly extends around the outer ring . the weights 64 b and 64 c have concave surfaces which allow them to closely nestle the convex surfaces of the larger weights . the crescent - shaped weights provide a number of advantages over conventional weightlifting bars which may be equipped with disc - shaped weights with central holes that fit over an extending bar such as the bar 52 in addition to the resulting compact configuration and ease of storage . disc - shaped weights tend to rotate during exercise resulting in forces that destabilize the conventional exercises that may be performed by the bar . the crescent - shaped weights lock into one another to prevent rotation . additionally , the crescent - shaped weights minimize the length of the exercise bar and thus lower force moments which tend to cause the bar to twist during use . finally , disc - shaped weights tend to make contact with the user &# 39 ; s elbows during many exercises , particularly trapezius pulls involving grabbing the center of the bar with both hands and lifting towards the chin . since the crescent - shaped bars do not extend out of the plane of the weightlifting apparatus , they do not create such interference . the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig5 does not have the weight supporting extensions 52 and 54 which form part of the first embodiment of the invention . rather , the exercise apparatus simply consists of the rings and their rotatable handles and the associated connecting bars and the sliding weight . in alternative embodiments of the invention , an anti - friction bearing could be used to support the inner rings 22 and 24 within the outer rings 10 and 12 . this might be a ball bearing or a roller bearing . alternatively , the engaging surfaces of one of the elements could be coated with an anti - friction material . alternate physical arrangements also might be employed for securing the inner rings 22 and 24 within the outer rings 10 and 12 , as opposed to the retaining plates illustrated in the drawings . the use of connecting bars 16 , 18 and 20 which are preferably tubular , gives the weightlifting apparatus a rigidity without the weight of conventional barbells . in an alternative embodiment to the invention , the center bar 20 and its supporting sliding weight 42 could be omitted so as to only allow for symmetrical exercises . as illustrated in fig1 , by inclining the bar in one direction or another , asymmetrical forces would be imposed on the exerciser &# 39 ; s muscles while using the bar for otherwise conventional exercises .	0
according to an embodiment of the present invention , a ftir biosensor device as illustrated in fig2 may be used . the device includes a sensor cartridge 1 which may be removable from the biosensor device . in the sensor cartridge , a sensor chamber including appropriately prepared magnetic beads is provided . the biosensor device further comprises a light source 4 , such as a laser diode or led , for generating a light beam which illuminates a binding surface 11 of the biosensor cartridge under an angle which fulfills the requirements for total internal reflection . the light reflected from the sensor surface 11 is detected by a detection means 5 , such as a photo - diode or a camera , e . g . a ccd . in order to increase the reaction speed of the magnetic beads , a magnetic actuation coil 3 is arranged below the cartridge 1 facing the sensor surface , to generate a magnetic field to pull the beads towards the sensor surface 11 . a further magnetic coil 2 may be arranged above the cartridge to pull the beads , which , after a predetermined time , do not establish a bonding with the binding areas on the sensor surface 11 , away from the sensor surface 11 . i . e ., in this so - called washing step , un - specified and un - bonded beads may be removed from the sensor surface 11 , in order to avoid any perturbation of the measurement caused by beads which accidentally are arranged close to the sensor surface 11 . the force required to pull the non - bonded beads away from the sensor surface in the washing step is very critical to tune . it is particularly difficult to find a balance between washing sufficient beads away from the sensor surface 11 while not breaking the fragile bindings between the sensor surface 11 and the bonded beads . the effect of a relatively small wash - current in a coil 2 may be observed and processed in real - time by analyzing the image observed by camera 5 . this may be done by connecting the output of the ccd camera 5 with a video interpreter 7 and controlling the actuation coils 2 , 3 using an actuation driver 6 in response to the output of video interpreter 7 . video interpreter 7 and actuation driver 6 may be implemented by a computer . when the current in coil 2 is increased , the washing of the beads , i . e ., pulling the non - bonded beads away from the sensor surface 11 , gradually takes place , which again may be simultaneously observed in real - time . the effect of the applied current may be observed even more precisely by observing the effect in both , the binding - areas , i . e . the binding spots a 1 , a 2 , and non - binding areas , such as areas b 1 , b 2 as shown in fig1 . with this embodiment of the present invention , the actuation force needed to reliably remove only non - bonded beads from the sensor surface 11 may be performed by real - time observing the sensor surface 11 and , based on this observation , controlling the actuation force , i . e . the magnetic force applied by actuation coil 2 . the above - described process to selectively control the actuation force acting on the beads in the sensor cartridge 1 may also be used to determine the quality of the chemical bindings of the beads on the binding spots on the sensor surface 11 . this may be done by increasing the wash - current in actuation coil 2 until also bonded beads disappear from the sensor surface 11 , thereby effectively breaking or stretching the bindings . the result of such a measurement may be used as a measure of the reliability of the assay . fig3 shows a schematic diagram of the magnetic field generated by actuation coil 2 as a function of the intensity observed in a ftir biosensor device . at low magnetic fields , the intensity increases slowly with an increasing magnetic field . this reflects the removal of the non - bonded beads from the sensor surface 11 . from a certain threshold indicated with h thres , also bonded beads are pulled away from the sensor surface 11 . accordingly , the reflected intensity observed in the ftir biosensor device increases until substantially all beads are removed from the sensor surface 11 . accordingly , from a certain magnetic field , the intensity remains substantially constant . such a measurement may be used to determine the magnetic field required to remove substantially all non - bonded beads as fast as possible from the sensor surface . i . e ., in order to reliably remove only non - bonded beads , the magnetic field of actuation coil 2 should be kept below h thres . the principle of the above - described embodiment of the present invention may be extended to various applications . for example , attracting beads to the sensor surface 11 using actuation coil 3 in order to facilitate the binding of the beads to the binding spots on the sensor surface 11 may be optimized by observing the beads on the sensor surface 11 and controlling the actuation in such a way that unspecific bindings and clusters are avoided . furthermore , by applying coil - currents alternately to both actuation coils 2 and 3 and , simultaneously , observing the position of the beads in the sensor chamber , the beads may be moved across the sensor chamber or sensor surface 11 in a predetermined way , in order to steer and mix a liquid in the sensor chamber . with the device and method of the present invention , an increased assay robustness may be achieved by reducing the effect of various assay tolerances , which is especially important for road - side drug testing . furthermore , the production tolerances when manufacturing biosensor devices and in particular sensor cartridges and thus the production price may be reduced . the present invention offers an optimal balance between hardware and software processing needed in a biosensor device , in particular a ftir biosensor device . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and non - restrictive ; the invention is thus not limited to the disclosed embodiments . variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art and practicing the claimed invention , from a study of the drawings , the disclosure , and the appended claims . in the claims , the word “ comprising ” does not exclude other elements or steps , and the indefinite article “ a ” or “ an ” does not exclude a plurality . a single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims . the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures can not be used to advantage . any reference signs in the claims should not be considered as limiting the scope .	6
hereinafter , each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . next , an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a cellular phone of the present invention . this cellular phone 1 is configured of a data communication antenna 2 , a transmitter - receiver 3 , a communication control circuit 4 , a cpu ( central processing unit ) 5 , and a memory 6 . the data communication antenna 2 is used for data transmission and data reception . the transmitter - receiver 3 performs modulation and demodulation . the communication control circuit 4 controls communication . the cpu 5 controls display , operations by users , and the like . the memory 6 stores transmission and reception data and the like . furthermore , the cellular phone is configured of a display device 7 , a key circuit 8 , a gps antenna 9 , a gps signal processing circuit 10 , a camera portion 11 , and a camera lens 12 . the display device 7 displays a picture and the like on a lcd ( liquid crystal display ). the key circuit 8 performs input operations through dial - keys , switches , and the like . the gps antenna 9 receives signals from gps satellites . the gps signal processing circuit 10 performs the processing of gps signals . the camera portion 11 and the camera lens 12 take a picture of an object . the gps signal processing circuit 10 performs operations in accordance with either an autonomous - positioning system or a network assisted system ( hereinafter , abbreviated as a - gps system ). a system based on the autonomous - positioning system performs positioning by demodulating signals of the gps satellites received through the gps antenna , and thus acquiring navigation messages by itself outputted from the gsp satellites . on the other hand , a system based on the a - gps performs positioning by acquiring assist data , equivalent to the navigation messages , from a server on the network . the cpu 5 extracts a specific pattern such as a barcode from a picture taken by the camera portion 11 by use of some known analysis methods , and also extracts location information out of the pattern . fig2 a and 2b are examples of display including destination information . fig2 a shows an example in a magazine and fig2 b shows an example in a poster . as a destination information pattern , for example , one dimensional pattern as shown in fig2 a or a two dimensional pattern as shown in fig2 b can be used . of course , a character sequence such as , latitude and longitude , or an address can also be used . here , a destination information pattern is generated by coding information specifying a location , such as latitude and longitude , and an address , into one dimensional or two dimensional barcode . in fig2 a and 2b , examples in which latitude and longitude are coded into one dimensional or two dimensional barcode are shown , respectively . a user of the cellular phone 1 takes a picture of a one dimensional first destination information pattern ( 2 - 1 ) which is shown in fig2 a and is a barcode printed on a magazine , such as a restaurant guide and the like . alternatively the user can take a picture of a two dimensional second destination information pattern ( 2 - 2 ) which is shown in fig2 b and is printed on a poster , for instance . such a poster , which is often seen in railway stations and cities , is ordinarily introducing a travel plan and its resorts for tourists . fig3 a and 3b show the examples of taken pictures of fig2 a and 2b respectively . as shown by an information example 1 in fig3 a , one dimensional pattern carries a small amount of information including only a latitude and longitude , or an address . as shown by an information example 2 in fig3 b , by using two dimensional pattern , it is made possible to acquire additional information , such as a telephone number and a menu of a restaurant , and thus convenience of users will be further improved . next , operations in the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig1 to 4 . in step 4 - 1 in fig4 , a user of the cellular phone 1 takes a picture of a destination information pattern . to do so , the user starts up a camera portion 11 manipulating a key circuit 8 . following the start up of the camera portion , a cpu 5 displays a picture which can be acquired through a camera lens 12 on a display device 7 . the user confirms the destination information pattern ( 2 - 1 ) or ( 2 - 2 ) to be included in the picture frame on the display device 7 through the operation of the key circuit 8 and takes a picture of the destination information pattern . the cpu 5 stores the taken picture into the memory 6 . the cpu 5 determines : whether the destination information pattern exists within the picture frame or not ; whether the taken picture includes one of the destination information patterns which may already be stored in the memory 6 or not ( step 4 - 2 ). as a result of the determination , if a destination information pattern does not exists in the picture frame , the cpu 5 stores the taken picture into the memory 6 as an ordinary picture taken by the camera portion 11 ( step 4 - 7 ). after storing the picture , the taken picture is displayed on the display device 7 , and the processing of taking a picture by the camera portion 11 is terminated ( step 4 - 8 ). as a result of the determination , if a destination information pattern exists in the picture , the cpu 5 determines whether an extraction of information ( a latitude and longitude , or an address , and so forth ) which is necessary for setting the destination is successful or not ( step 4 - 3 ). as a result of the determination , if a destination information pattern cannot be obtained , the cpu 5 stores the picture into the memory 6 as an ordinary picture taken by the camera portion 11 ( step 4 - 7 ). after storing the picture , the taken picture is displayed on the display device 7 , and the processing of taking a picture by the camera portion 11 is terminated ( step 4 - 8 ). as a result of the determination in step 4 - 3 , if the extraction of information which is necessary for the destination setting is successful , destination information , such as a latitude and longitude , is extracted from a pattern coded into one dimensional or two dimensional barcode ( step 4 - 4 ). the extracted location information of latitude and longitude is set as a latitude and longitude of the destination of the navigation ( step 4 - 5 ). next , the positioning with gps ( a - gps ) is started . the action is followed by a subsequent initiation of navigation by displaying information on the route to a destination and the current location by means of the display device 7 ( step 4 - 6 ). with such a configuration , a specific pattern including destination information is taken by a camera incorporated in a cellular phone . by acquiring the information of destination from the picture taken , and setting a destination by use of the destination information , it is made possible to greatly reduce steps for setting a destination . a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 and fig5 to 7 . in the present embodiment , destination information is acquired from a server through a network by use of a destination information pattern . fig5 a and 5b show an operation flow of the second embodiment of the present invention . fig5 a shows a sequence of processes from a process of camera shooting till a process of requesting for destination information to a server . fig5 b shows a sequence of processes from a process of acquiring the destination information till a process of starting navigation . a user of the cellular phone 1 takes a picture of a first destination information pattern ( 2 - 1 ) which is printed on a magazine , such as a restaurant guide and the like as shown in fig2 a . alternatively the user can take a picture of a second destination information pattern ( 2 - 2 ) which is printed on a poster , for instance . such a poster , which is often seen in railway stations and cities , is ordinarily introducing a travel plan and its resorts for tourists . to do so , the user starts up a camera portion 11 manipulating a key circuit 8 . following the start up of the camera portion 11 , a cpu 5 displays a picture which can be acquired through a camera lens 12 on a display device 7 . the user confirms the first or second destination information pattern ( 2 - 1 ) or ( 2 - 2 ) to be included in the picture on the display device 7 through the operation of the key circuit 8 , and takes a picture of the destination information pattern ( step 5 - 1 a in fig5 a ). the cpu 5 stores the taken picture into the memory 6 . the cpu 5 determines : whether the destination information pattern exists within the picture frame or not ; whether the taken picture includes one of the destination information patterns which may already be stored in the memory 6 or not ( step 5 - 2 a ). as a result of the determination , if a destination information pattern does not exist in the picture frame , the cpu 5 stores the taken picture into the memory 6 as an ordinary picture taken by the camera portion 11 ( step 5 - 6 a ). after storing the picture , the taken picture is displayed on the display device 7 , and the processing of taking a picture in the camera portion 11 is terminated ( step 5 - 7 a ). as a result of the determination , if a destination information pattern exists in the picture , the cpu 5 determines whether an extraction of destination information is successful or not ( step 5 - 3 a ). if the extraction is successful , information on an identifier included in a destination information pattern is acquired . if the extraction is not successful , the picture , as an ordinary picture taken by the camera portion 11 , is stored in the memory 6 ( step 5 - 6 a ). after storing the picture , the picture is displayed on the display device 7 , and the processing of taking a picture by the camera portion 11 is terminated ( step 5 - 7 a ). information in this case , which differs from the one obtained in operations shown in fig4 , is not necessarily an exact latitude and longitude of the destination , but it can be an identifier such as a sequence of numerals and characters . as a result of determination by the cpu 5 , if information which is necessary for the destination setting is acquired , the destination information is requested from a server with the identifier added ( step 5 - 5 a ). fig6 is a diagram showing a network configuration of the embodiment . fig7 a and 7b are examples of a display list for selection of destinations . fig7 a shows a route selection and fig7 b shows the details of the selected route . in fig6 , a cellular phone 21 is to be connected to a route server 24 via a telecommunication base station 22 , or a public network or the internet 23 , and transmits data included in the destination information pattern . here , a communication method with the server via the network can be based on either a generic protocol , such as http ( hyper text transfer protocol ), or a special one . the route server 24 which has received the requirement of destination information sends back the route information to the cellular phone 21 depending on the identifier attached to a url inputted from the cellular phone 21 . the route information can be a package of either one sort of destination information or a plurality of sorts of destination information . for example , in the case of a pattern printed on the poster , which is advertising “ autumn kyoto tour — the first release , organized by east japan railway company ”, an identifier acquired from the pattern may be a sequence of characters , such as “ jre - atm - kyoto - 1st ”. the route server 24 having the identifier transmitted as a character sequence , that is , “ jre - atm - kyoto - 1st ”, determines it as “ autumn kyoto tour — the first release , organized by east japan railway company ”, and sends back the route information to the cellular phone 21 . with reference to fig5 b , in step 5 - 1 b of fig5 b , the cellular phone 21 , having a reply from the route server 24 , displays candidates of the route on the display device 7 ( step 5 - 2 b ). a user of the cellular phone 21 selects a desired item among the itemized content of the route selection which is shown in fig7 a . the selected item may further include items shown in fig7 b . thus , the user ultimately selects the destination ( step 5 - 3 b ). next , the user sets destination information ( latitude , longitude , and address ) ( step 5 - 4 b ). then , positioning by use of gps ( a - gps ) starts and navigation will follow ( step 5 - 5 b ). here , it is assumed that the destination information is acquired from the route server 24 or the information has already been included in the route information initially acquired . with such a cellular phone equipped with the navigation function , it is made possible for a user to enjoy efficiently a sightseeing tour , since the user can easily get to the sightseeing spot . the present invention helps service providers and who are to provide sightseeing tours , thereby attract many tourists inducing to their locations . while this invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the subject matter encompassed by way of this invention is not to be limited to those specific embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended for the subject matter of the invention to include all alternative , modification and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims .	6
referring to fig1 there is shown at 10 the hip replacement system in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . the hip replacement system 10 includes a socket ( shown in detail in fig3 - 5 ), a ball member 12 , a stem 14 , and a lubricant ( shown in later drawings ). in fig1 it can be seen that the stem 14 is placed within the upper portion of a femur 16 of the leg . in particular , the stem 14 includes a metallic shell 18 extending downwardly into the interior 20 of the femur 16 . the metallic shell 18 can be suitably secured to the femur 16 by surgical nails , screws or by other means . the metallic shell 18 will provide a secure fit for the stem 14 within the femur 16 . a polymeric lining 20 will extend along the interior surface of the metallic shell 18 of the stem 14 . a metallic shaft 22 extends interior of the polymeric lining 20 and along the length of the shell 18 . the shaft 22 has a neck 24 extending outwardly of the femur 16 for securing to the ball member 12 . importantly , in the present invention , a channel 26 extends within the stem 14 between the metallic shaft 22 and the polymeric lining 20 . channel 26 will be filled with a suitable lubricant . the lubricant is introduced by way of inlet 28 . inlet 28 includes a catheter 30 that has a one - way valve 32 positioned thereon . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the inlet 28 is known as a “ portacath ” (™). the inlet 28 will extend through the femur 16 so as to have an opening on the leg . as such , as needed , the lubricant can be introduced through the one - way valve 32 , through the catheter 30 and into the channel 26 . in the present invention , the ball member 12 is positioned at the top of the neck 24 of the shaft 22 associated with the stem 14 . the ball 12 has a small opening 34 located at its upper end thereof . when installed into the socket , the opening 34 will allow the lubricant to pass into the space between the exterior surface 36 of the ball member 12 and the inner wall of the socket . the channel 26 will communicate through the stem 14 and the neck 24 with the opening 34 so as to allow the lubricant to pass into the space between the ball member and the socket . a seal 38 is positioned at the top of the shell 18 and around the shaft 22 . the seal 38 serves to retain the lubricant within the channel 26 and to prevent the lubricant from emerging outwardly of the shell 18 . the seal 38 facilitates the ability of the lubricant to migrate through the channels associated with the neck 24 of the shaft 22 . the seal 38 is positioned at the top open end of the femur 16 . in the present invention , it is important to note that the lubricant is compressed body fat . this compressed body fat can be obtained by suitable and conventional surgical techniques , such as liposuction . since it is the body fat of the same person that has the femur 16 , there will be absolute capability between the lubricant and the person having the hip replacement system 10 . there is no difficulty if the body fat should migrate from the area between the ball member 12 and the socket . since body fat is always available , more lubricant can be supplied , as required . as such , the present invention is able to utilize body fat as the lubricant instead of polymeric materials and / or hydrocarbon - based lubricant . additionally , by filling the channel 26 between the shaft 22 and the polymeric lining 20 of the stem 14 , the lubricant within the channel 26 will reduce the possibility of deterioration of the polymeric lining throughout continued use . [ 0046 ] fig2 shows a cross - sectional view of the stem 14 . in particular , it can be seen that the stem 14 has a metallic shell 18 , a polymeric lining 20 and an interior metallic shaft 22 . the channel 26 extends around the shaft 22 . in fig2 the channel 26 is filled with lubricant 40 . the catheter 30 is through the shell 18 and the lining 22 so as to communicate with the channel 26 . [ 0047 ] fig3 shows the human hip 42 having the acetabulum area 44 . the socket 46 is placed within the acetabulum area 44 . typically , the socket 46 is secured in its desired position through the use of surgical nails , screws or other means . the socket 46 will have a hemispherical cavity 48 formed therein and facing the exterior of the acetabulum area 44 . in fig3 it can be seen that the socket 46 has a shell 50 which is secured to the hip 42 . a polymeric lining 52 extends around the inner wall of the shell 50 . conventionally , in past procedures , the polymeric lining 52 would provide a smooth contact surface between the metallic ball member 12 and the socket 46 . however , it has been noted that , after continued use , the metallic ball member 12 will cause deterioration of the polymeric lining 52 to the detriment of the user . [ 0049 ] fig4 shows a detailed view of the socket 46 . as can be seen , the socket 46 has hemispherical cavity 48 formed therein . the polymeric lining 52 is positioned against the inner surface 56 of the metallic shell 50 . a sealing member 58 is affixed to the end 60 of the metallic shell 50 and over the end of the polymeric lining 52 . the sealing member 58 will be in the nature of an annular gasket which is properly positioned so as to retain the lubricant in the space between the exterior surface of the ball member 12 and the inner surface 62 of the polymeric lining 52 . [ 0050 ] fig5 shows how the ball member 12 is received within the hemispherical cavity 48 of the socket 46 . in particular , in fig5 it can be seen that the neck portion 24 of the shaft 22 has channel 26 extending therethrough . the channel 26 allows the lubricant 40 to flow toward the opening 34 on the ball member 12 . a channel 60 is formed in the ball member 12 so as to allow the lubricant 40 to properly flow from the channel 26 to the opening 34 . within the concept of the present invention , it is possible that a plurality of openings 34 can be formed on the exterior surface of the ball member 12 so as to allow the lubricant 40 to flow into the space 64 between the exterior surface 36 of the ball member 12 and the inner wall 62 of the lining 52 . the gasket 58 is illustrated as having its inner edge 66 juxtaposed against the exterior surface 34 of the ball member 12 . the gasket 58 serves to retain the lubricant 48 in the space 64 . in the configuration of the present invention , the lubricant 40 can be continually provided to the space 64 so as to assure a long life for the hip replacement 10 of the present invention . when friction starts to occur between the exterior surface 36 of the ball member 12 and the inner wall 62 of the lining 52 , additional lubricant can be introduced into the channel 26 by simply passing the lubricant through the inlet 28 and into the channel 26 of the stem 14 . by using body fat , the lubricant will be absolutely compatible with the human body . the foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof . various changes in the details of the illustrated construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the true spirit of the invention . the present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents .	0
the invention is described in greater detail hereinafter with respect to the following examples given in an illustrative and non - limitative manner . a batch of 1 kg of uo 2 powder with a specific surface area of 2 m 2 / g is introduced into a rotary apparatus . 20 cm 3 of a 30 % hydrogen peroxide solution , representing 2 % by weight of the mass of uo 2 , are then atomized onto the powder . the atomization operation is carried out in a few minutes on the surface of the powder bed , so as to ensure a homogeneous dispersion of the liquid reagent droplets . the thus treated powder batch then undergoes drying for 1 hour in an oven at 60 ° c ., in order to ensure that the excess liquid water is eliminated and that the hydrated oxide surface layer is formed , whilst modifying the properties of the powder . the powder then undergoes cold compression at a pressure of 350 mpa , in order to form crude cylindrical pellets having a diameter of 10 mm and a height of 30 mm . their tensile strength is determined . it reaches 0 . 86 mm / cm 2 , which is more than double the value obtained with crude pellets prepared under identical conditions from an untreated oxide powder . moreover , it is found that the pellets have less faults and cracks on their edges . after fritting for 4 hours at 1700 ° c ., under a hydrogen atmosphere , the fritted pellets have a density equal to 98 % of the theoretical density of uranium dioxide , like fritted pellets obtained from untreated powder , so that the surface oxidohydration process maintains the quality of the pellets . similar results are obtained by the compression and fritting under the same conditions of 1 kg of uo 2 powder , exposed for 10 days in an oven to a temperature of approximately 80 ° c . and with an air atmosphere with an 80 % moisture content . these examples relate to the preparation of fritted uranium dioxide pellets by using as the starting powder , uranium dioxide powder which has undergone a surface oxidohydration treatment by means of aqueous solutions containing different hydrogen peroxide concentrations . in each example , use is made of a 1 kg uranium dioxide powder batch having a specific surface area of 2 m 2 g . 1 kg of this powder is introduced into a rotary mixer , in order to ensure its mixing and onto the mixed powder is atomized by means of a spray gun 40 cm 3 ( i . e . 4 % by weight of the uo 2 mass ) of a hydrogen peroxide solution having hydrogen peroxide concentrations varying as a function of the examples . after atomization , the treated powder batch undergoes drying in an oven at 60 ° c ., with the powder in the form of a thin bed having a thickness of approximately 1 cm . after drying for 2 hours , uo 3 , 2h 2 o surface layer is obtained and the excess water eliminated . it is also possible to carry out drying in a rotary tube at a substantially identical temperature for 30 minutes . the thus treated powder is then mixed with a small quantity of approximately 0 . 2 % by weight of finely pulverized solid lubricant , constituted by micronized zinc stearate and by cold compression under a pressure of 350 mpa , it is then converted into cylindrical pellets , having a diameter of 10 mm and a height of 13 mm . part of the thus obtained crude pellets undergoes destructive tensile strength tests by the &# 34 ; brazilian testing method &# 34 ;, whilst the other part of the pellet is fritted at 1700 ° c ., under a hydrogen atmosphere , for 4 hours . after fritting , the density and the &# 34 ; diabolo &# 34 ; effect of the pellets obtained are measured . they are then subject to grinding and after this treatment examination takes place of the material defects present on the cylindrical part or the edges , which makes it possible to evaluate the quality of the finished product . it is pointed out that the &# 34 ; brazilian test &# 34 ; consists of crushing , along two opposing generatrixes , cylindrical pellets in order to bring about the splintering thereof , which enables their compressive strength to be determined . their tensile strength is then determined by carrying out a conversion . the measurement of the &# 34 ; diabolo effect &# 34 ; has the effect of determining the divergence from the cylindrical geometry of the pellets . thus , during fritting , crude cylindrical pellets are deformed , which leads to a contraction of their median area , which then has a diameter φ2 less than the diameter φ1 of the two ends of the pellet . the diabolo effect is determined by the difference φ1 - φ2 . the results obtained with respect to the tensile strength and the diabolo effect are given in table 1 , which also shows , for information purposes , the results obtained on producing , under the same conditions , fritted uranium dioxide pellets from a powder which has not undergone an oxidohydration treatment by the hydrogen peroxide solution . it can be seen from this table that the tensile strength values of the crude pellets are considerably improved compared with those of pellets obtained from the untreated powder . it can also be seen that the diabolo effect is very low for pellets obtained from the powder treated in accordance with the invention . the apparent density of all the fritted pellets is high ( 98 % of the theoretical value ) and the average diameter of the fritted pellets is 8 . 25 mm . following grinding , a comparative examination of material deficiencies present on the fritted pellets obtained from the powders which have undergone a treatment according to the invention , reveals that the percentage of damage leading to discarding is zero . 5 % of the fritted pellets obtained have lesser damage phenomena ( 1 to 2 mm 2 ). in the case of fritted pellets obtained from powders which have not undergone the oxidation treatment , 15 % of the pellets suffer from damage between 1 and 4 mm 2 . thus , the treatment according to the invention makes it possible to significantly improve the stability of crude pellets and the final quality of the fritted pellets obtained . moreover , good results are obtained with solutions having a h 2 o 2 concentration as low as 8 % by volume . identical results were obtained by atomizing the same quantities of the same hydrogen peroxide solutions on uo 2 granules . for example , a powder batch undergoes compression at 100 mpa , giving tablets with a density of approximately 50 % of the theoretical value . by dry crushing , these tablets are brought into the form of granules with a size below 1 mm . these granules then undergo the oxidohydration treatment defined in the aforementioned examples . they are then converted into pellets under identical conditions . the oxidohydration treatment described in example 4 is applied to the same uo 2 powder . the latter is then mixed with thorium powder having a specific surface of 7 m 2 / g , in variable weight proportions . thus , e . g . two homogeneous mixtures are produced containing respectively 30 and 60 % of uo 2 . the mixtures , as well as the elementary constituents tho 2 and uo 2 treated are then converted into tablets , in the same way as described in example 4 . the tensile strength measured on these crude tablets has the values given in table 2 , which also gives the values obtained under identical conditions with crude , untreated uo 2 powder . as in example 4 , the pellets obtained from the crude pellets have better qualities when using treated uo 2 . a homogeneous mixture of uo 2 powder already described in example 1 , and 20 % by weight of puo 2 powder is converted by compression under 100 mpa and dry crushing into porous granules with a size at the most equal to 1 mm . these granules are mixed in a mixer , then receive a surface atomization of 4 cm 3 of 8 % hydrogen peroxide solution , which is absorbed in the porosity of the granules . after natural drying and the addition of 0 . 15 % by weight of finely micronized zinc stearate , these treated granules are converted into crude cylindrical tablets under a pressure of 400 mpa . the tensile strength of these tablets is then 1 . 5 mn . m - 2 , whereas it would be 0 . 6 mn . m - 2 without the oxidohydration treatment . following fritting , the samples obtained are of a better quality and are less deformed , whilst their edges are only slightly damaged . uo 2 - puo 2 tablets are prepared as in example 9 , but by using 30 cm 3 of 12 % hydrogen peroxide solution instead of 40 cm 3 of 8 % hydrogen peroxide solution . results obtained are identical to those of example 9 . a homogeneous uo 2 powder mixture already described in example 1 , and 8 % by weight of g 2 o 3 powder is converted by compression under 100 mpa and dry crushing into porous granules with a size of at the most 1 mm . these granules are placed in a mixer , where they are mixed and then receive a surface atomization of 30 cm 3 of 20 % hydrogen peroxide solution , which is absorbed in the porosity of the granules . after natural drying and adding 0 . 15 % by weight of finely micronized zinc stearate , these treated granules are converted into crude cylindrical tablets under a pressure of 400 mpa . the tensile strength of these tablets is then 0 . 9 mn . m - 2 , whereas it would be 0 . 33 mn . m - 2 in the absence of the oxidohydration treatment . after fritting , the samples obtained are of a better quality , are less deformed and their edges are less damaged . a homogeneous mixture of impoverished uo 2 powder containing 5 % by weight of puo 2 and 8 % by weight of eu 2 o 3 powder is converted by compression under 100 mpa and dry crushing into porous granules having a size of at the most 1 mm . these granules are mixed in a mixer and then receive a surface atomization of 30 cm 3 of 20 % hydrogen peroxide solution , which is absorbed in the porosity of the granules . after natural drying and the addition of 0 . 15 % by weight of finely micronized zinc stearate , these treated granules are converted into crude cylindrical tablets , under a pressure of 400 mpa . the tensile strength of these tablets then reaches 0 . 75 mn . m - 2 , whereas it would be 0 . 43 mn . m - 2 in the absence of the oxidohydration treatment . after fritting , the samples obtained are of better quality , are less deformed and their edges are less damaged . uo 2 - puo 2 - gd 2 o 3 tablets are prepared in the same way as in example 12 by replacing the eu 2 o 3 powder by gd 2 o 3 powder . the results obtained are identical to those of example 12 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ atomizationexamples solution h . sub . 2 o . sub . 2 concen - crude pelletreference quantity tration tensile strength fritted pelletno . ( cm . sup . 3 / kg of uo . sub . 2 ) (%) ( mn m . sup .- 2 ) diabolo effect ( mm ) __________________________________________________________________________ 0 0 0 . 33 0 . 073 40 4 0 . 55 0 . 044 40 8 0 . 75 0 . 035 40 16 0 . 90 0 . 036 40 30 1 . 05 0 . 03__________________________________________________________________________ table 2__________________________________________________________________________tensile strength of the crude tablets ( mn . m . sup .- 2 ) type of powder pure uo . sub . 2 tho . sub . 2 + 60 % uo . sub . 2 tho . sub . 2 + 30 % uo . sub . 2 pure tho . sub . 2__________________________________________________________________________crude , untreated 0 . 33 0 . 50 0 . 75 1treated 0 . 75 0 . 85 0 . 95 1__________________________________________________________________________	2
the chemical composition of the non - heat treated soft - nitrided steel part of the present invention has been determined in accordance with the following reasons . note that the unit “%” concerning each content of components intends to “ mass %”. carbon ( c ) is an effective element for yielding wear resistance to a non - heat treated soft - nitrided steel part . thus , it is required to be contained at least 0 . 35 % or more , preferably 0 . 40 % or more . however , more than 0 . 45 % of c content causes deterioration in fatigue strength . in addition , a crack can be occurred when a bending due to a distortion after soft - nitriding is corrected . therefore , the c content has been determined in the range of 0 . 35 to 0 . 45 %. silicon ( si ) is an effective element for deoxidation of steel and for enhancing fatigue strength . however , such effects cannot be obtained when its content is less than 0 . 05 %. on the other hand , more than 1 . 0 % of the content causes deterioration in bending properties . therefore , the si content has been determined in the range of 0 . 05 to 1 . 00 %. manganese ( mn ) is an effective element for deoxidization of steel and for enhancing hardenability as well as for improving soft - nitriding properties to enhance fatigue strength . however , such effects cannot be expected when its content is less than 0 . 3 %. on the other hand , more than 1 . 0 % of the content causes deterioration in bending properties , resulting in occurrence of a crack when a bending due to a distortion after soft - nitriding is corrected . therefore , the mn content has been determined in the range of 0 . 3 to 1 . 0 %. phosphorus ( p ) is an element existing as an impurity , which causes deterioration in bending properties . thus , it is desirable to limit p content as little as possible . therefore , the p content has been determined in 0 . 03 % or less in consideration of the difficulty of thorough refining . chromium ( cr ) is an element existing as an impurity , which is included in steel during refining process thereof . it is desirable to limit cr content as little as possible because cr creates a hard nitride through soft - nitriding to cause deterioration in bending properties . however , since 0 . 15 or less of the content has a negligible impact , the allowable upper limit of the cr content has been determined to 0 . 15 % in consideration of the difficulty of thorough refining . titanium ( ti ) is an effective element for yielding grain refining to enhance fatigue strength . however , such effects cannot be obtained when its content is less than 0 . 001 %. on the other hand , more than 0 . 03 % of the content causes deterioration in bending properties , resulting in occurrence of a crack when a bending due to a distortion after soft - nitriding is corrected . therefore , the ti content has been determined in the range of 0 . 001 to 0 . 03 %. vanadium ( v ) is an element which increases surface hardness after nitriding to cause deterioration in bending properties . thus , it is desirable to limit v content as little as possible . however , since v is mixed in steel as impurity , the allowable upper limit of the v content has been determined in 0 . 03 % in consideration of the difficulty of thorough refining . v of 0 . 03 % or less has a negligible impact on the above properties . nitrogen ( n ) is an effective element for improving fatigue strength and bending properties . however , such effects cannot be obtained by less than 0 . 010 % of the n content , while more than 0 . 020 % of the content results in saturation of such effects . therefore , the n content has been determined in the range of 0 . 010 to 0 . 020 %. aluminum ( al ) may be applied as deoxidizing agent for steel . however , in the steel of the present invention , it is not essential to add al because si and mn ( or additionally ca ) can contribute to achieve such deoxidation effect . particularly , large quantity of al makes increased oxide inclusion and thereby causes deterioration in bending properties of steel . therefore , the al content has been determined in 0 . 08 % or less . sulfur ( s ) may not be contained because s causes deterioration in hot workability and strength of steel . on the other hand , s may be positively contained to improve machinability . however , more than 0 . 10 % of the s content causes considerable deterioration in fatigue strength . therefore , the s content has been determined to be 0 . 10 % or less . in order to achieve a sufficient effect in machinability , it is desirable to include 0 . 005 % or more s . calcium ( ca ) may be omitted because it causes deterioration in fatigue strength and bending properties of steel . on the other hand , ca may be positively contained to improve machinability . however , more than 0 . 003 % of the content causes considerable deterioration in fatigue strength . therefore , the ca content has been determined to be 0 . 003 % or less . in order to achieve a sufficient effect in machinability , it is desirable to include 0 . 0003 % or more ca . 0 . 05 % or more of lead ( pb ) is contained to improve machinability of steel . however , more than 0 . 30 % of the content makes increased inclusion , and thereby causes deterioration in fatigue strength and bending properties . therefore , the pb content has been determined in the range of 0 . 05 to 0 . 30 %. by the regression analysis of the test results , as shown in after - mentioned examples , concerning wear test , fatigue test and bending test of the steels after non - heat treatment soft - nitriding , it was found that there is a significant difference depending on each content of c , mn and n , and the following formulas ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) have been conclusively obtained . fig3 and 5 are diagrams showing relationships between wear amount and formula fn1 ( fig3 ), between fatigue strength and formula fn2 ( fig4 ), and between cracking stroke and the formula fn3 ( fig5 ) of the steel after non - heat treatment soft - nitriding . in each figure mark ◯ indicates data of the steels of the present invention , while mark δ indicates data of the comparative example . mark  indicates data of jis - s48c steel subjected to soft - nitriding after normalizing . as apparent in fig3 in order to achieve the wear resistance equal to that of the jis - s48c steel subjected to soft - nitriding after normalizing , the steel prepared in the chemical composition according to the present invention is required to satisfy the following formula ( 1 ). as apparent in fig4 in order to achieve the fatigue properties equal to that of the jis - s48c steel subjected to soft - nitriding after normalizing , the steel prepared in the chemical composition according to the present invention is required to satisfy the following formula ( 2 ). as apparent in fig5 in order to achieve the bending properties equal to that of the jis - s48c steel subjected to soft - nitriding after normalizing , the steel prepared in the chemical composition according to the present invention is required to satisfy the following formula ( 3 ). further , the data on wear amount , fatigue strength , and bending properties by which fig3 , and 5 were determined have been investigated in relation to each content of c , mn and n . fig6 , and 8 are diagrams showing relationships between wear amount ( fig6 ), fatigue strength ( fig7 ) and bending properties ( fig8 ), and contents of c , mn and n , respectively . the n content is shown by straight lines which are determined by substituting 0 . 01 %, 0 . 015 % and 0 . 02 % of n contents respectively into the aforementioned formulas ( 1 ) to ( 3 ). in fig6 the mark  or δ means that each property is inferior to that resulting from the s48c steel , while the mark ◯ means that each property is superior to that resulting from the s48c steel . the mark  also means that values of at least one of the formulas fn1 , fn2 and fn3 is out of the range according to the present invention . the mark δ also means that all of the values of formulas fn1 , fn2 and fn3 are in the range according to the present , but at least one of the respective content of elements is out of the range according to the present invention . fig9 is a diagram showing the range of the present invention defined by the relationship between contents of c , mn and n , and formulas of fn1 , fn2 and fn3 . the straight lines in fig6 and 8 , which are determined by substituting 0 . 01 % and 0 . 02 % of n contents respectively into the formulas fn1 , fn2 and fn3 , are put together into fig9 . the shaded portion in fig9 shows the range according to the present invention . a manufacturing method of a non - heat treated soft - nitrided steel part of the present invention will be described hereafter . a raw material having the aforementioned composition ( a steel of the present invention ) is heated and forged into a workpiece having a desired shape . in this step , the heating temperature is desirable to be arranged as low as possible . however , since large press capacity is required for forging at low temperature , 1200 ° c . of heating temperature is normally selected as a general requirement , and the actual heating temperature may be determined in the range of 1100 to 1250 ° c . depending on an available press capacity . after forging , natural cooling ( air cooling ) is applied in view of manufacturing cost . otherwise , forced - air cooling may also be applied for shortening production time without any difficulty . after adjusting into the desired shape , the workpiece is subjected to soft - nitriding without any pre heat treatment , such as normalizing or quenching - and - tempering . the soft - nitriding is performed in the atmosphere , which is set in the range of 0 . 8 to 1 . 2 of the ratio of the rx gas ( trade mark ) to ammonia , at 570 to 600 ° c . for 60 to 120 minutes . after this step , the workpiece is directly oil - cooled . according to the aforementioned gas composition ratio of atmosphere , temperature and time , a suitable compound layer and a sufficient depth of diffusion layer for improving sticking resistance can be obtained . it should be understood that a suitable after treatment , such as bending correction , may be performed after the soft - nitriding . steels having chemical compositions shown in table 1 and table 2 were prepared with a 150 kg melting furnace . the number 1 to 15 steels in table 1 are examples of the present invention prepared in the range of chemical composition according to the present invention . the number 16 to 32 steels in table 2 are comparative examples in which the chemical composition or at least one of the values of formulas fn1 to fn3 is out of the range according to the present invention . the number 33 steel in table 2 is the conventional jis - s480 steel , which has heretofore been widely used for crankshafts . billets of the steels were heated up to 1250 ° c . and hot - forged in the temperature range of 1250 to 1100 ° c . into round bars of 50 mm in diameter , followed by air cooling . the number 33 steel was subjected to normalizing wherein the steel was maintained at 850 ° c . for 1 hour . a fatigue test piece and wear test piece shown in fig1 and fig2 were cut out of the round bars . the obtained test pieces were subjected to soft - nitriding where the test pieces were maintained in the atmosphere having 1 : 1 of the mixing ratio of the rx gas ( trade mark ) to ammonia , at 570 ° c . for 2 hours . then , the soft - nitrided test pieces were oil - cooled . as for fatigue properties , bending fatigue strength ( stressed at notched portion ) was determined using the “ ono - type rotating - bending fatigue tester ” at 3000 min − 1 of rotating speed . the stress at the bottom of the notch was measured as fatigue strength and determined by attaching a strain gauge onto the notch bottom . as for bending properties , a three - point bending test was carried out in which a crack gauge ( strain gauge ) was attached onto the notch bottom of the wear test piece , a supporting span being set in 50 mm . stress was applied on the other side of the crack gauge with 20 mm / min crosshead speed of the tester . then , the bending properties was estimated by cracking stroke that is the stroke of the crosshead when a crack was occurred in the test piece . the wear test was carried out using a pin - on - disk type wear tester . fig2 is a top plan view and longitudinal sectional view showing a disk - shaped test piece composed of the test steel . in the wear tester , a fluorine - contained rubber pin was pressed onto a flat surface of the disk - shaped test piece shown in fig2 and the test piece was rotated at 1000 min − 1 within an oil including an abrasive . after the test piece had been rotated for 100 hours , a hollowed amount was determined as the wear amount , using a surface roughness tester . the number 1 to 15 steels having the chemical composition in the range according to the present invention could achieve the wear resistance , fatigue strength , and bending properties ( cracking stroke ) equal or superior to those of the number 33 conventional jis - s48c steel , which was soft - nitrided after normalizing . in contrast , the number 16 comparative steel showed 216 μm wear amount , which is larger than that of the number 33 conventional steel , because the number 16 steel has low c content of 0 . 32 % and high fn1 value of 65 . 8 . the number 17 steel has high c content of 0 . 51 % and low fn2 value of 345 . 2 . thus , this steel has fatigue strength of 486 . 8 mpa lower than that of the number 33 conventional steel . the number 18 steel has high si content of 1 . 05 %, resulting in the cracking stroke of 1 . 5 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 19 steel has high mn content of 1 . 08 % and low fn3 value of 5 . 7 , resulting in the cracking stroke of 2 . 0 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 20 steel has high p content of 0 . 038 %, resulting in the cracking stroke of 1 . 8 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 21 steel has high cr content of 0 . 18 %, resulting in the cracking stroke of 1 . 5 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 22 steel has high ti content of 0 . 038 %, resulting in the cracking stroke of 1 . 3 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 23 steel has high v content of 0 . 05 %, resulting in the cracking stroke of 0 . 9 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 24 steel has high al content of 0 . 095 %, resulting in the cracking stroke of 1 . 1 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 25 steel has low n content of 0 . 0082 % and low fn3 value of 6 . 4 , resulting in the cracking stroke of 1 . 7 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 26 steel has high n content of 0 . 0227 % and high fn1 value of 64 . 3 . thus , this steel has larger wear amount of 207 μm than that of the number 33 conventional steel . the number 27 steel has high s content of 0 . 125 %, resulting in low fatigue strength of 482 . 3 mpa . the number 28 steel has high ca content of 0 . 0038 %, resulting in low fatigue strength of 468 . 2 mpa , and the cracking stroke of 1 . 6 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 29 steel has high pb content of 0 . 32 %, resulting in low fatigue strength of 411 . 5 mpa , and the cracking stroke of 1 . 3 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the number 30 steel has high fn1 value of 63 . 1 , resulting in large wear amount of 199 μm . the number 31 steel has low fn2 value of 342 . 9 , resulting in low fatigue strength of 483 . 5 mpa . the number 32 steel has low fn3 value of 5 . 1 , resulting in cracking stroke of 1 . 7 mm . thus , this steel is inferior in the bending properties . the soft - nitrided steel part of the present invention is characterized by defining respective contents of c , si , mn , p , cr , ti , v , n , al , pb , s and ca , and further by defining respective calculated values from each content of c , mn and n ( i . e ., values determined by the formulas fn1 to fn3 described above ). therefore , the steel part of the present invention has fatigue strength , bending properties and wear resistance , which are equal or superior to those of the jis - s48c steel soft - nitrided after normalizing , even if subjected to soft - nitriding without quenching - tempering or normalizing . these resulting parts can be used as crankshafts for automobiles , industrial machinery , construction machinery and the like . according to the present invention , soft - nitriding can be performed without any prior heat treatment . this invention can contribute to save manufacturing cost of such parts , and has significant industrial advantage .	2
it is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments , or examples , for implementing different features of various embodiments . specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure . these are , of course , merely examples and are not intended to be limiting . in addition , the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in the various examples . this repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed . fig1 depicts a schematic view of at least a portion of an embodiment of a network 100 architecture according to aspects of the present disclosure . a gateway network 110 permits communications between a plurality of different types of networks , such as one or more licensed wireless networks 120 , one or more wireline networks 130 , one or more uma networks 140 , and / or other networks . as employed herein , a network may refer to an entire network or to a network portion , a network application , and / or network apparatus . moreover , the uma network 140 is not limited within the scope of the present disclosure to uma - exclusive networks . for example , network 140 may be a uma network , a wlan network , a wi - fi network , and / or combinations thereof , including combination networks not directly supporting uma ( e . g ., supporting wlan , wi - fi and / or other protocols but not uma ). for the sake of simplicity , these networks may be referred to herein as uma networks . nonetheless , the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to embodiments in which network 140 supports uma , whether exclusively or in combination with other formats . examples of licensed wireless networks 120 include those supporting gsm , umts , and cdma , including 2g and / or 3g technologies , among others . the wireline network ( s ) 130 may be or include a public switched telephone network ( pstn ), among others supporting technologies based on tdm and / or other non - packet technology . uma network ( s ) 140 may be or include those conforming at least in part to the specifications developed by the uma participating companies (“ uma forum ”), 3gpp , and / or others . although not explicitly depicted in fig1 , one or more other packet - based networks ( e . g ., the internet ) may also interface gateway network 110 , such as those supporting voice over internet protocol ( voip ), as well as one or more other broadband networks , such as those supporting 802 . 11 ( e . g ., wifi ) and / or 802 . 16 ( e . g ., wimax ). one or more of the networks bridged by gateway network 110 may also support voice over various other protocols , such as atm . one or more of the networks connected by gateway network 110 , such as uma network 140 in the embodiment shown in fig1 , may be connected to gateway network 110 by one or more access networks 150 . in a general sense , such access networks 150 may perform various translation , conversion , transcoding and / or other processing , such as may facilitate communication between gateway network 110 and the various other networks connected thereby . gateway network 110 may include one or more media gateways 115 a - 115 c ( collectively referred to as media gateways 115 ) and / or other apparatus which may be singularly or collectively employed to bridge two or more of the wireline , wireless , uma and / or other networks . in one embodiment , gateway network 110 may include only one media gateway , such as one example in which the gateway network 110 is primarily a single media gateway and a number of interfaces to the various other networks . the one or more media gateways 115 deployed in ( or as ) the gateway network 110 may convert data from a format , protocol , and / or type required for one network into another format , protocol , and / or type required for another network . moreover , at least in some embodiments , this conversion may be performed on a per - session basis or a per - channel basis . each media gateway 115 a - 115 c may be configured to transfer audio , video , fax and / or t . 120 ( real - time multi - point communications ) data , among other data types , which the media gateways 115 may handle simultaneously , including embodiments in which one or more of the media gateways 115 is configured to send and receive both packet and non - packet data . in one embodiment , at least one of the media gateways 115 may be substantially similar to those described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 121 , 626 , entitled “ apparatus and methods for per - session switching for multiple wireline and wireless data types ,” filed on may 4 , 2005 . in embodiments employing more than one media gateway 115 in gateway network 110 , or those employing more than one gateway network 110 , one or more of the other networks may interface with more than one of the media gateways 115 or gateway networks 110 . for example , in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , wireline network 130 is directly connected to two of media gateways 115 b and 115 c of gateway network 110 ( e . g ., via one or more trunks , loops , carriers , and / or other copper , optical , or other transmission links ). similarly , where a network , such as uma network 140 , is configured to communicate with gateway network 110 via access network 150 , access network 150 may be directly connected to more than one of media gateways 115 . also , media gateways 115 deployed in gateway network 110 may collectively be connected in a completely meshed arrangement , although the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments . uma network 140 includes one or more access devices 145 configured to facilitate communication between user equipment ( ue ) 160 , such as a dual - mode mobile station ( ms ), and the corresponding access network 150 , among other networks . for example , the one or more access devices 145 may include one or more access points , routers , switches , and / or network controllers , and / or devices for performing similar functions thereof , including those described in the uma , wlan , wi - fi and / or other specifications developed by the uma technology participating companies (“ uma forum ”), 3gpp , and / or others . fig2 depicts a schematic view of an embodiment of the network architecture shown in fig1 according to aspects of the present disclosure . fig2 depicts a schematic representation of an embodiment of a gateway network that may be implemented as a core network 210 having ip transport capability . for example , core network 210 may include a number of media gateways 215 a - 215 c ( collectively referred to herein as media gateway 215 ) interconnected by ip transmission lines , such as by portions of the internet . alternatively , or additionally , loops , trunks and / or other physical data transmission media dedicated to the interconnection of the media gateways 215 may be employed . media gateways 215 may also be substantially similar to the media gateways 115 shown in fig1 . for example , one or more of media gateways 215 may be a wireless media gateway having aspects similar to those described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 121 , 626 , entitled “ apparatus and methods for per - session switching for multiple wireline and wireless data types ,” filed on may 4 , 2005 . intercommunication between the media gateways 215 may be implemented via nb - up and amr - over - nb . fig2 also demonstrates that the licensed wireless networks 120 shown in fig1 may include a radio access network ( ran ), such as a gsm - edge radio access network ( geran ) 220 a . geran standards are defined by 3gpp , which are hereby incorporated by reference . geran is a higher - speed time division multiple access ( tdma ) ran defined by the edge tdma standard . the original gsm tdma radio technology is based upon gmsk modulation , whereas edge uses eight - way phase shift keying ( 8psk ). edge can share spectrum and tdma timeslots with gsm . as also shown in fig2 , licensed wireless networks 120 shown in fig1 may be or include one or more networks 220 b operating under the gsm and / or umts standards , among others , and the wireline networks 130 shown in fig1 may be or include one or more pstn networks 230 . intercommunication between the licensed wireless network ( s ) 220 b and corresponding media gateway ( s ) 215 may be implemented via adaptive multi - rate ( amr ), whereas intercommunication between the pstn network ( s ) 230 and corresponding media gateway ( s ) 215 may be implemented via tdm , or otherwise corresponding to aspects of the particular type of network bridged by the core network 210 . fig2 also depicts ip access network 250 as an example of access networks 150 described above with regard to fig1 . intercommunication between ip access network ( s ) 250 and corresponding gateway ( s ) 215 may be implemented , for example , via amr over ip and / or uma - up . one or more of networks 220 a / 220 b may include one or more base transceiver stations ( btss ) 222 or radio network stations or towers , as well as one or more base station controllers ( bscs ) 224 or radio network controllers . the network architecture may also include one or more media gateway controllers ( mgcs ), such as the mgcs 270 shown in fig2 , and / or or similar components or functions which may be employed for various call control functions and may possibly be separated from the transport layer ( media gateways ). in one embodiment , one or more of the mgcs 270 may be one or more softswitches , including one or more wireless softswitches , and may interface and control one or more media gateways 215 a - 215 c . in one embodiment , one or more of the media gateways 115 , 215 and one or more mgcs 270 associated therewith may cooperate or otherwise collectively function in a manner similar to the function of a uma network controller ( unc ). for example , mgc 270 may perform uma up ( user plane ) cs ( circuit switched ) domain signaling protocol , such as uma discovery / registration , call processing , authentication , and handover , among other functions , and one or more of media gateways 115 , 215 may perform uma up cs bearer functions , such as amr over rtp using rfc 3267 framing , and interoperate with any other of the media gateway - supported interfaces ( e . g ., tdm , umts , iu / nb , and / or voip , among others ). rfc3267 is a real - time transport protocol ( rtp ) payload format used for adaptive multi - rate and adaptive multi - rate wideband ( amr - wb ) encoded speech signals . the payload format is designed to be able to interoperate with existing amr and amr - wb transport formats on non - ip networks . fig3 a depicts a schematic view of an embodiment of at least a portion of one embodiment of an architecture of a media gateway 315 , such as media gateway 115 shown in fig1 or media gateway 215 shown in fig2 . as shown in fig3 a , media gateway 315 may include a number of voice server modules 310 a - 310 c ( collectively referred to herein as voice server modules 310 ) interfaced with a tdm switch matrix module 320 and an atm , or other packet , switch matrix module 330 . tdm switch matrix module 320 receives tdm communications from one or more tdm networks via a number of tdm network interfaces ( ni ) 340 a - 340 c ( collectively referred to as tdm network interfaces 340 ), and also sends tdm communications to the one or more tdm networks via tdm nis 340 , whether such tdm communications originate from a tdm network or otherwise . packet switch matrix module 330 receives ip , atm and possibly other packet - based communications from one or more packet - oriented networks . for example , packet switch matrix module 330 may receive , for example , ethernet and / or packet over synchronous optical network ( sonet ) communications from one or more ip networks via a number of ip nis 350 a - 350 , and may also receive atm communications from one or more atm networks via a number of atm nis , such as atm ni 360 . fig3 b depicts a schematic view of an embodiment of a portion of media gateway 315 shown in fig3 a . as shown in fig3 b , one or more of the media gateways may include one or more voice server modules 310 a - 310 b each having one or more digital signal processor ( dsp ) modules 370 a - 370 d ( collectively referred to herein as dsps 370 ) or functions and one or more segmentation and reassembly ( sar ) modules 380 a - 380 d ( collectively referred to as sars 380 ) or functions . dsps 370 and sars 380 may be configured to communicate , process , and convert data to and from a common format / protocol ( e . g ., high - level data link control ( hdlc )). for example , dsps 370 may convert between communications between pulse code modulation ( pcm ) on the tdm switch matrix module 320 side and one or more formats / protocols carried by hdlc on the sar side . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 b , hdlc is employed for amr / rfc3267 / rtp / tdm , although other embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure . sars 380 may be configured to perform the segmentation , assembly and possibly other processing to transfer amr / rfc3267 / rtp / tdm hdlc communications on the dsp side and amr / rfc3267 / rtp / udp / ip / aal5 communications on the atm switch matrix module 330 side , although other embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure . the following discussion pertains to at least one embodiment of a gateway , such as gateways 115 , 215 , and 315 shown in fig1 - 3b , for bridging various wireless , wireline and uma networks described above . however , one or more aspects described below may not pertain to every embodiment within the scope of the present disclosure . a voice server module ( vs or vsm ) as described above may include a vs - uma card which may be based on other vsm physical cards . one such vsm physical card may have a plurality of dsps or dsp cards , such as one embodiment including four dsp daughter cards of a first configuration and one dsp daughter card of a second configuration , where the first and second dsp daughter card configurations may differ primarily in their programming , if not also physically . for the sake of example , a dsp daughter card of the first configuration may provide amr over rtp with the rfc 3267 framing functions . the dsps of the vs - uma card may be configured to perform rfc 3267 framing for amr over rtp / ip media streams , at least in one embodiment . the vs - uma card may , for example , support up to 1536 uma terminations , e . g ., 48 uma channels per chip . uma - enabled media gateway 315 supports uma interfaces between uma access network and the core network performing the uma up ( user plane ) bearer functions . the uma interface may be a logical interface , such as a voip trunk interface over a gige nic ( network interface card ) associated with the uma voip profile . in one embodiment , no physical vs - uma resources are allocated when the uma interface is provisioned . the gateway may allocate vs - uma card resources when a call is attempted on the uma interface . vs - uma resource allocation may be on a per - uma - call basis . media gateway 315 may maintain the operational and / or administrative states of the uma interface . for example , media gateway 315 may set an operational state to “ enabled ” after the successful provision of a voip subgroup . an operational state (“ enabled ” or “ disabled ”) may be defined for uma interfaces . in some embodiments , however , there are no physical connections to be setup , such that the operational state of uma interfaces may always be “ enabled ” after the successful provisioning thereof . as another example , when a uma interface &# 39 ; s administrative state is locked , the media gateway may tear down or terminate all existing voip calls on the uma interface , and may reject any new voip calls on the uma interface . when a uma interface &# 39 ; s administrative state is shutdown , the media gateway may keep the existing calls on the uma interface , and may reject any new voip calls on the uma interface . for uma terminations , such as voip terminations on a uma interface , media gateway 315 may support extensible gateway control protocol ( egcp ) call control using egcp uma receive ( rx ), or local , and transmit ( tx ), or remote , descriptors . defining uma descriptors allows differentiation of the uma access voip call control from session initiation protocol ( sip ) access and bearer independent call control ( bicc ) cs2 voip call control , and can also add the flexibility to define new uma call control parameters , such as redundancy speech sample count , etc . the uma access voip call control through egcp may not use the ipbcp protocol , as in bicc - cs2 , or session description protocol ( sdp ), as in the sip access . the egcp uma descriptors may minimize potential impacts to other voip functions supported on the media gateway . uma user plane voip bearer setup may be made through a uma traffic channel assignment procedure . this procedure may be applicable to , for example , the mobile - originated call , the mobile - terminated call , and / or the handover from geran to uma . fig4 depicts an embodiment of a signaling exchange for a uma traffic channel assignment procedure between a media gateway controller ( mgc ), a media gateway ( mgw ) and a mobile station ( ms ). according the example shown in fig4 , the mgc requests the media gateway to allocate an ephemeral voip uma termination at the start of the uma traffic channel assignment procedure ( step 410 ). the egcp add command may include an egcp stream descriptor ( e . g ., audio ), a local control descriptor ( e . g ., stream mode , tapping , etc . ), an avdrx descriptor ( e . g ., echo , jitter buffer ), and a uma rx descriptor ( e . g ., codec type , codec acs mode , rtp payload type , packetization time , and / or redundancy count ). the media gateway replies to the mgc with an add response that includes , for example , its uma termination id associated with the uma termination and uma rx descriptor ( e . g ., ip address , rtp udp port , and other uma rx descriptor parameters ) ( step 412 ). the media gateway controller may also sends a urr activate channel request to the ms with , for example , the media gateway &# 39 ; s ip address , rtp udp port , and the rtp payload type ( step 414 ). the ms then begins to transmit an uplink rtp media stream ( step 416 ), and sends a urr activate channel ack response to the mgc ( step 418 ) with , for example , the ms rtp udp port and packetization time . subsequently , the mgc sends a modify command to the media gateway ( step 420 ) with , for example , uma tx descriptor parameters associated with the ms or transmission characteristics thereof , such as ms ip address , rtp udp port , packetization time , and / or payload type , among others . the media gateway may then send a modify response ( step 422 ) and a notify ( step 424 ) to indicate the bearer setup success , and begins to transmit a downlink rtp media stream ( step 426 ). when the mgc sends a urr activate channel complete message to the ms ( step 428 ), the uma traffic channel assignment procedure may be completed . fig5 depicts an embodiment of a signaling exchange of a uma traffic channel assignment failure procedure between an mgc , a media gateway and an ms . according the example shown in fig5 , the mgc requests the media gateway to allocate an ephemeral voip uma termination at the start of the uma traffic channel assignment procedure by transmitting an egcp add command to the mgw ( step 510 ). an egcp add command may include a egcp stream descriptor ( audio ), a local control descriptor ( e . g ., stream mode , tapping ), an avdrx descriptor ( e . g ., echo ), and a uma rx descriptor ( e . g ., codec type , codec acs mode , rtp payload type , packetization time , and / or redundancy count , among others ). the media gateway then sends an add response with , for example , its uma termination id and uma rx descriptor ( e . g ., the ip address , the rtp udp port , and / or other uma rx descriptor parameters ), among others to the mgc ( step 512 ). the mgc then sends a urr activate channel request to the ms with the media gateway &# 39 ; s ip address , rtp udp port , and / or rtp payload type ( step 514 ). in the event of channel assignment failure , the ms then sends a urr activate channel failure response to the mgc ( step 516 ) with , for example , the rr cause value , and the mgc sends a subtract command to the media gateway ( step 518 ). the media gateway then sends a subtract response to the mgc ( step 520 ). fig6 depicts an embodiment of a signaling exchange of a uma traffic channel release procedure between the mgc , the media gateway , and the ms . according to the example shown in fig6 , the mgc sends a subtract command with an egcp statistics descriptor ( empty values ) at the start of the uma traffic channel release procedure ( step 610 ). the mgc may append the statistics descriptor in order to receive the subtract response message with statistics . the media gateway then sends a subtract response with the collected statistics reported in the egcp statistics descriptor ( step 612 ). the media gateway preferably only sends the subtract response if the subtract command has the egcp statistics descriptor . the mgc may then send a urr release request to the ms with an rr cause value ( step 614 ), and the ms may send a urr release complete response ( step 616 ) to the mgc thereby concluding the uma bearer channel release procedure . returning again to fig4 , upon receiving an egcp - add command for a uma termination , the media gateway may expect and accept the following egcp descriptors from the mgc , among others : a local control descriptor , and avdrx descriptor , and a uma descriptor . the local control descriptor may define the stream mode , tapping , and the like . the avdrx descriptor may define echo control , network address translation ( nat ) learning , session description protocol ( sdp ) tunneling , and the like . for the uma application , echo control and jitter buffer fields may be used . the avdrx descriptor may also include a maximum jitter buffer , which maps to an h . 248 network package maximum jitter buffer , for example . the descriptor value may be specified in , for example , milliseconds . if the controlling mgc does not provide this value , the media gateway may use its internal - provisioned jitter buffer value in the voip trunk subgroup object . the media gateway may expect this value to be configured in the controlling mgc database . the uma descriptor may define all the requisite uma receive ( rx ) and transmit ( tx ) control parameters . the media gateway may define uma rx data and tx data components within the uma descriptor in the egcp interface . uma rx data defines local uma termination properties , while uma tx data defines remote uma termination properties . the uma rx and tx descriptors may be defined similarly or identically , possibly with one or more of the following parameters : codec , initial amr rate , ip address , rtp udp port , rtcp udp port , frame redundancy count , threshold window , bad quality threshold , good quality threshold , packetization time , rtp payload type . the initial amr rate may indicate an initial amr rate when a multi - rate amr codec is used . the values may map to an amr frame type . the ip address may indicate the rtp stream &# 39 ; s ip address ( e . g ., ipv4 ) in binary form . the rtp udp port and the rtcp udp port may indicate the rtp stream &# 39 ; s payload rtp udp port and the rtp stream &# 39 ; s rtcp udp port , respectively . for example , if the rtcp udp port is zero ( 0 ) then the rtcp is disabled . the frame redundancy count may have a value selected from a pre - defined frame redundancy count value range , such as values of ‘ 0 ’, ‘ 1 ’, ‘ 2 ’. the media gateway may accept all 3 values . in one embodiment , a frame redundancy count of ‘ 0 ’ indicates no frame redundancy , a frame redundancy count of ‘ 1 ’ indicates single frame redundancy , and a frame redundancy count of ‘ 2 ’ indicates double frame redundancy . the frame redundancy scheme may be defined in , for example , the rfc 3267 . the media gateway may expect this value to be configured in the controlling mgc database . the threshold window may comprise a time interval in , for example , seconds to measure the rtp stream quality . the minimum value may be 5 seconds or another suitable value , and the maximum value may be 60 seconds , for example . the media gateway may expect this value to be configured in the controlling mgc database . the bad quality threshold may comprise a percentage ( e . g ., 0 %- 99 %) of the quality loss . the media gateway may calculate this quality loss by measuring the packet loss , among other manners . when the quality loss is higher than this value , the media gateway may notify the mgc of the bad bearer quality . the mgc may then decide if handover to geran procedure needs to be performed . the media gateway may expect this value to be configured in the controlling mgc database . the good quality threshold may comprise a percentage ( e . g ., 0 %- 99 %) of the quality loss . the media gateway may calculate this quality loss by measuring the packet loss . after the media gateway sends a bad quality notification to the mgc , when the quality loss is lower than this value , the media gateway may notify the mgc of the good bearer quality . the mgc may decide if the handover to geran procedure needs to be cancelled . the good quality threshold value may be less than the bad quality threshold value . the media gateway may expect this value to be configured in the controlling mgc database . the packetization time may comprise a value that may map to a uma sample size information element ( 1 e ) value . the values ‘ 20 ms ’, ‘ 40 ms ’, ‘ 60 ms ’, and ‘ 80 ms ’ are examples which may be defined . the media gateway may expect this value to be configured in the controlling mgc database . if the controlling mgc does not provide this value or provides an invalid value , the media gateway may use its internal - provisioned packetization time in the voip trunk subgroup object . the rtp payload type may comprise a value that may map to a uma payload type information element ( ie ). the uma may use dynamic rtp payload type . a value between 96 and 127 , for example , may be expected and accepted by the media gateway . the media gateway may expect this value to be configured in the controlling mgc database . the media gateway preferably rejects the egcp request under specified scenarios , such as if the controlling mgc passed down unexpected values in the uma descriptor to the media gateway . for a uma termination using a fr - amr codec , the vad function ( e . g ., silence suppression , comfort noise ) may be enabled by default . this results in the amr sid being transmitted periodically , e . g ., every 160 ms , if the media gateway detects silence . upon receiving an egcp - subtract command for a uma termination , e . g ., as indicated at step 610 in fig6 , if the mgc appends an empty egcp - statistics descriptor , then the media gateway may report rtp statistics in the egcp - subtract response as depicted in step 612 . such rtp statistics may be defined according to the h . 248 network package ( nt ) and rtp package ( rtp ), and may include : duration , octets sent , octets received , packets sent , packets received , packet loss , jitter , delay , and / or other statistics . the duration value may comprise a duration , e . g ., in seconds , of the time the uma termination has been in the call . the octets sent and received may comprise respective values that specify the number of octets sent and received via the uma termination . in a similar manner , the packets sent and received values may comprise respective values that specify the number of packets sent and received via the uma termination . the packet loss may comprise the current rate of packet loss on an rtp stream expressed as a percentage value . the jitter value may comprise the current value ( e . g ., in milliseconds ) of the inter - arrival jitter on an rtp stream if rtcp is enabled . otherwise , zero ( 0 ) may be returned for the jitter value . the delay may comprise a current value of packet propagation delay expressed in rtp timestamp units ( e . g ., 125 μs ) if the rtcp is enabled . otherwise , the delay value may be set to zero ( 0 ). even without rtcp enabled , the media gateway may send a rtp stream quality alert to the mgc in order to assist the mgc in making handover decisions . fig7 depicts an embodiment of a signaling exchange of a media gateway quality alert procedure between a controlling mgc , a media gateway and an ms . according to the example shown in fig7 , the media gateway may monitor the uplink rtp media stream during the normal uma voice traffic . if the quality loss threshold is higher than the bad quality threshold , the media gateway may notify the mgc with a “ bad quality alert ” event ( step 710 a ). the mgc then sends a urr uplink quality indication message with a quality indication : “ undetermined problem ” ( step 712 a ) to the ms . this message may trigger the ms to start the handover procedure , e . g ., a handover to a licensed wireless network 120 shown in fig1 or a wireless network 220 a or 220 b shown in fig2 . if the quality loss threshold is lower than the good quality threshold , the media gateway may notify the mgc with a “ good quality alert ” event ( step 710 b ). the mgc then sends a urr uplink quality indication message with a quality indication : “ quality ok ” ( step 712 b ). this message may trigger the ms to cancel a handover procedure . in the event that the quality loss threshold is higher than the bad quality threshold , the ms may initiate a handover procedure , e . g ., in response to receipt of the urr uplink quality indication message with the quality indication “ undetermined problem ” shown in step 712 a . for example , the ms may subsequently send a urr handover required message to the mgc ( step 714 a ), and the mgc may start the handover procedure on the media gateway ( step 716 a ). if the media gateway grants the handover request , the mgc may send a urr handover command message to the ms ( step 718 a ). the media gateway may generate the bad quality alert notification , as indicated in step 710 a , if the rtp stream &# 39 ; s quality loss is higher than the bad quality threshold value specified in the uma rx descriptor in the egcp command . the media gateway may generate the good quality alert notification , as indicated in step 710 b , if the rtp stream quality loss is lower than the good quality threshold value specified in the uma rx descriptor in the egcp command , and the media gateway already sent the bad quality alert notification . for uma terminations , the media gateway may support per - call echo cancellation , possibly using the echo control parameters signaled by the mgc via the egcp call control interface . rfc 3267 defines the rtp payload format for amr and amr - wb codecs . when carrying fr - amr codec information in uma , one or more of the following rfc 3267 rtp framing parameters may be used by the media gateway : octet aligned , no frame crcs , no robust sorting , no frame interleaving , single channel per session , mode - change period , mode - change neighbor , and mode - set . the mode - change period may be set to , for example , ‘ 2 ’ to indicate the mode may change every 2 nd speech frame . with rfc 3267 , the rtp payload begins with a codec mode request ( cmr ) field , followed by a number of table of contents ( toc ) entries , and speech data representing one or more speech frame blocks . in octets aligned mode , the cmr and toc fields are padded to an octet . a frame type index ( ft ) and / or a frame quality indicator ( q ) may also be included . the cmr field may be used for rate adaptation to indicate a codec mode request sent to the speech encoder at the site of the receiver of the payload . for example , the value of the cmr field may be set to the ft index of the corresponding speech mode being requested . in one embodiment , the ft index may be 0 - 7 for fr - amr , and another value ( e . g ., 15 ) may indicate that no mode request is present . in another embodiment , however , the media gateway may not support amr rate adaptation , such as where only one rate is used . the ft index may be used to indicate either the amr or amr - wb speech coding mode or comfort noise ( sid ) mode of the corresponding frame carried in the payload . for example , in the case of amr speech , a value of ft = 7 may indicate that a frame carries amr 12 . 2k samples . the frame quality indicator q may be set to a specific value ( e . g ., zero ) to indicate that the corresponding frame is severely damaged , where q might otherwise retain a different set value ( e . g ., one ) to indicate a good frame . however , in one embodiment , the media gateway may always set the frame quality indicator q to the value corresponding to the “ good frame ” indication when generating the amr over rtp frames , ignore the frame quality indicator q ( whether they indicate bad or good frame quality ), and always decode the amr speech frame . the rfc 3267 payload format also supports forward error correction ( fec ), frame interleaving and / or other means which may , among other purposes , increase robustness against packet loss . however , frame interleaving is not used in the uma network , and in some embodiments the media gateway does not support the frame interleaving redundancy scheme . nonetheless , the media gateway may utilize a scheme of repetition of previously sent data , as required by the uma network and specified in rfc 3267 , to achieve the fec . this may be implemented by retransmission of previously transmitted frame - blocks together with the current frame - block ( s ). this may be performed through using a sliding window to group the speech frame - blocks to send in each payload . fig8 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a sliding window mechanism used to group the speech frame blocks for transmission and retransmission of frame blocks . here , f ( n − 2 ) . . . f ( n + 4 ) denotes a sequence of amr speech frame - blocks 810 a - 810 g and p ( n − 1 ) . . . p ( n + 4 ) denotes a sequence of payload packets 820 a - 820 f . according to the example shown in fig8 , each frame - block is retransmitted once ( single redundancy , n = 1 ) in the following rtp payload packet . for example , frame blocks 810 a - 810 b are included in the payload packet 820 a . frame block 810 b ( along with frame block 810 c ) are then included in the following payload packet 820 b . the use of this approach may not require signaling at the session setup . thus , the speech sender may choose to use this scheme without consulting the receiver . the media gateway dsp receiver may receive multiple copies or versions ( possibly encoded with different modes ) of a frame for a certain timestamp if no packet is lost . in one embodiment , however , only multiple same 12 . 2k amr rate or amr sid speech frames may be received in the same rtp payload . the media gateway may also support the decoding of the rtp payload that utilizes the sliding window fec scheme with zero , single and double ( n = 0 / 1 / 2 ) when receiving the uma rtp payload stream . the sender may be responsible for selecting an appropriate amount of redundancy based on feedback about the rtp stream quality . in one embodiment , the redundancy count may be pre - provisioned in the mgc database , and may be passed down through the egcp interface parameter frame redundancy count . the media gateway may also support the encoding of the rtp payload that utilizes the sliding window fec ( forward error correction ) scheme with zero , single and double ( n = 0 / 1 / 2 ) when sending the uma rtp payload stream . in order to enable downlink quality measurements in the ms , the uma specification requires the media gateway should send at least one rtp frame each 480 ms . in order to enable uplink quality measurements in the media gateway , the uma specification requires the ms to send at least one rtp frame each 480 ms . during active voice transmission , the media gateway may generate the rtp and amr speech frame per the packetization time specified in the egcp interface . in one embodiment , however , only one packetization time may be supported ( e . g ., 20 ms ), such the media gateway may generate the rtp and the amr 12 . 2k speech frame at a single , predetermined rate . if there is no active voice , the media gateway may generate the rtp and the amr sid at a lower predetermined rate , such as every 160 ms ( per fr - amr specification ). an ip differential services ( diffserv ) framework can utilize the ip header type of service ( tos ) bits to support different classes of services ( cos ). cos marking can ensure preferential treatment of voip traffic over other data traffic in an ip network . the media gateway may support the marking of dscp ( diff serv code point ) in the rtp / udp packet . the dscp value may be provisioned through the uma interface on the media gateway . the media gateway may support calls to and from one or more uma interfaces where , for example , the other call legs can be on tdm or uma interfaces supported by the media gateway . transcoding may be performed when , for example , it is required for the interworking between the two call legs , such as between a uma termination and a tdm or any other non - uma terminations in the same call context . thus , transcoding may even be necessary ( or desired ) for uma - to - uma calls . in one embodiment , however , uma - to - uma and nb / iuup - to - uma interworking ( e . g ., calls ) may occur without transcoding . in general , however , at least some embodiments of the media gateway support each of the following handover scenarios : tdm to tdm ; tdm to uma ; uma to tdm ; and uma to uma . the media gateway may also support the ctm ( cellular text modem ) capabilities on a uma termination . existing lawful intercept ( calea ) procedures may also be supported for uma terminations . for example , the intercepted stream may provide pcm samples , for example , after decoding the amr stream . the existing connections that involve uma terminations may be preserved upon a cm hard / soft switchover , an sm hard / soft switchover , an ai hard / soft switchover , a pm hard / soft switchover , and / or a vsm hard / soft switchover . mid - call codec negotiation may also be supported , but may not in other embodiments . in view of all of the above , it should be understood that the present disclosure introduces uma access that inter - works with geran tdm access , including where a media gateway provides handover support between geran access and uma access . the present disclosure also provides for uma access that alternatively or additionally inter - works with nbup over ip trunking features . the foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure . those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and / or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein . those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure , and that they may make various changes , substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure .	7
the following general definitions are provided to better understand the invention : “ alkyl ” refers to a moiety and as a structural element of other groups , for example halo - substituted - alkyl and alkoxy , and may be straight - chained or branched . an optionally substituted alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl as used herein may be optionally halogenated ( e . g ., cf 3 ), or may have one or more carbons that is substituted or replaced with a heteroatom , such as nr , o or s ( e . g ., — och 2 ch 2 o —, alkylthiols , thioalkoxy , alkylamines , etc ). “ aryl ” refers to a monocyclic or fused bicyclic aromatic ring containing carbon atoms . “ arylene ” means a divalent radical derived from an aryl group . for example , an aryl group may be phenyl , indenyl , indanyl , naphthyl , or 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalenyl , which may be optionally substituted in the ortho , meta or para position . “ heteroaryl ” as used herein is as defined for aryl above , where one or more of the ring members is a heteroatom . examples of heteroaryls include but are not limited to pyridyl , pyrazinyl , indolyl , indazolyl , quinoxalinyl , quinolinyl , benzofuranyl , benzopyranyl , benzothiopyranyl , benzo [ 1 , 3 ] dioxole , imidazolyl , benzo - imidazolyl , pyrimidinyl , furanyl , oxazolyl , isoxazolyl , triazolyl , benzotriazolyl , tetrazolyl , pyrazolyl , thienyl , pyrrolyl , isoquinolinyl , purinyl , thiazolyl , tetrazinyl , benzothiazolyl , oxadiazolyl , benzoxadiazolyl , etc . a “ carbocyclic ring ” as used herein refers to a saturated or partially unsaturated , monocyclic , fused bicyclic or bridged polycyclic ring containing carbon atoms , which may optionally be substituted , for example , with ═ o . examples of carbocyclic rings include but are not limited to cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , cyclopropylene , cyclohexanone , etc . a “ heterocyclic ring ” as used herein is as defined for a carbocyclic ring above , wherein one or more ring carbons is a heteroatom . for example , a heterocyclic ring may contain n , o , s , — n ═, — s —, — s ( o ), — s ( o ) 2 —, or — nr — wherein r may be hydrogen , c 1 - 4 alkyl or a protecting group . examples of heterocyclic rings include but are not limited to morpholino , pyrrolidinyl , pyrrolidinyl - 2 - one , piperazinyl , piperidinyl , piperidinylone , 1 , 4 - dioxa - 8 - aza - spiro [ 4 . 5 ] dec - 8 - yl , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydroquinolinyl , etc . heterocyclic rings as used herein may encompass bicyclic amines and bicyclic diamines . “ salts ” ( which , what is meant by “ or salts thereof ” or “ or a salt thereof ”), can be present alone or in mixture with free compound , e . g . the compound of the formula ( i ), and are preferably pharmaceutically acceptable salts . such salts of the compounds of formula ( i ) are formed , for example , as acid addition salts , preferably with organic or inorganic acids , from compounds of formula ( i ) with a basic nitrogen atom . suitable inorganic acids are , for example , halogen acids , such as hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , or phosphoric acid . suitable organic acids are , e . g ., carboxylic acids or sulfonic acids , such as fumaric acid or methansulfonic acid . for isolation or purification purposes it is also possible to use pharmaceutically unacceptable salts , for example picrates or perchlorates . for therapeutic use , only pharmaceutically acceptable salts or free compounds are employed ( where applicable in the form of pharmaceutical preparations ), and these are therefore preferred . in view of the close relationship between the novel compounds in free form and those in the form of their salts , including those salts that can be used as intermediates , for example in the purification or identification of the novel compounds , any reference to the free compounds hereinbefore and hereinafter is to be understood as referring also to the corresponding salts , as appropriate and expedient . the salts of compounds of formula ( i ) are preferably pharmaceutically acceptable salts ; suitable counter - ions forming pharmaceutically acceptable salts are known in the field . “ combination ” refers to either a fixed combination in one dosage unit form , or a non - fixed combination ( or kit of parts ) for the combined administration where a compound of the formula ( i ) and a combination partner ( e . g . another drug as explained below , also referred to as “ therapeutic agent ” or “ co - agent ”) may be administered independently at the same time or separately within time intervals , especially where these time intervals allow that the combination partners show a cooperative , e . g . synergistic effect . the term “ combined administration ” or the like as utilized herein are meant to encompass administration of the selected combination partner to a single subject in need thereof ( e . g . a patient ), and are intended to include treatment regimens in which the agents are not necessarily administered by the same route of administration or at the same time . the term “ fixed combination ” means that the active ingredients , e . g . a compound of formula ( i ) and a combination partner , are both administered to a patient simultaneously in the form of a single entity or dosage . the terms “ non - fixed combination ” or “ kit of parts ” mean that the active ingredients , e . g . a compound of formula ( i ) and a combination partner , are both administered to a patient as separate entities either simultaneously , concurrently or sequentially with no specific time limits , wherein such administration provides therapeutically effective levels of the two compounds in the body of the patient . the latter also applies to cocktail therapy , e . g . the administration of three or more active ingredients . “ treatment ” includes prophylactic ( preventive ) and therapeutic treatment as well as the delay of progression of a disease or disorder . the term “ prophylactic ” means the prevention of the onset or recurrence of diseases involving proliferative diseases . the term “ delay of progression ” as used herein means administration of the combination to patients being in a pre - stage or in an early phase of the proliferative disease to be treated , in which patients for example a pre - form of the corresponding disease is diagnosed or which patients are in a condition , e . g . during a medical treatment or a condition resulting from an accident , under which it is likely that a corresponding disease will develop . “ subject ” is intended to include animals . examples of subjects include mammals , e . g ., humans , dogs , cows , horses , pigs , sheep , goats , cats , mice , rabbits , rats , and transgenic non - human animals . in certain embodiments , the subject is a human , e . g ., a human suffering from , at risk of suffering from , or potentially capable of suffering from a brain tumor disease . particularly preferred , the subject is human . “ pharmaceutical preparation ” or “ pharmaceutical composition ” refer to a mixture or solution containing at least one therapeutic compound to be administered to a mammal , e . g ., a human in order to prevent , treat or control a particular disease or condition affecting the mammal . “ co - administer ”, “ co - administration ” or “ combined administration ” or the like are meant to encompass administration of the selected therapeutic agents to a single patient , and are intended to include treatment regimens in which the agents are not necessarily administered by the same route of administration or at the same time . “ pharmaceutically acceptable ” refers to those compounds , materials , compositions and / or dosage forms , which are , within the scope of sound medical judgment , suitable for contact with the tissues of mammals , especially humans , without excessive toxicity , irritation , allergic response and other problem complications commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio . “ therapeutically effective ” preferably relates to an amount that is therapeutically or in a broader sense also prophylactically effective against the progression of a proliferative disease . “ single pharmaceutical composition ” refers to a single carrier or vehicle formulated to deliver effective amounts of both therapeutic agents to a patient . the single vehicle is designed to deliver an effective amount of each of the agents , along with any pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or excipients . in some embodiments , the vehicle is a tablet , capsule , pill , or a patch . in other embodiments , the vehicle is a solution or a suspension . “ dose range ” refers to an upper and a lower limit of an acceptable variation of the amount of agent specified . typically , a dose of the agent in any amount within the specified range can be administered to patients undergoing treatment . the terms “ about ” or “ approximately ” usually means within 20 %, more preferably within 10 %, and most preferably still within 5 % of a given value or range . alternatively , especially in biological systems , the term “ about ” means within about a log ( i . e ., an order of magnitude ) preferably within a factor of two of a given value . the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical combination comprising ( a ) a compound of formula ( i ), as defined herein , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof ; and ( b ) at least one hsp90 inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . such combination may be for simultaneous , separate or sequential use for the treatment of a proliferative disease . ( a ) the geldanamycin derivative , tanespimycin ( 17 - allylamino - 17 - demethoxygeldanamycin )( also known as kos - 953 and 17 - aag ), which is available from sigma - aldrich co , llc ( st . louis , mo . ), and disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 261 , 989 , dated apr . 14 , 1981 , which is hereby incorporated into the present application by reference , and other geldanamycin - related compounds ; ( b ) radicicol , which is available from sigma - aldrich co , llc ( st . louis , mo . ); ( c ) 6 - chloro - 9 -( 4 - methoxy - 3 , 5 - dimethylpyridin - 2 - ylmethyl )- 9h - purin - 2 - amine methanesulfonate ( also known as cnf2024 )( conforma therapeutics corp . ); ( d ) ipi504 ; ( e ) snx5422 ; ( f ) 5 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phenyl )- 4 -( 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )- isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ), which is disclosed in structure and with the process for its manufacture in pct application no . wo04 / 072051 , published on aug . 26 , 2004 , which is hereby incorporated into the present application by reference ; and ( g ) ( r )- 2 - amino - 7 -[ 4 - fluoro - 2 -( 6 - methyoxy - pyridin - 2 - yl )- phenyl ]- 4 - methyl - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 6h - pyrido [ 4 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 5 - one ( hsp990 ), which is disclosed in structure and with the process for its manufacture in u . s . patent application publication no . 2007 - 0123546 , published on may 31 , 2007 , which is hereby incorporated into the present application by reference ; preferred hsp90 inhibitors for the present invention are 5 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phenyl )- 4 -( 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )- isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ) and ( r )- 2 - amino - 7 -[ 4 - fluoro - 2 -( 6 - methyoxy - pyridin - 2 - yl )- phenyl ]- 4 - methyl - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 6h - pyrido [ 4 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 5 - one ( hsp990 ) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . comprised are likewise the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , the corresponding racemates , diastereoisomers , enantiomers , tautomers , as well as the corresponding crystal modifications of above disclosed compounds where present , e . g . solvates , hydrates and polymorphs , which are disclosed therein . the compounds used as active ingredients in the combinations of the present invention can be prepared and administered as described in the cited documents , respectively . also within the scope of this invention is the combination of more than two separate active ingredients as set forth above , i . e ., a pharmaceutical combination within the scope of this invention could include three active ingredients or more . in one embodiment of the present invention , the pharmaceutical combination comprises the compound of formula ( i ) that is or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and at least one hsp90 inhibitor selected from 5 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phenyl )- 4 -( 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )- isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ), ( r )- 2 - amino - 7 -[ 4 - fluoro - 2 -( 6 - methyoxy - pyridin - 2 - yl )- phenyl ]- 4 - methyl - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 6h - pyrido [ 4 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 5 - one ( hsp990 ), or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . in one embodiment of the present invention , the pharmaceutical combination comprises the compound of formula ( i ) that is 5 - chloro - n2 -( 2 - isopropoxy - 5 - methyl - 4 -( piperidin - 4 - yl ) phenyl )- n4 -[ 2 -( propane - 2 - sulfonyl )- phenyl ]- pyrimidine - 2 , 4 - diamine or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , and at least one hsp90 inhibitor 5 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phenyl )- 4 -( 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )- isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . in one embodiment of the present invention , the pharmaceutical combination comprises the compound of formula ( i ) that is 5 - chloro - n2 -( 2 - isopropoxy - 5 - methyl - 4 -( piperidin - 4 - yl ) phenyl )- n4 -[ 2 -( propane - 2 - sulfonyl )- phenyl ]- pyrimidine - 2 , 4 - diamine ( compound a ) having the following structure or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and the hsp inhibitor is 5 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phenyl )- 4 -( 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )- isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ). in a further embodiment , the compound of formula ( i ) is 5 - chloro - n2 -( 2 - isopropoxy - 5 - methyl - 4 -( piperidin - 4 - yl ) phenyl )- n4 -[ 2 -( propane - 2 - sulfonyl )- phenyl ]- pyrimidine - 2 , 4 - diamine ( compound a ) and the hsp inhibitor is 5 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phenyl )- 4 -( 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )- isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ). it has now been surprisingly found that the combination of a compound of formula ( i ), and at least one hsp90 inhibitor possess beneficial therapeutic properties , which render it particularly useful for the treatment of proliferative diseases , particularly cancer . in one aspect , the present invention provides a pharmaceutical combination comprising ( a ) a compound of formula ( i ), and ( b ) at least one hsp90 inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , for use in the treatment of a proliferative disease , particularly cancer . in one aspect , the present invention provides the use of a pharmaceutical combination comprising a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one hsp90 inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of a proliferative disease . in one aspect , the present invention further relates to a method for treating a proliferative disease in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and at least one hsp90 inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . in accordance with the present invention , the compound of formula ( i ) and the hsp90 inhibitor may be administered either as a single pharmaceutical composition , as separate compositions , or sequentially . preferably , the present invention is useful for the treating a mammal , especially humans , suffering from a proliferative disease such as cancer . to demonstrate that the combination of a compound of formula ( i ) and at least one hsp90 inhibitor is particularly suitable for the effective treatment of proliferative diseases with good therapeutic margin and other advantages , clinical trials can be carried out in a manner known to the skilled person . suitable clinical studies are , e . g ., open label , dose escalation studies in patients with proliferative diseases . such studies prove in particular the synergism of the active ingredients of the combination of the invention . the beneficial effects can be determined directly through the results of these studies which are known as such to a person skilled in the art . such studies are , in particular , suitable to compare the effects of a monotherapy using the active ingredients and a combination of the invention . preferably , the dose of agent ( a ) is escalated until the maximum tolerated dosage is reached , and agent ( b ) is administered with a fixed dose . alternatively , the agent ( a ) is administered in a fixed dose and the dose of agent ( b ) is escalated . each patient receives doses of the agent ( a ) either daily or intermittent . the efficacy of the treatment can be determined in such studies , e . g ., after 12 , 18 or 24 weeks by evaluation of symptom scores every 6 weeks . the administration of a pharmaceutical combination of the invention results not only in a beneficial effect , e . g ., a synergistic therapeutic effect , e . g ., with regard to alleviating , delaying progression of or inhibiting the symptoms , but also in further surprising beneficial effects , e . g ., fewer side effects , an improved quality of life or a decreased morbidity , compared with a monotherapy applying only one of agents ( a ) or agents ( b ) used in the combination of the invention . a further benefit is that lower doses of the active ingredients of the combination of the invention can be used , e . g ., that the dosages need not only often be smaller but are also applied less frequently , which may diminish the incidence or severity of side effects . this is in accordance with the desires and requirements of the patients to be treated . it is one objective of this invention to provide a pharmaceutical composition comprising a quantity , which is jointly therapeutically effective at targeting or preventing proliferative diseases , of each combination partner agent ( a ) and ( b ) of the invention . in one aspect , the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one hsp90 inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . in one embodiment , such pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is for use in the treatment of a proliferative disease . in accordance with the present invention , agent ( a ) and agent ( b ) may be administered together in a single pharmaceutical composition , separately in one combined unit dosage form or in two separate unit dosage forms , or sequentially . the unit dosage form may also be a fixed combination . the pharmaceutical compositions for separate administration of agent ( a ) and agent ( b ) or for the administration in a fixed combination ( i . e ., a single galenical composition comprising at least two combination partners ( a ) and ( b )) according to the invention may be prepared in a manner known per se and are those suitable for enteral , such as oral or rectal , topical , and parenteral administration to subjects , including mammals ( warm - blooded animals ) such as humans , comprising a therapeutically effective amount of at least one pharmacologically active combination partner alone , e . g ., as indicated above , or in combination with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or diluents , especially suitable for enteral or parenteral application . suitable pharmaceutical compositions contain , e . g ., from about 0 . 1 % to about 99 . 9 %, preferably from about 1 % to about 60 %, of the active ingredient ( s ). pharmaceutical compositions for the combination therapy for enteral or parenteral administration are , e . g ., those in unit dosage forms , such as sugar - coated tablets , tablets , capsules or suppositories , ampoules , injectable solutions or injectable suspensions . topical administration is e . g . to the skin or the eye , e . g . in the form of lotions , gels , ointments or creams , or in a nasal or a suppository form . if not indicated otherwise , these are prepared in a manner known per se , e . g ., by means of conventional mixing , granulating , sugar - coating , dissolving or lyophilizing processes . it will be appreciated that the unit content of agent ( a ) or agent ( b ) contained in an individual dose of each dosage form need not in itself constitute an effective amount since the necessary effective amount can be reached by administration of a plurality of dosage units . pharmaceutical compositions may comprise one or more pharmaceutical acceptable carriers or diluents and may be manufactured in conventional manner by mixing one or both combination partners with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable diluents include , but are not limited to , lactose , dextrose , mannitol , and / or glycerol , and / or lubricants and / or polyethylene glycol . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable binders include , but are not limited to , magnesium aluminum silicate , starches , such as corn , wheat or rice starch , gelatin , methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose and / or polyvinylpyrrolidone , and , if desired , pharmaceutically acceptable disintegrators include , but are not limited to , starches , agar , alginic acid or a salt thereof , such as sodium alginate , and / or effervescent mixtures , or adsorbents , dyes , flavorings and sweeteners . it is also possible to use the compounds of the present invention in the form of parenterally administrable compositions or in the form of infusion solutions . the pharmaceutical compositions may be sterilized and / or may comprise excipients , for example preservatives , stabilizers , wetting compounds and / or emulsifiers , solubilisers , salts for regulating the osmotic pressure and / or buffers . in particular , a therapeutically effective amount of each of the combination partner of the combination of the invention may be administered simultaneously or sequentially and in any order , and the components may be administered separately or as a fixed combination . for example , the method of preventing or treating proliferative diseases according to the invention may comprise : ( i ) administration of the first agent ( a ) in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form ; and ( ii ) administration of an agent ( b ) in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form , simultaneously or sequentially in any order , in jointly therapeutically effective amounts , preferably in synergistically effective amounts , e . g ., in daily or intermittently dosages corresponding to the amounts described herein . the individual combination partners of the combination of the invention may be administered separately at different times during the course of therapy or concurrently in divided or single combination forms . furthermore , the term administering also encompasses the use of a pro - drug of a combination partner that convert in vivo to the combination partner as such . the instant invention is therefore to be understood as embracing all such regimens of simultaneous or alternating treatment and the term “ administering ” is to be interpreted accordingly . the effective dosage of each of combination partner agent ( a ) or agent ( b ) employed in the combination of the invention may vary depending on the particular compound or pharmaceutical composition employed , the mode of administration , the condition being treated , the severity of the condition being treated . thus , the dosage regimen of the combination of the invention is selected in accordance with a variety of factors including type , species , age , weight , sex and medical condition of the patient ; the severity of the condition to be treated ; the route of administration ; the renal and hepatic function of the patient ; and the particular compound employed . a physician , clinician or veterinarian of ordinary skill can readily determine and prescribe the effective amount of the drug required to prevent , counter or arrest the progress of the condition . optimal precision in achieving concentration of drug within the range that yields efficacy requires a regimen based on the kinetics of the drug &# 39 ; s availability to target sites . this involves a consideration of the distribution , equilibrium , and elimination of a drug . for purposes of the present invention , a therapeutically effective dose will generally be a total daily dose administered to a host in single or divided doses . the compound of formula ( i ) may be administered to a host in a daily dosage range of , for example , from about 0 . 05 to about 50 mg / kg body weight of the recipient , preferably about 0 . 1 - 25 mg / kg body weight of the recipient , more preferably from about 0 . 5 to 10 mg / kg body weight of the recipient . agent ( b ) may be administered to a host in a daily dosage range of , for example , from about 0 . 001 to 1000 mg / kg body weight of the recipient , preferably from 1 . 0 to 100 mg / kg body weight of the recipient , and most preferably from 1 . 0 to 50 mg / kg body weight of the recipient . dosage unit compositions may contain such amounts of submultiples thereof to make up the daily dose . a further benefit is that lower doses of the active ingredients of the combination of the invention can be used , e . g ., that the dosages need not only often be smaller but are also applied less frequently , or can be used in order to diminish the incidence of side effects . this is in accordance with the desires and requirements of the patients to be treated . the combination of the compound of formula ( i ) and an hsp90 inhibitor can be used alone or combined with at least one other pharmaceutically active compound for use in these pathologies . these active compounds can be combined in the same pharmaceutical preparation or in the form of combined preparations “ kit of parts ” in the sense that the combination partners can be dosed independently or by use of different fixed combinations with distinguished amounts of the combination partners , i . e ., simultaneously or at different time points . the parts of the kit of parts can then , e . g ., be administered simultaneously or chronologically staggered , that is at different time points and with equal or different time intervals for any part of the kit of parts . non - limiting examples of compounds which can be cited for use in combination with the combination of a compound of formula ( i ) and at least one hsp90 inhibitor are cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs , such as anastrozole , doxorubicin hydrochloride , flutamide , dexamethaxone , docetaxel , cisplatin , paclitaxel , etc . further , the combination of a pyrimidylaminobenzamide compound and an hsp90 inhibitor could be combined with other inhibitors of signal transduction or other oncogene - targeted drugs with the expectation that significant synergy would result . the combination of the present invention is particularly useful for the treatment of proliferative diseases . the term “ proliferative disease ” includes , but not restricted to , cancer , tumor , hyperplasia , restenosis , cardiac hypertrophy , immune disorder and inflammation . examples for a proliferative disease the can be treated with the combination of the present invention are for instance cancers , including , for example , sarcoma ; lung ; bronchus ; prostate ; breast ( including sporadic breast cancers and sufferers of cowden disease ); pancreas ; gastrointestinal cancer or gastric ; colon ; rectum ; colorectal adenoma ; thyroid ; liver ; intrahepatic bile duct ; hepatocellular ; adrenal gland ; stomach ; glioma ; glioblastoma ; endometrial ; kidney ; renal pelvis ; urinary bladder ; uterine corpus ; uterine cervix ; vagina ; ovary ; multiple myeloma ; esophagus ; a leukaemia ; acute myelogenous leukemia ; chronic myelogenous leukemia ; lymphocytic leukemia ; myeloid leukemia ; brain ; oral cavity and pharynx ; larynx ; small intestine ; non - hodgkin lymphoma ; melanoma ; villous colon adenoma ; a neoplasia ; a neoplasia of epithelial character ; lymphomas ; a mammary carcinoma ; basal cell carcinoma ; squamous cell carcinoma ; actinic keratosis ; a tumor of the neck or head ; polycythemia vera ; essential thrombocythemia ; myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia ; and walden stroem disease . further examples include , polycythemia vera , essential thrombocythemia , myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia , asthma , copd , ards , loffler &# 39 ; s syndrome , eosinophilic pneumonia , parasitic ( in particular metazoan ) infestation ( including tropical eosinophilia ), bronchopulmonary aspergillosis , polyarteritis nodosa ( including churg - strauss syndrome ), eosinophilic granuloma , eosinophil - related disorders affecting the airways occasioned by drug - reaction , psoriasis , contact dermatitis , atopic dermatitis , alopecia areata , erythema multiforme , dermatitis herpetiformis , scleroderma , vitiligo , hypersensitivity angiitis , urticaria , bullous pemphigoid , lupus erythematosus , pemphisus , epidermolysis bullosa acquisita , autoimmune haematogical disorders ( e . g . haemolytic anaemia , aplastic anaemia , pure red cell anaemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenia ), systemic lupus erythematosus , polychondritis , scleroderma , wegener granulomatosis , dermatomyositis , chronic active hepatitis , myasthenia gravis , steven - johnson syndrome , idiopathic sprue , autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease ( e . g . ulcerative colitis and crohn &# 39 ; s disease ), endocrine opthalmopathy , grave &# 39 ; s disease , sarcoidosis , alveolitis , chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis , multiple sclerosis , primary biliary cirrhosis , uveitis ( anterior and posterior ), interstitial lung fibrosis , psoriatic arthritis , glomerulonephritis , cardiovascular diseases , atherosclerosis , hypertension , deep venous thrombosis , stroke , myocardial infarction , unstable angina , thromboembolism , pulmonary embolism , thrombolytic diseases , acute arterial ischemia , peripheral thrombotic occlusions , and coronary artery disease , reperfusion injuries , retinopathy , such as diabetic retinopathy or hyperbaric oxygen - induced retinopathy , and conditions characterized by elevated intraocular pressure or secretion of ocular aqueous humor , such as glaucoma . in one embodiment , the proliferative disease treated by the combination of the present invention is a cancer that can be beneficially treated by the inhibition of hsp90 and / or alk including , for example , gastric , lung and bronchus ; prostate ; breast ; pancreas ; colon ; rectum ; thyroid ; liver and intrahepatic bile duct ; kidney and renal pelvis ; urinary bladder ; uterine corpus ; uterine cervix ; ovary ; multiple myeloma ; esophagus ; acute myelogenous leukemia ; chronic myelogenous leukemia ; lymphocytic leukemia ; myeloid leukemia ; brain ; oral cavity and pharynx ; larynx ; small intestine ; non - hodgkin lymphoma ; melanoma ; and villous colon adenoma . in one embodiment , the proliferative disease treated by the combination of the present invention is a cancer of the esophagus , gastrointestinal cancer or gastric . where a tumor , a tumor disease , sarcoma , a carcinoma or a cancer are mentioned , also metastasis in the original organ or tissue and / or in any other location are implied alternatively or in addition , whatever the location of the tumor and / or metastasis . the combination of the present invention is particularly useful for the treatment of proliferative diseases , particularly cancers and other malignancies , mediated by anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( alk ). proliferative diseases may include those showing overexpression or amplification of alk , including lymphoma , osteosarcoma , melanoma , or a tumor of breast , renal , prostate , colorectal , thyroid , ovarian , pancreatic , neuronal , lung ( non - small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer ), uterine or gastrointestinal tumor , cancer of the bowel ( colon and rectum ), stomach cancer , cancer of liver , melanoma , bladder tumor , and cancer of head and neck . hematological and neoplastic diseases , for example in anaplastic large - cell lymphoma ( alcl ) and non - hodgkin &# 39 ; s lymphomas ( nhl ), specifically in alk + nhl or alkomas in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors ( imt ) and neuroblastomas . in one embodiment , the present invention relates to a method for treating a proliferative disorder comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula ( i ) and at least one hsp90 inhibitor selected from the geldanamycin derivative , tanespimycin ( 17 - allylamino - 17 - demethoxygeldanamycin ) ( also known as kos - 953 and 17 - aag ); radicicol ; 6 - chloro - 9 -( 4 - methoxy - 3 , 5 - dimethylpyridin - 2 - ylmethyl )- 9h - purin - 2 - amine methanesulfonate ( also known as cnf2024 ); ipi504 ; snx5422 ; 5 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phenyl )- 4 -( 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )- isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ); and ( r )- 2 - amino - 7 -[ 4 - fluoro - 2 -( 6 - methyoxy - pyridin - 2 - yl )- phenyl ]- 4 - methyl - 7 , 8 - dihydro - 6h - pyrido [ 4 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 5 - one ( hsp990 ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . the present invention further relates to a kit comprising a compound of formula ( i ), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and at least one hsp90 inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a package insert or other labeling including directions for treating a proliferative disease . the present invention further relates to a kit comprising a compound of formula ( i ), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a package insert or other labeling including directions for treating a proliferative disease by co - administering at least one hsp90 inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . antitumor effect of 5 -{ 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phersys )- 4 -{ 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )˜ isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ) and 5 - chloro - n2 -( 2 - isopropoxy - 5 - methyl - 4 -( piperidin - 4 - yl ) phenyl )- n4 -[ 2 -( propane - 2 - sulfonyl )- phenyl ]- pyrimidine - 2 , 4 - diamine ( compound a ) in the human lung primary tumor xenograft model hlux1787 the subcutaneous human lung primary tumor xenograft model hlux1787 harbors an eml4 - alk variant 2 translocation and has high levels of phospho - cmet . the primary tumor sample hlux - 1787 is a human primary tumor xenograft that is obtained from oncology research at novartis institute for biomedical research at cambridge , mass . the xenograft model was established by direct subcutaneous ( sc ) implantation of minced surgical material into the subcutaneous area of nude adult female mice . the tumors were then serially passaged in mice to enable studies in this report . hlux - 1787 primary tumors were harvested and cut into 3 × 3 × 3 mm 3 size and implanted into nude mice . the tumors reached approximately 200 mm 3 at 24 - 27 days post implantation . on day 24 ( trp - 0318 ) or day 27 ( trp - 0335 ), tumors were measured and mice were randomized into treatment groups based on tumor volume . compound a was dissolved in 0 . 5 % mc / 0 . 5 % tween 80 . it is stable for at least one week at room temperature . the dosing volume was 10 ml / kg . auy922 ( mesylate salt ) was dissolved in 5 % dextrose in water ( d5w ), and prepared fresh before dosing . it was administered at 60 . 5 mg / kg ( equivalent to 50 mg / kg free base ), iv , twice a week ( 2qw ) or once a week ( qw ). the designs for study trp0318 and trp0335 are summarized in tables 1 - 1 and 1 - 2 . treatment dose was body weight adjusted . tumor dimensions and body weights were collected at the time of randomization and twice weekly thereafter for the study duration . the following data were provided after each day of data collection : incidence of mortality , individual and group average body weight , and individual and group average tumor volume . table 1 - 1 dose and schedule for study trp0318 number treatment dose schedule of mice d5w 5 ml / kg 2qw iv 4 0 . 5 % mc / 10 ml / kg qd po 0 . 5 % tween 80 compound a 10 mg / kg qd , po 4 auy922 50 mg / kg 2qw , iv 4 compound a 10 mg / kg qd , po 4 auy922 50 mg / kg 2qw , iv for study trp0318 , treatments were initiated on day 27 following tumor fragment implantation , when the average tumor volume was 240 mm 3 . treatments continued for 20 days . for study trp0335 , treatments were initiated on day 24 following tumor fragment implantation , when the average tumor volume was 240 mm 3 . treatments continued for 13 days . the % change in body weight was calculated as ( bw current − bw initial )/( bw initial )× 100 %. data is presented as percent body weight change from the day of treatment initiation . t = mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on the final day of the study ; δt = mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on the final day of the study — mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on initial day of dosing ; t initial = mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on initial day of dosing ; c = mean tumor volume of the control group on the final day of the study ; and δc = mean tumor volume of the control group on the final day of the study — mean tumor volume of the control group on initial day of dosing . tumor volume and percent body weight change were expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean ( sem ). plasma concentration of compound was expressed as mean ± standard deviation . delta tumor volume was used for statistical analysis . between group comparisons were carried out using the one way analysis of variance ( anova ) followed by a post hoc tukey test . for all statistical evaluations , the level of significance was set at p & lt ; 0 . 05 . significance compared to the vehicle control group is reported unless otherwise stated . the initial mean body weight and percentage of body weight change at termination are summarized in table 1 - 3 and shown in fig1 and 2 ( trp - 0318 ), and summarized in table 1 - 4 ( trp - 0335 ) and shown in fig3 and 4 . in trp - 0318 , compound a was well tolerated at 10 mg / kg , with percent body weight change as 3 . 5 %. the percent body weight change for the vehicle - treated group was 4 . 1 % and the auy922 50 mg / kg treated group was − 6 . 8 %. compound a at 10 mg / kg in combination of auy922 at 50 mg / kg twice a week resulted in − 5 . 2 % body weight losses . similarly , in trp - 0335 , compound a was well tolerated at 25 mg / kg with 3 . 0 % body weight change , compared to vehicle - treated group with 1 . 5 % body weight change , and auy922 50 mg / kg once a week and twice a week treated group exhibit 5 . 0 % and − 2 . 2 % body weight changes respectively . compound a at 25 mg / kg in combination with auy922 at 50 mg / kg once a week or auy922 at 50 mg / kg twice a week , were also tolerated well with mean body weight change at 1 . 1 % and − 0 . 1 % respectively . tumor growth and percent t / c are summarized in table 1 - 5 ( trp - 0318 ) and table 1 - 6 ( trp - 0335 ) and illustrated in fig1 and 2 ( trp - 0318 ) to fig3 and 4 ( trp - 0335 ). * p & lt ; 0 . 05 compared to vehicle by one way anova post hoc tukey test . * p & lt ; 0 . 05 compared to vehicle by one way anova post hoc tukey test . ** p & lt ; 0 . 001 compared to vehicle by one way anova post hoc tukey test . in trp - 0318 , compound a at 10 mg / kg produced statistically non - significant anti - tumor effects with t / c 50 . 9 %. auy922 at 50 mg / kg resulted in t / c 19 . 2 % ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs vehicle treated group ), compound a at 10 mg / kg in combination of auy922 at 50 mg / kg twice a week resulted in tumor stasis with t / t0 − 6 . 8 % ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs vehicle treated group ) ( see table 1 - 5 , fig1 ). in trp - 0335 , compound a at 25 mg / kg resulted in statistically non - significant effects with t / c 45 . 3 %. auy922 at 50 mg / kg once a week and twice a week resulted in t / c 19 . 3 % and 20 . 0 %, respectively ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs vehicle treated group ). compound a at 25 mg / kg in combination of auy922 at 50 mg / kg once a week resulted in t / c 16 . 0 % ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs vehicle treated group ); compound a at 25 mg / kg in combination of auy922 at 50 mg / kg twice a week resulted in tumor regression with t / t0 − 34 % ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 vs vehicle - treated group ) ( see table 1 - 6 , fig3 ). in the hlux1787 model , compound a at 10 mg / kg and 25 mg / kg yielded 50 . 9 % t / c and 45 . 3 % t / c respectively ; auy922 at 50 mg / kg ( free base ) twice weekly resulted in 20 % t / c ; combinations of compound a at 10 mg / kg or 25 mg / kg with auy922 at 50 mg / kg resulted in tumor stasis ( t / t0 : − 6 . 8 %) and tumor regression ( t / t0 : − 34 %) respectively . increased antitumor effect was observed in the hlux - 1787 model when compound a and the hsp90 inhibitor auy922 were combined . the combination of compound a with auy922 is more potent than either single agent in a lung cancer model which harbors eml4 - alk variant 2 translocation . antitumor effect of 5 -{ 2 , 4 - dihydroxy - 5 - isopropyl - phersys )- 4 -{ 4 - morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - phenyl )˜ isoxazole - 3 - carboxylic acid ethylamide ( auy922 ) and 5 - chloro - n2 -( 2 - isopropoxy - 5 - methyl - 4 -( piperidin - 4 - yl ) phenyl )- n4 -[ 2 -( propane - 2 - sulfonyl )- phenyl ]- pyrimidine - 2 , 4 - diamine ( compound a ) in the human lung primary tumor xenograft model luf1656 the subcutaneous human lung primary tumor xenograft model luf1656 harbors an eml4 - alk variant 1 translocation and has high levels of egfr expression . egfr , cmet and other rtk signaling pathways are also likely to be activated in these models . tumor fragments from stock mice inoculated with selected primary human lung cancer ( luf1656 ) were harvested and used for inoculation into nu / nu mice . each mouse was inoculated subcutaneously at the right flank with one tumor fragment ( 3 × 3 × 3 mm 3 ) for tumor development . the treatments were started when mean tumor size reached approximately 140 mm 3 ( range 86 . 8 - 245 mm 3 ). the test articles administration and the animal numbers in each group are shown in the experiment design table 2 - 1 . the major endpoint was to see if the tumor growth can be delayed or tumor bearing mice can be cured . tumor size was measured twice weekly in two dimensions using a caliper , and the volume was expressed in mm 3 using the formula : v = 0 . 5a × b 2 where a and b are the long and short diameters of the tumor , respectively . the tumor size was then used for calculations of both t - c and t / c values . t - c was calculated with t as the time ( in days ) required for the mean tumor size of the treatment group to reach a predetermined size ( e . g ., 400 mm 3 ), and c was the time ( in days ) for the mean tumor size of the control group to reach the same size . percent treatment / control ( t / c ) values were calculated using the following formula : t = mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on the final day of the study ; δt = mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on the final day of the study — mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on initial day of dosing ; t initiai = mean tumor volume of the drug - treated group on initial day of dosing ; c = mean tumor volume of the control group on the final day of the study ; and δc = mean tumor volume of the control group on the final day of the study — mean tumor volume of the control group on initial day of dosing . summary statistics , including mean and the standard error of the mean ( sem ), are provided for the tumor volume of each group at each time point . statistical analysis of difference in tumor volume among the groups was conducted using a one - way anova followed by multiple comparisons using tukey hsd . log transformation was performed for homogeneity of variances when necessary . all data were analyzed using spss ( statistical package for the social sciences or statistical product and service solutions ) 16 . 0 . p & lt ; 0 . 05 was considered to be statistically significant . the standard protocols used in pharmacology studies are not pre - powered to demonstrate statistically significant superiority of a combination over the respective single agent treatment . the statistical power is often limited by potent single agent response and / or model variability . the p - values for combination vs single agent treatments are , however , provided . the results of the body weight changes in the tumor bearing mice are shown in fig5 and fig6 . the tumor sizes of the different groups at different time points are shown in table 2 - 3 and table 2 - 4 . tumor sizes in the different treatment groups ( treatment phase , n = 8 ) * p & lt ; 0 . 05 , p & lt ; 0 . 01 , * p & lt ; 0 . 001 , compared with the vehicle control . tumor sizes in the different treatment groups ( re - growth phase , n = 4 ) antitumor activity of compound a as a single agent and in the tumor growth curves of different groups are shown in fig7 and 8 . in this efficacy study , the therapeutic efficacy of compound a as a single agent and in combination with auy922 in the treatment of subcutaneous primary human lung cancer luf1656 xenograft model in nu / nu mice was evaluated . the results of tumor size in different groups at different time points after treatment are shown in the tables 2 - 3 and 2 - 4 and in fig7 and 8 . treatment with compound a as a single agent at 25 mg / kg ( po , qd × 22 days ) showed moderate antitumor activity ( t / c value = 35 . 1 % on day 21 after treatment ) ( p & gt ; 0 . 05 when compared to vehicle ). treatment with compound a as a single agent at 50 and 100 mg / kg ( po , qd × 22 days ) exhibited significant antitumor activity from day 11 to day 21 and day 7 to day 21 after treatment compared with vehicle control ( t / c value = 10 . 9 %, p & lt ; 0 . 01 , at day 21 after treatment of 50 mg / kg compound a treatment group ; and t / c value = 1 . 9 %, p & lt ; 0 . 001 , at day 21 after treatment of 100 mg / kg compound a treatment group ). treatment with auy922 as a single agent at 50 mg / kg ( iv , 2qw × 3 wks ) showed moderate antitumor activity ( t / c value = 38 . 7 % at day 21 after treatment when compared to vehicle ). treatment with 25 mg / kg compound a ( po , qd × 22 days ) plus 50 mg / kg auy922 ( iv , 2qw × 3 wks ) showed significant antitumor activity from day 7 to day 21 after treatment when compared to vehicle control ( t / c value = 11 . 4 %, p & lt ; 0 . 01 , at day 21 after treatment ). the antitumor activity of the combination treatment ( 25 mg / kg compound a + 50 mg / kg auy922 ) was better than that of each monotherapy . based on the body weight data as shown in fig5 and 6 , the test articles compound a at dose levels of 25 , 50 and 100 mg / kg , auy922 at 50 mg / kg and combination of 25 mg / kg compound a with 50 mg / kg auy922 were all tolerated by the primary human lung cancer luf1656 tumor - bearing mice in this study . in summary , the test article compound a at 50 and 100 mg / kg as single agent and 25 mg / kg compound a in combination with 50 mg / kg auy922 all demonstrated statistically significant antitumor activity against the primary human lung cancer luf1656 xenograft model . combination of compound a and auy922 produced increased anti - tumor activity compared to the corresponding monotherapies .	0
referring to fig1 and 4 , the diverter valve , generally 10 , is shown in conjunction with a faucet , generally 12 , having a housing 14 with a cavity 15 . there are hot and cold water passages 16 and 17 in the housing 14 to supply hot and cold water to the cavity 15 such as by the cold water pipe 18 . a cartridge valve 23 is seated in the cavity 15 and retained therein by the mounting nut 25 over which is placed the bonnet 26 . valve 23 is of the ceramic disk type having a stationary disk with hot and cold water passages extending therethrough and a movable disk operable by the stem 28 . stem 28 is connected to a handle 31 such as by the screw 27 . water flows from the valve 23 through the outlet orifice 30 and into outlet passage 29 where it enters a second and non - coaxial junction passage 33 in the valve housing 14 . a valve sleeve 19 surrounds the valve body 14 and is sealed thereto by o - rings 20 and seals 21 and 22 . referring to fig2 - 5 , it is seen that junction passage 33 joins with a first outlet branch 35 and a second outlet branch 36 . the diverter valve 10 is placed in the cavity 33 and has a sleeve 38 sealably engaged in the first branch 35 by the o - ring 47 . the diverter valve 10 is held in position in housing 14 by the valve sleeve 19 and the projections 38a extending from sleeve 38 for retentive contact with an inwardly extending wall portion 19a . this retention is also aided by the frictional protrusions 28b on the sleeve 38 . a poppet type valve member 42 has opposing piston heads 43 and 45 with head 43 having a seal member 44 connected thereto such as by the cap 41 frictionally engaged over the enlarged head 39 . as shown specifically in fig3 the seal member 44 is in sealing engagement with a valve seat 55 in the sleeve 38 , adjacent the passage 40 . valve member 42 has a neck portion 48 which connects the opposing piston heads 43 and 45 . guide flanges 52 extend from the neck portion 48 to provide a guide surface for the neck portion 48 in the sleeve 38 . the sleeve 38 has a waist or reduced diameter portion 53 with opposing openings 32 and 46 which allows water to enter inside the sleeve 38 . a seal member 51 is connected to the piston head 45 by the connector cap 58 . it has a lip 59 for sealable engagement in the second outlet branch 36 . a tapering wall 56 extends between wall 54 and the second outlet branch 36 . fig5 shows the diverter valve in a spout open condition with water flowing from cartridge valve 23 . in this instance the spray nozzle 57 is attached to a spray outlet line 66 communicating with the second outlet branch 36 by the passage 65 as seen in fig4 . the spray nozzle 57 would be closed . water pressure builds in the cavity 33 , thus forcing the valve member 42 to move to the right as viewed in fig5 and thereby moves the seal member 44 away from the valve seat 55 and allows the flow of water to pass in the direction of the flow arrows . water flows around the piston seal 44 from the sleeve 38 , into a passage 60 in the valve body 14 and to the opposite side where , as seen in fig1 it flows through the aperture 62 and ultimately into the spout 64 extending from sleeve 19 . in the instance where the spray nozzle 57 would be in an open condition , water flows through the spray outlet line 66 . this condition would cause the valve member 42 to move to the left as viewed in fig3 thus closing the pathway , including passage 40 , through the sleeve 38 as the seal member 44 now sealably engages the valve seat 55 . however , water is free to flow around the outside of piston head 45 and seal 51 . this is effected by an inward deflection of the lip 59 as fluid flows from cavity 33 to passage 65 when the valve 10 is in a spray open condition . diverter valve 10 offers the advantage of an antisiphonage feature . this is effected by the seal 51 with lip 59 . back flow from spray nozzle 57 is prevented should it be left in dirty water and there is a loss of pressure in the water supply passages 16 and 17 . an important feature of the invention is the sealing effected by seal 51 and lip 59 engaging the branch line 36 and the additional sealing effected by the abutment of the piston head 45 with the seat 61 of the sleeve 38 . this serves as an additional closure . it will therefore be appreciated that a diverter 10 is provided wherein a complete shut off of water is effected to the spout while the spray nozzle function is taking place . this is effected by the movement of the piston head 43 and the seal member 44 against the valve seat 55 in response to the fluid pressure on the larger piston head 45 . in addition , there is an ease of assembly in that the valve member 42 is quickly assembled into the sleeve 38 and guide flanges 52 into the bore of the sleeve 38 . the valve seal member 44 is then passed over the enlarged head 39 and the cap 41 secured thereon . this then captures the valve member 42 in the sleeve 38 . similarly seal member 51 is passed over enlarged piston head 45 and cap 58 secured thereon . still another feature of the diverter valve 10 is the simplified construction . it is composed of three rather simple injection molded pieces 42 and 38 with two elastomer seals 44 and 51 , an o - ring 47 and caps 41 and 58 . yet another feature of the valve of this invention is the design of the diverter in that it is easily placed into a faucet housing either manually or by an automatic assembly . thus , the invention provides an improved diverter member . while a preferred embodiment has been described above , it should be readily appreciated to those skilled in the art , that a number of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , while cap seal 51 has been shown as attached to valve member 42 by cap 58 it could be retained thereon by other fastening means such as a screw . seal member 44 could be retained in a similar manner . further , while a cup seal 51 has been described with a lip 59 in conjunction with piston head 45 , the seal 51 could have other geometric configurations . also , the specific materials mentioned are not the only materials which can be used . all such and other modifications within the spirit of the invention are meant to be in the scope thereof .	8
the balance toy is depicted generally in fig1 of the drawings . balance toy 10 is shown in a perspective view having a rounded bottom 12 and a rounded top 14 . central axis a is shown passing through the center of balance toy 10 and is shown vertically oriented with respect to table top 16 . central axis a has located therearound multiple , moveable rings 18 the balance toy 10 is shown with circular level 22 , also called bubble level 22 . fig2 shows in more detail the arrangement of rings 18 around central axis a . rings 18 range from ring 18a through ring 18g , each ring showing a progressively narrower diameter from 18a through 18g . in fig2 rounded bottom 12 has centrally located second rounded bottom 20 located in line with central axis a . rings 18a through 18g are centrally located around axis a . each ring 18 is moveable axially about axis a independent of each other ring 18 . fig3 shows in more detail the bubble level 22 having an air bubble 24 therein and balance indicator 26 . bubble level 22 is preferrably a transparent , plastic container filled with water or some other liquid . in the level 22 shown in fig3 the container is circular and has a circle inscribed on the top thereof . this inscribed circle has been identified above as balance indicator 26 . a small portion of the container is left unfilled , thus forming the air bubble 24 . when the bubble level is perfectly level the air bubble 24 will position itself in the center of the level 22 . since bubble balance indicator 26 is a circle drawn around the exact center point of bubble level 22 , when balance toy 10 is perfectly balanced , the bubble 24 will be within the circle of balance indicator 26 . this will indicate that the balance toy 10 is precisely balanced . balancing the toy 10 such that the bubble 24 is within the balance indicator 26 is the object of the toy in this embodiment . it should be noted that balance indicator 26 need not be circular in shape . it could take on a variety of forms , each one designed to indicate that the air bubble 24 is directly over the central axis a . fig3 illustrates in more detail the ascending and reducing diameter of each ring 18 from the bottom most ring 18a to the top most ring 18g . in the fig1 through 3 generally , there is no indication of the position of the weighted area of each ring . however , in fig1 weight indicators 46 could be added to the rings 18 , ( shown here on only two rings ) indicating the location of each weight in each ring . this would help the user balance the toy since the location of each weight in each ring would be known . as a further variant , less than all of the rings 18 could have weight indicators 46 thereon , to give some assistance to the user in balancing the toy 10 , but also maintaining an element of the unknown with respect to the unmarked rings . fig4 shows in a partial section view the structure of rings 18a through 18g taken along line 4 -- 4 of fig3 . also , fig4 shows in detail the assembled balance toy 10 with its interior component parts . in fig4 it is seen that each ring 18 has opening 28 placed towards the outermost portion of the ring . in each opening 28 is placed a weight 30 . each ring 18 is arranged around rod 32 which provides the connection means for each ring and the means about which each ring is rotated around central axis a . to provide ready movement of one ring with respect to the other , each ring has therebetween washer 34 . it should be noted that in one embodiment , when assembled , the weights 30 are not visible to the user of the toy 10 . each ring 18 carries a weight 30 in one position only . thus , when each ring 18 is rotated with respect to the other rings the weights 30 may be distributed unevenly around central axis a . this causes balance toy 10 to become unstable and to tilt towards the direction of the greatest combination of weights 30 due to the rounded second bottom portion 20 . of course , when the toy 10 is out of balance the bubble 24 of circular level 22 will be outside of the balance indicator 26 , indicating that the toy 10 is out of balance . as the various rings 18 are manipulated with respect to each other and the weights 30 redistributed about central axis a , the bubble 24 will indicate a new reading on the balance indicator 26 . each ring 18 is arranged about rod 32 such that there is a close fit as shown in fig4 . inner portion 36 of each ring 18 lies snuggly against the cylindrical rod 32 . not only does this provide a close fit as mentioned above , it also prevents the rings 18 from turning independent of one another unless they are actually manipulated by the user . it should be noted that fig4 is shown with no weight 30 deposited in ring 18a . since ring 18a is shown integrally connected to rounded bottom 12 and second rounded bottom 20 , one design choice would feature the elimination of a weight in this area . this will reduce manufacturing costs and assembly costs of the balance toy 10 . however , if so desired , a greater degree of variability and unpredictability can be given to the toy 10 by adding a weight 30 and an opening 28 to ring 18a . likewise , ring 18g at the top of balance toy 10 is shown in fig4 without a corresponding weight 30 or opening 28 . again , by eliminating the opening 28 and weight 30 in this area , manufacture and assembly costs are minimized . however , if a greater degree of skill to balance the toy is desired , a weight 30 and opening 28 could be added to ring 18g to increase the difficulty in balancing the toy 10 . it should be appreciated from reviewing the cut - away section of fig4 that the fewer the number of weights , the easier it will be to balance the toy 10 by manipulating the rings 18 that contain the weights 30 . in the embodiment disclosed there are five weights in five of the seven rings 18 . the lower rings 18b and 18c are disposed a greater distance from central axis a . the movement of the rings 18b and 18c will produce a greater effect on the balancing of toy 10 than the manipulation of the rings 18e and 18f , since these rings are located a lesser distance from the central axis a . thus , a fine tuning effect is developed by the location of the weights 30 in a vertical orientation with respect to axis a . the greater the distance of the weight 30 located on the ring 18 from central axis a , the greater the effect in balancing the toy 10 from minor movements of those rings . the lesser the distance of the weight 30 from the central axis a the more minute the effect of the rotation of the ring 18 containing that weight 30 . the toy 10 can be fine tuned by generally locating the bubble 24 with respect to the balance indicator 26 and then attempting to move the bubble 24 into the balance indicator 26 by turning the upper rings of the toy . obviously , when the toy 10 is severely out of balance , such a condition will be apparent to the user without looking at the balance indicator 26 . in such a state the toy 10 will severly tilt to one side . it is when the toy 10 is slightly out of balance that the balance indicator 26 becomes important and the position of bubble 24 with respect to the balance indicator 26 is observed . as the toy 10 gets closer to being precisely balanced the user keeps track of the positions of the bubble 24 with respect to the balance indicator 26 . once the bubble 24 is located in the center of the balance indicator 26 , when the toy is at rest , the toy will be balanced . in balancing the toy 10 the rings are manipulated by rotating them with respect to one another . the toy is then held in a balanced position and released . the toy will wobble until it stablizes . when it stablizes it will either be out of balance or in balance . if it is out of balance the rings 18 are then manipulated again to attempt to balance the toy 10 . as can be appreciated , there are an infinite number of arrangements of the weighted rings 18 possible to balance toy 10 . fig5 shows an exploded view of the elements of balance toy 10 . in this view it is seen that rod 32 is placed into rod receiving portion 40 of ring 18a . over rod 32 is placed the first washer 34 which rests against rod receiving portion 40 of ring 18a . rod receiving portion 40 has an opening therein to securely and snugly receive rod 32 . rod 32 may be fixed within portion 40 by a glue or other sealant . rod receiving portion 40 has a flat face 42 against which washer 34 rests . ring 18b is then placed over rod 32 and washer 34 such that the outer end of ring 18b meets with the outer surface of ring 18a . weight 30 is placed in opening 28 in ring 18b , a second washer 34 is then placed over rod 32 and adjacent the top side of ring 18b . ring 18c is placed over rod 32 and adjacent the second washer 34 . weight 30 is placed in opening 28 of ring 18c and a third washer 34 is then placed over rod 32 and adjacent the top side of ring 18c . ring 18d is placed over rod 32 such that it is adjacent the top side of ring 18c and the third washer 34 . another weight 30 is placed in opening 28 of ring 18d and a fourth washer 34 is placed thereover . ring 18e is placed over rod 32 and adjacent the fourth washer and ring 18d . weight 30 is placed in opening 28 of ring 18e and a fifth washer 34 is placed over rod 32 and adjacent the top side of ring 18e . ring 18f is then placed over rod 32 and adjacent ring 18e and the fifth washer 34 . weight 30 is placed in opening 28 of ring 18f and a sixth washer 34 is placed over rod 32 and adjacent the top side of ring 18f . ring 18g is then secured on rod 32 , adjacent the top side of ring 18f and the sixth washer 34 . again , a glue or other sealant may be used to fix ring 18g to rod 32 . bubble level 22 is fixed in opening 38 of ring 18g such that central axis a passes through the exact center portion of the balance indicator 26 of bubble level 22 . bubble level 22 can be glued into opening 38 or opening 38 can be designed such that a friction fit between the bubble level 22 and the opening 38 is achieved . it should be noted that by placing the rings 18 on top of each other , weights 30 are effectively sealed in openings 28 and may not be dislodged . washers 34 facilitate the movement of the rings 18 independent of one another about cylindrical rod 32 . the invention is not limited to the particular details of assembly and structure as above disclosed . other modifications and applications may be contemplated and other objects and advantages may be realized without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention herein claimed . for example , the number of rings 18 may be increased or decreased depending on the degree of complexity desired in balancing the toy 10 . it should be realized that the greater the number of weighted rings 18 the more difficult it will be to balance the toy 10 . also , the distance of the weights 30 from the axis a on a particular ring 18 will determine the effect moving that ring with respect to the other rings will have on the overall balance of the toy . also , it would be possible to add multiple weights to a given ring 18 spaced unevenly thereon . by so doing it would complicate the balancing of the toy . further , the amount of weight in each ring , can be varied to increase the difficulty in balancing the toy . in addition , as indicated earlier , markings could be added to the outside of each ring to indicate the location of the weight 30 in the ring to help the user in remembering where one ring was with respect to the other rings prior to the next subsequent movement of the rings . also , different means for determining whether the toy is precisely level or balanced could be used other than the circular bubble level . similarly , different means could be used to cause the toy to tilt and wobble rather than the rounded bottom as disclosed herein . it is intended therefore that the subject matter in the above disclosure shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	0
fig3 shows the phase diagram of co 2 in sea water as a function of the pressure and the temperature . the phase limit between hydrate and liquid co 2 applies for pure co 2 hydrate having the lattice type i and for sea water having a salt content of 35 % by weight . the critical co 2 point is at 7 . 4 mpa and 31 . 48 ° c . at higher temperatures and pressures , co 2 is transferred into the so - called supercritical phase . the special thing about this phase is that there are no abrupt transitions and energy barriers between the gaseous and liquid state ; it can no longer be discriminated between the gas and liquid phases . supercritical co 2 is different from liquid or gaseous co 2 . it consists of co 2 clusters that are interconnected only loosely . it exhibits very special attributes that are particularly favourable for producing natural gas from hydrates . supercritical co 2 reacts very willingly and fast with the methane hydrates since the methane hydrates are broken down both thermally and chemically . at temperatures above 31 . 48 ° c ., the methane hydrates are unstable and are thus melted by the supercritical co 2 . the thermal break down of the methane hydrate takes place at a much higher speed than the slow exchange of gas molecules , while the hydrate structure is being maintained . at the same time , the water cages are attacked by the chemical reaction with the co 2 clusters and broken down . because of the thermal and chemical energies that act simultaneously , the release of natural gas from methane hydrate with supercritical co 2 takes place faster than with liquid or gaseous co 2 or with warm water of the same temperature . the injected super critical co 2 fluid exhibits a low viscosity and a high mobility . therefore the heat can propagate fast in the subsoil by fast convection of the low - viscous supercritical co 2 in the pore space so that the methane hydrates are melted in a large area around the injection borehole . due to the flow properties of supercritical co 2 , the inventive release of natural gas from methane hydrate proceeds considerably more effectively than when warm water of the same temperature is used , since at the same temperature , supercritical co 2 has a markedly lower viscosity and higher propagation speed than warm water . an additional advantage of the method that has been proposed lies in the fact that no or only little co 2 hydrate is produced in the vicinity of the injection borehole on account of the local temperature increase , thus avoiding a clogging of the feed pipes and the pore space . in the method that has been proposed , furthermore the pore space and the remaining formation water are saturated with co 2 so that the reverse reaction , i . e . the formation of methane hydrate from the natural gas that has been released , is avoided . using the method that has been proposed , natural gas production rates can be achieved that are attractive economically . in this way , further methods for breaking down the methane hydrates , such as the injection of warm water , lowering the pressure , or adding chemical substances , can be dispensed with . the supercritical co 2 remains in the subsoil . it will cool down slowly over the course of time and finally convert into co 2 hydrate . according to the invention , the methane hydrate is initially melted and decomposed , the co 2 hydrate is formed at a later point in time , after the production of natural gas has been terminated partially or completely and the heat has left the reservoir by conduction . the method can be realised in different variants . for example it is possible to introduce the supercritical co 2 into the deposit using a separate injection borehole . for this purpose , the borehole has to be insulated thermally , such as by using thermally insulated pipes , to minimise the heat loss between the drilling platform and the deposit . the methane gas that has been released can be extracted via a separate borehole . it is also possible to carry out the co 2 injection and the natural gas extraction by one and the same borehole . furthermore , also horizontal drilling can be carried out or hydro fracturing methods can be used to increase the permeability of the hydrate - containing sediment layers .	4
fig1 shows a d . c . power supply unit which comprises a rectifier 10 having an input i / p for connection to an alternating current mains supply of 230 volts . the output of the rectifier is coupled via supply lines 11 and 12 to a circuit 13 which is to be powered therefrom . the circuit 13 has a capacitor c1 connected in parallel with its input , but this capacitance is of small value and inadequate to protect the circuit from substantial voltage fluctuations due to transients . a transient protection circuit is formed by a series arrangement of a diode d1 and a capacitor c2 connected in series between the lines 11 and 12 . a resistor r2 is connected in parallel with the capacitor c2 and a resistor r1 is connected in series with one of the input lines to the rectifier 10 . it will be seen that the diode d1 is forward biased when the mains is connected so that an initial charging current is fed therethrough to the capacitor c2 , whereupon the diode becomes non - conductive . accordingly , c2 does not constitute a permanent load on the supply lines and is indirectly connected thereto . when capacitor c2 is charged and under normal voltage supply conditions , the effective capacitive load across the supply line is small , constituted only by c1 . however , when a transient occurs , diode d1 conducts and the capacitor c2 is connected in circuit . the resistor r1 and the capacitor c2 effectively form a filter for transient voltages in that a significant transient voltage drop occurs across r1 due to the absorption of the transient energy by c2 , and the voltage between supply lines 11 whereby 12 is not significantly affected . the transient energy stored in the capacitor c2 is thereafter discharged via the resistor r2 . referring now to fig2 the circuit of fig1 now incorporates a circuit to be protected which is constituted by a switch mode power converter for providing a stepped up voltage . the converter includes an inductor l connected in series with a diode d2 in the positive voltage supply line 11 from the output of the rectifier 10 . the junction of the inductor l and the diode d2 is connected to the collector electrode of an npn switching transistor t1 , the emitter electrode of which is connected to the negative supply line 12 . the base electrode of the transistor is connected to a cyclical switching voltage source ( not shown ) which causes a repetitive switching of the transistor on and off to induce a step - up voltage greater than the mains voltage in a known manner . the stepped up voltage is fed via output o / p to a load 14 , for example , a d . c . to a . c . power converter and a fluorescent tube . in fig2 the diode d1 is arranged to bridge the series arrangement of the inductor l and the diode d2 to the capacitor c1 , which was already present in the circuit and which now also constitutes the capacitor of the transient protection circuit . when a transient occurs on the mains , the transient voltage across the inductor l is limited due to a diversion of transient current via diode d1 to the capacitor and do to the voltage drop across resistor r1 and the inductor is not saturated . fig3 incorporates a further refinement into the circuit of fig2 . in this circuit , the source - drain path of an insulated gate field effect transistor ( igfet ) t2 is connected in the supply line 11 . the gate electrode of the transistor t2 is connected to a suitable bias voltage ( not shown ) and the transistor is arranged to be turned off in response to a transient . this refinement is the subject of copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 449 , 633 entitled excess voltage protection circuit , which was filed the same day as the present application , the whole contents of which are hereby imparted incorporated by reference . the circuit of fig4 shows a complete circuit , based on fig3 and forming a fluorescent lamp drive circuit such as may be employed for compact integrated lamp units to replace incandescent bulbs in commercial and domestic premises . across the mains input there is connected a voltage clamp and rectifier circuit 16 . the voltage clamp is formed by a series arrangement of a resistor rd and a voltage dependent resistor vdr . vdr may be connected in parallel with the output of the rectifier circuit r as shown in solid lines , or alternatively may be connected in parallel with the input of the rectifier circuit r as shown by dotted lines . the choice depends upon the relative prices of suitable protection components and the integration process . a partly smoothed voltage is developed across the resistor vdr and this voltage feeds the rectifier and filter circuit the output of which is connected to the supply lines 11 and 12 so as to ultimately power a load 18 , containing a fluorescent tube , via the voltage step up circuit . in this arrangement all voltages , except for the drain voltage of t2 , are limited relative to the voltage occurring across the vdr clamp . the delay introduced by the clamp 16 and by t2 , d1 and c1 provides a longer delay between the occurrence of a transient and its appearance at the output than the turn of the transistor t2 . the operating conditions for the voltage clamp can be improved when this clamp is arranged behind the rectifier bridge ( less degradation ), which enables , for example , the voltage requirements imposed on the ic to be less stringent . this arrangement is also intended to fall within the scope of this invention . however , a drawback to this arrangement is that the rectifier bridge must now be capable of handling the transient current . it should be appreciated that in applications such as cheap and small electronic ballasts the available storage capacity is small , for example , smaller than 10 micro - farads and tens of milli - henries for a saturating current isat of less than one ampere . the time necessary for turning off the series transistor t2 is dependent upon the value of the capacitor c1 required for sustaining the power supply around the zero crossing of the mains sine wave . the voltage output of the series transistor t2 increases only slowly because the inductor l is effectively by - passed by the diode d1 , so that enough time is available to turn off the series transistor t2 before the voltage can reach an excessive value . accordingly , dissipation in the series transistor is limited . fig5 shows the side view of a fluorescent lamp unit comprising a base 19 having a bayonet connector 20 for removable connection of the lamp in a socket such as is employed for incandescent bulbs . the base unit contains the circuitry such as described in relation to fig1 to 4 a fluorescent tube 21 forms a load for the circuit , which tube is contained within a housing 22 .	7
the novel method is denoted as a whole in fig1 by the reference numeral 10 . healthcare provider 100 treats a patient and sends an 837 transaction set to third party administrator ( tpa ) 110 . tpa 110 adjudicates the claim and returns an 835 transaction set to provider bank 120 . however , provider bank 120 has middleware application 130 intercept the 835 transaction set which decodes the eob information and passes on the eft payment data and an authentication code that links the payment to the eob which has already been extracted . the eob information is passed to a third party image server 140 which renders the eob text into an image formatted to the dimensions of a check image presented through virtually all online banking portals . online banking web server 150 accesses the eft payment information from provider bank 120 and presents the eft information at banking portal 160 via an ssl connection . however , online banking web server 150 also has path information to the eob image on third party image server 140 . a separate ssl connection is made from the banking portal 160 to the eob image residing the third party image server 150 . it should be noted that in an alternative embodiment of the invention provider bank 120 may alternatively choose to decode the eob from the 835 transaction set and present the rendered image of the eob from their own web server 150 or related network . it is not necessary that a third party image server 140 be deployed if provider bank 120 chooses to accept and maintain phi data . the rendering the eob image may use any one of a number of bitmapped formats including but not limited to , jpg , gif , tif , pcx , bmp , and png . the eob image may also be rendered in formats capable of maintaining vector paths and / or fonts such as adobe portable document format ( otherwise known as pdf files ). finally , the limitation of eob image should not be necessarily construed to graphic formats . the eob image could comprise an array of plain , rich , or html text arranged to fit into the placeholder normally reserved for viewing a posted hardcopy check that has been digitized . online banking web server 150 may be any html compliant server such as those commercially available including , but not limited to , ibm websphere , microsoft internet information server , and apache . the authentication code that links the eob and payment is used as a layer of abstraction between the third party image server 140 eob record and the eft payment record presented by online banking web server 150 . a simple primary key linking table would serve to link the two records together but may not necessarily be secure , particularly if the primary key was an incrementally generated simple integer . various forms of authentication including unique guid keys , multi - factor authentication and the like may be used to securely link the eob and the payment data between disparate network connections . an anticipated deployment of the current technology would include offering a provider bank to healthcare providers for accepting incoming 835 transaction sets from tpas 110 . provider bank 120 may be different from an operating bank used by healthcare provider 100 for paying vendors , performing payroll and the like . alternatively , it may be a separate , special account within the same financial institution they already use . to accept eft payments over an ach network provider bank 120 would share the routing and account number for healthcare provider with hundreds of tpas 110 for making 835 transaction set credits . provider bank 120 would have a substantial competitive advantage over other banks used by healthcare providers that do not have the capability of displaying eob images in association with eft payments . once provider bank 120 integrates the eob imaging into their banking portal 160 , little else need be done . another advantage of the present system is that obtaining electronic access to eob information by healthcare provider 100 occurs through single banking portal 160 with a single login . healthcare provider 100 does not want to use proprietary online eob portals from potentially hundreds of tpas 110 that adjudicate claims for various insurance carriers . yet another advantage of the present invention is that the eob and payment information is tied together using the infrastructure that already exists for banking portals 160 . by imaging the eob string data into an image format compatible with a secure html page , provider bank 120 incurs nominal costs for implementing the system , tpa 110 enjoys a reduced number of customer service calls and healthcare provider 100 enjoys faster , easier and more intuitive administration of claims and payments . fig2 shows a transaction set 210 containing eob and payment data together . the transaction set is then decoded and eob image 220 is generated and viewable through banking portal 160 so that healthcare provider 100 can reconcile claims with payments and potentially invoice patients for amounts not covered by their insurance carrier as determined by tpa 110 . fig3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein paper or electronic statements 320 have eob image data imprinted 310 onto them . this permits healthcare provider 100 to easily reconcile claims versus payments on a periodic basis ( usually monthly ). ach network : is an electronic network for financial transactions . the acronym ach stands for automated clearing house . ach processes large volumes of credit and debit transactions in batches . rules governing ach network operations are established by nacha and the federal reserve . ach operator : is an entity that acts as a central facility for the clearing , delivery and settlement of electronic money transfers through an ach network or among participating depository financial institutions . authentication code : is a secure code that links the eob with the payment information across disparate computers and / or networks . for example , requiring the provider bank to supply a copy of an authentication code transmitted to the canonical or trusted point of contact for that identity before the eob image file is transmitted to the designated endpoint . authorization : is permission obtained by the originator from a receiver to initiate entries through the ach network to the receiver &# 39 ; s account . computer display device : is a computer screen capable of displaying images and text . the computer display device may be a desktop display , laptop display , tablet display or portable device such as a smart phone . electronic data interchange ( edi ): is the exchange of computer - processable data in a standardized format between two enterprises . edi 835 : is a specification for the edi healthcare claim payment / advice transaction set which can be used to make a payment , send an explanation of benefits ( eob ), send an explanation of payments ( eop ) remittance advice , or make a payment and send an eop remittance advice only from a health insurer to a healthcare provider either directly or via a financial institution . electronic funds transfer ( eft ): is the electronic debit or credit of money from one account to another , either within a single financial institution or across multiple institutions , through computer - based systems . health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996 ( hippa , title ii ): known as the administrative simplification ( as ) provisions , requires the establishment of national standards for electronic healthcare transactions and national identifiers for providers , health insurance plans , and employers . nacha ( association ): is a non - profit association and private sector rulemaking body that supports the ach network integrity by managing its development , administration and governance . nacha develops and enforces the nacha operating rules . nacha ( operating rules ): are the body of work defining the requirements for all eft transactions processed through the ach network . financial institutions , originators , ach operators , and third - party vendors using the ach network agree to be bound to the rules . participating depository financial institution : is a financial institution that is authorized by applicable legal requirements to accept deposits , has been assigned a routing number by accuity , and has agreed to be bound to the nacha operating rules . eob image file : is an image file capable of being viewed by a computer display device . the image file may be bitmapped such as a pcx , tif , gif , jpg or png format . it may also contain vector or font data that is non - bitmapped which is supported by formats such as encapsulated postscript , pdf ( portable document format by adobe ) or the like . provider bank : is the financial institution that receives payment for services rendered by the service provider ( e . g ., a physicians group , automobile repair facility or the like ). routing / transit number : is a nine digit bank code , used in the united states , which appears on the bottom of negotiable instruments such as checks identifying the financial institution on which it was drawn . third - party image server : is a computer software server , generally coupled to a local and / or wide area network that receives , stores and transmits image files to authorized and authenticated computers and / or users . the server may be a single computer , a virtualized machine or multiple machines networked together such as a database server and file server operating together to store and fetch files responsive to t - sql queries . the advantages set forth above , and those made apparent from the foregoing description , are efficiently attained . since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	6
a reliable electrical fuse is provided which offers low programming current , improved programming yield , and reduced programming damage . the benefits are realized through the engineering of local heat conduction , local electrical current density , and power distribution from the material selection and design of the fuse structure . embodiments herein provide the fuse structure design and material selection and the method of making and programming the fuse . the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures . fig5 a illustrates a top view of an efuse 502 according to one embodiment of the present invention . fig5 b illustrates a cross - sectional view of the efuse 502 of fig5 a taken along the plane 5 b - 5 b of fig5 a , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the efuse 502 has a semiconductor layer 514 and a silicide layer 510 . in one example , semiconductor layer 514 is a poly - silicon layer . in another example , semiconductor layer 514 is a crystalline silicon layer . in another example ( not shown ) semiconductor layer 514 is a silicon - on - insulator ( soi ) layer . it should be understood that , although semiconductor layer 514 will be described as silicon hereafter in the description , semiconductor layer 514 can also be other semiconductor materials such as iii - v or ii - vi semiconductors . in addition , semiconductor layer 514 can be n - type doped or p - type doped or un - doped . in the example embodiment , silicide layer 510 is formed with nickel silicide although it should be understood that other similar metal silicides may be used to form silicide layer 510 . the efuse 502 has an anode contact 506 and a cathode contact 504 . anode contact 506 and cathode contact 504 are electrically interconnected by the silicide in fuse link 508 . silicide layer 510 in fuse link 508 extends outwards , underneath and beyond anode contact 506 and underneath and beyond cathode contact 504 . cathode contact 504 is larger than anode contact 506 . both cathode contact 504 and anode contact 506 are optimally sized to prevent cathode damage during programming . for example , anode contact 506 may be 50 - 100 nm wide and cathode contact 504 may be 100 - 150 nm wide on a 40 - 60 nm wide fuse link 508 of efuse 502 . a large cathode contact 504 lowers the current density as well as lowers the resistance of the contact and thus provides some protection for efuse 502 from being damaged during programming a small anode contact 506 increases the overall fuse resistance and thus helps reduce the required current for programming efuse 502 . the efuse 502 includes a silicon germanium ( sige ) region 512 embedded within semiconductor layer 514 under fuse link 508 . sige region 512 is positioned under silicide region 510 , in between cathode contact 504 and anode contact 506 . sige region 512 has a much lower thermal conductivity , i . e ., ˜ 0 . 1 vs 1 . 5 ( w / cm .° c .) of that of silicon and therefore keeps heat concentrated at fuse link 508 such that programming occurs at this desired location away from cathode contact 504 . thus , sige region 512 protects cathode contact 504 from being damaged during programming and therefore helps improve reliability of efuse 502 . the generally linear shape of efuse 502 , which is narrower and has much smaller area under the anode and cathode contacts 506 and 504 and less total mass than the prior art efuse . thus , during programming , less heat is absorbed by cathode contact 504 and anode contact 506 , away from fuse link 508 , as compared to the prior art efuse . because less heat is absorbed away from the fuse link 508 and more heat is trapped in the desired location for programming above sige of the present invention , less current is required to program efuse 502 . support circuitry for delivering large current is more costly , more complex to implement , and requires more silicon space as compared to circuitry for delivering the smaller current of the present invention . thus , linear shaped efuse 502 is more optimized and cost effective as compared to the prior art efuse with or without corner rounding . the efuse 502 can also be manufactured more precisely than the known design efuse illustrated in fig1 a and 4a . linear efuse 502 according to one embodiment of the present invention does not have any corners and is therefore not subject to the same variability as is known to prior art efuse . efuse 502 is programmed by applying a voltage potential across fuse link 508 , from cathode contact 504 to anode contact 506 . a low programming current is used in applying the voltage potential . for a typical example , the programming current is 3 - 5 ma . the current ( voltage potential ) is applied for a short period of time . for example , the current is maintained for 1 - 10 micro - seconds . this results in silicide electromigrating away from silicide region 510 in fuse link 508 , towards anode contact 506 . this creates a gap in silicide region 510 such that the resistance of efuse 502 is changed to very high . fig6 a illustrates a top view of an efuse 602 according to another embodiment of the present invention . fig6 b illustrates a cross - sectional view of efuse 602 taken along the plane 6 b - 6 b of fig6 a , according to another embodiment of the present invention . the efuse 602 has a semiconductor layer 614 and a silicide layer 610 . the efuse 602 includes a silicon germanium ( sige ) region 612 embedded within semiconductor layer 614 of fuse link 608 to promote fuse programming at this location as described in the embodiment of fig5 a and 5 b . sige region 612 is positioned under silicide region 610 , in between cathode contacts 604 a and 604 b and anode contacts 606 a and 606 b . the efuse 602 has two cathode contacts 604 a and 604 b and two anode contacts 606 a and 606 b . fuse link 608 electrically interconnects anode contacts 606 a and 606 b and cathode contacts 604 a and 604 b . silicide layer 610 of fuse link 608 extends outwards , beyond anode contacts 606 a and 606 b and beyond cathode contacts 604 a and 604 b . cathode contacts 604 a and 604 b are larger than anode contacts 606 a and 606 b . cathode contacts 604 a and 604 b and anode contacts 606 a and 606 b are optimally sized to help prevent cathode damage during programming . for example , anode contact 606 may be 50 - 100 nm wide and cathode contact 604 may be 100 - 150 nm wide on a 40 - 60 nm wide fuse link 608 of efuse 602 . in another example , anode contact 606 may be 50 % wider than the fuse link 608 and cathode contact 604 may be 150 % wider than fuse link 608 . having two cathode contacts 604 a and 604 b and two anode contacts 606 a and 606 b significantly reduces defectivity level from the redundant contacts and thus improves the programming yield . in addition , the presence of second anode contact 606 b and second cathode contacts 604 b helps alleviate strain on first anode contact 606 a and first cathode contact 604 a by reducing electrical current density and temperature at first anode contact 606 a and first cathode contact 604 a and therefore , helps prevent programming damages that may become reliability hazards . as a result of the added protection measures for over - programming damage to the efuse described in fig5 a - 5b and 6 a - 6 b , programming can be conducted at slightly higher current level , and thus also improves the programming yield resulting from otherwise too little current . in other words , the sensitivity of fuse programming to process variations is reduced . fig7 a - 7f illustrate the stages in manufacture of the efuse of fig6 a and 6b , according to one embodiment of the present invention . in fig7 a , shallow trench isolation ( sti ) defines three silicon regions , efuse region 702 , pfet region 704 , and nfet region 706 by dividing a nitride layer 710 on a silicon substrate 712 . shallow trenches 708 a - d are created using reactive ion etching . trenches 708 a - d are then filled with dielectric filing to form sti . in fig7 b , silicon germanium ( sige ) regions 714 a - b are defined in efuse region 702 and in pfet region 704 by creating recesses in silicon substrate 712 using reactive ion etching . in fig7 c , sige 716 a is grown in sige regions 714 a of efuse region 702 simultaneously as sige 716 b is grown in sige region 714 b of pfet region 704 in a standard cmos technology , and is therefore cost free . sige is epitaxially grown and un - doped . the ge content can vary from a few percentage points to ˜ 40 - 50 %. the sige is used in pfet region for performance gain due to the improved hole mobility from the compressive stress . in fig7 d , nitride layer 710 is removed . cmos pfet 718 a in pfet region 704 and cmos nfet 718 b in nfet region 706 are then completed according to standard cmos manufacturing flows . in fig7 e , silicide 720 a is formed in efuse region 702 , above sige 716 a . simultaneously , silicide 720 b - c is formed at cmos fet 718 a of pfet region 704 and at cmos fet 718 b of nfet region 706 . in fig7 f , standard middle - of - the - line ( mol ) process forms anode and cathode contacts in efuse region 702 , pfet region 704 , and nfet region 706 . anode contacts 722 a - b and cathode contacts 724 a - b are formed in efuse region 702 , at silicide 720 a . source and drain contacts 726 and 728 are likewise formed in pfet region 704 , at silicide 720 b , and source and drain contacts 730 and 732 are likewise formed in nfet region 706 , at silicide 720 c . fig8 - 10 illustrate an epi silicon growth stage , following the step of fig7 d , in the manufacture of the efuse of fig6 a and 6b , according to other embodiments of the present invention . silicide can then be formed on silicon instead of the sige as in the embodiment in fig7 e . forming silicide directly on sige may result in higher defect density . including a layer of silicon between the silicide and the sige helps reduce the defect density . in fig8 , un - doped silicon 802 is formed in efuse region 804 , above silicon region and sige 806 by epitaxial growth . nitride 814 a and nitride 814 b block cmos fet 812 a of pfet region 808 and cmos fet 812 b of nfet region 810 from growing this silicon layer . in fig9 , p + doped silicon 902 is formed in efuse region 904 , above silicon region and sige 906 from the same epi process to grow the raised source / drain 916 at cmos oft 912 a of pfet region 908 . nitride 914 blocks cmos nfet 912 b of nfet region 910 from growing the p + doped silicon . in fig1 , n + doped silicon 1002 is formed in efuse region 1004 , above silicon region and sige 1006 from the same epi process to grow the raised source / drain 1016 at cmos nfet 1012 b of nfet region 1010 . nitride 1014 blocks cmos pfet 1012 a of pfet region 1008 from growing the n + doped silicon . the description above has been presented for illustration purposes only . it is not intended to be an exhaustive description of the possible embodiments . one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other combinations and embodiments are possible .	6
we have found surprisingly that oxycodone and dihydrocodeinone derivatives of general formula ( i ) are irreversible inhibitors in a dose - dependent manner of specific binding of ( 3 h ) naloxone at isotope concentrations of 1 nm and they have a lower affinity to the ( 3 h ) naloxone binding sites as compared with the corresponding morphine derivatives . we ascertained however that at isotope concentrations of 10 nm preincubation with these dihydrocodeinone derivatives blocks the specific binding of ( 3 h ) naloxone irreversibly and completely , as well seen from saturation isotherms of ( 3 h ) naloxone ( preincubation of the membranes with these dihydrocodeinone derivatives followed by washing ). it essential that this involves the binding site of low affinity ( μ 2 ) which is responsible for respiratory depression . in our pharmacological tests based on the above we searched the reply whether the derivatives of general formula ( i ) would be exempt from respiratory depression actions which are presumably mediated by the μ 2 receptor . starting from the fact that toxicity of morphine is attributed to respiratory paralysis , we conducted toxicity tests of the above compounds and morphine on rats to get indirect information on the nature of - the respiratory depressant activity . from the classical opiate spectrum we investigated along with the analgetic effect the sedative action as well . we verified that the codeinone derivatives of general formula ( i ) significantly inhibit the lethal respiratory depression caused by morphine ( e . g . on rats ), when increasing the ld 50 value measured on morphine controls in the average to its twofold . on the basis of the tables shown in the experimental examples we also can state that a part of the compounds stimulated in small dose ranges tile frequency of respiration and some even the amplitude , administered i . v . and s . c . for example the oxycodone - semicarbazone and - oxime when used in small doses considerably increase the respiration number and in some tests they reduced the depressant effect of morphine . in all experiments we reversed respiration with naloxone to prove that the depression was mediated by an opiate receptor . when administering together the morphine effect was slightly inhibited in a 100 μg / kg dose . oxycodone hydrazone increases both the volume and the frequency of respiration in an 50 μg / kg dose . when administered after morphine a partial reversal takes place . while somewhat depressing respiration oxycodone - phenyl - hydrazone partially antagonizes the effect of morphine . it has to be mentioned that amongst the referred &# 34 ; mother compounds &# 34 ; dihydrocodeinone and oxycodone cause respiratory depression in 50 - 2500 μg / kg and 10 - 2500 μ / kg s . c . doses . both compounds unambiguously potentiate the respiratory depression effect of morphine . the above experiments suggest that the codeinone derivatives of general formula ( i ) according to our invention block selectively the opioid binding sites of the brain which are mediating respiratory depression and thus they can be used both in human and in veterinary preparations in all cases where such blocking is necessary . thus the codeinone derivatives of general formula ( i ) can be used as active ingredients in analgetic preparations without the appearance of lethal respiratory depression after longer treatment or higher doses . the derivatives of general formula ( i ) also can be used preferably in combinations according to our invention . thus it is specifically important to our view that when administered together with morphine the respiratory depression can be decreased and the lethal effect can be avoided . thus it is possible to administer morphine in prolonged and higher doses in cases where the patient needs it without the occurrence of lethal respiratory paralysis . in preparations where morphine and the codeinones of general formula ( i ) are applied together the mass proportion or morphine : codeinone derivative amounts to 1 : 2 - 3 . instead of morphine biologically equipotent amounts of other opiates of the agonist type or opioid compounds can be used in these combination preparations . such compounds are e . g . morphinanes , benzomorphanes , opioid peptides or other pentacyclic compounds with morphine activity . in addition to the above active ingredients the compositions according to our invention contain inert , pharmaceutically acceptable additive compounds . a further subject of our invention consists in a method to selectively block opioid binding sites of the brain which are responsible for depression of respiration by way of administering to the patient in need of such treatment a composition containing a codeinone derivative of general formula ( i ) or its salt preferably in a 3 × 2 , 5 - 5 mg daily dose . it is preferable to use the product in the form of i . m ., i . v ., or epidural injections it is however possible to use other dosage forms as well . a further subject of our invention is a process for the preparation of a biologically active composition containing codeinone derivatives of general formula ( i ) by reacting a ketone of the general formula ( ii ) with a hydrazine derivative of the formula ( iii ) by admixing kodeinone derivatives of the general formula ( i )--[ alone or applied together with 1 : 2 - 3 mass ratio of morphine or some other opiate or opioid compound of the agonist type ]-- with additive or auxiliary compounds usually applied in pharmaceutical production for human or veterinary purposes so as to formulate compositions capable to block the opioid binding sites responsible for respiratory depression , preferably analgesics . according to our invention the codeinone derivative of general formula ( i ) can be present in tile form of its salt formed with mineral or organic acids preferably phosphoric acid , hydrochloric acid . according to our invention it is possible to use the compounds in the form of their cis and / or trans isomers . we have thus stated -- as compared with the molecules protected in our hungarian patent no . 199 . 901 -- that according to our invention it is only possible to use a distinct , limited part of the 6 - substituted derivatives protected there . it is not possible to use the big group of morphinane derivatives . thus the selective binding exposed according to our invention represents a property , the recognition of which constitutes the essential basis of our invention and on the basis of this new point of view the selection of outstandingly useful compounds out of the bigger range of others . according to our knowledge the oximes falling under general formula ( i ) have never been described as pharmaceuticals at all . compositions containing the following active ingredients are prepared with usual additive material and methods : table______________________________________ tablet or im . or iv . epidur . compound capsule sc . inj . inj . inj . ______________________________________i . 1 . oxycodone - oxime 5 2 1 0 , 5phosphatei . 2 . oxycodone - oxime 2 0 , 5 0 , 1 0 , 1 . hcl + 5 , 0 5 , 0 5 , 0 1 , 0morphine . hcli . 3 . oxycodone - semi - 2 , 5 1 0 , 5 0 , 1carbazone - bi - tartaratei . 4 . oxycodone - phenyl - 2 , 5 1 0 , 5 0 , 1hydrazone . hcli . 5 . oxycodone - 2 , 5 1 0 , 5 0 , 1hydrazone . hbri . 6 . oxycodone - semi - 2 , 5 1 0 , 5 0 , 1carbazone . hcl 5 , 0 5 , 0 5 , 0 1 , 0 + morphine . hcli . 7 . oxycodone - phenyl 2 , 5 1 0 , 6 0 , 1hydrazone . hcl 5 , 0 5 , 0 5 , 0 1 , 0 + morphine . hcli . 8 . oxycodone - 2 , 5 1 0 , 5 0 , 1hydrazone . hcl 5 , 0 5 , 0 5 , 0 1 , 0 + morphine . hcli . 9 . dihydrocodeinone - 10 , 0 5 , 0 2 , 0 1 , 0oxime phosphatei . 10 . dihydrocodeinone - 5 2 , 5 1 0 , 1oxime . hcl 5 , 0 5 , 0 5 , 0 1 , 0 + morphine . hcl______________________________________ the dose of the active ingredient is given in relation to the base , the size is mg / formulated unit ( tablet , ampoule ). ______________________________________salt of the active ingredient 5 , 0 mg ( calculated as base ) lactose 60 . 0 mgstarch 30 . 0 mgmagnesium stearate 1 , 0 mgtalc 3 , 0 mg______________________________________ membrane preparation : a crude membrane fraction from rat brain ( pvg / c strain ) was prepared [ mol . pharm . 11 ( 1975 ) 340 - 351 ] and the protein content was defined [ anal . biochem . 72 ( 1976 ) 248 - 254 ). the membrane suspension ( 200 - 400 μg protein ) was incubated with the specific radioligand for 1 hour on ice . incubations were terminated by rapid filtration under vacuo followed by washing with ice - cold tris - hcl buffer ( 50 mm , ph 7 , 4 ). radioactivity was measured in a toluene - based scintillation mixture on a lkb minibeta liquid scintillation spectrophotometer . nonspecific binding was defined in the presence of 10 μm unlabeled naloxone . all assays were performed in triplicate and repeated several times . k i values were determined from equilibrium experiments and calculated with the tshang - prusov equation . the data were evaluated using the ligand program [ anal . biol . chem . 107 ( 1980 ) 220 - 239 ] ( data shown on table iii / 1 ). after preincubation a thorough washing was performed . [ life sci . 32 ( 1983 ) 2777 - 2784 ]. control values are represented by the specific binding of ( 3 h ) naloxone to membranes preincubated with a buffer and treated in the same way . heterologous displacement experiments were used to evaluate the affinity of the investigated compounds for ( 3 h ) naloxone binding sites . results are shown in table 11 / 2 . table ii / 1______________________________________affinity constants ( k . sub . i nm ) of different opioid ligands incompetition assays hydra - phenyl - semi zone hydrazone carbazone oxime salt______________________________________oxymorphone 2 20 4 2 sulfatedihydro - 6 5 3 2 sulfatemorphinoneoxycodone 800 1150 588 32 hcldihydro - -- 323 -- 52 hclcodeinone______________________________________ membranes were incubated with (. sup . 3 h ) naloxone ( 1nm ) and with increasin concentrations of the ligands . the oxime derivatives exhibit the highest affinity for ( 3 h ) naloxone binding sites . the codeinone and dihydrocodeinone derivatives have substantially higher k i values , table ii / 2______________________________________affinity constants of oxycodone and dihydrocodeinonederivativesexample compound . hcl k . sub . i ( nm ) ______________________________________iv . 2 . oxycodone 127iv . 3 . oxycodone - oxime 32iv . 5 . oxycodone - semicarbazone 588iv . 8 . oxycodone - phenylhydrazone 1150 dihydrocodeinone 476iv . 1 . dihydrocodeinone - oxime 53 dihydrocodeinone - phenyl - 323 hydrazone______________________________________ the membranes were preincubated with (. sup . 3 h ) naloxone ( 1 nm ) and with increasing concentrations of tested compounds and the specific binding of the remaining (. sup . 3 h ) naloxone was measured after several washings . the data given represent the average of 2 - 4 data observed . the codeinone derivatives were measured in 10 μm preincubation concentrations . evaluation : table v . shows that the compounds of general formula ( i ) are week , irreversible inhibitors of specific binding of ( 3 h ) naloxone at 1 nm concentration , especially on high activity receptors . at higher concentrations the situation is reversed and they inhibit mainly the low affinity receptors . as it is seen in figure vi . the remaining ( 3 h ) naloxone specific binding is significantly decreased at 10 nm isotope concentration as a result of preincubation with dihydro - codeinone - derivatives , while this decrease is rather small if preincubation takes place with dihydro - morphinone derivatives . it was already shown previously [ life sci . 40 ( 1980 ) 1579 - 1588 , j . pharm . exp . ther . 214 ( 1980 ) 455 - 462 ] that preincubation with hydrazone derivatives of oxymorphone and naloxone irreversibly inhibits the high affinity ( 3h ) naloxone component , whereby the low affinity component remains unchanged . as seen on table ii / 1 ., the oxycodone and dihydro - oxycodone derivatives show a lower affinity to the ( 3 h ) naoxone binding sites as compared with the correspondent morphine derivatives , if the isotope concentration is low . these ligands however strongly inhibit at higher ( 10 nm ) concentrations the ( 3 h ) naloxone specific binding . this is why we studied the effect of preincubation with these derivatives on saturation isotherms of ( 3 h ) naloxone . figure vii . shows the scatchard transformations of the saturation binding isotherms of ( 3 h ) naloxone specific binding after pretreatment with dihydrocodeinone derivatives and with buffer only as a control , from the scatchard analysis the result is clearly seen , that after preincubation and intensive washings the low affinity receptor - effect almost completely disappears . it is characteristic for the compounds that their greater part shows a substantial and some a light agonist ( analgetic or sedative ) effect ( tables no . 1 , 2 , 3 ). comparison on the basis of data obtained in 4 tests on rats and mice ( ed 50 mg / kg ): table iii / 1______________________________________ algolyt . writhing test ( rat ) hot plate tail flick test 100 % acti - compound ( rat ) ( rat ) ( mice ) vity______________________________________oxycodone - oxime 1 , 8 1 , 0 0 , 11 10 , 0 . phosphateoxycodone - semi - 0 , 58 0 , 35 0 , 15 5 , 0 carbazone . bi - tartarateoxycodone - phenyl - 0 , 8 1 , 2 1 , 2 10 , 0 * hydrazone . hcloxycodon - 0 , 46 0 , 65 0 , 35 10 , 0 * hydrazone . hbroxycodone - thio - 8 , 5 4 , 5 -- 100 , 0semicarbazone . hcldihydrocodei - 0 , 38 0 , 35 -- 10 , 0 * none - semicar - bazone . hcldihydrocodei - 2 , 4 2 , 3 -- 10 , 1 ** none phenyl - hydrazone . hcldihydrocodei - 4 , 2 3 , 7 0 , 38 25 , 0 * none - oxime . phosphatedihydrocodeinone 1 , 7 0 , 6 -- 5 , 0thio . sub .-- semicar - bazone . hclmorphine 3 , 6 1 , 8 0 , 45 15 , 0oxycodone 0 . 92 0 , 68 0 , 45 2 , 2dihydrocodei - 2 , 2 0 , 98 0 , 9 4 , 9none______________________________________ * catalepsy ** convulsion eur . j . of pharm . ( 1982 ) 239 - 241 ; arzn . forschung 38 ( 1938 ) 552 . the strongest analgetic on the hot plate test is the dihydrocodeinone - semicarbazone ( ed 50 : 0 . 38 mg / kg hot plate , tail flick ). on the algolytic test the oxycodone - oxime , - semicarbazone , - phenylhydrazone and - hydrazone are capable to total assuage of pain -- though amidst the symptoms of slight cathatony -- practically in the order of magnitude of morphine or the mother compounds ( oxycodone , dihydrocodeinone ). table iii / 2______________________________________sedative ( narcosis potentiating effect ( ed . sub . 500 % mg / kg ) s . c . on ratsname ed . sub . 500 % mg / kg * ______________________________________oxycodone - hydrazone . hbr 0 , 45oxycodone oxime . phosphate 0 , 5oxycodone - semicarbazone . hcl 1 , 5oxycodone - phenylhydrazone . hcl 1 , 5dihydrocodeinone - phenylhydrazone . hcl 3 , 5dihydrocodeinone - semicarbazone 1 , 0 . bitartaratemorphine 1 , 75dihydrocodeinone 1 , 9oxycodone 1 , 2______________________________________ * ed . sub . 500 % = dose increasing narcosis to five times the control . the doses of the active ingredients are always given in relation to the base . all investigated compounds potentiate the activity of inactine strongly . the duration of narcosis is most effectively prolongated by oxycodone - hydrazone and - oxime respectively . table iii / 3______________________________________ &# 34 ; jumping test &# 34 ; on mice number % relation treatment naloxone of jumps of 7 xmg / kg 50 mg / kg / mouse jumpingname ip . ip . ( average ) animals______________________________________morphine 100 + 34 , 5 100oxycodone - 2 + 2 , 7 70oxime . pbos - 5 + 2 , 5 50phateoxycodone - 1 + 1 , 5 50hydrazone . hbr______________________________________ the dose of the active ingredient is given related to the base . table iii / 3 . shows the results of an informative physical dependency study on the jumping test on mice . the mice were treated for three days with a total of 7 times i . p . with a high dose of the compounds to be tested and after the final injection the symptoms off withdrawal are generated by administration of a morphine antagonist , i . e . a constraint for jumping is provoked . morphine - equivalent quantities were administered from the test compounds . in the case of morphine the dose which effects dependence with certainty amounts to 7 × 100 mg / kg . within this group on administration of 50 mg / kg off naloxone the average jumping rate amounted to 34 , 5 ( total jumping number / jumping animals ) and 100 % off the investigated animals did jump . oxycodone - semicarbazone - oxime and - hydrazone respectively when administered in equi - analgetic doses did not result but in a very low , almost negligible number of jumping reactions while 50 - 70 % were participating . the capacity of dependence of these compounds is thus unusually low . morphine and the test substances were administered together , s . c , to rats . as seen from table iii / 4 . almost twice as much is needed from morphine to develop the same mortality meaning that toxicity of morphine is decreased to almost its half as a result of the activity of effective test substances ( oxycodone - oxime , - semicarbazone , - phenylhydra - zone , - hydrazone and dihydrocodeinone - oxime ). dihydrocodeinone - semicarbazone and - phenyl - hydrazone are less active . oxycodone and dihydrocodeinone potentiate toxicity of morphine (!). table iii / 4______________________________________change of morphine toxicity in the presence of testsubstances ( on rats ) combin - morphine nation dose ld . sub . 50 g ld . sub . 50 / mg / kg mg / kg morphinename s . c . s . c . ld . sub . 50______________________________________oxycodone - oxime . phos - 15 620 2 , 2phateoxycodone - semicarba - 50 580 2 , 0zone . bitartarateoxycodone hydrazone . hbr 10 650 2 , 3dihydrocodeinone - phenyl - 50 500 1 , 7hydrazone . hcldihydrocodeinone oxime . 25 750 2 , 6 . phosphateoxycodone 10 160 0 , 57dihydrocodeinone 10 150 0 , 53morphine -- 280 1 , 0______________________________________ the doses of the active substances are given in relation to the base . investigation was carried out on conscious rabbits of both sexes and of 3 - 4 kg weight by way of a marey - drum . frequency and amplitude of respiration were quantitatively evaluated . morphine decreased both frequency and volume of respiration in 2 , 5 - 5 mg / kg doses . some results are shown in table iii / 5 . table iii / 5______________________________________effects on respiration on conscious rabbits respiration volume respira - dose μg / mg frequency / tioncompound s . c . min . effect______________________________________morphine . hcl 2500 - 5000 ∥ ∥ depression i . v ., s . c . dihydrocodeinone 10 - 5500 \| \| depression . hcl i . v ., s . c . oxycodone . hcl 10 - 2500 \| \| depression i . v ., s . c . oxycodone - semicarba - 100 - 500 + ∥ \| morphine - zone . hcl morphine * inhibitionoxycodone - hydra - 50 \| \| slightzone . hcl 50 ( administe - reversion red after morphine * oxycodone - 100 - 5000 0 0 no changephenylhydra - 1000 \| \| slight stym . zone . hcl______________________________________ * morphine dose in combinations amounts to 5 mg / kg . the method as described above in example iii . 5 was used on conscious rabbits of 2 , 5 - 3 kg weight . registration was continued for 3 - 4 hours . the samples were injected under the skin of the neck and the respiration parameters were registered at intervals of 1 . 0 minutes . type a test : determination of the dose - effect diagram of the substances (&# 34 ; low dose region &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; high dose region &# 34 ;) between 0 . 01 to 2 . 5 mg / kg alone and after selection of particular dose values investigation off morphine prevention . type b test : sequence of application was the following : 5 mg / kg morphine were administered ( causing with certainty respiratory depression ) and after 10 - 20 minutes it was investigated whether the depression could be reversed . type c test : administration of 5 mg / kg of morphine and the investigated substance together to clarify whether the substance is capable to reduce the effect of morphine . table iii / 6______________________________________oxycodone oxime ( ox ) ox dose pretr . morphine pretr . mg / kg period mg / kg period resp . changes . c . min . s . c . min . fr / min ampl . ______________________________________0 . 005 30 -- -- + 30 + 300 . 1 30 -- -- + 47 + 400 . 025 30 -- -- + 28 00 . 5 10 -- -- - 50 - 50naloxone0 . 25 10 -- -- + 50 + 50 -- -- 0 . 5 30 - 15 0 -- -- 1 . 0 30 - 20 0 -- -- 2 . 5 30 - 39 - 20 -- -- 5 . 0 30 - 47 - 80 120 - 66 - 80a . 0 . 1 10 -- -- + 57 + 20 + 5 30 + 71 0 40 - 29 - 40______________________________________ pret = duration of pretreatment table iii / 7______________________________________oxycodone semicarbazone ( os ) os dose pretr . morphine pretr . mg / kg period mg / kg period resp . changes . c . min . s . c . min . fr / min ampl . ______________________________________0 . 01 10 -- -- + 48 0 30 -- -- + 51 + 200 . 025 30 -- -- + 51 + 200 . 05 10 -- -- + 50 + 750 . 025 10 -- -- + 48 + 20 20 5 20 + 24 - 16 30 30 + 13 - 200 . 50 10 -- -- + 36 0 30 20 20 + 10 0______________________________________ table iii / 8______________________________________oxycodone phenylhydrazone ( op ) op dose pretr . morphine pretr . mg / kg period mg / kg period resp . changes . c . min . s . c . min . fr / min ampl . ______________________________________a . 0 . 1 10 -- -- + 33 + 200 . 5 10 -- -- + 16 0 5 10 - 17 - 20 60 0 0b .-- -- 5 10 - 40 - 401 . 0 20 - 16 + 15 30 - 6 + 20c . 0 . 25 5 20 + 44 + 20 30 + 92 + 300 . 25 10 10 + 23 + 200 . 25 20 30 - 8 0______________________________________ table iii / 9______________________________________oxycodone hydrazone ( oh ) oh dose pretr . morphine pretr . mg / kg period mg / kg period resp . changes . c . min . s . c . min . fr / min ampl . ______________________________________a . 0 . 25 20 -- + 150 + 20 30 -- + 127 + 20 5 10 - 36 - 30c . 0 . 25 5 20 + 30 + 10______________________________________ table iii / 10______________________________________dihydrocodeinone - phenylhydrazone ( dp ) dp dose pretr . morphine pretr . mg / kg period mg / kg period resp . changes . c . min . s . c . min . fr / min ampl . ______________________________________a . 0 . 01 10 &# 39 ; -- -- + 85 0 20 &# 39 ; -- -- + 96 00 . 025 10 &# 39 ; -- -- + 114 0 20 &# 39 ; -- -- + 114 00 . 05 10 &# 39 ; -- -- + 132 0c . 0 . 25 together 5 10 &# 39 ; + 39 0 20 &# 39 ; + 19 0 30 &# 39 ; - 3 0 50 &# 39 ; - 4 0______________________________________ the table shows that doses of 0 . 01 to 0 . 05 mg / kg considerably increase the frequency without influence on the amplitude of respiration . doses of 0 . 25 mg / kg where administered together with morphine retard depression to some degree . 1 , 5 g of hydroxylamine - chlorohydrate are reacted in 70 ml of water with 3 , 0 g of dihydrocodeinone base for 3 hours and then adjusted to ph = 9 - 10 . the oxime precipitates as crystals , which are filtered , washed with water and crystallized from propanol . the product amounts to 2 , 5 g . m . p . : 265 °- 266 ° c . the product of example iv . 1 . is crystallized from aqueous ethanol . m . p . : 194 ° c . 5 ml of 100 % hydrazone hydrate are heated with 2 , 0 g of 14 - oh - dihydrocodeinone in 10 ml of dimethyl - formamide for two hours and then poured into water . the crystalline product which precipitates is isoiated and chromathographized on silicagel ( chloroform - methanol 9 : 1 , v / v ). the pure fractions obtained by tlc eluating with the eluent chloroform : methanol : cc . ammonium hydroxide mixture 90 : 10 : 5 are crystallized from methanol . m . p . : 192 °- 194 ° c . using the method of example iv . 3 . 1 , 8 g 14 - oh - codeinone - hydrazone are obtained from 2 , 0 g of 14 - oh - codeinone . the crude product contains two components as shown by tlc using the eluant chloroform : methanol : cc . ammonium hydroxide 90 : 10 : 5 . the main component can be obtained in pure state by way of preparative thin - layer chromatography . crystallized from ethanol m . p . : 212 °- 215 ° c . according to the method described in example iv . 4 . 3 , 2 g of the crude product are obtained from 3 , 0 g of 14 - oh - dihydrocodeinone , which is the mixture of syn and anti isomers ( cis : trans = 1 : 1 ). by way of crystallization ( chloroform - ethanol ) the pure trans semicarbazone is obtained . m . p . : 236 °- 238 ° c . starting from 1 , 55 g of 14 - oh - dihydrocodeinone 1 , 7 g of 14 - oh - dihydrocodeinone - phenylhydrazone are obtained with the process given in example iv , 3 . m . p . after recrystallization : 174 °- 176 ° c . pure cis isomer .	2
the impact tool shown in fig1 is a light chisel driving pneumatic tool provided with a piston grip at its rear end . the tool comprises a housing 10 , a reciprocating working member 11 and a reaction support member 12 . the tool housing 10 comprises three main parts , namely a rear section 13 , an intermediate section 14 and a front section 15 . the rear section 13 is formed in one piece with a pistol grip 16 by which the tool is supported by the operator . the pistol grip 16 includes a pressure air supply passage 17 , a throttle valve ( not shown ) operated by a trigger 18 and a nipple 19 for connection of a pressure air supply conduit . the intermediate housing section 14 is threaded onto rear section 13 , and a transverse wall 21 is clamped between the forward end of the rear section 13 and an inner shoulder 22 on the intermediate section . the front section 15 is received in the forward end of the intermediate section 14 and is locked thereto by a lock ring 23 . the front section 15 is provided with an axially extending bore 24 for guidingly supporting working member 11 . the front section 15 also comprises a pair of forwardly directed air outlet passages 26 . at its forward extremity , the working member 11 is provided with a chisel bit 27 . the latter is positively locked thereto by means of a transverse split pin 28 . at its rear end , the working member 11 carries an activation head 29 . the latter is secured to the working member 11 by a transverse lock pin 31 . a compression spring 32 is inserted between the activation head 29 and the front section 15 of the housing 10 so as to apply a rearwardly directed biasing force on the working member 11 . the lock pin 31 extends in opposite directions laterally beyond the head 29 to engage two longitudinally extending grooves 33 , 34 in the intermediate section 14 of the housing 10 , thereby preventing the working member 11 from rotating relative to the housing 10 . in the illustrated tool , the reaction support member 12 is reciprocably guided relative to the housing 10 . the reaction support member 12 comprises a reaction head 35 , a high inertia balancing weight 36 , and a hollow stem 37 rigidly interconnecting the reaction head 35 and the balancing weight 36 . preferably , the balancing weight 36 is made of lead in order to obtain a high as possible inertia . the stem 37 is longitudinally guided in a central opening 38 of the transverse wall 21 and forms an axial air passage 39 . a guide pin 40 is rigidly secured relative to the balancing weight 36 and extends rearwardly therefrom to be guidingly received in a central bore 41 of a conical support element 42 . the latter is located at the bottom of the rear housing section 13 and forms a reaction support for a compression spring 43 the opposite end of which takes support against the rear end of the balancing weight 36 . the reaction support member 12 is displaceably guided relative to the housing 10 by its hollow stem 37 cooperating with the central opening 38 of the transverse wall 21 and by its guide pin 40 cooperating with the central bore 41 of the support element 42 . this means that the balancing weight 36 is kept out of any contact with the inside wall of the housing section 13 . instead , there is left an annular space 44 between the balancing weight 36 and section 13 for communicating pressure air from passage 17 in the handle 16 to the forward end of weight 36 . the activation head 29 of the working member 11 is formed with a flat rear end surface 46 for axially supporting an elastic seal element 47 . ( see fig2 - 4 ). the latter has a flat back surface which is kept in continuous contact with surface 46 of the activation head 29 just by the action of pressure air . the seal element 47 is formed with an annular rearwardly extending valve collar 48 for sealing cooperation with the reaction head 35 of the reaction support member 12 , as described below . between the activation head 29 , the reaction head 35 of the reaction support member 12 and the seal element 47 there is formed a working chamber 49 . in order to give the latter a suitable volume and to match the shape of the seal element 47 , the reaction head 35 is provided with an annular depression 51 which is coaxial with the seal element 47 and defined by an inwardly facing , peripheral wall 52 . the latter diverge by a small angle toward the seal element 47 and has a minimum diameter slightly exceeding the nominal outer diameter of the valve collar 48 . in its central part , the reaction head 35 is provided with an axial opening 53 communicating with the longitudinal passage 39 of stem 37 , and , via a couple of lateral openings 54 in stem 37 , the working chamber 49 is able to communicate with the annular space 44 and the air supply passage 17 . in order to control the pressure air supply to the working chamber 49 , there is provided a feed valve operating within the longitudinal passage 39 of the stem 37 to control the air flow through the lateral openings 54 . the feed valve comprises a cylindrical element 55 sealingly guided in passage 39 and coupled to the working member 11 by means of a rod 56 extending through passage 39 . rod 56 is of a considerably less diameter than passage 39 and is secured relative to the working member 11 by the transverse lock pin 31 . the operation order of the shown chisel driving tool will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings . as a pressure air conduit is connected to nipple 19 and trigger 18 is pulled , pressure air enters the rear end of section 13 of the housing 10 via air supply passage 17 . the pressure air passes the annular space 44 between the balancing weight 36 and the housing section 13 and reaches the lateral openings 54 of stem 37 . under the assumption that the impact mechanism from the start occupies its rest position as illustrated in fig1 i . e . the working member 11 and the reaction support member 12 occupy their closest positions under the action of springs 32 and 43 , a full operation cycle will be described . in this position , the feed valve element 55 does not at all restrict the openings 54 which means that pressure air unrestrictedly enters and follows passage 39 and reaches the working chamber 49 through opening 53 in reaction head 35 . as best seen in fig2 and 3 , as the working chamber 49 is pressurized , the valve collar 48 of the elastic seal element 47 is urged outwardly into sealing contact with the peripheral wall 52 of the reaction head 35 . the pressure within the working chamber 49 now increases rapidly and a driving force upon activation head 29 is obtained and a work stroke of the working member 11 is commenced . due to the pressure in the working chamber 49 , the working member 11 is moved forwards against the action of spring 32 , and since the pressure acts upon the reaction head 35 as well , the reaction support member 12 starts to move backwards against the action of spring 43 . since the mass of the working member 11 is much less than that of the reaction support member 12 ( which includes weight 36 ), the acceleration of the working member 11 is much higher . during the separation movement of the working member 11 and the reaction support member 12 , the valve collar 48 of the seal element 47 maintains its sealing contact with the peripheral wall 52 , and as the latter is conically diverging , the valve collar 48 is expanded successively by the air pressure to a diameter exceeding its normal outer diameter ( see fig3 ). when the working and reaction support members 11 and 12 , respectively , have reached the positions illustrated in fig3 the sealing contact between the valve collar 48 and the peripheral wall 52 cannot be maintained any longer , and a sudden pressure drop occurs as the pressure air is able to rush out through the large area gap formed between the parting members . in order to prevent pressure air from just rushing through the working chamber 49 during this venting sequence of the working cycle , the feed valve 55 has already cut off the air supply path by covering the openings 54 . in this way , the feed valve is able to effectively reduce the air consumption of the tool . in the position shown in fig4 the sealing contact between valve collar 48 and the peripheral wall 52 is broken , the pressure air supply to the working chamber 49 is cut off by valve 55 and the valve collar 48 of the seal element 47 has reassumed its nominal diameter . in this position , the work stroke is over and the working member 11 and the reaction support member 12 start moving towards each other under the action of springs 32 and 43 . when the working member 11 and the reaction support member 12 come close together , the pressure within the working chamber 49 rapidly increases . this is due partly to compression of the air being left between the two parts and partly to the fact that feed valve 55 is reopened allowing pressure air to enter the working chamber 49 . when the pressure drop across the rim of the valve collar 48 reaches a certain magnitude , the valve collar 48 is expanded to reassume its sealing contact with the peripheral wall 52 of the reaction head 35 . a full working cycle is thereby completed . the exhaust air leaving the working chamber 49 during operation of the mechanism is collected in the intermediate section 14 of the housing 10 and leaves the tool via the outlet openings 26 in the front housing section 15 . the characteristic feature of the reciprocating mechanism according to the invention is the feed valve being employed in the pressure air supply passage so as to obtain a reduction of the air consumption in relation to previous devices without affecting the output power of the device . during tests , we have observed a reduction of as much as 30 % of the pressure air consumption when utilizing a reciprocating mechanism according to the invention instead of a prior art device . it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the shown and described example . for instance , a mechanism designed in accordance with the invention is not limited to vibration damped embodiments including reciprocating support members . neither is the invention limited to the seal element design of the disclosed embodiment .	1
in the inventive method ( nf - gaffel method ) according to aspect ( 1 ) of the invention , the polymer starting material consists of one or several polymers , preferably thermoplastic polymers , alternatively preferably crosslinked polymers , very particularly preferably of a copolymer of the group of polymethyl methacrylate ( pmma / crosslinker ), polystyrene ( ps / crosslinker ), polyvinyl chloride ( pvc / crosslinker ), polylactide ( pl / crosslinker ), polyethylene ( pe / crosslinker ), polypropylene ( pp / crosslinker ), polycarbonate ( pc / crosslinker ) and cellophane / crosslinker . the plasticiser is preferably selected from the group of ketones ( such as acetone ) and other polar aprotic solvents and short chain alkanes such as butane , pentane , hexane and cyclohexane , for example ; however , acetone is particularly preferred . here , the mass ratio of the polymer starting material to the plasticiser is preferably in a range from 10 : 0 . 5 to 1 : 3 , particularly preferably in a range from 10 : 2 to 1 : 1 . preferably , the swelling time is in a range from 0 . 1 s to 100 h , particularly preferably in a range from 1 s to 1 h . the starting material preferably contains from 0 . 01 to 10 mol % of plasticiser . the crosslinker is preferably divinylbenzene ( dvb ), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate ( egdma ) or methylene bisacrylamide ( mbaa ). the preset temperature in step ( a ) and / or ( b ), independently of one another , is preferably in a range from 0 to 100 ° c . and is particularly preferably in step ( a ) in a range from 15 to 30 ° c . and independently thereof in step ( b ) in a range from 30 to 70 ° c . it is further preferred that the swelling in step ( a ) results in a dense packing of polymer latices preferably having a mean particle size in the micrometre and nanometre ranges . it is also preferred that step ( a ) is carried out in an extruder . in another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention , the foaming agent in step ( b ) is selected from co 2 and other foaming agents which are completely miscible with the plasticiser under high pressure , in particular short chain alkanes such as methane , ethane and propane . the gel is preferably contacted with the foaming agent under a pressure of 10 to 300 bar , particularly preferably from 50 to 200 bar . in another preferred embodiment the pressure lowering in step ( c ) takes place within a time ranging from 0 . 1 s to 60 s in which the polymer material cools and solidifies . the obtained micro - or nanoporous polymer material preferably has a density from 0 . 5 % to 50 % of the density of the polymer starting material and / or a mean pore size from 0 . 01 to 10 μm . the nf - gaffel method according to the invention could already successfully be carried out in a batch process for copolymers such as pmma / crosslinker , ps / crosslinker and pvc / crosslinker . the preparation of a coherent polymer gel is important for a successful production of nanoporous polymer materials . preferably , the method according to the invention is carried out as a batch method and not as a continuous method . preferably , the parameters of pressure and temperature are selected to be above the binary miscibility gap of the plasticiser and particularly preferably thermostatting is carried out for a sufficient time ( depending on the sample thickness or the sample volume ) so that after expansion foams with pore diameters in the lower micrometre or nanometre range will always be obtained . especially desired properties such as , for example , low densities , small pores , open -/ closed - pored foam structures , etc . may be obtained by varying the following parameters which can be classified into three production processes : 1 . production of the polymers : in the production of the polymers , the following parameters are particularly preferably important for the final product : crosslinker , modifier and copolymer and the concentrations thereof the type of radical starter and the quantity used temperature and duration of the polymerisation reaction homogenisation during polymerisation after treatment of the polymer ( purification , extrusion , annealing , etc .) 2 . production of the polymer gels : in the production of the polymer gels , the following parameters are particularly preferably important for the final product : plasticisers and the ratio between the solid polymer and the plasticiser the duration of exposure of the plasticiser in the polymer gel the saturated polymer gel or defined plasticiser concentrations 3 . production of the polymer foams : here , the following parameters are particularly preferably important : the type of foaming agent pressure , temperature , time expansion speed preferably , the following parameters are required for the exact composition of the polymer gels . the mass fraction of the radical starter used refers to the total mass of the sample . the mass fraction of the plasticiser in a plasticiser / polymer mixture is defined as follows : for an exact composition of the polymer , the concentrations of all additives such as , for example , the crosslinker and the modifier are given on a molar basis as follows : the molar ratio of a crosslinker in a crosslinker / monomer mixture is given by the molar ratio of additional additives such as , for example , a modifier in an additive / monomer crosslinker mixture is given by : the polymer gel is preferably obtained in time - economic steps depending on the processing form . thus , for thin films of the order of 1 μm preferably a direct contacting with the plasticiser is expedient . preferably , bulk materials require either polymer latex powders which are compacted and then soaked with the plasticiser or polymer granulates which are obtained by various methods such as milling or freeze drying . preferred are polymer starting materials with one dimension , length , width or height , on the order of micrometres to obtain a fast swelling . after the provision of the required polymer gels the desired foam can be produced by the method ( nf - gaffel ) according to the invention . both a batch process and a continuous method are suitable for a large - scale implementation of the foaming process . a batch process is particularly preferred for steps b ) and / or c ). 1 . the production of the foams in a batch process can be carried out in accordance with examples 1 to 5 . preferably , this requires matching the scale of the pressure - proof equipment to the desired foam quantity and maintaining the above - mentioned parameters such as pressure , temperature and residence time of the polymer gel in the foaming agent atmosphere , for example . possible pressure - proof equipment is preferably autoclaves which resist the required process parameters and are already used in industrial processes . hence , the polymer gels can preferably be contacted with the compressed foaming agent in a closed container and expanded to a solid nanofoam after a sufficient thermostatting . 2 . the production of the foams in a continuous process could be realised in an extruder , for example . since the polymer gels are easily formable already at room temperature , they can be continuously processed in an extruder without supplying heat energy and foamed by adding the foaming agent by the process of the invention ( nf - gaffel ). in this process , energy is introduced into the system preferably in the form of shearing which provides for a steady increase of the polymer gel surface . here , the formation of the homogeneous mixture of foaming agent and plasticiser in the polymer gel is preferably accelerated and therefore reduces the time of contact between foaming agent and polymer gel . preferably , large - scale extruders allow adjusting the required parameters of pressure and temperature easily provided that the extruder is sufficiently gasproof . the time of contact between the foaming agent and the polymer gel can preferably be varied by the extrusion canal length and the screw speed . preferably , the polymer gel filled with foaming agent can be expanded at the extruder end to form a solid nanofoam by opening a valve . preferably , a pressure gradient resulting in a slow expansion ( t exp ≈ 20 s ) is advantageous here ( see example 2 . 4 ). the invention will be further elucidated by the following , non - restrictive examples . a pmma gel was prepared by adding acetone to a sample of a conventional acrylic glass and subsequently foamed with co 2 . the expansion time t exp from the initial pressure p = 250 bar to the normal pressure of 1 bar was approx . 1 second . the mass ratio of pmma to acetone in the polymer gel was 1 : 3 ( λ acetone = 0 . 75 ). the gel was contacted with co 2 in a high - pressure cell at p = 250 bar , t = 55 ° c . and t = 15 min and subsequently expanded . fig1 shows the foam structure at two different magnifications . a pmma consisting of the monomer methyl methacrylate ( mma ) and the crosslinker n , n ′- methylene bisacrylamide ( mbaa ) was polymerised using the radical starter azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) at t = 95 ° c . and a period of 2 h . example 1 . 2 illustrates the different impacts of two different crosslinker concentrations on the obtained foam structure . a polymer saturated with acetone was prepared and contacted with co 2 and foamed as in example 1 at p = 250 bar , t = 55 ° c . and t = 15 min . this example demonstrates the successful application of the nf - gaffel method using a pmma sample with a precisely known composition . the left - hand portion of fig2 shows the effect on the resulting foam structure at a crosslinker content of v = 0 . 2 mol % and the right - hand portion of fig2 shows a distinctly smaller foam structure due to the effect of v = 0 . 7 of crosslinker . the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = saturated , v mbaa = 0 . 20 mol % ( left )/ 0 . 70 mol % ( right ). a pmma consisting of the monomer methyl methacrylate ( mma ) and the crosslinker n , n ′- methylene bisacrylamide ( mbaa ) was polymerised using the radical starter azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) at t = 95 ° c . and a period of 2 h as in example 1 . 2 . example 1 . 3 illustrates the effect of the foaming temperature on the foam structure . for this purpose the pmma gel was produced as in example 2 and contacted with co 2 and foamed at p = 250 bar , t = 15 min . the co 2 contacting temperature and thus also the expansion temperature was varied . the left - hand portion of fig3 shows the resulting foam structure at t = 35 ° c ., in the middle portion the temperature was t = 55 ° c . and in the right - hand portion the temperature was t = 75 ° c . the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = saturated , v mbaa 0 . 70 mol %. a pmma consisting of the monomer methyl methacrylate ( mma ) and the crosslinker n , n ′- methylene bisacrylamide ( mbaa ) was polymerised using the radical starter azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) at t = 95 ° c . and a period of 2 h as in examples 2 and 3 . example 4 illustrates the effect of the residence time of the gels in the co 2 atmosphere on the foam structure . for this purpose the pmma gel was produced as in example 2 and foamed at p = 250 bar . the crosslinker concentration was v = 0 . 7 mol % and the foaming temperature was t = 55 ° c . in all experiments . fig4 shows the results of three foaming experiments varying in the time the gel was subjected to the co 2 atmosphere . the left foam was obtained after a saturation time of t = 5 min , the middle foam after t = 15 min and the right after t = 60 min . the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = saturated , v mbaa 0 . 70 mol %. a pmma consisting of the monomer methyl methacrylate ( mma ), the crosslinker n , n ′- methylene bisacrylamide ( mbaa ) and the modifier 2 - ethylhexylthioglycolate ( ehtg ) was polymerised using the radical starter azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) at t = 95 ° c . and a period of 2 h . example 5 illustrates the effect of the modifier on the foam structure of two polymers at different crosslinker concentrations . for this purpose the polymers were saturated with acetone and contacted with co 2 and foamed as in the above examples at p = 250 bar , t = 55 ° c . and t = 15 min . the modifier concentration of ρ = 0 . 50 mol % was the same in both foams . the left - hand portion of fig5 shows the effect on the resulting foam structure at a crosslinker content of v = 0 . 7 mol % and the right - hand portion of fig5 shows the effect at v = 1 . 20 mol % of crosslinker . the modifier ( ehtg ) has an enormous influence on the properties of the foam pores . monodisperse closed - cell foams having pore sizes in the lower micrometre range ( left ) and foams with regions of different pore diameters ( right ) can be produced easily . this allows to produce foams with regions having different properties . the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = saturated , v mbaa = 0 . 70 mol % ( left )/ 1 . 20 mol % ( right ), ρ ehtg = 0 . 50 mol %. production of ps nanofoams with different pore sizes by the nf - gaffel method a ps consisting of the monomer styrene and the crosslinker divinylbenzene ( dvb ) was polymerised using the radical starter azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) at t = 90 ° c . and a period of 2 h . a ps gel was prepared from ps and the same weight of acetone ( λ acetone = 0 . 50 ) and contacted with co 2 in a high - pressure cell at p = 250 bar , t = 55 ° c . and t = 15 min and subsequently expanded . fig6 shows the foam structure of two samples containing different crosslinker concentrations . the left sample has a crosslinker concentration of v = 0 . 5 mol % and the right sample has a crosslinker concentration of v = 1 mol %. the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = saturated , v dvb = 0 . 5 mol % ( left )/ 1 . 00 mol % ( right ). ps gels were produced as in example 2 . 1 and contacted with co 2 at p = 250 bar , t = 55 ° c . and t = 15 min and subsequently expanded . the crosslinker concentration ( dvb ) was v = 1 mol %. three foaming experiments were conducted at different temperatures . the foam in the left - hand portion of fig7 was obtained at a temperature of t = 35 ° c ., the foam in the middle portion at t = 65 ° c . and foam in the right - hand portion at t = 75 ° c . the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = 0 . 50 , v dvb 1 . 00 mol %. ps gels were produced as in example 2 . 1 and subsequently contacted with different co 2 pressures and foamed at t = 65 ° c . after t = 15 min . the crosslinker concentration ( dvb ) was v = 1 mol %. in fig8 the left foam resulted from a co 2 pressure of p = 250 bar , whereas the right foam was obtained at a co 2 pressure of p = 150 bar . in both experiments the parameters are chosen such that they are above the binary miscibility gap between co 2 and acetone . the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = 0 . 50 , v dvb 1 . 00 mol %. ps gels were produced as in example 2 . 1 and contacted with co 2 at p = 250 bar , t = 60 ° c . and t = 15 min and subsequently expanded . the crosslinker concentration ( dvb ) was v = 2 mol %. the decisive difference to all previous foaming experiments was the duration of the expansion process from 250 to 1 bar . fig9 shows the foam obtained with a foaming time of t exp ≈ 20 s . the gel / foam composition was : σ aibn = 0 . 004 , λ acetone = 0 . 50 , v dvb 2 . 00 mol %. polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) nanofoams ; production of a pvc nanofoam by the nf - gaffel method a saturated pvc gel was prepared by adding acetone to a sample of a conventional pvc polymer and subsequently foamed with co 2 . the gel was contacted with co 2 in a high - pressure cell at p = 250 bar , t = 70 ° c . and t = 10 min and subsequently expanded . fig1 shows the foam structure at two different magnifications . polyethylene ( pe ) nanofoams ; production of a pe nanofoam by the nf - gaffel method a saturated pe gel was prepared by adding cyclohexane to a sample of a conventional pe polymer at 60 ° c . and subsequently foamed with co 2 . the gel was contacted with co 2 in a high - pressure cell at p = 250 bar , t = 70 ° c . and t = 15 min and subsequently expanded . fig1 shows the foam structure at two different magnifications . ten grams of crosslinked polystyrene particles ( mean diameter ≈ 1 mm , 1 mol % of dvb as crosslinker ) is contacted with 20 g of acetone in a sealed vessel for 180 minutes at room temperature and under normal pressure . due to the different refractive indexes of the polymer and the polymer gel , swelling could be followed visually to determine when the polystyrene particles were completely converted into the polymer gel . the polystyrene gel particles were dimensionally stable and had a spherical shape but were — contrary to the starting polymer — deformable by slight mechanical impact . then , the swollen polystyrene particles were subjected to a co 2 atmosphere at 200 bar and 70 ° c . for 90 minutes . a pressure relief resulted in nanoporous polystyrene particles with a mean diameter of 2 mm and a density & lt ; 0 . 30 g / cm 3 and a mean nanopore diameter & lt ; 500 nm ( see fig1 ). in order to image the structure of the produced nanoporous materials , first a fresh fracture edge was created . subsequently , the sample was fixed on the sample plate with the fracture edge facing upward . in order to dissipate the charge generated during measurement , conductive silver lacquer was used for fixation . prior to imaging , the sample was coated with gold in order to avoid local charging effects . for this purpose the k950x coating system with the k350 sputter attachment from emitech was used . in all cases gold sputtering was performed under an argon pressure of approx . 10 − 2 mbar , always applying a current of 30 ma for 30 seconds . the layer thickness of the gold layer coated in this way was approximately between 5 and 15 nm . the electron photomicrographs were taken with a device of the supra 40 vp type from zeiss . acceleration voltages up to 30 kv and a maximum resolution of 1 . 3 nm are possible with this device . micrographs were recorded with the inlens detector at an acceleration voltage of 5 kv . in order to determine the mean pore diameter and the mean web thickness of the nano - and microporous foams , a micrograph taken with the described scanning electron microscope was chosen and at least 300 pores or webs were measured with the datinf measure computer program to ensure a sufficiently good statistics . since each scanning electron micrograph contains only a limited number of pores and webs , several scanning electron micrographs are used for the determination of the mean pore and web diameters . here it should be ensured that the magnification is chosen such that the error in the length determination is kept as small as possible . an example is shown in the annex in fig1 . the features of the invention disclosed in the present description , in the drawings as well as in the claims both individually and in any combination may be essential to the realization of the various embodiments of the invention .	2
the compounds of the present invention may also be represented by ethylidene - substituted cyclohexanols of formula ii and vinyl - substituted cyclohexanols of formula iii in the following : the compounds of the present invention may be further represented by cyclohexanols of formula iv in the following : wherein one of r 1 and r 2 represents hydrogen with the other representing a c 1 - c 6 linear , branched or cyclic alkyl group ; and one of the dashed lines represents a carbon - carbon single bond with the other representing a carbon - carbon double bond . the cyclohexanol compounds of formula ii , iii and iv may be further represented by formula v and formula vi in the following : wherein one of r 1 and r 2 are defined as above . the novel cyclohexanols of the present invention are illustrated , for example , by following examples . the compounds of the present invention were prepared with 3 - vinyl - 7 - oxa - bicyclo [ 4 . 1 . 0 ] heptane according to the following reaction scheme , the details of which are specified in the examples . materials and catalysts were purchased from aldrich chemical company unless noted otherwise . those with skill in the art will recognize that some of the compounds of the present invention have a number of chiral centers , thereby providing numerous isomers of the claimed compounds . it is intended herein that the compounds described herein include isomeric mixtures of such compounds , as well as those isomers that may be separated using techniques known to those having skill in the art . suitable techniques include chromatography such as high performance liquid chromatography , referred to as hplc , particularly silica gel chromatograph , and gas chromatography trapping known as gc trapping . yet , commercial versions of such products are mostly offered as mixtures . the compounds of the present invention , for example , possess strong and complex sweet , spicy , woody and vanilla notes . the use of the compounds of the present invention is widely applicable in current perfumery products , including the preparation of perfumes and colognes , the perfuming of personal care products such as soaps , shower gels , and hair care products , fabric care products as well as air fresheners and cosmetic preparations . these compounds can also be used to perfume cleaning agents , such as , but not limited to detergents , dishwashing materials , scrubbing compositions , window cleaners and the like . in these preparations , the compounds of the present invention can be used alone or in combination with other perfuming compositions , solvents , adjuvants and the like . the nature and variety of the other ingredients that can also be employed are known to those with skill in the art . many types of fragrances can be employed in the present invention , the only limitation being the compatibility with the other components being employed . suitable fragrances include but are not limited to fruits such as almond , apple , cherry , grape , pear , pineapple , orange , strawberry , raspberry ; musk ; and flower scents such as lavender - like , rose - like , iris - like , carnation - like . other pleasant scents include herbal and woodland scents derived from pine , spruce and other forest smells . fragrances may also be derived from various oils , such as essential oils , or from plant materials such as peppermint , spearmint and the like . a list of suitable fragrances is provided in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 534 , 891 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety . another source of suitable fragrances is found in perfumes , cosmetics and soaps , second edition , edited by w . a . poucher , 1959 . among the fragrances provided in this treatise are acacia , cassie , chypre , cyclamen , fern , gardenia , hawthorn , heliotrope , honeysuckle , hyacinth , jasmine , lilac , lily , magnolia , mimosa , narcissus , freshly - cut hay , orange blossom , orchid , reseda , sweet pea , trefle , tuberose , vanilla , violet , wallflower , and the like . the term “ improving ” in the phrase “ improving , enhancing or modifying a fragrance formulation ” is understood to mean raising the fragrance formulation to a more desirable character . the term “ enhancing ” is understood to mean making the fragrance formulation greater in effectiveness or providing the fragrance formulation with an improved character . the term “ modifying ” is understood to mean providing the fragrance formulation with a change in character . the terms “ fragrance formulation ”, “ fragrance composition ”, and “ perfume composition ” are understood to mean the same and refer to a formulation that is intended for providing a fragrance character to a perfume , a cologne , toilet water , a personal product , a fabric care product , and the like . the fragrance formulation of the present invention is a composition comprising a compound of the present invention . olfactory acceptable amount is understood to mean the amount of a compound in a perfume composition . the compound will contribute its particular olfactory characteristics , but the olfactory effect of the perfume composition will be the sum of the effects of each of the perfumes or fragrance ingredients . thus the compounds of the invention can be used to alter the aroma characteristics of a perfume composition , or by modifying the olfactory reaction contributed by another ingredient in the composition . the amount will vary depending on many factors including other ingredients , their relative amounts and the effect that is desired . the amount of the compounds of the present invention employed in a fragrance formulation varies from about 0 . 005 to about 70 weight percent , preferably from 0 . 005 to about 50 weight percent , more preferably from about 0 . 5 to about 25 weight percent , and even more preferably from about 1 to about 10 weight percent . those with skill in the art will be able to employ the desired amount to provide desired fragrance effect and intensity . in addition to the compounds of the present invention , other materials can also be used in conjunction with the fragrance formulation . well known materials such as surfactants , emulsifiers , polymers to encapsulate the fragrance can also be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention . in addition , the compounds of the present invention are also surprisingly found to provide superior ingredient performance and possess unexpected advantages in malodor counteracting applications such as body perspiration , environmental odor such as mold and mildew , bathroom , and etc . the compounds of the present invention substantially eliminate the perception of malodors and / or prevent the formation of such malodors , thus , can be utilized with a vast number of functional products . examples of the functional products are provided herein to illustrate the various aspects of the present invention . however , they do not intend to limit the scope of the present invention . the functional products may include , for example , a conventional room freshener ( or deodorant ) composition such as room freshener sprays , an aerosol or other spray , fragrance diffusers , a wick or other liquid system , or a solid , for instance candles or a wax base as in pomanders and plastics , powders as in sachets or dry sprays or gels , as in solid gel sticks , clothes deodorants as applied by washing machine applications such as in detergents , powders , liquids , whiteners or fabric softeners , fabric refreshers , linen sprays , closet blocks , closet aerosol sprays , or clothes storage areas or in dry cleaning to overcome residual solvent notes on clothes , bathroom accessories such as paper towels , bathroom tissues , sanitary napkins , towellets , disposable wash cloths , disposable diapers , and diaper pail deodorants , cleansers such as disinfectants and toilet bowl cleaners , cosmetic products such as antiperspirant and deodorants , general body deodorants in the form of powders , aerosols , liquids or solid , or hair care products such as hair sprays , conditioners , rinses , hair colors and dyes , permanent waves , depilatories , hair straighteners , hair groom applications such as pomade , creams and lotions , medicated hair care products containing such ingredients as selenium sulphide , coal tar or salicylates , or shampoos , or foot care products such as foot powders , liquids or colognes , after shaves and body lotions , or soaps and synthetic detergents such as bars , liquids , foams or powders , odor control such as during manufacturing processes , such as in the textile finishing industry and the printing industry ( inks and paper ), effluent control such as in processes involved in pulping , stock yard and meat processings , sewage treatment , garbage bags , or garbage disposal , or in product odor control as in textile finished goods , rubber finished goods or car fresheners , agricultural and pet care products such as dog and hen house effluents and domestic animal and pet care products such as deodorants , shampoo or cleaning agents , or animal litter material and in large scale closed air systems such as auditoria , and subways and transport systems . thus , it will be seen that the composition of the invention is usually one in which the malodor counteractant is present together with a carrier by means of which or from which the malodor counteractant can be introduced into air space wherein the malodor is present , or a substrate on which the malodor has deposited . for example , the carrier can be an aerosol propellant such as a chlorofluoro - methane , or a solid such as a wax , plastics material , rubber , inert powder or gel . in a wick - type air freshener , the carrier is a substantially odorless liquid of low volatility . in several applications , a composition of the invention contains a surface active agent or a disinfectant , while in others , the malodor counteractant is present on a fibrous substrate . in many compositions of the invention there is also present a fragrance component which imparts a fragrance to the composition . the fragrances stated above can all be employed . malodor counteracting effective amount is understood to mean the amount of the inventive malodor counteractant employed in an air space or a substrate such as a functional product that is organoleptically effective to abate a given malodor while reducing the combined intensity of the odor level , wherein the given malodor is present in air space or has deposited on a substrate . the exact amount of malodor counteractant agent employed may vary depending upon the type of malodor counteractant , the type of the carrier employed , and the level of malodor counteractancy desired . in general , the amount of malodor counteractant agent present is the ordinary dosage required to obtain the desired result . such dosage is known to the skilled practitioner in the art . in a preferred embodiment , when used in conjunction with malodorous solid or liquid functional products , e . g ., soap and detergent , the compounds of the present invention may be present in an amount ranging from about 0 . 005 to about 50 weight percent , preferably from about 0 . 01 to about 20 weight percent , more preferably from about 0 . 05 to about 10 weight percent and even more preferably from about 0 . 1 to about 5 weight percent . when used in an air space that is in conjunction with malodorous gaseous functional products , the compounds of the present invention may be present in an amount ranging from about 0 . 2 mg to about 2 g per cubic meter of air , more preferably from about 0 . 4 mg to about 0 . 8 g per cubic meter of air , more preferably from about 2 mg to about 0 . 4 g per cubic meter of air and even more preferably from about 4 mg to about 0 . 2 g per cubic meter of air . the following are provided as specific embodiments of the present invention . other modifications of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . such modifications are understood to be within the scope of this invention . the chemical materials used in the preparation of the compounds of the present invention are commercially available from aldrich chemical company . as used herein all percentages are weight percent unless otherwise noted , ppm is understood to stand for parts per million , mol is understood to be mole , mmol is understood to be millimole , l is understood to be liter , ml is understood to be milliliter , kg is understood to be kilogram and g be gram , psi is understood to be pound - force per square inch , and mmhg is understood to be millimeters ( mm ) of mercury ( hg ). iff as used in the examples is understood to mean international flavors & amp ; fragrances inc ., new york , n . y ., usa . a 5 - l , 4 - neck round bottom flask was fitted with a temperature probe , a glass stir shaft , a water condenser and an addition funnel propanol ( ch3ch2ch2oh ) ( 1 . 4 kg ) and amberlyst ® 15 ( 15 g ) were charged into the flask and brought to reflux . 3 - vinyl - 7 - oxa - bicyclo [ 4 . 1 . 0 ] heptane ( 476 g , 3 . 8 mol ) was fed in over 1 hour . the reaction was aged for additional 6 hours and then cooled to room temperature . the reaction mixture was decanted to provide a mixture of 2 - propoxy - 4 - vinyl - cyclohexanol ( structure 29 ) and 2 - propoxy - 5 - vinyl - cyclohexanol ( structure 30 ) ( 1 : 1 ) ( 699 g ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 5 . 78 - 5 . 90 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 94 - 5 . 15 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 06 - 3 . 79 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 46 - 2 . 58 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 34 - 2 . 45 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 80 - 2 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 42 - 1 . 72 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ) the isomeric mixture structure 29 and 30 was described as having sweet , spicy and vanilla notes . preparation of ( e )- 4 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 17 ), ( z )- 4 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 18 ), ( e )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 19 ) and ( z )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 20 ) the mixture of 2 - propoxy - 4 - vinyl - cyclohexanol ( structure 29 ) and 2 - propoxy - 5 - vinyl - cyclohexanol ( structure 30 ) ( 699 g ) ( prepared as above in example i ) and rhcl 3 ( 2 . 0 g , 9 . 6 mmol ) were combined in a fresh 5 - l , 4 - neck round bottom flask fitted with a temperature probe , a glass stir shaft and a dean - stark trap . the reaction mixture was heated to reflux . about 600 ml propanol was removed via the dean - stark trap during the reaction . the reaction mixture was aged at reflux for additional 5 hours . gas chromatography ( gc ) analysis was used to monitor the completion of the reaction . the reaction mixture was then cooled . further distillation at a vapor temperature of 123 ° c . with a pressure of 2 mmhg provided the mixture of ( e )- 4 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 17 ), ( z )- 4 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 18 ), ( e )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 19 ) and ( z )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 20 ) ( structure 17 : structure 18 : structure 19 : structure 20 = about 0 . 74 : 0 . 83 : 0 . 95 : 1 . 0 ) ( 575 g , 79 % yield ). the mixture of ( e )- 4 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 17 ), ( z )- 4 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 18 ), ( e )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol ( structure 19 ) and ( z )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol has the following nmr spectral characteristics : 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 5 . 14 - 5 . 34 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 66 - 3 . 68 ppm ( m , 10h ), 1 . 52 - 1 . 66 ppm ( m , 5h ), 1 . 09 - 1 . 34 ppm ( m , 1h ), 0 . 88 - 1 . 02 ppm ( m , 3h ) the isomeric mixture structure 17 , 18 , 19 and 20 was described as having particularly desirable , strong and complex sweet , spicy , woody and vanilla notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl3 , 500 mhz ): 5 . 22 - 5 . 30 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 57 - 3 . 64 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 57 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 40 ppm ( m , 2h ), 2 . 92 - 3 . 03 ppm ( m , 1h ), 2 . 67 ppm ( br , 1h ), 2 . 47 - 2 . 64 ppm ( m , 2h ), 2 . 02 - 2 . 10 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 94 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 78 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 56 - 1 . 66 ppm ( m , 5h ), 1 . 19 - 1 . 29 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 94 ( t , 3h , j = 7 . 41 hz ) ( e )- 4 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol was described as having spicy , clove - leaf , floral and medicinal notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 5 . 25 - 5 . 32 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 62 - 3 . 70 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 62 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 31 - 3 . 43 ppm ( m , 1h ), 2 . 95 - 3 . 03 ppm ( m , 2h ), 2 . 66 ppm ( br , 1h ), 2 . 13 - 2 . 20 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 98 - 2 . 08 ppm ( m , 2h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 66 ppm ( m , 6h ), 1 . 23 - 1 . 34 ppm ( m , 1h ), 0 . 96 ppm ( t , 3h , j = 7 . 41 hz ) 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 5 . 23 - 5 . 30 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 64 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 41 - 3 . 47 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 33 - 3 . 39 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 13 - 3 . 20 ppm ( m , 1h ), 2 . 58 ppm ( br , 1h ), 2 . 48 - 2 . 60 ppm ( m , 2h ), 2 . 02 - 2 . 10 ppm ( m , 2h ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 78 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 67 ppm ( m , 5h ), 1 . 11 - 1 . 21 ppm ( m , 1h ), 0 . 94 ppm ( t , 3h , j = 7 . 41 hz ) ( e )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol was described as having balsamic , sweet , spicy and vanilla notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 5 . 25 - 5 . 36 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 57 - 3 . 64 ppm ( m , 1h ), 3 . 32 - 3 . 43 ppm ( m , 2h ), 3 . 13 - 3 . 20 ppm ( m , 1h ), 2 . 86 - 2 . 93 ppm ( m , 1h ), 2 . 66 ppm ( br , 1h ), 2 . 17 - 2 . 23 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 96 - 2 . 10 ppm ( m , 2h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 84 ppm ( m , 1h ), 1 . 56 - 1 . 67 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 13 - 1 . 24 ppm ( m , 1h ), 0 . 94 ppm ( t , 3h , j = 7 . 41 hz ) ( z )- 5 - ethylidene - 2 - propoxy - cyclohexanol was described as having spicy , clove - leaf , medicinal and slight cooling herbal notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 5 . 15 - 5 . 43 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 32 - 3 . 62 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 94 - 3 . 14 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 48 - 1 . 67 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 08 - 1 . 37 ( m , 1h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 was described as having balsamic , sweet , spicy , fruity , fresh and minty notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 5 . 16 - 5 . 38 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 32 - 3 . 85 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 12 - 3 . 25 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 84 - 2 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 64 - 1 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 48 - 1 . 64 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 04 - 1 . 34 ( m , 4h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 was described as having strong and complex sweet , spicy , fruity , woody , clove - leaf , floral , green , smoky and leathery notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 5 . 18 - 5 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 65 - 3 . 85 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 96 - 3 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 87 - 2 . 95 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 63 - 1 . 87 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 50 - 1 . 63 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 07 - 1 . 36 ( m , 7h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 was described as having sweet , spicy , woody and vanilla notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 5 . 73 - 5 . 92 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 94 - 5 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 67 - 3 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 38 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 01 - 3 . 29 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 37 - 2 . 60 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 79 - 2 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 44 - 1 . 68 ( m , 4h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 25 and 26 was described as having fruity , vanilla and green notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 5 . 74 - 5 . 96 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 95 - 5 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 07 - 3 . 77 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 47 - 2 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 18 - 2 . 45 ( br , 1h ), 1 . 78 - 2 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 42 - 1 . 72 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 20 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 27 and 28 was described as having spicy and vanilla notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 5 . 68 - 5 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 89 - 5 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 16 - 3 . 83 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 86 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 41 - 2 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 43 - 1 . 73 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 10 - 1 . 22 ( m , 6h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 35 and 36 was described as having a spicy note . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 5 . 68 - 5 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 91 - 5 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 04 - 3 . 80 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 41 - 2 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 79 - 2 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 44 - 1 . 73 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 31 - 1 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 92 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 3h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 37 and 38 was described as having sweet and spicy notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 5 . 72 - 5 . 98 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 86 - 5 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 06 - 3 . 40 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 41 - 2 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 - 2 . 00 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 44 - 1 . 73 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 85 - 0 . 95 ( m , 6h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 39 and 40 was described as having onion - and garlic - like notes . additional hydrogenated cyclohexanols were prepared via the hydrogenation of the corresponding cyclohexanols prepared in the above . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 3 . 57 - 3 . 74 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 38 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 02 - 3 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 32 ( br , s , 1h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 39 - 1 . 55 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 26 - 1 . 35 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 87 - 0 . 92 ( m , 3h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 41 and 42 was described as having spicy and vanilla but phenolic notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 500 mhz ): 2 . 96 - 3 . 78 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 50 ( br , s , 1h ), 1 . 96 - 2 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 36 - 1 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 08 - 1 . 36 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 77 - 1 . 04 ( m , 4h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 43 and 44 was described as having earthy , woody and green but phenolic notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 2 . 91 - 3 . 92 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 06 - 2 . 16 ( m , 11h ), 0 . 72 - 1 . 03 ( m , 6h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 45 and 46 was described as having spicy and vanilla but phenolic notes . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): 2 . 58 - 3 . 76 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 00 - 2 . 14 ( m , 10h ), 0 . 77 - 1 . 00 ( m , 9h ) the isomeric mixture of structure 47 and 48 was described as having spicy and woody notes with bacon character . accordingly , the novel cyclohexanols represented by formula i - vi possess unexpected superior and desirable effect when compared to their corresponding hydrogenated compounds . the sweat , mold / mildew , bathroom and smoke malodor models were prepared based on applicants &# 39 ; proprietary formulations for assessing the effectiveness of various malodor counteractants . two aluminum dishes were placed in an 8 oz glass jar . a malodor material was pipetted into one aluminum dish , and a compound of the present invention diluted in a solvent ( 1 %) or a solvent alone control was pipetted into the other aluminum dish . the jar was then capped and the samples were allowed to equilibrate for one hour before the testing . test samples were presented in a blind and random order to 15 - 18 internal panelists ( consisting of men / women with an age range of 25 to 55 ). however , different odor samples were arranged in an alternative order ( for example , sweat , mold / mildew , sweat , mold / mildew , and etc .). the panelists were instructed to take the steps of i ) sniff jars containing only the malodor materials for familiarization prior to the testing ; ii ) uncap a jar ; iii ) place their noses at a distance of about 3 - 4 inches above the opening ; iv ) take short sniffs for 3 seconds ; and v ) enter a rating of overall intensity and malodor intensity on a handheld computer . the overall and malodor intensity was rated using the labeled magnitude scale ( lms ) [ green , et al ., chemical senses , 21 ( 3 ), june 1996 , 323 - 334 ]. percent malodor reduction (“% mor ”) represents the perceived reduction in mean malodor intensity of the sample containing the malodor in the presence of a malodor counteractant relative to the negative control ( malodor alone ). the mean ranks of the malodor coverage for the above test were as follows : compounds of the present invention were demonstrated effective in counteracting various types of malodors .	2
fig1 shows a sensor substrate 20 comprising a number of individual sensor bases 21 arrayed in a regular pattern , the bases 21 being defined by scribing the regular pattern onto a contiguously formed single manufacturing piece suitable for handling by automated production equipment . after manufacturing processes are completed , the sensor bases 21 may be separated into a number of individual sensors . each of the sensor bases 21 has integrated thereon in planar arrangement a single sensor device 22 comprising a plurality of conductive paths 25 deposited in patterns terminating in electrical contacting pads 23 , the conductive paths 25 originating in sensor elements 30 , sensor elements 30 being comprised of individual layers 24 , 26 , and 28 ( best seen in fig2 a and 2b ). the sensor elements 30 are designed to perform either reference or measuring tasks and are preferably disposed in banks or rows of linearly disposed sensor elements with the sensor elements 30 being a reference function sensor element 30r being on one side or row and the sensor elements 30 being a detecting or measuring function sensor element 30m for the analyte on the other side or row . in a commercial application , the sensor elements 30 may be used advantageously within a chemical analyzer , in combination with a flow channel member 31 ( see fig1 a ) having grooves 33 positioned over the reference function sensor elements 30r and measuring function sensor elements 30m and joined together at one end of each groove , thereby defining liquid flow channels ( not shown ). the upper surface of the sensor membrane layer 26 is thusly in fluid and electrolytic contact with biological sample liquids supplied through the grooves 33 . the amount of analyte in a sample fluid may be determined by using the sensor devices in pairs , with one sensor device being exposed to a reference solution containing a known amount of analyte , and the other being exposed to a sample solution containing an unknown amount of analyte . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 284 , 568 , assigned to the assignee of the present invention , is illustrative of such a device . using well known calibration techniques , an assay may be performed in a comparative or differential method of measurement to determine the levels of an analyte in sample fluids . as best seen in fig2 a , each sensor element 30 comprises a first dielectric layer 24 and a second dielectric layer 28 formed thereon in contact with a conductive electrode path 25 , the layers 24 and 28 having patterns of openings therein , the openings in the patterns aligned to form a &# 34 ; well - like &# 34 ; cavity , generally indicated by the letter &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;. as seen in fig2 b , a sensor membrane 26 may then be applied within the cavity d formed by openings in the layers 24 and 28 and is positioned in contact with the electrode path 25 . the process for making such a device , preferably using conventional thick film screen printing techniques and suitable drying means , is well known in the art , for example , as described in u . s . pat no . 4 , 454 , 007 , assigned to the assignee of the present invention . by way of example , one first deposits the conductor layer 25 , typically using a conventional silver conductor paste , for instance series qs175 , available from e . i . du pont de nemours & amp ; co ., wilmington , del ., then the first dielectric layer 24 , typically a conventional ceramic dielectric paste , for instance series qs482 , the second dielectric layer 28 also for instance series qs482 , and finally the sensor membrane layer 26 . the purpose of the dielectric layers 24 and 28 is to establish a cavity d of sufficient depth , generally between 20 and 40 microns , to accommodate the minimum required thickness of sensor membrane layer 26 ( see fig2 a and 2b ). optionally , an interfacial layer generally composed of a conductive metal and conductive metal - salt compounds may be disposed between the conductor layer 25 and the sensor membrane layer 26 to stabilize the conductor / membrane interface . a variety of ion selective membrane compositions may be used for the membrane layer 26 , generally comprising an ionophore for an ion of interest , a compound capable of dissolving the ionophore and a supporting matrix comprised of one or more binder materials . the matrix can be any material which is capable of forming a film of sufficient permeability to produce , in combination with the ionophore and solvent , analyte ion mobility across the film . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 401 , 377 contains information about the various chemical constituents and applicable production processes useful in production of ise sensors having an ion - sensitive member in direct contact with an electrical conductor and is generally indicative of the state - of - the art . useful ionophores include ion carriers such as hemispherands , crown ethers , monensin and esters thereof ( e . g . methyl - monensin ), and others known in the art . ionophores also include ion - exchangers , such as polymeric ion - exchange materials , and water insoluble salts . the choice of ionophore will depend on the nature of the ions to be determined , e . g . valinomycin for potassium , methyl - monensin for sodium , tri - n - dodectyl - methylammonium for chloride , etc . the ionophore is dissolved by one or more organic solvents thereby providing sodium ion mobility . if a hydrophobic binder is used as the supporting matrix , the solvent must be compatible with the binder . the solvent is sometimes identified in the art as a carrier solvent . useful solvents include phthalates , sebacates , aromatic and aliphatic ethers , phosphates , mixed aromatic aliphatic phosphonates , adipates , nitrated ethers or esters or mixtures thereof , and others known in the art . the polymeric matrix materials were chosen from a variety of substances selected from the group consisting of polyvinylchloride , copolymers of polyvinylchloride , polyurethanes , methacrylate polymers , acrylic polymers , and polymers compatible with polyvinylchloride , and mixtures thereof , with polyvinylchloride being generally preferred . useful membranes including hydrophobic binder materials , an ionophore , and solvating solvents are prepared using known film - coating or casting or screen printing techniques . materials including synthetic and natural polymeric materials , such as poly ( vinyl chloride ), carboxylated poly ( vinyl chloride ), poly ( styrene - co - styrene sulfonic acid ), poly ( vinyl chloride - co - styrene sulfonic acid ), poly ( vinyl chloride - co - styrene carboxylic acid ) and the like may be used to advantage . high molecular weight poly ( vinyl chloride ) has been successfully used in the practice of this invention . useful plasticizers include 2 - ethyl hexyl adipate and / or dioctyl sebacate . one problem encountered with the use of such polymeric materials occurs as a consequence of their optical characteristics . in particular , the optical transmissivity of such polymeric materials generally falls within a range of values that are essentially transparent to the illuminating systems used in commercial optical inspection systems . a related problem occurs whenever the optical reflectivity of the membrane falls within a range of values that are essentially equivalent to that of the underlying dielectric layers and / or of the substrate material thereby causing a vision system to be unable to reliably differentiate between the membrane and dielectric layers . the problem of inadequate contrast between layers can be addressed through the use of optical inspection systems designed to detect fluorescence in combination with membranes modified to fluoresce differentially from the underlying layers . the preferred class of fluorophores for this application is the class of coumarins . these appear not to interfere with the accuracy of the sensors , compared to fluorophores from the rhodamine or fluorescein classes . within the coumarin class , certain members have been discovered to have superior fluorescent efficiency that would not be anticipated from their structural similarities or from the spectral or fluorescence data provided by the vendor &# 39 ; s specifications for these products . the preferred fluorophores of the present invention are selected from the class of 7 - amino - coumarin derivatives generally having the structure shown below : ## str1 ## wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 are hydrogen , alkyl or alkylene groups , and r 5 , and r 6 are a hydrogen , alkyl , alkylene , haloalkyl , aryl or aromatic , halo , carboxyalkyl , oxo - alkyl , or cyano substituent . a preferred fluorophore , coumarin 6 ( 3 -( 2 &# 39 ;- benzothiazolyl )- 7 - n , n - diethylaminocoumarin ), has been discovered to have superior fluorescence in the membranes without degrading the utility of ise sensors produced therewith . the structure of coumarin 6 is shown below : ## str2 ## another preferred coumarin is coumarin 314 ( 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 3h , 6h , 10h - tetrahydro - 9 - carbethoxy ( 1 ) benzopyrano ( 9 , 9a , 1 )- gh ) quinolizin - 10 - one ) having structure shown below : ## str3 ## the sensor design , the substrate and the polymeric paste used to prepare the undried membranes were prepared according to the process described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 522 , 978 assigned to the assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated by reference . rhodamine 6g , fluorescein , methylene chloride , isophorone , carboxylated polyvinyl chloride , silica , trdodecylmethylammonium chloride , and glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane can be obtained commercially from the aldrich chemical co . ( milwaukee , wis .). the coumarins were obtained commercially from acros organics ( new jersey ). the sodium ionophore ( fluka iii ), valinomycin , dioctyl adipate , and potassium tetra ( chlorophenyl ) borate , can be obtained from fluka chemika - biochemika ( ronkonkoma , n . y .). the performance of the completed sensor assemblies was tested using standard operating protocols on a dimension ® ar clinical chemical system obtained from dade chemistry systems ( newark , del .). ultraviolet spectra were obtained using an hp model 8452a diode array spectrophotometer , available from hewlett packard co , ( palo alto , calif .). electrolyte testing was done by installing the integrated sensor arrays on a dimension ® system that was equipped with pumps , calibrants , sensor cartridges and appropriate software obtained from dade chemistry systems inc ., newark , del . the testing was done by first calibrating the cartridges with two levels of each electrolyte , and then running a panel of test samples consisting of two levels of aqueous buffered electrolytes , and three samples of serum based control products . the calibrators and verifiers were obtained from dade chemistry systems , inc ., and the control products are ciba - corning co .&# 39 ; s commercial multiqual ® reagents . medfield , me . the aqueous buffered samples are dade &# 39 ; s commercially available &# 34 ; verifier 1 &# 34 ; ( v1 ) and &# 34 ; verifier 2 ( v2 ). the control products had multilevel concentrations of 1 , 2 , and 3 , respectively ( mq1 , mq2 , and mq3 ). the verifier concentrations were determined by comparison to standards based upon gravimetrically determined quantities of pure sodium and potassium salts . the control product concentration assignments were determined by comparison to multiple lots of sensors made without fluorophores . the pastes used to prepare the ion selective membranes before incorporation of an ionophore were made by mixing the ingredients listed in table 1 below : table 1______________________________________ paste weight compositionsingredient sodium potassium chloride______________________________________fluka na iii 0 . 9 % n / a n / avalinomycin n / a 0 . 9 % n / acpvc * 8 . 4 % 8 . 4 % 8 . 6 % dioctyl adipate 17 . 0 % 17 . 0 % n / asio . sub . 2 5 . 1 % 5 . 1 % 11 . 3 % silane 3 . 0 % 3 . 0 % 2 . 9 % dichloromethane 3 . 9 % 3 . 9 % n / aisophorone 61 . 6 % 61 . 6 % 62 . 1 % tdmac * n / a n / a 15 . 0 % borate **** n / a 0 . 005 % n / a______________________________________ * caboxylated polyvinyl chloride glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane * tridodecylmethylamonium chloride **** potassium tetra ( chlorophenyl ) borate fluorophores were added to the finished paste compositions of example 1a to give a concentration of fluorophore equal to 250 μg / g . after removal of the solvents ( isophorone and dichloromethane ), the concentration was ≈ 710 μg / g in the sodium sensor membrane . the fluorophores shown in table 2 were then evaluated . table 2______________________________________example fluorophore fluorophore solvent______________________________________1b . 1 rhodamine 6g methanol1b . 2 fluorescein methanol1b . 3 coumarin 6 isophorone______________________________________ sensors were prepared using sodium , potassium and chloride paste that contained 250 μg / ml of rhodamine 6g , according to example 1b , table 2 . the results are shown in table 3 below : table 3__________________________________________________________________________performance of sensors with rhodamine fluorophore slope v1 v2 mq1 mq2 mq3 ( mv / decade ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) __________________________________________________________________________na ( found ) & lt ; 50 n / a n / a n / a n / a n / ak ( found ) 57 . 58 2 . 03 6 . 04 2 . 75 4 . 31 6 . 73cl ( found ) - 48 . 17 94 . 8 129 . 08 81 . 75 104 . 71 126 . 87na ( assigned ) n / a 120 . 0 160 . 0 125 . 31 154 . 72 184 . 72k ( assigned ) n / a 2 . 0 6 . 0 2 . 74 4 . 25 6 . 62cl ( assigned ) n / a 95 . 0 128 . 0 82 . 51 105 . 06 126 . 66__________________________________________________________________________ the performance of the sodium sensor was unsatisfactory for the rhodamine containing composition , in spite of the low concentration of the fluorophore compared to the ionophore . because of the sensitivity of the sensor membrane to its constituents , it was expected that some level of rhodamine would interfere with the performance of the sodium sensor , it is surprising that the low level tested in this example would interfere as demonstrated . the calibration slope was less than 50 mv / decade , compared to a typical response of 57 - 60 mv / decade when no fluorophore is added . also , the potassium response was slightly elevated by at least one standard deviation for the mq2 and mq3 results compared to the values assigned with fluorophore free sensors . sensors were prepared using sodium , potassium and chloride paste that contained 250 μg / ml of fluorescein added as a fluorophore , in a similar manner as in example 1b . these sensors were subjected to the same test panel as in example 2a using the same verifiers and control products . the results are shown in table 4 below : table 4__________________________________________________________________________performance of sensors with added fluorescein fluorophore slope v1 v2 mq1 mq2 mq3 ( mv / decade ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) __________________________________________________________________________na ( found ) 57 . 79 120 . 92 161 . 12 130 . 16 160 . 70 191 . 41k ( found ) 58 . 88 2 . 07 6 . 02 2 . 75 4 . 27 6 . 65cl ( found ) - 48 . 61 95 . 92 129 . 62 82 . 07 104 . 57 126 . 39na ( assigned ) n / a 120 . 0 160 . 0 125 . 31 154 . 72 184 . 72k ( assigned ) n / a 2 . 0 6 . 0 2 . 74 4 . 25 6 . 62cl ( assigned ) n / a 95 . 0 128 . 0 82 . 51 105 . 06 126 . 66__________________________________________________________________________ in all cases , the sensors with added fluorescein gave calibration slopes that were comparable to what is obtained with sensors having no fluorophore . the sodium sensor gave inaccurate results with the control products mq1 , mq2 , and mq3 . the results were elevated by 5 - 7 mv / l compared to the values assigned with sensors having no fluorophore . sensors were prepared using chloride , potassium , and sodium pastes that contained 250 μg / ml of coumarin 6 , in the same manner as in example 1b . 3 . these were subjected to a test panel of the same verifiers and control products previously employed . the results are shown in table 5 below : table 5__________________________________________________________________________performance of sensors with added coumarin 6 fluorophore slope v1 v2 mq1 mq2 mq3 ( mv / decade ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) ( mm / l ) __________________________________________________________________________na ( found ) 59 . 7 120 . 4 158 . 8 123 . 8 147 . 3 172 . 4k ( found ) 59 . 4 2 . 04 5 . 94 2 . 36 4 . 12 6 . 31cl ( found ) - 48 . 7 94 . 6 128 . 7 80 . 8 102 . 0 126 . 5na ( assigned ) n / a 120 . 0 160 . 0 123 147 172 . 5k ( assigned ) n / a 2 . 0 6 . 0 2 . 35 4 . 1 6 . 28cl ( assigned ) n / a 95 . 0 128 . 0 80 . 1 102 126 . 8__________________________________________________________________________ all of the sensors gave accurate results with both the verifiers and control products . the calibration slopes were also satisfactory . samples of fluorophore containing membranes were prepared for spectral studies . these were made using the formulation for sodium paste described in example 1b , with two changes ; the silane coupling agent and the fluka iii ionophore were omitted . the concentration of fluorophore in the paste was 250 μg / ml . the paste samples 3a . 1 and 3a . 2 were dispensed into the preformed wells of ceramic substrates . using the apparatus described hereinafter , the undried membranes were illuminated and viewed with a video imaging device attached to optical elements . the images were digitized to give pixel responses having 256 gray scale levels . the digitized pixel values , indicative of the amount of fluorescence response from the selected fluorophores , are shown as a function of lateral position across the membrane in fig3 . starting from the left edge of the graph , the first section of the curves show a low background pixel response of the ceramic dielectric where no fluorescent membrane paste was applied . the left hand vertical dotted line indicates the boundary edge of the area covered with paste . continuing across the graph , representing the sensor , the pixel scale response rises steeply to a maximum level , reaches a plateau in the area of the maximum membrane thickness , and then drops to the background response level , at the right side of the membrane . the response from background lighting in areas not covered with paste gave pixel response values of about 45 units . this was subtracted from the values seen in the wet membrane , to give the results shown in fig3 . the response with example 3a . 1 , using the preferred coumarin 6 surprisingly was about 4 × stronger than with the other example , 3a . 2 . fig4 is an enlarged and somewhat simplified view of a single sensor element 30 and , taken with the cross - section shown in fig5 illustrate a typical pattern alignment obtained for a single sensor element made using the polymeric matrix composition of table 1 having dispersed therein an ion exchange ionophore of at least 0 . 001 % and less than about 2 % by weight of at least one of the preferred coumarin fluorophores selected from the group of 7 - amino - coumarin derivatives as more fully described herein . it is important for proper functioning of the sensor element 30 that the sensor membrane layer 26 be aligned with and overlap the dielectric layers 24 and 28 to form an annular ring 32 region of overlap that exceeds predetermined minimum dimensions . at the same time , the sensor membrane 26 must be in electrical contact with the underlying conductive path layer 25 . in the instance that the device 21 is sized approximately 1 inch by 2 inch , the annular ring 32 region is approximately an oval having dimensions 0 . 050 by 0 . 200 inches , while overlap dimensions indicated as &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; ideally fall into a range , for example from 0 . 001 to 0 . 020 inches . the minimum dimensions of overlap that are formed by annular ring 32 region are determined as those overlap dimensions required to provide adequate operating stability . inadequate overlap increases the possibility for test fluids contained in the fluid channel 34 to diffuse underneath sensor membrane layer 26 and to establish erroneous electrical connections directly with the conductor layer 22 . fig6 and 8 illustrate several of the various defects that may occur from positional inaccuracy of imprinted features . misregistration of pattern features that may occur from misalignment of the sensor paste layers include a pinhole formed in the sensor membrane layer 26 indicated by the letter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; in fig7 incomplete coverage of the sensor membrane layer 26 , indicated by the letter &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; in fig6 due to misregistration and incomplete coverage of the sensor membrane layer 26 , indicated by the letter &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; due to incomplete application of the sensor membrane in fig8 . preferred machine vision systems used in practicing this invention are generally comprised of a host computer and special - purpose processing hardware having software implemented applications to make it perform the required digital image processing operations . such systems are available from vendors like omron electronics ( schaumburg , ill . ), allen bradley ( milwaukee , wis . ), and ppt vision ( minneapolis , minn .). the principles involved are well known , for example as explained in &# 34 ; digital image processing &# 34 ;, gregory a . baxes , john wiley & amp ; sons , inc ., new york . in particular , image differencing techniques are employed to determine small variations between two images that may appear essentially the same by unaided observation . using this technique , two images may be compared , pixel by pixel , so that the image portions that are identical will subtract to zero ( 0 ). portions of the images that are different , however , will yield a signal other than zero ( 0 ). conventional image enhancement and analysis techniques may then be applied to determine object shape measurements that characterize the appearance of an image according to pixel distance around the circumference of the image , pixel area of the interior of the image , pixel distances of the major and minor axes of image , count of number of holes that exist in the interior of an image , total pixel area of the holes , and the like . a comparison of these pixel values with predefined maximum and minimal acceptable absolute values is used to judge the quality of the membrane sensor layers . these techniques are well known in the art . a feature of the present invention is use of dual radiation means to illuminate the sensor to : ( 1 ) determine the locations of semi - finished sensor elements using radiation energy outside the fluorophore excitation band ; and ( 2 ) determine the locations of the corresponding as - deposited sensor membrane paste using radiation energy capable of exciting the fluorophores included in the sensor membrane 26 . this allows a comparison between a semi - finished sensor element 30 ( like that shown in fig2 a ) before the uppermost sensor membrane 26 is applied and a finished sensor element 30 ( like that shown in fig2 b ) after the uppermost sensor membrane 26 is applied . this comparison is accomplished by utilizing a first illumination means having radiation selected so that the sensor membrane 30 remains essentially transparent to the image acquiring means in combination with a second illumination means having radiation selected so that the sensor membrane 30 becomes essentially visible to the image acquiring means . appropriate filters to select the radiation without detracting from the images of the sensor membrane 30 are included . means for acquisition , enhancement and analysis of the images of the sensor element 30 surface image ( not shown ) comprise a frame - grabber and a microprocessor , and interface means to permit variable programming of the system &# 39 ; s microprocessor - based computer for desired membrane application and inspection tasks through a user - interactive or computer - controlled system of menus . the system is preferably combined with a conventional material handling system typical of piece - parts manufacturing which transports and presents the sensor elements 30 to the machine vision system . these mechanisms , their installation and use are known to those skilled in the art . fig9 a shows such an exemplary sensor production system employing machine vision for performing the inspection of sensor substrates 21 enabled by the sensor membrane compositions of the present invention , the substrates 21 being mounted on a conventional , computer controlled &# 34 ; x - y - z &# 34 ; positioning table 29 . a radiation source 13 , preferably model d - 7918 obtained from scholly fiberoptik gmbh ( west germany ), is adapted to provide a radiation pattern l1 having wavelengths generally in a range from 300 to 700 nm . a first filter 14 , for example model 51302 produced by oriel instruments ( stratford , conn .) having bandpass characteristics such that only radiation having wavelengths greater than about 500 nm is passed is positioned proximate to the radiation source 13 to intercept and filter radiation pattern l1 so as to illuminate the semi - finished substrate 21 , in particular , the conductor layer 25 , and the two dielectric layers 24 and 28 . this filtered radiation pattern l1 is distributed from ringlight 12 , for instance model 10 - 1602 - 03 produced by ram optical inspection ( huntington beach , calif .) to illuminate the sensor substrate 21 at an angle from about 20 to 40 degrees relative to the optical axis defined by a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 21 . a shuttle device 9 is adapted to replace the first filter 14 with a second filter 15 , for example model 57530 produced by oriel , the second filter 15 having narrow bandpass filter characteristics such that only radiation having wavelengths preferably centered between about 400 and 500 nm to provide illumination selected to excite the coumarin fluorophores contained in the sensor membrane 26 . the filtered radiation l1 is emitted from ringlight 12 to illuminate the sensor substrate 21 at an angle from about 20 to 40 degrees relative to the optical axis . a radiation emission filter 17 , for example model 51302 produced by oriel having bandpass filter characteristics selected such that only radiation having those wavelengths greater than the representative excitation wavelengths of coumarin fluorophores , preferably between about 400 and 800 nm , is positioned before the image acquiring means 18 to intercept the radiation emitted by an excited fluorophore . thus , only that radiation having wavelengths emitted by the tagging fluorophore within the sensor membrane 26 are incident upon image acquiring means 18 when the second filter 15 is in use . image acquiring means 18 preferably comprises a high resolution , solid state , mos ( metal oxide semiconductor ) type with asynchronous frame reset capability , for instance model xc77 produced by sony corporation ( toko , japan ) equipped with appropriate optical elements . this capability allows the image acquiring means 18 to capture the image of a sensor element 30 with spatial resolution of approximately 0 . 0003 inches per pixel . a changeover for other sizes / shapes of sensor elements 30 may be accommodated by simply adjusting the vertical positions of the image acquiring means 18 and different optical element 11 . in an alternate embodiment , shown in fig9 b , a second illuminating source 16 , for example model 50 - 3500 - 00 produced by ram optical inspection is employed to provide a beam of radiation generally in a wavelength range from 550 to 650 nm through a beamsplitter 15 , for instance model 0102020 produced by esco products ( oak ridge , n . j .) positioned in the optical axis with the split portion of the beam captured by image acquiring means 18 and the reflected portion being normally incident upon the substrate . if used in combination with the preferred arrangement shown in fig9 a , this alternate arrangement allows the optimum combination of angularly incident and normally incident radiation upon the substrate from either of the two sources 13 and 16 to provide the highest degree of image contrast and capture , depending upon the surface roughness and optical adsorption / reflection characteristics of the sensor substrate 21 and layers 24 , 25 , 26 , and 28 . the arrangement and management of the electronic circuitry of the image acquiring means 18 and the frame - grabber 19 are widely known and the routines of comparing the various images are also well - known . fig1 is a flowchart of a process for determining the target area on semi - finished sensor substrates 21 for sensor membrane layer 26 application , for detecting application flaws within the sensor membrane layer 26 and misregistration of the applied sensor membrane layer 26 . the process is further adapted to provide correction information to computer 22 . in this process , information regarding the desired positioning of the sensor membrane is determined by illuminating the semi - finished substrate 21 like shown in fig2 a in which only the conductor layer 25 and first and second dielectric layers 24 and 28 have been printed onto the sensor substrate 21 with radiation that has been filtered through bandpass filter 14 , indicated by step 102 . the image acquiring means 18 thus acquires an image of the top surface of the semi - finished sensor element so that the location may be determined of each of the cavities d ( fig2 a ) defined by the dielectric layers 24 and 28 where a sensor membrane 26 is to be applied ( fig2 b ), as shown in boxes 102 and 104 . after the computer 22 determines the precise location of the cavity d , a membrane paste application operation is initiated and the membrane application means ( not shown ) applies a predetermined amount and pattern of sensor membrane paste within the cavity d as depicted in box 106 . conventional alignment techniques are employed to control the application means to apply the membrane paste in proper alignment on the sensor element 21 so that each cavity d is in communication with no more than one of the conductive elements 25 , the membrane 26 being portioned and disposed within said openings so that communication is established between said membrane portion 26 and the conductive elements 25 . application of the membrane composition takes place using dispensing techniques , with equipment available from vendors such as asymtek ( carlsbad , calif . ), otto engineering ( carpentersville , ill .) and camalot systems ( haverhill , me .). in the subsequent membrane inspection mode , a sensor element 21 to be inspected is illuminated using radiation in the excitation region of the fluorophore so that the image capture system acquires an image of the sensor membrane 26 as applied to the sensor element 30 and depicted in box 108 . the computer 22 and frame - grabber 19 utilized in this invention provides capability for analysis of the digital images in box 110 . consequently , the computer 22 is able to analyze the image of the sensor membrane 26 with respect to the previously generated image in box 102 of the cavity d as depicted in box 112 to determine the degree of coincident alignment by making a conventional flaw and dimension analysis between the two images arising from errors in the application of the sensor membrane 26 as depicted in box 114 . subsequent conventional alignment techniques are employed to control the application of the membrane paste in proper alignment on the sensor element 30 as depicted in box 116 . applicants have thus discovered that , notwithstanding the performance sensitivity of the ise sensor membrane to its chemical constituents , certain fluorophores have been found that may be advantageously added to the composition of the sensor membrane 26 without interfering with the performance of chloride , potassium , or sodium sensors . there are two primary requirements for the fluorophore which must be met in such a fluorophore design : first , it must not interfere with the analytical performance of the sensor by causing greater than one percent deviation of the performance of the incorporating membrane ; and , second , it must be sufficiently fluorescent within the membrane to provide distinguishable optical contrast relative to the background portion of the sensor under ambient lighting . the first requirement of the fluorophore is that it cause less than one percent deviation of the amount of measured analyte relative to the analyte concentration determined with compositions having no fluorophore therein . there is general understanding of the compositional requirements of a usable sensor membrane ; however , the effects of changes in composition and specific concentrations or chemical structures for the components is not well understood . since ise sensors are known to be highly sensitive to the composition of the surface layer of the membrane , it is not obvious or understood why some fluorophores will interfere and others will not , especially at the relatively low concentration of fluorophore used in the examples herein . the fluorophore is at a concentration of 0 . 025 % in the paste , whereas the specific ionophore for sodium and potassium is ≈ 1 % so that the ionophore is approximately 40 × higher in concentration than is the fluorophore . the presence of an ionic species in the membrane of ise sensors is expected to have an adverse effect on the performance of the sensor . however , it is surprising that at a concentration of less than 2 . 5 % of the active ion - carrier , there is a detectable degradation of performance . even at this low concentration , the rhodamine and fluorescein examples hereinabove show unexpected , and un - acceptable interference in the sodium sensor . these results are contrary to those expected from the prior art . in the prior art , some ionic species are expected to improve performance . for example , in the case of fluorescein , a lipophilic anion , the expected effect is an improvement in specificity , based upon theory described by lindner , erno , et al . in &# 34 ; response of site - controlled , plasticized membrane electrodes .&# 34 ;, analytical chemistry , 60 ( 1988 ): 295 - 301 . even at this low concentration , the rhodamine and fluorescein examples hereinbelow show unexpected , and un - acceptable interference in the sodium sensor . while the amino coumarins carry no charge in the native state , side reactions could occur between them and other components of the sensor membrane that would yield ionic products that would interfere with sensor performance . it is not obvious that the amino coumarins are sufficiently chemically inert to be free of such side reactions . secondly , a sufficiently high concentration of fluorophore is required within the membrane since the membrane must capture a sufficient amount of the excitation light source to emit an amount of light to permit accurate discrimination between its fluorescence and the background image due to reflected illumination from stray ambient light sources . unfortunately , the fluorescence of fluorophores is known to be sensitive to self - quenching at the concentration levels required to meet these conditions . self - quenching is a general term within the art that describes the phenomenon of decreasing fluorescence quantum yield seen as fluorophore concentrations are increased . the processes responsible for this self - quenching are understood in principle , but again , not well enough to accurately anticipate the usefulness of specific compositions . another difficulty faced in selection of the fluorophore is that in addition to self - quenching , non - specific chemical processes take place during bonding between the fluorophore and the silane coupling agent used to provide covalent linkage of the membrane to the dielectric of the sensor coupling agent . these non - specific chemical processes generally act to reduce the yield of fluorescence an unpredictable amount . surprisingly , certain fluorophores have been successfully incorporated into the sensor membrane 26 as shown in the preceding examples . compounds from the coumarin class of fluorophores have proven effective in rendering a detectable fluorescent emission from the normally transparent sensor pastes as described hereinafter without causing greater than one percent interference with the electrochemical response of the membrane . the dyes used in the examples are all strongly fluorescent when measured at low concentrations in common solvents . for example , the quantum yields for fluorescence for the two coumarins described above are 85 % for coumarin 6 , and 77 % for coumarin 314 , ( eastman laser products dataservice publication jj - 169 , 1977 , kodak optical products , eastman kodak company , rochester , n . y .) rhodamine and fluorescein compositions were expected to be useful in a ise sensor , based on the fluorescence obtainable therewith at a low concentration ; however , experimental tests described above unexpectedly determined that they caused greater than one percent errors in the analytical performance of the sensors at these low concentrations . it is within the scope of the present invention to employ other sensor membrane compositions to enhance visualization of various constituents of ion selective electrodes . for instance , by using two different fluorophores in two membrane layers applied successively in a lower and upper relationship , an optical comparison of the relative alignment and integrity of the two layers can be made using essentially the same image acquisition and analysis techniques described herein . alternatively , by using a fluorophore in the lower layer , and using a light absorbing agent capable of substantially blocking the incident radiation in the upper layer , the relative alignment and integrity of the two layers may be determined using the image acquisition and analysis techniques described herein . the agent , for example an inert phthalocyanine pigment , must also cause less than one percent deviation upon the performance of the membrane layer . it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are illustrative of the principles of the invention and that other modifications may be employed which are still within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the present invention is not limited to those embodiments precisely shown and described in the specification .	6
referring to fig1 the invention is shown , for purposes of example , as applied to a hydrogen anode for zinc , manganese , cadmium and similar metal recovery cells , through it is to be understood that such use is illustrative only . the catalyzer carbon cloth or paper or similar substrate constituting an electrode sheet is shown at 1 in fig1 carrying a mixture of &# 34 ; teflon &# 34 ; ( polytetrafluoroethylene ), pt and / or pd particles , such as of the type described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 331 , 520 , or some other suitable catalyzer porous electrode structure . such an electrocatalytic carbon cloth or the like is described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 248 , 682 ; 4 , 293 , 396 ; and 4 , 647 , 359 . on its side facing the cell electrolyte e ( on the right in fig1 ), the electrode sheet 1 is shown to bear a gas - confining coating , for example the afore - mentioned aqueous polymeric hydrogel layer or membrane 3 applied as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 614 , 575 . the membrane , again by way of example only , may be of the type described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 331 , 783 ; 4 , 337 , 327 ; 4 , 379 , 874 to v . a . stoy ( more particularly , for instance , the gel of examples 1 or 2 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 614 , 575 ). other gas - confining coatings are also suitable for the purpose of attaining gas economy and / or ready gas recirculation . for example , a coating comprising a mixture of carbon and teflon ( polytrafluoroethylene ). sintered onto the catalyzed cloth restricts gas percolation significantly . for some electrochemical processes , such as those involving air electrodes , or other inexpensive active waste gases , the gas - confining coating may be omitted entirely . in accordance with the invention , in one preferred form , the full opposite side of the catalyzed substrate ( the left side in fig1 ) is conductively attached ( e . g . glued ) to a structurally supporting full sheet current collector , such as a lead sheet or block 5 or an alloy of lead , silver and calcium , for example , by a conductive adhesive layer 7 as of an epoxy resin containing silver particles , such as the type &# 34 ; eccobond &# 34 ; 83c manufactured by emerson - cuming . other suitable graphite , silver - plated graphite or gold - plated graphite particles or the like may also be employed . it is especially advantageous to use a graphite - epoxy adhesive in conjunction with a carbon cloth of thickness between 1 . 0 mm and 3 . 0 mm wherein a uniform mixture of catalytic carbon or noble metal catalyzed carbon and a hydrophobic binder is adhered to one surface of the carbon cloth and is found partially within its pores , and is bonded to the yarns thereof , leaving the other surface catalyst - free for firm bonding to the graphite epoxy adhesive . in accordance with the invention , hydrogen gas for this anode is supplied at one or more longitudinally spaced transverse grooves g occupying a very minor portion of the surface or area of the current collector 5 . as is more particularly shown in fig2 a thin hydrogen access or inlet groove g is provided near the bottom , extending transversely across the sheet and connected to an inlet passage i in one side edge of the sheet . similarly , the upper portion of the collector sheet 5 is shown provided with a thin exit groove g &# 39 ; connected to an outlet hole 0 in the upper side edge of the sheet . the dimensions of the full sheet are arbitrary except that its thickness must be sufficient to accommodate the gas access means , e . g . on the order of 0 . 3 cm to receive the passaged i and o and the grooves g , g &# 39 ;. the total cross section area of the groove ( s ), g , g &# 39 ;, etc . is a minor portion of the area of the sheet 5 , and is , typically , kept between 0 . 1 and 1 . 0 percent thereof . by way of example , retrofit dimensions ( where the gas diffusion assembly replaces the existing conventional lead alloy anode ) may be 60 cm × 100 cm × 0 . 65 cm . inlet and outlet tubes t i and t o may feed and bleed the hydrogen , respectively , to the access or inlet groove g and from the exit groove g &# 39 ;. the full sheet component 5 can be inserted in the cell tank where it is immersed in a typical electrolyte solution e , such as that referred to above , with the solution level above the upper groove g &# 39 ;, as indicated at l . thus , the hydrogen gas is fed at t i to one edge of the current collector 5 ( left in fig1 ) and enters into the somewhat larger diameter or cross - section channel or groove g extending transversely across the collector sheet . it has been discovered that this plenum - free limited aperture or groove feed provides , surprisingly , facile and entirely adequate and economical gas diffusion into the juxtaposed electrocatalytic cloth sheet 1 , with the gas diffusely and rapidly spreading longitudinally and transversely over the whole surface thereof and fully utilizing the electrocatalytic properties thereof throughout the whole sheet 1 as it receives the electrolyte e on its opposite surface through the gas - confining coating such as the hydrogel membrane coating 3 , if used , as explained in said u . s . pat . no . 4 , 614 , 575 . as stated , the electrode assembly of this invention , is to be immersed in an electrolyte solution e in a tank so as to cover at l the hydrogen - bearing grooves as well as the electrocatalytically active portions of the carbon cloth 1 or the like . one face of the electrocatalytically active cloth or the like ( shown as the left - hand face in fig1 ) contacts substantially the entire surface of the face of the full current collector sheet 5 except for the small open areas at which the this grooves g , g &# 39 ; open at the surface of the collector sheet into the cloth . the other face of the cloth 1 ( right - hand side ) is in contact over its entire area with the electrolyte solution e . in this assembly , the hydrogen ( or other gas ) is thus carried by the carbon cloth . optimum mechanical support of the cloth by the full current collector sheet is thus attained with minimal electronic contact resistance . in such assembly construction , moreover , it has been advantageous to select cloths having a thickness in excess of one millimeter and preferably less than three millimeters to cause gas flow without introducing an extensive electric resistance under current densities exceeding ten amperes per square foot . while the above referred to conductive adhesive is a preferred means of electrically and mechanically connecting the electrocatalytic cloth to the full sheet current collector , other means , such as more of the mechanical means is shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 248 , 682 can in some instances be used for the same purpose . in fig2 the electrocatalytic cloth or other sheet 1 is shown provided , also , with non - catalyzed margin portions 1 &# 39 ; which are also conductively adhered to the corresponding opposite portions of the current collector 5 as by a conductive epoxy adhesive , for example , and with the right - hand surfaces of the electrode margins 1 &# 39 ; also covered by the hydrogel 3 , when employed , thereby providing gas - sealing at the edges of the assembly . the following examples describe a particular full current collector sheet / cloth / membrane assembly and its use in zinc electrowinning with a hydrogen anode . it is noted that a lead alloy is a suitable , preferred current collector in sulfuric acid / metal sulfate electrolytes from which metals including zinc , copper , manganese and others are recovered , because such alloys are passivated by the electrolyte . a hydrogen anode assembly was constructed on a pb / ca / ag alloy full sheet , 74 cm × 12 cm × 0 . 65 cm , according to fig1 . a 2 mm thick carbon cloth , identified by the maker as textron 213 , was catalyzed in accordance with u . s . pat . no . 4 , 293 , 396 and was glued to one face of the full sheet by means of a layer of conducting graphite / epoxy glue , of lesser thinness than that of the cloth , identified by the maker as mavidon c - 41 ; and the structure was coated with a polymeric gel membrane also of thinness of the order of the carbon cloth , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 614 , 575 . the assembly was immersed in a tank containing an electrolyte comprised of 150 g / l sulfuric acid and 70 g / l zinc as zinc sulfate with a cathode blank spaced 2 . 54 cm from the surface of the anode . the electrolyte temperature was 40 ° c . and hydrogen gas was passed through the catalyzed carbon cloth at a rate approximately two fold in excess of that required to maintain the desired current density of 430 a / m 2 . a hydrogen inlet pressure of 105 mm hg and an outlet pressure of 40 mm hg were maintained throughout the eight hours of zinc plating . electrowinning produced a uniform dense zinc sheet strippable from the cathode blank at a current efficiency of approximately 88 %. the average anode - to - cathode voltage for the duration of the plating was 1 . 334 volts . when the assembly of example 1 was run with the hydrogen outlet pressure varied from 0 to 50 mm hg , the anode to cathode voltage responded in the following manner : ______________________________________h . sub . 2 outlet pressure current density anode - cathode voltage______________________________________none 430 a / m . sup . 2 1 . 606 volts28 mm hg 430 a / m . sup . 2 1 . 368 volts37 mm hg 430 a / m . sup . 2 1 . 355 volts50 mm hg 430 a / m . sup . 2 1 . 268 volts______________________________________ an anode was constructed on a pb / ca / ag alloy full sheet according to fig1 . the dimensions of the electrode were 75 cm in height and 15 cm in width . a 1 mm thick catalyzed carbon cloth , as for example stackpole fiber co . knitted carbon cloth , was glued to one face of the lead sheet with a conducting silver / epoxy glue and the structure was coated with the polymeric gel membrane identified in example 1 . the assembly was tested in a similar manner to that of example 1 . electrowinning produced a uniform , dense zinc sheet strippable from the cathode blank at a current efficiency of 86 . 7 %. the average anode - to - cathode voltage for the duration of the plating was 1 . 214 volts . while the full sheet assemblies have been described and illustrated in the above examples , using carbon cloth as the electronic conducting gas - carrying substrate , other such gas porous substrates including certain carbon mats and papers are also suitable substrates for the electrocatalytic gas carrier . in the operation of a cell under a d . c . current with , for example , the full sheet hydrogen anode assembly of this invention , it suffices to supply hydrogen to the inlet without providing a hydrogen outlet , because the anode reaction sucks hydrogen gas into the system by converting the gas to the electrolyte soluble hydrogen ion , producing acid . this suction phenomenon is actually visible by providing an exit groove as well as an excess of hydrogen . the exit evolution rate of hydrogen prior to passing the current is sharply reduced when under current , and can be stopped entirely by increasing the current . in practice , a hydrogen outlet is often desirable as it provides the means to supply an excess of hydrogen over that amount required for the current . the hydrogen can then be pressurized at will to prevent ( or at least minimize ) flooding of the electrocatalytic cloth or the like thereby to attain the improvement in voltage , as shown in example 2 . here , the exit groove g &# 39 ; serves to remove the unused excess hydrogen , preferably for recycling , and the pressure is readily controllable at the exit . a similar consideration holds for oxygen ( air ) cathodes using the full sheet assembly . a typical full sheet oxygen cathode is useful in the cathodic production of hydrogen peroxide in sodium hydroxide solution , for example . because of the lower diffusivity of oxygen ( vs . that of hydrogen ), the oxygen pressure needs to be adjusted to the current to be drawn to insure uniform oxygen distribution across the surface of a carbon - catalyzed cloth or the like . ( noble metal catalyst must be avoided here as they decompose the peroxide .) when air is the source of oxygen this adjustment becomes even more critical due to the diluting effect of the nitrogen . here , it is desirable to shorten the path of the air , or less so of oxygen , in the full sheet assembly . for example , by utilizing full sheets of greater width than height , the appropriate relative dimensions are readily determined experimentally at different current densities and with different width - to - height electrode assemblies . yet another way to control the length of the gas ( e . g . air ) path is to provide more than one gas access on the same sheet , their number being readily determined by experimentation with any given geometric full sheet configuration . as before stated , another cathodic application is in the production of chlorine and caustic comprising an ion - exchange membrane , wherein the cathode is the electrode assembly above - described , with oxygen or air ( preferably co 2 - free ) employed . yet another use of the full sheet / cloth assembly involves a bi - polar plate , such as , for example , a nickel plate in an alkaline metal oxygen ( air ) battery . here , the cathodic face of the nickel plate full sheet is in contact with the electrocatalytic cloth and oxygen ( air ) is fed thereto . the other face is in contact with the &# 34 ; anodic &# 34 ; metal , e . g . lithium , aluminum , etc . other varieties and uses of the assembly of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art as well as alternate modes of effecting the full sheet contact including other varieties of conducting glues , silver epoxy adhesion points spaced sufficiently closely to permit liquid and / or open plastic screen pressure to insure substantially full sheet / cloth contact ; such being considered within the scope of the appended claims .	7
this invention is the merging of artificial intelligence of established process control technology and aquatic systems design to provide closed , recirculating water filtration systems to the aquaculture / aquarium industries . closed , recirculating aquaculture filtration systems are a collection of subsystems that provide complete ecological life support for aquatic organisms , eliminating deliberate replacement of water yet maintaining acceptable water quality . implied in this definition is the complete removal of biologically generated soluble and suspended pollutants and conservation of water resources . the definition does not extend to water lost to evaporation . it is assumed that evaporated water is free of environmental pollutants and its replacement will not result in substantial resource depletion . the invention relates to machine / computer control of the processes that optimize the growth and reproduction of aquatic organisms in &# 34 ; closed - loop &# 34 ; biological filtration systems . the invention works by continually monitoring of physical factors affecting physiological requirements of the cultured organisms and continually adjusting necessary to meet these requirements ; some factors ( e . g ., dissolved oxygen , ph , metabolites and salinity ) will be held within critical limits while others ( e . g ., temperature and light cycle ) may be changed to alter growth characteristics and / or periodicity of reproduction . a closed , recirculating aquaculture system is a collection of tank ( s ), plumbing , filtration devices , and pumps ( fig1 and 2 ). the culture tanks may be of any size , shape and material appropriate to the species in culture . plumbing may be of any size , shape and material compatible with the overall tank design . the filters used in aquaculture systems generally fall into five types and may be used in any combination appropriate to the species in culture . the filter types are : ( 1 ) particulate removal - screens , settling basins , media filled traps and to some extent , physical / chemical adsorption devices ( foam fractionators and activated carbon ); ( 2 ) physical adsorption - foam fractionators ( i . e ., protein skimmers ) of all designs ; ( 3 ) chemical adsorption - activated carbon , zeolites and other synthetic media and membranes used to trap molecules based on size or electrical charge ; ( 4 ) biological - media beds that support bacteria for oxidizing organic wastes and reducing the end product ( s ) to carbon dioxide and elemental nitrogen . in addition , denitrification ( the conversion of nitrate into nitrogen gas ) can occur in biological filter beds under anaerobic conditions ; and ( 5 ) irradiation / oxidation -- a group of devices producing ultraviolet light ( uv ), ozone or both . pumps may be any of a number of devices used to move water through the system at a rate compatible with the overall tank design and animals . included in this category are water pumps , air blowers and compressors . a natural dichotomy between mechanical , pump - driven systems and airlift - driven systems occurs in the design of filtration . airlift - driven systems operate at very low head pressure but with flow volumes equal to pump - driven systems that operate with high head pressure . there are a number of compelling reasons ( e . g ., economy , simplicity and durability ) to use airlifts in aquaculture systems . however , aquaculture filtration systems are typically pump - driven . filters designed for high pressure pumping are readily available and entirely adaptable to the requirements of this invention but they are not easily adapted to airlift - driven systems . therefore , filters described as part of this embodiment are low pressure designs developed for airlift - driven systems but they are appropriate for pump - driven applications . all systems and subsystems are integrated by an intelligent control system composed of sensors , communication devices , computer hardware , software interface and expert system . these control systems : ( 1 ) acquire real - time data directly from production systems , ( 2 ) transform the inputs mathematically into process models , ( 3 ) interface these models with expert systems that assume the role of a human expert , and ( 4 ) apply decisions of the expert system to control critical processes . therefore , the development of automated aquaculture systems should be driven by the expansion of intensive aquaculture systems and the increased availability of affordable process control hardware and software . success in designing a pragmatic and affordable automated control system will be widely applicable because it will greatly enhance water management , reduce costs associated with manual monitoring and reduce significantly the chance of catastrophic system failures . the modem commercial aquaculture facility has become a sophisticated network of interrelated processes and subprocesses that require the transfer of raw materials ( e . g ., oxygen , heat , feeds and water ) into a high - quality final product ( edible high protein flesh ) at a rapid rate . these processes are comparable to the physical processes managed by manufacturing industries . they require many simple ( step - wise ) and complex ( side - loop ) processes to be integrated spatially and temporally in order to maximize product and minimize failures . automation of intensive aquaculture systems will allow us companies to : ( 1 ) compete with world commodity markets by locating production closer to markets , ( 2 ) improve environmental control , ( 3 ) reduce catastrophic losses , ( 4 ) avoid problems with environmental regulations on effluents , ( 5 ) reduce management and labor cots significantly , and ( 6 ) improve product quality and consistency . the application of process control technology and the concurrent need for aquaculture - specific expert systems ( a computer program that supplies answers or solutions based on available information , by attempting to duplicate the human thought process ) is central to continued intensification of the aquaculture industry . in addition , the invention includes a machine vision subsystem that is a process by which organisms may be modeled for the purposes of detection , surveillance , measurement and quality assessment in a machine vision system . the machine vision subsystem is the application of an adaptive - neuro fuzzy inference system ( anfis ) to the problems of singulation ( identifying an individual in a frame ) and segmentation ( separating an object from the background ) and intelligent continuous monitoring in an aquacultural or agricultural system . in an automated aquaculture system , the machine vision subsystem may be used to incorporate animal data into the control parameters for the system . this animal data may include size , growth rates , activity level , activity classification ( e . g ., mating behavior , egg laying and molting ). animal data can be used as an environmental indicator ( e . g ., water quality alarms ) or as a control variable ( e . g ., mating behavior causes an increase in feeding frequency ) for an automated system . the machine vision subsystem is the necessary missing link between the theoretical use of machine vision in aquaculture and the ability for the application of machine vision technology in any production facility . production facilities where organisms are products or producers ( agriculture , aquaculture , and biotechnology ) will benefit the most since this invention makes possible the use of machine vision for scenes and target objects which are irregular and complex . the machine vision subsystem consists of a process ( algorithm ) whereby features ( whether they are part of the a priori knowledge of target object morphology for the purposes of object recognition and classification , the results of a continuous activity monitor , or the test for animal or product marketability ) are grouped with a cooperative effort of supervised learning ( neural networks ) and a fuzzy inference system ( fis ). the supervised learning may take place in batches , with the end product being a fis which will operate ( make decisions ) without the continued application of machine learning ; or , the learning may take place on line whereby the neural network will continue to modify the fis within predetermined parameters , and thus improve performance and the discernment capabilities of the system via unsupervised learning . this invention , a computer automated closed , recirculating aquaculture filtration system ( cacrafs ), is recognized as utilitarian to the industry and necessary to the environment . it was previously unattainable because artificial intelligence capable of the complex &# 34 ; decision making &# 34 ; to control biological filtration was lacking . biological filtration of aquaculture water is essential to the health and survival of aquatic animals . automated control of the denitrification subprocess was developed and patented in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 482 , 630 , incorporated herein by reference . the final piece is contributed by the machine vision subsystem . the serial arrangement of filters ( fig1 ) is ordered such that effluent water is contracted in the following plug - flow order : ( 1 ) mechanical or particulate filtration ( e . g ., submerged bed , upflow sand or bed filter , fluidized sand filter , semipermeable membrane , flushing filter and trickling filter ); ( 2 ) physical adsorption or foam fractionation ( e . g ., protein skimmers ); ( 3 ) chemical ( e . g ., activated charcoal , zeolite or any chelating or sequestering compound ); ( 4 ) biological ( e . g ., aerobic or anaerobic bacterial beds that function as heterotrophic or chemoauxotrophic bacterial assemblages ); and ( 5 ) sterilization ( e . g ., ultraviolet light , ozone , chlorine or other chemical oxidants ). the sequence is appropriate for all forms of aquaculture filtration components as listed above . a typical arrangement of the system is shown in fig2 b in which the prefilter tank 22 ( including the particulate filter , foam fractionator and activated carbon ) have dimensions of 4 &# 39 ; w × 8 &# 39 ; l × 4 &# 39 ; h . the culture tank 10 has dimensions of 12 &# 39 ; w × 20 &# 39 ; l × 4 &# 39 ; h . the airlift casing 55 is 24 &# 34 ; in diameter × 13 &# 39 ; h and the biofilter 60 is 8 &# 39 ; w × 18 &# 39 ; l × 3 &# 39 ; h . the head tank 52 is 2 &# 39 ; w × 4 &# 39 ; l × 2 &# 39 ; h . also shown in fig2 b are two ultraviolet light sterilizers 80 . filtration efficiency is managed by a distributed control system , dcs ( using artificial intelligence ) so that water quality is maintained at acceptable standards for any aquatic species in culture . the five filter types are automated in the following manner : ( 1 ) the efficiency of mechanical or particulate filtration can be improved by monitoring differential pressure across the filter , water flow through the filter , oxidation - reduction potential , dissolved oxygen and filter bed expansion volume and by then controlling water flow rate or residence time , backwashing frequency and duration ; ( 2 ) the efficiency of physical adsorption can be improved by monitoring water flow through the filter , total gas pressure in the effluent , gas injection and bubble height and by then controlling water flow rate or residence time , cycle time , gas source ( e . g ., blower air , compressed gas or ozone ) and gas injection rate ; ( 3 ) the efficiency of chemical filtration can be improved by monitoring water flow through the filter and differential pressure across the filter and by then controlling water flow rate or residence time ; ( 4 ) the efficiency of biological filtration ( e . g ., aerobic or anaerobic ) can be improved by monitoring water flow through the filter , differential pressure across the filter , dissolved oxygen , ph , oxidation - reduction potential , carbon dioxide and water level changes depending on the type of biological filter used ( e . g ., submerged , upflow , fluidized , trickling or flushing ) and by then controlling water flow rate or residence time , dissolved oxygen injection , buffer injection , backwashing frequency and duration ; and ( 5 ) the efficiency of sterilization can be improved by monitoring water flow through the filter , light intensity and wavelength ( ultraviolet ) and oxidation - reduction potential ( ozone and chemical oxidants ) and by then controlling water flow rate or residence time and chemical injection ( ozone and chemical oxidants ). airlift pump design and operation are improved by : ( a ) the design of the airlift injector . air bubble size configuration influences airlift efficiency . the diffuser orifice is a modified tear drop shape beginning as a slit at the top to produce smaller (& lt ; 1 - 10 mm id . ), slower rising bubbles then expanding to a circular base to produce larger bubbles ( 10 - 30 mm id .) ( fig4 ); ( b ) the air - water slurry exiting the top of the airlift pipe is deflected away from the top of the pipe by a cone - shaped structure . the cone - shaped structure deflects water away from the top of the airlift so that it does not fall straight down and impede water flow . in fig1 there is depicted a system which includes a raceway ( culture tank ) 10 . the culture tank 10 may have a configuration as depicted in fig2 which includes a trough 12 and angled floor 14 . in fig1 effluent from culture tank 10 enters a prefilter system 22 that includes particulate filter 20 , foam fractionator 30 and carbon filter 40 . the culture tank 10 is connected to the prefilter system by a conduit which is depicted by arrowed lines 16 . the particulate filter 20 serves to filter larger debris from the culture tank . effluent from particulate filter 20 flows into foam fractionator 30 where foam is removed . the foam fractionator 30 may be of the configuration depicted in fig5 . effluent from the foam fractionator 30 then enters carbon filter 40 for additional prefiltration . effluent from the carbon filter 40 then flows through a conduit depicted by arrowed line 42 to an airlift 50 . the airlift is depicted in greater detail in fig5 as well as fig4 which shows the design of the opening that releases air into the airlift . the airlift 50 is composed of a airlift tank 54 and a vertical pipe 55 which dimensions may vary depending on the size of the system . at the base of the pipe for airlift 55 , air injector 53 introduces air which rises and thereby draws water up the airlift , thereby providing pumping action and circulation . water from airlift 50 enters head tank 52 and then pours into aerobic biofilter 60 . the aerobic biofilter 60 may contain gravel , which serves to support microorganisms which serve to perform the aerobic biofiltration . effluent from aerobic biofilter 60 then flows into uv light source 80 via conduit 62 . the uv light source 80 irradiates the water to thereby kill microorganisms and pathogens that may be found in the water . effluent from the uv light source 80 is returned to the culture tank 10 via conduit 82 . intermittently , effluent from the aerobic biofilter 60 is sent to anaerobic biofilter 70 via conduit 64 . the anaerobic biofilter 70 may be of a design as depicted in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 482 , 630 . effluent from the anaerobic biofilter is then pumped via mechanical pump 72 through conduit 74 into particulate filter 20 . the anaerobic biofilter 70 serves to remove nitrates from the system . the foam fractionator 30 ( protein skimmer ) has louvered slots 31 positioned on the contact chamber 32 several centimeters below the water level of the vessel holding ( fig5 ). the louvered slots are directed inward so that water entering the contact chamber 32 is deflected to form a circular pattern as it travels downward to the exit . this design : ( 1 ) increases water residence time for more efficient organic removal ; ( 2 ) allows small air bubbles to coalesce into larger bubbles that can rise faster against the countercurrent of water , and ( 3 ) concentrates the bubble mass in the center of the cylinder so that it does not escape through the louvers . the design of the submerged biological filter bed ( fig6 ) differs from typical submerged beds in several key characteristics : ( 1 ) the bed 61 is elevated so that it is just submerged at the surface ; and ( 2 ) incoming ( untreated ) water is injected below the bed and rises through it ( fig6 ). this configuration : ( a ) reduces compaction of the bed and subsequent reduction of flow ; ( b ) forces organic laden water to contact the dark side of the bed thus limiting the growth of heterotrophs , and ( c ) causes the bottom of the bed to contact oxygen rich water thus preventing the development of anaerobic regions deep in the bed . the design of the automated upflow bead filter 90 ( fig7 ) is also unique in that in situ sensors monitor the bacterial metabolism in the bed 92 and are used to control the environmental parameters , residence time , and backwash schedule . the embodiment shown in fig7 includes a propeller 94 driven by a propeller motor 96 . a valve 98 controls influent . and separate conduits are provided for the addition of oxygen 100 and buffer 102 . another valve 110 controls effluent . in situ sensors monitor dissolved oxygen 112 , differential pressure 114 , water flow 116 , ph 118 , and oxidation - reduction potential 120 in the bed 92 and at the bottom of the filter 90 . a drain 122 is also provided . the configuration optimizes the upflow bead filter &# 39 ; s ability to serve a dual action of particle filtration and nitrification filter . the culture tank where the cultured organisms lives is self - cleaning . the floor of the tank 14 is modified so that it slopes ( e . g ., 2 inches / ft .) to the middle where a ( e . g ., 4 - inch ) trough 12 is located . the tank outlet is located at one end of the trough and collected wastes are removed to the particle filter . the concentration of waste in the trough and collected wastes are removed to the particle filter . the concentration of waste in the trough is also facilitated through the use of bubble screens ( aeration injectors ) located directly above the drain . as a result , most of the wastes are flushed from the tank , requiring no labor . an integrated process control system is utilized for the distributed control of the aquaculture production and filtration subsystems . the distributed control system ( dcs ) is composed of multiple sensors / transducers that convert environmental conditions into electrical signals , communication multiplexers that convert the sensor &# 39 ; s electrical signals into digital code , computer hardware that can receive the transmitted signals from and to the multiplexers , computer hardware that interfaces to the human user and computer software configured to provide a graphical interface for representing floor plans , trending incoming data and trending historical data . in addition , high level integration of the control loops is managed by artificial intelligence computer programs ( e . g ., rule - based expert system , neural nets , fuzzy - logic - based expert systems , and neural fuzzy systems ). training set parameters include dissolved oxygen levels , salinity and conductivity , water level , pumping rates , pump effort , flow rates , temperature , heating and / or cooling effort , buffer addition based on ph , oxidation / reduction potential , seawater or water addition based on water level and salinity . the dcs is used in conjunction with appropriate mathematical models ( e . g ., on / off , pid , statistical models or expert systems ) for environmental monitoring and control in all culture and filter tanks ( fig1 ): ( a ) temperature monitoring and control ; ( b ) ph monitoring and control ; ( c ) salinity monitoring and control ; ( d ) oxidation / reduction potential ( orp ) monitoring and control ; ( e ) dissolved carbon dioxide monitoring and control ; ( f ) total dissolved gases monitoring and control ; and ( g ) dissolved oxygen monitoring and control . the dcs is used in conjunction with appropriate mathematical models ( e . g ., on / off , pid , statistical models or expert systems ) to manage all filtration devices ( fig1 ). sensor inputs ( e . g ., pressure , level , orp and dissolved oxygen ) are used to monitor the function of the filtration systems ( e . g ., particle , carbon , and biological ). based on the mathematical control models , outputs control various functions such as water flow or residence time , backwashing and filter maintenance schedules . all flow rates within and between filter components are monitored and controlled by the dcs . changes in flow rates within and between filter components are performed by programmed machine intelligence and the dcs following evaluation of the water quality data , e . g ., ph , dissolved oxygen , temperature , salinity ( sea water systems only ), orp and turbidity . the dcs is used for water level monitoring and control in all culture and filtration tanks used by the cacrafs . accurate control of water levels is necessary for flow rate stabilization in airlift - driven systems . the dcs produces automated reports of critical systems functions and alarms ( local and remote ) when system parameters are out of setpoint . alarms are both visual ( strobe and message center ) and audible ( bell ). the dcs includes feed management capabilities with automated feeders as outputs and inputs from the machine vision subsystem and internal timers . the dcs controls the photoperiod in all culture areas and is used to alter life cycles . the systems can turn lights on / off as well as control the level of lighting with rheostats . fig1 is a model for the function of a closed aquaculture system as shown in fig1 or fig9 . the boxes are state variables , the spigots are transfer coefficients and the circles are effects . the model subsystem at the top is animal biomass 300 . the state variable is grams of biomass 302 . the effects are grams growth 304 , growth in grams 306 , number 308 , weight in grams 310 , kilos per cubic meter 312 , tank volume i 314 and value $ 316 . the second model subsystem is cumulatives 340 . the state variables are total feed kg 342 , cumulative tan ( total ammonia nitrogen ) 344 and biomass in grams 346 . the effects are feed in kg 348 , feed cost 350 , daily tan gm 352 , wasted feed 362 , tan biomass 354 , nitrification 356 , tnn biomass 358 and nitrification biomass 360 . the third model subsystem is total ammonia nitrogen 370 . state variables include biomass gm 372 , total ammonia nitrogen 374 , bead filter 376 and sand filter 378 . effects are nitrogen content 380 , feed rate 382 , nitrogen feed gm day 384 , assimilation rate 386 , wasted feed 388 , nh 3 mg i 390 , nh 3 concentration gm i 392 , tank volume i 394 , main flow rate 396 , tan to bead filter 398 , bead filter nitrification 400 , tan to sand filter 402 , sand filter nitrification 404 and tan return 406 . the fourth model subsystem is denitrification 420 . state variables are tnn ( total nitrate nitrogen ) 422 and bioreactor 424 . effects are nitrification 426 , bead filter nitrification 428 , sand filter nitrification 430 , no 3 concentration mg i 432 , no 3 concentration gm i 434 , tank volume i 436 , tnn to bioreactor 438 , denitrification 440 , bioreactor efficiency 442 , columns 444 , bioreactor volume 446 , bioreactor flow 448 , residence time 450 and tnn return 452 . grams -- growth = graph ( time ) ( 0 . 00 , 0 . 25 ), ( 7 . 50 , 0 . 26 ), ( 15 . 0 , 0 . 26 ), ( 22 . 5 , 0 . 278 ), ( 30 . 0 , 0 . 312 ), ( 37 . 5 , 0 . 407 ), ( 45 . 0 , 0 . 54 ), ( 52 . 5 , 0 . 915 ), ( 60 . 0 , 1 . 11 ), ( 67 . 5 , 1 . 18 ), ( 75 . 0 , 1 . 20 ), ( 82 . 5 , 1 . 20 ), ( 90 . 0 , 1 . 20 ), ( 97 . 5 , 1 . 20 ), ( 105 , 1 . 20 ), ( 113 , 1 . 20 ), ( 120 , 1 . 20 ), ( 128 , 1 . 20 ), ( 135 , 1 . 20 ), ( 143 , 1 . 20 ), ( 150 , 1 . 20 ) t -- a -- n ( t )= t -- a -- n -- ( t - dt )+( wasted -- feed + tan -- return - tan -- to -- bf )* dt the application of an adaptive neurofuzzy inference system ( anfis ) is used for the purpose of object classification in order to develop an object recognition model for a machine vision system . automated image quality assessment using image quality factors ( overall brightness , kurtosis features of the curve describing contrast ), expert knowledge ( an estimate of animal size , an estimate of thresholding values necessary to segment an animal ), a model of the image quality as it relates to the ability of the machine vision system to accurately measure objects , and a model of image quality as it relates to the certainty of measurement are developed using anfis . texture based image modeling uses an adaptation of the markov random fields methods . image modeling based on markov random fields is well known . the present invention uses an adaptation of this method involving the addition of motion information and the use of a predictive fuzzy model of image information to determine the likelihood of a neighborhood of pixels being the target object . a part of the present invention is the application of anfis for the purpose of system state classification for the purposes of developing a system state recognition model for an automated aquaculture system . rapid object modeling : using the input of the traditional image analysis tools such as global lab image ( fig1 ), the use of anfis under the batch learning mode allows for the rapid development of a fis that models the target object ( fig1 and 17 ). the unique step taken here to rapidly model an object is the use of &# 34 ; natural &# 34 ; groupings from the world of fuzzy logic . another aspect of the invention is the use of machine learning ( batch or unsupervised ) to monitor the condition of organisms in an automated aquaculture system . this includes organism condition assessment , in which the condition of the organism may be ( 1 ) defined using a pre - existing knowledge base and / or ( 2 ) deduced based on the anfis process of combining target object feature analysis with other parameter data ( such as water quality , temperature , light level ) in an automated aquaculture system . continuous organism activity monitoring in which the activity level of the animals , based on gross movement and shape recognition is incorporated into the automated aquaculture system is also used . a diagram of the adoptive - network - based - fuzzy inference driven machine vision classification system for aquaculture ( anfis ) is shown in fig1 . the inputs to the &# 34 ; anfis &# 34 ; 240 include &# 34 ; a priori knowledge of target object morphology &# 34 ; 242 and &# 34 ; traditional image analysis of segmentation features &# 34 ; 244 . the input / output loop in fig1 is &# 34 ; natural groupings and operator supervision of intelligent fis development using batch or continuous learning methods &# 34 ; 246 and the outputs are &# 34 ; anfis continues with unsupervised learning &# 34 ; 248 and &# 34 ; fis alone &# 34 ; 250 . an aspect of the invention , therefore , may be described as the use of the results of machine vision as sensor input ( i . e ., control variable ) in an automated aquaculture system . key elements in the economical use of this type of water circulation are : ( 1 ) submergence ( fig3 ) or the relationship ( expressed as a percent ) between the depth air is injected to the height water is raised ( lifted ); ( 2 ) the volume of injected air , fig3 ; ( 3 ) the design of the injector , 1 ; ( 4 ) diameter of the airlift ; and ( 5 ) the design of the lifted water discharge orifice do , and head tank . the most efficient airlifts deliver water through an open vertical pipe at the water &# 39 ; s surface . efficiency declines as the top of the pipe is raised above the surface . theoretically , a submergence below 80 % results in very restricted water flow volumes . pipe diameter influences the height of lift and smaller pipe diameters are more efficient at lower ( below 80 %) submergences . air bubble size configuration influences airlift efficiency . small bubbles rise slower and lift water at a slower rate than large bubbles . uniform bubble size moves less water than mixed bubble sizes . two types of injection are commonly used . one type injects air through a collar outside the airlift pipe and the other injects air through a pipe installed inside the airlift pipe . the first design avoids restricting water flow by limiting friction and optimizing the volume in the pipe . the novel airlift pump included in this invention has several unique design characteristics . first , the diffuser orifice 53 is a modified tear drop shape ( fig4 ) beginning as a slit at the top to produce smaller (& lt ; 1 - 10 mm dia . ), slower rising bubbles then expanding to a circular base to produce larger bubbles ( 10 - 30 mm dia .) ( fig4 ). this produces mixed bubble sizes and broadens the range of control for automation . three diffuser orifices are cut into smaller diameter pipe ( 1 / 2 - 2 &# 34 ;). the numbers of orifices increase with pipe circumference to the maximum number that can be evenly spaced leaving enough material between the greatest horizontal diameter of the orifices to firmly connect the lower end of the diff - user . second , for ease of access to the diffuser , all airlifts used in this invention are engineered with larger lift tubes 55 so an air pipe with the diffuser attached can be installed in the center of the lift tube . third , the air - water slurry exiting the top of the airlift pipe is deflected away from the top of the pipe by a cone - shaped structure . if the top of the airlift were at the surface of water in a tank the cone would reduce lift efficiency . however , water must be raised some amount (˜ 10 - 20 cm ) to provide head pressure for circulation through filters . therefore , the airlift must empty into a head tank . several centimeters of the top must extend above the bottom of the head tank so that water does not try to flow back down the airlift before it exits the head tank . thus , the cone - shaped structure deflects water away from the top of the airlift so that it does not fall straight down and impede water flow . the airlift and head tank can be installed anywhere in the loop . in the interest of safety , it should be down stream from the filter that plugs the easiest ( i . e ., particle filters ; fig1 ). water circulation through the system is a closed loop through the culture tank ( s ) and individual filters , e . g ., fig1 . the portion of the total flow that moves through each subsequent component is adjusted using by - pass loops between components and allows control of the efficiency of filtration , the deployment of expendables and the rate of water circulation (˜ 50 - 200 gpm ). the degree of filtration efficiency must maintain water quality at an acceptable level and may be adjusted by variable - rate recirculating loops within each component , e . g ., the foam fractionator . all of flow rates within and between components are monitored and controlled by the distributed control system ( dcs ). particulate removal may be accomplished by screens , settling basins , media filled traps and to some extent , physical / chemical adsorption devices ( e . g ., foam fractionators and activated carbon ). with the exception of canister type particle traps , most solids removers can be directly plumbed into an airlift driven water circuit . the most practical designs for airlifts have large surface areas , moving screens and / or sediment traps . the cross sectional design ( fig2 a and 2b ) of the culture tank can be such that solid wastes are massed in the flow of water circulation and carried to a solids trap 20 . this effect is dependent upon a tank design that is longer than wide and configured with the water inlet at one end and the outlet at the other . air diffused into the culture tank along the longitudinal axis creates circulation cells at right angles to the longitudinal flow of water and flushes solids particles from the bottom and sides to the center . solids then migrate with the water flow from the inlet end of the tank to the outlet where they are picked up in the outlet stream and carried to the solids separator 20 . solids separators should be installed immediately downstream from the culture tank . the inlet to the separator should empty at the height of the water level in the culture tank so that the culture tank water level stays constant . alternatively , a low head pressure upflow bead filter ( fig7 ) or sand filter can be used to separate particles . these latter two systems require backwashing with the loss of a fraction of system water . foam fractionators of all designs can be included but their position should be fixed . they should be positioned immediately after the particulate filter . the primary design constraint is that water flows down the fractionator column against a countercurrent of air bubbles . dissolved and suspended organics adhere to the bubbles and are carried up a drying tube above the water level . it is transferred from the bubbles to the sides of the drying tube and carried up to a reservoir by the air stream that produced the bubbles . the foam fractionator designed for the system described in the specific embodiments ( fig5 ) consists of a cylindrical ( contact ) chamber 32 standing on end and plumbed to an airlift near its bottom . the bottom of the cylinder is closed and the top is fitted with a shallow cone 34 pointed upward . the cone location is adjustable in the cylinder and its base is set at cylinder water level . void volume decreases toward the top of the cone condensing foam as it is produced and floats upward . the peak of the cone opens into a section of tubing 36 that further condenses or &# 34 ; drys &# 34 ; the foam that is carried by the stream of escaping air to a foam collector . in this embodiment the top of the drying tube is fitted with a venturi 44 that assists escaping air to carry the foam to a reservoir outside the system . untreated water enters the foam fractionator contact chamber through louvered slots 31 positioned several centimeters below the water level of the vessel holding the fractionator ( fig5 ). the water is drawn in by an airlift 55 plumbed to the bottom of the contact chamber and the flow rate is adjusted to optimize the formation of foam in the condensing cone . the louver fins are directed inward so that water entering the contact chamber travels in a circular pattern . this design : ( 1 ) increases water residence time for more efficient organic removal ; ( 2 ) allows small air bubbles to coalesce into to larger bubbles that can rise faster against the countercurrent of water , and ( 3 ) concentrates the bubble mass in the center of the cylinder so that it does not escape through the louvers . the rate at which water can be stripped of dissolved and particulate organics is dependent upon a water velocity through the contact chamber that allows air bubbles carrying the organics to rise . therefore , the diameter of contact chamber is an important factor because as it increases , the distance traveled in each complete circle increases and the volume of water that can be stripped increases . activated carbon , zeolites , synthetic media and selectively permeable membranes are used to trap molecules based on size or electrical charge . filter designs for these media all produce a water flow directed across the media . a typical embodiment for this invention is a vessel fitted with a false bottom and screen such that water enters the vessel below the false bottom and flows upward through the screen and media . the screen must be of a mesh size that retains the media but passes the largest particles that escape the particulate filter . designs that hold media in a vertical configuration against the water flow in a high pressure , pump - driven system tend to become compacted and require more labor to operate . media beds support bacteria for ( 1 ) oxidizing organic wastes to nh 4 and co 2 , and ( 2 ) reducing the end product ( s ) to elemental nitrogen , n 2 . oxidizing beds probably have the greatest variety of designs , media types and operating efficiencies of all the filters and conditioning devices used in aquaculture . the most common type is the submerged filter ( e . g ., under gravel or sand ). wet - dry filters pump water over plastic balls , synthetic and natural fiber mats and other surfaces that are exposed to the air . fluidized beds use fine grained particles ( e . g ., sand or plastic beads ) that are kept in suspension by the flow of water injected beneath them . all types have been adapted to function at head pressures produced by airlifts . the design used in this embodiment of the invention is a modified submerged bed . however , the design of the bed differs from typical submerged beds in several key characteristics . first the bed is elevated so that it is just submerged at the surface 64 and incoming ( untreated ) water is injected below the bed 61 and rises through it ( fig6 ). this configuration : ( 1 ) reduces compaction of the bed and subsequent reduction of flow ; ( w ) forces organic laden water to contact the dark side of the bed thus limiting the growth of heterotrophs ; and ( 3 ) causes the bottom of the bed to contact oxygen rich water thus preventing the development of anaerobic regions in the bed . second , this elevated configuration allows the area under the bed to be cleaned by extending a siphon through a manway 66 . this saves down time and man hours normally spent dismantling the filter bed . in situ monitoring of filter bed function is accomplished with dissolved oxygen and ph probes above and below the bed and four oxidation - reduction probes spaced evenly over the filter bed surface area and inserted halfway into the depth of the filter bed . these inputs will be used to control water flow through the filter bed and injection of air or oxygen and buffer into the filter tank . this will optimize filter bed chemoauxotophic bacterial metabolism . an alternative nitrifying biofilter is the upflow plastic bead filter ( fig7 ) that functions as a physical filter as well as a biological filter . this filter can perform both functions quite well when operated optimally in contrast to submerged filters that are adversely affected by particulate accumulation ( e . g ., channelization and biofloc mineralization ). an upflow bead filter can accumulate particulates and nitrify when backwashed appropriately . however , optimizing these upflow bead filters requires an expertise that is often lacking in the personnel operating them . for this reason , automation of their function is essential . the operation of the upflow bead filter can be optimized by monitoring bacterial metabolism in the bed using in situ sensors ( e . g . dissolved oxygen 112 , oxidation - reduction potential 120 , ph 118 and flow rate 116 ) and measuring the pressure drop across the bed due to particulate accumulation with pressure sensors 114 . this embodiment has two oxidation - reduction sensors 120 to be placed below and above the bed as well as two more being placed within the bed at 180 ° intervals around the circular bed 92 . in addition , two ph sensors 118 are placed in the opposite 180 ° configuration . these four sensors are placed in the middle of the bed height . in addition , one dissolved oxygen probe 112 is placed above and one below the bed . the differential pressure transducer 14 is connected to the filter influent 130 and effluent 132 piping . the inputs from the sensors is used to automate the water flow rate or residence time , backwash frequency , backwash duration and to inject oxygen and buffer into the bead filter to optimize the growth and metabolism of the chemoauxotrophic bacteria and inhibit the heterotrophic bacteria residing on the beads . if backwashing is too frequent or severe , the chemoauxotrophs will not be able to maintain their position on the beds and they will be removed from the filter at backwashing . if the backwashing is not frequent enough , the heterotrophic bacteria will overgrow the chemoauxotrophs and the filter will actual produce ammonia and other waste products instead of removing them . it is this fine balance that requires automation . another example of automated biological filtration is an automated denitrifying bioreactor described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 482 , 630 . this filter makes it possible to remove the nitrogen from the water completely . it is essential to the design of a truly closed aquaculture system and is included as a component of the automated , closed recirculating aquaculture system as described herein . this group of devices produce ozone , ultraviolet light ( uv ) or both for the purpose of sterilization . ozone is highly corrosive . it is most safely used by injecting it into the water processing loop at a point where dissolved organics are most concentrated to facilitate its reduction . ozone delivery systems can be used in closed aquaculture systems without modification . the efficiency of and responsible use of ultraviolet ( uv ) light requires a design that insures that all water passing through the contactor pass over a specified section of the bulb and within a specified distance from the bulb at the specified section , i . e ., a lethal contact zone . less contact could result in the formation of uv resistant strains of bacteria . economical uv contactor designs for pump - driven systems can not pass enough volume to be effective on airlift driven systems . at head pressures of 15 - 30 centimeters 1 properly configured uv bulb is needed for each 60 liters of water circulated per minute . therefore , uv contractors for airlift systems were designed with ( 1 ) larger inlet and outlets ; ( 2 ) more bulbs , and ( 3 ) air purge vents . installation of the uv contactors in line between the last filter and the culture tank and below the water level of each minimizes flow restrictions imposed by low head pressures . the distributed control subsystem is composed of the following elements . an industrial process control system was designed and installed on the above described tank system . the original design was based on a microcomputer supervisory control and data acquisition system ( scada ), linking 386 / 486 series personal computers ( pc ) with standard industrial control signal multiplexers and software . currently , the system has become a subprocess in a more comprehensive distributed control system ( dcs ) that serves three separate aquaculture facilities . every component ( hardware and software ) was bought off - the - shelf so that no circuits were constructed and no computer code was written . the software used is an intuitive graphical interface product for windows ™ operating environment , dmacs ™ for windows ™ by intellution . the program can run on any 386 / 486 pc and includes net dde , allowing transfer of data between windows ™ programs . inputs and outputs can be displayed as floor plans , graphs , charts or spreadsheets in real - time and all data can be archived to the hard disk or other media . control functions include : set point control , pid ( proportional / integral / derivative ) control , batch control , statistical process control and custom control blocks . additional modules allow networking across typical microcomputer networks and remote operation from a dial - in phone line . the computer hardware was a 486 ibm clone pc with 16 mb ( megabyte ) ram ( random access memory ), 250 mb hard - disk , 1 mb video card and a svga monitor . a best systems ( model 660 ) uninterruptable power supply ( ups ) protected the computer from power surges and would power the computer and monitor for 35 min . during a power outage . the computer software and hardware was interfaced to an unintelligent signal multiplexer network ( dutec model iop - ad + and iop - de ) composed of 16 analog and 16 digital inputs / outputs ( i / o ) channels . each channel required its own signal conditioning module that could accept any voltage or current signal ( i . e ., 4 - 20 ma , 0 - 1 v or 0 - 100 mv ). many different types of i / o were connected to the multiplexer . the raceway control system included monitoring and control of temperature ( i . e ., chiller and heaters ), ph , salinity ( conductivity ), dissolved oxygen , water flow rate between tank and filter and water level . in addition , photoperiod control ( i . e ., relay for overhead lights ) and an automatic belt feeder were installed . the raceway multiplexer was one of four such multiplexers connected to the control system . the raceway system was represented on the control system &# 39 ; s video monitor as a top view and all major functions ( i . e ., photoperiod , ultraviolet sterilizer state , water level , ph buffer injection and protein skimmer state ) were animated for easy visual determination by the technical staff . digital displays similar to meter displays were created for temperature , dissolved oxygen , ph , salinity and water flow rate ; all inputs and most outputs were archived to a historical data base on the computer hard disk . ( a ) an embodiment of the invention as described herein utilizes two black and white security cameras 140 ( burhel ), a standard rs170 video output or two digital cameras consisting of a 1 &# 34 ;× 1 &# 34 ; digital circuit board on which a video camera is mounted and the fixed focus lens they utilize ( fig1 b ). the output of these cameras is a standard rs170 , although with fewer lines of resolution than the other cameras . the housing for these cameras will consist of a small plastic dome housing ( 4 inches in diameter ) fixed and sealed ( via a silicone greased o - ring ) to a plexi backing . ( b ) each camera is contained in a glass housing comprising a 6 &# 34 ;× 16 &# 34 ;× 20 &# 34 ; open - top , rectanguloid shape similar to a small aquarium 142 ( fig1 a ). each housing is topped with a plexiglass lid 144 . the lid has two openings , one for the cords 146 ( power in , video out ), the other for the forced air entry . forced air is an integral part of the housing . it allows the electronic equipment to operate successfully in a seawater environment . the use of forced air for this purpose is believed to be a novel aspect of the invention . ( c ) the camera housing is mounted on each tank by an aluminum bar 148 ( fig1 c ) referred to as the &# 34 ; camera mount &# 34 ;. the main arms of the camera mount consist of solid bar aluminum , and the cross pieces are manufactured from aluminum angle iron . solid aluminum bar was used for three reasons : ( 1 ) to maintain a rigid lever arm , ( 2 ) aluminum will not corrode dangerously with contact with sea water , and ( 3 ) the weight of the solid bar helps to compensate for the buoyancy of the housing in salt water . the angle of the mount is adjusted by four bolts which are in contact with the underside of the tanks lids . ( d ) an additional weight , in the form of a plastic and epoxy coated boat anchor 149 , is used to compensate for the buoyant force of the housing . compensating for buoyancy and thus reducing the effect of wave action is a necessary part of coping with submerged or partially submerged cameras . the image digitization and processing system is illustrated in fig1 . the squid or other animals in the tank 160 are visualized by two cameras 140 , which are connected via rs232 cable and connectors to a data translation &# 34 ; frame grabbing &# 34 ; board ( model # dt3851 ) 162 . this board is responsible for image digitization and some low level frame processing . the advantages of this board are that the on - board memory may be programmed and operations such as frame subtraction , may take place on the board itself , thus speeding the overall frame processing time . the data translation board is mounted in the machine vision computer 164 , which also contains an intel 486 / 120 mhz motherboard and 16 mb of ram . the computer produces an image analysis 166 , which is subject to the machine intelligence anfis process 167 , combining target object feature analysis with other parameter data , and processed through dynamic data exchange ( dde ) connections and netdde 168 to link the various software packages and report 169 the vision system results to control . for the development of the systems described herein standard , consumer level versions of the following software were used ( fig1 ): ( a ) global lab image 182 : for image feature extraction , image enhancement , data collection and the beginning stages of the inventors &# 39 ; statistical recognition model . ( b ) matlab 196 & amp ; matlab &# 39 ; s fuzzy logic tool box 200 : for producing a working fuzzy model as well as the first attempts at using anfis , and the beginnings of the dynamic data exchange ( dde ) connections the inventors used to link the various software packages to produce a working model of their system . ( c ) microsoft excel : for dde linkage as well as data storage and manipulation in the beginning stages of the work . for the development of the final system , the inventors used the following software libraries and programs : ( d ) glide 184 : the developer &# 39 ; s library containing the source code and all the related functions of the consumer version of global lab image . ( e ) matlab 196 : the consumer version of this product contains resources to port matlab script files to c compilable units . ( f ) borland c ++ compiler v . 4 . 0 186 : the inventors made limited use of this compiler and development platform in order to port the matlab generated c units to dynamically linked libraries ( dll &# 39 ; s ) that could be used by the object - oriented application generated using the delphi application development program . ( g ) borland delphi 190 : delphi is an object - oriented , pascal - based development platform . using it allowed the generation of a unique application 188 using the programming libraries listed above and the user interface provided by delphi . delphi also includes a powerful library of dde , net dde and object linking and embedding ( ole ) objects ( or functions ). these were essential to the final development of the machine vision system which is linked across the computer network with the overall control system which uses fixdmacs software . the final system generated using the developer &# 39 ; s version of the described software , as shown in fig1 includes the following : the imaging system ( video camera and capture board ) 180 connects to the image processing global lab 182 software that produces image analysis 194 , which feeds into matlab 196 using the neural networks toolbox 198 or the fuzzy logic toolbox 200 to produce the intelligent vision system model 202 . alternatively the image processing global lab 182 connects with the glide development library 184 , and further utilizing the borland c ++ libraries to dll &# 39 ; s 186 , and using the delphi application development software 188 unique programming objects are authored 188 to result in continuous monitoring 192 . a 14 , 500 liter ( 3 , 756 us gal .) system used to culture a sensitive marine species sepioteuthis lessoniana ( squid ) was fully automated and connected to an automated denitrifying bioreactor . airlift technology was developed in 3 other system designs the largest of which consists of 2 culture tanks , 2 particle filters , 2 foam fractionators , 2 carbon filters , 1 biological filter and 2 uv sterilizers . the total volume of the system including plumbing and prefilter tanks totals 53 , 150 liters ( 16 , 360 gal .). all systems supported the squid ( sepioteuthis lessoniana ) through its life cycle . the automated system maintained squid through 6 generations . airlift - driven systems are in operation with all filtration and water conditioning devices for low - head pressure application ( designed , built , tested and proven ). one embodiment ( a nursery system ) has supported sepioteuthis lessoniana ( squid species ) from incubation to late juvenile stage and another ( grow - out ) system supported it to the end of its life cycle , including the production of fertile eggs . the system maintained adequate water quality ( fig8 a to 8d ) as six generations of squid were grown in the system . another embodiment has sepia officinalis ( cuttlefish species ) nearing sexual maturity in its inaugural culture run . in addition to the squid and cuttlefish production systems described above , this invention is applicable to the culture of marine fish and fingerlings . a 5 , 600 liter ( 1 , 480 us gal .) culture system used to culture specific - pathogen - free ( spf ) marine shrimp was fully automated and connected to the required filtration ( fig9 ). the system is composed of 2 - 1 , 900 l shrimp culture trays 210 , a 1 . 5 hp centrifugal pump 212 , a 1 m 3 computer automated upflow bead filter 214 ( fig7 ), a 2 . 7 m 3 submerged oyster shell biofilter 216 ( fig6 ), a protein skimmer / foam fractionator 218 ( fig5 ), a 0 . 05 m 3 activated carbon filter 220 , 2 ultraviolet sterilizers 222 , ozone generator 224 and a denitrifying bioreactor 226 . also included in the system is a water recovery tank 228 . the system has been constructed and operated for 2 years . the system has supported shrimp ( penaeus vannamei and penaeus setiferus ) densities as high as 5 , 000 m 2 for postlarvae and 50 m 2 for adult shrimp & gt ; 15 g . adult shrimp as large as 20 g have been grown in the system and water quality has been acceptable even during system start - ups ( fig1 a - fig1 c ). the water passes from the culture trays through the bead filter , protein skimmer , carbon filter , the submerged biofilter , uv sterilizers and back to culture trays . a side - loop is taken from the trays , passes through the denitrifying bioreactor and returns to the submerged biofilter . this type of system would be equally applicable to the culture of marine flatfish ( e . g . flounder or fluke ), other crustaceans ( e . g . crabs , crayfish or lobsters ) and bivalve mollusks ( e . g . clams , scallops and oysters ).	2
referring to fig1 the hole opener having an interchangeable sleeve reamer , generally designated 1 , comprises a top shaft member 10 , an interchangeable sleeve member 20 and a bottom sub member 30 . as particularly shown in fig1 and 2 , the top shaft member 10 comprises a externally threaded lower end 11 , a distal second end 12 , an elongated cylindrical body 13 and at least two external keyway half - slots 14 disposed longitudinally along a portion of the outer surface 15 of the elongated cylindrical body 13 , each external keyway half - slot 14 having a lower end 16 proximal to lower end 11 . preferably , three external keyway half - slots 14 are spaced 120 ° apart about the outer circumference of the elongated cylindrical body 13 as shown in fig2 . in a preferred embodiment , each external keyway half - slot 14 is about one quarter inch ( ¼ ″) in depth and about five inches ( 5 . 0 ″) in length . however , it is to be understood that other dimensions of the keyway half - slots 14 are contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention . interchangeable sleeve member 20 comprises an upper end 21 , a lower end 22 , a body 23 and at least two internal keyway half - slots 24 as particularly shown in fig1 and 3 . the internal keyway half - slots 24 are configured with the same dimensions as the corresponding external keyway half - slots 14 . each internal keyway half - slot 24 is disposed from the lower end 22 and longitudinally along a portion the internal surface 25 of body 23 . preferably , three internal keyway half - slots 24 are spaced 120 ° apart about the inner circumference of the body 23 as shown in fig3 . in a preferred embodiment , each internal keyway half - slot 24 is about one quarter inch ( ¼ ″) in depth and about five inches ( 5 . 0 ″) in length . however , it is to be understood that other dimensions of the internal keyway half - slots 24 are contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention , provided that each internal keyway half - slot 24 is configured with the same dimensions as the dimensions of a corresponding external keyway slot 14 . the bottom sub member 30 comprises an internally threaded first end 31 , an elongated cylindrical body 33 and a distal second end 32 as particularly shown in fig1 . internally threaded first end 31 is configured to engage the externally threaded first end 11 of top shaft member 10 . in this manner , top shaft member 10 and bottom sub member 30 can be removably secured to one another by threadingly engaging first ends 11 and 31 . in assembling the hole opener 1 of the present invention , the upper end 21 of the interchangeable sleeve member 20 is slidingly introduced over the lower end 11 of the top shaft member 10 and upwardly onto the elongated cylindrical body 13 such that the lower end 22 of the interchangeable sleeve member is parallel with the lower ends 16 of the external keyway half - slots 14 . the interchangeable sleeve member is rotated about the top shaft until each external keyway half - slot 14 is aligned with a corresponding internal keyway half - slot 24 , thereby forming at least two ( 2 ) keyway slots 44 , as shown in fig4 . in the preferred embodiment , each keyway slot 44 is about one - half inch ( ½ ″) in width and about five inches ( 5 ″) in length . however , it is to be understood that other dimensions of the keyway slots 44 are contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention . in order to prevent the interchangeable sleeve member from freely rotating about the axis of the top shaft 10 , a key member 40 is inserted into each keyway slot 44 . each key member 40 comprises a first end 41 and a second end 42 and is dimensioned to have the same length and a slightly larger width than the keyway slot 44 . thus , in the preferred embodiment , each key member 40 is about five inches ( 5 . 0 ″) in length and slightly more than one - half inch ( ½ ″) in width . with this configuration , once second end 42 of the key member is introduced into the keyway slot 40 , the first end 41 is tapped such that the entire length of the key member is snugly secured within the keyway slot 44 . first end 41 can be provided with a tab or notch to facilitate removal of the key member from the keyway slot . the keyway slot / key member arrangement enables the user to quickly and easily replace the interchangeable sleeve member 20 with another interchangeable sleeve member . suitable interchangeable sleeve members include , for example , a split bit reamer for dirt , soft and hard rock , a wing cutter for dirt and soft rock , and a fly cutter for dirt and soft rock . in this manner , the versatility of the hole opener with an interchangeable sleeve reamer provides numerous possibilities for utilizing the hole opener with other downhole devices . once the interchangeable sleeve member 20 is placed over the top shaft 10 , the bottom sub member 30 is removably secured to the top shaft 10 by the threaded engagement of lower end 11 and first end 31 . the bottom sub member 10 also can be interchanged other sub tools when different work in the hole is required . suitable interchangeable bottom sub members include , for example , a solid sub to keep fluid passage stopped at the back of the reamer , a pulling eye sub which hooks up to a swivel to pull product ( sewer line , optic cable ) through the hole , a barrel reamer which swabs out the hole , and like sub members . referring again to fig1 the top shaft member 10 is provided with a plurality of fluid holes 17 and interchangeable sleeve member 20 is provided with a plurality of fluid holes 27 . preferably the top shaft member 10 and interchangeable sleeve member 20 each have three fluid holes spaced 120 ° apart and which can be aligned along with the keyway half - slots . thus , all such constructed interchangeable sleeve members can be interchangeable . these fluid holes 17 and 27 are for the passage of fluid such that cuttings and other solids can be removed from the hole . referring now to fig5 an alternative embodiment for removably mounting the interchangeable sleeve member 120 over the top shaft member 110 . in this embodiment , rather than the use of the keyway slot / key member arrangement to prevent the interchangeable sleeve member from rotating about the axis of the top shaft member , the top shaft member is provided with a plurality of apertures 114 , preferably six apertures , about its circumference . the interchangeable sleeve member 120 is provided with a plurality of apertures 124 , preferably six apertures , dimensioned with the same diameter as apertures 114 . a rod or bolt member 140 is provided having a slightly larger diameter than the apertures 114 and 124 . when the apertures 124 are aligned with the apertures 124 , a bolt member 140 is tapped into and through aperture 114 and into aperture 124 . although this arrangement is meant to be an alternative means for removably mounting the interchangeable sleeve member to the top shaft member , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other arrangements can be utilized to enable the interchangeable sleeve member to be removably mounted over the top shaft member and that such other arrangements are considered to be within the scope of the present invention . while particular embodiments of the invention have been described , it will be understood , of course , that the invention is not limited thereto , and that many obvious modifications and variations can be made , and that such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims .	4
the present invention provides soluble or dispersible nano graphene platelet ( ngp ) materials that are also highly conducting . the electrical conductivity of ngps in the present context was measured after the ngps were formed into a thin film approximately 100 nm in thickness . in one preferred embodiment , the ngp material is produced by ( a ) preparing a pristine ngp material from a graphitic material ; and ( b ) subjecting the pristine ngp material to an oxidation treatment so that an oxygen content of between 5 % and 25 % by weight inclusive may be imparted to the ngp . the oxygen atoms presumably exist in functional groups such as carboxylic and hydroxyl groups . preferably , the ngp material has an oxygen content no less than 5 % by weight . a particularly useful oxygen content range is from approximately 10 % to 20 % by weight inclusive . the pristine ngp material is preferably produced by a process comprising a procedure selected from : ( a ) intercalating the graphitic material with a non - oxidizing agent , followed by a thermal or chemical exfoliation treatment in a non - oxidizing environment ; ( b ) subjecting the graphitic material to a supercritical fluid environment for inter - graphene layer penetration and exfoliation ; or ( c ) dispersing the graphitic material in a powder form to an aqueous solution containing a surfactant or dispersing agent to obtain a suspension and subjecting said suspension to direct ultrasonication . any one of these three procedures will lead to the production of pristine or un - oxidized ngps . preferred modes of practicing these three procedures are discussed in more detail as follows : in procedure ( a ), a particularly preferred step comprises ( i ) intercalating the graphitic material with a non - oxidizing agent , selected from an alkali metal ( e . g ., potassium , sodium , lithium , or cesium ), alkaline metal , or an alloy , mixture , or eutectic of an alkali or alkaline earth metal ; and ( ii ) a chemical exfoliation treatment ( e . g ., by immersing k - intercalated graphite in ethanol solution ). in addition to alkali metals ( e . g . li , na , k , rb , cs ) and alkaline earth metals ( e . g . mg , ca , sr , ba ), elements such as eu , yb , ti , and halogen ( cl , f , i , etc .) can be used to intercalate the starting graphitic material . intercalation of these elements can be carried out by several different routes . first , these elements can be intercalated electrochemically using a non - aqueous solvent . second , an alkali plus naphthalene or benzophenone can be used with a suitable non - aqueous solvent ( e . g ., tetrahydrofuran ). third , any of the aforementioned metals can be intercalated by dissolving in a liquid ammonia solution to create solvated ions . fourth , lithium can be intercalated by using n - butyl lithium in a hydrocarbon solvent ( e . g ., hexane ). fifth , element , such as k , or an eutectic of k , can be heated above its melting or eutectic point , enabling the melt to intercalate into inter - graphene spaces . six , the graphitic material can be exposed to a halogen element or halogen compound sealed in a vessel or a two - chamber vessel ( one chamber containing the graphitic material in a fine powder form and the other containing the halogen ). the first five approaches were mentioned in mack , et al . [ 51 , 52 ]. for instance , natural flake graphite can be heated to 200 ° c . in an evacuated container in the presence of potassium to form a first stage intercalation compound . by immersing this intercalation compound in ethanol , graphite is exfoliated with resulting graphene sheets dispersed in ethanol . lithium can be intercalated at higher temperatures and / or pressures . intercalation using the alkaline earth ( ca , ba , sr ) or lanthanide metals ( eu , yb , sm , tm ) also requires high temperatures and long reaction times . any solvent that contains water can be used for exfoliation , including organic solvents that have not been thoroughly dried . this includes water , alcohols , or other hydroxylic solvents ( including carboxylic acids ), or any combination thereof . although mack , et al . [ 51 , 52 ] prepared ngps using the alkali metal intercalation approach , they did not teach about modifying ngps for solubility , nor did they measure the electrical conductivity of ngps . procedure ( b ) involves delaminating a graphitic material with a supercritical fluid or , analogous to a prior art approach , with a coating agent solubilized in a supercritical fluid . it is known that , if a substance is heated above its critical temperature ( tc ) and pressurized above its critical pressure ( pc ), it becomes a supercritical fluid . supercritical fluids are known to provide favorable means to achieve solvating properties , which have both gas and liquid characteristics without actually changing a chemical structure . by proper control of pressure and temperature , a significant range of physicochemical properties ( density , diffusivity , dielectric constants , viscosity , and surface free energy ) can be accessed without passing through a phase boundary , e . g ., changing from gas to liquid form . as an example , carbon dioxide may exist as a supercritical fluid having properties of both a liquid and a gas when above its critical temperature (& gt ; 31 ° c .) and critical pressure (& gt ; 7 . 4 mpa ). carbon dioxide under supercritical conditions exhibits both a gaseous property , being able to penetrate through many materials and a liquid property , being able to dissolve materials into their components . although carbon dioxide is a preferred medium , the supercritical fluid may be selected from other suitable species , such as water , hydrogen peroxide , ozone , water oxidation , methane , ethane , ethylene , or a mixture thereof . a conventional approach is herein discussed first , which can be used to prepare non - oxidized ngps . this will be followed by a discussion on an innovative method developed in our research laboratory . the pristine ngps prepared will then be subjected to a controlled oxidation treatment to produce dispersible or soluble ngps that remain highly conductive . as suggested by gulari , et al . [ 77 ], one may choose to use a coating agent that can be solubilized in the supercritical fluid to diffuse between the graphite layers . the purpose of this coating agent , according to gulari , et al . [ 77 ], was to allow the coating agent to expand or swell the interstitial spaces between graphene layers ( to assist in intercalation and exfoliation ) and , after de - pressurization , the coating agent will precipitate out to surround and isolate the exfoliated graphene platelets . this coating agent ( e . g ., a polymer ) will eventually become a part ( the matrix ) of a composite material . generally , the coating agent may include a polymer , oligomer , monomer , or oil . in one embodiment , the coating agent is poly -( dimethyl siloxane ) (“ pdms ”) having a weight average molecular weight of preferably between about 30 , 000 and 200 , 000 g / mole . other suitable coating agents include poly -( tetrafluoroethylene - co - hexafluoropropylene ), poly -( perfluoro - propylene oxide ), poly -( diethyl - siloxane ), poly -( dimethylsilicone ), poly -( phenylmethylsilicone ), perfluoroalkylpolyethers , chlorotrifluoroethylene , and bromotrifluoroethylene . the graphitic material particles and the coating agent are preferably placed in a compartment of a high pressure vessel isolatable from the atmosphere . in this embodiment , the graphite particles comprise about 23 to 83 weight percent and the coating agent comprises about 77 to 17 weight percent of material placed in the vessel . the weight ratio of graphite particles to coating agent is preferably at least about 1 : 10 . then , the compartment is sealed off from the atmosphere . the compartment may be isolated by any conventional means . this is followed by introducing high - pressure carbon dioxide into the compartment with co 2 being pressurized in the vessel to preferably above approximately 1 , 070 to 10 , 000 psig ( 7 . 4 mpa to 69 mpa ). then , the vessel is heated to a temperature preferably above about 40 ° c ., and preferably above 70 ° c . these conditions define a supercritical condition of carbon dioxide whereby the coating agent is solubilized in the supercritical carbon dioxide . pressurizing and heating the graphitic particles with the supercritical fluid may be accomplished by any conventional means . for instance , the vessel may be heated by a heating jacket or electrical heating tape disposed around the vessel . with the coating agent being solubilized in the supercritical fluid , the coating agent diffuses into inter - graphene spaces to possibly expand or swell these spaces . the step of diffusing the coating agent between the graphene layers includes maintaining diffusion for between about 10 minutes to 24 hours ( preferably 3 hours ) at supercritical conditions to produce tentatively intercalated graphite . the procedure further comprises catastrophically depressurizing the tentatively intercalated graphite to precipitate the coating agent from the supercritical fluid . during catastrophic depressurization , the supercritical fluid expands and exfoliates the graphite layers while the coating agent precipitates from the supercritical fluid to cover the layers . the depressurization step comprises immediately depressurizing the vessel down to a considerably lower pressure , preferably ambient pressure . this may be accomplished in a time period of between about 5 and 30 seconds , and preferably 15 seconds . this is accomplished by depressurizing the pressure vessel at a rate of between about 0 . 1 and 5 . 0 milliliters per second , and preferably 3 . 0 milliliters per second . the pressure decrease may be accomplished by opening the compartment to the atmosphere . as immediate depressurization occurs , the graphite layers are delaminated apart from one another other . presumably , the low viscosity and high diffusivity of the supercritical fluid allows the coating agent solubilized therein to become disposed or intercalated between the graphene layers in the graphitic material under supercritical conditions , thereby increasing the interlayer spacing . upon depressurization , the supercritical fluid disposed in the interstitial spaces force the layers to exfoliate or delaminate from each other , and the coating agent previously solubilized in the supercritical fluid precipitates therefrom to deposit on the delaminated layers , preventing reformation of the van der waals forces between graphene layers . that is , the coating agent precipitates from the supercritical fluid and attaches to the graphene layers . although this conventional route is useful in terms of producing pristine ngps that are covered with a coating agent , one has to remove this coating agent unless the coating agent is desired for an intended application ( e . g ., for the preparation of a polymer matrix composite with the coating agent being the monomer or polymer for this matrix ). after an extensive study , we have surprisingly observed that : ( 1 ) supercritical fluids containing no coating agent are at least as effective as those containing a coating agent for intercalating and exfoliating natural graphite . there is no major difference in the supercritical fluid temperature , pressure , time , and de - pressurization conditions between the two species ( one with and the other without a coating agent ); ( 2 ) supercritical fluids , with or without a coating agent therein , are effective in intercalating and exfoliating a wide variety of graphitic materials , including ( in addition to natural graphite ) artificial graphite ( e . g ., highly oriented pyrolytic graphite , hopg ), graphite oxide , graphite fluoride , graphite fiber , carbon fiber , carbon nano - fiber , carbon nano - tube , mesophase carbon micro - bead ( mcmb ), graphitized soft carbon , and hard carbon . previous studies on supercritical fluid delamination of graphite have been essentially limited to chemically pre - intercalated natural graphite [ ref . 76 ] and natural flake graphite [ ref . 77 ]. ( 3 ) with proper conditions for supercritical fluid intercalation and exfoliation via de - pressurization , one could readily obtain ultra - thin ngps with a thickness less than 1 nm . with other less favorable conditions ( e . g ., a slower de - pressurization rate ), somewhat thicker ngps were obtained . however , these thicker ngps could be subjected to another cycle of supercritical fluid intercalation and exfoliation , preferably in the same pressure chamber , to yield much thinner ngps . by repeating the process one or two times we could readily obtain substantially single - layer ngps . another alternative procedure for exfoliating a graphitic material to produce pristine ngps comprises ( a ) dispersing graphitic material particles in a liquid medium containing therein a surfactant or dispersing agent to obtain a suspension or slurry ; and ( b ) exposing the suspension or slurry to ultrasonic waves ( a process commonly referred to as ultrasonication ) at an energy level for a sufficient length of time to produce the separated nano - scaled platelets . preferably , the ultrasonication step is conducted at a temperature lower than 100 ° c . the energy level is typically greater than 80 watts . the liquid medium may comprise water , organic solvent , alcohol , a monomer , an oligomer , or a resin . the graphitic material could be natural graphite , synthetic graphite , highly oriented pyrolytic graphite , graphite oxide , graphite fiber , graphite nano - fiber , mcmb , soft carbon , hard carbon , or a combination thereof . it may be noted that ultrasonication has been used to successfully separate graphite flakes after thermal exfoliation of chemically intercalated graphite . examples are given in sakawaki , et al . (“ foliated fine graphite particles and method for preparing same ,” u . s . pat . no . 5 , 330 , 680 , jul . 19 , 1994 ) and chen , et al . (“ preparation and characterization of graphite nanosheets from ultrasonic powdering technique ,” carbon , vol . 42 , 2004 , 753 - 759 ). however , there has been no report on the utilization of ultrasonic waves in directly exfoliating graphite or graphite oxide ( with or without intercalation ) and , concurrently , separating exfoliated particles into isolated or separated graphite flakes or platelets with a thickness less than 100 nm . this direct graphite exfoliation procedure was discussed in detail in one of our earlier inventions [ ref . 75 ]. in one preferred embodiment of the present invention , the second step of the process involves subjecting the pristine ngps to a controlled oxidation treatment . as opposed to the original chemical intercalation / oxidation treatment required in the prior art preparation of graphite oxide nano platelets that involves heavy and essentially un - controlled oxidation of natural graphite , the present oxidation procedure for pristine ngps has the following advantages : ( 1 ) oxidation can be executed in a well - controlled manner ; ( 2 ) the degree of oxidation can be relatively low ( in such a manner that oxidation can be limited to the edge of ngps , with the graphene plane surface remaining substantially oxygen - free , if so desired ); ( 3 ) the oxidation procedure can proceed at a high rate since the original graphitic material has been split into smaller particles and , hence , the oxidizing agent does not have to travel through inter - particle regions ; and ( 4 ) due to the well - split and separated nature of ngps , they can be subjected to gaseous phase oxidation , as opposed to liquid phase oxidation that requires a post - oxidation cleaning or purification procedure , which is typically very tedious and generates a great amount of waste water . in one procedure , pristine ngps may be dispersed in an acid ( e . g ., sulfuric acid , nitric acid , carboxylic acid , acetic acid , formic acid , etc .) and / or an oxidizing agent ( e . g ., kmno 4 , sodium or potassium chlorate , and hydrogen peroxide , h 2 o 2 ) at a temperature for a desired period of time . more environmentally benign acids or oxidizers , such as carboxylic acid , acetic acid , formic acid , and hydrogen peroxide , are preferred . the carboxylic acid may be selected from the group consisting of aromatic carboxylic acid , aliphatic or cyclo - aliphatic carboxylic acid , straight chain or branched chain carboxylic acid , saturated and unsaturated mono - carboxylic acids , di - carboxylic acids and poly - carboxylic acids that have 1 - 10 carbon atoms , alkyl esters thereof , and combinations thereof . alternatively and preferably , the oxidation treatment comprises subjecting the pristine ngps to an oxidizing agent in a vaporous or gaseous state . this oxidizing agent is preferably selected from ozone , sulfonic ( so 3 ) vapor , an oxygen - containing gas , hydrogen peroxide vapor , nitric acid vapor , or a combination thereof . further preferably , the treatment comprises subjecting the pristine ngp material to an oxidizing agent in a hydrogen - containing environment . hydrogen seems to provide useful functional groups , such as carboxyl and hydroxyl . although oxidation treatment can be conducted by immersing ngps in a liquid acid and / or oxidizer environment , such a procedure requires a subsequent water - rinsing and purification step ( such a rinsing procedure is not as tedious as required in the case of conventional sulfuric acid - intercalation graphite , nevertheless ). hence , a gaseous treatment requiring no post - treatment rinsing is preferred . a primary goal of the oxidation treatment is to impart solubility or dispersibility to the pristine ngps without a significant compromise in electrical conductivity . after an extensive and in - depth study we have discovered that dispersible and conductive ngps can be achieved by producing pristine ngps first and then imparting to pristine ngps an oxygen content up to 25 % by weight , preferably below 20 % by weight , further preferably between 5 % and 20 % by weight . the oxygen content can be determined using chemical elemental analysis and / or x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ). it has been hitherto commonly believed by those skilled in the art that chemical processibility and electrical conductivity of graphite materials are mutually exclusive . quite opposite to this common wisdom , we have herein proven that , within a reasonable range of oxygen contents in ngps and their associated window of processing conditions , these two features can be achieved at the same time . the good solubility or dispersibility enables the production of ngp - based products , such as graphene paper , film , and nanocomposite structures , that have desirable physical properties . the oxygen content , along with some hydrogen , also enables us to impart a wide variety of functional groups to the ngps . the laminar graphite materials used in the prior art processes for the production of the gic , go , and subsequently made exfoliated graphite , flexible graphite sheets , and graphene platelets were , in most cases , natural graphite . however , the present invention is not limited to natural graphite . the starting material may be selected from the group consisting of natural graphite , artificial graphite ( e . g ., highly oriented pyrolytic graphite , hopg ), graphite oxide , graphite fluoride , graphite fiber , carbon fiber , carbon nano - fiber , carbon nano - tube , mesophase carbon micro - bead ( mcmb ) or carbonaceous micro - sphere ( cms ), soft carbon , hard carbon , and combinations thereof . all of these materials contain graphite crystallites that are composed of layers of graphene planes stacked or bonded together via van der waals forces . in natural graphite , multiple stacks of graphene planes , with the graphene plane orientation varying from stack to stack , are clustered together . in carbon fibers , the graphene planes are usually oriented along a preferred direction . generally speaking , soft carbons are carbonaceous materials obtained from carbonization of liquid - state , aromatic molecules . their aromatic ring or graphene structures are more or less parallel to one another , enabling further graphitization . hard carbons are carbonaceous materials obtained from aromatic solid materials ( e . g ., polymers , such as phenolic resin and polyfurfuryl alcohol ). their graphene structures are relatively randomly oriented and , hence , further graphitization is difficult to achieve even at a temperature higher than 2 , 500 ° c . but , graphene sheets do exist in these carbons . in the second set of approaches , the dispersible and conductive ngp material may be produced by ( a ) preparing a graphite intercalation compound ( gic ) or graphite oxide ( go ) from a laminar graphite material ; ( b ) exposing the gic or go to a first temperature for a first period of time to obtain exfoliated graphite ( mostly graphite oxide ); and ( c ) exposing the exfoliated graphite to a second temperature in a protective atmosphere for a second period of time ( a step called de - oxygenation ) to obtain the desired dispersible nano graphene platelet with an oxygen content between 5 % and 25 % by weight . in most of the prior art methods for making separated nano graphene platelets , the process begins with intercalating lamellar graphite flake particles with an expandable intercalation agent ( also known as an intercalant or intercalate ) to form a graphite intercalation compound ( gic ), typically using a chemical oxidation or an electrochemical ( or electrolytic ) method . the gic is characterized as having intercalant species , such as sulfuric acid and nitric acid , residing in interlayer spaces , also referred to as interstitial galleries or interstices . in traditional gics , the intercalant species may form a complete or partial layer in an interlayer space or gallery . if there always exists one graphene layer between two intercalant layers , the resulting graphite is referred to as a stage - 1 gic . if n graphene layers exist between two intercalant layers , we have a stage - n gic . it may be noted that intercalation of graphite ( e . g ., if intercalated by potassium melt ) does not necessarily lead to oxidation of graphite . however , if the intercalant contains an acid ( e . g ., sulfuric acid , nitric acid , carboxylic acid , etc .) and / or an oxidizing agent ( e . g ., kmno 4 , sodium or potassium chlorate , and hydrogen peroxide , h 2 o 2 ), the resulting gic is essentially a graphite oxide ( go ) material . this is true of essentially all of the known prior art chemical processes for the preparation of go nano platelets . this intercalation or oxidation step is followed by rapidly exposing the gic or go material to a high temperature , typically between 800 and 1 , 100 ° c ., to exfoliate the graphite material , forming vermicular graphite structures known as graphite worms . it is important to understand that these graphite worms or their constituent graphite flakes are actually graphite oxide , not graphene . they typically contain more than 30 % by weight of oxygen , existing as oxygen - containing functional groups like carboxyl or hydroxyl on both the basal plane surfaces and edges of graphene layers . exfoliation is believed to be caused by the interlayer volatile gases , created by the thermal decomposition , phase transition , or chemical reaction of the intercalant , which induce high gas pressures inside the interstices that push apart neighboring layers . in some methods , the exfoliation product is graphite worms that contain more or less interconnected graphite oxide flakes or functional group - decorated graphene sheets that are still more or less clustered or tied together . in order to further separate these interconnected graphite oxide flakes , the exfoliation product may then be subjected to air milling , air jet milling , ball milling , or ultrasonication before or after the second heat treatment . in one preferred embodiment of the present invention , a dispersible ngp - producing process begins with the preparation of a gic or go material , followed by heating the gic or go material to obtain exfoliated graphite . these two steps are similar to the above - described two steps — intercalation / oxidation of graphite and exfoliation of gic / go . although exfoliation temperature is typically between 800 and 1 , 100 ° c . for the gic or go prepared from natural graphite , we have found that the gic or go prepared from meso - phase carbon micro - beads ( mcmb ) can be effectively exfoliated at a temperature as low as 200 ° c . however , in all cases , higher exfoliation temperatures are preferred and exfoliation is preferably conducted in a protective atmosphere ( e . g ., containing an inert gas , hydrogen , and / or nitrogen ). it is of significance to note that , in the prior art , for all purposes ( e . g ., to produce graphite worms , flexible graphite , graphite oxide flakes , or separated graphene oxide sheets ), exfoliation of the gic / go was prescribed to occur at a relatively high temperature for a very short period of time , typically shorter than 2 minutes , more typically shorter than 1 minute , and often shorter than 30 seconds . in the prior art , expansion or exfoliation of graphite oxide was normally completed within this short period of time and , hence , continued heating of the freshly exfoliated graphite was believed to be unnecessary and undesirable ( for fear of thermally degrading the exfoliation product or perhaps for the purpose of saving energy ). contrary to this conventional wisdom , we have surprisingly observed that a further exposure of the exfoliated graphite product to a high temperature ( typically higher than the exfoliation temperature ), but in a protective atmosphere , could de - oxygenate or reduce the graphite oxide platelets to a range of very unique and useful oxygen contents . within this range , exfoliated graphite oxide platelets become highly electrically conducting and yet remain soluble or dispersible in water and many other organic solvents . in the prior art , dispersibility and conductivity are generally believed to be non - coexisting . this good solubility or dispersibility enables the production of ngp - based products , such as graphene paper , film , and nanocomposite structures , that have desirable physical properties . no subsequent chemical reduction of the platelets is required . although partial de - oxygenation of the exfoliated graphite oxide flakes was suggested by others [ e . g ., 67 , 68 ] as a means of reducing the product to recover electrical properties of nano graphene after the product is made ( e . g ., after graphene oxide thin film or paper is produced ), the prior art tasks [ 67 , 68 ] were based on chemical solution - based go exfoliation , not thermal exfoliation . however , once the de - oxygenation treatment in a vacuum was done , the graphene platelets were no longer soluble or dispersible . the prior art has not taught about the approach of continuing heating or re - heating the thermally exfoliated go products in a protective atmosphere to obtain dispersible yet conductive ngps . furthermore , the prior art has not suggested that this continual heating or re - heating could be preferably conducted immediately after , or concurrently with the exfoliation step to save energy and time . in the presently invented process , further preferably , these two operations ( thermal exfoliation and de - oxygenation ) are conducted using the same reactor . it has been hitherto commonly believed by those skilled in the art that chemical processibility and electrical conductivity of graphite materials are mutually exclusive . quite opposite to this common wisdom , we have herein proven that , within a reasonable range of oxygen contents in go nano platelets and their associated window of processing conditions , these two features can be achieved at the same time . the presently invented processes typically resulted in a dispersible nano graphene platelet material , when formed into a thin film with a thickness no greater than 100 nm , exhibits an electrical conductivity of at least 10 s / cm , often higher than 100 s / cm , and , in many cases , higher than 1 , 000 s / cm . the resulting ngp material typically has a specific surface area of from approximately 300 m 2 / g to 2 , 600 m 2 / g and , in many cases , comprises single - layer graphene sheets . the process may further comprise a step of contacting the nano graphene platelet material , during and / or after oxidation , with a reactant such that a functional group is added to a surface or edge of the nano graphene platelet material . theses functional groups may contain alkyl or aryl silane , alkyl or aralkyl group , hydroxyl group , carboxyl group , amine group , sulfonate group (— so 3 h ), aldehydic group , quinoidal , fluorocarbon , or a combination thereof . the following examples serve to provide the best modes of practice for the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention . examples 1 - 4 provide first set of samples , based on the preparation of graphite oxide ( go ) and then de - oxygenation of go nano platelets . subsequent examples provide samples that are produced first with the preparation of pristine ngps , followed by partial oxidation of pristine ngps . continuous graphite fiber yarns ( magnamite from hercules ) were cut into segments of 5 mm long and then ball - milled for 24 hours . approximately 20 grams of these milled fibers were immersed in a mixture of 2 l of formic acid and 0 . 1 l of hydrogen peroxide at 45 ° c . for 48 hours . following the chemical oxidation intercalation treatment , the resulting intercalated fibers were washed with water and dried . the resulting product is a formic acid - intercalated graphite fiber material containing graphite oxide crystallites . subsequently , approximately ½ of the intercalated or oxidized fiber sample was transferred to a furnace pre - set at a temperature of 600 ° c . for 30 seconds . the compound was found to induce extremely rapid and high expansions of graphite crystallites . the as - exfoliated graphite fiber is designated as sample - 1a . approximately half of sample 1 - a material was subjected to de - oxygenation at 1 , 100 ° c . for 20 minutes in a nitrogen atmosphere to obtain sample - 1b . a small amount of both materials was mixed with an aqueous ethanol solution to form two separate suspensions , which were subjected to further separation of exfoliated flakes using a cowles shearing device . both graphite oxide platelets ( sample 1 - a ) and reduced go platelets ( essentially ngps ) were found to be soluble and well - dispersed in this aqueous solution . the resulting suspensions were dip - coated to form thin films with a thickness of approximately 100 nm on glass slide surfaces . the thickness of individual platelets was found to range from two graphene sheets to approximately 25 graphene sheets ( average of 14 sheets or approximately 4 . 7 nm ) based on sem and tem observations . the length of these ngps was typically in the range of 10 - 60 μm and width in the range of 0 . 5 - 2 μm . a four - point probe method was used to measure the electrical - conductivity of the thin films on the glass substrate . it was found that the conductivity of the film prepared from sample 1 - a ( as - exfoliated go platelets ) was approximately 1 . 3 × 10 − 3 s / cm while that of sample 1 - b was 2 . 8 s / cm . mcmb 2528 microbeads were supplied by alumina trading , which is the u . s . distributor for the supplier , osaka gas chemical company of japan . this material has a density of about 2 . 24 g / cm 3 ; a particle size maximum for at least 95 % by weight of the particles of 37 microns ; median size of about 22 . 5 microns and an inter - planar distance of about 0 . 336 nm . mcmb 2528 ( 10 grams ) were intercalated with an acid solution ( sulfuric acid , nitric acid , and potassium permanganate at a ratio of 4 : 1 : 0 . 05 ) for 24 hours . upon completion of the reaction , the mixture was poured into deionized water and filtered . the intercalated mcmbs were repeatedly washed in a 5 % solution of hcl to remove most of the sulphate ions . the sample was then washed repeatedly with deionized water until the ph of the filtrate was neutral . the slurry was spray - dried and stored in a vacuum oven at 60 ° c . for 24 hours . the dried powder sample was placed in a quartz tube and inserted into a horizontal tube furnace pre - set at a desired temperature , 600 ° c . for 30 seconds to obtain sample 2 - a . approximately one half of the exfoliated mcmb sample was subjected to de - oxygenation treatment at 1 , 250 ° c . for 15 minutes in an argon environment to obtain sample 2 - b . a small quantity of each sample was mixed with water and ultrasonicated at a 60 w power for 10 minutes to obtain a suspension . again , thin films were prepared from each suspension by dip coating and the electrical conductivity of the films was measured . the conductivity of the film prepared from sample 2 - a ( as - exfoliated oxidized mcmb platelets ) was found to be approximately 1 . 8 × 10 − 2 s / cm and that of sample 2 - b after de - oxygenation was 67 s / cm . both types of platelets were well - dispersed in water . graphite oxide was prepared by oxidation of graphite flakes with sulfuric acid , sodium nitrate , and potassium permanganate at a ratio of 4 : 1 : 0 . 05 at 30 ° c . for 24 hours , according to the method of hummers [ u . s . pat . no . 2 , 798 , 878 , jul . 9 , 1957 ]. upon completion of the reaction , the mixture was poured into deionized water and filtered . the sample was then washed with 5 % hcl solution to remove most of the sulfate ions and residual salt and then repeatedly rinsed with deionized water until the ph of the filtrate was approximately 7 . the intent was to remove all sulfuric and nitric acid residue out of graphite interstices . the slurry was spray - dried and stored in a vacuum oven at 60 ° c . for 24 hours . the interlayer spacing of the resulting laminar graphite oxide was determined by the debey - scherrer x - ray technique to be approximately 0 . 73 nm ( 7 . 3 å ), indicating that graphite has been converted into graphite oxide . the dried , intercalated ( oxidized ) compound was divided into two batches , both for exfoliation at 800 ° c . for 1 minute by placing the sample in a quartz tube that was inserted into a horizontal tube furnace pre - set at 800 ° c . for sample 3 - a , exfoliation was followed by de - oxygenation at 1 , 000 ° c . for various periods of time , from 1 minute to 120 minutes . for sample 3 - b , the de - oxygenation temperature was 1 , 100 ° c ., from 1 minute to 80 minutes . the de - oxygenation atmosphere was approximately 95 % nitrogen and 5 % hydrogen . two series of thin films were prepared from these two samples for the purpose of measuring the electrical conductivity of the go nano platelets or ngps as a function of the de - oxygenation time and the resulting oxygen content . the oxygen content , based on the elemental analysis , was for those oxygen atoms in functional groups attached to the plane surfaces and edges of the platelets . the exfoliated and de - oxygenated products , after various periods of de - oxygenation , were each mixed with water and then subjected to a mechanical shearing treatment using a cowles rotating - blade shearing machine for 20 minutes . the resulting platelets were found to have an average thickness of 6 . 3 nm . spin coating was used to prepare thin films for conductivity measurement . go or graphene platelets at selected de - oxygenation time intervals were also analyzed for their oxygen contents using x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ) available at the center for multifunctional nonmaterial at wright state university , dayton , ohio . shown in fig1 is a summary of the electrical conductivity data of the films made from go nano platelets after various periods of de - oxygenation time at 1 , 000 ° c . and 1 , 100 ° c ., respectively . the conductivity of the film varies from 5 . 0 × 10 − 3 s / cm of as - foliated go to 180 s / cm after 40 minutes of de - oxygenation , and to 4 . 1 × 10 2 s / cm after 80 minutes , the latter representing a five order - of - magnitude improvement in electrical conductivity . the go or de - oxygenated go platelets were found to be soluble or dispersible in water up to an oxygen content of 5 . 6 % by weight ( after 50 minutes at 1 , 100 ° c ., giving rise to an electrical conductivity of 360 s / cm ). this conductivity value is a very impressive result , comparable to the best achievable conductivity with strong or heavy chemical reduction and / or vacuum de - oxygenation treatments after the films were made ( yet those graphene platelets of the thin films prepared in the prior art became non - dispersible ) [ refs . 47 , 67 , 68 ]. the two curves and the observations made on the solution dispersibility of the corresponding suspensions appear to indicate that the conductivity increases rapidly with the degree of de - oxygenation while the go platelets remain soluble over a range of treatment time durations at a given de - oxygenation temperature ; e . g ., up to 50 minutes at 1 , 100 ° c . once the conductivity value reaches a plateau , the platelets begin to lose their solubility or dispersibility in water and other polar solvents , such as ethanol and acetone . fortunately , this plateau value is already very high , typically in the range of 100 - 1 , 000 s / cm . the electrical conductivity data were plotted as a function of the corresponding oxygen content data for two de - oxygenation temperatures , as shown in fig2 . it is clear that , regardless of the de - oxygenation temperature , it is the final oxygen content that governs the conductivity of go or reduced go platelets ; the lower the oxygen content , the higher the conductivity is . when the oxygen content is below 5 % by weight , the reduced go tends to become insoluble or non - dispersible in water . surprisingly , and fortunately , within the oxygen content range of 5 %- 20 %, the nano platelet film exhibits a conductivity value greater than 1 s / cm . if the oxygen content is below 15 %, the conductivity is greater than 10 s / cm . the conductivity of the ngp film is greater than 100 s / cm if the oxygen content is below 10 %. the samples of example 4 , including sample 4 - a and 4 - b , were prepared in a similar manner as described in example 3 , but the exfoliation was conducted at 1 , 000 ° c . for 45 seconds , followed by de - oxygenation at 1 , 200 ° c . and 1 , 350 ° c ., respectively , for various periods of time . shown in fig3 is a summary of the electrical conductivity data of the films made from go nano platelets after various periods of de - oxygenation time . these data further confirm the trend observed earlier that the electrical conductivity of nano graphene or graphene oxide films increases with increasing de - oxygenation time ( or decreasing oxygen content ). high conductivity can be attained with shorter periods of time if the de - oxygenation temperature is sufficiently high . in order to determine if a lower oxygen content would adversely affect the functionalization capability of graphene platelets and how functionalization would impact the electrical conductivity of these platelets , we carried out additional work on selected samples , described below : with the de - oxygenation atmosphere containing some hydrogen , we presumed that the edges of graphene or graphene oxide platelets contained a significant amount of activated c — h bonds . we chose to sulfonate the two samples that had been de - oxygenated for 10 minutes and 45 minutes , respectively , at 1 , 200 ° c . the sample with a 10 - min de - oxygenation treatment ( sample 4 - a - 10 ) was highly soluble in water , but that with a 45 - minute treatment ( sample 4 - a - 45 ) has poor or limited solubility in water . sulfonation was conducted by subjecting the two samples to the vapor phase of a fuming sulfuric acid ( oleum ) containing 20 % so 3 for one hour . the results were very surprising . after the sulfonation treatment , sample 4 - a - 10 remained highly soluble in water and sample 4 - a - 45 , originally having limited solubility , became soluble in water . most surprisingly , the electrical conductivity of their respective films remained essentially un - changed , 12 s / cm and 695 s / cm , respectively . this important observation suggests that further functionalization of de - oxygenated graphene platelets provides another tool of varying solubility of the graphene platelets , as prepared by the presently invented de - oxygenation process , without adversely affecting their conductivity . sulfonation is but one of many approaches to the functionalization of de - oxygenated go platelets . presumably , both the functional groups attached to basal plane atoms and those at the edges of basal planes ( or graphene planes ) tend to decrease the electrical conductivity of a graphene or graphene oxide platelet . the surface functional groups are in the way of electron conduction paths and , hence , are much more influential on the electron transport . these groups represent defects that could significantly reduce the mean free path of electrons moving on a basal plane . the functional groups at the graphene edge , although altering the quantum wave functions of electrons at the edge , would have less significant effect on the overall conductivity . however , the presence of different functional groups could have significantly different effects on solubility or dispersibility of a graphene or graphene oxide platelet in a solvent and the interfacial bonding between a platelet and a matrix material in a nanocomposite . this implies that we now have a tool of adjusting the solubility or dispersibility of ngps in a solvent without significantly varying the electrical conductivity . preparation of pristine ngps from natural flake graphite and graphite fibers using direct ultrasonication five grams of graphite flakes , ground to approximately 20 μm or less in sizes , were dispersed in 1 , 000 ml of deionized water ( containing 0 . 1 % by weight of a dispersing agent , zonyl ® fso from dupont ) to obtain a suspension . an ultrasonic energy level of 75 w ( branson s450 ultrasonicator ) was used for exfoliation , separation , and size reduction for a period of 1 hour . this procedure was repeated several times , each time with five grams of starting graphite powder , to produce a sufficient quantity of pristine ngps , which are hereinafter referred to as sample 5 - p - u ( p stands for pristine and u stands for ultrasonic ). the same procedure was repeated for graphite fibers to obtain sample 5 gf - p - u . the graphite fibers used were the same as those in example 1 . preparation of pristine ngps from natural graphite flakes and mcmbs using potassium intercalation natural graphite was obtained from huadong graphite co ., qingdao , china . the first stage intercalation compound , kc 8 , was synthesized by adding a stoichiometric amount of potassium , 81 . 4 mg ( 0 . 0021 moles ) to 200 mg ( 0 . 0167 moles ) of graphite particles in a pyrex tube capped with a stopcock . all transfers were carried out in a helium filled dry box . the reactant filled tube was evacuated , sealed and heated for 16 hours at 200 ° c . the compound formed was bright gold in color . the obtained gic was poured into a mixture of ethanol and distilled water ( 50 : 50 by volume ). the material turns from gold to black as the graphite got exfoliated and bubbling was observed , suggesting that hydrogen was produced . the resulting solution was basic due to the formation of potassium ethoxide . the dispersion of nano graphene sheets in aqueous ethanol solution was then allowed to settle . the solvent was decanted and the product washed several times with ethanol until a neutral ph was obtained . this pristine ngp material is referred to as sample 6 - p - k ( k stands for potassium intercalation ). another batch of samples was prepared from mcmbs following the same procedures . this pristine ngp material is referred to as sample 6mc - p - k . a natural graphite sample ( approximately 5 grams ) was placed in a 100 milliliter high - pressure vessel . the vessel was equipped with security clamps and rings that enable isolation of the vessel interior from the atmosphere . the vessel was in fluid communication with high - pressure carbon dioxide by way of piping means and limited by valves . a heating jacket was disposed around the vessel to achieve and maintain the critical temperature of carbon dioxide . high - pressure carbon dioxide was introduced into the vessel and maintained at approximately 1 , 100 psig ( 7 . 58 mpa ). subsequently , the vessel was heated to about 70 ° c . at which the supercritical conditions of carbon dioxide were achieved and maintained for about 3 hours , allowing carbon dioxide to diffuse into inter - graphene spaces . then , the vessel was immediately depressurized “ catastrophically ’ at a rate of about 3 milliliters per second . this was accomplished by opening a connected blow - off valve of the vessel . as a result , delaminated or exfoliated graphene layers were formed , which were identified as sample 7 - p - sc - a . this sample was found to contain pristine ngps with an average thickness just under 10 nm . approximately two - thirds of sample 7 - p - sc - a was removed from the pressure vessel . the remaining ngps were subjected to another cycle of supercritical co 2 intercalation and de - pressurization treatments ( i . e ., the above procedures were repeated ), yielding much thinner ngps with an average thickness of 2 . 1 nm ( identified as sample 7 - p - sc - b ). the specific surface area , as measured by the bet method , was approximately 430 m 2 / g . tem and afm examinations indicated that there were many single - layer graphene sheets in this sample . sample 7 - p - sc - c was prepared under essentially identical supercritical co 2 conditions , with the exception that a small amount of surfactant ( approximately 0 . 05 grams of zonyl ® fso ) was mixed with 5 grams of natural graphite before the mixture was sealed in the pressure vessel . the resulting ngps have a surprisingly low average thickness , 3 . 1 nm . after the pressurization and de - pressurization procedures were repeated for one cycle , the resulting ngps have an average thickness less than 1 nm , indicating that a majority of the ngps are single - layer or double - layer sheets . the specific surface area of this sample after a repeated cycle was approximately 900 m 2 / g . it may be noted that a sample of single - layer graphene sheets should exhibit a specific surface area of & gt ; 2 , 670 m 2 / g . it is clear that the presence of a surfactant or dispersing agent promotes separation of graphene layers , perhaps by preventing the reformation of van der waals forces between graphene sheets once separated . the oxidation treatment of the samples prepared in examples 5 - 7 was carried out in two different ways : one in a liquid state and the other in a vapor / gas state . as one example for vapor phase oxidation , so 3 vapor was generated by adding and heating 10 g of fuming sulfuric acid into a reactor the so 3 vapor was passed through a column in which 10 g of pristine ngps was packed for the oxidation treatment for various durations of time , from 5 minutes to one hour . upon completion of the oxidation , the column containing oxidized ngps was slightly heated at about 60 ° c . for about 15 minutes to remove excessive amount of so 3 condensed on the surface of the ngps , and the separated so 3 was recovered and absorbed into the sulfuric acid in the reactor . so 3 - treated ngps were washed with water and filtered . another example for vapor / gas phase oxidation entails simply exposing ngps to a heated oxygen or oxygen - containing gas environment ( e . g ., oxygen gas with a small amount of water , 1 % by weight ). a suitable temperature range is 250 - 500 ° c . for 10 to 120 minutes . it may be noted that graphite oxidation was generally believed to occur only at a temperature higher than 350 ° c . however , much to our surprise , oxidation of graphene could occur at as low as 200 ° c . this perhaps is due to the nano - scaled nature of ngps . liquid state oxidation of pristine ngps can be carried out by simply immersing ngps in a solution containing an acid and / or oxidizer . more benign acids , such as acetic acid and formic acid , are preferred although it takes a longer period of time to complete an oxidation procedure as compared with sulfuric or nitric acid . more benign oxidizers , such as h 2 o 2 , are preferred over other strong oxidizers , such as potassium permanganate . it was more difficult to wash and remove a salt like potassium permanganate from treated ngps . oxidation conditions of a wide range of pristine ngps are summarized in table 1 . there are two significant observations that can be made from table 1 : ( 1 ) typically , ngps become soluble in polar solvents , such as water and alcohol , when the oxygen content exceeds 5 % by weight ; and ( 2 ) some of the ngps , after partial oxidation , actually become soluble in non - polar solvents , such as nmp and toluene , which is an un - expected result . this is surprising since a higher oxygen content means the presence of more polar groups , such as carboxyl and hydroxyl , that make the ngps more polar . pristine and partially oxidized ngps from selected samples ( 6mc - p - k , 7 - p - sc - a , 7 - p - sc - b , and 7 - p - sc - c ) were made into thin films ( approximately 100 nm thick ) for electrical conductivity measurements . the results are summarized in fig4 , along with the conductivity data of those ngps or go prepared from de - oxygenating heavily oxidized go platelets . it is clear that the electrical conductivity of ngps or go nano platelets decreases with increasing oxygen content , regardless of the preparation routes . for those samples prepared from oxidation of pristine ngps , the conductivity is normally greater than 1 s / cm if the oxygen content is less than 25 % by weight , similar to the case of partially de - oxygenated gn platelets . however , the electrical conductivity of those prepared by partially oxidizing pristine ngps is almost always greater than that of those prepared by partially de - oxygenating go nano platelets with a comparable oxygen content . this is another highly surprising result of the present study . we speculated that those heavily oxidized go platelets were highly defected , likely with their graphene plane populated with oxygen - containing chemical groups . even after partial de - oxygenation , these original chemical group sites remain as structural defects . by contrast , oxidation of pristine ngps might begin with the graphene edges and chemical groups began to attach to the graphene surface only after the edges were fully oxidized . the partially oxidized ngps prepared according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be further functionalized by carrying out an additional step of contacting the partially oxidized ngps with a reactant such that a functional group is added to a surface or edge of the nano graphene platelet . the functional group may be selected from , as examples , alkyl or aryl silane , alkyl or aralkyl group , hydroxyl group , amine group , fluorocarbon , or a combination thereof . as an example , two separate batches of sample 6 - p - k were subjected to oxidation treatments to obtain sample 6 - p - k - 4 . 6 ( oxygen content of 4 . 6 % by weight ) and sample 6 - p - k - 24 . 5 ( oxygen content of 24 . 5 % by weight ). they were then allowed to undergo various functionalization treatments , briefly described as follows : the ngps , after a partial oxidation treatment , will have a reactive graphene surface ( rgs ) or reactive graphene edge ( rge ). they were prescribed to undergo the following reactions : ( a ) rgs / rge + ch 2 ═ chcox ( at 1 , 000 ° c . )→ graphene - r ′ coh ( where x =— oh , — cl , — nh 2 , or — h ); e . g ., rgs / rge + ch 2 ═ chcooh → g - r ′ co — oh ( where g = graphene ); ( d ) rgs / rge + ch 2 ═ ch — ch 2 x → g - r ′ ch 2 x ( where x =— oh , - halogen , or — nh 2 ); in the above - listed reactions , r ′ is a hydrocarbon radical ( alkyl , cycloalkyl , etc ). the results of electrical conductivity measurements of the ngp films and observations on solubility of ngps in solvents are summarized in table 2 . these data further confirm that chemical functionalization treatments can be used to vary the solubility or dispersibility of ngps without significantly compromising electrical conductivity . partial oxidation of pristine ngps can lead to the attachment of some functional groups on a surface or at an edge of a graphene plane , including carboxylic acid and hydroxyl groups . a large number of derivatives can be prepared from carboxylic acid alone . for instance , alcohols or amines can be easily linked to acid to provide stable esters or amides . if the alcohol or amine is part of a di - or poly - functional molecule , then linkage through the o — or nh — leaves the other functional group ( s ) as pendant group ( s ). for instance , we can have r — oh or r — nh 2 , where r = alkyl , aralkyl , aryl , fluoroethanol , polymer , and sir 13 . examples include c 1 — sir 13 , ho — r — oh ( r = alkyl , aralkyl , or ch 2 o —), h 2 n — r — n 2 h ( r = alkyl , aralkyl ), x — r — y ( r = alkyl , etc . ; x ═ oh or nh 2 ; y ═ sh , cn , c ═ o , cho , alkene , alkyne , aromatic , or heterocycles ). as an example , sample 6 - p - k - 24 . 5 was treated to undergo the following reactions : r — cooh + im - co - im → r — co - im + him + co 2 ( im = imidazolide ) and him = imidazole ), which was followed by r — co - im + r ′ oh ( in naoet )→ r — co — or ′+ him , and , separately for another specimen , by r — co - im + r ′ nh 2 → r — co — nhr ′+ him . in summary , the presently invented ngp compositions and related processes are superior to many prior art pristine graphene or graphite oxide nano platelets and their processes in several aspects : 1 ) prior art processes based on graphite intercalation / oxidation and high - temperature exfoliation did not allow for a good control over the oxygen content of the resulting go or ngp platelets . 2 ) in another commonly used prior art approach , the graphite oxide dispersed in an aqueous solution was reduced with hydrazine , in the presence of a polymer , such as poly ( sodium 4 - styrenesulfonate ). this process led to the formation of a stable aqueous dispersion of polymer - coated graphene platelets . in some applications of ngps , however , a polymer coating may be undesirable . furthermore , the reducing agent , hydrazine , is a toxic substance . 3 ) another prior art method of producing less hydrophilic go platelets involved using an isocyanate treatment . however , unless stabilized by selected polymers , the chemically modified graphene sheets obtained through this method tended to precipitate as irreversible agglomerates due to their hydrophobic nature . the resulting agglomerates became insoluble in water and organic solvents . by contrast , the presently invented process provides a simple and convenient approach to the preparation of soluble or dispersible nano graphene that is also highly conducting . 4 ) conventional processes of preparing go nano sheets that included chemical exfoliation typically were extremely tedious . such a long process is not amenable to the mass production of conductive nano graphene platelets . in these prior art processes , by subjecting the go films to a high temperature treatment in a vacuum , one could obtain nano platelets with thin film electrical conductivity as high as 550 s / cm . however , once such a high temperature treatment was done , the go nano sheets were no longer dispersible in water . 5 ) the presently invented processes are capable of producing ngps with no or little impurity . the process can obviate the need for washing and rinsing the platelets ( which was required in the prior art solution approach to the exfoliation of go and / or subsequent chemical reduction ). 6 ) the presently invented processes allow for the ngps to be readily or easily functionalized . this is particularly useful if ngps are used as a filler in a composite material . solubility or dispersibility of ngps in a solvent allows mixing of these ngps with a polymer that is also soluble in the same solvent . 7 ) the presently invented processes enable us to have separate control over dispersibility and conductivity , which were considered mutually exclusive in the prior art .	2
referring now to the drawings , wherein like numerals designate like elements throughout the various views , fig1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a rear - screen video display system 1 according to the present invention . the system comprises a screen unit 10 , a base unit 20 and a connecting means which , in this embodiment , comprises legs 30 , which rigidly maintain the base unit 20 and the screen unit 10 in a spaced relationship , whereby a &# 34 ; free space &# 34 ; 40 between the base 20 and screen unit 10 is created . the base 20 is typically rectangular - like in shape , having front 21 , rear 22 , sides 23 , 24 and top 25 surfaces . an lcd or other projector 26 , shown in dashed lines , may be housed within the base 20 . the base contains a two mirror system , although , in the preferred embodiment , only a single mirror 12 is used to receive from the projector 26 ( which is shown here in a position suitable for use with a three - mirror system ) an incident beam which is reflected onto screen 5 . in a 3 - mirror system , beam 27 ( see fig2 ) from the projector 26 is directed to a first mirror 28 which reflects the image to a second mirror 29 which further reflects and optionally magnifies the image out of opening 70 in the base unit 20 , through air space 40 , to a third mirror 12 , shown in dash lines in fig1 which is located in screen unit 10 . the mirror 12 may optionally further magnify the image reflected to screen 5 for viewing . in an alternate embodiment , the screen unit 10 may be built as a modular component , to aid in the portability of the video display system to facilitate component replacement and for packaging convenience of the overall apparatus . in such an alternate embodiment , the screen unit 10 is separable from legs 30 , which may also be removable from the base unit 20 . the screen 5 may be covered with a light control film to reduce the effects of ambient light . alternatively , a light tunnel 100 ( see fig4 ) may be used . the light tunnel may extend the full distance between the base unit 20 and the screen unit as shown in dashed lines 101 in fig4 or may simply extend a part of that distance ( see 100 of fig4 ). alternatively , the light tunnel can , for instance , be incorporated into , for instance , the pillar 50 in the second embodiment ( see fig6 ). in such case , the position of the pillar 50 would need to be altered . fig6 - 10 depict a second embodiment of a rear screen video display system according to the present invention . in this embodiment , the connecting means is a pillar 50 , rather than the legs 30 shown in the first embodiment . in this embodiment , an optional location of the projector 26 is shown to be outside of the base unit and in a compartment 110 on pillar 50 . the projector 26 may optionally also sit on top of the base unit 20 . in the preferred single mirror configuration , a single mirror 12 , housed in the screen unit 10 is used . in this configuration , the projector 26 would be located , for instance , in the front region of the base unit 200 , as shown in fig6 but at an angle . an incident beam from the projector 26 would then strike and reflect off mirror 12 in the screen unit 10 towards the screens . fig1 - 15 depict a third embodiment of a rear screen video display system . in this embodiment , the front of the screen unit 10 extends downwardly to contact the base unit 20 . the rear portion of the screen unit 10 is supported on a pillar . the extending front is depicted as having slots or apertures for aesthetic purposes and to reduce the weight of the overall system . fig1 - 20 depict a fourth embodiment of a rear screen video display system . in this embodiment , the rigid connection means is a v - shaped support structure 60 for the screen unit 10 . in this embodiment , aperture 70 in the base unit 20 , permits light directly from a projector 26 or reflecting off a mirror and travelling through air space 71 to enter the screen unit 10 and reflect off mirror 12 toward the screen 5 . in a fifth embodiment of the invention , as shown in fig2 - 24 , the screen unit 210 may be constructed in a manner somewhat similar to the portable rear screen television cabinet described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 243 , 885 . specifically , the screen unit 210 comprises a front rectangular structure 202 , having a front panel 203 , with a large rectangular screen 205 . the front rectangular structure comprises a front panel 203 , top plank 206 and two side planks 207 , 208 . the rear portion 209 , as demonstrated herein , expands to accommodate a large mirror 12 , which , in conjunction with mirrors 28 and 29 of the base unit and the projector 26 ( see fig2 ), brings the projected image to the rear screen 205 . the base unit 20 and any pillars 50 or legs 30 may also be collapsible and portable . the screen unit 210 may be set up in its operational layout in the following manner . pins 214 , which secure base panels 215 , 216 are withdrawn , and the panels 215 , 216 are swung outward and downward using hinges 217 , as shown in fig2 . at this juncture , top mirror panel 218 , described in more detail later , is removed . right and left side panels 219 , 220 are then swung into operational position using hinges 230 . the side panels 219 , 220 are formed generally each of a rectangular section 221 , 222 and a triangular section 223 , 224 , constructed as a single piece section . the rectangular rear panel 216 is hinged to the base panel 215 via a hinging mechanism 217 ( see fig2 ). the hingeable rear panel 216 may be swung upwards so that pegs 231 in the rear panel 216 fit in corresponding holes 232 on the rear edges 233 of the side panels 219 , 220 . other fastening systems may , of course , be used properly to secure the panels . an aperture 70 is cut out of bottom panel 215 , permitting a light beam from a projector 26 or mirror to enter screen unit 10 . leg housing 80 ( see fig2 - 24 ), or other securing means may be adapted to side panels 219 , 220 to accommodate the legs 30 of the device so that the screen unit 210 is properly positioned above the base unit 20 . in the modular alternate embodiments and in this fifth embodiment , the screen unit 210 may actually be removed from the legs 30 or the pillar 50 . the legs 30 or the pillar 50 are also removable from the base unit 10 . in this embodiment , the screen unit 10 , folds into a small profile . the base unit 20 , as explained , may also be foldable , collapsible and portable . in one embodiment of the invention , the legs 30 , are removed from the base unit 20 and are stored within the screen unit 10 in order more easily to transport the unit 1 . ( see fig2 ). a mirror system 12 , 28 and 29 , may comprise three front surface mirrors ( see fig2 ). mirror 12 is in the screen unit and mirrors 28 , 29 are in the base unit . this mirror system facilitates projection from the projector onto the rear screen 5 . the mirrors 28 and 29 may be placed in the base unit 20 , as shown . in the preferred embodiment , an odd numbered set of mirrors ( and preferably one ) is used to reverse the orientation of the projected image to facilitate correct viewing on the rear screen 5 . one or more mirrors may be curved to enlarge the reflected image thereby to decrease the distance between mirrors which permits use of a smaller cabinet . preferably , in a three - mirror system , the three mirrors 12 , 28 , and 29 ( see fig2 ) are oriented as follows : a first mirror 28 is positioned to reflect the incident image 90 ° from the initial orientation . thus , the mirror 28 is angled 45 ° with respect to the angle of the initial projection beam 27 . the reflected beam 36 passes to a second mirror 29 which is angled preferably 40 ° with respect to the vertical and is tilted upwards . angles smaller than 40 ° are possible : any distortion could be corrected by building optical correction into the curvature of the mirrors . the beam 36 from the first mirror 28 is reflected ( beam 37 ) off the second mirror 29 , through free space 40 to a third mirror 12 in the screen unit 10 . the third mirror 12 is diagonally oriented with respect to both the base unit 20 of the device 1 , as well as the front panel face of the device 1 . the third mirror 12 is also angled 40 ° with respect to the vertical , although other angles are possible . the beam 38 , is reflected off this third mirror 12 and proceeds to the rear screen 5 for viewing . although the sizes of the mirrors 12 , 28 and 29 may vary depending on , for example , the size of the screen , the size of the overall assembly , the distance between the mirrors and the screen and beam divergence ( due to the nature of the projection lens of the projector 26 ), subsequent mirrors are always larger than the previous ones . the mirrors may be secured to any planar structures , using standard means and those structures can , in turn , be secured to the overall device by any standard means . the overall assembly may be easily folded and disassembled in order to fit into a compact unit . to achieve this , the following steps may be taken : the top panel mirror 218 having the largest mirror 12 , is removed or swung away on hinges . the rear panel 216 should be detached from the rear edges 233 of the side panels 219 , 220 and the side panels 219 , 220 should be swung inward into the front 202 of the device 1 . the top mirror panel 218 may now be secured . the base panel 215 , as well as the rear panel 216 are then folded in and secured by pins 214 . a recessed handle 239 or any other means may be adapted to the cabinet to facilitate transportation . according to another aspect of the invention , the external appearance of the rear screen video display cabinet can be changed by removing panel surfaces on the visible planar surfaces of the cabinet in case such surfaces become damaged , worn or if the owner simply desires a different aesthetic appearance for the system . for instance , fig2 shows cover strips 206a , and 207a which are adhered to top plank 206 and side plank 207 by known means and which may be removed from the top plank 206 and side plank 207 . this feature can be implemented on each of the embodiments disclosed herein for all exposed planar surfaces of the cabinets as well as the following sixth embodiment . fig2 - 36 depict the assembly of a sixth embodiment of a rear screen video display system according to the invention . fig2 shows the system 1 , in a prone perspective position ready to be assembled . in the pre - assembled condition , the system may be readily shippable via mail , u . p . s ., or other carrier . the system comprises a front rectangular structure 202 comprising a front panel 203 ( see fig3 ) having a screen 205 and left , right and base panels 219 , 220 and 215 . the front structures 202 may be made from various types of material , including sheet metal , wood , plastic , etc ., and has , for instance , a large number of apertures , as shown in fig3 . the structure 202 further comprises top plank 206 and two side planks 207 and 208 . to prepare the system for operations , the left and right and base panels 219 , 220 , 215 are &# 34 ; unfolded &# 34 ; or swing open , and fastened into position and placed upright , as shown in fig2 . the pivoting and locking mechanisms for the panels 219 , 220 , 215 are well - known conventional mechanisms . while preferably , the base , right and left panels are pivotally attached to the front panel , they may be attached to the front panel by other appropriate means -- e . g ., pins receivable in respective holes in the back surface of the front panel . the next step in assembling the system is to prepare for the insertion of the projector box assembly 300 ( see fig3 ) into the system . the projector box assembly 300 comprises front plank 303 , pivotable left , right and top planks 307 , 308 , 306 and half - wedges 304 , 311 attached to the bottom of the left and right planks 307 , 308 . the left and right planks 307 , 308 should be folded or swung into position so that they are perpendicular to the front plank 303 , as shown in fig3 . the assembly 300 should then be secured into position into the system by aligning the half - wedges 304 , 311 on the base panel 215 with complementary conforming slots 313 and 331 and pushing the assembly 300 in , thereby permitting the half - wedges 304 , 311 to be slid into slots 313 , 331 , as shown in fig3 . the next step involves preparation of the projector stand assembly 400 ( see fig3 ), which comprises a rear plank 401 , base plank 416 having wedges 404 , 411 , projector mounting plate 432 and a cord slot 433 . rear plank 401 should be &# 34 ; folded &# 34 ; or pivoted upward to be perpendicular to the base plank 416 as seen in fig3 and fastened by well - known conventional mechanisms . a projector 26 is now ready to be mounted into position onto the mounting plate 432 after cords of the projector are placed into the slot 433 and pulled under the base plank 416 ( between half - wedges 404 , 411 ) towards the front of the system as shown in fig3 . the projector stand assembly 400 of the system is now ready to be positioned into the system 1 with rear plank 401 facing the back of the system 1 , by sliding the half - wedges 404 and 411 , which are complementary to the half - wedges 304 , 311 of the box assembly 300 , into slots 304 , 311 ( see fig6 ). top plank 306 is then lowered to close the projector box assembly 300 . the projector box assembly 300 and stand assembly 400 provide for easy and rapid removal of projector 26 . thereby , if desired , projector 26 can be used for front projection . the next step is to connect mirror panel 318 , containing mirror 312 to the rear edge of left and right panels by mirror brackets ( not shown ). the power cord and audio / video cables are now ready for connections and the system is operational . when this embodiment of the invention is operational , a beam emanating from the projector 26 , travels through air space 71 ( see fig3 ), reflects off mirror 312 and strikes screen 205 , creating an image thereon . as therefore seen in fig3 , this embodiment therefore also has an &# 34 ; exposed beam path ,&# 34 ; similar to the first - fifth embodiments . the beam path may not be readily visible to viewers in front of the system but may be visible from the side . however , a &# 34 ; glow &# 34 ; from the &# 34 ; exposed &# 34 ; nature of the beam may be visible to viewers in front of the system . also similar to the first - fifth embodiments , various external planar surfaces of the system may be removed and replaced for repair , or simply to provide a different aesthetic appearance . for instance , frame 450 ( see fig3 ) is easily replaceable . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been depicted in detail , various modifications and adaptations may be made thereto , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as delineated in the appended claims .	6
in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings , which form a part hereof , and within which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments by which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention . the first non - peptidic , substrate - mimetic inhibitor of akt was developed through systematic rigidification and replacement of the remaining amino acid residues . the substrate - mimetic inhibitor design was based on the truncated gsk3β substrate sequence , grprttsf , utilizing a recently published x - ray crystal structure of activated akt ternary complex with gsk3β and an atp analogue . the rational design approach was focused on reducing the entropy cost of the extended binding conformation , accessing a large unoccupied hydrophobic pocket adjacent to the c - terminus , and eliminating nonessential amino acid residues . this approach identified inhibitor 1 with in vitro akt inhibition of ic 50 = 14 μm , seen in fig1 and 2 . peptidomimetic inhibitors were generated directly from the minimal substrate sequence by systematic replacement of the non - critical amino acids and tested for in vitro inhibition of akt using a fluorescence polarization assay system , shown in fig3 . evaluating of the contribution of amino acids residues on gsk3 , through scanning serine substitutions with several other l - amino acids , produced weakly binding peptidic inhibitors 1 - 7 , see fig3 . replacement of the reactive serine with a valine residue ( a non - nucleophilic surrogate ) in peptide 4 provided a starting point in the inhibitor design . a benzyl ( bn ), a small hydrophobic group , was included at the c - terminus to complement the unoccupied hydrophobic pocket afforded inhibitor 8 a 2 - fold increase in potency ( ic 50 of 239 μm ). the internal - tt - residues , which make few interactions with the protein surface , were then replaced with - aa -, resulting in a two - fold decrease in activity , however , substitution with a conformationally restricted scaffold , p - amino benzoic acid ( abz ), afforded inhibitor 10 with a 10 - fold increase in activity ( ic 50 of 28 μm ). docking studies suggest that the abz spacer reproduces the hydrophobic interactions of the native discrete dipeptide β - strand , while reducing the entropy cost of the extended binding conformation of the unbound inhibitor . a screen of hydrophobic groups appended to the c - terminus ( 11 - 17 ) demonstrated similar activity to c - terminal benzyl derivative 10 , which along with reported x - ray structures , suggest the hydrophobic pocket is extensive , see compounds 11 , 13 - 14 in fig3 . as expected these hydrophilic peptidic inhibitors showed no cellular activity . previous alanine scanning had demonstrated a strict requirement for conservation of both arginines in the n - terminal grpr amino sequence . the presence of polar n - terminal grpr residues would also likely hinder cell penetration and useful in vivo activity . the dependence of n - terminal hydrophilic contacts was reexamined using an alanine scan shown in fig3 , see compounds 18 - 20 . the results indicate only one arginine residue was necessary to maintain activity , as 18 and 19 possess similar potency to 10 . the n - terminal - grp - tripeptide sequence was truncated from the inhibitors . this produced a set of inhibitors with only 3 amino acids and with the optimal hydrophobic substituents coupled to the c - terminus of acr - abz - v — f — oh , see compounds 21 - 25 in fig3 . these truncated inhibitors are significantly more hydrophobic than peptidomimetics 1 - 20 , but retain almost identical inhibition potency . further truncation of the n - terminal acylated amine , shown in compound 26 , resulted in an almost two - fold loss of activity when compared to compound 24 , highlighting the importance of hydrophobic interactions and the interaction of the carbonyl or amide proton with an adjacent residue , illustrated in fig4 . modifications to the n - terminal hydrophilic residues concentrated on increasing the rigidity and hydrophobicity of the inhibitors ; decreasing the length and rotational freedom of the essential guanidinium functionality to project it directly into an acidic pocket of akt . different length linkers were explored , with 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 atoms , seen in fig5 , separated from the aromatic spacer to afford inhibitors that showed comparable or better affinity than compound 24 containing the entire arg residue . inhibitors with 0 - 2 atom linkers , 32a - c respectively , were synthesized by the guanidinylation of commercially available amino benzoic acids followed by solid phase coupling , cleavage , and c - terminal coupling . inhibitor 31 , possessing a three atom linker , was synthesized through reductive amination of methyl 4 - aminobenzoate with hydrocinnamaldehyde , and subsequent saponification and deprotection to afford compound 29 . guanidinylation of compound 29 , proceeded by solid phase coupling , cleavage , and c - terminal coupling to give compound 31 . inhibitor 32a provides the best affinity in this series with an ic 50 of 77 μm , compared to 500 μm and 120 μm for compounds 32b and 32c , respectively . this suggests that a one atom linker is sufficient to reach the hydrophilic pocket . additional n - terminal modifications focused on scaffolds with a functionalizable handle to access a hydrophobic pocket previously occupied by one of the thr residues of the gsk3β peptide . compounds 36a - c were synthesized , shown in fig6 , to probe both interactions . two derivatives were synthesized by coupling 27 and methyl 4 - aminobenzoate to afford 33 which was then alkylated with the corresponding bromide to provide 35a - b . reductive amination of methyl 4 - aminobenzoate with 3 - phenyl - propionaldehyde followed by coupling with 27 via an in situ acid chloride formation , afforded 35c . saponification of 35a - c followed by solid phase coupling , cleavage , and c - terminal coupling afforded inhibitors 36a - c . a significant increase in activity was observed with the incorporation of amide functionality and a large hydrophobic group to benzyl derivative 36a , with an ic 50 of 14 μm . this is significantly higher than the unacylated analog 26 . docking studies of compound 36a suggest that the benzyl substituent projects into a large pocket within the active site of akt , previously occupied by residues of the gsk3 peptide ( fig7 ). the t - butyl derivative , compound 36b , was slightly less potent with an ic 50 of 58 μm . inhibitor 36c was synthesized with similar hydrophobic character as 36a , but lacking the hydrogen bonding potential . its affinity is comparable to inhibitors 36a , pictured in fig8 , and 36b , suggesting that hydrophobic contacts in the thr pocket are integral to promoting increased affinity . in compound 36a , the dipeptide sequence adjacent to the phosphorylated serine / threonine residue was replaced by a 4 - aminobenzoic acid ( abz ) spacer , seen in fig8 . the contacts within this region are mainly hydrophobic , so hydrophobic substituent substitutions were explored from the central phenyl spacer , seen in fig9 . a phenyl substituent was incorporated at r 2 producing compound 40 , with a slight increase in activity compared to previously reported inhibitor 2 . docking studies suggested that the phenyl substituent is able to access the thr pocket previously exploited in the design of inhibitor 36a . truncation of the n - terminus of the inhibitors ( compounds 42 - 44 ) resulted in a modest decrease in affinity , but a desirable decrease in molecular weight and peptidic character of the inhibitors . the study of the central portion of the inhibitor solidified the importance of the projection of substituents into the thr binding pocket . flexible ligand docking ( gold ) of lead peptidomimetics identified several potential replacements for the val - phe - bn c - terminal sequence , which remove two of the three remaining amino acids . a simple cyclic constraints such as quinazolines 50a - b project appended hydrophobic groups into adjacent hydrophobic pockets while maintaining the n - terminal and central inhibitor / akt interactions , shown in fig1 . inhibitor 50a has similar affinity ( ic 50 = 112 μm ) to the corresponding inhibitor 44 containing the val - phe dipeptide , but contains two fewer stereocenters . inhibitor 56ba was designed using gold to incorporate important binding elements from the previous studies , as seen in fig1 and 12 . the guanidine group is directly projected into the arg pocket via an ethylenediamine scaffold that extends the correct distance between the aromatic spacer and the arginine binding pocket of akt . the thr pocket can be accessed by direct projection of substituents from abz , shown here as a simple phenyl substituent . finally , the 4 - aminoaniline provides a c - terminal rigid scaffold to project various hydrophobic substituents into the pockets of akt , with 56ba possessing two benzyl substituents , seen in fig1 . this small molecule substrate - mimetic of akt has an ic 50 of 84 μm , which is comparable or better than our previous peptidomimetic inhibitors , however is significantly more rigid and impervious to proteases . this non - peptidic scaffold was then explored , using different binding groups , beginning with the c - terminal hydrophobic interactions in series 56aa - 56bi , seen in fig1 and 14 . the two pockets are extensive and able to accommodate large hydrophobic substituents ( 56bd , 56bf , 56bh ). inhibitor 56bi , with a 4 - cyanobenzyl functional group , is the most potent inhibitor in this series , having an ic 50 of 19 μm . substituents were added directly off abz to explore the role of contacts within the thr pocket , producing inhibitors 56aa and 57aa - fa , depicted in fig1 and 15 . inhibitor 56aa , which lacks the phenyl substituent and the ability to make contacts within this region , is slightly less potent than the biphenyl derivative , suggesting optimization at this position could lead to increased potency . the addition of h - bond donors and acceptors here did not lead to increased affinity ( 57aa and 57ba ), however , larger hydrophobic groups , such as 2 - naphthyl , led to a two - fold increase in affinity with inhibitor 57fa having an ic 50 of 44 μm . the previous series of non - peptidic substrate - mimetic inhibitors provided valuable information concerning the nature of the three binding pockets within the active site of akt . to further optimize our inhibitors , the best substituents at the two positions were combined in an effort to increase potency ( 56cg and 56ci ). inhibitor 56ci , which incorporates the best c - terminal functionality , 4 - cyanobenzyl , and the best central element , 2 - naphthyl , is the most potent non - peptidic inhibitor of this scaffold series with an ic 50 of 17 μm , a slight improvement from phenyl derivative 56bi . to increase the stability and rigidity of 56cg and 56ci , the amide analogs 64a - b were synthesized , which also led to a further increase in potency ( ic 50 &# 39 ; s = 17 μm and 12 μm , respectively ), seen in fig1 . the initial non - peptidic substrate - mimetic design was successful and optimization of the scaffold provided inhibitors 64a - b that are comparable to inhibitor 36a . optimization focused on increasing rigidity by adding a ring constraint through an indole - aryl scaffold 71a - b , see fig1 . the indole derivative 71a is comparable to 56aa as both lack access to the thr pocket and possesses c - terminal benzyl substituents , seen in fig1 and 19 . the inclusion of an indole rinscaffold provided a slight decrease in affinity in 71a . consistent with the previous scaffold , the addition of the c - terminal 4 - cyanobenzyl substituent in 71b provided a four - fold increase in affinity from 126 μm to 32 μm . peptidomimetics 37 - 44 were synthesized via solid phase peptide synthesis , using suzuki couplings employing various boronic acids and aryl bromides . intermediates display hydrophobic substituents from the aromatic spacer ( abz ). the simple quinazoline scaffolds derived from commercially available starting materials . the synthesis of the quinazolines cores 45a - b was accomplished by the cyclization of 4 - nitroanthranilic acid by the reaction with sodium isocyanate or cyclization employing a carbon dioxide atmosphere with catalytic dbu ( 1 , 8 - diazabicyclo [ 5 . 4 . 0 ] undec - 7 - ene ) from 4 - and 5 - nitro precursors respectively fig1 . alkylation was followed by reduction of the nitro group followed by coupling with 4 - nitrobenzoyl chloride via anilide formation to provide 48a - b . reduction to the aniline , coupling with acarg ( pmc )- oh , and deprotection of the guanidine protecting group afforded 50a - b . a convergent synthesis using methyl - 4 - amino - 2 - bromobenzoate or methyl - 4 - aminobenzoate and 4 - nitroaniline created non - peptidic inhibitors 56aa - ci , as seen in fig1 . suzuki coupling of the bromoaniline with the corresponding boronic acid , employing pdcl 2 ( dppf ) as a catalyst , created compounds 51a followed by reductive amination utilizing n - boc - aminoacetaldehyde produced compounds 52a - c . a series of deprotections followed by guanidinylation of the resulting amine afforded the n - terminal portions of the inhibitor 53a - c . the c - terminal hydrophobic portion of the molecule was synthesized via alkylation of 4 - nitroaniline with the corresponding bromide and subsequent reduction of the nitro group utilizing tin ( ii ) chloride , producing compounds 55a - i . coupling of compounds 53a - c and 55a - i followed by boc deprotection under acidic conditions produced inhibitors 56aa - ci . inhibitors 64a - b were derived from a similar synthesis , but in place of the reductive amination step , 48c was reacted with boc - gly - oh to provide the amide intermediate compound 62 which was manipulated in a similar manner to provide inhibitors 64a - b , seen in fig1 . the synthesis of inhibitors 57aa - fa was designed to employ a late stage suzuki coupling to provide faster access to a number of derivatives at the r 1 position , while keeping r2 as a benzyl substituent , see fig1 . commercially available methyl - 4 - amino - 3 - bromobenzoate was saponified under basic conditions followed by amide bond formation with compound 55a to provide compound 59a . this intermediate was then reacted with different boronic acid derivatives pdcl 2 ( dppf ) as a catalyst to provide 60aa - fa . a series of functional group transformations provided inhibitors 57aa - fa . the indole scaffold was readily derived from commercially available 4 - iodoaniline and boc - gly - oh , which were reacted to form iodo - amide compound 65 , seen in fig1 . sonagashira cross - coupling of compound 65 and ethynyl - trimethyl - silane ( tms - acetylene ) followed by removal of the silyl protecting group afforded terminal alkyne compound 66 . a consecutive sonagashira cross - coupling with 2 - iodo - 4 - nitroaniline followed by cycloisomerization employing catalytic copper ( ii ) acetate 41 afforded indole scaffold compound 68 . reduction of the nitro to the amine followed by alkylation with the corresponding bromide provided compound 70a - b . a series of functional group transformations , similar to the reactions depicted in fig1 and 13 , provided inhibitors 71a - b . in the preceding specification , all documents , acts , or information disclosed does not constitute an admission that the document , act , or information of any combination thereof was publicly available , known to the public , part of the general knowledge in the art , or was known to be relevant to solve any problem at the time of priority . the disclosures of all publications cited above are expressly incorporated herein by reference , each in its entirety , to the same extent as if each were incorporated by reference individually . while there has been described and illustrated specific embodiments herein , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications are possible without deviating from the broad spirit and principle of the present invention . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described , and all statements of the scope of the invention which , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween .	2
fig1 depicts a block diagram of the primary embodiment of the claimed invention . according to fig1 , device 101 , 103 , 105 interaction is governed by four phases of operation starting with discovery ( online ) 121 , description 131 , control 141 and discovery ( offline ) 151 . with the igrs and concurrent igrs - upnp device , discovery ( online ) 121 begins with alive notification 123 in which the device notifies other devices on the network that the device is active . after alive notification , the description phase 131 is entered where pipe setup 133 is followed by igrs device description 135 and igrs service description 137 . after the description phase 131 is complete , control phase 141 begins with session setup 143 , action control 145 , session termination 147 and pipe disconnection 19 . discovery ( offline ) 151 concludes with offline notification 153 . according to one embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp devices is a control point and controls the actions of igrs devices in the network through action control 145 . fig1 additionally depicts a block diagram of the primary embodiment of the claimed invention as applied to upnp and concurrent igrs - upnp devices . with upnp capable devices , device 101 , 103 , 105 interaction is similarly governed by four phases of operation starting with discovery ( online ) 121 , description 131 , control 141 and discovery ( offline ) 151 . with the upnp and concurrent igrs - upnp devices , discovery ( online ) 121 begins with alive notification 122 in which the device notifies other devices on the network that the device is active . after alive notification , the description phase 131 is entered where upnp device description 134 is followed by upnp service description 136 . after the description phase 131 is complete , control phase 141 begins with action control 144 . discovery ( offline ) 151 concludes with offline notification 154 . according to one embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp devices is a control point and controls the actions of upnp devices in the network through action control 144 . according to another embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp devices acts as a control point and controls the actions of igrs devices and upnp devices in the network through action control 145 and action control 144 respectively . fig2 depicts a block diagram of the architecture of the primary embodiment of the claimed invention as applied to igrs , upnp and concurrent igrs - upnp devices . fig2 architecture summary 201 details port layer 210 with first port 211 connected to mini - server 214 and second port 221 connected to multicast listener 224 . application ( or api ) layer 220 including mini - server 214 and multicast listener 224 also includes http sender 228 . under application layer 220 is the profile handler session layer 230 where upnp profile handler 231 and igrs profile handler 233 support mini - server 214 , multicast listener 224 and http sender 228 . below profile handler session layer 230 is device handler session layer 240 . device handler session layer 240 includes advertisement handler 242 , event handler 244 , description handler 246 , discovery handler 247 and igrs pipe / session manager 248 . transport layer 250 includes core library 252 which handles protocols such as http , xml , ssdp , gena , soap , wsdl and security . architecture summary 201 also depicts abstract layer 260 and hardware platform layer 270 . fig3 depicts a schematic diagram of electronic devices in operation according to the claimed invention . device community 301 includes wireless igrs display 303 , wireless upnp audio content device 307 , upnp display 309 , wired and wireless gateway 312 connected to concurrent igrs - upnp media player 315 , control point 318 and pc 321 with igrs and upnp software installed to allow for joint igrs and upnp control capabilities . fig4 depicts a flow diagram 400 of concurrent igrs - upnp device operation according to the claimed invention . in online step 401 , according to one embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp device discovers other online devices in a network having igrs devices and upnp devices ; according to another embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp device notifies some or all of the online devices in the network that the concurrent igrs - upnp device is going online . according to one embodiment of the claimed invention , the online step 401 includes composing interoperable messages that contains a portion of content compatible only with the igrs protocol , a portion of content compatible only with the upnp protocol , and a portion of content compatible with both the igrs and the upnp protocols such that the whole message is interoperable among the network of igrs device and upnp device . the concurrent igrs - upnp device may then either broadcast or transmit such message to other devices in the network . according to an embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp device takes initiative to broadcast interoperable messages for discovering other devices in the network . according to another embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp device composes and broadcasts interoperable messages for notifying other devices in the network about going online . in describing step 402 , the concurrent igrs - upnp device describes those online devices that were found in discovering step 401 . in controlling step 403 , the concurrent igrs - upnp device controls some or all of the online devices . according to an embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp device composes and transmits the interoperable messages as described above in a one - to - one manner in the controlling step 403 . in notifying step 404 , the concurrent igrs - upnp device notify some or all of the online devices in the network that the concurrent igrs - upnp device is going offline . according to an embodiment of the claimed invention , the concurrent igrs - upnp device composes and broadcasts the interoperable messages as described above in the notifying step 404 . the above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof . people skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof . nevertheless , although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions , they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended .	7
in the following , the functions of the component groups contained in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , as illustrated in fig1 to 3 , will be described in more detail . the significance of the symbols provided with reference signs in fig1 to 3 can be taken from the accompanying list of reference signs . in fig1 , the basic structure of an led illumination module 100 is schematically illustrated in longitudinal section . it has an arrangement of luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn , connected in series , fed with a . c . current , which are applied to a circuit board 102 as so called led dice in a “ chip - on - board ” ( cob ) technology . however , the invention can just as well be employed for the control of other configurations of leds and in particular an individual led . in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention , the heat conducting ceramic circuit board 102 of the led illumination module 100 has a direct mains current supply , consisting of a mains part 104 and a connection cable , plug and / or socket 108 for connection to an a . c . current mains led out of the mains part 104 to the side . the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn are accommodated , for protection from mechanical damage , in a transparent housing 106 having a highly transparent polymer mass 110 serving as optically active lens surface . for attaining a bundled homogeneous light distribution in the region of the main emission directions of the individual luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn , the led illumination module 100 in accordance with the invention further has so - called fresnel lenses in the form of a lens plate which is positioned centrally above each luminescent diode d 1 , . . . , dn within the transparent housing , and adhesively fixed at the side . in order to avoid the occurrence of air bubbles on the side of the circuit board 102 on which the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn are applied , upon casting of the highly transparent polymeric mass 110 within the transparent housing 106 , holes are provided in the circuit board 102 . in the production of the led illumination module 100 the individual unhoused led diodes d 1 , . . . , dn are , within the framework of an injection molding process or another suitable molding process directly injected around with the highly transparent polymer mass 110 . thereby , the polymer mass 110 is of a thermally good conducting material , which acts in an electrically insulating manner . since white light cannot be generated with the aid of individual luminescent diodes there is provided in accordance with the invention the addition of a color conversion medium into the polymer mass 110 in the region of the main emission direction above the position of the monochromatic photon radiation of the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn emitting in the spectral range of the color blue . due to the space saving arrangement of the employed components and the employment of the above - mentioned efficient cob production process , the structural height of the overall arrangement of the led illumination module 100 in accordance with the invention is not more than for example 1 . 0 cm . in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the basic invention , the individual luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn are dimmable , whereby for dimming the brightness of the photon radiation emitted from them a control via radio or infrared signals or via a microcontroller connected to a bus is conceivable . for ensuring a direct mains current supply of the circuit board 102 , the mains part 104 can in accordance with the invention be operated in a voltage input range from 100v to 277v . thereby it can also be provided that the mains part 104 can be operated with a . c . voltage and also with d . c . voltage and along with the operation of individual leds can be employed for operation with serial connected and also for operation with parallel connected luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn . the inner sides of the transparent housing 106 ( with the exception of the light emitting regions ) are , in accordance with the invention , of a thermally good conducting material that on the outside , used for heat discharge , is covered with an electrically non - conducting material . thereby , the transparent housing 106 can be contacted with the aid of a plug , socket and / or connection cable 108 led out of the housing to the side . in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the basic invention it is provided that around each individual luminescent diode d 1 , . . . , dn , formed as led die , a parabolic or funnel - shaped reflector of a reflector plate of a thermally good conducting highly reflecting material , which reflector plate is electrically insulated on the underside , is placed on the circuit board 102 from above . each individual reflector thereby is of a plastic with mirrored inner side . the rear side of the circuit board 102 is , in accordance with the invention , coupled to a cooling body , which serves for transferring the discharge heat arising upon operation of the led illumination module 100 to the housing 106 or to a holder ( not shown ). with reference to fig2 a and 2 b , two variants of a regulation circuit in accordance with the invention will now be explained . via a rectifier full - bridge circuit v 1 , the positive and / or mains half - waves of the a . c . current i netz delivered from a current supply mains are rectified . at the storage capacitor c 1 , connected with the earth node , at the output of the rectifier full bridge v 1 there is thus applied a smoothed and rectified intermediate circuit voltage u c1 varying with the mains voltage unetz . after the application of a suitably dimensioned control voltage u g to the gate of a first semiconductor power switch m 1 , for example realized as a self - blocking n - channel mos field effect transistor , this first electronically controllable switching stage is electrically conducting , so that a drain current begins to flow , which as a consequence of the storage choke l 1 acting as an energy store , continuously increases and flows as diode current i d through the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn . the rise of this diode current i d upon charging of the storage choke l 1 is detected by a first low - voltage shunt measurement resistance r 5 , which at the same time is arranged in the load circuit of the first power switch m 1 and in the control circuit of the second power switch q 1 and is connected with the earth node . along with the two power switches m 1 and q 1 , in accordance with the invention , a time - dependent control for switching over between the charging and discharging processes occurring in the storage choke l 1 may be provided . this shunt measurement resistance r 5 may thereby preferably be constituted as a potentiometer for dimming the light intensity i v [ mcd ] ( i . e . the brightness ), proportional to the diode current i d [ ma ], of the photon radiation emitted from the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn . now , as soon as the base - emitter voltage u be of a second electronically controllable switching stage q 1 , formed e . g . as a bipolar npn transistor , reaches in certain switching threshold , the semiconductor power switch q 1 becomes electrically conducting , so that a collector current i c begins to flow and the gate voltage u g of the first electronically controllable switching stage m 1 temporally sinks to a “ low ” level , through which the switching stage m 1 is in turn blocked for a short time . this has the consequence that the diode current i d built up via the storage choke l 1 is diverted through a free - running diode df and a second low - voltage shunt measurement resistance r 4 , connected in series to the free - running diode , in the branch parallel to the series connection of the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn and the inductive reactance x l1 . with the aid of this relatively simple circuitry measure a danger to the first semiconductor power transistor m 1 due to the induction voltage u l1 dropped at the inductive reactance x l1 upon switching off of the drain current i d ( upon blocking of the m 1 ), which can amount to a multiple of the operating voltage , is avoided . the voltage u r4 dropping at the low - resistance shunt measurement resistor r 4 thereby serves for the detection of the decay of the diode current i d through the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn , in the free - running current path , which is bonded to a minimum value by means of the switching threshold of the second electronically controllable switching stage q 1 . after feedback of the diode current i d flowing through the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn , tapped at the second measurement resistor r 4 , to the control input of the first switching stage m 1 via a signal transfer member u 1 for galvanic decoupling ( potential separation ) of the voltage u r4 dropping at the second measurement resistance r 4 and the gate voltage u g of the first switching stage m 1 , this transferred , decaying diode current i d acts as a “ new ” gate current i g . this has the consequence that the gate voltage u g of the first electronically controllable switching stage m 1 remains at the level value “ low ” and thus the switching stage m 1 remains blocked for so long until the current flow through the signal transfer member u 1 has fallen below a certain threshold . after the switching stage m 1 has begun again to conduct , the above described procedure is continued in a periodically recurring sequence . with the process in accordance with the invention , thus both the charging and also the discharging current i l1 of the inductive reactance x l1 flow as diode current i d through the arrangement of the serially connected luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn of the led illumination module 100 in accordance with the invention , so that there is provided a triangular current swinging periodically around a middle value . the signal transfer member u 1 employed in the feedback branch of the current i d flowing through the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn , tapped off at the second measurement resistance r 4 , to the control input of the first switching stage m 1 , which member is employed for galvanic decoupling ( potential separation ) of the voltage u r4 dropping at the second measurement resistance r 4 and the control voltage u g of the first switching stage m 1 , may thereby be formed preferably as opto - coupler diode ( c . f . fig2 a ) or as level offset stage ( c . f . fig2 b ). a zener diode z 1 here serves as voltage limiter for stabilization of the control voltage u g of the first electronically controllable semiconductor power transistor m 1 which can be tapped off at the output terminals of the opto - coupler diode or level offset stage u 1 . in the realization of the second variant of the regulation circuit 200 b in accordance with the invention , with level or potential offset stage u 1 , there are needed , additionally to the components necessary for the first variant 200 a with opto - coupler diode , two transistor stages t 1 and t 2 and a voltage divider which is formed by means of the two resistances r 6 and r 7 . in fig3 the temporal development of the diode current i d flowing through the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn is illustrated . there is involved , as illustrated , a triangular a . c . current periodically oscillating around a middle value , the frequency of which a . c . current is determined by the switching thresholds of the control voltages u g and u be needed for control of the two power transistors m 1 and q 1 , the size of the inductance of the choke coil l 1 connected upstream of the luminescent diodes d 1 , . . . , dn , and the instantaneous value of the intermediate circuit voltage u c1 dropping at the storage capacitor c 1 . for the example sketched out in fig3 , these parameters are so dimensioned that the resulting diode current i d preferably has a frequency of less than 100 khz . the d . c . current offset , forming the middle value of the obtained diode current i d , can be set by means of suitable dimensioning of the two shunt measurement resistances r 4 , r 5 , in order to adapt the current source to the led concerned . in this way an economical adaptation of the diode current i d to differing leds is made possible without additional circuitry measures . in contrast to conventional capacitive mains parts in accordance with the state of the art , the solution in accordance with the invention is substantially more space saving . beyond this , also application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), having a comparatively small space requirement , are conceivable . plurality of luminescent diodes d1 , . . . , dn connected in series , fed via a current supply mains with a . c . current i netz , which are applied to a circuit board as led dice in a “ chip - on - board ” ( cob ) mains part for ensuring a direct mains current supply of the the luminescent diodes d1 , . . . , dn mounted thereon as led current mains , led out to the side from the supply part 104 led light strip system 100 , connected in series , applied to a circuit board 102 as led dice , fed with a . c . current i netz via a led light strip system 100 , connected in series , applied to a circuit board 102 as led dice , fed with a . c . current i netz via a ( potential separation ) is realized as a level offset or potential offset stage . temporal development of the current i d , flowing through a d1 , . . . , dn of such an led light strip system , after carrying out mains voltage u netz ) at the output of the rectifier full bridge v1 system , connected in series , applied to a circuit board as led connection of the high power luminescent diodes d1 , . . . , dn and the inductive reactance x l1 in the load circuit , for avoiding a the induction voltage u l1 , which can amount to a multiple of upon switching off of the drain current ( i d ) ( in the case of a connected in series to the free - running diode df - for detecting the decay of diode current i d in the free - running current path , power luminescent diodes d1 , . . . , dn and the storage choke , the diodes d1 , . . . , dn and the storage choke l 1 during a discharge process occurring in the storage choke l 1 , the decay being limited to a minimum value with the aid of the first switching detecting the increase of diode current i d flowing through the high power luminescent diodes d1 , . . . , dn , which increase is power luminescent diodes d1 , . . . , dn , which at the same time is arranged in the load circuit of the first power switch m1 and the control circuit of the second power switch q1 , and is also first resistance of a voltage divider consisting of r6 and r7 for for the level or potential offset stage provided as signal transfer signal transfer member in the feedback branch of the current i d control voltage u g of the first switching stage m1 , realized as half - waves of the a . c . current i netz delivered from a current inductive reactance of a coil l1 , as ballast choke for filtering of diodes d1 , . . . , dn , for extending the current flow duration of voltage u z1 at the output terminals 3 and 4 of the opto - coupler	8
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . fig1 is a schematic showing components and interconnections of a radiation test system according to one preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig1 a radiation controller 106 is placed inside a control room 102 of a radiation test field . the radiation controller 106 records the flow of radiation particles and the test results of a test component ( the test component can be a sdram , a flash rom , a cpld or a watch - dog timer , for example ). the radiation controller 106 also controls the generation of radiation particles by an accelerator ( not shown ) so that the test component is irradiated with cyclically varying radiation . the test component ( not shown ) is plugged into the socket on a replaceable daughter board 108 . the daughter board 108 has connecting pins that can be reset to produce the test signals required by the test component . the daughter board 108 is also capable of testing two functionally identical test components ( not shown ) at the same time . during testing , only the test component ( not shown ) and the daughter board 108 are subjected to irradiation . a motherboard 110 is coupled to the radiation controller 106 . the daughter board 108 and the motherboard 110 are electrically connected . a power supplier 112 provides necessary power ( a 5v or a 3 . 3v ) to the motherboard 110 and the test component ( not shown ). a computer 114 is connected to the motherboard 110 through a j - tag transmission cable connector . through an ethernet transmission cable , the computer 116 may hook up with another computer 114 . the radiation controller 106 transmits irradiation signals ( radiation beam on / off signals ) to the motherboard 110 to inform the motherboard 110 about the radiation status . should current overload occurs while the test component ( not shown ) is undergoing a testing , the motherboard 110 will transmit a veto signal to the radiation controller 106 informing the controller 106 to terminate the radiation count . as soon as all test equipment is ready , the radiation controller 106 and the motherboard 110 communicate with each other through an rs - 232 interface . to begin the testing , an init command is issued from the radiation controller 106 inside the control room 102 to the motherboard 110 . on receiving the initiation signal , the motherboard 110 transmits a group of test data to the computer 114 after each irradiation cycle ( each cycle includes a radiation - off and a radiation - on ). after the completion of several tens of irradiation cycles , the testing operation is temporarily suspended by the motherboard 110 and the test data is stored inside the computer 114 . thereafter , the irradiation strength , angle or radiation type is changed before the testing operation is continued . the computer 114 uses triggered testing programs to drive the motherboard 110 so that the test component is activated , status of the test component is monitored and the resulting test data is recorded . during the testing operation , the computer 116 also receives test data from the computer 114 through an ethernet transmission cable so that radiation test status of the test component ( not shown ) is monitored . should the computer 116 discover any abnormality of the test component ( not shown ), the computer 116 may signal to the computer 114 so that the radiation testing is immediately halted . fig2 is a block diagram showing a motherboard system for the radiation test system according to this invention . as shown in fig2 the motherboard 200 includes a jtag connector 202 , a digital signal processor 204 , a data bus 206 , a data buffer 208 , a data bus 212 , a decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 , a power protection circuit & amp ; data latch 216 , a data bus 218 , an address & amp ; control buffer 220 , an address & amp ; control signal bus 222 , an address & amp ; control signal bus 224 , a rs - 232 interface , an address & amp ; control buffer 226 , a control buffer 228 , an address & amp ; control signal bus 230 , a bus 232 and another bus 234 . the jtag connector 202 on the motherboard 200 is a j - tag transmission cable connector . the digital data processor 204 is connected to the jtag connector 202 and the jtag connector 202 is in turn connected to a near - end computer 114 ( refer to fig1 ). the digital signal processor 204 is driven by a test program submitted by the near - end computer 114 . the digital signal processor 204 not only provides a test pattern to the data bus 206 , but also reads test data from the data bus 206 and transmits the data back to the computer 114 ( refer to fig1 ). the data buffer 208 isolates the data bus 206 and the data bus 212 between the digital signal processor 204 from the daughter board 210 . hence , normal operation of the digital signal processor 204 is safeguarded against the effect of any current overload in the test component ( not shown ). the data buffer 208 also provides data to the data bus 218 . signals sent to the data bus 218 drives the digital signal processor , the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 and the power protection circuit & amp ; data latch 216 . the address & amp ; control buffer 220 isolates the address & amp ; control signal bus 222 and the address & amp ; control signal bus 224 between the digital signal processor 204 and the daughter board 210 . similarly , this is to safeguard the digital signal processor 204 against any effect due to current overload in the test component ( not shown ). the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 decodes signals on the data bus 218 so that signals necessary for controlling the test component ( not shown ) is produced . through the rs - 232 interface , instructions and test results shuttle between the transceiver circuit 214 and a radiation controller ( not shown ). furthermore , radiation test signals ( radiation on / off ) and veto signals also shuttle between the transceiver circuit 214 and the radiation controller via signal lines ( not shown ). the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 may also include an asynchronous transceiver control circuit ( not shown ). the asynchronous transceiver control circuit ( not shown ) may further include random generator modules , serial - to - parallel receiving modules , parallel - to - serial receiving modules , receiving and transmitting status and output modules , odd - even generator & amp ; detection modules and interface control module ( all the modules not shown ). signals or data are transmitted according to their respective functions of the modules . the power protection circuit & amp ; data latch 216 is coupled to the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 for providing power to the testing component ( not shown ). should current overload occur in the test component , the power protection & amp ; data latch 216 will cut off power to the test component and send a current overload signal to the digital signal processor 204 via the data buses 218 and 206 . in the meantime , data signals sent from the digital signal processor 204 is arrested serving as subsequent set - reset signals , power - triggering signals and veto signals for the power protection circuit & amp ; data latch 216 . hence , the power protection circuit & amp ; data latch 216 can be set or reset so that power is supplied to the test component again . the address & amp ; control buffer 226 provides signals from the digital signal processor 204 to the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 via the address and control signal bus 230 . the control buffer 228 receives decoded control signals from the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 and retransmits the signals to the daughter board 210 . the control buffer 228 isolates the buses 232 and 234 between the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 and the daughter board 210 . hence , normal operation of the decoder & amp ; universal asynchronous transceiver circuit 214 is safeguarded against the effect of any current overload in the test component ( not shown ). in conclusion , one major advantage of using the general - purpose testing board to test different components is that independent design of the testing board is not required . by changing the testing steps , local on - site pre - simulation can be conducted . hence , time required to set up an actual testing field is greatly reduced . ultimately , an easy to maintain and operate radiation test system capable of on - line monitoring of test component is produced . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	6
in the following a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to a de - icing system for the windshield of a motor vehicle . however , it is to be understood that the present invention can also be used for the de - icing of window panes of other vehicles as for example trains or aircrafts . with reference to fig1 the de - icing system according to the invention comprises a reservoir 1 serving for receiving the de - icing liquid . depending on the type of the vehicle and the space available below the hood the reservoir 1 has different sizes and shapes . the de - icing liquid is preferably a mixture of water and an alcohol , for example isopropanol . the fraction of the alcohol is preferably 50 %. for use in extremely cold regions also mixtures with a significantly higher fraction of alcohol can be used in order to avoid a freezing of the de - icing liquid . by means of a pump 10 the de - icing liquid is pumped from the reservoir 1 in the direction of the arrow ( cf . fig1 ). the pump 10 can be arranged inside or outside the reservoir 1 without any influence on the construction according to the invention . the pump 10 can be a unit as it is known from the prior art for screen washer systems of motor vehicles . via a pipe section 20 the de - icing liquid reaches a t - piece - like branching 21 followed each by two non - return valves 22 , 23 . the non - return valves 22 , 23 are arranged such that the de - icing liquid flows during operation of the pump 10 through the non - return valve 22 in the direction of the small horizontal arrow to the heating element 30 . the upward directed branch of the pipe is blocked by the non - return valve 23 , so that the complete de - icing liquid delivered by the pump 10 is guided to the heating element 30 . when unused de - icing liquid runs back from the nebulizers 50 ( see below ) the non - return valve 23 opens so that the column of de - icing liquid above can flow back into the reservoir 1 . the heating element 30 ( cf . detailed representation in fig3 ) serves for the fast heating of the amount of de - icing liquid required for a de - icing process . this amount will vary depending on the size of the pane to be de - iced ; typically volumes are in the range of approximately 100 ml . this is the amount of de - icing liquid necessary for a single “ shot ” of the system ( time period approximately 3 seconds ). preferably , two heating units 33 are arranged in a chamber 32 of the heating element 30 separated by an intermediate wall 31 . the heating units 33 are preferably ptc ( positive temperature coefficient ) thermistors . conceivable is also the use of other heating elements as for example normal resistive wires or the like . the ptc thermistors , however , show due to the increase of the electric resistance with increasing temperatures an advantageous self regulating effect , which avoids an overloading of the battery of the vehicle . typical power consumptions are between 800 and 1000 w . the heat capacity of the ptc - thermistors is comparatively low so that the supplied electric power is without time delay directly released as heat . when a de - icing process is started , for example by the single operation of an electric switch in the interior of the vehicle , the heat element 30 starts to heat the cold liquid arranged in the chamber 32 . in order to bring the liquid as fast as possible to the predetermined temperature , the non - return valve 22 is arranged for a thermal isolation at the inlet 34 and a further valve 40 is arranged at the outlet 35 ( cf . fig1 ). this valve 40 is designed such that it can resist the pressure of the liquid arising during heating in the heating element 30 , i . e . it blocks at first the pipe to the nebulizers . typical pressures arising during heating are in the range of 1 to 2 bar , preferably the pressure is 1 . 8 bar . only if additional liquid enters due to the delivery pressure ( approximately 2 to 4 bar ) of the started pump 10 the heating element 30 . the pressure further increases there and the valve 40 is opened so that the de - icing liquid can reach the nebulizers 50 . simultaneously , the heating is turned off . this pressure - dependent opening of the valve 40 can for example be achieved by subjecting a sealing flap in the valve 40 to the force of an elastic spring . by the preferred lateral direction of flow into the heating element 30 indicated in fig2 with arrows and the vertical outlet direction it is assured that only the heated liquid reaches the nebulizers 50 . a mixing with the additionally cold liquid streaming in is thus avoided . the pump 10 is turned off when the chamber 32 is exclusively filled with cold de - icing liquid . the complete separation of the liquid heated in the heating element 30 from the remaining de - icing liquid allows to reach within a very short time ( approximately 30 to 60 seconds ) temperatures between 50 ° c . and 100 ° c . preferably , the temperature at which the pump 10 is started , is 65 ° c . for controlling either an additional temperature sensor can either be provided in the heating element ( not shown ) providing a start signal for the pump 10 when the predetermined temperature is reached or the pump is activated by a timer adjusted on the basis of experimental values for the heating time ( for example 45 seconds ). in both cases an additional operation of the switch in the interior of the vehicle is not necessary . the required logic for the operation of the de - icing system according to the invention is extremely simple and can therefore be cost efficiently realized . neither any electromagnetic switching valves nor sophisticated security circuits are necessary in order to avoid a complete discharging of the battery . the reason is that the described heating element 30 is due to its design according to the invention capable to very fast heat the required liquid for de - icing immediately prior to each application so that a constant operation is not necessary . by means of the further pipe system 25 which is only schematically indicated in fig1 the heated liquid reaches during operation of the pump 10 one or more nebulizers 50 . as schematically shown in fig2 these nebulizers 50 create a cloud of droplets over the window pane 60 to be de - iced where the thermal energy stored in the de - icing liquid de - ices during precipitation abruptly large areas of the window pane 60 . in contrast to known nozzles of a washing system from the prior art it is not a more or less focused jet which is directed to the window pane 60 but a wetting with dispersed hot droplets occurs under the influence of gravity . thus , the effect on a large area is substantially obtained by the nebulizers 50 and not by a subsequent operation of the screen wipers . the nebulizers 50 are designed so that the created droplets are on the one hand sufficiently big to precipitate directly on the window pane 60 and that they are on the other hand sufficiently dispersed to achieve a continuous de - icing of the window pane 60 . in the described preferred embodiment this is achieved with droplets having a diameter between 0 . 5 mm and 1 mm . thus , a single “ shot ” of approximately 100 ml de - icing liquid is able at the above mentioned temperature of the de - icing liquid of preferably 65 ° c . to abruptly de - ice almost the complete windscreen . the outgoing speed of the droplets from the nebulizers 50 is preferably approximately 27 m / s . although the nebulizers 50 are shown in fig2 to be mounted to the upper edge of the window pane 60 , also other ways of installation are possible . for example , the cloud created by the nebulizers 50 can also be directed from the front or the side onto the window pane 60 . the described de - icing system can be either mounted during the production of the vehicle or it can be later backfitted . elements of an already existing washing system can also be used for the backfitted de - icing system . only the heating element 30 and the nebulizers 50 as well as corresponding additions to the pipe system must be added or correspondingly modified . also the necessary control lines in the interior of the vehicle are restricted to a minimum , since only a single switch is necessary for operating the de - icing system according to the invention . preferably plastic materials are used as materials for the de - icing system according to the invention , since they can be cost - efficiently manufactured and have a low weight . only the heating element is due to the high temperatures and pressures preferably made out of a metal , for example aluminum which is coated with a plastic .	1
turning now to the drawings wherein like numbers refer to like structures , and particularly to fig1 , there is disclosed , schematically , an engine 10 in a test cell 12 having an exhaust gas manifold 14 with an inlet 16 and an outlet 17 . the outlet 17 is in close , fluid communication with the testing apparatus 18 , which include an exhaust gas conduit to keep the exhaust gas outlet in fluid communication with a computer 20 , and a dynamometer 21 controlled by the computer and cooperatively engageable with the crank shaft of the engine , to motor the engine at any engine speed , measured in rpm , desired . the engine has a coolant system 23 , in fluid communication with the engine through conduit 27 . a temperature sensor 29 is in electronic communication 31 with the computer internally , and not shown , but easily understood by those skilled in the art , the engine has at least on cylinder bore with a piston reciprocally movable therein , circumferentially positioned on the piston is at least one expandable piston ring . the piston is attached to the crank by a connecting rod as is customary in internal engine design , and is moveable within the bore when the crankshaft is rotated . turning to fig2 , there is disclosed a schematic representation of one method 24 to determine the oil consumption of an internal combustion engine . specifically , step 26 is fueling the engine to operate it for a predetermined period of time and to predetermined operating conditions such that the engine reaches whole boundary condition . to that end , the engine fluids may be measured for temperature to determine whether they have reached a predetermined level . for example , the oil and / or coolant temperature may be measured until is abut 80 ° c . for a predetermined period of time , which may be about 5 - 6 minutes of engine fueling operation . in another embodiment , or in addition to the preceding , whole boundary conditions are determined using ambient temperature ; a pressure of cac , and exhaust gas pressure are at predetermined levels for a predetermined period of time . once it is determined that the engine has reached a whole boundary condition , step 28 is ceasing fueling and begin motoring the engine on a dynamometer for a predetermined period of time at a predetermine range of engine speeds . generally , the dynamometer turns the engine crank at some range of speeds , or at various steady speeds for predetermined periods of time in order to mimic driving conditions that may be expected to occur during service life of the engine in a vehicle . in some applications , it may be desirable to motor the engine with a dynamometer at a range of about 1800 rpm to about 2500 rpm . in other situations , it may be preferable to run the engine for a predetermined period of time at various engine speeds , for example , 1800 rpm , 2200 rpm and 2500 rpm . as the engine is being motored , the exhaust gas outlet is monitored at step 30 for hydrocarbon content . normally , after the engine has no fuel added to it , on would expect that no or minimal hydrocarbons could be detected at the exhaust outlet . it is assumed that any hydrocarbons that are detected at the exhaust outlet during engine motoring is the result of oil “ blowing by ” the rings on the pistons during reciprocation within the bore . the hydrocarbons are detected and quantified in a computer at step 32 to determine the oil consumption that may be expected by the engine during normal engine operation . generally , the engine oil consumption may be expressed as a mathematical relation and may be linear , logarithmic or any other mathematical means to express the loss of mass . when considered as a logarithmic trend over time it may be expressed according to the equation ( 1 ): hc is hydrocarbon ppm is parts per million t is time in seconds lnt is logarithm over time . equation ( 1 ) may be used to calculate mass flow rate of hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas at a given time , according to equation ( 2 ): generally such dynamometer testing apparatus &# 39 ; are calibrated prior to testing of an engine to determine operating conditions , it has been determined that if the calibrator is propane , equation ( 2 ) is multiplied by 3 . to demonstrate one such determination of engine oil consumption , and not to limit the description given , if it assumed hc_ratio = 1 . 8 , and assuming an hc ratio similar to that of diesel fuel , mw_c = 12 . 011 mw_h = 1 . 00794 mw_hc = 13 . 8 mw_exh = 29 ( average molecular wait of non - humid atmosphere ), and substituting the above constant rate equation 2 , yields using the above equation , the accuracy can be verified by inputting time values in sec and comparing them to the data . the mass flow rate of hc at a given time is not a reliable tool to measure the oil consumption during motoring over a period of time , as oil consumption is seen to be time dependent . however , hc_mfr ( t ) can be integrated with respect to time to gain an oil mass that was consumed over the integration interval . the integration interval was chosen to be 24 hr . or 86400 sec . in order to make a comparison with the drain and weigh data . it was reported using the drain and weight data , that in a 24 hr . period 778 . 1 g of oil were consumed . note that it is necessary to divide by 3600 as the logarithmic model was obtained using a seconds as a time stamp . the result is very close to the data from the drain and weigh especially if a g / hr . rate is calculated . fig3 is a graph showing the hc emissions during motoring of a heavy duty diesel engine . the data can be seen to have a logarithmic trend and shows 8 hours of 1 hz hc emissions data during motoring conditions . the x axis is time in seconds , and the y axis is hydrocarbons in parts per million . it can be seen that when the engine reaches whole boundary conditions and the dynamometer is motoring the engine , the level of hydrocarbons measured 34 is relatively level at about 40 ppm over the time measured , with an anatomy of data at 36 , which is one data point out of sync with the other data points that form the line 34 and is dismissible as such . thus , it can be seen that by motoring the engine , using the calculations as set forth about , the oil consumption may be determined for the engine prior to placing it in service . the words used in the specification are words of description , and not words of limitation . many variations and modifications are possible without departing form the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims	5
while the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below , it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts . the specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention , and do not delimit the scope of the invention . referring to fig1 an electromagnetic signal pickup device in use during an offshore drilling operation is schematically illustrated and generally designated 10 . a semi - submergible platform 12 is centered over a submerged oil and gas formation 14 located below sea floor 16 . a subsea conduit 18 extends from deck 20 of platform 12 to a wellhead installation 22 including blowout preventers 24 . platform 12 has a derrick 26 and a hoisting apparatus 28 for raising and lowering drill string 30 , including drill bit 32 and electromagnetic signal repeaters 34 , 36 . in a typical drilling operation , drill bit 32 is rotated by drill string 30 , such that drill bit 32 penetrates through the various earth strata , forming wellbore 38 . measurement of parameters such as bit weight , torque , wear and bearing conditions of drill bit 32 may be obtained by sensors 40 located in the vicinity of drill bit 32 . additionally , parameters such as pressure and temperature as well as a variety of other environmental and formation information may be obtained by sensors 40 . the signal generated by sensors 40 may typically be in the form of pulse width data , or the like , which must be converted to digital data before electromagnetic transmission in the present system . the signal generated by sensors 40 is passed into an electronics package 42 including an analog to digital converter which converts the analog signal to a digital code utilizing &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; for information transmission . electronics package 42 may also include electronic devices such as an on / off control , a modulator , a microprocessor , memory and amplifiers . electronics package 42 is powered by a battery pack which may include a plurality of nickel cadmium or lithium batteries which are configured to provide proper operating voltage and current . once the electronics package 42 establishes the frequency , power and phase output of the information , electronics package 42 feeds the information to transmitter 44 . transmitter 44 may be a direct connect type transmitter that utilizes an output voltage applied between a two electrical terminals that are electrically isolated from one another to generate electromagnetic wave fronts 46 . electromagnetic wave fronts 46 radiate into the earth carrying the information obtained by sensors 40 . alternatively , transmitter 44 may include a magnetically permeable annular core , a plurality of primary electrical conductor windings and a plurality of secondary electrical conductor windings which are wrapped around the annular core . collectively , the annular core , the primary windings and the secondary windings serve to approximate an electrical transformer which generates electromagnetic wave fronts 46 . the information obtained by sensors 40 is then carried uphole in the form of electromagnetic wave fronts 46 which travel through the earth . electromagnetic wave fronts 46 are picked up by a receiver 48 of repeater 34 located uphole from transmitter 44 . receiver 48 of repeater 34 is spaced along drill string 30 to receive the electromagnetic wave fronts 46 while electromagnetic wave fronts 46 remain strong enough to be readily detected . receiver 48 may electrically approximates a large transformer having a magnetically permeable magnetic core , a plurality of primary electrical conductor windings wrapped therearound and a plurality of secondary electrical conductor windings also wrapped therearound . as electromagnetic wave fronts 46 reach receiver 48 , a current is induced in receiver 48 that carries the information originally obtained by sensors 40 . the current is fed to an electronics package 50 that may include a variety of electronic devices for cleaning up and amplifying the signal to reconstruct the original waveform , compensating for losses and distortion occurring during the transmission of electromagnetic wave fronts 46 through the earth . electronics package 50 is coupled to a transmitter 52 that radiates electromagnetic wave fronts 54 into the earth in the manner described with reference to transmitter 44 and electromagnetic wave fronts 46 . electromagnetic wave fronts 54 travel through the earth and are eventually picked up by a receiver 56 of repeater 36 . repeater 36 includes receiver 56 , electronics package 58 , and transmitter 60 each of which operate in a manner as described with reference to repeater 34 , receiver 48 , electronics package 50 , and transmitter 52 . thus , after electromagnetic wave fronts 54 are received by receiver 56 and processed by electronics package 58 , the information is passed to transmitter 60 that radiates electromagnetic wave fronts 62 into the earth . electromagnetic wave fronts 62 travel through the earth and are received by electromagnetic pickup device 64 located on sea floor 16 . electromagnetic pickup device 64 may detect either the electrical field ( e - field ) component of electromagnetic wave front 62 , the magnetic field ( h - field ) component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 or both using e - field probes 66 and an h - field probe 68 or both . electromagnetic pickup device 64 serves as a transducer transforming electromagnetic wave front 62 into an electric signal . the electric signal may be sent to the surface on one or more wirelines 70 that are attached to buoy 72 and onto platform 12 via wireline 74 for further processing . upon reaching platform 12 , the information originally obtained by sensors 40 is further processed making any necessary calculations and error corrections such that the information may be displayed in a usable format . even though fig1 depicts two repeaters 34 , 36 , it should be noted by one skilled in the art that the number of repeaters located within drill string 30 will be determined by the depth of wellbore 38 and the characteristics of the earth &# 39 ; s strata adjacent to wellbore 38 in that electromagnetic waves suffer from attenuation with increasing distance from their source at a rate that is dependent upon the composition characteristics of the transmission medium . for example , repeaters 34 , 36 may be positioned between 3 , 000 and 5 , 000 feet apart . thus , if wellbore 38 is 15 , 000 feet deep , between two and four repeaters such as repeaters 34 , 36 would be desirable . alternatively , it should be noted that repeaters 34 , 36 may not be necessary in a shallow well where electromagnetic wave fronts 46 from transmitter 44 remain strong enough to be readily detected by electromagnetic pickup device 64 . even though fig1 depicts electromagnetic pickup device 64 in an offshore environment , it should be understood by one skilled in the art that electromagnetic pickup device 64 is equally well - suited for operation in an onshore environment . in fact , in an onshore environment , electromagnetic pickup device 64 would be placed directly on the land surface without the need for buoy 72 . additionally , while fig1 has been described with reference to transmitting information uphole during a measurement while drilling operation , it should be understood by one skilled in the art that electromagnetic pickup device 64 may be used throughout the life of wellbore 38 , for example , during logging , testing , completing and producing the well . further , even though fig1 has been described with reference to one way communication from the vicinity of drill bit 32 to platform 12 , it should be understood by one skilled in the art that the principles of the present invention are applicable to two way communication . for example , a surface installation may be used to request downhole pressure , temperature , or flow rate information from formation 14 by sending electromagnetic wave fronts downhole which may be amplified as described above with reference to repeaters 34 , 36 . sensors , such as sensors 40 , located near formation 14 receive this request and obtain the appropriate information which would then be returned to the surface via electromagnetic wave fronts which may again be amplified as described above with reference to repeaters 34 , 36 and would be picked up by electromagnetic pickup device 46 . fig2 is a perspective representation of an electromagnetic pickup device 46 of the present invention . electromagnetic pickup device 64 includes a plurality of e - field probes 66 and an h - field probe 68 . e - field probes 66 may be constructed from a conductive rod or tubing including metals such as steel , copper or a copper clad . e - field probes 66 each have an end 76 that inserted through sea floor 16 to extend into the earth such that electromagnetic wave fronts , such as electromagnetic wave fronts 62 of fig1 may be received by e - field probes 66 without crossing the boundary between the sea and sea floor 16 . e - field probe 66 pickup the e - field component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 . h - field probe 68 of electromagnetic pickup device 64 has an end 78 that is inserted through sea floor 16 into the earth such that electromagnetic wave fronts 62 are received by h - field probe 68 before electromagnetic wave fronts 62 cross through the boundary of sea floor 16 and the sea . h - field probe 68 includes one or more magnetometers for detecting the h - field component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 . the information carried in the h - field component is obtained by h - field probe 68 and transmitted to the surface in h - field wireline cable 80 . also , electromagnetic pickup device 64 may include a safety lanyard 82 that may be connected to , for example , h - field probe 68 . electromagnetic pickup device 64 includes an insulated ring 84 that attaches e - field probes 66 to h - field probe 68 . insulated ring 84 includes an electrically conductive ring 86 and a dielectric ring 88 . the electrically conductive ring 86 is attached to e - field probes 66 to provide an electrically conductive path between e - field probes 66 and an e - field wireline cable 90 . e - field wireline cable 90 transmits the current created in e - field probes 66 by electromagnetic wave fronts 62 from electromagnetic pickup device 64 to the surface . the dielectric ring 88 creates an non - conductive region between conductive ring 86 and h - field probe 68 . electromagnetic pickup device 64 may include an insulated cradle 92 that is disposed between e - field probes 66 and h - field probe 68 . insulated cradle 92 provides structural support to e - field probes 66 to prevent relative translational or rotational motion between e - field probes 66 and h - field probe 68 . insulated cradle 92 may be attached to h - field probe 68 using an insulated ring 94 which may include a dielectric ring 96 . in operation , electromagnetic pickup device 64 may be lowered from platform 12 , dropped from a boat using safety lanyard 82 or using a remote operated vehicle ( rov ). as the electromagnetic pickup device 64 falls through the sea , electromagnetic pickup device 64 becomes correctly oriented with end 78 of h - field probe 68 and ends 76 of e - field probes 66 pointing toward sea floor 16 . this orientation is achieved by having the center of gravity of electromagnetic pickup device 64 near end 78 of h - field probe 68 . a computer located on platform 12 may be used to determine which component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 is stronger to select whether the e - field component , the h - field component or both will be further processed to interpret the information carried therein . once electromagnetic pickup device 64 reaches sea floor 16 , end 78 of h - field probe 68 and ends 76 of e - field probes 66 penetrate sea floor 16 . e - field probes 66 and h - field probe 68 are now positioned to receive electromagnetic wave fronts such as electromagnetic wave front 62 . electromagnetic pickup device 64 may pick up the e - field component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 using e - field probes 66 or the h - field component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 using h - field probe 68 . alternatively , electromagnetic pickup device 64 may pickup the e - field component and the h - field component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 using , respectively , e - field probes 66 and h - field probe 68 . a computer located on platform 12 may be used to determine which component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 is stronger to select whether the e - field component , the h - field component or both will be further processed to interpret the information carried therein . fig3 is a perspective representation of another embodiment of an electromagnetic pickup device that is generally designated 100 . electromagnetic pickup device 100 includes a plurality of e - field probes 66 each having an end 76 . electromagnetic pickup device 100 also includes a weighted probe 102 that has an end 104 . e - field probes 66 may be attached to weighted probe 102 by an insulated ring 84 having a conductive ring 86 and a dielectric ring 88 . the conductive ring 86 is used to transmit the current created in e - field probes 66 by an electromagnetic wave front such as electromagnetic wave front 62 to e - field wireline cable 90 . the current is transmitted to the surface from conductive ring 86 via e - field wireline cable 90 . electromagnetic pickup device 100 may include a frame member 106 that provides structural support between weighted probe 102 and e - field probes 66 to prevent relative translational and rotational motion therebetween . frame member 106 may be attached to weighted probe 102 using an insulated ring 94 which may include a dielectric ring 96 . in operation , electromagnetic pickup device 100 may be lowered from platform 12 or lowered from a boat using safety lanyard 82 . as electromagnetic pickup device 100 travels through the sea , electromagnetic pickup device 100 becomes correctly oriented due to the low center of gravity of weighted probe 102 near end 104 . upon reaching sea floor 16 , ends 76 of e - field probes 66 penetrate therethrough such that electromagnetic wave fronts 62 may be received by e - field probes 66 before passing through the boundary created between the sea and sea floor 16 . electromagnetic pickup device 100 may then receive the e - field component of electromagnetic wave fronts 62 in e - field probes 66 . additionally , electromagnetic pickup device 100 may be used as a downlink to transmit electromagnetic waves carrying information from the surface downhole . wireline cable 108 is used to transmit a current to weighted probe 102 , which , in this embodiment , is made from a conductive material . electromagnetic waves carrying information are then radiated into the earth by weighted probe 102 to operate downhole equipment or to prompt sensors 40 to obtain information which will be transmitted uphole and picked up by electromagnetic pickup device 100 . while this invention has been described with a reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention , will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description . it is , therefore , intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments .	4
as best shown in fig1 and 2 , the loudspeaker system of the invention is adapted to be installed in the front passenger compartment of an automobile 1 having a front seat 2 , a steering wheel and column 3 , a rearwardly extending dashboard 4 , a forward firewall 5 , and in this instance a floor 6 having a transmission tunnel 7 . the invention contemplates utilization of a sound transmitting amplifier of the usual well - known type , not shown , and a speaker system including an elongated forwardly facing annular speaker enclosure 8 and a sound reflector 9 . referring primarily to fig1 and 6 , enclosure 8 is in the form of a bucket having a conical side wall 10 and an integral circular inner end closure wall 11 . the enlarged outer or forward open end of enclosure 8 forms a flange 12 to which is secured an annular ring 13 , as by bolts 14 . a loudspeaker 15 of any suitable well - known type is coaxially disposed within enclosure 8 , faces forwardly through the open end thereof and is secured to ring 13 as by bolts 16 . enclosure 8 is preferably formed from polyethylene or other similar plastic material and may comprise a bucket of the type available at many retail stores . such buckets are thin - walled , 1 / 16 - 1 / 32 inch thickness being desirable . the thin plastic bucket walls 10 and 11 are slightly flexible and form a large resonating surface area to the rear of speaker 15 . it is contemplated that enclosure 8 preferably be installed centrally of the vehicle , such as by resting on transmission tunnel portion 7 of floor 6 . the enclosure is contemplated as being held in place by tightly confining its ends between the front face of seat 2 and the exposed lower corner 18 of dashboard 4 . this is accomplished by placing enclosure 8 on floor 6 when seat 2 is in its rearward position , and then adjusting the seat forwardly until the enclosure sealingly engages corner 18 . by securing the entire speaker assembly in this fashion , the entire assembly may be easily removed and the speaker played even when the assembly is outside the vehicle , assuming a sufficiently long wire connection to the amplifier . in accordance with one aspect of the invention , sound radiated forwardly by loudspeaker 15 and past the seal at corner 18 is reflected rearwardly and to the sides . for this purpose , a hard surfaced sound reflector panel 9 is positioned forwardly from the front terminus of enclosure 8 , and is spaced therefrom . as shown in fig1 reflector panel 9 is secured to tunnel 7 and fire wall 5 as by brackets 19 and is located directly in the path of the sound emanating from speaker 15 . referring to fig3 - 5 , relector panel 9 comprises a generally upright planular base 20 having top and bottom flanges 21 and which merges into a rearwardly extending generally vertical central rib 22 . the base and rib together form a pair of sound reflective surfaces 23 which curve gradually from transverse to the speaker axis to parallel thereto . surfaces 23 cause the forwardly moving sound waves to disperse and be reflected rearwardly and to the sides of the passanger compartment and also , to a certain extent , upwardly into the dash cavity forwardly of the seal at corner 18 . the result is a generally non - directional sound having clear , well dispersed high and low frequency distribution . it has been found that no additional speakers are necessary in the front of the compartment . in some instances , it may be desirable to enhance the sound from the rear speakers , not shown , with the sound from front speaker 15 , especially for those passengers seated in the back . for this purpose , and as shown in fig7 enclosure 8 , instead of being essentially hollow , is relatively solid and is provided with a tortuous channel 24 which extends from speaker 15 and rearwardly to a port 25 disposed at the rear of the assembly and below seat 2 for discharge of sound to the rear beneath the seat . in another embodiment shown in fig8 the entire speaker enclosure 8 is mounted beneath dashboard 4 and is spaced rearwardly from sound reflective panel 9 . in yet another embodiment , shown in fig9 the speaker 15 is disposed midway between the ends of enclosure wall 10 . in all embodiments , the speaker enclosure firmly engages the dash so that a substantial portion of the sound reaches panel 9 for reflection in the desired manner . the concepts of the invention provide a unique improvement in the distribution of sound in the passenger compartment of a vehicle . it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture , and installation costs should be at a minimum because door and kick panels are not involved . various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention .	7
turning first to fig1 , there is shown an exercise staff 10 according to the present invention . as shown , the staff 10 is composed of two half staff elements 12 , 12 ′. a female threaded end cap 14 at the end of one staff 12 receives the male threaded end cap 16 of the other half staff 12 ′ to form a completed staff 10 . fig2 a is an exploded view of half staff 12 although both halves are symmetrical and , except for the end caps , are interchangeable . a handle tube 18 has a guide tube 20 which includes , on the exterior an l - shaped tracking groove 22 . the guide tube 20 attaches to the inner end of the handle tube 18 and is adapted to telescope into an intermediate tube 24 which has , at the inner end , the female threaded end cap 14 . an optional ballast tube 26 can telescope into the outer end of the handle tube 18 . in preferred embodiments , the ballast tube 26 can add additional weight to the half staff 12 in amounts ranging from ½ pound 5 pounds to in one - half pound increments . with weights in both half staffs 12 , 12 ′, the weight of the exercise staff can be increased from one pound to ten pounds in the preferred embodiments . in alternative embodiments , greater weights could be added by utilizing different materials for the ballast . fig2 b is a cutaway view of a portion of the intermediate tube 24 , showing a portion of the inserted guide tube 20 . a tensioning spring 28 is mounted in the interior of the intermediate tube 24 and , through a tension link 30 , is connected to the guide tube 20 . while a spring is used in the preferred embodiment , other tensioning materials can be utilized including neoprene , rubber or other elastomers . a handle pin 32 can anchor the tension link 30 to the guide tube 20 and the tensioning spring 28 can be anchored to the intermediate tube 24 with an anchor pin 34 that captures either one end of the tensioning spring 28 or an intermediate link ( not shown ) which connects to the opposite end of the tensioning spring 28 . a tracking pin 36 in the intermediate tube 24 engages the tracking groove 22 of the guide tube 20 . when the parts are fully assembled , the tracking pin 36 in the l portion of the tracking groove 22 permits limited rotation of the tubes relative to each other about the central axis . the tensioning spring 28 provides sufficient rotational bias so that the tracking pin 36 remains in the circumferentially oriented portion of the tracking groove 22 . rotation of the handle tube 18 relative to the intermediate tube 24 is only permitted in one direction by the tracking groove 22 . when the tracking pin 36 reaches the axially oriented portion of the tracking groove 22 , the handle tube 18 and the intermediate tube 24 are free for translational motion in the axial direction against the resistance of the tensioning spring 28 . when the handle tube 18 and the intermediate tube 24 are fully collapsed together , they will rotate relative to each other and the tracking pin 36 will again be in the circumferential portion of the tracking groove 22 . fig2 c shows the half staff 12 in that normal , resting state . fig3 a is a cutaway view of the staff 10 in a closed configuration with the various component parts shown in place . as shown , the parts in half staff 12 ′ use the same reference numbers as their counterparts in the half staff 12 but with the prime symbol . thus spring 28 of half staff 12 has a counterpart spring 28 ′ in half staff 12 ′. similarly in fig3 b , the staff 10 is shown in the expanded configuration . the present invention solves the problems of poor joint mobility , poor flexibility , coordination and tightness , notably at the shoulder ( glenuhumeral ), hips , lumbar and thoracic spine levels . additionally , it solves the problem of assessing one &# 39 ; s poor posture issues without having to necessarily see a health care practitioner ( although not a diagnostic tool ), which is still advised for diagnosis and treatment . using invention specific progressive simple drills , the user improves glenohumeral joint mobility ( shoulder ), which also recruits other joints in the body , to effectively increase range of motion , flexibility , muscle tone as well as identify , correct and assess muscular imbalances . it also provides an easy way to correctly warm up and prepare muscles and joints for any workout , or simply relieve stiffness in the joints . the extendable staff can be separated into halves and used as 2 pieces as well as one solid longer piece . for less flexible users , the extension affords the ability to perform the movements . shoulder tightness is connected to hip tightness , which is linked to low back pain , which then diminishes overall movement ability , something from which the majority of the population suffers and doesn &# 39 ; t treat effectively . when the halves are connected to form the full length ( 4 ft .) staff , movements can be performed with it , as qualified personal trainers or therapists may use a dowel or stick . this provides limited uses for those who do not have the proper flexibility or joint mobility . with the quick release at the center of each half staff , the spring loaded mechanism allows the user to stretch the staff to accommodate the user &# 39 ; s current ability , until the user can perform the movement without the need for the extension ( much like having training wheels on a bicycle ). overhead squats , shoulder brachiation techniques , wrist , elbow , shoulder and hip mobility drills can be performed . on any given day , a person can feel “ stiff ” ( after traveling , sitting at a desk too long , sore from a previous training session or any other limiting factor ) and the staff can be adjusted to the user &# 39 ; s current condition , effectively improving it within a few movements . separated into its component halves , it can be used like indian clubs , where one can use one arm or both , therefore one or both half staffs can be used for isolateral / unilateral work versus bilateral work . with the ballast ( additional weights ) weights inserted , one can increase the load to perform resistance training exercises , just as with a bar bell , based on one &# 39 ; s ability . the full staff can also be utilized for various martial arts drills , notably kali , eskrima and other martial arts of the type popularized in motion pictures such as hanna , the bourne series , the book of eli , among others , as well as in staff fighting or stick fighting , the staff of the present invention can also be used for corrective assessment drills ( spinal alignment , proper squatting , core stability and more ). the staff has a quick release mechanism that keeps it as a 4 ft unit with the halves connected and may have either a knurled or other textured grip so it can be quickly coupled or separated without having to twist more than a half turn . the same principle is used at the end of the 2 connected half staffs where the extensibility occurs , except that instead of separating , there is a spring that allows each half to extend and return to its original configuration , much as a rubber band would . as one piece , coil springs inside connect the outer end portions to the to the main / center portion which allows the staff to extend a few inches in each direction providing the user who lacks the necessary flexibility to essentially stretch the staff so that the user can perform a particular exercise requiring motion , be it an overhead squat or a brachiation drill ( combining the benefits of a rubber tubing with a broomstick ). as the users flexibility improves over time , the halves can be reconfigured to be a rigid full staff to continue the same drills but at greater flexibility and increased difficulty levels . as one piece the full staff can be used for multiple martial arts drills as well as many corrective drills , such as postural assessments or movement screening ( deep squat , overhead extension squat , in line lunge ). also , by inserting ballast weights inside the free end of the half staff ( by removing the end cap ), the user benefits from added resistance which increases the difficulty level of all drills for better strength development , just as a fitness body bar , essentially used as a bar bell with the weight already inside the bar . with the halves separated , not only does it make it easier to carry for travel but it readily fits into a gym bag , thus there has been shown and described an novel exercise staff which is suitable for tor physical training , martial arts training or any other suitable activity . modifications and variations will occur to those skilled in the art and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto .	0
the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a recording medium according to the invention . in fig1 , the recording medium ( 1 ) is typically comprised of a volume structure ( 2 ) indicating the logical structure of the whole recording medium and a logical volume space ( 3 ) which is a data recording space under the management of the volume structure ( 2 ). the logical volume space ( 3 ) is an area for recording the data as a file principally , having a route directory root ( 4 ) and a sub - directory dir ( 5 ) under the route directory root ( 4 ). it is common that the file is recorded under the sub - directory dir ( 5 ), or directly under the root directory root ( 4 ). the recording medium ( 1 ) may be typically an optical disk such as a dvd ( digital versatile disc ), a magneto - optical disk such as an mo , or a magnetic disk such as a hdd ( hard disc drive ). the volume structure ( 2 ), the logical volume space ( 3 ), the root directory root ( 4 ), the sub - directory dir ( 5 ), and the file management method can be made using the conventional technique of the file system in accordance with the iso / iec13346 standards , and therefore the illustration and explanation are omitted . hence , various kinds of specific files and the data structure of the file will be described below . first of all , the n ( n is an integer greater than and equal to one ) pieces of data ( 7 ) such as dynamic image data , still picture data or voice data are recorded in one data file ( 6 ) collectively . this is a commonly employed method to facilitate the file management . with this method , in the case where the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) is recorded at the top of the data ( 7 ), like the technique as described in jp - a - 2000 - 113641 specification , the effect of the invention becomes remarkable . for the purpose of being consistent between the case where the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) is recorded and the case where it is not recorded , a systematic management information file ( 9 ) may be employed . therefore , the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) is not a requisite item to carry out the invention , but may be dealt with optionally . the detailed data structure of the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) will be described later . in the following , the data structure of the management information file ( 9 ) which is a feature of the present invention will be mainly described below . the management information file ( 9 ) records the information for managing the data ( 7 ) collectively , and comprises the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) and the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ). the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) manages collectively the items common to all the n pieces of data , and comprises the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) which is a feature of the invention . the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) indicates the standard time of an area where the data is recorded , and may be represented in terms of a time difference between the standard time of the area and the universal time ( greenwich mean time ) which is indicated by a positive or negative value ( e . g ., two byes ) in a unit of minute , for example . the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) may hold , in addition to the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ), an identifier to indicate a data management method for use with the management information file ( 9 ), the version information , the pointer information to the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) as will be described later , and the size information of the management information file ( 9 ), but because they are not related directly to the gist of the invention , the illustration and explanation are omitted . the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) manages the data ( 7 ) individually , and comprises the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) which are a feature of the invention . herein , there are two cases where the data ( 7 ) and the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) are managed in a relation of one - to - one correspondence , or where one data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is provided for a data group of plural pieces of data ( 7 ), like the technique as described in jp - a - 2000 - 134565 specification . hence , the number ( m ) of data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is an integer from one to the number ( n ) of data ( 7 ) both inclusive . in the same figure , # i ( i is an integer ) denotes an i - th element , and is employed similarly in other figures . the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) may hold , in addition to the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ), the number of data ( 7 ) managed by the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ), the pointer information or data size information to have access to individual data , the data reproduction time length information , the text information representing a title associated with the data , and the data attribute information such as an encoding method , the resolution and the sampling frequency when the data ( 7 ) is the image or voice , but because they are not related directly to the gist of the invention , the illustration and explanation are omitted . the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) and rec_tm ( 13 ) represents the time when the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) and the corresponding data ( 7 ) are recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ), on the basis of the standard time indicated by the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ), which can be expressed , for example , in terms of a total of 40 bits (= 5 bytes ) including a year ( 14 bits ), a month ( 4 bits ), a day ( 5 bits ), an hour ( 5 bits ), a minute ( 6 bits ), and a second ( 6 bits ). in the case where one data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is provided for a data group of plural pieces of data ( 7 ), like the technique as described in jp - a - 2000 - 134565 specification , the first data recording time information f_rec_tm ( e . g ., five bytes ) and the last data recording time information l_rec_tm ( e . g ., five bytes ) within the data group are stored ( e . g ., a total of 10 byes ) as the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ). the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) will be described below with reference to fig2 and 3 . fig2 is an operation diagram wherein the time zone information rec_tm_zone ( 15 ) at the time of recording the data is set as the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ). when the data ( 7 ) is recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ), the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) set in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) is acquired , and the same value is set in the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) as the time zone information rec_tm_zone ( 15 ) at the time of recording the data . thereafter , when the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) within the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) is changed , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is only changed , and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) and the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) in the data file ( 6 ) are not changed . thereby , there is no need of reading all the data file ( 6 ) of large size , correcting the data recording time dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) for time difference , and rewriting all the data , resulting in the faster processing . further , since the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) to which ( the value of tm_zone ( 12 )− the value of tm_zone_sub ( 14 )) is added must be coincident with the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ), there is no inconsistency between the information of the data file ( 6 ) and the information of the management information file ( 9 ). after changing the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ), the local standard time at the time of recording the data is recorded in the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ), whereby the data recording time information rec_tm ( 8 ) after correcting for time difference to which ( the value of tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) the value of tm_zone ( 12 )) is added can reproduce the local time at the time of recording . fig3 is an operation diagram wherein the time zone differential information tm_zone_dif ( 16 ) at the time of recording the data is set as the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ). the time zone differential information tm_zone_dif ( 16 ) is a differential value ( i . e ., the value of rec_tm_zone ( 15 ) the value of tm_zone ( 12 )) between the time zone information rec_tm_zone ( 15 ) at the time of recording the data and the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) set in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ). unlike the operation of fig2 , when the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) within the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) is changed , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) with in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) and the time zone differential information tm_zone_dif ( 16 ) are changed simultaneously . thereby , there is no need of reading all the data file ( 6 ) of large size , correcting the data recording time dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) for time difference and rewriting all the data in the same way as previously described , resulting in the faster processing . further , the data recording time information dt_rec_tm ( 8 ) to which the value of tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) is added must be coincident with the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ), whereby there is no inconsistency in the information between the data file ( 6 ) and the management information file ( 9 ). also , after changing the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ), if the value of tm_zone_zub ( 14 ) is subtracted from the data recording time information rec_tm ( 8 ) after correcting for time difference , the local time at the time of recording the data can be reproduced . this method has a feature that the time zone differential information tm_zone_dif ( 16 ) may remain zero until the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is changed . fig4 shows a variation of the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ). in the same figure , the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) carries the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) as described previously , as well as a time zone auxiliary information flag tm_zone_sub_flag ( 17 ). this flag functions to indicate whether or not the value stored in the data area is effective as the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ), when the already reserved data area is used as an area for storing the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ). then , the value is defined as zero when the data area ( e . g ., two bytes ) is in a reserved state . and the most significant bit of the data area is assigned to the time zone auxiliary information flag tm_zone_sub_flag ( 17 ), and the remaining fifteen bits are assigned to the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ). in this way , only if the time zone auxiliary information flag tm_zone_sub_flag ( 17 ) is 1 , the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) can be selectively employed to correct for time difference . fig5 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a recorder according to the invention . the recorder ( 18 ) is one example of the device having a function of recording newly the data and the management information on the recording medium . first of all , the data file ( 6 ) is written onto the recording medium ( 1 ) by data writing means ( 200 ). along with this , the time zone information ( 12 ) at the time of recording is specified by time zone information tm_zone specifying means ( 19 ), and the value is set in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) by total management information vmgi setting means ( 20 ), and written into the management information file ( 9 ) of the recording medium ( 1 ). also , after the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) is specified by data recording time information rec_tm specifying means ( 21 ), and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) is specified by time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub specifying means ( 22 ), a value is set in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) by data management information vob_gi setting means ( 23 ) and written into the management information file ( 9 ) of the recording medium ( 1 ). herein , the time zone information tm_zone specifying means ( 19 ) may be implemented by providing the recorder 18 with a switch or a menu screen for selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., 2 bytes ), for example . the data recording time information rec_tm specifying means ( 21 ) can be implemented by generating the rec_tm value ( e . g ., 5 bytes ), employing a timer ( clock ) progressing in a unit of second , for example . the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub specifying means ( 22 ) can be implemented by using the output from the time zone information tm_zone specifying means ( 19 ) with the method of fig2 , or the outputting zero with the method of fig3 . the configuration of means ( 200 ) ( 20 ) ( 23 ) for writing the information on the recording medium ( 1 ) will be described later . fig6 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of another recorder ( 24 ) according to the invention . it is supposed that the recorder ( 24 ) carries ( caches ) the management information already recorded , and is illustrative of the device having a function of changing the time zone information in the management information on the basis of the method as shown in fig3 . a section for enabling the data writing means ( 200 ) to write the data file ( 6 ) on the recording medium ( 1 ) has the same configuration as shown in fig5 . employing means ( 25 ) for specifying the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 and the time zone information tm_zone changing means ( 26 ), the old time zone information tm_zone_ 0 carried in the total management information vmgi setting means ( 28 ) is read and changed to the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 , which is then written into the management information file ( 9 ) of the recording medium ( 1 ). along with this , a differential value delta_tm_zone ( i . e ., tm_zone_ 1 − tm_zone_ 0 ) between the time zone information tm_zone before and after change is calculated by differential value calculating means ( 27 ), and entered into the data recording time information rec_tm changing means ( 29 - 1 to 29 - m ) and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub changing means ( 30 - 1 to 30 - m ). herein , an integer value m signifies the number of data management information vob_gi . in the data recording time information rec_tm changing means ( 29 - 1 to 29 - m ), the old data recording time information rec_tm_ 0 carried in the data management information vob_gi setting means ( 31 - 1 to 31 - m ) is read , and the old data recording time information rec_tm_ 0 plus the differential value delta_tm_zone is reset as the new data recording time information rec_tm_ 1 in the data management information vob_gi . also , in the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub changing means ( 30 - 1 to 30 - m ), the old time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub_ 0 is read , and the old time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub_ 0 plus the differential value delta_tm_zone is reset as the new time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub_ 1 in the data management information vob_gi . thereafter , the data management information vob_gi setting means ( 31 ) writes the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - 1 to 11 - m ) into the management information file ( 9 ) of the recording medium ( 1 ). herein , the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 specifying means ( 25 ) may be implemented by providing the recorder ( 24 ) with a switch or a menu screen for selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., 2 bytes ), for example . the configuration of the means ( 200 )( 28 )( 31 - 1 to 31 - m ) for writing the information into the recording medium ( 1 ) will be described later . also , it is apparent that the calculation of the differential value delta_tm_zone may be effective by defining tm_zone_ 0 − tm_zone_ 1 , and exchanging addition and subtraction while reversing the signs in the expression . the same applies in the other drawings . fig7 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of another recorder ( 201 ) according to the invention . it is supposed that the recorder ( 201 ) carries ( caches ) the management information already recorded , and is illustrative of the device having a function of changing the time zone information in the management information on the basis of the method as shown in fig2 . a section for enabling the data writing means ( 200 ) to write the data file ( 6 ) on the recording medium ( 1 ) has the same configuration as shown in fig5 . employing means ( 25 ) for specifying the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 and the time zone information tm_zone changing means ( 26 ), the old time zone information tm_zone_ 0 carried in the total management information vmgi setting means ( 28 ) is read and changed to the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 , which is then written into the management information file ( 9 ) of the recording medium ( 1 ). along with this , a differential value delta_tm_zone ( i . e ., tm_zone_ 1 − tm_zone_ 0 ) between the time zone information tm_zone before and after change is calculated by differential value calculating means ( 27 ), and entered into the data recording time information rec_tm changing means ( 29 - 1 to 29 - m ). herein , an integer value m signifies the number of data management information vob_gi . in the data recording time information rec_tm changing means ( 29 - 1 to 29 - m ), the old data recording time information rec_tm_ 0 carried in the data management information vob_gi setting means ( 31 - 1 to 31 - m ) is read , and the old data recording time information rec_tm_ 0 plus the differential value delta_tm_zone is reset as the new data recording time information rec_tm_ 1 in the data management information vob_gi . thereafter , the data management information vob_gi setting means ( 31 ) writes the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - 1 to 11 - m ) into the management information file ( 9 ) of the recording medium ( 1 ). herein , the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 specifying means ( 25 ) may be implemented by providing the recorder ( 24 ) with a switch or a menu screen for selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., 2 bytes ), for example . the configuration of the means ( 200 )( 28 )( 31 - 1 to 31 - m ) for writing the information into the recording medium ( 1 ) will be described later . fig8 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of another recorder ( 32 ) according to the invention . the recorder ( 32 ) is illustrative of the device having a function of specifying the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) when recording the data in an area with a time difference from the time zone without changing the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) stored in the management information already recorded . a section for enabling the data writing means ( 200 ) to write the data file ( 6 ) on the recording medium ( 1 ) has the same configuration as shown in fig5 . along with this , there are provided means ( 33 ) for specifying the time zone information cur_tm_zone in recording the data ( hereinafter referred to as at current time ), means ( 34 ) for reading the time zone information tm_zone from the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) of the management information file ( 9 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ), and means ( 35 ) for specifying the current time cur_tm . based on a result of output , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) is specified by the data recording time information rec_tm specifying means ( 36 ), and set to the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) by data management information vob_gi setting means ( 37 ) and written into the management information file ( 9 ) of the recording medium ( 1 ). herein , the current time zone information cur_tm_zone specifying means ( 33 ) may be implemented by providing the recorder ( 32 ) with a switch or a menu screen for selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., 2 bytes ), for example . the current time cur_tm specifying means ( 35 ) can be implemented by generating the cur_tm value ( e . g ., 5 bytes ), employing a timer ( clock ) progressing in a unit of second , for example . the data recording time information rec_tm specifying means ( 36 ) makes an arithmetic operation of ( rec_tm value = cur_tm value + tm_zone value − cur_tm_zone value ), and can be implemented by typical addition / subtraction means . the configuration of means ( 200 )( 37 ) for writing the information into the recording medium ( 1 ) or means ( 34 ) for reading the information from the recording medium ( 1 ) will be described later . the operation of the recorder ( 32 ) as shown in fig8 will be described below by way of example . for example , in a situation where the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) in the recording medium ( 1 ) indicates the japanese standard time ( universal time + nine hours ), it is supposed that the user is moved to taiwan with a time difference of one hour with respect to japan . then , the current time zone information cur_tm_zone is set to taiwan standard time ( universal time + eight hours ). if the data is recorded at three in the afternoon ( i . e ., the current time cur_tm = 15 ), the data recording time information rec_tm is calculated as rec_tm value = cur_tm value + tm_zone value − cur_tm_zone value = 15 + 9 − 8 = 16 in accordance with the previous expression , and recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). thereby , even if the user records the data at the local current time , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) consistent with the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) can be written on the recording medium ( 1 ). fig9 illustrates one example of the operation of a selection menu screen ( 38 ) in a reproducing device according to the invention . the selection menu screen ( 38 ) indicates a menu screen displayed on a display terminal dedicated to the reproducing device , or a monitor for the television or personal computer ( hereinafter referred to as the pc ). a selection cursor ( 43 ) is moved in accordance with the user &# 39 ; s entry to select a title to be reproduced from among a plurality of titles ( 39 ), so that a reproduction instruction can be issued to the reproducing device . herein , the display of a title can be made using a typical method of recording the text information representing the title in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ), and reading and displaying it . therefore , the illustration and explanation are omitted . the features of the invention will be described below . in fig9 , the title ( 39 ) and the data recording time are displayed on the selection menu screen ( 38 ), wherein it is desirable that the display of data content is more imaginable to the user . then , the data recording time is preferably the local time ( 40 ) when the user records the data , and naturally contains a time difference depending on the area for photographing . if the information as shown in fig2 or 3 is set as the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ), employing the management information file ( 9 ) as shown in fig1 , the data recording time ( 40 ) in the actual location can be reproduced , as previously described . a change button ( 41 ) is displayed on the screen or equipped in the reproducing device , as required , to switch the data recording time information ( 13 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) and the local time ( 40 ) to be displayed . a photographing place ( 42 ) can be easily displayed by specifying it on the basis of a difference ( i . e ., differential time ) between the data recording time information ( 13 ) and the local time ( 40 ), if a table of correspondence between the differential time and the place is prepared in a solid - state memory . also , a representative city name ( 44 ) which is a basis of the differential time may be displayed by specifying it from the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). fig1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a reproducing device ( 45 ) according to the invention . the reproducing device ( 45 ) has a function of specifying and displaying the local time ( 40 ) as shown in fig9 , using the management information based on the method as shown in fig2 . first of all , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is read from the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) in the management information file ( 9 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) by the time zone information tm_zone reading means ( 48 ), and input into the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 51 - 1 to 51 - m ). on the other hand , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - 1 to 13 - m ) is read from the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - 1 to 1 ′- m ) in the management information file ( 9 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) by the data recording time information rec_tm reading means ( 49 - 1 to 49 - m ), and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 - 1 to 14 - m ) is read by the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub reading means ( 50 - 1 to 50 - m ), and input into the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 51 - 1 to 51 - m ). in the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 51 - 1 to 51 - m ), an arithmetic operation of ( mod_rec_tm value rec_tm value + tm_zone_sub value − tm_zone value ) is made to obtain the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm . in the display means ( 52 ), the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm is displayed as the local time ( 40 ), and the selection cursor ( 43 ) is displayed and the selected result is acquired in the selecting means ( 53 ). based on its selected result , the data file ( 6 ) is selectively read from the recording medium ( 1 ) by the data reading means ( 46 ), and reproduced and output as the image or voice by the reproducing means ( 47 ). the configuration of reading means ( 46 )( 48 )( 49 - 1 to 49 - m ) ( 50 - 1 to 50 - m ) of the information from the recording medium ( 1 ) and the reproducing means ( 47 ) will be described later . fig1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a reproducing device ( 202 ) according to the invention . the reproducing device ( 202 ) has a function of specifying and displaying the local time ( 40 ) as shown in fig9 , using the management information based on the method as shown in fig3 . first of all , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - 1 to 13 - m ) is read from the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - 1 to 11 - m ) in the management information file ( 9 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) by the data recording time information rec_tm reading means ( 49 - 1 to 49 - m ), and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 - 1 to 14 - m ) is read by the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub reading means ( 50 - 1 to 50 - m ), and input into the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 51 - 1 to 51 - m ). in the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 51 - 1 to 51 - m ), an arithmetic operation of ( mod_rec_tm value = rec_tm value + tm_zone_sub value ) is made to obtain the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm . in the display means ( 52 ), the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm is displayed as the local time ( 40 ), and the selection cursor ( 43 ) is displayed and the selected result is acquired in the selecting means ( 53 ). based on its selected result , the data file ( 6 ) is selectively read from the recording medium ( 1 ) by the data reading means ( 46 ), and reproduced and output as the image or voice by the reproducing means ( 47 ). the configuration of reading means ( 46 )( 48 )( 49 - 1 to 49 - m ) ( 50 - 1 to 50 - m ) of the information from the recording medium ( 1 ) and the reproducing means ( 47 ) will be described later . fig1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a reproducing device ( 54 ) according to the invention . the reproducing device ( 54 ) has a function of displaying the data recording information rec_tm ( 13 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) by modifying the differential time using the current time zone information cur_tm_zone set within the device . first of all , the current time zone information cur_tm_zone is specified by the current time zone information cur_tm_zone specifying means ( 55 ), and input into the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 51 - 1 to 51 - m ), as will be described later . herein , the current time zone information cur_tm_zone specifying means ( 55 ) may be implemented by providing the reproducing device ( 54 ) with a switch or a menu screen for selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., 2 bytes ), for example . on the other hand , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is read from the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) in the management information file ( 9 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) by the time zone information tm_zone reading means ( 56 ), and input into the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 57 - 1 to 57 - m ), as will be described later . also , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - 1 to 13 - m ) is read from the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - 1 to 11 - m ) in the management information file ( 9 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) by the data recording time information rec_tm reading means ( 49 - 1 to 49 - m ), and input into the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 57 - 1 to 57 - m ). in the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm specifying means ( 57 - 1 to 57 - m ), an arithmetic operation of ( mod_rec_tm value = rec_tm value + cur_tm_zone_sub value − tm_zone value ) is made to obtain the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm . in the display means ( 52 ), the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm is displayed as the local time ( 40 ), and the selection cursor ( 43 ) is displayed and the selected result is acquired in the selecting means ( 53 ). based on its selected result , the data file ( 6 ) is selectively read from the recording medium ( 1 ) by the data reading means ( 46 ), and reproduced and output as the image or voice by the reproducing means ( 47 ). the configuration of reading means ( 46 )( 56 )( 49 - 1 to 49 - m ) of the information from the recording medium ( 1 ) and the reproducing means ( 47 ) will be described later . fig1 and 14 are a block diagram and a perspective view showing an embodiment of a recorder / reproducing device according to the invention , respectively . the recorder / reproducing device may be configured to be a special - purpose hardware , or control a general - purpose hardware for the personal computer in accordance with a control procedure ( hereinafter referred to as a program ) as will be described later . in any case , a control section ( 58 ) operates on the basis of a memory ( 66 ) storing the program . the memory ( 66 ) storing the program may use the same recording medium as a memory ( 67 ) storing the management information as will be described later , or they may be differently configured such that the memory ( 66 ) may be a recording medium which is unsuitable for frequently rewriting the data such as a read only memory ( rom ) or a flash memory , and the memory ( 67 ) may be a recording medium which is suitable for frequently rewriting the data such as a dram ( dynamic random access memory ) or an sram ( static random access memory ). the content ( program ) of the memory ( 66 ) storing the program may be preinstalled by the device manufacturer before shipment of the device , or read from another recording medium ( computer readable recording medium ) storing the program before operation of the device , as shown in fig1 . the recorder / reproducing device as shown in fig1 first accepts an operation instruction from the user on an operation section ( 59 ), and the control section ( 58 ) controls the operation of each section as will be described later . at the time of recording , a signal of image or voice is input from an input section ( 60 ), and encoded in accordance with the mpeg by an encoder ( 59 ). the encoded data such as the dynamic image , still picture or voice is input via a track buffer ( 62 ) into a drive ( 63 ), and recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). then , the management information as shown in fig1 to 4 is also recorded under the control of the control section ( 58 ). the management information is difficult to record at the same time while the encoded data is recorded in real time . hence , the management information may be once recorded in the memory ( 67 ) storing the management information , and recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) after the end of recording the encoded data . at the time of reproduction , after the management information is once read from the recording medium ( 1 ) into the memory ( 67 ) by the drive ( 63 ), the encoded data is read on the basis of its information and input into the track buffer ( 62 ). the encoded data from the track buffer ( 62 ) is decoded by a decoder ( 64 ), and output from an output section ( 65 ). each section as shown in the same figure can be easily realized by the well - known technique . the detailed illustration and explanation of operation are omitted . fig1 illustrates one example in which the recorder / reproducing device is constituted using a computer . in fig1 , the recorder / reproducing device comprises a computer main unit ( 70 ), a monitor ( 68 ) for displaying the image , a speaker ( 69 ) for outputting the voice , a mouse ( 71 ) and a keyboard ( 72 ) for inputting an operation instruction from the user , and a drive ( 73 ) for recording or reproducing the data onto or from the recording medium ( 1 ). the recording medium ( 1 ) stores a program for controlling the computer ( 70 ), and a reading operation ( install ) of reading the program into the memory ( 66 ) within the computer via the drive ( 73 ) may be performed , before operating the recorder / reproducing device . the computer readable recording medium ( 1 ) may be a rewritable recording medium such as dvd - ram , mo , or a floppy disk to record the program on the same medium as the data such as the image or voice , or may be a reproduction dedicated disk such as cd - rom or dvd - rom . the recorder , the reproducing device , and the selection menu screen as previously described and shown in fig5 to 12 may be replaced in configuration with the recorder / reproducing device as shown in fig1 and 14 . also , the writing means ( 200 )( 20 )( 23 )( 28 )( 31 - 1 to 31 - m )( 37 ) for writing the information into the recording medium ( 1 ) or the reading means ( 34 )( 46 )( 48 ) ( 49 - 1 to 49 - m ) ( 50 - 1 to 50 - m )( 56 ) for reading the information from the recording medium ( 1 ) correspond to the drive ( 63 )( 73 ) as shown in fig1 and 14 , and the reproducing means ( 47 ) corresponds to the decoder ( 64 ) as shown in fig1 . the recording method and the reproducing method of the invention will be described below in connection with the operation ( i . e ., the content of program ) of the control section ( 58 ) as shown in fig1 . the name and structure of the management information are the same as those shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a method for embodying the operation of the recorder as shown in fig5 with a program as one example of the recording method for use with the invention . in fig1 , the recording operation is started at step ( 74 ). then the data such as the image or voice is recorded on the recording medium at step ( 75 ), as previously described and shown in fig1 . subsequently , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is specified at step ( 76 ). then , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is set in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) at step ( 77 ). the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) is recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) at step ( 78 ). on the other hand , the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) is specified at step ( 79 ), and set in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) at step ( 80 ). also , the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) is specified at step ( 81 ), and is set in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) at step ( 82 ). lastly , the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) at step ( 83 ). then the recording is ended at step ( 84 ). herein , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) at step ( 76 ) can be specified by selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., two - byte value ) and storing it in the memory , for example . the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) at step ( 79 ) can be specified by generating the rec_tm value ( e . g ., five - byte value ) with a timer ( clock ) which can progress in a unit of second , for example . the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 ) at step ( 81 ) can be specified by outputting the value of the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) directly with the method as shown in fig2 , or outputting zero with the method as shown in fig3 . fig1 shows a method for embodying the operation of the recorder as shown in fig6 with a program as one example of the recording method for use with the invention . in fig1 , the recording operation is started at step ( 85 ). then the data such as the image or voice is recorded on the recording medium at step ( 86 ), as previously described and shown in fig1 . subsequently , the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 is specified at step ( 87 ). then , the value ( tm_zone_ 0 ) of the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) already set in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) is changed to the new value ( tm_zone_ 1 ) which is then reset in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) at step ( 88 ). along with this , the differential value delta_tm_zone ( i . e ., tm_zone_ 1 − tm_zone_ 0 ) between the time zone information tm_zone before and after change is calculated at step ( 89 ). a variable i is prepared , and initialized to 1 at step ( 90 ). then , the loop process is entered . at step ( 91 ), the value rec_tm_ 1 which is the value rec_tm_ 0 of the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) already set in the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) plus the differential value delta_tm_zone is calculated , and reset in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ). at step ( 92 ), the value tm_zone_sub_ 1 which is the value tm_zone_sub_ 0 of the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 - i ) already set in the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) plus the differential value delta_tm_zone is calculated , and reset in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ). at step ( 93 ), it is determined whether or not all the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) is processed . if all processed , the operation proceeds to step ( 95 ), or otherwise , the value of the variable i is incremented by 1 at step ( 94 ), and the operation transfers to step ( 91 ). lastly , the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) at step ( 95 ). the recording is ended at step ( 96 ). herein , the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 at step ( 87 ) can be specified by selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., two - byte value ) and storing it in the memory , for example . fig1 shows a method for embodying the operation of the recorder as shown in fig7 with a program as one example of the recording method for use with the invention . in fig1 , the recording operation is started at step ( 85 ). then the data such as the image or voice is recorded on the recording medium at step ( 86 ), as previously described and shown in fig1 . subsequently , the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 is specified at step ( 87 ). then , the value ( tm_zone_ 0 ) of the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) already set in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) is changed to the new value ( tm_zone_ 1 ) which is then reset in the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) at step ( 88 ). along with this , the differential value delta_tm_zone ( i . e ., tm_zone_ 1 − tm_zone_ 0 ) between the time zone information tm_zone before and after change is calculated at step ( 89 ). a variable i is prepared , and initialized to 1 at step ( 90 ). then , the loop process is entered . at step ( 91 ), the value rec_tm_ 1 which is the value rec_tm_ 0 of the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - i ) already set in the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) plus the differential value delta_tm_zone is calculated , and reset in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ). at step ( 93 ), it is determined whether or not all the data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) is processed . if all processed , the operation proceeds to step ( 95 ), or otherwise , the value of the variable i is incremented by 1 at step ( 94 ), and operation transfers to step ( 91 ). lastly , the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) at step ( 95 ). the recording is ended at step ( 96 ). herein , the new time zone information tm_zone_ 1 at step ( 87 ) can be specified by selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., two - byte value ) and storing it in the memory , for example . fig1 shows a method for embodying the operation of the recorder as shown in fig8 with a program as one example of the recording method for use with the invention . in fig1 , the recording operation is started at step ( 97 ). then the data such as the image or voice is recorded on the recording medium at step ( 98 ), as previously described and shown in fig1 . subsequently , the current time zone information cur_tm_zone is specified at step ( 99 ). then , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is read from the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) at step ( 100 ). at step ( 101 ), the current time cur_tm is specified . at step ( 102 ), the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) is specified from the current time cur_tm , the current time zone information cur_tm_zone , and the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ). at step ( 103 ), the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) is set in the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ). at step ( 104 ), the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) is recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). the recording operation is ended at step ( 105 ). herein , at step ( 99 ), the current time zone information cur_tm_zone can be specified by selecting one of plural pieces of time zone information ( e . g ., two - byte value ) and storing it in the memory , for example . at step ( 101 ), the current time information rec_tm can be specified by generating the cur_tm value ( e . g ., five - byte value ) with a timer ( clock ) which can progress in a unit of second , for example . at step ( 102 ), the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 ) can be specified by making an arithmetic operation of ( rec_tm value = cur_tm value + tm_zone value − cur_tm_zone value ). fig1 shows a method for embodying the operation of the reproducing device as shown in fig1 with a program as one example of the reproducing method for use with the invention . in fig1 , the reproducing operation is started at step ( 106 ). then , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is read from the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) at step ( 107 ). a variable i is prepared , and initialized to 1 at step ( 108 ). then , the loop process is entered . at step ( 109 ), the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - i ) is read from the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). at step ( 110 ), the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 - i ) is read from the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). subsequently , at step ( 111 ), an arithmetic operation of ( mod_rec_tm value = rec_tm value + tm_zone_sub value − tm_zone value ) is performed , using the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ), the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - i ) and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone = sub ( 14 - i ) to specify the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm and display it in a format as shown in fig9 . at step ( 112 ), it is determined whether or not all the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) are processed . if all processed , the operation proceeds to step ( 114 ), or otherwise , the value of the variable i is incremented by 1 at step ( 113 ), and the operation transfers to step ( 109 ). at step ( 114 ), the data recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) is selected using the displayed result . at step ( 115 ), the data recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) is read and reproduced using the selected result . the reproducing operation is ended at step ( 116 ). fig2 shows a method for embodying the operation of the reproducing device as shown in fig1 with a program as one example of the reproducing method for use with the invention . in fig2 , the reproducing operation is started at step ( 106 ). then , a variable i is prepared , and initialized to 1 at step ( 108 ). then , the loop process is entered . at step ( 109 ), the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - i ) is read from the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). at step ( 110 ), the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone_sub ( 14 - i ) is read from the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). subsequently , at step ( 111 ), an arithmetic operation of ( mod_rec_tm value = rec_tm value + tm_zone_sub value ) is performed , using the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - i ) and the time zone auxiliary information tm_zone = sub ( 14 - i ) to specify the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm and display it in a format as shown in fig9 . at step ( 112 ), it is determined whether or not all the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) are processed . if all processed , the operation proceeds to step ( 114 ), or otherwise , the value of the variable i is incremented by 1 at step ( 113 ), and the operation transfers to step ( 109 ). at step ( 114 ), the data recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) is selected using the displayed result . at step ( 115 ), the data recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) is read and reproduced using the selected result . the reproducing operation is ended at step ( 116 ) fig2 shows a method for embodying the operation of the reproducing device as shown in fig1 with a program as one example of the reproducing method for use with the invention . in fig2 , the reproducing operation is started at step ( 117 ). then , the current time zone information cur_tm_zone is specified at step ( 118 ). then , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ) is read from the total management information vmgi ( 10 ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) at step ( 119 ). a variable i is prepared , and initialized to 1 at step ( 120 ). then , the loop process is entered . at step ( 121 ), the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - i ) is read from the i - th data management information vob_gi ( 11 - i ) recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ). subsequently , at step ( 122 ), an arithmetic operation of ( mod_rec_tm value = rec_tm value + cur_tm_zone value − tm_zone value ) is performed , using the current time zone information cur_tm_zone , the time zone information tm_zone ( 12 ), and the data recording time information rec_tm ( 13 - i ) to specify the correction data recording time information mod_rec_tm and display it in a format as shown in fig9 . at step ( 123 ), it is determined whether or not all the data management information vob_gi ( 11 ) are processed . if all processed , the operation proceeds to step ( 125 ), or otherwise , the value of the variable i is incremented by 1 at step ( 124 ), and the operation transfers to step ( 121 ). at step ( 125 ), the data recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) is selected using the displayed result . at step ( 126 ), the data recorded on the recording medium ( 1 ) is read and reproduced using the selected result . the reproducing operation is ended at step ( 127 ).	6
because circuits employing transducers such as cathode ray tubes in general are well known , the present description will be directed in particular to elements forming part of , or cooperating more directly with , the present invention . elements not specifically shown or described may take various forms well known to those skilled in the art . the light output from , for example , a cathode - ray tube , for a given signal input , is controlled by three parameters : ( 1 ) gamma , the index of the power law relating light output ( or cathode current , to which light output is normally proportional ) to driving voltage ; ( 3 ) gain , the effective sensitivity of the device . under normal conditions gamma for a given cathode - ray tube does not vary but bias and gain may do so . a sine wave signal with a fixed d . c . component added is applied to the tube and the resulting cathode current or light output is detected . the non - linearity of the tube characteristic causes the detected signal to contain harmonic components as well as a fundamental frequency component . the amplitude of the fundamental component of the output will vary with both bias and gain changes ; however if the correct harmonic is chosen , the harmonic component of the output will vary only when the gain changes . many cathode - ray tubes have power law transfer characteristics close to square or cube law . it is shown here that for a square law tube the second harmonic is independent of bias whilst for a cube law the third harmonic has this property . where a is the constant amplitude of the test sine wave of angular frequency w , and b is a constant pedestal added to it . where i c is the cathode current proportional to l ( the light output ), k is the gain factor , and v b is the bias voltage . both k and v b are subject to variation . substitute for v in ( 2 ) from ( 1 ) which can be re - arranged as ## equ1 ## the second harmonic component of the output cathode current i c is ## equ2 ## which is independent of v b . the fundamental component of the output cathode current i c is secondly , considering a cathode - ray tube having a cube law characteristic : let the signal be as before with the parameters defined as before . substituting for v in ( 3 ) from ( 1 ) which re - arranges as ## equ3 ## the third harmonic component of the output cathode current i c is ## equ4 ## which again is independent of v b . the fundamental component of the output cathode current i c , which is ## equ5 ## depends both on k and v b . a gain change is therefore detected as a change in the harmonic component of the output and can be corrected by a suitable gain control element . any departure of the fundamental component of the output from its expected value can now only be due to a bias error which can be corrected by a suitable bias control element . when the tube law departs from a true square or cube relationship a modification is needed . under these conditions the harmonic component of the output is no longer independent of bias ; however it varies with bias only at a slow rate . by causing the circuit about to be described to repeat the cycle of operation as many times as necessary a steady state is reached . because the departure of the tubes from exact integer power laws is normally small , say 1 . 8 to 2 . 2 for a square law and 2 . 7 to 3 . 3 for cube , the iterative procedure described above is fast and the settling time of the device is therefore short . referring now to the accompanying drawing , a cathode - ray tube ( crt ) 10 has provision for selecting a picture signal input 12 or a test signal input 14 by means of a switch 16 . the test signal input 14 is a sine - wave signal with a fixed d . c . ( pedestal ) component . when the test input 14 is selected , it is fed to the crt 10 by way of a digitally controlled gain element 18 . the bias of the crt 10 is controlled by a bias control unit 20 which varies the cathode voltage . the cathode voltage is applied to the crt through a current sensing resistor 22 . the potential developed across the resistor 22 by passage of the cathode current is applied to a current sensing circuit 24 . the output from the current sensing circuit 24 is fed to a fundamental frequency filter 26 and to a harmonic filter 28 tuned to the harmonic of the fundamental frequency corresponding to the power of the transfer characteristic of the crt . the outputs of both filters 26 , 28 are fed to respective rectifiers 30 , 32 . the outputs from the rectifiers 30 , 32 are selected by section 34b of a ganged fundamental / harmonic selector switch 34 for feeding to an analogue to digital converter 36 , thence to one input of a subtractor 38 . the second input to the subtractor 38 is selected by section 34a of the fundamental / harmonic selector switch 34 , and is a bias reference source 40 when the selector switch 34 has selected the fundamental filter 26 , and a gain reference source 42 when the selector switch 34 has selected the harmonic filter 28 . the bias reference source 40 and the gain reference source 42 have digital outputs set to give the desired crt operating condition . the subtractor 38 has two outputs , the first to a sign detector 44 and the second to a zero detector 46 . the output from the sign detector 44 controls the direction of counting of two up / down counters 48 , 50 which operate in the fundamental and harmonic modes respectively . the counters 48 , 50 count pulses from a clock 54 , the particular counter 48 , 50 being selected by a section 34c of the selector switch 34 . the output 52 of the counter 48 is fed to a digital to analogue converter 55 , the analogue output of which is applied to the bias control unit 20 . the output 56 of the counter 50 is applied to the gain element 18 to control the gain . when the test signal input 14 is selected by the switch 16 , a test signal in the form of a low frequency sine wave superimposed on a pedestal is applied to the crt . when the switch 34 is in the harmonic filter position the sign output from the subtractor 38 causes the selected up - down counter 50 to be driven in such a direction as to make the output of the subtractor 38 zero by varying the gain of the gain element 18 . the rate of the correction is determined by the frequency of the clock 54 , which frequency is low enough to allow the system to settle at each increment of the counter 50 . when the output of the subtractor 38 is zero , the switch 34 is changed to the fundamental filter position , so as to drive the counter 48 , vary the bias via 55 and 20 and so make the output of the subtractor 38 again zero . where an exact integer power law applied , the output of the crt 10 will now have been reset to its predetermined level , but where it is only approximately an integer power law it will be necessary to repeat the sequence until stability is achieved . while the above description has been made with reference to a crt , it is equally applicable to any other transducer whose output is an approximation to an integral power of the input signal . the output of the transducer may be measured by means other than a current sensor such as described above , for example where the transducer is a light source the output may be measured by a photocell . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a presently preferred embodiment thereof ; but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
the over - all reaction to give the thioethers can be described by the reaction formula ## str1 ## wherein x is either bromide (- br ) or hydroxy (- oh ); and wherein r is an alkyl group of 1 to about 20 carbon atoms , an aryl group of 6 to about 12 carbon atoms , a cycloalkyl group of 5 to about 12 carbon atoms , or substituted derivatives of these groups such as carboxyalkyl , carboxyaryl , or carboxycycloalkyl . the mercaptans which are suitable for use herein may be prepared by several known methods , such as those described in noller &# 39 ; s ( ed .) chemistry of organic compounds , 3rd , w . d . saunders company , 1966 , chapter 15 , pp . 300 - 304 . for purposes of this invention , the mercaptan may contain a variety of organic substituents bound to the sulfur atom . essentially any substituent which is inert to the condensation of the mercaptan with glycolic acid or bromoacetic acid may be present . for instance , alkyl , aryl , and cycloalkyl mercaptans and their substituted derivatives are suitable . representative suitable mercaptans include alkyl mercaptans such as methyl , ethyl or propyl mercaptan , and the like ; aryl mercaptans such as phenyl mercaptan , benzyl mercaptan , tolyl mercaptans and the like ; cycloalkyl mercaptans such as cyclohexyl mercaptan , 3 - methyl cyclopentyl mercaptan , 4 - chlorocyclooctyl mercaptan , and the like ; carboxyalkyl mercaptans such as mercaptoacetic acid , mercaptopropionic acid , and the like ; carboxyaryl mercaptans such as 4 - mercaptobenzoic acid , and the like ; and carboxycycloalkyl mercaptans such as 2 - mercaptocyclohexane carboxylic acid , and the like . preferred mercaptans include the lower alkyl mercaptans such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , and n - octyl mercaptan ; and phenyl mercaptan . bromoacetic acid and glycolic acid are suitable for use in the process of this invention . glycolic acid is commercially available or can be prepared by the carbonylation of formaldehyde as described , for instance , by u . s . pat . no . 3 , 911 , 003 , granted oct . 7 , 1975 , to s . suzuki . bromoacetic acid is available from the reaction of glycolic acid and hydrogen bromide . the process of this invention is carried out in an aqueous medium using conventional batch or continuous equipment over a wide range of temperature and pressure conditions . suitable temperatures range from about 90 ° c . to about 220 ° c ., preferably from about 100 ° c . to about 180 ° c . suitable pressures range from about 0 . 5 atmosphere to about 100 atmospheres ; usually the reaction is carried out under autogenous pressure . the process is carried out in the presence of hydrogen bromide . a catalytic amount of hydrogen bromide , that is from about 1 to about 80 weight percent , preferably from about 5 to about 50 weight percent , is required . thus , a solution of hydrogen bromide gas in water may be used as both the catalyst and the reaction medium . accordingly , in practice , the concentration of hydrogen bromide ranges from about 1 to about 70 weight percent . the concentration of reactants can also vary greatly . an equimolar amount of the mercaptan and hydroxyacid is acceptable . however , it is preferable to use a molar excess of the mercaptan . suitable molar ratios of mercaptan to acid range from about 0 . 5 to about 10 , preferably from about 1 to about 5 . in a preferred embodiment , the process is carried out in continuous fashion using an acid - resistant reaction vessel , for instance a hastelloy alloy or titanium vessel . the reactants are passed into the reactor in contact with aqueous hydrogen bromide . the product stream is withdrawn and unreacted material is recycled . the product can be purified by conventional methods such as distillation or extraction . the following examples further illustrate this invention and are not intended to limit its scope . a 300 - ml capacity , stainless - steel reactor with a glass liner was charged with glycolic acid 0 . 1 mol , 48 % aqueous hbr 10 ml ( containing hbr 0 . 09 mol and h 2 o 0 . 4 mol ), and thiophenol 0 . 15 mol . the reactor was sealed and heated at 150 ° c . for 2 hours while the reaction mixture was magnetically stirred . the product was extracted with ether , the ether extract was evaporated to dryness , and the residue was methylated in a refluxing methanol with a catalytic amount of sulfuric acid . analysis of the esterified mixture by gas chromatogram ( ffap column ) showed 84 % conversion of the glycolic acid with 99 % selectivity to thiophenoxyacetic acid . the same reactor used in example 1 was charged with glycolic acid 0 . 1 mol , 48 % aqueous hbr 10 ml ( containing hbr 0 . 09 mol and h 2 o 0 . 4 mol ), and ethanethiol 0 . 30 mol , and the mixture was reacted at 150 ° c . for 2 hours . the product mixture was evaporated , and the residue was analyzed as before to show 46 % conversion of the glycolic acid to ethylthioacetic acid with better than 90 % selectivity . the same reactor used in example 1 was charged with glycolic acid 0 . 1 mol , 48 % aqueous hbr 10 ml ( containing hbr 0 . 09 mol and h 2 o 0 . 4 mol ), and n - octanethiol 0 . 15 mol , and the mixture was reacted at 150 ° c . for 4 hours . the product was evaporated , and the residue was analyzed as before to show 38 % conversion of the glycolic acid to n - octylthioacetic acid with 6 % selectivity and to thiodiglycolic acid with 90 % selectivity . the same reactor used in example 1 was charged with glycolic acid 0 . 10 mol , aqueous hbr 10 ml ( containing hbr 0 . 09 mol and h 2 o 0 . 4 mol ), and mercaptoacetic acid 0 . 13 mol , and the mixture was reacted at 150 ° c . for 2 hours . the product mixture was evaporated , and the residue was analyzed as before to show over 99 % conversion of glycolic acid to thiodiglycolic acid with better than 95 % selectivity . replacement of the glycolic acid in the above example with an equal molar amount of bromoacetic acid gave essentially the same result .	2
fig1 is a flow diagram depicting the capture and display of high - resolution images of a vehicle through the internet , where the images have the same background . the image files can be automatically uploaded to a server , after capture , and are retained on the server . select images and select portions of the high - resolution images can be viewed on the internet , so as not to require excessive bandwidth for viewing , or image downloading from the server to the viewer &# 39 ; s computer . fsi viewer ( neptunelabs gmbh ) provides this type of capture and image display over the internet . portions of particular images can be selectively zoomed to display them , so that the entirety of all portions of all images is not streamed at the same instant . other programs to accomplish these ends may also be used . referring to fig9 , an arm 100 is shown arcing above a vehicle 10 , where arm 100 has an imaging device 102 positioned to capture images of the uppermost surface of the vehicle . device 102 can slide along arm 100 to also capture images of the sides of vehicle 10 , or device 102 can be fixed to only capture the uppermost vehicle surface , and a separate imaging device ( device 33 in fig2 and 3 ) can capture the sides of vehicle 10 . device 102 can also be fixed elsewhere ( such as to a beam joining carriers 20 and 30 ) to allow viewing the uppermost part of vehicle 10 . the use of device 102 in this manner allows one to generate a simulated three - dimensional view of the vehicle 10 , which can be rotated through at least one axis during viewing to show different portions of the exterior surface of the vehicle . it is possible to view the images directly from the imaging device or from the server , or by downloading the images to a viewer &# 39 ; s computer . for wide access for many viewers to the images , the arrangement in fig1 is preferred . referring to fig2 to 4 , a vehicle 10 is centered between a background display carrier 20 and a carrier 30 . carrier 30 includes an imaging device 33 and lighting 34 . lighting 34 can be strobe lighting coordinated to be on when each image is captured by device 33 , or other lighting . the capture of images can be timed or otherwise controlled to create a series of images showing the entire surface . another method of controlling image capture is using a digital compass or a travel sensor associated with the carrier 20 or 30 , and thereby controlling image capture as the carriers 20 and 30 move a predetermined amount . both carriers 20 and 30 consist of several separate sections 21 g and 31 a - 31 e respectively ). having multiple sections makes carriers 20 and 30 more convenient to transport or store , following breaking them down into the sections . more or fewer sections for carriers 20 and 30 , or no sections , are also feasible . each of the sections 21 a - 21 g are equipped with two pairs of wheels 22 , on an axle 24 , and each of the sections 31 a - 31 e are equipped with two pairs of wheels 32 , on an axle 34 . the carriers 20 and 30 are arced as shown , and the wheels 22 and 32 would normally be in fixed position with respect to the vertical axis , so that carriers 20 and 30 follow the path their arc &# 39 ; s define as they revolve around vehicle 10 on wheels 22 and 32 . however , it is possible for the aspect of wheels 22 and 32 to be adjustable so that carriers 20 and 30 can follow different arced paths . arms 36 and 38 link the ends of carriers 20 and 30 , so that they revolve together . arms 36 and 38 should provide enough clearance to permit vehicle 10 to move in and out from its position between carriers 20 and 30 . carriers 20 and 30 could also be linked with other arrangements , including one beam which is affixed to the ceiling , or carriers 20 and 30 could be separately powered , provided their movement is coordinated . in fig3 and 3a a screen 37 is shown partially in place over the vehicle 10 side of carrier 20 . when screen 37 is fully lowered , it displays a desirable background for the vehicle 10 when its images are captured by imaging device 33 . the background on the screen 37 can be any type , including a green screen . fig5 is a plan view of a carrier 50 having a first set of wheels 52 and a second set of wheels 54 . at least one of the sets of wheels 52 or 54 can be rotated with respect to the vertical axis ( as shown for wheels 52 in fig6 ) to allow the carrier 50 to move on a variety of arced paths . carrier 50 optionally has the same features as carrier 20 , such as multiple sections and a screen over one side displaying a background . carrier 50 can be used with a dolly 70 shown in fig7 . in fig7 , dolly 70 has three wheels , 72 , 74 and 76 , a tripod docking station 78 ( where an adjustable imaging device docking station can be attached to the tripod ). wheels 74 and 76 can be rotated to the other side of support 75 by rotating plates 74 a and 76 a through ½ turn , so that dolly 70 can follow an arc in either direction . fig7 shows a computer docking station 81 for a computer , and a motor 85 or other drive unit . batteries 87 are shown as well . computer 81 a can upload images from device 33 or 102 , automatically or under operator control , from where the images can be viewed or transferred to a server . it also shows a seat 89 for an operator , and foot pegs 91 . fig8 shows a telescoping tripod 93 , to which an imaging device can be affixed . the imaging device can be attached with a movable mount , so it can shoot at a variety of angles . motor 85 can drive the wheel 72 in either direction to cause revolution of the dolly 70 about the vehicle ( vehicle 10 in fig2 to 4 ) in either direction . dolly 70 can be linked to carrier 50 , or carrier 50 can be independent and have its own motor and movement control . in the case where dolly 70 and carrier 50 have their own motors , their relative positions to each other and to the vehicle being imaged could be maintained using electronic beams and receptors on dolly 70 and carrier 50 , which control the motors to maintain the beams and receptors in alignment . one could also use other methods of movement control i . e ., a digital compass 23 a or a travel sensor . motor 85 or other motors on carrier 50 or dolly 70 can be electric , gas or diesel , and the dolly 70 can include a position to carry the energy source for motor 85 , including a photovoltaic cell or batteries 87 . fig9 shows an arm 100 for carrying an imaging device which can capture the upper surfaces of vehicle 10 . the imaging device 102 can slide up and down along arm 100 and also be locked into position along the sliding arc . arm 100 would be attached to dolly 70 or the carriers 20 or 30 . it should be understood that the terms and expressions used herein are exemplary only and not limiting , and that the scope of the invention is defined only in the claims which follow , and includes all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims .	8
hereinafter , preferred devices constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . the delay locked loop constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention generally includes a phase comparator , a shift register , and a noise determining circuit . the noise determining circuit generally includes an lpf controlling circuit and low pass filters . referring to fig3 the illustrated delay locked loop comprises a delay locked loop including a first clock buffer 300 receiving an external clock bar clkb for producing a falling clock signal fclkt 2 activated at a falling edge of the clock . it also includes a second clock buffer 310 receiving an external clock clk for producing a rising clock signal rclkt 2 which is activated at a rising edge of the clock . the loop also includes a clock divider 320 for producing a pulse at every other eight clocks of the rising clock signal rclkt 2 , and a phase comparator 330 for comparing a reference signal ref from the clock divider 320 with a feedback signal feedback from a delay modeling circuit 390 . the loop further includes a shift controller 340 receiving the output of the phase comparator 330 and the output signals of first and second low pass filters 420 and 430 to produce a right shift signal sr and / or a left shift signal sl to shift a shift register 350 . the shift register 350 controls a delay amount by shifting an output signal in response to the right shift signal sr and / or the left shift signal sl from the shift controller 340 . the loop also includes a first delay line 360 which is responsive to the output signal of the shift register 350 for adjusting the delay amount of the output signal of the clock divider 320 , a second delay line 370 responsive to the output signal of the shift register 350 for adjusting the delay amount of the rising clock signal rclkt 2 , and a third delay line 380 responsive to the output signal of the shift register 350 for adjusting the delay amount of the falling clock signal fclkt 2 . the delay modeling circuit 390 compensates a time difference between the external clock clk and an internal clock by using a delay adjusted feedback delay signal feedback_dly 1 received from the first delay line 360 . the loop also includes a delay locked loop signal driving circuit 400 for driving internal circuitry with the outputs of the second and third delay lines 370 and 380 , and a low pass filter controlling circuit 410 for receiving a delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz , a self - refresh signal sref , a power - up signal pwrup , a delay locked loop reset signal dll_reset , and a delay locked loop disable signal dis_dll from the shift controller 240 to activate the low pass filters . the first low pass filter 420 receives a low pass filter activating signal lpf_en from the low pass filter controlling circuit 410 and first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 ( which are outputs of the phase comparator 330 ) to count the number of result values outputted from the phase comparator 330 ( see fig4 b ). the second low pass filter 430 receives the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en from the low pass filter controlling circuit 410 as well as second and fourth phase comparison signals pc 1 and pc 3 ( which are outputs of the phase comparator 330 ) to count the number of the result values outputted from the phase comparator 330 ( see fig4 b ). one of the input signals of the low pass filter controlling circuit 410 is a delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz . the delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz becomes logic high before a delay locked loop clock is locked and transits to logic low at clock locking . therefore , before clock locking , the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is logic low and does not operate the first and second low pass filters 420 and 430 . and after clock locking , the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en transits to logic high to operate the first and second low pass filters 420 and 430 . referring to fig4 a , the shift controller 340 includes a first input circuit 440 receiving the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 , the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en , and the output ( shift_r ) of the first low pass filter 420 . a second input circuit 450 receives the second and fourth phase comparison signals pc 1 and pc 3 , the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en , and the output ( shift_l ) of the second low pass filter 430 . an output circuit 460 receives the outputs of the first and second input circuits 440 and 450 and the comparison pulse signal cmp_pulse to output the right shift signal sr , the left shift signal sl and the delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz . more particularly , the first input circuit 440 includes a nand gate 441 receiving the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 , a first nor gate 442 receiving the output of the nand gate 441 and the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en , a first inverter 443 receiving the output of the nor gate 442 , a second inverter 444 receiving the output of the first inverter 443 , a second nor gate 445 receiving the output of the second inverter 444 and the output of the first low pass filter 420 , and a third inverter 446 receiving the output of the second nor gate 445 . the second input circuit 450 includes a nand gate 451 receiving the second and fourth phase comparison signals pc 1 and pc 3 , a first nor gate 452 receiving the output of the nand gate 451 and the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en , a first inverter 453 receiving the output of the first nor gate 452 , a second inverter 454 receiving the output of the first inverter 453 , a second nor gate 455 receiving the output of the second inverter 454 and the output of the second low pass filter 430 , and a third inverter 456 receiving the output of the second nor gate 455 . the output circuit 460 includes a first nand gate 461 receiving the output of the first input circuit 440 and the comparison pulse signal cmp_pulse , a first inverter 462 receiving the output of the first nand gate 461 to output the right shift signal sr , a second nand gate 463 receiving the output of the second input circuit 450 and the comparison pulse signal cmp_pulse , a second inverter 464 receiving the output of the second nand gate 463 to output the left shift signal sl , a nor gate 465 receiving the outputs of the first and second inverters 462 and 464 , and a third inverter 466 receiving the output of the nor gate 465 to output the delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz . in operation , when the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is logic low before locking , the shift controller 340 receives the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 from the first nor gate 442 of the first input circuit 440 and the second and fourth phase comparison signals pc 1 and pc 3 from the first nor gate 452 of the second input circuit 450 to output the left and right shift signals sl and sr to shift the shift register 350 . on the contrary , when the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is logic high , the shift controller 340 blocks the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 via the first nor gate 442 of the first input circuit 440 and the second and fourth phase comparison signals pc 1 and pc 3 via the first nor gate 452 of the second input circuit 450 but receives a first shift signal shift_r via the second nor gate 445 of the first input circuit 440 and a second shift signal shift_l via the second nor gate 455 of the second input circuit 450 . the first and second shift signals shift_r and shift_l activate the right and left shift signals sr and sl , respectively , to control the shift register 350 . referring to fig5 the illustrated low pass filter controlling circuit 410 includes an initializing circuit 500 and an activating circuit 510 . the initializing circuit 500 receives as inputs the self - refresh signal sref , the power - up signal pwrup , the delay locked loop disable signal dis_dll and the delay locked loop reset signal dll_reset to notify that the delay locked loop operates . the activating circuit 510 receives as inputs the delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz and the output of the initializing circuit 500 to output the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en . more particularly , the initializing circuit 500 includes : ( a ) a first inverter 501 receiving the power - up signal pwrup , ( b ) a nor gate 502 receiving the self - refresh signal sref and the output of the first inverter 501 , ( c ) a second inverter 503 receiving the delay locked loop disable signal dis_dll , ( d ) a delaying circuit 504 receiving the delay locked loop reset signal dll_reset , ( e ) a nand gate 505 receiving the output of the nor gate 502 , the output of the second inverter 503 and the output of the delaying circuit 504 , and ( f ) an inverting circuit 506 for inverting the output of the nand gate 505 . the activating circuit 510 includes a first inverter 511 receiving the delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz , a nand gate 512 receiving the output of the initializing circuit 500 and the output of the first inverter 511 , and a second inverter 513 receiving the output of the nand gate 512 to output the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en . in operation , when the operation of the delay locked loop is indicated ( i . e ., when the self - refresh signal sref is logic low ( i . e ., escaped from self - refresh mode ), the power - up signal pwrup is logic high , and the delay locked loop disable signal dis_dll is logic low ), the inputs of the nand gate 505 of the initializing circuit 500 all become logic high so that the output of the nand gate 505 becomes logic low . accordingly , the output of the nand gate 505 is inverted to logic high by the inverting circuit 506 . when the delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz transits to logic low thereby indicating that locking of the delay locked loop has occurred , the inputs of the nand gate 512 all become logic high so that the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is activated to logic high via the inverter 513 . referring to fig6 a , the illustrated first low pass filter 420 includes an input circuit 600 receiving the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 and the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en . it also includes a controlling circuit 610 receiving a control pulse signal hit from the phase comparator 330 and the output of the input circuit 600 to control shift of a counter 620 . the counter 620 receives the output of the input circuit 600 to count the number of repetitions of logic values of the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 under control of the output of the controlling circuit 610 . the low pass filter 420 also includes a latch output circuit 630 for latching the output of the counter 620 to output the first shift signal shift_r . more particularly , the input circuit 600 includes a nand gate 601 receiving the first and third phase comparison signal pc 0 and pc 2 and the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en , and an inverter 602 receiving the output of the nand gate 601 . the controlling circuit 610 includes : ( a ) an inverting circuit 611 for inverting the control pulse signal hit , ( b ) a nand gate 612 receiving the inverted control pulse signal hit and the output of the input circuit 600 , and ( c ) an inverter 613 receiving the output of the nand gate 612 . the counter 620 includes an inverter 627 inverts the output of the controlling circuit 610 . the first stage 621 is controlled by the output of the controlling circuit 610 and receives a feedback output of the sixth stage 626 and the output of the input circuit 600 . the second stage 622 is controlled by the output of the controlling circuit 610 and receives the output of the first stage 621 . the third stage 623 is controlled by the output of the controlling circuit 610 and receives the output of the second stage 622 . the fourth stage 624 is controlled by the output of the controlling circuit 610 and receives the output of the third stage 623 . the fifth stage 625 is controlled by the output of the controlling circuit 610 and receives the output of the fourth stage 624 . the sixth stage 626 is controlled by the output of the controlling circuit 610 and receives the output of the fifth stage 625 . more particularly , the first stage 621 includes a transfer gate 10 constructed by a nmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the controlling circuit 610 and a pmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the inverter 627 to transfer the feedback output of the sixth stage 626 . the first stage 621 also includes a nand gate 11 receiving the output of the input circuit 600 and the output of the transfer gate 10 , a first inverter 12 receiving the output of the nand gate 11 having an output coupled to the output of the transfer gate 10 to latch , and a second inverter 13 receiving the output of the nand gate 11 . the second stage 622 includes a transfer gate 20 constructed by a pmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the controlling circuit 610 and a nmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the inverter 627 to transfer the output of the first stage 621 . the second stage 622 also includes a first inverter 21 receiving the output of the transfer gate 20 , a second inverter 22 receiving the output of the first inverter 21 and having an output coupled to the output of the transfer gate 20 to latch , and a third inverter 23 receiving the output of the first inverter 21 . the fifth stage 625 includes a first inverter 628 receiving the output of the input circuit 600 , and a transfer gate 30 constructed by a nmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the controlling circuit 610 and a pmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the inverter 627 to transfer the output of the fourth stage 624 . the fifth stage 625 also includes a nand gate 31 receiving the output of the first inverter 628 and the output of the transfer gate 31 , a second inverter 32 receiving the output of the nand gate 31 and having an output coupled to the output of the transfer gate 30 to latch , and a third inverter 33 receiving the output of the nand gate 31 . the first stage 621 and the third stage 623 are identical to each other in their structure . the second , fourth and sixth stages 622 , 624 and 626 are identical to each other in their structure . the latch output circuit 630 includes a transfer gate 40 constructed by a pmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the inverter 627 and a nmos transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the controlling circuit 610 to transfer the output of the fourth stage 624 . the latch output circuit 630 also includes a nand gate 41 receiving the output of the input circuit 600 and the output of the transfer gate 40 , a first inverter 42 receiving the output of the nand gate 41 and having an output coupled to the output of the transfer gate 40 to latch , and a second inverter 43 receiving the output of the nand gate 41 to output a first shift signal shift_r . the structure of the second low pass filter 430 is identical to that of the first low pass filter 420 shown in fig6 a except that it receives the second and fourth phase comparison signals pc 1 and pc 3 instead of the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 and it outputs the shift_l signal instead of the shift_r signal . in operation of the first and second low pass filters 420 and 430 , when the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is logic low , the output of the nand gate 601 of the input circuit 600 is logic high so that the input circuit 600 does not receive the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 at the inputs of the nand gate 601 . in particular , the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 do not matter ( i . e ., “ a don &# 39 ; t care ”) to the nand gate 601 because the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is logic low . on the contrary , when the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is logic high , the output of the input circuit 600 depends upon the states of the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 . when the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en is logic low , the first and second low pass filters 420 and 430 do not operate . the control pulse signal hit is a pulse generated at every other predetermined number of clocks . it is a comparison pulse signal cmp_pulse that determines the timing when the first to fourth phase comparison signals pc 0 to pc 3 are generated at the phase comparator 330 . if the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 from the phase comparator 330 are not both in the logic high level three times sequentially ( i . e ., during three sequential hit pulses ), the first low pass filter 420 resets the counter 620 and then maintains the first shift signal shift_r at a logic low . when the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 from the phase comparator 330 are both at the logic high level three times sequentially , the first low pass filter 420 makes the first shift signal shift_r logic high , and then resets the counter 620 to recount . [ 0053 ] fig6 b illustrates a truth table for certain elements in fig6 a showing a sequence two hit pulses . in the example of fig6 b , one of the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 enters a logic low state at the second hit pulse . if the high state of the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 are not repeated three times sequentially , the output node of the input circuit 600 has a logic low value so that the latch circuits of the first , third and fifth stages 10 , 30 are initialized again . in particular , the first through sixth stages 621 , 622 , 623 , 624 , 625 , 626 of the counter 620 return to their initial states in the second sequence of fig6 b and the state of the first shift signal shift_r remains low . in effect , the low pass filter has determined that the first request to generate a shift_r signal ( shown in fig6 b as the first sequence where both pc 0 and pc 2 are high ) was generated by noise . accordingly , the counter 620 is reset to again start counting . [ 0054 ] fig6 c illustrates a truth table for certain elements of fig6 a for a series of three hit pulses wherein pc 0 and pc 2 indicate that the shift right request is not attributed to noise . in the example of fig6 c and 6d , when the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 are both logic high , the transfer gates of the second , fourth and sixth stages 622 , 624 and 626 of the counter 620 of the first low pass filter 420 are turned on to conduct . if the all high state is repeated three times sequentially , the first shift signal shift_r outputs a logic high . in particular , the first and third phase comparison signals pc 0 and pc 2 are logic high throughout the first , second , and third sequences . in contrast to fig6 b , the first through sixth stages 621 , 622 , 623 , 624 , 625 , 626 of the counter 620 do not return to their initial states at the second sequence . as a result , the first shift signal shift_r is a logic high because the first low pass filter 420 determined that the output of the phase comparator 330 was not caused by noise . referring to fig7 b , the timing diagram shows that the low pass filter activating signal lpf_en transits to logic high after the delay locked loop locking signal dll_lockz falls to logic low when the delay locked loop locking signal is locked . before the delay locked loop is locked , the shift controller 340 relays the output of the phase comparator 330 to the shift register 350 . on the other hand , after the delay locked loop is locked , the first and second low pass filters 420 and 430 receive the output of the phase comparator 330 so that the first and second shift signals shift_r and shift_l output logic high and the shift controller 340 receives these logic high shift signals only when the phase comparator 330 outputs information for shift of the shift register 350 three times sequentially . that is , the first and second low pass filters 420 and 430 determine that the output of the phase comparator 330 is originated from noise when the phase comparator 330 outputs the same result less than three times sequentially . when such a noise determination is made , the low pass filters 420 , 430 operate to ensure there is no shift of the shift register 350 . as described above , the delay locked loop of improves the ac parameter tac ( dq edge to clk edge skew ) by constructing the delay locked loop such that it is less sensitive to noise by using the delay locked loop low pass filters . although certain methods and apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention have been described herein , the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto . on the contrary , this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the invention fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents .	7
with reference to fig1 , there is shown a ballast water treatment apparatus or device 102 according to the present invention . the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 includes a tank housing 104 as illustrated . the housing 104 includes an inlet port 106 having a gallon metered device as shown . the housing 104 further includes a discharge port 108 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the housing member 104 is further provided with a discharge hose 110 mounted thereon by use of hook brackets 112 . during use of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 as described in further detail below , the discharge hose 110 is connected to the discharge port 108 . with continuing reference to fig1 , there is further shown transport wheels 114 integrally arranged with the housing member 104 to thereby provide mobility during use of the apparatus on a ship &# 39 ; s deck . as also shown in fig1 , the housing member 104 is provided with a filter apparatus which is discussed in further detail in connection with fig2 - 5 . with reference now to fig2 , there is shown the filter apparatus 116 including a filter bag 118 , support rods 120 , and a support frame 122 . the support frame 122 is positioned on a first platform 124 as illustrated . the first platform 124 divides the interior housing 124 into an upper filter chamber 125 and a lower treatment chamber . according to this embodiment of the present invention , there is also provided a second platform 126 positioned below the first platform 124 and above the bottom 128 of the housing 104 . the first platform 124 fluidly isolates the upper filter chamber from the lower chambers . the first platform 124 includes a first flow aperture 130 which allows filtered water to pass from the upper chamber into a first lower flow channel formed between the first platform member 124 and the second platform member 126 . as further illustrated in fig2 , the second platform member 126 includes a flow aperture 132 allowing fluid flow from the first treatment channel into the second treatment channel formed between the second platform 126 and the tank bottom 128 . as further indicated by the arrows in fig2 representing the direction of flow of ballast water through the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , the filtered water exits the housing 104 through a third flow aperture 134 . as illustrated , water flow is through the aperture 134 in the tank bottom 128 and then through the discharge port 108 . as discussed above in conjunction with fig1 , during use of the device 102 , the discharge hose 110 is connected to the discharge elbow 108 to direct filtered and treated water over the side of the ship as further discussed in detail below . as further illustrated in fig2 , each of the lower flow chambers includes at least one ultraviolet ( uv ) lamp 136 which is secured to either side of the housing 104 by uv lamp sockets 138 . each of the individual uv lamps 136 is provided with an electrical feedback connection 140 that connects into an electrical control box 132 as illustrated . the electrical control box 132 further includes an electrical power supply 134 that provides power to the uv lamps 136 . electrical power is provided to the control box 132 by an electrical connection 146 that connects to the ship &# 39 ; s power supply . during use of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , the control box 142 includes an hour meter to monitor and record uv bulb usage time . fig2 illustrates one uv lamp in each of the lower treatment chambers . it would be readily understood by those of skill in the art , however , that a greater number of uv bulbs may be situated within these treatment chambers to provide additional electromagnetic uv energy into the chamber . thus during the operation of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , after the ballast water has passed through the filter bag 118 , it is directed by gravity flow into the lower uv treatment chambers wherein electrical energy is applied to the uv bulbs and uv energy is directed in all directions into the flowing filtered water . the uv energy is selected to be of sufficient power so that any micro - organisms or other biological organisms passing through the filter - bag 118 will be deactivated by the application of the uv energy . as used herein , “ deactivation ” means rendering any harmful or undesired biological organisms inactive in a manner that either kills the organisms , renders them unable to reproduce , or otherwise prevents them from causing harm to the open water environment into which the ballast water is discharged . the uv lamps utilized in one specific embodiment preferably number 8 in each chamber and are preferably 2000 watts ( 2 kw ) with an operating voltage of 1 , 454 volts ac running at 1 . 35 amps . thus in this embodiment of the present invention , uv radiation is principally employed to deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water . as further illustrated in fig2 , the ballast treatment apparatus 102 may be provided with two inlet ports 106 each having a respective gallon meter . in this alternate embodiment of the present invention , two supply hoses may be utilized from the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system to double the input flow into the apparatus 102 thereby decreasing the time required to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to the various methods of the present invention discussed below in further detail . with reference now to fig3 , there is shown a perspective top view of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . fig3 also shows a top view of the filter apparatus 116 including filter bag 118 and support rods 120 . as further shown in fig3 , the filter bag 118 is folded upwardly within the filter bag itself so that the bottom of the filter bag is situated some distance below the top edge of the filter bag 118 . as further shown , the bottom of the filter bag 118 is provided with a change - filter indicator strip 148 . in this manner , during use of the device when particulate matter is filtered from ballast water , the material forming the filter bag 118 will eventually collect an external layer of filtered particulate matter . as this layer of filtered particulate matter increases in thickness , the change - filter indicator strip 148 will eventually become fully covered by such filtered particulate matter . when this occurs , this is an indication that the filter bag 118 should be changed . fig4 illustrates the process for changing the filter bag 118 . as illustrated in fig4 , one or two crew members may grasp the support rods 120 and lift the filter bag 116 from the housing member 104 . as further shown in fig4 , when filter bag 118 is removed from the housing member 104 , the support frame 122 remains within the housing 104 . the preferred shape of the support frame 122 is the a - frame style indicated in fig4 . in this manner , the support frame 122 provides the necessary elevation so that the end of the filtered bag and the change - filter indicator strip 148 , fig3 , is situated at a desired height within the housing 104 so that it is substantially always submerged under ballast water during the filtration process to provide an accurate indication of the amount of particulate matter filtered during the filter operation . as further illustrated in fig4 , the top edge of the housing member 104 is provided with support rod notches 150 that are located to position support rods 120 in a desired parallel fashion as indicated in fig3 . the support rod notches 150 also secure the rods during use of the device . fig5 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the filter frame support structure 122 and filter bag 118 . as illustrated , as the filter bag 118 is loaded into the apparatus , the support frame 122 provides a structure that positions the indicator strip 148 at a desired location above the first platform 124 shown , for example , in fig4 . in this manner , not only does the indicator strip 148 result in being positioned in a desired height above the first platform 124 , the surface area of the filter bag is thereby increased thus giving increased flow - through and filtering effect during the filtering operation . with reference next to fig6 and 7 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 , the upper chamber is substantially similar to that discussed in connection with fig1 - 5 . as illustrated , this embodiment of the apparatus 102 includes the filter apparatus 116 , and the housing member 104 having an inlet port 106 and discharge port 108 . this embodiment of the present invention also includes a first platform 124 and a second platform 126 . this embodiment also similarly includes the first flow aperture 130 provided in the first platform 124 and a second flow aperture 132 formed in the second platform 126 . as illustrated , the first flow aperture 130 is rectangular in shape while the second flow aperture 132 in this embodiment is circular to conform to an inlet pipe 152 shown in fig7 . as illustrated in fig6 and 7 , this embodiment of the present invention includes a treatment tank 154 . the treatment tank 154 includes the uv lamps 136 . depending on the application of the energy required , anywhere between one and eight uv lamps extending the entire length of the treatment tank 154 are preferably desired . the tank 154 is further provided with discharge piping 156 . as illustrated in fig6 , the discharge piping 156 is fluidly connected to the discharge port 108 . the discharge piping 156 includes a trap portion 158 which is situated above the highest water level attainable within the tank 154 . in this manner during non - use , water will be maintained within a pipe segment 160 to thereby prevent undesired back - flow . the treatment tank 154 is similarly provided with an electrical power supply 144 and an electrical feedback connection 140 . in this specific embodiment of the apparatus as illustrated in fig7 , the treatment tank 154 is further provided with heat sensors 162 . the electrical feedback connection 144 and electrical power supply 144 are similarly connected to a control box 142 as illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , the heat sensors 162 are similarly connected to the control box 142 . the heat sensors detect the temperature of the filtered water as it passes through the treatment tank 154 . in one preferred embodiment , once the uv bulbs 136 reach a desired temperature , they will heat the water and thereby deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water as it passes through the tank 154 . in this embodiment , both uv radiation and heat are employed as indicated to deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water . to prevent premature discharge of filtered water from the treatment tank 154 through the discharge port 108 , this embodiment of the present invention is provided with a solenoid - activated valve 164 which is similarly electrically connected to the control box 142 . in this manner , the valve 164 is not opened until the water temperature within the tank 154 reaches a pre - determined processing temperature . in one preferred embodiment , the required bulb temperature for water treatment is 125 ° f . in this embodiment low pressure uv lamps are employed to achieve the desired temperature . in another preferred embodiment of this aspect of the present invention , high pressure uv lamps are utilized to achieved a water temperature of 400 ° f . thus during use of the apparatus illustrated in fig6 and 7 , discharge flow is not permitted until the temperature in tank 154 reaches a predetermined desired temperature set to effectively kill or otherwise deactivate any biological microorganisms contained within the ballast water . as with the embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 discussed in connection with fig1 - 4 , the uv lamps utilized in the embodiment shown in fig6 and 7 are preferably 2000 watts ( 2 kw ) with an operating voltage of 1 , 454 ac running at 1 . 35 amps . in one specific implementation , six uv lamps of this particular rating are preferred . referring now to fig8 , there is shown a schematic cross - sectional side view of a typical ship &# 39 ; s ballast tank and first main deck . as represented schematically , the main deck includes a fire hydrant outlet 166 as indicated . during the process of loading sea water into the ship for ballast , the sea chest and sea valve 168 are open to allow sea water to enter the ballast tanks 170 . to allow sea water into the ballast tank , ballast tank valve 172 is typically provided to control the flow of sea water into the ballast tank . a strainer is provided to remove any large particulate matter from the sea water as it enters the ballast tank 170 from the sea chest through the sea valve 168 and into the ballast tank 170 through the ballast tank valve 172 . as indicated in fig8 , the sea water mechanical system also typically includes a fire hydrant system main valve 174 . during use of the apparatus of the present invention , the sea valve 168 is closed while the ballast tank valve 172 is opened . a pump 176 is activated to pump sea water from the ballast tank 170 up through pump 176 and through the connecting piping 178 to feed the fire hydrant outlets 166 with sufficient pressure . thus in this manner , the apparatus of the present invention may advantageously utilize the ballast water mechanical systems and the fire hydrant system of a ship to direct ballast water from the ballast tanks of a ship through the fire hydrant system to the fire hydrant outlets 166 on board the ship and then into the apparatus of the present invention . with reference now to fig9 , there is shown a typical container ship 180 docked in port alongside a dock 182 . according to one aspect of the present invention , the ballast treatment apparatus 102 is mounted on a dock - side service vehicle 184 . in accordance with one method of the present invention , the dock - side service vehicle 184 is positioned adjacent to the docked ship , in this case the container ship 180 . fire hoses 186 are then connected to the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant outlets and directed overboard from the ship &# 39 ; s deck to be secured to the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 contained on or secured to a suitable work space area provided preferably on the back of the dock - side service vehicle 184 . the fire hoses 186 are then connected to the inlet ports 106 of the apparatus 102 and filtration and treatment of the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water proceeds as described above . the dock - side service vehicle 184 contains a discharge pipe 188 which directs the filtered and treated water back into the harbor or port . the inventors of the present invention have designed and contemplated many implementations of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 for use in combination with the dock - side service vehicle 184 . as indicated , the preferred embodiment of the dockside vehicle 184 is a modified , small tank truck that has a filter apparatus contained therein and the uv lamps positioned within the truck - mounted tank or tanks . thus in this manner , the truck - mounted tanks are completely self - contained and include a suitable number of inlet ports 106 designed to readily quick connect to the ends of fire hoses provided from the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrants . with continuing reference to fig9 , the inventors hereof have specifically provided a method of treating discharged ballast water from the ship 180 using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of providing a ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 , positioning the service vehicle 184 adjacent the ship 180 , and directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 180 into the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open water environment . in this method , the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water may be directed from the ballast tank through the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system and into the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 . the method may include the further step of connecting at least one fire hose 186 between a fire hydrant outlet on the deck of the ship 180 and an inlet port provided on the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dockside service vehicle 184 . the inventors hereof have further provided a method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from the ship 180 using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) positioning the dockside service vehicle 184 adjacent the ship 180 , ( 2 ) directing ballast water from a ballast tank of a ship 180 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open environment , ( 3 ) determining an amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water , and ( 4 ) calculating a water treatment service fee based on the amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . there is also provided another method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) positioning the dock - side service vehicle 184 adjacent ship 180 , ( 2 ) directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open environment , ( 3 ) determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water tanks , and ( 4 ) calculating a water treatment service fee based on the total volume of treated ballast water . referring next to fig1 , there is shown the deck plan of the typical container ship 180 and the location of the fire hydrant outlets 166 . fig1 shows the ballast tank areas 170 relative to the cargo areas represented by reference numeral 190 . the typical cargo container ship 180 will carry a known amount of sea water for ballast . thus if it is desired to completely treat and filter the ballast water in accordance with the methods of the present invention , the number of available fire hydrant outlets 166 may be determined along with flow rates thereof and the known flow rates of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 to completely filter the entire ship &# 39 ; s ballast water within a predetermined maximum amount of time . as represented diagrammatically in fig1 , a number of ballast water treatment apparatus 102 are distributed around the ship &# 39 ; s main deck or second deck adjacent fire hydrant outlets 166 . the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant as indicated in fig8 typically includes one outlet . according to one aspect of the present invention , ships with one outlet fire hydrants many be equipped with a y - adaptor to thereby provide two outlets . both of these outlets may be employed to direct ballast water into the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 . alternatively one outlet may be employed with the apparatus 102 while the other is reserved for use in case it is needed in a fire emergency . thus according to one preferred method of this invention , two hoses may be connected to each of the fire hydrants 166 and directed to adjacent ballast water treatment devices 102 as interconnected by the ship &# 39 ; s fire hoses 186 . as represented in fig1 , the series connected arrangement of fire hydrants 166 feeding two adjacent ballast water treatment apparatus 102 will utilize the full flow - through rate of the fire hydrant system of the ship to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to this aspect of the present invention in a minimum amount of time . fig1 next illustrates a perspective pictorial representation of this multi - hydrant and multi - apparatus method . turning now to fig1 , there is shown a perspective view of a typical tanker 202 situates dockside in a port - of - call . as indicated in fig1 , the main deck of the tanker 202 includes a number of fire hydrant outlets 166 . in accordance with another aspect of the present invention , there is provided an in - port service vessel 204 which is out - fitted with a ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . thus in accordance with alternate methods of the present invention , the in - port service vessel 204 may be employed to pull alongside a docked ship and provide ballast water filtration and treatment services . for example , as illustrated in fig1 , a tanker 202 may be required by local , state , national , or international regulations to have the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water treated before its ballast water is discharged into the port or harbor . thus in accordance with this method of the present invention , the ship &# 39 ; s fire hoses 186 are connected to the main deck &# 39 ; s fire hydrants 166 and directed to the in - port service vessel 204 as represented in fig1 . the in - port service vessel 204 may be a barge type vessel or tug boat type vessel utilized to provide the water filtering and treating service to a ship . according to alternate methods of this embodiment , neither the ship nor the service vessel 204 need necessarily be dockside . the ship may be anchored in port or alternatively , even serviced in this manner in open waters or on the high seas before entering port . thus in continuing reference to fig1 , the inventors hereof have provided a method of treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) providing a ballast water treatment apparatus 102 on board the service vessel , ( 2 ) positioning the service vessel adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment , ( 3 ) and directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . in this method , the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water is directed from the ballast tank through the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system and into the ballast water treatment apparatus on board the service vessel 204 . the method may include the further step of connecting at least one fire hose 186 between the fire hydrant outlet 166 on the deck of the ship 202 and an inlet port provided on the ballast water treatment apparatus on board the service vessel . accordingly , there is also provided a method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of positioning the service vessel 204 adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment ; directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into the environment ; determining an amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water ; and calculating a water treatment service fee based on the amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . there is further provided another method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from the ship 202 using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of positioning the service vessel 204 adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment ; directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into the environment ; determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water tanks ; and calculating a water treatment service fee based on the total volume of treated ballast water . referring next to fig1 , there is shown a perspective view of a typical cruise ship 194 in port dockside for loading or unloading passengers , cargo , and supplies . as discussed in connection with fig9 , 10 , and 11 , the cruise ship 184 may be similarly serviced by the dock - side service vehicle 184 or alternatively carry on - board a desired number of ballast water treatment apparatus 102 for on - ship deck hands to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to the methods discussed above . in addition thereto , cruise ship 194 may have its ballast water treated by the in - port service vessel 204 discussed above . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the tanker illustrated in fig1 illustrating the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of an intermediate class great lakes bulk vessel showing the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a panamax size oil bulk ore carrier representing the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . in each of these three different types of ships , typically the weight of the cargo loaded on or off the ship is approximately made equal to the weight of ballast water used to counter - balance the ship in accordance with known methods for loading and unloading ships . in these types of ships , ordinarily , a relatively larger volume of ballast water is discharged during loading as compared to the typical container ship illustrated , for example , in fig9 . nonetheless , the apparatus 102 and methods of the present invention utilizing either the dock - side service vehicle 184 or the in - port service vessel 204 may be readily scaled up to meet the volume of ballast water typically discharged by these types of ships . with reference now to fig1 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus of the present invention . a ballast water filtration apparatus 210 is shown in fig1 . the ballast water filtration device 210 similarly includes a filter bag 118 and support rods 120 . in this embodiment , the support rods 120 are provided with members to hook over the side of the ship as illustrated in fig1 . in use , a fire hose 186 is connected to the fire hydrant on the ship &# 39 ; s deck and the open end of the fire hose 186 is simply placed in the filter bag 118 as illustrated . thus in this embodiment of the present invention , there is provided a very simply and economically cost effective filtration apparatus and method . fig1 shows a half - face housing member for the ballast water filter apparatus 210 illustrated in fig1 . the half - face housing member 212 illustrated in fig1 may be employed in conjunction with the ballast water filter apparatus 210 shown in fig1 to provide a directed outlet flow as indicated in fig1 . the half - faced housing is similarly provided with the discharge port 108 to direct the water downwardly into the harbor . the discharge port 108 may similarly have adapted thereto the discharge hose 110 illustrated in fig1 to thereby further direct the filtered ballast water into the open water environment of the harbor or port . with reference next to fig2 and 21 , there is shown a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . fig2 in particular is an exploded view of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 illustrated in fig2 including break - away sections to show interior elements of principal components of the apparatus 102 . in this embodiment shown in fig2 and 21 , the apparatus 102 includes a filtration unit 214 , a uv containment vessel or compartment 218 , and an electrical compartment 220 . as illustrated , the filtration unit 214 includes a cap member having view ports 216 . when in use , the cap member prevents ballast water from splashing out of the apparatus 102 while the view ports 216 provide viewing access to the interior of the filtration unit 214 during filtration operations . as further illustrated in fig2 , the filtration unit 214 includes the inlet port and associated piping 106 which may be implemented with a gallon meter at the t - junction shown . to further increase the intake flow , the filtration unit 214 may be outfitted with two inlet ports and associated piping 106 , one such situated as illustrated and the other similarly installed on the reverse - side or back - side of the unit 214 as shown . the uv compartment 218 includes the uv lamps 136 which in this embodiment are positioned within the uv compartment 218 by use of a pair of uv bulb mounting brackets 222 . as shown in fig2 , the uv compartment 218 includes uv sensors 221 which are employed to detect the uv output of the bulbs 136 . as shown , the apparatus 102 illustrated in fig2 and 21 includes the control box 142 that is implemented to similarly control operations of the apparatus as discussed above in connection with the embodiment of the apparatus 102 illustrated in fig1 - 5 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and 21 , the electrical compartment may include additional components to provide further operations and functions to the apparatus 102 . in operation , a fire hose connected to the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant at one end is connected at its other end to the inlet piping 106 . ballast water then travels from the lower right area of the filtration unit 214 as illustrated to the upper left thereof to then be directed and discharged into the filter apparatus 116 . the ballast water then drains through the filter 116 to thereby remove particulate matter as small as 1 micron . the filtered ballast water then exits the filtration unit 214 through the first flow aperture 130 and is directed into the uv compartment 218 for uv treatment . as the uv compartment 218 fills with filtered ballast water at one end , filtered water is then directed to the other end thereof toward the discharge port 108 . as the filtered water flows along in the uv compartment 218 toward the discharge port 108 , the uv lamps are activated to treat the filtered water so that any micro - organisms , viruses , or bacteria that may have remained in the ballast water after the filtration step are thereby deactivated by uv treatment . the general direction of flow is indicated by the wide arrows shown in fig2 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and 21 , the uv lamps 136 are situated substantially perpendicular to the flow of ballast water . in one particular preferred embodiment of the uv compartment 218 , the uv lamps 136 utilized therein are 3000 kw lamps operating at 220 vac and 30 amps . in one such preferred embodiment , six uv lamps 136 are employed . while in other embodiments , the number of uv lamps 136 may vary depending on the desired flow rate , type of ballast water , and desired deactivation or “ kill ” effectiveness . fig2 is a detailed partial plan view of a uv lamp assembly utilized in conjunction with the ballast water treatment apparatus shown in fig2 and 21 . fig2 illustrates build - up of uv - irradiated biological material on the lamp assembly . fig2 is a view similar to fig2 showing a tube wiper system and actuator assembly 226 cleaning the build - up of uv - irradiated biological material on the lamp assembly according to another aspect of the present invention . fig2 is a view similar to fig2 showing the lamp assembly in a fully cleaned or wiped condition after full activation of the tube wiper system 226 . fig2 is a detailed isolated elevation view of a wiper or face plate 228 employed in the tube wiper system 226 illustrated in fig2 - 24 . as illustrated in fig2 - 24 , each uv lamp 136 is enclosed in a transparent sleeve 224 . when the filtered ballast water is treated in the uv compartment , deactivated particulate matter may build up on the transparent sleeves 224 . as this build - up of particulate matter increases in thickness , the effect of the uv lamps will be diminished . thus the uv sensors 221 are employed to detect the uv output of each associated bulb . once the uv lamp output decreases below a certain set threshold , the cleaning actuator 226 is activated to wipe clean the transparent lamp sleeves 224 . this wiping effect is achieved by use of a rubber wiper washer 230 , fig2 , which snuggly fits around the sleeve 224 as illustrated . after activation , the sleeve is wiped clean and the uv effectiveness is returned to a maximum . the control box 142 and electrical compartment 220 , fig2 and 22 , are implemented with operational features that control sleeve cleaning or wiping in a desired manner . while this invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments and aspects thereof , it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments . rather , in view of the present disclosure which describes the current best mode for practicing the invention , many modifications and variations would present themselves to those of skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes , modifications , and variations coming within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be considered within their scope .	8
the present invention relates to a length - scalable fft processor structure , which uses multi - memory banks method to perform as called interleave rotated data allocation ( irda ) method . it can enhance data access parallelism and make data sequentially be arranged into memory banks . for example , the rules of data arrangement in processing 64 - point and 256 - point fft or higher - points fft are the same . the address generator of these data has expandability and can be designed easily by using a counter . by using a single processor element and the concept of in - place computation , the processor element can read and process data from memory and re - write them back to the same positions in the memory . based on expandability and fast dynamic adjustment , the present invention can decrease hardware loading and meet different length fft requirements . fig1 is a prior art presenting a 6 - bit data process in the single processor element structure . a 64 - point fft processor is an example in this figure , which requires reading 4 data at the same time and writing 4 data back after finishing the butterfly operation . as a result , it needs 4 sets of address translators 110 to translate 4 single - port addresses to new positions and to new memory banks , which are 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . apart from translating positions , it also requires address switcher to correctly switch addresses to the corresponding memory banks . therefore , it not only translates addresses but also locates them into corresponding memories for correctly reading data . please referring to fig2 , it is a preferred embodiment showing a 4 - bit data allocation . this embodiment is a 64 - point fft processor with multiple memory banks , but it should not be limited to 4 memory banks for practice as shown in the figure . a 4 - bit address generator 200 is an example herein , which can generate a set of 4 memory addresses . using the 4 - bit address generator 200 which can generate 4 addresses each time as an example herein , a set of memory addresses is processed . this set of memory address uses simple rotated method to produce three other corresponding sets of memory addresses . the step of the process is performed by the address rotator 210 as shown in the figure . this means that a set of 4 memory addresses can generate sequentially 4 * 4 memory addresses from address rotator 210 . therefore , it only requires 4 - bit address generator 200 of interleave rotated data allocation method by processing 64 - point fft algorithm . in contrast to 6 - bit data processing structure of the prior art , the requirement for address generator in the present invention decreases to 4 - bit . more additionally , well arranging on addresses by using address rotator can decrease hardware complexity . while processing 256 - point fft algorithm , the same data arrangement only needs a 6 - bit address generator . other processing length can follow this rule to perform as well . fig3 is a preferred signal flow graph of the present invention showing the butterfly operation . the present invention utilizes the split - radix - 2 / 4 fft algorithm to design the processor element , which can have less complex multiplication arithmetic and can decrease access times in memory banks for achieving the purpose of low power consumption in this invention . as shown in the figure , it presents the signal flow graph of a 16 - point split - radix - 2 / 4 fft algorithm . the first data line a 0 and the 9 th data line a 8 have two cross - hatched lines to link . the first cross - hatched line 31 and the second cross - hatched line 32 in the figure are called the butterfly operation . besides , the 5 th data line a 4 and the 13 th data line a 12 also have two cross - hatched lines to link . the 3 rd cross - hatched line 33 and the 4 th cross - hatched line 34 can use the same method to perform the similar operation . the butterfly operation in the signal flow graph can be performed by using corresponding complex multiplication operations . the start and the end in each butterfly operation corresponds to access actions in memory . therefore , well choosing operation data can decrease unnecessary memory access actions . as shown in fig3 , the 16 - point split - radix - 2 / 4 fft signal flow graph is divided into 2 - stage ( log 4 16 = 2 ) operations , which are 310 and 320 respectively . in each stage , it processes 4 data at the same time which is called a cycle . thus , it requires 4 cycles at each stage . each cycle has two operations . the first operation result does not restore back to the memory . however , after well translating process , it feedbacks to the same hardware to perform the second operation , and the result of the second operation can restore back to the original memory positions . consequently , the next stage will perform the similar process after completing data process of all the next cycles in the present stage . the following presents the above action in details . as shown in the figure , it presents a 16 - point split - radix - 2 / 4 fet signal flow graph . it is divided into 2 - stage ( log 4 16 = 2 ) operations , which are 310 and 320 respectively . each stage requires 4 cycles . in the first stage 310 , the 4 data in the first cycle is the butterfly operation between the 1 st data line a 0 and 9 th data line a 8 , and another butterfly operation is between 5 th data line a 4 and the 13 th data line a 12 . these 4 - data operation results do not need to store back to the memory , and it will consequently perform the second operation . the 1 st operation results will pass to the following two butterflies to perform the second operation , which means the butterfly operation between the 5 th cross - hatched line 35 and the 6 th cross - hatched line 36 , and between 7 th cross - hatched line 37 and the 8 st cross - hatched line 38 . after finishing the second operation , the results will restore back to the original memory positions . the second cycle will process operation of the next 4 data as shown in the figure . the butterfly operation between the 2 nd data line a 1 and the 10 th data line a 9 and the butterfly operation between the 6 th data line a 5 and the 14 th data line a 13 can be seen from the graph . it uses the same concept to perform the following stages , like the second stage 320 in this figure . the present invention uses a processor element to perform corresponding butterfly operation , and which can save half of memory access times for achieving the purpose of low power consumption . fig5 is a prior art presenting a single processor element structure . a processor element of the radix - r core 50 is set here . the r numbers of data are read from a multi - port memory through the first register 52 . after performing the butterfly operation through a radix - r core processor element , the processed data are re - write back to the original multi - port memory 56 by in place memory address through the second register 54 . as a result , the said multi - port memory 56 requires satisfying the read and write actions for r numbers of data . if r is 4 , then it requires a 4 - port memory to read and write at the same time . the area , complexity , and power consumption of the memory increase when the required numbers of the memory ports increase . another implementation method is to use r numbers of the single - port memory banks as shown in the fig2 to alternate an r - port memory for achieving the advantages of area - efficient , low complexity and low power consumption . the fig4 , which is the preferred embodiment of the present invention , adopts the architecture of the single - port memory banks method . please referring to fig4 , it illustrates a replicated radix - 4 core . the processor element of the replicated radix - 4 core in the figure has four multiplexers and four demultiplexers , which can process 4 - point fft algorithm each time . the preferred embodiment of the present invention is designed to have feedback paths , for example , the 1 st feedback path 46 , the 2 nd feedback path 47 , and 3 rd feedback path 48 and the 4 th feedback path 49 which replicate hardware during the two operations in each cycle . it is divided into two parts in the figure ; which the upper part is the 1 st butterfly operation element 41 and the lower part is the 2 nd butterfly operation element 43 . it can correctly feedback the 1 st operation results to perform the second operation by using the same hardware example , the multiplexers 45 a , 45 b , 45 c and 45 d read 4 data from the memory 40 . further , the following first butterfly operation element 41 receives the data from the first multiplexer 45 a and the second multiplexer 45 b . then , by using the results of the butterfly operation element 41 , they feedback to the first multiplexer 45 a and the third multiplexer 45 c through the first demultiplexer 42 a and the second demultiplexer 42 b along the first feedback path 46 and the second feedback path 47 . besides , the second butterfly element 43 receives the data from the third multiplexer 45 c and the fourth multiplexer 45 d . then , by using the results of the butterfly operation element 43 , they feedback to the second multiplexer 45 b and the fourth multiplexer 45 d through the third demultiplexer 42 c and the fourth demultiplexer 42 d along the third feedback path 48 and the fourth feedback path 49 . then these 4 - data are loaded into butterfly operation element 41 and 43 through multiplexer 45 a , 45 b , 45 c and 45 d to perform the second operation . according to the above description , the replicated radix - 4 core module can process read and write actions for 4 - data each time between two of the butterfly operations . it can feedback the results of the previous butterfly operation and use the same hardware to perform the second operation . the multiple demeltiplexers 42 a , 42 b , 42 c and 42 d are used to determine if the data operation results write back to the memory 40 or follow the feedback paths and go to multiple multiplexers 45 a , 45 b , 45 c and 45 d for the second operation . the first butterfly operation element 41 and the second butterfly operation element 43 additionally set complex multipliers for determining whether to perform complex multiplication operations . using a conflict free memory addressing technique for single - port memory banks can make data in adequate arrangement , and then the required r numbers of data in any stage all can successfully be arranged in the memory banks of r single - port memory . thus the data conflict will not occur when using the replicated radix - 4 core to access memory banks . this kind of data arrangement can be called interleave rotated data allocation ( irda ) or a non - conflicting data format . while fft module needs to be repeatedly used and non - conflicting data format are totally different during processing different length fft algorithm , it will induce heavy load in the hardware complexity . prior art needs a complicated addressing technique , which can prevent data conflict situation , to allocate data into memory . please referring to fig6 , it is a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing interleave rotated non - conflicting data format . the present invention refers to the irda method , which can overcome the problem that prior art has . as shown in the figure , it is an example of a 64 - point fft in the memory banks of 4 single - port memory . it is divided into 3 - stage ( log 4 64 = 3 ) operations . each stage requires 16 cycles . in the first stage , the required 4 data in the first cycle are positioned in different numbers of memories which are 00 , 16 , 32 and 48 . the data 00 is positioned in the 1 st row of the 1 st memory 605 . the data 16 is positioned in the 5 th row of the 2 nd memory 606 . the data 32 is positioned in the 9 th row of the 3 rd memory 607 . the data 48 is positioned in the 13 th row of the 4 th memory 608 . the first line 601 as shown in the figure is the linkage of the 4 numbers . the second cycle is positioned in the following numbers of the memories , which are 01 the 1 st row of the 2 nd memory 606 , 17 the 5 st row of the 3 rd memory 607 , 33 the 9 th row of the 4 th memory 608 , and 49 the 13 th row of the 1 st memory 605 . the 4 - data in the third cycle are positioned in 02 , 18 , 34 , and 50 . other cycles can use this way to do analogy . this will form a circular symmetrical type . in the second stage , the required 4 data in the first cycle are positioned in different numbers of memories , which are 00 the 1 st row of the 1 st memory 605 , 04 the 2 nd row of the 2 nd memory 606 , 08 the 3 rd row of the 3 rd memory 607 , and 12 the 4 th row of the 4 th memory 608 . the second line 602 as shown in the figure is the linkage of the 4 numbers . the 4 - data of the second cycle are positioned in the different numbers of memories , which are 01 , 05 , 09 , and 13 as well as they form a circular symmetrical type . to process the last stage , the first cycle for the 4 data are positioned in 00 , 01 , 02 and 03 . the third line 603 as shown in the figure is the linkage of the 4 numbers , and which also form non - conflicting data access method . as shown in the fig6 , it is the data storage order of the memory . the first row is 00 , 01 , 02 , and 03 . the second row is 07 , 04 , 05 , and 06 . the third row is 10 , 11 , 08 , and 09 . as can be seen , the 1st position 00 of the 1 st row is in the 1 st memory 605 . the 1 st position 04 of the 2 nd row is positioned in the 2 nd memory 606 . the method is taken by shifting the 1 st memory 605 to the 2 nd memory 606 , and other positions are placed referring to this similar method . besides , the four memory banks as shown in the figure are shifted in order and others can refer to this method , too . for example , the 1 st position 08 of the 3 rd row is positioned in the 3 rd memory 607 . however , there is another rule here below . while the data of the 4 th row shifting to the 5 th row in order , the shift should take two positions . the data from the 5 th row to 8 th row still keeps one - position shift . the two - position shift is applied in the 9 th row . every quadruple - row would take two - position shift . the above order forms interleave rotated non - conflicting data format and is a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in the fig6 . from above description , the data arrangement and the corresponding memory addresses form a circular symmetrical type . after the address generator generates the first set of memory addresses for the single processor element , the successive address sets can be generated from the first set by the circular shift rotator . as a result , if the core processor element r is 4 as shown in the radix - r core of the fig5 , it only requires a 4 - bit address generator when processing 64 - point fft algorithm as shown in the fig2 . the data stored in the memory banks by a circular method is presented in above symmetrical rule . as a result , it requires well adjusting left and right rotations for the data when reading the data from the memory banks or writing the operation results to the memory banks . fig7 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the data rotator structure . these 4 - data , which read from memory banks , circularly left rotate by using the data left rotator 75 . then , the processor element performs the butterfly operations . after that , the operation results circularly right rotate through the data right rotator 77 . the rotated 4 - data then write back to the memory banks according to the rotated addresses . please referring to the fig8 , it is a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing length - scalable fft digital signal processing structure . the memory 82 includes the first memory 65 , the second memory 66 , the third memory 67 , and the fourth memory 68 as shown in the fig6 . also , it presents 4 blocks showing the register , the multiplexer , and the demultiplexer . the multiple input data write into the memory 82 by using the interleave rotated data allocation method . then the multiple data from different memory banks but with circular symmetric property are put into the first register 52 through the first data rotator 75 . it uses the first multiplexer 83 to allocate them to the first butterfly operation element 88 and the second butterfly operation element 89 for the first operation . the operation results are stored into the second register 54 . then it uses the first demultiplexer 84 to transfer the first operation results into the first multiplexer 83 along the feedback path 58 . further , the first butterfly operation element 88 and the second butterfly operation element 89 perform the second operation . this kind of repeated storage actions through the feedback path can decrease memory access times . after the processor element finishes the second operation of a cycle , the operation results write back to the same memory positions through the second register 54 , the first demultiplexer 84 and the second data rotator 77 . then , it continues to process the next cycle operations . while completing all the cycles in the present stage , it performs the similar operation in the next following stages . by the above flow chart and structure , it can achieve the purposes of low hardware loading , low power consumption and less multiplication operation as described in the present invention . in order to meet the performance requirement of different ofdm communication systems , high speed fft module is preferred . the proposed structure in the present invention can increase the numbers of the processor element for example , using two processor elements in the same clock speed for enhancing the whole module &# 39 ; s efficiency with double times . as can be seen from the fig9 , it presents the data arrangement as an accumulated structure of the length - scalable fft digital signal processing structure . for the 32 - data arrangement in 8 single - port memories , it divides the required data into odd data parts and even data parts , and then arranges them to multiple memory storage elements , respectively . the even data parts are arranged in the first memory ram 0 , the second memory ram 1 , the third memory ram 2 and the fourth memory ram 3 by following the interleave rotated non - conflicting data format as shown in the fig6 . the odd data parts are arranged in the fifth memory ram 4 , the sixth memory ram 5 , the seventh memory ram 6 and the eighth memory ram 7 by following the data format as shown in the fig6 . fig1 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the address generator of an accumulated structure as referring to the address generator in fig9 . the 4 addresses produced from the address generator 10 can generate the corresponding memory address sets by using the address rotator 20 . the required memory address in the first memory ram 0 is coincident with that in the fifth memory ram 4 . the required memory address in the second memory ram 1 is coincident with that in the sixth memory ram 5 . the required memory address in the third memory ram 2 is coincident with that in the seventh memory ram 6 . the required memory address in the fourth memory ram 3 is coincident with that in the eighth memory ram 7 . by using the above arrangement method , it can implement the address generators of the multiple single - port memories without increasing the hardware cost . for the 8 single - port memories as shown in the fig1 , the processor element needs to process 8 data at the same time . then it can use an accumulated processor structure as shown in the fig1 . fig1 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the accumulated processor . it contains the first processor element 11 and its surrounding multiple data rotators 21 and the second processor element 12 and its surrounding multiple data rotators 21 . another design issue of fft module is the complex multiplication operations of the twiddle factors . the present invention provides a dynamic prediction method for the twiddle factors and additionally takes the look - up table to implement . the look - up table only requires ⅛ of the twiddle factors . please see the signal flow graph of the different length split - radix - 2 / 4 fft algorithm as shown in fig3 and fig1 . fig3 is a preferred signal flow graph of the present invention showing the butterfly operation algorithm , and fig1 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the state of the digital signal processing structure . as can be seen from these figures , the twiddle factors all present the same distribution rule in different points of fft algorithm . it can be seen from the fig1 , it is an example of a 64 - point split - radix - 2 / 4 fft state diagram . more , from the l - shape arrangement as shown in the figure , the twiddle factor distribution in the split - radix - 2 / 4 fft signal flow graph can be defined as two states , which are state 0 and state 1 . the twiddle factor in the first stage 121 only presents as the rule of state 0 . however , the arrangement of the twiddle factor in the second stage 122 has a distribution rule with 4 groups , which are state 0 , state 1 , state 0 and state 0 . in the third stage 123 , the distribution rule of the twiddle factors from top to bottom is state 0 , state 1 , state 0 , state 0 , state 0 , state 1 , state 0 , state 1 , state 0 , state 1 , state 0 , state 0 , state 0 , state 1 , state 0 and state 0 . the distribution rule of the twiddle factor arrangement commonly presents in the signal flow graph of split - radix - 2 / 4 fft algorithm with different length . the conclusion is given as the following . in the first stage of split - radix - 2 / 4 fft algorithm , the twiddle factor distribution only presents state 0 . the next stage that follows state 0 in the present stage would exhibit 4 corresponding sates which are state 0 , state1 , state 0 and state 0 respectively . otherwise , the next stage that follows state 1 in the present stage would exhibit 4 corresponding sates which are state 0 , state 1 , state 0 and state 1 respectively . by using the counter value and the state in the previous stage the state in the present stage can be determined . as a result , it can dynamically predict the present required twiddle factor distribution as well as find out the corresponding twiddle factor values by using the look - up table . fig1 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the condition of the state of a digital signal processing structure . in this figure , it uses 135 and 136 to represent state 0 and state 1 respectively . the state 0 has two conditions , which are the first condition 1351 of state 0 and the second condition 1352 of state 0 . further , the state 1 has two conditions , which are the first condition 1361 of state 1 and the second condition 1362 of state 1 . the 8 blanks in each condition respectively represent 8 possible numbers of the required twiddle factors in two operations of the replicated radix - 4 core . the symbol “ 0 ” means bypass which is the operation of multiplying 1 for the data . the symbol “− j ” means the operation of multiplying − j for the data . the symbol “ w ” means performing complex twiddle factor multiplication operations . for example , a 64 - point split - radix - 2 / 4 fft algorithm as shown in the fig1 would require 3 - stage operation by using the replicated radix - 4 core . the replicated radix - 4 core of the processor element processes 4 data each time in a stage . it is called a cycle . as a result , each stage requires processing 16 cycles . in the first stage 121 , state 0 occupies 16 cycles . in the second stage 122 , state 0 and state 1 would occupy 4 cycles respectively . in the final stage 123 , state 0 and state 1 occupy 1 cycle respectively . in the first stage 121 , the allocation of the twiddle factors only meets the rule of the state 0 . the 4 data in the first cycle are the data in the first memory position 1 , the second memory position 5 , the third memory position 9 , the fourth memory position 13 , respectively . the required 8 twiddle factors that performing the two operations in the replicated radix - 4 core are 1 , 1 , 1 ,− j and 1 , 1 , w 64 0 , w 64 0 . the 4 data in the second cycle come from the first memory position 13 , the second memory position 1 , the third memory position 5 and the fourth memory position 9 . the twiddle factors that performing the two operations in the replicated radix - 4 core are 1 , 1 , 1 , − j and 1 , 1 , w 64 1 , w 64 3 . the 4 data in the third cycle are stored in the first memory position 9 , the second memory position 13 , the third memory position 1 and the fourth memory position 5 . the twiddle factors that performing the two operations in the replicated radix - 4 core are 1 , 1 , 1 , − j and 1 , 1 , w 64 2 , w 64 6 . according to the above method , the previous eight cycles can meet the first condition 1351 of state 0 , and the next eight cycles can meet the second condition 1352 of state 0 . it can be concluded as the followings . in the present stage , the required twiddle factors of the present cycle are the indexes accumulation from the previous twiddle factors in the previous cycle . more , the accumulation value only has two kinds , which are one and three . also , each condition can occupy half of the cycles in its state . similarly , state 1 presents the similar rule . in summary , the first condition and the second condition individually take half of the cycles in the state 0 and state 1 . the prediction from the above states can accurately show the required twiddle factor format and its corresponding values . by using the conventional look - up table which only requires to store approximately ⅛ of the twiddle factors , it can produce all the twiddle factors in all kinds of situations . more , it can find out the required twiddle factor of the said butterfly operation by referring to the above dynamic prediction twiddle factor method . a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in detail hereinabove . the design of an expandable single processor element is applied here . more particularly , the feedback path decreases access times in memories , and the feedback electricity replicates the processor and decreases the numbers of operations . as a result , the purpose of performing preferred embodiments can be achieved by the above description , and the shortages of prior art while applying in hardware can be overcome . while the invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention need not be limited to the disclosed embodiment . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims while which are to be accord with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures .	6
as in a conventional shoe , the shoe 8 of the present invention features a shoe body 10 supported atop a bottom layer 16 , as shown in fig1 . the shoe 8 also features omnidirectional roller members 20 mounted to the bottom layer 16 so as to extend downward from the bottom 18 of the shoe at a toe end 12 thereof . engagement of the omnidirectional roller members 20 with the ground facilitates rolling motion of the shoe 8 and a foot received therein in any direction . the bottom layer 16 defines a frictional braking surface 22 disposed near the heel end 14 of the shoe 8 . the shoe 8 is worn on a foot of limited mobility to ease movement thereof . positioning of the roller members 20 and braking surface 22 at the toe and heel ends 12 , 14 of the shoe respectively corresponds to changes in the weight distribution of a wearer on the shoe during walking . a step forward with a leading foot shifts weight distribution on a trailing foot toward a toe end thereof . it should therefore be appreciated that a shoe 8 of the present invention worn on this trailing foot would tend to roll forward on the roller members 20 when weight is shifted as a result of a forward step by the leading foot . as the trailing foot is rolled forward , weight is shifted back toward a heel end opposite the toe end , frictionally engaging the braking surface 22 of the shoe 8 with the ground . a resulting friction force slows and eventually stops the rolling motion of the shoe 8 and foot received therein . from the above , the usefulness of the shoe 8 in physiotherapy should be readily apparent to those of skill in the art . for example , a patient having substantially lost movement in one leg may be able to regain the ability to walk through intense training . wearing the shoe 8 on this leg , the upper body is used to support the patient &# 39 ; s weight , for example by means of parallel bars on opposite sides of the patient . using the parallel bars for support , a step forward is taken with the patient &# 39 ; s mobile leg , making the foot of the other leg the trailing foot . as described above , this trailing foot is then rolled forward and stopped such that a subsequent step can be taken with the mobile leg . through repetition of such training , the patient may build the strength and confidence to walk with the aid of a walker or similar portable support device while wearing conventional shoes . the omnidirectional roller members reduce or eliminate the need for the foot to be moved by an assistant during initial training while providing the necessary degree of directional freedom . it should be appreciated that the use of a wheel ( i . e . a roller member having a single fixed rotational axis ) would not be suitable , as movement of the foot would be restricted to generally straight line motion which may not correspond to the appropriate path of motion when walking . as shown in fig2 , the detailed embodiment features three omnidirectional roller members 20 , each being a ball caster having a main ball 24 and a housing 26 . the main ball 24 of such a caster is made of a relatively hard , low friction material , such as steel . the roller members 20 are arranged in a triangular layout with two members disposed rearward ( i . e . toward the heel end 14 ) of a member nearest the toe end 12 . the rearward roller members are disposed on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the shoe 8 while the forward member is located generally centrally near the toe end 12 . while this arrangement provides stability by resisting tipping of the shoe with relatively few components when engaging a flat surface , it should be appreciated that the number of roller members 20 and their relative positioning may be modified . the casters are recessed into the bottom layer 16 of the shoe 8 such that the main ball 24 protrudes downward from the bottom surface 18 to engage the ground . recessing the housing 26 into the bottom layer maintains an appearance substantially similar to that of a conventional shoe , as only a small portion of each roller member 20 is visible from the side of the shoe 8 . in the detailed embodiment , the bottom layer 16 is taller at a heel portion 28 than along the rest of its length in order to compensate for the increase in height of the shoe 8 near the toe end 12 caused by the protrusion of the roller members 20 from the bottom surface 18 . the shoe 8 includes a slider member 30 disposed at the toe end 12 of the shoe . it should be appreciated from fig1 that should the heel end 14 become significantly inclined upward from the toe end 12 , the roller members 20 and toe end 12 may lift off and engage the ground respectively . during rolling motion of the shoe 8 , momentum of the wearer and the frictional engagement of the toe end and ground may cause the shoe 8 to tip heel over toe , which could result in a loss of balance and cause a potentially dangerous fall . the slider member 30 reduces the likelihood of such an occurrence . the slider member 30 is a strip of material having a lower coefficient of friction than the shoe body 10 and bottom layer 16 to encourage sliding , rather than tipping , of the shoe should the toe end 12 contact the ground . as shown in the figures , the strip is curved about a generally vertical axis so as to extend about the toe end 12 of the shoe 8 . the strip may be made of any of a number of known , relatively low friction materials , including but not limited to metal and teflon . fig3 shows a pair of matching shoes for use as described above . the first shoe 8 is as described above for wearing on a foot of restricted mobility while the second shoe 40 is for wearing on the foot of retained mobility . a bottom layer 42 of the second shoe 40 features a heel portion 44 equal in height to the heel portion 28 of the first shoe 8 . similarly , a toe portion 46 of the second shoe 40 is equal in height to the bottom layer 16 of the first shoe 8 near the toe end 12 and the portions of the roller members 20 protruding downward therefrom . in other words , the two shoes have generally equal height profiles when sitting side by side on a flat horizontal surface as their matching shoe bodies are supported at equal heights above the surface . as shown in the figure , a bottom surface 48 of the second shoe 40 may be recessed between the heel and toe portions of the bottom layer 42 in order to decrease its thickness and improve the flexibility of the shoe about a transverse axis . it should be appreciated that the shoe of the present invention may be constructed in any of a number of shoe styles known to those of skill in the art . the shoe may include laces for tightening around a user &# 39 ; s foot , but hook and loop type fasteners 30 , as shown in the figures and well known to those of skill in the art , may be easier for the user to operate , especially if the user also has limited mobility in one or both hands . the shoe may be constructed alone for use with a wearer &# 39 ; s own conventional shoe on the mobile foot , as the visual appearance of nonmatching shoes may not be considered overly important during physical therapy . alternatively , the shoe of the present invention may be constructed as part of a matching pair , as shown in fig3 . there are a number of ways the shoe of the present invention can be produced , as indicated by the following examples . the omnidirectional roller members 20 can be recessed into the sole of an existing shoe provided it is of sufficient thickness , a new bottom layer 16 having roller members 20 may be attached to an existing shoe body 12 by means of resoling / resurfacing or the shoe may be manufactured like a conventional shoe with the added steps of forming recesses in the sole and mounting the roller members therein . it should also be appreciated that the bottom layer , or sole , of the shoe may have profiles other than that shown in the figures . for example , a braking surface 22 is defined by the bottom layer 16 near the heel end 14 regardless of whether or not there is a stepped increase in thickness as shown in the figures . since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described , and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope , it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense .	0
it should be understood that occasional reference herein to the optically functional layer as a &# 34 ; top coat &# 34 ; or the like , is for ease of discussion and understanding , especially taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein the optically functional layer is illustrated as a mono - film in a &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; position . it is not intended , however , to limit the optically functional layer to one exposed to the atmosphere or otherwise necessarily occupying a &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; position . thus , for example , in certain embodiments of the invention additional layers , for example protective layers , may cover the optically functional layer . in other embodiments the coated surface may be laminated to a second ply of the glazing article . anti - iridescence undercoats of the present invention are applicable both to provide a colorless appearance for a coated substrate , and , in the alternative , to provide a single , substantially uniform , muted , perceptible color in the glazing article . based on the present disclosure , selection of refractive indices and film thicknesses to achieve one or the other of these results , along with determining other optical features and properties of the finished product can be readily determined empirically by those skilled in the art or , for example , by employing a commercially available optics prediction software program . such programs , typically run on commercially available computer systems , are well known to greatly facilitate close approximation of an optimized final commercial product . typically , a graphic presentation of the optical properties of a given glazing article , sorted by individual layer thickness and refractive index , can be used to determine the regions of optimum film stack design . in particular , such graphic representation can assist in readily identifying industrially robust film stack designs of the present invention . that is , designs in which performance is tolerant of variations in film thickness , refractive index and other parameters normal during industrial production of coated glazing articles . referring specifically to fig1 a substantially transparent glazing article 10 is seen to comprise a glass substrate 12 having coating 14 carried on its upper surface 16 . the glass substrate 12 preferably is soda - lime glass having a refractive index of about 1 . 5 . the glazing article may , for example , be adapted for use in an architectural glazing application or the like . those skilled in the art will recognize that substrates alternative to glass will be suitable , although certain methods of forming coating 14 , such as pyrolytic deposition , may be unsuitable for certain alternative substrate materials , for example , certain plastic substrates . the coating 14 comprises an optically functional layer 18 having a higher refractive index than the substrate . layer 18 is exposed to the atmosphere . according to the preferred embodiment of fig1 the coating provides optical functionality including low emissivity and infrared and ultraviolet reflectivity . preferably , optically functional layer 18 is about 2 , 000 to 10 , 000 angstroms thick . more preferably the optically functional layer is about 2 , 000 to 5 , 000 angstroms thick , most preferably about 3 , 500 to 4 , 000 angstroms thick , having an average refractive index ( over the visible wavelength range ) of about 1 . 7 to 2 . 5 , more preferably about 1 . 9 to 2 . 1 , most preferably about 1 . 9 ( measured at 550 nm wavelength ). such preferred materials for the optically functional layer 18 include , for example , tin oxide , fluorine doped tin oxide and other metal oxides of suitable refractive index . according to a most preferred embodiment , layer 18 consists essentially of fluorine doped tin oxide having a refractive index ( average ) of 1 . 9 . in such embodiment layer 18 is substantially transparent , that is , it is substantially transparent ( within the context of its intended use ) to visible light . it also provides infrared reflectivity and ultraviolet reflectivity for solar load control . in addition , it has good electrical conductivity and could be used , therefore , for applications including electrical resistance heating , etc . the high / low / high refractive index sandwiching feature of the invention is especially effective in use under an optically functional layer consisting of fluorinated tin oxide in certain distinct thickness ranges : 2500 - 3000 angstroms , 3500 - 4000 angstroms and 4800 - 5200 angstroms . tolerance to thickness variations is especially good for fluorinated tin oxide in the first two ranges . approximately the same preferred thickness ranges apply to unfluorinated tin oxide . in general , the terms &# 34 ; tin oxide &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; sno 2 ,&# 34 ; as used hereinafter , mean both fluorinated and unfluorinated tin oxide , unless otherwise specified . such preferred embodiments of the invention are particularly advantageous for use in insulated glazing units and like applications . insulated glazing units include those with multiple panes having an air gap between adjacent panes . in a two pane glazing unit , taking the outside surface of the outer pane as the no . 1 surface , its inside surface ( i . e ., the surface facing the air gap ) as the no . 2 surface , the outside surface of the inner pane ( again , facing the air gap ) as surface no . 3 , and the inside surface of the inner pane as the no . 4 surface , a coating of the invention according to such preferred embodiments would preferably be on the no . 3 surface in a colder climate ( such as northern u . s .) and on the no . 2 surface in a warmer climate ( such as southern u . s .). in a triple glazed unit , the coating preferably is on the no . 2 surface in a warmer climate and on the no . 5 surface ( the air gap side of the innermost pane ) in a colder climate . according to another highly preferred embodiment of the invention , glazing article 10 is adapted for architectural glazing purposes and the coating 14 is a low emissivity coating in which layer 18 consists essentially of fluorinated tin oxide , having a thickness between about 3 , 500 and 4 , 000 angstroms . in conjunction with the preferred anti - iridescence layer described below , the resulting glazing article is substantially colorless in both reflected and transmitted light . that is , the visible iridescence which would otherwise be shown by such glazing article is eliminated without substantially impairing the optical properties of the coating . specifically , the low emissivity property of the tin oxide or fluorine - doped tin oxide layer is not significantly reduced or impeded by the anti - iridescence layer . it is a significant advantage of preferred embodiments of the invention that anti - iridescence is achieved with such thin optically functional films . as noted above , certain prior art teaching has recommended the use of thicker films to avoid iridescence , although this involves several disadvantages , including a greater tendency toward thermal stress cracking , longer ( and , hence , more costly ) deposition periods , greater loss of transparency , etc . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure that numerous alternative optically functional layers can be employed in lieu of , or together with , the tin oxide layer 18 of the above discussed preferred embodiment of the invention . particularly advantageous alternative materials include , for example , zinc oxide , titanium oxide , indium tin oxide , antimony doped tin oxide , and tungsten oxide . the optically functional layer 18 also may be a composite of multiple films and may not be exposed to the atmosphere , as noted above . thus , for example , the aforesaid low emissivity film may be provided with an overcoating of protective material , such as silicon dioxide , etc . those skilled in the art will recognize innumerable additional and alternative films which may be used together with the main film of the optically functional layer 18 including adjunct films such as , for example , abrasion resistant films , color imparting films , and the like . with respect to coating 14 not being exposed to the atmosphere , it may be positioned at an interface between laminated plies of a glazing article . alternatively , it may be employed on an inside surface of a transparent substrate used in a double glazing article , such that the coating is exposed to a vacuum or air gap between two spaced plies . coating 14 further comprises anti - iridescence layer 20 which substantially eliminates the visible iridescence which would otherwise show , particularly in viewing sunlight reflected from the coated surface . the anti - iridescence layer 20 eliminates visible iridescence while not significantly impairing the optically functional film &# 39 ; s desirable properties discussed above , including most notably its visible transparency , infrared reflectivity , ultraviolet reflectivity and low emissivity . layer 20 is less thick than the optically functional layer 18 , preferably being about 400 to 1 , 300 angstroms thick , more preferably about 700 to 1 , 000 angstroms . in the preferred embodiment of fig1 it consists essentially of a low refractive index zone sandwiched between two high refractive index zones . high refractive index zone 22 is deposited directly on surface 16 of glass substrate 12 . it should be understood that description of a layer or zone as being deposited &# 34 ; directly &# 34 ; on or over another surface or another layer is intended to mean that it forms an interface with such layer or surface without any other layer of zone intervening between them . in the preferred embodiment illustrated , anti - iridescence layer 20 is positioned directly on surface 16 and directly under layer 18 . as used herein , this is intended to mean there is no thin film coating or the like mediate the anti - iridescence layer 20 and the substrate 12 . thus , surface 16 is a surface of the bulk material of substrate 12 , rather than of some other coating material deposited onto substrate 12 prior to deposition of coating 14 . similarly , anti - iridescence layer 20 is positioned directly under optically functional layer 18 in the sense that there is no mediate film or coating between them . high refractive index zone 22 preferably is about 100 to 500 angstroms thick , more preferably 100 to 300 angstroms thick . it is a significant feature of the embodiment of fig1 in accordance with general principles of the invention discussed above , that first zone 22 has a refractive index higher than that of the substrate 12 . for a substrate of soda - lime glass or other material having a refractive index about 1 . 5 , the refractive index of zone 22 is higher than that of glass substrate 12 . the refractive index of zone 22 preferably is between about 1 . 6 and 2 . 5 , more preferably 1 . 9 to 2 . 1 , most preferably about 1 . 9 . suitable materials for high refractive index zone 22 are readily commercially available and will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure . tin oxide , having a refractive index of 1 . 9 , is most preferred for zone 22 in the above mentioned low emissivity embodiment of the invention employing a glass substrate 12 and a tin oxide ( optionally fluorinated ) optically functional layer 18 . suitable materials for high refractive index zone 22 are listed in table a below table a______________________________________coating materials with high refractive index refractivematerial formula index______________________________________tin oxide sno . sub . 2 1 . 9silicon nitride si . sub . 3 n . sub . 4 2 . 0silicon monoxide sio about 2 . 0zinc oxide zno 2 . 0indium oxide in . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 2 . 0vanadium oxide v . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 about 2 . 0tungsten oxide wo . sub . 3 about 2 . 0niobium oxide nb . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 2 . 1tantalum oxide ta . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 2 . 1zirconium oxide zro . sub . 2 2 . 1cerium oxide ceo . sub . 2 2 . 2zinc sulfide zns 2 . 3titanium oxide tio . sub . 2 2 . 5______________________________________ in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 a first gradient step zone above high refractive index zone 22 is low refractive index zone 24 positioned directly on high refractive index zone 22 . a second gradient step zone , high refractive index zone 26 , is positioned directly on low refractive index zone 24 , directly under optically functional film 18 . thus , low refractive index zone 24 is sandwiched between higher refractive index zones 22 and 26 . zones 24 and 26 together preferably have a thickness in the range of about 300 to 800 angstroms . in the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 each of zones 24 and 26 most preferably is about 100 to 400 angstroms thick . the refractive index of low refractive index zone 24 preferably is between about 1 . 0 and 1 . 9 , more preferably between about 1 . 4 and 1 . 7 . it need only be sufficiently below that of high refractive index zone 22 to establish an optically functional refractive index gradient step . thus , in the preferred low emissivity embodiment referred to above , it need only be sufficiently below the refractive index 1 . 9 of the tin oxide preferably used in zone 22 . preferably , however , the refractive index of zone 24 also is lower than that of the substrate . this is found to provide in the finished product excellent anti - iridescence functionality even with the extremely thin zone thicknesses recited above . in the preferred low emissivity embodiment referred to above , low refractive index zone 24 consists essentially of silicon dioxide , sio 2 , having a refractive index of about 1 . 44 . alternative materials are readily commercially available and will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure . materials suitable for low refractive index zone 24 are listed in table b below . table b______________________________________coating materials with low refractive index refractivematerial formula index______________________________________aluminum oxide al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 1 . 65silicon dioxide sio . sub . 2 1 . 44silicone polymer [( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 sio ]. sub . n 1 . 4magnesium fluoride mgf . sub . 2 1 . 38cryolite na . sub . 3 alf . sub . 6 1 . 33______________________________________ the change in the value of the refractive index from each gradient step zone to the next should be at least about 0 . 1 , more preferably at least about 0 . 2 . in addition , the step must involve a zone or film thickness sufficient to function as a substantially discrete film . preferably , each such step or change involves a film thickness of at least about 100 angstroms . those skilled in the art will recognize that all industrial deposition methods involve the creation of a region of some thickness wherein the change from one zone to the next occurs . the change or step in the context of the present invention from one gradient step zone to the next is sufficiently sharp , taking the refractive index change in conjunction with the thickness of the film , that the optical properties of a substantially discrete refractive index step ( either from high to low or low to high , as the case may be ) is achieved . preferably , the refractive index of zone 26 is between about 1 . 55 and 1 . 75 . most preferably it is about 1 . 65 . suitable materials for high refractive index zone 26 are readily commercially available and will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure . according to the highly preferred low emissivity embodiment referred to above , having a glass substrate and employing tin oxide for layer 14 and zone 22 , zone 24 is about 100 to 400 angstroms consisting essentially of silicon dioxide having a refractive index of about 1 . 44 , and zone 26 is about 100 to 400 angstroms consisting essentially of either aluminum oxide , al 2 o3 , or an homogenous composition of silicon dioxide and tin dioxide , sio 2 / sno 2 , having a refractive index of about 1 . 65 . additional suitable materials include , for example , blends of materials listed in table a and table b , above . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure that if a material having a relatively higher refractive index is employed for the low refractive index film , i . e ., the first gradient step zone , such as aluminum oxide having a refractive index of about 1 . 65 , then a material having an even higher refractive index must , of course , be selected for zone 26 . it will be appreciated from the above description that in at least one preferred embodiment of the invention , as illustrated in fig1 all layers of coating 14 are formed of tin oxide , silicon dioxide , or a mixture of the two . significant processing advantage can be achieved employing so few materials in the formation of the coating . several processes for forming the coatings of the present invention are readily commercially available and are well known to those skilled in the art . preferred processes for depositing the anti - iridescence layer 20 and the optically functional layer 18 , include , for example , vacuum sputtering , sol - gel , and pyrolytic deposition , including spray pyrolysis and chemical vapor deposition . it should be recognized that the refractive index of the materials employed in the layers of the coating of the present invention may vary slightly depending on the method used in their deposition . referring now to fig2 a second preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated . specifically , substantially transparent glazing article 50 comprises a substantially transparent glass substrate 52 . substantially transparent coating 54 is carried on surface 56 of glass substrate 52 . the coating 54 comprises an optically functional layer 58 exposed to the atmosphere and an anti - iridescence layer 60 mediate the substrate 52 and the optically functional layer 58 . as in the case of the embodiment of fig1 the anti - iridescence layer 60 can be employed to eliminate visible iridescence from the thin film coating , resulting in either a colorless appearance or providing a single , substantially uniform , muted , slightly perceptible color . in either case , the anti - iridescence layer performs such function without substantially impeding or preventing the desirable optical properties of the optically functional layer 58 , including visible transparency , infrared reflectivity , ultraviolet reflectivity , low emissivity , and / or electrical conductivity , depending on the particular optically functional layer employed in the coating . preferably the optically functional layer 58 is a low emissivity layer of tin oxide or the like having a thickness of about 0 . 7 microns . according to certain preferred embodiments , coating 54 is a substantially transparent , low emissivity coating wherein optically functional layer 58 is about 2 , 000 to 10 , 000 angstroms thick , more preferably between about 2 , 000 and 5 , 000 , most preferably between about 3 , 500 and 4 , 000 angstroms thick , having a refractive index ( over the visible wavelength range ) between about 1 . 7 and 2 . 5 , most preferably about 1 . 9 ( measured at 550 nm wavelength ). suitable materials for layer 58 include those described above for optically functional layer 18 of the embodiment of fig1 . most preferred is a tin oxide layer having a refractive index of about 1 . 9 and a substantially uniform thickness of about 3 , 500 to 4 , 000 angstroms . layer 60 in the embodiment of fig2 consists essentially of a high refractive index zone 62 directly on surface 56 of glass substrate 52 followed by four gradient step zones . layer 60 is less thick than low emissivity layer 58 . the refractive index of zone 62 is higher than that of the substrate 52 , preferably being between about 1 . 6 and 2 . 5 , most preferably being about 1 . 9 . materials described above for high refractive index zone 22 in the embodiment of fig1 are suitable also for high refractive index zone 62 in the embodiment of fig2 . the preferred thickness of high refractive index zone 62 is between about 100 and 500 angstroms , more preferably between about 100 and 300 angstroms . tin oxide is highly preferred for zone 62 in view of its high refractive index of about 1 . 9 , its transparency , ease of uniform deposition , environmental stability , and compatibility with other preferred materials of the glazing article . a first gradient step zone , low refractive index zone 64 , is deposited directly on high refractive index zone 62 . suitable materials for low refractive index zone 64 include those described above for low refractive index zone 24 of the embodiment of fig1 . preferably zone 64 has a refractive index between about 1 . 0 and 1 . 9 , more preferably between 1 . 4 and 1 . 5 , most preferably being about 1 . 44 . the thickness of zone 64 preferably is between about 100 and 400 angstroms . most preferred is a layer of silicon dioxide having a refractive index of about 1 . 44 and a substantially uniform thickness between about 100 and 400 angstroms . low refractive index zone 64 is sandwiched directly between high refractive index zone 62 and a second high refractive index zone , second step gradient zone 66 . the second high refractive index zone in the embodiment of fig2 is followed by two additional gradient step zones 68 and 70 , each having a refractive index higher than the preceding zone . specifically , zone 66 is deposited directly on low refractive index zone 64 and has a refractive index higher than that of zone 64 . thus , in the preferred embodiment wherein low refractive index zone 64 has a refractive index of about 1 . 44 , zone 66 has a refractive index between about 1 . 5 and 1 . 6 , most preferably having a refractive index of about 1 . 55 . suitable materials for zone 66 include any of numerous blends of materials from table a and table b above . preferably the thickness of sub - zone 66 is between about 100 and 400 angstroms in thickness . the next gradient step zone , zone 68 , is deposited directly on zone 66 and has a refractive index higher than that of zone 66 . preferably , the refractive index of zone 68 is between about 1 . 6 and 1 . 7 , most preferably being about 1 . 65 . the thickness of sub - zone 66 is preferably between about 100 and 400 angstroms . suitable materials include those recited above for second high refractive index zone 26 of the embodiment of fig1 including aluminum oxide and a blend of silicon dioxide and tin oxide , the latter being preferred in view of its ease of deposition , transparency , compatibility with other materials in the preferred embodiment , and commonality of materials . finally , the last gradient step zone , zone 70 , is deposited directly on zone 68 and is directly under optically functional layer 58 . it has a refractive index higher than zone 68 and lower than layer 58 , preferably being between about 1 . 7 and 1 . 8 , most preferably being about 1 . 75 . suitable materials are readily commercially available and will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure . preferred materials include blends of materials listed in table a and table b , above . as in the case of the embodiment of fig1 coating 54 can be formed by any of various commercially known and used deposition methods , including sputtering , spray pyrolysis , sol - gel , and chemical vapor deposition . the following example illustrates production of a preferred embodiment of the invention . soda - lime float glass is heated to about 600 ° c . in a laboratory belt furnace . a gaseous mixture consisting of 7 . 0 % difluoroethane , 0 . 4 % water , 0 . 4 % tin tetrachloride and the balance nitrogen is passed over the heated glass resulting in deposition of a tin oxide film approximately 270 angstroms thick . the tin tetrachloride and water vapor are kept separated until just prior to reaction . a second film of silicon dioxide is deposited over the tin oxide film by passing a gaseous mixture consisting of 0 . 4 % silane , 60 % oxygen and the balance nitrogen over the heated glass . the second film is approximately 140 angstroms thick . a third film of aluminum oxide is formed by passing a gaseous mixture of 0 . 1 % diethylaluminum chloride , 10 % nitrous oxide and the balance nitrogen over the heated glass . the reactants are kept separate until just prior to reaction . the thickness of this layer is approximately 170 angstroms . a thick layer of tin oxide , approximately 3 , 500 angstroms thick , is formed by passing a gaseous mixture over the glass which has the same composition as the gaseous mixture used for the first tin oxide film . the resulting product has a color purity of about 3 % and an infrared emissivity of about 0 . 2 . it will be understood by those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure that the foregoing discussion of certain preferred embodiments is intended for purposes of illustration , rather than limitation . various modifications will be readily apparent in view of the present disclosure and the following claims are intended to cover the full scope of the invention , including all such apparent modifications .	2
in fig1 an endothermal engine comprising a head 2 defining a plurality of cylinders 3 , a block 4 and a container 5 adapted to contain lubricating oil is shown by 1 . the engine 1 comprises an intake circuit 6 comprising , in series with one another , an inlet filter 7 of conventional type , a turbocharge compressor 8 coupled to a turbine ( not shown ), an intercooler 9 and an intake manifold 10 . the circuit 6 is not described in further detail as it is known . the block 4 of the engine 1 is also provided with a bleed circuit 14 for the external discharge from this block of the so - called &# 34 ; blow - by &# 34 ; gases , i . e . the gases that are drawn down between the cylinders and the relative pistons ( not shown ). these gases contain particles of finely atomised oil in suspension as well as solid particles ( particulates ) predominantly of a carbonaceous nature which are formed in part by partially non - combusted combustion products and in part by solid impurities normally contained in the oil . the dimensions of the particulates are typically between 5 and 8 μm . the bleed circuit 14 is preferably of the closed type and connects the interior of the block 4 to the intake circuit 6 downstream of the inlet filter 7 . the bleed circuit 14 comprises a purifier device 15 having an inlet 16 connected by a duct 17 to the block 4 and an outlet 18 connected by a duct 19 to the intake circuit 6 . according to the present invention , the purifier device 15 comprises a filter member 20 of the coalescence type interposed between the inlet 16 and the outlet 18 . the filter member 20 is of the type adapted to cause the finely atomised oil particles to agglomerate by coalescence and to remove ( but not to filter ) the solid particles . a filter appropriate for this purpose is formed by a fibrous mass of non - woven synthetic polymer micro - fibres . the fibres are substantially free from fibre - fibre bonds and are mechanically linked to one another by entanglement or interlacing . the fibrous mass has a substantially constant volume of spaces . the fibrous mass is formed by upstream and downstream portions 20a , 20c , formed by fibres whose diameter is greater than that of the fibres forming a central portion 20b between the upstream and the downstream portions . the effect of this arrangement is to produce relatively coarse drainage layers upstream and downstream with an intermediate layer having an absolute retaining power . the absolute retaining power may be between 5 and 70 μm , preferably between 8 and 30 μm and in particular 20 μm . the retaining power is selected such that the particulates are not retained in the fibrous mass . it will be appreciated that the fibrous mass may have any convenient structure . various possibilities are illustrated in gb - a - 2 247 849 . one possibility is to have the portion with an absolute retaining power forming the upstream surface of the filter and only one coarse layer forming the downstream surface . it would also be possible to vary the structure of the fibrous mass continuously through the thickness of the fibrous mass from a layer with an absolute retaining power at the upstream surface to a coarse layer at the downstream surface . fibrous masses with these structures form a deep filter means with a high resistance to soiling . an example of this filter means is marketed by the pall corporation under the trade name &# 34 ; profile star &# 34 ;. the fibrous mass may be shaped in various ways . for instance , it may be in the form of a pleated cylinder without a lateral seal . as shown in fig2 however , the fibrous mass may alternatively be formed as a pleated sheet . the purifier device 15 has a drainage outlet 24 disposed downstream of the filter member 20 and connected to a lower zone of the block 4 by a duct 25 . the operation of the bleed circuit 14 and , in particular , the purifier device 15 is as follows . the blow - by gases with the oil and particulates in suspension ( shown by a black and white arrow ) flow through the duct 17 into the purifier device 15 . the particles of oil pass into the filter member 20 where they agglomerate by coalescence to form droplets of dimensions sufficient to prevent them from being drawn downstream ; the oil therefore drips onto the base of the filter member 20 and is recirculated into the lower zone of the block 4 via the drainage outlet 24 and the duct 25 and then drips into the container 5 . the oil in suspension may typically enter the purifier device at a rate of some 2 - 3 g / hour . in a particular experimental configuration of the type described above , the purifier device 15 was fitted with a filter member 20 in the form of a pleated sheet of filter medium having a sheet surface area of 0 . 1 m 2 . in this configuration , an inlet flow of oil into the purifier device 15 of 2 g / hour was observed and the oil flow through the outlet was 0 . 3 g / hour . in other words , the purifier device removed some 85 % of the oil from the blow - by gases -- the oil removed then being recirculated into the block 4 via the drainage outlet 24 . the particulates which would tend , in the absence of oil , to pass through the filter member 20 as mentioned above , are incorporated on the droplets of oil that agglomerate by coalescence in this member and are recirculated into the block together with the oil . the flow of oil and particulates is shown by a black arrow in the figures . the gases stripped of the oil and particulates ( white arrow ) flow through the outlet 18 of the purifier device 15 and the duct 19 and are recirculated into the intake circuit 6 . the advantages that can be obtained with the present invention are evident from an examination of the characteristic features of the bleed circuit 14 and , in particular , the purifier device 15 embodied in accordance with the present invention . the use of a filter member of coalescent type makes it possible to separate the oil and particulates from the flow of blow - by gases in an efficient way , with particularly small losses of load and very reduced bulk and cost . moreover , the use of a filter member with an absolute retaining power that allows the passage of the particulates makes it possible to avoid the clogging up of the filter as the particulates do not accumulate in the filter but are removed by the oil . it is lastly evident that modifications and variants that do not depart from the scope of the claims may be made to the bleed circuit 14 and the purifier device 15 . the circuit 14 may , for instance , be of the open type and communicate with the outside atmosphere . moreover , the geometry of the filter member 20 may be of any type , for instance a cylindrical cartridge with a radial flow .	5
the embodiments shown in fig1 and 2 includes a concrete recovery system 1 comprises : a conventional flume 8 , a conventional aggregate re - claimer 10 , a recovery tank 12 , a secondary tank 11 , a batch tank 14 , a control unit 16 including a dilution management assembly 22 , a chemical supply 18 and a batch water supply 38 . the aggregate re - claimer 10 separates waste concrete mixture into aggregate material and slurry . in some embodiments , the aggregate re - claimer 10 may be , for example , a gravity screw or trommel re - claimer with a de - watering weir and screw and may include the rinse flume 8 , as described below . other suitable arrangements may also be used , according to the manner in which the user wishes to recover aggregates . in some embodiments , the aggregate re - claimer 10 recovers aggregate to 150 microns or # 100 mesh in size or smaller . the recovery tank 12 holds system - water and is connected to the aggregate re - claimer 10 for supplying washing fluid for removing waste concrete , as described below . as described below , at the start of each cycle , the recovery tank holds water containing a hydration stabilization admixture ( hsa ). initially , this mixture circulates through the aggregate re - claimer 10 , acting as washout water , as described below . as trucks wash out , a density meter 20 and a temperature monitor 20 b in a discharge line 20 a regularly monitors the density of the resulting system - water circulating from the tank 12 through the discharge pump 20 c and an irrigation valve 20 d . over the course of the day , as the density of the system - water rises , the control unit 16 adds more fresh water from supply 38 and hsa from supply 18 in order to maintain a target slurry density , as described below . in some embodiments , the solids in the system - water are kept in suspension in the recovery tank 12 with an impeller agitator 24 . the secondary tank 14 stores the batch slurry for use in the preparation of concrete . specifically , system - water accumulated in the recovery tank 12 is pump - transferred to the secondary tank 11 for temporary storage until it can be re - used as batch slurry for mixing water in fresh concrete batches . in use , the batch slurry in the secondary tank 11 is transferred to batch tank 14 at the batch plant at the request of the batcher or system . in some embodiments , the recovery tank and the secondary tank 11 may each include an agitator 26 , for example , an impeller agitator for keeping the slurry in suspension . in the first embodiment described herein , the batch slurry in the secondary tank 14 is transferred from the recovery tank at the same target density where it is stored at an elevated density of between 1 . 07 and 1 . 30 g / cm 3 . to effect transfer , the irrigation valve 20 d and the giraffe valve 20 e are closed and a transfer valve 20 f is opened simply acting to transfer all materials pumped by the pump 20 c into the secondary tank 11 at the same density as the target density in the recovery tank . when required at the batching plant , the slurry is pumped from the secondary tank 11 through the dilution management assembly 22 described below . for example , the density required to batch maybe set at a lower density such as 1 . 07 g / cm 3 , although this may be set at different values depending upon the batcher &# 39 ; s requirements , which will require a fresh water to slurry water blend of 1 : 1 if the reservoir density is 1 . 15 g / cm 3 to as much as 4 : 1 if the reservoir density is 1 . 30 g / cm 3 , as described below . in the embodiment of fig1 the control unit 16 monitors and maintains the density of the system - water in the recovery tank 12 and the batch - slurry in the secondary tank 11 and delivers the batch slurry at a predetermined density to the batch plant , as described below . a coriolis density meter 20 is installed on the slurry line to monitor the density of the batch slurry in real time in the re - circulation loop , as described below . as will be appreciated by one knowledgeable in the art , other suitable density meters known in the art may also be used . the density meter 20 feeds back to a plc control system that will monitor and adjust the system settings to allow proper blending , as described below . an operator control panel is installed at the batch station to allow the batcher to monitor the system and make periodic adjustments as may be required to reflect the changing needs of the user . the dilution management assembly 22 in some embodiments is placed as close to the batch plant as possible . in one embodiment , the assembly sits atop a metal platform 50 that is approximately 10 to 12 feet in length and 4 to 6 feet in width . as shown in fig1 the secondary tank 11 is connected to a batch slurry feed line 27 and a circulation loop 34 . there is a “ y ” valve 25 that allows the slurry feed line 27 and fresh water feed line 23 to flow into a common line 26 , as described below . the common line 26 following the “ y ” valve 25 is in one embodiment approximately 5 feet in length to allow the diluted batch slurry to settle from a turbulent flow to a laminar flow . the common line 26 is connected to the density meter 28 , as shown in fig2 . downstream pipe 29 exits the density meter 20 and is connected via pipe 27 to return valve 32 that leads to the secondary tank 11 . the downstream pipe 29 is connected to a discharge valve 30 that allows the slurry to report to the batch water weigh hopper 14 . in other embodiments , the batch slurry may be introduced into the batch process using a flow meter rather than a weigh hopper . it is of note that when the discharge valve 30 is open , the return valve 32 at the head of the return line to the secondary tank 11 closes . these two valves operate opposite one another , so that the return loop and the batch weigh hopper delivery line will remain independent , allowing the proper dilution to be established into the lop before the valve 30 is opened to allow the properly diluted slurry to flow to the batch tank 14 . in use of the first embodiment , before the commencement of operations on any given day or as required by the producer , the recovery tank 12 has added thereto an initial quantity of water and a corresponding amount of hsa . the principle of chemically stabilizing cement is based on the use of a carboxylic acid to suppress hydration activity for a defined period of time . this is accomplished by adding a specific quantity of hsa to a known quantity of water in which cement particles will be suspended for an established period of time . the purpose of the specific quantity of hsa is to stabilize the cement hydration for a finite period of time . in most cases , the cement will require stabilization for 12 - 24 hours . further detail on the process of hydration stabilization can be found in the above mentioned technical document named “ a novel method of recycling concrete using extended life admixtures .” co - authored by lawrence r . roberts of w . r . grace ( conn .) and seiji nakamura of k . k . denka japan , which was released at the european ready - mix association congress in 1998 . a transit mixer 22 backs to the rinse flume of the aggregate re - claimer 10 to discharge waste concrete remaining in the mixer drum of the transit mixer 22 . the operator depresses a water delivery button at the aggregate re - claimer 10 that causes water from the recovery tank 12 to be pumped via , for example , a giraffe pipe into the transit mixer drum . the water and waste concrete is then mixed at high speed for a period of time , for example , two minutes , thereby forming an aggregate slurry . the aggregate slurry is then discharged into the aggregate re - claimer 10 . the aggregate re - claimer 10 removes all aggregate material larger than 150 microns from the washout , for example , by means of a gravity de - watering screw or trommel re - claimer , and discharges the aggregate into aggregate bunkers for eventual return to stockpile . thus , reclaimed aggregates can be screened to their original classifications and returned to stockpile at full value . the aggregate re - claimer 12 is able to recover fines down to at least 150 microns or smaller , leaving a slurry with a cementitious to non - cementitious ratio of fines ranging from 70 : 30 to 90 : 10 . it is desirable to remove as much of the non - cementitious fines from the aggregate slurry as possible . reduction of coarse and non - cementitious fines reduces abrasion wear , extending the life of the components of the concrete recovery system 1 and allows for more efficient use of chemical stabilizer and greater system capacity for storage of more valuable cement and fly ash . the system water / slurry is then discharged to the recovery tank 12 until needed for subsequent washouts . a density meter 20 regularly reports the density of the system - water in the recovery tank 12 to the control unit 16 . based on the user &# 39 ; s system settings , the control unit 16 may periodically add more water and / or hsa as the density of the system - water rises . thus , over the course of the production day , the density meter monitors the rise of solids in the slurry . if the percentage of solids rises above a preset limit , an additional draft of water will be pumped into the tank with a corresponding amount of hsa . as discussed above , the goal is to keep the density of the system - water at a target limit . if high volumes of washout cause the system - water solids to continue to rise after the design volume capacity limit of the system has been reached , further hsa will be added according to the solids increase , but not water . this guarantees that the cement in the slurry will remain uniformly stabilized for the time that it is required to remain in storage . when the production day is complete , the control unit 16 automatically transfers the slurry from the recovery tank 12 to the secondary tank 14 . alternatively , the user may choose a specific time or set of conditions when the control unit 16 will automatically transfer slurry from the recovery tank 12 to the secondary tank 14 . when the batcher requests batch water for process mixing , it is drawn from the batch tank 14 instead of from a fresh water source . when the batcher asks the system to deliver slurry to the batch tank , water weigh hopper or through a flow meter to the batch process , the system 1 immediately begins a dilution cycle to reduce the density from the higher values in the secondary tank 11 to the lower values required at the batch plant . this is initiated by a real time density measurement to determine if the density is above or below the target value required , as described below . if the density exceeds the target value allowed by the batching process , the system 1 will instruct a fresh water valve 40 to open to begin diluting the batch slurry . as the valve 40 opens , the slurry line will begin to accept fresh water until the density reaches the target batch density , at which point the discharge valve 30 will open and the diluted batch slurry will be discharged to the batch tank 14 , water weigh hopper or flow meter . when the appropriate amount of batch slurry has been delivered , the discharge valve 30 will close and the fresh water supply will be terminated . the batch slurry will then continue to circulate until the batcher calls for more dilute slurry to batch . it is of note that the slurry water is delivered to the batch plant at a controlled predetermined density , preset by the operator and programmed into the control unit 16 . solids in the batch slurry are compensated for , by adjusting mix designs to allow for reduction of fresh ingredients and addition of slurry solids . it is of note that the slurry dilution cycle may be initiated by the batcher or by a tank level indicator in a batch tank 14 that asks the system 1 to automatically refill the batch tank 14 if it drops below a certain volume level . however that supply is always at the predetermined density due to the controlled inline dilution from the higher density of the slurry stored in the secondary tank 11 . the actual step by step procedure of diluting the stored batch slurry to batch density is as follows . when the batcher starts the slurry re - circulation loop , a re - circulating valve 44 is open and the meter valve 25 is closed , so that the batch slurry flows along a circulation loop 34 back to the tank 11 . next , the system 1 closes re - circulating valve 44 and discharge valve 30 and opens meter valve 25 and return valve 32 . as a result of this arrangement , the batch slurry will pass through the dilution management assembly 22 for a period of time sufficient to determine the density and temperature of the batch slurry . once density and temperature have been established , the system 1 will update agitator speed and sets the slurry transfer pump speed to reflect the rate that the undiluted slurry is delivered to the dilution management assembly 22 . this rate is consistent with the ratio of blending that will be required to reduce the batch slurry from its storage density to the batch density . once agitator and pump speeds have been set , the system 1 closes the meter valve 25 and the return valve 32 and opens the re - circulating valve 44 . as a result of this arrangement , the batch slurry returns to re - circulating loop 34 and the system 1 awaits the next command from the batcher . when the batcher or the system 1 calls for batch slurry to be delivered to the batch tank 14 or flow meter , the system 1 closes the circulating valve 44 and the discharge valve 30 and opens meter valve 25 and return valve 32 . the variable frequency drive on the batch - slurry transfer pump motor then increases or decreases pump speed to control the rate of slurry delivery to the dilution management assembly 22 . for example , when using a peristaltic ( hose ) pump as a batch slurry transfer pump , the fresh water to batch slurry water ratio is determined by a system preset . for example , if the stored batch slurry in the tank has a density of 1 . 15 , the system will require approximately a 1 : 1 ratio of fresh water to batch slurry water to dilute the batch slurry to 1 . 07 . therefore , if the batch slurry transfer pump is set to deliver 100 gallons per minute to the batch tank 14 , the fresh water valve 40 will also deliver 100 gallons per minute , providing a total flow of 200 gallons per minute of batch slurry diluted to 1 . 07 . in a different scenario , where the stored batch slurry in the secondary tank 11 is at a density of 1 . 30 , the fresh water to batch slurry ratio will be 4 : 1 , in which case the batch slurry transfer pump will be set to deliver 40 gallons per minute to the dilution management assembly 22 , while the fresh water valve 40 will deliver 160 gallons per minute to the dilution management assembly . this will also provide a total flow of 200 gallons per minute of batch slurry diluted to 1 . 07 . it is of note that in some embodiments , the batch slurry transfer pump will have not less than four possible speeds of slurry delivery to accommodate four different batch slurry densities . small variations in batch slurry density between the set points will be compensated by real time adjustments in the fresh water flow rate . as the batch slurry and fresh water converge and flow into the density meter 20 , the density of the diluted batch slurry is monitored and reported back to the system 1 . if the density is above or below the batch target density , the fresh water valve 40 will open or close to bring the density into a target range , typically between 1 . 069 g / cm 3 and 1 . 075 g / cm 3 if the target density is 1 . 07 g / cm 3 . once the batch target density has been reached , the system 1 closes return valve 32 and opens discharge valve 30 . this allows the batch slurry to report to the batch tank 14 . the flow will continue until the batch tank 14 records a full reading and instructs the system 1 to return to re - circulation , or until the batcher has received enough diluted batch slurry in the weigh batch hopper 14 and instructs the system 1 to stop delivering batch slurry . once the system has stopped delivery of batch slurry to the weigh batch hopper 14 , the settings of the dilution management system 22 will be recorded in a pid loop that will instruct the system to return to its last known delivery settings the next time batch slurry is called to batch . this will reduce the time required to find the exact batch target density to a few seconds rather than 15 to 30 seconds . if the system 1 requires hot water to compensate for cold weather aggregate temperatures , the dilution management system can use hot water as its fresh water feed source , eliminating the need to blend several water sources to arrive at a suitably blended batch slurry temperature and density , or can use a hot water heat source as shown in fig1 . the primary function of the concrete recovery system 1 is to safely and efficiently recycle cementitious slurry water . in order to accomplish this , it is necessary to develop a consistent and carefully controlled method of incorporating slurry into the batching process . the key to accomplishing this is to maintain a constant regular density for all recycled slurry water . the in - line dilution and mixing process dilutes a stream of cementitious slurry with fresh water in flow , arriving at a target density that will be both consistent and reliable . this constant supply of slurry at a stable target density allows the ready - mix producer to use the slurry water as mixing water for manufacturing fresh concrete . furthermore , the stability of the slurry density acts as a quality control constant , providing consistently similar performance characteristics of the fresh and hardened concrete . maintaining regular density allows the producer to develop mix designs for use of the slurry that are constant and reliable in both placing characteristics and final strengths . it also allows the producer to balance the amount of slurry accumulated over a given day with the amount distributed over the following day &# 39 ; s production . this balancing of intake and outflow will assists in guaranteeing quality control . by eliminating the need to calculate the blending ratios , the system is as close to fail safe as can be expected . in this regard , the discharge valve 30 must remain closed until the density meter 20 reads that the diluted batch slurry density has reached the target range and is ready to be released . from a batcher &# 39 ; s standpoint , the system frees him from having to modify mix designs to compensate for fluctuating densities , and practically eliminates the risk of liability associated with concrete failures due to error in compensatory calculations by the batcher . thus , the concrete recovery system is an aggregate re - claimer and slurry recovery system that operates on a closed circuit , zero - discharge principle , and can be implemented as a parallel system with any ready - mix batch plant . the system reclaims aggregates for re - use and recovers cementitious slurry for re - use as process mixing water , as described below . the system combines density management with chemical hydration stabilization in a self - monitoring and self - regulating storage and transfer environment . the fundamental goal of the system is to return the batch slurry to batch at a controlled density , allowing the cementitious solids in the batch slurry to be recovered as replacement material for fresh fly ash or cement . in practical terms , when the batcher calls for batch slurry , it is delivered to the batch plant at the preset density . this density will correlate with the slurry - based mix design written into the batch computer . the underlying principle is to maintain exactly the same batching procedure as would be followed under normal circumstances . the only difference is that part of the cementitious material is supplied with the slurry , allowing the operator to reduce the cement and / or fly ash called for in the mix design . for example , a normal portland 25 mpa mix design calling for : in another configuration for example , in which the concrete producer chooses to simply dispose of the cementitious slurry solids in the fresh concrete batches , he may choose not to modify the mix designs , but rather let the slurry solids be added to the fresh mix in addition to the normal distribution of the constituent ingredients and allow the final strength to be over - designed and the benefit to carry forward to the concrete purchaser . in all other respects , the mix design would be identical to a normal production design , and since the cement slurry is stabilized , it will not affect other admixture relationships in the fresh batch such as air entrainment . turning now to the second embodiment shown in fig2 this is modified from the first embodiment by a number of features , the primary one of which is that the control of the dilution of the batch slurry to the required density occurs between the primary tank and the secondary tank so that the required amount of batch slurry for a period of use , typically one day or one production cycle , is stored in the secondary tank at the required density and can be supplied at that density on demand to the batching system . thus an additional fresh water line 38 a from the supply 38 is connected through a valve 38 b to the output from the pump 20 a for mixing with the slurry from the tank 12 . the return loop 34 a for establishing the required dilution is formed through the irrigation valve 20 d following which the valve 20 d is closed and the valve 30 opened to transfer the accurately diluted slurry to the secondary tank 11 . transfer from the tank 11 to the batch tank 14 is effected through valves 53 and 51 and pump 52 . the following is a detailed description of the second embodiment , which may repeat some aspects which are common to both embodiments . the trucks will receive system - water for drum rinsing through giraffe transfer pipes 20 f and valve 20 e at each truck station . they will discharge the waste concrete mixture or aggregate and slurry into an intake flume with internal rinse irrigation . the flume will provide for quick discharge of aggregate and slurry and controlled feed into the re - claimer . the coarse aggregate is classified out of the drum contents by means of a 36 ″× 25 ′ spiral - classifier and discharged into a storage bunker , while the cement , low - density fines and water flow into the primary tank in slurry form . the principal storage and transfer component of the system are : two api 650 storage tanks 12 and 11 mounted on a rigid skid - frame 50 located at the washout transfer station and one ( 1 ) batch tank 14 located at the plant . the system is delivered as a complete unit ready for use , with operating components fixed to the skid - frame . it may be installed quickly and efficiently without disrupting plant operations . the api 650 tank capacities can be expanded with flanged sections to extend nominal tank height from a base design of 9 ′ 6 ″ up to 14 ′ 6 ″ or even as high as 19 ′ 2 ″. the tanks 11 and 12 are fitted with agitators 26 to maintain controlled homogeneity of the contents . the three standard tanks are designated as follows : the recovery tank 12 holds a maximum 34 , 500 - liter volume of system - water containing a hydration stabilization admixture ( hsa ). this system - water circulates through the washout transfer station and re - claimer providing rinse water for the trucks 22 and irrigation water for the re - claimer 10 . the secondary tank 11 holds a maximum 55 , 250 - liter volume of batch slurry in temporary storage until it can be re - used as mixing water in fresh concrete production . the 1 , 720 - liter batch tank 14 automatically receives batch slurry from the secondary tank to maintain a just - in - time volume of batch slurry for use in fresh concrete mixes as required by the batcher . the recycle water port on the batch computer actuates the discharge valve on the batch tank . the process equipment and system instrumentation is mounted on the skid and / or affixed to the tanks as required . this includes the following : all tanks are fitted with agitators 26 and tank baffles to keep solids in proper suspension . the agitators are hydrofoil - impellers that provide maximum homogeneity with minimum shear abrasion . the primary pump 20 c delivers system - water to the truck drums 22 for rinsing and irrigates the re - claimer 10 and flume 8 to wash the waste concrete mixture into the system . the primary pump 20 c transfers system - water from the recovery tank 12 to the secondary tank 11 . the secondary pump 52 delivers batch - slurry from the secondary storage tank to the batch tank at the plant for use as mixing water in fresh concrete . an in - flow density meter 20 monitors system - water / batch slurry density and temperature . the information is used to control system - water / batch slurry density and temperature management and the transfer - dilution process . a service 38 for fresh water addition is mounted to the skid - frame 50 consisting of a flow meter and automated control valve . all piping and fittings are schedule 40 with long radius elbows to reduce abrasion . all process control valves are high quality , 150 - p . s . i .- rated pneumatic pinch valves with replaceable rubber sleeves . all tank volume levels and high - low signals are monitored and reported to the system controls by an ultrasonic level sensor and transmitter 60 . this gives the batcher a visual graphic and corresponding numeric value at the batch plant indicating the volume and level in each tank and triggers automated system activities . the recovery tank monitors temperature at the density meter 20 , while the secondary tank is fitted with a thermal sensor 61 to monitor batch slurry temperature . these sensors can be used to interface with a heat exchanger or other variety of heating or cooling system ( not shown ). a chemical addition system 18 automatically injects hsa into the system - water and is designed to feed chemical into both tanks as the system demands . the dilution management system uses fresh or process water to dilute the recovery tank system - water to a constant density in transfer to the secondary tank , thereby guaranteeing a stable supply of batch slurry in the secondary tank at the density required to batch without manual calculation or risk of error . the system management controls package ties the process equipment and controls into an integrated automation system . the system monitors , controls and maintains the system - water / batch slurry in storage and delivers it at a predetermined density to the batch plant . an operator control panel ( ocp ) 16 is installed at the batch station to allow the batcher and quality control personnel to monitor the system and make periodic adjustments as may be required to reflect the changing needs of the producer . when batching with batch slurry , the goal of the system is to provide the batcher with a stable supply of batch slurry at a constant density and also a constant temperature as required by the producer . this allows the batcher to use most existing batch computers to adjust or modify the final batch outcome . if the user wishes to increase secondary storage density and dilute the slurry in the weigh hopper , the batch computer can be preset to add make - up water to a draft of recycled water to reduce density at the weigh hopper . this method expands the storage capacity of the system by allowing the secondary tank to store more slurry solids . for example , if the storage density in the secondary tank and transfer circuit were set at 1 . 10 g / cm 3 , the batch computer could be set to automatically add make - up water to the slurry in the weigh hopper to reduce its density to 1 . 07 g / cm 3 by splitting the feed of slurry in ratio to fresh water at 1 : 0 . 6 or 60 % slurry and 40 % fresh water . in winter batch - slurry can be stored at a relatively high density and at low temperature and diluted with hot water in the batch weigh hopper . this can be used to elevate batch - slurry to high temperature seconds prior to delivery , allowing heating of the slurry without propagating hydration across the stored volume in the secondary tank or allowing high - temperature initiated hydration to continue long enough to have any noticeable effect on the fresh concrete . the low temperature storage reduces the amount of chemicals required as hydration is temperature dependent . in the alternative , the mixing with hot water can be combined with the dilution step . each washout station is fitted with a 3 ″- diameter , giraffe - style overhead water - transfer pipe to deliver system water to the mixer drum . each giraffe assembly is fitted with a user switch box with two ( 2 ) safety designed , all - weather push buttons , an open / close pinch valve and a flow meter . the start buttons will be clearly marked full rinse and chute rinse . the wash stations are positioned along a common collection flume into which the waste concrete mixture is discharged . a fresh - water hose will be mounted at each giraffe to facilitate manual truck chute rinsing . hsa will be injected into this rinse hose to maintain overall chemical balance during un - metered additions of rinse water ( i . e . rinsing chutes and truck components ). depressing the full rinse button will initiate delivery of a draft of system - water from the recovery tank to the truck drum . the draft quantity is user - defined ( nominal 1000 liters ). the chemical present in the slurry will coat the truck drum , aiding resistance to build - up of waste concrete . system - water will dilute the waste concrete mixture , making it flow - able and easily discharged . the end of the drum transfer cycle will initiate an irrigation cycle . irrigation cycle time is user - defined ( nominal 16 minutes ). system - water conditions will be monitored during the irrigation cycle allowing system settings to be updated . if a full rinse cycle is in progress when a new driver depresses the full rinse button at his particular station , the system will restart the cycle . depressing the chute rinse button will initiate an irrigation cycle without a drum transfer by controlling the valves 20 d and 20 e . irrigation cycle time is user - defined ( nominal 3 minutes ). a rinse hose will provide chemically treated fresh / process water to rinse chute washout into the re - claimer . system - water conditions will be monitored during the irrigation cycle , allowing system settings to be updated . if a full rinse cycle is in progress when a new driver depresses the chute rinse button , the system will restart the cycle . as multiple - serial transfer valves open or close , line pressure will rise and fall . the system senses the pressure change and adjusts the primary pump 20 c speed and flow rate to maintain a constant transfer flow rate regardless of the number of open valves . this will guarantee constant transfer times . the full rinse button starts the primary pump , opens the giraffe valve and delivers 1000 liters of system - water to the truck drum . when the drum transfer flow meter registers the complete transfer of system - water , the giraffe valve will close and the irrigation valve for the re - claimer will open . the re - claimer begins operation when irrigation valve opens . the irrigation system runs on a timer for 16 minutes and then automatically shut down the primary pump and re - claimer when the cycle is complete . the chute rinse button starts the primary pump 20 c and the re - claimer without transferring system - water to the truck drum . the chute rinse button initiates a 3 - minute rinse cycle through the re - claimer irrigation system . the end of the rinse cycle will cause the re - claimer and pump to shut down . the operation of the re - claimer and flume will always be in conjunction with irrigation flow provided by the primary pump . flow will be divided amongst the flume and re - claimer at a nominal flow rate of 600 liters per minute . for example , a spiral - classifier , which employs a rising current classifier provides for efficient removal of low - density cementitious and sand fines while allowing heavier aggregate to sink to where the spiral can remove it from the re - claimer . a wash back channel in the spiral - classifier provides further irrigation by rinsing the spiral channel to keep it clear of accumulated fines . the intake flume is fed with system water through rinse piping that will flush the waste concrete mixture into the re - claimer . the primary pump feeds the flume to maintain material recovery and separation at optimum efficiency . a reservoir for system - water used to irrigate on the re - claimer and provide rinse water for the trucks ; collection and storage vessel for cementitious and sand fines collected in the washout process ; and , the recovery tank has a nominal volume of 34 , 500 liters or 9 , 100 u . s . gallons . it is fitted with a uli and an in - flow density meter in its irrigation piping . the recovery tank and re - claimer circuit have three possible operating modes . the parameters are user specified to reflect the needs of the producer . the modes are : target - density mode ( tdm )— in tdm , the nominal density of the system - water ranges between 1 . 00 to 1 . 15 g / cm 3 ., and the system strives to maintain minimum volume at a constant density near the high end of that range . as solids enter after the high end of the range has been reached , dilution water and hydration stabilization admixture will be added to the tank at the pre - calculated ratio determined by the target density and the temperature to reduce the system - water density below the high end of the range and maintain the proper chemical / water ratio . high - density mode ( hdm )— in hdm , the nominal density of the system - water may rise as high as 1 . 30 g / cm 3 in hdm , the system disallows addition of fresh dilution water , but allows addition of hsa in proportion to temperature and density . solids continue to be accepted by the system during hdm , but the system requests the batcher to transfer system - water to the secondary tank to allow return to tdm . sleep mode ( sm )— sm can be initiated by the batcher or automatically at a preset time . sm will start a system clock to monitor the age and temperature of the slurry with user - defined , periodic 3 - minute irrigation cycles and timed system commands . the primary function of sm is age monitoring and hsa addition , which is tied to temperature changes in the system - water and batch slurry or a preset elapsed time limit on the system clock . if sleep mode continues unbroken for the length of the preset timed - cycle , the system will add chemical according to the volume , temperature and density of the system - water and / or batch slurry , and return the preset timer to zero to begin a new cycle . in sm , a gate valve 53 between the secondary tank and the batch tank will close , preventing slurry solids form migrating into the secondary transfer pump casing and also acting as a security precaution against spillage in the event of a seismic event . furthermore , the isolation of the secondary transfer line from the secondary tank will allow the secondary transfer line to be purged with fresh water and then drained to prevent pipe rupture or unnecessary accumulation of solids in the transfer line during long system - idle periods . the fill cycle is automatic with manual override . flow meter monitors the fresh water inflow volume . hsa is added automatically with fresh water at the pre - calculated ratio . re - fill of the tank is triggered by low - level signal . the control of the recovery tank transfer process may be done manually as required . if the transfer causes complete evacuation of the recovery tank , the end of the transfer cycle will trigger the beginning of a new fill cycle . when the tank level drops below a preset minimum , the system may automatically dilute and transfer the remainder of the recovery tank 12 contents to the secondary tank 11 or , alternately , trigger a warning signal to inform the batcher to transfer the remaining volume manually at the batcher &# 39 ; s convenience . the system monitors system - water density and temperature condition during each irrigation cycle . in sm , a periodic user - defined irrigation cycle monitors and corrects system - water condition . dramatic changes in conditions can trigger alarms to notify service personnel . the system controls operation of an hsa system to inject chemical to the recovery tank as required . in tdm , hsa is added in ratio to fresh water inflow volume , temperature adjusted between 4 ° c . and 38 ° c . in hdm , hsa is added in ratio to system - water density and the measured volume of the recovery tank , temperature adjusted between 4 ° c . and 38 ° c . in sm , hsa is added in ratio to density in the measured volume of the recovery tank , adjusted by slurry temperature between 4 ° c . and 38 ° c . for storage target density & amp ; dilution , the density meter has a readout to four decimal places . target density setting is adjustable from 1 . 0000 g / cm 3 to 1 . 3000 g / cm 3 . the target density setting has a threshold of one digit in the second decimal place above and 2 digits below the target density ( e . g . if target density is 1 . 1500 , dilution commences when the density reaches 1 . 1600 and ceases when density drops to 1 . 1300 or below ). the system will not dilute until the recovery circuit is idle . system locks out washout station and re - claimer during dilution . the system is arranged to provide a transfer target density and to effect dilution from that target density during transfer from the tank 12 to the tank 11 , for this purpose , recovery target storage density will always be higher than secondary target batch density . this will always require some degree of dilution as slurry is transferred from the recovery to the secondary tank . as the transfer cycle begins , the system will check the slurry density in the transfer line and begin to introduce fresh dilution water to reduce the storage density in - flow to the batch density . the transfer valve 30 will open at the target batch density and allow batch slurry transfer to the secondary tank . storage density and batch density can be user - defined . in the fill cycle , when the uli senses that the recovery tank 12 volume has dropped to its minimum level , an automatic refill cycle will commence if the last recorded density measurement is above 1 . 10 g / cm 3 . the cycle will begin with a purge transfer of the final volume in the recovery tank . the procedure is as follows . the system will check the level in the secondary tank 11 to ensure there is sufficient capacity to accept the final transfer . if capacity is sufficient , slurry will be diluted and transferred to the secondary tank and refill will commence . if capacity is insufficient , the system awaits override by the batcher or notice of available capacity from the secondary tank uli . while the system is awaiting override or notice , a transfer / purge signal flashes on the ocp screen to notify the batcher of the impending transfer . when capacity becomes available , dilution - transfer and refill will commence . the batcher can manually dismiss the transfer notice and return the recovery circuit to normal operation . this manual - dismiss command will cause addition of fresh water and a corresponding quantity of chemical to bring the recovery tank volume to a preset level above the minimum level . each time the recovery tank volume drops below the preset level it will trigger a transfer notice . during the final volume dilution and transfer , the uli monitors the tank levels . when the volume remaining in the tank reaches 100 gallons , the density measurement and dilution will cease . the secondary transfer line will remain open and the pump will , for example , continue to transfer for 60 seconds . fresh water induction valve commences refill process . when the period ends , the transfer valve closes and the pump stops , but the fresh water service continues to fill the tank . flow meter commences to measure fresh water inflow . the flow meter will totalize the fresh water volume inflow until the recovery tank reaches the preset minimum metered volume at which time the fresh water fill valve will close . the closing of the fresh water fill valve will trigger the start of a 3 - minute chute rinse irrigation cycle . the irrigation cycle will allow the system to determine density and temperature . the temperature and metered water volume determine the amount of chemical added to the fresh water . the density measurement resets the agitator speed . the rinse cycle ends switching off the pump and closing all recovery and transfer valves . the agitator 26 speed is controlled by the plc to correlate system - water density with impeller speed . as the density fluctuates , so does agitator speed . the agitator 26 will automatically switch off when the level in the tank drops below a preset limit . conversely , when the level rises above the preset limit , the agitator will recommence operation . a dilution cycle begins when the density in tank 12 rises 0 . 01 g / cm 3 above the target setting . the re - claimer and wash station valves 20 d and 20 e are locked out . the system transfers 2000 liters of fresh water into the tank . chemical is added at the pre - calculated ratio according to volume and temperature of fresh water . the addition of chemical is recorded and totalized . a chute rinse cycle will commence to measure density . if density is below 1 . 13 g / cm 3 , system moves to next step . if density is above 1 . 13 g / cm 3 , system adds more dilution water and chemical . dilution sequence repeats until the desired target density is reached . the re - claimer and wash station valves 20 d and 20 e will be unlocked . when the uli senses that the recovery tank has reached maximum allowable volume at the target storage density , recovery tank controls will switch to hdm . switching to hdm mode will commence a transfer - warning signal at the ocp to advise the batcher to transfer a quantity of system - water to create capacity in the recovery tank for further dilution and addition of washout solids . the transfer warning will continue until the batcher transfers enough volume to the secondary tank to terminate the hdm . in hdm , dilution water is no longer added as density rises . the system monitors density and temperature during hdm and adds chemical according to an hdm i chemical addition scaling function . this will automatically determine the amount of chemical to be added according to the density modified by temperature . as required by the batcher , system - water is transferred to the secondary tank in quantity sufficient for the batching requirements for the period concerned , which may be daily / hourly and the system - water then becomes batch - slurry . the batcher inputs a transfer quantity into transfer screen on ocp . the transfer command is initiated , causing the system to lockout all other functions . the primary pump 20 c starts , allowing the density meter to read the system - water density and commence dilution . the fresh water valve 38 b will open until the density measured by the density meter reaches the target batch - slurry density . the transfer valve will open causing the dilute batch - slurry to be transferred into the secondary tank . the transfer will continue until the volume transferred reaches the quantity input by the batcher in step 2 above . when the batcher requires system - water to be transferred to the secondary tank for storage as batch slurry , the dilution - transfer command will allow controlled density system - water to be transferred from the recovery to the secondary tank . the secondary tank 11 will store and monitor the condition of the batch - slurry in the secondary stage before it is sent to the batch plant for use as mixing water . volume and capacity are monitored and displayed at the ocp . temperature and density are monitored and displayed at ocp . batch slurry age is monitored while system is in sleep mode . the transfer pump delivers the batch - slurry to batch tank . transfer is automatically initiated by the level indicator in batch tank . for hydration stabilization , a user - defined slurry - age timer counts down to re - dosage when the system is in sleep mode . hsa is added automatically to prolong the cementitious life of the batch slurry and prevent hydration from recommencing . the batch tank holds a just - in - time volume of batch - slurry for delivery to the weigh hopper at the batch plant . the batch tank has an agitator to keep solids in suspension . the batch tank has a uli to monitor tank batch - slurry volume . the batch tank refills automatically when volume drops below a preset level . the recycled - water port on the batch computer controls the batch tank discharge valve . the density of the batch - slurry in the secondary tank will control the agitator speed . the system will use the target batch density setting to control agitator speed . the batch tank agitator will be constant speed . when the level in either the secondary or the batch tanks drop below a preset limit , the agitator will automatically switch off . conversely , when the level rises above the limit , the agitator will recommence operation . the uli continuously relays volume in the tank to the plc . the program continuously calculates available tank capacity . internal clock monitors the age of the batch - slurry from the time the system switches to sleep mode . when the tank volume drops below a pre - set point the secondary circuit is disabled including operation of the secondary transfer pump . if the system is in sm when the clock reaches its re - dosage point a command to add hsa is executed . hsa is added in ratio to the target batch density in the measured volume of the secondary tank adjusted by batch - slurry temperature between 4 ° c . and 38 ° c . the real time slurry age clock is reset to zero , counting down to another dosage . this can be repeated a preset number of times defined by the user . when the batcher activates the transfer circuit , the transfer pump 52 delivers a quantity of batch - slurry from the secondary tank to the batch tank . the uli in the batch tank informs the system when the batch tank has filled to a preset maximum level and the system shuts - off the transfer pump . each time the batch tank calls for batch - slurry , the secondary transfer pump 52 automatically commences transferring . when the batcher terminates the use of the transfer circuit , the refill command at batch tank is disabled . the system automatically commences a purge cycle . the purge cycle demands the evacuation of the batch tank and closure of the gate valve 53 on the secondary tank . the uli will terminate the agitator operation when the batch tank level drops below a preset level , and when the uli at the batch tank reads that the batch tank is empty , a purge cycle will commence . fresh water valves ( not shown ) open in the transfer line for a preset time , allowing the line and pump 52 to be purged with fresh water . batch slurry is displaced from the transfer pipe and pump casing into batch tank 14 by fresh water . when purging is complete , the system may be set to sm . the system can monitor and control the temperature of the slurry by activating an optional heat transfer unit ( not shown ) mounted in the recovery and / or secondary tank . this heating system will raise the temperature of the system - water or batch - slurry from ambient temperature to the required batch temperature . a temperature sensor is mounted in the secondary tank to monitor slurry temperature . the density meter in the recovery tank also monitors slurry temperature . the plc controls the heat exchange unit ( s ). the system has a temperature management program to sense and adjust temperature automatically . batch - slurry is kept at a temperature that balances efficiency of hydration stabilizer usage and cost of btu &# 39 ; s . batch - slurry temperature can be raised as it is weighed into the batch by blending with high - temperature water . if the producer requires temperature control , optional in - line heat exchangers or in - tank baffle - style heat exchangers may be employed . if the slurry temperature drops below or rises above the setting defined by the producer , the heat exchanger ( s ) will commence operation . the system tracks the recovery tank system - water temperature at the density meter waiting for it to exceed the preset temperature minimum or maximum . the system tracks the secondary tank batch - slurry temperature with a thermal sensor waiting for it to exceed the preset temperature minimum or maximum . each time the volume in the batch tank 14 drops below a preset minimum , the secondary transfer pump 52 will start delivery of slurry from the secondary tank . when the secondary tank 11 drops below a preset minimum volume , the transfer command from the batch tank will be disabled . the secondary batch transfer circuit will not be locked out , but the batcher will be notified by a red flashing icon that the batch - slurry is not yet up to temperature . the recovery transfer circuit will function regardless of temperature . when the batch - slurry reaches temperature , the flashing icon will turn green to signal that operating temperature has been reached . the batcher may now transfer the batch - slurry to batch . the heat exchanger ( s ) will raise / lower the temperature of the batch - slurry in the tank ( s ). when the slurry is 5 ° c . over / under the system prescribed temperature the heat exchanger will be disabled . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above , it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein , and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention .	2
referring to fig1 of the draings , this container assembly 40 comprises a body assembly 41 , a floor assembly 42 ( fig2 ), a partition assembly 43 , and a cap assembly 44 . when all of the components are combined to form the container assembly 40 , as illustrated in fig1 the result is a three dimensional container assembly that can store a large number of articles , such as soft drink bottles , and that constitutes a three dimensional display of one of the articles . yet , all the components can be stored and packaged in a substantially flat condition as will be described . the body assembly 41 comprises two body panels 46 and 48 . one of these body panels 46 is shown in fig2 and 3 and various of its components are shown in fig4 , 6 , 7 and 8 . the other body panel 48 and its components is identical to the body panel 46 and its components . therefore , only one of the body panels 46 will be described in detail . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the body panel 46 is in the form of a rectangle and preferably is formed of resilient plastic . the body panel 46 has a top edge 50 , a bottom edge 52 , and side edges 54 and 56 ( see fig3 ) which define the perimeters of an inner surface 58 and an outer surface 60 . references hereinafter to &# 34 ; inner &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; outer &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; inwardly &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; outwardly &# 34 ; are with respect to these inner and outer surfaces 58 and 60 . each body panel is about 2 feet 8 inches high and about three feet two inches wide . although these dimensions may be varied over wide ranges , they suffice to produce a body cylinder 41 , as will be described , that can hold about two hundred 16 ounce bottles , that can be reached into over its top edge , and that economizes on floor space . the body panel 46 is about one - eighth inch thick and this thickness cooperates with the plastic composition to give the panel strength as well as an internal memory or resilience biasing the panel toward the normally flat condition illustrated in fig2 and 3 . however , if the two side edges 54 and 56 are pressed toward one another , the panel 46 can be bowed or curved in opposition to its internal resilient force , and under these conditions , the panel will tend to assume an arcuate shape . a channel member 62 extends along the side edge 54 of the channel 46 . the channel member 62 is preferably formed of extruded plastic of a composition causing the channel member to be fairly stiff but yet possess some resilience . as shown particularly in fig3 the channel member 62 has a long flange 64 that lies along a margin portion of the inner surface 68 of the body panel 46 adjacent the edge 54 . the channel member 62 also has a short flange 66 having an out turned lip 68 . the flange 66 is parallel to the long flange 64 and lies against a margin portion of the outer surface 60 adjacent the edge 54 of the body panel 46 . a recess 70 that is about as wide as the thickness of the body panel 46 is defined between the long flange 64 and the short flange 66 . the edge 54 and adjacent margin portions of the body panel 46 are positioned within the recess 70 , and the contacting surfaces are bonded together by a suitable cement or by any other suitable fastening means . the channel member 62 also has a stem 74 extending from the short flange 66 past the long flange 64 at approximately a 45 ° angle thereto . beginning at about the inner side of the long flange 64 , the channel member 62 has a hook end 76 that is curved to define an outwardly facing recess 78 . the hook end 76 terminates in an edge 80 that also faces generally outwardly . as can be seen in fig3 the convex surface 82 of the hook end 76 is curved and has an apex 83 that is spaced inwardly of the long flange 64 . this convex surface 82 of the hook member 76 intersects the long flange 64 along a crease line 84 that serves as the seat of a notch . adjacent the other edge 56 of the panel 46 is another extruded channel member 86 of the same plastic composition as the channel member 62 . as shown in fig3 the channel member 86 has a long flange 88 , overlying the margin portion of the inner surface 58 of the panel 46 that is adjacent the edge 56 . a short flange 90 having an out turned lip 92 lies against the margin portion of tne outer surface 60 of the panel 46 adjacent the edge 56 . the long flange 88 and the short flange 90 are parallel to and spaced from one another , defining a recess 94 between them . the edge 56 and adjacent margin portions of the sides 58 and 60 extend within the recess 94 , and the contacting surfaces are cemented or otherwise joined together . the channel member 86 has a short leg 98 that is generally in line with the short flange 90 , but extends in the opposite direction . the short leg 98 terminates in an inwardly extending rib 100 . from the short leg 98 , where it joins the short flange 90 , the channel member 86 has a curved hook retainer body 102 , the inner surface 104 of which is curved with a radius somewhat larger than the radius of the convex surface 82 of the hook end 76 . the curved hook retainer body 102 extends to and terminates at a straight long leg portion 106 of the channel member 86 . the inner surface 104 of the curved body 102 intersects the long leg portion 106 along a termination line or apex 108 that functions as a stop , as will appear . the channel members 62 and 86 are complementary to one another as will be described hereinafter . these channel members 62 and 86 provide a unique connecting means between the body panels 46 and 48 . continuing with the description of the body panel 46 and its components , a pair of joist hangers 114 and 116 are connected to the body panel 46 adjacent the lower edge 52 . as shown in fig6 each joist hanger 114 and 116 , which is preferably of molded plastic , has a back wall 118 , a pair of side walls 120 and 122 , and a bottom wall 124 . the back wall 118 has a pair of holes 126 and 128 through it , and the hangers may be connected to the body panel 46 by rivets 129 through the holes 126 and 128 . there are two shelf brackets 130 and 132 fastened to each panel 46 . as shown particularly in fig7 and 8 , each shelf bracket 130 and 132 has a back wall 133 with holes 134 in it , a pair of reinforcing side walls 136 and 138 , and a top wall 140 . the shelf brackets are fastened to the panels 46 by a pair of rivets 142 and 144 that extend through the holes 134 . it should be noted that the shelf brackets 130 and 132 are positioned laterally intermediate the joists 114 and 116 so that , when the two panels 46 and 48 are joined together as a cylinder as will be described , the joists and shelf brackets are staggered about the periphery of the cylinder . it should also be noted that the vertical distance from the upper surfaces of the bottom walls 124 of the joist hangers 114 and 116 to the top walls 140 of the shelf brackets 130 and 132 is approximately equal to the height of floor joists to be described , used in conjunction with the assembly . vertically aligned approximately midway between the two side edges 54 and 56 of the panel 46 , a pair of groove blocks 150 and 152 are glued to the inner side 60 of the channel 46 . another pair of grooved blocks 154 and 156 are vertically aligned and glued to the inner surface of the long flange 88 . the groove blocks 150 , 152 , 154 and 156 are substantially identical , and an end view of one of them ( for example , the groove block 152 ) is shown in fig4 and a side view of another groove block 154 is shown in fig5 . each of the groove blocks has a base 157 by which it can be glued to a flat surface , such as the panel 46 or the long flange 88 . a pair of spaced projections 158 and 160 extend from the base 157 and define a groove 162 between them . horizontally aligned holes 163 may be provided in the projections 158 and 160 of the groove block 154 for a purpose to be described . the groove block 150 may have similar holes . the grooves 162 of the blocks 150 and 152 are vertically aligned and the grooves 162 of the blocks 154 and 156 are vertically aligned . the vertical line of the groove blocks 150 and 152 is spaced from the vertical line of the groove blocks 154 and 156 so that they will be about 90 ° apart when the two panels 46 and 48 are assembled as a cylinder , to be described hereinafter . fig9 illustrates a joist 164 that may be cut from a one - inch by four - inch wood board . other materials , such as plastic , and other dimensions , may be used . the joist 164 has a top edge 166 , a bottom edge 170 and lower corners 172 and 174 . at the center of the joist 164 and extending from the lower edge 170 , a notch 176 is cut slightly wider than the width of the joist 164 and extending about half the height of the joist . in fig1 a companion joist 178 is shown having a top edge 180 , a bottom edge 182 , and lower corners 184 and 186 . at the center of the joist 178 , a notch 188 extends from the top edge 180 downwardly a distance about half the height of the joist . the notch 188 is slightly wider than the width of the joist . the notches 176 and 188 are complementary to enable the joists 164 and 178 to be fitted together as indicated in fig2 and 26 . fig1 and 12 illustrate a floor member 190 that in plan view is in the form of a circle . the floor member 190 has a floor panel 192 and a peripheral verticle wall 194 that is approximately three to four inches high . a pair of projections 196 and 198 extend upwardly from the floor panel 192 and define a groove 200 between them . another pair of projections 202 and 204 extending upwardly from the floor panel 190 define another groove 206 . the grooves 200 and 206 are aligned along a diameter of the floor 190 . similarly , another pair of upwardly extending projections 208 and 210 define a groove 212 between them , and a pair of upwardly extending projections 214 and 216 define another groove 218 between them . the grooves 212 and 218 are aligned along a diameter of the floor 192 that is at right angles to the line of the grooves 200 and 206 . the floor member 190 , with its peripheral vertical wall and the projections , is preferably of vacuum formed plastic . fig1 illustrates a partition panel 220 that may be made of a suitable hardboard , such as masonite . the panel 220 has a bottom edge 222 and side edges 224 and 226 that are parallel as they extend upwardly from the bottom edge 222 for distances that are equal to or slightly greater than the height of the panels 46 and 48 . the parallel edges 224 and 226 then converge in curved portions 228 and 230 and then curve upwardly again at concave - to - straight portions 232 and 234 that define a neck . there is a top edge 235 extending between the upper ends of the side edges 232 and 234 . the outline thus defined , which may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention , resembles the outline of a soft drink bottle , particularly the 16 ounce kind . there is a vertical slot 236 extending upwardly from the bottom edge 222 of the panel 220 . the slot 236 is slightly wider than the thickness of the panel 220 and extends upwardly a distance approximating half the height of the panel 220 . the panel 220 may be provided with two small holes 237 and 238 adjacent the side edges 224 and 226 . the purpose for these holes will be described hereinafter . a second partition panel 240 , complementary to the panel 220 , is shown in fig1 and 16 . the partition panel 240 has a bottom edge 242 and parallel side edges 244 and 246 that correspond to the side edges 224 and 226 of the panel 220 . thus , the side edges 244 and 246 have upwardly curved converging portions 248 and 250 that lead to short vertical extensions 252 and 254 to define a neck . the panel 240 also has a top edge 256 . there may be two small holes 257 and 258 adjacent the side edges 244 and 246 . a vertical slot 259 extends downwardly from the top edge 256 half the distance toward the bottom edge 242 . because of the slots 236 and 259 , the panels 220 and 240 can be interlockingly fitted together at right angles . referring to fig1 and 18 , a rectangular cap sheet 260 is preferably of vacuum formed plastic . the cap sheet 260 has an upper edge 262 and a lower edge 264 . complementary extruded plastic channel members 266 and 268 are glued or appropriately joined to the cap sheet 260 adjacent its side edges . the channel member 266 may be substantially identical to the channel member 62 except on a smaller scale , and the channel member 268 may be substantially identical to the channel member 86 except on a smaller scale . thus the channel members 266 and 268 are complementary to one another as will appear . the cap sheet 260 is formed with a plurality of outwardly extending detents 270 spaced slightly below the upper edge 262 . fig1 and 20 illustrate a vacuum formed plastic lid 272 . the lid 272 has a top panel 274 and an annular side wall 276 . an outwardly extending annular groove 278 is formed in the side wall 276 . the groove 278 is complementary in cross section to the detents 270 on the cap sheet 264 . the various components which have now been described are normally stored and shipped in a flat condition . they may be packaged in a single carton that is only about four inches thick . assembly is very easy and can be done by one person without the use of any tools . to put together the components and form the container assembly 40 that is illustrated in fig1 the body 41 is first put together . this body 41 consists of the two identical panels 46 and 48 . the panels 46 and 48 are first oriented so that the channel member 62 of one panel is adjacent the channel member 86 of the other panel as shown in fig2 . this may be done with the body panels lying on a floor , inner sides 58 facing upwardly , or with the body panels standing on their bottom edges 52 . then , with the body panels 46 and 48 substantially coplanar , at least adjacent the proximate channel members 62 and 86 , the channel members 62 and 86 can be interfitted . this is particularly illustrated in fig2 which shows that if the body panels 46 and 48 are substantially coplanar or even swung slightly so that the outer surfaces 60 of the panels 46 and 48 define an obtuse angle , the hook end 76 of the channel member 62 can pass through the space between the rib 100 and the opposing apex 108 . once the end free 80 of the hook end 76 is within the hook retainer body 102 and has cleared the rib 100 , the channel members can be locked together . this is accomplished by swinging the body panels 46 and 48 so that their inner surfaces 58 move toward one another , i . e . to define an angle of less than 180 °. in other words , as the body panels 46 and 48 are curved toward a cylindrical condition , the channel members 62 and 86 are pivoted toward the positions shown in fig2 . the way these channel members 62 and 86 are joined together and interlocked is particularly illustrated by the configurations of fig2 and 24 . in fig2 the hook end 76 has passed through the space between the rib 100 and the apex 108 and is within the hook receptacle body 102 . in this position , the arcuate hook end 76 is generally co - axial with the arcuate hook receptacle body 102 , and the rib 100 is generally at the concentric centers of these members . in the relative positions illustrated in fig2 , if the panels were pulled apart , the hook end 76 could pass through the space between the rib 100 and the inner wall 110 because the apex 108 could ride over the convex surface 82 as the hook end 80 passes over the rib 100 . however , if the channel members are pivoted relative to one another in directions that produce a concave shape on the inner sides 58 of the body panels and a convex shape on the outer sides 60 , the hook end 76 will be rotated to a position behind the rib 100 . as this rotation continues , the free end 80 of the hook end 76 contacts the short leg 98 and the projection apex 108 fits within the notch seat 84 , thus interlocking the channel members together . in this interlocked condition the rib 100 acts as a stop and the contact area between the notch seat 84 and the projection apex 108 acts as another stop . the configuration of the channel members illustrated in fig2 is established when the body panels 46 and 48 are curved toward a cylindrical shape as illustrated by the lower portion of fig2 ( the upper portion of which has been temporarily flattened for reasons which will now be described ). having joined and interlocked the first pair of channel members 62 and 86 , to lock the second pair of channel members 62 and 86 , they too must be introduced toward one another in a substantially coplanar configuration . this is accomplished as illustrated in fig2 by first bringing the channel members 62 and 86 into proximity to one another by curving the body panels 46 and 48 into generally cylindrical or semi - cylindrical forms . in a cylindrical shape , even with the channel members 62 and 86 in contact , they will not interlock because the rib 100 will block passage of the hook end 76 past it into the hook retainer area . to present a wider space facing the hook end 76 , the second pair of channel members 62 and 86 must be pivoted relative to one another . this is accomplished by pressing the areas of the panels 46 and 48 adjacent these channel members and temporarily bringing them into coplanar positions , as illustrated at the upper portion of fig2 , or even pressing them past coplanar so that their outer surfaces 60 define an angle of less than 180 °. then , as again illustrated in fig2 , the hook end 76 can pass through the space between the rib 100 and the apex 108 into the area that defines the hook receptacle , to be positioned as illustrated in fig2 . now , while holding the second pair of channel members 62 and 86 in these relative positions , the pressure on the outer surfaces 60 of the panels 46 and 48 is gradually released . the internal bias or resilience of the plastic that constitutes the panels 46 and 48 will cause them to seek a cylindrical shape , rotating the second pair of channel members 62 and 86 to the relative positions illustrated in fig2 , interlocking them together . again , in the positions illustrated in fig2 , the apex 108 of the channel member 86 is seated in the notch 84 of the channel member 62 and the outer edge 80 of the hook end 76 is seated against the short leg 98 behind the rib 100 . in these interlocked conditions , the two body panels 46 and 48 form the cylindrical body 41 . in the cylindrical condition , the groove blocks 150 and 152 of one body panel 46 are diametrically opposite the groove blocks 150 and 152 of the other body panel 48 . likewise , the groove blocks 154 and 156 of the two body panels are diametrically opposite one another and are spaced about 90 ° from the groove blocks 150 and 152 . similarly , the joist hangers 114 on the two body panels 46 and 48 are diametrically opposite one another , and the joist hangers 116 are diametrically opposite one another , and displaced about 90 ° from the joist hangers 114 . with the body 41 thus formed , the floor assembly 42 can be put together . this may begin with the interconnection of the floor joists 164 and 168 . as illustrated in fig2 , these joists are oriented at right angles to one another with the notches 176 and 188 on a central axis . then the joists 164 and 178 are brought together with the notches 176 and 188 producing an interlock . next the interlocking joists 164 and 178 are positioned within the cylindrical body 41 with the lower corners 172 and 174 of the joists 164 and the lower corners 184 and 186 of the joists 178 positioned within the joist hangers 114 and 116 . in this position , the upper edges 166 and 180 of the joists 164 and 178 are approximately in the same horizontal plane as that of the top walls 140 of the shelf brackets 130 and 132 . next the floor member 190 may be placed within the body 141 on top of the floor joists 164 and 178 . in this position , the floor member 190 will also rest upon the floor support brackets 130 and 132 . therefore , even though the floor member 190 is not of itself particularly strong , being of vacuum formed plastic , the supports provided by the floor joists 164 and 178 combined with the floor support brackets 130 and 132 to fully reinforce the floor member 190 . also , in position , the peripheral side edge 194 of the floor member 190 projects upwardly in contact with or close proximity to the inner side wall of the cylindrical body 41 . this peripheral side wall 194 acts as a splash guard in the event of any spillage of the contents of a soft drink container which otherwise would spill onto the underlying floor of the building . the floor member 190 should be oriented so that the line defined by the grooves 200 and 206 is in the plane of the grooves 162 in the diametrically opposing groove blocks 150 and 152 . in this position , the line defined by the other grooves 212 and 218 will be aligned with the plane defined by the grooves 162 in the other diametrically opposed groove blocks 154 and 156 . the partition panels 220 and 240 may now be installed . this may be done individually or the partition panels 220 and 240 may be put together . if done individually , the partition panel 240 is inserted into the body 41 through the top opening thereof . as the bottom edge 242 of the partition panel 240 passes below the upper edge 50 of the cylindrical body 41 , its side edges 244 and 246 should be aligned with a diametrically opposite pair of vertical grooves 162 in diametrically opposed groove blocks , such as the groove blocks 154 . then as the partition panel 240 is allowed to slide downwardly , its side edges will slide through the grooves 162 until the lower corners reach the lower groove blocks 156 . then the side edges 244 and 246 should be guided into the grooves 162 of the groove blocks 156 and the partition panel 240 further lowered . when the partition panel 240 reaches the floor member 190 , the bottom edge 242 will probably fall into the aligned grooves 212 and 218 . at most , a little manual guidance will produce the necessary alignment so that the panel can seat between the projections 208 and 210 and the projections 214 and 216 , which act as lateral stops . with the partition panel 240 thus in place , the other partition panel 220 can be started downwardly from the upper edge 256 of the partition panel 240 , with the slots 236 and 259 aligned . then the partition panel 220 can be lowered into the body 41 through the upper opening . as this partition panel 220 slides vertically downwardly , its side edges 224 and 226 should be guided through the grooves 162 in the upper diametrically opposite groove blocks 150 . as the partition panel 220 is lowered further , its side edges are guided into the grooves 162 of the lower groove blocks 152 and the body of the partition panel 240 is received within the slot 236 as the body of the partition panel 220 is received within the slot 259 . finally , the partition panel 220 is low enough to have its lower edge 222 received within the grooves 200 and 206 in the floor member 190 and is seated . in this condition , the two partition panels 220 and 240 are at right angles to one another and generally present a replica of the outer contour of a soft drink container , such as one for a 16 oz . bottle . when the partition panels 220 and 240 are thus installed , the holes 237 and 238 will in the panel 220 align with the holes 163 in the groove blocks 150 , and the holes 257 and 258 in the panel 240 will align wih the holes 163 in the groove blocks 154 . bolts 280 may extend through these various aligned holes ( see fig2 ) with nuts tightened manually onto the bolts 280 . these bolts 280 are not needed for the strength and integrity of the final assembly , but are helpful if it is desired to relocate the container assembly 41 by grasping and lifting the partitions 220 and / or 240 . the cap assembly 44 now can be put together . referring to fig1 , it has already been stated that the channel members 266 and 268 are much smaller than but are similar in construction to the channel members 62 and 86 that have already been described . in the case of the cap assembly 44 however only a single cap sheet 260 is used rather than the dual body panels that form the body 41 . to form the cap cylinder , the sheet 260 is bowed or curved until the cylinder is formed with the channel members 266 and 268 adjacent to one another . then , in a manner similar to the illustration of fig2 , the portions of the sheet 260 adjacent the channel members 266 and 268 are pressed to make them substantially coplanar so that the channel members 266 and 268 will interengage . then when the sheet is released and springs to its cylindrical shape under the influence of the internal resilience of the sheet , the channels 266 and 268 become interlocked . this process is similar to that described in conjunction with fig2 and 24 and the channel members 62 and 86 and need not be described in detail . when the cap cylinder has been formed , the lid 272 is snapped in place . this is best done as illustrated in fig2 with the channel members 266 and 268 pressed inwardly to reduce the overall diameter of the cylinder defined by the sheet 260 . then , the cap 272 can be overlaid and the cylinder released . this will cause the sheet 260 to snap back into a cylindrical form with the detents 270 fitting within the annular groove 278 in the lid 272 . putting together of the cap assembly 44 is now complete . the final step is to place the cap assembly 44 on the neck portions 232 , 234 , 252 and 254 of the partition panels 220 and 240 . the final container assembly 40 is illustrated in fig1 . this container assembly is an attractive replica of the soft drink bottles which it stores for sale . it can hold as many as two hundred 16 ounce bottles , yet is only about 2 feet in diameter . it can occupy a prominent place in a store with efficient use of floor space . if the container assembly 40 is empty or nearly empty , it can be lifted and moved . the bolts 280 that fasten the partition panels 220 and 240 to the groove blocks 150 and 154 enable the container assembly 40 to be lifted by grasping one or both of the partition panels 220 and 240 . at any time desired , the container assembly 40 can be disassambled and re - packaged for flat storage by simply reversing the procedure that has been described . thereafter , it can be reassembled . although this container assembly has been described in connection with the storage and display of soft drink bottles , it could be used for other articles of merchandise . also , the shape of the container assembly could be modified to resemble the shape of other articles . in addition , changes and variations in dimensions and materials are possible within the scope of the invention . although the foregoing description and the drawings describe and illustrate a container assembly that fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor , variations and modifications are contemplated as may be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be encompassed within the scope of the claims which follow .	0
in order to make the invention more concrete , device examples are described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings . it should be recalled that the invention is not limited to these examples . fig1 shows a first example of a device 1 for controlled setting of a spring 2 . the device 1 comprises first and second supports 11 and 12 , a frame 20 enabling carriages 30 a and 30 b to move , the carriages having paddles 40 a and 40 b mounted thereon , and the device also having a conveyor clamp 50 . in this example , the device is mainly adapted to setting a spring having an axis that is rectilinear . each of the first and second supports 11 and 12 is in the form of a cylinder 13 fitted at its end with a transverse disk 14 forming a retaining surface 14 a facing towards the inside of the device 1 , and a support projection 15 coaxial with the cylinder 13 and projecting a few centimeters from the retaining surface 14 a . the diameter of the support projection 15 is substantially equal to or slightly less than the inside diameter ( i . e . the diameter of the inscribed circle ) of the end turns 2 e of the spring 2 . the diameter of the transverse disk 14 , and thus of the retaining surface 14 a is approximately equal to the outside diameter ( i . e . the diameter of the circumscribed circle ) of the spring 2 , and in any event it is greater than the outside diameter of the end turns 2 e of the spring 2 . in this example , the supports 11 and 12 are on a common axis and they face each other . the first support 11 is stationary while the second support 12 is movable and is driven by driven means that are not shown . in another example , the first support 11 could also be movable . in this embodiment , the supports 11 and 12 are identical in diameter . nevertheless , in other embodiments , one of the two supports 11 could present a diameter that is different from that of the other support 12 . this applies in particular for applications in which the spring 2 does not have a constant body diameter , such as for example a two - pigtail spring in which the end turns 2 e present diameters that are smaller than the diameter of the turns 2 s in the body of the spring 2 , which end turn diameters may differ from each other . the frame 20 in this example supports two carriages 30 a and 30 b , however in entirely analogous manner it could support only one or it could support more than two carriages depending on the length of the spring 2 . two bars 22 are fastened between the rear and front end uprights 21 and 21 ′ of the frame 20 . each carriage 30 a , 30 b possesses a sliding block 31 having two through holes 32 configured to pass the two bars 22 of the frame 20 : the sliding block 31 of the carriages 30 can thus slide along the bars 22 from the rear of the frame 20 towards the front , and vice versa . each carriage 30 also has a substantially l - shaped stand 33 . each stand 33 possesses an anchor portion 33 a at one of its ends whereby the stand is fastened to the respective sliding block 31 , e . g . by means of screws . each stand 33 possesses a fastener portion 33 b at its other end , with a paddle 40 being fastened thereto . between its anchor and fastener portions 33 a and 33 b , each stand 33 possesses an offset portion 33 c serving to offset the paddle 40 from its respective sliding block 31 in the main forward / rearward direction of the device 1 . in this way , the paddles 40 can easily be moved towards each other without being hindered by the thickness of the sliding blocks 31 of the carriages 30 . the carriages 30 have sliding blocks 31 of different heights , which heights are adjusted so as to enable the stands 33 of carriages 30 b towards the rear end to pass at least in part over the stands 33 of carriages 30 a towards the front end . in order to adjust the initial position of each paddle 40 , the frame 20 includes a stop 23 a , 23 b for each carriage 30 a , 30 b , the stop being fastened to the rear upright 21 of the frame 20 . the stops 23 a , 23 b co - operate with an abutment projection 34 a , 34 b projecting under the sliding block 31 of each carriage 30 . these stops 23 a , 23 b are adjustable by means of a wormscrew or piston mechanism , for example , in order to enable the initial positions of the paddles 40 to be adjusted easily . in addition , return springs 24 are mounted around each bar 22 , firstly between the front upright 21 ′ and the front surface of the sliding block 31 of the foremost carriage 30 a , and secondly between the sliding blocks 31 of each of the carriages 30 a , 30 b . in this way , the carriages 30 a , 30 b are permanently urged rearwards , i . e . towards their respective stops 23 a , 23 b . the stiffnesses and the unloaded lengths of the return springs 24 are adjusted so that this remains true even if certain rear carriages 30 b are pressed against their stops 23 b . each paddle 40 has a ring 41 having a 90 ° angular quarter truncated therefrom . more precisely , truncating begins vertically at the top of the paddle 40 and terminates horizontally on the left or right side of the paddle 40 . in this example , the side that is truncated alternates between successive paddles 40 . as can be seen more clearly in fig2 , the ring 41 is slightly helical such that its top end 41 s is not in the same transverse plane as its lateral end 41 l : the ring 41 thus follows substantially the helix of the spring 2 during blocking . in addition , the top and lateral ends 41 s and 41 l may be slightly chamfered in order to avoid presenting sharp edges that might mark of damage the spring 2 . furthermore , each paddle 40 presents a base 42 enabling the paddle 40 to be fastened on the fastener portion 33 b of the stand 33 of its respective carriage 30 . the operation of the device 1 is described below with reference to fig1 , 2 , and 3 , which show the device 1 respectively before blocking , during blocking , and after blocking . in the initial state of the device 1 , all of the movable elements are in their initial rest states , with these states being adjusted by means of the adjustable stops 23 a and 23 b of the carriages 30 and also by means for driving the second support 12 as a function of the shape and mainly of the length of the initial spring 2 . thus , the carriages 30 bear via the return springs 24 against their respective stops 23 a , 23 b , and the second support 12 is in its set - back position . upstream from the device 1 , springs 2 are delivered so that the conveyor clamp 50 can take hold of them . the arrangement of the springs 2 as delivered in this way , and in particular the angular orientation , is adjusted upstream so that the clamp 50 can take hold of them easily and can put them into place in the device 1 directly in the appropriate position . the clamp 50 thus places the spring 2 between the two supports 11 and 12 : each end turn 2 e of the spring 2 is thus blocked firstly by the support projection 15 that engages inside the end turn 2 e so as to block it radially , and secondly by the retaining surface 14 a that blocks it axially . on this occasion , the second support 12 may possibly perform a movement , e . g . advancing through a few centimeters , so as to facilitate engagement of the support projections 15 within the end turns 2 e of the spring 2 , and then so as to lock that engagement . since the initial positions of the paddles 40 is adjusted appropriately by the adjustable stops 23 a , 23 b , the stops are directly in the proper positions , i . e . between the intended turns 2 s , when the spring 2 is put into place in the device 1 . this state is shown in fig1 . compression can then begin : the second support 12 moves for this purpose towards the first support 11 , in a straight line in this example , so as to compress the spring 2 . during said compression , the turns 2 s move towards one another and also towards the first support 11 that remains stationary . as they move , the turns 2 s then entrain the paddles 40 that likewise move towards the first support 11 as a result of their carriages 30 sliding on the bars 22 of the frame 20 . the second support 12 compresses the spring 2 until the turns 2 s are all touching , either touching one another or else touching certain paddles 40 . once this touching state has been reached , as shown in fig2 , the second support 12 stops without further compressing the spring 2 so as to avoid loading the paddles 40 . this blocked state is held for approximately 1 second . thereafter , the second support 12 reverses so as to return to its initial rest position and thereby relax the spring 2 . the paddles 40 , once released in this way , are pushed back by the return springs 24 and the carriages 30 towards their initial positions as defined by the adjustable stops 23 a , 23 b . the clamp 50 can then take hold of the final spring 2 ′ and convey it downstream from the device i . this state is shown in fig3 , another clamp 50 or the same clamp 50 then takes a new spring 2 and the cycle begins again . the duration of such a cycle does not exceed more than about 5 seconds . the device 1 may also have heater means for imposing a certain temperature within the device 1 , given that the temperature at which blocking takes place can have an influence on the mechanical properties of the final spring 2 ′. fig6 a and 6b show respectively the initial spring 2 and the final spring 2 ′. because of this blocking to a controlled extent , the final spring 2 ′ has been subjected to a certain amount of plastification , thereby raising its elastic limit , and it has lost only a little of its initial length ( to be compared with the final spring 3 ′ of the prior art having touching turns as shown in fig7 b ). in addition , because of the paddles 40 that have served to control the shape of the spring 2 during blocking , the final spring 2 ′ is not deformed laterally and it retains a regular distance between turns ( to be compared with the final spring 4 ′ of the prior art at controlled height without a paddle as shown in fig8 b ). fig4 shows a second device example 100 that is entirely analogous to the device 1 of the first example except that the paddies 40 are replaced by y - shaped rests 140 . these rests thus have three branches 141 a , 141 b , and 141 c arranged at 120 ° relative to one another . the end of the vertical branch 141 a is extended by a base 142 that is fastened to the fastener portion 133 b of the stand 133 of the associated carriage 130 . in . this example , the rests 140 thus co - operate with the turns of the spring 2 at only three points , which is sufficient for controlling the shape of the spring 2 . in this example , it may be observed that the three branches 141 a , 141 b , and 141 c of the y - shape are not contained in a common plane extending transversely to the common axis of the supports 11 and 12 : like the paddles 40 in the first example which are substantially helical , this makes it possible to fit more closely to the shape of the spring 2 during blocking . fig5 is a diagram showing the principle of a third device example 200 that is entirely analogous to the devices 1 and 100 of the first two examples , except that the paddles 240 ( which could equally well be y - shaped rests ) have a profile that is wedge - shaped , with the thickness of the paddle 240 being greater at the top than at the bottom . in this example , three wedge - shaped paddles 240 are used : they enable the spring to be deformed transversely in differential manner so as to impart curvature to the axis a of the spring 202 . in this example , a curved spring is obtained that is c - shaped , however it is possible to devise other configurations for imposing curvature that is more complicated , and in particular s - shaped . the spring may already be curved initially , or it may initially be rectilinear and it may become curved as a result of the setting . in such a device 200 for a curved spring , it may be necessary to adapt the second support so that it follows a curved trajectory on approaching the first support . likewise , and as applies in this example , it may be necessary to incline the paddles 240 so as to accommodate the curvature of the “ axis a ” of the spring 202 . for this purpose , it is possible either to use a frame that remains rectilinear in association with paddles that extend at particular angles relative to their carriages at their bases , or else to use a frame that is entirely analogous , but curved . the embodiments described above are given by way of non - limiting illustration , and from the above description a person skilled in the art can easily modify those embodiments , or can devise others , while remaining within the ambit of the invention . furthermore , the various features of these embodiments may be used on their own or they may be combined with one another . when they are combined , these features may be combined as described above or differently , the invention not being limited to the specific combinations described above . in particular , unless specified to the contrary , any feature described in association with one particular embodiment may be applied in analogous manner with another embodiment .	8
referring to the drawings in particular , identical reference numbers are used for identical components of the same exemplary embodiments in all figures , unless mentioned otherwise . fig1 a shows the view of a single - pole exemplary embodiment of a high - temperature patch plug 50 , viewed against the plugging direction . a housing 51 with a detent 52 is recognized . the plug - side boundary surface of housing 51 is passed through by a passage opening 57 , which is limited by a double circle because of a wall 67 beveled as an insertion aid , and by a duct opening 65 . lines b - b and c - c represent section lines , which illustrate the perspective of the views in fig2 and 3 , from which the design of the high - temperature patch plug 50 appears even more clearly . fig1 b shows the same view of a two - pole high - temperature patch plug . a housing 81 with a detent 82 is recognized . the plug - side boundary surface of housing 81 is passed through in this embodiment by two passage openings 83 and by two duct openings 84 . the passage openings 84 are arranged next to each other and each above the corresponding duct openings 84 . the arrangements of the passage openings 83 and duct openings 84 are , in principle , freely selectable as desired , but it is advantageous to arrange the duct openings 84 between a wall of housing 81 and the passage openings 83 associated with the respective duct openings , because this contributes to a more compact design . fig1 c shows the same view of a four - pole high - temperature patch plug . a housing 91 with a detent 92 is recognized . the plug - side boundary surface of housing 91 is passed through in this embodiment by four passage openings 93 and by four duct openings 94 . the passage openings 93 are arranged each next to each other , and the corresponding duct openings 94 are arranged each between the passage openings 93 and a wall of housing 91 . fig2 shows a sectional view of the exemplary embodiment from fig1 a , cut along line b - b . the high - temperature patch plug 50 has a housing 51 made in one piece , which preferably consists of a ceramic or a high - temperature - resistant plastic . housing 51 has , furthermore , a detent 52 , which can be locked , as is shown in fig4 b , with a recess 22 in a tongue 21 of a second sleeve 20 of a counterplug 10 in order to prevent unintended separation of the plug - in connection . housing 51 has , furthermore , on the plugging side , a passage opening 57 with a wall 67 beveled as an insertion aid and a duct opening 65 and , on the side located opposite the plugging side , an insertion opening 63 . passage opening 57 and insertion opening 63 are connected to one another via an interior 59 of housing 51 . the duct opening 65 is likewise connected to the interior 59 via a duct 56 , which extends in parallel to the plugging direction and is open towards the interior 59 . a deformation of the housing 51 forms a locking step 53 , whose plugging side forms the end surface of duct 56 , which said end surface faces away from the plugging side . a contact element 64 , which can be pushed in through the insertion opening 63 and is designed here as a clamping bushing with clamping legs 54 , 58 and with a mounting area 62 and preferably consists of steel , especially spring steel , is inserted into the interior 59 . as is apparent from fig3 , contact element 64 has two more clamping legs 68 , 69 , which cannot be recognized in the view shown in fig2 . a stop spring 55 , which is locked with locking step 53 , is arranged at clamping leg 58 . an advantageous embodiment of the present invention can be illustrated once again on the basis of the view shown in fig2 : this figure shows a straight line p , which extends in parallel to the plugging direction through the center of passage opening 57 . the surface 66 of the locking step 53 facing the straight line p is at a greater distance in this exemplary embodiment from this straight line than the distance between a point of wall 67 of the passage opening 57 and the parallel p . the locking step 53 is thus lower than the part of the wall 67 of the passage opening 57 , which part is oriented in the same direction . it is achieved due to this geometric relationship that even though contact element 64 can be pushed in the plugging direction over the locking step 53 until it becomes locked , it cannot be pushed out of the housing 51 . in particular , nearly clearance - free seating of the locked contact element 64 can be achieved in case of corresponding adaptation of the length ratios between housing 51 and the length of the clamping legs 54 , 58 and the arrangement of the position of stop spring 55 at the clamping leg 58 . the embodiment of housing 51 shown with plug - side duct opening 65 and duct 56 can be manufactured in a simple , cost - effective and novel manner with the use of injection molding techniques . the housing 51 is manufactured at first and the housing is then deformed , with the contact element 64 inserted and already connected to an inner conductor 61 of a connection line 60 , at a point at which the locking step 53 is to be prepared . a preferred possibility for this is , for example , a local thermal deformation . to obtain a secure and reliable high - temperature patch plug 50 , it is desirable to avoid breaking through the housing 51 at right angles to the plugging direction ; the use of a punch working in this direction is therefore ruled out during the manufacture for preparing the locking step 53 . as is shown in fig4 b , a contact element 12 of the counterplug 10 , which said contact element is designed as a contact pin , can be clamped between the clamping legs 54 , 58 and the other two clamping legs 68 , 69 , which cannot be recognized in this sectional view . a reliable electrical and mechanical contact is ensured between the respective contact elements 12 , 64 due to the high pressure of the clamping legs , which is made possible by the use of steel as the material for the contact elements even at high temperatures . an electric contact with an exposed inner conductor 61 of a connection line 60 , which is inserted over a certain section into the housing 51 through the insertion opening 63 , is made in the receiving area 62 of the contact element 64 . a preferred embodiment of a multipole high - temperature patch plug is obtained , in principle , by arranging the desired number of single - pole patch plugs , which is achieved such that detents 52 of the single - pole patch plugs always point in the direction of an outer wall of the resulting plug housing 51 . the inner walls between the individual single - pole assembly units or cells of the resulting multipole high - temperature patch plug are now made preferably thinner . fig3 shows another sectional view of the exemplary embodiment from fig1 a , cut along line c - c . the design , which appears from fig3 , fully corresponds to the design described in detail on the basis of fig2 ; reference is explicitly made to the description of fig2 to avoid repetitions and only the further recognizable details will be dealt with . metal strips 70 , 71 , which are arranged in the connection area 62 of contact element 64 and are pressed onto the inner conductor 61 to fix same , can be recognized especially clearly in this section . furthermore , the two clamping legs 68 , 69 , which are not visible in fig2 , can be recognized in this section . it also becomes clear that stop spring 55 is formed by a material strip of the clamping leg 58 here . fig4 a shows the view of a novel plug - in connection manufactured with the use of the high - temperature patch plug shown in fig1 through 3 with a counterplug 10 , viewed at right angles to the plugging direction . only the metal jacket 16 of the metal - jacketed connection line 19 , the connection sleeve 11 and the second sleeve 20 with tongue 21 and recess 22 are recognized from the counterplug 10 in this view . a connection line 60 , a part of a housing 51 , over which part of the second sleeve 20 does not extend , and a detent 52 , which is arranged at housing 51 and meshes with the recess 22 , can be recognized from the high - temperature patch plug 50 . details of the design can be found from the sectional view along line a - a , which is shown as fig4 b . the view of the high - temperature patch plug 50 , which is shown in fig4 b , is exactly identical to the view shown in fig2 . reference is therefore made for its design to the description of fig2 . concerning the design of the counterplug 10 , fig4 b shows a metal - jacketed connection line 19 , comprising a wire section 18 , which is surrounded at right angles to its first direction of extension by an insulating embedding 17 and a metal jacket 16 . a wire end 14 projects in the plugging direction from the front surface of the metal - jacketed connection line 19 . the end section of the metal - jacketed connection line 19 is surrounded at right angles to the first direction of extension of the metal - jacketed connection line 19 by a connection sleeve 11 made of metal , which is firmly connected to the metal jacket 16 . connection sleeve 11 extends in the plugging direction beyond the end of the metal jacketed connection line 19 . wire end 14 is in contact in a contact area 15 with a contact element 12 , which is designed here as a contact pin with a hole , which is , however , not visible in fig2 because it is filled by the plug - side end section of the wire end 14 . contact element 12 projects over the connection sleeve 11 in the plug - side direction . the space area between contact element 12 or the wire end 14 and the part of the connection sleeve 11 , which part extends beyond the end of the metal - jacketed connection line 19 in the plugging direction , is filled with a ceramic insulating mass 13 . a filling with a metal oxide would be just as suitable . the exact positioning of the contact element 12 is fixed , on the one hand , and the thermal and electric insulation from the connection sleeve 11 is ensured , on the other hand , by the filling . not only the contact area 15 , but other areas of the wire end 14 and of the contact element 12 are also embedded in the ceramic insulating mass in the exemplary embodiment being shown , which makes the manufacture of the counterplug 10 especially simple . at a plug - side section of the connection sleeve 11 , a second sleeve 20 made of metal , which extends in the plugging direction both beyond the connection sleeve 11 and the plug - side end of the contact element 12 , is fastened in the direction extending at right angles to the plugging direction , surrounding said connection sleeve 11 . even though a strong holding force is exerted between the high - temperature patch plug 50 and the counterplug 10 even at high temperature especially if contact elements made of steel are used , securing the plug - in connection by means of the second sleeve 20 is advantageous . this is made possible by the fact that a section of the wall of the second sleeve 20 , which said section is not in contact with the connection sleeve 11 , is designed as a tongue 21 , which has a recess 22 . as will be described in more detail below on the basis of fig4 a and 4 b , a locking connection is made hereby possible between the high - temperature patch plug 50 and the counterplug 10 . the plug - side edge of the second sleeve 20 is advantageously bent slightly to the outside , i . e ., in the direction at right angles to the plugging direction in order to form an insertion aid for the high - temperature patch plug 50 . this novel combination of counterplug 10 and high - temperature patch plug 50 makes possible a hitherto unknown , very simple and comfortable procedure in manufacturing the plug - in connection . after the counterplug 10 has been supplied , only a section of the inner conductor 61 must be exposed at the plug - side end of the connection line 60 , which said section is then brought , e . g ., by crimping or soldering , into electric contact with the contact element 64 of the counterplug . the connection line thus connected to the contact element 64 must then only be pushed in through the insertion opening 63 of housing 51 until stop spring 55 locks with the locking step 53 . the contact element 64 of counterplug 50 is thus fixed between the locking step 53 and the plug - side wall of housing 51 and the high - temperature patch plug is assembled completely . to finish the plug - in connection , only the housing 51 must be pushed into the second sleeve 20 of the counterplug 10 until the detent 52 locks into recess 22 . contact element 12 of the counterplug 10 is now brought at the same time into electric connection with contact element 64 of the high - temperature patch plug 50 . separation of the plug - in connection is just as simple . tongue 21 of the counter plug 10 is raised for this , e . g ., by means of a screwdriver , so that the detent 52 is released . the counterplug 10 and the high - temperature patch plug 50 can then be pulled apart . it is possible in the same manner to push back the stop spring 55 of the contact element 64 by inserting a correspondingly shaped object through the duct opening 65 into the duct 56 and to make it possible hereby to pull out the contact element 64 . while specific embodiments of the invention have been 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 . p parallel to the plugging direction extending through the center of an insertion opening	7
fig1 is a diagram of a personal digital assistant ( pda ) 100 showing a user interface in accordance with the invention . the pda is a small , self - contained computer that has a microprocessor , memory , input and output devices , and interfaces for add - on devices . the pda 100 runs an operating system that provides functionality and services for applications , that is , for computer programs configured to run on the pda . as will be described in reference to both fig1 and fig2 the display tablet of the pda is controlled by software ( computer program instructions ) executed by the microprocessor and other elements of the pda . the software implements a process 200 ( fig2 ) that prepares the user interface shown on the display tablet for handwritten input ( step 202 ) by defining input regions 104 and 106 in the input or active area of the display tablet ( step 204 ). two regions are sufficient , although more can be used , and the regions need only be high enough ( for horizontal writing ) or wide enough ( for vertical writing ) to allow a user to write one line height ( or width ) comfortably . optionally , the process can define a reviewing area 102 for the user interface ( step 206 ). the reviewing area 102 is used to display , in a reduced size , what the user has most recently written . displaying the recent writing at one - fourth scale in the reviewing area provides good visual feedback to the user . the process 200 can be invoked by , or implemented in , any program running on the pda that requires or can accept handwritten input . after having prepared the user interface , the process receives input ( step 210 ) in the form of marks made by the user on the tablet in one of the regions ( step 212 ). the process displays the marks on the display tablet where the marks were made ( step 214 ) as the marks are made ; or , if the input tablet is not a display tablet , the process can display the marks on a monitor or other display device connected to the computer running the process . if a reviewing area has been defined , the marks made in the current region are also displayed in the reviewing area . having begun writing in one of the input regions , the user can continue writing in the region by making marks at any place and in any order within the region . thus , the user can go back and dot i &# 39 ; s and cross t &# 39 ; s . if the underlying operating system or application software supports erasure or other editing of marks on the input tablet , the user can use all supported forms of erasure and editing . the user can start over in the region by clicking the “ clear ” button 108 ( fig1 ), which causes the process to erase the region and allow the user to begin writing again . when the user is done with the current input region , the user can so indicate by making a mark in a different one of the input regions ( step 218 ). the process then optionally trims the completed region ( step 220 ) by logically trimming unmarked space from one end but not from the opposite end of the region before adding the marks in the region to an output stream . by trimming the unmarked space from the right of the region but not the left , the process allows the user to insert space intentionally within the writing by leaving blank space at the left of a region , while not compelling the user to write all the way to the right margin to avoid inserting unintended space . this provides a natural writing interface for a user writing left - to - right , and the same technique can be used , mutatis mutandis , for writing that runs in any other direction . the trimming can be accomplished by defining a bounding box for each input region . to define the positions of the handwritten marks from different input regions with respect to each other , the bounding boxes are logically concatenated . the length of each bounding box in the writing direction is defined dynamically to fit the marks made in the corresponding input region . the width of each bounding box perpendicular to the writing direction is advantageously set to be the same for all bounding boxes and the same as the width of the input region . to define the length dynamically , the bounding box for each input region has a leading boundary the position of which is fixed with respect to the input region and a trailing boundary the position of which varies with respect to the input region to accommodate the marks made in the input region . as each input region is used or reused , a new bounding box is defined for the marks newly made in the region . the trimmed region defines a chunk of data , which is added to the output stream ( step 224 ). the display of marks in the reviewing region also reflects the trimming of the region ( step 228 ). in this way , the region just completed is logically concatenated with the sequentially preceding region , and all neighboring regions are logically concatenated to form a representation of the user &# 39 ; s handwritten input . if the user has more marks to make , the process continues ( the “ no ” branch from decision step 230 ) by repeating the actions of receiving marks ( now in the newly selected region ), displaying the marks in the region , and displaying the marks in the reviewing area ( collectively , step 210 ). in fig1 the input regions 104 and 106 and the reviewing area 102 are shown as displaying a signature that was begun in input region 106 and completed in input region 104 . in actual operation , the process would not display the handwritten marks in both input regions as shown . the process clears the display of the current region after the user indicates that the current region is complete . the user can indicate that both the current region and the entire input sequence are complete by selecting the “ done ” button 110 ( fig1 ) on the user interface . when this occurs , the last region can be , but need not be , trimmed ( step 220 ), as has been described . it is then added to the output stream . the process then provides the entire output stream to a program — typically , an application that requested the input ( step 250 and “ yes ” branch of decision step 230 ). the markings made by the user are stored as data in a random access memory of the pda under control of the application and operating software of the device . the data typically takes the form of sample times and corresponding positions and pressures , if the device is pressure sensitive . the output stream is maintained in memory in the pda . the output stream is stored using a data structure , such as a linked list , that maintains the separate identity of the chunks , thereby preserving region boundary information and allowing programs that receive and process the output stream to process the output stream in chunk units . alternatively , the output stream can be stored as a linear array or list of sample points with additional data specifying the location of region ( that is , chunk ) boundaries . the output stream can be processed by an application program running on the device that received the handwriting or by an application program on a different computer that receives the output stream data . for example , an output stream in a palm iii organizer can be transmitted to a personal computer ( step 250 ), such as a computer running the microsoft ® windows ® 95 operating system or the apple computer macintosh ® operating system , using the palm computing ® palm os hotsync ® architecture . an application program can manipulate the output stream data in a number of useful ways ( step 260 ). the application can fit cubic curves , such as bézier curves , and splines to the data ( step 270 ). the application can express the data in a page description language , such as the postscript ® language , by fitting the sample data points to drawing elements supported by the language , and the page description language representation can be rendered for display or printing ( step 272 ). the application can display the data in any of the foregoing forms in a target region , such as a rectangular region within an electronic document , flowing the data into the target region in chunk units , which will cause the displayed representation of the handwriting to have line breaks only at the original input - region boundaries ( step 264 ). pressure data , if available , can be used to vary the thickness of displayed lines and curves . the application can edit the sequence of chunks in the output stream by deleting a chunk , by inserting a chunk , by replacing a chunk , and by rearranging chunks ( step 268 ). either as a set of points or in a vector representation , each individual chunk can be edited using bitmap or vector oriented editing tools . the application can also apply a handwriting recognition process to the output stream data to convert the markings data into text data ( step 274 ). the process 200 can be implemented using commonly - available software development tools for the platform or platforms on which the computer programs implementing the process are to run . the invention can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations of them . apparatus of the invention can be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor . method steps of the invention can be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention can advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . each computer program can be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired . the language can be a compiled or interpreted language . suitable processors include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non - volatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). a suitable programmable processing system for implementing apparatus or performing methods of the invention includes a processor , a random access memory ( ram ), a program memory ( for example , a writable read - only memory ( rom ) such as a flash rom ), an input tablet controller , a display device controller , and an input / output ( i / o ) controller coupled by a processor ( cpu ) bus . the system can be preprogrammed in rom or it can be programmed ( and reprogrammed ) by loading a program from another source . the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . for example , the steps of the invention can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results . the input regions and reviewing area have been illustrated as running horizontally . for input in languages written vertically , the input regions and reviewing area would run from top to bottom on the input tablet . the tablet can be an input - only device and the marks made by the user can be displayed on a different device . the invention can be implemented on a palm , notebook , desktop , or other form of a computer . the sampling of the input tablet can be done at a variable rate as well as a fixed rate . a completed region can be trimmed to a bounding box around the markings , or the two ends of the bounding box perpendicular to the writing direction can be trimmed while leaving the sides of the bounding box parallel to the writing direction fixed . a trailing edge strip of the current region can be reproduced at the leading edge margin of what will be the next region so that the user can align and join markings across region boundaries easily and accurately . if the user does join marks across region boundaries , the pair of regions can be treated as a single chunk when reflowing the output stream . the bounding box , or markers identifying the locations of one or more sides of the bounding box , and in particular a marker identifying the location of the trailing edge side of the bounding box , can be displayed with the marks made by the user . the reviewing area can be implemented with scrolling , so that the user can scroll to and select a chunk of data , display it , edit it , and restore it to the output stream .	6
it is well known that communicating about the internet is done by single urls sent mostly via email to friends , customers , family , and the ordinary person , suggesting the most important of their findings of research in their results to these others as a result of browsing the internet , opening websites , and researching different items of interest that become accessible to others through an “ email your friend an item campaign ” by a website designer or copy and paste internet url links in email to share information as well as saving for themselves the same information in a history within internet browsers . in this invention , the unified tracking in a database is a system in part and whole located locally on hard - drives and servers and through internet protocol at times on storage systems , such as , ip telephony , mobile phones , mobile system storage devices and average home and laptop computers used for software installations , and the offer of the present invention is to use a method within these internet systems and to provide at least one form of object to create trails of urls that are readily edited , added , deleted , and shared with the same properties for others receiving them to change them or to design their own , having primary urls as a point to point or step by step to a landing page or pages . it is also well known &# 39 ; to developers and software engineers in a business environment that microsoft excel has two macro programming languages available to create applications and run a system of calculations on the database in the spreadsheet in a written command by command line . one of those programs at present is the microsoft excel version 4 . 0 macro language . and the other is visual basic , a long time program available for many years and continuously updated . visual basic language is nominated as the best because it is more flexible and powerful than the microsoft excel version 4 . 0 macro language . however , macros , sometimes mini - applications , can be found on the internet for a plurality of purposes . for example , the lay user &# 39 ; s purpose is to type in the command lines of the macro program language , a series of written lines to enable highlighting duplicate entries in a long list of addresses . the user can then see in , red , the rows of the spreadsheet that indicate a duplicate in a spreadsheet of thousands of possible entries that would otherwise be unrecognizable and difficult on the human eye to find . and this is how programming works to enable a user a benefit . it can also be further said from the previous example , you may want to write additional line commands to delete these duplicate entries and put in better and more likely candidates for a mailing , based on age , demographic , or updated information as it becomes available . this would utilize a business network through an it professional , an environment where information is available on another person &# 39 ; s hard - drive , server , or mobile application storage device therein containing the program language for recognition for finding better possibilities . this would be recognized as database management for a business interested in communicating and calculating data between one another where the excel spreadsheet would be the computer image interface . microsoft visual studio professional 2008 , an available programming language , works within these principles , to allow for database engineers , to create an image interface both online and on the computer desktop . for example , the image interface software language , are typed as command lines as a part of the computer software program , commonly known to the database engineer or software developer . tools are available for working with images . and the visual interface is created on a desktop or within an internet page , and can include additional visual objects thereon , such as , places for produced lists , menus , toolbars , browsers , website thumbnails of the present inventions trails to be used on the computer desktop screen or internet . the program can be tested by the written command by command line that can offer the user to implement actions and calculations on a database , within the software , and can readily be used for visual network on the internet on open access internet programs located on the computer desktop in software located on hard - drives on computers and laptops and other storage devices , such as , servers , ip telephony and mobile phones or on the internet . this is only an example of the step procedure and such a program allowing the same . keyboard and mice hardware with wireless or physical connections to the computer can be served as usable tracking systems by using the hardware , such as , memory buttons , tracking and recording the internet usage , or command buttons thereon , giving the actuation from one step to another . fig1 shows a flow diagram and where someone uses a command to access the internet 1 , the database records that step 2 , adds another command 3 that is a go - to command 4 , records and appends command 3 upon step 5 is saved 6 as in fig4 number 47 or automatically and has destination 7 created as an object 8 located in a pane as in fig3 my trails 28 as a bank account research 10 , having password as in fig4 number 63 . fig2 shows a flow diagram and where a commercial trail is created through a command to access the internet 11 , the database records that step 12 , adds another command 13 that is a go - to command 14 , records and appends command 13 upon step 15 is saved 16 as in fig4 number 47 or automatically and has destination 17 created as an object 18 located in a database 19 has calculation within 20 is added for consumer 21 as in fig3 add a trail 32 as a bank account company for consumer use 22 . fig3 a computer screen 23 is shown with database interface 24 positively or negatively located 25 on an operating system toolbar or sidebar 26 , having a beginning trail departing 27 to create my trails 28 my bank 29 my news 30 and my stocks 31 in pane 36 and add a trail from commercial users 32 big bank 33 big news 34 and big broker 35 located in pane 37 . fig4 a computer screen 38 shows operating system toolbar start button 39 operating system toolbar 40 and task tray installed software trail blazer 41 with screen also showing a mini interface 42 having a toolbar like search box 43 search button 44 and optional begin trail button 45 or 46 to be saved and created 47 or automatically as shown accomplished in fig5 and successful 85 with also minimizing 48 fit in window 49 and closing system 50 and a similar system interface to fig3 shows panes 51 , 52 , and 53 with scroll bar object 54 , scroll bar 55 for business advertisement trails 67 placement table 66 directly to final adorned trail 69 as selected by consumer or placement table 68 moving adorned trail named 62 by graphic tool usage 61 and pre - placed advertisements 64 and 65 with password entry box 63 to final adorned trail 69 a complete trail desktop icon 70 and scroll bar object 71 used to scroll bar 72 down through items in pane 51 where the unit interface has minimizing tool 73 fit in window tool 74 and closing tool 75 where the desktop has icons 76 , 77 , and 78 that could be from a mouse dragging 79 adorned trail 70 to desktop placement 80 or business trail 81 and copying and pasting 82 into email drop 83 . fig5 shows an internet content page 84 that stores desktop icons as in fig4 number 70 for a user to begin online and a trail that began 93 and saved 94 is successfully saved in the content page or a content page where database or integrated advertisements are used for the consumer in 84 or also separately showing in an automated system the desktop icon result , produced list , and successful manual save 85 and closing box 86 where the rest of the screen has a browser 87 on an internet or intranet 88 with toolbar object 89 included advertisements from the database 90 , 91 , and 92 with numbering of the entire trail displayed in 95 and market name 96 to become more apparent in fig6 number 106 and finally tab systems displayed as another embodiment 97 and 98 . fig6 shows the internet or intranet and title in 99 with a minimal unit box to be used to number trails 100 or unnecessary in some cases where the unit is one instead of nineteen and 101 shows the back to eighteen in the trail or forward to twenty of the trail in 102 to also close or open a sidebar in 103 the numbers in the trail 104 and targeted advertisements 105 and 118 related to weather and the sun and the keyword 106 in current trail 107 searching for other content in trails similar to 106 by pressing search in 108 and beginning trail and saving trails may be done in 109 and 110 including features to utilize an address in a new trail 111 and go - to in 112 therein also a website 113 and added streaming information 115 may also be used as a drop down menu separately 114 with a produced trail list where further a similar trail is advertised in 117 and the last destination of purchase is shown in 119 and 120 through the use of a previous trail and finally 121 display trail content for number nineteen in the set .	6
an example of an abrasive capsule of this invention is shown in the single figure . an abrasive capsule 10 has a plurality of abrasive grains 16 dispersed throughout grinding aid 14 encapsulated by shell wall 12 . this invention is further illustrated by the following examples . all percentages and parts are by weight unless otherwise noted . a urea - formaldehyde precondensate was formed by blending 20 grams of urea and 54 grams of 37 % formaldehyde in water , adding 0 . 4 ml . tetraethylene amine to render the system basic and slowly stirring the mixture for 1 hour at 70 ° c . the system was then diluted with 92 ml . of water and the temperature lowered to about 30 ° c . an oil - abrasive slurry containing 40 grams of &# 34 ; vantrol &# 34 ; 5551 - a and 10 grams of 3 micron diamond was added to the system and 50 ml . water and 1 . 8 ml . 9 % hydrochloric acid added immediately thereafter . the resulting mixture was stirred rapidly to form droplets of the oil - abrasive slurry and the temperature raised to 40 ° c . over a 2 hour period and maintained at 40 ° c . for an additional 2 hours while continuing agitation . in the warm acidic environment the urea - formaldehyde condensed into shell walls enclosing the slurry . the solution was then neutralized using 5 grams of 8 % sodium acetate , after which the capsules were filtered and washed several times in clear water . the diameter of the capsules ranged from 5 to 150 microns . the capsule diameter can be lowered by increasing , or raised by decreasing , the rate of agitation . a slurry of capsules and base - catalyzed phenolic resin containing 3 parts capsules to one part resin by weight , having a viscosity of about 350 centipoise , was knife coated onto a standard fine grade diamond cloth ( 35 % cotton - 65 % polyester , plain weave ) at a knife setting of four mils . the material was air dried at 80 ° c . and cured for 10 hours at 100 ° c . the coated abrasive of this example looks like a coarser grade product than the 3 - micron component abrasive grains ; it resembled a normal grade 220 coated abrasive . the upper layer of capsules can be ruptured by a finger . the physical characteristics , e . g ., flexibility , thickness , and handleability , were comparable to a conventionally prepared coated abrasive . the coated abrasive was found to be very useful for machine polishing silicon wafers , supporting the wafers on a flat substrate and abrading them with an oscillating disc having the coated abrasive of this example adhered to its lower surface . the coated abrasive of this example offers a surface which conforms to the shape of the work piece , and the contained diamond slurry produces a fine finish . the procedure of example 1 was repeated , substituting a abrasive - grinding aid slurry comprising 9 micron aluminum oxide abrasive and oleic acid in a 1 : 1 weight ratio of abrasive to grinding aid . the capsules were combined with urethane - phenoxy adhesive to form a mixture , the ratio of capsules to resin solids being 3 : 1 by weight . the resin comprises 70 parts hydroxyterminated polyester having an equivalent weight of about 15 , 000 and 30 parts of bisphenol a diluted to 35 % total solids in methyl ethyl ketone . the resin is activated with &# 34 ; papi &# 34 ; ( polyphenylpolyarylpolyisocyanate ) using one part &# 34 ; papi &# 34 ; per 10 parts resin . magnetic recording heads made of brass and stainless steel were then hand lapped using the coated abrasive of this example to polish the surface and bring the heads to their finished dimension . heads lapped with the coated abrasive of this example had a finer , more uniform surface finish when visually compared to heads lapped on a standard lapping film where 9 micron aluminum oxide was coated without encapsulation . the lubricant present in the capsules lessened the frictional forces between the lapping film and recording head during lapping , making lapping easier than with the conventional lapping film . the abrasive capsules of example 1 were substituted for the abrasive capsules of example 2 and the procedure of example 2 followed to form a film - backed coated abrasive . the coated abrasive was cut into the shape of an annulus . a nickel plated computer memory disc was mounted on a spindle and the abrasive rotateably mounted in contact with the disc surface . the memory disc and abrasive were rotated in contact to polish the disc surface using the following conditions : coated abrasive size : 41 / 4 inch outer diameter by 21 / 2 inch center hole kerosene lubricant was applied at the surface being abraded during polishing . after a 3 minute polish period the disc finish was measured using a &# 34 ; tallysurf .&# 34 ; the machine gave a reading of about 1 . 0 microinch centerline average . readings below 1 . 0 microinch are good . the finish produced by a comparable conventional 3 - micron diamond lapping film used on the same equipment in the same manner gave a surface reading which was at least three times higher . carnauba wax having a melting point of 78 ° c . was melted and 3 - micron aluminum oxide added to form an evenly dispersed slurry , the wax : aluminum oxide ratio being 1 : 1 by weight . water containing a small amount of &# 34 ; alconox &# 34 ; surfactant was heated to 90 ° c ., stirred vigorously , and the wax : mineral slurry slowly added , the wax forming small droplets about the mineral . the heat source was removed , the temperature reduced to about 85 ° c . and room temperature water was added to rapidly cool the mixture and prevent fusion of the wax beads to one another . the encapsulation procedure of example 1 was repeated , substituting the wax : mineral beads for the oil - abrasive slurry and using naoh to neutralize the solution . the encapsulated wax - mineral beads were screened , and capsules having a diameter of 75 microns and smaller were chosen . the capsules were dispersed in the urethane phenoxy resin of example 2 , using a weight ratio of 3 parts capsules to one part resin solids . the dispersion was thinned with methyl ethyl ketone to a viscosity of about 350 centipoise and knife - coated on a polyester film backing using a knife opening of 3 mils . the coated material was cured for 10 hours at 70 ° c . the coated abrasive of this example was compared with standard 3 micron aluminum oxide lapping film in the polishing of brass and stainless steel work pieces , using the lapping technique of example 2 . the coated abrasive of this example conformed to the face of the workpiece and produced a better visual finish .	2
as used herein , the terms “ alkyl ” and “ alkyl groups ” are intended to apply broadly to hydrocarbyl groups without regard to whether the carbons are joined together with a single bond , a double bond , or even a triple bond , so long as the groups contain linked carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms , some of which hydrogen atoms may be substituted by other atoms or groups of atoms , as is well - known in the art of organic chemistry . thus , in one aspect , the invention relates to retinyl esters represented by the general formula 1 : wherein r is selected from substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated divalent c 1 - c 22 alkyl , substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl , substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 6 - c 20 carbocyclic aryl , and substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 4 - c 20 heterocyclic wherein the heteroatoms are selected from sulfur , nitrogen , and oxygen , and r 1 is selected from hydrogen , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated c 1 - c 22 alkyl , substituted and unsubstituted c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl , substituted and unsubstituted c 6 - c 20 carbocyclic aryl , and substituted and unsubstituted c 4 - c 20 heterocyclic wherein the heteroatoms are selected from sulfur , nitrogen , and oxygen , and n is 0 - 10 or mixtures thereof . the compounds of the invention may be racemic , enantiomerically enriched , diastereomerically enriched , substantially diastereomerically pure , or substantially enantiomerically pure . in another aspect , the invention relates to species denoted by structures 1 wherein r is selected from substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain saturated divalent c 1 - c 18 alkyl , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain divalent c 2 - c 18 alkenyl , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain divalent c 4 - c 18 dienyl , substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl , substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 6 - c 12 carbocyclic aryl , substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 4 - c 12 heterocyclic , r 1 is selected from hydrogen , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain saturated c 1 - c 18 alkyl , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain c 2 - c 18 alkenyl , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain c 4 - c 18 dienyl , substituted and unsubstituted c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl , substituted and unsubstituted c 6 - c 12 carbocyclic aryl , substituted and unsubstituted c 4 - c 12 heterocyclic , n is 0 - 6 , or mixtures thereof . the saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated alkyl and cycloalkyl groups which may be represented by r may be straight - or branched - chain divalent hydrocarbon radicals containing up to about 22 carbon atoms and may be substituted , for example , with one to five groups selected from c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy , carboxyl , amino , c 1 - c 15 aminocarbonyl , c 1 - c 15 amido , cyano , c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 6 - alkanoyloxy , hydroxy , aryl , heteroaryl , thiol , thioether , c 2 - c 10 dialkylamino , c 3 - c 15 trialkylammonium and halogen . the terms “ c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy ”, “ c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl ”, and “ c 2 - c 6 - alkanoyloxy ” are used to denote radicals corresponding to the structures — or 2 , — co 2 r 2 , and — ocor 2 , respectively , wherein r 2 is c 1 - c 6 - alkyl or substituted c 1 - c 6 - alkyl . the terms “ c 1 - c 15 aminocarbonyl ” and “ c 1 - c 15 amido ” are used to denote radicals corresponding to the structures — nhcor 3 , — conhr 3 , respectively , wherein r 3 is c 1 - c 15 - alkyl or substituted c 1 - c 15 - alkyl . the term “ c 3 - c 8 - cycloalkyl ” is used to denote a saturated , carbocyclic hydrocarbon radical having three to eight carbon atoms . the term “ halogen ” is used to include fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . the saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated alkyl groups which may be represented by r 1 may be straight - or branched - chain hydrocarbon radicals containing up to about 22 carbon atoms and may be substituted , for example , with one to five groups selected from c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy , carboxyl , amino , c 1 - c 15 aminocarbonyl , c 1 - c 15 amido , cyano , c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 6 - alkanoyloxy , hydroxy , aryl , heteroaryl , thiol , thioether , c 2 - c 10 dialkylamino , c 3 - c 15 trialkylammonium and halogen . the terms “ c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy ”, “ c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl ”, and “ c 2 - c 6 - alkanoyloxy ” are used to denote radicals corresponding to the structures — or 2 , — co 2 r 2 , and — ocor 2 , respectively , wherein r 2 is c 1 - c 6 - alkyl or substituted c 1 - c 6 - alkyl . the terms “ c 1 - c 15 aminocarbonyl ” and “ c 1 - c 15 amido ” are used to denote radicals corresponding to the structures — nhcor 3 , — conhr 3 , respectively , wherein r 3 is c 1 - c 15 - alkyl or substituted c 1 - c 15 - alkyl . the term “ c 3 - c 8 - cycloalkyl ” is used to denote a saturated , carbocyclic hydrocarbon radical having three to eight carbon atoms . the term “ halogen ” is used to include fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . the branching and / or substitution of r and r 1 may connect to form a ring . the aryl groups which r may represent may include divalent phenyl , naphthyl , or anthracenyl and divalent phenyl , naphthyl , or anthracenyl substituted with one to five substituents selected from c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , substituted c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , c 6 - c 10 aryl , substituted c 6 - c 10 aryl , c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy , halogen , carboxy , cyano , c 1 - c 6 - alkanoyloxy , c 1 - c 6 - alkylthio , c 1 - c 6 - alkylsulfonyl , trifluoromethyl , hydroxy , c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 6 - alkanoylamino and 613 or 4 , — s — r 4 , — so 2 — r 4 , — nhso 2 r 4 and — nhco 2 r 4 , wherein r 4 is phenyl , naphthyl , or phenyl or naphthyl substituted with one to three groups selected from c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , c 6 - c 10 aryl , c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy and halogen . the term “ halogen ” is used to include fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . the aryl groups which r 1 may represent ( or any aryl substituents ) may include phenyl , naphthyl , or anthracenyl and phenyl , naphthyl , or anthracenyl substituted with one to five substituents selected from c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , substituted c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , c 6 - c 10 aryl , substituted c 6 - c 10 aryl , c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy , halogen , carboxy , cyano , c 1 - c 6 - alkanoyloxy , c 1 - c 6 - alkylthio , c 1 - c 6 - alkylsulfonyl , trifluoromethyl , hydroxy , c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 6 - alkanoylamino and — or 4 , — s — r 4 , — so 2 — r 4 , — nhso 2 r 4 and — nhco 2 r 4 , wherein r 4 is phenyl , naphthyl , or phenyl or naphthyl substituted with one to three groups selected from c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , c 6 - c 10 aryl , c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy and halogen . the term “ halogen ” is used to include fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . the divalent heterocyclic groups which r may represent include 5 - or 6 - membered ring containing one to three heteroatoms selected from oxygen , sulfur and nitrogen . examples of such heterocyclic groups are pyranyl , oxopyranyl , dihydropyranyl , oxodihydropyranyl , tetrahydropyranyl , thienyl , furyl , pyrrolyl , imidazolyl , pyrazolyl , thiazolyl , isothiazolyl , oxazolyl , isoxazolyl , triazolyl , thiadiazolyl , oxadiazolyl , tetrazolyl , pyridyl , pyrimidyl , benzoxazolyl , benzothiazolyl , benzimidazolyl , indolyl and the like . the heterocyclic radicals may be substituted , for example , with up to three groups such as c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy , substituted c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , halogen , c 1 - c 6 - alkylthio , aryl , arylthio , aryloxy , c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl and c 2 - c 6 - alkanoylamino . the heterocyclic radicals also may be substituted with a fused ring system , e . g ., a benzo or naphtho residue , which may be unsubstituted or substituted , for example , with up to three of the groups set forth in the preceding sentence . the term “ halogen ” is used to include fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . the heterocyclic groups which r 1 may represent ( or any heteroaryl substituents ) include 5 - or 6 - membered ring containing one to three heteroatoms selected from oxygen , sulfur and nitrogen . examples of such heterocyclic groups are pyranyl , oxopyranyl , dihydropyranyl , oxodihydropyranyl , tetrahydropyranyl , thienyl , furyl , pyrrolyl , imidazolyl , pyrazolyl , thiazolyl , isothiazolyl , oxazolyl , isoxazolyl , triazolyl , thiadiazolyl , oxadiazolyl , tetrazolyl , pyridyl , pyrimidyl , benzoxazolyl , benzothiazolyl , benzimidazolyl , indolyl and the like . the heterocyclic radicals may be substituted , for example , with up to three groups such as c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , c 1 - c 6 - alkoxy , substituted c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , halogen , c 1 - c 6 - alkylthio , aryl , arylthio , aryloxy , c 2 - c 6 - alkoxycarbonyl and c 2 - c 6 - alkanoylamino . the heterocyclic radicals also may be substituted with a fused ring system , e . g ., a benzo or naphtho residue , which may be unsubstituted or substituted , for example , with up to three of the groups set forth in the preceding sentence . the term “ halogen ” is used to include fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . examples of the compounds of the invention include those represented by formula 1 wherein r is methylene , r 1 is methyl and n is from 0 to 6 , and mixtures thereof . in another aspect , the invention relates to retinyl esters represented by the general formula 1 : wherein r is selected from substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated divalent c 1 - c 18 alkyl , or c 1 - c 12 alkyl , or c 1 - c 10 alkyl , or a saturated or monounsaturated straight - chain c 1 - c 10 alkyl , or c 1 - c 4 alkyl ; and r 1 is selected from hydrogen , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated c 1 - c 18 alkyl , or c 1 - c 12 alkyl , or c 1 - c 4 alkyl ; and n is 0 - 10 , or 1 - 6 , or 1 - 4 , or mixtures thereof . in various additional aspects , examples of the compounds of the invention thus include those represented by formula 1 wherein r is methyl , ethyl , or propyl , r 1 is methyl , ethyl , or propyl , and n is from 0 to 6 , and mixtures thereof . we note that if different hydroxyl - substituted acids are used in the processes according to the invention , each of the r and r1 groups may exist independently of one another , but that if a single hydroxyl - substituted acid is used , each of the defined r and r1 groups will be the same , and the retinyl esters produced may include oligomers having varying lengths , such that the retinyl esters are mixtures of compounds in which n = 0 , n = 1 , n = 2 , n = 3 , etc . however , when n is defined as 0 - 6 , for example , we do not mean to thereby excludes mixtures which contain compounds in which n = 7 , n = 8 , etc ., although they will typically be present in minor amounts , if at all . other examples of the retinyl esters of the invention thus include compounds and mixtures represented by formula 1 wherein r is methylene , r 1 is methyl , and n is from 0 to 6 , and mixtures thereof containing compounds in which n = 0 , n = 1 , n = 2 , n = 3 , and n = 4 . in another aspect of the invention , the retinyl esters correspond to the general formula 1 : wherein r is selected from substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated divalent c1 - c 2 - 2 alkyl , or c 1 - c 18 alkyl , or c 1 - c 12 alkyl , or an unsaturated , monounsaturated , or polyunsaturated straight - chain c 2 - c 22 alkyl , or c 4 - c 18 alkyl ; and r 1 is selected from hydrogen , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated c 1 - c 18 alkyl , or c 1 - c 12 alkyl , or c 1 - c 4 alkyl ; and n is 0 - 10 , or 1 - 6 , or 1 - 4 , or mixtures thereof . in this aspect , the retinyl esters may be derived from retinol and one or more hydroxy - substituted carboxylic acids , for example 3 - hydroxybutyric acid , 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methylbutyric acid , 3 - hydroxyoctanoic acid , malic acid , 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methylglutaric acid , 3 - phenyl - 3 - hydroxypropanoic acid , 10 - hydroxydecanoic acid , 12 - hydroxydodecanoic acid , 16 - hydroxyhexadecanoic acid , or ricinoleic acid . the retinyl esters produced from these hydroxyl - substituted acids may include oligomers comprised of more than one repeating unit from the fatty acid , depending upon the reactivity of the hydroxyl - substituted portion of the acid . another embodiment of our invention is a novel enzymatic process for the preparation of retinyl ester compounds represented by the general formula 1 : r is selected from substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated divalent c 1 - c 22 alkyl , substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl , substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 6 - c 20 carbocyclic aryl , and substituted and unsubstituted divalent c 4 - c 20 heterocyclic wherein the heteroatoms are selected from sulfur , nitrogen , and oxygen , and r 1 is selected from hydrogen , substituted and unsubstituted , branched - and straight - chain , saturated , unsaturated , and polyunsaturated c 1 - c 22 alkyl , substituted and unsubstituted c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl , substituted and unsubstituted c 6 - c 20 carbocyclic aryl , and substituted and unsubstituted c 4 - c 20 heterocyclic wherein the heteroatoms are selected from sulfur , nitrogen , and oxygen , the compounds represented by formula 1 may be racemic , enantiomerically enriched , diastereomerically enriched , substantially diastereomerically pure , or substantially enantiomerically pure , and n is 0 - 10 or mixtures thereof by reaction of retinol with an acid or short chain ester of a hydroxyalkanoate represented by general formula 2 wherein r and r 1 are as indicated above and r 5 is chosen from hydrogen or c 1 - c 5 straight or branched chain alkane or alkene in the presence of a lipase , esterase , or protease . the process is carried out without solvent or in an inert solvent chosen from cyclic or acyclic ether solvents such as diethyl ether , diisopropyl ether , tert - butyl methyl ether , or tetrahydrofuran , aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene , toluene , or xylene , aliphatic or alicyclic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons such as hexane , heptane , cyclohexane , or limonene , halogenated hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane , dichloroethane , dibromoethane , tetrachloroethylene , or chlorobenzene , polar aprotic solvents such as acetonitrile , dimethyl formamide , or dimethyl sulfoxide , or mixtures thereof . the preferred solvents are no solvent , toluene , limonene , heptanes , and acetonitrile . the process may be carried out at a temperature between about − 100 ° c . and the boiling point of the solvent , preferably about 0 - 60 ° c ., most preferably 20 - 50 ° c . the amount of acid or short - chain ester 2 may be between 0 . 85 and 20 equivalents based on retinol , and is preferably between 1 and 10 equivalents , most preferably between 1 and 4 equivalents . the enzyme used in the process may be chosen from a variety of hydrolytic enzymes , for example a protease , a lipase , or an esterase . preferred enzymes include lipases . these lipases may be in the form of whole cells , isolated native enzymes , or immobilized on supports . examples of suitable lipases include , but are not limited to , lipase ps ( from pseudomonas sp ), lipase ps - c ( from psuedomonas sp immobilized on ceramic ), lipase ps - d ( from pseudomonas sp immobilized on diatomaceous earth ), lipoprime 50t , lipozyme tl im , or novozym 435 ( candida antarctica lipase b immobilized on acrylic resin ). removal of the water or alcohol byproducts , if desired , can be done chemically via a water or alcohol absorbent ( e . g ., molecular sieves ) or by physical removal of the water or alcohol . this by - product removal is preferably done by evaporation , either by purging the reaction mixture with an inert gas such as nitrogen , argon , or helium , or by performing the reaction at reduced pressures , or both , as these conditions can afford & gt ; 95 % conversion of retinol to 1 . the preferred pressure for the reaction is between 1 torr and ambient pressure , more preferable between 50 torr and ambient pressure . any organic solvent that is included in this process may or may not be removed along with the water or alcohol . examples of 2 include ethyl 3 - hydroxybutyrate and methyl 3 - hydroxybutyrate . the product 1 of the process may be isolated using methods known to those of skill in the art , e . g ., by extraction , filtration , or crystallization . the retinyl esters according to the present invention can be used in compositions , such as cosmetic compositions , skin care compositions and the like . the compositions can be useful , for example , for reducing skin roughness , fine lines , and wrinkles , improving photo - damaged skin , regenerating skin , reducing skin hyper - pigmentation , and reducing irritation and / or inflammatory reaction in skin . typical cosmetic and / or skin care compositions of the invention contain at least 0 . 001 % by weight of the carbonates according to the present invention . for example , the compositions can contain from about 0 . 001 % to about 20 . 0 % by weight or from about 0 . 01 % to about 10 . 0 % by weight of the retinyl ester according to the present invention . lower concentrations may be employed for less pronounced conditions , and higher concentrations may be employed with more acute conditions . suggested ranges also depend upon any adjunct ingredients employed in the compositions . the cosmetic and skin care compositions of the invention may also contain other skin conditioning ingredients in addition to retinyl esters . such compositions may include , but are not limited to , skin care ingredients such as retinol , retinyl fatty acid esters , tetronic acid , tetronic acid derivatives , hydroquinone , kojic acid , gallic acid , arbutin , α - hydroxy acids , ascorbic acid and fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid . such other ingredients are known to those of skill in the art . typically , topical application to skin sites is accomplished in association with a carrier . where employed , the carrier is desirably inert in the sense of not bringing about a deactivation or oxidation of active or adjunct ingredient ( s ), and in the sense of not bringing about any significant adverse effect on the skin areas to which it is applied . for example , the compounds according to the present invention may be applied in admixture with a dermatologically acceptable carrier or vehicle ( e . g ., as a lotion , cream , ointment , soap , stick , or the like ) so as to facilitate topical application and , in some cases , provide additional beneficial effects as might be brought about , e . g ., by moisturizing of the affected skin areas . suitable preparations include lotions containing oils and / or alcohols and emollients such as olive oil , hydrocarbon oils and waxes , silicone oils , other vegetable , animal or marine fats or oils , glyceride derivatives , fatty acids or fatty acid esters or alcohols or alcohol ethers , lecithin , lanolin and derivatives , polyhydric alcohols or esters , wax esters , sterols , phospholipids and the like , and generally also emulsifiers ( nonionic , cationic or anionic ), although some of the emollients inherently possess emulsifying properties . these same general ingredients can be formulated into a cream rather than a lotion , or into gels , or into solid sticks by utilization of different proportions of the ingredients and / or by inclusion of thickening agents such as gums or other forms of hydrophilic colloids . the novel processes provided by the present invention are further illustrated by the following examples . to a vial was added retinol in heptane ( 58 % retinol ; 25 . 9 g ; 15 . 0 g retinol ; 52 . 4 mmol ), ethyl 3 - hydroxybutyrate ( 20 . 76 g ; 157 mmol ; 3 equiv ), and novozym 435 ( 1 . 5 g ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature and purged with a stream of nitrogen through the mixture for 48 h to afford 96 . 7 % conversion of retinol to a mixture of retinyl 3 - hydroxybutyrate oligomers . the mixture was diluted with toluene ( 30 ml ), filtered and the solid was washed with toluene ( 30 ml ). the toluene solution was washed with 1 : 1 water : methanol ( 60 ml ) and the aqueous decant was back - extracted with heptanes ( 25 ml ). the combined organic layer was washed with 1 : 1 water : methanol ( 60 ml ), dried with sodium sulfate , and concentrated to afford 17 . 79 g of 1a ( r ═ ch 2 , r 1 ═ ch 3 ) as a thick yellow oil . hplc analysis indicated 3 . 7 % retinol and 95 . 5 % 1a oligomers . the proportion by hplc is 1a , n = 0 ( 53 . 7 %), 1a , n = 1 ( 32 . 9 %), 1a , n = 2 ( 7 . 1 %), 1a , n = 3 ( 1 . 4 %), and 1a , n = 4 ( 0 . 3 %). hplc and hplc - ms ( 4 . 6 × 150 mm zorbax sb - c8 column [ agilent ], 3 . 5μ thickness , 80 : 20 methanol : water ( containing 0 . 1 % trifluoroacetic acid ) for 20 min , detection at 325 nm ): t r 6 . 6 min ( retinol ); t r 8 . 0 min ( 1a , n = 0 , m + = 372 ); t r 8 . 8 min ( 1a , n = 1 , m + = 458 ); t r 9 . 7 min ( 1a , n = 2 , m + = 544 ); t r 10 . 6 min ( 1a , n = 3 , m + = 630 ); t r 11 . 8 min ( 1a , n = 4 , m + = 716 ). to a vial was added retinol in toluene ( 54 % retinol ; 1 . 852 g ; 1 . 0 g retinol ; 3 . 49 mmol ), ricinoleic acid ( 80 %; 1 . 250 g ; 4 . 19 mmol ; 1 . 2 equiv ), and novozym 435 ( 1 g ). the mixture was sealed and stirred at room temperature for 21 h to afford 83 % conversion of retinol to 1b . hplc ( 4 . 6 × 150 mm zorbax sb - c8 column [ agilent ], 3 . 5μ thickness , 90 : 10 methanol : water ( containing 0 . 1 % trifluoroacetic acid ) for 7 min , gradient to 95 : 5 methanol : water ( containing 0 . 1 % trifluoroacetic acid ) over 1 min , hold for 12 min , gradient to 100 % methanol over 1 min , hold at 100 % methanol , detection at 325 nm ): t r 3 . 9 min ( retinol ); t r 14 . 2 min ( 1b ). retinyl 3 - hydroxybutyrate oligomers ( 1a ; 100 mg ) was dissolved in 2 ml of toluene . ph 7 buffer ( 2 ml ) was added . novozym 435 ( 100 mg ) was added , and the mixture was stirred vigorously at ambient temperature . the top layer was sampled at 1 , 24 , and 48 h and analyzed by hplc . the results are shown in fig1 , and indicate significant hydrolysis to retinol over 48 h . a control reaction without enzyme showed no hydrolysis after 48 h .	2
first , with reference to fig1 to 4 , an outline of a component - fixing method according to the present invention will be described . a component - fixing method according to the present invention is performed by use of a component - fixing device 1 . a main component of the component - fixing device 1 is a horizontal stage 2 . the stage 2 has a structure in which a stage central portion 2 a made of a material that transmits uv light , such as glass , is supported by a stage peripheral portion 2 b made of metal . as shown in fig1 , on the stage central portion 2 a , a substrate 10 that transmits uv light is placed . as an example of the substrate 10 , a tft glass substrate of a liquid crystal display panel is shown . on a surface of the substrate 10 , a conductor 11 made of a metal with low electric resistance is formed , and a uv - curable acf 12 is adhered so as to cover the conductor 11 . the conductor 11 does not transmit light , and thus serves as a light - shielding portion for uv light . the uv - curable acf 12 is supplied in a form , like double - sided adhesive tape , adhered to an unillustrated separator and wound into a reel . whereas the separator is in a form of continuous tape , the uv - curable acf 12 has splits at predetermined intervals . a portion of the uv - curable acf 12 with a predetermined length from one split to the next is put in contact with the substrate 10 , and heat and pressure are applied to the portion from above across the separator . in this way , while the uv - curable acf 12 adheres to the substrate 10 , the separator separates from the uv - curable acf 12 , leaving only the uv - curable acf 12 neatly transferred to the substrate 10 . as shown in fig2 , a component is mounted on a top surface of the uv - curable acf 12 . although the component may be an fpc or a tcp , here , an ic 13 is shown as an example . the ic 13 is mounted on the conductor 11 by a cog ( chip on glass ) process . at this stage , the ic 13 is simply positioned within a horizontal plane and placed lightly on the uv - curable acf 12 . bumps 13 a are formed on a bottom surface of the ic 13 to serve as terminals . the uv - curable acf 12 serves to electrically connect the bumps 13 a to the conductor 11 and to physically fix the ic 13 to the substrate 10 . as shown in fig3 , the ic 13 is heated by a heater tool 14 . the heating reduces the viscosity of the uv - curable acf 12 , which thus liquefies ; that is , the fluidity of the uv - curable acf 12 increases . after so heating the uv - curable acf 12 and increasing its fluidity , a pressure is applied to the uv - curable acf 12 by the heater tool 14 to make the uv - curable acf 12 flow . it is preferable that the ic 13 be heated so as to raise the temperature of the uv - curable acf 12 to 70 ° c . to 100 ° c . the pressure applied to the uv - curable acf 12 can be approximately equal to the pressure during thermocompression bonding using a thermosetting acf . the heat from the heater tool 14 is expended not for curing the uv - curable acf 12 but only for making it flow . this requires an amount of heat smaller than that required for curing the uv - curable acf 12 . this allows the ic 13 to be mounted at lower temperature , and mounting it at lower temperature helps alleviate warping of the ic 13 and of the substrate 10 . in a case where the substrate 10 is one to be incorporated in a display panel , improved display quality results . the part of the fluidized uv - curable acf 12 located at where the conductor 11 shields light is pushed out of the place by being pressed by the bumps 13 a . as the pressing of the ic 13 progresses , the ic 13 itself begins to press the uv - curable acf 12 , producing a large - scale flow inside the uv - curable acf 12 . also by this large - scale flow , the part of the uv - curable acf 12 located at where the conductor 11 shields light is pushed out of the place . while the bumps 13 a are approaching the conductor 11 under the pressure from the heater tool 14 , an unillustrated uv light source arranged under the stage 2 emits uv light and irradiates the uv - curable acf 12 with the uv light from the reverse side of the substrate 10 . not only the part of the uv - curable acf 12 located at where the conductor 11 does not shield light , but also the part of the uv - curable acf 12 which would stay at where the conductor 11 shields light without the flow is irradiated directly with uv light by being pushed out of the place where the conductor 11 shields light as the result of the flow . here , “ direct irradiation ” refers not to irradiation with uv light propagating inside the uv - curable acf 12 by reflection , but to irradiation with uv light from the uv light source with no interception on the way . the uv - curable acf 12 begins to cure by being irradiated directly with uv light . although part of the uv - curable acf 12 is moved by the flow to where the conductor 11 shields light , this is the part of the uv - curable acf 12 that has been located at where the conductor 11 does not shield light and it has already been irradiated directly with uv light , so that it also begins to cure . as described above , the phrase “ the uv - curable acf located at where the conductor shields light ” has two meanings : it means , first , the part of the uv - curable acf which , without the flow , would stay at where the conductor shields light but which , because of the flow , is pushed out of the place where the conductor does not shield light ; second , the part of the uv - curable acf which is located at where the conductor does not shield light but which is moved , by the flow , to where the conductor shields light . irrespective of which part it means , the uv - curable acf 12 is irradiated directly with uv light , and thus such part of the uv - curable acf 12 as would otherwise be left uncured is removed . in this way , it is possible to overcome the inconvenience that could result from part of the uncured uv - curable acf 12 remaining uncured . fig4 shows a stage after completion of the heating and pressing of the ic 13 and the irradiation of the uv - curable acf 12 with uv light . the thickness of the uv - curable acf 12 is designed to be larger than the height of the bumps 13 a so as to prevent the space between the ic 13 and the substrate 10 from being incompletely filled with the uv - curable acf 12 . thus , when the ic 13 is pressed until the bumps 13 a approach the conductor 11 , part of the uv - curable acf 12 becomes surplus , which has to be removed . the surplus part of the uv - curable acf 12 is removed outside the ic 13 , and the bumps 13 a and the conductor 11 are connected together electrically via the uv - curable acf 12 . fig5 conceptually shows how conductive particles 15 inside the uv - curable acf 12 are pressed and flattened between the conductor 11 and the bumps 13 to establish conduction between the conductor 11 and the bumps 13 . this state is maintained owing to the uv - curable acf 12 curing through irradiation with uv light . now , how the setting of the timing of heating the ic 13 and irradiating it with uv light influences the fixing of the ic 13 will be described with reference to gantt charts in fig6 to 8 . the setting of timing shown in fig6 will be referred to as a first embodiment , the setting of timing shown in fig7 will be referred to as a second embodiment , and the setting of timing shown in fig8 will be referred to as a first comparative example . in fig6 , irradiation with uv light starts before the ic 13 is heated . previously irradiated with uv light , the uv - curable acf 12 increases its fluidity through the subsequent heating , and thus flows under pressure . by irradiating the uv - curable acf 12 with uv light before it starts to flow , it is possible to move the uv - curable acf 12 that has absorbed sufficient uv light . however , if the uv - curable acf 12 absorbs an excessive amount of uv light , its curing progresses and its viscosity increases . this prevents it from fluidizing through the subsequent heating . though depending on the resin material of the uv - curable acf 12 , the time - lag between the start of irradiation with uv light and the start of heating is preferably one second or less . in fig7 , irradiation with uv light starts after the ic 13 is heated . having started to flow under pressure after heating , the uv - curable acf 12 continues to flow while being irradiated with uv light , and absorbs uv light . when the uv - curable acf 12 cures through irradiation with uv light , it stops flowing even before completion of heating and pressing . though depending on the resin material of the uv - curable acf 12 , preferably , the time of irradiation with uv light is about three to ten seconds , and the time - lag between the start of heating and the start of irradiation with uv light is one second or less . in fig8 , irradiation with uv light starts when the heating and pressing of the ic 13 are almost over and after the uv - curable acf 12 stops flowing . in this case , since the flow of the uv - curable acf 12 has stopped , the uv - curable acf 12 irradiated with uv light does not move . if any part of the uv - curable acf 12 cures incompletely , that is because the conductor portion 11 shields uv light and prevents it from reaching the uv - curable acf 12 . if irradiation with uv light is performed after the uv - curable acf 12 stops flowing as shown in fig8 , the part of the uv - curable acf 12 located at where the conductor portion 11 shields light ends up never being irradiated directly with uv light . on the other hand , when irradiation with uv light is timed as in the first embodiment ( fig6 ) and the second embodiment ( fig7 ), since part of the uv - curable acf 12 located at where the conductor 11 shields light moves , every part of the uv - curable acf 12 passes through where it is directly irradiated with uv light . thus , irrespective of whether irradiation with uv light is performed before the uv - curable acf 12 starts to flow as in the first embodiment or irradiation with uv light is performed while the uv - curable acf 12 is flowing as in the second embodiment , the part of the uv - curable acf 12 located at where the conductor 11 shields light can be directly irradiated with uv light . when the ic 13 is heated and then pressed , in the space between the ic 13 and the substrate 10 , the uv - curable acf 12 flows in directions indicated by arrows in fig9 and the surplus part of the uv - curable acf 12 is removed . however , in a central part of the ic 13 , while a surplus part of the uv - curable acf 12 moves out , very little of it moves in from elsewhere ; as a result , part 12 a of the uv - curable acf 12 ( indicated by hatching in fig9 ) is left behind from the flow . a problem associated with part 12 a of the uv - curable acf 12 being left behind from the flow will be described below by way of a second comparative example with reference to fig1 . solutions to the problem will be described below by way of third , fourth , and fifth embodiments with reference to fig1 , 11 , and 12 respectively . in fig1 , a conductor 11 that passes through a central portion of the ic 13 is so configured as to connect together the electrodes arranged on the right and left , and a part of the conductor 11 is located right under the part 12 a of the uv - curable acf 12 that is left behind from the flow . with this configuration , the part 12 a of the uv - curable acf 12 left behind from the flow remains unirradiated with uv light because of the conductor 11 shielding it , and thus ends up uncured . to avoid that , the conductor 11 can be configured ingeniously as shown in any of fig1 to 12 . in fig1 and in fig1 to 12 , the reference sign 11 a identifies a signal input electrode portion which is connected to an unillustrated fpc to receive signals , and the reference sign 1 lb identifies a signal output electrode portion which is connected to an unillustrated display area of a liquid crystal display panel . only the position of the ic 13 , which is a component to be fixed by the uv - curable acf 12 , is shown by a dashed - line , and the area surrounded by the dashed - line is the mounting portion ( cog mounting portion ) of the ic 13 . in the configuration shown in fig1 , no conductor 11 passes through the center of the mounting portion of the ic 13 . even a conductor 11 that passes closest to the center of the mounting portion of the ic 13 is displaced by a small distance from the central mounting portion . thus , the part 12 a of the uv - curable acf 12 left behind from the flow is directly irradiated with uv light without the conductor 11 shielding it , and thus cures . in the configuration shown in fig1 , one opening 11 c is formed in a wide conductor 11 which passes through the center of the mounting portion of the ic 13 , at a place aligned with the center of mounting portion . the opening 11 c is in a rectangular shape and its longitudinal direction is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the conductor 11 . thus , even the part 12 a of the uv - curable acf 12 left behind from the flow cures by being irradiated directly with uv light through the opening 11 c . in the configuration shown in fig1 , a plurality of openings 11 c are arrayed in a distributed fashion in a wide conductor 11 which passes through the center of the mounting portion of the ic 13 . the plurality of the openings 11 c are arrayed in a distributed fashion in an area that includes the center of the mounting portion . the part of the uv - curable acf left behind from the flow cures by being irradiated directly with uv light through one of the plural of the openings 11 c arrayed in a distributed fashion . in fig1 , rectangular openings 11 c of which the longitudinal direction is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the conductor 11 are arrayed in three rows and in three columns , in a matrix - like formation . this arrangement , however , is only illustrative and is not meant to limit the invention . the intervals between the openings 11 c are , both in the up / down and left / right directions in fig1 , preferably 0 . 5 mm or less , and more preferably 0 . 2 mm or less . although in the above description a tft glass substrate of a liquid crystal display panel is taken up as an example of a substrate 10 which becomes a circuit substrate when mounted with components , this is not meant as any limitation ; the present invention may be applied to a glass substrate of an organic el display panel . the present invention may be applied also to circuit substrates in general which are not intended for incorporation in display panels . the embodiments by way of which the present invention is described above are in no way meant to limit the scope of the present invention , which thus allows for many modifications and variations within the spirit of the present disclosure . the present invention finds wide application in display panels and in circuit substrates in general . 11 c opening 12 uv - curable acf 12 a uv - curable acf left behind from flow 13 ic 13 a bump 14 heater tool	7
fig1 shows a surface aerator which can also be used as a mixer , consisting of a motor 1 which drives a shaft 2 . said shaft 2 broadens on the upper side , forming a deflecting body 6 which curves outward . round the shaft 2 is mounted a screw 3 . said screw consists of a blade 4 which starts from the bottom of the shaft and , following a helicoidal , spiral - shaped motion , terminates in the deflecting body 6 . a second screw blade 5 is also mounted at the bottom of the shaft ; said second screw blade 5 however terminates after a spiral - shaped motion of approximately 180 °. starting from the lower most part of the continuous screw blade 4 , blade 4 is wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 . starting from the lower most part of discontinuous blade 5 , blade 5 is wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 , wherein said continuous and discontinuous blades are wound in a common direction . the screw therefore consists of two blades below , so achieving a good pump effect , but with one blade being very limited , so that little frictional losses and turbulence occur . for the sake of simplicity , fig2 through 5 only show the screw around the shaft 2 , where in fig2 an upper end part a , a middle part b and a lower end part c can be distinguished . according to fig2 one screw blade 11 starts in the lower end part with a diameter varying from the shaft diameter to the full diameter , and continues with constant diameter into the deflecting body 6 . an extra screw blade 12 is mounted in the lower end part c , also starting from the bottom of the shaft 2 , but terminates after a spiral - shaped motion of 270 ° or so . starting from the lower most part of the continuous screw blade 11 , blade 11 is wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 . starting from the lower most part of discontinuous blade 12 , blade 12 is wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 , wherein said continuous and discontinuous blades are wound in a common direction . fig3 shows a variant of fig2 with a continuous screw blade 11 and an extra screw blade 13 in the upper end part a . starting from the lower most part of the continuous screw blade 11 , blade 11 is wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 . starting from the lower most part of blade 13 , blade 13 is wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 , wherein continuous blade 11 and discontinuous blade 13 are wound in a common direction . fig4 shows a combination of fig2 and 3 , with a continuous screw blade 11 and an extra screw blade 12 in end part c and another extra screw blade 13 in end part a . in this example , however , the screws 11 and 13 terminate underneath the deflecting body 6 , so that the upper end part a is situated lower . starting from the lower most part of the continuous screw blade 11 , blade 11 is wound in a direction toward the top of screw 2 . starting from the lower most part of discontinuous blades 12 and 13 , blades 12 and 13 are wound in a direction toward the top of screw 2 , wherein said continuous and discontinuous blades are wound in a common direction . fig5 shows a variant of fig4 in which a continuous screw blade 21 has a constant diameter and starts below the shaft 2 . in this alternative embodiment there is an extra screw blade 22 in the end part c and there are two extra screw blades 23 and 24 in the upper end part a . starting from the lower most part of the continuous screw blade 21 , blade 21 is wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 . starting from the lower most part of discontinuous blades 22 , 23 and 24 , blades 22 , 23 and 24 are wound in a direction toward the top of shaft 2 , wherein said continuous and discontinuous blades are wound in a common direction . in the above examples , the discontinuous screw blades terminate after about 90 °, 180 °, 270 ° or 360 °, but it is clear that there is no restriction on the execution of these screw blades , and that it can also terminate after one quarter of a revolution or can make any other fraction of a revolution or any number of revolutions . it is up to the person skilled in the art to determine which length a screw blade should have . the examples show embodiments which for the sake of simplicity are shown round the same shaft of the same apparatus . the invention is not limited to these embodiments , but can be applied on all aerators and mixers which comprise a propeller or screw which pumps the water up towards the surface or impels it downwards .	2
______________________________________water 800 mlethylene glycol 30 mlisopropyl alcohol 30 mlcitric acid 20 gthiourea 30 g2 - hydroxy - 3 - naphthoic acidethanol amide 15 gcaffeine 10 g4 - diazo - 2 , 5 - dibutoxymorpholino - benzene chloride ( zinc chloride 10 gdouble salt ) saponin 1 g______________________________________ subsequently , by further adding water to this liquid so as to make the whole quantity of the liquid 1 l , a photosensitive liquid was prepared . then , by coating the thus prepared photosensitive liquid on a stencil paper weighing 90 g / m 2 for use in preparing photosensitive materials and drying thereafter , a binary diazo copying material was prepared . next , after exposing this copying material together was an appropriate original superposed thereon by the use of a fluorescent lamp , by coating a variety of liquid developers having the composition no . 1 through no . 11 ( wherein no . 10 and no . 11 are compositions for the purpose of comparison ) as listed in the following , respectively , on the surface of the thus exposed copying material with a rubber roller , developing was performed . in this connection , the amount of liquid developer thus coated was adjusted to be in the range of from 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 g / m 2 . the result was as shown in table - 1 below , and the respective developers manifested a satisfactory effect with the exception that some remnant of moisture was sensed on the copying material in the case of the composition no . 3 . further , when the rubber roller was left intact after use in applying each liquid developer , occurrence of crystallization was observed in the case of liquid developers of the composition no . 10 and no . 11 , while in the case of liquid developers of the composition no . 1 through no . 9 , there was observed no occurrence of crystallization . ______________________________________compo - mixingsition rationo . ingredients of liquid developer ( wt . %) ______________________________________1 dl - α - sodium aminobutyrate 15 ethylene glycol 70 water 15 ca salt of l - α - alanine 252 propylene glycol 65 water 10 li salt of glycine 243 diethylene glycol monomethyl ether 46 water 30 k salt of l - arginine 184 diethylene glycol 64 water 18 mg salt of l - leucine 235 hexylene glycol 67 water 10 na salt of dl - proline 166 diallopyrene 76 water 8 γ - potassium aminobutyrate 157 diethylene glycol monoethyl ether 72 water 13 l - calcium glutamate 208 triethylene glycol 68 water 12 k salt of dl - α - valine 169 polyethylene glycol 75 water 910 monoethanol amine 20 ( compara - triethanol amine 30tive diethylene glycolcompo - monomethyl ether 50sition ) 11 monoethanol amine 30 ( compara - ethylene glycol 60tive hexylene glycol 10compo - sition______________________________________ table - 1__________________________________________________________________________sample color - developing rate * 1 fading rate * 2 coloring of * 3 odor of * 4no . 30 sec . 1 min . 10 min . 30 min . r max . r min . ground copy__________________________________________________________________________1 0 . 74 0 . 88 1 . 00 1 . 10 9 . 5 11 . 3 0 . 09 odorless2 0 . 82 0 . 91 1 . 01 1 . 08 7 . 8 9 . 9 0 . 08 odorless3 0 . 81 0 . 90 1 . 03 1 . 09 9 . 4 10 . 8 0 . 10 odorless4 0 . 80 0 . 92 1 . 04 1 . 10 8 . 3 10 . 8 0 . 07 odorless5 0 . 83 0 . 94 1 . 08 1 . 15 7 . 2 10 . 3 0 . 09 odorless6 0 . 78 0 . 92 1 . 04 10 . 8 8 . 1 10 . 5 0 . 09 odorless7 0 . 79 0 . 93 1 . 04 1 . 07 9 . 3 11 . 2 0 . 08 odorless8 0 . 83 0 . 96 1 . 06 1 . 08 7 . 9 10 . 9 0 . 08 odorless9 0 . 80 0 . 94 1 . 03 1 . 06 8 . 2 11 . 1 0 . 11 odorless10 0 . 80 0 . 95 1 . 05 1 . 06 20 . 3 15 . 4 0 . 18 smell of amine11 0 . 82 0 . 96 1 . 04 1 . 07 21 . 4 16 . 2 0 . 20 smell of amine__________________________________________________________________________ ( remarks ) * 1 : the image concentration value after developing was measured with a photovoltaic densitometer . * 2 : after conducting 3 hours &# 39 ; forced fading test by means of a brown - color fastness tester ( the manufacture of toyo rikakogyo k . k . ), and measuring the concentration of image area ( d max .) as well as the concentration of non - image area ( d min .) of a sample not undergone said forced fading test and the concentration of image area ( d &# 39 ; max .) as well as the concentratio of non - image area ( d &# 39 ; min .) of a sample undergone said forced fading test by means of a photovoltaic densitometer , the fading rates r max . and r min . were calculated by applying the following equations . ## str1 ## ## str2 ## * 3 : in order to examine the degree of coloring of the ground by a deteriorated liquid , the sample was developed with a liquid developer which had been left intact for a month within a developing machine , and then the concentration of non - image area was measured with a photovoltaic densitometer . * 4 : the odor of the copy immediately after the developing was judged olfactorily . after exposing the same copying material as that in example 1 together with an appropriate original superposed thereon by the use of a fluorescent lamp , by coating a variety of liquid developers having the composition no . 12 through no . 20 ( wherein no . 19 and no . 20 are compositions for the purpose of comparison ), respectively , as listed in the following table - 2 , on the surface of the thus exposed copying materials with a sponge roller , developing was performed . the result was as shown in table - 2 . table - 2__________________________________________________________________________ amount of de - condition of image veloper concen - condition of sponge when copying was per - made to tration roller after leav - formed under the con - sample composition of liquid adhere of image ing intact dition shown in theno . developer wt . 90 ) ( g / m . sup . 2 ) * 5 * 6 left column * 7__________________________________________________________________________12 k salt of glycine ( 5 ) 4 . 5 1 . 06 no crystalli - uniform and water ( 95 ) zation occurred satisfactory13 na salt of β - alanine ( 12 ) water ( 88 ) 3 . 1 1 . 09 the same as above the same as above k salt of α - aminobutyric acid ( 9 ) 14 water ( 91 ) 3 . 9 1 . 05 the same as above the same as above na salt of l - leucine ( 25 ) 15 water ( 75 ) 2 . 0 1 . 08 the same as above the same as above na salt of l - α - valine ( 6 ) 16 water ( 94 ) 4 . 8 1 . 05 the same as above the same as above li salt of l - cystein ( 13 ) 17 water ( 87 ) 3 . 2 1 . 02 the same as above the same as above mg salt of l - histidine ( 31 ) 18 water ( 69 ) 1 . 8 1 . 10 the same as above the same as above19 ( compara - potassium methaborate ( 10 ) crystalization granular develop - tive water ( 90 ) 4 . 3 0 . 95 occurred ing marks weresample ) observed . - 20 potassium carbonate ( 6 ) crystallization 7long and narrow ( compara - potassium tetraborate ( 5 ) 3 . 8 0 . 92 occurred developing markstive water ( 89 ) sample were observed__________________________________________________________________________ ( remarks ) * 5 : the concentration of image 30 seconds after the copying was measured with a photovoltaic densitometer . * 6 : the condition was examined with the naked eye after leaving the sponge roller intact for 2 week within a copying machine . * 7 : the copying was conducted by using the sponge roller left intact for 2 weeks within a copying machine , and the condition of image of the resulting copy was examined with the naked eye .	6
the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to fig1 which represents a process for retorting oil shale using a steam recycle loop in the manner of the invention . the major components shown in the figure are a boiler 2 , a combustor 4 , a retort 6 , a separation tower 8 and a condenser 10 . in operation , fresh oil shale crushed to a maximum particle size of about 1 / 4 inch enters the retort 6 by shale feed conduit 12 . in the retort , the oil shale is mixed with sufficient hot heat transfer material entering the retort from the combustor 4 via conduit 14 to raise the oil shale to a temperature suitable for decomposing the kerogen . generally , this temperature is in the range of from about 850 ° f . to about 1000 ° f . the mixture of solids forms a vertical bed 16 in the retort which moves downward as spent solids are withdrawn from the bottom by solids outlet 18 . a stripping gas containing a minimum of 50 percent steam is passed through the bed of solids 16 from plenum chamber 20 located at the bottom of the retort . a distribution grid 22 distributes the stripping gas evenly across the bottom of the bed of solids . the stripping gas and evolved hydrocarbon vapors pass out the top of the retort 6 by way of outlet pipe 24 . fine particles of entrained solids are removed from the vapors by cyclone 26 . from the cyclone , the vapors are sent via conduit 28 to the separation tower 8 . returning to the retort 6 , the spent mixture of retorted solids and heat transfer material is carried from the retort by solids outlet 18 to the engaging section 30 at the bottom of the liftpipe section 32 of the combustor 4 . in the engager 30 , the solids are entrained in a stream of hot air and carried up the length of the liftpipe section 32 . in the liftpipe , the carbonaceous residue that remains in the retorted shale after decomposition of the kerogen is partially burned . the partially burned solids leave the top of the liftpipe and enter the secondary combustion and disengaging chamber 34 of the combustor . the partially burned solids form a bed of material 36 in the bottom of the chamber which is fluidized by additional air supplied by plenum chamber 38 . any remaining carbonaceous residue is burned in this chamber . in addition , fine solids removed from the retort vapors by cyclone 26 are fed directly into this area of the combustor by fine solids feed conduit 39 . the hot coarse solids , now at a temperature of about 1300 ° f ., are recycled to the retort via conduit 14 as hot heat transfer solids . flue gas with entrained fine solids leaves the top of the secondary combustion and disengaging chamber 34 by flue gas outlet 40 , which also serves as a superheater for steam from the boiler 2 . in the separation tower 8 light overhead gases are separated from the higher boiling fractions . a bottoms fraction is collected at the bottom of the separation tower and withdrawn via conduit 42 . this bottoms fraction is passed through a cooler 44 and part of the cooled oil is recycled to the tower via recycle loop 46 . the rest of the cooled bottoms fraction is recovered as shale oil by conduit 48 . overhead gases , at a temperature of about 220 ° f . and at a pressure of about 3 psig , leave the top of the separation tower by overhead outlet 50 and are divided into two streams . one stream is carried by conduit 52 to the condenser 10 . in the condenser , non - condensable gases 54 are separated from naphtha 56 and water 58 ( condensed from steam ). part of the naphtha is recycled to the tower via conduit 57 . the second stream of overhead gases is used as recycle gas for return to the retort as part of the stripping gas . in order to provide sufficient compression for the stripping gas , makeup steam must be generated for use in the process . in the present scheme , water added to water drum 60 of the boiler 2 passes through the boiler tubes 62 heated by flue gases and hot fines from the combustor to yield steam . from steam drum 64 , steam is carried via conduit 66 to the steam superheater 68 located in the flue gas outlet 40 of the combustor . in the superheater , the steam is heated to about 800 ° f . at a pressure of about 800 psig . this high pressure , superheated steam is collected in conduit 70 . the superheated steam may be drawn off by line 71 and used as turbine steam to drive the air compressor for the combustor and / or to drive power generators . part of the superheated steam is carried by conduit 72 for injection into the recycle gas from the separation tower 8 . as noted above , the recycle stream from the tower overhead is carried back to the plenum chamber 20 of the retort by recycle conduit 74 . the superheated steam from conduit 72 is injected into the recycle stream by a jet injector 76 . the mixture of recycle gas and superheated steam at a temperature of about 400 ° f . and at a pressure of about 20 psig is returned to the retort by stripping gas conduit 78 . in the process outlined above , only part of the steam requirements for the stripping gas are supplied by fresh superheated steam from the boiler . the superheated steam provides compression for the stripping gas , but the majority of the steam is recycled from the tower overhead . despite the low requirement for fresh superheated steam , the process described above will yield significantly better yields of shale oil as compared to a similar process using a conventional stripping gas other than steam . typical material balances for a retorting process such as shown in fig1 are given in the following table : ______________________________________material balances for oil shaleretorting process as shown in fig1 for 1 lb . of crushed oil shaleyielding 28 gallons / ton shale oiland 0 . 02 lb . water______________________________________shale oil ( conduit 48 ) 0 . 1 lb . gas ( line 54 ) 0 . 02 lb . naphtha ( line 56 ) 0 . 01 lb . water ( line 58 ) 0 . 045 lb . superheated steam ( conduit 70 ) 0 . 15 lb . turbine / process steam ( line 71 ) 0 . 125 lb . makeup steam ( line 72 ) 0 . 025 lb . recycle gas ( recycle conduit 74 ) 0 . 05 lb . stripping gas ( conduit 78 ) 0 . 075 lb . * ______________________________________ * the stripping gas in this embodiment will contain about 73 percent steam 18 percent noncondensable gases and 9 percent naphtha ( all by weight ). a typical jet injector , such as may be used to inject the high pressure steam into the recycle gas , is shown in fig2 . when used as part of the process disclosed herein , the high pressure steam serves as the motive gas and is injected at 102 through the converging - diverging nozzle 104 where it expands and emerges into the mixing section 106 with supersonic velocity . in the mixing section , the motive gas entrains the recycle gas which is sucked into the injector via 108 . the two gases mix in the mixing section to form the stripping gas which will be sent to the retort . deceleration of the motive gas in the mixing section and deceleration of the mixture , i . e ., stripping gas , in the diffuser section 110 account for the entrainment and overall pressure increase observed between the recycle gas and the stripping gas . when used in the present process , the jet injector makes possible a sufficient increase in the pressure of the recycle loop with only a portion of the total steam requirement supplied from the boiler and superheater . in carrying out the process of the invention , a variety of designs may be employed for the retort . preferably , the mixture of oil shale and heat transfer solids will be contained in a vertical bed such as described in fig1 . however , a horizontal moving bed of solids may also be used in conjunction with the invention . the retorting zone may contain internal baffles or other flow distributors to control the movement of solids and gases through the retorting zone . in one preferred embodiment , the retorting zone contains a staged turbulent bed such as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 199 , 432 . the staged turbulent bed contains a vertical bed of solids which is partially fluidized to assure good mixing between the solids . internal flow distributions prevent the formation of large bubbles in the bed and slow the passage of the large non - fluidized particles through the retort . in such a retort design , stripping gas velocity will usually fall within the range of from about 1 foot / second to about 4 feet / second depending on the particle size of the solids and degree of fluidization desired . the temperature of stripping gas will usually fall within the range of from about 300 ° f . to about 900 ° f . generally , the temperature will be in the lower end of the range since it is desirable to use a minimum of makeup steam in preparing the stripping gas . therefore , temperatures will usually fall in the range of from about 350 ° f . to about 500 ° f . in the bottom of the retort the stripping gas rapidly heats up to retort bed temperature because of the high ratio between solids rate and stripping gas rate ( about 50 in embodiment shown in figure ). the pressure of the stripping gas will vary depending on the type of retorting system used . in one embodiment shown in fig1 the pressure is about 20 psig . this pressure is suitable for a partially fluidized bed such as the staged turbulent bed . higher pressure would be employed for deep fluidized beds of similar design . likewise , lower pressures would be used for a vertical moving packed bed where there is little or no fluidization of the solids . the pressure would also be dependent on bed design , such as , for example , bed depth , maximum particle size , presence of baffles or other internals . the utility of the present invention is not limited to any particular design of retort . generally , the pressure of the recycle gas will fall within the range of from about 5 psig to about 50 psig . the recycle gas recovered from the overhead of the separation tower or similar device will usually have a temperature in the range of from about 150 ° f . to about 350 ° f . and most preferably from about 200 ° f . to about 250 ° f . the low temperature limit of approximately 200 ° f . is set by the dew point of the steam in the vapor leaving the top of the tower . with unusually low steam partial pressures in this stream , the dew point may be as low as 150 ° f . it is usually desirable to operate the recycle loop at a low enough temperature that only a small fraction of naphtha or other low boiling hydrocarbons are present in the recycle gas but at a high enough temperature to avoid water condensation in the tower . therefore , a cut temperature of about 220 ° f . is preferred . temperatures substantially below 200 ° f . can be achieved by recycling process gas after the overhead condenser but this results in reduced amounts of recycled steam . this translates into increased makeup steam requirements . since it is desirable to use a minimum amount of fresh makeup steam and at the same time to limit the amount of naphtha in the recycle gas , temperatures outside the preferred range result in a decrease in efficiency . the pressure of the recycle gas will vary depending upon the design of the separator and the temperature of the cut , but generally will fall in the range of from about 0 psig to about 10 psig .	2
referring now to fig1 , there is shown a schematic drawing of a logic tree of active and passive cholesteric liquid crystal ( clc ) elements which are so arranged and controlled that a single input to a first stage of the logic tree may be delivered to any one of the outputs of the last stage of the logic tree by appropriately switching electronically controlled half - wave retarders associated with the active clc elements of the logic tree . by programming the switching of the half - wave retarders of each stage of the logic tree , a laser input to the first stage of the logic tree may , for example , provide a scanned version of the input at the outputs of the last stage of the logic tree . the application of the logic tree as a scanner will be described in detail in what follows . it will also become clear that the same embodiment has other applications . considering fig1 in more detail , logic tree 1 is shown consisting of a plurality of stages labeled stage 1 - stage 4 wherein each stage includes one or more branches each of which consists of an active and passive clc element . thus , stage 1 consists of a branch 2 which , in turn , includes active clc element 18 and passive clc element 19 . stage 2 consists of branches 3 , 4 ; the former including active clc element 21 and passive clc element 22 while the latter includes active clc element 23 and passive clc element 24 . stage 3 consists of four branches 5 - 8 each of the branches consisting of active and passive clc elements 31 , 33 , 35 , 37 and 32 , 34 , 36 , 38 , respectively . similarly , stage 4 consists of eight branches 9 - 16 each of these branches including active and passive clc elements 41 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 49 , 51 , 53 , 55 and 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , and 56 , respectively , just like the previously mentioned branches . at this point , it should be appreciated that many more stages may be added to tree 1 with each succeeding stages having twice as many branches as the preceding stage . using this approach , stage 4 in fig1 has 2 n - 1 branches wherein n is the stage number . thus , stage 4 has 2 4 - 1 or eight branches . since each branch has two clc elements , each stage has 2 n elements and , for stage 4 , sixteen elements . thus , stage 10 , for example , would have 2 10 or 1024 clc elements providing one light output per element or 1024 outputs . since fig1 is representative of the way logic tree 1 operates regardless of the number of stages , only four stages have been incorporated to clearly demonstrate how such a logic tree may be used to provide a scanned light output from a plurality of elements which are activated by an input from a single source of electromagnetic energy . before describing the operation of fig1 , it should be understood that the active clc elements of each branch in fig1 do not depart from similar active elements shown in fig1 of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 459 , 591 entitled “ electromagnetic energy beam steering devices ” in the name of s . m . faris , which is hereby incorporated by reference . the passive clc elements of the present invention differ from the active clc elements in that the passive clc elements do not incorporate an electronically controlled , variable half - wave retarder or π - cell . thus , each branch of logic tree 1 as represented by branch 2 of fig1 includes an active clc element 18 and a passive clc element 19 . the former includes a cholesteric liquid crystal member 60 , a transparent electrode 62 , a ground plane ( not shown ), and a controllable half - wave retarder 61 while the latter includes a cholesteric liquid crystal member which is identical to member 60 . since each of the branches 3 , 4 , 5 - 8 and 9 - 16 is identical with branch 2 of fig1 , each cholesteric liquid crystal element and each half - wave retarder of each branch is identified with the same reference numbers 60 , 61 respectively . in fig1 , active clc element 18 and passive clc element 19 of branch 2 both include cholesteric liquid crystal members 60 which are disposed at an angle , preferably 45 °, within each of the elements 18 , 19 . members 60 are made from a nematic liquid crystal material with chiral additives or polysiloxane side - chain polymers which cause the cigar - shaped molecules to be spontaneously aligned in an optically active structure of either a left - handed or right - handed helix with a helical pitch , p . the twisting direction and the pitch , p , of the helices are determined by the nature and concentration of the additives . a clc member , like member 60 , has all its helices aligned in one direction and is capable of reflecting light , for example , having one circular polarization having a characteristic wavelength or band of wavelengths . cholesteric liquid crystal ( clc ) members 60 which are used in the practice of the present invention and their method of fabrication are shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 221 , 982 , filed jul . 5 , 1991 and issued on jun . 22 , 1993 in the name of s . m . faris . this patent is herewith incorporated by reference . while clc members 60 are shown in fig1 as being single elements , it should be understood that a plurality of clc members 60 may be substituted for each of the members 60 to provide for the reflection and transmission of circularly polarized radiation having a plurality of wavelengths or band of wavelengths which are provided by a plurality of sources of electromagnetic radiation . it should be appreciated that , in the practice of the present invention , members 60 may be made of any material which can be switched to reflect and / or transmit electromagnetic energy by the application of electric or magnetic fields to that material . half - wave retarders or π - cells 61 shown schematically in fig1 are of the type shown and described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 670 , 744 , filed mar . 14 , 1985 and issued on jun . 2 , 1987 in the name of t . s . buzak and may be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the buzak patent is herewith incorporated by reference . alternatively , instead of clc films , polarizing reflectors , polarizing prisms or mcneill prisms may be utilized in the practice of the present invention and are commercially available . when more than a single wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is used in the arrangement of fig1 , a broad band π - cell may be utilized to provide half - wave retardation of each wavelength to maintain the same intensity level for each wavelength . logic tree 1 of fig1 is activated from a source 17 of electromagnetic radiation which may be a laser or any other source of radiation the output of which may be converted from a linearly polarized orientation to a circularly polarized orientation by means of a quarter - wave plate ( not shown ) in a manner well known to those skilled in the optical arts . if the resulting output is not appropriately polarized , a half - wave retarder may be utilized to provide the conversion from one circular polarization to the other polarization . for purposes of the present application , radiation emanating from source 17 is circularly polarized in either a clockwise or counter - clockwise direction . lasers which are commercially available may be utilized to provide outputs which fall within the visible , infrared or ultraviolet spectra . while source 17 is shown as a single source in fig1 , it should be appreciated that it also represents a plurality of sources each having a different wavelength . thus , source 17 may include lasers which emit at the red , green and blue wavelengths of the visible spectrum so that the projected beam of radiation is a beam of light having a single color or combinations of these wavelengths . it should also be appreciated that source 17 may comprise lasers or other sources of electromagnetic radiation which are capable of being intensity modulated . in this way , the source output may be varied in intensity from zero to a maximum intensity including all gradations in between . in fig1 , source of electromagnetic radiation 17 is shown directly irradiating a member 60 of active element 18 of branch 2 from which it is either transmitted or reflected depending on the polarization of the emitted radiation . the emitted radiation from source 17 may have a single intensity or it may be an intensity modulated signal provided by a television camera 25 or the like . by appropriately programming π - cells or half - wave retarders 61 , an unmodulated or intensity modulated signal is delivered in a scanned manner to the active and passive clc elements 41 - 56 of branches 9 - 16 of stage 4 . in this way , an unmodulated or intensity modulated beam of radiation is scanned across elements 41 - 56 providing an output which is similar in every way to a single scan line of a conventional television set . if an input is provided in digital form , a digital - to - analog converter 26 may be interposed between camera 25 and source 17 in a well - known manner . in fig1 , variable half - wave retarders 61 are activated by a programmable pulsed source 27 which gets timing information from camera 25 via interconnection 28 . a plurality of driver interconnections 29 extend from pulsed source 27 and each interconnection 29 is connected to a separate electrode 62 which applies an electric field to an associated half - wave retarder 61 when activated by pulsed source 27 . in fig1 , fifteen driver interconnections 29 would be utilized each one of which , when pulsed , activates a separate variable half - wave retarder 61 . in operation , logic tree 1 is activated when source 17 is activated . the object is to provide a scanned output from a single input to a plurality of outputs in stage 4 of logic tree 1 . it is , therefore , required that the outputs of active and passive elements 41 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 49 , 51 , 53 , 55 and 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 and 56 , respectively , be activated so that outputs are obtained from these elements in the order shown in fig1 . since element 41 is to provide the first output , if the input signal is right - hand circularly polarized ( rcp ) radiation and all members 60 are designed to be reflective of left - hand circularly polarized ( lcp ) radiation , the rcp light passes through active elements 18 , 21 , 31 and 41 unhindered since these elements reflect lcp radiation and transmit rcp radiation . an rcp radiation output , therefore , appears at the output port of element 41 . in the next time period , half - wave retarder 61 of element 41 is activated by a pulse from pulsed source 27 via an interconnection 29 to electrode 62 causing retarder 61 to introduce a half - wave delay into the input rcp radiation which has passed through active elements 18 , 21 and 31 causing the rcp radiation to be converted to lcp radiation . the lcp radiation then reflects from member 60 of element 41 which is reflective of lcp radiation toward member 60 of element 42 which is also reflective of lcp radiation . the impinging lcp radiation is then reflected to the output port of element 42 . in the next time period , an output is desired from the output port of active element 43 . to accomplish this , retarders 61 at the inputs of active elements 31 of stage 3 and active elements 43 of stage 4 are activated by applying pulses to their associated transparent electrodes 62 . once this is done , the rcp radiation at the input of active element 31 is converted to lcp radiation and reflects from lcp reflective member 60 over to lcp reflective member 60 of passive element 32 where it is reflected toward active element 43 . the lcp input at active element 43 encounters a half - wave retarder 61 and is converted to rcp radiation . the latter then passes unaffected to the output port of active element 43 because its clc member 60 reflects only lcp radiation . in the next interval , pulsed source 27 deactivates half - wave retarder 61 associated with active element 43 and continues activation of the half - wave retarder 61 associated with active element 31 . in this way , the lcp radiation impinging on element 43 encounters no delay and remains as lcp radiation which is then reflected from lcp reflective member 60 of element 43 toward passive element 44 . the thus reflected lcp radiation is reflected from lcp reflective member 60 of element 44 to its output port . rather than tediously describing every passage through every element , the order of the activation of half - wave retarders 61 will be described since every path from input to output port can be gleaned from the previous description and drawing shown in fig1 . to obtain an output at active element 45 , only the variable half - wave retarders 61 associated with active elements 21 and 33 must be activated . to obtain an output at active element 46 , variable half - wave retarders 61 associated with active elements 21 , 33 and 45 must be activated . to obtain an output at active element 47 , the variable half - wave retarders associated with active elements 21 and 47 must be activated . to obtain an output at passive element 48 , only the variable half - wave retarder associated with active element 21 need be activated . an output at active element 49 may be obtained by activating the half - wave retarders associated with active elements 18 and 23 . an output at passive element 50 may be obtained by activating the half - wave retarders associated with active elements 18 , 23 and 49 . to obtain an output at active element 51 , the half - wave retarders associated with active elements 18 , 35 and 51 must be activated . an output may be obtained from passive element 52 by activating half - wave retarders 61 associated with active elements 18 , 23 and 35 . to obtain an output at active element 53 , half - wave retarders 61 associated with active elements 18 and 37 must be activated . an output at passive element 54 may be obtained by activating half - wave retarders 61 associated with active elements 18 , 37 and 53 . to obtain an output at active element 55 , half - wave retarders 61 associated with active elements 18 and 55 are activated . finally , active element 56 is activated by activating half - wave retarder 61 associated with active element 18 . once half - wave retarders 61 are activated by applying pulses to transparent electrodes 62 from programmable pulsed source 27 as described hereinabove , a scanned output varying in intensity at each of the active and passive elements 41 through 56 is obtained . the outputs do not all have the same polarization and , for the embodiment of fig1 , have a polarization pattern of alternating rcp and lcp as the elements are scanned from left to right . recognizing that such variation is present is important where outputs having the same circular polarization are desired or required so that fixed half - wave retarders may be placed to convert all the polarization &# 39 ; s to the same polarization . thus , in fig1 , for example , fixed half - wave retarders 63 may be placed at the outputs of active elements 41 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 49 , 51 , 53 and 55 to convert their rcp outputs to lcp . the ability to do this conversion is particularly important in arrangements which provide a 3 - d output because the perception of 3 - d is based on having two spatially displaced images each of which has a different polarization . if the input to active clc element 18 in fig1 is changed to lcp and all the clc members 60 in logic tree 1 are changed to be reflective of rcp , the outputs obtained are exactly the same as those shown in fig1 . an identical output pattern to that shown in fig1 is obtainable where the input is lcp and all the members 60 are reflective of lcp . a pattern opposite to that shown in fig1 is obtainable where the input is rcp and all the members 60 are reflective of rcp . fig2 is a schematic diagram of a logic tree 1 similar to that shown in fig1 . it shows only the logic tree without the associated laser and electronics . the purpose is to show that the polarization of members 60 reflective of different polarizations may be varied to produce outputs having different polarizations from those shown in fig1 . each of the boxes representing active and passive elements in fig2 contains either the letter l or r indicating that the clc member 60 therein is reflective of either left - handed or right - handed circular polarization . without going into exhaustive detail , suffice it to say that the outputs shown in fig2 are obtained from an lcp input having the following polarization pattern when retarders 61 are switched in the same order as described in connection with fig1 : a pattern different from that shown above would be obtained if the input polarization were changed to rcp and members 60 of logic tree 1 were reflective of polarization &# 39 ; s opposite to those shown in fig2 . the output pattern is as follows : the foregoing illustrates how the output polarization may be controlled for applications where information is polarization encoded or scrambled ; transmitted and decoded or unscrambled by using a key which controls the variable half - wave retarders 61 . from the point of view of ease of manufacturing , logic trees having the same clc members 60 are the most advantageous as will be seen when the fabrication process is described hereinbelow . the arrangement of fig1 provides an advantage over the scanning arrangement shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 459 , 591 in that input light has to traverse , in a 1024 × 1024 array , 1024 clc members 2 ( in the patent ) to provide an output at its furthest imaging cell 1 ( in the patent ). if each clc member has transmissibility ( t ), the final imaging cell will have a transmissibility of ( t ) 1024 . thus , even with a transmissibility approaching 1 , say 0 . 999 , the output at the 1024 th imaging cell would be : ( 0 . 999 ) 1024 which , to all intents and purposes , is zero . opposed to this is the present approach where , to provide the last output in a 1024 × 1024 array , only twenty clc members 60 or two per stage need to be traversed providing a transmissibility of ( t ) 20 . under these conditions the 1024th output , assuming t = 0 . 999 , would be ( 0 . 999 ) 20 which is approximately ninety percent of the input intensity . the minimum transmissibility for a ten stage array would be ( t ) 10 or one transition per stage . from the foregoing , while logic tree 1 of fig1 represents an improvement over the prior art in terms of output light intensity , it should be clear that each logic tree 1 requires its own input laser or source of electromagnetic radiation 17 . thus , to provide an 8 × 8 array , for example , eight logic trees 1 would have to be stacked in the manner shown in fig3 . fig3 is an orthographic projection of eight logic trees 1 positioned one atop the other which , in accordance with the teaching of the present application , provide 64 outputs . one source of electromagnetic radiation 17 per logic tree 1 is required . because of space limitations , the showing of fig3 has been limited to the use of only three of the stages of fig1 . also , since each of logic trees 1 in fig3 is identical with the other logic trees 1 , only the topmost logic tree 1 with its clc members 60 and variable half - wave retarders 61 have been shown . also , as will become clear hereinafter , the dimensions shown are not to scale . in fig3 , 8 × 8 array 70 is shown which comprises eight logic trees 1 stacked one atop the other . each logic tree 1 is comprised of three stages , stage 1 , stage 2 , and stage 3 . stage 1 comprises branch 2 ; stage 2 comprises branches 3 , 4 and stage 3 comprises branches 5 - 8 as shown in fig1 . each branch includes active and passive clc elements similar to those shown in stages 1 - 3 of fig1 and each of the active and passive elements includes a cholesteric liquid crystal member 60 which is positioned at an angle of 45 ° within each of the active and passive elements of array 70 . also , included are variable half - wave retarders 61 which are arranged in fig3 just like the variable retarders 61 in stages 1 - 3 of fig1 . in fig3 , each logic tree 1 is activated by an associated source of electromagnetic radiation 17 , preferably a laser , thus requiring a total of eight sources 17 . as each laser is actuated , variable half - wave retarders 61 are actuated as described in connection with fig1 hereinabove and the output of each laser 17 appears as a scanned modulated signal going from left to right at the outputs of imaging cells 71 of each of logic trees 1 . in the arrangement shown in fig3 , sources 17 and retarders 61 may be actuated sequentially or simultaneously . if the outputs of sources 17 are converted to right - hand circular polarization ( rcp ) and all clc members 60 are reflective of left - hand circular polarization ( lcp ), the outputs of each logic tree 1 of fig3 will be the same as those shown in fig1 , namely : as suggested in connection with the description of fig1 , fixed half - wave retarders may be appropriately positioned to make all the outputs have the same polarization . while the number of lossy transitions per logic tree has been reduced over that shown in the prior art , this has been accomplished by the use of a source 17 for each logic tree 1 incorporated in an array 70 . with arrangements like that shown in fig3 expanded to a 1024 × 1024 array , for example , 1024 sources 17 would be required . this requirement can be eliminated and the number of sources reduced to one by using a logic tree 1 like that shown in fig1 , the outputs of which , provided from a single source 17 , act as inputs to an array 70 like that shown in fig3 . this will become clear from a consideration of fig4 which is an orthographic projection similar to fig3 except that , instead of a plurality of sources 17 , only a single source 17 , in combination with a logic tree 1 like that shown in fig1 , disposed perpendicularly to the logic trees 1 of fig3 is required . considering fig4 in more detail , array 70 is identical with array 70 shown in fig3 . also , source of electromagnetic radiation 17 in fig4 is similar to sources 17 shown in fib . 3 . in fig4 , an input logic tree 72 is shown disposed between array 70 and source 17 such that each imaging cell 71 of logic tree 72 acts as an input to an associated logic tree 1 of array 70 . thus , the uppermost imaging cell 71 of input logic tree 72 provides an input to the leftmost element of the topmost of logic trees 1 of array 70 . this input which may be an intensity modulated signal from source 17 , is scanned across the imaging cells 71 of the topmost logic tree 1 of array 70 in a manner analogous to the scan of a television frame . when the scanned output of the topmost logic tree 1 reaches its last imaging cell 71 , the output of source 17 is switched to the next imaging cell 71 ( immediately beneath the topmost imaging cell 71 ) of logic tree 72 . the output of that next imaging cell then acts as the input to the logic tree 1 immediately beneath the topmost logic tree 1 of array 70 . the inputs to the last mentioned logic tree 1 are then delivered to the imaging cells 71 of that logic tree 1 in sequence from left - to - right providing a scanned , intensity modulated signal similar to that of a television scan line . each of the remaining imaging cells 71 of input logic tree 72 is then actuated by programming electrodes 62 and variable half - wave retarders 61 associated with logic tree 72 in the same manner described hereinabove in connection with fig1 . similarly , each of the logic trees 1 of array 70 is actuated by outputs from an associated imaging cell 71 of input logic tree 72 . then , under control of programmed electrodes 62 and half - wave retarders 61 , these outputs , now inputs , to an associated logic tree 1 , are delivered to the imaging cells 71 of each logic tree 1 as a scanned line having portions which may vary in intensity from imaging cell 71 - to - imaging cell 71 . in this way , by accessing logic trees 1 from top - to - bottom , for example , in fig4 , an image is built up which , depending on the imaging cell density , can provide images of extremely high resolution . from the foregoing , it should be clear that the modulated output of a single source 17 , preferably a laser , may be delivered to the imaging cells 71 of a plurality of stacked logic trees 1 like array 70 in fig4 . as shown in fig4 , the use of an input logic tree 72 permits the use of a single source 17 as opposed to the multiplicity of sources 17 shown in fig3 . the value of the arrangement shown in fig4 becomes more apparent when it is recalled that for a 1024 × 1024 array embodiment like fig3 , 1024 lasers would be required . thus , in addition to reducing the number of lossy transitions as provided by the embodiment of fig3 , the embodiment shown in fig4 also reduces the number of sources 17 required to the absolute minimum of one . while the electronic equipment required to operate displays like those shown in fig3 , 4 , has not been shown , it should be appreciated that the same components as shown in fig1 and which are well - known in the imaging arts may be utilized in the practice of the present invention . thus , timing information obtained from camera 25 , for example , is applied via interconnection 28 to programmable pulsed sources 27 . the latter then applies switching signals to both logic tree 72 and each of logic trees 1 to appropriately control their electrodes 62 and half - wave retarders 60 so that a scanned energy output may be delivered from the imaging cells 71 of each logic tree 1 and input logic tree 72 . referring now to fig5 , an orthographic projection of an imaging array is shown which , in combination with viewing glasses and stereo displaced images provides a 3 - d display . in fig5 , input logic tree 72 is accessed by a source 17 of electromagnetic radiation which is modulated by outputs of a stereoscopic television camera 73 via interconnection 74 . the two outputs from stereo camera 73 are stereo displaced so that , if they are separated one from the other by some characteristic like polarization , the two resulting images may be delivered one to each eye ( using appropriate glasses ) and combined in the brain to provide a three - dimensional image . one of the images is provided by applying scanned lines from stereo camera 73 via interconnection 74 to laser 17 . the output of the latter is then applied to input logic tree 72 from which scanned line outputs are delivered from the topmost and alternate imaging cells 71 under control of programmable pulsed source 75 which actuates variable half - wave retarders 61 thereof via interconnections 76 . the output from the topmost of imaging cells 71 of input logic tree 72 is applied for a given interval to leftmost member 60 of the uppermost of logic trees 1 . at the same time , variable half - wave retarders 61 under control of programmable pulsed source 27 are appropriately actuated so that a portion of the scanned line from stereo camera 73 is delivered to each of the imaging cells 71 of the uppermost of logic trees 1 of array 70 . in the instance of fig5 , each imaging cell 71 of array 70 is illuminated for a time equal to ⅛ the given interval of a scanned line from camera 73 . for a 1024 × 1024 array , the illuminating time would be { fraction ( 1 / 1024 )} th of the scanned line interval . the first image is completed by applying scanned lines from stereo camera 73 via interconnection 74 which modulate laser 17 during each alternate interval after the first to each alternate imaging cell 71 after the first imaging cell 71 of input logic tree 72 . each scanned line is delivered to the imaging cells 71 of each alternate logic tree 1 of array 70 in the same manner described in connection with the delivery of the first scanned line to the uppermost of logic trees 1 of array 70 . the stereo displaced image from stereo camera 73 is delivered as scanned lines via interconnection 74 to laser 17 where they modulate the output of laser 17 . the stereo displaced scanned line outputs are delivered to laser 17 during the second and alternate intervals after the second interval . the first stereo displaced output from laser 17 , under control of programmable pulsed source 75 which appropriately actuates the variable half - wave retarders 61 of input logic tree 72 , is delivered to the second - from - the - top of imaging cells 71 of logic tree 72 as a scanned line . this last mentioned output acting as an input to the leftmost clc member 60 of the second - from - the - top of logic trees 1 of array 70 is delivered to the imaging cells 71 of the second - from - the - top of logic trees 1 of array 70 under control of programmable pulsed source 27 as portions of the scanned line output of laser 17 . as with the first image generation , the imaging cells 71 of the stereo displaced image are illuminated for a time equal to ⅛ the given interval of a scanned line . the stereo displaced image is completed by applying scanned lines from stereo camera 73 via interconnection 74 to laser 17 during each alternate interval after the second interval to each alternate imaging cell 71 after the second imaging cell 71 of input logic tree 72 . each stereo displaced scanned line is delivered to the imaging cells 71 of the second and alternate logic trees 1 of array 70 in the same manner described in connection with the delivery of the first stereo displaced scanned line to the second - from - the - top of logic trees 1 of array 70 . if the polarization applied to logic trees 1 is rcp and the members 60 thereof are designed to reflect lcp , logic trees 1 provide an image at their imaging cells 71 in the same way described in connection with fig1 and the resulting outputs will have polarizations like those shown in fig1 . the polarizations at stage 3 for each of logic trees 1 are : to obtain this result , however , input logic tree 72 must provide rcp at all its imaging cells 71 . this requires an rcp input from laser 71 , a logic tree with elements which reflect lcp and fixed half - wave retarders 63 ( not shown ) disposed after imaging cells 71 which provide lcp outputs . to obtain a single polarization for all of the outputs of first and alternate logic trees 1 of array 70 , for example , rcp , the lcp outputs of these logic trees 1 must be converted to rcp . this is accomplished by interposing fixed half - wave retarders 63 over the imaging cells 71 having lcp outputs . similarly , to obtain a single but opposite polarization for all of the outputs of the second and alternate logic trees 71 , for example , lcp , the rcp outputs of these logic trees 1 must be converted to lcp . this is accomplished by interposing fixed - half wave retarders 63 over the imaging cells 71 having rcp outputs . at this point , two stereo - displaced images appear at the output imaging cells 71 of array 70 . one image has an rcp polarization while the other has an lcp polarization . then , using glasses which have one lens which passes rcp and another lens which passes lcp , a 3 - d image is perceived by a viewer . in connection with the 3 - d embodiment of fig5 , it should be appreciated that outputs from stereo camera 73 may be in either digital or analog form . if the former , the digital signals may be converted to analog signals using a digital - to - analog converter in a well - known way . also , to the extent that logic trees 1 are provided with signals representing a scanned line of an image and a stereo displaced image , these signals are arranged to alternately access alternate ones of logic trees 1 in succession until two stereo displaced images are formed at the imaging cells 71 of array 70 . the scanned lines of an image and a stereo displaced image are electronically interlaced so that source 17 is modulated first by signals representing a scanned image and then by signals representing a scanned stereo displaced image and so on in succession until the two images are formed . from fig5 , it can be seen that , for a 3 - d array , two 4 × 8 interleaved arrays are required , one for an image and another for a stereo displaced image . extrapolating this information to a practical level , if 1024 imaging cells are wanted for each image , an array of 2048 × 1024 imaging cells would be required . using the same approach as demonstrated by fig5 , two 512 × 1024 interleaved arrays may be used with the sacrifice of some resolution . in fig5 , logic trees 1 have been interleaved horizontally for ease of fabrication but , they may be interleaved vertically without departing from the spirit of the present application . referring now to fig6 , there is shown an orthographic , cut - away projection of a plurality of layers 80 of insulating material , like sio 2 , polycarbonate , acrylic or any other appropriate optically transparent material , and a plurality of layers 81 of cholesteric liquid crystal ( clc ) material interleaved with layers 80 . in fig6 , layers 80 , 81 are subjected to a slicing operation which cuts into layers 80 , 81 at an angle , preferably 45 °. layers 80 , 81 may be cut by saws , lasers , jets or other appropriate tool to provide layers 82 which contain clc members 60 disposed at an angle of 45 ° in insulating material as shown in fig7 . fig7 is a cross - sectional view of a layer of insulating material in which clc members 60 are disposed at an angle of 45 °. the spacing of clc members 60 is determined by controlling the thicknesses of insulating layers 80 prior to the slicing step of fig6 . since alignment of clc members 60 is important in transmitting electromagnetic energy from stage - to - stage the spacing of members 60 must be carefully controlled . thus , in fig7 , the spacing between clc members 60 is t units and could comprise stage 1 , for example , of array 70 of fig4 . fig8 is a cross - sectional view of a layer of insulating material in which members 60 are disposed at an angle of 45 ° and is similar to fig7 except that members 60 are spaced apart by t / 2 units . layer 82 and other like layers are fabricated by slicing an arrangement like that shown in fig6 except that the thicknesses of layers 80 of insulating material are reduced to half that shown in fig6 . after slicing a stack like that shown in fig6 , the resulting layer 82 with a spacing of t / 2 between members 60 could comprise stage 2 , for example , of array 70 of fig4 . fig9 is a cross - sectional view of a layer of insulating material in which members 60 are disposed at an angle of 45 ° and is similar to fig7 except that members 60 are spaced apart by t / 4 units . layer 82 in fig9 is fabricated by slicing an arrangement like that shown in fig6 except that the thicknesses layers 80 would be reduced to one - quarter that shown in fig6 . after slicing a stack like that shown in fig6 , the resulting layer 82 with a spacing of t / 4 between members 60 could comprise stage 3 , for example , of array 70 of fig4 . the spacing of members 60 is always reduced by half as additional stages are added so that higher and higher resolutions may be obtained . thus , for an array with ten stages , the spacing between clc members 60 would be t / 512 units . by slicing arrangements like that shown in fig6 and controlling the thicknesses of layers 80 , layers 82 with members 60 spaced apart by different amounts like those shown in fig7 - 9 may be easily obtained . as will be seen below , layers 82 with appropriately spaced members 60 may be stacked to produce an array 70 like that shown in fig4 or an array having as many stages as desired . this can be done on a mass - production basis to produce literally thousands of layers like layers 82 of fig7 - 9 . fig1 is a cross - sectional , orthographic projection of a layer 82 which contains clc members 60 disposed at an angle of 45 ° therein . layer 82 in fig1 is similar to layer 82 of fig8 except that in fig1 , a ground plane 83 is deposited or formed on the bottom of layer 82 . layer 83 is transparent and metallic in character and acts as a ground plane for subsequently deposited electrodes which activate variable half - wave retarders 61 . a material like indium - tin oxide ( ito ) may be deposited or formed in a well - known way on the bottom of layer 82 of fig1 . the transparency of ito , of course , permits the transmission of light energy from stage - to - stage with little or no loss in intensity . referring to fig1 , there is shown a cross - sectional , orthographic projection similar to fig1 except that electrodes 84 are shown disposed over every other clc member 60 , like they would be if layer 83 of fig1 were to be utilized as a stage 2 in an array 70 like that shown in fig4 . this pattern of electrode spacing will always be the same regardless of which stage is being considered . a reconsideration of fig1 shows this to be true since each stage always comprises at least one branch consisting of active and passive clc elements . electrode 84 ( 62 in fig1 ) is always associated with and forms a part of variable half - wave retarders 61 which , in turn , is always associated with the active clc element of any branch . like ground plane 83 , electrode 84 is comprised of indium - tin - oxide ( ito ) material which is transparent to the electromagnetic radiation being utilized . to obtain electrodes 84 in the form shown in fig1 , indium - tin oxide is formed atop layer 82 and , using well - known lithographic , masking and etching techniques , electrodes 84 are appropriately positioned over every other clc member 60 . rather than carrying out two separate deposition steps for ground plane 83 and electrodes 84 , the ito material may be formed simultaneously on each side of layer 82 . then , the photolithographic , masking and etching steps are carried out . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a cross - sectional view of a layer 82 similar to that shown in fig1 except that a spacer is added around the periphery of layer 82 and the thus enclosed volume is filled with a phase - shifter material in liquid form . in fig1 , a spacer 85 is formed around the periphery of layer 82 by , for example , gluing a spacer 85 of insulating material around the edge of layer 82 . spacer 85 separates layers 82 from other overlying layers and defines the volume into which phase - shifter material 86 is placed . fig1 is a top view of a logic tree 1 made up of layers 82 like those shown in fig7 - 12 . the arrangement of fig1 shows the topmost logic tree 1 of fig4 after it has been fabricated in accordance with the teaching of the present application . fig1 can also be considered a side - view of input logic tree 72 since its structure does not depart in any way from the structure of logic tree 1 . one way of assembling the structure of fig1 , is to stack a finished layer 82 like that shown in fig1 on a finished layer 82 like that shown at the bottom of fig1 . another layer 82 like that shown at the top of fig1 is stacked atop the finished layer 82 of fig1 . the layers are glued together with the topmost layer 82 forming stage 1 as shown in fig4 ; the middle layer 82 forming stage 2 as shown in fig4 and the bottom layer 82 forming stage 3 as shown in fig4 . thus , inputs provided to the leftmost clc member 60 of topmost layer 82 will , under control of inputs to electrodes 84 from pulsed source 27 , appear as outputs emanating , from left - to - right , from clc members 60 of bottommost layer 82 as a scanned line of modulated or unmodulated light . for the array , once stacked , the top and bottom thereof may be covered with insulating layers , one of which contains holes which register with the ends of electrodes 84 and ground planes 83 . thus , even when logic trees 1 are not being utilized , their associated electrodes 61 , 84 which extend from top - to - bottom of array 70 and are electrically connected as shown in fig5 are simultaneously energized . inputs to the stacked logic trees 1 are provided , as shown in fig4 , from imaging cells 71 of input logic tree 72 . the orientation of input logic tree 72 with respect to array 70 is best shown in fig4 which does not depart in any way from the arrangement of fig1 . the latter figure merely shows the structural details to better effect . thus , as previously explained in fig4 , outputs from imaging cells 71 of input logic tree 72 are scanned from top - to - bottom of tree 72 and each output initially accesses the leftmost member 60 of its associated logic tree 1 such that outputs appear at imaging cells 71 of array 70 as a plurality of left - to - right scans which go from the topmost logic tree 1 to the bottommost logic tree 1 of array 70 . input logic tree 72 may take the form of an array 70 rotated 90 ° so that imaging cells 71 there of register with the leftmost retarder 61 of each of the logic trees 1 like lasers 17 as shown in fig3 . in this instance , only a single logic tree 1 of the rotated array 70 is energized . alternatively , the array shown in fig1 may be fabricated without introducing the phase shifter material 86 . the structure of fig1 is then sliced in a direction parallel to the surface there of resulting in a structure similar to input logic tree 72 as shown in fig4 . the resulting slice is placed on an insulating layer and bonded to it . a cover layer of insulating material having holes therein which register with electrodes 84 and ground planes 83 is fabricated by drilling or etching using well - known photolithographic techniques . the volumes enclosed by the insulation layer are now filled with liquid phase shifter material 86 . the cover layer is affixed to the other side of the logic tree slice . a metallic layer such as aluminum is then deposited on the surface of the cover layer and in the holes previously formed therein . then , using well - known photolithographic masking and etching techniques , conductors to electrodes 84 in a ground planes 83 are formed without going into exhaustive detail , it should be appreciated that the side of input logic tree 72 of fig4 may be butted against the back of array 70 . in this way , the overall thickness of the arrangement of fig4 is substantially reduced . well - known optical techniques using reflectors may be used to apply a 90 ° turn to light emanating from imaging cells 71 of tree 72 when it is butted against the back of array 70 . since electrodes 84 extend from front - to - back on each logic tree 1 as shown , for example , in fig1 , they are best accessed from the front or back of the array with activating metallic lines 29 , as shown in fig4 , extending in insulated spaced relationship with a surface of array 70 to a plug which can be connected to pulsed source 27 , for example . this may be accomplished using well - known photolithographic and etching techniques . the arrangements shown in fig6 - 12 may have the following typical dimensions : typical voltages applied to electrodes 84 may range between 5v and 100v . from the foregoing , it should be clear that arrays 70 may range in size from that typical of t . v . sets used in the home to displays similar to those used in stadia . the resulting arrays are flat , light weight , require but a single laser source or multiple laser sources and are inexpensive and easily fabricated .	7
with reference first to fig1 , a system is illustrated therein for local wireless transmission and reception of digital audio and program information . a delivery system 10 , such as coaxial cable , satellite , the internet , microwave , and etc ., outputs a serial digital audio / program information stream 22 that contains digital audio , program information , and national subscriber information . the transmitter 100 , more fully described with respect of fig2 - 2 a , receives the said serial digital data stream 22 and demultiplexes , decrypts , and decodes the digital audio and program information signal . the digital audio signal and program information are converted to a digital rf carrier frequencies and broadcasted to a plurality of second devices , preferably at least one receiver / tuner unit 200 , more fully described with respect of fig3 - 4 , that outputs the selected audio electronically and displays the corresponding program information of the audio track currently listened to by the subscriber . fig2 is a block diagram of the preferred digital music transmitter ( dmt ) 100 . referring to fig1 - 2 , the serial digital data stream 22 is passed via an established system of digital data distribution 10 , for example , multisystem operators coaxial cable or direct broadcast satellite , and is received by the transmitter input terminal 105 . the transmitter input terminal 105 preferably includes phase - lock loop ( pll ) circuitry . the signal is amplified by an amplifier 110 and filtered by a saw filter 115 before being demodulated by a demodulator 120 . the demodulator 120 converts the selected digital frequency to demodulation intermediate frequency ( if ). the output of the demodulator 120 is quadrature partial response ( qpr ) demodulated to produce a 5 . 6 mbps data stream containing 150 stereo pair of digital audio data to an applications specific integrated circuit ( asic ) 130 . the demodulator 120 provides data to a data clock recovery pll 125 . the data clock recovery pll 125 contains a 33 . 8688 mhz crystal 122 ( about 33 . 9 mhz ) for timing purposes . the asic 130 provides demultiplexing , decrypting , and decoding operations upon the 5 . 6 mbps data stream input by the demodulator 120 to the microprocessor 140 . the asic 130 separates the 5 . 6 mbps data stream to a select one of 150 stereo pairs of digital audio signals . the selected stereo pair is decrypted and separated to provide digital audio signal and a program information signal . the digital audio signal is then decoded according to a variety of known techniques . the asic 130 inputs the digital audio signals , provided at a sampling rate of 44 . 1 kilohertz ( khz ), to a digital rf converter 150 . the audio signals are provided to a f . m . stereo encoder and loudness processor 152 , and then to f . m . band exciter 154 . the output of the exciter 154 is amplified by a high power amplifier 156 and broadcast over the airwaves by an antenna 160 as digital f . m . in the f . m . broadcast for reception by a digital f . m . receiver 201 , such as disclosed in fig3 a receiver 170 for a second controllable device , such as a digital receiver / tuner ( drt ) 200 , coupled to the microprocessor 140 receives instruction or control signals transmitted by the drt 200 to initiate the remote control of selected functions of the transmitter 100 . a clock signal generated internal to the asic 130 is utilized as a carrier signal to switch the output of the drt 200 on or off at a frequency of 44 . 1 khz . the 44 . 1 khz clock from an asic clock generator 130 a may be utilized to generate a carrier signal for rf signals sent by the drt transmitter 160 . the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 130 a is derived from the about 33 . 9 mhz signal provided to the asic 130 by the data clock pll 125 . the drt 200 operates to control selected function of the transmitter as well as the program information transmitted by the drt transmitter 160 associated with the dmt 100 . the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 130 is derived from the about 33 . 9 mhz signal provided to the asic 150 by the data clock pll 125 . specifically , the asic clock signal is derived by dividing the 33 . 9 mhz signal by three ( 3 ) to provide a second clock signal having a frequency of 11 . 3 mhz , and by then dividing the 11 . 3 mhz signal to the preferred fixed first frequency for the 44 . 1 khz asic clock signal . the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal is utilized as a clock signal selected operations conducted by the asic 130 . the asic 130 contains a synchronizing circuit 132 which is utilized to provide clock synchronized program information signals to the drt 200 . the synchronizing circuit 132 operated to provide two separate timing alignment functions . first , the synchronizing circuit 132 aligns the program information signal provided by the microprocessor to the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal . second , the synchronizing circuit 132 aligns the 44 . 1 khz asic clock signal to the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal . referring to fig2 - 2 a , the synchronizing circuit 132 includes a first synchronizing element 133 , an , edge detector 134 , and second synchronized element 135 , and gate 136 . the microprocessor 140 provides program information signals in the form of a serial data signal formatted in the appropriate display information protocol to the first synchronizing element 133 . the microprocessor 140 outputs the program information signals to the first synchronizing element 133 at a predefined data rate , preferably 4900 baud . in addition , the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal is provided as another input to the first synchronized element 133 . the first synchronizing element 133 aligns the rising edge of the program information signals to the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal to provide an output signal synchronized with the 11 . 3 mhz clock . the second synchronizing element 135 accepts the synchronized output signal of the first synchronizing element 133 and produces a gate signal when the output signal of the edge detector 134 enables the second synchronizing element 135 . the gate signal produced by the second synchronizing element 135 and the asic clock signal of 44 . 1 khz are provided as inputs to an and gate 136 . accordingly , the integral number of cycles of the asic clock signal output by the and gate 136 is effectively determined by the pulse width or pulse duration of the gate signal output by the second synchronizing element 135 . the output of the asic 130 is a carrier - modulated program information signal , produced by an on / off keying technique , and is provided from the synchronizing circuit 130 on line 137 to the drt transmitter 160 . the carrier - modulated program information signal , when formatted with appropriate start bits , stop bits , and other formatting information described below , comprises a display information signal that is ultimately display as alphanumeric characters on the display of the drt 200 . the drt transmitter 160 is responsive to the carrier - modulated program information signal provided on line 137 . the microprocessor 140 initiates a transmission of a program information signal by the dmt 100 . in response to the initiation of a transmission , the asic 130 outputs the synchronized program information signal at the rate defined by the first frequency ( 44 . 1 khz ) to the drt transmitter 160 . the drt receiver 170 includes a demodulator 172 and rf diode 174 . the rf diode 174 is located between an input of the demodulator 172 and the ground . when the rf diode 174 detects a command signal from the drt 200 . the rf diode 174 outputs a detected signal to the demodulator 172 . the demodulator 172 demodulates and filters the detected rf signal and provides an output voltage signal to the receiver input terminal of the microprocessor 140 on line 173 . the demodulator 172 provided the specific functions preamplification , bandpass filtering , and detection of the detected rf signal provided by the rf diode 174 . fig4 is a block diagram of the preferred digital receiver / tuner ( drt ) unit 200 . the preferred drt units , not limited to the embodiments in fig3 , include a display for the control of the digital music transmitter ( dmt ) 100 . the top surface of the drt 200 includes an alphanumeric character display and a matrix of contact switches forming a keypad . each contact switch of the keypad is covered by a push button or key that includes a label which defines the function or instruction initiated when the user presses the push button . in addition , selected areas of the tip surface of the drt unit include labels or other indicia that further designate the function or instruction associated with the key or push button . the user can control the functions of the dmt 100 in a manner similar to the use of currently popular wireless transmitter / receiver units that control the functions of consumer products , such as cordless telephones or local audio signal transmitter . specifically , the dmt 100 remains in a dormant mode with a transmitted passive signal that responds to a selected command function from the drt unit 200 . the user can initiate or terminate transmission of the digital audio and program information from the dmt 100 by pressing a selected key . each of the buttons or key of the keypad is labeled to indicate the function associated with the key . for example , by pressing any key or a set of keys labeled with arabic numerals 0 - 9 , a user can select one of the available digital audio and program information channels transmitted by the dmt 100 for the listening pleasure of the subscriber . the keys labeled tune ( up arrow ) and tune ( down arrow ) may be used by the listener to increment or decrement the digital audio and program information channels transmitted by the dmt 100 . in a similar fashion , a volume up ( vol up arrow ) and a volume down ( vol down arrow ) keys can be utilized to control the volume level provided by the dmt 100 . an on / off key with a power indicator light may be utilized by the listener to either power on or off the drt 200 and dmt 100 signal transmission . also , a mute key is useful for eliminating the audible portion of the program provided by the dmt 100 . those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that such control functions are similar to the control function provided by other wireless remote controls for consumer products . other control function related to the control of the dmt 100 by the drt unit 200 include control functions associated with the keys enter / next , preset and mode . by pressing the enter / next key , the user initiates a command function that may be associated with the various functions of the drt unit 200 . the preset key permits the user to store a favorite digital audio channel for future operations by the drt unit 200 . the mode function changes the message field on the lcd viewscreen according to selected function by the user , for example viewing or storing program information for a current music selection , participating in music surveys , or purchase of music via electronic account . the listener can also review the program information associated with a current program by inputting an information request for transmission to the dmt 100 . by pressing the view key , the user initiates the transmission of an information request by the drt unit 200 to the dmt 100 . the dmt processes the information request and initiates a search for program information associated with the current program . if the program information is not found by the dmt within a predetermined timer period , typically about five seconds , the dmt 100 will respond to the transmitted information request by transmitting an error message to the drt unit 200 . if the search by the dmt 100 is successful , the dmt 100 will respond to the transmitted information request by transmitting the program information to the drt unit 200 . with respect to digital audio signals , a typical program message includes information concerning the composer , the track title , the artist , the album associated with the track title , and custom information concerning the current performance . referring to fig4 , the preferred drt unit 200 includes a processor 240 , preferably a microcomputer or microcontroller , having on - board mask programmed memory , such as a read only memory ( rom ) 240 a . the memory 205 a comprises plurality of memory locations for storing parameters associated with different control signal protocols ( in particular , for storing a plurality or parameters associated with different control protocols for different controllable devices ). the preferred drt unit 200 further includes a rf receiver 201 , demodulator 218 , an applications specific integrated circuit asic 230 , digital / audio converter 270 , transmitter 260 , a data clock recovery pll 225 , front panel interface 250 , stereo output amplifier 280 . the output of the demodulator 218 is quadrature partial response ( qpr ) demodulated to produce a 5 . 6 mbps data stream containing 150 stereo pair of digital audio data to the asic 230 . the demodulator provides data to a data clock recovery pll 225 . the data clock recovery pll 225 contains a 33 . 8688 mhz crystal 122 ( about 33 . 9 mhz ) for timing purposes . in the preferred embodiment , the dmt 100 control signal protocols are stored in the rom 240 a . the control protocol includes the properly formatted codes associated with control functions for the dmt 100 . the asic 230 provides demultiplexing , decrypting , and decoding operations upon the 5 . 6 mbps data stream input by the demodulator 218 to the microprocessor 170 . the asic 230 separates the 5 . 6 mbps data stream to a select one of 150 stereo pairs of digital audio signals . the selected stereo pair is decrypted and separated to provide a program information signal and a digital audio signal . the digital audio signal is then decoded according to a variety of known techniques . the asic 230 inputs the digital audio and program information signals , provided at a sampling rate of 44 . 1 khz , to a digital / audio converter 270 , transmitter control 260 , and microprocessor memory 240 a . the demultiplexed control and channel data separated out from the data steam by the asic 230 are provided to a microprocessor 240 which controls the overall operation of the drt unit 200 . a clock signal generated internal to the asic 230 is utilized as a carrier signal to switch the output of the drt 200 on or off at a frequency of 44 . 1 khz . the 44 . 1 khz clock from an asic clock generator 230 a may be utilized to generate a carrier signal for rf signals sent by the drt transmitter 160 . the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 230 a is derived from the about 33 . 9 mhz signal provided to the asic 230 by the data clock pll 225 . the drt 200 operates to control selected functions of the dmt 100 as well as the program information transmitted by the drt transmitter 260 associated with the dmt 100 . referring to fig2 a , the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 230 a is similar in function and purpose to that of the aforementioned asic clock 130 a . as result , the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal is utilized as a clock signal selected operations conducted by the asic 230 . referring again to fig4 , for a first operation mode , digital audio and program information carrier signals are received by the receiver antenna 201 from the dmt transmitter 160 . the received signal is provided to a double tuned tracking filter ( dttf ) with pll circuitry , from there to an amplifier 203 , on to a single tuned tracking filter ( sttf ) 205 , a mixer 207 , and saw filter 209 , and into a demodulator 218 , according to known techniques . the channel selection process is under control of a tuning synthesizer 220 , integrating amplifier 217 , sttf 215 , and amplifier 212 , interconnected as shown and impressing an appropriate signal on a line 211 to the dttf 201 , sttf 205 , and oscillator 210 to effect channel selection , according to known techniques . the program information signal from the asic 230 is sent to the microprocessor 240 where it may be displayed on the front panel interface 250 . the asic 230 also sends the program information signal to the transmitter interface 255 and transmitter control 260 for transmission to the dmt 100 . channel selection is provided by the infrared receiver and / or front panel interface 250 , which information is passed on by the microprocessor 240 to the tuning synthesizer 220 . the asic 230 inputs the digital audio and program information signals , provided at a sampling rate of 44 . 1 khz to a digital / audio converter 270 . the output of the d / a 270 device is provided as a data stream over a bus to a logic circuit 274 with separates the dates stream into control bits and channel indication ( tag bits ) and encrypted digital audio bits ( demultiplexing functions ) and decrypts the digitized audio data into a suitable form for a dolby decoder 278 . the audio data is decrypted into three serial streams per audio channel consisting of basic delta modulation parameters for “ left ” and “ right ” channels . the output of the dolby decoder 278 is provided as “ left ” and “ right ” audio channels to a stereo amplifier 280 , and to stereo outputs for use with standard audio components . from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment , it will be appreciated that the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and achieves the objects and advantages of the invention recited above . accordingly , the invention improves existing methods of providing digital music by making the service more convenient and accessible to subscribers through wireless transmission of music to remotely located devices . greater recognition among subscribers is gained by similarities of the preferred embodiments to more popular consumer electronic music devices . and , digital music is made more versatile with improved methods of subscriber interaction with the service . the above description of the invention is intended to be illustrative and not limiting . various changes or modifications in the embodiments described may occur to those skilled in the art and these can be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention .	6
the catalytic polymerization of the nbd via present invention can be represented by the following formula reaction : ## str2 ## as shown nbd is contacted in the presence of a catalytic amount of the catalyst system which is defined herein . the resulting solid polymer has a high melting point for a hydrocarbon homopolymer . the nbd used can contain a nominal amount of similar hydrocarbons , however , which if present should not be of a type which could adversely affect the reaction . if the nbd used contains undesirable hydrocarbons , the latter can be removed by known means . the catalytic system favoring the aforementioned polymerization ( a ) contains components which are commercially available and methods for their preparation are known . one component is a nickel - phosphine complex selected from the group consisting of the following : isopropyl triphenyl phosphonium nickel dihalide bromide triphenylphosphine e . g . [ iptpp ] + [ nicl 2 br tpp ] - nickel acetylacetonate referred to hereinafter as nia 2 , by itself can be used in lieu of one of the aforementioned nickel - phosphine complexes . as used herein the former refers to both the anhydrous and hydrate forms . another component of the catalytic system is deac , eadc or easc . the amount of either component is a catalytic amount so that a suitable conversion to the nbd polymer occurs and the yield as to it is sufficient . materials , which during the codimerization reaction could adversely affect the catalyst system , should not be present . for example , the presence of hydroxylic compounds such as water , alcohol or oxygen from air could deactivate the catalyst system . thus the catalyst system can consist of the aforementioned components . the amount of the nickel - phosphine complex or the nia 2 should be catalytically sufficient to obtain the desired product . generally the nbd to nia 2 or nickel - phosphine complex mole ratio can range between from about 10 to about 2000 with a preferred range between from about 20 to about 1000 . deac , eadc or easc is another component of the catalyst system . the amount of this component can vary substantially but generally it relates to the amount of nia 2 or nickel - phosphine complex used . an effective deac , eadc or easc to nia 2 or nickel - phosphine complex mole ratio can be between from about 0 . 5 to about 100 with from about 1 to about 50 preferred and from about 3 to about 20 more preferred . generally , when deac , eadc or easc is used it is advantageous to conduct the reaction under substantially anhydrous conditions and under an inert gas blanket . excess deac , eadc or easc also serves as a scavenger . the reaction time required for an economically satisfactory conversion and / or yield depends on a number of factors , such as catalyst to feed ratio , as well as operating conditions . also the economics depend on capital investment and conversion per pass and the like . the catalyst to feed ratios are discussed hereinafter while typical conditions are provided by the example . a solvent can be used in the polymerization reaction . the solvent can be inert or it can be the nbd itself . since the reaction is exothermic the solvent can serve as a heat sink . it can also assist in solubilizing the reaction components , that is the feed and the components of the catalyst , and thereby provide for a homogeneous reaction medium . some solvent can be added to the system as a carrier for one or more of the catalyst components . for example , the deac is often maintained in an inert solvent such as toluene rather than nbd itself . furthermore , the solvent should not adversely react with the feed , products or catalyst , therefore , if it is not nbd , it should be &# 34 ; inert &# 34 ;. also , presence of the solvent can facilitate the handling of the reaction mixture . classes of suitable inert solvents include aromatic hydrocarbons , cycloparaffins , ethers , halogenated aromatics , halogenated paraffins and halogenated cycloparaffins . specific examples include benzene , toluene , xylenes , cyclohexane , diethylether , chlorobenzene , bromobenzene , chlorinated cyclohexane and the like . as to the amount of solent used , excessive amounts decrease the reaction rate , and thus adversely affect the economics for a commercial operation . the solent can be removed from the polymer by known means . the polymerization of nbd in the presence of the catalyst system can occur at ambient temperature . thus the temperature of the homogeneous feed - catalyst system mixture need not be raised to initiate reaction a . of course , if the mixture is at an extremely low temperature , then heating of the cooled mixture could be necessary . however , once reaction a is underway , heat is generated and the temperature of the mixture increases . if the temperature increases too much then some cooling would be required . generally , however , the polymerization of the nbd with an optimal amount of the catalyst system is not characterized by a rapid exotherm . polymerization of the nbd most efficiently occurs in a liquid phase and therefore it is not desirable to have the reaction temperature largely exceed the boiling points of the nbd and / or any solvent . conversely , if the temperature is too low the reaction rate can be too slow to be economically feasible . an operable temperature range is between from about - 40 ° c to about 120 ° c with about - 20 ° c to about 100 ° c a preferred range while about 0 ° c to about 80 ° c a more preferred range . at the lower temperature a solvent can be used to keep various components in solution . many different solvents can be used , for example methylene chloride is one having the advantage of a low cost . the operating pressure can vary substantially , however , it can range from about atmospheric up to about 2000 psi with about 100 psi a preferred upper value . process economics favor lower operating pressure , however , a moderately elevated reaction pressure may be desirable . about 10 mg . of nicl 2 ( tbp ) 2 were added to a suitable sealed container followed by 1 ml . of nbd . the resulting mixture , having a burgundy color , was heated to 90 ° c to insure solution and then after 5 min . at that temperature cooled to 0 ° c . after cooling , 0 . 2 ml . of deac solution ( 1 molar in toluene ) was slowly added to the container . upon the addition of the deac the temperature of the mixture rose to 92 ° c and after 8 minutes a solid polymer formed . the nbd conversion to polymer was very substantial if not complete . the polymer , after one precipitation from methanol , was tested as to melting point . at a temperature in excess of 300 ° c the solid started to decompose , i . e . fumes evolved . in another run 0 . 00036g . ( 5 × 10 - 4 mm ( millimoles ) of purplish - red nicl 2 ( tchp ) 2 were placed in a suitable container and then 0 . 01 ml . of nbd were added . the temperature of the components during the addition was 20 ° c but then the temperature was lowered to - 10 ° c . at the lower temperature 0 . 01 ml . of deac solution ( 1 molar in toluene ) were added and the temperature of the resulting mixture rose to 0 ° c upon which heating was begun . at 92 ° c heating was stopped and the amber colored liquid was allowed to cool to 20 ° c . on standing the mixture became a solid polymer . in another run 0 . 034 grams of nicl 2 ( tpp ) 2 were added to a suitable container along with 1 . 0 ml . of nbd . the black crystals of nicl 2 ( tpp ) 2 were only slightly soluble in the nbd at 20 ° c . the container and its contents were heated to 50 ° c but the insolubles did not disappear . after the heating the temperature of the contents was lowered to - 70 ° c and 0 . 5 ml . of deac solution ( 1 molar in toluene ) were added . the mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature . then the mixture was slowly heated to 92 ° c and kept at that temperature for 11 minutes and then allowed to cool to room temperature . the clear amber liquid thickened and became a solid polymer . the resulting polymer did not readily dissolve in cold toluene . in another run , 30 mm of nbd , 0 . 06 mm of nicl 2 ( tpp ) 2 , 0 . 6 mm of deac and 0 . 4 ml . of solvent were mixed in a suitable container . a gradual exotherm developed upon addition of the deac ; the temperature of the resulting mixture rose to 85 ° c within 10 minutes . the exotherm was controlled by cooling the container . the resulting product was a viscous solution , orange colored . the viscous solution was triturated in methanol - acetone and as a result a white solid dropped . the solid was filtered . the solid was largely soluble in toluene with only a small amount remaining undissolved . when similar runs were conducted using deac and one of the following [( nicl 2 br ( tpp )] - [ iptpp ] + or ni ( co ) 2 ( tpp ) 2 or nibr 2 ( tpp ) 2 , or nia 2 or nia 2 diphos , a solid polymer was obtained . also if eadc or easc is used in lieu of deac analogous results will be obtained . use of other halides , i . e . fluoride , and bromide , in lieu of chloride , will give similar results .	2
referring to the drawings , it will be seen that an illustrative sharpening machine includes a lower housing 2 upstanding from a base means 4 , and an upper housing 6 disposed above the lower housing 2 . fixed to the lower housing 2 is a first bearing means ( not shown ) supporting a first shaft 10 . the first shaft 10 is connected to an electric motor 12 which may be energized by an appropriate electrical switch 14 mounted on the lower housing 2 . a second bearing means 15 disposed in the lower housing 2 supports a second shaft 16 which carries at one end thereof a drive wheel 18 . a drive belt 20 interconnects the first shaft 10 and the drive wheel 18 , whereby operation of the motor 12 causes rotation of the first shaft 10 , movement of the drive belt 20 and drive wheel 18 , and thereby rotation of the second shaft 16 . the lower housing 2 includes a third bearing means 22 supporting a third shaft 24 on which is rotatively disposed a drive gear 26 to which is fixed a first rotary gear 28 . the drive gear 26 and the first rotary gear 28 are freely rotatable on the third shaft 24 . a second rotary gear 30 is keyed to the third shaft 24 in such manner as to permit the second rotary gear to move lengthwise along the third shaft 24 , but to turn with the shaft 24 . a third rotary gear 32 is disposed on the shaft 24 and is freely rotatable thereon . the second rotary gear 30 is provided on either side thereof with key means 31 , 33 , respectively , interlockingly engageable with complementary key means 35 , 37 on the first and third rotary gears 28 , 32 . also disposed on the third shaft 24 is a cam assembly 34 , which will be described hereinbelow . extending from the second shaft 16 is a worm gear 29 threadedly engaged with the drive gear 26 . thus , rotation of the second shaft 16 is transmitted to the drive gear 26 and the first rotary gear 28 which are free to rotate on the third shaft 24 . supported by the third bearing means 22 are a gear housing 36 ( fig4 ) and a cam housing 38 . fixed to the gear housing 36 are support members 40 ( fig1 ) which retain a fourth bearing means 43 in which is disposed a fourth shaft 41 ( fig1 and 2 ). fourth , fifth and sixth rotary gears 42 , 44 , 46 , are fixed to the fourth shaft 41 , the fourth rotary gear 42 being in meshing engagement with the first rotary gear 28 , the fifth rotary gear 44 being positioned for meshing engagement with the second rotary gear 30 , and the sixth rotary gear 46 being in meshing engagement with the third rotary gear 32 . the gear housing 36 is provided with an opening 39 therein ( fig4 ), a lever 45 extending through the opening 39 and being adapted to move the second rotary gear 30 ( fig2 ) to a selected one of three positions . in a first position ( not shown ), the second rotary gear 30 is disposed adjacent the first rotary gear 28 , and by way of the key means 31 , 35 is locked with the first rotary gear 28 . in such arrangement , the rotation of the first rotary gear 28 is transmitted directly to the second rotary gear 30 and thence to the third shaft 24 . in a second position ( illustrated ), the second rotary gear 30 is in meshing engagement with the fifth rotary gear 44 . in such instance , the rotation of the first rotary gear 28 is transmitted to the fourth rotary gear 42 , which is fixed to the fourth shaft 41 , causing rotation of the fifth rotary gear 44 , also fixed to the fourth shaft 41 , causing rotation of the second rotary gear 30 , and thereby the third shaft 24 . in a third position ( not shown ), the second rotary gear 30 is in locking engagement with the third rotary gear 32 , by way of the key means 33 , 37 . in such arrangement , rotation of the first rotary gear 28 is transmitted to the fourth rotary gear 42 and the fourth shaft 41 , causing rotation of the sixth rotary gear 46 and thereby the third and second rotary gears 32 , 30 , and thereby the third shaft 24 . the selection of gears is dependent upon the speed of rotation of the third shaft 24 desired by the operator . the cam assembly 34 ( fig1 and 2 ) includes a rotary cam member 48 mounted on the third shaft 24 . pivotally mounted in the cam housing 38 is a rocker arm 50 having a cam follower 52 fixed thereto , the cam follower being in engagement with the periphery of the rotary cam member 48 . thus , upon rotation of the third shaft 24 , rotation of the cam member 48 causes pivotal movement of the arm 50 . an upper surface 54 of the rocker arm 50 is planar and has therein an elongated groove 56 which retains lubricating oil . disposed above the gear and cam housings 36 , 38 is the upper housing 6 in which is mounted a sleeve member 58 in which is slidingly disposed a vertical shaft 60 , which supports a pivotally mounted arm 62 extending transversely of the shaft 60 . at the lower end of the vertical shaft 60 there is fixed a guideway 64 in which is slidingly disposed a carrier 66 which supports a cam follower 68 . a threaded shaft 70 extends through the carrier 66 and is turnable by a knob 72 ( fig4 ) to cause the carrier 66 , and thereby the cam follower 68 , to move lengthwise of the guideway 64 . such movement of the cam follower operates to place the follower on the surface 54 of the rocker arm 50 selectively nearer to , or further from , the pivot mounting of the rocker arm . as the rocker arm 50 moves vertically in response to the cam member 48 , it causes vertical movement of the vertical shaft 60 , and thereby , by way of a collar 61 fixed on the shaft 60 ( fig1 ), vertical movement of the arm 62 . it will be apparent that by manipulation of the knob 72 , the operator is able to selectively determine the extent of the vertical movement of the shaft 60 . the upper housing 6 may also have disposed therein an arm 74 ( fig1 ) which is pivotally mounted on the sleeve member 58 and further pivotally connected to a linking member 76 which is itself pivotally mounted on a bolt 78 anchored in the upper housing . a pair of separated and interconnected flanges 80 ( as shown in fig1 ) are disposed on a shaft 82 proximate the pivot connection between the linkage member 76 and the arm 74 . a lever 84 is positioned between the flanges 80 , the lever 84 being pivotally mounted on a pin 85 ( fig3 ). mounted on a cam shaft 83 proximate a bifurcated lower end of the lever 84 is a sprocket 86 engageable by a pin 88 carried by a cam member 90 of the cam assembly 34 , the cam member 90 being fixed to the third shaft 24 . attached to the sprocket 86 is a series of cam fingers 87 . mounted on one of the lower ends of the lever 84 is a roller 89 . as the third shaft 24 rotates , the pin 88 engages the sprocket 86 with each revolution . engagement of the sprocket 86 by the pin 88 causes rotation of the fingers 87 , one of the fingers 87 engaging the roller 89 to cause the lever 84 to move pivotally about the pin 85 , its upper end ( fig1 ) urging the flanges 80 to move along the shaft 82 . the flanges 80 , in turn , engage the linkage member 76 , causing the linkage member 76 to pivot about its mounting 78 and causing the arm 74 to pivot about the sleeve member 58 . the free end of the arm 74 has pivotally mounted therein a vertical rod 92 which , at its lower end is fixed to a grinding wheel head assembly 94 . thus , the pivotal , or rocking , movement of the arm 74 causes the head assembly 94 to move alternately between first and second positions , to facilitate grinding of alternate facets on consecutive teeth of a rotary blade being sharpened . the flanges 80 may be rotated by a lever 93 ( fig4 ) so as not to engage the linkage member 76 and thereby remove the alternate grinding feature when such feature is not desired . the upper housing 6 supports a grinding head shaft 96 ( fig1 ) on which is mounted the grinding wheel head assembly 94 , including a grinding wheel 98 . an electric motor 100 ( fig4 ) operates a drive belt 102 which in turn rotates the grinding wheel 98 . the grinding head shaft 96 is bolted to a housing 101 . a vertical shaft 103 is fixed at one end to the arm 62 and at the other end is threadedly connected to the housing 101 . thus , the shaft 96 is moveable vertically with the arm 62 in response to operation of the cam assembly 34 , the housing 101 moving vertically with the shafts 96 , 103 . a second rocker arm 104 ( fig1 and 2 ) is mounted in the lower housing 2 and carries a cam follower 106 engaged with the periphery of the cam member 90 , or selectively , as illustrated , another cam member 108 of the cam assembly 34 . the second rocker arm 104 includes a flat cam surface 105 ( fig2 ) on its underside on which rides a cam follower 110 mounted on a threaded spindle 112 screwed into a rocker 114 ( fig5 ) which is fixedly connected to a lever 116 by way of a rod 118 . an advance pawl assembly 122 is attached to a lever 117 pivotally mounted on the lever 116 and is operable to urge a blade tooth through a selective distance . a vertical slide 130 is disposed on the lower housing 2 and has mounted thereon a carriage 132 adapted to support a blade holding assembly , an example of which 134 is illustrated in fig7 . the assembly includes a spindle 124 fixed to the carriage 132 by a tongue 136 in groove 138 arrangement . disposed on the spindle 124 is a first sleeve member 140 and a second sleeve member 142 . the blade b is held securely between an index plate 144 and an adapter plate 146 , the latter being in part disposed in the central opening of the blade , the index plate 144 and adapter plate 146 being mounted on the sleeve 140 , and bounded , respectively , by a cover member 148 and a lock nut 150 . the index plate 144 comprises part of the blade advancement mechanism , as is known in the art . a first lever 152 serves as a lock handle and operates to lock the blade holding assembly 134 in place , and a second lever 154 serves to raise and lower the carriage 132 on the slide 130 . as described above , a first reciprocating grinding wheel lift mechanism dictates the vertical movement of the grinding wheel 98 , the tilting movement of the grinding wheel , and the incremental advancement of the rotary blade 13 , all being synchronized by receiving their movement directions from the cam assembly 34 . in operation , the pawl assembly operates through the index plate 144 to advance a blade tooth , the blade being rotatively disposed on a spindle 124 a distance equal to a tooth width . the grinding wheel engages a first facet on the tooth , then lifts from engagement with the blade and the pawl assembly brings another blade tooth into position for sharpening . the grinding wheel then descends and shifts to engage a second facet of the new tooth . that is , a given tooth will be ground on a first side and the next tooth on a second side . as thus far described , the machine is known in the art and is well adapted for sharpening of ordinary rotary saws . in accordance with the present invention , the machine as above described is provided with a selector 200 ( fig5 ) having an &# 34 ; on - off &# 34 ; switch 202 and first and second manual input means 204 , 206 , preferably comprising arrays of push buttons and provided with digital displays 208 , 210 showing numbers selected by an operator . in operation , the operator enters in the first input means 204 of the selector 200 the number of cutting teeth t in a group of cutting teeth t on the blade b to be sharpened ( fig9 ), plus 1 . thus , in the illustrated example , the operator would enter the number 5 , which would be shown on the first digital display 208 . the operator then enters in the second input means 206 of the selector 200 the number of cutting tooth spaces s occupied by a raker tooth r and a gullet g , less 1 . thus , in the illustrated example , the operator would enter the number 1 , which would be shown on the second digital display 210 . attached to the upper housing 6 and about the third shaft 24 is a collar 220 ( fig6 ) having mounted thereon a proximity sensor 222 , which sensor is in electrical communication with the selector 200 . fixed to an end of the third shaft 24 is a disc 224 having therein a magnet 226 which is exposed at the periphery of the disc . as the shaft 24 and disc 224 rotate , the proximity sensor 222 is activated by the proximity of the magnet 226 once per shaft revolution . the sensor 222 and magnet 226 thus constitute a counter means 228 operable to count a number of revolutions made by the third shaft 24 . a re - set switch 230 ( fig5 ) is provided which is manually operable and which operates to electrically block out the selector 200 and counter means 228 while the third shaft 24 is turning , as will be further described below . fixed to the upper housing 6 of the machine is a second lift mechanism including an air cylinder 240 having therein a piston 242 having extending therefrom a piston rod 244 connected to the vertical shaft 60 . as noted above , the shaft 60 has mounted thereon the collar 61 engageable with an undersurface of the transverse arm 62 . upward movement of the piston rod 244 causes upward movement of the shaft 60 and thereby the collar 61 , operating to lift the transverse arm 62 , and thereby the grinding wheel head assembly 94 . in operation , the operator mounts the rotary blade b on the machine and starts the machine . the selector &# 34 ; on - off &# 34 ; switch 202 is turned to &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; and appropriate entries are made on the selector means 200 , as above described . a lever 250 , which operates to keep the grinding wheel assembly in a raised position , is eased to permit descent of the grinding wheel . as the lever 250 is moved , the reset switch 230 is depressed by the operator . as the blade moves through the grinding station , the operator synchronizes the release of the reset switch 230 to permit the grinding wheel to engage a forward edge e of a tooth t which is first of the group t of such teeth . the grinding wheel rises and descends to grind each succeeding tooth t , as well as a forward edge portion f of the trailing raker r , in accordance with the dictates of the first lift mechanism . with the grinding of each tooth t , the counter mechanism 228 electrically signals the first input means 204 until the number entered in the first input means is reached , which coincides with the passing through the grinding station of the last tooth t of the group t of such teeth . thereupon , the first input means 204 electrically signals a solenoid switch 252 to operate a pneumatic valve 254 to energize the second lift mechanism of the air cylinder 240 to raise the transverse arm 62 and thereby the grinding wheel head assembly 94 . the head assembly 94 remains in the raised position while the signals of the counter means 228 are registered in the second input means 206 . when the number of electrical signals from the counter means 228 to the second input means 206 equals the number pre - set in the second input means , which will coincide with the passing of the raker and gullet of the blade through the grinding station , the second input means electrically signals the solenoid switch 252 to operate the air cylinder 240 to permit lowering of the transverse arm 62 and engagement of the grinding wheel with the first of a following group of cutting teeth , and return of the grinding wheel to control of the first lift mechanism . thus , a machine of the type described above , equipped with the improvements herein described , is capable of sharpening combination rotary blades , as well as the traditional rotary blades . it is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular construction herein disclosed and / or shown in the drawings , but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the disclosure .	1
the example which follows serves to illustrate the present invention further . to prepare a nanoscale sio 2 sol , 20 . 48 g ( 0 . 098 moles ) of tetraethyl orthosilicate ( teos ) is added to 50 . 85 g of ethanol ( solution a ). 1 . 75 g of a 1 - molar ammonia solution is diluted with 34 . 41 g of water ( solution b ). hydrolysis and precondensation take place by addition of solution a to solution b over the course of 1 h . after 24 h at 70 ° c . nanoparticles are formed which have a mean particle radius of 5 nm in a sol having a solids content of 5 . 5 % by weight . the coating matrix is prepared by adding 27 g ( 1 . 5 mol ) of water to 236 . 12 g ( 1 mol ) of 3 - glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane ( gpts ). heating under reflux for 24 h is followed by removal of the solvent ( methanol ) by vacuum distillation . in order to change the zeta potential of the nanoscale sio 2 particles , 24 mg , 48 mg , 192 mg and 216 mg of tetrahexylammonium hydroxide ( thah , 40 % in water ) respectively are added to 107 . 5 g of the resultant sio 2 sol with vigorous stirring over 30 minutes at 25 ° c . 2 . 5 g of the gpts sol are added to the mixture and stirring is carried out for 30 minutes . gpts / sio 2 / thah sols are obtained which have a ph of 8 . 4 for 24 mg , 9 . 2 for 48 mg , 9 . 8 for 192 mg and 10 . 4 for 216 mg of thah . the viscosity as a function of shear rate is measured using a rotational viscosimeter ( physica ; rheolab mc 120 ). the zeta potential is measured using a zetasizer esa - sample ssp - 1 , matec ( velocity of the nanoparticles in an electrical field ( direct current ) acoustophoresis determination ). the above - prepared compositions with sio 2 particles are analyzed in respect of their non - newtonian behaviour by means of a viscosity measurement as a function of the rate of shearing stress . fig1 indicates the results for prior art compositions with no increase in surface charge , while fig2 shows the results obtained on the compositions of the invention , which had been reacted with variable amounts of a base ( thah ). accordingly , the prior art compositions shown in fig1 exhibit a pseudoplastic behaviour , evident from the increase in the initial region , when the sio 2 nanoparticle content reaches 20 % by weight . the observed rise of the curve is very much steeper for the composition containing 20 % by weight of sio 2 nanoparticles than in the case of 30 % by weight sio 2 . this means that the composition with a greater pseudoplasticity effect ( 30 % by weight ) exhibits a longer relaxation time of the viscosity . set out in fig2 are inventive compositions containing 30 % by weight sio 2 nanoparticles and with an addition of thah in an amount of 24 mg , 48 mg or 192 mg , respectively . measurements of the zeta potential gave a result of − 5 . 0 mv for the composition of 24 mg of thah , − 12 . 3 mv for 48 mg and − 14 . 7 mv for 192 mg . with these compositions the results were different for rising and falling shear rates , so that each curve forms two branches ; that is , the behaviour was thixotropic . in the low - shear - rate region the sol has a viscosity of 70 pa · s with a zeta potential of − 5 mv , 78 pa · s with a zeta potential of − 12 . 3 mv , and 93 pa · s with a zeta potential of − 14 . 7 mv . at d = 100 1 / s there is a deviation of 18 pa · s , which is within the bounds of measurement accuracy . a comparison with the result from fig1 shows that the level of the pseudoplasticity effect is comparable or slightly increased . in particular , for the inventive compositions , the rises with increasing addition of thah are much steeper than for the prior art . this is particularly evident in the case of the branch for falling shear rate , which is particularly significant for the embossing operation . this means that by adding the base it is possible to achieve shorter relaxation times , the shortest relaxation time being observed for the highest addition of thah . for structuring , a high pseudoplasticity effect and a short relaxation time are necessary in order to allow effective structuring , if the die is to be removed before curing . long relaxation times lead to more rapid smoothing of an embossed structure in the period between the removal of the embossing device and curing , thereby impairing the accuracy of the structure .	8
while all the compounds encompassed within the above generic formulae meet the present inventor &# 39 ; s criteria , nevertheless , certain compounds remain preferred as set out below . additional preferred compounds can be found in the examples which follow : as can be determined from the examples which follow , depending on the spectrum of bacteria treated , one and / or mixtures of two or more of the above - described compounds may be employed . at this point , it should be strictly emphasized that when the substituent r 1 in formula ( i ) represents a c 0 - c 22 straight or branched ## str16 ## group or an ## str17 ## the art which can be added to or substituted for the benzene ring in either one of the above long chain moieties for the purpose of improving their surface active properties may also be introduced . typically , and without limitation , a pyridyl , a thiazolyl , an imidazolyl , or naphthyl function are illustrative . the compounds of the present invention can be conveniently prepared in the manner described below : react an α - halo - ester of the general formula : ## str18 ## wherein r , r 1 and x are defined as above , directly with a tertiary aliphatic amine (& gt ; n ) or an unsaturated amine (& gt ; n ) in approximately equimolecular proportion , in the presence of an inert solvent ( ether , acetonitrile , ch 2 cl 2 , etc .) at room temperature or at the reflux temperature of the solvent for 2 - 24 hours . as an alternative procedure , the above reaction can be carried out in the absence of a solvent by mixing the above two reactants together and maintaining them at room temperature or between 20 °- 70 ° c . for 2 - 24 hours . in both cases , the crystalline salt formed can be purified by crystallization from an ether - ethanol mixture , or the like . the same compounds can be obtained by first mixing the tertiary aliphatic amine (& gt ; n ) or unsaturated amine (& gt ; n ) with an equimolecular amount of the corresponding acyl halide ## str19 ## maintaining the mixture at room temperature for 2 - 24 hours . then there is added to the reaction mixture an equimolecular amount of the aldehyde ( r 1 -- cho ). the mixture is then stirred at room temperature or elevated temperature , up to 75 ° c ., for 2 - 28 hours . purification of the final product is carried out as in method &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;. in the above description of method &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, r , r 1 and x are defined as above . without further elaboration , it is believed that one of ordinary skill in the art can , using the preceding description , utilize the present invention to its fullest extent . consequently , the following preferred specific embodiments are to be construed as merely illustrative and not limitative of the remainder of the specification and claims in any way whatsoever . reference to temperature means centigrade unless otherwise indicated . a series of new chloromethyl n - alkylcarboxylates ( 1 a - d ) were prepared by reaction of the corresponding acyl chloride with paraformaldehyde in the presence of a catalytic amount of anhydrous zinc chloride ( scheme 1 ), applying the procedure of r . adams and e . h . vollweiler , j . amer . chem . soc ., 40 , 1732 ( 1918 ); h . e . french and r . adams , ibid , 43 , 651 ( 1921 ); and l . h . ulich and r . adams , ibid , 43 , 660 ( 1921 ). ## str20 ## a series of n - alkylcarboxymethyl quaternary salts ( 2 a - j ) were then prepared by reaction of the corresponding chloromethyl n - alkylcarboxylates with an appropriate tertiary amine ( scheme 2 ). ## str21 ## a mixture of 1 . 93 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) chloromethyl n - octanoate ( 1a ) and 0 . 79 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) pyridine were mixed and heated together at 90 ° for 3 hours . on cooling to room temperature , anhydrous ether was added to the mixture and the mixture was triturated in anhydrous ether overnight . the solid was isolated by filtration under a nitrogen atmosphere and thoroughly washed with anhydrous ether . after drying in vacuo over calcium sulfate at room temperature , 1 . 90 g ( 0 . 007 mol ), 70 %, 2a was obtained as a white solid , mp 102 °- 107 °, ir ( kbr ) 3430 , 3040 , 2970 , 1770 , 1635 , 1490 , 1110 , 760 , and 670 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 9 ( d , 2h ), 8 . 8 ( t , 1h ), 8 . 3 ( t , 2h ), 7 . 0 ( s , 2h ) 2 . 4 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 3 ( bs , 10h ) and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 14 h 22 clno 2 . h 2 o : c , 58 . 02 ; h , 8 . 35 ; n , 4 . 83 . found : c , 57 . 51 ; h , 7 . 76 ; n , 4 . 58 . using the procedure described for the preparation of 2a the following n - alkylcarboxymethyl pyridinium salts were prepared : mp 120 °- 124 °, ir ( kbr ) 3430 , 3020 , 2960 , 1770 , 1635 , 1490 , 1470 , 1110 , 760 , and 670 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 9 ( d , 2h ), 8 . 8 ( t , 1h ), 8 . 2 ( t , 2h ), 7 . 0 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 4 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 2 ( bs , 18h ) and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 18 h 30 clno 2 . h 2 o : c , 62 . 50 ; h , 9 . 33 ; n , 4 . 05 . found : c , 63 . 54 ; h , 8 . 26 ; h , 3 . 86 . mp 104 °- 109 °, ir ( kbr ) 3420 , 3010 , 2960 , 2920 , 1770 , 1638 , 1485 , 1470 , 1110 , 760 and 670 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ9 . 9 ( d , 2h ), 8 . 8 ( t , 1h ), 8 . 3 ( t , 2h ), 7 . 0 ( s , 2h ) 2 . 4 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 3 ( bs , 22h ), and 0 . 8 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 20 h 34 clno 2 . h 2 o : c , 64 . 23 ; h , 9 . 70 ; n , 3 . 75 . found : c , 63 . 55 ; h , 9 . 25 ; n , 3 . 60 . mp 132 °- 135 °, ir ( kbr ) 3430 , 3020 , 2970 , 2930 , 1770 , 1635 , 1490 , 1470 , 1110 , 760 , and 670 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 9 . 9 ( d , 2h ), 8 . 8 ( t , 1h ), 1 . 3 ( bs , 26h ), and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 22 h 38 clno 2 : c , 68 . 81 ; h , 9 . 97 ; n , 3 . 65 . found : c , 68 . 59 ; h , 9 . 97 ; n , 3 . 60 . a mixture of 2 . 49 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) chloromethyl n - dodecanoate ( 2b ) and 0 . 82 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) 1 - methylimidazole were mixed and heated together at 90 ° for 3 hours . on cooling to room temperature , anhydrous ether was added to the mixture and the mixture was triturated in anhydrous ether overnight . the solid was isolated by filtration under a nitrogen atmosphere and thoroughly washed with anhydrous ether . after drying in vacuo over calcium sulfate at room temperature , 2 . 4 g ( 0 . 007 mol ), 70 %, 2e was obtained as a white solid , mp 60 °- 63 °, ir ( kbr ) 3400 , 3110 , 2960 , 2920 , 1750 , 1470 , 1140 and 770 cm - 1 , pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 10 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 2h ), 6 . 4 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 2 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 4 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 4 ( bs , 18h ) and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 17 h 31 cln 2 o 2 . h 2 o : c , 58 . 52 ; h , 9 . 53 ; n , 8 . 03 . found : c , 58 . 85 ; h , 9 . 54 ; n , 8 . 79 . using the procedure described for the preparation of 2e the following n - alkylcarboxymethyl - 3 - methylimidazolium salts were prepared : mp 68 °- 74 °, ir ( kbr ) 3400 , 3180 , 2960 , 2920 , 1750 , 1470 , 1140 and 770 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 10 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 2h ), 6 . 4 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 2 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 4 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 2 ( bs , 22h ), and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 19 h 35 cln 2 o 2 . h 2 o : c , 57 . 77 ; h , 9 . 95 ; n , 7 . 38 . found : c , 58 . 85 ; h , 9 . 59 ; n , 7 . 38 . mp 80 °- 84 °; ir ( kbr ) 3410 , 3110 , 2960 , 2925 , 1760 , 1470 , 1140 and 750 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 10 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 2h ), 6 . 4 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 2 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 4 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 3 ( bs , 26h ) and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 21 h 39 cln 2 o 2 . h 2 0 : c , 62 . 27 ; h , 10 . 20 ; n , 6 . 92 . found : c , 62 . 13 ; h , 10 . 40 ; n , 7 . 41 . 2 . 49 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) chloromethyl n - dodecanoate ( 1b ) and 1 . 01 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) triethylamine were mixed and heated together at 90 ° for three hr . on cooling to room temperature , anhydrous ether was added to the mixture and the mixture was triturated in anhydrous ether overnite . the solid was isolated by filtration under a nitrogen atmosphere and thoroughly washed with ether . after drying in vacuo over calcium sulfate at room temperature 0 . 6 g ( 0 . 002 mol 20 %, 2h was obtained as a hygroscopic solid , mp 72 °- 77 °. 2 . 49 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) chloromethyl n - dodecanoate and 1 . 12 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) 1 , 4 - diazabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octane were mixed and allowed to react together at room temperature for 72 hr . anhydrous ether was added to the mixture and the mixture was triturated in anhydrous ether overnite . the solid was isolated by filtration under a nitrogen atmosphere and thoroughly washed with anhydrous ether . after drying in vacuo over calcium sulfate at room temperature , 2 . 0 g ( 0 . 006 mol ), 60 %, 2i , was obtained as a white solid , mp 106 °- 110 ° c ., ir ( kbr ) 3400 , 2960 , 2920 , 1760 , 1460 , 1120 , 1080 , 1050 , 850 and 830 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 5 . 8 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 2 - 3 . 0 ( mq , 12h ), 2 . 6 ( t , 2h ) 1 . 3 ( bs , 18h ) and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 19 h 37 cln 2 o 2 . h 2 o : c , 60 . 21 ; h , 10 . 37 ; n , 7 . 39 found : c , 60 . 86 ; h , 10 . 12 ; n , 7 . 68 . 2 . 49 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) chloromethyl n - dodecanoate and 1 . 50 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) n - ethyl - nicotinamide were mixed and heated together at 90 ° for 1 hr . on cooling to room temperature , anhydrous ether was added to the mixture and the mixture was triturated in anhydrous ether overnite . the solid was isolated by filtration under a nitrogen atmosphere and thoroughly washed with anhydrous ether . after drying in vacuo over calcium sulfate at room temperature , 2 . 6 g ( 0 . 007 mol ), 70 %, 2j was obtained as a white solid , mp 131 °- 135 °, ir ( kbr ) 3220 , 3060 , 2965 , 2930 , 1770 , 1680 , 1640 , 1470 , 1110 and 670 cm - 1 ; pmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 10 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 8 ( m , 3h ), 8 . 3 ( t , 1h ), 6 . 8 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 6 ( q , 2h ), 2 . 5 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 3 ( bs , 21h ) and 0 . 9 ( bt , 3h ) ppm . anal . calcd for c 21 h 35 cln 2 o 3 : c , 63 . 22 ; h , 8 . 84 ; n , 7 . 02 . found : c , 62 . 70 ; h , 8 . 63 ; n , 6 . 90 . by following the preceding example and substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and / or operating conditions of this invention , the following additional compounds can be prepared . table i__________________________________________________________________________ ## str22 ## r r . sub . 1 ## str23 ## x . sup .. crclba r . __________________________________________________________________________h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str24 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str25 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str26 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str27 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str28 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str29 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str30 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str31 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str32 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str33 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str34 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str35 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str36 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str37 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str38 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str39 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str40 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str41 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str42 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str43 ## cl . sup . - h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str44 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str45 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str46 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str47 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str48 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str49 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str50 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str51 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str52 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str53 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str54 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str55 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str56 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str57 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str58 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str59 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str60 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str61 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str62 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str63 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str64 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str65 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str66 ## cl . sup . - h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str67 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str68 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str69 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str70 ## cl . sup .- h ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str71 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str72 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str73 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str74 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str75 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str76 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str77 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str78 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str79 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str80 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str81 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str82 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str83 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str84 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str85 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str86 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 8 ## str87 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str88 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str89 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str90 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str91 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str92 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str93 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str94 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 ## str95 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str96 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str97 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str98 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str99 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str100 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str101 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str102 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 ## str103 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str104 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str105 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str106 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str107 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str108 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str109 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str110 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 13 ## str111 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str112 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str113 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str114 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str115 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str116 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str117 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str118 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 ## str119 ## cl . sup .- ## str120 ## ## str121 ## cl . sup .- h ## str122 ## ## str123 ## cl . sup .- h ## str124 ## ## str125 ## cl . sup .- h ## str126 ## ## str127 ## cl . sup .- h ## str128 ## ## str129 ## cl . sup .- h ## str130 ## ## str131 ## cl . sup .- h ## str132 ## ## str133 ## cl . sup .- h ## str134 ## ## str135 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 pyridine cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ## str136 ## cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 oocch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 pyridine cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 oocch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 oocch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- ch . sub . 3 oocch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ## str137 ## cl . sup .- hoocch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 pyridine cl . sup .- hoocch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- hoocch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- hoocch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ## str138 ## cl . sup .- ## str139 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 pyridine cl . sup .- ## str140 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- ## str141 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- ## str142 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ## str143 ## cl . sup .- ## str144 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 pyridine cl . sup .- ## str145 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- ## str146 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- ## str147 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ## str148 ## cl . sup .- ## str149 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 pyridine cl . sup . - ## str150 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- ## str151 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- ## str152 ## ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ## str153 ## cl . sup .- h ## str154 ## pyridine cl . sup .- h ## str155 ## ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- h ## str156 ## ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- h ## str157 ## ## str158 ## cl . sup .- h ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 pyridine cl . sup .- h ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- h ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- h ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 11 ## str159 ## cl . sup .- h ## str160 ## pyridine cl . sup .- h ## str161 ## ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- h ## str162 ## ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- h ## str163 ## ## str164 ## cl . sup .- h ## str165 ## pyridine cl . sup .- h ## str166 ## ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- h ## str167 ## ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- h ## str168 ## ## str169 ## cl . sup .- h ## str170 ## pyridine cl . sup .- h ## str171 ## ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- h ## str172 ## ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- h ## str173 ## ## str174 ## cl . sup .- h ## str175 ## pyridine cl . sup .- h ## str176 ## ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 n cl . sup .- h ## str177 ## ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 3 cl . sup .- h ## str178 ## ## str179 ## cl . sup .- __________________________________________________________________________ in the table set out below there is disclosed the minimal inhibitory concentrations ( mic ) for certain selective compounds of the instant invention ( compounds 3 - 8 ); a corresponding short chain &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; quaternary surface active agent ( compound 2 ); and a &# 34 ; hard &# 34 ; quaternary surface active agent of the prior art ( cetylpyridinium chloride , compound 1 ). all mic values were determined by standard mic determinative techniques . table ii__________________________________________________________________________compound s . aureus b . subtilis s . typhimirum p . aeruginosa s . pyogenes__________________________________________________________________________ ( 1 ) ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 15 py . sup .+ cl . sup .- & lt ; 2 . 0 & lt ; 2 . 0 8 . 0 16 . 0 & lt ; 2 . 0 ( 2 ) ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 6 co . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 py . sup .+ cl . sup .- * 529 . 1 529 . 1 1058 . 2 1058 . 2 529 . 1 ( 3 ) ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 10 co . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 py . sup .+ cl . sup .- 8 . 9 143 . 1 35 . 8 & lt ; 2 . 2 71 . 5 ( 4 ) ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 12 co . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 py . sup .+ cl . sup .- 8 . 1 8 . 3 133 . 0 & gt ; 1063 . 9 4 . 2 ( 5 ) ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 14 co . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 py . sup .+ cl . sup .- 16 . 7 1071 . 1 1071 . 1 1071 . 1 267 . 5 ( 6 ) ## str180 ## 4 . 1 16 . 3 65 . 3 261 . 2 2 . 0 ( 7 ) ## str181 ## & lt ; 2 . 2 4 . 4 69 . 7 & gt ; 1115 . 1 & gt ; 2 . 2 ( 8 ) ## str182 ## 1 . 3 & gt ; 42 . 4 . sup . b & gt ; 42 . 4 . sup . b & gt ; 42 . 4 . sup . b & gt ; 42 . 4 . sup . b__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . a minimal inhibitory concentration determined by standard techniques in 0 . 1 m nah . sub . 2 po . sub . 4 , ph 7 . 0 . . sup . b approximately the saturated solubility . * u . s . pat . application , ser . no . 482 , 513bodor . ip and iv toxicity of an exemplary &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; compound of this invention versus cetylpyridinium chloride as stated at the outset of the instant application , the uniqueness of the compounds of the present invention resides in their ability to exhibit sufficient antibacterial activity without attendant toxicity . that is , the compounds of the present invention being &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; in nature will degrade into nontoxic by - products following release of their antibacterial activity . in support of the above statement , the lethal dose 50 ( ld 50 ) of a selective compound of the present invention ( irx - 1229 ) was determined via the intraperitoneal ( ip ) and intravenous ( iv ) routes the procedure employed and the results obtained are set out below . the compound was weighed into a 25 ml glass - stoppered flask and dissolved in 10 . 0 ml 0 . 9 % nacl , ph 7 . 0 . each mouse was weighed individually , and 0 . 01 ml of solution injected per gram of mouse body weight . table iii__________________________________________________________________________ deaths per daydose mortality day day day day day day day mortality ( mg / kg ) 24 hrs . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 days__________________________________________________________________________10 . 000 . 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 / 427 . 720 . 4 -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- 1 / 4103 . 100 . 4 -- -- 2 -- -- 1 -- 3 / 4139 . 383 / 20 3 -- 4 2 4 3 3 19 / 20148 . 236 / 10 6 -- 1 1 -- -- -- 8 / 10155 . 096 / 10 6 -- 1 2 -- -- -- 9 / 10160 . 363 / 10 3 -- 3 -- 2 -- -- 8 / 10166 . 208 / 10 8 1 -- -- 1 -- -- 10 / 10200 . 003 / 4 3 -- 1 -- -- -- -- 4 / 4305 . 664 / 4 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- 4 / 4naclcontrol0 / 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 / 4__________________________________________________________________________ compound : irx - 1229 ## str184 ## animal : mcr - icr white swiss male mice average weight 25 grams procedure : the compound was weighed into a 10 . 0 ml glass beaker and dissolved in varying amounts of 0 . 9 % nacl , ph 7 . 0 . each mouse was weighed individually , and injected with varying amounts of solution per gram of body weight . a 50 μl syringe with a 27 gauge needle was used . death either occurred immediately after injection or several day later , never between 5 minutes and 24 hours after injection . when death occurred immediately following injection , it was due to circulatory collapse because of too large an injection or precipitation of the compound in the bloodstream . the death was preceded by convulsions . all mice that survived the first 24 hrs . began to show severe necrosis of the tail , and by 7 days many mice had lost all or part of their tail . ld 50 ( iv ) preliminary study between 100 mg / kg and 133 . 0 mg / kg table iv______________________________________results : preliminary ld . sub . 50 ( iv ) studiesdose injection mortality mortality ( mg / kg ) conditions 24 hrs . 7 days______________________________________35 . 09 175 . 45 mg / 5 . 0 ml 0 / 5 0 / 5 1 . 00 μl / gram42 . 5 170 . 00 mg / 4 . 0 ml 0 / 5 0 / 5 1 . 00 μl / gram81 . 25 170 . 00 mg / 2 . 0 ml 1 / 2 1 / 2 1 . 00 μl / gram87 . 73 175 . 45 mg / 2 . 0 ml 2 / 4 2 / 4 1 . 00 μl / gram102 . 47 102 . 47 mg / 2 . 0 ml 0 / 8 1 / 8 2 . 00 μl / gram133 . 0 99 . 75 mg / 1 . 5 ml 1 / 3note : 1 / 32 . 00 μl / gram only one injection pure iv - the other two were all or mostly im . 199 . 5 99 . 75 mg / 1 . 0 ml 1 / 1 1 / 1 2 . 00 μl / gram199 . 5 99 . 75 mg / 1 . 0 ml 1 / 1 1 / 1 3 . 00 μl / gram______________________________________ ld 50 ( oral ) studies ## str185 ## animal : white male mice mcr - icr average weight 21 . 9 grams . fasted seven daytime hours prior to injection . replaced in cage with food immediately after injection . 2 grams irx - 1229 weighed into weighing bottle . a 4 ml of 0 . 8 % sodium chloride ph 7 . 0 added . solution adjusted to ph 5 . 8 using saturated sodium bicarbonate . 0 . 01 ml injected per gram of mouse body weight to give 5 g / kg dose . 2 ml of above solution was diluted with 1 ml of 0 . 9 % sodium chloride , ph 7 . 0 to give the second dose of 3 . 35 g / kg . 1 ml of the 3 . 35 g / kg dose was diluted 1 : 1 using 0 . 9 % sodium chloride , ph 7 . 0 to give the third dose of 1 . 68 g / kg . __________________________________________________________________________ deaths per daydose mortality day day day day day day day mortality ( g / kg ) 24 hrs . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 days__________________________________________________________________________5 . 00 7 7 -- -- -- -- -- -- 73 . 35 2 2 -- 1 -- -- -- -- 31 . 68 0 0 1 -- -- -- -- -- 1__________________________________________________________________________ in comparison , the toxicity of cetylpyridinium chloride , a well - known &# 34 ; hard &# 34 ; quaternary surface active agent is set out below : table vi______________________________________toxicity of cetylpyridinium chloride______________________________________oralmouse ld . sub . 50 108 mg / kg . sup . 1ipmouse ld . sub . 50 10 mg / kg . sup . 2ivrat ld . sub . 50 30 mg / kg . sup . 3______________________________________ 1 . proceedings of the society for experimental biology and medicine , 120 , 511 ( 1965 ). 2 . m . r . warren , et al ., j . pharmacol . exptl . therapeutics , 74 , 401 ( 1942 ). 3 . j . w . nelson and s . c . lyster , j . amer . pharm . assoc ., sci . ed ., 35 , 89 ( 1946 ). as can be readily determined , the ip , iv and oral ld 50 for a selective compound of the present invention is some 14 to 16 times greater ( on an intraperitoneal basis ); some 3 to 4 . 5 times greater ( on an intravenous basis ) and some 40 times greater ( on an oral basis ) than that observed for cetylpyridinium chloride . similar ld 50 values will be obtained for the remaining compounds of the present invention when subjected to the abovedescribed ld 50 studies . the compounds of formulas ( i ) and ( ii ) find wide application as antibacterial agents in such preparations as mouthwashes , shampoos , soaps , cosmetic bases , etc . such formulations can be prepared in accordance with any of the procedures disclosed in &# 34 ; remimgton &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences &# 34 ; ( fourteenth edition ) 1970 . naturally , the antibacterial effective amount required for a compound of formula ( i ) or ( ii ) will vary with the microorganism in question . from the foregoing description , one of ordinary skill in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention , and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . as such , these changes and modifications are preferably , equitably and intended to be , within the full range of equivalence of the following claims .	2
according to the invention , at least one camera is arranged behind the display of the device , preferably in a position that corresponds to a point close to the eyes of the communicating party on the screen . the following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements . the term “ image ,” as used herein , may refer to a digital or an analog representation of visual information ( e . g ., a picture , a video , a photograph , animations , etc .). the term “ audio ” as used herein , may include may refer to a digital or an analog representation of audio information ( e . g ., a recorded voice , a song , an audio book , etc .). also , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents . in the following , the invention is described with reference to an example mobile communication terminal , i . e . mobile phone . fig1 is a diagram of an exemplary system 100 in which methods and systems described herein may be implemented . system 100 may include a bus 110 , a processor 120 , a memory 130 , a read only memory ( rom ) 140 , a storage device 150 , an input device 160 , an output device 170 , and a communication interface 180 . bus 110 permits communication among the components of system 100 . system 100 may also include one or more power supplies ( not shown ). one skilled in the art would recognize that system 100 may be configured in a number of other ways and may include other or different elements . processor 120 may include any type of processor or microprocessor that interprets and executes instructions . processor 120 may also include logic that is able to decode media files , such as audio files , video files , multimedia files , image files , video games , etc ., and generate output to , for example , a speaker , a display , etc . memory 130 may include a random access memory ( ram ) or another dynamic storage device that stores information and instructions for execution by processor 120 . memory 130 may also be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor 120 . rom 140 may include a conventional rom device and / or another static storage device that stores static information and instructions for processor 120 . storage device 150 may include any type of devices for storing information and instructions , such a flash memory , for storing information and instructions . input device 160 may include one or more conventional mechanisms that permit a user to input information to the system 100 , such as a keyboard , a keypad , a directional pad , a mouse , a pen , voice recognition , a touch - screen and / or biometric mechanisms , etc . according to the invention , the input device includes at least one camera 190 for recording visual information . output device 170 may include one or more conventional mechanisms that output information to the user , including a display , a printer , one or more speakers , etc . communication interface 180 may include any transceiver - like mechanism that enables system 100 to communicate with other devices and / or systems . for example , communication interface 180 may include a modem or an ethernet interface to a lan . alternatively , or additionally , communication interface 180 may include other mechanisms for communicating via a network , such as a wireless network . for example , communication interface may include a radio frequency ( rf ) transmitter and receiver and one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving rf data . system 100 , consistent with the invention , provides a platform through which a user may communicate using video call . system 100 may also display information associated with the video call , i . e ., the communicating parties . according to an exemplary implementation , system 100 may perform various processes in response to processor 120 executing sequences of instructions contained in memory 130 . such instructions may be read into memory 130 from another computer - readable medium , such as storage device 150 , or from a separate device via communication interface 180 . it should be understood that a computer - readable medium may include one or more memory devices or carrier waves . execution of the sequences of instructions contained in memory 130 causes processor 120 to perform the acts that will be described hereafter . in alternative embodiments , hard - wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement aspects consistent with the invention . thus , the invention is not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software . fig2 illustrates schematics of a terminal 200 , such as a mobile phone , comprising a housing 201 , antenna 202 , power source 203 and two cameras 204 and 205 . the display portion 206 is indicated with dashed line . one of the cameras , e . g ., 205 is the main camera and the other one , e . g ., 204 is so called chat camera . the cameras are arranged further distanced from the top portion of the terminal and evidently below behind the display 206 . for example , at least one of the cameras is arranged in a position , which may correspond to face of a conferencing party , especially substantially in eye height of the image 209 . the example illustrated schematically in fig3 is a cut through the terminal of fig2 , e . g ., along the line a - a , showing camera 204 and portion of display 206 . the camera 204 comprises an image sensor 2041 ( such as ccd or cmos sensor ) and a lens 2042 . the display 206 comprises a transparent substrate 2061 , one or more organic layer 2063 , a transparent cathode layer 2064 , optionally a touch layer 2065 ( which may comprise a package with many transparent function layers ) and a transparent cover 2066 . in an active matrix array , the display may also comprise a tft array 2062 and organic active layers . in one example , the display comprises of amoled ( active - matrix organic light - emitting diode ) type , in which pixels are arranged in rgbw ( red / green / blue / white ) pattern in layer 2063 , for example described in us 2011285881 by sony corp ., compared to the traditional rgbg amoled . this technology includes additional white pixels . the white pixels switch between on and off state , whereby in the on state the diode emits ( white ) light and in the off state the diode is transparent . even transparent oled ( organic light emitting diode ) technology can be used in pixel level . transparent oleds have only transparent components ( substrate , organic layer or layers , cathode and anode ) and , when turned off , are transparent in high degree . when a transparent oled display is turned on , it allows light to pass in both directions . a transparent oled display can be either active - or passive - matrix . also amoled displays where all sub pixels are transparent to a high degree in off state may also be used . fig4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary combined camera and display system 400 , according to one embodiment of the present invention . an image ( not shown ), e . g ., of a person in the video conference , is displayed on the flat - panel screen 206 . the flat panel screen 206 may display the picture by adjusting the optical transparency of its individual pixels . the camera 204 and the screen 206 are each controlled by a corresponding driver 401 and 402 , respectively ( or a combined driver ). the display driver 402 controls the anodes and cathodes of the display to emit light at pixels to produce the image seen by a user 409 . the camera 204 captures an image of the user 409 and his / her surroundings through screen 206 . to be able to capture an image of the user while an image is displayed , the camera must be synchronized with pixels such that the image or a portion of the image of the user 409 is acquired when one or several pixels are transparent . it is appreciated that the items illustrated in fig4 are highly exaggerated . assuming that a pixel on the screen may be less than 2 μm , the camera may be a single pixel camera with same size as one pixel , cover a number of pixels in one area or use an algorithm to assemble an image from a number of scattered pixels covering the camera pixels . to be able to record an image with the camera , several technologies may be used . the drivers 401 and 402 may be synchronised , e . g ., by driver 402 informing driver 401 when one or several pixels in the camera view is / are transparent so that the camera can capture images . then the image or image parts captured during transparency of the pixels are assembled to an image and transmitted to the receiver . according to another embodiment , the sweep of control signal over the screen for activating pixels is synchronized with the sweep of capturing image over the camera sensor and the resultant output from camera is processed to generate image frames . the driver , synchronization and processing of the image data may be carried out in one or several of input device 160 , output device 170 and / or processor 120 of the system of fig1 . thus , according to one exemplary method of the invention as illustrated in fig5 , images may be captured continuously ( 1 ), state ( on or off state ) of the pixel ( s ) in front of the camera is controlled ( 2 ), if the pixel ( s ) is not transparent ( on or off state ) for a specific image frame ( 3 ), the image is discarded ( 4 ). if the pixel ( s ) is transparent , the image is saved ( 5 ). the saved images are assembled to one image , which can be transmitted to the receiver . in another example , as illustrated in fig6 , the method comprises , controlling ( 1 ′) the state ( on or off state ) of the pixel ( s ) in front of the camera . if ( 2 ′) the pixel ( s ) is not transparent no image is captured ( 4 ′). if ( 2 ′) the pixel ( s ) is transparent image is captured ( 3 ′) and saved ( 5 ′) and the saved images are assembled ( 6 ′) to one image which can be transmitted to the receiver . the step of saving and transmitting may be combined so that the images are transmitted after capturing . of course , other techniques for synchronising capturing image while a pixel is transparent may be used . preferably , the repetitive sequence of displaying image on the screen and capturing image by the camera behind the screen is at a frame rate greater than the flicker fusion frequency for the human eye ( 180 hz ). it should be noted that the word “ comprising ” does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed and the words “ a ” or “ an ” preceding an element do not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements . it should further be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims , that the invention may be implemented at least in part by means of both hardware and software , and that several “ means ”, “ units ” or “ devices ” may be represented by the same item of hardware . a “ device ” as the term is used herein , is to be broadly interpreted to include a radiotelephone having ability for internet / intranet access , web browser , organizer , calendar , a camera ( e . g ., video and / or still image camera ), a sound recorder ( e . g ., a microphone ); a personal communications system ( pcs ) terminal that may combine a cellular radiotelephone with data processing ; a personal digital assistant ( pda ) that can include a radiotelephone or wireless communication system ; a laptop ; a camera ( e . g ., video and / or still image camera ) having communication ability ; and any other computation or communication device capable of transceiving , such as a personal computer , a home entertainment system , a television , etc . the above mentioned and described embodiments are only given as examples and should not be limiting to the present invention . other solutions , uses , objectives , and functions within the scope of the invention as claimed in the below described patent claims should be apparent for the person skilled in the art . the various embodiments of the present invention described herein is described in the general context of method steps or processes , which may be implemented in one embodiment by a computer program product , embodied in a computer - readable medium , including computer - executable instructions , such as program code , executed by computers in networked environments . a computer - readable medium may include removable and non - removable storage devices including , but not limited to , read only memory ( rom ), random access memory ( ram ), compact discs ( cds ), digital versatile discs ( dvd ), etc . generally , program modules may include routines , programs , objects , components , data structures , etc . that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types . computer - executable instructions , associated data structures , and program modules represent examples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein . the particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps or processes . software and web implementations of various embodiments of the present invention can be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule - based logic and other logic to accomplish various database searching steps or processes , correlation steps or processes , comparison steps or processes and decision steps or processes . it should be noted that the words “ component ” and “ module ,” as used herein and in the following claims , is intended to encompass implementations using one or more lines of software code , and / or hardware implementations , and / or equipment for receiving manual inputs . the foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention , have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . the foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit embodiments of the present invention to the precise form disclosed , and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments of the present invention . the embodiments discussed herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and the nature of various embodiments of the present invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the present invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . the features of the embodiments described herein may be combined in all possible combinations of methods , apparatus , modules , systems , and computer program products .	7
in fig1 , a closure element 7 according to the invention of a closure 6 is provided with the designation 7 and is represented together with an elastic element 8 , formed as an extension arm 10 , or a leaf spring 11 on a carrier 13 . the carrier 13 and the leaf spring 11 are punched out from a metal sheet and the closure element 7 is molded as a plastic part onto the end of the leaf spring 11 on the input side . likewise molded onto the carrier 13 are latching hooks 31 for the mounting of a sealing unit 32 , represented in fig6 to 12 . on account of the low amplitude , the movement of the closure element 7 of the closure 6 can be described by approximation as a rotation about a first axis of rotation 20 , which is arranged in the region of the attachment of the leaf spring 11 and runs parallel to a plane of movement 4 of a card 2 . as also shown in fig2 , 3 , the closure element 7 has on the input side , in an inward direction 9 , an outer run - in slope 14 . by means of the outer run - in slope 14 , the card is capable of pushing aside the closure element 7 from a receiving opening 5 perpendicularly in relation to the plane of movement 4 of the card 2 . on the inner side of the closure element 7 there is likewise an inner run - in slope 15 , which makes it possible for the card 2 to push aside the closure element 7 as it leaves the device . the leaf spring 11 , carrying the closure element 7 , is offset approximately 6 mm in relation to the plane of the carrier 13 by being bent away in the direction of the plane of movement 4 of the card 2 and is therefore provided with a prestress that is obtained during operation when it bears against a counter abutment . in a way corresponding to the preferred use of tachographs , two closures according to the invention are usually arranged on a common carrier 13 , as shown in fig3 . in fig4 , 5 , a locking unit 29 is represented , provided with the designation 29 . in fig4 , the locking unit 29 is in a non - locked position and , in fig5 , the locking element is locked by means of the locking unit 29 . the locking unit 29 has two locking elements 30 , 35 , which can in each case be pivoted about a third axis of rotation 33 , 34 . the two locking elements 30 , 35 are arranged laterally of the closure 6 on both sides of the plane of movement 4 for a card . the locking elements 35 , 30 are respectively provided on the end faces , facing the closure element 7 , with a run - in slope 36 , 37 , which makes it possible for the locking elements 30 , 35 to push themselves behind the closure element 7 in a plane between the plane of the closure element 7 and the plane of the carrier 13 , so that the closure 6 can no longer spring back into an open position . in fig6 , a sealing unit 32 is represented , which seal has cut - out recesses 38 , 39 , which correspond to the latching hooks 31 . the sealing unit 32 , consisting of plastic , encloses the receiving opening 5 for the card in the plane of movement 4 in a u - shaped manner and is provided on the side facing the plane of movement 4 with a seal 40 . the seal 40 integrally combines a first seal 21 , extending in the longitudinal direction of the receiving opening 5 , and two second seals 22 , extending in the transverse direction of the receiving opening 5 . the seal 40 is fitted in an interlocking manner in a corresponding receiving formation 41 . the cross section of the seal 40 that is represented in fig8 shows the arrangement with a first sealing lip 42 for sealing with respect to a front panel 25 . as fig9 , 10 illustrate , the region of the second seal 22 has a chamber - like clearance with a second sealing lip 43 , which is formed in a resilient manner and faces in the inward direction 9 . the second sealing lip 43 seals with respect to a laterally protruding sealing surface 44 of the closure element , so that no splash water can penetrate laterally of the closure element 7 either . as fig1 , 12 illustrate in the detail of the partial representation of a card receiving device 1 , if it is installed in accordance with regulations , the closure element 7 of the closure 6 closes with a movement from the bottom upward , that is to say substantially counter to the direction of gravitational force , and comes to bear against the first seal 21 in the closed position . the installation position may also be inclined by up to 30 ° according to the invention . the resilient closure 7 thereby prevents the card from falling out when it is ejected , by means of clamping . on account of the wedge shape of the closure element 7 , the bearing contact is substantially linear . on account of this arrangement , the seal 40 describes a substantially inverted u shape around the receiving opening 5 . in this way , splash water penetrating through a receiving recess 28 of the front panel 25 that corresponds to the receiving opening 5 can , under the driving effect of gravitational force , run into a drainage channel 46 , located under the receiving opening 5 behind the front panel 25 on the rear side 26 , and from there leave the moisture - sensitive region from a drain 45 . the portion that seals with respect to the front panel 25 is formed as a softer region 24 of the seal 40 and is softer than an adjacent , harder region 23 , arranged as a counter abutment of the closure element . these two regions 23 , 24 are integrally connected to each other .	6
the experimental proofs of the concept were conducted in an apparatus of the type illustrated in the figure . as seen in fig1 a pressurized packed trickle bed reactor 10 made from type 316 stainless steel contains the catalyst ( s ) 11 . the reactor volume was approximately 80 cc &# 39 ; s . the catalyst ( s ) were supported on glass beads 12 . the reactants were distributed over the catalysts by another layer of glass beads 13 at the top of the bed . the oxidation catalyst was an oxidation catalyst containing a noble metal ( pt , pd , rh , or ir ) or combinations thereof , on a hydrophobic support , e . g . styrene - divinylbenzene co - polymer , fluorinated carbon and silicalite or on activated carbon . see u . s . pat . no . 5 , 009 , 872 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . the surface area should be high enough so that sufficient metal catalyst can be deposited with good dispersion , say in the range of 50 - 800 square meters per gram . the solid acid catalyst can be a solid ion exchange resin in the acid form . specifically , amberlyst 15 in the acid form has been found to be effective . the bed packing was a mixture of the catalyst and an inert support . in the case where the reaction proceeds in parallel , the oxidation catalyst and the solid acid catalyst were blended together with glass beads and placed on a bed of sized glass beads . layers of sized glass beads were then placed on top of the catalyst bed and the reactor was closed . in the case where the reactions ˜ proceeded sequentially , the solid acid catalyst mixed with glass beads was placed on a bed of sized glass beads , a layer of glass beads was placed on top of the catalyst and bed of oxidation catalyst mixed with glass beads was placed on top of the separating layer of glass beads . finally , a layer of glass beads was placed on top of the hydrophobic catalyst and the reactor was closed . the reactor was then placed inside a heating jacket 14 to control the reaction temperature . a heat transfer liquid was circulated through the jacket in series with a constant temperature bath to maintain the reactor temperature . temperatures in the range of from 75 ° to 150 ° c . are contemplated . the use of liquid ethanol in the trickle bed reactor enhances the process in two ways : 1 ) it rapidly removes the exothermic heat of reaction , thus reducing the probability of hot spots 2 ) it keeps the catalyst surface clean , ensuring high reaction rates . in operation , liquid ethanol and compressed oxygen were metered into the reactor using mass flow controllers . the reactants passed through a static mixer 15 prior to entering at the top of the reactor . the reactants flowed concurrently downward to avoid flooding the reactor . the acetic acid formed was absorbed by the excess ethanol and reacted with it to produce ethyl acetate and water . the reactor effluent containing ethyl acetate and water was removed from reactor 10 and cooled by heat exchange in a cooler 16 using a circulating coolant . the pressure of the system was controlled using a back pressure regulator 17 which regulated the flow out of the reactor . the cooled effluent then passed into a receiver 18 chilled by circulating coolant where the liquid separated from the vapor . the vapor stream passed through a condenser 19 which condensed vapors from the spent air stream . the condensed vapors flowed by gravity into the receiver . in the cases where the reactions proceeded in parallel , the catalyst bed comprised 2 grams of 1o % pd / sdb hydrophobic catalyst or 10 % pd / c catalyst plus 2 grams of amberlyst 15 mixed with 15 cc &# 39 ; s of glass beads . this bed rested on 15 cc &# 39 ; s of 0 . 2 - 0 . 4 mm glass beads on top of 10 cc &# 39 ; s of 2 mm glass beads . at the top of the catalyst bed was a layer of 15 cc &# 39 ; s of 0 . 2 - 0 . 4 mm glass beds covered by a layer of 10 cc &# 39 ; s of 2 mm glass beads . in the cases were the reactions proceeded sequentially , the reactor was filled with 10 cc &# 39 ; s of 2 mm glass beads at the bottom followed by 10 cc &# 39 ; s of 0 . 2 - d . 4 mm glass beads followed by 10 cc &# 39 ; s of a mixture of 2 grams of amberlyst 15 in 10 cc &# 39 ; s of glass beads followed by a layer of glass beads and then a layer of a mixture of 10 % pd / sdb hydrophobic catalyst or 10 % pd / c catalyst in 10 cc &# 39 ; s of glass beads covered by a layer of sized glass beads as in the previous example . a series of examples were also run without the use of the solid acid catalyst to demonstrate that the esterification reaction will proceed in the reactor without the use of a catalyst . in this case , the catalyst bed was prepared as described previously but with a catalyst bed comprising 2 grams of 10 % pd / sdb mixed with glass beads without the solid acid catalyst . other tests were run with the pd dispersed onto a carbon carrier to demonstrate the benefits of a hydrophobic carrier . in this case , the reaction occurred , but more slowly . another set of tests were run comparing the effectiveness of the oxidation catalyst when the palladium is oxidized to the more normal case when the palladium is in the reduced state . conversions to ethyl acetate were found to be higher when the palladium was in the oxidized state . the ethanol fed to the reactor was either 93 % ethanol or 99 +% ethanol . oxygen or air was metered into the reactor in a ratio of liquid ethanol to oxygen or air of 0 . 4 cc &# 39 ; s 228 cc . the following tables summarize the results of the tests : whsv h - 1 p ( bar ) t (° c .) % h 2 o % ch 3 cho % c 2 h 5 oh % ch 3 cooc 2 h 5 % ch 3 cooh ______________________________________9 . 6 35 . 9 95 16 . 902 1 . 025 59 . 237 14 . 538 9 . 2987 . 2 35 . 9 95 17 . 464 0 . 905 54 . 189 18 . 706 8 . 7364 . 8 35 . 9 95 18 . 841 0 . 699 49 . 191 22 . 062 9 . 2072 . 4 35 . 9 95 20 . 227 0 . 336 43 . 501 24 . 838 11 . 0989 . 6 40 . 0 95 16 . 929 1 . 004 56 . 398 16 . 694 8 . 9759 . 6 27 . 6 95 15 . 757 1 . 002 62 . 395 13 . 754 7 . 1229 . 6 20 . 7 95 15 . 006 1 . 029 66 . 698 11 . 588 5 . 6699 . 6 35 . 9 90 16 . 292 1 . 113 60 . 203 13 . 089 9 . 3039 . 6 35 . 9 85 15 . 357 1 . 152 63 . 791 11 . 435 8 . 2659 . 6 35 . 9 75 14 . 231 1 . 347 69 . 545 8 . 049 8 . 828______________________________________ ______________________________________9 . 6 35 . 9 95 17 . 152 0 . 243 62 . 708 10 . 722 9 . 1757 . 2 35 . 9 95 17 . 968 0 . 329 53 . 653 14 . 929 13 . 1214 . 8 35 . 9 95 19 . 653 0 . 204 48 . 573 17 . 242 14 . 3282 . 4 35 . 9 95 21 . 642 0 . 049 40 . 425 21 . 224 16 . 661______________________________________ ______________________________________9 . 6 35 . 9 95 12 . 586 0 . 557 58 . 270 18 . 091 10 . 4967 . 2 35 . 9 95 13 . 427 0 . 401 52 . 345 20 . 995 12 . 8324 8 35 . 9 95 13 . 897 0 . 216 49 . 655 22 . 346 13 . 8862 . 4 35 . 9 95 14 . 310 0 . 118 48 . 704 22 . 718 14 . 150______________________________________ ______________________________________9 . 6 35 . 9 95 18 . 443 0 . 627 52 . 074 20 . 228 8 . 6287 . 2 35 . 9 95 19 . 258 0 . 549 48 . 207 22 . 614 9 . 3724 . 8 35 . 9 95 20 . 537 0 . 353 43 . 027 25 . 391 10 . 6922 . 4 35 . 9 95 21 . 774 0 . 158 38 . 287 22 . 619 11 . 962______________________________________ ______________________________________9 . 6 35 . 9 95 12 . 556 0 . 820 59 . 130 21 . 630 5 . 8647 . 2 35 . 9 95 14 . 143 0 . 592 51 . 438 25 . 962 7 . 8654 . 8 35 . 9 95 15 . 294 0 . 405 46 . 858 28 . 555 8 . 8892 . 4 35 . 9 95 16 . 351 0 . 207 42 . 709 30 . 911 9 . 822______________________________________ single catalyst bed - 10 % pd on sdb and carbon , compared 10 % pd / sdb 10 % pd / c ______________________________________pressure , bar 35 . 9 35 . 9whsvh . sup .- 1 2 . 4 2 . 4ethanol , % 99 +% 99 +% temperature ° c . 95 95water , % 14 . 281 13 . 564ch . sub . 3 cho , % 0 . 117 1 . 038c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 oh , % 48 . 565 53 . 134ch . sub . 3 cooc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 , % 23 . 066 19 . 060ch . sub . 3 cooh , % 13 . 950 13 . 204ethanol , % 93 . 47 93 . 47water , % 22 . 043 16 . 443ch . sub . 3 cho , % 0 . 051 1 . 234c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 oh , % 40 . 820 58 . 532ch . sub . 3 cooc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 , % 20 . 688 13 . 297ch . sub . 3 cooh , % 16 . 398 14 . 495______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________catalyst pd / sdb pdo / sdb pd / sdb pdo / sdb pd / sdb pdo / sdb pd / sdb pdo / sdb__________________________________________________________________________whsv h . sup .- 1 9 . 6 9 . 6 7 . 2 7 . 2 4 . 8 4 . 8 2 . 4 2 . 4ethanol , % 93 . 47 93 . 47 93 . 47 94 . 47 93 . 47 93 . 47 93 . 47 93 . 47water , % 17 . 152 18 . 174 17 . 968 19 . 331 19 . 653 21 . 290 21 . 641 27 . 560ch . sub . 3 cho , % 0 . 243 0 . 533 0 . 329 0 . 256 0 . 204 0 . 464 0 . 049 0 . 650c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 oh , % 62 . 708 57 . 640 53 . 653 47 . 970 48 . 573 41 . 907 40 . 425 32 . 585ch . sub . 3 cooc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 , % 10 . 722 12 . 400 14 . 929 17 . 130 17 . 242 19 . 450 21 . 224 24 . 538ch . sub . 3 cooh , % 9 . 175 11 . 253 13 . 121 14 . 929 14 . 328 16 . 889 16 . 661 15 . 071ethanol , % 99 + 99 +% 99 +% 99 +% 99 +% 99 +% 99 +% 99 +% water , % 12 . 586 13 . 120 13 . 427 13 . 892 13 . 897 17 . 319 14 . 310 22 . 464ch . sub . 3 cho , % 0 . 557 0 . 881 0 . 401 0 . 555 0 . 216 0 . 439 0 . 118 0 . 245c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 oh , % 58 . 270 57 . 023 52 . 345 52 . 564 49 . 655 40 . 672 48 . 704 29 . 171ch . sub . 3 cooc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 , % 18 . 091 17 . 584 20 . 995 20 . 702 22 . 346 24 . 757 22 . 718 30 . 891ch . sub . 3 cooh , % 10 . 496 11 . 393 12 . 832 12 . 287 13 . 886 16 . 783 14 . 150 17 . 229__________________________________________________________________________ it is postulated that when conventional catalyst is exposed to aqueous solutions , capillary condensation takes place until it reaches thermodynamic equilibrium dictated by the kelvin equation where r is the radius of the capillary , v is the molar volume of the liquid and μ is the surface tension . equation ( 1 ) indicates that for values of the contact angle 0 less than 90 degrees , liquid condenses in the capillary at a pressure p less than the saturated pressure p o at temperature t . for conventional catalyst supports , the materials are hydrophilic and the contact angle with an aqueous solution would be close to zero . thus the whole catalyst is wet when exposed to the liquid . the equation also implies that increasing contact angle reduces pore condensation . in the presence of a liquid , p is equal to p o and if a hydrophobic material with greater than 90 degrees ( cos ⊖ becomes negative ) is selected as a catalyst support , its pores will remain dry and accessible to the gaseous reactants . in this way , the concentration of the reactants at the reaction sites in the pores is increased by a factor of 10 to the 4th power , roughly the henry &# 39 ; s law constant for oxygen . in addition , the rate of diffusion in the gas phase is about 1 , 000 to 10 , 000 times higher than that in the liquid phase . accordingly , the combination of carrying out the oxidation in the vapor phase and using a hydrophobic catalyst can be employed to increase reaction rates .	2
referring to fig1 a fluid power system is illustrated which incorporates features of this invention . generally , the system is seen to comprise a pair of reversible actuators 10 , 11 in the form of hydraulic cylinders which are connected in a parallel fluid flow relationship with respect to each other and with respect to a source of pressurized fluid , generally indicated at 12 . pressurized fluid flows to the actuators 10 , 11 from the source 12 , first by way of a control valve 20 , and then by way of either one of two diverter valves 22 , 24 which are connected in series fluid flow relationship with the control valve 20 . the control valve 20 controls which one of the two diverter valves 22 , 24 receives the pressurized fluid flowing from the source . each diverter valve is capable of dividing such flow between two companion flow paths . each such flow path communicates with a distinct one of the actuators 10 , 11 . when the control valve 20 sends pressurized fluid through the diverter valve 22 to both the actuators , those actuators produce one type action . when the control valve 20 sends the pressurized fluid through the other diverter valve 24 to the actuators , those actuators produce the reverse action . each diverter valve is responsive to a pre - determined decrease in pressure in each of its companion flow paths . such a pressure decrease causes the diverter valve to divert pressurized fluid from the reduced pressure flow path to its companion flow path and to the actuator connected to that companion flow path . thus , in the event of a rupture of a fluid conduit transporting fluid to one of the actuators , the inoperability of that actuator does not prevent the system from functioning and fluid loss is minimized . in addition , increased power output of the other actuator is achieved by combining the diverted fluid flow with the pressurized fluid normally flowing to that operable actuator and obtaining an increased work output from it . in one application the fluid power system incorporating features of this invention may be embodied in a vehicle steering apparatus . each of the actuators 10 , 11 is connected to a wheel of a vehicle . each of the actuators 10 , 11 comprises a fluid cylinder defining non - communicating chambers 10a , 10b and 11a , 11b at opposed ends of the cylinder . the cylinders 10 , 11 are connected to their respective vehicle wheels so that the simultaneous delivery of pressurized fluid to a particular chamber in each cylinder causes both cylinders to produce steering action . the fluid pressure source 12 includes a reservoir 16 which is connected to the control valve 20 by a conduit 30 . a pump 18 is disposed in the conduit 30 to pressurize fluid passing through the conduit 30 to the control valve 20 . a conduit 32 conducts fluid exiting the control valve 20 back through a check valve to the reservoir and to the conduit 30 . the control valve 20 is a 4 - way , 3 position valve which controls which of the diverter valves receives the pressurized fluid flowing from the source 12 . the valve has a neutral position and a pair of fluid conducting positions . one of the fluid conducting positions conducts pressurized fluid from conduit 30 to the diverter valve 22 and returns fluid from diverter valve 24 to the conduit 32 . the other fluid conducting position conducts pressurized fluid from the conduit 30 to the diverter valve 24 and returns fluid from the diverter valve 22 to the conduit 32 . the control valve 20 is shiftable between its three positions in response to the rotation of a steering wheel 26 which may be operatively interconnected with said valve 20 in any suitable manner . operators 28 , 29 interconnecting the steering wheel 26 and the valve 20 are illustrated . the diverter valves 22 , 24 are identical valves which divide any pressurized fluid passing to them from the control valves along a pair of companion fluid flow paths . one path of each pair is connected to a port of one of the actuators and the companion path of the pair is connected to a port of the other actuators . the diverter valve 22 is connected to the control valve 20 by a conduit 40 . the conduit 40 intersects a conduit 50 which connects a pair of similar two position , three way pressure responsive flow control valves 60 , 70 and which divides fluid flow from the conduit 40 between the valves 60 , 70 . the valve element in the valve 60 is movable between a first position wherein the conduit 50 communicates with a conduit 80 and a second position wherein the conduit 50 communicates with a conduit 86 . the valve element in the valve 70 is similarly movable between a first position wherein the conduit 50 communicates with a conduit 90 and a second position wherein the conduit 50 communicates with a conduit 96 . the valves 60 , 70 are maintained in their first position when the lines 40 , 80 , and 90 are normally pressurized . position control passages in the form of pilot lines 41a , 41b extend from the conduit 40 to the valves 60 , 70 . a system sensing flow passage in the form of a pilot line 81 extends from the conduit 80 to the valve 60 . another system sensing flow passage in the form of a pilot line 91 extends from the conduit 90 to the valve 70 . the pilot pressure in the pilot line 81 and a resilient member 82 act in concert on the valve 60 and in opposition to the pilot pressure in the pilot line 41a . the pilot pressure in the pilot line 91 acts in concert with a resilient member 92 on the valve 70 and in opposition to the pilot pressure in the line 41b . when the conduits 40 , 80 , 90 are normally pressurized , the forces generated by the pilot pressures in the pilot lines 81 , 91 in combination with their resilient members 82 , 92 , respectively , are sufficient to overcome , the forces generated by the pilot pressures in the lines 41a , 41b . should the pilot pressure in either of the lines 81 , 91 be reduced below some predetermined limit , the pilot pressure in the other pilot line 41a , 41b acting on that same valve 60 , 70 will be sufficient to move the valve 60 , 70 into its second position . the conduits 80 , 90 form a companion pair of conduits arranged in parallel fluid flow relation with respect to each other . they are provided to connect each of the valves 60 , 70 to a separate one of the cylinders 10 , 11 . the conduit 80 is connected to a chamber 11b in one end of the cylinder 11 while the conduit 90 is connected to a chamber 10a in one end of the cylinder 10 . crossover conduits 86 , 96 are provided to communicate each of the valves 60 , 70 in the conduits 80 , 90 with the companion conduit 90 , 80 when the valves 60 , 70 are in their second positions . to assure that the valves 60 , 70 are shiftable , sequencing valves 88 , 98 are preferably disposed in the respective conduits 80 , 90 . these sequencing valves are utilized to generate a bias pressure . such valves normally will block the conduits 80 , 90 until sufficient pressure is generated in the pilot lines of 89 , 99 to shift the sequencing valves from a fluid conduit obstructing position to a fluid conduit conducting position . a check valve bypass is provided around each of the valves 60 , 70 and their sequencing valves , 88 , 98 to provide return flow paths through the diverter valve 22 for fluid exhausted from the cylinders 10 , 11 . the bypasses each comprise check valves 100 , 102 disposed in bypass conduits 101 , 103 . the conduits 101 , 103 each intersect the respective conduits 80 , 90 intermediate the sequencing valves 88 , 98 and the cylinders 11 , 10 and intersect the conduit 40 intermediate the control valve 20 and the valves 60 , 70 . referring to the diverter valve 24 , a similar arrangement is shown . the conduit 42 communicates with a conduit 150 which connects a pair of similar two position , three way pressure responsive flow control valves 160 , 170 and which divides fluid flow from the conduit 42 between the valves 160 , 170 . the valve element in the valve 160 is movable between a first position wherein the conduit 150 communicates a conduit 180 and a second position wherein the conduit 50 communicates with a conduit 186 . the valve element in the valve 170 is similarly movable between a first position wherein the conduit 150 communicates with a conduit 190 and a second position wherein the conduit 150 communicates with a conduit 196 . a pair of position control passages in the form of pilot lines 141a , 141b extend from the conduit 42 to the respective valves 160 , 170 and tend to urge those valves into their second position . a pair of system sensing passages in the form of pilot lines 181 , 191 extend from the conduits 180 , 190 to the respective valves 160 , 170 and act in concert with resilient members 182 , 192 to urge the respective valves 160 , 170 toward their first position . when the conduits 180 , 190 are normally pressurized , the valves 160 , 170 are in their first positions , and the conduit 150 communicates with the conduits 180 , 190 . when the conduits 180 , 190 are not normally pressurized the values 160 , 170 communicate with the conduits 190 , 180 respectively through a pair of crossover conduits 186 , 196 . the conduits 180 , 190 form a companion pair of conduits arranged in parallel fluid flow relation with respect to each other . they are provided to connect each of the valves 160 , 170 to a separate one of the cylinders 10 , 11 . the conduit 180 communicates with the chamber 11a of the cylinder 11 while the conduit 190 communicates with the end 10b of the cylinder 10 . sequencing valves 188 , 198 are disposed in the conduits 180 , 190 . check valve bypasses are also provided around each of the valves 160 , 170 and their sequencing valves 188 , 198 . the bypasses comprise check valves 200 , 202 disposed in bypass conduits 201 , 203 which communicate the conduits 180 , 190 with conduit 42 . in the operation of this system , when the control valve 20 is in its neutral position , no pressurized fluid is conducted from the source 12 to the circuit . when the steering wheel 26 is turned in one direction the control valve 20 is moved to one of its conducting positions and pressurized fluid is conducted from the pump 18 through the conduit 30 to the conduit 40 and into the diverter valve 22 . that pressurized fluid is divided by the conduit 50 and passes through both of the companion valves 60 , 70 to the respective conduits 80 , 90 . sufficient pressure is generated in the conduits 80 , 90 to pressurize the pilot lines 89 , 99 and shift the sequencing valves 88 , 98 from a flow obstructing to a flow enabling position . pressurized fluid flow then passes along the respective conduits 80 , 90 to the cylinder chambers 11b , 10a . simultaneously with fluid entering the cylinder chambers 11b , 10a other fluid will be evacuated from the cylinder chambers 10b , 11a through the conduits 190 , 180 and the bypasses 201 , 203 in the diverter valve 24 . the two flowing portions of evacuated fluid will combine in the conduit 42 and pass through the valve 20 to the conduit 32 for recirculation . this fluid flow through the diverter valves causes the vehicle to turn in one direction . when the steering wheel 26 in the opposite direction , the valve 20 is moved to the other of its conducting positions . fluid then flows in the opposite direction through the diverter valves to the cylinders . if there is a rupture of one of the fluid conduits conducting fluid to the cylinders 10 , 11 the fluid in that conduit will be diverted to the companion conduit which is continuously conducting fluid to its own cylinder . the result of course , is that an increased amount of pressurized fluid will be conveyed to the operating cylinder to increase its work output and maintain steering of the vehicle until it can be brought to a stop . only a minimal amount of fluid will be lost because of a rupture . the operation of the system in the event of a fluid conduit rupture is illustrated by assuming that the control valve 20 is conducting pressurized fluid from the conduit 30 into the conduit 40 and the diverter valve 22 . the conduit 80 , would normally conduct pressurized fluid to the cylinder chamber 11b . if the conduit 80 ruptures at some point between the diverter valve 22 and the cylinder 11 , the diverter valve 22 will divert the pressurized fluid in the conduit 80 to the companion conduit 90 . thus , the diverted pressurized fluid will combine with the pressurized fluid normally flowing in the companion conduit 90 and flow to the cylinder 10 to maintain vehicle steering capability . more specifically , when a rupture takes place in the conduit 80 , the pilot pressure in the pilot line 81 is substantially reduced and the pilot pressure in the pilot line 41a causes the valve 60 to be shifted from its first position to its second position . fluid in the conduit 40 is directed by the valve 60 into the conduit 86 which carries the diverted fluid to the companion conduit 90 where these fluids join and together flow to the chamber 10a of the cylinder 10 . similarly if a break should appear in the conduit 90 between the diverter valve 22 and the cylinder 10 , a similar diverting action would be carried out by the three way flow control valve 70 to direct fluid through the conduit 96 to the conduit 80 to combine with other pressurized fluid flowing through that conduit into the cylinder chamber 11b . an analgous fluid diverting action is performed in the diverter valve 24 if the fluid exiting the control valve 20 should pass to the valve 24 and if a conduit rupture should occur in either of the companion conduits 180 , 190 . although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity , it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed .	1
example embodiments , as described below , may be used to provide a method , an apparatus and / or a system of portable light restoration helmet . although the present embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments , it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments . fig1 illustrates a front view ( fig1 a ) and back view ( fig1 b ) of helmet according to an embodiment of the present invention . the invention provides swappable - zoned flexible helmet ( 100 ) which is able to substantially increase the amount of energy and simultaneously stimulate the scalp muscles deep within the cranial theca . these swappable zones include light emitting devices such as led , laser diode or vertical - cavity surface - emitting laser ( vcsel ) devices for the therapeutic treatment of scalp . by creating these , swappable zones , the lasers diodes or leds or vcsel have more power and energy to therapeutically increase the follicle stimulating benefits of lllt ( low level laser therapy or low level led therapy ) for hair loss . the added benefits of this extra stimulation create more production of nitric oxide , s . o . d ., as well as increased atp production in each of the scalp cells . another embodiment of the present a flexible helmet ( 100 ) or head covering ( 100 ) which is cost effective , efficient and safer to use which allows the user to maximize the effects of the , laser or leds or vcsel and the stimulation of the scalp muscles in order to generate the most amount of hair in the shortest amount of time . fig2 illustrates an inner view helmet ( 201 ) according to another embodiment of the present invention . the flexible helmet ( 201 ) is designed with about 25 - 300 tiny light emitting devices ( 201 ) such as laser diode , led or vcsel that project an unfocused laser light onto the scalp of a hair loss subject . the 25 - 300 tiny lasers , led or vcsel devices ( 201 ) lights are fixed into specially designed flexible helmet ( 201 ) in matching the head contour . these laser diode led or vcsel lights get absorbed by the scalp and the longer a person wears the flexible helmet , the more energy the scalp tissue absorbs . this absorbed energy is measured in joules per centimeter square . the optimum energy delivered to the scalp should be between 3 - 6 joules in a given session but our disco and findings suggest that substantial improvements in hair growth is experienced when the scalp has absorbed about 4 - 6 joles / cm & lt ; 2 & gt ; of energy . laser or led efficacy is calculated by using the following formula : the flexible helmet ( 100 ) stimulates the scalp muscles using specific zones of laser diodes , led or vcsel devices ( 202 ). it is provided with the three unique treatment zones for maximum treatment and more effective method to treat bald areas . to be more specific , when all of the 25 or so lasers / leds / vcsel ( 202 ) are turned on and bio - stimulating the entire scalp , most users can tolerate along therapy session of typically up to 45 minutes , but when the laser diodes or leds or vcsel ( 202 ) are separated into three unique zones namely , frontal scalp , parietal scalp and temporal scalp ( 300 / 3 ), and only one zone is turned on at a time for up to 20 minutes at a time , the user experiences an intense stimulation of their scalp muscles to the point where it is almost intolerable beyond 20 minutes each given zone which results in the bringing of more blood to the whole cranial area ( skin on the scalp where the follicles resides ). it strengthens the walls of the capillaries that nourish the hair follicles , and it increases the flexibility and elasticity of the whole scalp treating the males and females pattern baldness . the flexible helmet ( 201 ) is a lightweight apparatus weighing less than 3 lbs making it easy and comfortable for usage . in a further embodiment of the present invention , the flexible helmet ( 201 ) has a display system which shows timer per session and total laser or led or vcsel devices treatment time . it is powered with the battery with ac charger ( 110v / 220v ). the apparatus is wire free having minimal wiring with the wireless remote control system . the flexible helmet ( 201 ) have multiple zones ( three zones , namely frontal scalp , parietal scalp and temporal scalp ) which will allow the user to select which part of the scalp will be treated , allowing more power and treatment time for those areas which are destined to and simultaneously eliminating the undesired exposure of the other areas . in another embodiment of the present invention , the flexible et device has control mechanism to on / off a specific zone and sensing unit for sensing the user scalp . the sensing unit in the flexible helmet has plurality of sensors such as proximity sensor and heat sensor . the proximity sensor causes the lasers or leds or vcsel ( 202 ) devices to turn on when it senses the scalp otherwise will remain off until user wears the flexible helmet while the heat sensor of the flexible helmet regulates the temperature on scalp . the distance from laser or led or vcsel to scalp will determine the coverage and effective hot spots . in a further embodiment of the present invention , the uniform distance between scalp and flexible helmet ( 201 ) is maintained by using 1 cm spacer . the apparatus is equipped with an adjustable timer and alarm for session . the flexible helmet ( 100 ) has shown to provide increased hair growth , shinier hair , denser hair and healthier scalp using no medication and zero side - effects . in a preferred embodiment , the flexible helmet ( 100 ) weighing 2 lbs attached with 25 - 300 tiny laser diodes or leds or vcsels is used to fit in the head size to cover the top of the head or the crown area ( up to norwood 5 a ) projecting an unfocused laser or led light onto the scalp which bio - stimulate the scalp and encourages hair growth . in another embodiment of the present invention , a matrix of spacer that keeps the laser or led lights from a human scalp for a specified distance . the flexible helmet is attached with the ac charger of 110v . the proximity sensor causes the lasers or leds to turn on when it senses the scalp while the heat sensor regulates temperature on scalp . the alarm rings up after the completion of adjusted time for the session . the flexible helmet ( 100 ) user will start seeing significant results within 10 weeks and greatest results by 3 [ ½ ] months . fig3 illustrates the connection of laser or led diode or vcsel devices and cables to shell and platform according to another embodiment of the present invention . each laser or led or vcsel ( 303 ) is connected in the center of the shell . laser or led diode or vcsels shell has a spacer ( 304 ) and a small lever ( 302 ), laser or led diode ( 303 ) and connection terminal point ( 302 ). the size of spacer ( 304 ) is keeps 1 cm for the effective treatment of scalp . spacer ( 304 ) maintains the even distance between the laser or led or vcsel and scalp . terminal point ( 301 ) is used to connect a shell with the others shell module and the power supply . each shell has lever ( 302 ), which is used to connect module to helmet platform . such 25 - 300 tiny lasers or 25 - 300 led or 25 - 300 vcsel modules are fitted in the helmet . when these laser or led or vcsel are turns on , it produces light in the region ( 305 ) which covers 1 . 76 cm & lt ; 2 & gt ; areas ( 306 ) of scalp . each module is connected in a configuration so that it is swappable with the modules of other zone . fig4 illustrates a top view of human scalp according to another embodiment of present invention , which reflects different part of scalp such as front scalp , temporal scalp and frontal scalp zone , each parts represent a particular zone of scalp . fig5 illustrates a laser diode diffusion pattern according to another embodiment of present invention . in the present invention laser or led diode module produces light in 1 . 76 cm & lt ; 2 & gt ; area of scalp and distance of module is maintained by a 1 cm spacer for the effective treatment of scalp . the helmet aids to normalize the scalp conditions mostly ( dandruff , seborrhea dermatitis , itch etc .). another embodiment of the present invention is to provide the flexible helmet device which helps in the decrease shedding of hair and allow hairs to grow faster , thicker and stronger ( tensile strength ) with an added advantage of reverse miniaturization . the present invention provides re - growth of dormant follicles and is proven out to be more manageable . the new zone - based laser or led or vcsel stimulation could also be effective for tightening the surface skin of the scalp , temple and face area for other cosmetic applications because of more production of nitric oxide , superoxide dismutase , as well as increased atp production in each of the scalp cells . the flexible helmet has other benefits of convenience factor ( i . e . medical facility visits are not needed any more ) and can be used privately . the device is safest during usage as most laser or led restoration devices can be harmful , if used carelessly . the apparatus can be used in any of the comfortable places like home , bed , couch , bathroom etc ., may be in a car or during work , clinic etc . the flexible helmet device fits any head size and is adjustable . it covers the top of head or crown area ( up to norwood 5 a ). in a further embodiment of the present invention , the user wears the flexible helmet 3 times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes per session ( adjustable ). the present invention provides a cost effective solution for male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness . although the present embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments , it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments . for example , the various devices and modules described herein may be enabled and operated using hardware circuitry , firmware , software or any combination of hardware , firmware , and software ( e . g ., embodied in a machine readable medium ). for example , the various electrical structure and methods may be embodied using transistors , logic gates , and electrical circuits ( e . g ., application specific integrated ( asic ) circuitry and / or in digital signal processor ( dsp ) circuitry ). in addition , it will be appreciated that the various operations , processes , and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in a machine - readable medium and / or a machine accessible medium compatible with a data processing system ( e . g ., a computer devices ), and may be performed in any order ( e . g ., including using means for achieving the various operations ). accordingly , the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense .	0
fig1 shows a microfluidic device according to a first embodiment in a top view and in cross section . in fig1 a and 1 b , reference m denotes a microfluidic device . the microfluidic device m in this case comprises as the uppermost layer , according to fig1 a and 1 b , an upper polymer layer 1 and also a lower polymer layer 3 ( not shown in fig1 a ). elements in the lower polymer layer 3 are indicated in fig1 a by dashes . in the lower polymer layer 3 , a duct 4 a is arranged , which is connected pneumatically to a lower displacement volume 7 b , likewise formed in the lower polymer layer 3 . the lower displacement volume 7 b is pneumatically connected , further , to a diaphragm 2 which is arranged between the two polymer layers 1 , 3 . the diaphragm 2 in this case forms essentially the second layer of the microfluidic device m . the diaphragm 2 can in this case expand essentially completely into the lower displacement volume 7 b . further , in the upper polymer layer 1 , a cavity 6 is arranged , which is connected pneumatically to an upper displacement volume 7 a . the upper displacement volume 7 a is in this case formed as a clearance 5 a in the upper polymer layer 1 . the diaphragm 2 is in this case arranged between the two polymer layers 1 , 3 such that the diaphragm 2 can expand into the upper displacement volume 7 a or into the lower displacement volume 7 b , depending on the action of pressure upon the duct 4 a . when the diaphragm 2 expands into the lower displacement volume 7 b arranged in the lower polymer layer 3 , the pressure in the cavity 6 is reduced . when the diaphragm 2 expands into the upper displacement volume 7 a of the upper polymer layer 3 , the pressure in the cavity 6 is increased . the diaphragm 2 according to fig1 a and 1 b is connected to the lower polymer layer 1 and the upper polymer layer 3 via a weld seam or adhesive bond 2 ′. in this case , the weld seam or adhesive bond 2 ′ is arranged in the region of the duct 4 a on the upper polymer layer 1 and in the region of the cavity 6 on the lower polymer layer 3 . the upper displacement volume 7 a is in this case determined , on the one hand , by the clearance 5 a and , on the other hand , also by the extent of the weld seam or adhesive bond 2 ′ on the lower polymer layer 3 . the cavity 6 is thus formed by that part of the clearance 5 a according to fig1 b into which the diaphragm 2 cannot expand because of the fixing to the lower polymer layer 3 . the diaphragm 2 can expand completely into the lower displacement volume 7 b , formed by the clearance 5 b , as a result of the generation of a vacuum in the duct 4 a . a further duct 4 b formed in the upper polymer layer 3 is arranged at the cavity 6 and serves for connection to pneumatically actuable structural elements , such as microfluidic pumps , valves , filters , reservoirs , chambers , mixers and the like . in general , the duct 4 a is provided with pressure , by means of which the elastically formed diaphragm 2 can then expand into the upper or lower displacement volume 7 a , 7 b . the following then applies , according to the boyle - marriote law , to the pressure in the cavity 6 : p 2 = ( v v + v k + v r v k + v r ) ⁢ p 1 p 2 describing the pressure after actuation of the diaphragm 2 , p 1 normal pressure , that is to say a pressure at which the diaphragm 2 is not expanded and / or compressed , v v the displacement volume 7 a , 7 b , v k the volume of the cavity 6 and v r all the remaining volumes which are connected to the cavity 6 , for example the ducts 4 b or the like . fig2 a and 2 b show a microfluidic device according to a second embodiment without and with the action of pressure upon the diaphragm . fig2 a and 2 b show essentially a similar set - up of the microfluidic device m according to fig1 . in contrast to fig1 , the lower displacement volume 7 b is again formed as a clearance 5 b , but as a duct portion of the duct 4 a . the lower polymer layer 3 can thus be structured or produced more simply , and furthermore a space saving for the microfluidic device m is achieved , since the thickness of the lower polymer layer 3 is smaller . fig2 a shows the diaphragm 2 in the nonloaded state , that is to say the pressure in the duct 4 a and that in the cavity 6 are essentially equal . dashes indicate the limit between the cavity 6 , into which the diaphragm 2 cannot expand , and the upper displacement volume 7 a , into which the diaphragm 2 can expand when the supply duct 4 a is acted upon with pressure . in the region of the cavity 6 , the diaphragm 2 is fixed to the lower polymer layer 3 by means of a weld seam or adhesive bond 2 ′, whereas , in the nonloaded state , the diaphragm 2 merely bears against the lower polymer layer 3 in the region without a weld seam or adhesive bond 2 ′, that is to say in the region of the upper displacement volume 7 a . fig3 shows a microfluidic device according to a third embodiment . fig3 shows a microfluidic device m , the set - up of which corresponds essentially to the set - up of the microfluidic device of fig2 a and 2 b . in contrast to fig2 a and 2 b , the height of the displacement volume 7 a , said height being defined as the distance between the diaphragm 2 in the nonloaded state and the top edge of the clearance 5 a of the displacement volume , is lower than the height of the cavity 6 , which height is defined as the maximum distance between the welded - on or bonded - on diaphragm 2 and the upper polymer layer 1 . it is thus possible for overpressure in the cavity 6 to be capable of being selected in a more flexible way . fig4 a and fig4 b show a microfluidic device according to a fourth embodiment in a top view and in cross section . fig4 a and 4 b show a microfluidic device m , the set - up of which is similar to the set - up of the microfluidic device m of fig3 . in contrast to fig3 , a connecting duct 10 is formed in the region between the clearance 5 a of the upper displacement volume 7 a and the cavity 6 . the connecting duct 10 connects the upper displacement volume 7 a pneumatically to the cavity 6 . the connecting duct 10 may in this case be formed by a horizontally wide web 8 which is arranged so as to project vertically downward out of the upper polymer layer 3 . loosening of the diaphragm 2 from the lower polymer layer 3 upon the repeated actuation of the diaphragm 2 is thereby reduced . the service life of the microfluidic device m is increased . fig5 shows a microfluidic device according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure . fig5 shows essentially a microfluidic device m set up in a similar way to fig4 . in contrast to fig4 , in fig5 a covering layer 9 is arranged on the top side of the upper polymer layer 1 . further , in contrast to fig4 a and fig4 b , the web 8 is of l - shaped form and extends vertically upward from the welded - on diaphragm 2 on the lower polymer layer 1 . the shorter edge of the “ l ” extends to the left . the height of the web 8 between the third layer 9 and the lower polymer layer 3 is lower than the height of the upper polymer layer 1 , so that a connecting duct 10 is formed between the top edge of the web 8 and the third layer 9 . furthermore , the shorter leg of the “ l ” of the web 8 does not extend horizontally completely as far as the upper polymer layer 1 , so that the connecting duct 10 is consequently formed completely between the upper displacement volume 7 a and the cavity 6 . the upper displacement volume 7 a is formed , on the one hand , by a clearance 5 a in the upper polymer layer 1 and , on the other hand , by the web 8 . as a result , overall , the probability of a possible loosening of the diaphragm 2 from the lower polymer layer 2 is reduced even further . fig6 shows a microfluidic device according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure . fig6 shows essentially a microfluidic device m according to fig2 a and 2 b . in contrast to fig2 a and 2 b , the lower displacement volume 7 b is in this case formed correspondingly to the upper displacement volume 7 a of the microfluidic device m according to fig2 b . the upper displacement volume 7 a is formed as a clearance 5 a , but as a duct portion of a duct in the upper polymer layer 1 . the upper polymer layer 1 can thus be structured or produced more simply . fig6 shows the diaphragm 2 in the nonloaded state , that is to say the pressure in the duct 4 a and that in the cavity 6 are essentially equal . dashes indicate the limit between the lower displacement volume 7 b , into which the diaphragm 2 can expand , and a lower volume 6 ′, into which the diaphragm 2 cannot expand when the supply duct 4 a is acted upon with pressure , and which is therefore configured essentially as a subduct of the supply duct 4 a . in the region 6 ′, the diaphragm 2 is fixed to the upper polymer layer 1 by means of a weld seam or adhesive bond 2 ′, whereas , in the nonloaded state , the diaphragm 2 merely bears against the upper polymer layer 1 in the region without a weld seam or adhesive bond 2 ′, that is to say the region of the lower displacement volume 7 b . the microfluidic device is therefore suitable particularly for generating a vacuum in the cavity 6 . fig7 shows a microfluidic device according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure . fig7 shows a microfluidic device essentially according to fig6 . in contrast to fig6 , the device is suitable especially preferably for generating a vacuum in the cavity 6 . instead of the upper displacement volume 7 a , the cavity 6 is in this case arranged directly above the diaphragm 2 which is arranged so as also to be expandable into the cavity 6 . as in fig6 , too , a lower displacement volume 7 b is arranged below the diaphragm 2 as a result of the formation of a clearance 5 b in the lower polymer layer 3 . the displacement volume 7 b is connected to a supply duct 4 a for vacuum generation , the duct 4 b being provided for the connection of further pneumatic or microfluidic elements to the cavity 6 . since the microfluidic device according to fig7 is suitable particularly for vacuum generation , there is no provision for expansion of the diaphragm 2 into the cavity 6 , but instead only into the lower displacement volume 7 b . it thereby becomes possible to have a smaller base area , that is to say a horizontal extent of smaller cross section of the microfluidic device m . in general , further pneumatically actuable elements can be connected to the cavity 6 via the duct 4 b which is connected pneumatically to the cavity 6 . by the action of pressure upon the duct 4 a and consequently upon the elastic diaphragm 2 and by the expansion of the latter , a corresponding pressure rise takes place in the cavity 6 , and it becomes possible to actuate the pneumatically actuable elements which require a correspondingly adapted pressure level , for example a displacement chamber of a diaphragm pump or diaphragm valves . it is likewise possible to actuate a duct network connected to the cavity , in that a defined volume is displaced within the duct network which can be separated from the cavity 6 by means of a valve . the cavity 6 can thus be “ charged ” in a similar way to an electrical capacitor and , after the opening of the valve , the duct network can be acted upon with a defined liquid volume . if , for example , a pneumatic resistance of such a duct network is defined as r and the pneumatic capacity of the cavity as c , the time pressure profile of the pressure within the cavity can be described approximately by the formula with the characteristic time constant τ = rc . on account of the strong dependence of the above - defined pneumatic resistance r , for example , upon a radius of the corresponding duct , which is proportional to 1 / r 4 according to hagen - poiseuille , the characteristic time constant τ can be stipulated or adapted over a wide range . thus , for example for air and typical duct diameters of between 30 μm and 500 μm , values for the characteristic time constant of one second to 10 5 seconds are possible . the thickness of a polymer layer of a microfluidic device may in this case amount to between 0 . 1 mm and 5 mm , in particular to between 0 . 5 mm and 3 mm . the thickness of an elastic diaphragm may in this case be between 10 μm and 500 μm , in particular between 25 and 300 μm . the volume of a cavity of a microfluidic device may in this case amount to between 1 mm 3 and 10 000 mm 3 , in particular to between 10 mm 3 and 1000 mm 3 , and / or the dimensions of the cavity may in this case amount for the length and / or width of the cavity to between 10 μm and 50 mm , in particular to between 25 μm and 25 mm , and the height of the cavity may in this case amount to between 25 μm and 10 mm , in particular to between 50 μm and 5 mm . the displacement volume 7 a , 7 b , defined by the limiting means 5 a , 5 b , may in this case amount to between 0 . 1 mm 3 and 5000 mm 3 , in particular to between 1 mm 3 and 2000 mm 3 , depending on the desired pressure change . a microfluidic device m particularly according to fig1 - 7 may in this case have lateral dimensions of between 1 mm 2 and 10 6 mm 2 , in particular between 100 mm 2 and 10 4 mm 2 . although the present disclosure was described above by means of preferred exemplary embodiments , it is not restricted to these , but can be modified in many different ways .	5
the ortho - heterocyclicbenzenesulfonylureas of formula i can be prepared by reacting the appropriately substituted benzenesulfonamide with an appropriate methyl pyrimidinyl carbamate or methyl triazinyl carbamate in the presence of an equimolar amount of trimethylaluminum according to the procedure of equation 1 . unless indicated otherwise , all temperatures are in ° c . ## str12 ## wherein r 1 , r 17 , q , x , y , and z are as previously defined . the reaction of equation 1 is best carried out in methylene chloride at 25 ° to 40 ° c . for 24 to 96 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere . the product can be isolated by the addition of an aqueous acetic acid solution followed by extraction of the product into methylene chloride or direct filtration of a product of low solubility . the product can ordinarily be purified by trituration with solvents such as n - butyl chloride or ether or by column chromatography . further details of this reaction and the preparation of the carbamates of formula iii can be found in u . s . ser . no . 337 , 934 . sulfonamides of formula ii may be prepared by the sequence of reactions outlined in equation 2 . ## str13 ## wherein r 1 and q are as previously defined . the compounds of formula v are prepared by analogy with the teaching of j . g . lombardino in j . org . chem ., 36 , 1843 . an n - t - butyl sulfonamide of formula iv is dissolved in an ethereal solvent , such as tetrahydrofuran , and two equivalents of n - butyllithium in hexane are added at 0 °- 25 °. after 1 - 5 hours at 0 °- 25 °, the compound of formula v is formed . this is not isolated , but one equivalent of a copper ( i ) salt is added at - 20 ° to 0 °, followed by 1 - 1 . 5 equivalents of an appropriately substituted heteroaromatic iodide ( vi ). the reaction mixture is then heated at 40 °- 70 ° for 1 - 3 days , concentrated , poured onto aqueous ammonia , and filtered to provide the compound of formula vii . the reaction of formula 2c is conducted by heating a compound of formula vii with 2 - 10 equivalents of trifluoroacetic acid or aqueous hbr with or without an inert solvent at 30 °- 70 ° for 1 - 3 days . the product ii may be isolated as a trifluoroacetate or hydrobromide salt by evaporation of solvent and excess acid and trituration with ether . the free base may be obtained by neutralization of the salt with aqueous base , extraction into an organic solvent , and concentration of the organic extracts . the compounds of formula vi may be prepared according to methods known in the art , such as those reviewed in &# 34 ; the chemistry of heterocyclic compounds ,&# 34 ; a series published by interscience publ ., new york and london , the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference . the iodopyridines are described in vol . 14 of the above series , pp . 407 - 488 . iodopyrimidines are described by d . j . brown and s . f . mason in vol . 16 of the above series . the preparation of iodopyrazines is taught by a . hirschberg and p . e . spoerri , j . org . chem ., 26 , 1907 ( 1981 ) and iodopyridazines are described by d . l . aldons and r . n . castle in vol . 28 of the interscience series , pp . 240 - 241 . the iodo - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazines are described by e . m . smolin and l . rapoport , in vol . 13 of the above series , and a method for preparing iodo - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazines is taught by a . rykowski and h . c . van der plas , in j . org . chem ., 45 , 881 ( 1980 ). the present invention is further illustrated , in part , by the following examples . to a solution of 30 g of n -( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl )- 2 -( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamide in 600 ml of tetrahydrofuran was added 190 ml of 1 . 6m butyllithium in hexane at - 10 ° to 10 °. the reaction mixture was allowed to stir at 25 ° for 1 hour , then cooled to - 10 ° and 28 g of cuprous iodine was added . after 15 minutes stirring at 0 °, 35 g of 2 - iodopyridine was added and the mixture was heated to reflux for 16 hours . after cooling to 25 °, 25 ml of acetic acid was added and solvent was removed in vacuo . a cold solution of aqueous ammonia was added and the precipitate was filtered . the solid was digested with methylene chloride and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated , triturated with n - chlorobutane , and the solid was filtered to afford 36 g ( 78 %) of product , m . p . 147 °- 150 °. nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 1 . 3 ( s , 9 ), 7 . 1 - 8 . 7 ( m , 9 ). a solution of 14 . 8 g of the sulfonamide from example 1 and 10 ml of 48 % hydrobromic acid in 100 ml of methanol was heated at 40 °- 45 ° for 16 hours , concentrated , and neutralized with aqueous sodium bicarbonate . the solid was filtered , washed with ice - water , and air - dried to afford 6 . 0 g of product , m . p . 186 °- 190 °. nmr ( cdcl 3 / dmso - d 6 ) δ : 7 . 5 ( m , 7 ), 8 . 1 ( m , 2 ), 8 . 6 ( d , 1 ). ir ( nujol ) 3300 , 3260 cm - 1 . m / e m + 234 . a solution of 1 . 2 g of the compound from example 2 and 1 . 3 g of methyl n -( 4 , 6 - dimethoxypyrimidin - 2 - yl ) carbamate in 50 ml of methylene chloride was stirred under nitrogen and 3 . 4 ml of a 2n solution of trimethylaluminum in toluene was added . after heating at reflux for 4 days , the solution was cooled to 0 °, 3 ml of 2n hcl ( aq .) was added , the mixture was partitioned between methylene chloride and water . the organic layer was concentrated and the residue was chromatographed on silica gel to afford 0 . 9 g of the product , m . p . 175 °- 176 °. nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ : 3 . 8 ( s , 6 ), 6 . 0 ( s , 1 ), 7 . 2 - 8 . 3 ( m ). m / e ( m + + 1 ) 416 . ir 1700 cm - 1 . using the procedures described in the equations and examples 1 - 3 above , the compounds described in the following tables i - x can be prepared . table i__________________________________________________________________________ ## str14 ## r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 r . sub . 17 x y z m . p . (° c . ) __________________________________________________________________________h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch 171 - 174 ° h h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch 180 - 184 ° h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch 175 - 176 ° h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n 160 - 173 ° h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n 172 - 205 ° h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h cl ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch3 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n3 - f h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n3 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch3 - f h h h cl och . sub . 3 ch3 - f h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 n3 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n4 - cl 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 n5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n4 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n__________________________________________________________________________ table ii______________________________________ ## str15 ## m . p . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 r . sub . 17 x y z (° c . ) ______________________________________h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 3 chh h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h cl ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch6 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n6 - f h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n6 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch6 - f h h h cl och . sub . 3 ch6 - f h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 n6 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch3 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n3 - cl h h h cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n3 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - cl h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 n4 - ch . sub . 3 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n______________________________________ table iii______________________________________ ## str16 ## m . p . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 r . sub . 17 x y z (° c . ) ______________________________________h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h cl ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch5 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - f h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch5 - f h h h cl och . sub . 3 ch5 - f h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 n5 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n4 - cl h h h cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 n3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n3 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n______________________________________ table iv__________________________________________________________________________ ## str17 ## r . sub . 1 r . sub . 4 r . sub . 5 r . sub . 6 r . sub . 17 x y z m . p . (° c . ) __________________________________________________________________________h h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch 178 - 185 ° h h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch 197 - 210 ° h h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh h h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n3 - cl h h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl h h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - cl och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl h ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n3 - och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n6 - och . sub . 3 h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n6 - och . sub . 3 h h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch6 - och . sub . 3 h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch6 - f h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - f h h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - f h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 ch3 - f h h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch3 - f h h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n3 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - f och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n__________________________________________________________________________ table v__________________________________________________________________________ ## str18 ## r . sub . 1 r . sub . 7 r . sub . 8 r . sub . 17 x y z m . p . (° c . ) __________________________________________________________________________h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h cl ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 2 &# 39 ;- och . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- och . sub . 3 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch4 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n4 - f h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n4 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch4 - f h h h cl och . sub . 3 ch4 - f h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 n4 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch5 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n5 - cl h h h cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n5 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - cl h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 n3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n4 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n__________________________________________________________________________ table vi__________________________________________________________________________ ## str19 ## r . sub . 1 r . sub . 7 r . sub . 8 r . sub . 17 x y z m . p . (° c . ) __________________________________________________________________________h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h cl ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh 2 &# 39 ;- och . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 4 &# 39 ;- och . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch5 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - f h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch5 - f h h h cl och . sub . 3 ch5 - f h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 n5 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch3 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n3 - cl h h h cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n3 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - cl h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 n4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 2 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n__________________________________________________________________________ table vii__________________________________________________________________________ ## str20 ## __________________________________________________________________________r . sub . 1 r . sub . 9 r . sub . 10 r . sub . 17 x y z m . p . (° c . ) __________________________________________________________________________h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch 212 - 217 ° dh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch 178 ° h h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch 178 - 179 ° h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h cl ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh 3 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch__________________________________________________________________________r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 r . sub . 17 x y z m . p . (° c . ) __________________________________________________________________________h 6 &# 39 ; - ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch3 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n3 - f h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n3 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch3 - f h h h cl och . sub . 3 ch3 - f h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 n3 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch4 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n4 - cl h h h cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n4 - cl 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 n5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n6 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n6 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch6 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch6 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n__________________________________________________________________________ table viii______________________________________ ## str21 ## ______________________________________ m . p . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 11 r . sub . 12 r . sub . 17 x y z (° c . ) ______________________________________h h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh h h h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh h h h och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh h h h cl och . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh h h h cl ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 5 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch______________________________________ m . p . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 r . sub . 17 x y z (° c . ) ______________________________________h 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh 4 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh h h h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch6 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n6 - f h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n6 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 ch6 - f h h h cl och . sub . 3 ch6 - f h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 n6 - f h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - cl h h h ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch5 - cl 6 &# 39 ;- ch . sub . 3 h h och . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n5 - cl h h h cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 n5 - cl h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - cl h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 n3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 n3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n4 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 h h h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 h h h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n______________________________________ table ix______________________________________ ## str22 ## ______________________________________ m . p . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 11 r . sub . 12 r . sub . 17 x y z (° c . ) ______________________________________h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h cl och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch3 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n5 - cl och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h cl ch . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch6 - f och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n5 - och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 nh . sub . 2 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 nhch . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch ( och . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 n ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch______________________________________ table x______________________________________ ## str23 ## ______________________________________ m . p . r . sub . 1 r . sub . 13 r . sub . 14 r . sub . 17 x y z (° c . ) ______________________________________h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 nh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h cl och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 chh ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n6 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - cl ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n5 - f och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch5 - f och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch5 - f och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch3 - ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 n3 - ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n4 - och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 3 ch3 - f och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - f och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n3 - f och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h cl och . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 h och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch4 - ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 chh och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 nh ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 och . sub . 3 n______________________________________ useful formulations of the compounds of formula i can be prepared in conventional ways . they include dusts , granules , pellets , solutions , suspensions , emulsions , wettable powders , emulsifiable concentrates and the like . many of these may be applied directly . sprayable formulations can be extended in suitable media and used at spray volumes of from a few liters to several hundred liters per hectare . high strength compositions are primarily used as intermediates for further formulation . the formulations , broadly , contain about 0 . 1 % to 99 % by weight of active ingredient ( s ) and at least one of ( a ) about 0 . 1 % to 20 % surfactant ( s ) and ( b ) about 1 % to 99 . 9 % solid or liquid inert diluent ( s ). more specifically , they will contain these ingredients in the following approximate proportions : table xi______________________________________ weight percent * active inert ingredient diluent ( s ) surfactant ( s ) ______________________________________wettable powders 20 - 90 0 - 74 1 - 10oil suspensions , 3 - 50 40 - 95 0 - 15emulsions , solutions ,( including emulsifiableconcentrates ) aqueous suspension 10 - 50 40 - 84 1 - 20dusts 1 - 25 70 - 99 0 - 5granules and pellets 0 . 1 - 95 5 - 99 . 9 0 - 15high strength 90 - 99 0 - 10 0 - 2compositions______________________________________ * active ingredient plus at least one of a surfactant or a diluent equals 100 weight percent . lower or higher levels of active ingredient can , of course , be present depending on the intended use and the physical properties of the compound . higher ratios of surfactant to active ingredient are sometimes desirable , and are achieved by incorporation into the formulation or by tank mixing . typical solid diluents are described in watkins , et al ., &# 34 ; handbook of insecticide dust diluents and carriers &# 34 ;, 2nd ed ., dorland books , caldwell , n . j ., but other solids , either mined or manufactured , may be used . the more absorptive diluents are preferred for wettable powders and the denser ones for dusts . typical liquid diluents and solvents are described in marsden , &# 34 ; solvents guide ,&# 34 ; 2nd ed ., interscience , new york , 1950 . solubility under 0 . 1 % is preferred for suspension concentrates ; solution concentrates are preferably stable against phase separation at 0 ° c . &# 34 ; mccutcheon &# 39 ; s detergents and emulsifiers annual &# 34 ;, mc publishing corp ., ridgewood , n . j ., as well as sisely and wood , &# 34 ; encyclopedia of surface active agents &# 34 ;, chemical publishing co ., inc . new york , 1964 , list surfactants and recommended uses . all formulations can contain minor amounts of additives to reduce foaming , caking , corrosion , microbiological growth , etc . the methods of making such compositions are well known . solutions are prepared by simply mixing the ingredients . fine solid compositions are made by blending and , usually , grinding as in a hammer or fluid energy mill . suspensions are prepared by wet milling ( see , for example , littler , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 060 , 084 ). granules and pellets may be made by spraying the active material upon preformed granular carriers or by agglomeration techniques . see j . e . browning , &# 34 ; agglomeration &# 34 ;, chemical engineering , dec . 4 , 1967 , pp . 147ff . and &# 34 ; perry &# 39 ; s chemical engineer &# 39 ; s handbook &# 34 ;, 5th ed ., mcgraw - hill , new york , 1973 , pp . 8 - 57ff . further information regarding the art of formulation may be found in the following references : g . c . klingman , &# 34 ; weed control as a science &# 34 ;, john wiley and sons , inc ., new york , 1961 , pp . 81 - 96 ; and j . d . fryer and s . a . evans , &# 34 ; weed control handbook &# 34 ;, 5th ed ., blackwell scientific publications , oxford , 1968 , pp . 101 - 103 . in the following examples , all parts are by weight unless otherwise indicated . ______________________________________wettable powder______________________________________n --[( 4 - methoxy - 6 - methylpyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 80 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamidesodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate 2 % sodium ligninsulfonate 2 % synthetic amorphous silica 3 % kaolinite 13 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are blended , hammer - milled until all the solids are essentially under 50 microns , reblended , and packaged . ______________________________________wettable powder______________________________________n --[( 4 , 6 - dimethylpyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 50 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamidesodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate 2 % low viscosity methyl cellulose 2 % diatomaceous earth 46 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are blended , coarsely hammer - milled and then air - milled to produce particles essentially all below 10 microns in diameter . the product is reblended before packaging . ______________________________________granule______________________________________wettable powder of example 5 5 % attapulgite granules 95 %( u . s . s . 20 - 40 mesh ; 0 . 84 - 0 . 42 mm ) ______________________________________ a slurry of wettable powder containing ≈ 25 % solids is sprayed on the surface of attapulgite granules in a double - cone blender . the granules are dried and packaged . ______________________________________extruded pellet______________________________________n --[( 4 , 6 - dimethoxypyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 25 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamideanhydrous sodium sulfate 10 % crude calcium ligninsulfonate 5 % sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate 1 % calcium / magnesium bentonite 59 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are blended , hammer - milled and then moistened with about 12 % water . the mixture is extruded as cylinders about 3 mm diameter which are cut to produce pellets about 3 mm long . these may be used directly after drying , or the dried pellets may be crushed to pass a u . s . s . no . 20 sieve ( 0 . 84 mm openings ). the granules held on a u . s . s . no . 40 sieve ( 0 . 42 mm openings ) may be packaged for use and the fines recycled . ______________________________________oil suspension______________________________________n --[( 4 - methoxy - 6 - methylpyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 25 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamidepolyoxyethylene sorbitol hexaoleate 5 % highly aliphatic hydrocarbon oil 70 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are ground together in a sand mill until the solid particles have been reduced to under about 5 microns . the resulting thick suspension may be applied directly , but preferably after being extended with oils or emulsified in water . ______________________________________wettable powder______________________________________n --[( 4 - methoxy - 6 - methylpyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 20 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamidesodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate 4 % sodium ligninsulfonate 4 % low viscosity methyl cellulose 3 % attapulgite 69 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are thoroughly blended . after grinding in a hammer - mill to produce particles essentially all below 100 microns , the material is reblended and sifted through a u . s . s . no . 50 sieve ( 0 . 3 mm opening ) and packaged . the active ingredient is dissolved in the solvent and the solution is sprayed upon dedusted granules in a double cone blender . after spraying of the solution has been completed , the blender is allowed to run for a short period and then the granules are packaged . ______________________________________aqueous suspension______________________________________n --[( 4 , 6 - dimethoxypyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 40 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamidepolyacrylic acid thickener 0 . 3 % dodecylphenol polyethylene glycol ether 0 . 5 % disodium phosphate 1 % monosodium phosphate 0 . 5 % polyvinyl alcohol 1 . 0 % water 56 . 7 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are blended and ground together in a sand mill to produce particles essentially all under 5 microns in size . the salt is added directly to the water with stirring to produce the solution , which may then be packaged for use . the active ingredient is dissolved in a solvent and the solution is sprayed upon dedusted granules in a double - cone blender . after spraying of the solution has been completed , the material is warmed to evaporate the solvent . the material is allowed to cool and then packaged . ______________________________________granule______________________________________n --[( 4 , 6 - dimethylpyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 80 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamidewetting agent 1 % crude ligninsulfonate salt ( containing 10 % 5 - 20 % of the natural sugars ) attapulgite clay 9 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are blended and milled to pass through a 100 mesh screen . this material is then added to a fluid bed granulator , the air flow is adjusted to gently fluidize the material , and a fine spray of water is sprayed onto the fluidized material . the fluidization and spraying are continued until granules of the desired size range are made . the spraying is stopped , but fluidization is continued , optionally with heat , until the water content is reduced to the desired level , generally less than 1 %. the material is then discharged , screened to the desired size range , generally 14 - 100 mesh ( 1410 - 149 microns ), and packaged for use . the ingredients are blended and ground in a hammer - mill to produce a material essentially all passing a u . s . s . no . 50 screen ( 0 . 3 mm opening ). the concentrate may be formulated further if necessary . the ingredients are blended and ground in a hammer - mill to produce particles essentially all below 100 microns . the material is sifted through a u . s . s . no . 50 screen and then packaged . the ingredients are thoroughly blended , coarsely hammer - milled and then air - milled to produce particles essentially all below 10 microns in size . the material is reblended and then packaged . ______________________________________oil suspension______________________________________n --[( 4 , 6 - dimethylpyrimidin - 2 - yl ) aminocarbonyl ]- 2 - 35 %( 2 - pyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamideblend of polyalcohol carboxylic 6 % esters and oil soluble petroleumsulfonatesxylene 59 % ______________________________________ the ingredients are combined and ground together in a sand mill to produce particles essentially all below 5 microns . the product can be used directly , extended with oils , or emulsified in water . the active ingredient is blended with attapulgite and then passed through a hammer - mill to produce particles substantially all below 200 microns . the ground concentrate is then blended with powdered pyrophyllite until homogeneous . the ingredients are combined and stirred to produce a solution which can be emulsified in water for application . the compounds of the present invention are highly active herbicides . they can be used for broadspectrum pre - and / or post - emergence weed control in areas where complete control of all vegetation is desired , such as around fuel storage tanks , ammunition depots , industrial storage areas , parking lots , drivein theaters , around billboards , highway and railroad structures . alternatively , the subject compounds are useful for plant growth modification , particularly in retarding the growth of undesired vegetation . rates of application for the compounds of this invention are ordinarily determined by a number of factors , including their use as either herbicides or plant growth modifiers , the types of weeds to be controlled , weather and climate , the formulation to be used , the mode of application , amount of foliage present , etc . in general terms , the subject compounds should be applied at levels of around 0 . 001 to 5 kg / ha , lower rates being preferred for lighter soils and / or those having a low organic matter content , for situations where only short - term persistence is required , or for plant growth modification . the compounds of the invention may be used in combination with any other commercial herbicide , examples of which are those of the triazine , triazole , uracil , urea , amide , diphenylether , carbamate and bipyridylium types . the herbicidal and plant growth modifying properties of the subject compounds were discovered in a number of greenhouse tests , the results of which may be seen in the following examples . ## str24 ## seeds of crabgrass ( digitaria , spp . ), barnyardgrass ( echinochloa crusgalli ), wild oats ( avena fatua ), sicklepod ( cassia obtusifolia ), morningglory ( ipomoea spp . ), cocklebur ( xanthium pensylvanicum ), sorghum , corn , soybean , sugar beet , rice , wheat , and purple nutsedge ( cyperus rotundus ) tubers were planted and treated pre - emergence with the test chemicals dissolved in a non - phytotoxic solvent . at the same time , these crop and weed species , along with cotton and bush bean , were treated with a soil / foliage application . at the time of treatment , the plants ranged in height from 2 to 18 cm . treated plants and controls were maintained in a greenhouse for sixteen days , after which all species were compared to controls and visually rated for response to treatment . the ratings , summarized in table a , are based on a numerical scale extending from 0 = no injury , to 10 = complete kill . the accompanying descriptive symbols have the following meanings : table a______________________________________ cmpd . 1 cmpd . 2 cmpd . 3 cmpd . 4rate kg / ha 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 05______________________________________post - emergencebush bean 4c , 9g , 6y 4h , 6y 6c , 9g , 6y 9ccotton 4c , 9g 5c , 7h 5c , 9g 4c , 9gmorningglory 9c 4c , 8h 5c , 9g 10ccocklebur 9c 4c , 8h 4c , 9g 10csicklepod 5c , 7h 2c 3c , 9g 9cnutsedge 2c , 9g 3c , 8g 2c , 9g 6c , 9gcrabgrass 3c , 8g 2c , 4h 2c , 8h 6c , 9gbarnyardgrass 3c , 9h 3c , 8h 5c , 9h 9cwild oats 3c , 9g 3c , 8h 2c , 9g 9cwheat 2c , 9g 2c , 3h 2c , 7g 9ccorn 3c , 9g 4c , 9h 3c , 9h 10csoybean 5c , 9g 3c , 9g 5c , 9g 9crice 5c , 9g 6c , 9g 5c , 9g 6c , 9gsorghum 3c , 9h 5c , 9h 2c , 9h 6c , 9gsugar beet 4c , 8g 2c , 4g 2c , 9g 9cpre - emergencemorningglory 9c 2c , 6h 9c 3c , 9hcocklebur 9h 5h , 2c 9h -- sicklepod 9c 3h 2c , 9g 2c , 9gnutsedge 3g 0 10e 10ecrabgrass 1c , 2h 4g 2c , 5g 3c , 7gbarnyardgrass 5c , 9h 2c , 4g 4c , 9h 3c , 9hwild oats 5c , 9g 2c , 5g 2c , 9g 3c , 9hwheat 3c , 9g 2c , 3g 2c , 9g 3c , 9hcorn 3c , 9g 3c , 5g 3c , 9h 10esoybean 4c , 7h 2c 3c , 9h 9hrice 5c , 9h 3c , 5g 10e 10esorghum 5c , 9h 3c , 7h 5c , 9h 5c , 9hsugar beet 5c , 9g 3c , 5h 9g 10e______________________________________ two plastic bulb pans were filled with fertilized and limed woodstown sandy loam . one pan was planted with corn , sorghum , kentucky bluegrass and several grass weeds . the other pan was planted with cotton , soybeans , purple nutsedge ( cyperus rotundus ), and several broadleaf weeds . the following grass and broadleaf weeds were planted : crabgrass ( digitaria sanguinalis ), barnyardgrass ( echinochloa crusgalli ), wild oats ( avena fatua ), johnsongrass ( sorghum halepense ), dallisgrass ( paspalum dilatatum ), giant foxtail ( setaria faberii ), cheatgrass ( bromus secalinus ), mustard ( brassica arvensis ), cocklebur ( xanthium pensylvanicum ), morningglory ( ipomoea hederacea ), sicklepod ( cassia obtusifolia ), teaweed ( sida spinosa ), velvetleaf ( abutilon theophrasti ), and jimsonweed ( datura stramonium ). a 12 . 5 cm diameter plastic pot was also filled with prepared soil and planted with rice and wheat . another 12 . 5 cm pot was planted with sugar beets . the above four containers were treated pre - emergence with one of the test compounds from within the scope of the invention . twenty - eight days after treatment , the plants were evaluated and visually rated for response to the chemical treatments utilizing the rating system described previously for test a . the data are summarized in table b . table b______________________________________pre - emergence onwoodstown sandy loam compound 1rate kg / ha 0 . 03 0 . 125______________________________________crabgrass 0 3gbarnyardgrass 7g 9gsorghum 9g 10cwild oats 5g 7gjohnsongrass 7g 9gdallisgrass 6g 8ggiant foxtail 3g 8gky . bluegrass 6g 9gcheatgrass 8g 9gsugar beets 6g 8gcorn 6g , 5h 10cmustard 9g 9gcocklebur 7g 9gpigweed -- -- nutsedge 5g 6gcotton 3g 6gmorningglory 6g 7gsicklepod 3g 7gteaweed 4g 7gvelvetleaf 6g 8gjimsonweed 6g 9gsoybean 4g , 3c 7g , 7hrice 8g 10cwheat 2g 6g______________________________________ the test chemical , dissolved in a non - phytotoxic solvent , was applied in an overall spray to the foliage and surrounding soil of selected plant species . one day after treatment , plants were checked for rapid burn injury . approximately fourteen days after treatment all species were visually compared to untreated controls and rated for response to treatment . the rating system was as described previously for test a . the data are presented in table c . all plant species were seeded in woodstown sandy loam soil and grown in a greenhouse . the following species were grown in soil contained in plastic pots ( 25 cm diameter by 13 cm deep ): soybeans , cotton , alfalfa , corn , rice , wheat , sorghum , velvetleaf ( abutilon theophrasti ), sesbania ( sesbania exaltata ), sicklepod ( cassia obtusifolia ), morningglory ( ipomoea hederacea ), jimsonweed ( datura stramonium ), cocklebur ( xanthium pensylvanicum ), crabgrass ( digitaria spp . ), nutsedge ( cyperus esculentus ), barnyardgrass ( echinochloa crusgalli ), giant foxtail ( setaria faberii ), bindweed ( convolvulus arvensis ) and wild oats ( avena fatua ). the following species were grown in soil in a paper cup ( 12 cm diameter by 13 cm deep ): sunflower , sugar beets , and rape . all plants were sprayed approximately 14 days after planting . the results of this test demonstrate the herbicidal activity of the test compound when applied as a soil / foliage treatment . it may also be seen that the treatments retard the growth of several plant species . table c______________________________________over - the - top soil / foliage treatment compound 4rate kg / ha 0 . 25 0 . 063 0 . 016______________________________________soybeans 9c 10c 10cvelvetleaf 7g 9g 10csesbania 6g 9g 10csicklepod 4c , 6g 8g 9gcotton 9g 9g 9cmorningglory 3g , 4c 6g , 6c 5c , 7galfalfa 8g 9c 10cjimsonweed 9g 10c 10ccocklebur 8g 9g 10ccorn 3c , 7g 6g , 7c 10ccrabgrass 7g 9g 9grice 3c , 4g 6c , 3g 5g , 4cnutsedge 6c , 5g 7g 8gbarnyardgrass 6g , 6c 7g , 6c 8g , 4cwheat 7g 8g 8ggiant foxtail 9g 10c 10cwild oats 6g , 4c 7g , 7c 8g , 7csorghum 8g 8g 10csunflower 10c 10c 10crape 8g 10c 10cjohnsongrass 7g 9g 10csugar beets 9g 10c 10cbindweed 7g 8g 10c______________________________________	2
with reference to fig1 the present invention may be used in a railway system having one or more sets of tracks 100 laid out in conventional fashion . the tracks 100 may be single , double or any arbitrary number of parallel tracks and the number of parallel tracks will usually vary within a particular control area . as depicted in the track layout of fig1 the tracks may interconnect plural destinations 102 which may be at the terminals of portions of the track 100 or in a mid portion of the track layout . generally , plural routes may interconnect many of the destinations . for example , between a first destination at 102a and a second destination at 102d , a train may take either of two routes using either track segment 104 or track segment 106 . track segment 106 may be considered a siding by one skilled in the art . at various locations along the track 100 may be found a variety of wayside resources , also well known in the prior art , such as switches 108 , signals 110 , hot box detectors 112 , and tunnel door monitoring and control system 113 . the wayside resources control the configuration of the tracks , signal the status of the track system to train personnel , and measure or identify certain conditions . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing exemplary list identifies but a few of the many different types of wayside resources conventionally used to control the track and trains running thereon and the present invention is not limited to systems having only the expressly - mentioned resources . with continued reference to fig1 many of the wayside resources have associated with them a wayside interface unit (&# 34 ; wiu &# 34 ;) 800 which is in wireless communication with a central control station 200 . the central control station 200 is also in wireless communication with one or more locomotives 500 . in a tunnel 120 , in a high - walled area ( such as a city or mountain canyon ), or because of the distance from the central station control 200 , signal repeaters 122 may be utilized to provide communications between the trains 500 or the wius 800 and the central control station 200 . in operation , the central control station 200 sends control signals to both the locomotives 500 and to certain of the wius 800 and receives status information from the locomotives 500 and from some of the wius 800 . as explained further below , using the information provided from the locomotives 500 , the wius 800 , and the operator of the train system , the central controller 200 creates movement plans to optimize the safe movement of locomotive 500 through the track layout and then controls the operation and speed of the locomotives 500 and the operation of the various wayside resources ( through the wius 800 ) to effect the movement plan . as the central control station 200 receives updated status information from the locomotives 500 and the wius 800 , the control of the train system to implement the movement plan is dynamically updated and executed . note that plural of the wayside resources may be controlled by and / or communicate through a single wiu 800 . for example , the hot box detector 112 , switch 108 and signal 100 in the proximity of the wiu 800a may all be controlled by and / or communicate through wiu 800a . in conventional fashion , the wayside resources may communicate with a wiu using wireless , to the wiu 800 . depending on the needs of the specific wayside resource , the communication between the wiu 800 and the wayside resource may be unidirectional or bidirectional . in turn , the wiu 800 communicates ( usually bidirectionally ) with the central control station 200 to provide it with status information concerning the wayside resources associated with the particular wiu 800 and to obtain commands from the central control station 200 concerning the operation of the associated wayside resources . with reference now to fig2 a central control station 200 of the present invention includes a human / machine interface ( hmi ) 202 to receive instructions from the train system operator regarding the trains which must be moved through the track layout controlled by the central control station 200 . the central control station has access to a database 204 of the track layout , the location of the wayside resources , the rules ( both natural and imposed ) regarding the use of the track and the wayside resources , and the topography of the track along the entire track layout . the information in the database 204 is provided to a movement planner 210 which , based on the user &# 39 ; s requests for train service , determines a movement plan which will obtain the desired train movement safely and efficiently . the movement plan generally specifies the timed use of the train system resources by the trains being scheduled during the applicable scheduling period . once a movement plan has been determined , it is provided to a movement controller 220 which determines the specific train commands and wayside resource commands which are needed to implement the movement plan . the movement plan allocates the timed use of each of the track segments and wayside resources to the various trains input by the system operator . the movement plan is provided to a movement controller 220 which determines the specific commands which must be sent to the trains and to the wayside resources ( generally through the wius ) to implement the movement plan . the determined commands are passed through a safety checker 230 which independently determines that the implementation of the commands by the commanded train or wayside resource will not cause a safety violation . if the command is determined to be safe , the safety checker 230 will pass the command to a communications processor 240 which will send the command to the train / wiu , through a wireless transmission . the movement planner 210 may be any conventional planning system which will allocate the fixed resources of the track and wayside resources to the use of the trains specified by the user . in a preferred embodiment , the movement planner may use the system described in the aforementioned &# 34 ; system scheduler and method &# 34 ; patent to matheson et al . this planner utilizes both rule based and constraint based processing to determine the optimum allocation of track and wayside resources , and then implements this plan through procedural technology of the movement controller 220 to control movement of the trains in a fine grained manner to ensure adherence to performance schedules . in one embodiment of the present invention , the movement planner 210 continually receives train location and velocity from the locomotive 500 and track and wayside resource status from the wius 800 . as needed , the movement planner 210 can update the movement plan in order to accommodate actual performance of the trains over the track layout . with proper design , the movement planner may be used to decrease wear and tear on various of the railway equipment . for example , it is known that starting and stopping of the train from and to a complete stop causes wear of brake equipment , such as brake pads and braking pneumatic or electrical actuating equipment . similarly , when a train is started from a dead stop , increased wear is often experienced by the wheels and track as the wheels will often slip until a loaded train is brought up to some speed . the speed control of the present invention can be used advantageously to reduce the wear and tear on braking equipment , wheels , and track by avoiding the generation of movement plans which call for the train to be stopped at the end of its currently planned ( or future ) track segment . for example , as described in the background section of the present application , it is well known to schedule the movement of trains by fixed blocks . often in prior art systems , the train is provided with an indication of the blocks of track over which it is authorized to run ( often called an &# 34 ; enforceable authority &# 34 ; or a &# 34 ; movement authority &# 34 ;) and the train is required to stop at the end of those blocks if another signal has not been received extending the enforceable authority to the next series of track blocks . the signal may be received from wayside equipment or from a central source . in such prior art systems , the trains are often permitted ( or required ) to run at the maximum speed permitted for the particular track segments within its enforceable authority . in such prior art systems , this operational technique may result in a train arriving at the end of its enforceable authority before the adjacent track segments are clear and the arriving train will be required to stop and wait for clearance of the track ahead . in many systems , such operations are the norm . a similar situation may arise if the train is scheduled to use some wayside resource such as a loading platform . if the train arrives before the loading platform is clear , the arriving train will be required to fully stop and then restart . in one aspect of the system of the present invention , the movement planner can schedule the trains and the movement controller can command the trains to operate at other than preset speeds over the track segments . thus , if the movement planner realizes that the track segments or needed equipment ahead of a train will be occupied , the movement planner may slow the arriving train for a period of time prior to its arrival at the end of the block or at the needed equipment so that the arriving train will enter the next track segment at a safe distance behind the train leaving the segment or equipment . in this way , the arriving train will not be required to come to a stop and will not need to restart from a dead stop , conserving brakes , wheels , and track surface . of course , if a intentionally slowed train interferes with the movement of other equipment , a decision will have to be made as to whether to stop the train or to accept the interference caused by slowing the train . this is a decision which a properly configured movement planner may make , given an estimate of the costs and priorities associated with each action . in another advantage of one embodiment of the present invention , brake wear can also be reduced by using various forms of dynamic braking available to many trains . for example , in electro - diesel locomotives , the train can be slowed considerably by idling the diesel engine and using the resistance of the electrical motor ( being turned by the wheels ) to slow the train ( called traction braking ). similarly , the train can be slowed by idling an electrical engine , the slowing being caused primarily by friction within the power train ( static and dynamic friction ) and air friction opposing the movement of the train . in a situation similar to that discussed above , the movement planner may be utilized to take opportunities to control the movement of the trains through the track layout through the use of variable speed and dynamic braking instead of the use of friction brakes . if the costs utilized within the movement planner are favorable , the movement planner can opt to slow trains within certain segments rather than to have the trains operate at full speed only to have to join a queue awaiting other trains or equipment at the end of a segment . because the central movement planner has knowledge of when the track ahead or equipment ahead is expected to be available to a given train , the planner may elect to slow the train sufficiently to permit the track or equipment to clear before the arrival of the train . similarly , even when a train must be stopped for whatever reason , the movement planner may use a combination of braking types to effect the stop and thereby reduce wear on the friction braking devices . for example , a train can first be braked by dynamic braking ( with or without the engine , i . e ., traction braking ) and then by use of the conventional friction brakes . note that in this situation , the friction brakes are not used until dynamic braking has removed energy from the train . thus , there will be reduced wear on the brake pads or similar friction equipment and a reduced stress on the actuators associated with the brakes . in a preferred embodiment , the movement planner 210 will output a plan every second to the movement controller 220 . the movement controller 220 will then generate specific commands to the locomotives 500 and the wius 800 as required to execute the plan . specific commands to the locomotive 500 include enforcement authority and speed . specific commands to the wiu 800 include switch positioning controls and tunnel door opening and closing . the movement controller 220 may also use the information obtained from the polls of the locomotives 500 for status and location , and the wius 800 for status of track circuits and switches and tunnel doors so that the movement controller 220 has the current railway status and can ensure the proper execution of the movement plan . in addition to the status of the locomotive and the wayside resources , the movement planner 210 receives inputs from the hmi 202 . the hmi 202 allows the system operator to input control requests for trains and trackside equipment , change the number or designation of active trains , modify the train consists and modify production goals . the hmi 202 includes a crt display and keyboard . the crt will display a number of screens appropriate to viewing railway status , train status , control commands , alarms and alerts . the central control station 202 also receives commands sent by the hand held locomotive remote control 520 to provide safety checking of the commands with the movement of the train . the database 204 maintains the status of the wayside resources , the train locations , the track profile and provides this information to the movement planner 210 to allow the determination of such parameters as safe breaking distance necessary to the development of the movement plan . in response to an unexpected status change , either due to an operator request through the hmi 202 or in response to an unexpected change in train or wayside status , the movement planner 210 conducts a rapid replan . the movement planner 210 will access the database 204 to establish the current status of traffic on the railway . from the database 204 , the movement planner 210 derives all of the conditions it needs to optimize movement over the railway system . the movement planner 210 performs the replanning function and returns recommend enforcement authorities and speeds to each train . the new plans are then converted by the movement controller 220 into commands for the locomotive 500 and the wiu 800 . in a preferred embodiment , the movement planner 210 maximizes performance by minimizing a user defined cost function . this means that train movements will be prioritized in order to assure the most cost - effective use of rail resources . for example , a loaded train ( which normally has priority ) may be directed to a siding to allow an unloaded train to pass if the wayside resources are currently available to the unloaded train but not the loaded train . in determining the distances between trains , the movement planner is not tied to fixed blocks and may use moving block control logic to increase the throughput of the system by requiring a separation between trains which is a function of the actual braking ability of the trains , not merely of the geographic layout of blocks of track . in a preferred embodiment , neither the movement planner 210 nor the movement controller 220 is a vital subsystem . to guarantee that no unsafe train movements are commanded , a separate safety checker 230 will check all commands coming out of the movement controller 220 to prevent any safety violations . generally , the safety checker 230 will not check to see if the command from the movement controller 220 is a smart one , instead it will only verify that a very specific set of rules have not been violated . for example , a command from the movement controller 230 which would send a train over a switch which has not been confirmed in the correct position or a command which would send a train into a locked out block would be prevented from being transmitted to the train by the safety checker 230 . in a vital system , the safety checker 230 would generally be considered vital hardware and may be backed up by a parallel processor . with reference now to fig3 a locomotive control system in accordance with the present invention provides the controls to drive the locomotive 500 and provides position feedback to the central control station 200 via wireless communication . the heart of the locomotive control is the locomotive onboard computer ( obc ) 510 . the obc 510 receives speed control and enforcing authority limits from the central control station 200 . the obc 510 provides commands to the locomotive to control the speed and direction of the locomotive 500 . hand held locomotive remote control 520 can be used to move a single locomotive at creep speed either forward or backward within a limited area , such as at a loading or unloading platform . this remote control 520 performs wireless communications with the central control station 200 for confirmation of commands then communicates to the obc 510 which supplies the command to control the locomotive 500 . to ensure proper locomotive movement , the central control system 200 generally will release the locomotive 500 into local remote operation . this is accomplished by an operator request through the hmi 202 commanding that a particular locomotive be released for local control . the central control system 200 will then lockout the area of the track requested and send the requested locomotive a limit of authority for that area only and command the locomotive 500 to remote control mode so that it can accept commands from the remote control 520 . the central control system 200 continuously monitors the locomotive 500 in remote control mode and the commands sent to the locomotive 500 from the hand held locomotive remote control and will stop the locomotive 500 if an unsafe condition is detected . with reference to fig4 the obc 510 may include a data acquisition subsystem ( das ) 600 which monitors the functional actions of the locomotive 500 including various parameters , such as , brakes , wheel tachometer and speed commands . the data collected by the das 600 is provided to an application processor 630 which may determine location , safe stopping distance , compliance with speed restrictions , etc ., some of which may be based on the location of the locomotive 500 within the track layout . the obc 510 may also include a location determination subsystem ( lds ) 610 which uses various sensors along with a track profile database 615 to determine the location of the train as it travels the railway system . in a preferred embodiment , the present invention utilizes track tags , train tachometers and train heading as inputs to the lds 610 to provide an accurate position . the lds 610 can track the train &# 39 ; s location by dead - reckoning using the train &# 39 ; s axle generator to determine distance travelled . the optical sensors , placed at known positions within the tunnel can be used to reset any error buildup from the axle generator and to calibrate the axle generator . in another embodiment , the present invention may utilize differential global positioning system ( dgps ), train speed , train heading and train acceleration as inputs to a kalman filter to provide an accurate position . an example of such a system which may be used in the present invention is disclosed in the zahm et al . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 867 , 122 . in tunnels , where dgps may not be available , track based optical sensors can be used to assist in the precise location of the locomotive 500 . it should be understood that any conventional location determining system may be used , including those system using optical sensors , track circuits , etc . with continued reference to fig4 a communication processor 620 receives communications from the central control station 200 and the wiu 800 . the communication processor 620 transmits the train &# 39 ; s location and trains speed as well as any anomalies from the obc 510 to the central control station 200 . with continued reference to fig4 an application processor 630 monitors the location of the locomotive 500 with respect to the enforceable authority limits and continually determines the safe braking distance for the locomotive 500 to confirm that the locomotive 500 can stop safely within the limits . if a locomotive 500 approaches the point at which the safe breaking distance is at the enforceable authority limit , the application processor 630 generates a control signal to initiate full braking to stop the locomotive 500 prior to the end of the enforceable authority limit . the application processor 630 monitors the speed of the locomotive from the das 600 and compares it to the track speed limit and any operator applied speed restrictions for its current location from the lds 610 . in the event that the locomotive 500 exceeds its speed limit , the application processor 630 sends a control signal to the locomotive to slow the locomotive 500 . if the obc 510 is unable to determine the trains velocity or the location of the train , a control signal is sent to the locomotive 500 to stop the train . a specific implementation of an obc 510 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in fig5 in which similar elements to those in the system of fig4 bear the same reference numeral . the communications processor 620 and the application processor 630 may be implemented in a motorola 68xxx single board processor currently available from matrix . the communications processor 620 and the application processor 630 may utilize dual redundant radios 622 , 624 for high speed communications with the central control station 220 . between the radios 622 , 624 and the processor 620 , high speed communications ports 626 , 628 provide framing protocol and service interface which may be compliant with a known standard such as the ansi / ieee 802 . 11 wireless local area network ( lan ) standard . the signalling protocol is a carrier sense multiple access / collision detection ( csma / cd ) protocol in accordance with the ansi / ieee 802 . 11 standard . with continued reference to the example obc system of fig5 the data acquisition function 600 provides an interface 602 to the discrete i / o train sensors used in the system of the present invention . the data acquisition function 600 also provides an analog interface 604 to read the analog control signals in the locomotive 500 such as the air brake pressure transducer . as noted above , the specific implementation of the obc shown in fig5 is illustrative only and not intended to be limiting . those skilled in the art will understand that other specific embodiments of the obc may be implemented within the teachings of the present application and the scope of the present invention . with reference now to fig6 the wiu 800 acts as the controller , data gatherer and communication interface for all wayside functions including broken rail detection , switch control and monitoring , switch heater operation , manual lockouts , etc . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , a communications processor 810 receives control signals from the central control station 200 through radio 850 once per second . radio 850 may be comprised of more than radio where each radio is assigned specific tasks in accordance with a desired communication plan . an application processor 820 receives the control signals from the communication processor 810 and generates commands for the wayside resources 840 in accordance with the requested actions from the central control station 200 . application processor 820 continually monitors the status of the wayside resources 840 and reports the current status of the wiu 800 to the central control station via communications processor 810 and radio 850 . with continued reference to fig6 hmi 830 allows an operator to enter inputs and receive system status updates from wiu 800 . for example , upon request from an operator , the central control station 200 may allow locomotive 500 to accept movement commands from the hmi 830 . with reference now to fig7 the central communication system enables the central control station 200 through the central control station communication processor 240 to exchange data with equipment on the locomotive 500 through the obc communication processor 620 and with the wayside resources 840 through the wiu communication processor 810 . in response to receiving a location report from locomotive 500 , the central control station 200 will issue an enforceable authority command which informs the locomotive 500 where on the track 100 it is allowed to go along with specific commands on how to proceed along that route . this basic communication process is repeated for each locomotive and represents the dominant traffic through the central communication system . while the present invention uses rf communication to communicate between the locomotive 500 , the wiu 800 and the central control station 200 , it is contemplated that any number of conventional high speed wireless digital data communication systems may be used . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described , it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence , many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skill in the art from a perusal hereof .	1
philosophically , the invention can be best appreciated by studying the works of charles darwin . see , darwin &# 39 ; s dangerous idea , daniel c . dennett , simon & amp ; schuster , new york , 1996 , page 43 . applying the theory that darwin formulated for his explanation of the origin of species , it is apparent that this concept can also be used to describe so many different people having so many different needs and strategies that must be met by their respective computers and software . the principle of natural selection is the unifying insight into the inventor &# 39 ; s approach to his information processing apparatus and method . by having a large variety of inheritable skills ( through storage in computer systems ), which constitute recorded procedures in the invention , these different procedures will tend to have different payoffs for different individuals and subgroups of the user population . under darwinian theory , these different individuals and subpopulations would tend to diverge , each pursuing their favored sort of excellence until , eventually , there is a distinct division . with biological systems , transference of inheritable characteristics implemented by dna mutations and modifications is possible only from parent to child , and even then , frequently “ hit or miss ”. however , by using the inventor &# 39 ; s methods , this divergence is eliminated since the entire optimized skill set is “ inheritable ” by one computer communicating with another computer or with the user . in essence , this method provides a new modality for increasing man &# 39 ; s knowledge exponentially in volume and in speed of transference from one individual or subpopulation to another . the present invention features a method of computerized self - administration encompassing many contemporary software packages and devices that are in common day - to - day use . users are exposed to functionality as it is required . this is unlike the prior art where all functionality is presented to the user from first execution . obviously , the user is then blinded by choice . furthermore , other methods provide many features and claimed benefits , which a vast majority of users will never actually require in normal practice . the user , however novice , still bears the costs of development of these complex software packages , even when they typically only utilize 20 % of this functionality . the invention method restricts the amount of delivered functionality to that which is relevant to the general self - administration model . this is all that is necessary for the vast majority of individuals . however , additional operations models can be added to augment the general self - administration model . typical examples are professional models that would assist doctors , lawyers , accountants , etc . the invention method is complemented by a computer system , which does not require prior knowledge of peripheral interconnections , software drivers , operating systems or software installation procedures . the delivered article in hardware or software is ready - to - use from the first moment it is powered “ on ”. a goal of the invention is to deliver a system that works in any language , while still retaining a consistent look and feel from one user to the next . the consistency in look and feel is maintained regardless of the functionality being delivered at any moment . when a user is typing a letter , the format of the toolbars used is identical to those used when music is being played or when the user is browsing the world wide web . such consistency considerably shortens the learning curve for novice users . a novel universal conversion module is included in the software system , which is capable of translating any computer document or streaming media based communication to any other document or streaming media based communication , where sensible and feasible . information stored as a raster image , such as a received fax or scanned document , can readily be converted to a text document , which in turn can pass through a text to speech conversion . wherever it is sensible and feasible to provide such a feature , the functionality has been put in place to support this philosophy . to achieve the same functionality that is provided by the invention , the user would be required to spend enormous amounts of time and money selecting and installing dozens of individual software applications . the prior art provides many such software options . however , many of these are mutually exclusive . this is illustrated by the fact that software system “ a ”, when installed , may overwrite the files installed by system “ b ”, rendering system “ b ” useless . software companies actually expect users to be aware of such problems and even go as far as expecting the user to resolve the issue . clearly , this requires a vast knowledge of computer hardware and software , in particular , operating systems . such skills in information technology are well beyond even advanced users . the invention is ready - to - use , since it does not require installation of any software . compatibility issues are , therefore , eliminated . the cost of ownership is reduced . the time taken to reach a point at which production of work can begin is also correspondingly , substantially reduced . the invention is designed so that it continuously monitors the user &# 39 ; s interactions with the invention and seeks ways to facilitate and provide an ergonomic user environment . procedures , which were not envisaged at the time of software development , can be described by the user or added to the system &# 39 ; s toolbars or can even be shared with other users . if a procedure is frequently used , the system can automate such procedures and execute them without further need for interaction with the user . thus , the user does appear to exist “ virtually ” in many places , simultaneously , as tasks are executed in parallel , perhaps , even in many distinct locations . further , the user can predetermine the time of execution , the frequency of execution and even the triggers that will cause the execution of any task . a “ virtual ” existence is gradually established as the system takes over tedious or burdensome tasks that would normally require the close attention of the user . for example , important messages , which are received by the system , can be automatically forwarded by any sensible and feasible method , to the user wherever the user may be at that particular moment in time . therefore , even when the user is away from his / her normal place of work , he / she is not isolated from the invention and the rest of the world provided there is at least one method of electronic communication available to the user . the invention , in addition to providing all of the above benefits , also allows the user to seek a mentor via a proprietary internet service provider ( isp ). the mentor can be located anywhere in the world , again , as long as there is at least one method of electronic communication available to him / her . a mentor is not restricted to the form of a physical being . a software system containing the procedures of an expert , behaving as a digital representation of the expert , becomes possible . such mentors are provided or facilitated by a corresponding infrastructure , that is , another apparatus having the same capabilities and design configurations of the invention . consequently , the user is able to draw from the source of expert procedures that have been based on the knowledge of those who are recognized as the best in their field . as noted above , such procedures can emanate from other users of the invention , or from any other source of information , as long as the information can be transmitted and received by a sensible and feasible method as provided in accordance with the invention . referring now to fig1 universal user 600 is meant to include any individual irrespective of native language , novices , particularly , those users who are physically challenged and may be unable to use other types of information processing systems . user 600 communicates with invention 10 through at least one client communication device 603 further described in detail in fig2 or other external communication devices 602 as further described in fig2 . the aforementioned communication devices are said to form an ergonomic interface 728 ( as shown in fig2 ), which is used to contact client hardware platform 616 , further details of which are contained in fig5 . client hardware platform 616 is defined as a mobile personal computer system , being hardware , supporting software drivers and an operating system known to be required to support invention 10 . ergonomic interface 728 utilizes bimodal communication channel 608 , being a wireless or physical connection , in order to reach communication systems 634 described in fig2 . additionally , communication between invention 10 and world 604 can occur through channel 610 , identical in nature to channel 608 . communication systems 634 also facilitate communication with global communications network ( www ) 676 and a proprietary server acting as an internet service provider ( isp ) 638 . communication systems 634 permits user 600 or world 604 and invention 10 to communicate through communication module 620 . communication module 620 is a collection of devices , which permit information to move in and out of invention 10 . communication module 620 interacts with checkpoint 622 , illustrated in fig4 in order to authenticate any communicating party by means of a layered security system contained within checkpoint 622 . only after checkpoint 622 has authenticated user 600 or world 604 , may communication with invention 10 begin . when information flows to and from invention 10 , this information may involve incompatible sources or occur in ways , which are not preferred by user 600 . in this instance , universal converter 624 changes the form or content of any input to any output , which is both sensible and feasible . to illustrate , converter 624 may take a facsimile received in the french language and covert it to spoken english language using processes of optical character recognition , language translation and text to speech , all of which are known in the art . client hardware platform 616 further includes other devices 614 . those compatible devices required by any professional to complete tasks and having related professional tools 628 , which collectively allow the use of client hardware platform 616 in execution of said tasks . for example , professional tools 628 could include a blood pressure monitoring system connected to the invention , or other divergent tools such as musical instruments connected through ports and connectors 784 . motherboard 618 , ubiquitous in modern systems , is illustrated as a means of connection to black box 630 ( see fig7 ) a backup device and memory card 632 ( see fig7 ), a low capacity lightweight backup device . both black box 630 and memory card 632 may be connected through bimodal wireless or physical connection . special consideration is given to backing up the work product and information content of invention 10 as this information is viewed as the lifetime digital experience of user 600 and , as such , becomes irreplaceable if lost . client hardware platform 616 is powered either by external electricity 626 or from a battery connected to power devices printed circuit board ( pcb ) 612 , permitting the system to be either static or mobile . the purpose of pcb 612 is to integrate and control power to connected input and output devices as described in fig4 thus increasing the performance of said battery . the aforementioned converter 624 , by maintaining compatibility between invention 10 , user 600 , world 604 and www 676 , provides a single connection point , channel 700 , to the operations models 640 . channel 700 allows information , especially procedures 650 , to flow to and from the operations models 640 . operations models 640 permit those working in similar ways to use a common module for completing tasks through the use of procedures . one such example of this is administration model 642 . administration model 642 is a novel framework for the day - to - day administration of user 600 or the user &# 39 ; s business . for example , covering common activities such as sending e - mail , writing letters , telephone calls , etc . are accomplished with administration model 642 serving as the facilitator . administration model 642 can be adapted and extended through specialized models known as other professional models 644 . administration model 642 and professional models 644 are all encompassed within operations models 640 . the purpose of operations models 640 is to allow users to create and execute procedures in order to achieve maximum efficiency while performing tasks . operations models 640 includes real world objects 646 . real world objects 646 are commonly known items like in - tray , out - tray , office and the like , and screens 648 . these items are a collection of application displays , predefined input fields , buttons , gui &# 39 ; s , and finally , documents , which are items of information with related properties . where document is a data file containing any information stored by invention 10 e . g . text , sound , video , or address book entries and the like . properties are specific information contained in a document , e . g . properties such as “ name ” and “ address ” relate to a higher level term such as address book 964 . a document is said to be created when new information enters invention 10 and is stored . a document is extracted when existing information is drawn from storage contained within invention 10 . real world objects 646 , screens 648 , buttons 652 , predefined inputs 654 and documents 656 are all required in order to enable procedures 650 within any operation models including administration model 642 . procedures 650 is the essence of the novel method disclosed herein . procedures 650 is recorded by monitoring the use of buttons 652 and predefined inputs 654 in relation to documents 656 . predefined inputs 654 enable user 600 to perform actions and state preferences for the way in which tasks are completed , a predefined input , when set to a particular state , is said to be a preference . those predefined inputs 654 , which form preferences , are recorded in a desirable preference list 674 . buttons 652 and predefined inputs 654 , when related to any item 656 , from procedures 650 which are recorded in a dynamic task list 672 , which also logs the use of previously recorded procedures . when buttons 652 , inputs 654 and , at least one document 656 , are used in an executed procedure 650 , then a completed task 662 is formed . the use of procedure 650 is for completed task 662 , logged in the task list 672 . gradually , the number of procedures 650 recorded in the task list 672 grows , as does the list of preferences record 674 . the tasks in tasks list 672 and recorded preferences 674 may be repeated either by user 600 , in person , or by delegation , through clone tasks 670 . clone tasks 670 are defined as the “ virtual ” user 600 . “ virtual ” is defined as being an automated processor which executes any procedure 650 with or without additional collaboration with user 600 in order to complete a task . many clone tasks 670 can be executed simultaneously , restricted only by the processing power of the embodiment , though for the purposes of this disclosure the use of ten “ virtuals ” would be seen as extreme with three or four being the norm . for example , it would be possible to search the www for information , send and receive e - mail , print letters and use invention 10 as a telephone answering machine while performing tasks 662 . the number of procedures 650 and preferences 654 is , again , restricted only by the size of the storage medium used in the embodiment , but , again , for illustration , a normal user would not exceed two hundred unique procedures 650 and one hundred preferences 654 . the number of possible procedures 650 is restricted by the number of sensible and feasible combinations of application buttons 652 and predefined inputs 654 . user 600 may also search the www 676 and collaborate with compatible www sites 684 which contains new options 686 , or proprietary isp 638 which contains universal options 680 in all supported languages , in order to find additional options for predefined inputs 654 . additional options can be assessed as per each user &# 39 ; s individual requirements . the suitability of new options , in relation to the user &# 39 ; s own tasks , can be assessed in a process known as task models projections 664 . during task models projections 664 , user 600 examines new options and those options recorded in preference list 674 , which flow through channel 696 , in order that the user can select ultimate preferences for any procedure . the isp 638 , being a specialized www server optimized for the collection and distribution of procedures 650 , also maintains a universal procedures list 678 , containing procedures 650 , which have been published to it by every user 600 . universal procedures list 678 is monitored and manipulated by a team of people 702 who are specifically optimizing procedures for reuse by all users of invention 10 . furthermore , team 702 controls the content of universal procedures list 678 by filtering out unsuitable procedures 660 , which do not result in a completed task of benefit to users 600 of invention 10 . team 702 can be bypassed by users 600 of invention 10 by sourcing professional procedures 688 direct from corresponding www sites 684 . the flow of data from task list 678 and professional procedures 688 is facilitated through a communication method such as the www connection 676 . professional procedures 688 flow to the r and d team 702 through channel 690 whereas field options 686 flow to team 702 through channel 692 as the nature and use of these information types differs within the invention . the proprietary server 638 offers numerous other services 682 as described in fig8 . channels 690 , 700 and others similarly illustrated in fig1 show the system &# 39 ; s wide flow of procedures which occur in order to complete the tasks of user 600 . procedures 650 is created and recorded through the use of operations models 640 , e . g ., self - administration model 642 , and are stored in procedures list 672 and preference list 674 . reuse of procedures begins with digital clone 666 and the optimization and projecting of tasks 662 and procedures 650 incorporates features of www sites 684 and isp 638 . referring to fig2 ergonomic interface 728 between user 600 and communication systems 634 is illustrated . as previously described , user 600 may utilize at least one device from client communication devices 603 or at least one compatible communication device such as those in other external communication devices 602 . pad 730 provides a universal keyboard and touch pad like interface enabling user 600 to control invention 10 and pad 730 includes a flat display , such as a gas plasma or liquid crystal display , rather than a mechanical switch - key array . the use of pad 730 permits the configuration of the keyboard to be easily changed to any layout and alphanumeric characters . consequently , any language / alphabet can be effortlessly implemented . furthermore , as a wireless device , pad 730 can be carried in a mobile fashion and may be used to control compatible domestic devices such as garage doors , house lights , appliances , etc . to further ease of use , the display of pad 730 can be set to display a graphical representation of any of the aforementioned domestic devices . client communication devices 603 further includes a typical computer display 732 ; a touch - screen membrane responding to user input by pressure to the membrane 734 mounted over display 732 ; a mouse 736 or similar pointing device ; a microphone 738 and speakers 740 used in voice command or telephone modes ; a camera 742 used for video conferencing , video recording and still picture photography ; a personal digital assistant ( pda ) 744 which attaches to invention 10 and synchronizes internal representations of information stored by invention 10 , such as address book 964 , diary 962 and the like ; electronic identity card 746 which is utilized for rapid authentication of user 600 , and is chosen from devices such as a proximity card or magnetic card which are well known in art ; graphics tablet 748 utilized in sketching ; signature recognition and annotation of documents ; and joystick and joy pad 750 ( utilized in navigation of system toolbars and increases the ergonomic nature of the interface for challenged users .) all client communication devices 603 and all external communication devices 602 are compatible with at least one device in communication systems 634 . external communication devices 602 includes : a telephone 760 , ( used to issue commands to the invention via voice , touch tone or text message ); remote pc 764 ( any computer system or similar information processing device ); thin clients 766 ( systems which typically use a form of internet web browser to access remote information and services ); mobile phone 768 providing identical functionality to telephone 760 ; facsimile machine 770 ( used to issue instructions from printed pages and the like ); and other devices 772 can include any compatible communication devices which are compliant with the communication systems 774 . as shown in fig3 user 600 utilizes at least one of client communication devices 603 or other external communication devices 602 to form an ergonomic interface 728 . ergonomic interface 728 must use at least one of the following : telephony 780 , wireless transceivers 782 , ports and connections 784 or broadcast systems 786 . telephony 780 communicates through invention 10 through voice , fax , data and the like . wireless transceivers 782 provide communication through radio or infrared transceivers 818 . bluetooth 814 is emerging as a wireless network technology of choice for both portable and non - portable devices alike . x10 816 is a wireless network technology . this technology is intended for use in communication between computers and domestic devices , including video recorders , televisions and the like . ports and connectors 784 are traditional methods of physical connection between computers and peripherals , computer networks and the like . broadcast systems 786 typify systems , which utilize mass unidirectional communication between a transmitting station and a large number of receivers . the aforementioned , viewed as originating sources , have corresponding destinations contained within invention 10 . to begin with , modems 796 originate and receive calls from other parties including voice , fax and data transmission . the pc - card 806 is traditionally used as a form of expansion slot for portable computers and is illustrated as a means of attaching an external mobile phone 808 . external mobile phone 808 may be required for communication if the internal mobile phone 802 is temporarily incompatible with the environment in which invention 10 is situated . transceivers 798 , viewed as local to invention 10 corresponds to transceivers 782 . transceivers 769 is the distant end of a wireless connection between invention 10 and user 600 or world 604 . broadcast receivers 794 , which may optionally require a decoder 787 in order to decrypt signals , are used to receive tv , radio and global positioning information 810 . an object of invention 10 is to increase the use of integrated www telephony , commonly referred to as ip communication or voice over ip , ip meaning www protocol . in pursuance of this goal , telephone companies 790 and similar are linked to www communication 792 through gateways and www service providers 793 . the integration of subscription and billing information of the ip communication is described in detail in fig8 . communications systems terminate at checkpoint 812 where communication with invention 10 is secured and filtered as described in fig4 . referring fig4 checkpoint 812 has a primary object of maintaining the security of the system and confidentiality of stored , received and transmitted information . considering that the personal characteristics of user 600 may change , either temporarily or permanently , layered security 840 has been invented to accommodate said change . it is possible that authentication of user 600 will fail when one of the methods in security 840 is used , in which case an alternative method is used until the authentication process is completed successfully . layered security 840 contains voice recognition 870 ; a novelty of invention 10 is that a sentence is constructed from random words taken from the recorded vocabulary of user 600 , and user 600 is required to speak the sentence of random words . the voice recognition system rejects the user &# 39 ; s request for authentication if any word is mispronounced . if user 600 had only a single spoken password , then this could be recorded and played back during a security attack . the random sentence approach renders recording and playback useless in this case . facial recognition 871 is used in a traditional way to recognize key facial features of user 600 . fingerprint recognition 872 is used to authenticate user 600 who is required to touch a small scanning device , which reads the surface of the finger . signature verification 873 uses a digitizing process , which allows user 600 to sign on a graphics tablet in order to authenticate a unique signature or sequence of pen strokes . electronic identity card 874 is a standard form of security , using a magnetic strip or miniature transceiver mounted on a plastic card or similar form factor . password authentication allows user 600 to enter a sequence of alphanumeric characters or other symbols . once authentication has been achieved , the flow of information passes through various devices within invention 10 , also reaching universal converter 900 . as information flows between checkpoint 812 and universal converter 900 , a number of filter processes are applied including ; content control 842 which governs the nature of material entering invention 10 , as user 600 may allow other users to utilize invention 10 and where care must be taken to prevent offensive material being presented to people who do not desire this information ; anti - virus protection 842 which is a constantly updated device which scans documents for viruses as information enters invention 10 ; compression 843 which is a method of reducing the size of a document in order for it to be stored on a low capacity medium or transmitted from invention 10 ; encryption 844 which is a device which scrambles information to protect its content and is applied to stored and transmitted information and confidentiality which is a novelty of invention 10 , whereby all recipients contained in an address book are marked to indicate that each recipient may or may not receive confidential documents . if an attempt is made to transmit a confidential document to a recipient who lacks indication for receipt of such information then the transmission is blocked by invention 10 and user 600 is notified . others 846 are those filters and security checks , which may be required by other professional tools , operations models or by user 600 . checkpoint 812 , being the overall container for aforementioned security checks and filters , is coupled with quarantine 848 which is an area designed to store documents which are unchecked or have failed to pass through checkpoint 812 , perhaps due to the presence of a virus or other reasons . for example , a document containing a virus will be placed in quarantine 848 , or , a confidential document , which was destined for an unauthorized recipient , will be held in quarantine 848 . user 600 is required to take individual action on a per - document basis to clear items from quarantine 848 . converter 900 is also closely related to motherboard 618 so that access can be gained to input devices 820 and output devices 822 , both being a collection of contemporary peripheral hardware , which may ultimately be utilized as sources and outputs for the conversion process . unified sheet - feeder 850 , known in the art , provides paper management within the client hardware platform 616 , whereby paper is fed into at least one device being a printer , document scanner or combined printing and scanning device . sensors 828 is a collection of devices used by invention 10 to collect information regarding the environment of user 600 . said information may be recorded and stored for later recall , utilizing a corresponding emitter 830 . moving now to fig5 an overall summary is formed of the client hardware platform 616 and those parts of invention 10 which are resident therein , now collectively referred to as client processor 910 , meaning all parts of invention 10 which are close to user 600 as opposed to those distant devices that form part of any corresponding www system and the like . the devices comprising client processor 910 are encapsulated within boundary line 911 . said system 910 is now a mobile device , supporting many forms of inbound and outbound communication , providing for connection of many compatible external devices such as professional tools 628 , containing client communication devices 603 and being subject to optional control by user 600 through the use of any compatible communication device including those in external devices 602 . details of the corresponding server &# 39 ; s client hardware platform 616 and software elements are disclosed in fig5 block 638 , which obviates some of those devices known to be required to form a www service provider . list 914 now obviates the corresponding list of professional , personal and domestic devices , which may be replaced with identical functionality contained within system 910 . being mobile , portable and universal , the said system supports user 600 in any language and sensible and feasible environment in one integrated package . however , invention 10 is known to function on other hardware platforms such as those supplied by personal computer manufacturers , such as dell , compaq and acer , all of whom provide desktop and mobile computing solutions , though in order to support all functionality of invention 10 , the addition of all disclosed input and output devices is required and said manufacturer &# 39 ; s computing systems must be connected to proprietary server 638 and related www systems . furthermore invention 10 is known to function without any specialized “ client ” hardware , utilizing only a common form of communication such as those listed in external communication devices 602 used to send and receive information to and from the invention . continuing , where invention 10 is embodied purely as a collection of software services residing on a www server , where the disclosed manner of storing , publishing , distributing and optimizing of procedures are implemented . in the art , such an embodiment is referred to as an application service provider ( asp ). an asp provides access to software for a potentially massive number of users ; each user having a basic device possessing a minimum amount of hardware , required to support input and output operations , where the majority if not all of the software resides on the www server or similar network server , owned by the asp . again , in the art , the terms “ thin client ” are used to describe a device normally utilizing a www browser or gui , in order to facilitate communication with a www server or other server , where information processing occurs . [ 0127 ] fig6 further summarizes the system to a single page view , but provides a context for the functionality within converter 900 now further disclosed . universal converter 900 is a device that converts information , in analogue or digital form , from any input format to any output format where sensible and feasible . “ sensible ” means that the conversion provides some benefit to user 600 , resulting in increased performance in related communications systems and devices , or increases the number of types of communication available to user 600 ; “ feasible ” meaning that the conversion is actually possible within a technical context using existing contemporary information technology devices . a collection of conversion utilities is held internal to converter 900 , each having an ability to convert an input to at least one output . for example , utility a converts facsimile to text , utility b converts text in english to text in french , utility c converts french text to audible speech , therefore , utilities can be coupled end - to - end in a pipeline fashion where the output of one utility is compatible with the input of zero or more other utilities . the example shows that a linked to b linked to c results in a conversion from a facsimile document to spoken french . many utilities exist that convert data formats , such as spreadsheets , word - processor documents and sound files and the like , enabling converter 900 to draw upon an increasing source of utilities and , therefore , increasing the number of compatible inputs and outputs . continuing with fig7 which illustrates the disclosed operations models 640 and specializations thereof , including said model of administration model 642 . backup 630 is now disclosed in more detail in so far as it contains a snapshot , being the entire information content as stored by invention 10 at a particular moment governed by user 600 . backup 630 relates to items arranged within real world objects 646 to areas within backup storage . such that content of smart archive 1000 is a copy of smart archive 958 ; personal data 1002 , address book 1004 is a copy of address book 964 , task list 1006 is a copy of evolving task list 672 , diary 1008 is a copy of diary 962 , preference list 1010 is a copy of updated preference list 674 , domestic appliances 1012 is a copy of domestic appliances 984 , personal trainer log is a copy personal trainer 675 , incoming / outgoing log 1016 , web directory is a copy of the preferred websites of user 600 generated by web browser 974 . others 1020 relates to copies of data generated by professional tools and the like . media center selections 972 is a copy of options settings created by media center 972 . temporary backup 632 is a portable backup device , connected in an ad hoc fashion , using at least a cable or wireless transceivers 782 , in order that data changed since the last backup to 630 is now copied to backup 632 . backup 632 is any device with at least random access memory and an input output controller such that information transfer can occur to and from temporary backup 632 . referring to fig8 the universal conversion module 624 is explained in detail . each of blocks 302 , 304 , 305 , 306 and 307 are each conversion utilities . for example , block 302 may be a conversion utility such as dragon dictate . this program converts speech to text . block 304 may be another conversion utility such as winfax . this converts one word processor &# 39 ; s format to another , or one spread sheet format to another . blocks 306 might be used to converts text to speech . each of blocks 302 to 307 have at least one input and at least one output , further identified as t 1 - t 6 and t 1 to t 4 , and t 6 - t 8 , respectively . as can be seen , there is no output for t 5 . network 320 is shown with compatible inputs connected together with their corresponding outputs . thus , a conversion matrix is created . for example , t 1 308 is sensible and feasible communication form such as speech in english . t 1 308 passes through conversion process 310 , such as dragon voice dictation to t 6 316 which a text output in english . continuing through conversion process 312 which could be fax handling such as win fax , output t 2 314 is provided as a fax transmission . similarly , t 2 314 passes through to conversion process 316 , such as translation package to reach t 7 318 which provides text in german . consequently , as noted above , by networking the conversion tools together , any sensible and feasible communication format can be converted to any other format . the illustrated embodiments of the invention are intended to be illustrative only , recognizing that persons having ordinary skill in the art may construct different forms of the invention that fully fall within the scope of the subject matter appearing in the following claims .	6
as can be seen in the mentioned figures , the wind generator of the invention is mounted on a horizontal rotating platform ( 1 ) on a concrete base ( 17 ), the movement of which is controlled and achieved by means of a motor ( 6 ). located on said platform ( 1 ) there is a wind turbine ( 2 ) and , optionally , photovoltaic panels generating energy depending on the wind conditions : when there is sufficient wind it is preferable that the wind turbine operates because of its higher performance , and when there is not sufficient wind for its operation , the photovoltaic generation of the solar panels is used for its operation . the protection of the machine in those conditions in which the wind has such a force that it could break the machine is also envisaged . the wind turbine ( 2 ) is formed by several sails or blades ( 3 ) having a concave - convex profile and all of them are mounted parallel to one another on respective similar chains or transmission apparatus ( 4 ) forming a closed circuit on respective end pinions ( 5 ), such that in one direction , when they are pushed by the wind , they place the concave face against the wind , whereas upon the return , the wind is incident on the convex face , which offers less resistance and , accordingly , provides its forward movement in the wind direction . in the forward movement of the sails ( 3 ), and accordingly of the chains ( 4 ), the pinions ( 5 ) and shafts ( 8 ) connected to the former and in turn through a mechanical transmission with the electric generator ( 7 ), are caused to rotate . fig1 to 6 depict a machine having a wind turbine ( 2 ) inclined according to a vertical plane with respect to the wind when it is in the operative position . in contrast , in fig7 and 8 the turbine adopts an angular position with respect to the wind , inclined according to a horizontal plane . the turbine of fig1 to 6 is articulated on a lower shaft ( 8 ) parallel to any of its blades ( 3 ) and supported on adjustable scissors ( 9 ) which allow placing it in different inclination positions depending on the force of the wind or , as shown in fig2 , horizontally in those cases in which there is a very strong wind , or also for machine maintenance or repair . the operation of this generator is simple : the rotating platform ( 1 ) orients the wind turbine ( 2 ) in a direction which faces the wind , for which purpose it is controlled by an electronic circuit incorporating sensors which sense the direction and force of the wind , and a solar tracker , and depending on its force , it places it such that it has more or less inclination , or it directly lowers and folds it , as seen in fig2 for example . this wind machine is preferably complemented with photovoltaic panels ( 10 ) which are articulated on shafts ( 11 ) located on the sides of the turbine ( 2 ) and are placed in the vertical position ( see fig3 ) when they are not operative , or when there are favorable wind conditions , or in the operative position above said turbine ( 2 ), as can be seen in fig4 . the position of said panels ( 10 ) is controlled by a solar tracker controlling the rotation of the base platform ( 1 ) until orienting it toward the sun from sunrise to sunset , and controlling the inclination of said panels , rotating the turbine and the panels through the shaft ( 8 ), so as to place them perpendicular to the sun depending on its seasonal position . fig5 shows a third position , or protective position , of this combined machine when there is a very heavy storm or heavy snow . in this case the turbine ( 2 ) is placed horizontally , as in fig2 , and the upper panels ( 10 ) are divided into longitudinal sections so as to lower the end sections ( 12 ) to a position close to the vertical for the purpose of closing off the entry of air into the machine from this side which is facing the wind in such conditions . in this type of vertically inclined turbine , the arrangement of a deflector ( 15 ) closing the rotating base in front of the rotating shaft ( 8 ) thereof and projecting the air toward the same , thus favoring its operation , is envisaged . fig6 offers a variant for installing the solar panels ( 13 ), in this case formed by several parallel panels articulated in the upper side and secured by adjustable struts ( 14 ), being located in the horizontal position as can be seen in the figure when the wind is favorable , all of the panels being lowered and aligned , covering the wind turbine when optimal wind conditions for its operation do not exist , or in any intermediate position when the wind conditions are strong and it is necessary to reduce the thrust thereof on the sails ( 3 ). in fig7 and 8 , the position of the wind turbine ( 2 ) has been radically changed , being placed in this case with its blades ( 3 ) in the vertical position , defining as a whole a vertical plane perpendicular to the rotating platform ( 1 ) by one of its diameters . the position of this turbine with respect to the wind is controlled by the rotation of the rotating platform , such that it is located forming an approximately 45 ° angle when wind conditions are favorable , as can be seen in fig7 , in the same direction as the wind when the latter adopts considerable force and it is necessary to protect the machine ( see fig8 ), or an angle greater than 45 ° which is adjusted by means of the rotation of the base platform ( 1 ), thereby adjusting the angle of incidence , and accordingly , the thrust of the wind on the sails ( 3 ). this type of machine can also incorporate photovoltaic panels ( 16 ), in this case fixed panels , behind the turbine and forming an approximately 45 ° angle with the vertical . when the wind is not sufficient to operate the wind turbine ( 2 ), the rotating platform ( 1 ) directs the panels ( 16 ) toward the sun so that they can receive its energy . the platform ( 1 ) rotates supported in a circular rail an has a drive motor ( 6 ) for its mobilization , as well as at least one braking unit immobilizing the machine in the suitable position , depending on the operating conditions as a wind machine , photovoltaic machine or in the protective position because of a storm . this is all controlled by an electronic control circuit powered by batteries , which logically can be the same batteries powering the photovoltaic panels . having sufficiently described the nature of the invention as well as a preferred embodiment thereof , it is hereby stated for all intents and purposes that the materials , shape , size and arrangement of the described elements may be modified provided that this does not alter the essential features of the invention which are claimed below .	8
accordingly , an object of the present invention is to resolve the above - described problems and disadvantages . more specifically , the object of the present invention is to efficiently allocate radio resources between a femto cell and a macro cell . most particularly , the object of the present invention is to efficiently allocating a common control channel between a femto cell and a macro cell . furthermore , another object of the present invention is to efficiently allocate segments for a synchronization channel ( sch or a - preamble ) and a broadcast channel ( bch or superframe header ), among the common control channels . according to an aspect of the present invention , in a method used by a femto base station for transmitting a common control channel , provided herein is a method for transmitting a common control channel including the steps of having the femto base station acquire the segment information from a macro base station , the macro base station overlaying with the femto base station ; using the segment information so as to identify a time - segment that is used by the macro base station for transmitting a common control channel ; and transmitting a common control channel of the femto base station over a time - segment other than the identified time - segment . in another aspect of the present invention , provided herein is a femto base station including an rf ( radio frequency ) unit configured to have the femto base station acquire segment information from a macro base station , the macro base station overlaying with the femto base station ; and a processor configured to use the segment information , so as to identify a time - segment that is used by the macro base station for transmitting a common control channel and to transmit a common control channel of the femto base station over a time - segment other than the identified time - segment . herein , the segment information may be received through a backbone network with the macro base station . and , the segment information may be acquired by scanning a synchronization channel being transmitted by the macro base station . herein , the common control channel may include an sa - preamble ( secondary advanced preamble ) or a broadcast channel ( e . g ., superframe header ). herein , the femto base station may further transmit a first superframe header for the macro base station . in this case , the first superframe may be transmitted over a time - segment , over which the macro base station transmits a superframe header . the present invention enables radio resources to be efficiently allocated between a femto cell and a macro cell . the present invention also enables a common control channel to be efficiently allocated between the femto cell and the macro cell . furthermore , the present invention enables a synchronization channel and / or a broadcast channel to be efficiently allocated . the accompanying drawings , which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application , illustrate embodiment ( s ) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention . fig1 illustrates an example of a related art femto cell based network structure . fig2 illustrates another example of a related art femto cell based network structure . fig3 and fig4 respectively illustrate a related art superframe structure . fig5 illustrates a structure showing a femto cell and a macro cell . fig6 illustrates an example showing a common control channel relation between a femto cell and a macro cell according to the present invention . fig7 - 11 respectively illustrate frame structures for transmitting a common control channel over different frequency - segments according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 - 15 respectively illustrate frame structures for transmitting a common control channel over different time - segments according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 illustrates an exemplary network node and an exemplary user equipment that can be applied to the present invention . the technical terms used in this specification are merely used to describe specific embodiments of the present invention . therefore , it should be understood that the terms used herein are not intended to limit the present invention . additionally , unless defined otherwise , the technical terms used in this specification should be interpreted by the meaning and significance generally known to and understood by anyone skilled in the art and , therefore , should not be interpreted as an excessively broad and inclusive meaning nor interpreted as an excessively narrow meaning . moreover , in case any of the technical terms used in the specification of the present invention corresponds to an incorrect term that is incapable of correctly express the scope and spirit of the present invention , the corresponding term should be replaced by a correct technical term that can be correctly understood by anyone skilled in the art . furthermore , the general terms used in the specification of the present invention should be understood by its literal meaning defined in a dictionary , or should be interpreted based upon the overall context of a phrase , sentence , or paragraph of the specification . and , therefore , such general terms should not be understood or interpreted by excessively narrow meanings . additionally , it is to be understood that , unless obviously and clearly noted or specified otherwise within the specification , singular forms of the terms used herein may include plural forms of the corresponding terms . in the application of the present invention , the terms “ consist ( s ) of ” or “ include ( s ) ( or comprise ( s ))” should not be interpreted or understood as including , without exception , all of the plurality of elements ( or components ) or the plurality of steps disclosed in the description of the present invention . in other words , it should be understood that some ( or part ) of the elements ( or components ) or some ( or part ) of the steps may not be included , or that additional elements ( or components ) or steps may be further included in the present invention . furthermore , terms including numeric expressions , such as first ( 1 st ), second ( 2 nd ), and so on , used in the specification of the present invention may be used to described diverse elements of the present invention . however , the elements of the present invention should not be limited by the terms used in the specification of the present invention . in other words , such terms will be used only to differentiate one element from other elements of the present invention . for example , without deviating from the scope and spirit of the present invention , a first element may be referred to as a second element , and , similarly , a second element may also be referred to as a first element . when an element is described as “ being connected to ” or as “ accessing ” another element , either the corresponding element may be directly connected to or accessing the other element , or yet another element may exist between the corresponding element and the other element . alternatively , when an element is described as “ being directly connected to ” or as “ directly accessing ” another element , it should be understood that yet another ( or a third ) element does not exist between the two elements . hereinafter , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . however , regardless of the reference numerals within the drawings , the same reference numerals will be given to like or same part of the present invention , and detailed description of the same parts will be omitted for simplicity . also , in describing the present invention , if it is determined that detailed description of a disclosed technology may cause ambiguity in describing the principle of the present invention , the detailed description of the same will also be omitted for simplicity . furthermore , it will be apparent that the appended drawings are merely provided to facilitate the understanding of the scope and spirit of the present invention , and that the appended drawings are not provided to limit the scope and spirit of the present invention . therefore , it should be understood that the scope and spirit of the present invention can be extended to all variations , equivalents , and replacements in addition to the appended drawings of the present invention . in the 3 rd or 4 th mobile communication system , continuous attempts and effort are being made in expanding cell capacity in order to support high - capacity services , such as multimedia contents and two - way ( or bi - directional ) services . attempts for expanding the cell capacity has been made by using high frequency bands and reducing cell radius . however , when applying cells having a small radius , such as pico cells , a frequency band higher than the frequency band used in the conventional cellular system . this is advantageous in that a larger amount of information can be transmitted . however , since a larger number of base stations should be established within the same surface area , this causes an increase in cost . among the many attempts to increase cell capacity by using such small cells , the usage of a femto cell has been recently proposed . a femto cell refers to installing an ultra small and compact and low power - consuming base station inside a house / office building so as to provide a small wireless environment . the femto cell can enhance service quality by improving indoor service - available areas and by increasing the cell capacity . and , by providing data services , the femto cell is expected to completely settle the next generation mobile communication system . with respect to the above - described femto cell , standardization is in process under the name of home enobeb in the 3gpp wcdma and lte group , and research on femto cells is also being actively carried out in 3gpp2 . with respect to a method of realizing such femto cells within a conventional mobile communication network , diverse structures are being proposed , as shown in fig1 and fig2 . fig1 illustrates an example of a related art femto cell based network structure . a macro base station ( m - bs ), which provides services to broad regions , and a plurality of femto - bss ( f - bss ) being installed on a user - basis are shown in fig1 . herein , the femto - bs ( f - bs ) is controlled by being connected to a femtocell network controller ( fnc ) through the internet , thereby providing services to a user . a user equipment measures signals of neighboring cells and delivers the measurements to its f - bs . then , the f - bs uses the received measurements to recognize and manage the presence ( or existence ) of the neighboring cells within its surroundings . also , the f - bss may exchange information to and from one another via direct link or via indirect link through the fnc . furthermore , the f - bs and the m - bs may exchange information to and from one another through the fnc and an rnc ( radio network controller ) or through an mme ( mobility management entity ), which controls the f - bs in a mobile communication system . fig2 illustrates another example of a related art femto cell based network structure . as shown in fig2 , femto base stations ( f - bss ) may exchange information to and from one another via direct link or through an mme , unlike as shown in fig1 . furthermore , a macro base station ( m - bs ) and a femto base station ( f - bs ) may exchange information to and from one another through an mme . fig3 illustrates an exemplary related art frame structure being used in a femto cell and a macro cell . referring to fig3 , each superframe is divided into 4 radio frames each having the same size . a superframe may include a superframe header ( sfh ). the sfh includes essential control information that must absolutely be acquired when the user equipment performs initial network access or handover . and , the sfh performs a similar function as the broadcast channel ( bch ) in the lte technology . the sfh may be allocated to a first radio frame among the plurality of radio frame configuring the superframe . a number of subframes configuring one frame may vary from 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 depending upon a bandwidth of the system or cyclic prefix ( cp ) length . and , a number of ofdma symbols configuring one subframe may also vary from 5 , 6 , 7 , and 9 accordingly . fig3 illustrates an example of a case where the bandwidth is 5 , 10 , or 20 mhz and where a cp length is ⅛tb ( herein , tb refers to a useful ofdma symbol time ). the exemplary frame structure shown in fig3 may be applied in a tdd ( time division duplexing ) scheme or in a fdd ( frequency division duplexing ) scheme . in the tdd scheme , the overall frequency band is configured for an uplink or a downlink , while an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission are differentiated from one another within a time domain . in the fdd scheme , an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission each occupies a different frequency band , and the uplink transmission and the downlink transmission occur simultaneously . each subframe is divided into at least one frequency partition . each frequency partition consists of at least one physical resource unit ( pru ). each frequency partition includes a localized pru and / or a distributed pru . each frequency partition may be used for the same purpose as a fractional frequency reuse ( ffr ). a physical resource unit ( pru ) corresponds to a basic physical unit for resource allocation including n number of consecutive ( or contiguous ) ofdm symbols and p number of consecutive ( or contiguous ) subcarriers . a logical resource unit ( lru ) corresponds to a basic logical unit for a distributed allocation and a localized allocation . the lru includes p number of subcarriers * n number of ofdm symbols . fig4 illustrates structures of a synchronization channel and a superframe header of an ieee 802 . 16m ( or an advanced air interface ), which corresponds to one of the 4 th generation mobile communication system technologies . the synchronization channel is transmitted for each frame and is repeated ( or iterated ) in superframe units . the synchronization channel includes a primary synchronization channel and a secondary synchronization channel . a signal that is being transmitted through the synchronization channel is referred to as an advanced - preamble ( a - preamble ), and a primary a - preamble ( pa - preamble ) and a secondary a - preamble ( sa - preamble ) are respectively transmitted to the primary synchronization channel and the secondary synchronization channel . the transmission positions of the pa - preamble and the sa - preamble may be located as shown in fig4 . the sfh , through which the essential control information is transmitted , is transmitted after a symbol of a first ( 1 st ) sa - preamble . herein , the pa - preamble is transmitted as frequency reuse 1 , and the sa - preamble is transmitted as frequency reuse 3 . therefore , in case of the sa - preamble , 3 different types of segments are allocated by one - to - one ( 1 : 1 ) mapping in accordance with 3 different sector indexes . in the example given herein , the pa - preamble is shown to be located in the second frame . however , in the present invention , there will be no limitation in cases where the pa - preamble is positioned in the first , third , or fourth frame . in the description of the present invention , a segment includes a frequency - segment and a time - segment . the frequency - segment includes a sub - band , which is divided from an available frequency band of the system . for example , the frequency - segment includes a pru sub - band , which is divided from an available physical resource unit ( pru ). also , the time - segment includes a time - section , which is generated ( or created ) by dividing a frame ( e . g ., superframe ). for example , the time - segment includes an ofdm symbol ( or ofdm symbols ) divided from a superframe . a whole segment may be configured to be either consecutive ( or contiguous ) or non - consecutive ( or non - contiguous ) in the corresponding resource area . unless specified otherwise , the frequency - segment and / or the time - segment will be collectively referred to as a segment for simplicity . fig5 illustrates a structure showing a femto cell and a macro cell . as shown in fig5 , a cell ( 205 ) formed by a macro base station ( m - bs ) ( 201 ) includes a plurality of sectors ( 207 a , 207 b , and 207 c ). a sector refers to a region that is formed by a directional antenna of a macro cell ( 502 ), and , for example , three sectors ( 207 a , 207 b , and 207 c ) may be included . meanwhile , a segment is defined as a group ( or collection ) of physical resource units ( prus ). when it is assumed that a frequency band of 5 mhz is being used , 24 physical resource units ( prus ) with 5 mhz may be divided into 3 segments , and each segment may use 8 logical resource units ( lrus ). generally , one segment is configured by being mapped to one sector at a one - to - one ( 1 : 1 ) correspondence . however , the number of segments and the number of sectors may be different from one another . and , in this case , the mapping between segments and sectors may vary depending upon the cell planning of the manufacturer . in the description of the present invention , it will be assumed that the communication system according to the present invention corresponds to a communication system having 3 segments and 3 sectors mapped at a one - to - one correspondence . meanwhile , each femto cell ( 305 ) shown in fig5 fixedly uses one sector and also uses one of the three segments . the frequency -/ time - segments used in the femto cell ( 305 ) may be actively decided by a femto base station ( f - bs ) ( 300 ). however , as shown in fig5 , if a femto cell ( 305 ) located in the first sector ( 207 a ) of the macro cell ( 205 ) uses the first segment , which is mapped to the first sector , just as the macro cell ( 205 ), an interference may occur between the macro cell ( 205 ) and the femto cell ( 305 ). most particularly , since the femto base station ( f - bs ) ( 300 ) is installed at an installation point , which is decided by the user , it is difficult to efficiently manage or to avoid such interference with the macro cell ( 205 ). such interference has the same effect on a channel ( essential control information channel ) carrying essential control information , such as a superframe header ( or bch ). since the essential control information channel includes information that can be commonly used by all user equipments , such as system information , the influence caused by interference may lead to a very critical defect ( or obstruction ) when the user equipment performs initial network access or when the user equipment performs a handover . fig6 illustrates an exemplary method for resolving ( or eliminating ) a downlink channel interference between a femto cell and a macro cell according to the present invention . referring to fig6 , a mobile communication system includes a first macro base station ( 201 ), a second macro base station ( 202 ), a femto base station ( 300 ), and a user equipment ( 100 ). the user equipment ( 100 ) is located in the first sector ( 207 a ) of the first macro base station ( 201 ), which corresponds to a donor base station , and the user equipment ( 101 ) also exists in a femto cell ( 305 ) formed by the femto base station ( 300 ). a service respective to the user equipment ( 101 ) may be provided by the first macro base station ( 201 ) and / or the femto base station ( 300 ). the two base stations that cause the largest interference to a downlink channel of the femto base station ( 300 ) are the first macro base station ( 201 ), which is the donor base station , and its neighboring second macro base station ( 202 ). in fig6 , the femto base station ( 300 ) uses one segment for the transmission of an sa - preamble and the transmission of a superframe header ( sfh ). at this point , one femto base station ( 300 ) may use one appropriate segment among , for example , the three segments . the superframe header , which is used in the first sector ( 207 a ) of the macro cell ( 205 ) in the exemplary case of fig5 , causes an interference with the first segment of the femto cell ( 305 ). therefore , it is preferable that the femto base station ( 300 ) uses a segment other than the first segment . it is preferable that the usage of a segment in order to avoid such interference is applied to a common control channel . the common control channel includes a synchronization channel ( sch ) and an essential control information channel ( or a broadcast channel ( bch )). the sch includes a p - sch ( primary - sch ) and an s - sch ( secondary - sch ). in the 4 th generation communication technology , the synchronization channel is referred to differently for each technology . for example , in the lte technology , the sch is referred to as an ss ( synchronization signal ). in the ieee 802 . 16e , the sch is referred to as a preamble . and , in an aaif ( advanced air interface ) of the ieee 802 . 16m , the sch is referred to as an advanced - preamble or an a - preamble . the a - preamble includes a pa - preamble ( primary advanced preamble ) and an sa - preamble ( secondary advanced preamble ). meanwhile , the essential control information channel or broadcast channel is also referred to as a superframe header in the ieee 802 . 16m . the pa - preamble may , for example , transmit a transmission band , sector information , or grouping information of a cell identifier ( id ). the sa - preamble ( secondary - sync channel ) is used for a cell identifier transmission . a complete cell identifier may be identified by the combination of a pa - preamble and an sa - preamble . in a base station type ( e . g ., macro base station , femto base station , etc . ), i . e ., in case a transmitting end and a transmitter perform transmission / reception through a plurality of communication carriers in order to enhance a transmission data rate , the grouping information included in the pa - preamble may indicate a type of the carrier through which the pasa - preamble and the sfh are being transmitted . for example , the pa - preamble may indicate the sector information of the macro cell and the femto cell . for example , 2 bits of the pa - preamble may indicate 3 macro sectors and one femto sector . also , the pa - preamble that is being transmitted from the macro base station may indicate the type of the macro base station , and the pa - preamble that is being transmitted from the femto base station may indicate the type of the femto base station . furthermore , the pa — preamble that is being transmitted from the macro base station and the femto base station may indicate a bandwidth uses by the macro base station and the femto base station . in another example , a case where the pa - preamble transmits only the bandwidth and the type of transmission carrier may be considered . more specifically , information associated to a sector or information associated to macro / femto may not be included in the pa - preamble . in this case , information on sector and segments that are used by the current macro base station for performing transmission may be acquired from the cell identifier , which is acquired from the sa - preamble . the pa - preamble , the sa - preamble , and the sfh are required to be adequately allocated to the first macro base station ( 201 ) and the femto base station ( 300 ). hereinafter , this will be described in detail . first of all , a description of the pa - preamble will be made as follows . the first macro base station ( 201 ) may transmit information on a corresponding sector ( 207 a ) of the macro base station over the pa - preamble . also , a case of having no sector information over the pa - preamble may also be considered . the femto base station ( 300 ) may scan and receive sector information that is transmitted to the pa - preamble by the first macro base station ( 201 ). alternatively , in case the sector information is not transmitted to the pa - preamble , a cell identifier may be acquired from the sa - preamble , thereby acquiring sector information used by a donor macro base station . meanwhile , the femto base station ( 300 ) may be directly connected to the first macro base station ( 201 ) and a backbone network without having to pass through a scanning process , or the femto base station ( 300 ) may be connected to the first macro base station ( 201 ) and the backbone network through a core network , thereby being capable of acquiring sector information ( including frequency -/ time - segments information ) of the macro base station ( otherwise referred to as the donor base station ). also , the femto base station ( 300 ) may also acquire sector or segment information included in the sfh of the first macro base station ( 201 ) without having to pass through a scanning process . as described above , when the case of having sector information transmitted to the pa - preamble is being assumed , the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit sector information , which is identical to that of a macro base station ( otherwise referred to as the donor base station ) overlaying with the femto base station ( 300 ) itself , over the pa - preamble . in this case , a pa - preamble sequence being transmitted by the femto base station ( 300 ) may be different from a pa - preamble sequence used by the macro base station ( 201 ). instead of sector information of the donor base station , the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit its own sector information over the pa - preamble . more specifically , the femto base station ( 300 ) may actively decide the segment that is to be used by the femto base station ( 300 ) itself . and , then , the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit its own sector information in accordance with the decided segment through the pa - preamble . in case the pa - preamble does not transmit the sector information , the femto base station ( 300 ) may not transmit sector information over the pa - preamble as well . in this case , the pa - preamble sequence of the femto base station ( 300 ) may be identical to a pa - preamble sequence of the first macro base station ( 201 ). however , the significance of the identity between the two pa - preamble sequences refers to an identity in light of differentiating the sector information . and , different information is included in the pa - preamble , the femto base station and the macro base station may each have a different sequence . as described above , the reason for which the femto base station ( 300 ) transmits identical sector information of the donor macro base station over the pa - preamble is to gain a macro diversity effect . more specifically , since a femto or a macro cell included the corresponding femto transmits the same pa - preamble sequence , a user equipment belonging to the femto cell is capable of receiving the same sequence from two different sites . hereinafter , an sa - preamble and an sfh will now be described in detail . the macro base station ( 201 ) transmits an sa - preamble carrying sfh information in a segment corresponding to a transmission sector and carrying cell identifier ( id ) information in a segment of the sa - preamble corresponding to a transmitted sector . a physical segment for sfh transmission and a physical segment for sa - preamble transmission may be different from one another . herein , the two physical segments being different from one another may signify that a physical identification method indicating 0 th , 1 st , and 2 nd segments of the sa - preamble and a physical identification method dividing 0 th , 1 st , and 2 nd segments of the sfh may be different from one another . based upon the sector information of the first macro base station ( 201 ), which is acquired by performing the above - described scanning or non - scanning method , the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit cell id information over an sa - preamble of a different segment . this is to reduce the influence of interference by configuring the sector within the first macro base station ( 201 ) and the segment of the femto base station ( 300 ) to be different from one another ( i . e ., in the exemplary case of fig5 , since the femto base station is located in the first sector of the macro base station , the interference level is low in the second segment and the third segment ). after acquiring two segments having large influence levels caused by interference through a scanning method or a method other than the scanning method , it may be considered that the femto base station ( 300 ) transmits an sfh and an sa - preamble through the remaining segments , excluding the two segments having large influence levels caused by interference . herein , the two segments having the large influence levels caused by interference may correspond to the donor macro base station and another neighboring macro base station , or may correspond to the donor macro base station and a neighboring femto cell . alternatively , a case where the sfh is transmitted without dividing the segments and where only the sa - preamble is transmitted after dividing the segments may be considered . more specifically , the sfh may set the frequency reuse to ‘ 1 ’, so that transmission can be performed in the whole system band . in such case , in the receiving perspective of the sfh , since a problem of interference may occur between the macro base station and the femto base station , after acquiring the information on the position of an available sfh within a superframe by using the above - described scanning method or any method other than the scanning method , a method of positioning the sfh at a position having less interference . conversely , a case of dividing the sfh and transmitting the divided sfh and transmitting the sa - preamble without dividing the segments is also being considered . in this case , the sa - preamble and its cell id information may be transmitted through the same physical position within the first macro base station ( 201 ), i . e ., the whole band of the system . fig7 illustrates a solution for resolving ( or eliminating ) interference of a common control channel according to an embodiment of the present invention . herein , the common control channel includes a synchronization channel ( e . g ., a - preamble , sch ) and an essential control information channel ( e . g ., bch , sfh ). referring to fig7 , a macro cell includes a plurality of sectors , for example , a first sector to a third sector , and the macro cell uses a segment respective to the corresponding sector so as to transmit a common control channel . in this case , in order to avoid interference with the macro cell , a femto cell may use different frequency - segments that are differentiated from the macro cell in the frequency domain , so as to transmit the common control channel . referring to the case of fig6 , the donor macro base station ( 201 ) may use a first frequency - segment with respect to user equipments within the first sector , so as to transmit the common control channel . meanwhile , the femto base station ( 300 ) located in the first sector ( 207 a ) of the macro cell ( 205 ) may use a segment , which is used by the donor base station ( 201 ) and / or a neighboring macro base station ( 202 ), and a third frequency - segment , which is identified from the frequency domain , so as to transmit the common control channel . based upon the segment information of the macro base station , the segment that is used by the femto base station for transmitting the common control channel may be actively decided by the femto base station , or may be indicated ( or designated ) by the macro base station . hereinafter , referring to fig8 - 11 , a method of transmitting a synchronization channel and an essential control information channel by using a frequency - segment , which identifies a macro cell and a femto cell from one another in the frequency domain , will now be described in detail . in order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention , the sa - preamble and the superframe header ( sfh ) shown in fig6 will be respectively given as the main examples of the synchronization channel and the essential control information channel . also , to facilitate the description of the present invention , it is assumed that , according to this embodiment of the present invention , the first macro base station ( 201 ) and the femto base station ( 300 ) are positioned as shown in fig6 . in this embodiment of the present invention , a segment for the sfh and a segment for the sa - preamble may be identified as being physically identical to one another . additionally , a segment for the sfh and a segment for the sa - preamble may be identified as segments being physically different from one another yet configured to be identical to one another only logically . fig8 and fig9 illustrate examples of a frame structure according to the present invention . referring to fig8 , the first macro base station ( 201 ) including a target femto base station may transmit a pa - preamble for the first sector ( including / not including information on the first segment ) from all physical resource units ( prus ) along a frequency axis and from a first subframe ( or some of the symbols ) along a time axis within the superframe . in case of fig8 , the first macro base station ( 201 ) may transmit the sfh to a first frequency - segment for the first sector ( 207 a ). furthermore , the first macro base station ( 201 ) may transmit an sa - preamble from the first frequency - segment , which is divided for the sa - preamble . fig9 illustrates an example of an sfh not being transmitted from the same frame as the pa - preamble but being transmitted from the same frame as the sa - preamble . as described in fig8 , the first macro base station ( 201 ) transmits the sfh to the first frequency - segment for the first sector ( 207 a ). and , the first macro base station ( 201 ) may transmit an sa - preamble from the first frequency - segment , which is divided for the sa - preamble . meanwhile , another second macro base station ( 202 ), which is located in the surroundings of a target femto cell , may transmit a pa - preamble for the second sector ( including / not including information on the second segment ). and , the second macro base station ( 202 ) transmits an sfh for the second sector to the second frequency - segment for the sfh . furthermore , the second macro base station ( 202 ) transmits an sa - preamble from the second frequency - segment , which is divided for the sa - preamble . in the meantime , description will be made on the present invention under the assumption that the femto base station ( 300 ) is positioned within the first sector of the first macro base station ( 201 ), as shown in fig6 . the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit a pa - preamble ( including / not including information on the first segment ) for the same sector as the donor first macro base station ( 201 ). and , in order to avoid the interference between the sfh of the donor first macro base station ( 201 ) and the sfh of its neighboring second macro base station ( 202 ), the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit its own sfh to a third frequency - segment within the superframe . at this point , the femto base station ( 300 ) may optionally transmit the sfh of the first sector of the donor first base station ( 201 ), in which the femto base station ( 300 ) is located , over the first frequency - segment ( option ). also , among the frequency - segments that are divided for the sa - preamble , in order to avoid interference between the sa - preamble of the donor first macro base station ( 201 ) and the sa - preamble of its neighboring second macro base station ( 202 ), the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit the sa - preamble from the third frequency - segment . fig1 and fig1 illustrate examples of a frame structure according to another embodiment of the present invention . herein , the difference between fig1 and fig1 is the identification according to a position of the sfh . referring to fig1 and fig1 , unlike as described in fig8 and fig9 , according to the other embodiment of the present invention , the sfh may use all physical resource units ( prus ) along the frequency axis within the superframe . in this case , among the description of fig8 and fig9 , the description of the sa - preamble is identically applied herein . however , since interference may occur between the macro base station and the femto base station , due to the sfh being transmitted through the whole transmission band , a method for avoiding such interference is required , and a method of varying the time - segment for such method may be taken into consideration . fig1 illustrates another method for resolving ( or eliminating ) interference of the common control channel according to the embodiment of the present invention . the common control channel includes a synchronization channel ( e . g ., a - preamble , sch ) and an essential control information ( e . g ., bch , sfh ). referring to fig1 , a macro cell includes a plurality of sectors , for example , first sector to third sector , and a macro base station uses a time - segment respective to the corresponding sector so as to transmit the common control channel . in this case , in order to avoid interference with the macro cell , the femto cell may use different time - segments ( e . g ., first ˜ third time - segments ), which are identified in the macro cell and the time domain , so as to transmit the common control channel . more specifically , the synchronization channel and / or the essential control information channel of the femto cell and the macro cell may be multiplexed by using a time division multiplexing ( tdm ) scheme . in this case , for the reliability of the common control channel , the femto base station may perform nulling ( or nullification or puncturing ) in a region where the common control channel of the macro base station is transmitted ( e . g ., subframe , ofdm symbol , sub - band , a combination of the subframe , ofdm symbol , and sub - band ). in this case , the nulling ( or nullification ) information may be transmitted through the sfh of the macro base station or the femto base station or may be transmitted through any of the other control channels . meanwhile , based upon the segment information of the macro base station , the segment that is used by the femto base station for transmitting the common control channel may be actively decided by the femto base station , or may be designated by the macro base station . referring to the example of fig6 , a macro base station ( 201 ) including a target femto base station uses a first time - segment configured in the frequency domain respective to user equipments within the first sector so as to transmit the synchronization channel and the essential control information channel . meanwhile , the femto base station ( 300 ), which is located in the first sector ( 207 a ) of the macro cell ( 205 ), uses a third time - segment , which is differentiated from the time - segment used by the donor macro base station ( 201 ) and / or its neighboring macro base station ( 202 ), so as to transmit the synchronization channel and the essential control information channel . hereinafter , referring to fig1 - 15 , a method for transmitting the synchronization channel and the essential control information channel by using a time - segment , wherein the macro cell and the femto cell are differentiated from one another in the time domain , will now be described in detail . to facilitate the understanding of the present invention , the sa - preamble and the superframe header ( sfh ) shown in fig6 will be respectively given as the main examples of the synchronization channel and the essential control information channel . also , to facilitate the description of the present invention , it is assumed that , according to this embodiment of the present invention , the first macro base station ( 201 ) and the femto base station ( 300 ) are positioned as shown in fig6 . in this embodiment of the present invention , a segment for the sfh and a segment for the sa - preamble may be identified as being physically identical to one another . additionally , a segment for the sfh and a segment for the sa - preamble may be identified as segments being physically different from one another yet configured to be identical to one another only logically . fig1 illustrates an exemplary frame structure according to the embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment of the present invention , the positions of a synchronization channel and an essential control information channel for the macro base station are fixed , and the positioned of a synchronization channel and an essential control information channel for the femto base station may be adaptively decided within an available segment . in this case , the segment for the femto base station may be decided by taking into consideration a ( donor or neighboring ) macro base station , a neighboring femto base station , a relay station , and so on . also , the segment of a femto cell may be signaled by the macro base station . such signaling may be performed by using the sfh or another channel of the macro base station , or such signaling may also be performed by using backbone signaling . referring to fig1 , the first macro base station ( 201 ) including a target femto base station may transmit a pa - preamble ( including / not including information on the second segment ) for the first sector from all physical resource units ( prus ) along a frequency axis and from a first subframe ( or some of the symbols ) of the second frame along a time axis within the superframe . the first macro base station ( 201 ) may transmit the sfh to a first time - segment for the first sector . and , the first macro base station ( 201 ) may transmit an sa - preamble from first ˜ third time - segments . meanwhile , the second macro base station ( 202 ) including a target femto base station may transmit a pa - preamble ( including / not including information on the second segment ) for the second sector from all physical resource units ( prus ) along a frequency axis and from a first subframe ( or some of the symbols ) along a time axis within the superframe . also , the second macro base station ( 202 ) may transmit an sfh for the second sector to a second time - segment for the sfh . furthermore , the second macro base station ( 202 ) may transmit an sa - preamble from first ˜ third time - segments . in the meantime , the femto base station ( 300 ) will be described in detail under the assumption that the femto base station ( 300 ) is positioned within the first sector of the first macro base station ( 201 ), as shown in fig6 . the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit a pa - preamble ( including / not including information on the second segment ) for a sector identical to that of the first macro base station ( 201 ) from all physical resource units ( prus ) along a frequency axis and from a first subframe ( or some of the symbols ) of the second frame along a time axis within the superframe . also , in order to avoid interference between the sfhs of the donor first macro base station ( 201 ) and its neighboring second macro base station ( 202 ), the femto base station ( 300 ) may transmit its own sfh to the third time - segment within the superframe . fig1 illustrates an exemplary frame structure according to another embodiment of the present invention . with the exception for the assumption that the system described herein corresponds to a mobile communication system , which includes a macro base station ( 201 ), a relay station , and a femto base station ( 300 ), fig1 is similar to fig1 . most particularly , fig1 corresponds to a case where the second macro base station ( 202 ) of fig1 is replaced with a relay station . fig1 illustrates an exemplary frame structure according to yet another embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is also similar to the examples described in fig1 and fig1 . herein , the difference is that , among many network nodes ( e . g ., relay station , femto base station ) that can be arbitrarily installed within a macro cell , at least some of the network nodes may additionally transmit the sfh of the macro base station over a time - segment for the macro base station . more specifically , a femto base station and / or a relay not only transmits its own sfh over a time - segment ( e . g ., time - segments 1 , 2 ), which is differentiated from the macro base station , but may also additionally transmit an sfh of the macro over a time - segment ( e . g ., time - segment 3 ) for the macro base station . in order to do so , the femto base station ( or relay station ) may copy ( or duplicate ) the sfh of the macro base station and may transmit the copied ( or duplicated ) sfh of the macro base station over a frequency -/ time - segment identical to that of the macro base station . the femto base station and / or the relay station may either acquire information of the macro base station , for example , through the synchronization channel and / or the essential control information channel , via wireless communication , or may acquire the corresponding information through a wired backbone network . in case the femto base station ( or relay station ) transmits the sfh of the macro base station , the femto base station ( or relay station ) may scramble the copied sfh of the macro base station by using information of the macro base station ( e . g ., cell identifier ). by having the femto base station and / or the relay station collectively transmit the sfh of the macro base station , a user equipment that is to access the macro base station may acquire a diversity gain . in order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention , although a method for using different frequency - segments when transmitting the common control channel and a method for using different time - segments when transmitting the common control channel have been separately described , the present invention will not be limited only to the examples given in the description of the present invention . according to the embodiments of the present invention , the common control channel also includes an example of being transmitted by combining the frequency - segment and the time - segment ( i . e ., frequency / time - combined resource division ). fig1 illustrates an exemplary network node and an exemplary user equipment that can be applied to the present invention . referring to fig1 , a mobile communication system includes a network node ( 110 ) and a user equipment ( ue ) ( 120 ). herein , the network node includes a base station , and a relay or femto base station . in a downlink , a transmitter corresponds to a part of the network node ( 110 ), and a receiver corresponds to a part of the user equipment ( 120 ). in an uplink , a transmitter corresponds to a part of the user equipment ( 120 ), and a receiver corresponds to a part of the network node ( 110 ). herein , the network node ( 110 ) includes a processor ( 112 ), a memory ( 114 ), and a radio frequency ( rf ) unit ( 116 ). the processor ( 112 ) may be configured to realize the processes and / or the methods proposed in the present invention . the memory ( 114 ) is connected to the processor ( 112 ) and stores diverse information associated with the operations of the processor ( 112 ). the rf unit ( 116 ) is connected to the processor ( 112 ) and transmits and / or receives radio signals . the user equipment ( 120 ) includes a processor ( 122 ), a memory ( 124 ), and an rf unit ( 126 ). the processor ( 122 ) may be configured to realize the processes and / or the methods proposed in the present invention . the memory ( 124 ) is connected to the processor ( 122 ) and stores diverse information associated with the operations of the processor ( 122 ). the rf unit ( 126 ) is connected to the processor ( 122 ) and transmits and / or receives radio signals . the network node ( 110 ) and / or the user equipment ( 120 ) may have a single antenna or multiple antennae . the above - described embodiments of the present invention correspond to predetermined combinations of elements and features and characteristics of the present invention . moreover , unless mentioned otherwise , the characteristics of the present invention may be considered as optional features of the present invention . herein , each element or characteristic of the present invention may also be operated or performed without being combined with other elements or characteristics of the present invention . alternatively , the embodiment of the present invention may be realized by combining some of the elements and / or characteristics of the present invention . additionally , the order of operations described according to the embodiment of the present invention may be varied . furthermore , part of the configuration or characteristics of any one specific embodiment of the present invention may also be included in ( or shared by ) another embodiment of the present invention , or part of the configuration or characteristics of any one embodiment of the present invention may replace the respective configuration or characteristics of another embodiment of the present invention . furthermore , it is apparent that claims that do not have any explicit citations within the scope of the claims of the present invention may either be combined to configure another embodiment of the present invention , or new claims may be added during the amendment of the present invention after the filing for the patent application of the present invention . in the description of the present invention , the embodiments of the present invention have been described by mainly focusing on the data transmission and reception relation between the base station and the terminal ( or user equipment ). occasionally , in the description of the present invention , particular operations of the present invention that are described as being performed by the base station may also be performed by an upper node of the base station . more specifically , in a network consisting of multiple network nodes including the base station , it is apparent that diverse operations that are performed in order to communicate with the terminal may be performed by the base station or b network nodes other than the base station . herein , the term base station ( bs ) may be replaced by other terms , such as fixed station , node b , enode b ( enb ), access point ( ap ), and so on . also , the term user terminal may be replaced by other terms , such as ue ( user equipment ), ms ( mobile station ), mss ( mobile subscriber station ), and so on . the above - described embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by using a variety of methods . for example , the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of hardware , firmware , or software , or in a combination of hardware , firmware , and / or software . in case of implementing the embodiments of the present invention in the form of hardware , the method according to the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by using at least one of asics ( application specific integrated circuits ), dsps ( digital signal processors ), dspds ( digital signal processing devices ), plds ( programmable logic devices ), fpgas ( field programmable gate arrays ), processors , controllers , micro controllers , micro processors , and so on . in case of implementing the embodiments of the present invention in the form of firmware or software , the method according to the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in the form of a module , procedure , or function performing the above - described functions or operations . a software code may be stored in a memory unit and driven by a processor . herein , the memory unit may be located inside or outside of the processor , and the memory unit may transmit and receive data to and from the processor by using a wide range of methods that have already been disclosed . the present invention may be realized in another concrete configuration ( or formation ) without deviating from the scope and spirit of the essential characteristics of the present invention . therefore , in all aspect , the detailed description of present invention is intended to be understood and interpreted as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention without limitation . the scope of the present invention shall be decided based upon a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims of the present invention and shall come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . therefore , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents , and it is not intended to limit the present invention only to the examples presented herein . the present invention may be applied to mobile communication systems using the femto cell . most particularly , the present invention may be applied to a method for transmitting a common control channel considering the femto cell and an apparatus for the same .	7
fig3 and fig4 illustrate a computer network system or a computing system infrastructure according to an embodiment of the present invention . the computing network system includes a container and a plurality of resources , each of which is associated with a user manager . the container includes an application and a plurality of user stores , each of which is associated with one of the user managers . the application is connected to the user stores through a common application programming interface . the application sends commands to the user managers in a single computing language through the user stores . each user store translates the commands into the particular computing languages utilized by its respective user manager . the container may also include a principle map , separate from the application , to store principles received from the user managers . fig3 illustrates a computer network system 50 according to an embodiment of the invention . the computer network system 50 includes a client 52 , a network 54 , a container 56 , user managers 58 1 - 58 n , a default user manager 60 , and resources 62 1 - 62 n . the client 52 is , for example , a computer , or an individual using a computer or another application running on a computer . the network 54 includes a series of points or nodes ( e . g ., switches , routers , etc .) interconnected by communication paths . the network 54 may include one or more of the following : the internet , a public network , or a local area network ( lan ), and a private network . the container 56 , which may be implemented on a server or other computing system , includes an application 64 , a common application programming interface ( api ) 66 , user stores 68 1 - 68 n , a default user store 70 , and a principle map 72 . although only one principle map 72 is illustrated as being connected to one user store 68 1 , it should be understood that other principle maps may be connected to the other user stores 68 1 - 68 n , or the container 56 may contain multiple principle maps , one for each of the user stores 68 1 - 68 n . the common api 66 is a communication syntax between application 64 and each of the user stores 68 1 - 68 n and the default user store 70 . the application 64 can invoke multiple high level commands / requests from the various user managers 58 1 - 58 n with only a single communication protocol through the common api 66 . examples of the high level commands include commands for managing users and groups of users ( e . g ., obtain information from a user account , create a user account , delete a user account , modify a user account , define a group , modify a group , delete a group , add a user to a group , remove a user from a group , and add a group to a group .) the application may also invoke authentication commands through the api 66 such as “ login ” and “ logout .” in an embodiment , authentication commands that flow through the common api 66 are the same as those used in java authentication and authorization service ( jaas ). these commands include login , logout , abort , and commit ). each of the user managers 58 1 - 58 n is responsible for implementing authentication and authorization services for a corresponding one of the resources 62 1 - 62 n , and each of the user stores 68 1 - 68 n within the container 56 is responsible for communicating with a corresponding one of the user managers 58 1 - 58 n in the language / syntax / format that the user manager comprehends . that is , each of the user stores 68 1 - 68 n is able to communicate with the particular user manager 58 1 - 58 n with the communication protocol that it understands . as illustrated , the default user store 70 is associated with the default user manager 60 . fig4 illustrates a template for any one of the user stores ( 68 in fig4 ). the user store 68 includes a “ single user ” module 76 , a “ group user ” module 78 , an authentication module 80 , and a configuration module 82 . each of modules within the user store 68 contains programming code for “ translating ” between : 1 ) the high level commands / requests discussed above provided by the application 64 though the common api 66 ; and 2 ) the particular communication protocols used by the various user managers 58 1 - 58 n . the single user module 76 includes code for translating common api 66 commands from the application 64 dealing with single users ( e . g ., obtaining information from a user account , creating a user account , deleting a user account , modifying a user account , etc .). the group user module 78 includes code for translating common api 66 commands dealing with groups of users ( e . g ., defining a group , modifying a group , deleting a group , adding a user to a group , removing a user from a group , adding a group to a group , etc .). the authentication module 80 includes code for translating common api 66 for commands dealing with the authentication of users ( e . g ., login , logout , abort , commit , etc .). in an embodiment , the authentication module 80 takes the form of the authentication approach shown in fig2 and may also include the same login modules that are used in jaas . here , the login context is invoked through the common api 66 by the application 64 and the appropriate login module is invoked by the login context to carry out authentication with the user manager . the configuration module 82 includes various configurable information used for communication with one of the particular user managers 58 1 - 58 n , such as the ip address and port of the particular user manager . the configuration module 82 may also include restrictions on users , such as a minimum character requirement for attempting to access a particular user manager or resource , and information regarding the use of specific transport protocols for certain types of communication , such as secure socket layer ( ssl ). the default user manager 60 is the user manager that performs authentication and authorization services for the applications within the container ( rather than any of resources 62 1 - 62 n ). therefore , in use , referring again to fig3 , when the client 52 attempts to gain access to the application 64 within the container 56 , the client 52 must first be authenticated and authorized by the default user manager 60 . when the client 52 has been successfully authenticated and authorized for access to the application 64 , a default principle , “ a ” for example , is sent from the default user manager 60 . thus the client 52 is recognized as principle “ a ” for purposes of authorizing the client &# 39 ; s 52 access within the container 56 . the client 52 may then attempt to access one of the resources 62 1 - 62 n . when the client 52 attempts to access one of the resources 62 1 , a high level authentication command , such as “ login ,” is sent through the common api 66 to user store 68 1 associated with user manager 58 1 that communicates with resource 62 1 that the client 52 is attempting to access . in an embodiment , where user store 68 1 conforms to the design approach of fig4 , the authentication module 80 of user store 68 1 is used . if the approach of fig2 is used for the authentication module 80 , the appropriate login module for use with user store 68 1 is invoked by the login context in response to the “ login ” command sent by the application 64 over the common api 66 . once the client 52 , or the application 64 on behalf of the client , 52 has been authenticated for access to user manager 58 1 , another principle for use with user manager 58 1 (“ b ” for example ) is sent from user manager 58 1 to user store 68 1 as illustrated in fig3 . the principle b is then stored within the principle map 72 . here , as part of the application &# 39 ; s 64 initial invocation of user store 68 1 on behalf of the client 52 for authentication services ( i . e ., the aforementioned “ login ” request sent over the common api 66 ), user store 68 1 was told that the authentication was for principle “ a .” that is , for example , the user store 68 1 was instructed to “ login ” principle “ a ” for access to resource 62 1 . the principle map 72 essentially maps the container principle value “ a ” to user manager 58 1 principle value “ b ” for the same user ( in this case , client 52 ). it should be noted that the principle “ b ” received from user manager 58 1 need not be stored within the application 64 . rather , the principle b may be stored within the principle map 72 that is maintained by user store 68 1 ( or same entity other than the application 64 ). through the principle map 72 , user store 68 1 is able to recognize that the principles a and b have been granted to the same client , and thus , when the client 52 , or application 64 on behalf of the client 52 , again attempts to access resource 62 1 , the client 52 is identified as “ a ” across the common api 66 and the user store 68 1 simply sends principle b back to user manager 58 1 . that is , user store 68 1 “ looks up ” the appropriate principle ( b ) from the principle map 72 for the client 52 that is requesting access to resource 62 1 ( who is identified as principle a ). the client 52 may then access various files 74 on resource 62 1 based on the roles that user manager 58 1 has assigned to principle b . if the client 52 also attempts to access a second resource 62 2 , the client 52 must be authenticated and authorized by a second user manager 58 2 that controls access to the second resource 62 2 . the application 64 sends a “ login ” command through the common api 66 along with the identity of the client 52 as recognized by the container 56 ( principle a ) to a second user store 68 2 ( i . e ., using the same communication protocol as was used to access the first resource 62 1 ). the second user store 68 2 invokes authentication services by user manager 58 2 . thus , the application 64 is able to communicate with the different user managers 58 1 - 58 n by sending commands in a single communication protocol and does not have to be programmed with multiple communication protocols . that is , for example , for both of the accesses to resources 62 1 and 62 2 , the application communicated “ login a ” to both of user stores 58 1 and 58 2 . once the client 52 is authenticated by the second user manager 58 2 , the second user manager 58 2 sends a principle , “ c ” for example , to the second user store 68 2 . the principle c may then be stored within a second principle map 84 as illustrated in fig3 . as before , the second principle map 84 maps a relationship between the received principle ( c ) and the default principle ( a ) of the client 52 . thus , the second user store 68 2 , using the second principle map 84 , will be able to recognize that the principle c and the default principle a are for the same client and , as a consequence , will be able to identify client 52 as principle “ c ” for future uses related to resource 62 2 . for example , the second user store 68 2 is able to send principle c back to the second user manager 58 2 so that the client 52 may be authorized to access the files 74 within the second resource 62 2 which are based on the roles that the second user manager 58 2 has assigned to principle c . if the application 64 ( e . g ., at the commands of the client 52 ) attempts to perform a high level modification to the user records of user manager 58 1 such as “ modify user group ,” a high level command is sent through the common api 66 to the user store 68 1 associated with user manager 58 1 that is connected to the resource 62 1 that the client 52 is attempting to access . this high level command is sent in the communication protocol used by the application 64 , in a syntax not particularly utilized by the particular user manager 58 1 . user store 68 1 essentially “ translates ” the high level command into the particular communication protocol and syntax that is used by the particular user manager 58 1 that the client 52 is attempting to access . for example , the “ modify user group ” command may be translated into “ modify_group .” the “ translation ” of the high level command into the particular communication protocol of the particular user manager 58 1 is pulled from one of the modules within the user stores being accessed . for example , as discussed above , the translation for the “ modify user group ” is stored in the group user module 78 as illustrated in fig4 . if the application 64 ( e . g ., at the commands of the client 52 ) attempts to perform a high level modification to the user records of the second user manager 58 2 , such as “ modify user group ,” a high level command is sent through the common api 66 to the user store 68 2 associated with the second user manager 58 2 that is connected to the second resource 62 2 that the client 52 is attempting to access . this high level command is sent in the communication protocol used by the application 64 . the second user store 68 2 translates the communication protocol used by the application 64 into the particular communication protocol and syntax used by the second user manager 58 2 . for example , the “ modify user group ” command may be translated into “ mg .” as illustrated in fig3 , the container 56 may also utilize a centralized principle map 86 . the centralized principle map 86 may be connected to the application 64 and the user stores 68 1 - 68 n through the common api 66 . in such an embodiment , the centralized principle map 86 would be able to store principles received from the default user manger 60 and the user managers 58 1 - 58 n and map relationships between the principles that would be used by the client 52 in accessing the resources 62 1 - 62 n . fig5 is a block diagram of a computing system 200 that can execute program code stored by an article of manufacture . the computing system 200 includes a processor 202 , a memory 204 , a hard drive 206 , a network interface 208 , a removeable media drive 210 , and a cd - rom 212 , and a display device 214 . it is important to recognize that the computing system of fig5 is just one of various computing architectures . the applicable article of manufacture may include one or more fixed components ( such as a hard disk and a memory ) and / or movable components such as a cd - rom , a compact disc , a magnetic tape , etc . in order to execute program code , typically instructions of the program code are loaded into the memory 204 , such as random access memory ( ram ), and the processor 202 , or microprocessor , then executes the instructions . the computing system of fig5 may be incorporated at various places within the networked computing system infrastructure 50 of fig3 . the processes taught by the discussion above can be practiced within various software environments such as , for example , object - oriented and non - object - oriented programming environments , java based environments ( such as a java 2 enterprise edition ( j2ee ) environment or environments defined by other releases of the java standard , or other environments ( e . g ., a . net environment , a windows / nt environment , each of which is provided by microsoft corporation ). processes taught by the discussion above may be performed with program code such as machine - executable instructions which cause a machine ( such as a “ virtual machine ”, general - purpose processor or special - purpose processor ) to perform certain functions . alternatively , these functions may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the functions , or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components . an article of manufacture may be used to store program code . an article of manufacture that stores program code may be embodied as , but is not limited to , one or more memories ( e . g ., one or more flash memories , random access memories ( static , dynamic or other )), optical disks , cd - roms , dvd roms , eproms , eeproms , magnetic or optical cards or other type of machine - readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions . program code may also be downloaded from a remote computer ( e . g ., a server ) to a requesting computer ( e . g ., a client ) by way of data signals embodied in a propagation medium ( e . g ., via a communication link ( e . g ., a network connection )). while certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention , and that this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described since modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art .	7
the detailed description as set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention , and does not represent the only embodiment of the present invention . it is understood that various modifications to the invention may be comprised by different embodiments and are also encompassed within the spirit and scope of the present invention . lenticular printing and lenticular lenses are widely adapted for a variety of items such as signs , posters , collectibles , coasters , magnets , postcards and business cards . lenticular technology is also used in packaging , publishing and labeling . lenticular technology is particularly eye catching and is used to draw attention to otherwise two dimensional graphics . lenticular images provide the user with an illusory effect of movement and three dimensional depth in the image . the effect is created by the combination of lenticular lenses ( a series of lenticules ) and underlying lenticular image . the lenticular image is typically a computer generated segmented image . the segmented image can be a series of images that are stripped and interlaced . the user looks through the lenticular lens and an image is assembled from the segmented interlaced images thus constructing a single image which has depth and / or appears to move depending on the visual angle . the lenticules may be cylindrical , pyramidal , trapezoidal or parabolic . lenticular lenses are well known and commercially available . methods for using lenticular lens technology are described in detail in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 113 , 213 and 5 , 266 , 995 , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . the underlying lenticular images are a composite of two or more composite interlaced pictures and the lenticular lenses are arranged with the segmented portions to provide the desired image effect . the flat back surface of the lenses lays over the interlaced image and the image is viewed through the lenses sheet . such lenticular image configurations are shown in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 488 , 451 ; 5 , 617 , 178 ; 5 , 847 , 808 and 5 , 896 , 230 , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . early lenticular technology used both the lenticular image and lenticular lenses as separate components . more recently , the lenticular image maybe incorporated directly on to the flat back surface of a lenticular sheet or film as taught in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 457 , 515 and 6 , 424 , 467 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . it should be understood in the discussion with respect to the present invention that lenticular imaging is distinct from holographic imaging . holographic imaging utilizes a three dimensional image that is created using lasers . because both holographic imagery and lenticular images can display depth , the terms are sometimes confused , but should be understood that the holographic images and lenticular images are separate and distinct technologies . holographic images do not employ lenticular lenses , but rather use etching as a means of creating a desired effect . referring particularly to fig4 there is shown a cross - section of the optical disc 64 of the present invention . the disc 64 comprises a first translucent substrate 66 having a generally planar bottom surface 68 and a top surface 70 . the top surface 70 is formed through the injection molding stamping process to include pits that are representative of the recorded data on the disc . the translucent substrate 66 allows an optical beam 72 ( shown in phantom ; see fig4 ) to project through the substrate 66 . because the top surface 70 is incapable of allowing an optical reader ( not shown ) to identify recorded data , the substrate must include a reflective coating layer 74 to be formed on the surface 70 to allow the optical beam to reflect data back to an optical reader ( not shown ). the substrate 66 is formed of polycarbonate , but may be formed of any suitable translucent plastic material such as polyester , vinyl , polycarbonate , polyvinyl chloride , polyethylene , terephthalate and / or amorphous polyethylene terephthalate . a bonding agent 76 is placed between the data disc substrate 66 and a lenticular substrate 78 . the bonding agent secures the lenticular substrate 78 to the data substrate 66 . the bonding agent may be formed of any acceptable bonding agent used in a bonding process but preferably , the adhesive resin is a cationic uv - curable composition . for example , epoxy resins with a glycidyl ether group and a cationic photionitiator . typically , epoxy resins with low chlorine content are preferred in order to prevent corrosion of the reflective layer 74 . the lenticular substrate 78 is generally translucent and has a planar bottom surface 80 and a top surface 82 . the top surface 82 incorporates a plurality of lenticules 84 formed throughout the top surface . the substrate 78 is preferably formed from translucent polycarbonate but may be formed from any suitable plastic material such as but not limited to polyester , vinyl , polycarbonate , polyvinyl chloride , polyethylene terephthalate and amorphous polyethylene terephthalate . a lenticular image ( not shown ) may be formed onto the lenticular substrate 78 through a lithographic printing process . the image can be transferred to the substrate by any number of printing processes including but not limited to sheet - fed printing , web offset printing , flexographic printing , gravure printing , digital printing and electronic deposition printing . if the images are transferred by digital printing , such digital printing can comprise dye - sublimation printing , laser printing , electrostatic printing , ink jet printing and photographic emulsion . thus , the eye of an observer 86 will look through the lenticular substrate 78 to an image ( not shown ) on the bottom surface 80 of the lenticular substrate 78 . thus , three dimensional art works or other identifying material is displayed on the top surface ( non - recordable ) of the optical disc . the optical disc structure as shown in fig4 and as described herein may be utilized for both dvds and cds . the substrate 78 provides additional protection for the aluminum layer 74 in the underlying data surface 70 , which is particularly problematic for today &# 39 ; s existing cds . furthermore , the structure as described in fig4 can be used to produce intricate images viewable through the substrate 78 which would be extremely difficult to reproduce thus providing anti - counterfeiting protection for legitimate dvds and cds in the market place . referring particularly to fig5 there showed a flow chart diagram illustrating the method of forming a lenticular optical disc in accordance with the method of the present invention . a lenticular substrate 88 , which is a lenticular sheet , is formed through any number of known processes . the lenticular substrate 88 has a lenticular image printed 90 onto the flat under surface . the printed lenticular substrate is then cut 92 into the conventional dvd / cd configuration such as a circular configuration . although the present invention contemplates the use of lenticular technology with standard dvd and cd formats ( i . e ., circular ) it is recognized that it may be used with oddly shaped optical media which are useable in today &# 39 ; s dvd / cds format sizing . in this regard , the shape of the optical media may be of any size that is operable with today &# 39 ; s dvd / cd format . in addition , while the present format contemplates use with present day dvd / cd technology it is expected that a lenticular substrate layer maybe added to any format of optical media presently contemplated today , or as yet as to have been developed . a stamper 94 is used in the injection molding process 96 to create a raw data disc with a polyurethane substrate . although the present invention contemplates that the substrate 66 used in injection molding process 96 is formed from a polycarbonate , it is also contemplated that such substrate may be formed from any number of suitable plastic materials including but not limited to polyester , vinyl , polycarbonate , polyvinyl chloride , polyethylene terephthalate and amorphous polyethylene terephthalate . because the pitted data surface 70 is incapable of transmitting data to an optical reader ( not shown ) a reflective coating is applied 98 , thus completing a functional data disc , but with a raw aluminum surface exposed . thus , the lenticular substrate / disc 78 and the data disc 66 are bonded by a bonding agent 76 through a hot melt bonding process 100 . the hot melt bonding process is well know in dvd - 5 fabrication . once bonded , the disc is inspected 102 and a final product or optical data disc having lenticular qualities 64 is available for use by the consumer . it is understood that lenticular disc 78 and the data disc 66 are approximately 0 . 60 mm in depth so that upon bonding and hot melt bonding process 100 a standard dvd - 5 data disc having a depth of approximately 1 . 2 mm is produced . it is understood and contemplated that although typically cds are produced on substrates of approximately 1 . 2 mm in depth , the process for the present invention contemplates use of two substrates each 0 . 60 mm in depth . the resulting product is demonstrated as shown in fig6 which illustrates a top view of the lenticular image 90 as the lenticular image 90 is being viewed through the lenticular substrate 88 . more particularly , fig6 illustrates that image a , b , and c may be selectively and separately viewed through the lenticular substrate 88 as the product is rotated from left to right , respectively . in other words , image a may be viewed when the product is viewed from the left side , image b may be viewed when the product is viewed straight forward , and image c may be viewed when the product is viewed from the right side . this is merely illustrative of an aspect of the present invention and is not meant to limit the same . for example , more than three images may be viewed as the product is rotated from left to right . and , these images may also be viewed in sequence as the product is rotated from right to left . additionally and alternatively , the image ( s ) may be viewed selectively and separately as the product is rotated from top to bottom . referring particularly to fig7 - 9 , it is contemplated by the present invention that the optical disc 64 because of its unique and stunning imagery may be displayed through the jewel case , emery case or other packaging 104 in which an optical disc 64 is sold . accordingly , that disc 64 may reduce costs in manufacturing and labeling as the disc 64 itself may be used as the featured artwork . in other words , a label or insert for the case 104 which serves the purpose of identification of the disc 64 and marketing for the disc 64 does not have to be produced . rather , the lenticular image 90 viewed through the lenticular substrate 88 serves these purposes . as stated above , the aspects of the present invention , namely , a lenticular image 90 and lenticular substrate 88 attached to a translucent substrate 66 may be utilized as an anti - counterfeiting mechanism . moreover , a case such as an emery case or a jewel case 104 may be modified such that the lenticularized image 90 may be viewed even when the case 104 is in a closed position ( see fig7 ). the aspects of the present invention may be useful to prevent counterfeiting of cds and dvds . as a first example , anti - counterfeiting information may be embedded within the lenticular image 90 such that the anti - counterfeiting information is viewable through the lenticular substrate 88 at an angle that is different compared to its normal consumer usage . in particular , if the normal consumer views the lenticular image 90 by rotating the products from left to right then anti - counterfeiting information may be embedded and interlaced with the image 90 to be viewed by the consumer such that the anti - counterfeiting information is viewable at a vertical angle of 45 degrees . in other words , the anti - counterfeiting information is not viewable during the normal usage of the products . this may be accomplished by placing or interlacing the anti - counterfeiting information at a pitch slightly offset from the pitch of the lenticular image 90 to be viewed by the consumer . in this way , as long as the existence of the anti - counterfeiting information and the angle at which the anti - counterfeiting information may be viewed is maintained with secrecy , a counterfeiter would not incorporate the anti - counterfeiting information in the counterfeit version of the disc . the anti - counterfeiting information may also be , in the alternative , embedded in the lenticular image 90 such that the anti - counterfeiting information may be viewed at an angle at which the consumer may view the lenticular image 90 during the products normal usage . in this regard , the anti - counterfeiting information may be an indistinguishable variation of the lenticular image such that the counterfeiter would not be cognizant of the anti - counterfeiting information upon viewing the lenticular image 90 through the lenticular lenses 88 . for example , if the lenticular image 90 comprised of four frames of dolphins swimming in the ocean , then the anti - counterfeiting information may be a non - natural wrinkle of a wave in the lenticular image 90 . by this way , the counterfeiter would attempt to copy the dolphins and its environment and would not be cognizant of the wrinkle . in this regard , as long as the existence of the anti counterfeiting information is maintained with secrecy , the counterfeiter would not incorporate the anti - counterfeiting information into the lenticular image 90 . moreover , the counterfeiter would not be able to copy the lenticular image 90 directly from an authentic product to thereby inadvertently incorporate the anti counterfeiting information in the copied disc . the reason is that the resolution of the lenticular image 90 through the lenticular lenses 88 is lower than the resolution of the lenticular image 90 viewed directly and not through the lenticular lenses 88 . additionally , the counterfeiter would not be able to remove the lenticular image 90 from the bottom surface 80 of the second substrate 78 because of the method by which the lenticular image 90 is attached to and applied to the bottom surface 80 of the lenticular substrate 78 . the lenticular disc of the present invention is particularly resistant to counterfeiter duplication because it is difficult , if not impossible , to separate the lenticular substrate 78 to expose the lenticular image 90 . furthermore , the image 90 cannot be effectively scanned through the lenticular substrate 78 through any known scanning equipment or process . accordingly , a lenticular image which is created from a series of video frames is incapable of being reproduced , unless the counterfeiter has direct access to the original video frame . in this regard , a record company or recording artist could effectively create a video or film segment which would not be released to the general public , and would thus serve as the verification images for purposes of counterfeit protection . in another aspect of the present invention , the cd or dvd which has the lenticular image 90 and lenticular substrate 88 applied thereto may be viewed through a modified emery case or jewel case 104 , or any suitable case to encompass , enclose or hold the product ( see fig7 ). for purposes of illustrating the present invention and not for limiting the same , an emery case similar to the emery case disclosed in mou et al ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 398 , 022 ) will be used to illustrate various aspects of the present invention . the contents of mou et al . are incorporated herein by reference . the emery case 104 may be comprised of a left flap 106 and a right flap 108 . the right flat 108 may additionally have a post 110 directed to an inner cavity of the emery case 104 . the post 110 may be operative to retain the cd or dvd on the post 110 and correspondingly the cd or dvd within the emery case 104 . the left flap 106 may have an aperture 112 ( see fig8 and 9 ) such that when the left and right flaps 106 , 108 are in a closed position , the cd or dvd is viewable through the aperture 112 . in the invention as shown , the diameter of the aperture 112 is less than the diameter of a disc 64 , in order to retain the disc 64 within the packaging 104 . it is contemplated that the entire package could be shrink wrapped for additional security the cd or dvd may have various configurations such as circular , triangular , or trapezoidal . these configurations are merely illustrative of the configurations of which the cd or dvd may have and are not meant to limit the various configurations which the cd or dvd may have . correspondingly , the aperture 112 may have a respective configuration with respect to the cd configuration . for example , if the cd had a triangular configuration , then the aperture 112 may have a triangular configuration . moreover , the aperture 112 may further have a flange 114 which is directed towards the inner cavity 116 of the case 104 . the flange 114 may be operative to apply pressure to the cd or dvd when the cd or dvd is enclosed within the case 104 . this unique modification to the case serves two purposes , mainly , an anti - counterfeiting protection mechanism and a decorative function . with respect to the former , anti - counterfeiting information may be embedded within the lenticular image 90 in the manner discussed above . accordingly , the anti - counterfeiting information may be utilized in the manner discussed above because the anti counterfeiting information may be viewable through the aperture 112 . with respect to the latter , the consumer may be able to view the lenticularized image 90 through the aperture 112 which may be the preferred placement of the lenticularized image 90 based on a view that the cd or dvd is the true product which the consumer is purchasing . in other words , consumers would prefer the true product to be marketably appealing instead of the case 104 that houses the true product . it should be noted and understood that with respect to the embodiments of the present invention , the materials suggested may be modified or substituted to achieve the general overall resultant high efficiency . the substitution of materials or dimensions remains within the spirit and scope of the present invention .	6
for a better understanding of the embodiment of the present invention , a conventional header driven type packet switching system will be first described with reference to fig4 through 6 . fig4 shows a block diagram of a conventional header driven type packet switching system disclosed in japanese unexamined patent publication no . 61 - 127250 . in the figure , the system includes a plurality of packet header processing circuits ( ph l ) 41a to ( ph n ) 4na which are provided in a fixed correspondence with incoming lines ic l to ic n , a route setting mechanism 5a and a switch controller 6a including a routing conversion table . fig5 is a view showing a data packet , and fig6 shows the content of the routing converiion table 6a . referring to fig4 and 6 , the operation is as follows . a data packet including a virtual call number vc and data is transmitted from a packet terminal ( not shown in fig4 ) through an incoming line , for example ic l , to a packet header processing circuit ( ph l ) 41a ( also referred to as a packet handler ). in the packet handler 41a , a line number # 1 is given to the packet . this line number # i ( i = 1 , 2 , ..., or n ) is previously stored in the corresponding packet handler ( ph i ) 4ia . the switch controller ( swc ) 6a receives the line number # i and the virtual call number vc from the packet handler ( ph i ) 4ia through a bus ib . the switch controller 6a then looks up the routing conversion table shown in fig6 according to the line number # i and virtual call number vc in the data packet to find an outgoing line number (# j ) and a next virtual call number vc . the switch controller 6a then rewrites the virtual call number of the data packet to the next virtual call number vc and erases the line number . subsequently , the switch controller sends the data packet through the outgoing line number (# j ). accordingly , the data packet transmitted through the incoming line ici is transferred to the outgoing line oc j . the problem in the prior art header driven type packet switching system is that , since each packet handler is provided in a fixed correspondence with one incoming line , if a plurality of data packets are transmitted through , for example , the incoming line ic l , the packet handler ( ph l ) 41a can not process a data packet until the preceding data packet has been processed . that is , the data packets , which are transmitted through the incoming line ic l while the preceding data packet is being processed in the packet handler ( ph l ) 41a , must wait until the preceding data packet has been completely processed . therefore , a considerable delay occurs and much time is wasted , even though the remaining packet handlers are free . fig1 is a block diagram showing a principal function of the header driven packet switching system according to the present invention . to solve the problem mentioned above , the present invention provides , as shown in fig1 incoming line circuits 21 to 26 having fifo type buffers and corresponding to incoming lines 1l to 1n to which user packet terminals ul through un are connected . the incoming line circuits 2l to 2n are connected to a hunting portion 3 , also referred to as &# 34 ; scanning circuits &# 34 ;, for finding a free packet header processing circuit . packet header processing circuits , i . e ., packet handlers ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; ph &# 39 ; s &# 34 ;) 4l to 4m are provided in a ph pool 4 . a routing conversion table 6 is disposed in each of the ph &# 39 ; s 4l to 4m , as typically shown in the figure for the ph 42 . the ph &# 39 ; s 4l to 4m are connected to a route setting mechanism 5 which is constituted by , for example , spatial matrix switches , and connected to outgoing lines 5l to 5n . a data packet dp from , for example , the packet terminal ul ( or a remote exchange ), is stored in the incoming line circuit 21 having an fifo buffer corresponding to the line . the data packet transmitted through the line 11 comprises user data dt and a virtual call number vc ( vc =&# 34 ; a &# 34 ; in the example shown in fig1 ). in the fifo buffer 21 , an incoming line number # i (# i = 11 in this example ) is added to the data packet dp . when the data packet is received by the free ph hunting portion 3 , a free ph ( ph 42 in this example ) is determined from among the ph &# 39 ; s 41 to 43 , which are arranged in the ph pool 4 so as to be independent from the incoming lines , that is , so as not to correspond to the lines . then , a cross point cp1 between the incoming line circuit 21 and the ph 42 in the ph hunting portion 3 is closed to transfer the data packet plus the incoming line number # i = 11 , to the ph 42 . in the ph 42 , the routing conversion table 6 is looked up with regard to the incoming line number and virtual call number of the received data packet , to find an outgoing line number r and a next virtual call number . as a result , the outgoing line number r = 2 , i . e ., the second outgoing line number 52 and the next virtual call number &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, are determined and then , in the ph 42 , the virtual call number is rewritten to vc = b . in the route setting mechanism 5 , a cross point cp2 connecting the outgoing line number 52 with the ph 42 is closed to transmit the data packet . when a next data packet is received by the free ph hunting portion 3 while the already received data packet is being processed in the ph 42 , the free ph hunting portion 3 will find another free ph other than the ph 42 . therefore , the above - mentioned next data packet can be processed immediately without waiting for the finish of the processing in the ph 42 . in addition , by providing the free ph hunting portion 3 , the ratio of the numbers between the incoming lines 11 to 16 and the numbers of the ph &# 39 ; s 41 to 43 can be arbitrarily determined in accordance with the system design . usually , the processing speed in each ph is lower than the processing speed in each of the incoming line circuits 21 to 26 . therefore , the number of ph &# 39 ; s is usually greater than the number of incoming lines . however , when the traffic in each incoming line is not heavy , the number of ph &# 39 ; s may be less than the number of the incoming lines . fig2 a to 2c are views showing the constitution of an embodiment of the present invention , and the operation thereof will be described with reference to fig3 a through 3c . in fig2 a to 2c , components represented by the same reference marks as those shown in fig1 represent the same components . also , numerals 11 and 12 represent incoming lines , 21 and 22 incoming line circuits , 41 and 42 ph &# 39 ; s , 5a and 5b outgoing line circuits , and 51 and 52 outgoing lines . the incoming line circuits 21 and 22 have the same constitution . the incoming line circuit 21 comprises a scanning circuit 211 for receiving free state signals from the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . , a drive circuit 212 for generating hunt requests with respect to the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . , an incoming line number memory 213 for storing an incoming line number , a control circuit 214 for totally controlling the incoming line circuit 21 , and buffers 215 and 216 for temporarily storing data input from the incoming line 11 . the ph 41 selects a destination of the input data packet and comprises a drive circuit 411 for outputting a signal indicating whether or not the ph 41 is free , a priority control circuit 412 for determining which process request is to be selected when process requests are simultaneously generated by a plurality of the input line circuits 21 , 22 , . . . , a routing conversion table 413 for obtaining an outgoing line number and a next virtual call number vc for the input data packet according to the incoming line number # i and virtual call number vc of the input data packet , a drive circuit 414 for generating connection requests with respect to the outgoing line circuits 5a , 5b , . . . , a receiving circuit 415 for receiving connection completion signals , a control circuit 416 for totally controlling the ph 41 , a gate switch 417 for enabling connection of one of the data transmission lines from among a group of the incoming line circuits , and a buffer 418 for temporarily storing the data packet . the routing conversion table 413 corresponds to the routing conversion table 6 shown in fig1 and the scanning circuit 211 , the drive circuit 212 , and the control circuit 214 correspond to the free ph hunting portion 3 shown in fig1 . the ph 42 has the same constitution as the ph 41 , and comprises a drive circuit 421 , a priority control circuit 422 , a routing conversion table 423 , a drive circuit 424 , a receiving circuit 425 , a control circuit 426 , a gate switch 427 , and a buffer 428 , etc . the routing conversion table 423 may be the same as , for example , the table 413 , which may be prepared simultaneously by a control packet . the outgoing line circuit 5a transmits data packets transferred from the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . to the outgoing line 51 , and comprises a terminating circuit 511 for receiving outgoing line connection requests transmitted from the drive circuits 414 , 424 , . . . of the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . , a drive circuit 512 for outputting connection completion signals to the receiving circuits 415 , 425 , . . of the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . , a control circuit 513 for totally controlling the outgoing line circuit 5a , a gate switch 514 for selectively connecting the outgoing line 51 to the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . , and a ph request fifo type stacking memory 515 ( the contents thereof being ph numbers ) for stacking , in order of arrival , the connection requests transferred from the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . via the terminating circuit 511 . the gate switch 514 includes gates 516 , 517 , 518 , and 519 , and a drive circuit 520 for selectively controlling the gates . the ph request stacking memory 515 processes the outgoing line requests in fifo form so that the order of transfer of the data packets to the outgoing line will not be reversed . the outgoing line circuit 5b has the same constitution as the outgoing line circuit 5a , to transmit data packets to the outgoing line 52 . the operation of the packet switching system of the present invention shown in fig2 a to 2c will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in fig3 a through 3c . ○ 1 in fig2 a to 2c , a data packet from , for example , the incoming line 11 , is stored in the buffer 215 of the incoming line circuit 21 . after the storing , the buffer 215 triggers the control circuit 214 to start a scan by the scanning circuit 211 ( step 301 ). the scanning circuit 211 terminates control lines connected to respective ph &# 39 ; s , for indicating whether the ph &# 39 ; s 41 , 42 , . . . in the next stage are free ( off ) or busy ( on ). the scanning circuit 211 also terminates control lines , connected to respective ph &# 39 ; s , to indicate which of the ph &# 39 ; s is not effective ( for example , has an on indication ). when , for example , the ph 41 is determined to be free ( off ), the control circuit 214 causes the drive circuit 212 to generate a hunt request ( off → on ) which is given to the priority control circuit 412 in the ph 41 ( step 302 ). the control circuit 214 then transits a ph hunt wait state ( step 303 ). the ph hunt wait state is repeated at every certain time limit . ○ 2 the control circuit 416 in the ph 41 starts to operate when activated by the priority control circuit 412 , which terminates hunt request control lines from the incoming line circuits 21 , 22 , . . . . with respect to the process equests from a plurality of the incoming line circuits 21 , 22 , . . . , the priority control circuit 412 controls the competition thereamong and selects one incoming line circuit ( in this example , the circuit 21 ) ( step 304 ). in response , the control circuit 416 opens the gate switch 417 to connect the incoming line circuit 21 to a corresponding gate ( step 305 ), thereby connecting the buffer 215 in the incoming line circuit 21 to the buffer 418 in the ph 41 . in addition , the drive circuit 411 indicates to all of the incoming line circuits 21 , 22 , . . . , that the ph 41 is busy ( off → on ) ( step 306 ), i . e ., is in use , as well as providing a ph hunt effectiveness indication ( off → on ) for the selected incoming line circuit 21 ( step 307 ). the ph 41 then is placed in a data wait state ( step 308 ). ○ 1 the control circuit 214 , which is in the ph hunt wait state , confirms that the ph has been hunted according to the hunt effectiveness indication from the ph 41 to which the hunt request was directed ( step 309 ). the control circuit 214 adds the incoming line number previously written in the incoming line number memory 213 to the data packet stored in the buffer 215 ( step 310 ) and transfers the data packet with the incoming line number to the buffer 418 in the ph 41 ( step 311 ). the second buffer 216 , disposed to correspond to the incoming line , is then checked to see whether or not the data packet is stored therein ( step 312 ). if the data packet is not stored , the incoming line circuit 21 is placed in a free state , ( step 313 ), and if the data packet is stored , the operation returns to stage ○ 1 . ○ 4 the control circuit 416 i the ph 41 , which is in the data wait state , again starts to operate as soon as the dat packet arrives at the buffer 418 , and closes the gate switch 417 to cut the connection between the buffers 215 and 418 . the control circuit 416 indexes the routing conversion table 413 based on the incoming line number and virtual call number of the arrived data packet , takes an outgoing line number and a next virtual call number from the table ( step 314 ), rewrites the virtual call number of the data packet ( step 315 ), and causes the drive circuit 414 to generate an outgoing line connection request ( off → on ) to an outgoing line circuit ( circuit 5a in this example ) corresponding to the outgoing line number ( step 316 ). the ph 41 is then placed in a state for waiting for an outgoing line circuit connection ( step 317 ). ○ 1 the control circuit 513 in the outgoing line circuit 5a synchronously scans ( step 318 ) the ph request stacking memory 515 , which stacks , in order of arrival , outputs , i . e ., outgoing line connection requests from the terminating circuit 511 which receives the outgoing line connection requests from the ph 41 , 42 , . . . , to identify the ph which has generated a particular connection request . therefore , in this example , the control circuit 513 opens and connects the gate 516 of the gate switch 514 corresponding to the ph 41 , and causes the drive circuit 512 to transmit a connection completion signal ( off → on ) to the ph 41 ( step 319 ). the circuit 5a is then placed in a data transfer wait state ( step 320 ). ○ 6 the control circuit 416 in the ph 41 again starts to operate after receiving the connection completion signal generated in stage ○ 5 , and transmits the data packet from the buffer 418 transmission line ( step 321 ). after the completion of the transfer of the data packet , the control circuit 416 causes the drive circuit 414 to send a data transfer completion ( on → off ) to the outgoing line circuit 5a ( step 322 ). the ph 41 is then placed in a completion confirmation wait state ( step 323 ). the data packet will be transferred to the outgoing line 51 through the gate switch 514 in the outgoing line circuit 5a . ○ 7 according to the data transfer completion generated in stage ○ 6 , the control circuit 513 in the outgoing line circuit 5a again starts to operate to close , i . e ., to disconnect , the gate 516 of the gate switch 514 ( step 324 ). the control circuit 513 then causes the drive circuit 512 to send a completion confirmation ( on → off ) to the ph 41 ( step 323 ), and returns to the ph request scanning operation in stage ○ 5 . ○ 8 the control circuit 416 in the ph 41 in the completion confirmation wait state starts to operate upon receipt of the completion confirmation generated in stage ○ 7 , to cause the drive circuit 414 to inform all of the incoming line consists 21 , 22 , . . . that the ph 41 itself is free ( on → off ) ( step 324 ). the ph 41 is then placed in a free state . as described above , a packet switching system can be constituted with simple circuit groups to realize a high speed switching and improve a packet processing capacity of the system . the number of ph &# 39 ; s can be selected depending on traffic conditions so that , if the traffic is light , the number may be smaller than the number of incoming lines , and if the traffic is heavy , the number may be larger than the number of incoming lines . according to the switching system of the present invention , packet processing circuits of the system are arranged so as to be independent from the incoming lines , and therefore , the packet processing circuits act as buffers against traffic congestion in a particular route or against traffic congestion from a particular route , thus improve the flexibility of the system . in addition , the number of ph &# 39 ; s of the system can be determined depending on traffic conditions , so that the system can be optimized , since a ph request stack of the system , of course , processes requests from the respective ph &# 39 ; s in the order of arrival .	7
the present invention is a location query service for use with a wireless network that tracks the locations of network users . the location query service provides a requestor with the location of a network user . in providing this service , the present invention contemplates future enhanced digital cellular networks , in which network users will use digital cellular handheld devices to access data from a global computer network , and in which digital cellular network providers will track the location of each network user . referring to fig1 , the primary components of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention include a location server 100 and a user wireless network 102 . user wireless network 102 is in communication with a plurality of network devices 104 . location server 100 is in communication with user wireless network 102 and with a plurality of requestors 106 . the plurality of requestors 106 employ any suitable means to communicate with location server 100 , but preferably use at least one of a pc requestor 108 , a wireless requestor 110 , and a wireline requestor 112 . for communication between location server 100 and pc requestor 108 , the present invention includes a global computer network 114 . for communication between location server 100 and wireless requestor 110 ( which has ip messaging capabilities ), the present invention includes a requestor wireless network 116 and global computer network 114 for ip messaging , and requestor wireless network 116 and a pstn 118 for voice communication . for communication between location server 100 and wireline requestor 112 , the present invention includes pstn 118 . according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , user wireless network 102 is in communication with a location system 120 that provides the locations of the plurality of network devices 104 . location system 120 includes one or both of handheld location systems 122 and a network - based location system 124 . handheld location systems 122 are provisioned in wireless handheld devices 104 . network - based location systems 124 are part of user wireless network 102 . location system 120 provides the location information , e . g ., position coordinates , of a handheld device , which indicates where a network user is located . location system 120 can be a part of the wireless network or can be contained in the handheld devices . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig1 , location system 120 is both a part of the wireless network and is also contained in the handheld devices . for example , suitable methods of determining location as a part of the wireless network include wireless access protocol ( wap ) location services , time difference of arrival ( tdoa ) location systems , angle of arrival ( aoa ) location systems , and other systems using triangulation across cell sites or cell sectors . an example of a suitable location system in the handheld devices is a gps . if location system 120 provides location information in raw form , a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a mapping converter 126 . an example of information in raw form would be gps coordinates , with which the typical telephone user is unfamiliar . as used herein , “ raw ” refers to location information in a rudimentary form , such that a typical telephone user would find it difficult to understand . “ displayable ” refers to location information easily understood by a typical network user . although displayable may imply a visual communication , as used herein , the term extends to other forms of communication , such as audio - based communication . mapping converter 126 includes a cross - referenced database that allows mapping converter 126 to translate raw location information into displayable location information . for example , the database of mapping converter 126 could include an entry associating coordinates “ r - s ” ( raw information ) with the description “ 101 park place ” ( displayable information ). although shown as a separate component of the system in fig1 , mapping converter 126 could be integral to a component described above . one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the functions and structure of mapping converter 126 could be located in several different places , anywhere from location system 120 to the communication devices of the requestors 106 . for example , mapping converter 126 could be located within network - based location system 124 . as another example , mapping converter 126 could also be located within location server 100 . regardless of where mapping converter 126 is provisioned , the desired end result is to deliver displayable location information to the plurality of requestors 106 . location server 100 executes the service logic of the present invention , including receiving location queries from requestors 106 , confirming the access levels of requestors 106 , obtaining the location information of wireless network devices 104 , and returning the location information to requestors 106 . although shown as a separate component in fig1 , one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that location server 100 could be a part of another system component , such as user wireless network 102 , pstn 118 , or global computer network 114 . in a representative embodiment , location server 100 consists of two components . the first component is a locating mechanism ( such as location system 120 ) that determines locations of network devices 104 using various technologies ( e . g ., gps , triangulation , radio signal delay , and cell sector ) and combinations thereof . the location mechanism can reside in a network device ( e . g ., gps ) or within user wireless network 102 . the location mechanism produces x - y coordinates that are typically transmitted to the second component of location server 100 , which could be in the same box or could be connected via an ip network . the second component of location server 100 integrates the coordinate information into various mapping systems and provides an interface to other applications through various protocols , of which ip is the most common . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , location server 100 is in communication with a memory storage 128 . memory storage 128 is a database or other memory storage device that can record relationships between device identifications ( e . g ., mins ) and network user identifications . in addition , memory storage contains authorized requestor lists for each device identification . although fig1 shows memory storage 128 as a separate component of the system accessible to location server 100 , memory storage 128 could be contained within location server 100 . wireless handheld devices 104 operate over user wireless network 102 . familiar examples include pagers and cellular telephones . as a minimum , wireless handheld devices 104 provide network users with wireless communication and cooperate with user wireless network 102 to provide the location of the device . this cooperation may simply involve wireless transmissions to user wireless network 102 that enable network - based location system 124 to ascertain the locations of devices 104 . or , in conjunction with network - based location system 124 , wireless handheld devices 104 may include handheld location systems 122 , such as gpss integral to the devices . to facilitate the alternative exemplary embodiment in which a network user responds to off - list requests , wireless handheld devices 104 include messaging capabilities that can communicate a request for access , the identification of the unauthorized requestor , and a response by the network user . for example , such messaging capabilities can be audio - based , text - based , or graphical . preferably , wireless handheld devices 104 are wap - compatible thin clients having thin browsers adapted to access global computer network 114 and to communicate with , location server 100 . global computer network 114 provides communication between tcp / ip requestor devices and location server 100 . preferably , global computer network 114 is the internet . also , preferably , network 114 provides a user - friendly interface , e . g ., a graphical user interface , through which a requestor can submit a location query . with a graphical user interface ( gui ), the requestor device , such as pc requestor 108 , is provisioned with software that cooperates with the gui . global computer network 114 also preferably supports communication with wap - compatible wireless devices , such as wireless requestor 110 . with these wap - compatible wireless devices , requestor wireless network 116 provides communication between wireless requester 110 and global computer network 114 . pstn 118 provides communication between pstn devices and location server 100 . along with requestor wireless network 116 , pstn 118 also provides communication : between wireless requestors and location server 100 . location server 100 preferably supports a number of different protocols , at least one of which is ip . pstn 118 preferably includes a voice xml ( extensible markup language ) server , which allows pstn 118 to interface with location server 100 and provides a common markup language for supporting voice browsing applications . the voice xml server could include , for example , an ivru allowing a requestor to use a touch - tone pad to navigate the application . the plurality of requestors 106 communicate with location server 100 using a device compatible with location server 100 or compatible with an interface between the requestors 106 and location server 100 . global computer network 114 and pstn 118 are examples of these types of interfaces . compatible devices include personal computers and ip wireless devices for global computer network 114 , and standard wireline telephones for pstn 118 . together , the above components provide the location query service as outlined in the flowchart of fig2 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . while the system operation described herein and illustrated in the diagram and flowchart contains many specific details , these specific details should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention , but rather as examples of exemplary embodiments thereof . as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art , many other variations on the system operation are possible , including differently grouped and ordered method steps . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated , but by the appended claims and their equivalents . as shown in step 200 , a requestor submits a location query to location server 100 . the query includes at least an identification of the requestor and an identification of the network user about whom the requestor desires location information . optionally , the query also includes a password , which enables a location query service provider to allow access to the service only by requestors who pay for the service . alternatively , only the network user pays for the service and gives her authorized requestors a password to gain access to the service . the requestor submits the query using any number of communications media supported by location server 100 and the requestor &# 39 ; s individual communication device . for example , if the requestor uses a personal computer 108 linked to location server 100 through global computer network 114 , the requestor could initiate the query using a graphical user interface . as another example , if the requestor uses a text messaging wireless device 110 linked to location server 100 through requestor wireless network 116 and global computer network 114 , the requestor could initiate the query using a menu driven interface or a series of key sequence inputs . as another example , if the requestor uses a wireline telephone , the requestor could interact with an ivru using the requestor &# 39 ; s touch - tone keys to initiate the query . in an exemplary embodiment , the present invention accommodates the variety of ways in which a requestor can identify the network user that the requestor wishes to locate . for example , the requestor can give a telephone number , name , internet address , or email address of the network user . in response , location server 100 , global computer network 114 , pstn 118 , or a separate system component consults a database cross referencing this information and translates the given identification into an identification of the network user &# 39 ; s wireless device ( e . g ., the min ). as described later in this process , location server 100 provides location system 120 with this device identification to search for the location of the device . once location server 100 has received the query , in step 202 , location server 100 determines whether the requestor is an authorized requestor and whether the network user in question accepts requests from unauthorized off - list requestors to view the network user &# 39 ; s location information . location server 100 determines if the requestor is an authorized requestor by consulting memory storage 128 , which contains a list that the network user provides . the list indicates which people ( requestors ) have access to the network user &# 39 ; s location information . although shown as a separate system component in fig1 , memory storage 128 could be a part of location server 100 , such that the list is stored in location server 100 . along with the access list , the network user specifies a user preference dictating whether the network user will entertain requests to release her location information to requestors not on the access list . the user preference is also preferably stored in memory storage 128 , but can be stored in any location accessible to location server 100 . location server 100 consults this user preference if the requestor is not on the access list . if the requestor is unauthorized and the network user does not accept individual requests to release location information , in step 204 a , location server 100 returns a message to the requestor reporting that the location query has been denied . if the requester is unauthorized , but the network user does entertain requests to release location information , in step 204 b , location server 100 asks the network user if the requestor can receive the network user &# 39 ; s location information . in asking for approval , location server 100 provides the network user with the identity of the requestor . if the network user chooses not to release her location information to the requestor , in step 204 c , location server 100 returns a message to the requester reporting that the location query has been denied . if , in step 204 b , the network user chooses to release her location information to the requestor , in step 204 d , location server 100 proceeds with determining the location information of the wireless device . likewise , if originally in step 202 , location server determines that the requestor is on the access list and is authorized , location server 100 proceeds with determining the location information of the wireless device in step 204 d . in step 204 d , location server 100 asks user wireless network 102 for the location information of the network user . in this inquiry , location server 100 includes the identification of the device corresponding to the network user . in step 206 a , user wireless network 102 uses location system 120 to determine the location of the specified network device . user wireless network 102 monitors wireless handheld devices that are powered on . in most instances , a network user simply turns on his wireless handheld device and , if it is a text messaging device , leaves the network interface open , perhaps to a web page . the initial accessing of the web page or the completion of any other wireless transmission ( e . g ., placing of a wireless telephone call ) provides user wireless network 102 with location and identity information . in addition , each time the web page automatically refreshes , or each time the network user enters a browse command , user wireless network 102 receives updated location information . thus , after location server 100 asks user wireless network 102 for the location of the network user , location system 120 of user wireless network 102 waits for the next transmission by the network device and determines the location information from that transmission . alternatively , instead of having location server 100 query user wireless network 102 for location information regarding a specific mobile device , location system 120 could be configured to continuously track devices and push location information to location server 100 . as another way to avoid a prolonged wait for the transmission providing the location information , in an alternative exemplary embodiment , as shown in fig3 , the present invention periodically records a device &# 39 ; s location in a location database 300 . therefore , instead of activating location system 120 only in response to a request from location server 100 , location system 120 of user wireless network 102 periodically updates location database 300 and always has location information available when location server 100 makes a request . in such a case , as shown in step 206 b , location server 100 checks location database 300 for the location information of the network user . although maintaining a database that is periodically updated for all network devices requires considerable amounts of data storage , this alternative embodiment provides a more immediate response to the requestor . in steps 206 a or 206 b , location system 120 of user wireless network 102 provides the location information in either raw or displayable forms . if location system 120 provides raw location information , such as x - y coordinates , the method of the present invention preferably further includes translating the raw data to a displayable message , easily comprehended by a typical requestor . mapping converter 126 executes this translation and the method of the present invention varies depending upon where mapping converter 126 is provisioned ( as described below and shown in fig4 ). in step 208 , if location system 120 provides raw location information and mapping converter 126 is provisioned in user wireless network 102 , user wireless network 102 translates the raw location information to a displayable form before returning the location information to location server 100 . if location system 120 provides the location information in displayable form , or if location system 120 provides the location information in raw form and user wireless network 102 does not have a mapping converter , user wireless network 102 simply forwards the location information . in step 210 , user wireless network 102 returns the location information , whether raw or displayable , to location server 100 . in step 212 , if the location information is in raw form and location server 100 contains mapping converter 126 , location server 100 translates the location information to displayable form . finally , in step 214 , location server 100 returns the location information of the network user back to the requestor . the benefits of the present invention apply to numerous situations in which a requestor wants to know the location of a network user . the most applicable situations involve network users that require a certain degree of supervision by another ( the requestor ). examples of these types of network users include parolees , the elderly , and children . in each case , the present invention provides a location query service by making use of a wireless device that the network user would otherwise already be using for its primary purpose , e . g ., a cellular telephone used for personal voice communication . as another specific example , the present invention could be implemented in the context of an instant messaging service . a user could have an instant messaging service configured to display only the friends of that user who are in the same city as the user . when a friend &# 39 ; s name appears on the user &# 39 ; s instant messaging screen , the user may want the option to query for the location of the friend to determine , for example , whether the friend is near enough to have lunch and , if so , to select a restaurant that is conveniently located for the friend and the user . using the present invention to obtain the location information would save the user from having to send a message to the friend asking for the location of the friend . the location query of the present invention could be explicit or implicit , occurring in the background of the instant messaging service , as a result of a configuration option or an action in the application . the foregoing disclosure of embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure . the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto , and by their equivalents .	7
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . in this regard , directional terminology , such as “ top ,” “ bottom ,” “ front ,” “ back ,” “ leading ,” “ trailing ,” etc ., is used with reference to the orientation of the fig . ( s ) being described . because components of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations , the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the following detailed description , therefore , is not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims . fig1 a is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of a mold assembly 30 having moveable liner plates 32 a , 32 b , 32 c and 32 d according to the present invention . mold assembly 30 includes a drive system assembly 31 having side - members 34 a and 34 b and cross - members 36 a and 36 b , respectively having an inner wall 38 a , 38 b , 40 a , and 40 b , and coupled to one another such that the inner surfaces form a mold box 42 . in the illustrated embodiment , cross members 36 a and 36 b are bolted to side members 34 a and 34 b with bolts 37 . moveable liner plates 32 a , 32 b , 32 c , and 32 d , respectively have a front surface 44 a , 44 b , 44 c , and 44 d configured so as to form a mold cavity 46 . in the illustrated embodiment , each liner plate has an associated gear drive assembly located internally to an adjacent mold frame member . a portion of a gear drive assembly 50 corresponding to liner plate 32 a and located internally to cross - member 36 a is shown extending through side - member 34 a . each gear drive assembly is selectively coupled to its associated liner plate and configured to move the liner plate toward the interior of mold cavity 46 by applying a first force in a first direction parallel to the associated cross - member , and to move the liner plate away from the interior of mold cavity 46 by applying a second force in a direction opposite the first direction . side members 34 a and 34 b and cross - members 36 a and 36 b each have a corresponding lubrication port that extends into the member and provides lubrication to the corresponds gear elements . for example , lubrication ports 48 a and 48 b . the gear drive assembly and moveable liner plates according to the present invention are discussed in greater detail below . in operation , mold assembly 30 is selectively coupled to a concrete block machine . for ease of illustrative purposes , however , the concrete block machine is not shown in fig1 . in one embodiment , mold assembly 30 is mounted to the concrete block machine by bolting side members 34 a and 34 b of drive system assembly 31 to the concrete block machine . in one embodiment , mold assembly 30 further includes a head shoe assembly 52 having dimensions substantially equal to those of mold cavity 46 . head shoe assembly 52 is also configured to selectively couple to the concrete block machine . liner plates 32 a through 32 d are first extended a desired distance toward the interior of mold box 42 to form the desired mold cavity 46 . a vibrating table on which a pallet 56 is positioned is then raised ( as indicated by directional arrow 58 ) such that pallet 56 contacts and forms a bottom to mold cavity 46 . in one embodiment , a core bar assembly ( not shown ) is positioned within mold cavity 46 to create voids within the finished block in accordance with design requirements of a particular block . mold cavity 46 is then filled with concrete from a moveable feedbox drawer . head shoe assembly 52 is then lowered ( as indicated by directional arrow 545 onto mold 46 and hydraulically or mechanically presses the concrete . head shoe assembly 52 along with the vibrating table then simultaneously vibrate mold assembly 30 , resulting in a high compression of the concrete within mold cavity 46 . the high level of compression fills any voids within mold cavity 46 and causes the concrete to quickly reach a level of hardness that permits immediate removal of the finished block from mold cavity 46 . the finished block is removed by first retracting liner plates 32 a through 32 d . head shoe assembly 52 and the vibrating table , along with pallet 56 , are then lowered ( in a direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 58 ), while mold assembly 30 remains stationary so that head shoe assembly 56 pushes the finished block out of mold cavity 46 onto pallet 52 . when a lower edge of head shoe assembly 52 drops below a lower edge of mold assembly 30 , the conveyer system moves pallet 56 carrying the finished block away and a new pallet takes its place . the above process is repeated to create additional blocks . by retracting liner plates 32 a through 32 b prior to removing the finished block from mold cavity 46 liner plates 32 a through 32 d experience less wear and , thus , have an increased operating life expectancy . furthermore , moveable liner plates 32 a through 32 d also enables a concrete block to be molded in a vertical position relative to pallet 56 , in lieu of the standard horizontal position , such that head shoe assembly 52 contacts what will be a “ face ” of the finished concrete block . a “ face ” is a surface of the block that will be potentially be exposed for viewing after installation in a wall or other structure . fig2 is a perspective view 70 illustrating a moveable liner plate and corresponding gear drive assembly according to the present invention , such as moveable liner plate 32 a and corresponding gear drive assembly 50 . for illustrative purposes , side member 34 a and cross - member 36 are not shown . gear drive assembly 50 includes a first gear element 72 selectively coupled to liner plate 32 a , a second gear element 74 , a single rod - end double - acting pneumatic cylinder ( cylinder ) 76 coupled to second gear element 74 via a piston rod 78 , and a gear track 80 . cylinder 76 includes an aperture 82 for accepting a pneumatic fitting . in one embodiment , cylinder 76 comprises a hydraulic cylinder . in one embodiment , cylinder 76 comprises a double rod - end dual - acting cylinder . in one embodiment , piston rod 78 is threadably coupled to second gear element 74 . in the embodiment of fig2 , first gear element 72 and second gear . element 74 are illustrated and hereinafter referred to as a gear plate 72 and second gear element 74 , respectively . however , while illustrated as a gear plate and a cylindrical gear head , first gear element 72 and second gear element 74 can be of any suitable shape and dimension . gear plate 72 includes a plurality of angled channels on a first major surface 84 and is configured to slide in gear track 80 . gear track 80 slidably inserts into a gear slot ( not shown ) extending into cross member 36 a from inner wall 40 a . cylindrical gear head 74 includes a plurality of angled channels on a surface 86 adjacent to first major surface 84 of female gear plate 72 , wherein the angled channels are tangential to a radius of cylindrical gear head 74 and configured to slidably mate and interlock with the angled channels of gear plate 72 . liner plate 32 a includes guide posts 88 a , 88 b , 88 c , and 88 d extending from a rear surface 90 . each of the guide posts is configured to slidably insert into a corresponding guide hole ( not shown ) extending into cross member 36 a from inner wall 40 a . the gear slot and guide holes are discussed in greater detail below . when cylinder 76 extends piston rod 78 , cylindrical gear head 74 moves in a direction indicated by arrow 92 and , due to the interlocking angled channels , causes gear plate 72 and , thus , liner plate 32 a to move toward the interior of mold 46 as indicated by arrow 94 . it should be noted that , as illustrated , fig2 depicts piston rod 78 and cylindrical gear head 74 in an extended position . when cylinder 76 retracts piston rod 78 , cylindrical gear head 74 moves in a direction indicated by arrow 96 causing gear plate 72 and liner plate 32 to move away from the interior of the mold as indicated by arrow 98 . as liner plate 32 a moves , either toward or away from the center of the mold , gear plate 72 slides in guide track 80 and guide posts 88 a through 88 d slide within their corresponding guide holes . in one embodiment , a removable liner face 100 is selectively coupled to front surface 44 a via fasteners 102 a , 102 b , 102 c , and 102 d extending through liner plate 32 a . removable liner face 100 is configured to provide a desired shape and / or provide a desired imprinted pattern , including text , on a block made in mold 46 . in this regard , removable liner face 100 comprises a negative of the desired shape or pattern . in one embodiment , removable liner face 100 comprises a polyurethane material . in one embodiment , removable liner face 100 comprises a rubber material . in one embodiment , removable liner plate comprises a metal or metal alloy , such as steel or aluminum . in one embodiment , liner plate 32 further includes a heater mounted in a recess 104 on rear surface 90 , wherein the heater aids in curing concrete within mold 46 to reduce the occurrence of concrete sticking to front surface 44 a and removable liner face 100 . fig3 a is a top view 120 of gear drive assembly 50 and liner plate 32 a , as indicated by directional arrow 106 in fig2 . in the illustration , side members 34 a and 34 b , and cross member 36 a are indicated dashed lines . guide posts 88 c and 88 d are slidably inserted into guide holes 122 c and 122 d , respectively , which extend into cross member 36 a from interior surface 40 a . guide holes 122 a and 122 b , corresponding respectively to guide posts 88 a and 88 b , are not shown but are located below and in - line with guide holes 122 c and 122 d . in one embodiment , guide hole bushings 124 c and 124 d are inserted into guide holes 122 c and 122 d , respectively , and slidably receive guide posts 88 c and 88 d . guide hole bushings 124 a and 124 b are not shown , but are located below and in - line with guide hole bushings 124 c and 124 d . gear track 80 is shown as being slidably inserted in a gear slot 126 extending through cross member 36 a with gear plate 72 sliding in gear track 80 . gear plate 72 is indicated as being coupled to liner plate 32 a by a plurality of fasteners 128 extending through liner plate 32 a from front surface 44 a . a cylindrical gear shaft is indicated by dashed lines 134 as extending through side member 34 a and into cross member 36 a and intersecting , at least partially with gear slot 126 . cylindrical gear head 74 , cylinder 76 , and piston rod 78 are slidably inserted into gear shaft 134 with cylindrical gear head 74 being positioned over gear plate 72 . the angled channels of cylindrical gear head 74 are shown as dashed lines 130 and are interlocking with the angled channels of gear plate 72 as indicated at 132 . fig3 b is a side view 140 of gear drive assembly 50 and liner plate 32 a , as indicated by directional arrow 108 in fig2 . liner plate 32 a is indicated as being extended , at least partially , from cross member 36 a . correspondingly , guide posts 88 a and 88 d are indicated as partially extending from guide hole bushings 124 a and 124 d , respectively . in one embodiment , a pair of limit rings 142 a and 142 d are selectively coupled to guide posts 88 a and 88 , respectively , to limit an extension distance that liner plate 32 a can be extended from cross member 36 a toward the interior of mold cavity 46 . limit rings 142 b and 142 c corresponding respectively to guide posts 88 b and 88 c are not shown , but are located behind and in - line with limit rings 142 a and 142 d . in the illustrated embodiment , the limit rings are indicated as being substantially at an end of the guide posts , thus allowing a substantially maximum extension distance from cross member 36 a . however , the limit rings can be placed at other locations along the guide posts to thereby adjust the allowable extension distance . fig4 a and fig4 b are top views 150 and 160 , respectively , of mold assembly 30 . fig4 a illustrates liner plates 32 a , 32 b , 32 c , and 32 d in a retracted positions . liner faces 152 , 154 , and 154 correspond respectively to liner plates 32 b , 32 c , and 32 d . fig4 b illustrates liner plates 32 a , 32 b , 32 c , and 32 d , along with their corresponding liner faces 100 , 152 , 154 , and 156 in an extended position . fig5 a is a top view 170 of gear plate 72 . gear plate 72 includes a plurality of angled channels 172 running across a top surface 174 of gear plate 72 . angled channels 172 form a corresponding plurality of linear “ teeth ” 176 having as a surface the top surface 174 . each angled channel 172 and each tooth 176 has a respective width 178 and 180 . the angled channels run at an angle ( θ ) 182 from 0 °, indicated at 186 , across gear plate 72 . fig5 b is an end view (“ a ”) 185 of gear plate 72 , as indicated by directional arrow 184 in fig5 a , further illustrating the plurality of angled channels 172 and linear teeth 176 . each angled channel 172 has a depth 192 . fig5 c illustrates a view 200 of a flat surface 202 of cylindrical gear head 76 . cylindrical gear head 76 includes a plurality of angled channels 204 running across surface 202 . angled channels 204 form a corresponding plurality of linear teeth 206 . the angled channels 204 and linear teeth 206 have widths 180 and 178 , respectively , such that the width of linear teeth 206 substantially matches the width of angled channels 172 and the width of angled channels 204 substantially match the width of linear teeth 176 . angled channels 204 and teeth 206 run at angle ( θ ) 182 from 0 °, indicated at 186 , across surface 202 . fig5 d is an end view 210 of cylindrical gear head 76 , as indicated by directional arrow 208 in fig5 c , further illustrating the plurality of angled channels 204 and linear teeth 206 . surface 202 is a flat surface tangential to a radius of cylindrical gear head 76 . each angled channel has a depth 192 from flat surface 202 . when cylindrical gear head 76 is “ turned over ” and placed across surface 174 of gear plate 72 , linear teeth 206 of gear head 76 mate and interlock with angled channels 172 of gear plate 72 , and linear teeth 176 of gear plate 72 mate and interlock with angled channels 204 of gear head 76 ( see also fig2 ). when gear head 76 is forced in direction 92 , linear teeth 206 of gear head 76 push against linear teeth 176 of gear plate 72 and force gear plate 72 to move in direction 94 . conversely , when gear head 76 is forced in direction 96 , linear teeth 206 of gear head 76 push against linear teeth 176 of gear plate 72 and force gear plate 72 to move in direction 98 . in order for cylindrical gear head 76 to force gear plate 72 in directions 94 and 98 , angle ( θ ) 182 must be greater than 0 ° and less than 90 °. however , it is preferable that θ 182 be at least greater than 45 °. when θ 182 is 45 ° or less , it takes more force for cylindrical gear head 74 moving in direction 92 to push gear plate 72 in direction 94 than it does for gear plate 72 being forced in direction 98 to push cylindrical gear head 74 in direction 96 , such as when concrete in mold 46 is being compressed . the more θ 182 is increased above 450 , the greater the force that is required in direction 98 on gear plate 72 to move cylindrical gear head 74 in direction 96 . in fact , at 900 gear plate 72 would be unable to move cylindrical gear head 74 in either direction 92 or 96 , regardless of how much force was applied to gear plate 72 in direction 98 . in effect , angle ( θ ) acts as a multiplier to a force provided to cylindrical gear head 74 by cylinder 76 via piston rod 78 . when θ 182 is greater than 45 °, an amount of force required to be applied to gear plate 72 in direction 98 in order to move cylindrical gear head 74 in direction 96 is greater than an amount of force required to be applied to cylindrical gear head 74 in direction 92 via piston rod 78 in order to “ hold ” gear plate 72 in position ( i . e ., when concrete is being compressed in mold 46 ). however , the more θ 182 is increased above 45 °, the less distance gear plate 72 , and thus corresponding liner plate 32 a , will move in direction 94 when cylindrical gear head 74 is forced in direction 92 . a preferred operational angle for θ 182 is approximately 70 °. this angle represents roughly a balance , or compromise , between the length of travel of gear plate 72 and an increase in the level of force required to be applied in direction 98 on gear plate 72 to force gear head 74 in direction 96 . gear plate 72 and cylindrical gear head 74 and their corresponding angled channels 176 and 206 reduce the required psi rating of cylinder 76 necessary to maintain the position of liner plate 32 a when concrete is being compressed in mold cavity 46 and also reduces the wear experienced by cylinder 76 . additionally , from the above discussion , it is evident that one method for controlling the travel distance of liner plate 32 a is to control the angle ( θ ) 182 of the angled channels 176 and 206 respectively of gear plate 72 and cylindrical gear head 74 . fig6 a is a top view 220 of gear track 80 . gear track 80 has a top surface 220 , a first end surface 224 , and a second end surface 226 . a rectangular gear channel , indicated by dashed lines 228 , having a first opening 230 and a second opening 232 extends through gear track 80 . an arcuate channel 234 , having a radius required to accommodate cylindrical gear head 76 extends across top surface 220 and forms a gear window 236 extending through top surface 222 into gear channel 228 . gear track 80 has a width 238 incrementally less than a width of gear opening 126 in side member 36 a ( see also fig3 a ). fig6 b is an end view 250 of gear track 80 , as indicated by direction arrow 240 in fig6 a , further illustrating gear channel 228 and arcuate channel 234 . gear track 80 has a depth 252 incrementally less than height of gear opening 126 in side member 36 a ( see fig3 a ). fig6 b is a side view 260 of gear track 80 as indicated by directional arrow 242 in fig6 a . fig7 is a top view 270 illustrating the relationship between gear track 80 and gear plate 72 . gear plate 72 has a width 272 incrementally less than a width 274 of gear track 80 , such that gear plate 72 can be slidably inserted into gear channel 228 via first opening 230 . when gear plate 72 is inserted within gear track 80 , angled channels 172 and linear teeth 176 are exposed via gear window 236 . fig8 a is a top view 280 illustrating the relationship between gear plate 72 , cylindrical gear head 74 , and gear track 80 . gear plate 72 is indicated as being slidably inserted within guide track 80 . cylindrical gear head 74 is indicated as being positioned within arcuate channel 234 , with the angled channels and linear teeth of cylindrical gear head 74 being slidably mated and interlocked with the angled channels 172 and linear teeth 176 of gear plate 72 . when cylindrical gear head 74 is moved in direction 92 by extending piston rod 78 , gear plate 72 extends outward from gear track 80 in direction 94 ( see also fig9 b below ). when cylindrical gear head 74 is moved in direction 96 by retracting piston rod 78 , gear plate 72 retracts into gear track 80 in direction 98 ( see also fig9 a below ). fig8 b is a side view 290 of gear plate 72 , cylindrical gear head 74 , and guide track 80 as indicated by directional arrow 282 in fig8 a . cylindrical gear head 74 is positioned such that surface 202 is located within arcuate channel 234 . angled channels 204 and teeth 206 of cylindrical gear head 74 extend through gear window 236 and interlock with angled channels 172 and linear teeth 176 of gear plate 72 located within gear channel 228 . fig8 c is an end view 300 as indicated by directional arrow 284 in fig8 a , and further illustrates the relationship between gear plate 72 , cylindrical gear head 74 , and guide track 80 . fig9 a is top view 310 illustrating gear plate 72 being in a fully retracted position within gear track 80 , with liner plate 32 a being retracted against cross member 36 a . for purposes of clarity , cylindrical gear head 74 is not shown . angled channels 172 and linear teeth 176 are visible through gear window 236 . liner plate 32 a is indicated as being coupled to gear plate 72 with a plurality of fasteners 128 extending through liner plate 32 a into gear plate 72 . in one embodiment , fasteners 128 threadably couple liner plate 32 a to gear plate 72 . fig9 b is a top view 320 illustrating gear plate 72 being extended , at least partially from gear track 80 , with liner plate 32 a being separated from cross member 36 a . again , cylindrical gear head 74 is not shown and angled channels 172 and linear teeth 176 are visible through gear window 236 . fig1 a is a diagram 330 illustrating one exemplary embodiment of a gear drive assembly 332 according to the present invention . gear drive assembly 332 includes cylindrical gear head 74 , cylinder 76 , piston rod 78 , and a cylindrical sleeve 334 . cylindrical gear head 74 and piston rod 78 are configured to slidably insert into cylindrical sleeve 334 . cylinder 76 is threadably coupled to cylindrical sleeve 334 with an 0 - ring 336 making a seal . a window 338 along an axis of cylindrical sleeve 334 partially exposes angled channels 204 and linear teeth 206 . a fitting 342 , such as a pneumatic or hydraulic fitting , is indicated as being threadably coupled to aperture 82 . cylinder 76 further includes an aperture 344 , which is accessible through cross member 36 a . gear drive assembly 332 is configured to slidably insert into cylindrical gear shaft 134 ( indicated by dashed lines ) so that window 338 intersects with gear slot 126 so that angled channels 204 and linear teeth 206 are exposed within gear slot 126 . gear track 80 and gear plate 72 ( not shown ) are first slidably inserted into gear slot 126 , such that when gear drive assembly 332 is slidably inserted into cylindrical gear shaft 134 the angled channels 204 and linear teeth 206 of cylindrical gear head 74 slidably mate and interlock with the angled channels 172 and linear teeth 176 of gear plate 72 . in one embodiment , a key 340 is coupled to cylindrical gear head 74 and rides in a key slot 342 in cylindrical sleeve 334 . key 340 prevents cylindrical gear head 74 from rotating within cylindrical sleeve 334 . key 340 and key slot 342 together also control the maximum extension and retraction of cylindrical gear head 74 within cylindrical sleeve 334 . thus , in one embodiment , key 340 can be adjusted to control the extension distance of liner plate 32 a toward the interior of mold cavity 46 . fig1 a is a top view 350 of cylindrical shaft 334 as illustrated in fig1 b , and further illustrates key 340 and key slot 342 . fig1 a is a top view illustrating one exemplary embodiment of a mold assembly 360 according to the present invention for forming two concrete blocks . mold assembly 360 includes a mold frame 361 having side members 34 a and 34 b and cross members 36 a through 36 c coupled to one another so as to form a pair of mold boxes 42 a and 42 b . mold box 42 a includes moveable liner plates 32 a through 32 d and corresponding removable liner faces 33 a through 33 d configured to form a mold cavity 46 a . mold box 42 b includes moveable liner plates 32 e through 32 h and corresponding removable liner faces 33 e through 33 h configured to form a mold cavity 46 b . each moveable liner plate has an associated gear drive assembly located internally to an adjacent mold frame member as indicated by 50 a through 50 h . each moveable liner plate is illustrated in an extended position with a corresponding gear plate indicated by 72 a through 72 h . as described below , moveable liner plates 32 c and 32 e share gear drive assembly 50 c / e , with gear plate 72 e having its corresponding plurality of angled channels facing upward and gear plate 72 c having its corresponding plurality of angled channels facing downward . fig1 b is diagram illustrating a gear drive assembly according to the present invention , such as gear drive assembly 50 c / e . fig1 b illustrates a view of gear drive assembly 50 c / e as viewed from section a - a through cross - member 36 c of fig1 a . gear drive assembly 50 c / e includes a single cylindrical gear head 76 c / e having angled channels 204 c and 204 e on opposing surfaces . cylindrical gear head 76 c / e fits into arcuate channels 234 c and 234 e of gear tracks 80 c and 80 d , such that angled channels 204 c and 204 e slidably interlock with angled channels 172 c and 172 e of gear plates 72 c and 72 e respectively . angled channels 172 c and 204 c , and 172 e and 204 e oppose one another and are configured such that when cylindrical gear head 76 c / e is extended ( e . g . out from fig1 b ) gear plate 72 c moves in a direction 372 toward the interior of mold cavity 46 a and gear plate 72 e moves in a direction 374 toward the interior of mold cavity 46 b . similarly , when cylindrical gear head 76 c / e is retracted ( e . g . into fig1 b ) gear plate 72 c moves in a direction 376 away from the interior of mold cavity 46 a and gear plate 72 e moves in a direction 378 away from the interior of mold cavity 378 . again , cylindrical gear head 76 c / e and gear plates 72 c and 72 c could be of any suitable shape . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of one exemplary embodiment of a mold assembly 430 according to the present invention . mold assembly includes moveable liner plates 432 a through 4321 for simultaneously molding multiple concrete blocks . mold assembly 430 includes a drive system assembly 431 having a side members 434 a and 434 b , and cross members 436 a and 436 b . for illustrative purposes , side member 434 a is indicated by dashed lines . mold assembly 430 further includes division plates 437 a through 437 g . together , moveable liner plates 432 a through 4321 and division plates 437 a through 437 g form mold cavities 446 a through 446 f , with each mold cavity configured to form a concrete block . thus , in the illustrated embodiment , mold assembly 430 is configured to simultaneously form six blocks . however , it should be apparent from the illustration that mold assembly 430 can be easily modified for simultaneously forming quantities of concrete blocks other than six . in the illustrated embodiment , side members 434 a and 434 b each have a corresponding gear drive assembly for moving moveable liner plates 432 a through 432 f and 432 g through 4321 , respectively . for illustrative purposes , only gear drive assembly 450 associated with side member 434 a and corresponding moveable liner plates 432 a through 432 g is shown . gear drive assembly 450 includes first gear elements 472 a through 472 f selectively coupled to corresponding moveable liner plates 432 a through 432 f , respectively , and a second gear element 474 . in the illustrated embodiment , first gear elements 472 a through 472 f and second gear element 474 are shown as being cylindrical in shape . however , any suitable shape can be employed . second gear element 474 is selectively coupled to a cylinder - piston ( not shown ) via a piston rod 478 . in one embodiment , which is described in greater detail below ( see fig1 ), second gear element 474 is integral with the cylinder - piston so as to form a single component . in the illustrated embodiment , each first gear element 472 a through 472 b farther includes a plurality of substantially parallel angled channels 484 that slidably mesh and interlock with a plurality of substantially parallel angled channels 486 on second gear element 474 . when second gear element 474 is moved in a direction indicated by arrow 492 , each of the moveable liner plates 432 a through 432 f moves in a direction indicated by arrow 494 . similarly , when second gear element 474 is move in a direction indicated by arrow 496 , each of the moveable liner plates 432 a through 432 f moves in a direction indicated by arrow 498 . in the illustrated embodiment , the angled channels 484 on each of the first gear elements 432 a through 432 f and the angled channels 486 are at a same angle . thus , when second gear element 474 moves in direction 492 and 496 , each moveable liner plate 432 a through 432 f moves a same distance in direction 494 and 498 , respectively . in one embodiment , second gear element 474 includes a plurality of groups of substantially parallel angled channels with each group corresponding to a different one of the first gear elements 472 a through 472 f in one embodiment , the angled channels of each group and its corresponding first gear element have a different angle such that each moveable liner plate 432 a through 432 f move a different distance in directions 494 and 498 in response to second gear element 474 being moved in direction 492 and 496 , respectively . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating a gear drive assembly 500 according to the present invention , and a corresponding moveable liner plate 502 and removable liner face 504 . for illustrative purposes , a frame assembly including side members and cross members is not shown . gear drive assembly 500 includes double rod - end , dual - acting pneumatic cylinder - piston 506 having a cylinder body 507 , and a hollow piston rod 508 with a first rod - end 510 and a second rod - end 512 . gear drive assembly 500 further includes a pair of first gear elements 514 a and 514 b selectively coupled to moveable liner plate 502 , with each first gear element 514 a and 514 b having a plurality of substantially parallel angled channels 516 a and 516 b . in the illustrated embodiment , cylinder body 507 of cylinder - piston 506 includes a plurality of substantially parallel angled channels 518 configured to mesh and slidably interlock with angled channels 516 a and 516 b . in one embodiment , cylinder body 507 is configured to slidably insert into and couple to a cylinder sleeve having angled channels 518 . in one embodiment , cylinder - piston 506 and piston rod 508 are located within a drive shaft of a frame member , such as drive shaft 134 of cross - member 36 a , with rod - end 510 coupled to and extending through a frame member , such as side member 34 b , and second rod - end 512 coupled to and extending through a frame member , such a side member 34 a . first rod - end 510 and second rod - end 512 are configured to receive and provide compressed air to drive dual - acting cylinder - piston 506 . with piston rod 508 being fixed to side members 34 a and 34 b via first and second rod - ends 512 and 510 , cylinder - piston 506 travels along the axis of piston rod 508 in the directions as indicated by arrows 520 and 522 in response to compressed air received via first and second rod - ends 510 and 512 . when compressed air is received via second rod - end 512 and expelled via first rod - end 510 , cylinder - piston 506 moves within a drive shaft , such as drive shaft 134 , in direction 522 and causes first gear elements 514 a and 516 b and corresponding liner plate 502 and liner face 504 to move in a direction indicated by arrow 524 . conversely , when compressed air is received via first rod - end 510 and expelled via second rod - end 512 , cylinder - piston 506 moves within a gear shaft , such as gear shaft 134 , in direction 520 and causes first gear elements 514 a and 516 b and corresponding liner plate 502 and liner face 504 to move in a direction indicated by arrow 526 . in the illustrated embodiment , cylinder - piston 506 and first gear elements 514 a and 514 b are - shown as being substantially cylindrical in shape . however , any suitable shape can be employed . furthermore , in the illustrated embodiment , cylinder - piston 506 is a double rod - end dual - acting cylinder . in one embodiment , cylinder piston 506 is a single rod - end dual acting cylinder having only a single rod - end 510 coupled to a frame member , such as side member 34 b . in such an embodiment , compressed air is provided to cylinder - piston via single rod - end 510 and a flexible pneumatic connection made to cylinder - piston 506 through side member 34 a via gear shaft 134 . additionally , cylinder - piston 506 comprises a hydraulic cylinder . fig1 is a top view of a portion of mold assembly 430 ( as illustrated by fig1 ) having a drive assembly 550 according to one embodiment of the present invention . drive assembly 550 includes first drive elements 572 a to 572 f that are selectively coupled to corresponding liner plates 432 a to 432 f via openings , such as opening 433 , in side member 434 a each of the first drive elements 572 a to 572 if further coupled to a master bar 573 . drive assembly 550 further includes a double - rod - end hydraulic piston assembly 606 having a dual - acting cylinder 607 and a hollow piston rod 608 having a first rod - end 610 and a second rod - end 612 . first and second rod - ends 610 , 612 are stationary and are coupled to and extend through a removable housing 560 that is coupled to side member 434 a and encloses drive assembly 550 . first and second rod ends 610 , 612 are each coupled to hydrautic fittings 620 that are configured to connect via lines 622 a and 622 b to an external hydraulic system 624 and to transfer hydraulic fluid to and from dual - acting cylinder 607 via hollow piston rod 608 . in one embodiment , as illustrated , first drive elements 572 b and 572 e include a plurality of substantially parallel angled channels 616 that slideably interlock with a plurality of substantially parallel angled channels 618 that form a second drive element . in one embodiment , as illustrated above by fig1 , angled channels 618 are formed on dual - acting cylinder 607 of hydraulic piston assembly 606 , such that dual - acting cylinder 607 forms the second drive element . in other embodiments , as will be described by fig1 a - 15c below , the second drive element is separate from and operatively coupled to dual - acting cylinder 607 . when hydraulic fluid is transmitted into dual - acting cylinder 607 from second rod - end 612 via fitting 620 and hollow piston rod 608 , hydraulic fluid is expelled from first rod - end 610 , causing dual - acting cylinder 607 and angled channels 618 to move along piston rod 608 toward second rod - end 612 . as dual - acting cylinder 607 moves toward second tod - end 612 , angled channels 618 interact with angled channels 616 and drive first drive elements 572 b and 572 e , and thus corresponding liner plates 432 b and 432 e , toward the interior of mold cavities 446 b and 446 e , respectively . furthermore , since each of the first drive elements 572 a through 572 f is coupled to master bar 573 , driving first gear elements 572 b and 572 e toward the interiors of mold cavities 446 b and 446 e also moves first drive elements 572 a , 572 c , 572 d , and 572 f and corresponding liner plates 432 a , 432 c , 432 d , and 432 e toward the interiors of mold cavities 446 a , 446 c , 446 d , and 446 f , respectively . conversely , transmitting hydraulic fluid into dual - acting cylinder 607 from first rod - end 610 via fitting 620 and hollow - piston rod 608 causes dual - acting cylinder 607 to move toward first rod - end 610 , and causes liner plates 432 to move away from the interiors of corresponding mold cavities 446 . in one embodiment , drive assembly 550 further includes support shafts 626 , such as support shafts 626 a and 626 b , which are coupled between removable housing 560 and side member 434 a and extend through master bar 573 . as dual - acting cylinder 607 is moved by transmitting / expelling hydraulic fluid from first and second rod - ends 610 , 612 , master bar 573 moves back and forth along support shafts 626 . because they are coupled to static elements of mold assembly 430 , support shafts 626 a and 626 b provide support and rigidity to liner plates 432 , drive elements 572 , and master bar 573 as they move toward and away from mold cavities 446 . in one embodiment , drive assembly 550 further includes a pneumatic fitting 628 configured to connect via line 630 to and external compressed air system 632 and provide compressed air to housing 560 . by receiving compressed air via pneumatic fitting 628 to removable housing 560 , the internal air pressure of housing 560 is positive relative to the outside air pressure , such that air is continuously “ forced ” out of housing 560 through any non - sealed openings , such as openings 433 through which first drive elements 572 extend through side member 434 a . by maintaining a positive air pressure and forcing air out through such non - sealed opening , the occurrence of dust and debris and other unwanted contaminants from entering housing 560 and fouling drive assembly 550 is reduced . first and second rod ends 610 , 612 are each coupled to hydraulic fittings 620 that are configured to connect via lines 622 a and 622 b to an external hydraulic system 624 and to transfer hydraulic fluid to and from dual - acting cylinder 607 via hollow piston rod 608 . fig1 a is a top view illustrating a portion of one embodiment of drive assembly 550 according to the present invention . drive assembly 550 includes double - rod - end hydraulic piston assembly 606 comprising dual - acting cylinder 607 and a hollow piston rod 608 with first and second rod - ends 610 and 612 being and coupled to and extending through removable housing 560 . as illustrated , dual - acting cylinder 607 is slideably - fitted inside a machined opening 641 within a second gear element 640 , with hollow piston rod 608 extending through removable end caps 642 . in one embodiment , end caps 646 are threadably inserted into machined opening 641 such that end caps 646 butt against and secure dual - acting cylinder 607 so that dual - acting cylinder 607 30 is held stationary with respect to second drive element 640 . second drive element 640 includes the plurality of substantially parallel angled channels 618 , in lieu of angled channels being an integral part of dual - acting cylinder 607 . with reference to fig1 , angled channels 618 of second gear element 640 are configured to slideably interlock with angled channels 616 of first gear elements 572 b and 572 e . second gear element 640 further includes a guide rail 644 that is slideably coupled to linear bearing blocks 646 that are mounted to housing 560 . as described above with respect to fig1 , transmitting and expelling hydraulic fluid to and from dual - acting cylinder 607 via first and second rod - ends 610 , 612 causes dual - acting cylinder 607 to move along hollow piston - rod 608 . since dual - acting cylinder 607 is “ locked ” in place within machined shaft 641 of second gear element 640 by end caps 642 , second gear element 640 moves along hollow piston - rod 608 together with dual - acting cylinder 607 . as second drive element 640 moves along hollow piston - rod 608 , linear bearing blocks 646 guide and secure guide rail 644 , thereby guiding and securing second drive element 640 and reducing undesirable motion in second drive element 640 that is perpendicular to hollow piston rod 608 . fig1 b is a lateral cross - sectional view a - a of the portion of drive assembly 550 illustrated by fig1 a . guide rail 644 is slideably fitted into a linear bearing track 650 and rides on bearings 652 as second drive element 640 is moved along piston rod 608 by dual - acting cylinder 607 . in one embodiment , linear bearing block 646 b is coupled to housing 560 via bolts 648 . fig1 c is a longitudinal cross - sectional view b - b of the portion of drive assembly 550 of fig1 a , and illustrates dual - acting cylinder 607 as being secured within shaft 641 of drive element 640 by end caps 642 a and 642 b . in one embodiment , end caps 642 a and 642 b are threadably inserted into the ends of second drive element 640 so as to butt against each end of dual - acting cylinder 607 . hollow piston rod 608 extends through end caps 642 a and 642 b and has first and second rod ends 610 and 612 coupled to and extending through housing 560 . a divider 654 is coupled to piston rod 608 and divides dual - acting cylinder 607 into a first chamber 656 and a second chamber 658 . a first port 660 and a second port 662 allow hydraulic fluid to be pumped into and expelled from first chamber 656 and second chamber 658 via first and second rod ends 610 and 612 and associated hydraulic fittings 620 , respectively . when hydraulic fluid is pumped into first chamber 656 via first rod - end 610 and first port 660 , dual - acting cylinder 607 moves along hollow piston rod 608 toward first rod - end 610 and hydraulic fluid is expelled from second chamber 658 via second port 662 and second rod - end 612 . since dual - acting cylinder 607 is secured within shaft 641 by end caps 642 a and 642 b , second drive element 640 and , thus , angled channels 618 move toward first rod - end 610 . similarly , when hydraulic fluid is pumped into second chamber 658 via second rod - end 612 and second port 662 , dual - acting cylinder 607 moves along hollow piston rod 608 toward second rod - end 612 and hydraulic fluid is expelled from first chamber 656 via first port 660 and first rod - end 610 . fig1 is a side view of a portion of drive assembly 550 as shown by fig1 and illustrates a typical liner plate , such as liner plate 432 a , and corresponding removable liner face 400 . liner plate 432 a is coupled to second drive element 572 a via a bolted connection 670 and , in - turn , drive element 572 a is coupled to master bar 573 via a bolted connection 672 . a lower portion of liner face 400 is coupled to liner plate 432 a via a bolted connection 674 . in one embodiment , as illustrated , liner plate 432 a includes a raised “ rib ” 676 that runs the length of and along an lipper edge of liner plate 432 a . a channel 678 in liner face 400 overlaps and interlocks with raised rib 676 to form a “ boltless ” connection between liner plate 432 a and an upper portion of liner face 400 . such an interlocking connection securely couples the upper portion of liner face 400 to liner plate 432 in an area of liner face 400 that would otherwise be too narrow to allow use of a bolted connection between liner face 400 and liner plate 432 a without the bolt being visible on the surface of liner face 400 that faces mold cavity 446 a . in one embodiment , liner plate 432 includes a heater 680 configured to maintain the temperature of corresponding liner face 400 at a desired temperature to prevent concrete in corresponding mold cavity 446 sticking to a surface of liner face 400 during a concrete curing process . in one embodiment , heater 680 comprises an electric heater . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a mold assembly according to the present invention , such as mold assembly 430 of fig1 , further including a controller 700 configured to coordinate the movement of moveable liner plates , such as liner plates 432 , with operations of concrete block machine 702 by controlling the operation of the drive assembly , such as drive assembly 550 . in one embodiment , as illustrated , controller 700 comprises a programmable logic controller ( plc ). as described above with respect to fig1 , mold assembly 430 is selectively coupled , generally via a plurality of bolted connections , to concrete block machine 702 . in operation , concrete block machine 702 first places pallet 56 below mold box assembly 430 . a concrete feedbox 704 , then fills mold cavities , such as mold cavities 446 , of assembly 430 with concrete . head shoe assembly 52 is then lowered onto mold assembly 430 and hydraulically or mechanically compresses the concrete in mold cavities . 446 and , together with a vibrating table on which pallet 56 is positioned , simultaneously vibrates mold assembly 430 . after the compression and vibration is complete , head shoe assembly 52 and pallet 56 are lowered relative to mold cavities 446 so that the formed concrete blocks are expelled from mold cavities 446 onto pallet 56 . head shoe assembly 52 is then raised and a new pallet 56 is moved into position below mold cavities 446 . the above process is continuously repeated , with each such repetition commonly referred to as a cycle . with specific reference to mold assembly 430 , each such cycle produces six concrete blocks . plc 700 is configured to coordinate the extension and retraction of liner plates 432 into and out of mold cavities 446 with the operations of concrete block machine 702 as described above . at the start of a cycle , liner plates 432 are fully retracted from mold cavities 446 . in one embodiment , with reference to fig1 , drive assembly 550 includes a pair of sensors , such as proximity switches 706 a and 706 b to monitor the position of master bar 573 and , thus , the positions of corresponding moveable liner plates 432 coupled to master bar 573 . as illustrated in fig1 , proximity switches 706 a and 706 b are respectively configured to detect when liner plates 432 are in an extended position and a retracted position with respect to mold cavities 446 . in one embodiment , after pallet 56 has been positioned beneath mold assembly 430 , plc 700 receives a signal 708 from concrete block machine 702 indicating that concrete feedbox 704 is ready to deliver concrete to mold cavities 446 . plc 700 checks the position of moveable liners 432 based on signals 710 a and 710 b received respectively from proximity switches 706 a and 706 b . with liner plates 432 in a retracted position , plc 700 provides a liner extension signal 712 to hydraulic system 624 . in response to liner extension signal 712 , hydraulic system 624 begins pumping hydraulic fluid via path 622 b to second rod - end 612 of piston assembly 606 and begins receiving hydraulic fluid from first rod - end 610 via path 622 a , thereby causing dual - acting cylinder 607 to begin moving liner plates 432 toward the interiors of mold cavities 446 . when proximity switch 706 a detects master bar 573 , proximity switch 706 a provides signal 710 a to plc 700 indicating that liner plates 432 have reached the desired extended position . in response to signal 710 a , plc 700 instructs hydraulic system 624 via signal 712 to stop pumping hydraulic fluid to piston assembly 606 and provides a signal 714 to concrete block machine 702 indicating that liner plates 432 are extended . in response to signal 714 , concrete feedbox 704 fills mold cavities 446 with concrete and head shoe assembly 52 is lowered onto mold assembly 430 . after the compression and vibrating of the concrete is complete , concrete block machine 702 provides a signal 716 indicating that the formed concrete blocks are ready to be expelled from mold cavities 446 . in response to signal 716 , plc 700 provides a liner retraction signal 718 to hydraulic system 624 . in response to liner retraction signal 718 , hydraulic system 624 begins pumping hydraulic fluid via path 622 a to first rod - end 610 via path 622 and begins receiving hydraulic fluid via path 622 b from second rod - end 612 , thereby causing dual - acting cylinder 607 to begin moving liner plates 432 away from the interiors of mold cavities 446 . when proximity switch 706 b detects master bar 573 , proximity switch 706 b provides signal 710 b to plc 700 indicating that liner plates 432 have reached a desired retracted position . in response to signal 710 b , plc 700 instructs hydraulic system 624 via signal 718 to stop pumping hydraulic fluid to piston assembly 606 and provides a signal 720 to concrete block machine 702 indicating that liner plates 432 are retracted . in response to signal 720 , head shoe assembly 52 and pallet 56 eject the formed concrete blocks from mold cavities 446 . concrete block machine 702 then retracts head shoe assembly 52 and positions a new pallet 56 below mold assembly 430 . the above process is then repeated for the next cycle . in one embodiment , plc 700 is farther configured to control the supply of compressed air to mold assembly 430 . in one embodiment , plc 700 provides a status signal 722 to compressed air system 630 indicative of when concrete block machine 702 and mold assembly 430 are in operation and forming concrete blocks . when in operation , compressed air system 632 provides compressed air via line 630 and pneumatic fitting 628 to housing 560 of mold assembly 420 to reduce the potential for dirt / dust and other debris from entering drive assembly 550 . when not in operation , compressed air system 632 does not provide compressed air to mold assembly 430 . although the above description of controller 700 is in regard to controlling a drive assembly employing only a single piston assembly , such as piston assembly 606 of drive assembly 500 , controller 700 can be adapted to control drive assemblies employing multiple piston assemblies and employing multiple pairs of proximity switches , such as proximity switches 706 a and 706 b . in such instances , hydraulic system 624 would be coupled to each piston assembly via a pair of hydraulic lines , such as lines 622 a and 622 b . additionally , plc 700 would receive multiple position signals and would respectively allow mold cavities to be filled with concrete and formed blocks to be ejected only when each applicable proximity switch indicates that all moveable liner plates are at their extended position and each applicable proximity switch indicates that all moveable liner plates are at their retracted position . fig1 a through 18c illustrate portions of an alternate embodiment of drive assembly 550 as illustrated by fig1 a through 15c . fig1 a is top view of second gear element 640 , wherein second gear element 640 is driven by a screw drive system 806 in lieu of a piston assembly , such as piston assembly 606 . screw drive system 806 includes a threaded screw 808 , such as an acme or ball style screw , and an electric motor 810 . threaded screw 808 is threaded through a corresponding threaded shaft 812 extending lengthwise through second gear element 640 . threaded screw 808 is coupled at a first end to a first bearing assembly 814 a and is coupled at a second end to motor 810 via a second bearing assembly 814 b . in a fashion similar to that described by fig1 a , second gear element 640 includes the plurality of angled channels 616 which slideably interlock and mesh with angled channels 616 of first gear elements 572 b and 572 e , as illustrated by fig1 . since second gear element 640 is coupled to linear bearing blocks 646 , when motor 810 is driven to rotate threaded screw 808 in a counter - clockwise direction 816 , second gear element 640 is driven in a direction 818 along linear bearing track 650 . as second gear element 640 moves in direction 818 , angled channels . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein . therefore , it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof .	5
in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 and 2 , which is configured for use in the engraving or embossing of indicia into and / or on the surface of curved objects , either cylindrical or irregularly contoured , the operation is as follows : the operator holds handles 5 and 6 to guide tracing stylus 3 over the surface of template 1 . for simplicity , one direction of motion will be discussed at a time . as the operator guides stylus 3 in an upstroke on a letter on template 1 , stylus support 4 moves in a corresponding direction , and causes rods 7 , 8 and rack 9 to move . rods 7 and 8 are slidably supported by pillow blocks 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 on the lowermost side of plate 14 , and rigidly retained by block 15 . rack 9 is rigidly fastened to support 4 and block 15 . the teeth of rack 9 mesh with the teeth of gear 16 and cause gear 16 to rotate . rods 17 and 18 which are slidably attached to gear 16 through bushings 16a and 16b in the face of gear 16 on a diameter of said gear , are rigidly attached to bars 19 , 20 , and cause bars 19 , 20 and shafts 20a and 20b , shaft 20b being rotatably mounted in a hole ( not shown ) in frame 121 , to rotate . movement of bars 19 causes shaft 20a , rotatably mounted through pillow block 21 and sheave 22 , to rotate , causing movement of belt 23 . movement of belt 23 causes rotation of idler sheave 24 and sheave 25 , which is fastened to shaft 26 . rotation of shaft 26 causes rotation of sheave 27 . rotation of sheave 27 causes movement of belt 28 , and rotation of idler sheave 29 and sheave 30 , which is attached to shaft 31 . rotation of shaft 31 causes rotation of sheave 32 , and movement of belt 33 . the opposite end of belt 33 is supported on sheave 34 , which is fastened to shaft 35 , which in turn is rotatably fastened through a pillow block ( not shown ). l - shaped bar 36 is clamped by a clamping device ( not shown ) to the lowermost portion of belt 33 . bar 36 is adjustably fastened to rods 37 , and 38 which pass through holes 39 , 40 in bar 36 . rods 37 , 38 are slidably mounted through pillow blocks 41 , 42 , 43 and 44 and fastened to cutting head baseplate 45 , causing it to move . rotation of object 84 is a result of lateral motion of tracing stylus 3 . movement of stylus 3 in a lateral direction causes lateral motion of rods 7 and 8 which are slidably supported by rods 46 and 47 , which are securely fastened into clamp blocks 48 , 49 , 50 and 51 , which are in turn atttached to frame 121 . rods 46 and 47 pass through pillow blocks 52 , 53 , 54 , and 55 , which are fastened to plate 14 . lateral movement of rods 7 and 8 causes lateral movement of plate 14 , and of rods 56 and 57 which are fastened into plate 14 and retained by screws 58 and 59 . rods 56 and 57 are attached to clamp 60 , which is firmly attached to the lowermost portion of belt 61 . movement of belt 61 causes rotation of support sheave 62 about shaft 63 , and rotation of sheave 64 and sheaves 65 and 66 about shaft 67 . rotation of sheave 66 imparts movement to belt 68 , which in turn causes rotation of sheaves 69 and 70 about shaft 71 . rotation of sheave 70 imparts motion to belt 72 which in turn causes rotation of sheaves 73 and 74 and plate 75 on shaft 76 , which is rotatably supported in a pillow block ( not shown ). rotation of sheave 74 causes motion of belt 77 and rotation of sheave 78 and plate 79 , on shaft 80 , which is rotatably supported in pillow block 81 . disk 82 is attached to plate 75 . elastic band 83 retains object 84 . the cutting head assembly is composed of cutting head baseplate 45 and items 85 through 120 . cutting styli 85 and 86 are attached to heating elements 87 and 88 , which are retained in blocks 89 and 90 . mounting blocks 90 and 91 are attached to baseplate 45 , and pivot shafts 92 and 93 are attached to blocks 90 and 91 . blocks 89 and 90 are rotatably fastened to pivot shafts 92 and 93 . springs 94 , 95 , 96 , and 97 are securely fastened to baseplate 45 at their lowermost end and adjustably fastened to rods 98 , 99 , 100 , and 101 by collars 102 , 103 , 104 and 105 . rods 99 - 101 serve to limit the downward travel of styli 85 and 86 by contacting the rearmost portion of block 90 and 91 , and serve to adjust the range of vertical movement of stylus 85 and 86 . power is supplied to heating elements 87 and 88 , through wires 106 and 107 and socket 108 ( typical ). control means for electric power are not shown . in the embodiment illustrated , pressurized air at a constant pressure is supplied to a foot - actuated control ( not shown ) through filter 109 , regulator 110 , valve 111 , line 112 to a manifold block 113 which is supported by rod 114 , held to baseplate 45 by clamp blocks 115 and 116 . the manifold block 113 distributes air to cylinders 117 and 118 through tubes 119 and 120 . by means of this arrangement , the stylus can be lifted from the object 84 at appropriate times by a foot - operated valve or other known means . in the device described above , linear motion of the tracing stylus is converted to motion of the cutting stylus or object in two separate rotary motion steps so that the size relations between the template and the indicia - outline element mask may be easily varied . in the example above , the relative diameters of sheaves 22 and 25 , or 27 and 30 determines vertical proportioning , and the diameters of sheaves 66 and 69 perform this function for horizontal proportioning . fig3 shows a object 122 and a completed indicia - outline element mask 123 . since the same items , in sequential stages are shown in fig3 - 8 , similar numbering will be used whenever possible . in fig3 area 124 of indicia - outline mask 123 is to be removed to unmask the area to be engraved and / or embossed . in fig4 tweezers 125 are used to remove mask area 124 , exposing engraving area 126 in fig5 . sandblasting nozzle 127 is used to spray abrasive grit against area 126 , with areas not to be engraved and / or embossed protected by the remainder of indicia - outline mask 123 . in fig6 and 7 , indicia outline element mask 123 is being removed from object 122 with tweezers 125 . fig8 shows the completed object . indicia - outline element mask 123 , in one preferred embodiment , is formed by dipping an object 122 or 84 into a coating material , which is allowed to dry before being retained to disk 82 by band 83 , cut by stylus 85 or 86 , and processed as shown in fig3 - 8 . a suitable coating material is a product available from seal - peal inc , located in troy , michigan , as seal glo 434 - t mixed with 1 - 6 % castor oil . the chemical composition of this material is 38 % xylene , 40 % methyl ethyl ketone , 2 . 5 % dioctyl phthalate , and 19 . 5 % polyvinyl chloride resin . it is to be understood that the shape of the object 122 in fig3 - 8 was chosen for convenience of illustration only , and is not intended as a limitation of the object shapes that can be engraved and / or embossed using this invention . fig9 is an illustration of indicia to be engraved and / or embossed according to a second embodiment of the invention . fig1 is an outline of fig9 showing the shape of the cutting edges to be formed on a die , and the pattern of chemically resistant material that must be applied to , or remain on , the surface of a die blank . in the preferred embodiment , the chemically resistant material is a conventional light - sensitive coating , as is used for the making of printing plates . the die may be made from a commerically available pre - coated zinc printing plate blank . fig1 shows a finished die , after the chemically - resistant material has been applied in a predetermined pattern , and the die has been chemically etched to remove areas 130 from die 131 , to a depth of approximately 1 / 16 inch ( 1 . 6 mm ), leaving a cutting edge 132 in the outline of the indicia to be formed . in this regard , it should be noted that photographic techniques are preferably used to make any dies useable with the instant invention , such as by preparing indicia outline element forming dies from oversized artwork . fig1 shows die 131 mounted to heating element 133 , in position over press bed 134 . die 131 is pressed by conventional means , such as air cylinders , into commercially available adhesive - backed thermoplastic film 135 , on heavy paper carrier tape 136 , to cut the indicia outline element in synchronism with separating dies to be described later . it is useful , although not an absolute necessity , to provide heating element 133 with knife edges to form separable indicia - outline element masks , and punches for holes to facilitate synchronization of the elements of this invention by conventional means , such as photodetector devices controlling high speed clutches . fig1 shows a typical thermoplastic film tape 135 after being cut by die 131 into areas 137 and 138 , with frame edge lines 139 . pinch rollers 157 and 158 intermittently draw carrier tape 136 between dies 131 and press bed 134 , and between separating dies 140 and 141 . upper die 142 has a raised portion corresponding in size and shape to area 138 on the thermoplastic film . die 142 may be mechanically machined to this configuration , or may be produced in the same manner as die 131 , as described above , dies 140 and 141 are provided with gates 142 . a source of vacuum is introduced into areas 143 in a conventional manner , to hold tape in position on the die faces . transfer tape 44 , similar in characteristics to conventional masking tape , wound adhesive - side outward , having thin paper side 145 and adhesive side 146 , is pulled from roll 150 by pinch rollers 155 and 156 , in synchronism with pinch rollers 8 and 9 . the dies are closed by conventional means , such as air cylinders . the lower die 141 is preferably , but not necessarily stationary . when the dies 140 and 141 are cloesd , in the embodiment shown , adhesive side 146 of the transfer tape will be forced against cut out area 138 , and will adhere to it . when the dies are opened , area 138 of adhesive - backed thermoplastic film 135 will be removed from the carrier tape 136 , and will adhere to surface 146 of tape 144 , with the adhesive side of area 138 facing outward . in order to make use of areas 138 as &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ; indicia forming masks , and areas 137 as conventional or &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ; indicia forming masks , a tape &# 34 ; sandwich &# 34 ; is fabricated with each type of indicia forming mask . pinch rollers 157 and 158 , which pull carrier tape 135 and areas 137 of film 137 between dies 140 and 141 , also apply transfer tape 147 , similar to tape 144 , having adhesive side 148 and paper backing 149 , to the non - adhesive surfaces of areas 137 of thermoplastic film 135 , and carrier tape 136 . transfer tape 147 is supplied by roll 154 , and the completed &# 34 ; sandwich &# 34 ; tape 160 is collected on reel 153 . in the illustrated embodiment , should tape 160 be separated , thermoplastic film areas 137 would be attached to transfer tape 147 , with the adhesive side of the thermoplastic film facing outward . in order to make use of the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ; indicia forming masks , areas 138 of film 135 , carrier tape 161 , identical to carrier tape 136 , is supplied from roll 152 , and applied as a protective covering by pinch rollers 155 and 156 . the tape 162 thus produced can be spooled on take up reel 151 . fig1 illustrates an alternate embodiment of separating dies 140 and 141 . roll 170 is provided with several dies 172 , which are similar to die 140 , except being curved to fit roll 170 . roll 171 is provided with dies 173 , each similar to die 141 , except curved to fit roll 171 . gates 174 are provided on both rolls 170 and 171 , forming spaces 175 , when a tape is in place . a vacuum source is introduced into areas 175 , by conventional means including a conventional rotary coupling , to hold transfer tape 144 , and carrier tape 136 with thermoplastic film 135 in position . the rotation of rolls 170 and 171 is synchronized with the rotation of pinch rollers 155 , 156 , 157 and 158 using conventional means . it should be noted that tape 144 , with film areas 138 adhered to it , could be directly used , rather than being covered with carrier tape and collected on take up reel 151 , or that tape 160 could be directly used , and not collected on take up reel 153 . fig1 shows a device for automatically applying indicia forming masks to objects to be engraved and / or embossed . it is illustrated in stand - alone configuration for clarity , although in the preferred embodiment of this invention . tape 160 of fig1 can be guided to roll 181 , rather than accumulated , or tape 135 could be guided to roll 182 , rather than covered and accumulated . in the embodiment illustrated , sandwich tape 160 or 162 , as accumulated on take up reels 151 or 153 of fig1 , is transferred to roll 181 . the sandwich is separated and the carrier tape is attached to take up reel 180 . the separated transfer tape 195 with adhesive thermoplastic film areas 137 or 138 attached , is passed over rolls 182 , 183 , 185 , and on to take up reel 184 . the rotation of rolls 182 , 183 , and 185 are synchronized by conventional means . reels 180 and 184 are rotated through conventional slip clutches . objects 191 , such as glasses or mugs , are placed in a conventional carrousel 190 , which rotates in synchronism with rolls 182 , 183 and 185 . roll 185 is a resilient roll used to force the transfer tape 195 toward an object 191 , and cause the thermoplastic film area 137 or 138 to adhere to an object 191 , and separate from the transfer tape 195 . it is desirable , but not an absolute necessity to practice the invention , that roll 185 be mounted to move towards and away from carrousel 190 at appropriate times . this can be accomplished in conventional ways , such as a cam or dogs on carrousel 190 intermittently engaging flexible drive or support means for roll 185 . the intent of this motion is to reduce the chance of an applied indicia forming mask separating from the object , and re - adhering to the transfer tape . if roll 185 forces tape 195 against an object 191 , then withdraws , the tape 195 will be pulled evenly away from object 191 , and forces which could cause separation will not be concentrated at one edge of the applied indicia forming mask , as it is with tangential separation of tape 195 from an object 191 . objects 191 are then removed from carrousel 190 , and the indicia in engraved and / or embossed by blasting with finely - divided abrasive particles , by selectively applying chemical etchants , or by other known means , including painting and application of inks .	8
referring first to fig1 wherein are best shown the general features of the invention , the construction system , indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 , is shown in use in displaying items 12 with a sales person 11 in attendance . the display structure shown is generally pyramidal in shape and accessible from all sides , but it will be understood that the specific form of the structure may take any one of a large number of forms . fig2 shows in perspective the important elements of the construction system including a main body 13 and a connecting member 23 . the main body 13 , whose details are best shown in fig3 , and 5 , is shown as being plate - like in nature and in the form of a square having four sides 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 . these sides are provided , respectively , with triangular recesses 18 , 19 , 21 , and 22 . the connecting member 23 , whose details are shown in fig6 and 7 , is also shown as being plate - like in configuration and in the shape of a somewhat smaller square with beveled corners . extending diagonally from one corner to an opposite corner is a hinge 24 which serves to divide the connecting member into two triangular parts 25 and 26 . in fig3 , and 5 it can be seen that the main body 13 is formed of two - spaced parallel sheets 31 and 32 , between which is sandwiched a cruciform intermediate element 33 . each sheet is formed of a thin material formed as two layers of cardboard between which are sandwiched a layer of resilient foamed plastic ; this material is available commercially under the name &# 34 ; foam cor &# 34 ; manufactured by monsanto company . the cruciform intermediate element 33 is made of two such sheets , so that the recesses 18 , 19 , 21 and 22 are twice as thick as a sheet . because of the nature of the cruciform intermediate element 33 , the recesses are triangular in shape and approximately the same size as each of the parts 25 and 26 of the connecting member 23 . referring next to fig6 and 7 , which show the details of the connecting member 23 , it can be seen that the member is made of the same sheet material as the main body , that is to say , of two layers of cardboard with a layer of resilient foamed plastic sandwiched between them . the hinge 24 is formed by two scores 34 and 35 on opposite sides of the sheet . these scores tend to compress the foamed plastic layer and to provide fairly flexible bending about the hinge line , while increasing the stiffness of the connecting member in the transverse bending direction . it should be noted that the main body 13 is considerably larger than the connecting member 23 , so that the recesses on the main body terminate on their respective sides a substantial distance from the corners , but , nevertheless , each recess is large enough to completely envelope one - half ( a part 25 or 26 ) of the connecting member . it might be said that the cruciform intermediate element 33 could be formed by placing together two sheets that are the same size and shape as the outer sheets 31 and 32 and then removing from the center of each side a 45 ° triangle whose base lies on the side , but terminates a substantial distance from each end of the side . fig1 and 20 show a support element 37 which is useful in connection with the construction system . it consists of an elongated sheet element made of the same sheet material as the connecting member 23 which a main rectangular portion having score lines 42 , 43 , 44 , and 45 which define triangles at the ends of the same size as the triangular parts 25 and 26 of the connecting member . the score lines divide the intermediate portion into three square panels . the operation and the advantages of the present invention are well illustrated in fig8 - 18 . in general , the user is provided with a plurality of the main bodies 13 and of the connecting members 23 ; with these he is able to form a number of desirable supporting structures . in general , two main bodies 13 can be joined in line in the same plane by using two connecting members 13 with their hinge lines lying perpendicular to the sides of the main bodies which are being joined ; this arrangement is shown in fig8 and 9 . fig1 and 11 show the manner in which two main bodies 13 can be joined with their planes at an obtuse angle . in this case , two connecting members 23 are used but their hinge lines lie between and parallel to the adjacent two sides of the main bodies which are being joined . fig1 and 13 show the manner in which three main bodies are joined , two of them being joined together in the same plane and the third being joined at a right angle to the other two . in this case three connecting members are used . one of them is not bent and has its hinge line lying perpendicular to the sides of the main bodies which are to be joined in the same plane . the other two have their hinge lines extending in the opposite direction , that is to say , parallel to the edges of the main bodies which are being joined , so that two parts 25 and 26 are bent at a right angle . fig1 and 15 show the joining of three main bodies 13 at 120 ° to one another , making use of three connecting elements 23 . the hinge line in all three connecting elements is parallel to the sides of the main bodies being joined , and each connecting member is bent at an angle of 120 ° with each triangular half inserted into one of the recesses of the main bodies . fig1 and 17 show the manner in which four main bodies 13 can be joined at right angles to one another to form a cross - shaped configuration . in this case four connecting members 23 are used , each one having its hinge line arranged vertically and lying between the edges of the main bodies which are to be joined . each connecting member is bent at a right angle with its triangular parts 25 and 26 inserted into the recesses of immediately adjacent main bodies . fig1 shows the manner in which five main bodies 13 can be joined by eight connecting members to form an open cube , preferably with the open side facing downwardly to provide an upper horizontal supporting surface . because it is undesirable to bend two connecting members 23 together at a right angle in the same direction , only one connecting member is sued at each joint and the remainder of the recess is provided with a filler element 36 which is formed from the same foamed plastic sheet as the other elements and is in the shape of triangle of the same size and shape as the triangular parts 25 and 26 of the connecting members 23 . this filler element 36 serves to hold the single connecting member snugly in each of the recesses . it can be seen , then , that , by use of the present construction system , it is possible to build a wide variety of supporting and display structures . because of the light weight of the foamed plastic - cardboard sandwich , it is possible to store and transport large numbers of the elements without difficulty . since all of the elements are basically flat panels , they store into a small volume of space . thus , the disassembled elements are not only light in weight , but small in volume , which are the most desirable characteristics for this type of use . since the material from which the elements are made is relatively inexpensive and because they can be formed and cut on simple equipment , they are not expensive to make . furthermore , one is justified in discarding any of the elements that become worn , tattered , or dirty . on the other hand , since it is usual to make the sheet material with glazed outer surfaces , they are easy to keep clean by simple washing and wiping techniques . because ( as has been demonstrated ) it is possible to join the panels in almost any conceivable array , there is a wide range of uses for the panels that is limited only the the imagination and ingenuity of the user . for a more permanent connection , it is possible to provide fastening pins to lock the connecting elements and the main bodies together . otherwise , it can be seen that it is not necessary to use tools in assembling the structure , nor is it necessary to hire labor at the point of assembly . the assembly of the construction system of the invention is not hard physical work , nor does it require any particular mechanical ingenuity . it is possible , therefore , to save a considerable amount of money , because it is not necessary to ship by expensive means or to incurr the expense of storing , maintaining , setting up , etc . as is true with wooden display structures . it is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof . it is not , however , desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described , but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed .	0
fig1 illustrates the main components of a detonator system according to the invention . the system comprises a portable operating device and a control unit , such as a blasting machine . the control unit is connected to a number of detonators , which together constitute a round . the operating device is used to transmit commands or operating data to the control unit , which in turn is adapted to control the detonators in the round and cause detonation thereof . a summary review of the system will be presented below with reference to fig1 . the control unit , which usually consists of a blasting machine , and the operating device are both equipped with means for radio communication , which enables them to communicate by sending and receiving radio signals . in addition , the blasting machine and the operating device are equipped with batteries , which supply the current to each device . the blasting machine is adapted to cause firing of the round . to this end , it is connected to the round . depending on the design of the detonators constituting the round , the connection may be carried out by means of , for instance , nonel ™- tubing or electrical wires . the operating device is intended to be used by an operator for controlling the blasting machine by sending control data via radio thereto , and for monitoring the blasting machine by receiving status data via radio therefrom . furthermore , the operating device and the blasting machine are assigned unique identities , which they are adapted to transmit together with control data or operating commands , so that the receiver and the sender are able to identify each other in an unambiguous manner during communication . the blasting machine is provided with a holder in which the operating device can be placed when it is not used to control the blasting machine . when the operating device is arranged in the holder , two steps are carried out . one is charging the batteries of the operating device , the other is introducing the operating device and the control unit to each other . in connection with the introduction , the operating device and the blasting machine are associated with each other to allow a secure and unambiguous transmission of data from the operating device to the control unit . during association of the operating device and the control unit with each other , a common , dedicated communication protocol for wireless communication is established , which enables them to communicate wirelessly with each other . in connection with the introduction , any previous association ceases to be valid . thus , each operating device can be associated with no more than one blasting machine at any given moment . correspondingly , each blasting machine can be associated with no more than one operating device at any given moment . the introduction is preferably carried out automatically when the operating device is placed in the holder of the blasting machine . referring to fig2 and 3 , a preferred method for associating the operating device and the blasting machine ( control unit ) will be described in more detail below . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating the process taking place in the operating device , and fig3 is a block diagram illustrating the process taking place in the blasting machine . naturally , the processes in respectively the operating device and the blasting machine are carried out in parallel during the association step . during association , the blasting machine stores the identity of the operating device in a memory and the operating device stores the identity of the blasting machine in a memory . in order to further ensure that only the desired operating device can be used to control the blasting machine , the communication protocol preferably also requires encryption of selected parts of the radio communication by means of a non - reusable one - loop cipher . during association , an encryption table is therefore randomly generated by the blasting machine , said encryption table being then transmitted to the operating device to be used at a later stage in connection with encrypted transmission of data . it is particularly preferred for definite instructions from the operating device , such as arm commands and fire commands , to be transmitted in encrypted form to the blasting machine . all communication , or at least transmission of a fire command , preferably takes place by repeating each data string three times , a decision based on a majority of bits determining if the correct string has been received . thus , each data string is received three times , and two of these strings must be interpreted in the same way to be accepted . in the case of three consecutive non - responses or erroneous responses from the operating device , the blasting machine will return to its normal state and await a new arm signal . during association , a prefix is preferably assigned to each message , said prefix being used by the receiving unit to distinguish different types of messages . in addition , according to the preferred embodiment the light - emitting diode ( led ) marked communication on the transmitting unit will flash during each transmission of data . the step of associating the operating device and the blasting machine with each other is commenced when the operating device is placed in a special holder provided on the blasting machine . as shown in fig2 , the association ( mating ) begins with the blasting machine creating and storing an encryption table comprising a number of encryption blocks . preferably , a new encryption table is generated randomly for each new association procedure . the blasting machine is adapted to hold a transmission pointer indicating one of four different values 0 - 3 , the value 0 meaning that the association is terminated , 1 meaning that the blasting machine should send its own identity together with a relay code , 2 meaning that the blasting machine should request transmission of the identity of the operating device , and 3 meaning that the blasting machine should send an encryption block to the operating device . when the encryption table has been created and stored in the blasting machine , the transmission pointer in the blasting machine is set to 1 . the blasting machine then checks if there is any data in the receive buffer , which at this moment is not the case since the operating device has not yet sent any data . the blasting machine then checks the transmission pointer , which consequently has the value 1 . in accordance with the transmission pointer , the blasting machine thus transmits its own identity , a relay code and the prefix bid , and causes its led marked communication to flash . the identity and relay code of the blasting machine are received and identified in the receive buffer of the operating device . the operating device identifies the prefix bid and stores the identity of the blasting machine in a memory . the operating device then returns the identity of the blasting machine to the blasting machine , including the prefix bid , and causes its led marked communication to flash . the identity returned by the operating device is then checked in the blasting machine . if the identity is incorrect , the blasting machine retransmits its identity to the operating device . if the identity is correct , the transmission pointer value is set to 2 , which causes the blasting machine to send a request for the identity of the operating device having the prefix soi , and to flash the led marked communication . in response to this request , the operating device transmits its identity with the prefix own . the blasting machine now stores the identity of the operating device in a memory , and returns it to the operating device with the prefix tst . the operating device receives its own identity from the blasting machine and checks that it has been correctly interpreted by the blasting machine . if it has not been correctly interpreted , the operating device retransmits its identity to the blasting machine , with the prefix own . this is repeated until the blasting machine returns the correct identity to the operating device . when the correct identity has been received by the operating device , it transmits a message to this effect to the blasting machine , with the prefix dok . when the blasting machine receives the message with the prefix dok , the transmission pointer value is set to 3 and the blasting machine transmits a first encryption block with the prefix dat . the block is received and stored in the operating device in the first available block space in the block memory . the encryption block is returned by the operating device to the blasting machine , with the prefix dat , upon receipt of which the blasting machine checks that the operating device has interpreted the block correctly . if the correct block has been returned , the blasting machine transmits an acknowledgement with the prefix dok . when the operating device receives the acknowledgment , it increments the block pointer one step and waits for the next encryption block . these steps are repeated until all encryption blocks have been correctly transmitted to the operating device . when the transmission of encryption blocks is terminated , an acknowledgment to this effect is transmitted from the blasting machine to the operating device with the prefix eot . this terminates the association procedure , and the operating device and the blasting machine return to their state of rest . in the preferred embodiment of the association , all the transmitted data is returned to the sender , thus allowing the sender to check that the receiver has interpreted the data correctly . accordingly , it is preferred for the association to comprise both the step of transmitting the unique identity of the blasting machine to the operating device and the unique identity of the operating device to the control unit and the step of transmitting an encryption table from the blasting machine to the operating device . the identities are intended to be used in the communication between the operating device and the blasting machine to further reduce the risk of erroneous data being interpreted by the receiving unit . it is preferred for the transmitting unit ( the sender ) to transmit the identity of the receiving unit with each transmission of data . the receiving unit thereby expects its own identity to be included in each piece of received data , and will only accept data containing its own identity . furthermore , for the purpose of additional security selected parts of the data transmitted from the operating device to the blasting machine are encrypted in accordance with the encryption table . when the operating device and the blasting machine have been introduced to each other ( associated with each other ), the operating device can be removed from the holder on the blasting machine and used to wirelessly transmit commands to the blasting machine . one example of controlling by means of the operating device is charging and firing of the detonator round connected to the blasting machine . the signalling procedure for wirelessly charging ( arming ) and firing a round from the operating device will be described below with reference to the block diagram in fig4 . the data transmitted between the operating device and the blasting machine consists of a number of bytes . the following symbols are used to describe the communication protocol : t = a byte in the identity of the blasting machine r = a control byte for the blasting machine m = a byte in the identity of the operating device s = a status byte ( status of the blasting machine ) c = a command byte ( command to the blasting machine ) k = a pointer in an encryption table , randomly selected for each transmission , no byte is indicated more than once o = nul , i . e . byte ooh ( )= parentheses mean that the data is encrypted according to the encryption pointer of the previous message . the communication protocol is based on a majority of two out of three for each byte . this means that each byte is transmitted three times , and that the receiver has to interpret at least two of these as identical for the data to be accepted . encryption / decryption is done by performing an xor operation bit by bit on plain text / encryption text with the byte of the encryption entry indicated by the encryption pointer . this means that , during encryption , a text byte is compared to a byte in the encryption entry , identical bytes giving a 1 and different bytes giving a 0 . the encrypted text thus consist of 1 &# 39 ; s in the positions where the encryption entry corresponds to the plain text and of 0 &# 39 ; s in the other positions . for symmetry reasons , decrypting the encrypted data using the same logic will restore the original plain text . a byte that is first encrypted according to this system and then decrypted with the same encryption byte is guaranteed to be identical to the original byte . in the preferred embodiment , the operating device continuously checks that the association is maintained and that the blasting machine is ready to start a firing sequence . this is done by the operating device transmitting a status enquiry to the blasting machine , which responds by transmitting its status to the operating device . if the association is maintained and the blasting machine is ready to start a firing sequence , the status ok is transmitted to the operating device , which responds by transmitting a new status enquiry . this procedure ensures that the operating device is always updated regarding status data relating to the blasting machine . a firing sequence is initiated by pressing the charge button provided on the operating device and maintaining it in this position . this causes the operating device to send an initial starting signal to the blasting machine . this signal consists of the signal t t t t t t 0 0 , and in response the blasting machine transmits the signal m m m m m m s k . if status byte s contains information that the dead time has not yet run out , the operating device turns on the led marked blocked and the communication is discontinued . if not , the operating device transmits t t t t t t ( r ) ( c ). this signal is decrypted by the blasting machine . if the command c contains information that charging is to be initiated , the blasting machine initiates charging and transmits m m m m m m s k , the status byte s of which contains information that charging is in progress . in response , the operating device turns on the led marked charging , and transmits a status enquiry to the blasting machine , which again responds by transmitting the signal m m m m m m s k , the status byte of which contains information that charging is in progress . this exchange of status enquiries and status enquiry responses continues until the charging of the blasting machine has been completed . the blasting machine then transmits yet another m m m m m m s k signal , the status byte s of which contains information that charging has been completed . in response thereto , the operating device turns on the led marked done . the detonator system is now ready to cause firing of the round . it should be noted that the charge button must be maintained in its depressed position during the whole charging until firing of the round is to be performed . ignition , i . e . the actual firing of the detonators , is initiated by pressing also the button marked ignite provided on the operating device . when this is done , the operating device transmits the signal t t t t t t ( r ) ( c ), the command byte c of which contains a command for igniting ( firing ) the round . during the whole firing sequence , three consecutive non - responses or erroneous responses from the operating device will cause the blasting machine to return to its state of rest , or normal state . this means that it discharges any ignition voltage internally and awaits a new charge signal . in this situation , the buttons of the operating device have to be released and the charge button pressed and maintained in this position once more in order to restart the firing sequence . the led marked communication flashes during each transmission of data , thus informing the operator of the ongoing activity . one example of the actual operation of the system according to the invention will be described below . the example provided below relates to charging and firing a round connected to the blasting machine . in the example , it is assumed that the operating device and the blasting machine have been associated with each other during a preceding introduction procedure as described above . in the preferred embodiment , the blasting machine is equipped with three push buttons : test , on and off . the status of the unit is displayed by means of five leds marked battery , error , communication , ready and active . the operating device is equipped with two push buttons marked charge and ignite , and the system status ( the status of the blasting machine ) is displayed by means of five leds marked battery , communication , blocked , charging and done . preferably , the operating device is further equipped with a third push button marked switch off . the switch off button is intended to be used when the control unit associated with the operating device , i . e . the blasting machine , is to be switched off . it may be desirable , for example , to switch off the blasting machine before someone approaches the blast site or the blasting machine / round . the switch off button is usually protected by a lid , a cover or the like for the purpose of preventing the blasting machine form being switched off inadvertently . initially , the operator pushes the test button on the blasting machine and maintains it in its depressed position . this will cause all the leds on the blasting machine to be turned on , and they will remain turned on for a few seconds . during this time , the blasting machine is adapted to carry out an internal test . if the unit is fully operational all leds will then be turned off , with the exception of the led marked ready . it is possible that also battery remains turned on , which then indicates that the battery of the blasting machine needs to be charged . if the led marked error is not turned off , this indicates that something is defective . it may be , for instance , that the round has been incorrectly connected to the blasting machine or that the blasting machine is defective and in need of repair . if the led marked error remains turned on , the defect has to be remedied before the system can be activated . to activate the detonator system , the operator then pushes the button on , which causes the led marked ready to flash . the operator can now release the two buttons . the fact that the led marked ready flashes indicates that the blasting machine is in operation waiting for a dead time to expire . during this dead time , which may be for example 5 minutes , the blasting machine is blocked and cannot be armed , and it will respond to a call from the operating device with a message saying that it is blocked . when the dead time has expired , the led marked active begins to flash , which means that the blasting machine is active and , thus , responsive to control commands from the operating device . for security reasons , the blasting machine is only active during a limited period of time , for example 30 minutes , and then closes down automatically . to initiate firing of the round , the operator first pushes the charge button on the operating device . this causes the operating device to send a charge command to the blasting machine . if the dead time of the blasting machine has not expired , or if the led marked error provided thereon is turned on , the blasting machine responds by transmitting message indicating that it is blocked to the operating device , the led marked blocked being turned on . the charge button then has to be released , and the expiration of the dead time awaited , or the defect , if any , has to be remedied . however , if the blasting machine is active , charging of the detonators in the round is initiated and charging data is transmitted to the operating device , the led marked charging on the operating device being turned on . if the led marked charging on the operating device is turned on , this means that the blasting machine has accepted the transmitted charge command and that charging is in progress . when charging has been completed , the round thus being armed , the blasting machine transmits data indicating that it is done to the operating device , the led marked done on the operating device being turned on . turning on the led marked done indicates that the blasting machine is charged , or armed , and thus that it is ready to fire the round . by pressing the ignite button , the operator then sends a fire command from the operating device to the blasting machine , which in response thereto causes firing of the round . the invention has been described above by way of a preferred embodiment . it will be appreciated , however , that other implementations are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	5
with reference initially to fig1 a training device 98 having certain features , aspects and advantage of the present invention is illustrated in perspective view . the device 98 comprises a frame 100 . the illustrated frame 100 comprises a box frame of sturdy construction to support the user &# 39 ; s weight and use of the device 98 . a collapsible frame is shown in fig1 through 13 and is discussed in greater detail below . with continued reference to fig1 the frame 100 preferably rests on level ground 1 . in some arrangements , leveling feet ( not shown ) can be provided and can be attached to the frame 100 in any suitable manner . with reference to fig5 for instance , the frame 100 can comprise a handlebar 150 . the handlebar can extend upward from a portion of the frame assembly . preferably , the handlebar comprises handgrips that are positioned at a height that makes the handgrips easy to hold when using the device . furthermore , in some embodiments , the handlebar height may be adjustable . in some embodiments , the handlebar 150 can substantially encircle a user 601 such that the handlebar 150 can be easily grasped regardless of the orientation of the user 601 . in one embodiment , the frame 100 extends upward a sufficient height that the frame 100 itself can define the handlebar 150 . thus , the user can grasp the handlebar 150 for added stability . for instance , the user can grasp the handlebar 150 when learning to ride a skateboard using the training device 98 or when learning new movements using the training device . a plurality of anchors 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 are attached to the frame 100 and a plurality of elastic cords 501 , 502 , 503 , 504 are connected to the respective anchors 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 on the frame 100 . preferably , four anchors are provided such that the elastic cords are connected to the frame in four locations . four anchors provide enough connection points to sufficiently , but not unduly , restrict movement of the platform . in some embodiments , more than four anchors are used and , in other embodiments , less than four anchors are used . the elastic cords 501 - 504 are attached to a spring board deck 300 in any suitable manner . in some arrangements having four anchors , two elastic cords can be used . moreover , in some arrangements one or more than one elastic cord can be used . the elastic cords 501 - 504 preferably are of a length that allows the spring board deck 300 to be suspended above ground and below the top of the frame 100 when the elastic cords 501 - 504 are connected to both the frame 100 and the spring board deck 300 . furthermore , the elastic cords 501 - 504 desirably are of a spring rate and length such that when a user is properly positioned on and supported by the device 98 , the spring board deck 300 can touch the ground 1 in a controlled manner . with continued reference to fig1 the spring board deck 300 can have any suitable configuration . in the illustrated embodiment , the spring board deck 300 is substantially hourglass - shaped in both a lateral and longitudinal direction . in some embodiments , the spring board deck can be generally rectangular , elliptical , ovular , or the like . a foot deck 400 is mounted to the spring board deck 300 . the foot deck 400 preferably defines a skateboard simular . in other words , the foot deck 400 preferably is sized and shaped to mimic a conventional skateboard . thus , the foot deck 400 is of the similar geometry as a skateboard deck . in the illustrated arrangement , the foot deck 400 is mounted to the spring board deck 300 with a rotational bearing system 350 . the rotational bearing system 350 advantageously allows the foot deck 400 to rotate in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction generally within a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the spring board deck 300 . with reference to fig6 and 7 , the rotational bearing system 350 comprises an adapter 352 . the adapter 352 facilitates connection of the foot deck 400 to the rotational bearing system 350 . advantageously , the adapter can be bowed in some embodiments to accommodate the conventional curve of a bottom surface 401 of the foot deck 400 if a conventional skateboard deck is as the foot deck 400 . the curve of a conventional skateboard deck could result in asymmetric loads to the rotational bearing system 350 and the adapter 375 provides a more stable attachment of the foot deck 300 to the rotational bearing system 350 notwithstanding the asymmetric loading . the adapter preferably can be secured to a flat surface of the rotational bearing system 350 . the rotational bearing system 350 preferably comprises an upper race 353 and a lower race 354 with bearing balls 355 or the like captured therebetween . in the illustrated arrangement , the upper race 353 is formed on an upper plate 356 while the lower race 354 is formed on a lower plate 357 . the upper plate 356 and the lower plate 357 are capable of rotational movement relative to each other . in the illustrated arrangement , the upper plate 356 comprises mounting apertures 358 and the lower plate also comprises mounting apertures 359 . the mounting apertures 358 , 359 accept mounting hardware 360 . any suitable mounting hardware 360 can be used , including but not limited to pins , nuts , bolts , washers , screws , rivets , other threaded members , other interlocking mechanical members or the like . furthermore , the upper plate 356 can be integrated with the foot deck 400 and the lower plate can be integrated with the spring board deck 300 . in some arrangements , the rotational bearing system 350 can comprise slewing ring bearings or the like . with reference to fig3 a wheel / truck simulator 375 can be secured to a lower surface of the spring board deck 300 . the simulator 375 can be located beneath the spring board deck 400 in a position that generally corresponds to the placement of wheels and trucks on a skateboard . the wheel / truck simulator 375 need not comprise wheels or any rotating components . in some embodiments , the simulator 375 comprises a pair of monolithic structures that can be secured to the spring board deck 300 . in other embodiments , the simulator 375 is integrated into the spring board deck 300 such that the deck 300 and the simulator 375 are monolithically manufactured . the wheel / truck simulator 375 also can comprise a flattened surface such that the foot deck 300 will not tilt in a lateral direction ( e . g ., left and right or the short dimension of the foot deck 300 ) when a user is standing on the foot deck 300 with the simulator 375 contacting the ground . with reference now to fig8 , the elastic cords 501 - 504 can be connected to one or more elastic cord length adjustment clamps 525 - 528 . in the illustrated arrangement , each of the elastic cords 501 - 504 is connected to a corresponding adjustment clamp 525 - 528 . in some embodiments , less than all of the elastic cords 501 - 504 is provided with the adjustment clamp 525 - 528 . the adjustment clamps 525 - 528 allow the length of the cords 501 - 504 to be adjusted as needed or desired such that the training device can be reconfigured for different sizes of users . in other words , a lighter user may not weigh enough to fully lower the spring board deck 300 to the desired elevation while a heavy user may weight too much to fully benefit from use of the training device 98 . accordingly , enabling adjustment of the lengths of the cords can allow a user to tune the device to their weight and skateboard riding ability . the clamps can comprise any suitable configuration . in the illustrated arrangement , the clamps 525 - 528 comprise a pair of biased cord locks 530 . the locks 530 are partially captured within a housing 531 . the housing 531 comprises a pair of passageways 532 that extend radially through the housing 531 . each lock 530 comprises a similarly sized passageway 533 that can be aligned with the housing passageways 532 by depressing the locks 530 until the passageways 532 , 533 are properly aligned . the cord length then can be adjusted and , when the lock 530 is released , the locks return toward a biased position that causes the cord to be locked in position as the passageways misalign . in some embodiments , turnbuckles , turnouts , tie downs , cable locks , cord locks , cord stoppers or the like also can be used . with reference to fig1 , a collapsible frame 100 ′ is illustrated . the frame 110 ′ preferably comprises at least 3 legs 110 ′. in the illustrated embodiment , the frame 110 ′ comprises four legs 110 ′. the legs 110 ′ can be secured with a frame lock clamp 175 ′. one possible configuration of the frame lock clamp is shown in fig1 . with reference to fig1 and 12 , each leg 110 ′ preferably comprises a flange 111 ′ with at least two holes 112 ′. the flange 111 ′ of each leg 110 ′ is designed to be secured together with the other flanges in the illustrated arrangement with the frame lock clamp 175 ′. accordingly , the illustrated frame lock clamp comprises a plurality of pin pairs 113 ′ that are accepted by the holes 112 ′ of the flanges 111 ′. the pin pairs 113 ′ can be mounted to one of an upper member 114 ′ and a lower member 115 ′. the upper and lower members 114 ′, 115 ′ can be joined with suitable hardware , such as but not limited to , pins , nuts , bolts , screws , other threaded members , other mechanically interlocking members or the like . in the illustrated arrangement , the flanges 111 ′ are sandwiched between the upper member 114 ′ and the lower member 115 ′ such that the legs 110 ′ are secured together by the frame lock clamp 175 ′. furthermore , the frame lock clamp 175 ′ allows the legs 110 ′ to lock into position when the product is in use and to be unclamped for storage . other suitable manners of connecting the legs 110 ′ also can be used . with reference again to fig1 , as discussed above , the handle bar 150 ′ can be connected to the frame 100 ′. furthermore , a grinding bar 180 ′ can be secured to the frame 100 ′ in any suitable manner . the grinding bar 180 ′ advantageously allows a user to practice mounting and dismounting a grinding rail . the grinding bar 180 ′ preferably is elevated above the ground surface 1 ′ at a height that requires some effort to raise the foot board 400 to a height to land on the grinding bar 180 ′. with reference now to fig1 and fig1 - 16 , two alternative frame designs are illustrated therein . the frame designs can be configured from suitable tubular members . in some embodiments , the tubular members can comprise steel , aluminum or other suitable metal alloys . furthermore , the tubular members can be formed of plastics , carbon fiber or any other suitable materials . the tubular members can be connected in the manners discussed above or any other suitable manner . with reference now to fig1 , the frame 100 ″ comprises four elongated generally u - shaped legs 110 ″. the legs 110 ″ can be secured together with hardware , such as that described above . furthermore , the legs 110 ″ of the illustrated frame can be linked together using a sleeve within a sleeve arrangement where one end of a frame member slides within an end of an adjacent frame member . other suitable connecting techniques also can be used . the cords 501 ″- 504 ″ can be connected to the frame 100 ″ in any suitable manner . the cords can be configured of any suitable material . in one embodiment , the cords 501 ″- 504 ″ can comprise a rubberized cover that is disposed over a small diameter bungee cord - like rope . other types of elastic , resilient or stretchable cords also can be used . the illustrated spring board deck 300 ″ can be formed in any suitable manner of any suitable material . in one embodiment , the deck 300 ″ is molded from a suitable resin based material . in another embodiment , the 300 ″ is made of a thin wood or metal material . in addition , the illustrated foot deck 400 ′ can be formed in any suitable manner of any suitable material . for instance , in one embodiment , the deck 400 ″ can be formed of a clear acrylic material . in another embodiment , the deck 400 ″ can be formed of a wood or metal material . with reference now to fig1 and 16 , the frame 100 ″′ can comprise a hammock - style support . furthermore , the cords 501 ″′- 504 ″′ can be connected to the spring board deck 300 ″′ in any suitable manner . in the illustrated embodiment , caps 700 ″′ are used to lock the cords to a lower surface of the deck 300 ″′. in operation of any of the above - described embodiments , the foot deck and the spring board deck assembly is suspended by the elastic cords above the ground and below the top of the frame . the user then steps onto the foot deck , and the user &# 39 ; s weight stretches the elastic cords and the foot deck and spring board deck assembly preferably touches the ground . from this position , the user may practice and perform various tricks and maneuvers . the user may pitch the board like a skateboard and learn this motion and balance without having a tilting motion to the foot deck . the user may pivot the board on the rotational bearing system located at the center of the deck , to help the user learn balance skills while on the foot deck . the user may jump up to remove weight from the foot deck , and learn to articulate the foot deck as it is lifted off the ground by the spring force provided by the stretched elastic cords . the user may also learn to land on the foot deck and learn overall balance techniques in the process of landing and bringing the foot deck system back to the ground . the user may also jump up , allowing the elastic cord spring load to lift the foot deck , and articulate and rotate the foot deck , to land on the grinding bar and then balance the foot deck on the grinding bar . the user may also combine any one or all of these motions to learn more advanced skills to perform tricks and maneuvers . the user may also hold the handle bar for balance while using the device . the user may also unlock and collapse the frame into a compact storage configuration when the product is not in use . although the present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments , other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art also are within the scope of this invention . thus , various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for instance , various components may be repositioned as desired . furthermore , aspects of one illustrated embodiment can be applied to other illustrated embodiments . for instance , the grind rail 180 ′ can be used with any of the disclosed frames . moreover , not all of the features , aspects and advantages of any particular embodiment are necessarily required to practice the present invention . accordingly , the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow .	0
the ice tray of the present invention is discussed herein with reference to a preferred embodiment . fig1 is a perspective view of an ice tray of the present invention . fig2 is top view of the ice tray , and fig3 is a bottom view of the ice tray . the ice tray generally includes a single body of material comprising an uneven top surface 10 that may be configured and dimensioned to define at least one cavity 12 extending beneath the top surface 10 . the top surface 10 may have an elevated rim 14 to prevent spillage of water when filling the ice tray . fig4 shows an end view of the ice tray , and fig5 shows a side view of the ice tray . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the top surface 10 may also have downwardly angled edges 16 along the outside edge of the rim 14 to act as a lip for ease of lifting . the top surface 10 may have a plurality of raised ridges 18 between and parallel to the cavities 12 to facilitate stacking of two or more ice trays . fig6 is a side view of a cavity 12 of an ice tray ; fig7 is a top view of a cavity 12 of an ice tray filled with ice ; and fig8 is a bottom view of a cavity 12 of an ice tray . the cavities 12 receive water or other liquid to be frozen and formed into one or more ice pieces . preferably , there are 1 to 50 or more cavities 12 , and most preferably five cavities 12 . the cavities 12 may be parallel to each other , or in any other desired configuration . the cavities generally are dimensioned to define an ice piece that can be inserted into the opening and through the mouth of a beverage container . the cavities 12 may have any dimensions , but preferably , at least two transverse dimensions are less than 1 . 0 inch so as to allow the ice piece to be inserted into the opening and through the mouth of a beverage container . preferably , the transverse dimensions are the width , depth , or both , and are more preferably less than 0 . 75 inches and most preferably 0 . 6 inches . preferably , the length of the cavity is about 1 inch to about 8 inches , and preferably about 6 inches . the cavity 12 may contain a protrusion 20 extending from the bottom of the cavity 12 into the cavity 12 itself as shown in fig6 . the protrusion 20 may generally be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cavity 12 , and the height of such protrusion 20 will generally be less than the depth of the cavity 12 . there may be one or more protrusions 20 in the cavity 12 . preferably , there is one protrusion 20 generally in the middle of the cavity 12 . the presence of the protrusion 20 will cause a notch to be formed in the ice piece . the notch is advantageously designed to enable breaking the ice piece into smaller pieces . the cavity 12 may have arcuate - shaped ends 22 that are tapered inward from the top surface 10 to allow for easy removal of the ice pieces . the walls 24 of the cavity 12 may be rounded to form a semi or half cylindroid or half - cylindrical shape . fig3 and 4 show two narrow support feet 26 extending outward from the bottom of the ice tray and perpendicular to the length of the cavities 12 . the support feet 26 allow for level resting on a flat surface . fig9 is a cross - sectional end view along a support foot 26 of an ice tray . the support feet 26 have a plurality of shift - limiting notches 28 which are generally aligned with the ridges 18 on the top surface 10 . the shift - limiting notches 28 may be slight hemispherical indentations between each cavity 12 which are aligned with the ridges 18 on the top surface 10 of the ice tray . the shift - limiting notches 28 conveniently interlock with the ridge 18 on the top surface 10 when multiple ice trays are stacked on top of each other . in particular , the shift - limiting notches 28 rest on top of the ridges 18 of another tray . fig1 is a cross - sectional side view along a cavity 12 of an ice tray , and shows a cross - section of two support feet 26 . the ice tray of the present invention may have more than two support feet 26 in any suitable configuration that allows the ice tray to be balanced on a surface and stacked on top of another ice tray . the ice tray may be manufactured out of any non - toxic plastic , rubber , aluminum , or other suitable material . preferably , the ice tray is made from high - density polyethylene . the material may be formed into the shape of the ice tray by the process of injection molding , blow molding , rotational molding , vacuum forming , stamping , or any other process known in the art . the preferred process is injection molding . the ice tray functions by pouring water or any other desired liquid into the cavities 12 of the tray , and placing the tray in a freezer or otherwise subjecting the tray containing the liquid to a temperature at or below the freezing point of the liquid . once the liquid in the tray freezes , the ice may be released from the tray by placing one hand on opposite corners or sides of the tray and gently twisting the tray . the tray may also be inverted for ease in removing the ice pieces . the ice may also be removed by placing a fingernail or other object under one end of the ice piece and prying the ice loose from the tray . the ice may then be broken where the ice has a notch due to the protrusion 20 in the cavity 12 . the user may then drop the pieces of ice into the mouth of a beverage container to chill a beverage . as the ice pieces melt , the user may add more ice pieces to keep the beverage chilled . by utilizing the claimed invention , retailers of everyday refreshment drinks may maintain a very limited quantity of high priced cold drinks and a higher quantity of low priced room - temperature drinks which may be quickly chilled by utilizing the ice tray of the present invention to chill the drink on demand . this type of “ just in time ” inventorying of cold drinks will result in substantial energy savings for the retailer which may be passed on to the consumer . additionally , many retailers cannot afford the expense of sizable refrigerators for cold drinks . the present invention enables those retailers to offer chilled drinks at a fraction of the cost .	5
the present invention is directed to semiconductor optical devices , and more specifically to method of manufacturing micro - and nanotubes and devices incorporating them . reference may be made below to specific elements , numbered in accordance with the attached figures . the discussion below should be taken to be exemplary in nature , and not as limiting of the scope of the present invention . the scope of the present invention is defined in the claims , and should not be considered as limited by the implementation details described below , which as one skilled in the art will appreciate , can be modified by replacing elements with equivalent functional elements . within the text below and the embodiments of manufacturing , use , etc contained within the term “ semiconductor tube ” has been used and refers to either a semiconductor tube or a semiconductor nanotube . similarly whilst reference is made primarily to gaas / inalgaas semiconductors for embodiments of the invention it would be understood by one skilled in the art that other semiconductor material systems may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention according to the optical wavelength of the devices being provided and the constraints of material processing , suitable sacrificial layers , material properties etc . such material systems may include binary , tertiary and quaternary semiconductors within the ingaassb , ingaasp , algaasp , cdznsete , and gaalassb material systems as well as silicon , germanium , and selenides of zn , mg , and cd . fig1 depicts schematics of manufacturing semiconductor tubes using a semiconductor manufacturing methodology with and without structured edges according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown in first deposited layer structure 150 to achieve a free - standing semiconductor tube , a u - shaped mesa is defined within a gaas layer 146 that sits atop a semiconductor epitaxial structure comprising alas 112 , ingaas 114 and gaas 146 layers which were deposited atop a gaas substrate 118 . a mesa was then defined by etching into the ingaas 114 layer , and one edge of the mesa the 112 alas layer , which will form a sacrificial layer , was also etched through . this edge of the mesa is used to define the starting edge of the rolled - up semiconductor tube . the self - rolling process is initiated with the selective removal of the alas 112 sacrificial layer using hf based solutions . as shown in partial etch structure 120 after a certain distance , the middle part of the semiconductor tube separates from the substrate and begins to curl , curled structure 126 , through the stress distribution within the now free layer . further etching in combination with the continuous rolling of the tube on the side pieces results in first free - standing semiconductor tube 165 , as depicted in first finished structure 150 . for example the ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure may be grown as a 50 nm alas layer on gaas substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and comprising a 20 nm in0 . 18ga0 . 82as layer with a 30 nm gaas layer . likewise in second deposited layer structure 110 to achieve a free - standing semiconductor tube , a u - shaped mesa is defined within a gaas layer 116 that sits atop a semiconductor epitaxial structure comprising alas 112 , ingaas 114 and gaas 116 layers which were deposited atop a gaas substrate 118 . a mesa was then defined by etching into the ingaas 114 layer , and one edge of the mesa the alas 112 layer , which will form a sacrificial layer , was also etched through . this edge of the mesa is used to define the starting edge of the rolled - up semiconductor tube . the self - rolling process is initiated with the selective removal of the alas 112 sacrificial layer using hf based solutions . as shown in partial etch structure 120 after a certain distance , the middle part of the semiconductor tube separates from the substrate and begins to curl , curled structure 126 , through the stress distribution within the now free layer . further etching in combination with the continuous rolling of the tube on the side pieces results in second free - standing semiconductor tube 135 , as depicted in second finished structure 130 . in second deposited layer structure 110 the gaas 146 layer is patterned with a predetermined profile 116 a on the inner region , which is evident on the outer surface of the free - standing semiconductor tube 135 . as will be evident below from discussions on the structure of the optical modes within such semiconductor tubes the predetermined profile 116 a can be tailored to adjust the resulting optical mode profile of the semiconductor tube providing a mechanism of tailoring such optical mode profile through the photolithography step defining the etched pattern of the gaas 146 layer . within another embodiment of the invention , not shown in fig1 , a reduction in the radiative loss of the optical modes through the substrate , the region between the two side pieces 116 b and 116 c of the u - shaped mesa is etched through the ingaas 114 , alas 112 and into the gaas substrate 118 . this etching for example being approximately 1 μm and increases the air gap between the central part of the semiconductor tube and the substrate . typically semiconductor tubes fabricated with this method have 1 or 2 revolutions corresponding to wall thicknesses of approximately 50 nm and 100 nm for the epitaxial structure defined supra . typical ; semiconductor tube diameters are approximately 5 μm to 6 μm and are predetermined by the strain of the pseudomorphic ingaas 114 layer and the subsequently gaas 116 layer with or without the quantum dot hetero structure . referring to fig2 there is depicted a schematic of the method showing the incorporation of quantum dots into the semiconductor tube according to an embodiment of the invention . accordingly in curl schematic 210 a quantum dot semiconductor structure is shown during the etching step . accordingly there is a similar structure to that described supra in respect of fig1 comprising an ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure 206 comprising a 50 nm alas layer 204 on gaas substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and comprising a 20 nm in0 . 18ga0 . 82as layer with a 30 nm gaas layer . embedded within the gaas matrix of the ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure 206 are one or two layers of in0 . 5ga0 . 5as quantum dot layers 205 . selective etching of the alas 204 layer causes the ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure 206 to being rolling - up into the semiconductor tube , due to the relaxation of strain . the tube diameter is determined by the bilayer thicknesses and compositions , and the number of rotations is controlled by the etching time . tube schematic 220 showing a single rotation of the ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure 206 thereby forming a cavity 208 within the resulting semiconductor tube . now referring to fig3 exemplary semiconductor epitaxial structures employed in forming semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention are depicted . as shown first epitaxial structure 310 represents a structure such as described supra in respect of fig1 and 2 . according there is shown an ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure grown on a 50 nm alas 302 layer on n + gaas substrate 301 , for example by molecular beam epitaxy . the heterostructure consists of a 20 nm in0 . 18ga0 . 82as 303 layer and a 30 nm gaas layer 304 as well as two vertically coupled in0 . 5ga0 . 5as qd layers 305 embedded in the gaas matrix . accordingly first epitaxial structure 310 allows semiconductor tubes to be fabricated on gaas substrates for either direct integration into microwave , rf or electronic circuits formed on gaas or their removal and transfer to another substrate . second semiconductor structure 320 provides a variant of the structure that is compatible with forming ingaas / gaas semiconductor tubes on silicon wafers . accordingly there is shown the same ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure grown on a 50 nm alas 302 layer where the heterostructure consists of a 20 nm in0 . 18ga0 . 82as 303 layer and a 30 nm gaas layer 304 as well as two vertically coupled in0 . 5ga0 . 5as qd layers 305 embedded in the gaas matrix . however , now the alas 302 layer is grown atop a gaas layer 306 that has been grown on a silicon 307 substrate . in this manner the structures can be integrated with silicon electronics , including for example cmos . now referring to fig4 a depicts a transfer method for semiconductor tubes that can be employed with semiconductor tubes manufactured according to an embodiment of the invention . pseudomorphic ingaas / gaas quantum dot heterostructures were grown on gaas substrates , which consist of a 50 nm alas sacrificial layer 411 and 20 nm in0 . 18ga0 . 82as 414 b and 30 nm gaas layers 414 a . two in0 . 5ga0 . 5as quantum dot layers were embedded in the gaas matrix , not shown for clarity . the use of quantum dots can substantially reduce nonradiative recombination associated with the presence of surface defects , due to the three dimensional localization of carriers in the dots . as shown in pre - etch schematic 410 a strained u - shaped mesa was first defined by etching the gaas 414 a to the ingaas layer 414 b . the alas sacrificial layer 411 was also etched through at the starting edge of the rolled - up semiconductor tube . the self - rolling process was initiated with the selective etching of the alas sacrificial layer 411 using hydrofluoric acid based solutions due to the relaxation of strain in the ingaas / gaas bilayer . after a certain distance , the middle part of the tube is separated from the substrate and as a result , continuous rolling on the side pieces leads to freestanding semiconductor tubes 415 on gaas substrate 412 as illustrated in pre - release schematic 420 . it may be noted that the presence of a sinusoid corrugation at the inner edge of the mesa results in semiconductor tube ring resonators with an engineered geometry as will be discussed below . to achieve semiconductor tube ring resonators employing semiconductor tubes 415 on si substrate 416 , the thin alas sacrificial layer underlying the mesa is completely etched and the fully released quantum dot semiconductor tubes 415 are then registered on the gaas substrate 413 . subsequently , as shown in transfer schematic 430 the gaas substrate 413 is placed directly on top of the si substrate 416 with the presence of an appropriate solvent . when the gaas substrate 413 is removed , freestanding semiconductor tubes 415 preferentially stay on the si substrate 416 due to the gravitational force induced by the solvent in and around the tube . upon drying out the solvent the semiconductor tubes 415 are attached to the si wafer 416 by van der waals bonding as shown in final schematic 440 . referring to fig4 b there are depicted sem micrographs of semiconductor tubes manufactured according to embodiments of the invention such as described above in respect of fig1 through 4a . the scanning electron microscopy sem image of an ingaas / gaas quantum dot semiconductor tube fabricated on a gaas substrate is shown in first sem 450 , which is evidenced by the presence of an etched gaas mesa upon the formation of the semiconductor tube . second sem 460 shows a quantum dot semiconductor tube transferred on a clean si substrate that is free of any etched pattern . the sinusoidal geometry of the freestanding region of a quantum dot semiconductor tube on si can also be clearly identified , as illustrated in third sem 480 where rolled end 464 is shown along with the body 472 of the central region of the semiconductor tube and the sinusoidal edge of the gaas is shown by line 476 . such quantum dot semiconductor tube exhibit a diameter of approximately 5 . 2 μm and in this example the freestanding region 472 was formed by 2 . 5 revolutions , thereby yielding wall thicknesses of approximately 100 μm and 150 μm for the regions with 2 and 3 revolutions respectively . the air gap between the semiconductor tube and si substrate , determined by the etching time , is estimated to be approximately 0 . 3 μm . the substrate - on - substrate transfer technique allows for the achievement of semiconductor tube ring resonators on si with extremely smooth surface and excellent structural properties that is not possible using either of the dry - printing or solution - casting based processes of the prior art . for 2 . 5 rotations the etching process removed approximately of 21 μm of alas such that where the semiconductor tube is formed and employed on the same substrate without any transfer an region of approximately 25 μm would be devoid of device elements to provide the region for the deposition of the epitaxial structure that would be subsequently rolled up during the etching step . now referring to fig5 a there is depicted a method of manufacturing a gaas / inalas semiconductor tube within a gaas electrical circuit for electrical injection of carriers to provide a semiconductor optical source according to an embodiment of the invention . the electrically injected device heterostructure , shown in pre - etching schematic 500 a is very similar to the ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure described above in respect of fig1 through 4b except that the top gaas 540 and the strained ingaas 530 layers are doped with si and be respectively . self - organized ingaas quantum dot layers are incorporated in the gaas 540 layer as the gain media , but are not shown for clarity . the epitaxial structure further including the alas 520 sacrificial layer between the ingaas 530 and the substrate 510 and an n - metal contact formed in n - metal 550 . during the fabrication process , a u - shaped mesa was first defined using standard photolithography and wet etching techniques , followed by the deposition of the n - metal 550 layer on the end of the mesa and the two side - pieces of the mesa . the free - standing rolled - up semiconductor tube structure 570 was then fabricated by etching the alas 520 layer . subsequently , su - 8 580 , an epoxy based negative photoresist providing a passivation and planarization layer with a thickness of approximately 4 μm to 5 μm , was spin coated onto the wafer . next a p - metal contact was formed in p - metal 590 that was deposited in regions of the free - standing rolled - up semiconductor tube structure 570 where the su - 8 580 is selectively removed , as illustrated interconnected tube schematic 500 b . referring to perspective view 500 c there is shown an alternative embodiment of the structure prior to etching wherein the region between the two sidepieces of the u - shaped mesa was etched to approximately 1 μm deep , with the sidewalls protected by a thin ( approximately 0 . 1 μm ) sinx layer . the trench 5000 providing increased separation of the fabricated semiconductor tube from the substrate . now referring to fig5 b there is depicted an optical micrograph of a semiconductor tube and electrical interconnects manufactured according to the method of fig5 a . the optical micrograph of the electrically injected rolled - up semiconductor tube device clearly depicts the free - standing semiconductor tube 570 , p - metal 590 contact , and the n - metal 550 contact . an sem image of the p - metal contact and the free - standing semiconductor tube region is shown in the inset to the right . accordingly in this design , electrons and holes are injected directly from the supporting side - pieces and the top surface of the free - standing semiconductor tube respectively . the radiative recombination of charge carriers in the quantum dot active region leads to the emission of photons , which can be largely confined in the micro - tube ring resonator formed by the semiconductor tube 570 . referring to fig6 a there are depicted micrographs of semiconductor tubes manufactured according to embodiments of the invention . first image 610 being a scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) image of a single - walled ingaas qd semiconductor tube with approximately 1 . 2 turns wherein the etched gaas , rolled - up semiconductor tube ( semiconductor tube ), and unetched region are easily identified . cathodoluminescence monochromatic analysis of the structures has shown that the ingaas / gaas quantum dot ( qd ) semiconductor tube is highly uniform and bright compared with the as - grown qd layer , suggesting a significant improvement of the qd optical quality . second image 620 shows a scanning electron microscopy image of a semiconductor tube wherein the etched gaas , formed semiconductor tube , and unetched region are easily identified . third image 630 shows in detail a semiconductor tube transferred according to the process described above in respect of fig4 a showing that the excellent structural properties of the semiconductor tube are maintained . fourth image 640 shows an ingaas / gaas quantum dot semiconductor tube onto si substrate . each of third and fourth images showing the engineered edge profile of the mesa prior to rolling - up that the inventors have identified as allowing precisely tailored optical modes to be achieved . now referring to fig6 b there are micrographs of semiconductor tubes manufactured according to embodiments of the invention . in fifth image 650 the controlled surface geometry of the semiconductor tube is evident where the surface geometry is directly related to the corrugations introduced at the inner edge of the u - shaped mesa . as described supra reduction in radiative losses through the substrate can be achieved when the region between the two side pieces of the u - shaped mesa is etched to approximately 1 μm before the tube formation , thereby increasing the air gap between the central part of the tube and the substrate . this is shown in sixth image where the deeper trench is evident as the central dark region against the lighter surrounding substrate and semiconductor tube . seventh image 670 shows a semiconductor tube transferred onto a si substrate using the newly developed substrate - on - substrate transfer technique described in respect of fig4 a showing the ingaas / gaas qd semiconductor tube after transfer without degradation of the semiconductor tube or the sinusoidal corrugation resulting from the inner edge of the u - shaped mesa being formed with an engineered geometry . the measured tube diameter , shown in the inset of seventh image 670 is approximately 5 . 2 μm . finally in eighth image 680 an sem image of a free - standing ingaas / gaas quantum dot semiconductor tube semiconductor tube is shown wherein the center part of the semiconductor tube is directly over an etched region of the target substrate to reduce any radiative loss through the substrate . it is also evident in this image that the rolled - up structure has broken so that the edges have layers of decreasing width wherein the material not lifted from the substrate is shown as remaining triangular region . referring to fig7 there is depicted an sem micrograph of a semiconductor tube manufactured according to an embodiment of the invention wherein the etched gaas buffer layer 710 , partially rolled - up semiconductor tube 740 , etched region 720 where the alas sacrificial layer has been etched away and unetched region 730 where the alas sacrificial layer has yet to be etched away where in the ingaas / gaas bilayer is still planar . as shown in the enlarged sem the end of the semiconductor tube is shown with an inner diameter of approximately 5 . 2 μm which is in excellent agreement with the calculated values using continuum mechanical models as will be evident in the results presented below . within the preceding descriptions of manufacturing semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention the semiconductor tube comprises an ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure with quantum dots formed in one or two in0 . 5ga0 . 5as qd layers . the inventors have demonstrated self - organized quantum dots in strained - layer epitaxy of iii - v semiconductors , wherein the coherently strained and nearly defect - free quantum dots are formed in the stranski - krastanow growth mode . both molecular beam epitaxy ( mbe ) and metal organic chemical vapor deposition ( mocvd ) have been utilized for the fabrication of self - organized quantum dot heterostructures . in the stranski - krastanow growth mode , the transition from a layer - by - layer growth to the formation of three - dimensional islands is governed by the interplay between the interface energy and strain energy . the critical layer thickness , corresponding to the onset of island formation , being largely determined by the lattice mismatch . above the critical layer thickness , elastic strain relaxation occurs via the formation of coherently strained , defect - free islands . examples of self - organized qd structures on gaas and si layers see z . mi et al in “ iii - v compound semiconductor nanostructures on silicon : epitaxial growth , properties , and applications in light emitting diodes and lasers ” ( j . nanophotonics , vol . 3 , 031602 , 2009 ), p . bhattacharya et al in “ quantum dot lasers : from promise to high - performance devices ” ( j . cryst . growth , 311 , pp 1625 - 1631 , 2009 ), and z . mi et al in “ high performance quantum dot lasers and integrated optoelectronics on si ” ( proc . ieee , vol . 97 , no . 7 , pp 1239 - 1249 ). now referring to fig8 a and 8b there is depicted the origin of the optical mode structure within a semiconductor tube fabricated according to an embodiment of the invention . the unique emission characteristics of a semiconductor tube with quantum dots can be analyzed , if as an approximation , in the simplest case , the semiconductor tube ring structure is considered as a planar dielectric waveguide with periodic boundary conditions . illustrated in fig8 a is an sem image of a semiconductor tube as well as the equivalent waveguide model , wherein the outside edge ( or the surface corrugation ) of the semiconductor tube corresponds to the tapered region of the waveguide . z and l directions , shown in the waveguide model in fig8 a , correspond to the tube axial direction and the direction around the tube circumference , respectively . using this model , effective refractive index , neff ( z ), for photons propagating along the l direction , averaged over the length of the waveguide ( or the circumference of the semiconductor tube ). as a result , neff ( z ) is directly related to the size and shape of the tapered region . since the confined optical modes in a single walled semiconductor tube ring resonator is linearly polarized , with the electric field parallel to the tube wall ( the z axis ), then it is possible to derive the eigenmode distributions of the equivalent two - dimensional waveguide . from the scalar helmholtz equation ( 1 ) below . where e ( l , z ) is the electrical field distribution and k is the vacuum wave vector . utilizing e ( l , z )= φ ( z ) e 1βl , where z is the transverse field distribution along the z direction and β is the propagation constant along the l direction , we can obtain equation ( 2 ) for the transverse optical modes from equation 1 . for any given wavelength , discrete eigenvalues of equation ( 2 ), i . e ., p = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , can be calculated , which correspond to various transverse modes supported by the waveguide . therefore , dispersion properties of the equivalent planar dielectric waveguide can be obtained by solving equation ( 2 ) over a wide wavelength range . dispersion curves ( p versus photon energy ) for the first three transverse modes ( p = 0 , 1 , and 2 ) are shown in the upper graph 800 a of fig8 b ( solid lines ). in this calculation , the tapered region is approximated as a parabolic shape . the cavity eigenmodes are subsequently determined from the intersections between these dispersion curves and the curves describing the azimuthal resonances ( dashed lines ), i . e . β = 2π × m / l , where l is the circumference of the semiconductor tube and m is the azimuthal mode number . shown in fig8 b , it can be seen that the calculated results are in excellent agreement with the measured values which are shown in the measured spectrum 800 b in fig8 b . now referring to fig9 there are shown simulation results for semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention . first simulation 910 and second simulation 920 show optical resonance mode profiles , calculated by the finite - difference time domain method , for both an ideal ring resonator ( first simulation 910 ) and a rolled - up semiconductor tube device ( second simulation 920 ) with the same diameter ( approximately 5 μm ) and wall thickness ( approximately 50 nm ). it is seen that , while photons are well confined in an ideal ring resonator , strong light scattering occurs at the inside and outside edges of a rolled - up semiconductor tube device . the light scattering effect and , consequently , the q - factors of the optical cavities , depend strongly on the number of revolutions of the semiconductor tube . q - factors between approximately 6 , 000 and approximately 40 , 000 have been calculated for rolled - up semiconductor tube ring resonators with 1 and 4 revolutions , corresponding to wall thicknesses of approximately 50 nm and 200 nm respectively . evidently , rolled - up semiconductor tube devices offer the distinct advantages of directional emission as well as controlled output coupling efficiency , which are often difficult to realize in conventional micro - and nanoscale semiconductor optical cavities . also shown in fig9 are third simulation 930 and model 940 . the confined optical mode , from finite - difference time domain method , shown as azimuthal mode profile for photons ( m = 37 ) confined in a rolled - up tube with a diameter of approximately 5 . 6 μm and wall thickness of 100 nm is shown in third simulation 930 . it is seen that coherent emission from rolled - up semiconductor tube is predominantly determined by the photon scattering occurred at the inside edge . the calculated q - factor is & gt ; 14 , 000 , which is primarily limited by the optical scattering at the inside and outside edges and , in practice , any irregularities on the surface of the tube as well . this unique phenomenon is enormously important for achieving micro - and nanoscale lasers with controlled emission direction and output efficiency that are generally difficult to realize using photonic crystal , microdisk , and toroidal based optical cavities . the optical resonance modes in rolled - up semiconductor tube are also strongly influenced by the presence of surface corrugations . the first two axial field distributions associated with each azimuthal optical mode confined in the rolled - up semiconductor tube are schematically shown in model 940 , which explains the observed higher order modes near the dominant azimuthal modes in the emission spectra presented in fig1 to 16 below . as shown within the semiconductor tube 944 are first longitudinal mode 942 and second longitudinal mode 946 . it is also evident that control of the lasing modes can possibly be achieved in rolled - up micro - and nanotube lasers by varying the semiconductor tube surface geometry . the mode competition amongst various azimuthal modes may not be significant , since these modes are separated by approximately 20 mev , which is larger than the homogeneous linewidth of a single dot ( approximately 10 - 15 mev ) at room temperature . however , strong mode competition for the various axial modes associated with the same azimuthal mode number is expected to occur , due to their small ( approximately 2 - 6 mev ) separation in energy . referring to fig1 depicts simulation results for semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention for a rolled - up semiconductor tube with a small wall thickness ( approximately 75 nm ), again by finite - difference time - domain methods . it was found that tm modes , with an electric field parallel to the tube wall , can be established as optical resonance modes . the calculated tm mode profiles with and without the presence of a gaas substrate are shown in first and second simulations 1010 and 1020 respectively . radiative losses through the substrate , evident in first simulation 1010 , are identified to be the primary cause for the observed small q factor of semiconductor tubes with small air gaps to the substrate . it is further calculated that significantly improved q factors , & gt ; 5000 , can be readily achieved in free - standing qd semiconductor tube resonators . although an ideal cylindrical resonator consists of a regular sequence of resonance modes , the observed single optical mode of a semiconductor tube is explained by the spiral asymmetry and other imperfections in the semiconductor tube formation . as shown in second simulation 1020 wherein the gaas substrate separation from the semiconductor tube has been increased , e . g . by etching this region of the substrate prior to rolling - up the semiconductor tube , see perspective view 500 c and trench 5000 . now referring to fig1 depicts optical emission spectra for semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention . first emission spectrum 1110 depicts cathodoluminescence ( cl ) measurements for an ingaas / gaas qd semiconductor tube ring resonator taken directly from the qd semiconductor tube resonator at 100 k and is also compared with that of the as - grown qd layer ( inset of first emission spectrum 1110 ). an optical resonance mode at approximately 1020 nm can be observed , proving , for the first time , that a rolled - up semiconductor tube , with an average wall thickness of approximately 75 nm , can serve as an optical ring resonator . the emission linewidth is approximately 5 nm , corresponding to a cavity q factor of 204 . it may also be noted that , with the reduced strain distribution in the semiconductor tubes , there is a small red shift ( approximately 10 mev ) in the qd signal . second emission spectrum 1120 depicts for a rolled - up quantum dot semiconductor tubes with an engineered surface geometry where a raman spectrum for these semiconductor tubes is shown , wherein peaks associated with the ingaas and gaas layers , and the si substrate can be clearly identified third emission spectrum 1130 depicts the emission of a freestanding quantum dot semiconductor tube with the presence of corrugations at an excitation power of approximately 30 μw at room temperature is shown . this detailed view of the eigenmodes associated with azimuthal mode number m = 29 is shown with the axial mode numbers ( p ) identified . the two non - degenerate modes associated with p = 0 are induced by the inside and outer side edges around the tube . additionally , associated with each azimuthal mode m is a group of optical resonance modes with different axial field distributions , which are directly related to light localization along the tube axis due to the presence of corrugations . evidently , by varying the tube geometry , an exact tailoring of the 3 - dimensionally confined optical modes can be achieved . a minimum intrinsic linewidth of approximately 0 . 4 nm is derived for these structures , corresponding to a q - factor of ˜ 3 , 000 . it is important to note that such a relatively high q - factor is achieved in a single wall semiconductor structure , with a wall thickness of merely 50 nm . now referring to fig1 there are shown first to fourth optical emission spectra 1210 through 1240 respectively are shown . considering initially first and second optical emission spectra 1210 and 1220 respectively the emission characteristics of a free - standing ingaas / gaas quantum dot semiconductor tube optical ring resonator on gaas was studied using micro - photoluminescence measurements . in these measurements the semiconductor tube with ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure with approximately 2 . 5 revolutions , therefore with wall thicknesses varying from approximately 100 nm to approximately 150 nm . the sample was mounted on a cryostat with continuous liquid nitrogen flow and cooled to 77 k . a semiconductor laser , with an emission wavelength of 641 nm was focused onto the free - standing region of the semiconductor tube using an objective ( 100 ×, na = 0 . 7 ). the emitted light was collected by the same objective , analyzed by a spectrometer , and detected by a liquid nitrogen cooled ingaas detector and lock - in amplifier . in this measurement scheme , both the excitation and signal collection are located at the same spot . the emission characteristic measured at a pump power of 22 μw is shown in first optical emission spectrum 1010 showing sharp optical resonant modes , spaced apart by approximately 14 mev . it should also be noted that the presence of the inside and outside edges leads to non - degenerate optical modes , illustrated in second optical emission spectrum 1220 . an intrinsic q factor of approximately 3 , 000 was derived for the structure . analysis using finite - difference time domain methods determined that the observed optical modes are tm polarized , with an electric field parallel to the semiconductor tube wall . in third and fourth optical emission spectra 1230 and 1240 respectively the emission characteristic of 3 - dimensionally confined ingaas / gaas quantum dot semiconductor optical ring resonators transferred onto si substrates are presented . the measurement scheme was identical to that described above in respect of first and second optical emission spectra 1210 and 1220 respectively . the photoluminescence spectrum measured from the free - standing quantum dot semiconductor tube is shown in third optical emission spectrum 1230 , which exhibits five dominant optical eigenmodes , curve 1240 a . photoluminescence emission directly from the as grown quantum dot ensemble is also shown for comparison with second curve 1240 b . referring to fourth optical emission spectrum 1140 which is an expansion of a region of third optical emission spectrum 1130 between 1090 nm and 1120 nm axial optical modes can also be observed which are related to the engineered shape of the semiconductor tube optical ring resonator . these measurements being taken with a pump power of 15 μw at 77 k . both the axial and radial modes are therefore illustrated in the fourth optical emission spectrum 1240 . referring to fig1 there are depicted first to third optical emission spectra 1310 to 1330 respectively for semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention . the emission characteristics of an ingaas / gaas bilayer heterostructure with quantum dots are shown using micro - photoluminescence spectroscopy at 293 k . shown in first optical emission spectrum 1310 the emission spectrum of semiconductor tube resonators with a wall thickness of approximately 250 nm under a pump power of approximately 30 μw is shown wherein six sharp optical resonant modes , equally separated by approximately 16 mev , can be clearly identified . by reducing the tube wall thickness to approximately 100 nm , the observed spectral eigenmodes related to light localization along the tube axis were observed with an intrinsic linewidth of approximately 0 . 6 nm , corresponding to a q - factor of ˜ 2 , 000 . this being depicted in second optical emission spectrum 1320 . similarly emission characteristics of ingaas / gaas qd semiconductor tubes at 77 k are shown in third optical emission spectrum 1330 for a pump power of 32 μw . six groups of sharp optical resonant modes , corresponding to orders 39 to 44 are evident , with the dominant modes of each group spaced apart by approximately 20 . 5 mev . emission from the as - grown qd layers is also shown for comparison . additionally , associated with each azimuthal mode is a group of at least five spectral eigenmodes , separated by approximately 3 - 4 mev , which are directly related to light localization along the tube axis due to the presence of surface corrugations now referring to fig1 there are depicted first to third optical emission spectra 1410 to 1430 respectively demonstrating the variations of spectra with wall thickness . again free - standing ingaas / gaas quantum dot semiconductor tube ring resonators were measured using micro - photoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature wherein the devices were excited with a he — ne laser beam ( λ , = 632 . 8 nm ) through a 60 × objective lens . light emitted from the semiconductor tube was collected by the same objective , analyzed by a high - resolution spectrometer with lock - in amplification , and detected using a liquid nitrogen cooled ingaas detector . in these spectra the semiconductor tube devices exhibit diameters of approximately 5 - 6 μm and have wall thicknesses varying from approximately 50 nm to 200 nm and exhibit an engineered surface geometry , which can be approximated as a parabolic shape . the measured emission spectra of semiconductor tubes with wall thicknesses of approximately 50 nm , 100 nm , and 200 nm are shown in first to third optical emission spectra 1410 to 1430 respectively . it is evident that the emission spectra are characterized by several groups of sharp optical resonance modes , which are denoted by associated azimuthal and axial mode numbers ( m , p ), due to photon confinement around the circumference and axial directions of the tube , respectively . the energy separations between the adjacent azimuthal modes are approximately 24 , 21 and 19 mev , and the energy separations between the adjacent axial modes are approximately 7 , 4 and 2 - 3 mev , for semiconductor tubes with wall thicknesses of approximately 50 nm , 100 nm , and 200 nm , respectively . the dependence of emission characteristics of semiconductor tube ring resonators on the surface geometry can be explained by an equivalent planar waveguide model with periodic boundary conditions . in this model , the unique surface geometry of the semiconductor tube can be modeled by a tapered region in the dielectric waveguide . details about this model are described above . in this analysis , the axial optical field distribution φ ( z ) can be derived from the equation ( 3 ) below . where z represents the tube axial direction , k is the vacuum wave vector , and β is the propagation constant along the tube circumference . neff ( z ) is the effective refractive index averaged over the circumference of the tube , which is directly related to the tube surface geometry . for a given wave vector k , discrete eigenvalues of β , i . e ., βp ( k ) ( p = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 . . . ), can be obtained by solving equation ( 3 ) analytically or numerically . in addition , the optical resonance modes satisfy the azimuthal phase matching condition , described by , βl = 2 πm where l is the circumference of the semiconductor tube and m is azimuthal mode number 0 . 16 , 20 , 22 , etc for example . the eigenenergy of each optical resonance mode can then be derived from the above equations . the optical mode numbers ( m , p ), shown in first to third optical emission spectra 1410 to 1430 were obtained from this model . detailed studies further confirm that these calculations agree well with the experimental results . now referring to fig1 there are depicted first and second optical emission spectra 1510 and 1520 for semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention and the i - v curve 1530 for an electrically injected optical semiconductor tube emitter . first and second optical emission spectra 1510 and 1520 representing room temperature lasing in rolled - up ingaas / gaas quantum dot semiconductor tube ring cavities , with a diameter of approximately 5 μm and wall thickness of approximately 125 nm , representing 2 . 5 revolutions . first and second optical emission spectra 1510 and 1520 being measured below ( approximately 3 μw ) and above the threshold ( approximately 25 μw ) respectively . the dominant lasing wavelengths are 1193 . 6 nm , 1216 . 5 nm and 1240 . 7 nm , with the corresponding azimuthal mode numbers of 39 , 38 and 37 respectively . referring to i - v curve 1530 the integrated intensity of the emission peak at 1240 . 7 nm as a function of the absorbed pump power by the semiconductor tube is plotted . an ultralow threshold of approximately 4 μw is estimated . variation of spectral linewidth versus optical pump power is shown in the inset of third optical emission spectrum 1530 . with the increase of pump power , a linewidth reduction from approximately 0 . 6 - 0 . 8 nm to approximately 0 . 4 - 0 . 5 nm is observed , which agrees well with the measured threshold , further confirming lasing from the semiconductor tube cavity . a small increase of the spectral linewidth at higher pump power is also evident , possibly due to heating effect . other lasing modes exhibit similar characteristics . fig1 depicts the variation in optical emission for semiconductor tubes according to embodiments of the invention showing the impact of the profile of the end of the semiconductor “ sheet ” that is rolled up . as above a bilayer heterostructure ingaas / gaas qd semiconductor tube ring resonator was investigated using micro - photoluminescence spectroscopy at 300 k with he — ne laser excitation ( 632 . 8 nm ) to optically excite the device through a 60 ( 0 . 8 na ) objective lens . the spectrally resolved emission is detected by an ingaas detector with lock - in amplification . in regions of the semiconductor tube that are attached to the substrate , a broad emission spectrum is generally observed , shown as the dotted line 1640 in first spectrum 1610 . the absence of any optical resonance modes is largely due to radiative loss through the substrate . a typical emission spectrum measured from the free - standing region of such a semiconductor tube is shown as the solid line 1630 in first spectrum 1610 . this spectrum being characterised by a sequence of regularly spaced optical resonance modes superimposed on a broad ingaas / gaas qd emission spectrum . the pump power was 27 mw . these resonance modes , arising from photons confined around the periphery of the semiconductor tube by total internal reflection , are separated by approximately 19 . 5 mev . the corresponding azimuthal numbers ( m = 38 to 45 ) were derived from modeling the semiconductor tube as being of diameter approximately 6 μm and 2 . 4 revolutions . the relatively small q - factor ( approximately 350 ) is attributed to the poor optical confinement provided by the random surface roughness along the tube axial direction . first insert 1615 shows an sem of the semiconductor tube . a significantly different emission spectra , however , is observed in freestanding semiconductor tubes with an engineered surface geometry , see second insert 1625 in second spectra 1620 . first to third emission spectra 1650 to 1670 being measured at pump powers of 27 μw , 12 μw , and 81 μw respectively at 300 k . the optical resonance mode distribution for the semiconductor tube employed in first spectrum 1620 is also shown ( dotted curve 1680 ) for comparison . careful examination reveals that there are eight groups of eigenmodes , with the lowest energy mode in each group approximately aligned to the modes non - structured design . additionally , each group of resonance modes consists of four sharp peaks , separated by approximately 3 - 5 mev , which are directly related to the strong photon confinement along the tube axial direction by the intentionally introduced corrugations on the tube surface , evident in second insert 1625 . the resulting axial field dispersion also implies that the wave vector of each confined photon is not only determined by the azimuthal mode number ( m ) but also directly related to an additional axial mode number ( p ), thereby leading to different eigen energies . the minimum intrinsic linewidth of 0 . 5 mev at room temperature was established , which corresponds to a maximum q - factor of approximately 2000 . further improvement in the q - factor may be achieved by optimising the optical confinement along the tube axial direction . referring to fig1 there is depicted an i - v plot 1710 for an electrically injected optical semiconductor tube emitter and the polarization behaviour of an optically pumped semiconductor tube according to embodiments of the invention . with the p - contact placed directly near the device active region , the device resistance and heating effect can be drastically reduced . in spite of the presence of metal contacts on the tube surface , optical resonance modes were clearly observed under optical pumping in first spectrum 1720 . the polarization properties of the coherent emission from semiconductor are plotted in polarization plot 1730 . for photons circulating around the periphery of the tube , electric fields of the te and tm modes are defined as parallel and normal to the tube surface , respectively . the polarization measurements were performed by inserting a linear polarizer in the optical beam path . the semiconductor tube and polarizer were carefully aligned such that 0 ° and 90 ° correspond to te and tm polarizations , respectively . the peak intensity was then recorded by varying the polarization angle . plotted in polarization plot 1730 is the intensity of the lasing mode at 1240 . 7 nm as a function of the polarization angle . it is seen that the laser emission is primarily te polarized . this observation is also consistent with recent theoretical and experimental studies that only te optical modes , with an electric field parallel to the tube surface , can be supported by a rolled - up semiconductor tube ring resonator with a relatively thin wall ( approximately 40 nm to 200 nm ). referring to fig1 there is depicted the emission spectrum for a semiconductor tube transferred to a silica substrate . as with previous analysis the emission characteristics of semiconductor tube devices transferred on a fiber facet were studied by micro - photoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature with optical pumping using a he — ne laser at 632 . 8 nm with an absorbed pump power of 20 μw was obtained . the associated azimuthal mode number ( m ) and eigenmodes ( p ) for each resonance mode are identified against these optical resonances in the graph . the semiconductor tube was positioned according to the technique reported by zhaobing tian et al in “ controlled transfer of single rolled - up ingaas — gaas quantum dot microtube ring resonator using optical fiber abrupt tapers ” ( ieee photonics tech . lett ., vol . 22 ( 5 ), pp 311 - 313 ) that as a low stress method demonstrates that the semiconductor tubes are manufactured with low internal stress . the method exploits optical fiber abrupt tapers , made by a fusion splicer machine , which are inserted into each end of the semiconductor tube as the tube diameter φ is larger than the size of the taper tip . the very small contact area between the free - standing semiconductor tube devices and their initial gaas substrate means that the surface tension is much smaller , compared to conventional planar devices . consequently , detaching the semiconductor tube devices from the host substrate can be achieved without introducing any structural defects and / or mechanical distortion and controllably transferred using either one or two fiber tapers and precisely positioned on a foreign substrate . the energy separations for the dominant modes between two adjacent groups and for the two adjacent modes within the same group are approximately 26 and 7 . 5 mev , respectively , which agree well with our calculations . the measured spectral linewidths are approximately 1 nm , corresponding to a q factor of approximately 1100 . the intrinsic - factor may be significantly higher , due to the presence of two non - degenerate modes induced by the inside and outside edges around the tube and can be further improved by optimizing the design and fabrication process . the emission characteristics of quantum - dot semiconductor tubes transferred on the cleaved facet of a fiber are nearly identical , in terms of both the mode profiles and light intensity , to those of similar quantum - dot semiconductor tube devices fabricated directly on gaas substrates , which further confirms the present fiber taper assisted transfer technique is suitable for achieving high - quality micro - and nanotube - based optical cavities on a foreign substrate . finally , it is important to note that emission from the rolled - up tube cavity devices can also be directly coupled to the optical fiber , with the coupling efficiency precisely determined by the vertical separation , or the number of revolutions of the semiconductor tube sidepieces . with the development of the fiber taper assisted transfer technique , it is also expected that nearly defect - free iii - v micro - and nanotube - based nanophotonic devices can be readily achieved on any foreign substrate . more importantly , it provides a viable approach for the monolithic integration of high - performance iii - v semiconductor micro - and nanoscale lasers with si waveguides and other nanophotonic devices on cmos chips for example . referring to fig1 there is depicted a detector assembly 1900 for an optical photodetector according to an embodiment of the invention . as such there shown a semiconductor tube fabricated according to an embodiment of the invention described above either in - situ or transferred using the fiber taper transfer process . considering the scenario that the semiconductor tube 1960 being disposed upon unetched region 1940 , the etched region 1930 being to the left and upon which are deposited first and second electrodes 1920 and 1910 that connect to photodetector leads 1950 and 1970 respectively . these photodetector leads 1950 and 1970 respectively are each connected to one rolled end of the semiconductor tube 1960 , such as described supra in respect of fig5 a and 5b . accordingly a potential difference exists between photodetector leads 1950 and 1970 such that the semiconductor tube 1960 is reverse biased . an optical fiber , for example corning smf - 28 which is a singlemode optical fiber 1980 with an approximately 8 μm core , is positioned laterally with respect to the semiconductor tube 1960 . the singlemode optical fiber 1980 being positioned within a groove , i . e . v - groove on silicon or u - groove on gaas so that the core is vertically aligned with the semiconductor tube 1960 . accordingly optical signals emitted from the singlemode optical fiber 1980 are coupled to the photodetector , formed by reverse biased semiconductor tube 1960 , and the generated photocurrent coupled to electronic circuitry within the integrated circuit of which detector assembly 1900 forms part . it would be evident that microwave / rf optical systems may exploit gaas electronics as well as 10 gb / s , 20 gb / s , and 40 gb / s telecommunications systems whilst data communications and lower speed telecommunication up to about 10 gb / s may exploit silicon electronics . for example the photodetector may form directly part of a circuit with an fet amplifier . it would also be evident to one skilled in the art that the semiconductor tube 1960 may through the use of multiple quantum well structures and quantum dots be implemented as an avalanche photodiode . additionally whilst the biasing of the photodetector has been described as being along the longitudinal axis of the photodetector it would be apparent that a metallization on the upper surface of the film prior to rolling up may be provided such that a the potential may be provided axially through the thickness of the semiconductor tube wall , particularly when the quantum structures are sandwiched between the inner and outer walls . now referring to fig2 depicts schematics of manufacturing semiconductor tubes with metalized inner surfaces and for fabricating a capacitor according to an embodiment of the invention . referring to first schematic 2010 there is shown a rolling process part - way through processing . accordingly there are shown a substrate 2016 upon which have been deposited sacrificial layer 2014 , tube layers 2018 and an upper layer 2012 . accordingly as the sacrificial layer 2014 is etched away the film 2015 comprising tube layers 2018 and upper layer 2012 curls due to the stress distribution within the layers . as etching proceeds as shown in second schematic 2020 the process has continued and now the rolled - up tube has an inner wall that is now completely “ coated ” with the upper layer 2012 . upper layer 2012 may for example be a metal , such as tungsten or copper , an oxide , a polymer , or an organic receptor . where the upper layer 2012 is a metal the resultant semiconductor tubes may provided novel catalytic environments for chemical reactions or the cracking of water through electrolysis with tungsten / copper surfaces for trapping the generated hydrogen and oxygen . where an oxide is employed one option is titanium oxide for the photolytic cracking of water wherein the walls of the semiconductor tubes are either transparent to the required wavelength of the solar spectrum or due to their low thickness provide relatively low absorption . alternatively tungsten oxide may , through its material properties varying with the present of nitrous oxide , hydrogen sulphide , ethanol , carbon monoxide , ammonia and ozone , provide for a change in the optical properties of the semiconductor tubes that may form the basis for sensing devices . likewise polymer and organic receptor materials may provide a means of implementing sensors as the very high q optical cavities would be easily impacted by small changes in the overall optical cavity that would vary when the refractive index shifted from bonding of antigens to an organic receptor for example . also shown in fig2 is a cross - section of a semiconductor tube capacitor implemented according to an embodiment of the invention . accordingly once the semiconductor tube has been rolled up an oxide 2022 and metallization 2024 are patterned onto the semiconductor tube . accordingly through appropriate design of the metallization 2024 and oxide 2022 a thin film variable capacitor may be implemented without the requirements for high resolution photolithography with very high surface geometry as for example is evident in the work of w . m . farnworth et al in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 081 , 385 entitled “ nanotube semiconductor devices and methods of making the same ” wherein the nanotubes were formed vertically upon the substrate . in contrast the nanotubes provided according to embodiments of the invention may be a few microns , tens of microns , or hundreds of microns long and yet all be of consistent diameter such that planar processing in the subsequent stages is the same for all devices irrespective of the tube length , unlike farnworth . also through the unique properties of the semiconductor tubes it may serve as a dielectric material and hence form a capacitor , and it may equally serve as a semiconductor material and form a transistor channel within the same device . further , the consistency of such nanotubes formed by a simple planar deposition / lithography process prior to their rolling - up will result in improved reproducibility of the characteristics of the devices both device - device , die - to - die , and wafer - to - wafer . referring to fig2 there is depicted a schematic for manufacturing semiconductor tubes with high density according to an embodiment of the invention . accordingly in first schematic 2110 an epitaxial structure 2130 has been formed on the substrate 2115 and comprises first to third sacrificial layers 2112 a through 2112 c respectively and first to third bilayer heterostructure qd layers 2114 a through 2114 c respectively that are alternating within the epitaxial structure 2130 . processing of the epitaxial structure 2130 provides within each of the first to third bilayer heterostructure qd layers 2114 a through 2114 c respectively the mesa and patterned edges for the film prior to rolling up . now , as shown etching of the sacrificial layer proceeds to etch each of the first to third sacrificial layers 2112 a through 2112 c respectively such that the first to third bilayer heterostructure qd layers 2114 a through 2114 c respectively begin to curl . now looking at second schematic 2120 this process has proceeded to the point that each first to third bilayer heterostructure qd layers 2114 a through 2114 c respectively has curled completely once to form first to third semiconductor tubes 2125 a through 2125 c are formed . it would be evident to one skilled in the art that using an epitaxial structure such as epitaxial structure 2130 allows the density of the semiconductor tubes to be increased within the finished device . it would also be evident that each of the first to third bilayer heterostructure qd layers 2114 a through 2114 c respectively may be the same or implemented with a different epitaxial structure so that adjacent tubes exhibit different optical properties . for example three adjacent tubes may be provided that emit in the red , green , and blue wavelength regions to form a pixel within a display , or as with sharp quattron four emitter colors including an additional yellow . accordingly as all “ red ” emitters are formed from the same layer in the epitaxial stack they will have improved uniformity . it would be evident that the above referenced process may also be applied to other materials such as lead zirconium titanate ( pzt ), lanthanum doped lead zirconium titanate ( plzt ) and other ceramics in thin film form to exploit their piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties to yield electrically tunable structures , such as adjusting the diameter of the resonator for example . the above - described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be examples only . alterations , modifications and variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto .	7
an embodiment of the communication apparatus of the present invention is now explained by a facsimile apparatus with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows a correlation between an elapsed time from a previous recovery operation ( an operation to eliminate the clogging of ink discharge nozzles at the start - up ) and a recovery level of the recovery operation in the facsimile apparatus in accordance with the present embodiment . in the present embodiment , the recovery level is divided into three stages depending on the elapsed time and they are called minor recovery , medium recovery and major recovery . the number of times of ink discharge to eliminate the clogging of the ink discharge nozzles increases in the order of minor recovery → medium recovery major recovery → and a longer time is required to complete the recovery operation . in the present embodiment , which recovery level is required is determined by referring time data counted by a recovery timer . fig2 shows a flow chart of a recovery level determination process in the present facsimile apparatus . in a step s1 , whether the time data counted by the timer is smaller than 180 minutes or not is determined , and is it is smaller than 180 minutes , the minor recovery is conducted in a step s2 . if the time data is not smaller than 180 minutes in the step s1 , whether the time data is smaller than 2880 minutes or not is determined in a step s3 . if it is smaller than 2880 minutes , the medium recovery is conducted in a step s4 . if the time data is not smaller than 2880 minutes in the step s3 , the major recovery is conducted in a step s5 . when the recovery operation in the step s2 , s4 or s5 is completed , the process is immediately terminated . fig3 shows a block diagram of a configuration of the facsimile apparatus which can execute the above recovery operation . the facsimile apparatus comprises a facsimile control unit 100 and a printer unit 200 which is the record means adopting an ink jet type . the facsimile control unit 100 comprises the following units : a cpu 1 for controlling the facsimile control unit 100 and containing a recovery timer la as second count means for counting a time during which the facsimile apparatus is in the low power consumption mode ; a rom 2 for storing a control program of the cpu 1 ; an sram 3 for storing image management data , registration data , etc . ; a dram 4 for storing image information ; a console unit 5 for accepting an operation by an operator ; a printer interface ( i / f ) unit 6 as notify means which is connected to a facsimile interface to be described later in the printer unit 200 to communicate with the printer unit 200 ; a contact type read sensor ( cs ) 8 for reading image data of a document sheet ; an image processing unit 7 connected to the cs 8 for image - processing the image information read by the cs 8 ; a modem 9 for modulating and demodulating a digital signal and an analog signal ; a network control unit ( ncu ) 10 connected to a public network for controlling the public network ; and a telephone set 11 used by the operator to speak with a destination station . the cpu 1 , the rom 2 , the sram 3 , the dram 4 , the console unit 5 , the printer i / f unit 6 , the image processing unit 8 , the modem 9 and the ncu 10 are interconnected through a system bus 20 . the cs 8 is connected to the image processing unit 7 and the telephone set 11 is directly connected to the ncu 10 . the modem 9 is connected to the ncu 10 through a data bus 10a . the printer unit 200 comprises the following units : a cpu 12 for controlling the printer unit 200 and for functioning as recovery execution means which contains a recovery timer 12a as first count means for counting an elapsed time from a previous recovery operation ; a facsimile interface ( i / f ) 13 for communicating with the facsimile control unit 100 ; a rom 14 for storing a control program of the cpu 12 ; an sram 15 used as a working area of the cpu 12 ; a print head for printing ; a motor 17 for feeding a record sheet ; and an nvram 18 as back - up memory means for storing setting data of the printer unit 200 and so on : the respective units 12 to 18 are interconnected through a system bus 21 . the printer i / f unit 6 is connected to the facsimile i / f unit 13 by a n image path 22 and a bilateral path 23 for transmitting and receiving commands and data . fig4 shows an interface chart for specifically illustrating the connection between the printer i / f unit 6 and the facsimile i / f unit 13 . in the present embodiment , a parallel i / f compatible to the centronix specification is used as the image path 22 and an asynchronous serial i / f is used as the bilateral path 23 . in fig3 sixteen lines from a &# 34 ; strobe ( data strobe pulse )&# 34 ; to an &# 34 ; error &# 34 ; line constitute the image path 22 , and three lines , a &# 34 ; txd &# 34 ; line , a &# 34 ; rxd &# 34 ; line and a &# 34 ; sg &# 34 ; line constitute the bilateral path . in the above configuration , the facsimile control unit 100 continuously monitors the printer unit 200 to check whether the printer unit 200 is ready to print or not in order to notify to a user or a service man if the printer unit 200 is not ready to print . specifically , as shown in a flow chart of fig5 status request commands for requesting status 0 to 3 are sequentially issued from the facsimile control unit 100 to the printer unit 200 . by checking the reply status , whether the printer unit 200 is ready to print or not is checked . the status request commands include four types sr0 to sr3 as shown in fig6 . in addition to the status request commands , the commands sent from the facsimile control unit 100 to the printer unit 200 include execution commands for directing the execution of operations such as a time data setting command , a reset command and a mis - print release command shown in fig6 . the reply status includes four types of status corresponding to the respective status request commands as shown in fig7 . as shown in fig8 the status request command is of one - byte length , and a bit 0 is used as an odd parity bit and a bit 7 is used as an error . accordingly , an effective data length is 6 - bit length . the status request command is sent from the cpu 1 of the facsimile control unit 100 to the cpu 12 of the printer unit 200 through the printer i / f unit 6 , the bilateral bus 23 and the facsimile i / f unit 13 . the cpu 12 checks the transmitted status request command and if it is interpretable , it sends back a status corresponding to the command . if it is not interpretable , the printer unit 200 sets &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to only the error bit at the bit 7 and sends back 80h . when a parity error occurs during the reception of the status sent back from the printer unit 200 , the facsimile control unit 100 resends the status request command . in the present embodiment , the resending of the status request command is conducted up to three times . the exchange of the time data between the facsimile control unit 100 and the printer unit 200 is expressed by unit of minute and it is sent in two , high order and low order blocks as 6 - bit × 2 numeric data s shown in fig9 . a maximum value represented by the data command of fig9 is 2 12 or 4096 . the counting of the time is conducted by the recovery timer 1a built in the cpu 1 and the recovery timer 12a built in the cpu 12 . in the present embodiment , a maximum time countable by the recovery timers 1a and 12a is 2880 minutes ( two days ). even if a time longer than 2880 minutes is counted , the recovery timer 1a is always kept 2880 minutes and the printer unit 200 conducts the major recovery in this case as shown in fig2 . fig1 shows a flow chart of a detailed process of a printer monitor task conducted in the steps s11 to s14 shown in fig5 . a program for executing the present flow chart is stored in the rom 2 of the facsimile control unit 100 and it is executed by the cpu 1 . when the status request command is to be sent , a counter which indicates the number of times of execution of the process of steps s32 et seq to be described later is first initialized ( step s31 ). then , the status request command is sent ( step s32 ) and 250 ms is set in a timer , not shown , in the cpu 1 as a status reception wait time ( step s33 ). the counter is incremented by one ( step s34 ) and whether the status has been received by the printer interface 6 or not is determined ( step s35 ). if the status has not been received , whether the timer set in the step s33 is timed out or not is determined ( step s36 ). if the timer is not timed out , the process returns to the step s35 to repeat the check of the status reception . if the status has been received in the step s35 , the received status is parity - checked ( step s37 ). if the received status parity is odd , it means that the status has been correctly received without parity error and the process is terminated . if the status is not received in the step s35 and the timer is timed out in the step s36 , or if the parity is even in the step s37 , the content of the counter or the number of times of sending of the status request command is checked ( step s38 ). if the content of the counter is not larger than three , the process returns to the step s32 to repeat the steps s32 to s38 . if the content of the counter is three or larger , the reception of the status is given up and the process is immediately terminated . the status of the printer unit 20 received in this manner is held in the sram 3 of the facsimile control unit 100 and referred as required . fig1 shows a flow chart of an operation process of the printer unit 200 when the status request command sent from the facsimile control unit 100 in accordance with the flow chart of fig1 is received . a program for executing the present flow chart is stored in the rom 14 of the printer unit 200 and it is executed by the cpu 12 . when the status request command is received ( step s41 ), the received status request command is parity - checked ( step s42 ). if the parity is even , it means a command error and only the error bit at the bit 7 is set and 80h is sent back ( step s43 ), and the present process is terminated . if the parity is odd in the step s42 , whether the received command is the status request command or not is determined ( step s44 ). if the received command is the status request command , a status corresponding to the received status request command is sent back to the facsimile control unit 100 ( step s45 ). if the received command is not the status request command , whether the received command is an execution command or not , that is , whether it is one of the commands sr4 , ec0 and ec2 shown in fig6 or not is determined ( step s46 ). if it is the execution command , a status is sent back to notify the accept of the execution command ( step s47 ) and an operation specified by the execution command is executed ( step s48 ). the status to notify the accept of the command is a status 0 in the present embodiment . when the specified operation is completed , the present process is terminated . if the received command is not the execution command in the step s46 , it means that the command interpretation by the cpu 12 of the printer unit 200 is not possible and only the bit 7 is set in a step s43 as it was for the parity error and 80h is sent back , and the process is terminated . by this process , the printer unit 200 can respond to the two types of commands , the status request command and the execution command , without affecting to the image path 22 . fig1 shows a flow chart of a shift process from the normal operation mode to a low power consumption mode ( or ess ( energy saving ) mode ) executed by the facsimile control unit 100 . as shown in fig1 , the status request signal is first sent ( step s51 ), and when the status of the printer unit 200 is received , whether the printer unit 200 may be shifted to the low power consumption mode or not is determined based on the received status ( step s52 ). if any error occurs in the printer unit 200 at this time or the printer unit 200 is driving the print head 16 and busy for printing , that is , if the shift to the low power consumption mode is not permitted , the steps s51 and s52 are repeated and the process waits until the above status is released . if the shift to the low power consumption mode is permitted in the step s52 , a low power consumption mode shift command is sent from the facsimile control unit 100 to the printer unit 200 through the bilateral path 23 ( step s53 ). whether the status sent back from the printer unit 200 for the transmitted low power consumption mode shift command is status 0 or not is determined ( step s54 ). if the sent back status is the status 0 , it is determined that the printer unit 200 correctly received the low power consumption mode shift command and the facsimile apparatus is shifted to the low power consumption mode . at the same time , the recovery timer 1a is started to count the time during which the printer unit 200 is in the low power consumption mode and the counting is started ( step s55 ). fig1 shows a flow chart of an operation process of the printer unit 200 when it is shifted to the low power consumption mode . when the low power consumption mode shift command sent from the facsimile control unit 100 in the step s53 of fig1 is received as the execution command in the step s46 of fig1 , the present process is started . first , the time data counted by the recovery timer 12a in the cpu 12 is stored in the nvram 18 ( step s61 ), and the printer unit 200 is shifted to the sleep mode ( step s62 ). thus , the facsimile apparatus is shifted to the low power consumption mode . fig1 shows a flow chart of an operation process of the facsimile control unit 100 when the facsimile apparatus is raised from the low power consumption mode . first , a wakeup command is issued to the printer unit 200 ( step s71 ). in the low power consumption mode , the printer unit 200 is in the sleep mode and the printer unit is woken up by inputting the wakeup command to a non - maskable interrupt ( nmi ) port , not shown , of the cpu 12 . after the wakeup command , the process is in a wait status for the wakeup of the printer unit 200 ( step s72 ). in the present embodiment , the wait time is 200 ms . after the elapse of the wait time , a command to request a status to determined whether the printer unit 200 has safely woke up or not is sent in accordance with the printer monitor task shown in fig1 and a status corresponding to the request is received ( step s73 ). whether the printer unit 200 safely woke up or not is determined based on the status received in the step s73 ( step s74 ), and if an error is detected , the process returns to the step s71 and the printer unit 200 is restarted up . if the printer unit 200 safely woke up , the time counted by the recovery timer 1a in the step s55 of fig1 is set to the printer unit 200 as the time data in unit of minute in two runs ( step s75 ). detail of the time data sending process conducted in the step s75 is shown in fig1 and 16 . fig1 shows a flow chart of the sequence of commands sent by the facsimile control unit 100 . first , the time data setting command ( sr4 ) is sent ( step s81 ) and then the high order byte data and the low order byte data of the time data shown in fig9 are sequentially sent ( steps s82 , s83 ). fig1 shows a flow chart of a detailed process of the time data setting command sending in the step s81 . steps s91 to s94 are same as the steps s31 to s34 shown in fig1 . as shown in fig6 the time data setting command requests the status 0 as the reply status from the printer unit 200 . thus , in the step s95 , whether the status 0 has been received or not is determined , and if the status 0 has been received , the process proceeds to a step s97 , and if the status 0 has not been received , the process proceeds to a step s97 . the steps s96 to s98 are same as the steps s36 to s38 shown in fig1 . returning to fig1 , when the time data is sent to the printer unit 200 by the process shown in fig1 , the status 0 is sent back to the facsimile control unit 100 from the printer unit 200 as will be described later . the facsimile control unit 100 checks the sent - back status to determine whether the time data has been correctly sent or not ( step s76 ). when it has been correctly sent , the present process is terminated . if it has not been correctly sent , the process returns to the step s75 . fig1 shows a flow chart of an operation process of the printer unit 200 when the time data setting command sent from the facsimile control unit 100 is received . when the time data setting command is received , a multi - byte command receiving counter is first reset to 0 ( step s101 ). in the present embodiment , the multi - byte command receiving counter is provided in the cpu 12 . then , the time data sent from the facsimile control unit 100 is received ( step s102 ) and the time data is parity - checked ( step s103 ). if the parity is even , it means an error and the bit 7 is set to 1 and 80h is sent back ( step s104 ). if the parity is odd , whether the content of the multi - byte command receiving counter is 0 or not is determined ( step s105 ). if the content is 0 , it is determined that the time data received in the step s102 is the first time data or the high order byte data , and it is stored in a predetermined area of the sram 15 as the high order time data ( step s106 ). then , the status 0 is sent back to the facsimile control unit 100 and the content of the multi - byte command receiving counter is incremented by one , and the process returns to the step s102 to receive the next time data . if the count is not 0 in the step s105 , it is determined that the time data received in the step s102 is the second time data or the low order byte data , and it is stored in a predetermined area of the sram 15 as the low order time data ( step s109 ) and the status 0 is sent back to the facsimile control unit 100 ( step s110 ). compete time data is prepared from the high order time data stored in the step s106 and the low order time data stored in the step s109 , and the time data stored in the nvram 18 when the facsimile apparatus enters the low power consumption mode is added to the prepared time data , and the recovery level is determined in accordance with the flow chart shown in fig2 based on the sum time data and the recovery operation is executed ( step s111 ). in accordance with the present embodiment , in the facsimile apparatus constructed to be shifted from the normal operation mode to the low power consumption mode in the wait state in which no action is conducted , the proper recovery operation may be executed at the wake - up from the low power consumption mode without consuming unnecessary ink and the time before the print means is ready to print is shortened so that the practicability of the facsimile apparatus which builds in the ink jet printer is significantly enhanced . in the present embodiment , when the facsimile apparatus enters the low power consumption mode , the content of the recovery timer 12a of the printer unit 200 is stored in the backup nvram and the content of the recovery counter la is added thereto at the time of wakeup from the low power consumption mode to acquire the time to determine the recovery level . alternatively , the content of the recovery timer 12a may be notified to the facsimile control unit 100 when the facsimile apparatus enters the low power consumption mode , the notified count is set in the recovery timer 1a as an initial value and the counting is continued , and the count of the recovery timer 1a may be notified to the printer unit 200 at the time of wakeup from the low power consumption mode . further , the recovery time may be counted by only the timer in the facsimile control unit 100 without providing the recovery timer in the printer unit 200 , and the recovery time may be notified from the facsimile control unit 100 to the printer unit 200 at the time of wakeup from the low power consumption mode . an embodiment 2 of the present invention is explained for a facsimile apparatus as an example of the communication apparatus . fig1 shows a block diagram of the facsimile apparatus in accordance with the embodiment 2 of the present invention . in fig1 , numeral 1000 denotes a facsimile apparatus which is divided into a main unit ( main unit ) 1000a and a recording unit ( recording means ) 1000b . the main unit 1000a comprises a main unit main control unit ( unit control means ) 1101 , a read unit 1102 , a communication unit 1103 , a console unit 1104 , a registration memory 1105 , a main unit i / f ( interface ) unit 1106 , a decoding unit 1107 , a coding unit 1108 and an image memory 1109 . the units 1102 to 1109 are connected to the main unit main control unit 1101 through a main system bus 1110 . the main unit main control unit 1101 controls the entire main unit 1000 and comprises an mpu , a rom and a ram . the read unit 1102 optically reads a document sheet and converts it to image data . the communication unit 1103 conducts the connection and disconnection of a call , the modulation of transmission data and the demodulation of received data , and exchanges data with a destination station through a line . the console unit 1104 inputs and displays various types of information and comprises operation keys and displays . the registration memory 1105 stores telephone number data such as one - touch dial numbers and communication result information . the main unit i / f unit 1106 is an interface with the record unit 1000b . the decoding unit 1107 decodes image data . the coding unit 1108 codes the image data . the image memory 1109 stores the received image . the recording unit 1000b comprises a recording unit main control unit ( record control means ) 1112 , a recording unit i / f ( interface ) unit 1113 , a data buffer 1114 , a font generation unit 1115 , a print buffer 1116 , a print head 1117 and a sheet feed / ejection motor control unit 1118 . the units 1113 to 1118 are connected to the recording unit main control unit 1112 through a system bus 1119 . the recording unit main control unit 1112 controls the entire recording unit 1000b and comprises an mpu ( microprocessor unit ), a rom ( read - only memory ) and a ram ( random access memory ). the bilateral record correction value to be described later is stored ( registered ) in the ram . this operation is conducted from the console unit 1104 of the main unit 1000a in a service mode . the recording unit i / f unit 1113 is an interface with the main unit 1000a . the data buffer 1114 temporarily stores the print data from the main unit 1000a received by the recording unit i / f unit 1113 . the font generation unit 1115 generates the font data corresponding to the print data . the print buffer 1116 stores the raster data before the transfer to the print head 1117 . the print buffer 1116 discharges the ink droplets in accordance with the data from the print buffer 1116 . the sheet feed / ejection motor control unit 1118 controls the motor for feeding the record sheet . the main unit i / f unit 1106 and the recording unit i / f unit 1113 are connected through an i / f ( interface ) signal line 1111 . the main unit main control unit 1101 and the recording unit main control unit 1112 are connected through a signal line 1120 . the ink jet printer which is the recording unit 1000b in the facsimile apparatus 1000 of the present embodiment is of bilateral printing type in which the print head 1117 is reciprocally moved as shown in fig2 . in this type , there is a deviation between a forward print position and a backward print position in an initial state . the deviation is shown in fig2 . since the deviation is prominent when a vertical line is printed , it should be corrected . a correction value for correcting the deviation is the bilateral record correction value . in the present embodiment , when the facsimile apparatus is shifted to an ess mode ( energy saving stand - by mode ), the supply of the power to the recording unit 1000b is completely shut off ( power - off ) and the recording unit main control unit 1112 cannot hold the bilateral record correction value in the internal ram . accordingly , each time the facsimile apparatus is returned from the ess mode to the normal operation mode and the power of the recording unit 1000b is turned on , it is necessary to set the bilateral record correction value to the recording unit main control unit 1112 . in the present embodiment , for the purpose of this setting process , the main unit main control unit 1101 sends the bilateral record correction value to the recording unit main control unit 1112 through the both i / f units 1106 and 1113 each time the power of the recording unit 1000b is turned on . referring to a flow chart of fig1 , a record operation of the main unit 1000a in the facsimile apparatus 1000 of the present embodiment is explained . first , the power of the facsimile apparatus 1000 is turned on in a step s201 to supply the power to the facsimile apparatus 1000 . then , the facsimile apparatus 1000 is internally initialized in a step s202 . in a step s203 , a 3 - day timer ( in unit of minute ) which is a timer to monitor an interval of the recovery operation of the printer unit 1000b which is the recording unit is set to 3 × 24 × 60 . then , in a step s204 , the power of the printer 1000b is turned on to supply the power to the printer 1000b . the subsequent control is described with reference to fig2 . in a step s205 , the 3 - day timer set in the step s202 is transmitted to the printer 1000b . then , in a step s206 , whether record data is present or not is determined , and if it is present , whether the operation mode is the ess ( energy saving ) mode or not is determined in a step s207 . if it is the ess mode , the process returns to the step s204 to turn on the power of the printer 1000b to activate the printer 1000b . if it is not the ess mode , a soft power - on shift command which is a serial command to shift the printer 1000b to be ready to print is sent to the print 1000b in a step s208 and the process proceeds to a next step s209 . in the step s209 , whether the printer 1000b is in the soft power - on state or not is determined until it is rendered to the soft power - on state . when it is rendered to the soft power - on state , a correction value for the deviation of the carriage for the bilateral record is sent to the printer 1000b in a step s210 . in a step s211 , the record data is sent to the printer 1000b through a parallel port . when the recording is completed , a soft power - off shift command which is a serial command to shift the printer 1000b to a rest state is sent to the printer 1000b in a step s212 and the process returns to the step s206 . on the other hand , if the record data is not present in the step s206 , whether the operation mode is the ess mode or not is determined in a step s213 . if it is the ess mode , the 3 - day timer is incremented at an interval of one minute in a step s214 and then the process returns to the step s206 . if it is not the ess mode , whether five minutes has elapsed since factor to operate the facsimile apparatus went or not is determined in a step s215 . if five minutes has not elapsed , the process returns to the step s206 , and if five minutes has elapsed , an energy saving mode ( ess mode ) shift command is sent to the printer 1000b in a step s216 and then the process proceeds to the step s206 . a recording operation of the printer 1000b in the facsimile apparatus 1000 of the present embodiment is now explained with reference to a flow chart of fig2 . when the power of the printer 1000b is turned on ( the power of the printer 1000b is turned on in the step s204 of fig2 ), the setting to initialize the printer 1000b is made in a step s301 . then , in a step s302 , whether the record data has been received at the parallel port or not ( whether the record data is present or not ) is determined . if the record data is present , the record data is outputted in a step s303 and then the process returns to the step s302 . if the record data is not present , whether the serial command has been received or not ( whether the received command is present or not ) is determined in a step s304 . if the received command is not present , the process returns to the step s302 , and if the received command is present , whether the received command is the correction value for the bilateral record or not is determined in a step s305 . if the received command is the correction value for the bilateral record , the correction value for the bilateral record is set in a step s306 and then the process returns to the step s302 . on the other hand , if the received command is not the correction value for the bilateral record in the step s305 , whether it is the 3 - day timer data or not is determined in a step s307 . if it is the 3 - day timer data , the 3 - day timer is set in a step s308 and then the process returns to the step s302 . if it is not the 3 - day timer data , whether it is the energy saving mode ( ess mode ) shift command or not is determined in a step s309 . if it is the energy saving mode shift command , the shift to the energy saving mode is conducted in a step s310 and then the process is stopped . if it is not the energy saving mode shift command , whether it is the soft power - off shift command or not is determined in a step s311 . if it is the soft power - off shift command , the shift to the soft power - off is conducted in a step s312 and then the process returns to the step s302 . on the other hand , if it is not the soft power - off shift command in the step s311 , whether it is the soft power - on shift command or not is determined in a step s313 . if it is the soft power - on shift command , the shift to the soft power - on is conducted in a step s314 and then the process proceeds to a step s315 . in the step s315 , whether the 3 - day timer is not smaller than 3 × 24 × 60 ( 3 days ) or not is determined . if it is smaller than 3 × 24 × 60 , the process returns to the step s302 . if it is not smaller than 3 × 24 × 60 ( 3 days ), the recovery operation is conducted in a step s316 , and after the recovery operation , the 3 - day timer is set to 0 and then the process returns to the step s302 . on the other hand , if it is not the soft power - on shift command in the step s313 , a process for other command is conducted in a step s317 and then the process returns to the step s302 . in accordance with the facsimile apparatus of the present embodiment , the internal timer of the ink jet printer 1000b is managed by the main unit 1000a , and when the supply of the power to the printer 1000b is to be stopped for power saving , the non - power - supply time of the printer 1000b is notified from the main unit 1000ato the printer 1000b by the serial communication unit 1102 when the printer is powered on next time so that the internal timer of the printer 1000b is corrected to conduct the recovery operation of the printer 1000b at the correct time interval . since the main unit 1000a manages the bilateral record correction value in the ink jet printer 1000b initially set for each unit , the bilateral record correction value is notified from the main unit 1000a to the printer 1000b through the serial communication when the printer 1000b is rendered to the record stand - by state so that the printer 1000b can be correctly operated in accordance with the initially set bilateral record correction value even if the printer 1000b cannot store the bilateral correction value .	7
fig1 illustrates a discontinuous scanning pattern . in the example shown , the scanning starts with site ( x 1 , y 1 ) then ( x 2 , y 1 ) ( x 5 , y 1 ) ( x 6 , y 1 ), and so on . as there is no continuation between ( x 2 , y 1 ) and ( x 5 , y 1 ) and more , all the sites in the broken - line rectangle cannot be processed immediately according to traditional techniques . instead , the images conventionally must be stored until further appropriate ( border ) images are acquired to continue the stitching process . more generally , the scan order can be affected by two major factors . a first factor is the structure of the sample on the slide . a sample can have any shape . an area without a sample present can be ignored to improve throughput and to reduce the volume of the data . a second factor is the scanning hardware , namely the xy stage . the term xy stage refers to a stage that can move in an x direction and a y direction . there is no limitation on the stage moving in other directions , such as in the z direction . due to some hardware limitations , for example , hysteresis , meshing losses and the like , it may be desired to move in one direction rather than change direction for each site or field of view ( fov ). in other words , it may be desired to minimize the reversals in direction . certain embodiments use a priori information about the sites &# 39 ; location in the slide to define the scan order in such a way to minimize the number of sites that cannot be processed immediately after capture . fig2 illustrates a less discontinuous scanning pattern with respect to back - stitching according to certain embodiments . for example , the only case in which a field of view cannot be attached to the immediately preceding field of view is at the transition from x 4 to x 3 , but even there the field of view can be immediately stitched to ( x 4 , y 4 ). by contrast , in fig1 , all the fields of view shown in the dashed box can be held in a buffer until ( x 2 , y 4 ) is scanned . therefore , fig1 is more discontinuous with respect to back - stitching and can impose a greater burden on system resources than the approach shown in fig2 . fig3 illustrates a slide including an area of a global slide image ( gis ) that can be used for obtaining stitching information according to certain embodiments . using a lower magnification and lower resolution image or images , additional information can be gathered about each site position , as shown in fig3 . a stitching quality attribute can be achieved by evaluating the data near the border of each site inside the lower magnification image . based on this attribute , a scan order is deduced that will improve scanning and stitching speed . thus , using gsi data can improve the information per site . in certain embodiments , the goal of scanning may be defined by getting the best throughput and using minimum computing resources . thus , the stitching quality attributes may be related to these definitions . for example , the goal can be to find the scanning route that generates minimal discontinuity in the stitching data , or that generates minimal discontinuity in the stitching data , given a selection of scanning patterns that minimize direction changes . the system can employ various techniques for determining which scanning procedure is best . for example , the system can determine two optional scanning patterns based on two patterns that minimize the number of changes in direction . in one case , the system can determine the two possible scanning patterns shown in fig1 and 2 . the system can then determine , based on the stitching data , that the approach of fig1 will require more buffer resources than the approach in fig2 , and can consequently select the approach in fig2 . the system can alternatively make similar calculations for all possible scanning patterns and select a pattern that minimizes buffer resources , or that provides the best trade - off between consumption of buffer resources and direction changes . thus , by trial run of the optional routes , the system can find the route that has minimal discontinuity . other techniques for finding the optimal route are also permitted . for example , a solution similar to a solution for a travelling purchaser problem may be employed for minimizing the buffer resource requirements while taking into account the effect on direction changes . accordingly , certain embodiments can use a priori information about the site locations to plan the scan order . moreover , certain embodiments can use information from the low resolution image or gsi image to identify additional attributes about each site or field of view . moreover , certain embodiments can rearrange a traditional scan order so as to minimize the number of sites that cannot be processed immediately . accordingly , certain embodiments can provide a flexible scanning engine to support all types of site order combinations . moreover , certain embodiments can use information from a low resolution image or gsi image to decide whether a site is stitchable and for which direction ( s ). as described above , the amount of memory used for storing the images may be substantial , depending on the size of the images and the number of images to be stitched together . to avoid or minimize such requirements for large memory and high throughput , a system can implement a sequence of operations that process the sites &# 39 ; data as soon as possible , to prevent data accumulation and delay in process . for example , the memory can be handled by a memory manager that optimizes the memory for minimal usage . moreover , throughput can be handled by implementing multithreaded architecture taking advantage of the multicore processor &# 39 ; s parallel computing power . fig4 illustrates a method according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig4 , the processing of an image start immediately as it becomes available . to minimize memory usage , the system can copy data from the raw image into the strips repository 21 for stitching . after the image stitch , the tiles including partial tiles can be copied into the tiles repository 22 . as the copy operation is completed the input image buffer is purged . fig5 illustrates x and y overlaps according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig5 , to cover the sample area , the system motorized stage can move from site to site based on a pre - defined scanning plan , which can be optimized as discussed above . each site can have some overlap with its predecessor site . the overlap can be in x or y based on the scanning direction . in fig5 , in a particular example , the first site to be captured can be image 1 ( 30 ). the second site can be image 2 ( 31 ), which overlaps in the y direction with image 1 ( 30 ), as the scanning movement direction is in the y direction . image 5 ( 33 ) can arrive after image 4 ( 32 ). in this case , the overlap is in the x direction , as the stage has moved in the x direction . fig6 illustrates a shift determination according to certain embodiments . a stitch operation can be started by making alignment between the sites . the alignment may be required in order to generate a good mosaic from the sample slide . to measure the shift between two images , the shared area between these two images , namely the strips , can be employed . in fig6 , image a ( 41 ) and image b ( 42 ) can be considered . to find out the amount of misalignment between them the system can take strip a ( 43 ) and strip b ( 44 ), respectively from image a ( 41 ) and image b ( 42 ). then , at 45 , there can be a verification as to whether there is contrast present . if contrast is ok , then at 46 the system can verify focus similarity . if both of these validation tests are passed , then a correlation operator can , at 47 , calculate / measure the alignment in the x and y directions , and return x and y shifts . if the focus check fails , the system can return that there is a focus issue , which can lead , for example , to a re - imaging of the site or an attempt to proceed as though the tiles are not stitchable . if no or insufficient contrast is present , the system can return a “ not stitchable ” result . fig7 illustrates stitching outcomes according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig7 , during the scanning and stitching operation there can arise situations in which images cannot be stitched immediately or at all due to lack of sample information in the share area . in such cases , the system can tag the image as “ not ready ” and can continue to the next image . when the system has found that the stitching conditions are met it , it can go back and stitch all the “ not ready ” images . in fig7 , image 2 stitches to image 1 , image 3 stitches to image 2 and so on until image 7 stitches to image 6 . image 8 is supposed to , or expected to stitch to image 7 , but this failed . the system can tag image 8 as “ not ready ” and can continue by attempting to stitch image 9 to image 8 , which is a success , but when attempting to stitch image 9 to image 6 , the stich failed , and so image 9 is tagged as “ not ready ”. then , the system can stitch image 10 to image 9 successfully , but then fail to stitch image 10 to image 5 , and consequently image 10 can be tagged as “ not ready ”. likewise , the attempt to stitch image 11 to image 10 can be a success , but the attempt to stich image 11 to image 4 can fail and the system can tag image 11 as “ not ready ”. then , the system can stitch image 12 to image 11 successfully and stitch image 12 to image 3 successfully . at this point the system can start the backward stitching by correcting the stitching values of image 11 and tagging it as “ ready ,” correcting the stitching values of image 10 and tagging it as “ ready ,” correct the stitching values of image 9 and tagging it as “ ready ,” and finally correcting the stitching values of image 8 and tagging it as “ ready .” fig8 illustrates a process flow according to certain embodiments . as mentioned above , a memory manager can be designed to handle a memory repository for original images coming from the camera and the tiles that are used to generate the output for the mosaic . to enlarge the amount of available memory , one option is to use an onboard memory on the cuda gpu card . this card may have , for example , 3 . 5 gb of free memory available for the memory manager . if cuda memory is not used , a computer memory repository can be used or both can be used together . as shown in fig8 , if cuda memory is used , the image from the microscope camera can arrive in the computer memory at 61 . next , the system can extract the strip buffers from the image into the strips repository at 62 . then , at 63 , the system can move the image buffer to the cuda memory , where it is received at 64 , and can dispose or purge it from the computer memory . as the application stitches an image it can also instruct , at 65 , the cuda gpu to generate the tiles form this image by using the gpu memory manager code interface , at 66 . a get method in the gpu memory manager can transfer , at 67 , the tile buffer to the computer memory when the application needs to have access to a tile , such as for processing the tile at 68 . fig9 illustrates another process flow according to certain embodiments . fig9 illustrates a case in which cuda memory is not used . as shown in fig9 , the image from the microscope camera can arrive in the computer memory at 71 . next , the computer can , at 72 , extract the strip buffers from the image into the strips repository . then , the computer can , at 73 , move the image buffer and it can be received at 74 in the full image memory repository . as the application stitches an image , it can also generate tiles from this image , through control , at 75 , by using the memory manager code interface at 76 . moreover , a get method in the memory manager at can copy the tile buffer at 77 when the application needs to have access to a tile , such as to process a tile at 78 . fig1 illustrates a pyramidal structure of an image according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig1 , the scanning result can be a multi - resolution image stored in a pyramidal format . in this format , the high resolution image 81 can be subdivided into spatial tiles that can be used for generating the whole image at different resolutions . in the pyramidal format , each level in the pyramid can be constructed from the predecessor level , while the successor level can use the current level . in other words , each level can be constructed from the level preceding it . for example , for the intermediate level 83 a tile 84 is composed from the four tiles 82 in its predecessor level . in the intermediate level 87 , a tile 86 is composed from the four tiles 85 in the layer below it . the last level can be a single tile 88 , which can also serve as a thumbnail . fig1 illustrates an iterative process according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig1 , for each of the levels there can be three major threads that handle the data . for a given level 96 , the “ merge ” thread 92 can be responsible for collecting the appropriate tiles from the “ tiles repository for level ” in the predecessor level 91 . each of the combined tiles can be added to the “ tiles repository for level ” 93 . the “ compress & amp ; save ” thread 94 can be taking in the ready tiles , compressing them , and then saving them to the disk . the compression method can be defined in the graphical user interface of the application . the “ repository maintenance ” thread 95 can be responsible to manage the “ tiles repository for level ” 93 and to delete each of the tiles that has been saved to disk and also has been consumed by the successor level . accordingly , certain embodiments use a repository / queue and multi - threads for high throughput . moreover , certain embodiments do not keep entire the whole slide image , for example high resolution image , in memory . instead , in certain embodiments , it can be removed from memory as soon as shift is calculated . a backward stitching feature can be used to help making a stitching result reliable at an area of less sample availability . fig1 illustrates a method according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig1 , a method can include at 1210 , analyzing , by a machine , a low resolution image of a sample . the low resolution image of a sample can include a low resolution image of an entire slide . the analyzing can include , at 1215 , evaluating a stitching quality attribute by evaluating data near the border of a plurality of sites inside the low resolution image . the method can also include , at 1220 , determining , by the machine , a scan pattern for the sample based on analysis of the low resolution image of the sample . the determining the scan pattern can be based on the stitching quality attribute for each of the sites . the method can , at 1225 , include determining , for each of the plurality of sites , whether a site is stitchable . the method can also , at 1227 , include determining , for each of the plurality of sites , a set of at least one direction in which a site is stitchable . for example , a given site that is rectangular may be stitchable in up to four directions , based on the contents of its strips . the method can further include , at 1230 , controlling , by the machine , the scan based on the scan pattern , wherein the scan pattern is configured to minimize an amount of back - stitching of scans in the scan pattern . meanwhile , the method can also include , at 1240 , scanning the sites and obtaining the images that correspond to the sites . the method can further include , at 1250 , generating , by a machine , strips corresponding to edges of an image to be stitched with another image to form a composite image . the method can additionally include , at 1260 , storing the strips in a strip repository . the strip repository can be referenced when making determinations about whether stitching is in practice possible for a pair of images . the method can also include , at 1270 , moving , by the machine , the image to a full image repository . the full image repository can store the image in the computer memory or gpu memory or in a large volume disk , such as a hard disk drive . the method can further include , at 1290 , processing tiles from a tiles repository , wherein the tiles include at least one tile obtained from the image . the method can additionally include , at 1291 , tile compression and saving the tiles to disk . after that , the method can include removing tiles from the tile repository , at 1293 . the method can also include , at 1292 , removing , by the machine , the image from the memory before a whole slide of which the image is a part has been processed . the method can include , for example , moving the image from a computer memory to a memory of a graphics processing unit after extracting the strips . the method can further include , at 1280 , stitching the image to another image and , at 1292 , removing the image from a buffer after the stitching . in this case , the stitching can be simply a determination and recording of the appropriate shifts for stitching it is not required that the files themselves be combined . fig1 illustrates an imaging system according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig1 , an imaging system 1300 can include a low resolution analysis section 1310 , which can determine the characteristics of the sample to be scanned as well as characteristics of the tiles to be generated from such a scan . the system 1300 can also include a high level image source 1320 , which can be either a camera for capturing a high level , low resolution macro image , or can be a memory in which the images from such a camera are stored . the system 1300 can also include a scan pattern determination section 1330 . this section can determine the appropriate pattern of a scanner with respect to a slide in time . for example , this section can determine an optimal slide pattern that minimizes back - stitching . the system 1300 can include a stage control 1340 , which can be configured to control the stage used for imaging . the system 1300 can also include a multicore processor and controller 1350 , which can be configured to perform multiple processing tasks in parallel . the imaging system 1300 can also include a memory manager 1360 . the memory manager 1360 can be configured to control which images , tiles , and strips are stored , and in which memory such images , tiles , and strips are stored , as well as when such images , tiles , and strips are removed from the memory . the system 1300 can also include a stitching quality determination section 1370 . this section can determine the stitching attributes of a tile , and can more particularly determine whether a particular stitching is successful or not . the stitching quality determination section 1370 can interface with the memory manager 1360 to determine whether an image should be retained because it has not yet been fully stitched as illustrated in fig7 above . the system can further include a graphical user interface 1380 , which can permit user input , retrieval , supervision , and control , as desired . the various sections of the imaging system 1300 are shown connected by a physical bus . other kinds of interconnections are also permitted . it is permitted to divide up the imaging system 1300 into multiple physical sections that are separate from one another , although the various components are shown together . the various sections can be implemented in hardware or in software and hardware combined . fig1 illustrates an imaging system according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig1 , an imaging system 1400 can include at least one processor 1410 and memory 1420 , which can include computer program instructions . the memory 1420 can be a non - transitory computer - readable medium . the imaging system 1400 can also include a first camera 1430 , which may be a low resolution camera , and a second camera 1440 , which may be a high resolution camera . the imaging system 1400 can also include a stage 1450 or other device by which the camera position can be controlled . the imaging system 1400 can additionally include a user interface 1460 , which can be used to input values and configure parameters of the system . fig1 illustrates another imaging system according to certain embodiments . as shown in fig1 , an imaging system 1500 can include at least one strip generator 1510 and strip repository 1520 , which can include respectively generate and store strips for an image . the imaging system 1500 can also include a full image repository 1530 , which can be configured to store full images . the imaging system 1500 can also be equipped with a memory manager 1540 , which can be responsible for the movement , purging , disposal , and copying of information . the imaging system 1500 can further include a processor 1550 or other controller that can be used to perform processing on images , tiles , strips , and the like . the imaging system 1500 can additionally include a buffer 1560 , which can be used for temporary storage of information , with a relative high speed compared to the strip repository 1520 or full image repository 1530 . one having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the invention as discussed above may be practiced with steps in a different order , and / or with hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed . therefore , although the invention has been described based upon these preferred embodiments , it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications , variations , and alternative constructions would be apparent , while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention . in order to determine the metes and bounds of the invention , therefore , reference should be made to the appended claims . active focus area can refer to the area within a camera fov where the autofocus hardware will evaluate the image information for focus measurement . cuda ™ can refer to a parallel computing platform and programming model of nvidia of santa clara , calif ., which harnesses the power of the graphics processing unit ( gpu ). global slide image can refer to an image that a ccd video camera with appropriate optics is capable of acquiring a full slide in one image . slide can refer to a thin flat piece of glass used to hold objects ( samples ) for examination under a microscope . strip can refer to a slice of the camera image near the image border that is used for stitching to the neighboring image .	6
it is noted that a hybrid power integrated transmission system and control or operational method thereof in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is suitable for a wide variety of transmission - related mechanisms of hybrid energy sources and is applicable to transmission gearboxes of hybrid electric vehicles , hybrid power bicycles , hybrid power boats , solar power stations , incinerators , ocean power generators ( e . g ., tidal power generator , wave power generator or ocean current power generator ) or wind power generators , which are not limitative of the present invention . fig1 shows a block diagram of the hybrid power integrated transmission system operated in integrating power inputs and outputting integrated power in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , including fundamentally operational modes of the hybrid power input functions and the hybrid power output functions , for example . referring now to fig1 , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 includes at least one independently controllable transmission mechanism 100 which is operated to integrate a function of complete power supply from a motor ( vehicle starting state ), a function of complete power supply from an engine ( engine hi - speed operation state ) and a function of integrated power supply from a motor and an engine ( vehicle acceleration state ) to thereby provide several operational modes , including a hi - speed low - torque output mode and a low - speed hi - torque output mode or other similar operational modes . fig2 shows a block diagram of power input and output directions of the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention , corresponding to that of fig1 . referring to fig1 and 2 , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 includes a first power input end 1 a , a second power input end 1 b , a first power output end 1 c and a second power output or third power input end 1 d which are appropriately arranged in the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 . fig3 shows an internal schematic view of a planetary gear train with a positive - ratio drive train type applied in the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig1 and 2 . referring to fig3 , the positive - ratio drive train type has three freedom rotor shafts or a rotor device having a similar mechanism . by way of example , the positive - ratio drive train type planetary gear train includes a first sun gear ps 1 , a first sun - gear rotational axle pss 1 , a second sun gear ps 2 , a second sun - gear rotational axle pss 2 , at least one compound planet gear pp 1 , pp 2 and a planet gear carrier pa . when assembled , the compound planet gear pp 1 , pp 2 is commonly engaged with the first sun gear ps 1 and the second sun gear ps 2 . with continued reference to fig3 , the positive - ratio drive train type planetary gear train provides three freedom rotor shafts formed from the first sun - gear rotational axle pss 1 , the second sun - gear rotational axle pss 2 and the planet gear carrier pa . in operation , the first sun - gear rotational axle pss 1 and the second sun - gear rotational axle pss 2 have the same rotational direction if the planet gear carrier pa is fixed . the term “ basic speed - ratio ” defines a ratio of the rotational speed of the first sun - gear rotational axle pss 1 with respect to the planet gear carrier pa to that of the second sun - gear rotational axle pss 2 with respect to the planet gear carrier pa . a value of the basic speed - ratio is positive . fig4 shows an internal schematic view of the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig1 and 2 . fig5 shows an internal schematic view and numbers of gear teeth of the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig4 . referring to fig4 and 5 , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 includes a first planetary gear train 10 , a second planetary gear train 11 , a first transmission - connecting set 12 and a second transmission - connecting set 13 which are appropriately connected to form the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 with the arrangement of predetermined numbers of gear teeth . fig6 shows a flow chart of a hybrid power integrated transmission method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , corresponding to the hybrid power integrated transmission system shown in fig4 and 5 . referring to fig2 , 5 and 6 , the hybrid power integrated transmission method includes the step s 1 : providing a first power input end 1 a , as best shown in fig2 , on the first transmission - connecting set 12 . by way of example , the first power input end 1 a selectively connects with at least one engine ( e . g . internal combustion engine ) or other power sources . still referring to fig2 , 5 and 6 , the hybrid power integrated transmission method includes the step s 2 : providing a second power input end , a first power output end and a free transmission end on the second transmission - connecting set 13 . as best shown in fig2 , the second power input end 1 b , the first power output end 1 c and the second power output or third power input end 1 d ( free transmission end ) are provided on the second transmission - connecting set 13 . by way of example , the second power input end 1 b is performed as a control end and selectively connects with an electric motor ( or servo motor ) or other power sources . the first power output end 1 c is performed as a prime power output end of the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 while the second power output or third power input end 1 d is performed as a free transmission end of the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 . furthermore , the second power output or third power input end 1 d selectively connects with a motor and generator combined device or a similar device . referring back to fig4 and 6 , the hybrid power integrated transmission method includes the step s 3 : connecting the first transmission - connecting set 12 between the first planetary gear train 10 and the second planetary gear train 11 . as best shown in the upper , middle portion of fig4 , the first planetary gear train 10 has a first connection end and a second connection end which are provided on two sides of the first planetary gear train 10 . as best shown in the lower , middle portion of fig4 , the second planetary gear train 11 has a third connection end and a fourth connection end which are provided on two sides of the second planetary gear train 11 . when assembled , the first transmission - connecting set 12 mechanically connects between the first connection end of the first planetary gear train 10 and the third connection end of the second planetary gear train 11 , as best shown in the left portion of fig4 . still referring to fig4 and 6 , the hybrid power integrated transmission method includes the step s 4 : connecting the second transmission - connecting set 13 between the first planetary gear train 10 and the second planetary gear train 11 . when assembled , the second transmission - connecting set 13 mechanically connects between the second connection end of the first planetary gear train 10 and the fourth connection end of the second planetary gear train 11 , as best shown in the right portion of fig4 . still referring to fig4 and 6 , the hybrid power integrated transmission method includes the step s 5 : controllably shift the free transmission end between a second power output end and a third power input end for integrating input power and transmitting the integrated power . advantageously , the second power output or third power input end 1 d is operated to transmit the integrated power via the second power output end or to recycle waste power ( i . e . braking energy or downhill driving energy ) via the third power input end . still referring to fig4 and 6 , the hybrid power integrated transmission method includes the step s 6 : once reducing or terminating power transmission of the first power output end 1 c , alternatively supplying the power to the second power output end for converting kinetic energy into electric energy ( i . e . driving a generator ) and storing it in a predetermined power storage device ( i . e . battery ) via the second power output end of the second power output or third power input end 1 d . furthermore , a stored power is incorporated into the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 via the second power input end 1 b by utilizing electric energy of the battery to drive a motor or is directly supplied to the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 via the third power input end of the second power output or third power input end 1 d . referring back to fig4 , by way of example , the suitable designs ( equations ) of the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 in accordance with the present invention are given as : ( i ) ⁢ ⁢ if ⁢ ⁢ α ≠ β , α ≠ 1 ⁢ ⁢ and ⁢ ⁢ β ≠ 1 , i 0 ⁢ ⁢ a = ⁢ n pss ⁢ ⁢ 1 ⁢ ⁢ a - n paa n pss ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ⁢ a - n paa = n pp ⁢ ⁢ 1 ⁢ ⁢ a × n p ⁢ ⁢ s ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ⁢ a n p ⁢ ⁢ s ⁢ ⁢ 1 ⁢ ⁢ a × n pp ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ⁢ a = ⁢ α ⁡ ( β - 1 ) β ⁡ ( α - 1 ) ( 1 ) i 0 ⁢ ⁢ b = ⁢ n pss ⁢ ⁢ 1 ⁢ ⁢ b - n pa ⁢ ⁢ b n pss ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ⁢ b - n pab = n pp ⁢ ⁢ 1 ⁢ b × n p ⁢ ⁢ s ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ b n p ⁢ ⁢ s ⁢ ⁢ 1 ⁢ b × n pp ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ b = ⁢ β - 1 α - 1 ( 2 ) ( ii ) ⁢ ⁢ if ⁢ ⁢ α = β = 1 , i 0 ⁢ ⁢ a = i 0 ⁢ ⁢ b ( 3 ) where i 0a is a basic speed ratio of the first planetary gear train 10 , i 0b is a basic speed ratio of the second planetary gear train 11 , n is a rotational speed , and n is a teeth number of gear . with continued reference to fig4 , by way of example , the design ( ii ) with the condition of α = β = 1 is designated to practice the preferred embodiment of the present invention such that the specifications of gears are similar for reducing the manufacturing cost . however , the relation between rotational speeds of the first power output end 1 c and the second power input end 1 b ( control end ) is linear and the coefficient is 1 . the equation of the relation is given as : with continued reference to fig4 , by way of example , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 selectively connects with an engine , an electric motor and a motor and generator combined device and a relation of the rotational speeds thereof is given as : with continued reference to fig4 , by way of example , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 is selectively designed with clockwise and counterclockwise directions of rotation identified as positive and negative respectively , and input and output power of gears of the independently controllable transmission mechanism 100 identified as positive and negative respectively . the power of rotational shafts thereof is given as : where p is power , t is torque , n is a rotational speed and x is a shaft . with continued reference to fig4 , by way of example , the power output of the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 in accordance with the conservation law of energy is given as : with continued reference to fig4 , by way of example , the torque relation of the engine and the motor to the output end applied in the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 is given as : with continued reference to fig4 , by way of example , the power relation of the engine and the electric motor to the motor and generator combined device applied in the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 is given as : with continued reference to fig4 , by way of example , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 is applied in a hybrid electric vehicle , with engine power 74 kw and rotational speed ranging between 0 - 5 , 200 rpm , with motor power 61 kw and rotational speed ranging between 1 , 450 - 6 , 500 rpm , with motor and generator combined power 42 kw and rotational speed ranging between − 6 , 500 rpm to 6 , 500 rpm , and with total power output 100 kw . referring back to fig5 , by way of example , numbers of gear teeth applied in the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 are designed with the condition α = 1 · β = 1 and all numbers of gear teeth is calculated in equation ( 3 ), as shown in table 1 . the numbers of gear teeth applied in the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 are correspondingly shown in fig5 . fig7 shows a chart illustrating power of a motor and an engine in relation to vehicle speeds applied in the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 and 7 , by way of example , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 is controlled to operate a motor and an engine in four operational stages or more . in first operational stage , the vehicle speed is set 0 - 40 km / hr ( vehicle starting state or low - speed driving state ) and the motor is only operated to supply the power to a spindle of the first power output end 1 c via the second power input end 1 b . in second operational stage , the vehicle speed is set 40 - 60 km / hr ( medium - speed driving state ) and the engine starts running to supply power via the first power input end 1 a while the motor is controlled to gradually reduce supplying the power via the second power input end 1 b . in third operational stage , the vehicle speed is set 60 - 140 km / hr ( hi - speed driving state ) and the engine runs to supply main power via the first power input end 1 a while the motor is only controlled to adjust an output rotational speed of the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 . in fourth operational stage , the vehicle speed is set 140 - 180 km / hr ( top - speed driving state ) and in addition to the engine , the motor is operated to supply auxiliary power via the second power input end 1 b . fig8 is shows chart illustrating torques of a first power output end in relation to torques of a first power input end ( engine ) and a second power input end ( motor ) simulated in the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig2 . referring to fig8 , by way of example , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 selectively connects with the motor providing a predetermined torque 220 nm and the engine providing a predetermined torque 240 nm . the simulated output torques of the first power output end 1 a is calculated in equation ( 8 ). fig9 shows a chart illustrating rotational speeds of a second power output end or a third power input end ( motor / generator combined assembly , free transmission end ) in relation to those of a first power input end ( engine ) and a second power input end ( motor ) simulated in the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig2 . referring to fig9 , by way of example , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 selectively connects with the motor providing a predetermined rotational speed 6 , 500 rpm and the engine providing a predetermined rotational speed 5 , 200 rpm . the simulated output rotational speeds of the motor , the engine and the generator are calculated in equation ( 5 ). fig1 shows a chart illustrating power of a second power output end or a third power input end ( motor / generator combined assembly , free transmission end ) in relation to rotational speeds of a first power input end ( engine ) and a second power input end ( motor ) simulated in the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig2 . referring to fig1 , by way of example , the hybrid power integrated transmission system 1 simulated to operate in vehicle braking or downhill driving state and the generator output power to a predetermined battery for charging or a predetermined load . the upmost rotational speeds of the motor and the engine are 6 , 500 rpm and 5 , 200 rpm respectively . the recycled power in various rotational speeds of the motor and the engine are calculated in equation ( 9 ). the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises one motor and one motor and generator combined device connecting with two rotary shaft ends , and further comprises an engine connecting with an input end and an output end such that the hybrid power integrated transmission system has two freedom rotor shafts and two freedom torque shafts . the rotational speed of the power output end only relates that of a prime motor with a linear function and will not interference with that of the motor and generator combined device so as to simplify the entire structure . in order to reduce the manufacturing cost , a single - function generator can replace the motor and generator combined device . the design of one motor and one motor and generator combined device applied in the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention can simplify the entire control provided with the planetary gear train ( epicyclical gear train ) to avoid a high manufacturing cost of planet gears . in driving vehicles , the hybrid power integrated transmission system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention can provides several operational modes of vehicle starting , hi - speed driving or braking to meet the requirement of the hybrid electric vehicle . although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferred embodiment , it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention , as set forth in the appended claims .	5
the present invention is specifically described with reference to the following examples , but is not limited to these examples . test example using additive of group ( a ) ( polysaccharides having high formability ) lm pectin ( 10 parts by weight , genu pectin type lm - 102as - j manufactured by cp kelco ) was added and dissolved , by heating if necessary , in purified water ( 989 . 9 parts by weight ). after the mixture was cooled to room temperature , 0 . 1 parts by weight of cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( manufactured by lsl ) was added to the mixture , sufficiently mixed , and dissolved at room temperature . the obtained preparation solution was dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a medicament - containing composition . for a storage stability test , the obtained medicament - containing composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 30 days , and the allergenic activity at day 7 , day 14 , and day 30 of storage was evaluated by the method described below . table 2 shows the results . preparation solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 1 by the same procedure as in test example 1 , and lyophilized to prepare medicament - containing compositions . in test example 2 , hm pectin ( genu pectin type usp - h manufactured by cp kelco ) was used . in test example 3 , dextran 40 ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in test example 4 , dextran 70 ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in test example 5 , starch ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in test example 6 , pullulan ( manufactured by hayashibara co ., ltd .) was used . the medicament - containing compositions obtained in test examples 2 to 6 were subjected to a storage stability test in the same manner as in test example 1 . table 2 shows the results . the allergenic activity of cry j 1 , which is one of the major cedar pollen allergens , was measured using a cedar pollen antigen elisa kit “ cry j 1 ” ( manufactured by seikagaku biobusiness corporation ). the principle of the measurement kit is a sandwich elisa that uses monoclonal antibodies ( 013 and 053 ) specific to cry j 1 , which is one of japanese cedar ( cryptomeria japonica ) pollen antigens . this kit can specifically measure cry j 1 . a standard solution or a sample ( 20 μl ) was added to a reaction buffer solution ( 100 μl ) included in the kit , and a primary reaction was carried out at room temperature for 60 minutes . then , an hrp - labeled antibody solution ( 100 μl ) was added to the reaction product , and a secondary reaction was carried out for 60 minutes . an enzyme substrate solution ( 100 μl ) was added thereto , and a reaction was carried out at room temperature and shielded from light for 30 minutes . finally , a reaction stop solution ( 100 μl ) was added thereto . subsequently , the ultraviolet absorption intensity at 450 nm was measured . a calibration curve was determined based on the absorption intensity of the standard solution at various cry j 1 concentrations , and the cry j 1 allergenic activity ( ng / ml ) of each sample was determined based on the calibration curve . the cry j 1 allergenic activity % was determined after sampling the pharmaceutical compositions subjected to the storage stability test ( at day 7 , day 14 , and day 30 of storage ) and immediately after production ( 30 minutes and 60 minutes after production ). the cry j 1 allergenic activity % was evaluated based on the following scoring criteria . glucose ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was added and dissolved , by heating if necessary , in purified water ( 989 . 9 parts by weight ). after the mixture was cooled to room temperature , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 0 . 1 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to the mixture , sufficiently mixed , and dissolved at room temperature . the obtained preparation solution was dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a medicament - containing composition . for a storage stability test , the obtained medicament - containing composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 30 days , and the allergenic activity at day 7 , day 14 , and day 30 of storage was evaluated by the same method as in test example 1 . table 4 shows the results . preparation solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 3 by the same procedure as in test example 7 , and lyophilized to prepare medicament - containing compositions . in test example 8 , mannose ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in test example 9 , trehalose ( manufactured by hayashibara co ., ltd .) was used . in test example 10 , raffinose ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in test example 11 , maltitol ( manufactured by hayashibara biochemical laboratories , inc .) was used . in test example 12 , isomalt ( galen 800 manufactured by beneo - palatinit gmbh ) was used . in test example 13 , sorbitol ( manufactured by roquette ) was used . in test example 14 , maltodextrin ( amicol 10 manufactured by nippon starch chemical co ., ltd .) was used . in test example 15 , pvp k25 ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in test example 16 , pvp k30 ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in test example 17 , pvp k90 ( wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . the medicament - containing compositions obtained in test examples 8 to 17 were subjected to a storage stability test in the same manner as in test example 1 . table 4 shows the results . cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 0 . 1 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 999 . 9 parts by weight ), and dissolved at room temperature . subsequently , the resultant mixture was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a medicament - containing composition . the obtained medicament - containing composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c ., and the allergenic activity at day 7 , day 14 , and day 30 of storage was evaluated by the same method as in test example 1 . table 4 shows the results . test examples using group ( b ′) ( additives that are sugars but have no stabilizing effect on cedar pollen allergens ) preparation solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 3 by the same procedure as in test example 7 , and lyophilized to prepare medicament - containing compositions . in comparative test example 2 , mannitol ( manufactured by roquette ) was used . in comparative test example 3 , erythritol ( wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in comparative test example 4 , xylitol ( manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in comparative test example 5 , polyethyleneglycol 4000 ( peg4000 manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . in comparative test example 6 , polyethyleneglycol 20000 ( peg20000 manufactured by wako pure chemical industries , ltd .) was used . peg was used as an example to be tested in comparison to pvp , which is also a water - soluble polymer . the medicament - containing compositions obtained in comparative test examples 2 to 6 were subjected to a storage stability test in the same manner as in test example 1 . table 4 shows the results . as shown in table 4 , the sugars and sugar alcohols shown in test examples 7 to 17 were found to act as allergen stabilizers during lyophilization . on the other hand , the results show that the medicament - containing compositions of comparative test examples in which mannitol and the like reportedly capable of stabilizing other allergens and vaccines were used were not necessarily effective against cedar pollen allergens . in regard to the water - soluble synthetic polymers , pvp was found to show a high stabilizing effect on the allergen . guar gum ( 10 parts by weight , meyro - guar csa200 / 50 , manufactured by danisco ) was added and dissolved , by heating if necessary , in purified water ( 989 . 9 parts by weight ). after the mixture was cooled to room temperature , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 0 . 1 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to the mixture , sufficiently mixed , and dissolved at room temperature . the obtained preparation solution was dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a medicament - containing composition . for a storage stability test , the medicament - containing composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 30 days , and the allergenic activity at day 7 , day 14 , and day 30 of storage was evaluated by the same method as in test example 1 . table 6 shows the results . preparation solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 5 by the same procedure as in test example 18 , and lyophilized to prepare medicament - containing compositions . in test example 19 , locust bean gum ( genugum rl - 200 - j manufactured by cp kelco ) was used . in test example 20 , xanthan gum ( echo - gum t manufactured by dsp gokyo food & amp ; chemical co ., ltd .) was used . in test example 21 , tamarind gum ( glyloid 3s manufactured by dsp gokyo food & amp ; chemical co ., ltd .) was used . in test example 22 , tara gum ( mt120 manufactured by mrc polysaccharide co ., ltd .) was used . in test example 23 , ι - carrageenan ( cp gum fa manufactured by dsp gokyo food & amp ; chemical co ., ltd .) was used . in test example 24 , deacylated gellan gum ( kelcogel manufactured by cp kelco ) was used . the medicament - containing compositions obtained in test examples 19 to 24 were subjected to a storage stability test in the same manner as in test example 1 . table 6 shows the results . test examples using group ( c ′) ( additives that are viscous polysaccharides but have no stabilizing effect on the cedar pollen allergen ) preparation solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 5 by the same procedure as in test example 18 , and lyophilized to prepare medicament - containing compositions . in comparative test example 7 , sodium alginate ( kimica algin il - 6 manufactured by kimica corporation ) was used . in comparative test example 8 , κ - carrageenan ( genugel jpe - 126 manufactured by cp kelco ) was used . the medicament - containing compositions obtained in comparative test examples 7 and 8 were subjected to a storage stability test in the same manner as in test example 1 . table 6 shows the results . as shown in table 6 , the gelling agents used in test examples 18 to 24 were found to act as allergen stabilizers during lyophilization . among these gelling agents , guar gum , locust bean gum , xanthan gum , tamarind gum , and tara gum were found to show a high stabilizing effect on the allergen . lm pectin ( 30 parts by weight ) and glucose ( 10 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 90 days , and the allergenic activity after storage was evaluated by the same method as in test example 1 . the pharmaceutical composition was also evaluated for its properties and solubility in water by the methods described below . table 9 shows the results expressed as scores . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was evaluated based on the following criteria . thereafter , it was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 3 months , and evaluated again after storage . table 9 shows the results . purified water ( 10 . 0 g ) heated to 37 ° c . was added to the obtained pharmaceutical composition ( 1 . 0 g ), and the dissolution of the pharmaceutical composition was observed at room temperature and evaluated based on the following criteria . table 9 shows the results . allergen - containing preparation solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 7 by the same procedure as in example 1 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in examples 2 to 10 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 9 shows the results . dextran 40 ( 60 parts by weight ) and raffinose ( 10 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 800 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 9 shows the results . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 7 by the same procedure as in example 11 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in examples 12 to 18 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 9 shows the results . lm pectin ( 30 parts by weight ) was added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 9 shows the results . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 8 by the same procedure as in comparative example 1 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in comparative examples 2 to 10 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 9 shows the results . lm pectin ( 30 parts by weight ) and mannitol ( 10 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 9 shows the results . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 8 by the same procedure as in comparative example 11 , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in comparative examples 12 to 14 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 9 shows the results . as shown in table 9 , the pharmaceutical compositions of comparative examples 1 to 10 consisting of only one additive from group ( a ) or group ( b ) showed poor stability of the allergen and deteriorated properties at day 90 of storage , which would cause problems in use . however , the pharmaceutical compositions of examples showed improvement in the stability of the allergen and the stability of the properties by the combined use of additives from group ( a ) and group ( b ). raffinose ( 50 parts by weight ) and guar gum ( 5 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 90 days , and the allergenic activity and the properties after storage were evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . the solubility in water was also evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . table 12 shows the results expressed as scores . allergen - containing preparation solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 10 by the same procedure as in example 19 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in examples 20 to 28 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 12 shows the results . guar gum ( 10 parts by weight ) was added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 12 shows the results . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 11 by the same procedure as in comparative example 15 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in comparative examples 16 to 20 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 12 shows the results . raffinose ( 50 parts by weight ) and κ - carrageenan ( 5 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 90 days , and the allergenic activity and the properties after storage were evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . the solubility in water was also evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . table 12 shows the results expressed as scores . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 11 by the same procedure as in comparative example 21 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in comparative examples 22 and 23 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 12 shows the results . as shown in table 12 , the pharmaceutical compositions of comparative examples 15 to 20 consisting of only one additive from group ( c ) showed slightly higher stability of the allergen than the pharmaceutical compositions shown in table 9 , which consist of other additives . however , many of these pharmaceutical compositions have poor properties , problems in use , and an unsatisfactory solubility in water . on the other hand , the pharmaceutical compositions of examples showed that the use of an additive from group ( b ) having high solubility in water in combination with an additive from group ( c ) improved the stability of the allergen , the stability of properties , and the solubility in water , thus allowing easy sensitization to the antigen in the oral cavity . lm pectin ( 30 parts by weight ) and guar gum ( 5 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 90 days , and the allergenic activity and the properties after storage were evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . the solubility in water was also evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . table 15 shows the results expressed as scores . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 13 by the same procedure as in example 29 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in examples 30 to 42 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 15 shows the results . group ( a )+ group ( c ′) ( polysaccharides having high formability + additives that are viscous polysaccharides but have no stabilizing effect ) lm pectin ( 30 parts by weight ) and κ - carrageenan ( 5 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 90 days , and the allergenic activity and the properties after storage were evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . the solubility in water was also evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . table 15 shows the results expressed as scores . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 14 by the same procedure as in comparative example 24 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in comparative examples 25 to 29 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 15 shows the results . as shown in table 15 , the pharmaceutical compositions of examples showed that the combined use of an additive from group ( c ) and an additive from group ( a ) improved the stability of the allergen , the stability of properties , and the solubility in water , thus allowing easy sensitization to the antigen in the oral cavity . in particular , the use of pectin and guar gum or locust bean gum ( both are galactomannans ) was found to show high stability of the allergen . lm pectin ( 30 parts by weight ), raffinose ( 10 parts by weight ), and guar gum ( 5 parts by weight ) were added to purified water ( 850 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at a temperature of 40 to 80 ° c . after dissolution , the mixture was cooled to room temperature . separately , cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder ( 10 parts by weight , manufactured by lsl ) was added to purified water ( 30 parts by weight ), and dissolved therein at room temperature . subsequently , an allergen aqueous solution ( 4 parts by weight ) was added to the above - obtained solution ( in such a manner that the amount of the cedar pollen extract lyophilized powder in the solution would be 0 . 1 parts by weight ) and quickly mixed , and it was made sure that there was no re - gelation . using a ph adjuster ( sodium hydroxide ), the ph was adjusted to 6 . 5 . further , purified water was added to the mixture to adjust the total weight to 1000 parts by weight , thereby obtaining an allergen - containing preparation solution . subsequently , the obtained preparation solution was quickly dispensed in 1 . 0 g aliquots into a vial for lyophilization , and lyophilized to prepare a pharmaceutical composition . the obtained pharmaceutical composition was stored at 40 ± 2 ° c . for 90 days , and the allergenic activity and the properties after storage were evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . the solubility in water was also evaluated by the same method as in example 1 . table 17 shows the results expressed as scores . solutions were prepared with the compositions shown in table 16 by the same procedure as in example 44 , and lyophilized to prepare pharmaceutical compositions . the pharmaceutical compositions obtained in examples 44 to 56 were evaluated in the same manner as in example 1 , and the results were expressed as scores . table 17 shows the results . as shown in table 17 , the combined use of all additives from group ( a ), group ( b ), and group ( c ) improved the stability of the allergen , the stability of properties , and the solubility in water , and allowed easy sensitization to the antigen in the oral cavity . the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention contains specific non - gelatin additives in combination with an allergen , and thus has excellent storage stability for preservation and delivery of the allergen . additionally , according to the method for producing the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention , even an allergen known to have very poor thermal stability can be stably maintained during production , and the resulting pharmaceutical composition also has excellent storage stability .	0
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . refer to fig4 a , which is a schematic diagram illustrating the micromixer with overlapping - crisscross entrance according to an embodiment of the present invention . this present invention consists of two straight , grooved microchannels crossing each other face to face in a tiny area at an angle from 0 to 180 degrees . the construction of the present invention is symmetric with respect to the contact surface between two microchannels . the transverse and longitudinal microchannels 31 , 32 containing fluids a and b respectively are in contact and mix across a small area 33 . the width of each microchannels is about 5 μm to 500 μm and has one inlet and one outlet , wherein the aspect ratio is less than 1 . for detailed investigation of the characteristics of present invention each microchannel has two parts — the inlet ports 33 , 35 , 36 and mixing channel 38 . the inlet ports 33 , 35 , 36 begin from the entrance of the microfluidics device to the end at which two inlet fluids merge . the mixing channel 38 is the region downstream from the inlet port . the longitudinal length l is 2046 . 6 μm ; two microchannels intersect at an angle = 90 . the mixing channel 38 has a plurality of chevron - shaped grooves 39 , 39 ′ which is used for mixing two different fluids . the three - dimension of present invention is numerically analyzed to reveal the velocity field and mixing characteristics of fluid streams . to formulate a mathematical description of mixing processes , some assumptions are proposed as follow . two newtonian fluids with constant density ρ , viscosity μ , diffusion coefficient d are selected . the flow is steady , incompressible and laminar with small reynolds number ( re & lt ;& lt ; 1 ), which signifies that the viscous force dominates and the inertial force is negligible . the body force is negligibly small and scarcely affects the simulation results . the governing equations hence become reduced to continuity ⁢ ⁢ eqution : ∂ u i ∂ x i = 0 ( 1 ) momentum ⁢ ⁢ equation : 0 = - ∂ p ∂ x i + ∂ ∂ x j ⁡ [ μ ⁡ ( ∂ u i ∂ x j + ∂ u j ∂ x i ) ] ( 2 ) species ⁢ ⁢ equation : u i ⁢ ∂ c ∂ x i = d ⁡ ( ∂ c ∂ x i ) 2 ( 3 ) in which u , c and p denote velocity , concentration and pressure , respectively . these three equations are solved with a computational fluid dynamics ( cfd ) package ( cfd - ace ), and are discretized with a finite - volume method . the simplec algorithm is adopted for pressure correction and the space variable is interpolated with a first - order upwind scheme , which is a highly stable scheme . initial flow speeds and concentration in the inlet of flow a in the y - direction entrance and flow b in the x - direction are v =− 0 . 83 μm / s , c = 0 , and u = 0 . 83 μm / s , c = 1 , with peclet number pe = 2 × 10 5 and reynolds number re = 0 . 01 . no slip boundary conditions are prescribed . to obtain accurate simulation results , during preprocessing a structured mesh of hexahedral elements of high quality is built . intensive elements are established near the inlet port and the mixing channel , at which a strong interaction between the two fluids occurs . in these cases the total number of mesh elements is about 800 , 000 . a fabrication process with a multilayer pattern was adopted to build directly the laminated microstructures with standard photolithographic procedures ; the membrane sandwich method is used for three - dimensional construction . several patterned slabs are assembled one by one or sandwiched with two thicker flat covers using the membrane sandwich method . for a micromixer with a complicated structure , designing a fabrication process is typically a difficult step . because the construction of present invention is symmetric with respect to the contact surface between microchannels , the sandwich method was used ; hence the fabrication procedures for the present invention were significantly simplified . additionally , the cast molding is patterned with a photolithographic process using negative tone photoresist , such as su - 8 ( microchem corp .) or jsr ( jsr corp .). a replicate molding technology is then adopted to mold a poly - dimethylsiloxane ( pdms , sylgard 184 silicone elastomer , dow corning ) or polymethymethacry - late ( pmma ) prepolymer mixture into the microstructures of the present invention . then the degassed mixture is poured onto the patterned cast and peels off the cured replicas . finally , teflon pipes are inserted into the access holes on the reservoirs to connect with a syringe pump . the syringe pump was used to manoeuvre the inlet conditions of the present invention . the mixing fluids were pressure - driven into the reservoirs with teflon tubes ( i . d . 0 . 46 mm , o . d . 0 . 92 mm ) and disposable syringes ( 1 ml , with 25 - gauge needles ). aqueous dye liquor was mixed and filtered with food pigment ( daiwa dyestuff mfg . co ., ltd .) and deionized water . the images of the flow field with an inverted microscope ( leica ) and an assembled digital camera are captured . refer to fig4 b , which is vertical distributed streaklines of flow patterns according to an embodiment of the present invention . the horizontal distribution of the streaklines in z =± 0 . 6 μm of the present invention reveals noticeable transverse advection of two fluids , which overcomes the drawback of slight mixing in the inlet port of many existing micromixers . refer to fig5 a and 5b , which are row streaklines of the upper streams and lower streams according to an embodiment of the present invention . the diverting fluids are dispersed near the downstream region of the transverse microchannel , where there is less flow resistance . the well diffusion occurs with l m = h / 2 in present invention , in which l m is proportional to the square root of the mixing interval ( t ) multiplied by the diffusion coefficient ; i . e ., l m ˜ { square root }{ square root over ( dτ )} . the decrease in l m also significantly decreases the mixing length δy m of present invention . a ratio of initial volumetric flow rate between the y - direction and x - direction upstream , q ty / q is , decreases proportionally to the ratio of mass flow rates of separate streams in the x - direction mixing microchannel , { dot over ( m )} i /{ dot over ( m )} 1 . this approach proves to be an excellent method to manipulate flow mixing between two fluids and is potentially extensible to be an active micromixer . refer to fig6 , which is turning ratios and mass flow rate ratios versus various initial flow rate ratios according to an embodiment of the present invention . the turning ratio is defined as the ratio of the diverted flow rate to the initial flow rate upstream from the crisscross . in this work the turning ratios of the x - direction stream range between 0 . 3 and 0 . 6 , whereas those of the y - direction stream are between 0 . 2 and 0 . 57 . the ratio is modulated by the aspect ratio of each channel and varies from 0 to 1 . refer to fig7 a and 7b , which are bulk concentration contours according to an embodiment of the present invention and the staggered herringbone mixer . by virtue of the asymmetric grooved patterns , the turning fluid streams near the short oblique ridges produce a refilling of the first half cycle of the grooves , where the flow resistance is less in a direction parallel to the patterned structures . in contrast the mixing in the staggered herringbone mixer ( shm ) shows that the shm is negligible before the first groove . for the cross sections near the entrance , the fluids within the shm are separated transversely , whereas mixing within the present invention is mainly in the vertical direction , but mixing in the transverse direction also proceeds . hence the dissimilar flow configurations of the mixing channels are demonstrated . at 990 μm ( 0 . 5l ) downstream , which corresponds to half a cycle of the patterned distribution , fluid a begins to roll over fluid b counter clockwise . the advection between the last half a cycle of the present invention significantly enhances the extent of mixing . the streaklines reveal that the mixing in the shm is transverse , whereas in the present invention it is vertical and more pronounced . to analyze quantitatively the mixing performance of the two micromixers , we adopt a mixing index as follows , mixing ⁢ ⁢ index = 1 - σ 2 σ max 2 in σ which is the standard deviation of the concentration across the cross section of the channel at any specific longitudinal location , and σ max is the maximum standard deviation ( unmixed at the inlet ). a smaller standard deviation signifies a greater mixing index , which indicates superior mixing . the value of this mixing index is 0 for completely segregated streams for which σ 2 = σ max 2 , and 1 for completely mixed streams for which σ 2 = 0 . refer to fig8 , which is mixing indexes at various longitudinal distances of x - direction and y - direction channels according to the shm and an embodiment of the present invention . the mixing indexes vary every quarter cycle ( 495 μm ) because the grooved pattern alters periodically every 990 μm . the mixing indexes of the crisscross micromixer vary from 0 . 2 to 0 . 6 as the longitudinal distance increases from 0 to 2000 μm . the same indices are counted to 0 - 0 . 4 for the staggered herringbone mixer . the initial jump of the present invention indicates the effects from the overlapping crisscross entrance , where there is great advection between mixing fluids . in addition , the slope of the mixing index is greater for the present invention than for the staggered herringbone mixer . the flow structure amended by the proposed entrance design is evidently well suited for the patterned groove mixing channel . refer to fig9 , which is the magnified image of the grooves according to fig7 a . fluid a enters from reservoir and leaves through outlet and the other tangential outlet , which is at a direction parallel to the sequence of grooves . refer to fig1 , which is an experimental image of concentration contour on cross sections along the z - axis according to an embodiment of the present invention . the image shows a significant cross flow near the inlet port and similar downstream flow configurations . similar flow patterns between z =± 35 μm and z =± 69 . 7 μm indicate satisfactory agreement of mixing performance between x - direction and y - direction mixing channels . refer to fig1 , which is an experimental image of flow visualization of mixing between ( a ) air and de - ionized water and ( b ) red and white water according to an embodiment of the present invention . mixing fluids of air and deionized water demonstrate the fluid separation as a result of the effects of the overlapping crisscross entrance . by virtue of the reverse distributions between the mixing fluids after flowing into the entrance of the mixing channels , the reverse flow arrangement between red and white water is also displayed . the detailed results of velocity distributions and streaklines reveal that the overlapping crisscross entrance enlarges the contact area between the two mixing fluids and induces tumbling to generate a vertical component of flow . a significant crossflow is developed about the inlet port of the micromixer and activates a restructuring of the flow configuration and mixing patterns in the grooved channels , for which the visual images of our experiments also reveal similar consequences . refer to fig1 , which is a schematic diagram according an embodiment of the present invention . the shape of microchannels 51 , 52 is saw - toothed , wherein the special patterns are grooved in the wall of mixing channels . two microchannels 51 , 52 of same structure repetitively overlap each other in a series of symmetry at angle θ . the present invention combines the overlapping crisscrossed mechanism provides transversal momentum and the groove infrastructure offers fluid spiral momentum , which connected in series has some nodes 53 , 54 , 55 made by way of contacting on periodic exchange and enhances folding and stretching effect in those nodes 53 , 54 , 55 . the advantage of this invention is not only having good mixing efficiency , but also easy for fabrication . because upper and lower fluids of laminar are symmetrical with each other at angle θ , the present invention can make two same flow channels at the same time . modulating the ratios of initial flow rates generates varied ratios of rates of mass flow between the two fluid streams in the mixing chamber . the present invention hence achieves an excellent manipulation of flow mixing between two fluids and is possibly extensible to become a satisfactory active micromixer . comparison of the mixing performance of this novel micromixer indicates that the mixing index ranges from 0 . 2 - 0 . 6 for the present invention and is 0 - 0 . 4 for the staggered herringbone micromixer . obviously , many variations can be made to the above example . for example , the content , number of users , providers , content location , etc . can be changed or adapted according to requirements . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the invention and its equivalent .	1
an ignition chamber 2 of an internal combustion engine in accordance with the present invention is provided in a threaded socket 3 carrying a hexagonal wrench insert 4 . the threaded socket 3 has a wall 5 which is curved and extends into a not shown main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine . passages 6 and 7 communicate the main combustion chamber with the interior of the ignition chamber 2 . the passage 6 extends substantially in an axial direction of the threaded socket 3 , whereas the passage 7 opens substantially tangentially into the ignition chamber . adjacent to the passages 6 and 7 , the ignition chamber has a narrower part 8 on which a wider part 9 and finally a part 9a are provided . a center electrode extends advantageously coaxially with the threaded socket 3 . the center electrode 11 is provided , at the height of a transition between the parts 8 and 9 , with a free end 13 . the center electrode 11 is carried by an insulator 12 inserted into the threaded socket 3 . the center electrode 11 is formed hollow , starting from its free end 13 in direction toward the insulator 12 and is designed as a heat pipe 14 . an insulator shoe 15 is formed on the insulator 12 and surrounds the center electrode 11 concentrically . the transition 10 is eccentric relative to the center electrode 11 . a narrowest point between the center electrode 11 and the transition 10 forms a spark gap 16 . adjacent to the spark gap 16 , the transition 10 serves as a counterelectrode 17 for the center electrode 11 . as seen from the spark gap 16 , a recess 18 is formed in the threaded socket 3 behind the counterelectrode 17 . the recess 18 is formed so that the counterelectrode 17 extends as a nose of the threaded socket 3 against the center electrode 11 , so as to form a further wall for the ignition chamber 2 . by this design of the counterelectrode 16 , it is heated fast to a desired working temperature by burning gases . a fuel - air mixture which is aspirated into the main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine or produced in the latter is passed during a subsequent compacting stroke of the machine from the main combustion engine via the passages 6 and 7 into the part 8 of the ignition chamber and finally into the wider part 9 . because of the tangential arrangement of the passage 7 , the pressed mixture obtains a whirling movement whose axis of rotation is substantially parallel to the center electrode 11 . the mixture is ignited in the spark gap 16 , so that it surrounds the center electrode 11 in burning condition . this burning gas heats predominantly the center electrode 11 and the counterelectrodes 17 as well as the insulator shoe 15 . after a certain time of operation of the internal combustion engine , the center electrode 11 obtains a predetermined temperature . this can be retained constant with the aid of the heat pipe 14 which transmits subsequently supplied heat to the insulator 12 . from there the heat is transmitted in a known manner via the threaded socket and a not shown connecting end for supplying the ignition voltage to a cylinder head 19 of the internal combustion engine and to the surrounding atmosphere . the arrangement of the heat pipe 14 makes it possible that the temperature of the center electrode is selected very high and during the operation is reliably kept below such a temperature as could cause uncontrolled or surface ignition . heating of the center electrode and the counterelectrode 17 results in the fact that during normal operation of the internal combustion engine , the mixture travelling in the spark gap is heated and thereby made ready for ignition . because of this , and because of the stream in the wall close region of 16 , it is possible to reliably ignite the mixture with air surplus . the heat pipe 14 conducts either heat from the center electrode 11 to the insulator shoe 15 or heat from the latter to the insulator 12 . thereby after the start of the internal combustion engine , the insulator shoe 15 is heated fast to a desired free burning temperature , and at the same time is protected against unacceptable heating which can cause uncontrolled ignition . for preventing unnecessary cooling the ignited mixture afterwards , the cross - section of the free end 13 of the center electrode 11 is smaller than the electrode cross - section in the region of the heating pipe 14 of the insulator shoe 15 . the cross - section reduction is formed by provision of two faces 20 . between these faces 20 , the free end 13 has the form of a wedge facing toward the spark gap 16 . the nose - like form of the counterelectrode 17 acts in the same way . the cross - section reduction provides also for an improved supply of the mixture into the spark gap 16 . the threaded socket 3 has a thread 21 at its end facing toward the main combustion chamber and is screwed with the thread into a cylinder head 19 . a surface 22 which is circumferentially closed and formed as a circular ring is located between the thread 21 and the range part 4 and provided with the thread socket 3 . the surface 22 is utilized for limiting the screwing depth of the ignition chamber 2 into the cylinder head 19 and sealing the main combustion chamber from the surrounding atmosphere of the internal combustion engine . between the thread 21 and the surface 22 , the threaded socket 3 is formed as a cylindrical neck 23 concentric with the thread 21 . the diameter of the cylindrical neck 23 and the inner diameter of a hole 24 of the cylinder head 19 surrounding the neck 23 are so selected relative to one another , that when the engine is cooled a certain play is available . this play is so selected depending upon the material of the cylindrical neck 23 and the cylindrical head 19 , that by attaining a desired working temperature of the ignition chamber this play disappears , and the cylindrical neck 23 abuts against the cylindrical head 19 . this abutment provides for transmission of all heat from the neck 23 to the cylinder head 19 so that the desired working temperature of the ignition chamber is not exceeded . in the ignition chamber in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention , a free end 13 &# 39 ; of an electrode 11 &# 39 ; is offset relative to a counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ; in direction of an insulator 12 &# 39 ;. thereby a spark gap 16 &# 39 ; extends between the end 13 &# 39 ; of the center electrode 11 &# 39 ; and the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ; not normal to the axis of the insulator 12 &# 39 ;, but inclined relative thereto , as can be seen from fig3 . this inclined arrangement of the spark plug 16 &# 39 ; acts also for providing an improved supply stream of the fuel - air mixture to be ignited to the spark gap 16 &# 39 ;. a further improvement is attained when the end 13 &# 39 ; is formed semicircular and the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ; is rounded . a recess 18 &# 39 ; between the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ; and the threaded socket 3 &# 39 ; serves so that the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ; extends as a nose and after the start of the internal combustion engine can attain a desired temperature very fast . the special feature of a thread 21 &# 39 ; provided on the threaded socket 3 &# 39 ; of the ignition chamber 2 &# 39 ; of fig3 is that at least in the region which is adjacent to the main combustion chamber , this thread 21 &# 39 ; has an insignificantly smaller pitch than a threaded hole arranged in the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ;. thereby not only lies the thread course of the threaded socket 3 &# 39 ; located closest to the insulator 12 &# 39 ;, on the thread course of the threaded hole in the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ;, but also the thread course which is located in the immediate vicinity of the main combustion engine . via the first - mentioned thread course , the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ; withdraws from the threaded socket 3 &# 39 ; in the region from a wall 5 &# 39 ; with openings 6 &# 39 ; and 7 &# 39 ; and extending into the main combustion engine , so much heat that the wall 5 &# 39 ; is protected from undesirable overheating . disadvantageous uncontrolled ignition is thereby avoided . cooling of the center electrode 11 &# 39 ; and the insulator shoe 15 &# 39 ; formed on the insulator 12 &# 39 ; is also controlled by the construction of the electrode 11 &# 39 ; as a heat pipe . in the ignition chamber in accordance with a third embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 , a center electrode 11 &# 34 ; is formed behind its free end 13 &# 34 ; extending into an ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;, as a heat pipe 14 &# 34 ;. the end 13 &# 34 ; is first conical and then semicircular and extends in a direction which deviates from the axial direction of an insulator 12 &# 34 ;. thereby the end 13 &# 34 ; is directed against a threaded socket 3 &# 34 ; which forms a wall of the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;. the threaded socket 3 &# 34 ; serves as a counterelectrode . between the same and the end 13 &# 34 ; there is provided a spark gap 16 &# 34 ;. the threaded socket 3 &# 34 ; has a thread 21 &# 34 ; adjacent to a sealing surface 22 &# 34 ;. substantially over half the length of the threaded socket 21 &# 34 ;, a ring - shaped recess 31 is provided in the interior of the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;. starting from a wall 5 &# 34 ; extending into the main combustion engine , the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ; is provided in the region of the recess 31 advantageously with three slots 32 . the slots 32 extend in direction of the insulator 12 &# 34 ; up to the ring - shaped recess 31 . between the ring - shaped recess 31 and the thread 21 &# 34 ;, the threaded socket 3 &# 34 ; forms one or more elastic hinges . the longitudinal portion of the thread 21 &# 34 ; which extends between the main combustion chamber and the end of the slot 32 has a certain small play to the cylinder head 12 &# 34 ;. when the fuel - air mixture pressed from the main combustion chamber into the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ; is ignited and then expanded , the passages 6 &# 34 ; and 7 &# 34 ; provide for throttling and cause a negative pressure inside the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ; relative to the main combustion chamber . this negative pressure expands , after aspiration of the mixture into the internal combustion engine , the slotted part of the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ; elastically more or less . as soon as the negative pressure exceeds a preselected value , the thread course of the thread 21 &# 34 ; abuts against the cylinder head 19 &# 34 ; and transmits a part of such heat which is generated during burning of the mixture inside the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;. thereby the temperature of the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ; is regulated in the region of the wall 5 &# 34 ;. the temperature regulation is performed in dependence upon the negative pressure in the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ; which depends upon the loading of the internal combustion engine . in the region between the recess 31 and the main combustion chamber , instead of a thread a not shown conical or cylindrical neck can be arranged on the threaded socket 3 &# 34 ;. an associated hole in the cylinder head 19 &# 34 ; is designed as a negative to the neck . there is also a possibility to form the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ; in registry to the cylinder head 19 &# 34 ; especially thin - walled , so that small or no slots 32 at all are required . an ignition chamber 2 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention has a counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; which is pin - shaped , and a center electrode 11 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; from the previous embodiment . the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; is pressed in a hole 33 which is drilled in a threaded socket 3 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;. the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; can be connected by soldering or welding with or without additional material in a known manner with the threaded socket 3 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;. there is also a possibility to weld the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; flush in the threaded socket 3 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;. the counterelectrode 17 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; improves the supply stream of the fuel - air mixture to a spark gap 16 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; which extends through the center electrode 11 &# 34 ; and cools the mixture after the ignition to only a small extent . in the ignition chamber shown in fig7 a threaded socket composed of an upper part 3a and a lower part 3b has an ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; which is located inside the part 3b , an axial opening 6 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and tangential opening 7 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, a center electrode 11 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and an insulator 12 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;. the center electrode 11 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; extends from an insulator shoe 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; which is formed on the insulator 12 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and has a free end 13 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;. the part 3b has at its periphery a thread 21 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;. substantially over half the length thereof the part 3b has a ring - shaped recess 31 . the portion from the upper end of the recess 31 to the lower end 34 of the part 3b is determined so as to extend into a main combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine , and the part 3b is provided with slots 32 which extend advantageously in planes in which the longitudinal axis of the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is located . the recess 31 reduces the wall thickness of the part 3b and forms thereby an elastic hinge 35 for the region of the part 3b , which is located below the hinge 35 between the slots 32 . below the ring - shaped recess , a receiving opening 35 is provided in the part 3b , and an expander ring 37 is inserted in this opening . in axial direction , the expander ring 37 is secured by a shoulder 38 adjacent to the receiving opening 36 and a nose 39 . the expander ring 37 can also be soldered or welded by zones in the part 3b . it can be composed , for example , of the steel alloy with 20 % of nickel . the part 30b can be composed of a steel alloy with 36 % of nickel . thereby when both parts 36 and 37 are heated by the same degrees , the heat with thermal expansion of the expander ring 37 is greater than that of the part 3b . the expander ring 37 can press against a cylinder head 19 of an internal combustion engine only selective zones of the part 3b which , for example , are subjected to stronger heat loading than other zones . in the above described case , these zones are the hinges 35 up to the end 34 . the expander ring 37 forms a ground electrode . between the expander ring 37 and the free end 13 &# 34 ; of the center electrode 11 &# 34 ;, a spark gap 16 &# 34 ; is formed . the parts 3a and 3b are inserted into one another and soldered or welded with one another . the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is screwed into the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ; of the internal combustion engine so that the lower end 34 extends into a not shown combustion chamber of the engine . the passages 6 &# 34 ; and 7 &# 34 ; communicate the main combustion engine with the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;. in the compressed stroke of the internal combustion engine , the fuel - air mixture to be ignited flows into the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and also flows into the spark gap 16 &# 34 ;. in this spark gap 16 &# 34 ;, the fuel - air mixture is ignited . the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ; is cooled in known manner by cooling air or cooling water . the inflamed mixture provides an especially fast heating of the part 3b and the expander ring 37 to a desired temperature , under the hinges 35 . heating of the expander ring 37 causes an increase of its outer diameter and an expansion of the part 3b . additionally , during the energy conversion in the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, an expansion takes place because of gas pressure . thereby , there is provided below the hinges 35 between the thread course of the thread 21 &# 34 ; and the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ; a strong contact with a predetermined loading of the internal combustion engine . because of this , such quantity of heat energy is withdrawn from the part 3b to the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ; that the temperature of the part 3b and the expander ring 37 does not exceed a preselected highest temperature . since this contact is considerably increased by attaining of a predetermined loading of the internal combustion engine , the temperature region which varies within the working temperature of the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is very narrow . the expansion of the expander ring 37 can be further improved when at least one groove - shaped recess 40 is arranged on its periphery . thereby two peripheral faces 41 and 42 are formed on the expander ring , and both sides of these faces are jointly smaller than the height of the expander ring 37 . the recess 40 serves for a partial heat insulation of the expander ring 37 relative to the part 3b , and a heat withdrawal from the expander ring 37 to the part 3b takes place predominantly via the faces 41 and 42 . thereby the expander ring 37 receives a considerably higher temperature than the part 3b . because of this the expander ring 37 expands more to provide for an increased pressure of the threaded course of the part 3b against the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ;. this produces a steeper regulating characteristic line and thereby a yet narrower temperature range within which the temperature changes during the operation of the internal combustion engine . the maximum temperature of the expander ring 37 is determined by the dimension of the recess 40 . the latter is so dimensioned that the temperatures lies as close as possible below the uncontrolled ignition temperature for the mixture supplied into the ignition chamber . advantageously , the region of the highest temperature is located in the region of the spark gap 16 &# 34 ;. instead of the expander ring 37 formed as an insertable structural element , a not shown expander ring may be provided in the part 3a by forming an annular bead , a ring - shaped rib or the like . in acccordance with a further embodiment shown in fig8 and 9 , the ignition chamber 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is provided , instead of the expander ring 37 , with an expander pipe 50 . an end 51 of the expander pipe 50 forms , in the region of the center electrode 11 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, a ground electrode 52 by its free end 13 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;. another end 53 forms an ignition chamber end wall 54 in which an axially directed passage 6 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; and several passages 7 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; with tangential component are provided . the threaded socket 3c has a hollow threaded nut 3d which has at its outer periphery an annular groove 55 and at its height a ring - shaped closed collar 56 . the expander pipe 50 is inserted into the collar 56 and fixed therein . the expander pipe 50 and the collar 15 are , for example , welded and / or soldered with one another . a free end 57 of the threaded nut 3b , a further inwardly directed ring - shaped collar 58 is arranged . in condition of cold threaded nut 3d and cold expander pipe 50 , an annular gap 59 takes place between the expander pipe 50 and the collar 58 . the threaded nut 3d is slotted in the region between the free end 7 and the first ring - shaped closed collar 56 , so that it is elastically expansible relative to a threaded hole 60 in the cylinder head 19 of the internal combustion engine . for example , three or more slots 61 which are located in planes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the expander pipe 50 are sawed in the threaded neck 3b . during start - up of the internal combustion engine , the expander pipe 50 is heated . below the collar 56 where the higher thermal loading takes place , the heating is fast , since there , because of the annular gap 59 , no heat conducting contact to the threaded neck 3d is available . prior to the part of the expander pipe 50 located below the collar reaching its allowable maximum temperature , the annular gap 50 changes because the expansion of the expander pipe 50 relative to the collar 58 . finally , the expander pipe 50 presses against the lower collar 58 and expands thereby the lower part of the threaded neck 3d so that the latter abuts against the wall of the threaded hole 60 located in the cooled cylinder head 19 &# 39 ;. the lower part of the threaded neck 39 and the collar 58 form now a thermal bridge through which the heat is withdrawn from the expander pipe 50 to the cylinder head 19 &# 39 ;. this heat withdrawal prevents in desirable manner a further temperature increase in the expander pipe 50 . the expander pipe 50 can , as the expander ring 37 of the preceding embodiment , have a greater thermal expansion coefficient than the threaded neck 3d . the passages 7 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; provide , during a compression stroke of the internal combustion engine , along the inner periphery of the expander pipe 50 , a whirling flow of fuel - air mixture , which rotates about the longitudinal axis of the pipe and is increasing . the whirling of the mixture finally reaches a spark gap 62 between the electrode 11 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; and the end 51 of the expander pipe 57 as a ground electrode 62 , and is ignited there . the end 51 has a recess 63 which is located , in direction of flow of the fuel - air mixture , behind the spark gap 62 relative to the ground electrode 52 . the ignited mixture can unobjectionably expand through the recess 63 also transverse to the expander pipe 50 in the threaded neck 3d . it is thereby avoided that the expander pipe 50 with the freshly inflamed fuel - air mixture prevents the temperature increase desired for further flame generation and expansion and the complete burning . this construction of the ground electrode 52 with the subsequently arranged recess 63 can also be selected for spark plugs whose hollow threaded neck and center electrodes are different as compared with those described above . at the height of the free end 13 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; of the center electrode 11 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, an opening 64 directed toward the spark gap 62 is provided in the threaded neck 3d . the length of the spark gap 62 is measured by this opening 64 and is adjustable by bending of the center electrode 11 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;. a further opening 65 can be used for illumination of the spark gap 62 during measuring and bending or cleaning . the openings 64 and 65 can also serve for orientation during assembly of the individual parts 3d , 11 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; and 50 . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an internal combustion engine and an ignition chamber thereof , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention .	5
the structure and operation of preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described , after first briefly describing the drawings . fig1 is an isometric view of a catheter of this invention . fig2 is an enlarged sectional view of the tip of the catheter of fig1 . fig3 is an enlarged isometric view of an insert portion of fig2 . fig4 is an enlarged isometric view of a transducer portion of fig2 . fig5 is a view similar to fig4 showing an alternate transducer . fig7 is a view similar to fig2 showing an alternate transducer construction . fig8 is a view similar to fig2 showing yet another embodiment . fig9 is a view similar to fig2 showing yet another embodiment . fig1 is a view similar to fig2 showing yet another embodiment . referring to fig1 - 6 , catheter 10 has a generally cylindrical soft plastic tube 12 ( e . g ., of pvc ) cut away at its tip 14 to provide a sloping surface 16 and a platform 18 . main lumen 20 extends along the central axis 22 of the catheter and communicates with rectangular opening 24 through platform 18 . lumen 26 is parallel to lumen 20 and opens to the exterior through hole 28 in surface 16 . rectangular ( 2 × 10 mm ) stainless steel plate 40 is mounted in opening 24 and fixed to stainless steel tube 42 in lumen 20 . transducer 50 , a thin piezoelectric polymer ( preferably poled capacitor grade solvay polyvinylidene fluoride , &# 34 ; pvf 2 &# 34 ;) film 52 carrying vacuum deposited silver electrodes 54 and 56 on one side , is cemented to plate 40 with the electrodes face down and communicating with lumen 20 through opening 58 in plate 40 and through cavity 59 in tube 42 . as shown in fig2 piezoelectric film 52 is supported at its periphery on plate 40 and is unsupported where it overlies opening 58 . leads 60 and 62 connected to the electrodes pass through lumen 20 for connection to external circuitry ( not shown ). as shown in fig4 electrodes 54 and 56 have alternating , evenly spaced interlocking fingers 64 , 66 , 68 , and 70 arranged in a generally oval &# 34 ; interdigitated &# 34 ; pattern , and opening 58 is oval to match . alternatively ( fig5 ), the electrode pattern can be rectangular , or ( fig6 ) even circular ; the shape of plate 40 and its opening 58 would vary correspondingly . the tip of the catheter is potted with epoxy at 72 , and epoxy seals plate 40 to tube 12 at 74 . the embodiments of fig7 - 10 have elements corresponding to those of fig1 - 4 , as indicated by the use of common reference numerals ; we now describe how these embodiments differ . in fig7 electrodes 84 and 86 are on opposite sides of piezoelectric pvf 2 membrane 88 , and lead 90 from electrode 84 passes through epoxy 74 to lumen 20 . insulating layer 91 covers outer electrode 84 . in fig8 stainless steel frame 94 has a main cylindrical body 96 , a cylindrical portion 98 of reduced diameter that fits the end of the catheter lumen 20 , and an annular tip 100 . bore 102 communicates between lumen 20 and circular opening 104 in tip 100 . circular , concave , piezoelectric membrane 110 , with two electrodes 112 ( e . g ., in the form shown in fig6 ) on one surface , is cemented electrodes - down to the rim of the bore 102 . leads 114 and 116 run from the electrodes through bore 102 and lumen 20 . epoxy is provided at 118 and 120 . the diameter of bore 102 is large enough at its top to fully expose electrodes 112 . in fig9 the catheter tube 140 is itself of pvf 2 , potted at its tip with epoxy 142 . electrodes 144 and 146 are concentric , 5 mm wide rings of metal deposited on the inner and outer walls of tube 140 , respectively . leads 148 and 150 run from the electrodes through lumen 152 . the portion of tube 140 between the electrodes , at 154 , is made piezoelectric by poling the pvf 2 there after application of the electrodes . parylene insulation 160 covers outer electrode 146 . a calibration lumen , as in fig2 may be added . in fig1 the inner electrode ring 144 of fig9 is replaced by electrically conductive liquid 180 sealed in lumen 182 , and lead 184 is embedded in the wall of tube 140 . lead 186 is inserted directly into the liquid and exits through plug 188 at the rear of the catheter . in the embodiment of fig1 - 6 catheter 10 is first prepared by filling lumen 26 with liquid , preferably a saline solution , and is connected to external transducer 200 through 3 - way valve 202 . catheter 10 is introduced into the desired organ where actual intraorgan pressure is measured as follows . stress generated by pressure ( in both audible and inaudible frequency ranges ) in an organ acts to deform piezoelectric film 52 inwardly , thereby producing strains along its surface . cavity 59 , defined by the perimeter of opening 58 and the inner walls of stainless tube 42 , is large enough to permit the unobstructed flexing of piezoelectric film 52 as it deforms inwardly , so - called &# 34 ; bending mode &# 34 ; operation . film 52 being piezoelectric , strains therein generate an electrical charge , which is proportional to the strain , between interdigitated electrodes 54 and 56 which are attached to the surface of the film where the piezoelectric effect is very strong . advantageously , because transducer 50 carries electrodes on one surface only , excellent sensitivity is achieved , not only because the piezoelectric effect is strongest near the surface of film 52 where the strain is greater and where the electrodes are located , but also because electrodes 54 and 56 , being on the inner surface of piezoelectric film 52 , are electrically and thermally insulated by the thickness of film 52 , thus avoiding electrical &# 34 ; noise &# 34 ; and various artifacts due to imperfect insulation or temperature fluctuations . the free flexing permitted by cavity 59 also enhances sensitivity . the interdigitated pattern of electrodes 54 and 56 forms relatively long and narrow evenly spaced gaps between interlocking fingers 64 , 66 , 68 , and 70 , increasing the piezoelectric effect when film 52 flexes . further , the location of electrodes 54 and 56 on the surface of film 52 , where the strain is greatest , permits use of film of increased thickness , where , for example , higher blood pressures will be encountered . due to the wide bandwidth of piezoelectric polymers , sound and pressure can be detected using the same sensor . the signal , transmitted through leads 60 and 62 from electrodes 54 and 56 to external circuitry ( not shown ), is electronically filtered , using conventional means , in two different ranges ( e . g ., 0 - 40 hz and 50 - 500 hz ) and the two resulting signals are read out as pressure and sound respectively . the rigidity of stainless steel plate 40 and stainless steel tube 42 assists in assuring proper control of the rotation and direction of the catheter tip , and avoids any undesirable artifacts due to inadvertent bending of the catheter tip by pressure acting thereon . the mean value of intraorgan pressure is transmitted through lumen 26 ( which is too long and has too large a diameter to respond with sensitivity to the detailed fluctuations in pressure measured through film 52 ) to transducer 200 . by combining the output of transducer 200 with the outputs from leads 60 and 62 , a display can be generated showing fluctuation of intraorgan pressure about its mean baseline . the baseline can be calibrated from time to time by turning valve 202 to expose transducer 200 to the atmosphere . in the embodiment of fig7 with electrodes 84 and 86 on opposite sides of membrane 88 , operation is in the &# 34 ; bending &# 34 ; mode as that of the embodiments of fig1 - 6 but , here , in addition , the continuous electrodes on both sides of the membrane are sensitive to strain uniformly distributed throughout the thickness of the film . insulating layer 90 thermally and electrically insulates outer electrode 84 . in the embodiment of fig8 piezoelectric membrane 110 also operates in the &# 34 ; bending &# 34 ; mode . rigid frame 94 ensures that there is no bending of piezoelectric membrane 110 other than inwardly of bore 102 which is wide enough to permit unobstructed flection of the membrane . annular tip 100 acts as a cage to avoid dangerous contact between membrane 110 and , for example , the inner walls of blood vessels . in the embodiments of fig9 and 10 the wall of the catheter itself beneath electrode 146 is piezoelectrically activated with the result that the inner to outer diameter ratio of tube 104 can be chosen so as to enhance sensitivity ( the thinner the wall , the greater the sensitivity ). the piezoelectrically activated portion of the catheter wall operates in the &# 34 ; bending &# 34 ; mode as the embodiment of fig7 with parylene insulation 160 thermally and electrically insulating outer electrode 146 . these embodiments offer the advantages of great simplicity in , and ease of , construction together with robustness . moreover , reduced cost due to the ease of construction makes possible the commercial production of relatively cheap disposable catheters , there being no separate sensor . the use of a liquid electrode in fig1 further simplifies construction .	0
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . the base station system shown in fig1 includes a baseband processing device rec ( radio equipment controller ) which is connected to a radio network control device rnc ( radio network controller ) via the interface called lub in umts . the baseband processing device rec is connected to the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 ( re : radio equipment ) via a respective cpri interface cpri . the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 emit subscriber station data to subscriber stations and receive such data from them . fig1 shows , by way of example , the subscriber station ms which is connected to the transmission and reception unit re 1 via the radio interface called uu in umts . each transmission and reception unit re 1 , re 2 and re 3 is responsible for emitting radio signals on a radio frequency or in a frequency band and / or to a sector . the cpri interface is described in the currently valid standard version cpri specification v2 . 0 , whose content is referred to here and which is part of the disclosure of the application . the cpri interface uses an electrical and / or optical transmission method on the physical layer . the cpri interface is used to transmit various data types , namely synchronization information , control information and useful data , using a time - division multiplex method . the cpri standard defines layers 1 and 2 of the iso / osi protocol stack of the cpri interface . in line with the related art , the information transmitted via the cpri interface is a continuous synchronous data stream which includes the time - division multiplexed data types . the cpri data , i . e . the information transmitted between the baseband processing device rec and the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 via the cpri interface cpri , are transmitted as ethernet packets . as fig2 shows , this is done by virtue of the baseband processing device rec being connected to an ethernet switch ethernet switch which is connected to the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 . this means that the ethernet protocol ethernet is used for the cpri data on the bottommost layer of the iso / osi protocol stack . in contrast to the related art , a continuous synchronous data stream is not transmitted via the cpri interface , but rather ethernet packets . above the ethernet layer there are layers specified on the basis of cpri for processing the cpri data . in line with the current cpri standard , the physical layer permits data rates of 614 . 4 mbit / s , 1228 . 8 mbit / s or 2457 . 6 mbit / s . for transmission via ethernet lines , data rates of 10 mbit / s , 100 mbit / s , 1 gbit / s or 10 gbit / s are possible . it would therefore be necessary to use a 1 gbit / s ethernet line for the 614 . 4 mbit / s cpri connection , two 1 gbit / s ethernet lines for the 1228 . 8 mbit / s cpri connection and three 1 gbit / s lines for the 2457 . 6 mbit / s cpri connection . to reduce the number or bandwidth of the ethernet lines required for transmitting cpri data , and hence to be able to transmit the cpri data efficiently as ethernet packets , the following modifications are possible : for the cpri line code , 8 respective bits are complemented by two bits of redundancy on the physical layer . if this line code is dispensed with , this reduces the cpri data rate to 491 . 520 mbit / s , 983 . 040 mbit / s or 1966 . 080 mbit / s . the use of the ethernet protocol on the physical layer adds a line code , which means that the cpri data are transmitted in line - encoded form despite the disappearance of the cpri line code . in line with the related art , during the cpri transmission , the receiver can identify from the line code what components of the cpri data can be found at what location within the continuous cpri data stream . if the cpri line code is dispensed with , an association should be provided between the structure of the cpri data and the ethernet packets which contain the cpri data . by way of example , the ethernet packets can have information fields added to them which indicate the start and end of the cpri frame and the cpri hyperframe . removal of the manufacturer - specific information and / or of the bits reserved for future expansions : the removal of the manufacturer - specific control information from the cpri data results in a reduction in the cpri data rate by the removal of the bits reserved for future expansions from the cpri data results in a reduction in the cpri data rate by depending on the form of the base station , a different number of antenna signals is required , an antenna signal being understood to mean the signal emitted or received by an antenna . usually , a umts base station has six antennas , whereas a micro base station has just one antenna . the different number of antennas used means that it is possible that transmission resources which are provided and reserved for antenna signals are not used in the case of cpri . for unused antenna signals , zeros are transmitted between the baseband processing device rec and the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 . removing these unused resources from the cpri data reduces the bandwidth required for transmitting cpri data further . using the measures explained , it is possible to transmit a connection for cpri data , which originally requires 1228 . 8 mbit / s , via 1 gbit / s ethernet line , a 2457 . 6 mbit / s cpri connection via two 1 gbit / s ethernet lines and a 614 . 4 mbit / s cpri connection via a few 100 mbit / s ethernet lines . if the cpri data are transmitted using ethernet packets , existing ethernet lines can be used to connect the baseband processing device rec to the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 . fig3 a and 3b show examples of the use of existing ethernet lines for the connection between the baseband processing device rec and the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 . the configuration shown in fig3 a is particularly suitable for indoor applications , i . e . for cases in which the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 are inside a building . the baseband processing device rec is connected to the ethernet switch ethernet switch by a gigabit ethernet line gbe , whereas the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 are respectively connected to the ethernet switch ethernet switch by two 100 mbit ethernet lines 100 mbe . it is naturally possible for the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 to be respectively connected to the ethernet switch ethernet switch by different numbers of ethernet lines . an indoor base station usually provides coverage for just one radio cell , a radio cell being understood to mean a particular sector in combination with a particular frequency band . an indoor base station therefore has no requirement for high data rates to be transmitted from and to the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 , which means that the two 100 mbit ethernet lines 100 mbe are sufficient to supply one transmission and reception unit re 1 , re 2 or re 3 each . in the case of 100 mbit ethernet lines , an electrical transmission method is used , and the range of these connections is several 100 meters at most . many buildings are wired with 100 mbit ethernet lines , which means that already existing lines can be used for transmitting the cpri data . the configuration shown in fig3 b is particularly suitable for metro applications , i . e . for instances in which the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 are distributed within an area which is approximately the size of a town . the baseband processing device rec is connected to the ethernet switch ethernet switch by a gigabit ethernet line gbe , and the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 are also respectively connected to the ethernet switch ethernet switch by a gigabit ethernet line gbe . for radio coverage in an urban area , the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 need to cover a larger geographical area in comparison with the indoor scenario , and in this case a base station usually provides coverage for a plurality of radio cells . a larger volume of information is therefore sent to and received from subscriber stations by the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 than in the case of the indoor scenario , which means that it is appropriate to connect the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 by gigabit ethernet lines gbe . for the gigabit ethernet lines gbe , an optical transmission method is used , which means that the gigabit ethernet lines can extend over several kilometers . instead of the gigabit ethernet lines gbe , it is also possible to use 10 gigabit ethernet lines . transmitting cpri data over gigabit ethernet lines is advantageous because these connections are not expensive and are increasingly being laid . it is advantageous if the ethernet lines are used to transport not exclusively cpri data but also other data . the ethernet lines &# 39 ; transmission resources can therefore be split between the cpri application and other applications . since the cpri data need to be transmitted in real time , it is advantageous to use the vlan ( virtual local area network ) technology known from ethernet . this allows the cpri data to be allocated a higher priority than the data of the other applications . vlan is described by way of example in ieee : carrier sense multiple access with collision detection ( csma / cd ) access method and physical layer specification , ieee standards ieee 802 . 3 , 2002 , part 1 , particularly pages 42 and 43 , and 802 . 1q , ieee standards for local and metropolitan area networks , virtual bridged local area networks , may 7 , 2003 . if a plurality of parallel ethernet lines are being used , as in fig3 a between the ethernet switch ethernet switch and the transmission and reception units re 1 , re 2 and re 3 , for example , it is appropriate to use the link aggregation method known from ethernet , described by way of example in ieee : carrier sense multiple access with collision detection ( csma / cd ) access method and physical layer specification , ieee standards ieee 802 . 3 , 2002 , part 2 , particularly pages 269 ff . in this context , data are alternately passed to the plurality of lines . the system also includes permanent or removable storage , such as magnetic and optical discs , ram , rom , etc . on which the process and data structures of the present invention can be stored and distributed . the processes can also be distributed via , for example , downloading over a network such as the internet . the system can output the results to a display device , printer , readily accessible memory or another computer on a network . a description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “ at least one of a , b and c ” as an alternative expression that means one or more of a , b and c may be used , contrary to the holding in superguide v . directv , 358 f3d 870 , 69 uspq2d 1865 ( fed . cir . 2004 ).	7
the present invention is directed to a coating of a hard material on the surface of a soft material . the product , which is preferably , tubing or film , a multilayered article that has soft characteristics for flexibility , patient comfort and ease of clamping to control the flow of fluids . for medical grade tubing , the product preferably has good bonding properties and minimizes risk of exposing a patient to substances that can migrate from the tubing to medical fluids , such as blood , saliva , etc . in one embodiment , the hard material , or coating , and soft material are polymers that are characterized as essentially linear , segmented , aliphatic polyurethane elastomers . this family of polymers , being aliphatic and polyether or polycarbonate - based with 100 % urethane linkages in the molecular backbone , exhibit superior flexural life and outstanding hydrolytic stability . in addition , the polymers can be pelletized and extruded to form a variety of shaped devices . in one embodiment , the soft material is a soft / tacky polyurethane . soft grades of polyurethane alone are tacky . tacky materials are difficult to handle and they stick together and to other materials , such as packaging . tacky materials are difficult to separate , especially when clamped , and are difficult to move passed each other and passed other materials . when the tacky materials are warm , the tack points create optical defects . these defects may effect the performance of the product . however , with a hard material , such as polyurethane coating , placed on the soft material , such as polyurethane , the problems associated with tacky materials diminish . basic polyurethanes are reaction products of at least one polyol , which can be a polyether , polycarbonate or polyester , with a diisocyanate or polyfunctional isocyanate material . typically , a polyurethane has three basic building blocks : a polyol , a diisocyanate and a chain extender . polyurethane polymers contain hard segments and soft segments , which gives it rubbery properties . the soft segment is made up of the polyol , while the hard segment is made up from the diisocyanate and the chain extender . the hardness of the polyurethane can be adjusted by the amount of the reactants used to make the polyurethane . greater amounts of polyol will give softer materials while greater amounts of diisocyanate and chain extender give harder materials . the polyol used in this invention is preferably a polycarbonate glycol , such as polycarbonate diol or a polyether diol . hydroxyl terminated polycarbonates can also be used as the polyol for the polyurethanes of this invention . molecular weight ( mn ) of the polycarbonate polyol can vary from about 500 to about 10 , 000 but in a preferred embodiment , it will be in the range of about 500 to about 2 , 500 . when polycarbonate is used as the polyol , the resulting polyurethane is referred to as a polycarbonate polyurethane . the hydroxyl terminated polycarbonate polyol can be prepared by reacting a glycol with a carbonate . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 131 , 731 discloses hydroxyl terminated polycarbonates and their preparation . hydroxyl terminated polyether polyols are derived from a diol or polyol having a total of from 2 to 15 carbon atoms , preferably an alkyl diol or glycol which is reacted with an ether comprising an alkylene oxide having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms , typically ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or mixtures thereof . for example , hydroxyl functional polyether can be produced by first reacting propylene glycol with propylene oxide followed by subsequent reaction with ethylene oxide . primary hydroxyl groups resulting from ethylene oxide are more reactive than secondary hydroxyl groups and thus are preferred . useful commercial polyether polyols include poly ( ethylene glycol ) comprising ethylene oxide reacted with ethylene glycol , poly ( propylene glycol ) comprising propylene oxide reacted with propylene glycol , poly ( tetramethyl glycol ) comprising water reacted with tetrahydrofuran ( ptmg ). polytetramethylene ether glycol ( ptmeg ) is the preferred polyether polyol . polyether polyols further include polyamide adducts of an alkylene oxide and can include , for example , ethylenediamine adduct comprising the reaction product of ethylenediamine and propylene oxide , diethylenetriamine adduct comprising the reaction product of diethylenetriamine with propylene oxide , and similar polyamide type polyether polyols . copolyethers can also be utilized in the current invention . typical copolyethers include the reaction product of thf and ethylene oxide or thf and propylene oxide . these are available from basf as poly thf b , a block copolymer , and poly thf r , a random copolymer . the various polyether polyols generally have a number average molecular weight ( mn ), as determined by assay of the terminal functional groups which is an average molecular weight , of from about 500 to about 10 , 000 , desirably from about 500 to about 5 , 000 , and preferably from about 700 to about 3 , 000 . the diisocyanate is an isocyanate compound with the functionality of two isocyanates . exemplary aliphatic diisocyanates include hexamethylene diisocyanate ( hdi ), isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ), trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate ( tmhdi ), dicyclohexyl methane diisocyanate ( hmdi ), and dimer acid diisocyanate ( ddi ). the diisocyanate is preferably hmdi . suitable chain extenders are lower aliphatic or short chain glycols having from about 2 to about 10 carbon atoms and include for instance ethylene glycol , diethylene glycol , propylene glycol , dipropylene glycol , 1 , 4 - butanediol , 1 , 6 - hexanediol , 1 , 3 - butanediol , 1 , 5 - pentanediol , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol hydroquinone di ( hydroxyethyl ) ether , neopentylglycol , and the like . the preferred chain extender is 1 , 4 - butanediol . the mechanical properties of the polyurethane tend to change with changes in molecular weight , intermolecular forces , and building blocks of the polyurethane . the ratio of polyol to diisocyanate generally determines the hardness of the polyurethane . preferably , the soft and tacky polyurethanes have a shore durometer of from about 40a to about 95a , preferably from about 65a to about 85a , and the hard polyurethanes have a shore durometer of from about 95a to about 85d , preferably from about 40d to about 75d . the durometers are determined by astm d2240 . if a polycarbonate aliphatic polyurethane is used as the hard layer , a slightly lower shore hardness may be used than when a polyether aliphatic polyurethane is used . when a polycarbonate aliphatic polyurethane is used as the hard layer , the shore hardness of the hard layer will be from about 70a to about 80d , preferably from about 95a to about 60d . polycarbonate polyurethanes are not as tacky as polyether polyurethanes and therefore less hardness is required in the polycarbonate polyurethane to remove the tack problem . other chemical , mechanical , and biological properties of the soft material and the hard material include high tensile strength , high ultimate elongation , good biocompatibility , high abrasion resistance , good hydrolytic stability , capability of sterilization with ethylene oxide and gamma radiation , retention of elastomeric properties at low temperature , and good melt processing characteristics for extrusion , injection molding , and other processes . exemplary polyurethanes include thermoplastic polyurethanes , available from thermedics polymer products and commercially available as tecoflex ® polyurethanes , tecothane ® polyurethanes , and carbothene ® polyurethanes . other ingredients may be added to the polyurethane polymers used in this invention . such other ingredients can include catalysts , antioxidants , lubricants , tinting agents , and the like as are well known to those skilled in the art . preferably , the other ingredients are added to the reactants before the reaction occurs to form the polyurethane . the polyurethanes may be synthesized to range from very hard to soft to tacky . the polyurethanes may be manufactured by reacting a hydroxyl group of the polyol , or polycarbonate glycol , with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate component and the other isocyanate group of the diisocyanate with a terminal hydroxyl or amine group of the chain extender . in one embodiment , the polymerization is carried out in the presence of a solvent . in another preferred embodiment , the polymerization involves a bulk polymerization process . in the bulk polymerization process , all of the raw materials are melted and placed in a reactor , where the reaction is initiated with the addition of isocyanate . the polymerization takes place in the presence of a difunctional hydroxyl compound . for example , as shown in fig1 , the polyurethane may be prepared from two components , which can be referred to as part a and part b . part a is the aliphatic diisocyanate . part b is comprised of the polyol , the glycol chain extender , a catalyst , an antioxidant , and a lubricant . the proper stoichiometric proportions of part a and part b are emulsified by a mixer at room temperature to form a moderately reactive thixotropic mixture having a viscosity below about 2500 cps . since the emulsification introduces air into the reactive mixture , the air must be removed . the air bubbles are removed by placing a vessel containing the emulsion under a bell jar and evacuating the air from the bell jar with a suction device . the bell jar is evacuated to a pressure of about 0 . 3 microns and the mixture is kept under the bell jar about 8 minutes causing the mixture to appear to boil . after the emulsion is taken from the bell jar , it is allowed to stand until the exothermic reaction that is taking place brings it to a temperature of about 40 ° c . at this point , the emulsion is preferably poured into a pan where it is allowed to flow to form uncured sheets . the pan with the sheets is then placed in an oven and heated at a temperature of at least 110 ° c . for four hours or more until the elastomer is cured . the sheets are then chopped up or pelletized in a standard pelletizer resulting in pellets approximately ¼ inch in length . these pellets are then used in machinery suitable for an extrusion of the desired product . alternatively , the pellets may be dissolved in a solvent , such as dimethyl acetamide , tetrahydrofuran , 1 , 4 dioxane and m - pyrrol . the solution may then be used to make an article by a solvent casting method . these methods are further described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 447 , 590 , the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference . the hard material ( e . g ., polyurethane ) coating decreases tubing chemical susceptibility ( solvent attack ), cosmetic defects found with the soft extruded materials , and tack found with the soft material . the coating of hard material ( e . g ., polyurethane ) improves the strength of the tube , decreases drug interactions with the tube , and improves biocompatibility of the tube surfaces . the coating also allows the use of soft / tacky material ( e . g ., polyurethane ) without any additives that would reduce the tack through chemistry . in particular , at least the fluid contacting surfaces of the tubing contain no phthalate or citrate esters or other plasticizers , which are capable of leaching into pharmaceutical fluids . blood clotting , rejection responses , and tissue inflammation are minimized . the polymeric blends , tubing , and tubing assemblies also preferably avoid absorption of solvents , drugs , pharmaceutical agents and other materials that come in contact with them . the polyurethanes of this invention pass biocompatibility and biostability testing . to demonstrate the biocompatibility of the aliphatic polyurethanes used in this invention , the following tests are used : to demonstrate the biostability of the aliphatic polyurethanes used in this invention , the test used was the implantation test , 2 - week histopathology . the test was conducted in accordance with iso standards 10993 — part 6 ( 1994 ); tests for local effects after implantation . the hard and soft layers of the articles made according to this invention both pass all of the above listed tests for biocompatibility and biostability . this is an important feature of this invention . since the end use products , such as tubing , of this invention are to be used in medical applications , it is important that they exhibit biocompatibility and biostability . the hard material ( e . g ., polyurethane ) can be placed on the outer surface , the inner surface or both surfaces of the soft material ( e . g ., polyurethane ). for example , fig2 shows a device , such as medical tubing , having a hard material 10 on an outer surface 12 of a soft material 14 , fig3 shows coatings 20 and 21 placed on an outer surface 22 and inner surface 23 , respectively , of a soft polyurethane 24 . the inner and outer hard coating materials may be the same materials , similar materials , or different materials . fig4 shows a hard coating 31 placed on an inner surface 33 of a soft polyurethane 34 . although fig2 - 4 show the coatings on a round device , the device may be of any shape and size . for example , the tubing may be a profile tube , as shown in fig5 , where a coating 40 is placed on an outer surface 42 of a soft polyurethane 44 . in addition , the hard materials may be placed on other medical devices , as well as non - medical devices that contain tacky materials . for example , the hard material may be placed on piping used as process lines in aqueous systems , such as water treatment systems , potable and non - potable water supply lines , low pressure feed lines , exhaust lines , water or aqueous discharge lines , gas vents , conduit for dry solids , underground conduit for wiring , and overhead conduit and on piping used in secondary containment systems , sewer lining systems , irrigation systems , production wells , monitoring wells , injection wells , leachate collection systems , and sprinkler systems . the coating may also be used on sheeting , including stockpile covers ( e . g ., cover contaminated soils to prevent rainwater from infiltrating soils and groundwater ), pond , container , and lagoon liners , truck bed liners , dump truck covers , foundation liners , boots for sealing piping with other structures , barriers in slurry walls , and dust control enclosures and grids and mesh , including geo - grids for soil stabilization , temporary fencing , sacrificial layer in underground utilities , wick drains , filter applications such as in soil collection systems , and silt fence . further applications include drums , lids , and other containers , temporary dam structures , concrete form for underwater applications , pontoons and other buoyancy devices , and disposable boots and boot liners , gloves , and sampling devices . the hard material improves handling of the article and is placed on the article in a thickness not to effect the soft characteristics of the article . the thickness of the coating must be large enough to reduce the surface tack , but small enough to not significantly change the stiffness of the article . in one embodiment , the thickness of the coating ranges from about 0 . 0001 to 0 . 010 inches , depending on the size of the tube . for example , for a tube with a 0 . 025 inch wall , the preferred coating thickness is about 0 . 0005 to 0 . 001 inches . for larger tubes , the thickness of the hard material could be thicker than 0 . 001 inches . in one embodiment , processing of the materials is performed under common coextrusion techniques . coextrusion is a polymer processing method for bringing different polymeric materials together to form unitary layered structures , such as films , sheets , fibers , and tubing . this allows for unique combinations of materials , and for structures with multiple functions , such as , barrier characteristics , radiation resistance , and heat sealability . in coextrusion processes , different extruders are used for each different material used in making the desired article . for example , if two materials are used , such as a soft and hard polyurethane , two extruders would be used . the melt streams are brought together to form the coextruded final article . the materials are brought together hot in the coextrusion process and are melt bonded together . if three materials are used , then three extruders would be used , and so forth . the shape and / or thickness of the coextruded layers depends upon the efficiency of the particular extrusion equipment utilized . coextrusion may also be combined with blown film processing so that film structures can be made with no inherent waste and much lower capital investment over flat film coextrusion . however , flat film processing techniques provide an excellent method for making multilayered structures . film made according to this invention can be fabricated into containers , such as blood and iv bags by heat sealing the film . component polymer or copolymer materials according to the present invention can be coextruded from the melt state in any shape , which is rapidly cooled to obtain a multilayered structure . the shape and / or thickness of the coextruded structure will be dependent upon the efficiency of the particular extrusion equipment employed and the quenching systems utilized . generally , films and tubes are the preferred coextruded structures . the components are thoroughly mixed prior to being charged to the extruder ( e . g ., pellets of the individual materials are blended together prior to being charged into the extruder where they are further mixed by the extruder and extruded ). alternatively , the materials may be individually metered into the extruder in the correct proportion . the pellets should be dried to a moisture content of 0 . 05 % or less prior to extruding . in one embodiment , once the tubing has been extruded in appropriate lengths and sizes , tubing assemblies may be formed by bonding these lengths to one or more plastic fluid transporting components . for tubing , the sizes may range from about 0 . 003 inch inner diameter ( id )× about 0 . 011 inch outer diameter ( od ) to about 0 . 500 inch id × about 0 . 550 inch od . preferably , the od ranges from about 0 . 06 inches to about 0 . 2 inches with a wall thickness of about 0 . 01 to 0 . 03 inches . the length may be about 0 . 125 inches or longer . the preferred dies used to manufacture coextruded tubing are generally commercially available , i . e ., genca in clearwater , fla . however , any available dies may be used . the standard extrusion conditions for the materials of interest will work for this application . to co - extrude a tube as shown in fig2 , the soft layer 14 is an aliphatic polyurethane having a shore hardness of 80a and the hard layer 10 is an aliphatic polyurethane having a shore hardness of 60d . both the soft and hard polyurethanes are extrusion grade and are commercially available as tecoflex ® from thermedics polymer products in wilmington , mass ., u . s . a . prior to extruding , the pellets of the soft and hard polyurethanes are dried to a moisture content of 0 . 05 % or less . two extruders are used , a 1 inch extruder for the hard layer and a 1½ inch extruder for the soft layer . each extruder has 4 heat zones . the extruder heat zone temperatures and conditions for the soft layer is as follows : zone 1 - 330 ° f . ± 25 ° f . zone 2 - 340 ° f . ± 25 ° f . zone 3 - 350 ° f . ± 25 ° f . zone 4 - 360 ° f . ± 25 ° f . melt temp . - 360 ° f . ± 25 ° f . die temp . - 360 ° f . ± 25 ° f . pressure - 1 , 000 - 2 , 500 psi screen pack - 500 mesh the extruder heat zone temperatures and conditions for the hard layer is as follows : the pellets of the soft and hard polyurethane layers are fed to their respective extruder and coextruded into a tube shape using a commercially available die from genca in clearwater , fla ., u . s . a . the coextruded tube is cooled and wound into a roll . if harder of softer materials are used for the two layers , the recommended extrusion temperatures will need to be adjusted , as is well known to those skilled in the art of extrusion . usually , for a harder polyurethane , the extrusion temperature is adjusted higher and for a softer polyurethane , the extrusion temperature is adjusted lower . the individual layers of the tube pass biocompatibility and biostability testing . in addition , coating could be added by common solution cast methods . in one example of a common solution cast method , 10 grams of hard polyurethane are dissolved in 500 grams of tetrahydrofuran . dimethyl acetamide , cyclohexanone , cyclopentanone , dimethyl formamide , methylene chloride , or dioxane may also be used . the solution is placed into a dipping tank and the tubing is attached to an apparatus to dip the tubing . at a controlled rate ( for example , 20 inches / minutes ), the tube is dipped into the solution and retracted . the excess solvent is allowed to drip off the tube and the solvent is evaporated . tubing and tubing assemblies according to the present invention can be utilized in a wide range of both medical and non - medical products . in the medical area , the tubing and tubing assemblies are suitable for replacing chlorine - containing pvc tubing , such as is utilized with iv fluid administration sets , infusion sets , cassettes , arthroscopy fluid control systems , cardiovascular systems and blood gas monitoring systems . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	1
before the present methods of measuring g protein - bound guanine nucleotides in cells and tissue are described , it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular g protein or methods described as such g proteins and methods may , of course , vary . it is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only , and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention , the preferred methods and materials are now described . all publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to describe and disclose specific information for which the reference was cited . increased levels of ras - bound gtp have been found in cell lines exhibiting abnormally high levels of cell proliferation . for example , elevated ras . gtp levels have been demonstrated in neurogenic sarcoma cell lines from nf1 - deficient patients , which cell lines do not express neurofibromin but have normal levels of p120 - gap ( declue j . et al ., ( 1992 ) cell 69 : 265 - 273 ; basu t . et al ., ( 1992 ) nature 356 : 713 - 715 ). the role of nf1 as a negative regulator of ras was demonstrated when in vitro proliferation of neurogenic sarcoma cells from nf1 - deficient human patients was inhibited by transfection of the gap related domain portion of neurofibromin , thereby restoring gap function . in addition , proliferation of the sarcoma cell line was also inhibited if the sarcoma cells were microinjected with neutralizing ras antibodies ( declue j . et al ., ( 1992 ) cell 69 : 265 - 273 ; basu t . et al ., ( 1992 ) nature 356 : 713 - 715 ). the method of the invention provides that g protein - bound guanine nucleotide measurements are standardized to non - nuclear cellular protein content or cellular dna content . such measurements offer an advantage since the invention uniquely provides that an increase in the standardized amount of activated g protein is discernable and comparable between cell populations . as shown in table i , ltr - cha - ras ( n ) ( cells transformed with wild - type cha - ras ) contain markedly increased amounts of total ras ( ras . gtp + ras . gdp ) but similar levels of activation (% gtp /( gdp + gtp ) relative to parental , untransformed cells . interestingly , cells transformed with ltr - cha - ras ( a ) ( activated ras ) had similar total amounts of ras as cells transformed with ltr - cha - ras ( n ). however , the former cells had a much greater amount of ras in the active gtp - bound state . the ability to measure the total amount of ras in a sample and to compare measurements between different cell types is a unique advantage of the invention . a 32 po 4 - incorporation method developed by satoh , et al . ( satoh , t . et al ( 1990 ) proc . nat . acad . sci . usa 87 : 5993 - 5997 ; satoh , t . et al . ( 1990 ) proc . nat . acad . sci . usa 87 : 7926 - 7929 ) for the determination of ras - bound gtp had the disadvantage that the procedure itself adversely affected the accuracy of the method . in the satoh method , the percentage of ras proteins in the gdp and gtp bound states was determined by incubating cells with 32 po 4 to radiolabel the intracellular gdp and gtp pools and , therefore , the gdp and gtp bound to ras ( satoh , t . et al . ( 1988 ) febs letters 236 : 185 - 189 ; satch , t . et al . ( 1990 ) proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 87 : 7926 - 7929 ; gibbs , j . b . et al . ( 1987 ) j . biol . chem . 262 : 10426 - 10429 ). ras was first immunoprecipitated from cell extracts and the bound , labeled gdp and gtp were eluted and separated by thin layer chromatography ( tlc ). as generally applied , this 32 po 4 - incorporation method measured only the relative amounts of each guanine nucleotide bound to ras without standardization of the bound gtp and gdp to a cellular standardization function . additionally , it required that cells be incubated for several hours in phosphate - free medium which markedly decreases the intracellular concentration of phosphorylated intermediates and , as demonstrated herein , can adversely affect the accuracy of the method by changing the amount of ras - bound gtp . the following examples are presented so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to use the methods of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention . efforts have been made to insure accuracy with respect to numbers used ( e . g . amounts , temperature , etc .) but some experimental errors and deviation should be accounted for . unless indicated otherwise , parts are parts by weight , temperature is in degrees c ., and pressure is at or near atmospheric . there now follows a description of the methods for determining the amounts of ras - bound gtp and ras - bound gdp in a mammalian cell or tissue sample , for the determination of g protein activation . the examples below are provided for the purpose of illustrating the invention , and should not be construed as limiting . while the examples relate to the g protein , ras , the methods are useful for the determination of any g protein which can be isolated in the gtp - and gdp - bound state using an appropriate antibody raised to that g - protein . nih3t3 cells were grown in dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium ( dmem ) supplemented with 10 % transferrin - enriched calf serum ( ecs ) and were harvested at confluence by washing the cells once with ice - cold phosphate - buffered saline and scraping the cells off the plate with a rubber policeman . cultured test cells ( for example , hl - 60 cells ) were grown in rpmi 1640 medium supplemented with 10 % ecs and were harvested at end log phase by centrifugation . cell culture according to the method of the invention includes culture medium that contains standard physiological concentrations of phosphate and which is not phosphate - free . preferably , the culture medium contains approximately at least 1 mm phosphate . tissue specimens from human patients were sectioned , inserted into cryo - vials and flash frozen in liquid nitrogen , preferably within 30 seconds of extraction from the patient , in accordance with the university of toronto human ethics committee guidelines . two neurogenic sarcomas ( two measurements on different portions of one tumor , and three measurements from a second tumor ), four neurofibromas from different nf1 - deficient patients , and four schwannoma specimens obtained from non - nf1 patients were examined . two cryo - vials from each tumor , each containing approximately 1 cm 3 of specimen , were used for the ras assay . an additional cryo - vial was used to extract total rna for rt - pcr ( reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction ). formalin - fixed sections used for neuropathological diagnosis of the tumors were utilized for neurofibromin immunohistochemistry . ras - bound gtp levels were measured in rt8 cells ( v - ha - ras transformed fibroblasts , a gift from dr . j . stone , jackson laboratory , maine , usa ) in each experiment as positive controls . harvested cells were resuspended at a density of 50 × 10 6 cells / ml in 50 mm hepes , ph 7 . 4 , 10 mm mgcl 2 , 150 mm nacl , 1 % nonidet p - 40 , 0 . 5 mm phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride and 10 μg / ml of aproprotinin , leupeptin and pepstatin ( extract buffer ) ( satoh , t . et al . ( 1988 ) febs letters 236 : 185 - 189 ; gibbs , j . b . et al . ( 1990 ) j . biol . chem . 265 : 20437 - 20442 ). after gentle shaking for 10 min at 4 ° c ., the lysed cells were centrifuged at 11 , 000 × g for 10 min and supernatants were applied to 0 . 6 × 7 . 5 cm sephadex g25 ( pharmacia ) columns equilibrated in extract buffer . protein - containing fractions were pooled and nacl , sds and deoxycholate were added to final concentrations of 500 mm , 0 . 05 % and 0 . 5 %, respectively . the samples were divided in half and either 3 μg of the anti - ras antibody y13 - 259 ( experimental sample , furth , m . e . et al . ( 1982 ) j . virology 43 : 294 - 304 ) or 3 μg of rat igg ( blank sample ) were added . to both samples 30 μg of goat anti - rat igg ( calbiochem , san diego , calif .) and 15 μl of protein - g agarose ( calbiochem ) were also added . the sample tubes were rotated gently for 16 h at 4 ° c . and centrifuged at 11 , 000 × g for 20 sec . protein was measured in the supernatants by the bradford method ( bradford , m . m . ( 1976 ) anal . biochem . 72 : 248 - 254 ) and the pellets containing the immunoprecipitate were washed eight times with 50 mm tris - hcl , ph 7 . 4 , 10 mm mgcl 2 , 500 mm nacl , 0 . 1 % triton x - 100 , 0 . 005 % sds and three times with 20 mm tris - po 4 , ph 7 . 8 . after the last wash , the immunoprecipitates were resuspended in 30 μl of a solution of 5 mm tris - po 4 , ph 7 . 4 , 2 mm dtt , 2 mm edta and heated at 100 ° c . for 3 min ; the samples were cooled on ice and centrifuged at 11 , 000 × g for 5 min . the primary antibody , y13 - 259 ( furth , m . e . et al . ( 1982 ) supra ), was preferably incubated overnight with the cell extracts to quantitatively immunoprecipitate ras ( nanberg , e . and westermark , b . ( 1993 ) j . biol . chem . 168 : 18187 - 18194 ) under conditions which inhibit the conversion of ras - bound gtp to ras - bound gdp and also inhibit dissociation of guanine nucleotides from ras . at 4 ° c . the rate of dissociation of gdp and gtp from ras is extremely slow in the presence of mg ++ and y13 - 259 , while high salt concentrations inhibit gap activity ( torti , m ., et al . ( 1992 ) j . biol . chem . 267 : 8293 - 8298 ; peuerstein , j . et al . ( 1987 ) j . biol . chem . 262 : 8455 - 8458 ; hattori , s . et al . ( 1987 ) mol . cell . biol . 7 : 1999 - 2002 ). heating the immunoprecipitates at 100 ° c . for 3 min quantitatively eluted gtp and gdp from ras and destroyed less than 5 % of the gdp and gtp . gdp and gtp were measured in the immunoprecipitate supernatants as described below . ras - bound gdp was measured using the same procedure for cell culture samples and tumor specimen . gdp was measured by conversion to γ - 32 p ! gtp using ndp kinase ( nucleoside diphosphate kinase ) and γ - 32 p ! atp : ## str1 ## the reaction mixture contained , in a final volume of 10 μl , 500 pmol tris - hcl , ph 7 . 4 , 100 pmol mgcl 2 , 250 fmol atp , 2 . 5 milliunits ndp kinase , 0 . 01 μci γ - 32 p ! atp and either 5 μl of sample ( supernatant containing eluted gdp ) or 5 - 100 fmol of gdp standard . preferably , conversion of gdp to gtp was performed by incubating the reaction mixture for 90 min at 37 ° c . γ - 32 p ! gtp was separated from excess γ - 32 p ! atp by tlc on plastic - backed cellulose plates developed for 8 h in saturated ammonium sulfate / water / 3m sodium acetate , ph 5 . 5 / 10n sodium hydroxide / isopropanol ( 80 / 10 / 6 / 2 / 2 ). the areas corresponding to gtp and atp were identified either by nonradioactive markers visualized under ultraviolet light or by exposing the tlc plates to x - ray film . the separated radiolabelled gtp and atp spots were cut out and radioactivity was quantitated by liquid scintillation counting . the ratio of radioactivity incorporated into gtp over that in atp + gtp ! was used to calculate a conversion factor to correct for possible errors incurred during spotting the tlc plates . gdp measurements were linear over a range from 5 - 75 fmol ( fig1 filled circles ); higher amounts of gdp could be measured by increasing the amount of atp in the incubation mixture . when the amount of ras - bound gdp was measured in nih3t3 cells ( control ), it increased linearly with the number of cells extracted ( over a range from 0 . 5 , 1 , and 2 × 10 6 cells ( fig1 filled triangles ) yielding 33 fmol / 10 6 cells . each data point of fig1 is the mean ± sd of three independent experiments performed in duplicate . when the data were expressed per milligram of non - nuclear cellular protein , nih3t3 cells ( control ) and hl - 60 cells ( ras - transformed cells ) were found to contain approximately the same amount of ras - bound gdp ( 509 ± 74 and 615 ± 95 fmol / mg protein , respectively ; table i ). table i______________________________________ras - bound gdp and gtp in nih3t3 and hl - 60 cells gtp / gdp gtp ( gdp + gtp ) cell type fmol / mg of protein % ______________________________________parental nih3t3 509 ± 74 1 . 3 ± 0 . 3 0 . 25cellsltr - cha - ras ( n ) 7008 ± 825 21 . 3 ± 7 . 1 0 . 30ltr - cha - ras ( a ) 5013 ± 613 2049 ± 332 29hl - 60 cells 615 ± 95 58 ± 7 . 1 8 . 6______________________________________ nih3t3 fibroblasts were grown to confluence , harvested , and lysed as described herein . ltrcha - ras ( nonactivated ) and ltrcha - ras ( activated ) cell are stable transfectants of nih3t3 cells overexpressing wildtype and activated haras , respectively , under control of the murine mammary tumor virus promoter ( schonthal , a . et al . ( 1988 ) cell 54 : 325 - 334 ). the cells were treated with 1 μm dexamethasone for 24 hr prior to harvesting . gdp and gtp were measured by the method of the invention . the data are expressed as fmol of guanine nucleotide per milligram of cellular protein and are the means ± s . d . of at least three independent experiments performed in duplicate . nih3t3 cells overexpressing wild - type ha - ras contained 7008 ± 825 fmol of ras - bound gdp per mg of protein or about 14 times more ras - bound gdp than parental cells , while cells overexpressing activated ha - ras contained about 10 times more ras - bound gdp than parental cells ( table 1 ). ras - bound gtp was measured using the same procedure for cell culture samples and tumor specimen . eluted gtp was converted to atp in the presence of adp and ndp kinase ; atp was measured using luciferase and luciferin ( lemasters , j . j . and hackenbrock , c . r . ( 1978 ) methods enzymol . 57 : 36 - 50 ; scheele , j . s ., et al ., ( 1994 ), proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 92 : 1097 - 1100 ). ## str2 ## the reaction mixture contained , in a final volume of 15 μl , 1 . 5 μmol glycine , ph 7 . 8 , 120 nmol mgso 4 , 10 nmol edta , 15 nmol dtt , 10 pmol adp , 4 nmol luciferin , 2 . 5 milliunits ndp kinase , 8 × 10 8 light units of luciferase , 15 μg bovine serum albumin and either 10 μl of sample ( supernatant of the immunoprecipitate ) or 0 . 5 - 20 fmol of gtp standard . in replicate tubes , the ndp kinase was omitted to check for atp contamination . the reaction was started by adding the sample to the reaction mixture . light emission was measured over a ten minute interval using either a liquid scintillation counter or a photon counting luminometer . the amount of gtp in the samples was obtained from a standard curve , and corrected by subtracting the gtp value obtained from the rat igg immunoprecipitated sample from the corresponding sample immunoprecipitated with ras - specific y13 - 259 antibody . this corrected gtp value was expressed per mg protein or per μg dna ( table 1 ). gtp measurements were linear over a range from 0 . 5 - 5 fmol ( fig2 standard samples are filled circles ); at higher gtp concentrations light emission no longer increased linearly , presumably because of product ( oxyluciferin ) inhibition of luciferase ( lemasters , j . j . and hackenbrock , c . r . ( 1978 ) methods enzymol . 57 : 36 - 50 ). when the amount of ras - bound gtp was measured in nih3t3 cells , it increased linearly with increasing amounts of cells ( fig2 test samples are filled triangles ) yielding 0 . 1 fmol / 10 6 cells . hl - 60 cells express a mutated n - ras in which the glutamine at position 61 is replaced by a leucine ( bos , j . l . et al . ( 1984 ) nucl . acids res . 12 : 9155 - 9163 ); this change markedly decreases the intrinsic gtpase activity of ras and gap stimulation of ras gtpase activity , thereby increasing the amount of gtp bound to ras ( santos , e . and nebreda , a . r . ( 1989 ) faseb j . 3 : 2151 - 2163 ; polakis , p . and mccormick , f . ( 1993 ) j . biol . chem . 268 : 9157 - 9160 ). consistent with this activating mutation of n - ras , hl - 60 cells contained 58 ± 7 . 1 fmol / mg protein of ras - bound gtp or approximately 45 times as much ras - bound gtp as nih3t3 cells ( table i ). thus , a transformed cell line ( hl - 60 ) is demonstrated to have higher amounts of ras . gtp than a nontransformed cell line ( nih3t3 ) using the method of the invention . to determine the amount of gdp in a sample , the conversion factor of the blank sample was subtracted from the conversion factor of the experimental sample . generally , for gdp the conversion factor of the blank sample was less than approximately 10 % of the experimental sample . to determine the amount of gtp in a sample , light emission in the absence of ndp kinase was subtracted from light emission in the presence of ndp kinase for both the blank and experimental samples ; the blank sample value was then subtracted from the experimental sample value . gtp light emission by the blank sample was less than approximately 10 % of the experimental sample . the amounts of gdp and gtp in the samples were determined from standard curves and the data were expressed as fmol of gdp or gtp per 10 6 cells , per milligram of non - nuclear cellular protein , or per μg of cellular dna . flash frozen tumor specimens were immersed in 2 . 5 ml of freshly prepared cold ras lysis buffer ( 10 mm hepes ph 7 . 4 ; 1 mm mgcl 2 ; 1 μg / ml leupeptin and aprotinin ; 0 . 25 μg / ml pepstatin a ; 150 mm nacl ; 1 % np - 40 ; 0 . 5 mm pmsf ) and homogenized . preferably , all steps of the procedure , including the immunoprecipitations , prior to heat - induced elution of guanine nucleotides were performed at 4 ° c . from the homogenate , 100 μl was aliquoted for dna extraction and quantitated using a standard trichloroacetic acid ( tca ) precipitation procedure ( sambrook , j . et al . ed . molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , 2nd ed ., cold spring harbor laboratory press , 1989 , appendix e . 18 ). rt8 cells ( v - ha - ras transformed fibroblasts as positive controls ) were washed with cold pbs , suspended in 600 μl of pbs , centrifuged , and the pellet lysed in 200 μl of ras lysis buffer . the homogenates were centrifuged for 30 min . at 10 , 000 × g to remove nuclear and other cellular debris . following lysis of cells in a tissue sample , the procedure for measurement of g protein - bound gtp and gdp is essentially the same as for tissue culture samples . the procedure followed for the exemplified tissue samples is provided as additional guidance to one of ordinary skill in the art . sephadex - g25 columns ( 10 ml size , pharmacia ) were pre - cleared with hnmn buffer ( 50 mm hepes ph 7 . 4 ; 150 mm nacl ; 10 mm mgcl 2 ; 1 % np - 40 ). the supernatants ( approximately 2 . 5 ml ) from the tumor homogenates and from the rt8 fibroblasts were loaded onto separate columns , and protein containing fractions for each sample were isolated and pooled . to half of each pooled protein sample was added 3 μg of the monoclonal anti -( ha , ki , n ) ras antibody ( y13 - 259 ; oncogene science ), and to the remaining half was added 3 μg of rat igg . the samples were gently shaken overnight with 30 μg of goat anti - rat igg : fc ( calbiochem ) and 30 μl of protein - g agarose beads ( calbiochem ). the agarose beads were centrifuged at 11 , 000 × g for 5 min ., and the supernatant was retained for protein determination by the method of smith , p . k . et al ., anal . biochemistry 150 : 76 - 85 ( 1985 ). the agarose pellets were washed eight times in 1 . 5 ml of 50 mm hepes ph 7 . 4 , 10 mm mgcl 2 , 500 mm nacl , 0 . 1 % triton x - 100 , 0 . 005 % sds , three times with 20 mm tris - po 4 ; and once with 5 mm tris - po 4 . gtp and gdp bound to ras were eluted in 30 μl of 5 mm tris - po 4 , 2 mm dtt , 2 mm edta by heating at 100 ° c . for 3 min . the eluted samples were stored at - 70 ° c . until assay of gtp and gdp content . quantitation of ras - bound gtp and gdp in positive control rt8 cells rt8 cells were analyzed along with the tumor specimens in each tissue assay experiment as a positive control . the amount of ras bound to gtp and gdp in ras - transformed rt8 fibroblasts was 83 ± 24 fmol / mg protein and 276 ± 88 fmol / mg protein , respectively ( table iii ). converted to percentage gtp !/( gdp + gtp !× 100 ), approximately 25 %± 3 % of the total ras was in the activated gtp bound state in these positive control cells ( fig3 ). gdp was measured using nucleoside diphosphate kinase ( ndp kinase , sigma , st . louis , mo . ), which converted eluted gdp to detectably labelled gtp ( scheele j . s ., et al . ( 1994 ) proc . natl . acad . sci usa 92 : 1097 - 1100 ). a 5 μl aliquot of eluted sample or 0 - 100 fmol of gdp standards were mixed with 0 . 01 μci of γ - = p ! atp ( new england nuclear ) in the presence of ndp kinase . the excess γ - 32 p ! atp was separated from the synthesized γ - 32 p ! gtp by thin layer chromatography . the amount of gdp in the sample , expressed in fmol as a function of the amount of γ - 32 p ! gtp produced , was obtained from a standard curve . the values obtained from the rat igg immunoprecipitated samples ( control sample ) were subtracted from the corresponding samples immunoprecipitated with the y13 - 259 antibody ( test sample ) to provide a corrected gdp value expressed per mg of non - nuclear cellular protein in non - nf1 and nf1 mutant tissues ( table 1 ). ras - bound gtp was measured by conversion of eluted gtp to atp and detection of atp by a luciferase assay using the procedure described in example 2 . the results provided in table ii demonstrate that the amount of ras - bound gtp increases at least an average of two - fold in tumor tissue relative to control tissue . enough tissue was available for two experiments from patient # 1 and three experiments from patient # 2 , both involving nf1 neurogenic sarcomas ( two cryo - vials of specimen per experiment ). the percentage of the total ras that was activated ( gtp !/ gdp + gtp !× 100 ) ranged between 7 - 35 % ( table ii ) with an average value of 15 . 4 ± 5 . 2 % in the nf1 neurogenic sarcomas , when normalized against total non - nuclear cellular protein ( fig3 ). the results of the assay for ras . gtp in nf1 sarcoma tumor specimens were in agreement with the results for the control , cultured rt8 fibroblasts ; ras . gtp was elevated in abnormally highly proliferating cells ( table ii ). levels of ras . gtp were elevated approximately 15 - fold in the nf1 sarcomas , compared with non - nf1 schwannomas . furthermore by rt - pcr analysis of nf1 expression and immunohistochemistry of nf1 production , nf1 expression was markedly diminished in the sarcoma , with only a small amount of the type 1 nf1 isoform being detected . the enzymatic - based method of the invention provided herein , enabled a determination of ras . gtp levels in benign nf1 neurofibromas , which do not grow in culture and therefore , cannot be analyzed by the 32 po 4 - incorporation method . compared to non - nf1 schwannomas , levels of ras . gtp were increased approximately four - fold in these nf1 neurofibromas ( table ii ). other methods of associating cellular function with cellular proliferation in nf1 deficiency - related disease have shown no difference between non - proliferative and abnormally proliferating tissue , making the method of the invention a necessary tool for ras . gtp determination in tissue . for example , no differences in nf1 expression were detected by rt - pcr between these two tumor groups . many different cell types are found in neurofibromas , with the actual transformed cell ( s ) that give rise to the tumor , presently unknown ( guha a . et al ., ( 1995 ) neurological surgery , fourth edition , philadelphia : w . b . saunders ; peltonen j . et al ., ( 1983 ) acta neuropathologica 61 : 275 - 282 ). therefore , the nf1 expression determined by rt - pcr may reflect fibroblasts or other non - transformed cells associated with the neurofibromas , rather than the actual tumor cells . in addition , despite abundant nf1 expression demonstrated by rt - pcr , point mutations leading to decreased functional neurofibromin and hence increased ras . gtp levels in the neurofibromas , may also be present . immunohistochemistry was unable to prove or disprove this hypothesis conclusively . less overall neurofibromin staining was observed in the neurofibromas compared to the non - nf1 schwannomas . however , the neurofibromas had a more myxoid acellular background compared to the schwannomas . although most of the cells expressed neurofibromin as seen by immunohistochemistry , the non - expressing cells are likely to be the transformed cells that form the neurofibromas and contribute to the elevated levels of activated ras . gtp . table ii__________________________________________________________________________ras . gtp levels in human peripheral nerve tumorssample patient # gdp ( fmol / mg protein ) gtp ## str3 ## ## str4 ## __________________________________________________________________________rt8 276 ± 88 83 ± 24 25 ± 3v - rastransformednf1 sarcoma 1 114 9 7 1 90 10 10 61 2 84 17 17 33 2 47 4 8 55 2 113 61 35 35nf1 neuro - 1 409 13 3 8 fibroma 2 211 18 8 11 3 561 6 1 14 4 198 27 12 20non schwan - 1 412 5 1 4nf1 noma 2 291 4 1 2 3 547 5 1 5 4 386 6 2 3__________________________________________________________________________ to standardize for the heterogeneity within and between tumor samples with regard to cellularity , dna was extracted from the pellets which contain nuclei and other cellular debris of the homogenized tumor specimens . expression of the total amount of gtp bound to ras per μg of extracted dna more accurately reflects the amount of activated ras in tumor cells . in sarcoma tissue , the amount of gtp bound to ras ranged between 33 - 61 fmol / μg dna ( table ii , fig3 ) with an average value of 46 . 0 ± 7 . 0 fmol / μg dna . the four nf1 benign neurofibroma specimens had between 1 - 12 % or an average of 6 . 0 ± 2 . 5 % ras in the gtp bound state ( table ii , fig3 ). this represented 8 - 20 fmol gtp / μg dna or an average 13 . 3 ± 2 . 6 fmol gtp / μg dna ( table ii , fig3 ). levels of activated ras - bound gtp in the benign neurofibromas , expressed either as a percentage of total ras or in total amounts per μg dna , were approximately one - third the levels detected in the neurogenic sarcomas . in the four non - nf1 benign schwannomas , the percent of activated ras - bound gtp ranged between 1 - 2 % with an average 1 . 3 ± 0 . 3 % ( table ii , fig3 ). in standardized amounts this represented 2 - 5 fmol gtp / μg dna or an average 3 . 5 ± 0 . 6 fmol gtp / μg dna ( table ii , fig3 ). these levels of activated ras - bound gtp in the benign schwannomas were approximately 8 % and 21 % of the levels found in the nf1 neurogenic sarcomas and neurofibromas , respectively . while analysis of positive control rt8 fibroblasts demonstrated that the method of the invention yields results for cultured cells that are comparable to the 32 po 4 - incorporation ras loading technique , the use of which is limited to cells in culture , this example demonstrates that ras - bound guanine nucleotide levels can also be measured in tissues from a mammal , such as a human patient . there are several advantages of the method of the invention , in addition to its use in tissues . first , the assay does not require pre - incubation in phosphate - free medium , which decreases intracellular levels of phosphorylated intermediates including atp , potentially altering multiple biochemical processes ( atkinson , d . e . ( 1968 ) biochemistry 7 : 4030 - 4034 ). second , the method provides for the determination of g protein - bound gtp or g protein - bound gdp standardized to cellular protein or cellular dna content for more accurate comparison between samples and tissue types . the method also avoids the use of large amounts of radiolabelled phosphate required for the 32 po 4 - incorporation ras loading technique ( satoh , t ., et al . ( 1990 ) pnas 87 : 5993 supra ; satoh , t . et al . ( 1990 ) pnas 87 : 7926 supra ; declue , j . et al . ( 1992 ) cell 69 : 265 - 273 ; basu . t . et al . ( 1992 ) nature 356 : 713 - 715 ). the method of the invention , preferably the enzymatic technique of the method , is applicable to the study of pathological systems where ras - mediated or other g protein - mediated signaling is implicated . preferably , at least approximately 5 - 10 million cells from cell culture or tumor tissue are utilized . studies may require more tissue if a tumor is small or diffuse within a nontumor cellular matrix . the amount of tissue required will depend on the cellular density of the tissue . thus , tumors with a large amount of non - cellular necrotic material will require relatively more tissue than tumors with densely packed cells , and in some of the examples described herein , 2 cm 3 of tissue were assayed . it is also preferred that specimens be flash frozen ( for example , within 30 sec . of removal from the patient , as disclosed herein ), although the exact time before significant phosphatase and protease activity leads to degradation of the samples is not known . the measurements described herein of ras - bound guanine nucleotides are from the entire tumor sample , and do not specify the levels specifically found in the tumor cells only , as distinct from infiltrating and surrounding cells . hence , both tumor and non - tumor cells ( a variable and occasionally significant proportion of the cells in some tumors ) within the specimens , contribute to the measured values of g protein - bound gtp and g protein - bound gdp . the sensitivity of the method of the invention has the advantage of allowing detection of elevated g protein . gtp levels in such tissue samples . it is within the scope of the method of the invention that an antibody specific for a g protein of interest would be used to isolate the g protein of interest bound to gtp or gdp . it is also within the scope of the method of the invention that an antibody specific for the ras . gtp activated form or the ras . gdp form would be utilized to specifically isolate ras . gtp or ras . gdp , respectively , for analysis of ras - bound guanine nucleotides in various tissues . expressing levels of activated ras in the specimens as a percentage ( gtp !/ gdp + gtp !× 100 ), or standardized amounts of ras - bound gtp per μg dna , minimizes a potential source of variability between tumors due to the amount of acellular areas in a tumor . the acellularity of a tissue may alter the measured levels of ras - bound guanine nucleotides if expressed in terms of protein . the conclusions regarding the levels of activated ras in the three tumor groups were similar using standardization factors of cellular non - nuclear protein content or cellular dna content in these examples . overexpression of the erbb - 2 gene product , the her - 2 / neu receptor , by as much as 30 - fold occurs in up to 40 % of breast cancers and appears to correlate with a more malignant phenotype ( slamon , et al ., ( 1989 ), science , 244 : 707 - 712 ; and slamon , d . j ., et a ., ( 1987 ), science , 235 : 177 - 182 ). similarly , the erbb - 1 gene product , the epidermal growth factor ( egf ) receptor , is overexpressed in approximately 45 % of breast cancers and appears to be an adverse prognostic factor ( sainbury , j . r ., et al ., ( 1987 ), lancet , 1398 - 1402 ). the erbb - 2 receptor and the egf receptor are tyrosine kinases that signal through the ras / mitogen - activated protein ( map ) kinase pathway , implicating ras activation in breast cancer ( slamon , d . g ., et al ., ( 1987 ), science , 235 : 177 - 182 ). in erbb - 2 and erbb - 1 overexpressing breast tumors , and potentially in other breast cancers , there may be a high percentage of ras molecules in the active gtp - bound state . proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 84 , 7159 - 7163 ; and difiore , p . o ., et al ., ( 1987 ), cells , 51 : 1063 - 1070 ). overexpression of the egf receptor in fibroblasts results in cellular transformation and is associated with increased activation of ras and of the ras / map kinase pathway ( satoh , t ., et al ., ( 1990 ), proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 87 : 7926 - 7929 ). defining which breast cancers show increased ras activation will provide determination of appropriate treatment strategy using inhibitors of ras function and of the ras / map kinase pathway . thus , the invention is useful for determining an appropriate mechanism - based treatment strategy for breast cancer . it is most relevant to ask in what percentage of breast cancers is ras in a more activated state than in normal breast tissue since it is only activated ras molecules that can interact with downstream effector molecules . clearly the presence of more ras molecules in a cell does not necessarily lead to more activated ras molecules because the activation state of ras is tightly regulated by rasgap &# 39 ; s and guanine nucleotide exchange factors . the most accurate way to determine whether there are an increased number of ras molecules in the activated state in breast cancer is to directly measure ras - bound gtp and gdp in breast tumors . because standardized amounts of ras . gtp and ras . gdp are measured using the method of the invention , an accurate percentage of ras . gtp is calculated . in addition , the sum of ras . gtp and ras . gdp will provide a measurement of ras expression in breast cancer cells . an alternative protocol for procurement of breast cancer cells is used : immediately after resection of the breast tumor , scrapings from the tumor surface are taken and applied to a glass slide which is rapidly frozen on dry ice and stored at - 80 ° c . a typical scraping provides approximately 1 × 10 6 cells per slide . the cells are extracted at a convenient time by lysing them directly on the slide in an ice - cold hepes - based buffer system containing protease inhibitors and 1 % nonidet p - 40 . a major advantage of the scraping procedure is that it provides predominantly tumor cells with very little underlying stroma and connective tissue . thus , approximately four slides of cells are needed to measure ras . gtp and ras . gdp because approximately 5 × 10 6 cells are needed for the method of the invention . it is an advantage of the invention , and understood by one of ordinary skill in the art , that once the cell lysate is prepared , determination of g protein - bound gtp and g protein - bound gdp levels is performed by the procedures described above whether the cells were grown in culture or whether the cells were excised from tumor tissue or other disease tissue . an aliquot of the cell lysate is saved to measure protein and dna content ( as described below ). the remainder of the lysate is centrifuged and supernatants applied to small sephadex g25 columns to remove cytosolic gtp and gdp . immunoprecipitation of ras . gtp and ras . gdp is performed as described above for analysis of tissue samples . the eluted gtp is converted to atp in the presence of adp and ndp kinase and the atp is measured using luciferase and luciferin ( scheele , j . s ., et al ., ( 1995 ), proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 92 : 1097 - 1100 ) as described above . gdp is measured by conversion to γ - 32 p ! gtp using ndp kinase and γ - 32 p ! atp . the resulting radioactive gtp product is separated from atp by tlc and is quantitated by liquid scintillation counting as described above . the amounts of gdp and gtp in the samples are determined from standard curves as described above . the standardized amounts are expressed as fmol of gtp or gdp per μg dna or per milligram protein . protein and dna are measured by the bradford method ( bradford , m . m ., ( 1976 ), anal . biochem ., 72 : 248 - 254 ) and by fluorescence ( brunk , c ., et al ., ( 1979 ), anal . biochem ., 92 : 497 - 500 ), respectively . the bradford assay is sensitive to 1 μg of protein , and using the fluorescent dye bisbenzimidazole , 10 ng of dna can be measured . screening ras inhibitors in cell lines using the method of the invention the method of the invention is useful to screen candidate compounds for an affector of g protein activation . such affector compounds include , but are not limited to , regulators of ras activation or of rasgap activity . the screening method involves contacting cells with a candidate compound , followed by assaying the cells for a change in the level of g protein activation . the cells useful in the screening method may be cultured transformed cells ( such as ras - transformed rt8 cells ) or they may be tissue from an animal model ( such as ras activation - associated tumor tissue from a mouse ). concentrations of test compounds in contact with the test cells or dosages administered to a test animal are readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art . the effect of ras inhibitors ( or other g protein inhibitors ) on the morphology of the transformed test cells or transformed tissue in an animal is correlated with the level of g protein activation . such a correlation allows evaluation of candidate inhibitors for usefulness in the treatment of ras activation - associated diseases . for in vitro screening , cultured g protein transformed cells are contacted with the candidate compound at a concentration and for a time sufficient to affect activation of the g protein of interest , such as ras . cells are harvested rapidly by washing once in ice cold phosphate - buffered saline and extracted in situ in a detergent - based lysis buffer . ras is immunoprecipitated from cell lysates and ras . gtp and ras . gdp are measured as described above . for in vivo screening , a candidate g protein activation inhibitor is administered to a mammal having tissue transformed by g protein activation . preferably , the candidate compound is administered in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the transformed tissue of the animal is sampled and the amount of gtp and gdp bound to ras or other g protein is determined by the method of the invention as described above for assay of tissue samples . an alteration in the amount of ras activation , measured as the standardized amount of ras in the activated ras . gtp state , is monitored relative to g protein - transformed tissue from an untreated mammal for each candidate compound . candidate inhibitors which reduce the level of g protein activation are selected for further study . methods are disclosed herein to measure standardized amounts of ras - bound gdp and gtp in cultured cells and tissue expressing ras . the gdp measurement relies on the extremely high specific activity of commercially available γ - 32 p ! atp . the gtp measurement relies on the exquisite sensitivity of luciferase for measuring atp ( lemasters , j . j . and hackenbrock , c . r . ( 1978 ) methods enzymol . 57 : 36 - 50 ). the method avoids exposing cells to phosphate - free medium which can adversely affect the accuracy of the gtp and gdp measurements . it also avoids the danger and high cost of using large amounts of radiolabelled orthophosphate to label cells in culture . the method has the advantage of being useful for measuring g protein - bound gtp levels and g protein - bound gdp levels in tissue samples for the purpose of determining g protein activation levels in cells and tissue from a patient . the method is applicable to the measurement any g protein - bound guanine nucleotides for which a specific antibody to the g protein is obtainable . the non - limiting examples provided herein describe the method applied to the g protein , ras , and the diagnosis of disease associated with an increase in g protein - bound gtp in tissue samples . such a measurement is not possible by the 32 po 4 - incorporation method since 32 po 4 incorporation is applicable only to cells in tissue culture . the method of the invention is also useful in providing a screening method for candidate compounds that affect the regulation of g protein activation in cultured cells or in tissue . the instant invention is shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical , and the preferred embodiments . it is recognized , however , that departures may be made therefrom which are within the scope of the invention , and that obvious modifications will occur to one skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure .	6

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