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referring to fig1 to 3 , an exemplary embodiment of a computer enclosure includes a front panel 10 , a fan bracket 20 , and a fan 30 . the front panel 10 includes two mounting parts protruding from two sides of an inner wall of the front panel 10 . each of the two mounting parts defines a plurality of parallel openings 12 therebetween . an approximately trapezoidal - shaped tab 14 extend from between each two adjacent openings 12 . there are four tabs 14 located at two ends of the two mounting parts of the front panel 10 , and each define a first notch 142 on a top side thereof and a second notch 144 on a bottom side thereof . the fan bracket 20 includes two supporting beams 22 each with a rectangular section , and two mounting beams 24 slidably fixed between the two supporting beams 24 . each of the supporting beams 22 defines a sliding slot 222 thereof . two projecting portions 26 and 28 extend from two opposite ends of each of the supporting beams 22 , corresponding to the four tabs 14 located at four corners of the front panel 10 . a first knob 262 and a second knob 282 extend from two opposite sides of the projecting portions 26 and 28 , and face each other , corresponding to the first and second notches 142 and 144 . in other embodiments , the first and second knobs 262 and 282 , and the first and second notches 142 and 144 may be other latching configurations . a plurality of mounting holes 242 are defined in each of the supporting beams 24 to mount the fan 30 . two protrusions 244 respectively extend from two opposite ends of each of the supporting beams 24 . a screw hole 2442 is defined in each of the protrusions 244 . the fan 30 includes four pairs of mounting holes 32 defined in four corners thereof . referring to fig4 , in assembly of the fan bracket 20 , the protrusions 244 of the supporting beams 24 are inserted into the sliding slots 222 of the supporting beams 22 . according to the size of the fan 30 , four screws 246 extend into the sliding slots 222 to threadedly engage in the four screw holes 2442 of the protrusions 244 of the supporting beams 24 , thereby the supporting beams 24 are positioned on the supporting beams 22 . a distance between the supporting beams 24 can be adjusted by slidably positioning the supporting beams 22 in the sliding slots 222 . referring to fig5 and 6 , in assembly of the front panel 10 , the fan bracket 20 , and the fan 30 ; the first projecting portions 26 and the second projecting portions 28 are inserted into the openings 12 beside the tabs 14 and the first knobs 262 and the second knobs 282 of the supporting beams 22 are correspondingly latched in the first notches 142 and the second notches 144 of the four tabs 14 , therefore the fan bracket 20 is positioned on the front panel 10 . four screws 34 are inserted into the mounting holes 32 and then screwed into four corresponding mounting holes 242 of the supporting beams 24 . therefore , the fan 30 is positioned on the front panel 10 via the fan bracket 20 . the supporting beams 24 can be adjustably positioned on the supporting beams 22 via the sliding slots 222 , the fan 30 with different sizes can be attached to the fan bracket 20 , which can effectively dissipate heat . it is to be understood , however , that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description , together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments , the disclosure is illustrative only , and changes may be made in details , especially in matters of shape , size , and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed . | 6 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 shows an example of a configuration of a device according to the present invention . in a biological photometric device that detects light which enters into a biological body , scattered , absorbed , and propagated in the biological body and then exits from the biological body , the light 30 which is irradiated from one or a plurality of light sources 101 included in a main body 20 enters into a subject 10 through a waveguide 40 . the light 30 that enters into the subject 10 from an irradiation point 12 and then is transmitted and propagated in the subject 10 is detected by one or a plurality of light detectors 102 from a detection point 13 which is spaced apart from the irradiation point 12 through the waveguide 40 . an sd distance is defined by a distance between the irradiation point 12 and the detection point 13 as described above . here , one or the plurality of light sources 101 may be a laser diode ( ld ) or a light emitting diode ( led ) and one or the plurality of light detectors may be an avalanche photodiode ( apd ), a photodiode ( pd ), or a photomultiplier tube ( pmt ). further , the waveguide 40 may be an optical fiber , glass , or a light guide . the light source 101 is driven by a light source driver 103 and a gain of one or the plurality of light detectors 102 is controlled by a control and analysis part 106 . the control and analysis part 106 also controls the light source driver 103 and receives conditions from an input part 107 . an electric signal which is photoelectrically converted by the light detector 102 is amplified by an amplifier 104 , analog to digital converted by an analog - to - digital converter 105 and then sent to the control and analysis part 106 to be processed . in the control and analysis part 106 , analysis is performed based on a signal detected by the light detector 102 . specifically , a digital signal converted by the analog - to - digital converter 105 is received and an oxygenated hemoglobin concentration length change and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration length change ( oxy - hb and deoxy - hb ) are calculated from change in a detected light intensity or change in an absorbance based on the digital signal on the basis of , for example , a method disclosed in non - patent literature 1 . here , the concentration length change is a changed amount of a product of the concentration and an optical path length . here , it is assumed that the control and analysis part 106 drives the light source 101 , controls a gain of the light detector 102 , and processes a signal from the analog - to - digital converter 105 . however , individual control parts may be provided and a unit that combines the individual control parts may be provided to perform the same function as the control and analysis part 106 . further , the measurement data and the hemoglobin concentration length change calculating result are stored in a memory part 108 and the measurement result may be displayed on a display 109 based on the analysis result and / or stored data . even though an optical transmitter 50 and an optical receiver 60 are not illustrated in fig1 , the optical transmitter 50 , for example , includes the waveguide 40 at a light source 101 side and disposed so as to be in contact with or almost contact with the subject 10 . the optical receiver 60 , for example , includes the waveguide 40 at a light detector 102 side and disposed so as to be in contact with or almost contact with the subject 10 . in this case , on the subject 10 , the optical transmitters 50 and the optical receivers 60 are disposed such that light which is received by each optical receiver is propagated in both the gray matter and the scalp . this is because the signal from the brain needs to be included when the gradient is calculated in order to assume that the signal from the brain included in an optical receiving signal is approximately and linearly increased in accordance with the sd distance in the analyzing method described below . if the sd distance is significantly short and thus a mean optical path length of the gray matter is short , it is difficult to precisely calculate the gradient for the sd distance of the signal component from the brain . next , a method of separating and extracting a signal from the brain and a signal from the scalp using the measurement data and the hemoglobin concentration length change calculating result will be described . the method uses independent component analysis ( ica ) to extract a plurality of independent components from the nirs signal obtained by the measurement and classifies the independent components into a brain component or a scalp component . the independent component analysis is an analysis method that is capable of separating linearly mixed signals without requiring transcendental information as one of signal separating methods . the method is effective in analyzing data which has a plurality of signal sources and is measured at plural points . hereinafter , a method that applies the independent component analysis only to oxy - hb having a larger amplitude between two components of the hemoglobin concentration length change obtained by the nirs measurement and separates the signal from the brain and the signal from parts other than the brain from the result will be described . however , deoxy - hb or all of hemoglobin concentration length changes ( oxy - hb + deoxy - hb ) may be used . fig2 illustrates an example of a measurement cross - sectional view of a multiple sd distance method . the light 30 which is irradiated from the optical transmitter 50 enters from the upper portion of the scalp and is propagated in a tissue in all directions . if the optical receivers 60 are disposed at an sd distance of 15 mm and an sd distance of 30 mm , as illustrated in fig2 , the light 30 which is received by the optical receiver 60 at the sd distance of 15 mm transmits an averagely shallower region than light 30 which is received by the optical receiver 60 at the sd distance of 30 mm . fig3 shows a result obtained by calculating the relationship between the sd distance and the photon transmittance in a typical head model by monte carlo simulation . in the case of the sd distance of 15 mm and the sd distance of 30 mm , as illustrated in fig3 , the difference of the photon transmittances is approximately double digits . the difference is caused by the different mean optical path lengths in the tissue . here , the partial mean optical path length on every layer of the head is changed by the sd distance . fig4 a and 4b are views illustrating a relationship between the sd distance and partial mean optical path lengths in the scalp and the gray matter obtained by the monte carlo simulation in which fig4 a illustrates the relationship between the sd distance and the partial mean optical path length in the scalp and fig4 b illustrates the relationship between the sd distance and the partial mean optical path length in the gray matter . a horizontal axis represents the sd distance ( mm ) and a vertical axis represents the optical path lengths ( mm ) in the scalp and the gray matter . the partial optical path length in the scalp does not exhibit the sd distance dependency but the partial optical path length in the gray matter exhibits the linear sd distance dependency . the partial mean optical path length in the scalp is varied because the number of calculated photons of the simulation is small and thus the result is not converged . since the nirs signal intensity is proportional to the partial optical path length of a region where the blood flow is changed ( see non - patent literature 1 ) ( it is assumed that the blood flow is uniformly changed in the partial optical path ), as illustrated in fig4 a and 4b , if the sd distance is increased , it is expected that the brain component in the nirs measurement signal is increased but the scalp component is not changed . the present invention focuses on changed amount of the signal intensity with respect to the sd distance , that is , the gradient ( slope ). as illustrated in fig4 a and 4b , if the partial optical path length in the gray matter is lgray ( mm ) and the sd distance is sd ( mm ), the relationship therebetween is represented by equation 1 . here , if it is assumed that the partial optical path length ( lgray ( mm )) in the gray matter is not temporally changed and a general amplitude δcl ( changed amount of a product of a hemoglobin concentration and the optical path length ) of the nirs measurement signal is 0 . 1 mmmm (=( mmol / l )×( mm )) for descriptive purposes ( equation 2 ), and l = lgray = 15 . 97 mm ( in case of sd = 30 mm in fig4 ) is substituted , δc is obtained as represented in equation 3 . therefore , equation 4 is obtained by multiplying both sides of equation 1 by ac . here , if an amplitude value of an i - th independent component is ui ( t ) as a function of time and a weight value of the i - th independent component at the sd distance of s ( mm ) is w ( i , s ) ( i = 1 , 2 , . . . , n ) when the number of independent components is n , the nirs signal δcl ( s , t ) at each timing in each sd distance is represented by linear coupling of the independent components as represented in equation 5 . δ cl ( s , t )= w ( 1 , s )× u 1 ( t )+ . . . + w ( n , s )× u n ( t )[ mmmm ] ( 5 ) here , a root mean square urms of the independent components is represented by equation 6 using a time average umean and a standard deviation ustd of the independent components . u rms =√{ square root over ( u mean 2 + u std 2 )} ( 6 ) since a contribution portion which is proportional to the optical path length is reflected on the relationship of equation 5 and data which is simultaneously measured at a plurality of sd distances , it is considered that the gradient d (| w × urms |)/ d ( sd ) ( mmmm / mm ) of an absolute value of the product of the weight value and the root mean square of the independent component is ideally equal to a gradient d ( δcl )/ d ( sd )= 0 . 0052 ( mmmm / mm ) with respect to the sd distance of an amplitude of the nirs signal derived from equation 4 so that equation 7 is obtained . d (| w × urms |)/ d ( sd )= d ( δ cl )/ d ( sd )= 0 . 0052 [ mmmm / mm ] ( 7 ) equation 7 assumes a typical head model . further , the amplitude value of the nirs measurement signal is assumed as δcl = 0 . 1 ( mmmm ) for descriptive purposes as described above . here , using the gradient d (| w × urms |)/ d ( sd ) ( mmmm / mm ) of the absolute value of the product of the weight value and the root mean square of the independent component , in order to separate the signal from the brain ( specifically , gray matter ) and the signal from the skin ( scalp ), a threshold value of d (| w × urms |)/ d ( sd ) ( mmmm / mm ) is set and it is assumed that an independent component which is smaller than the threshold value is not the brain component . such a component is considered as a scalp component or a noise component . the gradient may be calculated by obtaining the regression line by the least - square method . as described above , after separating the independent components by the ica , results of reconfiguration using an independent component which is equal to or larger than the threshold value and an independent component which is smaller than the threshold value become the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp . a method that makes the threshold value , for example , approximately half the gradient calculated here is considered . however , in principle , an optical path length of the head is varied for every subject and the signal amplitude is varied for every task . therefore , it is desirable to optimize the threshold value for every subject and for every task . here , the regression to a linear function will be described . however , if the partial mean optical path length of the gray matter with respect to the sd distance in fig4 depends on the head structure but is not a linear function , more general polynomial regression or a method that regresses to an exponential function , a logarithm function , a hyperbolic function , or any other functions may be used . fig5 plots a weight value of each of the independent components with respect to the sd distance when two types of sd distances , that is , 15 mm ( one point ) and 30 mm ( two points ) are used and two types of independent components extracted from the signals are used . the horizontal axis is the sd distance and the vertical axis is the weight value of the independent component . a straight line obtained in each of the independent component by the least - square method and a straight line corresponding to the threshold value of the gradient are simultaneously illustrated . in fig5 , since a gradient of a component 1 is the threshold value or higher , the component 1 is determined as a brain component . further , since a gradient of a component 2 is lower than the threshold value , the component 2 is determined as a scalp component . in the method , since the gradient of the weight value of the independent component with respect to the sd distance is used , measurement data having an sd distance of approximately 10 mm or longer is required so that the partial mean optical path length of the gray matter is 0 or larger . here , approximately 10 mm means 7 mm or longer and 13 mm or shorter . in fig5 , the weight value of the independent component is used as the function value . however , an amplitude value or a standard deviation of the amplitude values may be used . further , a method that calculates the gradient using the absolute value of the product of the weight value and the root mean square of the independent component as the threshold value has been described . however , if the independent components are appropriately normalized , the gradient may be calculated only using the weight value of the independent component . in other words , a gradient of the function g with respect to the sd distance when a function g determined by any one of the weight value , the mean amplitude value , and the standard deviation of the amplitude values is g ( w , u , σ )= w ×( u ̂ 2 + σ ̂ 2 )̂( 0 . 5 ) or g ( w )= w ( w is a weight value , u is a mean amplitude value of the separated component , and σ is a standard deviation of amplitude values of the separated component ) may be used as the threshold value . further , the terminologies used here “ brain component ” and “ scalp component ” are expediential terms and are nirs signals reconfigured by an independent component which is formally separated by the gradient of the weight value with respect to the sd distance by the above method and a plurality of separated independent components . therefore , for example , it is considered that the “ brain component ” may include a blood variation component in a blood vessel in the skull in addition to a biological signal of a deep tissue including the brain . in addition , the “ scalp component ” may include non - brain component , that is , a systemic biological signal , device noise , or noise caused by the body motion in addition to a biological signal of a shallow tissue . here , even though an independent component analysis is described as a signal separating method , the method of the present invention may be carried out even when a signal separating method such as main component analysis , factor analysis , multiple regression analysis , or cluster analysis is used . next , it is described that the above method is applied to the measurement with actual probe arrangement . fig6 illustrates an example of a probe arrangement in the human head . the probe may be arranged in the entire head including a frontal region , a temporal region , a parietal region , and an occipital region . fig7 a illustrates a matrix type probe arrangement in the related art ( for example , see non - patent literature 1 ) and fig7 b illustrates arrangement of measurement points . in the arrangement , an interval between the optical transmitter 50 and the optical receiver 60 is usually approximately 30 mm and a substantially center point becomes a measurement point 11 a . “□”, “▪”, and “” indicate the optical transmitter , the optical receiver , and the measurement point , respectively . in the arrangement , the sd distance is 30 mm at all measurement points 11 a . even though the measurement may be performed at the combination with the sd distance of 60 mm , the signal to noise ratio ( snr ) becomes smaller and the method is not realistic . fig8 a illustrates double density probe arrangement and fig8 b illustrates the arrangement of measurement points . the probe arrangement is disclosed in patent literature 9 and non - patent literature 6 . the arrangement is an arrangement where the matrix type probe arrangement of fig7 is shifted by 15 mm on the x - axis to overlap with each other . “□”, “▪”, “”, and “ δ ” indicate the optical transmitter 50 , the optical receiver 60 , the measurement point 11 a at the sd distance of 30 mm , and the measurement point 11 c at the sd distance of 15 mm , respectively . here , in order to extract the signal from the scalp , measurement signals at measurement points in a plurality of sd distances are used . the signal is used to select a component to be used after separating the components of the signals . in the case of mapping by the interpolation only using the measurement signal at the same sd distance , for example , if the sd distance is approximately 15 to 20 mm , a map in which contribution of a signal from a shallow portion including the scalp is large is obtained . here , by the sd distance , if imaging is performed only using data at the same sd distance , the number of measurement points is small . therefore , the resolution may be lowered . in the example of fig8 a and 8b , the number of the measurement points in the sd distance of 15 mm is smaller than that of the measurement points in the sd distance of 30 mm and thus the distribution density is small . even the measurement data in the sd distance whose distribution density is small is effective in extracting a signal ( the signal from the brain or the signal from the scalp ) which will be separated from the data at the measurement point in the sd distance of 30 mm . therefore , even when the number of the measurement points is small , effective measurement data may be obtained . in order to perform measurement in two types of sd distances as described above , a method that switches the lighting order of the light sources will be described below . if all light sources are simultaneously turned on , each of the detectors receives a signal of the sd distance of 15 mm and a signal of the sd distance of 30 mm simultaneously and the difference of the received light intensity is two digits ( fig3 ). therefore , the snr of the signal in the sd distance of 30 mm may be undesirably lowered by the influence of photocurrent shot noise accompanied by receiving the light in the sd distance of 15 mm . therefore , if the irradiation powers of the light sources are constant , the signals in the sd distances of 15 mm and 30 mm are desirably detected at different timings . as a first method that switches the lighting order of the light sources , a first example of the probe arrangement and the lighting order of the light sources is illustrated in fig9 a and 9b . fig9 a illustrates an upper half of the probe arrangement of fig8 a . “□” and “▪” indicate the optical transmitter 50 and the optical receiver 60 , respectively . circled numerals 1 and 2 indicate the lighting order of the light sources . symbols written on each probe indicate a surface ( a surface / b surface ), a light source / detector ( s : source / d : detector ), and the probe number . for example , as 1 denotes a light source no . 1 on the a surface . the probe arrangement overlaps two matrix type probe arrangements of the related art in fig7 a . if the probe arrangements are referred to as the a surface and the b surface , in the lighting order illustrated in fig9 a , the light sources on the a surface and the b surface are alternately turned on . fig9 b illustrates the arrangement of measurement points and the measuring order . a circle indicates the measurement point in the sd distance of 30 mm and a triangle indicates the measurement point in the sd distance of 15 mm , and the symbol written on or below the measurement point indicates a corresponding light source number and a corresponding detector number . fig1 illustrates a first example of the light order of the light sources and the measuring order by the detector . here , only a light source 1 ( as 1 ) and a light source 2 ( as 2 ) on the a surface , a light source 1 ( bs 1 ) and a light source 2 ( bs 2 ) on the b surface , a detector 1 ( ad 1 ) and a detector 2 ( ad 2 ) on the a surface , a detector 1 ( bd 1 ) and a detector 2 ( bd 2 ) on the b surface are illustrated . the detectors are always turned on and the light sources alternately switch the a surface and the b surface . by adopting the lighting order , the same intensity modulation frequency or lock - in frequency may be used on the a surface and the b surface and the kinds of necessary frequency may be halved . therefore , it is easy to design the band width of the intensity modulation frequency between the light sources so as not to overlap each other . as a second method that switches the lighting order of the light sources , a second example of the probe arrangement and the lighting order of the light sources is illustrated in fig1 a and 11b . the reference symbols are same as in fig9 a and 9b . according to the lighting order , in the light source , the measurement in the sd distance of 15 mm and the measurement in the sd distance of 30 mm are performed at different timings . therefore , the light amount is adjusted in accordance with the sd distances to easily adjust the gain without saturating the detector . in fig1 , a second example of the lighting order of the light sources and the measuring order by the detector is illustrated . the reference symbols are same as in fig1 . even though the light source is always turned on , the power of the light source is set to be small at the timing in the sd distance of 15 mm and the power of the light source is set to be large at the timing in the sd distance of 30 mm . the detector simultaneously receives a signal in the sd distance of 15 mm and a signal in the sd distance of 30 mm while being used , but is turned off during a timing when the detector is not used . since the detector is turned off while being unused , it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the detector . as a third method that switches the lighting order of the light sources , a third example of the probe arrangement and the lighting order of the light sources is illustrated in fig1 a and 13b . the reference symbols are same as in fig9 a and 9b . according to the lighting order , the measuring timings in the sd distance of 30 mm on the a surface and the b surface are different and a timing when the sd distance of 15 mm is measured is separately set . even though the time resolution is lowered , an average power is lowered so that the shot noise due to the photocurrent in each detector may be lowered and the detectors are hardly saturated . in fig1 , a third example of the lighting order of the light sources and the measuring order by the detector is illustrated . the reference symbols are same as in fig1 . the light source is turned on for measurement in the sd distance of 30 mm on any one of the a surface and the b surface and also turned on for measurement in the sd distance of 15 mm . therefore , among three lighting timings , the light source is turned on two times and turned off one time . however , since as 1 is disposed at an edge and no detector that measures the sd distance of 15 mm is provided at as 1 , among three lighting timings , the light source is turned off two times . in the above description , even though a device that uses a lock - in detecting method is supposed , in addition to the cdma method , a time divisional detecting method that sequentially turns on the light sources at the respective lighting timings may be used . in the time divisional detecting method , only one light source is simultaneously turned on . therefore , there is no need to consider the interference between the light sources at the time of detection and an average irradiating power for the subject 10 is lowered so that a peak power per one light source may be increased . fig1 to 18 illustrate quadruple density probe arrangements a to d and arrangement of measurement points . the quadruple density probe arrangement a of fig1 a and 15b is disclosed in non - patent literature 6 . in each drawing , “□”, “▪”, “”, “ x ”, “ δ ”, and “⋄” indicate the optical transmitter 50 , the optical receiver 60 , a measurement point 11 a in the sd distance of 30 mm , a measurement point lib in the sd distance of 23 . 7 mm , a measurement point 11 c in the sd distance of 15 mm , and a measurement point lid in the sd distance of 10 . 6 mm , respectively . in any of probe arrangements in fig1 to 18 , the arrangements of measurement points in the sd distance of 30 mm are same . in this case , the distance between the measurement points in the sd distance of 30 mm is 10 . 6 mm and a spatial distribution density of the measurement points is increased and the spatial resolution is also increased . further , the number of usable sd distances is increased and the distribution density is increased so that it is effective in performing the method of separating and extracting the signals from the brain and the scalp . further , since in addition to the sd distance illustrated in fig1 to 18 , a measurement point may be obtained by combining the optical transmitter 50 and the optical receiver 60 likes an sd distance of 45 mm , the arrangement of measurement points including such a measurement point may be used . in this case , there is a need to appropriately set the lighting order of the light sources by the arrangement of the measurement points . when the method of separating and extracting the signals from the brain and the scalp is performed , the sd distance which is uniquely determined by the pair of the optical transmitter 50 and the optical receiver 60 is stored by the memory part 108 of the biological photometric device of the present invention and thus the control and analysis part 106 needs to use the value to perform analysis . fig1 a illustrates a double density probe arrangement and fig1 b illustrates a set of used light source and detector at the measurement point available at that time . in fig1 b , “◯” indicates a measurement point in the sd distance of 30 mm and “⊚” indicates a measurement point in the sd distance of 15 mm . a blank cell indicates that the measurement is not performed in the combination of the corresponding light source and detector and thus is unused . the correspondence relationship is input by the input part 107 or read out from the memory part 108 . fig2 illustrates a setting screen of the probe arrangement and the sd distance . in the setting screen , setting lists are input from a key board or a mouse included in the input part 107 . in a combo box 110 that selects the probe arrangements , the probe arrangement is selected . for example , an arrangement with four optical transmitting / receiving probes in a vertical direction and eight optical transmitting / receiving probes in a horizontal direction ( 4 × 8 ) and an arrangement with three optical transmitting / receiving probes in a vertical direction and ten optical transmitting / receiving probes in a horizontal direction ( 3 × 10 ) are displayed as an example . in these arrangements , since the positions of the measurable measurement points or the sd distance are determined in advance , there is no need to input the sd distance and the like . if “ other ” is selected or a sd distance or the combination of the light source and detector to be used in the probe arrangement of “ 4 × 8 ” or “ 3 × 10 ” is manually set , the following selection is performed using a radio button 111 for sd distance setting . in the “ manual setting ”, both the combination of light source and detector to be used and the sd distance are manually set . in the “ automatic setting ”, both the combination of light source and detector to be used and the sd distance are automatically set . in this case , for example , it is set to measure all measurement points in sd distances of approximately 10 to 40 mm . in “ auto setting of only sd distance of 30 mm ”, among all combinations of light source and detector , only the sd distance of 30 mm is automatically set to be used and the others may be manually set . “ set used sd distance ” will be described with reference to fig2 . when the combination of light source and detector to be used and the sd distance are manually set , the setting is available by inputting numbers in a cell 112 for inputting the sd distance . if an experimenter stores the setting conditions , the experimenter presses an ok button 113 . in contrast , if the experimenter does not store the setting conditions , the experimenter presses a cancel button 114 . in the example , even though the sd distances of 30 mm and 15 mm are displayed , the control and analysis part 106 may automatically calculate all sd distances of the optical transmitter 50 and the optical receiver 60 to display the sd distances in the cell . in this case , in the setting screen of fig2 , by adding “ use ” and “ no use ” buttons , use or no use of a cell corresponding to each of the measurement points may be set on the screen . fig2 illustrates a setting screen of the used sd distance and an effective radius . since plural kinds of sd distances are considered from the probe arrangement which is actually used , the setting screen is provided so as to select a used sd distance among the plural sd distances . in a text box 121 , the number of kinds of used sd distances is input . in text boxes 122 and 123 in which the used sd distances are input , a priority sd distance and the other sd distances are input , respectively . in the text box 124 , an effective radius is input . here , all measurement points of priority sd distances are measured . at the measurement point in the priority sd distance , the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp are separated and reconstructed . a used distance range from the measurement point of the priority sd distance of the used sd distances other than the priority sd distance is input to the text box 124 of the “ effective radius ”. further , all measurement points of the sd distances within the effective radius in the text box 123 are used . by the method , the snr at all measurement points is allowed to be in a predetermined range and the priority sd distance is set so that the analysis and the display are allowed in accordance with the purpose . in addition , according to the system , since the measurement points to be used are selected and used without omission , it is possible to precisely perform the method of separating and extracting the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp with a high reproducibility . the ok button 113 and the cancel button 114 are used similarly to fig2 . fig2 illustrates a setting screen of a light intensity and a gain of the detector . an operator sets the light intensity and the gain of the detector using the input part 107 . the light intensity is set in following four setting modes by a radio button 131 that sets the light intensity . in “ constant for all light sources ” mode , the light intensity is set for all light sources to be constant . for example , the mode is used when a temporal average is constantly maintained due to restriction such as a safety criterion . in a “ manual setting ” mode , a light intensity of each of the light sources is manually set one by one . in an “ automatic setting ” mode , the light intensity of each of the light sources is automatically set . in this case , the light intensity is set so as to avoid the saturation of the detector , maintain the light intensity to be below a predetermined threshold value , or maximize the signal to noise ratio ( snr ). the threshold value is , for example , set to be 3 mw which is below the safety criterion . in a “ read memorized value ” mode , a memorized value of a previous setting value is used . by the radio button 132 for setting the gain of the detector , the gain of the detector is set in following four modes . in a “ fixed gain ” mode , the gain set in the detector is temporally constant . for example , the gain is set to be half the level where the detector is saturated so as not to be saturated at an irradiating timing with the largest detected light intensity . in an “ adaptive gain ” mode , an optimal gain is set at irradiating timing of each of the light sources . in a “ manual gain ” mode , the gain of each of the light sources is manually input and set . in a “ read memorized value ” mode , a memorized value of a previous setting value is used . in these setting modes , the setting button 133 is pressed so that the setting condition is effective . when the setting condition is stored , the ok button 113 is pressed . when the setting condition is not stored , the cancel button 114 is pressed . by changing the setting of the light intensity and the gain of the detector , the measurement conditions are optimized in the measurement at various probe arrangements and sd distances and the conditions may be unified for every subject . further , the reproducibility may be improved for the same subject . fig2 illustrates a detector gain automatic adjusting screen . in the detector gain condition set in fig2 , in cases of “ fixed gain ” setting or the “ adaptive gain ” setting , the gain of the detector is automatically adjusted . the automatic gain setting result 139 at the measurement point in the sd distance of 30 mm is illustrated on an upper part of the screen , and the automatic gain setting result 140 at the measurement point in the sd distance of 15 mm is illustrated on a lower part of the screen . an indication method is as illustrated in a legend 135 . an indication 136 indicating that an intensity of the detected light is high by coloring the cell of the measurement position with black , an indication 137 indicating that the intensity of the detected light is moderate by coloring the cell of the measurement position with gray with a circle (◯) at a center thereof , and an indication 138 indicating that the intensity of the detected light is low by coloring the cell of the measurement position with white are used . since the result of the intensity of the detected light largely depends on a mounted state of the probe , when the intensity of detected light is low at some of measurement points , the probe is fixed to be mounted to improve the intensity . in this case , after changing the mounted state of probe , a retry button 134 of the gain adjustment is pressed to adjust the gain of the detector again . in order to apply the method that separates and extracts the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp to a broader measurement , the method may be desirably applied for all probe arrangements . therefore , various information for each of the measurement points is stored in database and then the information is used at the time of analysis to efficiently separate and extract the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp . fig2 illustrates data structure of measurement point information . in a measurement point information region 161 , six kinds of information , that is , a measurement point number 154 , a light source / detector id 155 , a light source / detector coordinate 156 , an sd distance 157 , a measurement point coordinate 158 , measurement data 159 are stored . the measurement data 159 is data which is stored by being sent from a measurement part 160 . an operator of experiment inputs a pair of optical transmitter and optical receiver to be used , arrangement of the optical transmitter and the optical receiver , a positional reference with respect to the subject , and a number of the measurement point using a setting input part 151 . here , the positional reference adopts , for example , an international 10 - 20 rule used to dispose brain wave electrodes as a reference . based on the input information , data corresponding to the measurement point number 154 and the light source / detector id 155 in the measurement point information region 161 is input . further , the light source / detector coordinate 156 , the sd distance 157 , and the measurement point coordinate 158 are calculated by a calculation part 152 and then stored as data . further , at the time of calculation , a subject shape data 153 is read to be used . the subject shape data 153 includes , for example , head shape data by a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) or an x ray ct or head shape data of the subject which is measured by a three dimensional position measurement system that uses magnetism . a flow of the measurement in the embodiment will be described . fig2 illustrates a measurement flowchart in the embodiment . at first , the operator inputs subject data ( structure data such as an mri image ) ( s 101 ). then , the operator inputs probe arrangement ( s 102 ). the calculation part 152 performs monte carlo simulation based on the structure data or calls a monte carlo simulation result and calculates a mean optical path length at every measurement point and every sd distance ( s 103 ). the calculation part 152 calculates a threshold value of an evaluation function ( for example , a gradient of weight values with respect to the sd distance ) based on the mean optical path length at every measurement point and sd distance ( s 104 ). next , the operator mounts the probe on the subject ( s 105 ) and adjusts a detector gain and power of a light source ( s 106 ) and performs the measurement ( s 107 ). next , the calculation part 152 determines whether a scalp blood flow discrimination algorithm is applied ( s 108 ). if the algorithm is applied , the scalp blood flow discrimination processing is performed ( s 109 ) and then the analysis data is displayed and stored ( s 110 ). if the algorithm is not applied , the analysis data is displayed and stored ( s 110 ) without performing the scalp blood flow discrimination processing ( s 109 ). as described above , by using an optimal threshold value to the subject which is calculated and estimated from the structure data , it is possible to improve the precision of the scalp blood flow discrimination algorithm . further , even when the structure data is not provided , it is considered to use the same value for every subject as a threshold value calculated from an experimental value of the threshold value or a threshold value calculated from standard human head structure data . in this case , the threshold may be selected between 0 . 0015 and 0 . 0055 mmmm / mm . as a method that optimizes a threshold value of a weight value gradient with respect to the sd distance for every subject , there is a method that calculates an optical path length based on the head structure data of each subject on the basis of the monte carlo simulation or numerical analysis by an optical diffusion equation and determines an optimal threshold value so as not to be contradictory with the result . however , the head structure data requires mri or x ray ct measurement data and it is not sure if the head structure data is available for all subjects . therefore , other method is required . in this case , a method that temporally sets the threshold value to approximately 0 . 0015 to 0 . 0055 mmmm / mm and performs measurement for the same subject in the same task several times and searches for the threshold value separated into the brain component and the scalp component for every time or as many times as possible is considered . according to the method , since a subject dependent factor is considered by selecting a threshold value having a high reproducibility of the separation result , the method may be a robust method as compared with a method that uses a fixed threshold value . fig2 illustrates a flowchart of scalp blood flow discrimination . at first , the calculation part 152 associates one or a plurality of measurement data at a second sd distance with each measurement data in a first sd distance . alternatively , the operator manually selects a neighboring measurement point at the second sd distance ( s 201 ). next , the calculation part 152 separates one or plurality of components using a signal separating method such as independent component analysis ( s 202 ) and determines sd distance dependency ( weight value gradient in every sd distance ) of the separated components using a least - square method ( s 203 ). the calculation part 152 classifies the separated components into a signal from brain or a signal from the scalp based on a predetermined evaluation function ( s 204 ). finally , the calculation part 152 reconstructs a signal only using the signal component from the brain to be displayed ( s 205 ). in the flowchart , only independent component analysis has been described . however , a signal separating method that applies principle component analysis , factor analysis , multiple linear regression analysis , or cluster analysis may be used . further , when the calculation part 152 calculates the dependency on the sd distance of the separated components , a model equation is not limited to a linear function , but may be a method that performs a least square fitting on an appropriate order of polynomial equation , an exponential function , a logarithm function , or a hyperbolic function . further , for the evaluation function described above , the weight value gradient of an independent component , a threshold value by the monte carlo simulation which can be calculated from an assumption of the structure data , or a value obtained by subtracting error sum of square at the time of fitting from the weight value gradient may be used . in other words , if the error sum of square is large , the reliability of the separated component is considered to be low . therefore , the separated component is considered as a noise or a systemic signal component so that the separated component is not separated as a brain component . accordingly , the component is removed , which allows only an appropriate separated component as a brain component to be extracted . further , other than the method of calculating the evaluation function as described above , if there is a plurality of data in the same sd distance when the weight value gradient of the independent component is calculated , a method that calculates a standard deviation using a weight value of the sd distance and calculates a gradient by weighting a reciprocal number thereof is considered . the method is based on an assumption that the value is probable as the standard deviation of the weight value is small . if the variation is large , a possibility that the value is obtained by chance is high . therefore , according to the method , since the evaluation function is calculated to be low , a probability that the component is separated as the brain component is lowered . as described above , a component having a variation in the weight values even in the same sd distance may be removed from the brain component . as another method of calculating an evaluation function , a method that considers a reciprocal number of a distance of a priority sd distance from the measurement point as a reliability to be weighted and calculates the weight value gradient using data of the measurement points in every sd distance is considered . if the measurement point is deviated , an optical path of light irradiated from the optical transmitter 50 is changed so that a possibility that a wrong part is measured is increased . therefore , as closer to the measurement point in the priority sd distance , the optical path shared at the measurement points is increased , which becomes a proper condition to calculate the independent component by the independent component analysis . according to the method , it is possible to weight depending on the distance between the measurement points even when the distribution range of the scalp blood flow is small and the measurement wave is varied depending on the position of the measurement point . therefore , it is possible to obtain a more precise result . further , a method that uses an intercept of an sd distance axis ( x axis in fig4 b ) of the regression line that indicates the sd distance dependency of each of the independence component obtained by the least - square method is considered . for example , in the case of an independence component having a large intercept of the sd distance axis , the weight value is increased when the sd distance is equal to or larger than a predetermined value . therefore , the component may be from a hemodynamic status of a deep portion of the gray matter . accordingly , a method that sets a threshold value in the intercept of the sd distance axis ( x axis ) is considered . according to a modified beer - lambert law , a signal which is proportional to the optical path should be obtained ( if a uniform change of blood flow in the corresponding partial optical path is assumed ). therefore , if an independence component is a signal from the gray matter , the x intercept of the regression line that represents the sd distance dependency is expected to be ideally approximately 10 mm and at least positive . since the x intercept does not depend on the signal amplitude , the x intercept does not have task dependency and thus may be a threshold value which may be commonly used for the same subject . for example , as illustrated in fig4 b , the threshold value of the x intercept may be set to be approximately 10 mm . by doing this , signals from the tissue in a shallow portion and a deep portion in the subject 10 may be precisely separated . further , by combining the threshold value of the x intercept with the weight value gradient described above , it is expected to increase the precision . further , if the x intercept is approximately 10 mm or less and , specifically , has a negative value , in an ideal case that does not include a noise , a signal of a shallower portion than the gray matter is included . if the gradient is large simultaneously to the above , a signal of a deep portion including the gray matter is included . therefore , it is interpreted that the component is commonly included in the deep portion and the shallow portion . for example , systemic hemodynamic component may be commonly included in both the deep portion and the shallow portion . as described above , by studying the x intercept and the gradient , it is possible to determine whether the component is included in only one of the deep portion or the shallow portion or both the deep portion and the shallow portion . if a plurality of optical transmitters 50 and a plurality of optical receivers 60 are provided , as illustrated in fig2 , for example , independent component analysis is performed using a measurement point in the sd distance of 15 mm which is disposed within an effective radius of 22 . 5 mm with respect to the measurement point in each of the sd distances of 30 mm ( priority sd distance ). in the independent component analysis , in order to extract a plurality of independent components , data at a plurality of measurement points is required in principle so that it is required to select the used data . a flow when a measurement point to be used in the independent component analysis is selected corresponding to the measurement point in each of the priority sd distances will be described below . fig2 is a flowchart of selecting a measurement point in the second sd distance corresponding to a measurement point in each of the first sd distances . at first , the operator inputs a condition such as an effective radius or minimum and maximum number of used measurement points ( s 301 ). next , the calculation part 152 calculates a distance between the measurement point in the first sd distance ( priority sd distance ) and the measurement point in the second sd distance ( s 302 ) and stores a channel number of the measurement point in the second sd distance which is equal to or smaller than the threshold value ( may be smaller than the threshold value ) ( s 303 ). the calculation part 152 adjusts the number of selected channels at the second sd distance so as to satisfy the condition ( s 304 ). the calculation part 152 similarly calculates the above steps for all measurement points in the first sd distance ( s 305 ). by the flow , only the neighborhood measurement point is included in the analysis . if the scalp blood flow does not have a broad spectrum , that is , even when the scalp blood flow is locally distributed , only the neighborhood measurement point which has a measurement point with the priority sd distance on the head surface as a center is used to extract the independent component . therefore , it is possible to efficiently separate and remove the scalp blood flow component . even when the scalp blood flow has a broad spectrum , it is needless to say that the scalp blood flow component is similarly separated and removed . therefore , the method is more general than a method that removes the scalp blood flow based on a measurement signal of a laser doppler blood flowmeter or a blood pressure meter other than the brain function . fig2 illustrates a flowchart of determining a threshold value of the weight value gradient of each of the independent components in a sd distance . at first , by inputting by the operator and the reading out of the simulation result , the calculation part 152 plots a partial optical path length of the gray matter for every sd distance ( s 401 ). next , the calculation part 152 calculates the gradient ( slope ) a ( mmmm / mm ) by calculating a regression line using the least - square method ( s 402 ) and sets , for example , an amount a / 2 ( mmmm / mm ) uniquely defined from the gradient a ( mmmm / mm ) as a threshold value for the independent component selection ( s 403 ). here , in order to separate the scalp signal and the gray matter signal illustrated in fig4 , an average of the gradients with respect to the sd distance of both signals is defined as a threshold value . further , the threshold value is not limited to a / 2 , but may be defined as a different value . by the method , an optimal threshold value which depends on the head structure of each of the subjects may be used so that it is possible to precisely separate the brain component and the scalp component . further , a measurement point in a short sd distance may be smoothly present within the effective radius to be close to the measurement point in the priority sd distance . however , it is also considered that the measurement point in a short sd distance does not exist depending on the probe arrangement , which is because the distribution density of the measurement points in each of the sd distances is varied . in this case , an exceptional processing that increases the effective radius of the measurement point in the priority sd distance around which there is no measurement point in a short sd distance and uses data of the nearest measurement point in the short sd distance is required . next , an actual measuring example that uses the present invention will be described . in order to confirm the basic principle of the present invention , a probe including one optical transmitter 50 and six optical receivers 60 is used to measure a human left frontal region at the time of performing a verbal working memory task . fig2 illustrates a multiple sd distance probe arrangement having one optical transmitter and six optical receivers . the optical receivers 60 are disposed on a straight line with an interval of 8 mm . in the verbal working memory task , the subject memorizes two or four hiragana which is displayed on a target screen for 1 . 5 seconds and judges whether hiragana which is pronounced alike to one katakana which is displayed in the probe screen after a delay period of seven seconds is present in the memorized screen as soon as quickly . if hiragana is present , the subject presses “◯” button and if not , the subject presses “ x ” button . the used button is in a game pad . when the button is pressed , the probe screen disappears . however , even when the button is not pressed , the probe screen disappears for at most two seconds . after displaying the probe screen , a rest time of 16 to 21 seconds is provided . during the delay period after the target screen and the rest period after the probe screen , a fixation point is displayed on the screen and the subject gazes the fixation point . one second immediately before displaying the target screen and one second between 14 second and 15 second after starting to display the probe screen are used to calculate a base line in each block . the sequence is repeated 16 times ( total 16 trials ). fig3 illustrates measurement data in each of sd distances at the time of performing the verbal working memory task . the sd distances are 8 , 16 , 24 , 32 , 40 , and 48 mm from the upper part . a dotted vertical line in the drawing is a mark indicating a starting / ending time of the task ( t = 1 s is a starting time ). the bold lined waveform is a time change waveform of the oxygenated hemoglobin concentration length change ( oxy - hb ) and a thin lined waveform is a time change waveform of the deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration length change ( deoxy - hb ). since the waveforms obtained in accordance with the sd distances are significantly different , it is considered that different hemodynamic changes occur in the shallow portion and the deep portion of the head . two mountains ( peaks ) are represented . the first mountain is increased as the sd distance is increased while the second mountain has a substantially constant amplitude regardless of the sd distance . the first mountain and the second mountain are independent components . further , it is easily understood that the gradient of the first mountain with respect to the sd distance of a product of the weight value and the root mean square is large but the gradient of the second mountain is small . fig3 illustrates an extracted independent component 162 , a weight value gradient 163 , and an average of an inter - trial correlation coefficients 164 . here , data of the sd distance of 8 mm is used to extract the independent component but not used to calculate the weight value gradient . as illustrated in fig4 b , if the sd distance is 10 mm or shorter , a partial mean optical path length in the gray matter is substantially 0 mm . therefore , it is considered that if the data of the sd distance of 10 mm or shorter is used , the precision may be deteriorated . as a result , total four independent components are extracted and the component weight value gradient with respect to the sd distance of the components is as illustrated in the middle of fig3 . a gradient of a component 2 is large . further , in the lower part of fig3 , an average value of the correlation coefficients of all combinations of the independent components during total 16 trials is illustrated , which indicates a strength of task synchrony of the independent components . by the display method , it is possible to search the correlation between the component weigh value gradient and the inter - trial correlation and the method is useful to search the task dependency of the brain component and the scalp blood flow . a result displaying example after separating the brain component and the scalp component by applying the method of the present invention is illustrated in fig3 . in fig3 , a result when the threshold value of the independent component is 0 . 0021 mmmm / mm is illustrated . in original data 171 , the oxy - hb and the deoxy - hb measured in the sd distance of 32 mm are illustrated but the brain data 172 and the scalp data 173 are results that reconstruct only the oxy - hb . this is because , in the experimental analysis , only oxy - hb is used to separate the independent component . here , data reconstructed as the brain data is a result reconstructed using only the component 2 in fig3 . the result has a positive - negative inversed waveform with respect to the waveform of the component 2 , which is because the multiplied coefficient is negative at the time of reconstruction . in a check box 174 that selects a display method of the original data , the brain data , and the scalp data , data to be displayed may be selected and a display method in accordance with the purpose may be achieved . even though not illustrated in fig3 , the sd distance of data to be displayed may be selected . accordingly , a component having a larger amplitude is separated as a brain component and the other components are separated as the scalp data as the sd distance becomes longer . as described above , the original data 171 , the brain data 172 , and the scalp data 173 are simultaneously displayed with the same scale of the vertical axis so that it is possible to easily understand the state of the brain data or the scalp data included in the original data and the size of the contribution . further , it helps to know the characteristics of the brain and scalp blood flow induced by the task . next , a display example when the plurality of optical transmitters 50 and the plurality of optical receivers 60 are two - dimensionally disposed and the brain data and the scalp data are imaged to be measured is illustrated in fig3 . fig3 is a display example of a measurement result by a whole head measuring type brain function photometric device . oxygenated hemoglobin concentration length change ( oxy - hb ) map 301 of a frontal region , a parietal region , a left and right temporal region , and an occipital region is displayed . an amplitude value is represented by shadings in a gray scale bar 302 . a temporal axis may be adjusted by a scroll bar 303 for time display . further , the radio button 304 allows the selecting whether to normally display the signal from the brain , the signal from the scalp , and the sd distance of 30 mm . further , fig3 illustrates a display example of two dimensional data at every sd distance . fig3 a illustrates original data ( normal display ) when the sd distance is 30 mm and fig3 b illustrates original data ( normal display ) when the sd distance is 15 mm . the radio button 304 allows the selection of the display method . as described above , by displaying the two dimensional measurement data for every sd distance , status of the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp for every sd distance may be clearly understood . in the display method in fig3 to 34 , other than the original data , the brain data , and the scalp data , a component considered as a shared component included in both the deep portion and the shallow portion by the determination criterion of an x intercept may be simultaneously displayed . here , another method that classifies the brain data and the scalp data using the x intercept will be described . fig3 illustrates a model of a partial optical path length in the scalp and the gray matter . the horizontal axis indicates the sd distance ( mm ) and the vertical axis indicates the partial optical path length ( mm ). in this case , if it is assumed that the scalp optical path length is a constant value and the gray matter is a straight line in which the x intercept is positive , a model may be obtained as represented by equations 8 and 9 . here , if a contribution ratio of the hb concentration change in the brain ( gray matter ) in which optical path length influence of a “ shared component ” that contains both the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp at a predetermined ratio is removed is t ( 0 & lt ; t & lt ; 1 ) ( referred to as a brain contribution ratio ) and a contribution ratio of a concentration change in the scalp ( skin ) is 1 − t , a sum of optical path lengths of both signals weighted by t is represented by equation 10 . in this case , since a component &# 39 ; s contribution value of the shared component at each measurement point is proportional to the optical path length , the component &# 39 ; s contribution value is plotted with respect to the sd distance as illustrated in fig3 ( when using data of sd distances of 15 mm and 30 mm ). in fig3 , the x intercept ( xs ) is x when a left side of equation 10 is substituted with 0 so that xs is represented by equation 11 . further , if equation 11 is modified to be solved for t , equation 12 is obtained . here , it is assumed that a , xs , and c are 0 . 833 , 10 . 83 , and 32 . 4 , respectively from the monte carlo simulation result ( fig4 ) in which a typical human head model is assumed . therefore , the sd distance - component &# 39 ; s contribution value distribution of the independent components from the actual measurement data is obtained and the x intercept ( xs ) obtained by the linear regression by the least - square method is substituted in equation 12 to obtain the contribution ratio t of the concentration change in the brain of the shared component . it is possible to reconstruct the shared component as a brain component and a scalp component by weighting with t and 1 − t . fig3 illustrates a flowchart of an example of a component separating method using an x intercept of the regression line of the sd distance — component &# 39 ; s contribution value distribution of each independent component when measurement points in sd distances of 15 mm and 30 mm are used . the calculation part 152 obtains the regression line in the sd - distance ( x axis )— weight value ( y axis ) distribution and calculates the x intercept xs ( mm ) and a gradient a ( mmmm / mm ) for the independent components after performing independent component analysis using a plurality of measurement signals in an sd distance ( s 501 ). next , the calculation part 152 determines whether the x intercept xs is equal to or larger than the threshold value th 1 ( for example , th 1 = 15 mm ) ( s 502 ). since the sd distances are 15 mm and 30 mm , if xs ≧ 15 , a code of the weight value of sd distance of 15 m and 30 mm is different or an absolute value of the weight value of the sd distance of 15 mm is larger than that of the sd distance of 30 mm . whether the code is different or the absolute value of the weight value of the sd distance of 15 mm is larger than that of the sd distance of 30 mm may be determined by determining whether the gradient a is equal to or larger than the threshold value th 2 ( for example , th 2 = 0 . 003 mmmm / mm ) ( s 503 ). if it is determined to be no , it is the latter case and it is considered as the scalp component ( s 505 ). further , if it is determined to be yes , it is the former case and it is considered as the brain component ( s 506 ). in the former case , the codes of the weight values in the sd distances of 15 mm and 30 mm are different but the gradient is large . therefore , the absolute value of the weight value in the sd distance of 15 mm is smaller than the absolute value of the weight value in the sd distance of 30 mm and thus it is determined as artifact . further , in step s 502 , if it is determined to be no , the calculation part 152 determines whether the x intercept xs is equal to or larger than a threshold value th 3 ( for example , th 3 = 10 . 83 mm ) ( s 504 ). if it is determined to be yes , it is considered as a brain component ( s 506 ). if it is determined to be no , it is considered as a shared component which is commonly included in the brain and the scalp ( s 507 ). th 3 may be obtained by the monte carlo simulation based on the head structure . the calculation part 152 calculates a brain contribution ratio t of shared component using the above equation 12 ( s 508 ). the above calculation is performed for all independent components and then signals for the brain component or the scalp component may be reconstructed . here , a method that uses both the x intercept xs and the gradient a will be described . however , only one of them may be used . it is desirable to optimize th 1 , th 2 , and th 3 by the sd distance , the head structure , and the measurement condition to be used . by the analysis by the flow , a plurality of components having different contribution ratios from the brain and the scalp is weighted in accordance with the contribution ratio to be used to reconstruct the signal . further , it is possible to prevent the erroneous analysis by classifying the components into any one of the brain component and the scalp component and precisely calculate the brain component and the scalp component . even when the correlation between the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp is high , it is possible to reconstruct the signal in consideration of the contribution ratio . according to the embodiment , it is possible to separate the nirs signal into the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp , display the result , and precisely perform and analyze the various brain function measurement . in the first embodiment , the distribution density of the measurement points in the sd distance is varied depending on the probe arrangement . by adding only the optical receiver 60 to the probe arrangement described in the first embodiment , it is possible to easily increase the measurement points without lowering the temporal resolution . fig3 a and 38b illustrate the probe arrangement where only the optical receiver 60 is added to the double density probe arrangement ( see fig8 a ) and arrangement of measurement points . the optical receiver is added in a position of the sd distance of 15 mm with respect to the optical transmitters 50 . in this case , the measurement point in the sd distance 15 mm is doubled from the number of optical transmitters 50 if the measurement point for the optical transmitter 50 at the border above and below the probe arrangement is removed . the added optical receiver 60 receives light while being synchronized with at least one of the plurality of other optical receivers 60 to increase the measurement points without lowering the temporal resolution of the device and signal to noise ratio of the measurement point . further , it is possible to further precisely separate the signal from the brain and the signal from the scalp . the added optical receiver 60 may be a detachable optical receiver 60 in accordance with a required precision . similarly to the embodiment , if only the optical transmitter 50 is added , in order to prevent the interference with the other measurement point , a processing that shifts the lighting timing or changes a modulation frequency is required . further , if the neighboring optical receiver 60 is disposed to receive light , the shot noise by the photocurrent is increased in the optical receiver 60 so that the temporal resolution and / or the signal to noise ratio of other measurement points may be lowered . therefore , a method of the present embodiment that adds only the optical receiver 60 is effective . the arrangement of the optical receivers 60 illustrated in fig3 a and 38b is illustrative but the invention is not limited to the above arrangement . in the probe arrangement illustrated in fig1 to 18 , the embodiment may be applied by adding the optical receivers 60 . fig3 illustrates an experimental configuration view using a whole head measuring type brain function photometric device 90 . a local cerebral blood volume ( oxygenated hemoglobin , deoxygenated hemoglobin , and total hemoglobin concentration length change ) is obtained in the brain function photometric device 90 by irradiating light having a wavelength which belongs to the visible ray to the infrared region onto the head of the subject and detecting and measuring the light of signals with a plurality of wavelengths which passes through the subject with the same light detector . during the measurement , an appropriate stimulus / instruction may be issued to the subject 10 by a stimulus / instruction presentation device 415 . the stimulus / instruction presentation device 415 is controlled by a control signal 414 from the calculator 412 . a plurality of light sources 402 a to 402 d having different wavelengths ( if there are two wavelengths , for example , the wavelength of the light sources 402 a and 402 c is 695 nm and the wavelength of the light sources 402 b and 402 d is 830 nm ), modulators or oscillators 401 a and 401 b ( 401 c and 401 d ) that modulates an intensity of light from the plurality of light sources 402 a and 402 b ( 402 c and 402 d ) at different frequencies through driving signal lines 416 a and 416 b ( 416 c and 416 d ), a plurality of light irradiating units that irradiates light from a coupler 404 a ( 404 b ) that couples the light whose intensity is modulated through optical fibers 403 a and 403 b ( 403 c and 403 d ) on the scalp of the subject 10 through the transmitting optical fiber 405 a ( 405 b ), and a plurality of optical receiving units including optical receivers 408 a and 408 b provided in light receiving optical fibers 407 a and 407 b such that edges are positioned in a position with a distance ( for example , 15 mm and 30 mm ) set in advance from the light irradiating position close to the light irradiating position of the plurality of light irradiating units are provided . the light that passes through the living body is focused in the optical fiber by the light receiving optical fibers 407 a and 407 b and the light that passes through the living body is photoelectrically converted by the optical receivers 408 a and 408 b to be amplified . here , at edges of the light transmitting optical fibers 405 a and 405 b and the light receiving optical fibers 407 a and 407 b , optical transmitting probes 501 a and 501 b and optical receiving probes 502 a and 502 b that support the optical fibers are appropriately disposed in the subject 10 . further , a probe holder 503 that supports the plurality of probes is fixed to the subject 10 . the optical receiving unit detects the light which is reflected and transmitted in the subject 10 and converts the light into an electric signal . therefore , as the optical receiver 408 , a photoelectric conversion element that is representative by a photomultiplier tube or a photodiode may be used . in fig3 , it is described that two kinds of wavelength is used . further , three kinds of wavelength may be also used . further , for the purpose of the simplicity , in fig3 , two light irradiating units and two optical receiving units are disposed . however , in the embodiment , it is required to be a multiple sd arrangement and thus a plurality of receiving units which are not illustrated is present . electrical signals that indicate the intensity of living body passed light which is photoelectrically converted by the optical receivers 408 a and 408 b are input to lock - in amplifiers 409 a to 409 d . in the lock - in amplifiers 409 a to 409 d , reference signals 417 a to 417 d from the oscillators ( modulators ) 401 a and 401 b ( 401 c and 401 d ) are input . for example , in the lock - in amplifiers 409 a and 409 b , light of 695 nm of the light sources 402 a and 402 c is separated and output to be drawn by the lock - in processing . in the lock - in amplifiers 409 c and 409 d , light of 830 nm of the light sources 402 b and 402 d is separated and output . in this case , in fig3 , two points between the optical transmitting probe 501 a and optical receiving probe 502 a and between the light transmitting probe 501 b and the light receiving probe 502 b are considered as the measurement points for the purpose of the simplicity . with the similar configuration , two points between the light transmitting probe 501 a and the light receiving probe 502 b and between the light transmitting probe 501 b and the light receiving probe 502 a may be the measurement points . after analog - to - digital converting separated passage light intensity signals having wavelengths which are outputs of the lock - in amplifiers 409 a to 409 d by the analog - to - digital converter 410 , the signals are sent to a measurement and control calculator 411 . the measurement and control calculator 411 uses the passage light intensity signal to calculate an oxygenated hemoglobin concentration and a deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration length change , and a total hemoglobin concentration length change from detecting signals of detection points by a method disclosed in non - patent literature 1 and stores the calculated result in a storage device as temporal information in a plurality of measurement points . here , an example of analog - to - digital conversion performed after performing the lock - in processing is described . however , after amplifying and analog - to - digital converting the signal from the optical receiver , the lock - in processing may be performed in a digital manner . further , an embodiment that separates a plurality of light components by a modulating method is described , but the invention is not limited thereto . for example , a time divisional method that discriminates the plurality of light components by temporally shifting the timing when the plurality of light components is irradiated may be used . the calculator 412 includes an input part , an analysis part , a memory part , and an extract part and the result calculated in the measurement and control calculator 411 is analyzed by the analysis part . the input part inputs setting such as analysis condition from the outside . when the calculator 412 has a displaying function , the display 413 may be omitted . the analysis result of the analysis part is stored in the memory part . the extract part extracts information concerning a local brain hemodynamic of the subject 10 from the signal analyzed in the analysis part . the information concerning the local brain hemodynamic of the subject 10 extracted in the extract part is displayed on the display 413 . in fig3 , the measurement and control calculator 411 and the calculator 412 are separately illustrated . however , only one calculator may be used . in the configuration , a separating method of the brain component and the scalp component described in the first embodiment may be applied . using the configuration , at least one of a frontal region , a temporal region , a parietal region , and an occipital region of the head is measured for each of the subjects . if the frontal region is measured , a storage task and an emotional task are performed . if the temporal region is measured , a hearing task , a verbal task , and a motor task are performed . if the parietal region is measured , a motor task and a spatial cognition task are performed . if the occipital region is measured , a visual task and a sleeping task are performed . by performing the measurement in every measurement region and the tasks , it is possible to calculate the distribution of the contribution ratio of the brain component and the scalp component in the measurement region of the subject when the task is performed and thus the measurement may be applied when selecting an optimal task in accordance with the measurement region and the purpose . for example , in a predetermined region , it is possible to select a task that reduces the contribution ratio of the scalp component so as to be smaller as much as possible . fig4 illustrates an example of a screen that displays the task dependence of the brain component and the scalp component in each region of the subject . an upper part of fig4 illustrates a scalp component index in the measurement regions with an average value ( black circle ) and a standard deviation ( error bar ) and a lower part of fig4 illustrates a scalp component index of the signals by the tasks in each region . a reference symbol wm denotes a working memory task , em denotes the emotional task , au denotes audio task , lg denotes a verbal task , mt denotes a motor task , sc denotes a spatial cognition task , sl denotes a sleeping task , and vs denotes the visual task . the scalp component index may use the contribution ratio used together with the brain component and the scalp component or an average amplitude value of the brain component and the scalp component . here , the brain contribution ratio and the scalp contribution ratio which are used as an index may be represented by equations 13 and 14 . the amplitude value of the brain component and the amplitude value of the scalp component in equations 13 and 14 are defined as a value acquired by obtaining an effective value of the separated independent components by the root mean square ( rms ) and calculating a weight value ( independent component &# 39 ; s contribution value ) at the measurement point , and taking the total of the independent component &# 39 ; s contribution ratios of the independent components that configure each of the brain component and the scalp component . in fig4 , the scalp component index is illustrated , but the brain component index may be illustrated . by the display method of fig4 , it is possible to understand the distribution of the scalp blood flow and the contribution ratios of the signal component from the brain for every region of the subject to be used to select optimal task . according to the aspects of the invention , in a human head photometric device that uses visible light and near - infrared light , it is possible to separate and extract a brain component and a scalp component from a measurement signal in accordance with the purpose and improve the precision and reproducibility of the human brain function measurement . 121 text box for inputting kinds of used sd distance 139 automatic gain setting result at measurement point in sd distance of 30 mm 140 automatic gain setting result at measurement point in sd distance of 15 mm 174 check box of selecting display method of original data , brain data , and scalp data | 0 |
the compounds of this invention are readily prepared by reaction of a heterocyclic amine with the desired pyridinecarboxylic acid halide or pyridinedicarboxylic acid halide in the presence of a base ( which may be an excess of the heterocyclic amine ). steps 1 - 9 which follow set out in detail the preparation of three specific acid halides which are used as starting materials for the compounds of this invention . other acid halides may be readily prepared using the procedures of steps 1 - 9 by varying the ketoester and aldehyde used in step 1 to obtain the desired substituents in the pyridinedicarboxylate product . other suitable pyridinedicarboxylate acid halides as starting materials are shown in european patent publication no . 133 , 612 in examples 44 - 51 and 82 - 83 inclusive . other acid halide starting materials may be readily prepared using the techniques set out in that european patent publication . the following steps 1 - 9 illustrate an example of the procedures for preparation of the acid halide compounds which are the starting materials for making the amides of the present invention . in these steps , a β - ketoester is reacted with an aldehyde to form a pyran ( step 1 ). the pyran is then reacted with ammonia to form a dihydroxypiperidine ( step 2 ), which is dehydrated to make a dihydropyridine compound ( step 3 ). the dihydropyridine is then oxidized or dehydrofluorinated to prepare a pyridinedicarboxylate compound ( step 4 ). the ester groups of the pyridinedicarboxylate compound are the ester groups of the β - ketoester , and the 4 - position of the pyridine is substituted with the same substituent as is on the aldehyde reagent . when the pyridinedicarboxylate is substituted at the 2 - or 6 - position with a trifluoromethyl radical and at the other of these positions with a difluoromethyl radical , hydrolysis of the pyridine dicarboxylate compound occurs selectively on the side having the cf 2 h group when one equivalent of a base such as koh is employed in the hydrolysis ( step 8 ). when two equivalents of base or more are employed , the dicarboxylate is hydrolyzed to the diacid ( step 5 ). the diacid may be converted to the diacid chloride by treatment with a chlorinating agent such as socl 2 or pcl 5 . following this conversion , treatment with one equivalent of an alcohol selectively esterifies the diacid chloride on the chloride group adjacent the cf 2 h group . to a mechanically stirred mixture of 280 g ( 2 . 0 mole ) of 80 % pure methyl trifluoroacetoacetate and 86 g ( 1 . 0 mole ) of isovaleraldehyde is added 1 ml of piperidine . an exothermic reaction occurs and the temperature of the reaction mixture reaches 105 ° c . after 5 hours of stirring , the reaction mixture is triturated with 450 ml of hexane and 30 ml of ether and cooled with a dry ice bath to give 1 . 68 g of a first crop , m . p . 83 °- 87 ° c . and 14 . 51 g of a second crop , m . p . 67 °- 73 ° c . the first crop is the desired product which contains a mixture of 5 : 1 cis and trans isomers . anal . calc &# 39 ; d for c 15 h 20 f 6 o 7 : c , 42 . 26 ; h , 4 . 73 ; found : c , 42 . 54 ; h , 4 . 77 . the second crop is a 2 : 1 mixture of cis and trans isomers . the mother liquor is concentrated to give 344 g of a residue which is a crude mixture of cis and trans isomer of the desired product . to a solution of 344 g ( 0 . 920 mole ) crude product from step 1 in 500 ml of tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) is passed 58 g ( 3 . 41 mole ) of gaseous ammonia for 3 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated and the residue ( 332 g ) is recrystallized from hexane - ether to give 53 . 7 g ( 13 % yield from methyl trifluoroacetoacetate ) of the desired product as a white solid , m . p . 102 °- 106 ° c . anal . calc &# 39 ; d for c 15 h 21 f 6 n 1 o 6 : c , 42 . 36 ; h , 5 . 00 ; n , 3 . 29 ; found : c , 42 . 84 ; h , 4 . 94 ; n , 3 . 29 . the mother liquor is concentrated to provide more of the crude desired product . preparation of a 2 : 1 mixture of dimethyl 2 , 6 - bis ( trifluoromethyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydro - 4 - isobutyl - 3 , 5 - pyridinedicarboxylate and its 3 , 4 - dihydropyridine isomer to an ice water cooled mixture of 200 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid and 200 ml of methylene chloride is added 48 . 7 g ( 0 . 115 mole ) of the product of step 2 at once . the reaction mixture is stirred for 20 minutes and poured into 1 l . of ice water the methylene chloride layer is separated and washed once with 100 ml of saturated sodium bicarbonate , dried and concentrated to give 28 . 0 g ( 64 . 6 %) of crude product . a portion ( 5 . 0 g ) of this product is kugelrohr distilled at 0 . 5 torr ( pot temperature at 120 ° c .) to give 4 . 8 g of the desired product , n d 25 1 . 4391 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d for c 15 h 17 f 6 n 1 o 4 : c , 46 . 28 ; h , 4 . 40 ; n , 3 . 60 ; found : c , 46 . 39 ; h , 4 . 44 ; n , 3 . 60 . step 3 product may be prepared in better overall yield without isolation of step 1 and step 2 product by the following procedure to a mechanically stirred mixture of 340 . 3 g ( 1 . 98 mole ) of 98 . 9 % pure methyl trifluoroacetoacetate ( mtfaa ), 100 ml of toluene and 0 . 86 g ( 0 . 01 mol ) of piperidine was added 90 . 5 g ( 1 . 03 mol ) of isovaleraldehyde in 20 minutes . the reaction mixture exothermed causing a rise of temperature to 83 ° c . the reaction mixture was maintained at 80 ° c . for 3 hours . 19 f nmr showed that the reaction was 89 % complete . heat was removed , and the reaction mixture was diluted with 125 ml of toluene and stirred overnight ( 16 hours ). gaseous ammonia was passed through the reaction mixture , the exotherm caused a rise of temperature to 68 ° c . in 50 minutes . a water cooling bath was applied to the reaction vessel to reduce the reaction temperature to 53 ° c . while ammonia was passed continuously . a total of 47 . 3 g ( 2 . 78 mol ) of ammonia was passed in 1 . 5 hours . the reaction mixture was diluted with 100 ml of toluene . a claisen distillation head was attached to the reaction vessel . excess ammonia and parts of toluene were removed in vacuo ( water aspirator ) while temperature was maintained at 26 ° c . an additional 200 ml of toluene was added , and the distillation was continued to remove a total of 200 ml of distillate in 1 . 5 hours . the reaction mixture was diluted with 100 ml of toluene and cooled to 5 ° c . with an ice bath . sulfuric acid ( 453 g , 4 . 53 mol ) was added in 5 minutes . the exotherm caused the temperature to rise to 25 ° c . the temperature gradually subsided to 5 ° c . in 10 minutes and was maintained at 5 ° c . for 40 minutes . an additional 95 g ( 0 . 95 mol ) of sulfuric acid was added , and the reaction mixture was stirred at 5 ° c . for 20 minutes before being poured into a mixture of 500 ml of toluene and 2 l of ice water . the toluene layer was separated and the aqueous layer was extracted once with 500 ml of toluene . the combined toluene extracts were washed successively with 500 ml of water , 500 ml of saturated aqueous nahco 3 , 500 ml of brine and concentrated in vacuo to 363 . 6 g of an oil . gc area percent analysis indicated that the oil contained 9 % of 3 , 4 - dihydropyridine isomer and 75 . 4 % of 1 , 4 - dihydropyridine isomer corresponding to an overall yield of 82 . 9 % from mtfaa . a mixture of 23 . 0 g ( 0 . 0591 mole ) of the product of step 3 , 12 . 2 g ( 0 . 077 mole ) of 96 % pure dbu , and 100 ml of thf is held at reflux for 3 days and poured into 250 ml of 3n hcl . the oil precipitate is extracted into ether ( 2 × 100 ml ). the ether extracts are dried ( mgso 4 ) and concentrated to give 14 . 4 g of an oil which , according to 1 h nmr , contained the desired product and acidic products . this oil is dissolved in ether and extracted with 100 ml of saturated sodium bicarbonate . the ether layer is dried ( mgso 4 ) and concentrated to give 8 . 9 g of an oil which is 71 % pure desired product ( by 19 f nmr ). the sodium bicarbonate extract is acidified with concentrated hcl to give an oil which is extracted into ether . the ether layer is dried ( mgso 4 ) and concentrated to give 4 . 8 g of a residue which contained monocarboxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid ( 9 : 1 ) derived from the desired product . this residue is treated with 3 . 0 g ( 0 . 0217 mole ) of potassium carbonate , 20 ml of methyl iodide , and 50 ml of acetone . the mixture is held at reflux for 42 hours and concentrated . the residue is treated with water and extracted with ether ( 2 × 100 ml ). the ether layer is dried and concentrated . the residue is kugelrohr distilled at 1 torr ( pot temperature of 130 ° c .) to give 5 . 1 g ( 23 . 4 % from step 3 ) of the desired product as an oil , n d 25 1 . 4478 . this product crystallizes after standing , m . p . 36 °- 37 ° c . anal . calc &# 39 ; d for c 15 h 16 f 5 n 1 o 4 : c , 48 . 79 ; h , 4 . 37 ; n , 3 . 79 ; found : c , 48 . 75 ; h , 4 . 39 ; n , 3 . 77 . the 71 % pure desired product described previously was chromatographed by hplc using 3 % ethyl acetate / cyclohexane as eluent to give an earlier fraction ( 0 . 79 g , retention time 7 - 8 . 5 minutes ) which was identified as methyl 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( isobutyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate . the second fraction ( retention time 8 . 5 - 18 . 5 minutes ) is an additional 6 . 4 g ( 29 . 4 %) of pure desired product , n d 25 1 . 4474 . a mixture of 38 . 9 g of an 80 % pure product of step 3 and 20 . 5 g of tributylamine is heated to 155 ° c . in 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was cooled to 30 ° c . and diluted with 100 ml of toluene . the toluene solution is washed successively with 6n hydrochloric acid , saturated sodium bicarbonate , and brine , dried and concentrated to give 36 . 4 g of a 73 % pure product which corresponds to an 86 % yield . this reaction can also be carried out in excess of tributylamine ( 10 equivalent ) giving essentially similar results . ( c ) reaction of the product of step 3 with tributylamine in toluene a mixture o 38 . 9 g of an 80 % pure product of step 3 , 20 . 4 g of tributylamine and 30 ml of toluene is heated to 115 ° c . in 40 minutes and held at 115 ° c . for 1 hour and 40 minutes . the reaction mixture is cooled and worked up as in ( b ) above to give 36 . 3 g of a 76 % pure product which corresponds to a 90 % yield . a mixture of 11 . 8 g of an 80 % pure product of step 3 and 3 . 34 g of triethylamine is heated at 100 ° c . for 10 minutes , then at 125 ° c . for 10 minutes . the reaction mixture was cooled and worked up as in ( b ) above to give 8 . 14 g of a 76 % pure product which corresponds to a 63 % yield . ( e ) reaction of the product of step 3 with 2 , 6 - lutidine in the presence of a catalytic amount of dbu a mixture of 5 . 0 g of product of step 3 and 2 . 13 g of 2 , 6 - lutidine is heated at 143 ° c . for 30 minutes . two drops of dbu are added and the reaction mixture is heated for additional 1 hour and 30 minutes , cooled and worked up as in ( b ) above to give 4 . 23 g of the desired product . the reaction can also be carried out in excess of 2 , 6 - lutidine and catalytic amount of dbu without solvent or in the presence of toluene as solvent giving similar results . a 5 - liter flask was charged with 894 g ( 2 . 42 mol ) of the compound of step 4 and 1 liter of water . to this was added a solution of 574 g ( 8 . 7 mol ) of koh in 800 ml of water . the mixture was refluxed overnight , after which hplc showed that the reaction was complete . the flask was cooled to room temperature , acidified with hcl , and stirred until the organic phase solidified . the solids were filtered , washed with water , and dried in a fluid bed dryer . the diacid was obtained ( 756 g , 91 . 6 % yield ) as a brown solid . the diacid product of step 5 ( 37 . 06 g , 0 . 108 mole ) was reflixed with 150 ml socl 2 for three hours . at this time , 19 f nmr indicated the reaction was complete . the excess socl 2 was removed by rotary evaporation , leaving a dark oil which was the bis - acid chloride . this was kugelrohr distilled at 100 ° c . to give a colorless oil . the product of step 6 was then dissolved in 100 ml thf followed by 100 ml methanol . after 21 / 2 hours the solvent was evaporated , leaving 31 . 2 g white solid , m . p . 71 °- 75 ° c . in 77 % yield . a 1 - liter 4 - necked flask was charged with 300 gm of product of step 4 and about 200 ml ethanol . in a separate flask was combined 59 . 14 g ( 0 . 896 mol ) of 85 % koh and about 100 ml of water . the aqueous solution was poured into the organics and the flask was equipped with a mechanical stirrer , thermometer , nitrogen inlet and a water cooled consenser . the reaction mixture was heated to reflux , refluxed for 45 minutes and was cooled . the reaction mixture was concentrated and the concentrate was diluted with water and extracted once with ethyl ether . the ether extract ( to remove starting material ) was discarded . the aqueous solution was acidified with concentrated hcl and the orange precipitate that resulted was extracted with ethyl ether . ( the aqueous solution was extracted with ether 3 times . the ether extracts were combined and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate , filtered and concentrated to yield 253 . 13 g ( 87 . 5 % yield ) of the monoacid acid . the acid ( 253 g 0 . 7121 mol ) from step 8 was refluxed for 24 hours in approximately 250 - 300 ml of thionyl chloride . the reaction mixture was concentrated to yield 244 . 59 g of acid chloride in 91 . 9 % yield . n d 25 1 . 4614 . in compounds of the invention where the z 1 group is sr , a thiol is substituted for the alcohol for reaction with the acid chloride . where the z 1 group is ## str8 ## one of the 5 - membered heterocyclic amines is employed for reaction with the acid chloride . in compounds of this invention where the z 2 group is nr 4 , the carboxamide is reacted with thionyl chloride to form a chloroimide followed by the reaction with an alcohol , thiol , or heterocyclic amine containing the z 1 group as above . preparation of compounds of this invention will become clear by reference to the following examples . as used throughout the specification , including the examples , the following abbreviations have the following meanings : methyl 5 -( chlorocarbonyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate ( 5 . 15 g , 0 . 0138 mole ), 50 ml thf and 2 . 09 g imidazole were combined at room temperature . after a few minutes a solid began to form . after 11 / 2 hours a gas chromatographic assay showed the reaction was complete . the solid was filtered off and washed with thf . the thf was evaporated to give 6 . 0 g of an oil . this oil was purified by hplc ( 20 % etoac / cyclohexane ) and then kugelrohr distilled at 104 ° c . to give 4 . 1 g of product as a yellowish oil . 73 % yield methyl 5 -( chlorocarbonyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate ( 2 . 09 g , 0 . 0056 mole ), 50 ml ch 2 cl 2 and 0 . 88 g ( 0 . 013 mole ) of pyrazole were combined at ice bath temperature . after 1 hour there was no reaction . the ch 2 cl 2 was evaporated and replaced by 30 ml ccl 4 . an additional 0 . 35 g of pyrazole was added . this mixture was refluxed overnight . 19 f nmr showed ˜ 10 % starting material and the remainder product . the reaction mixture was washed with h 2 o and extracted with ch 2 cl 2 . the ch 2 cl 2 layer was dried with mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated to a nearly colorless oil . this was purified by chromatography in 40 % ch 2 cl 2 / cyclohexane to give 1 . 9 g colorless oil , which gradually solidified , m . p . 49 °- 52 ° c ., 87 % yield . methyl 5 -( chlorocarbonyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate ( 3 . 3 g , 0 . 0088 mole ) and 100 ml ch 2 cl 2 were combined and cooled in an ice bath before adding 2 ml of pyrrolidine by pipet . the ice bath was removed , and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours . a gas chromatograph assay showed that the reaction was complete . the product mixture was washed with h 2 o and extracted with ch 2 cl 2 . the ch 2 cl 2 layer was dried with mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated to yield about 4 grams of a yellow solid which was recrystallized from about 10 % etoac / hexane to give 2 . 92 g of off - white crystals , m . p . 117 °- 120 ° c ., 80 % yield . using similar procedures , the following amides were prepared . a physical property is shown for each . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ m . p . b . p . examplename (° c .) (° c .) n . sub . d . sup . 25__________________________________________________________________________ 4 3 - pyridinecarbothioic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 130 @ 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 3 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) 0 . 100 torrcarbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, s -- methyl estermixture with s -- methyl 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 5 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarbo - thioate 5 3 - pyridinecarbothioic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 130 @ 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 - 0 . 100 torr ( trifluoromethyl )-, s -- methyl ester 6 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 - 1 . 4860 ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester 7 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 - 1 . 487 ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 3 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl estermixture with methyl 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methyl - propyl )- 5 -[( 5 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate 8 pyridine , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 140 @ 3 , 5 - bis [( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl ) 0 . 100 torr 9 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 - 1 . 4946 [( methylimino )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylmethyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methyl - propyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester10 3 - pyridinecarbothioic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 110 . 0 - 113 . 04 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, s -- methyl ester11 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 - 1 . 4867 [( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester12 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 - 1 . 4865 [( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester13 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 4 - cyclobutyl - 2 -( di - 101 . 0 - 102 . 0fluoromethyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester14 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 4 - cyclobutyl - 2 -( di - 98 . 0 - 100 . 0fluoromethyl )- 5 -[( 3 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl estermixture with methyl 4 - cyclobutyl - 2 -( difluoro - methyl )- 5 -[( 5 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate15 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 100 . 0 - 102 . 04 - methyl - 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( tri - fluoromethyl )-, methyl ester16 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 63 . 0 - 65 . 04 -[( methylthio ) methyl ]- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, ethyl ester17 pyridine , 3 , 5 - bis [( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 - 170 . 0 - 180 . 0 ( difluoromethyl )- 4 -[( methylthio ) methyl ]- 6 -( tri - @ 1 . 500 torrfluoromethyl )- 18 3 - pyridinecarbothioic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 103 . 0 - 105 . 04 -[( methylthio ) methyl ]- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) car - bonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, s -- methyl ester19 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 . 48774 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 3 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl [- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester , mixture with methyl 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 5 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxy - late20 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 . 4975 -[( methylimino )( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) methyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester21 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 135 @ 5 -[( 1h -- imidazol - 1 - yl )( methylimino ) methyl ]- 4 -( 2 - 0 . 100 torrmethylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester22 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 . 48364 -( 1 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- 1 , 2 , 4 - triazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester23 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 94 . 0 - 97 . 04 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1 - pyrrolidinyl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester24 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 . 4874 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 4 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester25 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 . 49904 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) car - bonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester26 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 130 @ 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) car - 0 . 100 torrbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester27 methanamine , n --{[ 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methyl - 1 . 5176propyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( tri - fluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinyl ]( methylthio ) methylene } 28 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 - 90 . 0 - 95 . 0 ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrrol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester29 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 - 95 . 0 - 99 . 0 ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- pyrrol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester30 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 - 100 . 0 - 105 . 0 ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 - tetrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester31 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 - 96 . 0 - 98 . 0 ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 2h -- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 2 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester32 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( fluoromethyl )- 4 - 145 - 155 ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[ ( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 - @ 1 . 300 torr ( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester__________________________________________________________________________ a solution of 4 . 26 g ( 0 . 010 mole ) of 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 1h - pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester , 4 . 9 g ( 0 . 012 mole ) of lawesson &# 39 ; s reagent , and 8 . 3 ml of hexamethylphosphoramide in 75 ml of xylenes was heated to reflux for 16 hours . the solution was cooled and passed through a silica gel pad using 10 % ethyl acetate in cyclohexane . chromatographic purification followed by crystallization from hexanes / ethyl acetate yielded 1 . 6 g ( 35 %) of the title compound as orange crystals ( m . p . 124 . 5 °- 125 . 5 ° c .). anal . calcd for c 17 h 16 f 5 n 3 o 1 s 2 : c , 46 . 67 ; h , 3 . 69 ; n , 9 . 60 . found : c , 46 . 14 ; h , 3 . 96 ; n , 9 . 20 . a solution of 7 . 0 g ( 0 . 018 mole ) of 3 - pyridinecarboxamide , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 1h - pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, in 50 ml of pocl 3 was refluxed for 4 hours . the solution was concentrated , taken up in water , and extracted with dichloromethane . the organics were dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated to give 7 . 8 g of light brown oil . kugelrohr distillation gave 4 . 95 g ( 74 %) of the title compound as a pale yellow oil which solidified upon standing ( m . p . 74 °- 75 ° c .). anal . calcd for c 16 h 13 f 5 n 4 o 1 : c , 51 . 61 ; h , 3 . 52 ; n , 15 . 04 . found : c , 51 . 03 ; h , 3 . 48 ; n , 14 . 99 . a 2 . 0 g ( 0 . 0054 mole ) sample of 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -( chlorocarbonyl )- 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester in 20 ml of anhydrous thf was placed in a dry addition funnel . an oven dried 3 - neck round bottomed flask was charged with 0 . 47 g ( 0 . 0054 mole ) of 3 - fluoropyrazole and 25 ml of anhydrous thf and cooled to 5 ° c . then was added 6 ml of 1m sodium bis ( trimethylsilyl ) amide . the acid chloride was dripped in over 10 minutes . the ice bath was removed and after 10 minutes glc assay showed no starting material . the solution was poured into dilute hcl and extracted with ethyl ether . the organics were dried over mgso 4 , filtered , concentrated , and purified using a chromatograph ( 5 : 1 hexanes to ethyl acetate ) to afford 1 . 1 g ( 57 %) of the title compound as a white solid ( m . p . 57 °- 58 ° c .). anal . calcd for c 17 h 13 f 6 n 3 o 3 : c , 48 . 47 ; h , 3 . 11 ; n , 9 . 97 . found : c , 48 . 49 ; h , 3 . 18 ; n , 9 . 85 . to a solution of 4 . 46 g ( 0 . 0109 mole ) of 3 - pyridinecarbonyl chloride , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 1h - pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, in 20 ml of anhydrous dmf was added 2 . 72 g ( 0 . 0272 mole ) of anhydrous potassium bicarbonate . the resulting solution was stirred for one hour under nitrogen until co 2 evolution ceased . bromoacetonitrile ( 0 . 91 ml , 0 . 0131 mole ) was added and the reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight . the reaction mixture was poured into 150 ml of water and the resulting solution was extracted with ether . the ether extracts were washed with brine and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate . concentration gave a solid which was recrystallized from methylene chloride - hexanes to give 4 . 12 g ( 88 %) of the title compound as tan crystals ( mp 117 °- 119 ° c .). anal . calcd for c 18 h 15 f 5 n 4 o 3 : c , 50 . 24 ; h , 3 . 51 ; n , 13 . 02 . found : c , 50 . 33 ; h , 3 . 55 ; n , 13 . 00 . to a solution of 240 g of t - butyl isobutyrylacetate in 500 ml of methanol was passed 70 g of ammonia in 2 hours , maintaining the temperature at below 25 ° c . the resulting solution was stirred at room temperature for 18 hours , after which methanol was removed in vacuo . methylene chloride was added and the suspension was filtered . the filtrate was concentrated on a rotary evaporator to give 180 g of t - butyl 3 - amino - 4 - methyl - 2 - pentenoate as an oil . a solution of 18 . 6 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of methyl chlorodifluoroacetoacetate , 8 . 4 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of isobutyraldehyde and 20 . 5 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of t - butyl 3 - amino - 4 - methyl - 2 - pentenoate in 80 ml of thf containing 1 ml of piperidine was refluxed for 18 h . then the solution was concentrated in vacuo to give 46 g of crude oil . to a solution of 27 g of the above crude oil and 20 ml of dbu in 80 ml of methylene chloride was added dropwise 9 ml of trifluoroacetic anhydride below 10 ° c . and the resulting solution was stirred at room temperature for 18 h . water was addded and the two layers were separated . the organic layer was washed with 2n hcl , water , and brine , then dried and concentrated to give 22 g of crude 3 - methyl 5 -( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl ) 2 -( chlorodifluoromethyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydro - 6 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 3 , 5 - pyridinedicarboxylate as an oil . to a solution of 11 g of the above crude dihydropyridine in 120 ml of methylene chloride was added in portions 12 g of 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyano - 1 , 4 - benzoquinone ( ddq ) keeping the reaction temperature at 20 °- 30 ° c . and then stirred at room temperature for 3 h , after which the suspension was filtered and the cake was washed thoroughly with methylene chloride . the filtrate was washed with saturated sodium dicarbonate solution brine , dried and concentrated . column chromatography on silica gel ( 2 % ethylacetate - cyclohexane ) gave 7 . 8 g of crude 3 - methyl 5 -( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl ) 2 -( chlorodifluoromethyl )- 6 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 3 , 5 - pyridinedicarboxylate as an oil . a solution of 2 . 5 g ( 6 mmol ) of the above crude pyridinedicarboxylate in 9 ml of trifluoroacetic acid was stirred at rt for 18 h . water and ch 2 cl 2 were added and the two layers were separated . the ch 2 cl 2 solution was washed with h 2 o and brine , then dried and concentrated to give the monoacid . the acid was refluxed in 20 ml of oxalyl chloride for 2 h , after which the excess oxalyl chloride was removed in vacuo to give crude 3 - methyl 2 -( chlorodifuloromethyl )- 5 -( chlorocarbonyl )- 6 -( 2 - methylethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate . the acid chloride was dissolved in 20 ml ch 2 cl 2 and 1 . 2 g ( 18 mmol ) of pyrazole was added in 1 portion and stirred at rt for 18 h . h 2 o was added . the organic layer was separated and washed with brine , dried and concentrated . column chromatography on silica gel ( 3 % ethyl acetate - cyclohexane ) gave 1 . 4 g ( 56 %) of the product as a colorless oil , n d 25 1 . 5024 . anal calcd for c 19 h 22 cl 1 f 2 n 3 o 3 : c , 55 . 14 ; h , 5 . 32 ; n . 10 . 16 . found : c , 54 . 67 ; h , 5 . 37 ; n , 9 . 78 . step 1 : a solution of 17 g ( 40 mmol ) of crude 3 - methyl 5 -( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl ) 2 -( chlorodifluoromethyl )- 6 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 3 , 5 - pyridinedicarboxylate and 7 ml of triethylamine in 160 ml of ethanol was subjected to hydrogenolysis at ambient temperature and 2 atom pressure in the presence of 3 g of 5 % palladium on charcoal for 18 hours . the suspension was filtered through celite and concentrated . water and ch 2 cl 2 were added . the ch 2 cl 2 layer was separated , washed with h 2 o , dried and concentrated . column chromatography on silica gel ( 2 % ethyl acetate / cyclohexane ) gave 14 g ( 91 %) of 5 -( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl ) 3 - methyl 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 6 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 3 , 5 - pyridinedicarboxylate as colorless oil , n d 25 1 . 4713 . step 2 : a solution of 5 . 4 g ( 14 mmol ) of the above pyridinedicarboxylate in 25 ml of trifluoroacetic acid was stirred at room temperature for 18 hours . after which trifluoroacetic acid was removed . h 2 o and ch 2 cl 2 were added and separated . the organic layer was washed with h 2 o , brine , dried and concentrated to give a monoacid . the monoacid in 30 ml of oxalyl chloride containing 3 drops of dimethylformamide was heated under reflux for 6 hours . then the excess oxalyl chloride was removed in vacuo to give crude 3 - methyl 5 -( chlorocarbonyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 6 -( 2 - methylethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate . to the above crude acid chloride in 10 ml of ch 2 cl 2 was added 2 g of pyrazole and 4 ml of triethylamine at 0 ° c . and the reaction solution was stirred at room temperature for 18 hours . h 2 o was added . the organic layer was separated , washed with h 2 o , brine , dried and concentrated . column chromatography on silica gel ( 5 % ethyl acetate - cyclohexane ) gave 2 . 9 g ( 55 %) of colorless oil , n d . spsb . 25 1 . 5082 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 19 h 23 f 2 n 3 o 3 : c , 60 . 12 ; h , 6 . 07 ; n , 11 . 08 ; found : c , 59 . 76 ; h , 6 . 09 ; n , 10 . 93 . product of example 2 ( 3 . 5 g at 93 % assay ) in about 50 ml of methylene chloride was mixed with 3 . 5 g of fresh alcl 3 . the mixture was stirred several hours whereupon most material had reacted . overnight stirring produced some chloroactone . the material was poured into ice / 37 % hcl , and extracted with more methylene chloride . after evaporating solvent , kugelrohr distillation gave 2 . 9 g of an oil , which was subjected to hplc with 6 % etoac in cyclohexane to give 1 . 8 g of product containing starting material and chloroactone . this was separated by kugelrohr distillation collecting starting material as fraction 1 up to 132 ° c . at 1 mm . fraction 2 , bp 132 °- 175 ° c . at 1 mm , is the desired product , n d 25 = 1 . 5175 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 17 h 16 cl 2 f 3 n 3 o 3 : c , 46 . 59 , h , 3 . 68 , n , 16 . 18 ; found : c , 46 . 80 , h , 3 . 75 , n , 16 . 01 . table 2__________________________________________________________________________ m . p . b . p . examplename (° c .) (° c .) n . sub . d . sup . 25__________________________________________________________________________40 3 - pyridinecarbonyl chloride , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 83 - 84 ° c . 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 41 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -( 1 - azetidinyl - 94 - 96 ° c . carbonyl )- 6 -( difluoromethyl (- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester42 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -( 1 - azetidinyl - 100 - 101 ° c . carbonyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methyl - propyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester43 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -( 1 - azetidinyl 123 - 124 ° c . carbonyl )- 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 2 -( difluoro - methyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester44 3 - pyridinecarbothioic acid , 4 -( cyclopropyl - 113 - 114 ° c . methyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 -( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, s -- methylester45 3 - pyridinecarboxamide , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 217 - 218 ° c . 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 46 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[( 4 - cyano - 1h -- 74 - 76 ° c . pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester47 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[( 4 - chloro - 1h -- 75 - 76 ° c . pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methylester48 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 60 - 62 ° c . 5 -[( 4 - methoxy - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methylester49 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 . 48304 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, 2 - fluoroethyl ester50 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 1 . 49552 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 -[( 3 - ethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ] - 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester , mixture with methyl 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 -[( 5 - ethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate51 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 99 - 100 ° c . 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 -( 4 - nitro - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester52 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 120 ° c . @ 5 -[( 3 - fluoro - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - 0 . 47 mm hgmethylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester53 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 . 48455 -[( 3 - ethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester , mixture with methyl 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 -[( 5 - ethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methyl - propyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate54 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 1 . 48982 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 -[ 3 -( 1 - methyethyl )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester , mixture with methyl 4 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 -[ 5 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridine - carboxylate55 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 90 - 91 ° c . 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 4 - nitro - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester56 3 - pyridinecarbothioic acid , 4 - cyclobutyl - 2 -( di - 1 . 5349fluoromethyl )- 5 -( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, s -- methyl ester57 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 - 1 . 484 [[ 3 -( dimethoxymethyl )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ] carbonyl ]- 2 -( methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methylester58 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 - 97 - 97 . 5 [( 3 - formyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methyl - propyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester59 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 - 1 . 474 [[ 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ] carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methylester60 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 5 - 1 . 4974 [[ 3 -( hydroxymethyl )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ] carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methylester__________________________________________________________________________ as noted above , compounds of this invention have been found to be effective as herbicides , particularly pre - emergent herbicides . tables a and b summarize results of tests conducted to determine the pre - emergent herbicidal activity of the compounds of this invention . the herbicidal ratings used in tables a and b were assigned according to a scale based on the percent inhibition of each plant species . the herbicide rating symbols in tables a and b are defined as follows : ______________________________________ % inhibition rating______________________________________ 0 - 24 025 - 49 150 - 74 2 75 - 100 3not planted -- species planted , no data n or a blank______________________________________ for some compounds of this invention data were orginally recorded as percent inhibition ( or control ) in ten percent increments . where this system was used , the percentages have been mathematically converted to the above equivalent system using the correlation table above . topsoil was placed in a pan and compacted to a depth of 0 . 95 to 1 . 27 cm . from the top of the pan . a predetermined number of seeds of each of several monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous annual plant species and / or vegetative propagules of various perennial plant species were placed on top of the soil . the soil required to level fill a pan after seeding or adding vegetative propagules was weighed into another pan . a known amount of the test compound dissolved or suspended in an organic solvent or water and applied in acetone or water as a carrier was thoroughly mixed with this cover soil , and the herbicide / soil mixture was used as a cover layer for the previously prepared pan . in table a below the amount of active ingredient was equivalent to an application rate of 11 . 2 kg / ha . after treatment , the pans were moved to a greenhouse bench where they were watered as needed to give adequate moisture for germination and growth . approximately 10 - 14 days ( usually 11 days ) after planting and treating , the pans were observed and the results recorded . in some instances , a second observation was made approximately 24 - 28 days after seeding and treating , and these observations are indicated in the following tables by a &# 34 ; pound &# 34 ; (#) sign immediately following the example number . the plant species usually regarded as weeds which were utilized in one set of pre - emergent activity test , the data for which are shown in table a , are identified by letter headings printed diagonally above the columns according to the following legend : ______________________________________ cath -- canada thistle * cobu -- cocklebur vele -- velvetleaf mogl -- morningglory colq -- common lambsquarters pesw -- pennsylvania smartweed - yens -- yellow nutsedge * rhjg -- rhizome johnsongrass * sejg -- seedling johnsongrass rhqg -- quackgrass * dobr -- downy brome bygr -- barnyardgrass anbg -- annual bluegrass inmu -- indian mustard wibw -- wild buckwheat______________________________________ * group from vegetative propagules in table a , the first column is the application rate of the compound being tested in kg / ha . where applicable , the footnotes follow the table . table a__________________________________________________________________________ y a s d b m c v i w c c p r r e n e o y o o e n i a o e h hex . rate n b j b g g b l m b t l s q jno . kg / ha s g g r r l u e u w h q w g g__________________________________________________________________________ 1 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 1 2 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 11 . 2100 1 -- 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 11 . 2100 0 3 3 2 0 3 0 3 3 2 3 5 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 6 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 7 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 2 0 8 11 . 2100 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 0 9 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 0 2 0 3 3 3 310 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 011 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 0 3 0 3 3 3 312 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 313 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 014 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 015 11 . 2100 0 1 3 2 0 2 0 3 3 2 016 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 1 3 0 3 3 3 317 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 1 3 0 3 3 1 018 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 1 3 0 3 3 3 019 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 320 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 1 3 0 3 3 3 321 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 1 2 2 3 3 3 322 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 023 11 . 2100 1 3 3 2 0 2 3 3 2 3 024 11 . 2100 0 3 3 2 0 3 3 3 3 3 025 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 026 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 327 11 . 2100 1 3 3 1 0 2 2 3 3 3 328 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 0 2 3 3 3 3 329 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 0 2 0 3 3 3 330 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 031 11 . 2100 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 032 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 333 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 2 1 3 3 334 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 335 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 336 * 11 . 2100 0 3 3 2 3 3 0 3 3 337 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 338 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 339 11 . 2100 0 3 3 2 0 2 1 3 3 3 140 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 2 0 2 3 341 11 . 2100 0 3 3 2 3 3 0 2 2 142 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 143 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 144 @ 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 1 3 2 3 n 3 045 + 11 . 2100 0 3 3 0 3 0 0 0 1 046 + 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 347 + 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 348 + 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 349 + 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 350 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 351 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 152 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 353 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 354 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 3 2 0 3 3 355 11 . 2100 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 356 11 . 2100 0 3 2 3 3 3 0 3 3 357 11 . 2100 2 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 358 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 259 11 . 2100 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 360 11 . 2100 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 2__________________________________________________________________________ * damping offim , wb . poor germinationwb . damping offim , wb . @ poor sw and ca germination . + poor germinationcb , sj . + damping offim , wb poor germinationcb in another set of tests , the pre - emergence activity of compounds of this invention was tested on weeds in the presence of crop plants . in these tests the following procedure was used : topsoil was sieved to pass through a 1 / 2 inch ( 1 . 27 cm ) screen . fertilizer was added to the topsoil in some of the tests , while in testing other compounds the fertilizer was omitted . the mixture was then sterilized by exposure to methyl bromide or by heating . the topsoil mixture was placed in an aluminum pan and compacted to a depth of about 1 . 27 cm . from the top of the pan . a predetermined number of seeds of each of several monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant species and where noted vegetative propagules of various perennial plant species . the soil required to level fill a pan after seeding or adding vegetative propagules was weighed into another pan . a known amount of test compound was dissolved or suspended in acetone or a suitable organic solvent as a 1 % solution or suspension and applied to the cover soil using a sprayer at the desired rate . the spray was thoroughly mixed with this cover soil , and the herbicide / soil mixture was used as a cover layer for the previously prepared pan . untreated soil was used as a cover layer for control pans . alternatively , the pans may be covered with the soil layer and the spray solution uniformly applied to the soil surface . when this latter method was used , the statement &# 34 ; surface application &# 34 ; accompanies the test data . in table b below the amount of active ingredient applied is shown in the table . after treatment , the pans were moved to a greenhouse bench . moisture was supplied to each pan as needed for germination and growth . growth of each species was observed and corrective measures ( greenhouse fumigation , insecticide treatment , and the like ) were applied as needed approximately 10 - 14 days ( usually 11 days ) after planting and treating , the pans were observed and the results recorded . in some instances , a second observation is made ( usually 24 - 28 days after seeding and treating , although this time interval was at the discretion of the observer ), and these observations are indicated in the following tables by a &# 34 ; pound &# 34 ; sign (#) immediately following the example number . the pre - emergence data for weeds in the presence of crop plants is shown in the following table b . in these tests , the plants are identified according to the following column headings printed diagonally above each column , the first column being the rate of application of the test compound in kg / ha : ______________________________________sobe soybean vele velvetleafsube sugarbeet dobr downy bromewhez wheat prmi proso milletrice rice bygr barnyardgrassgrso grain sorghum lacg large crabgrasscobu cocklebur grft green foxtailwibw wild buckwheat corn cornnogl morningglory cotz cottonhese hemp sesbania rape oilseed rapecolq common lambsquarters jiwe jimsonweedpesw pennsylvania smartweed______________________________________ table b__________________________________________________________________________ s c r c w m h j v w r g c d p b l g s c p o o a o i o e i e h i r o o r y a r u o eex . rate b t p b b g s w l e c s r b m g c f b l sno . kg / ha e z e u w l e e e z e o n r i r g t e q w__________________________________________________________________________1 * 5 . 6050 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 * 1 . 1210 2 0 1 0 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 * 0 . 5605 1 0 1 0 3 2 1 2 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 * 0 . 2803 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 3 3 3 3 1 2 3 * 0 . 1401 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 3 2 3 1 3 3 * 0 . 0701 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 * 0 . 0350 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 * 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 * 0 . 0087 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 02 5 . 6050 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 . 6050 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 5605 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 32 0 . 5605 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 5605 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 0 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 1401 2 0 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 2 -- 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 1401 2 0 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 2 0 2 1 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 3 0 3 0 3 3 2 2 3 1 -- 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 3 1 2 3 3 3 1 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 32 0 . 0701 3 0 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 0 . 0701 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 3 0 0 2 0 1 3 0 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 0 . 0701 3 1 3 3 1 2 2 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 3 3 0 1 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 0 . 0701 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0350 3 2 1 3 3 3 0 3 1 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0350 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 2 2 0 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 0 . 0350 1 0 2 0 3 3 2 3 3 0 -- 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 0 . 0175 0 0 2 0 3 2 0 1 1 0 -- 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0175 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 2 0 2 3 3 3 3 1 1 3 0 . 0175 0 1 1 3 3 3 0 3 2 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0175 1 0 1 3 0 0 2 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 1 0 2 0 . 0175 2 n 1 2 2 3 0 3 3 0 2 3 3 3 3 1 2 3 0 . 0175 0 0 2 1 1 1 2 3 1 0 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 32 0 . 0175 1 0 2 0 3 3 1 3 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 2 2 0 . 0175 2 0 0 1 0 3 1 3 3 0 1 3 3 3 3 0 0 3 0 . 0087 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 3 3 0 1 2 0 . 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0 . 0087 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 038 5 . 6050 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 3 1 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 0 2 3 0 3 0 0 2 0 3 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 n 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 3 3 2 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 . 0087 0 1 0 0 1 0 n 3 n 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 139 5 . 6050 2 0 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 1 0 2 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 3 2 2 3 3 1 3 2 0 . 5605 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 3 3 3 3 0 n 1 0 . 2803 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 . 1401 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 . 0701 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 n 0 0 040 5 . 6050 3 2 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 1 0 3 n 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 3 3 0 3 3 0 . 0701 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 041 @ 5 . 6050 3 3 3 n 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 @ 1 . 1210 3 3 0 n 3 2 0 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 @ 0 . 2803 2 3 0 n 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 3 3 2 2 1 @ 0 . 0701 2 1 0 n n 0 n n 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 042 @ 5 . 6050 3 2 3 n 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 @ 1 . 1210 3 2 3 n 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 @ 0 . 2803 1 2 1 n 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 @ 0 . 0701 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 343 @ 5 . 6050 3 2 3 n 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 @ 1 . 1210 3 2 3 n 3 2 1 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 @ 0 . 2803 0 2 0 n 1 0 1 1 2 1 3 2 2 3 0 3 3 3 @ 0 . 0701 0 1 0 n 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 @ 0 . 0175 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 @ 0 . 0087 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 044 + 5 . 6050 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 + 1 . 1210 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 + 0 . 5605 3 0 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 + 0 . 2803 3 0 3 0 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 + 0 . 1401 3 n 3 0 2 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 + 0 . 0701 1 1 3 0 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 0 3 3 3 3 3 + 0 . 0351 2 2 3 0 1 0 n 1 2 2 1 1 0 3 2 3 3 3 + 0 . 0175 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 3 345 5 . 6050 0 0 0 n 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 n 3 1 1 . 1210 0 1 0 n 2 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 3 1 0 . 2803 n 0 1 n 1 n 0 1 0 n n n n 1 0 0 1 n50 5 . 6050 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 2 1 3 0 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 1 0 2 n 2 0 0 2 1 3 1 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 1 1 0 0 3 0 1 0 1 2 0 3 0 3 2 3 3 3 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 . 0087 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 051 5 . 6050 2 0 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 0 0 2 0 3 0 2 3 2 2 3 3 0 3 3 1 3 3 0 . 2803 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 3 1 0 3 3 0 . 0701 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 052 5 . 6050 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 3 1 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 1 0 3 0 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 3 3 3 1 0 . 0087 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 3 1 1 253 5 . 6050 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 2 0 3 0 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 1 3 1 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 0701 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 3 0 . 0175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0087 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 054 + 5 . 6050 3 1 3 n 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 + 1 . 1210 2 1 3 n 3 1 3 1 1 1 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 + 0 . 2803 0 1 1 n 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 3 2 2 3 2 + 0 . 0701 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 . 0175 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 + 0 . 0087 0 n 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 055 5 . 6050 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 . 1210 0 0 3 0 3 2 1 3 1 2 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 . 2803 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 3 0 3 3 0 . 0701 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 055 0 . 0175 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 . 0175 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0__________________________________________________________________________ * cheat grass replacing downybrome poor germination or emergence of mogl and cobu @ no data for cobu due to poor emergence + rice poor throughout test + cobu emergence and rice growth variable although as has been stated above the compounds of this invention exhibit predominantly pre - emergence activity in greenhouse testing , nevertheless many of these compounds are active post - emergent herbicides . the post - emergent activity is best seen on younger plants treated at the 11 / 2 to 2 leaf stage . in most of the tests which follow , larger and more developed plants were used . the post - emergence herbicidal activity of compounds of this invention was demonstrated by greenhouse testing , and the results are shown in the following table c . the post - emergent herbicidal activity index used in table c is as follows : ______________________________________plant response index______________________________________ 0 - 24 % inhibition 025 - 49 % inhibition 150 - 74 % inhibition 275 - 99 % inhibition 3100 % inhibition 4species not planted -- or a blankspecies planted , no data n______________________________________ as was the case with the pre - emergence data , some of the compounds initially received ratings for plant response directly as percent inhibition in ten percent increments . where this is the case , the percentage has been converted according to the scale above . topsoil was placed in pans having holes in the bottom and compacted to a depth of 0 . 95 to 1 . 27 cm . from the top of the pan . a predetermined number of seeds of each of several dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous annual plant species and / or vegetative propagules for the perennial plant species were placed on the soil and pressed into the soil surface . the seeds and / or vegetative propagules were covered with soil and leveled . the pans were then placed on a bench in the greenhouse and watered as needed for germination and growth . after the plants reached the desired age ( two to three weeks ), each pan ( except the control pans ) was removed to a spraying chamber and sprayed by means of an atomizer . the spray solution or suspension contained about 0 . 4 % by volume of an emulsifying agent and a sufficient amount of the candidate chemical to give an application rate of the active ingredient of 11 . 2 kg / ha while applying a total amount of solution or suspension equivalent to 1870 l / ha ( 200 gallons / acre ). the pans were returned to the greenhouse and watered as before and the injury to the plants as compared to those in control pans was observed at approximately 10 - 14 days ( usually 11 days ) and in some instances observed again at 24 - 28 days ( usually 25 days ) after spraying . these latter observations are designated by a &# 34 ; pound &# 34 ; sign (#) following the column of example numbers in the table . the plant species used in this set of tests were the same as those used in the first set of pre - emergence tests , and the plant identifying codes are the same as those shown for table a . as above , footnotes follow the table . table c__________________________________________________________________________ y a s d b m c v i w c c p r r e n e o y o o e n i a o e h hex . rate n b j b g g b l m b t l s q jno . kg / ha s g g r r l u e u w h q w g g__________________________________________________________________________ 1 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 2 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 11 . 2100 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 n 4 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 6 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n10 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 011 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 012 11 . 2100 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 4 1 0 013 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 11 . 2100 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 015 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 016 11 . 2100 0 0 1 1 1 1 n 0 0 0 017 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 018 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 019 11 . 2100 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 020 11 . 2100 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 021 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 022 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 023 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 024 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 025 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 026 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 027 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 028 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 030 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 031 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 032 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 033 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 034 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 035 11 . 2100 0 0 3 0 2 2 0 1 1 236 * 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 237 11 . 2100 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 238 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 2 1 239 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 040 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 1 2 0 2 2 141 11 . 2100 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 2 2 242 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 2 243 11 . 2100 0 0 2 1 2 1 0 2 1 144 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 n 0 045 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 046 @ 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 2 2 247 @ 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 248 @ 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 2 2 249 @ 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 2 2 250 11 . 2100 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 1 1 251 11 . 2100 0 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 152 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 2 1 253 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 2 2 254 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 1 155 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 2 0 156 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 257 11 . 2100 0 0 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 258 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 159 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 060 11 . 2100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0__________________________________________________________________________ * damping offim , wb poor smartweed germination @ damping offim , wb poor germinationcb compounds of this invention were tested for herbicidal activity on weed plants in the presence of crop plants according to the following procedure : topsoil ( silt loam ) is sieved through a screen having 1 . 27 cm openings . in some of the tests the soil was mixed with fertilizer ( 1225 g / cm . m of 12 / 5 / 9 containing isobutylidene diurea ), while in other tests the fertilizer was omitted . this mixture is steam sterilized and then placed in aluminum pans 6 . 985 cm deep having ten holes in the bottom each 0 . 635 cm in diameter . the soil mixture is compacted to a depth of 1 . 27 cm . from the top of the pan . a predetermined number of seeds of each of several dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous annual plant species and / or vegetative propagules for the perennial plant species are placed on the soil and pressed into the soil surface . the seeds and / or vegetative propagules are covered with 1 . 27 cm of a mixture of 50 % topsoil and 50 % of a mixture of canadian sphagnum peat moss , vermiculite and a wetting agent . the pans are then placed on a capillary mat on a greenhouse bench and subirrigated as needed . after the plants reach the desired stage , each pan ( except the control pans ) is removed to a spraying chamber and sprayed by means of an atomizer , operating at a spary pressure of 170 . 3 kpa ( 10 psig ) at the application rates noted in table d . in the spray solution is an amount of an emulsifying agent mixture ( 35 % butylamine salt of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and 65 % tall oil condensed with ethylene oxide in the ratio of 11 mols of ethylene oxide / mol of tall oil ) to give a spray solution or suspension . the spray solution or suspension contains a sufficient amount of the candidate chemical in order to give application rates of the active ingredient corresponding to those shown in table d below while applying a total amount of solution or suspension equivalent to 1870 l / ha ( 200 gallons / acre ). the pans are returned to the greenhouse and watered as before and the injury to the plants as compared to the control pans is observed at approximately 10 - 14 days ( usually 11 days ) and in some instances observed again at 24 - 28 days ( usually 25 days ) after spraying . these latter observations are designated by a &# 34 ; pound &# 34 ; sign (#) following the column of example numbers in the table . in the following table d the legends used to identify the plant species are the same as those used in the preceding table b . table d ex . rate no . kg / ha sobe cotz rape cobu wibw mogl hese jiwe vele whez rice grso corn dobr prmi bygr lacg grft sube colq pesw 2 5 . 6050 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 0 1 2 n 5 . 6050 3 2 2 1 3 3 2 1 2 3 1 1 3 2 2 1 3 n 5 . 6050 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 4 2 5 . 6050 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 3 2 1 . 1210 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 3 0 0 2 3 2 1 . 1210 2 3 3 1 3 3 3 2 3 0 0 2 3 0 0 3 3 2 1 . 1210 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 n 1 . 1210 1 2 2 2 3 2 1 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 1 1 2 n 0 . 5605 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 n 0 . 5605 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 2 1 1 n 0 . 2803 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 n 0 . 2803 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 n 0 . 2803 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 2803 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 1401 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 n 0 . 1401 1 1 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 2 1 2 n 0 . 0701 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 n 0 . 0701 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 n 0 . 0701 1 2 2 0 0 1 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 0701 1 1 2 0 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 10 5 . 3808 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 0 1 0 1 2 2 1 3 0 5 . 3808 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 0 1 0 1 2 2 2 3 1 1 . 1210 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 3 1 1 . 1210 2 3 3 2 n 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 3 0 2 2 3 1 0 . 2803 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 . 2803 1 2 3 2 n 2 3 n 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 . 0701 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 0701 0 2 2 0 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 12 11 . 2100 2 2 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 11 . 2100 3 3 1 3 3 3 1 0 1 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 . 4075 2 3 2 2 2 3 1 0 2 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 8 . 4075 1 2 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 5 . 6050 2 3 2 2 3 3 0 0 2 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 3 1 5 . 6050 1 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 . 8025 2 2 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 2 . 8025 1 3 1 2 2 3 0 0 1 3 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 . 1210 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 . 1210 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 2 1 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 13 5 . 3808 3 3 3 3 n 3 3 3 3 1 0 2 3 0 2 2 3 3 5 . 3808 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 0 0 2 3 0 0 2 3 2 1 . 1210 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 3 1 1 . 1210 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 2803 2 3 3 2 n 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 2803 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 0 . 0701 1 1 2 0 2 2 2 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 0701 1 2 3 0 n 1 3 n 3 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 3 0 22 5 . 0445 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 5 . 0445 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 1 . 1210 3 2 2 2 n 3 3 3 2 0 0 1 3 1 0 2 3 0 1 . 1210 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 3 1 1 2 3 0 0 . 2803 2 2 3 1 2 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 0 . 2803 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 1 0 . 0701 1 1 2 0 1 2 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 0701 2 2 2 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 35 5 . 6050 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 2 5 . 6050 3 3 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 2 1 . 1210 3 3 4 2 4 2 4 3 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 3 2 1 . 1210 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 3 1 0 . 2803 1 2 2 0 1 0 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 . 2803 n 2 3 0 2 0 2 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 51 * 5 . 6050 1 1 3 1 1 2 2 3 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 2 2 * 1 . 1210 1 1 2 0 1 2 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 * coded comments recorded only at the highest rate observed . by way of comparison with compounds of this invention , the following compounds were prepared and their activity was tested . the herbicidal ratings are shown in the following table . ______________________________________example name______________________________________61 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoro - methyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 4 - morpholin - ylcarbonyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester62 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoro - methyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 4 - morpholin - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester63 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -( 1 - aziridinyl - carbonyl )- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methyl - propyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester64 3 - pyridinecarbothioic acid , 6 -( difluoro - methyl )- 5 -[( 4 - iodo - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbon - yl [- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( trifluoro - methyl )-, s -- methyl ester65 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -( 1h -- benzimi - dazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 - ( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester66 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 6 -( difluoro - methyl )- 5 -[( 4 - iodo - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl )- carbonyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( trifluoro - methyl )-, methyl ester67 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[( 4 - bromo - 3 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( di - fluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( tri - fluoromethyl )-, methyl ester , mixture with methyl 5 -[( 4 - bromo - 5 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methyl - propyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarb - oxylate68 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[[ 3 , 5 - bis ( tri - fluoromethyl )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 - ( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( tri - fluoromethyl )-, methyl ester69 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[( 4 - bromo - 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 6 - ( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 -( tri - fluoromethyl )-, methyl ester70 3 - pyridinecarbonyl chloride , 6 -( difluoro - methyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 2 -( trifluoromethyl )- 71 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoro - methyl )- 5 -[( 4 - iodo - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carb - onyl ]- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoro - methyl )-, methyl ester72 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[( 4 - bromo - 3 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( di - fluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( tri - fluoromethyl )-, methyl ester , mixture with methyl 5 -[( 4 - bromo - 5 - methyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 -( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )- 3 - pyridinecarboxylate73 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[( 4 - bromo - 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 2 - ( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( tri - fluoromethyl )-, methyl ester74 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 5 -[[ 3 , 5 - bis ( tri - fluoromethyl )- 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - yl ] carbonyl ]- 2 - ( difluoromethyl )- 4 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 6 -( tri - fluoromethyl )-, methyl ester 75 * 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoro - methyl )- 4 -[( 1 - methylethyl ) amino ]- 5 -( 1h -- pyrazol - 1 - ylcarbonyl )- 6 -( trifluoromethyl )-, methyl ester 76 * 3 - pyridinecarboxylic acid , 2 -( difluoro - methyl )- 5 -[( 1h -- imidazol - 1 - yl ) carbonyl ]- 4 - [( 1 - methylethyl ) amino ]- 6 -( trifluoro - methyl )-, methyl ester______________________________________ * prior art compound the plant species usually regarded as weeds which are utilized in the following set of tests , are identified by letter headings above the columns in accordance with the following legend : ______________________________________ a - canada thistle * b - cocklebur c - velvetleaf d - morning glory e - common lambsquarters f - pennsylvania smartweed g - yellow nutsedge * h - quackgrass * i - johnsongrass * j - downy brome k - barnyardgrass______________________________________ * grown from vegetative propagules ______________________________________example no . kg / ha a b c d e f g h i j k______________________________________herbicide datapreemergence herbicide activity for weeds61 11 . 2 0 0 1 0 3 1 0 3 0 0 3 62 11 . 2 0 0 1 3 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 63 11 . 2 0 0 2 1 3 0 0 3 0 2 3 64 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 65 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 66 11 . 2 1 0 1 1 3 3 0 3 0 3 3 67 11 . 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 1 0 3 68 11 . 2 0 0 0 3 3 2 1 0 0 0 3 69 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 70 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 71 11 . 2 0 1 3 2 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 72 11 . 2 0 0 1 2 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 73 11 . 2 0 0 1 1 3 3 1 3 0 3 3 74 11 . 2 3 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 3 3 3 75 11 . 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 76 11 . 2 2 0 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 3 3herbicide datapostemergence activity for weeds61 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 62 11 . 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 63 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 64 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 65 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 66 11 . 2 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 67 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 68 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 69 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 70 11 . 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 71 11 . 2 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 72 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 73 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 74 11 . 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 75 11 . 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 76 11 . 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0______________________________________ the plant species used in the following comparative tests were as follows : ______________________________________l - soybean e - lambsquartersm - sugarbeet f - smartweedn - wheat c - velvetleafo - rice j - downy bromep - sorghum s - panicumb - cocklebur k - barnyardgrassq - wild buckwheat t - crabgrassd - morning glory u - green foxtailr - hemp sesbania v - corn______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________herbicide datapreemergence activity for weeds incrop plantsexample no . kg / ha l m n o p b q d r e f c j s k t u v__________________________________________________________________________61 5 . 6 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 1 3 1 0 3 3 2 3 1 . 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 062 5 . 6 3 3 0 2 3 1 2 3 3 3 2 0 3 3 3 3 1 . 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 1 3 2 0 3 3 3 3 0 . 28 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 1 0 1 2 2 3 0 . 056 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 . 0112 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 063 5 . 6 2 3 2 3 3 0 3 0 3 3 3 3 -- 3 3 3 3 2 1 . 12 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 3 3 1 -- 3 3 3 3 1 0 . 56 0 1 0 2 3 0 2 0 0 3 3 1 -- 3 3 3 3 1 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 -- 3 1 3 3 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 -- 1 0 3 3 064 5 . 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 1 1 3 3 0 1 . 12 1 n 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 n 2 1 0 0 . 56 n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n 0 . 28 0 n 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 n 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 n 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 065 5 . 6 0 n 2 3 3 0 n 0 1 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 . 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 3 2 0 0 . 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 035 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0182 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 066 5 . 6 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 3 1 2 3 3 0 1 . 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 067 5 . 6 0 1 3 3 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 3 3 3 0 3 0 1 . 12 0 n 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 n 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 . 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 068 5 . 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 . 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 069 5 . 6 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 0 1 . 12 0 0 0 0 n 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 56 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 070 5 . 6 1 3 3 3 3 0 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 . 12 1 3 2 3 3 0 3 0 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 . 56 0 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 1 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 1 0 . 28 0 n 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 0 0 . 14 0 n 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 n 1 0 2 1 1 3 3 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 . 035 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0182 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 071 5 . 6 1 2 3 3 3 0 2 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 . 12 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 . 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 3 2 3 3 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 3 1 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 035 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0182 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 072 5 . 6 0 1 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 2 2 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 1 . 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 3 2 0 0 . 56 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 073 5 . 6 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 0 1 . 12 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 56 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 . 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 035 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 074 5 . 6 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- -- 1 . 12 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- -- 0 . 56 3 3 3 1 n 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- -- 0 . 28 3 3 2 1 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 -- -- 0 . 14 2 2 1 0 3 0 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 -- -- 0 . 07 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 n 1 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 -- -- 0 . 035 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 0 3 3 3 -- -- 0 . 0182 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 3 0 -- 3 0 3 3 0 0 . 009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 1 0 2 3 075 5 . 6 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 3 3 3 2 1 2 2 3 3 -- -- 1 . 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 2 3 3 -- -- 0 . 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 -- -- 0 . 056 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- -- 0 . 0112 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- -- __________________________________________________________________________ from these data , it can be seen that compounds claimed herein have activity which is markedly superior to closely related compounds , and that some are substantially equal to the prior art compound of example 47 . the herbicidal compositions of this invention , including concentrates which require dilution prior to application , may contain at least one active ingredient and an adjuvant in liquid or solid form . the compositions are prepared by admixing the active ingredient with an adjuvant including diluents , extenders , carriers , and conditioning agents to provide compositions in the form of finely - divided particulate solids , granules , pellets , solutions , dispersions or emulsions . thus , it is believed that the active ingredient could be used with an adjuvant such as a finely - divided solid , a liquid of organic origin , water , a wetting agent , a dispersing agent , an emulsifying agent or any suitable combination of these . suitable wetting agents are believed to include alkyl benzene and alkyl naphthalene sulfonates , sulfated fatty alcohols , amines or acid amides , long chain acid esters of sodium isothionate , esters of sodium sulfosuccinate , sulfated or sulfonated fatty acid esters , petroleum sulfonates , sulfonated vegetable oils , ditertiary acetylenic glycols , polyoxyethylene derivatives of alkylphenols ( particularly isooctylphenol and nonylphenol ) and polyoxyethylene derivatives of the mono - higher fatty acid esters of hexitol anhydrides ( e . g ., sorbitan ). preferred dispersants are methyl , cellulose , polyvinyl alcohol , sodium lignin sulfonates , polymeric alkyl naphthalene sulfonates , sodium naphthalene sulfonate , and polymethylene bisnaphthalene sulfonate . wettable powders are water - dispersible compositions containing one or more active ingredients , an inert solid extender and one or more wetting and dispersing agents . the inert solid extenders are usually of mineral origin such as the natural clays , diatomaceous earth and synthetic minerals derived from silica and the like . examples of such extenders include kaolinites , attapulgite clay and synthetic magnesium silicate . the wettable powders compositions of this invention usually contain from above 0 . 5 to 60 parts ( preferably from 5 - 20 parts ) of active ingredient , from about 0 . 25 to 25 parts ( preferably 1 - 15 parts ) of wetting agent , from about 0 . 25 to 25 parts ( preferably 1 . 0 - 15 parts ) of dispersant and from 5 to about 95 parts ( preferably 5 - 50 parts ) of inert solid extender , all parts being by weight of the total composition . where required , from about 0 . 1 to 2 . 0 parts of the solid inert extender can be replaced by a corrosion inhibitor or anti - foaming agent or both . other formulations include dust concentrates comprising from 0 . 1 to 60 % by weight of the active ingredient on a suitable extender ; these dusts may be diluted for application at concentrations within the range of from about 0 . 1 - 10 % by weight . aqueous suspensions or emulsions may be prepared by stirring a nonaqueous solution of a water - insoluble active ingredient and an emulsification agent with water until uniform and then homogenizing to give stable emulsion of very finely - divided particles . the resulting concentrated aqueous suspension is characterized by its extremely small particle size , so that when diluted and sprayed , coverage is very uniform . suitable concentrations of these formulations contain from about 0 . 1 - 60 % preferably 5 - 50 % by weight of active ingredient , the upper limit being determined by the solubility limit of active ingredient in the solvent . concentrates are usually solutions of active ingredient in water - immiscible or partially water - immiscible solvents together with a surface active agent . suitable solvents for the active ingredient of this invention include dimethylformamide , dimethylsulfoxide , n - methyl - pyrrolidone , hydrocarbons , and water - immiscible ethers , esters , or ketones . however , other high strength liquid concentrates may be formulated by dissolving the active ingredient in a solvent then diluting , e . g ., with kerosene , to spray concentration . the concentrate compositions herein generally contain from about 0 . 1 to 95 parts ( preferably 5 - 60 parts ) active ingredient , about 0 . 25 to 50 parts ( preferably 1 - 25 parts ) surface active agent and where required about 4 to 94 parts solvent , all parts being by weight based on the total weight of emulsifiable oil . granules are physically stable particulate compositions comprising active ingredient adhering to or distributed through a basic matrix of an inert , finely - divided particulate extender . in order to aid leaching of the active ingredient from the particulate , a surface active agent such as those listed hereinbefore can be present in the composition . natural clays , pyrophyllites , illite , and vermiculite are examples of operable classes of particulate mineral extenders . the preferred extenders are the porous , absorptive , preformed particules such as preformed and screened particulate attapulgite or heat expanded , particulate vermiculite and the finely - divided clays such as kaolin clays , hydrated attapulgite or bentonitic clays . these extenders are sprayed or blended with the active ingredient to form the herbicidal granules . the granular compositions of this invention may contain from about 0 . 1 to about 30 parts by weight of active ingredient per 100 parts by weight of clay and 0 to about 5 parts by weight of surface active agent per 100 parts by weight of particulate clay . the compositions of this invention can also contain other additaments , for example , fertilizers , other herbicides , other pesticides , safeners and the like used as adjuvants or in combination with any of the above - described adjuvants . chemicals useful in combination with the active ingredients of this invention included , for example , triazines , ureas , carbamates , acetamides , acetanilides , uracils , acetic acid or phenol derivatives , thiolcarbamates , triazoles , benzoic acids , nitriles , biphenyl ethers , imidazolinones and the like such as : fertilizers useful in combination with the active ingredients include , for example ammonium nitrate , urea , potash and superphosphate . other useful additaments include materials in which plant organisms take root and grow such as compost , manure , humus , sand and the like . herbicidal formulations of the types described above are exemplified in several illustrative embodiments below . ______________________________________ weight percent______________________________________i . emulsifiable concentratesa . compound of example no . 3 11 . 0 free acid of complex organic 5 . 59 phosphate or aromatic or aliphatic hydrophobe base ( e . g ., gafac re - 610 , registered trademark of gaf corp .) polyoxyethylene / polyoxypropylene 1 . 11 block copolymer with butanol ( e . g ., tergitol xh , registered trademark of union carbide corp .) phenol 5 . 34 monochlorobenzene 76 . 96 100 . 00b . compound of example no . 14 25 . 00 free acid of complex organic 5 . 00 phosphate of aromatic or aliphatic hydrophobe base ( e . g ., gafac re - 610 ) polyoxyethylene / polyoxypropylene 1 . 60 block copolymer with butanol ( e . g ., tergitol xh ) phenol 4 . 75 monochlorobenzene 63 . 65 100 . 00ii . flowablesa . compound of example no . 24 25 . 00 methyl cellulose 0 . 3 silica aerogel 1 . 5 sodium lignosulfonate 3 . 5 sodium n -- methyl - n -- oleyl taurate 2 . 0 water 67 . 7 100 . 00b . compound of example no . 18 45 . 0 methyl cellulose . 3 silica aerogel 1 . 5 sodium lignosulfonate 3 . 5 sodium n -- methyl - n -- oleyl taurate 2 . 0 water 47 . 7 100 . 00iii . wettable powdersa . compound of example no . 5 25 . 0 sodium lignosulfonate 3 . 0 sodium n -- methyl - n -- oleyl - taurate 1 . 0 amorphous silica ( synthetic ) 71 . 0 100 . 00b . compound of example 21 80 . 00 sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate 1 . 25 calcium lignosulfonate 2 . 75 amorphous silica ( synthetic ) 16 . 00 100 . 00c . compound of example no . 6 10 . 0 sodium lignosulfonate 3 . 0 sodium n -- methyl - n -- oleyl - taurate 1 . 0 kaolinite clay 86 . 0 100 . 00iv . dustsa . compound of example no . 13 2 . 0 attapulgite 98 . 0 100 . 00b . compound of example no . 10 60 . 0 montmorillonite 40 . 0 100 . 00c . compound of example no . 30 30 . 0 ethylene glycol 1 . 0 bentonite 69 . 0 100 . 00d . compound of example no . 27 1 . 0 diatomaceous earth 99 . 0 100 . 00v . granulesa . compound of example no . 17 15 . 0 granular attapulgite ( 20 / 40 mesh ) 85 . 0 100 . 00b . compound of example no . 6 30 . 0 diatomaceous earth ( 20 / 40 ) 70 . 0 100 . 00c . compound of example no . 21 1 . 0 ethylene glycol 5 . 0 methylene blue 0 . 1 pyrophyllite 93 . 9 100 . 00d . compound of example no . 31 5 . 0 pyrophyllite ( 20 / 40 ) 95 . 0 100 . 00______________________________________ when operating in accordance with the present invention , effective amounts of the compounds of this invention are applied to the soil containing the seeds , or vegetative propagules or may be incorporated into the soil media in any convenient fashion . the application of liquid and particulate solid compositions to the soil can be carried out by conventional methods , e . g ., power dusters , boom and hand sprayers and spray dusters . the compositions can also be applied from airplanes as a dust or a spray because of their effectiveness at low dosages . the exact amount of active ingredient to be employed is dependent upon various factors , including the plant species and stage of development thereof , the type and condition of soil , the amount of rainfall and the specific compounds employed . in selective preemergence application or to the soil , a dosage of from about 0 . 02 to about 11 . 2 kg / ha , preferably from about 0 . 1 to about 5 . 60 kg / ha , is usually employed . lower or higher rates may be required in some instances . one skilled in the art can readily determine from this specification , including the above examples , the optimum rate to be applied in any particular case . the term &# 34 ; soil &# 34 ; is employed in its broadest sense to be inclusive of all conventional &# 34 ; soils &# 34 ; as defined in webster &# 39 ; s new international dictionary , second edition , unabridged ( 1961 ). thus , the term refers to any substance or media in which vegetation may take root and grow , and includes not only earth but also compost , manure , muck , humus , sand , and the like , adapted to support plant growth . although the invention is described with respect to specific modifications , the details thereof are not to be construed as limitations . | 2 |
moxidectin in its crystalline form can be conveniently incorporated into many veterinarian pharmaceutical formulations . these veterinarian formulations are useful as anthelmintics , ectoparasiticides , insecticides , acaricides and nematicides ,— for preventing and controlling diseases in warm - blooded animals , such as poultry , cattle , sheep , swine , rabbits , horses , dogs , cats and human beings and agricultural crops . moxidectin is suitable for incorporation into topical , oral , subcutaneous and various other veterinarian and pharmaceutical formulations . the pharmaceutical and veterinarian formulations may be administered in a variety of ways including : injectable and sustained release formulations , solutions , suspensions , bolus , oral tablets and liquid drenches for use as an anthelmintic for animals . the present invention involves making a solution of moxidectin and a first solvent . the moxidectin may be obtained from whatever source is available to the skilled artisan . preferably , the moxidectin is in its unpurified or “ raw ”, or amorphous form . it may be derived from a small - or large - scale ( industrial ) process typically utilized for producing moxidectin . the moxidectin may be obtained from a deblocking chemical reaction , such as by alkaline hydrolysis . by way of non - limiting example , the process described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 988 , 824 is a useful method for generating moxidectin . typically , the moxidectin useful in the process hereinafter described will have an initial purity ( dried ) of less than about 92 %, many times within the range of about 90 - 92 %. the first solvent is preferably selected from the group consisting of methanol , ethanol , methylcyclohexane , hexane , benzyl alcohol , toluene , heptane , and mixtures thereof . other solvents capable of dissolving moxidectin may also be utilized . cost and safety profiles will further affect the selection of a suitable solvent . most preferred solvents will be physiologically tolerated in very trace amounts and thus will be suitable for inclusion in trace amounts in pharmaceutical preparations . of these , preferably cyclomethylhexane ( mch ), is used as the first solvent . the moxidectin is combined with the first solvent in a weight ratio within the range of about 1 : 1 to 1 : 2 to produce the moxidectin solution . after the moxidectin and first solvent are combined , the resultant moxidectin solution is then concentrated , preferably under vacuum . as a result of this concentrating step , the percentage of the moxidectin in the moxidectin solution is made to be about 40 - 50 % by weight , and preferably about 40 - 44 % by weight . concentration of the moxidectin in the solution is typically effected at a temperature at or below about 50 ° c ., with a temperature within the range of about 40 - 50 ° c . being preferred , and a temperature within the range of about 45 - 50 ° c . being especially desirable . distillation , using accepted protocol , is the preferred means of obtaining the desirable moxidectin concentration . in yet another embodiment , the moxidectin / first solvent ( e . g ., mch ) solution is distilled under vacuum at a pot temperature of about 45 ° to 50 ° c . the use of a vacuum and control of the temperature range are used to minimize thermal effects such as compound degradation . thereafter , the temperature of the concentrated moxidectin solution is cooled and regulated to approximately 30 ° c ., and may vary within a range of about 30 - 40 ° c . next , a second solvent is added to the moxidectin solution . this second solvent is preferably a non - polar organic solvent . even more desirably , the second solvent is selected from the group consisting of hexane , heptane , toluene , isooctane , other non polar organic solvents capable of dissolving moxidectin or mixtures thereof . of these , n - hexane and n - heptane are often particularly preferred . other suitable non polar organic solvent may be selected by those skilled in the art , and can be ascertained by evaluation of physical and chemical properties of the molecular species to be crystallized . cost and safety profiles will often affect the selection of a suitable non polar organic solvent as well . most preferred non polar organic solvents will be physiologically tolerated in very trace amounts and thus will be suitable for inclusion in trace amounts in pharmaceutical preparations . the second solvent is added in a weight ratio with respect to the first solvent within a range of about 2 : 1 to 6 : 1 . it is more preferably that this weight ratio be about 3 : 1 . preferably , the second solvent is added under agitation , such as by stirring . more hazardous solvents such as chloroform and dichloromethane , are preferably avoided as part of the method of the invention . after adding the second solvent ; the moxidectin solution is further regulated to a temperature between about 30 ° c .- 10 ° c . ; and even more preferably between about 25 - 10 ° c . even more desirably , the temperature of the solution is gradually lowered from the high end to the low end of the ranges just described , preferably under agitation , as by gentle stirring . this part of the process of the invention will generate moxidectin crystals from the solution . preferably , a time period of about 2 to 12 hours , more preferably about 3 to 6 hours is utilized to effect optimal crystalline formation . this in itself is an advance over the state of the art , in which it was often necessary to devote up to 48 hours or more for crystallization . thereafter , the moxidectin crystals are filtered from the solution . this can also be achieved under gentle agitation . once obtained , the moxidectin crystals are dried , preferably under vacuum . the dried moxidectin crystals should desirably be substantially solvent - free , that is , they should contain at most only trace amounts of residual solvent within established pharmaceutical standards . the resulting moxidectin crystals obtained according to the purification method of the invention will typically have a purity level within the range of about 94 %- 96 %, which is higher than a beginning purity level of 90 %- 92 % often obtained as a result of making amorphous moxidectin using known synthesis protocol . in any event , the invention contemplates an ending purity level which is about 1 . 5 to 10 % or greater , more preferably about 2 to 6 %, higher than the starting level of purity for the moxidectin . purity levels may be measured by high pressure liquid chromatography , ( hplc ) using accepted protocol . other methods available in the art for measuring purity may also be utilized . the moxidectin crystals of the invention may be utilized in a wide variety of pharmaceutical applications , especially veterinarian products . thus , the moxidectin obtained according to the process hereinabove described may be incorporated into several anti - parasitic , endectoside and anthelmintic products , as well as other related applications . if desired , the method of the invention may be repeated one or more additional times to optimize purity , if desired . the following example illustrates one or more preferred aspects of the invention and is provided by way of illustration only , and should not be construed as limiting the scope thereof . table one reports purification results obtained by the procedure of the invention , while varying different aspects of the process . the present invention imparts the several advantages over the currently used methods of moxidectin purification , as exemplified in the u . s . pat . no . 4 , 988 , 824 in examples 17 and 19 . the present invention can be accomplished in a matter of hours , whereas the currently used methods may take days to complete . the present invention produces a crystalline moxidectin product with a purity level of approximately 94 % to 96 %, whereas the currently used methods result in an end product with a purity level of less than 92 %. additionally , the present invention results in a cost savings in comparison to the currently used methods . a further advantage of the current invention pertains to batch production . utilization of the current invention allows for recovery of moxidectin that is not pure enough to meet defined specification standards or has decomposed . recovery can be accomplished by simply repeating the crystallization process , thus increasing the purity level of the moxidectin to meet the defined specification standards , while saving a batch that would have otherwise been wasted . the foregoing description is merely illustrative and should not be understood to limit the scope or underlying principles of the invention in any way . indeed , various modifications of the invention , in addition to those shown and described herein , will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following examples and the foregoing description . such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
the entire disclosure of co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 036 , 178 filed feb . 22 , 2008 , of mark s . olsson et al . is hereby incorporated by reference . that application is entitled “ led illumination system and methods of fabrication .” fig3 c , 3 d , 3 e and 3 f illustrate structure that is incorporated into the deep submersible light of fig4 and 5 . more particularly , fig3 c illustrates an array of eighteen cree xre high brightness leds 302 combined with a metal core printed circuit board ( mcpcb ) 332 in an assembly 330 , which may referred to as a light engine . fig3 d illustrates a section view of the assembly 330 . fig3 e illustrates a metalized molded plastic multiple - reflector plate 340 , which is designed such that the light - emitting parts of the leds 302 ( fig3 c ) protrude through the reflector openings when aligned for placement above the led / mcpcb assembly 330 ( fig3 c ). fig3 f illustrates a section view of the multiple - reflector plate 340 . referring to fig4 and 5 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a deep submersible light 402 includes a cylindrical light head sub - assembly 502 , a hemispherical back shell 206 , a cylindrical cowl 504 , a bulkhead connector 210 , an electronic led driver 506 , a miniature candelabra lamp screw base 508 , and a mount 208 . the volume inside the back shell 206 is protected from high exterior ambient water pressure , e . g . that which would be encountered at depths of 1 , 400 meters and greater . at 1 , 400 meters , the ambient water pressure is approximately 2 , 000 psi . the light head subassembly 502 functions as a pressure resistant forward bulkhead , while the bulkhead connector 210 seals the rear of the back shell 206 . the screw base 508 adapts the screw socket plug of the bulkhead connector 210 to allow wires to pass to the electronic led driver 506 . the interior volume of the light head sub - assembly 502 is filled with an optically transparent dielectric fluid , grease , or gel 510 in sufficient volume to allow for volumetric change due to a combination of the cold temperature and high pressure of the deepest ocean depths . examples of suitable fluids include dow corning 200 , dow 705 , dow 710 , and 3m fc - 70 . optical gels include dow optical coupling gel , oe - 4000 . optical greases that are suitable include saint - gobain bc - 630 . referring to fig6 a the led light head sub - assembly 502 includes a generally cylindrical ribbed metal body 602 , a cylindrical pistoning transparent plastic window 604 extending across and sealing one end of the metal body 602 , a radially sealing o - ring 614 , two longitudinal centering o - rings 612 and 616 , and an upper spiral retaining ring 610 to hold the window 604 in position . the metal body 602 defines a hollow interior in which the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 is mounted . the plastic window 604 is substantially rigid and may be made from acrylic , polycarbonate , trogamid , or other materials combining suitable qualities for use at deep underwater depths . alternatively , the window 604 could be made of various suitable non - plastic transparent materials such as glass and sapphire . the window 604 is sealed using the single radial o - ring 614 seated in a groove cut into the metal body 602 . the window 604 is capable of moving axially relative to the longitudinal center line of the generally cylindrical light head sub - assembly 502 as the ambient water pressure varies during descent and ascent of a deep submersible vehicle carrying the light of fig4 . the forward and rearward edges of the window 604 are beveled where they engage the centering o - rings 612 and 616 to facilitate such longitudinal or reciprocal pistoning movement of the window 604 . the o - ring 614 provides a water - tight seal between the window 604 and the metal body 602 . this water - tight seal need not be provided by an o - ring , but could instead be provided by other means including a bellows or a flat clamp gasket . the reciprocal transparent window 604 allows light generated by the leds 302 ( fig3 c ) to pass through the window outward and ambient water pressure to pass inward , thus pressure compensating the leds 302 ( fig3 c ). in fluid mechanics , “ ambient pressure ” refers to the pressure of the surrounding fluid medium , either gas or liquid , which comes into contact with an apparatus . as a submarine dives deeper into the sea , pressure increases due to the increased weight of water above it . this increase in pressure can cause materials to compress if exposed to that pressure . systems can either be built strong enough to resist that pressure , and thus “ pressure protected ”, or allowed to equalize to that pressure , and thus “ pressure compensated .” in the embodiment of this invention , the fluid , gel , or grease is the material that compresses according to pressure , and the reciprocal transparent window 604 is the mechanism that allows the volume to change as necessary . since the fluid , gel , or grease is in direct contact with the leds 302 ( fig3 c ), the ambient pressure is thereby transmitted directly to the leds 302 ( fig3 c ). referring still to fig6 a , the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 , is thermally connected to a thick rear wall of the generally cylindrical metal body 602 using a phase change material ( pcm ) 622 , such as laird technologies t - pcm 583 , and restrained and clamped by a centering collar 620 and a wave spring 618 . by way of example , the metal body 602 may be made of 6061 - t6 aluminum , with a type iii hard anodize conversion coating on its interior surface that provides an additional electrical isolation layer between the metal core board and the aluminum housing . the multiple - reflector plate 340 is held in position by a hex nut 624 . the construction of the high pressure puck sub - assembly 630 is described below in conjunction with fig6 b . the interior open volume surrounding the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 is filled with an optically clear , dielectric fluid , gel , or grease 510 . the two longitudinal centering o - rings 612 and 616 are useful in keeping the pistoning clear plastic window 604 axially aligned down the center of the cylindrical interior of the metal body 602 , eliminating the danger of tipping and wedging . a large thickness - to - bore diameter ratio would otherwise be needed . referring still to fig6 a , a seal screw 606 extends through a bore in the center of the window 604 and allows for installation of the window 604 and subsequent fluid filling during final assembly . the screw 606 is screwed into a threaded segment of a through - bore formed in the center of the window 604 . an unthreaded outer extension of the through - bore in the window 604 is sealed beneath a cast - in - place , or injection molded and pressed in place , clear elastomeric plug 608 . alternatively , a pair of seal screws ( not illustrated ) may be inserted through bores in opposite sides of the metal body 602 , to permit fluid insertion and air extraction . referring to fig6 b , the high pressure puck sub - assembly 630 includes a high pressure puck 642 made of high strength thermosetting epoxy with molded insert electrical contacts 644 , installed in a matching bore machined or otherwise formed in the metal body 602 . the electrical contacts 644 are made with pins on one end and sockets on the other . the sockets are positioned to face the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 . the puck 642 is sealed by use of a radial o - ring 638 , centered between two teflon ® back - up rings 636 and 640 . the rings 636 and 640 are squeezed into position by an upper o - ring 634 , which itself is held in position by a spiral retaining ring 632 . electrical pins 652 pass from the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 , through an insulating centering plate 654 , and into the electrical sockets in the puck 642 . the electrical pins 652 are held against the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 and prevented from rotating by an insulating top cap 650 . this stack - up is sandwiched together by use of a through - bolt 648 , and a hex nut 646 . the multiple - reflector plate 340 is then added to this stack - up and held by a hex nut 624 . fig7 a , 7 b and 7 c illustrates the range of motion of the pistoning transparent plastic window 604 . fig7 a illustrates the position of the window 604 at average sea level conditions ( 72 degrees f . at 14 . 70 psi . ), centered in the bore or hollow interior of the light head sub - assembly 502 with a starting volume of dielectric fluid , grease , or gel 510 . fig7 b . illustrates the position of the window 604 centered in the bore of the light head sub - assembly 502 after it has moved axially forward as heat generated by the illumination of the leds causes the dielectric fluid , grease , or gel 510 inside the light to expand . fig7 c illustrates the position of the window 604 centered in the bore of the light head sub - assembly 502 after it has moved axially rearward due to the influence of deep ocean ambient high water pressure and cold temperatures ( 40 degrees f . at 10 , 000 psi ) on the dielectric fluid , grease , or gel 510 . fig8 is an exploded view of the deep submersible light 402 showing the thermal sensor 802 on the electronic led driver 506 and thermal conductive pad 804 that thermally connects the thermal sensing component of the led electronic driver 506 to the light head sub - assembly 502 . fig9 is a block diagram of the led driver circuit illustrating the power flow from an ac / dc power source 902 , through input filter elements 904 ( over voltage clamp , current limit , and inrush current limit ), to an input voltage rectifier 906 , switch mode current regulator 908 , to an led light engine 910 . the led driver circuit further includes circuit feedback and self - regulating control elements in the form of a temperature monitor 912 to test for overheating , a dimming interface 914 to reduce heat by lowering power , and an ac line monitor 916 to test for under voltage conditions . an important aspect of the embodiment of fig4 is that its led light head sub - assembly 502 can be retrofitted into the body 206 of existing prior art multi sealite ® lights 102 manufactured for many years by deepsea power & amp ; light , inc ., the assignee of the subject application , in place of the halogen light head sub - assembly , creating the led multi sealite ® 402 . this retrofit capability is illustrated by the side - by - side views of fig1 a and 10b . fig1 illustrates an alternate embodiment 1102 of light head sub - assembly 502 ( fig5 ) in which the interior window centering o - ring 616 ( fig6 ) is replaced by a single coil or wave spring 1104 that engages the rear face of the window 604 and rests on an internal land or flange of the metal body 602 . fig1 illustrates an alternate embodiment 1202 of light head sub - assembly 502 ( fig5 ) in which the interior window centering o - ring 616 ( fig6 ) is replaced by six compression springs 1204 that press on the multiple - reflector plate 340 , and push against the rear side of the window 604 . the springs 1204 provide uniform force to keep the window 604 aligned axially within the bore or hollow interior of the metal body 602 . the exploded view of 1202 in fig1 further illustrates the relationship of the window 604 , the six compression springs 1204 , the multiple - reflector plate 340 , a hex nut 646 , and the metal body 602 . in the event of maximum inward movement of the window 604 , the hex nut 646 fits within a recess in the backside of the window 604 , precluding mechanical interference . referring to fig1 in an alternate embodiment 1402 a back housing 1404 replaces the back shell 206 ( fig2 ). the light is centered in a u - shaped light mount 1412 using a shoulder bolt 1408 , and secured with two cap screws 1410 . fig1 is a section view taken along line 15 - 15 of fig1 , and illustrates the increased volume of 1402 with the larger back housing 1404 , permitting more led drive circuitry to be placed inside the same . fig1 is a section view of the alternate embodiment 1402 rotated ninety degrees about the axial centerline relative to fig1 . fig1 illustrates a fiber or rubber washer 1602 that functions as a friction element of the mounting mechanism , allowing the light mount 1412 to positively clamp to the back housing 1404 , with all three structures held in alignment by the shoulder bolt 1408 . fig1 illustrates an alternate embodiment 1702 in which the light head 1704 is mounted to the back housing 1404 . the embodiment 1702 uses the same light mount 1412 as the embodiment 1402 ( fig1 ). fig1 is a section view of the embodiment 1702 of fig1 along the line 18 - 18 , illustrating the alternate embodiment 1702 , composed of the light head 1704 mounted to the back housing 1404 . an o - ring 1802 is used to keep sea water and debris out of the mating threads to prevent corrosion , fouling , and galling . fig1 is a section view of the alternate embodiment 1702 rotated ninety degrees about the axial centerline relative to fig1 , showing details of the same light mount 1412 as the embodiment 1402 ( fig1 ). fig2 a . illustrates an alternate miniature smooth parabolic spot pattern reflector 2000 for use with the multiple - reflector plate 340 ( fig3 ). the resultant light pattern with substantially parallel rays is illustrated in fig2 a . fig2 b illustrates an alternate miniature parabolic flood pattern reflector 2002 with circumferentially extending convex or concave stepped rings 2004 for use with the multiple - reflector plate 340 ( fig3 ). the resultant light pattern with spread rays is illustrated in fig2 b . fig2 c illustrates an alternate miniature parabolic flood pattern reflector 2006 with micropeened surface made up of a plurality of miniature convex or concave surfaces 2008 for use with the multiple - reflector plate 340 ( fig3 ). the resultant light pattern with spread rays is illustrated in fig2 c . fig2 d illustrates an alternate miniature isoradiant flood pattern reflector 2010 for use with the multiple - reflector plate 340 ( fig3 ). a cree four - die mce led 2012 is mounted so that its transparent dome - shaped lens element 2014 extends within the reflector cavity , and the four dies are at an optimal position with respect to the focal point of the reflector , either congruent with or offset from said focal point . the resultant even flood light pattern is illustrated in fig2 d . by way of example , the cree four die mce led 2012 are illustrated in fig2 a , 21 b , 21 c , and 21 d mounted in its operative position relative to the reflectors 2000 , 2002 , 2006 , and 2010 respectively , with resultant light patterns . fig2 illustrates the use of a piggyback circuit board 2202 with the alternate embodiments 1702 to dim the light output of the electronic led driver 506 by external control . the modular piggyback circuit board 2202 may be selected based on the type of dimming interfaces encountered , including isolated and non - isolated control voltage ( 0 - 10 vdc ), current loop ( 4 - 20 ma ), pulse width modulated ( pwm ), and serial communications . fig2 illustrates an alternate embodiment 2302 of led light head sub - assembly 502 ( fig5 ) that incorporates a cast soft elastomeric transparent window 2306 for pressure compensation . the light illustrated in fig2 also incorporates an in - line led driver assembly 2304 , wherein a circuit board is encapsulated within a cylindrical elastomeric housing providing similar pressure compensation . fig2 is a section view of fig2 along the lines 24 - 24 , showing the alternate embodiment of the light head 2302 , composed of a metal housing 2402 that encloses the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 that is thermally connected to the metal housing 2402 using a phase change material ( pcm ) 622 . machine screws 2506 ( illustrated in fig2 ) hold the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 to the metal housing 2402 . a center screw 2508 ( shown in fig2 ) holds the multi - cavity reflector plate 340 over the led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 . an optically transparent , high dielectric , non - hygroscopic , soft durometer , castable elastomer 2306 fills all voids . the two - part castable elastomer 2306 preferably has a low viscosity and a one - hour minimum pot life during its working phase in order to fill every small crevice and void . after it cures , the compliance of this material to external pressure provides the means of compensation to the leds . one suitable commercially available material for the elastomer 2306 is nusil ls - 6143 . the led driver assembly 2304 is shown remote from the led light head sub - assembly 2302 , separated by an appropriate length of underwater electrical cable 2408 , here shown at minimum length . the cable entry to the led light head 2302 is sealed with a low cost compression fitting 2406 , such as a heyco liquid tight cordgrips ( p / n m3210 ). the led driver assembly 2304 is comprised of an led driver electronics 2410 encapsulated by a thermally conductive , non - hygroscopic , soft durometer castable elastomer 2412 , which has no requirement for optical clarity . one suitable commercially available material for the elastomer 2412 is dow corning thermally conductive elastomer sylgard q3 - 6632 . an additional length of underwater electrical cable 2414 connects the led driver electronics 2410 to electrical power . the cables 2408 and 2414 are cast in place and sealed watertight within the body of 2304 by the castable elastomer 2412 , requiring no additional seal fitting such as 2406 . the principal advantage of the embodiment of fig2 and 24 is that the light head is placed where light is needed , but minimum profile is required , such as the inside wrist of a vehicle manipulator ( robotic arm ) on a deep submersible vehicle . fig2 further illustrates the mounting relationship of the components of the led light head assembly 2302 and the metal housing 2402 , led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 , phase change material ( pcm ) 622 , held by three machine screws 2506 , multiple - reflector plate 340 , held by machine screw 2508 , and the optically clear , high dielectric , non - hygroscopic , soft durometer , castable elastomer window 2306 . a rib extends around the perimeter to help seal and retain the window 2306 . the compression fitting 2406 is shown as part of the led light head assembly 2302 . fig2 a illustrates an alternate embodiment 2602 of castable elastomer window 2306 ( fig2 ). the shape of the cast soft elastomeric window 2604 is blended to match or conform to the adjacent hydrodynamic shape of a control surface 2610 of an underwater vehicle . the control surface 2610 could either be a fixed dive plane , active dive plane , or a rudder . the led driver assembly 2304 and underwater electrical cable 2408 are shown recessed within the leading edge of the dive plane . fig2 b is a section view of 2602 in fig2 a taken along line 26 b - 26 b , showing the led driver assembly 2304 remote from the led light engine 2606 , separated by an appropriate length of underwater electrical cable 2408 , here shown at minimum length , and sealed through a low cost compression fitting 2406 . this allows placement of the driver electronics 2410 at any distance convenient to the submarine builder . the elastomeric window 2604 is shown as a functional mechanical part of the control surface 2610 . an appropriate length of underwater electrical cable 2414 connects the led driver assembly 2304 to electrical power . fig2 illustrates a partially exploded view of the castable window 2604 and led light engine 2606 removed from its recessed pocket in the control surface 2610 . though shown separated , the castable window 2604 fully encapsulates the led light engine 2606 . led driver assembly 2304 with underwater electrical cables 2408 and 2414 , is shown removed from the recess inside the leading edge of the control surface 2610 , and separated from the compression fitting 2406 . fig2 a is an alternate embodiment similar to 2602 of fig2 a , showing the cast soft elastomeric window 2604 blended to match or conform to the adjacent hydrodynamic shape of a control surface 2610 of an underwater vehicle . the led driver assembly 2304 and underwater electrical cable 2414 are shown extending from the recess pocket within the leading edge of the control surface 2610 . an appropriate length of underwater electrical cable 2414 connects the led driver assembly 2304 to electrical power . fig2 b is a section view of fig2 a taken along line 28 b - 28 b , showing the led driver assembly 2304 remote from the led light engine 2606 , separated by an appropriate length of underwater electrical cable 2408 , here shown at minimum length , bonded to an underwater in - line connector pair 2608 rated for depth and power . an in - line underwater electrical connector 2608 allows simple assembly of the led driver assembly 2304 and led light engine 2606 , and allows placement of the led driver assembly 2304 at any distance convenient to the submarine builder . the elastomeric window 2604 is shown as a functional mechanical part of the control surface 2610 . an appropriate length of underwater electrical cable 2414 connects the led driver assembly 2304 to electrical power . fig2 a illustrates the assembly of an led light engine subassembly 2902 using led / mcpcb sub - assembly 330 , electrical pins 652 ( fig6 ), insulating centering plate 654 ( fig6 ), insulating top cap 650 ( fig6 ), through - bolt 648 ( fig6 ), and a hex nut 646 ( fig6 ). the multiple - reflector plate 340 is then added to this stack - up and held by a hex nut 624 ( fig6 ). this entire sub - assembly is then encapsulated in an optically clear , high dielectric , non - hygroscopic , soft durometer castable elastomer 2306 , which fills all voids between the front of led light engine 330 , and the entirety of the multiple - reflector plate 340 . the back of the led light engine 330 is left bare , as is its edge , and a small land area on the front for final assembly in the same manner illustrated in fig6 a . the elastomer 2306 provides pressure compensation , reduces the volume of compensating dielectric fluid , grease , or gel 510 ( fig5 ) required , and eliminates any undesirable chemical affects of the compensating dielectric fluid , grease , or gel 510 ( fig5 ) on the led dies 306 ( fig3 ). fig2 b is a section view of the light engine subassembly 2902 of fig2 a taken along line 29 b - 29 b . this subassembly is shown in a full light assembly in fig3 . fig3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention 3002 that incorporates the cast light engine sub - assembly 2902 as part of a hybrid pressure compensation technique . the cast light engine sub - assembly 2902 is constrained in the same manner illustrated in fig6 a . a pressure compensating dielectric fluid , grease , or gel 510 fills the remaining void between the cast light engine sub - assembly 2902 , and the pistoning clear plastic window 604 . while several embodiments of deep submersible lights and light head assemblies have been described and illustrated in detail , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that our invention can be modified in arrangement and detail . for example , other solid state sources of illumination could be used besides leds . the relatively thick , substantially rigid window 604 could be replaced with a thinner flexible , but otherwise hard window , as taught in the ser . no . 12 / 036 , 178 application incorporated by reference above . therefore , the protection afforded our invention should only be limited in accordance with the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
referring now to fig1 there is shown , generally at 10 , an odor collection apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention . odor collection apparatus 10 includes a container 12 to which is fittable a sealing cap 14 . container 12 may be of any convenient material , and may be in any convenient shape . for convenience , container 12 may be glass , so that a conventional glass jelly jar may suffice . for reasons to be discussed hereinafter , container 12 is preferably formed from a metallic material that is good thermal conductor such as , for example , stainless steel . preferably , container 12 includes generally cylindrical sides , to simplify a coating operation to be described hereinafter . referring now to fig2 container 12 includes a neck 16 having external threads 18 thereon . cap 14 includes internal threads 20 that mate with external threads 18 . a seal 22 is interposed between an upper lip 24 of container 12 and an inner surface 26 of cap 14 . seal 22 may be of any convenient material such as , for example , a plastic resin , a fluorocarbon such as , for example , teflon , or metal foil . in many applications , the temperature that can be withstood by container 12 limits the time required to complete the desorption process in preparation for analysis . the higher the temperature tolerated , the faster the desorption . plastic resins , such as may be used in cap 14 , have temperature limits of about 150 degrees c ., whereas metals and glasses can tolerate temperatures of 400 - 600 degrees c . a preferred temperature for efficient desorption of trapped components is about 250 degrees c . besides the screw - type seal illustrated for retaining cap 14 , other types of seals such as snap - type or lever - type seals may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . referring now to fig3 container 12 , illustrated as a glass wall 28 , is coated on its inside surface with an adsorbent layer 30 . adsorbent layer 30 is formed from any convenient material having suitable adsorbent properties for the odor which one wishes to capture . prior to coating adsorbent layer 30 on glass wall 28 , glass wall 28 is preferably deactivated using , for example , dichlorodimethylsilane . adsorbent layer 30 , illustrated as a resin material , is any convenient adsorbent , or combination of adsorbents such as polydimethylsiloxane , carboxen , tenax , or polydivinylbenzene . activated carbon may also be used . when a resin is used in adsorbent layer 30 , and repeated or cyclic use is desired , the resin may be cross - linked and / or bonded to the surface to stabilize it for resistance to solvent rinsing during cleaning . the thickness of adsorbent layer 30 influences the quantity of a sample which can be adsorbed , and the rapidity with which the adsorbed material can be desorbed . without limiting the scope of the invention , the inventor believes that at thicknesses below about one micrometer , insufficient odor components may be adsorbed . further , the inventor believes that , at thicknesses greater than 1 , 000 micrometers ( one millimeter ), the time for desorption may be excessively long . however , thinner and thicker layers should be considered to fall within the scope of the invention . referring now to fig4 in some applications , adsorbent layer 30 may consist of successive layers of different materials 30 , 30a , 30b , in which different materials are specific to adsorption of different materials . when a plurality of layers is used to make up adsorbent layer 30 , all layers may have substantially the same thickness , or some layers may be thicker than others to provide a greater capacity for adsorption . it would be clear to one skilled in the art that , when a plurality of layers is used to form adsorbent layer 30 , the time sequence of materials desorbed during desorption is generally in the order of their position in the stack of layers . that is , the odor components in outermost layer 30b desorb first , while odor components in deeper layers 30a and 30 generally desorb in the sequence of their proximity to the surface . at least one of the layers may be a passive layer which neither sorbs nor desorbs , but merely imposes a delay in the passage of odor components from a deeper layer to the surface . the amount of delay may be related to the type of material in the passive layer , and the thickness of the passive layer . referring now to fig5 in some applications , adsorbent layer 30 may be formed into separate zones , 30a , 30b of different adsorbent materials in order to enable storage of a wider range of odor components than is possible with a single material . the separate zones 30a and 30b sorb and desorb in response to the same stimuli , but possibly at different rates due to differences in the affinity of the materials to odor components . referring now to fig6 for rapid sorption / desorption cycling , container 12 may be heated by any convenient means . one convenient technique for heating includes conventional electrically resistive tape 32 wrapped about the surface of container 12 . an electric cord 34 and an electric plug 36 enable connection to an electrical source . for some purposes , it may be desirable to include a thermostat to maintain the temperature of electrically resistive tape 32 ( and thereby the surface of container 12 ) at a predetermined temperature . the temperature may be fixed , or a thermostat control may be included for setting a desired temperature . a conventional timing device may control the thermostatic control , in order to ensure accurate temperature / time cycling . in a more automated system , a computer control may be employed to produce a desired temperature / time profile which may be required , especially when multiple layers of sorbent material is employed . such thermostats , timers and computer controls for temperature / time are conventional , and further description thereof is considered unnecessary . the heating apparatus can take other forms . for example , instead of electrically resistive tape , a moldable , heating - mantle type of soft resistive material may be molded about the outer surface of container 12 . alternatively , a heatable auxiliary container , not shown , that is sized for a tight fit to the outer surface of container 12 , may be used to perform the thermal cycling without requiring thermal heating apparatus in container 12 itself . this may be desirable when a large number of containers 12 are to be desorbed . with the auxiliary container , only one container requires the heating ability , rather than the large number of containers 12 . this results in improved economy of operation . the auxiliary heating container may contain heat sources of any convenient type such as , for example , electrical resistance wire , steam tubes , etc . in some cases , it may be desirable to heat the interior surface by heating the desorption gas itself , particularly when the container is made of a material that lacks good thermal conductivity . between sorption / desorption cycles , it is preferred to clean container 12 by heating for a suitable time at a suitable temperature to fully remove sorbed components . the time and temperature required varies according to the thickness of the sorbent coating in container 12 . for one example of container 12 , it was found sufficient to heat container 12 for two hours at 200 degrees c . numerous methods are available for coating the interior of container 12 with an adsorbent material . without intending to limit the scope of the present invention , one coating technique is described in the following : 1 ) deactivate interior surface of 8 - ounce glass jar using dichlorodimethyl silane 2 ) dissolve one gram of solid sorbent material ( ge silicone se - 30 ) in 100 ml . of solvent ( dichloromethane ) 6 ) rotate jar on jar mill , with axis of jar horizontal until solvent evaporates 7 ) cross - link sorbent layer if desired to improve durability during repeated use . the thickness of the coating deposited in the preceding procedure is controlled by the volume of the sorbent material that is coated on the interior of jar 12 . in the above procedure , one gram of material was dissolved into 400 ml of liquid . ten ml . of the mixture was deposited in the jar , and evaporated to leave only the sorbent material . that is , 1 / 40th of a gram of the sorbent material was deposited . to double the thickness adsorbent layer 30 requires either doubling the amount of sorbent material dissolved in the solvent , or using twice the amount of adsorbent / solvent mixture added to container before rolling in the jar mill . a simple calculation can be used to reveal the amounts required to produce a specific coating thickness . assuming that the adsorbent material has a specific gravity of 1 . 0 , then approximately 0 . 3 grams of adsorbent material must be deposited on the inner surface of container 12 to form adsorbent layer 30 . a device made according to the foregoing method is capable of long - term storage of odor components . for example , an odor sample collected in june was sealed in container 12 as described above . the odor was still strong near the end of august . referring now to fig7 when it is desired to collect odor components from living plants such as , for example , a flower 38 , which remains attached to its stem 40 , a flexible tube 42 may be attached over neck 16 and held in place using , for example , a clamp or rubber band 44 . with flower 38 within container 12 , a lower end 46 of flexible tube 42 is bunched about stem 40 and secured using , for example a clamp , plastic tie or rubber band 48 . after the odor components within container 12 reach equilibrium with the desorption material coating the inner surface of container 12 , clamps 44 and 48 are released , and cap 14 ( not shown ) is replaced over neck 16 . referring now to fig8 an alternative embodiment of the invention includes a modified cap 14 &# 39 ;, pierced by an inlet tube 50 which conducts odor components from an odor source ( not shown ) into the interior of container 12 . an outlet tube 52 conducts the exhaust from container 12 to a pump 54 . after a sufficient time of pump operation to enable sorption to be completed , modified cap 14 &# 39 ; may be removed , and replaced by cap 14 for long - term storage of the aroma components . modified cap 14 &# 39 ; may also be used during desorption . that is , when thermal desorption is being performed , modified cap 14 &# 39 ; may be installed so that pump 54 is enabled to urge desorbed components , not to the exhaust , but to the analysis apparatus . inlet tube 50 , instead of conducting odor materials , contains a suitable carrier gas such as , for example , helium or hydrogen . the output from pump 54 is fed to conventional analysis apparatus . when the desorption process takes a long time , or when it is desired to analyze a plurality of separate samples to raise the detection limit of low - level species , the output of pump 54 may be passed initially to a concentration apparatus at the inlet of an analysis apparatus . the concentration may be performed by a conventional cryotrap using , for example , liquid carbon dioxide , liquid nitrogen or a peltier - effect thermistor . the trapped components are eluted by conventional temperature / pressure programming . if necessary , unresolved components are heart cut and cryotrapped at the inlet of a second gas chromatograph column and eluted a second time for improved identification / quantification . the size of container 12 is not limited to any particular size range . for example , it may be desired to collect odor from a large object such as , for example , an entire animal or human body , or a part thereof , for possible therapeutic analysis of emitted chemical components . container 12 may be made large enough to accommodate such a use . naturally , a source of breathing air , and an exhaust of used breathing air is necessary if the entire body is contained within the container . conventional aqualung breathing apparatus is suitable for the breathing air supply . the above disclosure is made in an environment of a cylindrical glass or metal container having an adsorbent material coated on its interior . although this shape may be convenient , and low cost for many applications , the invention is not limited to such a shape . for example , a flat - sided body may be substituted for the cylindrical shape without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . there are many applications in which a flexible container may be more suitable . a flexible container of a suitable resin has the advantage , especially for field work , that it is light , can be folded small for transportation , but can be made with very large capacity . the resin must be of a type which does not contribute significant amounts of its own outgassed chemical components which would interfere with analysis . one suitable type of resin that has been used successfully is flexible plastic resin material sold under the trademark tedlar . other suitable flexible plastic resin materials may also be available . coating of the interior of the flexible bag is more difficult than the simple rolling of a rigid cylindrical jar in a jar mill . in experiments with a tedlar bag having a capacity of about one gallon , the diluted adsorbent material was added to the interior of the bag , and the bag was rotated by hand to distribute the diluted adsorbent material roughly equally about the interior . uniformity of coating is believed to be imperfect using this coating technique . a further problem with the embodiment using a tedlar bag is determining a method for thermally desorbing chemical components . the techniques described for desorbing with rigid containers is not as applicable to a resilient bag which lacks a rigidly defined shape . referring now to fig9 a flexible bag 56 of a suitable material , such as tedlar , is fittable into a rigid container 58 . a top of flexible bag 56 is sealed by any convenient means to a top of rigid container 58 . a vacuum line 60 connected to the interior of rigid container 58 permits drawing a partial vacuum between flexible bag 56 and rigid container 58 , whereby flexible bag 56 is expanded into intimate contact to conform to the interior of rigid container 58 . thus , the interior of flexible bag 56 assumes the generally cylindrical shape of rigid container 58 , and can thus accept the same coating steps as were described for the rigid vessels described above . that is , the diluted adsorbent material is introduced into the shaped interior of flexible bag 56 and flexible bag 56 is rotated about its axis , held horizontal , until the diluent evaporates . in addition to the utility for coating the interior of flexible bag 56 , vacuum conforming flexible bag 56 to rigid container 58 also permits rapid heating of flexible bag 56 by conventional heating techniques applied to rigid container 58 . after odor components are stored in flexible bag 56 , the top may be bunched and sealed by conventional means for retaining the components , and avoiding contamination by environmental chemicals . other techniques for coating the interior of a rigid or flexible container may fall within the scope of the invention . for example , the sorbent material , in a suitable solvent , may be sprayed on the interior surface of the container . the thickness of the sorbent layer in this case is controlled by the proportion of sorbent material in the solution , and the nature of the spray . a thicker coating may be obtained with multiple spray coatings , optionally with a drying step between coatings . referring now to fig1 , a further embodiment of the invention includes a large surface - area body 62 within container 12 . large surface - area body 62 may be , for example , a metal or resin fluted body , a perforated body , or other type of device offering a large area upon which the sorbent material may be deposited . one type of material which may be preferred is a stainless steel curly metal pad such as is conventionally used for scrubbing cooking pots . large surface - area body 62 may be coated with a sorbent material using any suitable method . a preferred method is dipping of large surface - area body 62 into a solution of sorbent material , removing excess sorbent material by shaking or centrifuging , and drying . multiple coating steps may be used , if necessary . when it is desired to have a plurality of different sorbent materials in the same container , two or more large surface - area bodies 62 may be included . desorption of odor components from large surface - area body 62 is by conventional means described above . in addition to the sorbent material on large surface - area body 62 , the interior of container 12 may also be coated with a sorbent material , as described above , or it may be left uncoated . one advantage of a system that includes a large surface - area body 62 resides in the fact that large surface - area body 62 may be removable for desorption . thus , many containers 12 may be used to collect odor components , but only a single device may be necessary to perform the desorption process . the removable large surface - area body 62 may be removed from container 12 , and deposited in the desorption device . the above description discusses heating for desorption using conduction of heat through the walls of the container . desorption heating by other techniques is fully within the scope of the invention . for example , instead of heat being conducted through the walls of the container , a heated inert gas may be circulated through the container . as a further alternative , desorption heating may employ radiant heating of the surfaces within the container . the method for coating the interior of the container is not necessarily limited to the flow - coating method described above . an embodiment in which the adsorbent material is coated on the walls of the container or large surface - area body by spray painting , or other suitable techniques , should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention . having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
the present invention is concerned with scintillators used , for example , in gamma cameras and more particularly with the optimization of the light emitted by the scintillator crystal responsive to gamma radiation striking the scintillator . generally , gamma camera scintillators are large nai crystals doped with thallium . unfortunately , the scintillation crystals produce flashes of light which are not only transmitted toward the light sensors but are transmitted in all directions in the scintillator . the light that reaches the bottom of the scintillator goes through a coupling layer ( usually glass ) and is applied to light sensors such as photomultiplier tubes , for example . the pmts convert the light of each event into electrical pulses . the electronics of the gamma camera converts the light pulses to image data . a pulse height analyzer or similar circuitry is used to differentiate a natural event from a scatter caused event . gating based on the response of the pulse height analyzer enables the display of events on the display monitor in the form of an image . as shown in fig1 a gamma camera device 11 comprises a scintillator 12 that receives radiation from a source 13 such as a patient who has ingested radioisotopes . the radiation proceeds via a collimator 14 to the scintillator . the radiation causes scintillations , i . e ., flashes of light in the scintillator . the light sensors , such as pmts , shown as block 16 , detect the flashes of light . the pmts are coupled to the scintillator through a glass plate 17 . the electrical signals from the sensors are fed to the front end electronics ( fee ) 18 . the output of the front end electronics is a signal that is a function of the position of the “ event ” in the patient , i . e ., inchoate image data . before it can be used as image data it must pass through a gate 19 . gate 19 operates , i . e ., opens or closes , responsive to the output of a pulse height analyzer 21 to provide image signals . the pulse height analyzer is designed to weed out scatter caused pseudo - events . thus the output of gate 19 are image signals which cause the event to appear on a display monitor shown at 22 . the greater the light collection efficiency of the scintillator the better , since , energy resolution is a function of the quantity of light . in addition , the spatial resolution is a function of the light output ; the slope of the light fallout curve and the light spread . thus the energy resolution is limited by the light output as is the spatial resolution . the uniformity of the image is dependent on the location of the areas of the glass plate 17 that are illuminated vis - a - vis the pmts . the dependence of position and energy resolution and image uniformity on the light distribution is very well known in the art . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , light output direction is controlled to optimize the quantity of capture and quality of distribution of the light . the quantity of the light as used herein is the actual amount of light that is collected per scintillation . the quality of the light as used herein is determined by the areas of plate 17 that are illuminated in relation to the location of the pmts as compared to an ideal distribution . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , the crystal itself is intrinsically modified to include intrinsic funnels , grooves , pyramids , and any other intrinsic shapes , on one or both faces , that can be used for controlling the direction of the light generated by the scintillation in the crystal . examples of the modification of the scintillation crystal are shown in the accompanying drawings . for example , fig2 shows a scintillating crystal 12 which may be attached by a layer of glue 23 though a plate of glass 17 to a multiplicity of light sensors such as pmts 24 a , 24 b , 24 c . as is well known there are many more sensors in a typical gamma camera arrangement than are shown in the drawings . thus fig2 is a cross sectional view of a small portion of the typical detector sandwich used for generating light photons and for converting the light to electrical signals . what is shown in fig2 that is especially new and unique is the modification of the crystal 12 indicated by grooving 26 at the top of the crystal and / or grooving 27 at the bottom of the crystal . the grooves may be arranged in checker board like sections of reflection causing grooving such as section 27 and non reflective comparatively transparent sections at the bottom of the crystal , such as section 28 . thus , as shown in fig2 the crystal has been modified so that light photons emitted due to an event are reflected from the top surface of the crystal back towards pmts , near the event . also the light that would otherwise illuminate merely the bottom of a single photomultiplier tube is reflected back into the crystal and again reflected back towards the pmts so that it is spread to a plurality of pmts enhancing the resolution and the event location determination capabilities of the system . for example , the light from event 25 that strikes the top surface of the crystal is shown being reflected back towards the pmts and the light striking toward the middle of a pmt is shown being spread towards other pmts . alternatively , light from the top may be retroreflected such that it is reflected back toward the event . thus , the effect of the top surface of the scintillator is nullified . to reduce the effects of thickness on resolution , the upper surface may provide focusing of the light which hits it . further , the focusing effect may vary depending on the distance from the pmt axis , to optimize the distribution of the light . grooves 27 may be used to redirect light , which is directed toward the center of a pmt , toward other pmts . additionally or alternatively , grooves may be provided between the pmts to redirect light directed toward these areas ( which would normally be lost ), back into the scintillator and thus to the adjoining pmts . it will be understood that many distributions of light may be achieved based on different distributions and types of grooving on both the top and bottom surfaces of the scintillator . fig3 a and 3b schematically show examples of multiple hexagonal grooving that may be used for modifying the surface of crystal . more particularly , fig3 a shows multiple grooves that intersect over the pmts . in fig3 a , scintillator crystal 12 is shown as having the pmts such as pmt 24 d positioned so that the grooves such as grooves 26 , 29 and 31 intersect over the pmts . thus , the pmt will be preferentially optically coupled to the intersection of the grooves . alternatively , grooving may be provided only directly over the pmts . fig3 b on the other hand shows the crystal 12 machined or etched so that the grooves , such as grooves 26 , 29 and 31 intersect between the pmts . variations of the points of intersection of the grooves can of course be done in order to provide reflection or more generally to control the direction of the light as desired or required . in other preferred embodiments of the invention , where etching or embossing is used to form the pyramids , the pyramids may be provided only in regions in which they are desired without machining lines in regions in which they are not required . furthermore , the angle of the grooves may be varies as required , with 72 degrees being used for retroreflection , a larger angle for some spreading and a smaller angle for focusing . in particular , densely packed pyramids , backed with reflecting material , may be provided on the pmt side of the crystal over the areas near the intersections between pmts . directly opposite the intersections , the angle may be increased to spread the light to adjoining pmts . at the center of the pmts , a diffusing surface ( or a low density of pyramid &# 39 ; s ) may be provided on the pmt side of the crystal , to reduce the light to the center of the pmt . ( of course , no reflecting material is provided between the crystal and the pmts . the pyramids at the opposite surface of the crystal may be made somewhat spreading and / or the pyramids may be spaced . ( as indicated below in fig4 b ). fig3 c shows a possible layout of pyramids on a crystal , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , a combination of reflector coated 72 degree pyramids at the intersection of the pmts and 75 - 80 degree angle pyramids on the opposite side of the crystal assure complete collection of the light from events at the intersections without excessive spreading . the diffuse surface at the pmt centers coupled with the pyramids on the other side of the crystal results in a reduction of hot spots without substantial reduction in resolution . overall , the pyramids on the outside of the crystal result in a large increase in resolution , especially important when thick detector crystals are used . fig4 a and 4b show examples of the type of tools that can be used for engraving the grooves and provides cross - sectional views of exemplary grooves . more particularly , fig4 a shows a pointed engraving tool 32 causing a pointed groove 33 that has sides at an angle α . in a preferred embodiment the angle α is equal to 72 degrees or some other angle as described above ; however , in many cases larger or smaller angles would be used . fig4 b shows a modification of the tool and the groove of fig4 a . more particularly the tool 34 in fig4 b produces a groove with sloping sides and a flat bottom , as distinguished from the groove of fig4 a . thus the groove 36 of fig4 b has sloping sides which slope also an angle α but that has a flat bottom . fig4 c shows grooves sloping at an angle and with no spacing between the grooves . this is in contrast to the grooves of fig4 a where there is spacing between the grooves . while a change in angle affects the angle of spread of the light falling into the grooves , a reduction in the density of crystals effects the percentage of light from an event that is effected by the pyramids . a modification that is applied to any of the grooves that are made in the crystal is shown in fig4 d . more particularly fig4 d shows , as an example , grooves such as groove 33 having a reflective coating 37 applied thereto . the reflective coating can be aluminum or silver plate or any other reflective coating . a particularly suitable reflective coating may be a paint containing small glass balls which operate to diffract the light . such paint is commercially available from 3m company . it should be noted that due to its high index of refraction , the surface of the scintillator crystal is naturally partly reflective . fig5 shows another modification of the crystal , in accordance with some preferred embodiments of the invention . this modification can be combined with the modifications already described or can be used by itself . in this modification scatter material 38 is added to the crystal when the crystal is formed . the scatter material may be , for example , air bubbles , impurities , colloidal suspensions or sintered powder material . alternatively , the crystal may be made slightly attenuating by coloration or by the addition of absorbing materials . in fig5 the scatter material is indicated by little dots , such as little dot 38 . the scatter material within the crystal tends to cause light scintillations to be scattered so that the light is not concentrated under a single pmt but instead is spread naturally and normally under a multiplicity of pmts . also the scatter material ( or absorption ) may be used to assure that the spread of the light is curtailed . as indicated above , excess light spread reduces the system &# 39 ; s linearity and resolution . fig6 a and 6b show additional crystal modifications , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention . the modification to the crystal of fig6 a and 6b is illustrated particularly by differences in fig6 b as compared to fig6 a . it is well known that the edges of the crystal are particularly notorious for poor light direction characteristics . more particularly as shown in fig6 a ( which illustrates the normal edge of crystals ) crystal 12 typically has a side 39 that is perpendicular to the top and bottom sides of the crystal . the light from the scintillations in such crystals which reach the side wall are generally reflected by the wall . however , they do not reach the nearby pmts . an event 40 is shown as having much of its light reflected by edge 39 in this manner . it should be noted that the modification of fig6 may be used with or without the other modification of the invention . fig6 b shows a biased side wall 39 a which reflects light to nearby pmts . sidewall 39 a may be formed in the crystal itself or may be formed in separate glass or crystal pieces attached to a square edged crystal , to reduce the cost of manufacture . in this configuration preferably only the biased ( beveled ) portion is made of glass , forming a section having a triangular cross - section abutting the square edge of the crystal . fig7 shows another method of reducing the losses of light from events occurring at the intersections of pmts . in this preferred embodiment of the invention , the light from the crystal is funneled by light funnels 100 from crystal 12 to pmts 24 . funnels 100 preferably have a hexagonal shape at the crystal side , so that the entire surface is covered and have a circular face at the pmt to match the pmt active area . preferably , walls 102 of pyramids 100 are coated with reflecting material . it should also be understood that the use of funnels allos for complete coverage of the face of the crystal while using only one size of sensor . in the past , a smaller size sensor has been used for at least some of the sensors at the edge of the scintillator . the above embodiments each include a number of features . it should be understood that various combinations of features from the various embodiments are also possible as are embodiments that do not have all of the features of any particular embodiment . furthermore , while pyramidal structures are described , the pyramids may be rectangular or hexagonal pyramids or they may be replaced by cones . while the present invention is described using particular embodiments , it should be appreciated that the invention should not be construed as limited by such embodiments but rather construed according to appended claims . as used herein , the terms “ comprise ” and “ include ” and their conjugates mean “ including but not limited to .” | 6 |
fig1 and 2 show an exemplary engine 100 in two different configurations . fig1 shows the engine 100 in a first configuration , such as a conventional take - off and landing ( ctol ) configuration . fig2 shows the engine 100 in a second configuration , such as a short take - off vertical landing ( stovl ) configuration . fig2 also shows , in phantom line , the engine 100 in transition between the ctol and stovl configurations . the engine 100 has an inlet 101 , a compressor section 103 , a burner section 107 , a turbine section 109 , an afterburner section 111 , and a nozzle section 113 . the compressor section 103 includes a fan section 105 at the upstream end . the engine 100 also includes a bypass duct 115 for the secondary flow of air . the air flows through the engine 100 in the direction indicated by arrow f . the engine spools or rotors rotate about an axis 500 which may be at least partially coincident with an engine centerline 502 . in the stovl configuration , the centerline 502 departs from the axis 500 downstream of the rotors . the nozzle section 113 includes a three bearing swivel duct 116 secured to the afterburner section 111 and a nozzle downstream of the duct . the three bearing swivel duct has three sections 117 , 119 , 121 . the first section 117 rotatably mounts to the afterburner section 111 . the second section 119 rotatably mounts to the first section 117 . finally , the third section 121 rotatably mounts to the second section 119 . conventional motors ( not shown ) can rotate the sections 117 , 119 , 121 to any desired exhaust path between the first configuration shown in fig1 and the second configuration shown in fig2 . the nozzle can be a conventional flap - type convergent - divergent nozzle 123 or any other suitable nozzle . the nozzle 123 is secured to the third section 121 of the swivel duct . the nozzle section 113 includes a liner ( not shown ). the liner separates the outer structure of the nozzle section 113 from the hot exhaust gases traveling through the nozzle section . the liner and the outer structure 126 of the nozzle section 113 form an annular chamber 127 ( fig3 ). the engine 100 distributes cooling air through the annular chamber to cool the liner . after cooling the liner , the cooling air continues downstream to cool the nozzle flaps . a bleed ( not shown ) from the bypass duct 115 supplies the cooling air to the nozzle section 113 using conventional techniques . a valve assembly 200 ( fig3 ) controls the amount of cooling air supplied to the nozzle flaps . the exemplary valve assembly includes an annular rotary gate 202 which may be rotated about the local engine centerline 502 ( fig2 ). the gate 202 has a circumferential array of apertures 204 . the apertures 204 may have a degree of overlap with apertures 206 in a static element 208 abutting the gate 202 . the rotation of the gate 202 between first and second orientations determines the degree of aperture overlap ( and thus of non - occlusion ) and thus the effective flow area through the valve between minimum and maximum values . the minimum value may be zero ( e . g ., fully closed ) or some greater amount . for example , the fig3 condition is approximately half occluded and may represent a minimum flow area condition . fig4 shows essentially no occlusion and thus a maximum flow area condition . rotation of the gate between the first and second orientations may be achieved by means of an actuator 220 acting via a linkage 222 . the exemplary linkage 222 includes a spindle 224 held for rotation about an axis 520 ( e . g ., a radial axis orthogonal to and intersecting the engine centerline ). the actuator 220 may rotate the spindle 224 between first and second orientations associated with the first and second gate orientations / conditions . the actuator 220 may be pneumatic , hydraulic , electrical , electro - mechanical , or any other appropriate type . for example , the actuator 220 may be constructed as in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 694 , 723 ( the &# 39 ; 723 patent ). fig3 and 4 show further details of the valve assembly 200 . the static element 208 is shown unitarily - formed with and extending radially inboard from a proximal / upstream portion of the outer structure 126 of the nozzle 123 . the exemplary gate 202 is immediately forward / upstream of the element 208 with the downstream face of the gate 202 facing the upstream face of the element 208 . the gate 202 is held for its rotation by support means ( not shown ). exemplary support means could comprise a rotary bearing structure permitting rotation of the gate 202 but preventing longitudinal translation and radial shifts . alternative means could include fasteners secured to one of the gate 202 and element 208 and having a limited range of motion ( e . g ., along a circumferential slot ) in the other . in such a system , the slot ends could act as stops . yet further alternative means could include an idler crank array as in the &# 39 ; 723 patent providing a path combining rotation with longitudinal translation . fig5 and 6 show further details of the linkage 222 . a spindle 224 includes a spindle shaft 240 . an intermediate portion of the shaft 240 is received within a bushing 242 ( e . g ., a two - piece bushing ). the bushing 242 may be secured within an aperture in the engine static structure ( e . g ., the exemplary third duct section 121 of fig4 ). the shaft 240 is thus held by the bushing 242 for rotation about the axis 520 . an outboard portion of the spindle shaft 240 includes an input / driving clevis 244 . the exemplary clevis 244 is formed by arms 246 and 248 secured ( e . g ., by welding ) to the shaft outboard portion . an input / driving pin 250 spans the arms 246 and 248 and has an axis 522 parallel to and spaced apart from the axis 520 . the pin 250 is engaged by the actuator to rotate the spindle 224 about the axis 520 . an inboard end of the spindle includes an output / driven clevis 260 . the exemplary clevis 260 includes a clevis body 262 separately formed from the spindle shaft and mounted thereon by means of complementary splines . exemplary splines include external splines 264 ( fig6 ) along the spindle shaft inboard portion and internal splines 266 within the body 262 . a bolt or other fastener 268 may extend through the body 262 spanning an expansion slot to secure the body 262 to the shaft 240 against translation . the body 262 includes arms 270 and 272 . a driven / output clevis pin 274 spans the arms and has an axis 524 parallel to and spaced apart from the axis 520 . alternative implementations might include non - parallel axes 522 and / or 524 ( e . g ., axes intersecting the axis 520 or skew thereto ). a spherical bearing 276 has an inner bore receiving the shaft of the pin 274 between the arms 270 and 272 . in the exemplary embodiment , the bearing 276 and shaft cooperate to permit the bearing to have non - zero ranges of movement along the axis 524 and rotation about the axis 524 . the bearing 276 is received within a slot 280 in a follower bracket 282 . the exemplary bracket 282 includes a base 284 for mounting to the gate 202 . a pair of arms 286 and 288 extend forward from the base 284 to define the slot 280 therebetween . inboard surfaces 290 of the arms 286 and 288 have a concavity complementary to a convexity of the external surface of the bearing 276 . the exemplary surfaces 290 are singularly concave to allow the bearing 276 to translate along the slot from a proximal root of the slot to a distal end of the slot . in the exemplary embodiment , the base 284 is secured against a forward / upstream surface of a web 300 of the gate 202 between inboard and outboard flanges . the securing may be by means of fasteners 302 ( e . g ., rivets ). the base may further include a registration protrusion ( not shown ) for interfitting with a complementary aperture or socket 304 in the web 300 . in operation , movement of the actuator produces a rotation of the spindle 224 about the axis 520 . this , in turn , tends to rotate the axis 524 about the axis 520 . rotation of the axis 524 about the axis 520 causes the bearing 276 to transmit a tangential force and thus a torque ( about the engine centerline ) to the follower 282 and thus to the gate 202 . this torque causes rotation of the gate about the engine centerline so as to control the degree of aperture overlap and thus the flow through the valve . during rotation of the gate , the axis 524 will tend to shift longitudinally ( e . g ., toward or away from the gate ). this shift is accommodated by the sliding interaction of the bearing 276 longitudinally within the slot 280 and radially along the pin 274 . this sliding interaction decouples the longitudinal motion of the axis 524 from any longitudinal motion of the gate 202 . for example , the gate 202 may exclusively rotate . alternatively , the gate 202 may have a relatively small translation ( e . g ., if mounted by idler cranks in such a way that the permitted translation breaks a seal between the gate and the ring 208 ) so as to avoid sliding friction between the gate and ring . the exemplary valve assembly 200 may be provided in the remanufacturing of a baseline engine or the reengineering of a baseline engine configuration . the baseline could lack such a valve assembly . for example , the baseline could have a different valve assembly such as that of the &# 39 ; 723 patent . this might be particularly relevant if the reengineering included elimination of the idler crank mounting means of the &# 39 ; 723 patent in favor of a purely rotational gate movement . one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , when applied in a reengineering or remanufacturing of an existing engine or engine configuration , details of the existing engine or configuration may influence details of any particular implementation . additionally , the valve could be otherwise located ( e . g ., relatively upstream at a bleed plenum ). accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . | 8 |
[ 0022 ] fig1 illustrates a word line boost circuit 100 . the word line boost circuit 100 includes a first precharge circuit 200 , a first boost circuit 300 , a second precharge circuit 338 , a diode 370 , a second boost circuit 400 , and an output 150 . the first precharge circuit 200 and the second precharge circuit 338 each serves as a node charging circuit that charges a node from a starting voltage to another voltage . [ 0023 ] fig2 schematically illustrates the first precharge circuit 200 . the first precharge circuit 200 includes a nor gate 210 , a first transistor 220 , a second transistor 230 , a third transistor 240 , and a switching transistor 250 . switch circuit 222 includes the first transistor 220 and the third transistor 240 . the nor gate 210 has a first input terminal 202 receiving a first signal 206 , a second input terminal 204 receiving a second signal 208 , and an output connected to a node 215 . the first transistor 220 is an n - channel transistor with a gate connected to the node 215 , a source connected to a ground 225 , and a drain . the second transistor 230 is an n - channel transistor with a gate connected to a voltage supply 235 , a source connected to the drain of the first transistor 220 , and a drain connected to a node 238 . node 238 is the output node of the switch circuit 222 . the third transistor 240 is a p - channel transistor with a gate connected to the node 215 , a source connected to the output 150 , and a drain connected to the node 238 . the switching transistor 250 is a p - channel transistor with a gate connected to the node 238 , a source connected to the output 150 , and a drain connected to the voltage supply 235 . the first precharge circuit 200 charges the output 150 to the voltage of the voltage supply 235 . the first precharge circuit 200 then floats the output 150 . [ 0024 ] fig3 schematically illustrates the first boost circuit 300 , the diode 370 , and the second precharge circuit 338 . the first boost circuit 300 includes a first inverter 310 , a second inverter 315 , a third inverter 320 , a fourth inverter 325 , and a first capacitor 330 . the second precharge circuit 338 includes a fifth inverter 340 , a fourth transistor 350 , a fifth transistor 355 , a sixth transistor 360 , and a seventh transistor 365 . the second precharge circuit 338 charges a node 335 to the voltage of the voltage supply 235 . the second precharge circuit 338 then floats the node 335 . an input of the first inverter 310 receives the first signal 206 . the first inverter 310 , the second inverter 315 , the third inverter 320 , and the fourth inverter 325 are connected in series . the first capacitor 330 has a first terminal connected to an output of the fourth inverter 325 , and a second terminal connected to the node 335 . the fifth inverter 340 has an input that receives the first signal 206 , and an output that is connected to a node 345 . the fourth transistor 350 is an n - channel transistor with a gate connected to the node 345 , a source connected to the ground 225 , and a drain . the fifth transistor 355 is an n - channel transistor with a gate connected to the voltage supply 235 , a source connected to the drain of the fourth transistor 350 , and a drain connected to a node 358 . the sixth transistor 360 is a p - channel transistor with a gate connected to the node 345 , a source connected to the node 335 , and a drain connected to the node 358 . the seventh transistor 365 is a p - channel transistor with a gate connected to the node 358 , a source connected to the node 335 , and a drain connected to the voltage supply 235 . the diode 370 has a first terminal connected to the node 335 and a second terminal connected to the output 150 . [ 0026 ] fig4 schematically illustrates the second boost circuit 400 . the second boost circuit 400 includes a sixth inverter 410 , a seventh inverter 420 , an eighth inverter 430 , a ninth inverter 440 , and a second capacitor 450 . an input of the sixth inverter 410 receives the second signal 208 . the sixth inverter 410 , the seventh inverter 420 , the eighth inverter 430 , and the ninth inverter 440 are connected in series . the second capacitor 450 has a first terminal connected to an output of the ninth inverter 440 and a second terminal connected to the output 150 . when the word line boost circuit 100 operates , the first precharge circuit 200 and the second precharge circuit 338 precharge both terminals of the diode 370 . the first precharge circuit 200 and the second precharge circuit 338 float both terminals of the diode 370 . the first boost circuit 300 boosts the first terminal of the diode 370 . the second boost circuit 400 boosts the second terminal of the diode 370 , or the output 150 . [ 0028 ] fig5 illustrates a word line boost circuit 500 . the word line boost circuit 500 includes a precharge circuit 600 , a first boost circuit 700 , a second boost circuit 900 , and an output 550 . [ 0029 ] fig6 schematically illustrates the precharge circuit 600 . transistors having a thick gate oxide are indicated with a rectangle for a gate . the oxide thicknesses for thick gate oxide devices and thin gate oxide devices are 180 521 and 100 å respectively for 0 . 4 micron technology . the precharge circuit 600 includes a first nor gate 610 , a first transistor 620 , a second transistor 630 , a third transistor 640 , and a switching transistor 650 . the first nor gate 610 has a first input terminal 602 receiving a first signal 606 , a second input terminal 604 receiving a second signal 608 , and an output connected to a node 615 . the first transistor 620 is an n - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to the node 615 , a source connected to a ground 625 , and a drain . the second transistor 630 is an n - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to a voltage supply 635 , a source connected to the drain of the first transistor 620 , and a drain connected to a node 638 . the third transistor 640 is a p - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to the node 615 , a source connected to the output 550 , and a drain connected to the node 638 . the switching transistor 650 is a p - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to the node 638 , a source connected to the output 550 , and a drain connected to the voltage supply 635 . [ 0030 ] fig7 schematically illustrates the first boost circuit 700 . transistors having a thick gate oxide are indicated with a rectangle for a gate . the first boost circuit 700 includes a first branch 710 , a fourth transistor 720 , a fifth transistor 730 , a first capacitor 740 , and a second branch 800 . the first branch 710 includes a second nor gate 750 , a first inverter 760 , and a second inverter 770 . the second branch 800 includes a third inverter 810 , a first nand gate 820 , a sixth transistor 830 , a seventh transistor 840 , an eighth transistor 850 , a fourth inverter 860 , a fifth inverter 870 , a sixth inverter 880 , and a ninth transistor 890 . the second nor gate 750 has a first input terminal 752 receiving the first signal 606 and a second input terminal 754 receiving the second signal 608 . an output of the second nor gate 750 is connected to an input of the first inverter 760 . an output of the first inverter 760 is connected to an input of the second inverter 770 . the fourth transistor 720 is an n - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to an output of the second inverter 770 , a source connected to the ground 625 , and a drain connected to a node 725 . the fifth transistor 730 is an n - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to a node 735 , a source connected to the node 725 , and a drain connected to the voltage supply 635 . the first capacitor 740 has a first terminal connected to the node 725 and a second terminal connected to the output 550 . the third inverter 810 has an input receiving the second signal 608 . the nand gate 820 has a first input terminal 822 receiving the first signal 606 , a second input terminal 824 connected to an output of the third inverter 810 , and an output connected to a node 825 . the sixth transistor 830 is an n - channel transistor 830 with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to the node 825 , a source connected to the ground 625 , and a drain connected to the node 735 . the seventh transistor 840 is a p - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a gate connected to the node 825 , a drain connected to the node 735 , and a source connected to a node 845 . the eighth transistor 850 is a diode - connected n - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having an anode connected to the voltage supply 635 and a cathode connected to the node 845 . the fourth inverter 860 has an input connected to the node 825 . the fifth inverter 870 has an input connected to an output of the fourth inverter 860 . the sixth inverter 880 has an input connected to an output of the fifth inverter 870 . the ninth transistor 890 is a capacitor - connected n - channel transistor with a thick gate oxide having a first terminal connected to an output of the sixth inverter 880 and a second terminal connected to the node 845 . [ 0032 ] fig8 schematically illustrates the second boost circuit 900 . the second boost circuit 900 includes a seventh inverter 910 , an eighth inverter 920 , a ninth inverter 930 , a tenth inverter 940 , and a second capacitor 950 . an input of the seventh inverter 910 receives the second signal 608 . the seventh inverter 910 , the eighth inverter 920 , the ninth inverter 930 , and the tenth inverter 940 are connected in series . the second capacitor 950 has a first terminal connected to an output of the tenth inverter 940 and a second terminal connected to the output 550 . [ 0033 ] fig9 is a timing diagram displaying voltage versus time for the first signal 606 and the second signal 608 . the first signal 606 has a low level 609 , a rising edge 610 triggering an onset of a first boost operation , and a high level 611 . the second signal 608 has a low level 612 , a rising edge 613 triggering an onset of a second boost operation , and a high level 614 . [ 0034 ] fig1 is a timing diagram displaying voltage versus time for an output signal 1000 supplied by the output 150 and an improved output signal 1100 supplied by the output 550 . output signal 1000 has a first level 1010 and a second level 1020 . improved output signal 1100 has a precharge level 1105 , a first level 1110 , and a second level 1120 . with reference to fig6 - 10 , initially , the first signal 606 is at the low level 609 and the second signal 608 is at the low level 612 . the precharge circuit 600 connects the output 550 to voltage supply 635 through the switching transistor 650 . the improved output signal 1100 has the precharge level 1105 of 2 . 5 volts . the first branch 710 of the first boost circuit 700 turns on the fourth transistor 720 and the second branch 800 turns off the fifth transistor 730 . the first terminal of the first capacitor 740 is connected to the ground 625 through the fourth transistor 720 . the second boost circuit 900 connects the first terminal of the second capacitor 950 to the ground 625 through the tenth inverter 940 . the rising edge 610 of the first signal 606 triggers the onset of the first boost operation . in the precharge circuit 600 , the switching transistor 650 turns off . the output 550 is no longer connected to the voltage supply 635 . the first branch 710 of the first boost circuit 700 turns off the fourth transistor 720 . the second branch 800 turns on the fifth transistor 730 , connecting the voltage supply 635 to the first terminal of the first capacitor 740 . capacitive coupling through the first capacitor 740 raises the improved output signal 1100 to the first level 1110 , yielding advantageous results . specifically , the first level 1110 of the improved output signal 1100 is about 3 . 5 volts , about 0 . 3 volts higher than the first level 1010 of the output signal 1000 . this difference is both of significant magnitude and sustained duration . the rising edge 613 of the second signal 608 triggers the onset of the second boost operation . the second branch 800 turns off the fifth transistor 730 . the first terminal of the first capacitor 740 floats . the second boost circuit 900 connects the first terminal of the second capacitor 950 to the voltage supply 635 through the tenth inverter 940 . capacitive coupling through the second capacitor 950 raises the improved output signal 1100 to the second level 1120 , continuing to yield advantageous results . specifically , the second level 1120 of the improved output signal 1100 is about 5 . 1 volts , about 0 . 3 volts higher than the second level 1020 of the output signal 1000 . this difference between the second level 1120 and the second level 1020 is of significant magnitude and duration . [ 0038 ] fig1 provides a simplified diagram of an integrated circuit device utilizing the word line boost circuit of the present invention . the integrated circuit 1200 includes a semiconductor substrate . a memory array 1201 on the substrate has word lines 1214 for accessing rows of memory cells in the memory array 1201 . the word lines 1214 utilize an operating voltage which is outside a pre - specified range of a supply potential normally applied to the integrated circuit 1200 at supply terminals 1202 and 1203 , which are adapted to receive a supply potential vdd and ground . the word line boost circuit 1204 supplies the operating potential to the word lines 1214 through word line drivers 1205 . input signals applied to the integrated circuit 1200 in this example include address signals 1206 applied to the word line drivers 1205 and data signals 1207 . [ 0039 ] fig1 is representative of a wide variety of integrated circuits which include on - chip circuitry that utilizes the operational voltage outside the pre - specified range of the supply potential . memory devices such as flash memory devices are one class of integrated circuit devices according to the present invention . other embodiments of the invention can use different logic in one or more of the precharge branch , the first circuit , and the second circuit to process the signals triggering the onsets of the boosting operations . another embodiment of the invention uses different signals triggering the onsets of the boosting operations , for example , signals going from high to low ; one signal going from high to low and another signal going from low to high ; and level triggering signals . another embodiment of the invention is a word line boost circuit producing a boosted negative voltage . the foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many modifications and equivalent arrangements will be apparent . | 6 |
an illustrative embodiment of the invention employs a n framer system as applied to a 4 × 4 switch . the crossbar connections employed may be field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ) or any other logic circuitry element . it should be noted that this example is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention , as any size switch can be accommodated . in the 4 × 4 switch , each of the crossbar connections m has four separate data input locations and one single data output location . this is illustrated in fig1 , where four data input signals a , b , c and d enter a single crossbar connection m ( 1 ), where multiplexer ( 1 ) selects one of data input signals a , b , c and d and subsequently outputs the signal from the system through the single data output location ; this is illustrated as data output signal w . as illustrated in fig2 , the 4 × 4 switch is composed of four crossbar connections , m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ). the input of the four data input signals a , b , c and d into the 4 × 4 switch is illustrated in fig3 , where each of the four data input signals a , b , c and d are input into each of the four crossbar connections , m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ); the four data input signals a , b , c and d transmitted into each of the four crossbar connections , m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ) provides a total of 16 data inputs to the 4 × 4 switch . however , each of multiplexers 1 ( 1 ), 1 ( 2 ), 1 ( 3 ) and 1 ( 4 ), located in crossbar connections , m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ), respectively , select from the four data inputs to provide one data output for each of crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ), for a total of four data output signals , w , x , y and z . as illustrated in fig3 , data output signal w is output from m ( 1 ), data output signal x is output from m ( 2 ), data output signal y is output from m ( 3 ), and data output signal z is output from m ( 4 ). fig4 provides an illustrative embodiment of the strict - sense minimal spanning non - blocking architecture applied to a 4 × 4 switch system . as illustrated , each of data input signals a , b , c and d are fed into their respective data input locations of crossbar connection m ( 1 ). please note that each of data input signals a , b , c and d are likewise fed into respective data input locations of crossbar connections m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ), as the internal circuitry of the crossbar connection m ( 1 ) is identical to the internal circuitry of m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ); thus fig4 can be considered as representation of any of crossbar connections m . as illustrated in fig4 , the data input to each of data input locations a , b , c and d enters one of framers ( 2 ). the framers ( 2 ) are able to recognize the start of frame , or the first byte of the frame . framers ( 2 ) detect the start of frame in the incoming data by identifying the frame alignment signal ( fas ), an inherent and repeating framing pattern . with the start of frame known , the four data input signals a , b , c and d can be written into buffers ( 3 ) in a re - aligned fashion , writing the start of frame , or any other common starting byte , into a first common and specific location of each of buffers ( 3 ), despite any difference in the arrival times for each of data input signals a , b , c and d . multiplexer 1 ( 1 ) can now read data out of a second common and specific location of each of buffers ( 3 ). please note that these common first and second locations in each of buffers ( 3 ) can be any arbitrary and user - definable data locations . a pointer from multiplexer 1 ( 1 ) reads the re - aligned data out of the second common and specific location of each of buffers ( 3 ), ensuring that re - aligned and skew - free data is read from the buffers , despite any difference in arrival times between data input signals a , b , c and d . multiplexer 1 ( 1 ) now selects from the data input signals a , b , c and d to provide a single data output , w . the full 4 × 4 switch is illustrated in fig6 , where the four data input signals a , b , c and d , are input into each of the four crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ). once the data is selected from the four input signals of each of the four crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ) via the internal circuitry illustrated in fig4 , one data signal is output from each of the four crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ), for a total of four data signals output from the system . this is illustrated in fig6 , where the four data output signals , w , x , y and z , are input into each of the four crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ). each of the data output signals , w , x , y and z will carry identical data , thus any of crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) or m ( 4 ) may be chosen to make a connection . fig5 illustrates a further illustrative embodiment of the present invention , employing a trunk framing system , where a trunk lane allows for one or more logical lanes in a single trunk lane . this illustrative embodiment of the invention is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention , as the invention may be applied to time switches or combinational space - time switches . the invention again employs a n framer system as applied to a 4 × 4 switch . the crossbar connections employed may be field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ) or any other logic circuitry element . it should be noted that this example is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention , as any size switch can be accommodated . as illustrated in fig5 , trunk framers ( 7 ) receive the data input signals a , b , c and d , identify the start of frame , and therefore identify the frame alignment for each of data input signals a , b , c and d . with the framing pattern identified , de - multiplexers ( 8 ) divide each of trunk lanes a , b , c and d into four logical lanes ( 9 ), for a total of 16 logical lanes ( 9 ) in the system . therefore , in a 4 × 4 switch , 64 logical lanes would exist within the 4 crossbar connections . as illustrated , with the start of frame known , each of the 16 logical lanes ( 9 ) within a single crossbar connection can be written into one of buffers ( 5 ) in a re - aligned fashion , with the start of frame , or any other common starting byte , written into a first common and specific location of each of buffers ( 5 ), despite any difference in the arrival times for each of the 16 logical lanes ( 9 ). the data from each of the logical lanes ( 9 ) remains buffered in buffers ( 5 ) until multiplexer ( 6 ) sends a pointer to each of the 16 buffers ( 5 ) to read data out of a second common and specific location of each of buffers ( 5 ). again , this ensures that multiplexer ( 6 ) reads out re - aligned and skew - free data from each of buffers ( 6 ), despite any difference in arrival times between data input signals a , b , c and d , or any timing differences between logical lanes ( 9 ). multiplexer ( 6 ) now selects from the 16 logical lanes ( 9 ) to provide a single data output , w . through using this strict - sense minimal spanning non - blocking architecture , the present invention ensures that each of the four crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ) output the exact same data in each of the four data output signals , w , x , y and z , respectively . therefore , when the 4 × 4 switch switches from one of crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) or m ( 4 ), to any other of crossbar connections m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) or m ( 4 ), no interruption occurs ; the data on each crossbar connection m ( 1 ), m ( 2 ), m ( 3 ) and m ( 4 ) is identical , thus any connection can be used for the switch . this allows for the use of a m = n non - blocking minimal spanning switch , where n = the total number of data input signals and m = the total number of data output signals and m = the number of crossbar connections in each switch , while eliminating the possibility of data interrupts . | 7 |
hereafter , the present invention is explained in detail based on an embodiment referring to figures . fig1 shows a principal part of a foot pedal for a drum of the present invention when not clamped , and fig2 a and 2b show states upon clamping hoops with a large board thickness and a small board thickness . it should be noted that the same portions and / or parts are referred by using the same symbols ( reference numerals ) for a foot pedal of the prior art shown in fig3 and 4 . in fig1 and 2 , a foot pedal 30 of a drum of the present invention , as with the foot pedal for the drum of the prior art shown in fig3 , includes a pedal frame 11 in a square shape upon viewing from the front , a footboard 5 stepped on by a player with his / her foot , a beater 9 ( see fig3 ) which beats a drum head 10 and the like . however , there is a difference in a hoop clamping apparatus 31 provided at a supporting bar base 12 of the pedal frame 11 and clamping a hoop 3 of a bass drum 2 , from a hoop clamping apparatus 4 in fig3 and 4 . the hoop clamping apparatus 31 has a hoop receiving member 32 provided at the supporting bar base 12 for receiving the hoop and a hoop clamp 13 provided upward from the supporting bar base 12 . the hoop receiving member 32 is formed in a inverted triangle shape upon being seen from a side , is set inside a slit ( concave , depression or the like ) portion 33 formed at a front edge of the supporting bar base 12 by horizontally providing a shaft 34 while being supported with rotatablility in a direction back and forth ( in a direction up and down ), and has the hoop 3 set on a upper surface 32 a . with respect to the shaft 34 , both edges are supported with rotatability by bearing apertures provided at both right and left side walls of the slit portion 33 , and the shaft 34 pierces an aperture ( through - hole ) provided at a center between a head and a tail and at slightly closer to a bottom of the hoop receiving member 32 . the hoop clamp 13 has the same length as or longer than a length substantially from a head to a tail ( horizontal length in figures ) of the supporting bar base 12 and has an appropriate width . the hoop clamp 13 is supported by a rotation axis 19 at the approximate center in the longitudinal direction with rotatability back and forth . the rotation axis 19 is supported with rotatability by a pair of shaft receiving portions ( not shown in figures ) provided at the right and left while piercing surfaces of the supporting bar base 12 . a screw hole ( tapped hole , screwed runner ) 36 is formed at a front edge portion ( on a side of the bass drum ) piercing from an upper surface to a bottom . a bolt 37 constituting a hoop pressing means is screwed into and set into the screw hole 36 from the upper surface , and its lower edge appears out of the bottom of the hoop clamp 13 . at the front edge of the hoop clamp 13 , on a side of the bottom , a hoop holding and binding lever 38 which holds the hoop 3 by binding it together with the hoop receiving member 32 is set . with respect to this hoop holding and binding lever 38 , its front edge is set at just under the bolt 37 , its rear edge is supported with rotatability in upward and downward directions by the rotation axis 19 , and its front edge is touching the bottom of the bolt 37 by pushing because it is always pushed upward by an energizing means 40 . a torsional coiled spring attached to the rotation axis 19 is applied to the energizing means 40 , its one end is hooked to the supporting bar base 12 , and another end is touching by pushing the bottom of the hoop holding and binding lever 38 . the hoop clamping apparatus 31 is provided with a clamp holding mechanism ( unit ) 41 . this clamp holding mechanism 41 is a mechanism for keeping the hoop clamp 13 at a certain height by rotating the hoop clamp 13 upon clamping the hoop 3 , and is constituted from a cam 17 for rotating the hoop clamp 13 and a clamp lever 18 for rotating the cam 17 . the cam 17 is formed in an oval ( elliptical ) shape seen from a side , is set inside of a slit ( depression , or concave ) portion 43 which has an aperture ( through - hole ) at a center through which a rotation shaft 16 is provided and which is formed at a rear edge of the supporting bar base 12 , and is set under a rear edge of the hoop clamp 13 . the cam 17 has a first cam surface 44 a and a second cam surface 44 b substantially crossing at right angles . the first cam surface 44 a is a surface close to a center of the cam 17 , and is set upward from the rotation shaft 16 and touching a bottom of a rear edge of the hoop clamp 13 when the hoop 3 is not clamped . on the other hand , the second cam surface 44 b is a surface apart from the center of the cam 17 , and is set at a side of the hoop 3 from the rotation shaft 16 when the hoop 3 is not clamped . the cam 17 is fit and fixed to the rotation shaft 16 by using a setscrew 45 . both edges of the cam 17 are supported with rotatability by bearing apertures provided at both right and left side walls of the slit portion 43 , and the clamp lever 18 is set at a side of one edge . as shown in fig1 , the clamp lever 18 is kept in a state of standing substantially up right . in this state , the hoop clamp 13 is kept so as to have a rear edge side at a lower position than a front edge side because the hoop clamp 13 is rotated clockwise by a restoring force from the hoop holding and binding lever 38 due to the energizing means 40 . when the clamp lever 18 is rotated clockwise and substantially at 90 degrees from this state , the cam 17 stands up and the second cam surface 44 b pushes up the bottom of the rear edge of the hoop clamp 13 , therefore , as shown in fig2 b or 2 c , the hoop 3 is kept in a substantially horizontal state regardless of the board thickness of the hoop 3 . it should be noted that , in fig1 , a symbol 46 is a bolt for fixing a plate that is not shown in the figures at a bottom of the supporting bar base 12 . when the hoop 3 is clamped by using the hoop clamping apparatus 31 , by adjusting a height where the bolt 37 is fixed corresponding to the board thickness of the hoop 3 , a gap between the hoop receiving member 32 and the hoop holding and binding lever 38 is set to be larger than the board thickness of the hoop 3 , more accurately , it is set to be substantially the same as a value obtained by adding a difference between heights of the cam surfaces 44 a and 44 b to the board thickness of the hoop 3 . as shown in fig2 b or 2 c , when the clamp lever 18 is rotated clockwise and substantially at 90 degrees in this state , the cam 17 stands up . when the cam 17 stands up , the second cam surface 44 b pushes up the bottom of the rear edge of the hoop clamp 13 , therefore , the hoop clamp 13 is rotated counterclockwise around the axis 19 as a center and is kept in a substantially horizontal state . when the hoop clamp 13 is rotated , the hoop holding and binding lever 38 is rotated in a manner such as being one unit with the hoop clamp 13 and pushes the hoop 3 , therefore , the hoop 3 is held by binding between the hoop receiving member 32 and the hoop holding and binding lever 38 . as described above , with respect to the foot pedal 30 of the drum , because the bolt 37 which constitutes the hoop pushing means is attached to the front edge side of the hoop clamp 13 , the footboard 5 does not hit a top portion of the bolt 37 or a rear portion of the hoop clamp 13 while the bass drum 2 is played and the footboard 5 is stepped on , therefore , it is possible to improve operativity of the foot pedal 30 of the drum upon playing . in the present invention , in accordance with the structure , the clamp holding mechanism 41 keeps the hoop clamp 13 at a certain height regardless of the board thickness of the hoop 3 , and moreover , the bolt 37 is attached at a front edge side of the hoop clamp 13 , therefore , it is possible to keep and hold the hoop clamp at a lower position than the prior art . therefore , it is possible to increase the setting angle α of the footboard 5 . in the present invention , the clamp holding mechanism 41 constituted from the cam 17 and the clamp lever 18 is provided , therefore , upon clamping the hoop 3 , it is possible to give a large force for holding by binding to the hoop receiving member 32 and the hoop holding and binding lever 38 even though an operational force is small . it should be noted that , in the embodiment above , the hoop holding and binding lever 38 is provided at a bottom side of a front edge of the hoop clamp 13 in order to prevent damaging to a large surface of the hoop clamp 3 upon holding and binding . therefore , if such a mechanism is provided by the hoop pushing means 37 itself , it is possible to omit the hoop holding and binding lever 38 and to give a rotational constant force in a returning direction to the hoop 13 directly from the energizing means 40 . in the present invention , the clamp holding mechanism 41 is constituted from the cam 17 and the clamp lever 18 , however , this is not a limitation and it is possible to apply various modifications . while preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated above , it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting . additions , omissions , substitutions , and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be considered as being limited by the foregoing description , and is only limited by the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
this invention may be better understood when considered in the light of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments thereof which description is given in conjunction with the several drawings in which : fig1 is a broken - way , isometric illustration of one embodiment of the present invention ; fig2 is an isometric illustration of the &# 34 ; right - hand &# 34 ; rule as it applies to the present invention ; fig3 is a sectioned view through the cell element of a battery taken in a plane parallel to the plates of the element and depicting another embodiment of the present invention ; fig4 is a top sectioned view taken in the direction 4 -- 4 of fig3 ; fig5 is a top sectioned view taken in the direction 5 -- 5 of fig3 ; fig6 is a partially broken - way , isometric view of a discrete , insertable magnetohydrodynamic pump such as depicted in fig3 and 4 ; and , fig7 is a broken away isometric illustration of still another embodiment of the present invention . fig1 depicts a floating battery 2 including a container 4 comprising sidewalls 6 , end walls 8 and bottom wall 10 defining a compartment for housing an electrochemically active cell element 12 . the cell element 12 comprises a plurality of plates 14 of one polarity alternately interspersed a plurality of opposite polarity plates 16 . microporous dendrite suppressing separators ( not shown ) separate the several plates as is well known in the art . the plates 14 are electrically joined together by a first plate strap 18 and the plates 16 are electrically joined together by a second plate strap 20 . each plate strap 18 and 20 is joined to a stud 22 , or the like , which forms , or is connected to , the battery &# 39 ; s output terminals ( not shown ). a magnetohydrodynamic pump 24 is positioned interjacent , and substantially contiguous , the cell element 12 and the end wall 8 . the magnetohydrodynamic pump 24 comprises an insulating tubular conduit 26 sandwiched between two arcuate magnets 28 and 30 . the cell element 12 and the magnetohydrodynamic pump 24 rest on ribs 36 formed in the bottom wall 10 . the ribs 36 facilitate flow of electrolyte from beneath the cell element 12 . the magnets 28 and 30 are appropriately coated or otherwise protected from chemical attack by the battery electrolyte . magnet 28 has its north pole on the outermost face 27 and its south pole on the innermost face 29 whereas the magnet 30 has its north pole on the innermost face 31 and its south pole on the outermost face 33 . accordingly , a magnetic field exists in a north - south direction between magnet 30 and magnet 28 . an extension of the plate strap 18 defines a first leg 32 which projects down into the insulating tube 26 and serves as one of the pump &# 39 ; s electrodes . similarly , an extension of the plate strap 20 defines a second leg 34 which projects down into the tube 26 diametrically opposite to leg 32 and serves as the other pump electrode . the electrodes 32 and 34 are offset from the magnets 28 and 30 by 90 ° when viewed in the direction of the longitudinal center axis of the tube 26 and will always be at the same potential as their associated plates straps . in non - floating applications where it is desirable to connect the pump electrodes to the plate straps or battery terminals it is desirable to provide a switch ( not shown ) in series with one of the electrodes 32 or 34 . the switch may be closed during recharge to effect circulation and then opened to preclude the possibility of self discharge of the battery through the pump . fig2 depicts the physical principle underlying the present invention in terms of the well known &# 34 ; right - hand &# 34 ; rule for determining the direction a negative charge will move when passing through a magnetic field . fig2 illustrates a north pole 40 of one magnet and a diametrically opposed south pole 42 of another magnet . one electrode 44 is diametrically opposed to another electrode 46 and at right angles to the direction of the magnetic field between the magnets 40 and 42 . using the &# 34 ; right - hand &# 34 ; rule we see that if the index finger 50 points in the direction of the magnetic field and the second finger 52 points in the direction that negative ions 48 move between the electrodes 46 and 44 , the electrolyte will move in the direction indicated by the thumb 54 . i prefer that the polarity of the magnets and the direction of current flow through the pump be such as to cause the electrolyte to flow upwardly so that the heavier electrolyte at the bottom of the cell is lifted to the top of the cell for mixing with the lighter electrolyte thereat . fig3 - 6 depict a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein a compact magnetohydrodynamic pump 56 is positioned between the edge of the cell element 12 and the sidewall 6 of the container 4 for lifting the heavy bottoms acid up along the side of the cell to the top of the element 12 . in this embodiment the magnetohydrodynamic pump 56 includes a very thin / flat conduit 58 having a rectangular cross section ( i . e ., see fig4 ) including very narrow passageway 60 between closely spaced ( i . e ., the magnetic gap ) opposed magnets 62 and 64 . the magnets are embedded in the walls of the conduit 58 for protection . electrodes 66 and 68 are located at the opposite ends of the narrow passageway 60 to provide a relatively long electrolytic gap therebetween across the passageway 60 . connecting wires 70 extend from the electrodes 66 and 68 for connection to a separate , independent power source located outside the battery container . as circulation is only needed during and immediately following recharge the separate source may conveniently be provided at the charging station . the use of a separate power source permits the operator of the charging station to vary the potential and current flow between the electrodes 62 and 64 and thereby control the rate of electrolyte circulation . the magnetohydrodynamic pump 56 of fig3 - 6 may be formed as a separate and discrete part which may simply be merely inserted into any battery having enough room between its cell element and container wall . legs 72 formed integrally with the conduit 58 space the inlet opening 74 above the floor of the bottom wall 10 to permit ready flow of electrolyte into the inlet opening 74 . the height of the outlet opening 76 atop the conduit 58 may be set as desired , but it is preferred that the outlet opening 76 be near enough to the top of the cell element 12 to discharge the electrolyte on top of the cell element for mixing with the dilute acid thereat and subsequent percolation of enriched electrolyte down between the plates . as best shown in fig4 the cell element 12 is spaced from the container walls by conventional spacing ribs 78 and from the bottom 10 ( see fig5 ) by upstanding bridges 80 . the bridges 80 are shorter than the width of the cell chamber ( i . e ., between end walls 8 ) and are staggered so as to provide continuous support for the cell element 12 across the width of the chamber yet still permit electrolyte to flow across the bottom of the container toward the sidewalls 6 . fig7 depicts still another embodiment of the present invention wherein the magnetohydrodynamic pump 80 rests on the bottom wall 10 of the container 4 . here the magnetohydrodynamic pump 80 includes a flat conduit 82 having magnets 84 and 86 molded into the sidewalls thereof and electrodes 88 and 90 positioned adjacent the end walls as shown . a very narrow passageway 91 lies between the magnets 84 - 86 and the electrodes 88 - 90 . the magnetohydrodynamic pump 80 will extend most , but not all , of the width of the cell chamber such that the inlet and outlet openings 92 and 94 , respectively , are spaced from the end walls 8 by an amount equal to about the width of the narrow passageway 91 so that electrolyte can freely enter and exit the passageway 91 at opposite ends of the conduit 82 . in the alternative the flat pump could be rotated 90 ° so as to have the electrodes 88 - 90 lie adjacent the sidewalls 8 and the inlet and outlet openings 92 - 94 adjacent the end walls 6 . the upper surface 96 of the conduit 82 includes a plurality of ribs 98 which raise the cell element 12 slightly above the conduit 82 for improved flow of electrolyte thereacross . dams 100 may be provided at the ends of the ribs 98 near the inlet 92 and outlet 94 to trap any active material sheddings that might settle to the floor of the chamber . in this embodiment , electrolyte flowing across the top of the conduit 82 mixes with electrolyte flowing vertically along the sidewalls 8 . while this invention has been disclosed primarily in terms of specific embodiment thereof it is not intended to be limited thereto but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims which follow . | 8 |
an exhaust muffling device according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to attached drawings . the exhaust muffling device is used to reduce exhaust noise by setting the length of an expansion chamber in a muffler and a pipe length of an outlet pipe to a predetermined ratio such that air column resonance is suppressed effectively . in the following description , an example is provided in which the exhaust muffling device is applied to an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine in an automobile . as shown in fig1 , an exhaust muffling device 1 comprises a muffler 2 for muffling the exhaust noise of exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine , an inlet pipe 3 of an exhaust pipe for introducing the exhaust gas into the muffler 2 from the internal combustion engine , and an outlet pipe 4 of the exhaust pipe for discharging the exhaust gas outside from the muffler 2 . a single expansion chamber 11 having a length of l 1 in an exhaust direction is disposed in an interior of the muffler 2 . the expansion chamber 11 is formed with a larger exhaust gas passage sectional area than the inlet pipe 3 , and hence the pressure of the exhaust gas that flows into the expansion chamber 11 from the inlet pipe 3 decreases . the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 11 in this case corresponds to a distance between inner walls 12 , 13 facing each other in the exhaust direction of the muffler 2 . one open end portion of the inlet pipe 3 communicates with an exhaust manifold , not shown in the drawing , in the internal combustion engine , and the other open end portion 21 communicates with the expansion chamber 11 via the inner wall 12 of the muffler 2 . a pipe length of the outlet pipe 4 is set to l 2 . one open end portion 31 of the outlet pipe 4 communicates with the expansion chamber 11 via the inner wall 13 of the muffler 2 , and the other open end portion 32 communicates with the outside , and is therefore open to the atmosphere . when the internal combustion engine is operative , an exhaust pulse generates air column resonance in the outlet pipe 4 in accordance with the pipe length l 2 of the outlet pipe 4 . in other words , as shown in fig2 , the first acoustic mode of the air column resonance is set with the pipe length l 2 as a half wavelength , and air column resonance is generated in wavelengths of natural number multiples of this half wavelength . more specifically , a wavelength λ 1 of air column resonance at the first acoustic mode ( first harmonic ) is approximately double the pipe length l 2 , taking into account open end correction of the outlet pipe 4 ( see fig2 a ). to suppress this air column resonance effectively by means of an interference effect between the incident waves and reflected waves inside the expansion chamber 11 , the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 11 should be set to ¼ of the wavelength λ 1 . in other words , by establishing a relationship of l 1 : l 2 being approximately 1 : 2 , exhaust noise generated by air column resonance at the first acoustic mode is reduced . as shown in fig2 b , a wavelength λ 2 of second harmonic air column resonance is approximately equal to the pipe length l 2 , and hence to obtain a similar interference effect , the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 11 should be set to ¼ of λ 2 . in other words , by establishing a relationship of l 1 : l 2 being approximately 1 : 4 , exhaust noise generated by second harmonic air column resonance is reduced . likewise , as shown in fig2 c and 2d , at the third harmonic , l 1 should be set to ¼ of λ 3 , and at the fourth harmonic , l 1 should be set to ¼ of λ 4 . hence , by establishing relationships of l 1 : l 2 being approximately 1 : 6 and l 1 : l 2 being approximately 1 : 8 respectively , exhaust noise generated by air column resonance corresponding to the third and fourth harmonic is reduced . accordingly , in this embodiment a relationship of l 2 being approximately 2nl 1 ( where n is a natural number ) is established , as shown in fig1 b . thus air column resonance of the nth harmonic can be suppressed favorably , enabling exhaust noise to be muffled in totality . a particularly useful muffling effect is obtained when the natural number “ n ” is set to 1 or 2 , which corresponds to air column resonance having a long wavelength ( low frequency ) that is usually difficult to muffle . more specifically , when the pipe length l 2 of the outlet pipe 4 is great , for example 1 . 5 m or more , low frequency air column resonance can be generated in a normal rotation region of the internal combustion engine , but this air column resonance can be suppressed effectively . according to the exhaust muffling device 1 of this embodiment , the effective length of the expansion chamber 11 is set in relation to the outlet pipe 4 , and hence the muffling performance can be increased sufficiently without providing a separate muffler ( sub - muffler ) in the outlet pipe 4 . as a result , sub - mufflers can be omitted from the constitution of the exhaust muffling device 1 , enabling reductions in weight and cost . from the point of view of an automobile , these effects enable a reduction in the space occupied by the exhaust muffling device 1 , and hence on the automobile side , convenience is enhanced . note that in the embodiment described above , a single expansion chamber 11 is provided in the muffler 2 , but a plurality of expansion chambers may be provided in the exhaust direction by dividing the interior of the muffler 2 using partition walls to form a so - called multistage expansion constitution . in this case , two adjacent expansion chambers may be considered as a single expansion chamber by providing an opening with a large opening ratio in the partition wall , thereby enabling communication between the adjacent expansion chambers on either side of the opening . by setting the pipe length l 2 of the outlet pipe 4 at a approximately even - numbered multiples of the total length l 2 of the plurality of expansion chambers in the exhaust direction ( l 2 being approximately 2nl ,), identical effects to those described above can be obtained . next , other embodiments of the exhaust muffling device 1 according to the present invention will be described . note that the descriptions of each of the following embodiments focus on differences with the first embodiment , and hence identical members and target lengths have been allocated identical reference symbols . as shown in fig3 , the interior of the muffler 2 in the exhaust muffling device 1 according to a second embodiment is separated into a resonance chamber 42 disposed on the inlet pipe 3 side , and the expansion chamber 11 disposed on the outlet pipe 4 side , using a separator 41 . the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 11 in the exhaust direction corresponds to a distance from the separator 41 to the inner wall 13 of the muffler 2 near the outlet pipe 4 . the resonance chamber 42 serves to resonate with oscillation of a specific frequency in order to reduce the level of the exhaust noise caused by this oscillation . a length l 3 of the resonance chamber 42 in the exhaust direction is set to a length obtained by subtracting the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 11 from an entire length l 0 of the muffler 2 in the exhaust direction . an open end portion 21 of the inlet pipe 3 on the muffler 2 side communicates with the expansion chamber 11 via the resonance chamber 42 , and a plurality of punch holes 44 formed in the peripheral wall of the open end portion 21 face the resonance chamber 42 , and thus communicate with the resonance chamber 42 . exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine is introduced into the expansion chamber 11 and expands therein , whereupon the exhaust gas is discharged into the atmosphere from the outlet pipe 4 . hence in this embodiment also , by setting the relationship of l 2 being approximately 2nl , similarly to the first embodiment , air column resonance of the n th harmonic generated inside the outlet pipe 4 can be favorably suppressed . since the resonance chamber 42 is provided separately inside the muffler 2 , exhaust noise of a predetermined frequency , such as high frequency sound waves , can also be reduced inside the muffler 2 . as shown in fig4 , in the exhaust muffling device 1 according to a third embodiment , the inlet pipe 3 and outlet pipe 4 communicating with the expansion chamber 11 inside the muffler 2 are not disposed coaxially . further , these pipes 3 , 4 are inserted more deeply into the muffler 2 than in the first embodiment such that they overlap . an entire length of the outlet pipe 4 is set to l 4 , and an open end portion 31 thereof near one open end face 33 . communicates with the expansion chamber 11 . the outlet pipe 4 comprises a plurality of bypass holes 51 ( through holes ) formed in a peripheral wall thereof in positions on the inner wall 13 side near the open end portion 31 . the plurality of bypass holes 51 communicate with the expansion chamber 11 . in this embodiment , air column resonance is generated inside the outlet pipe 4 in accordance with a pipe length from an open end face 34 near the other open end portion 32 of the outlet pipe 4 , which communicates with the outside , to the closest bypass hole 51 to the open end face 34 , and hence this pipe length (“ the substantial air column length ”) is set as l 2 ( being approximately 2nl ,) as described above . the exhaust gas which passes through the inlet pipe 3 and expands in the expansion chamber 11 flows into the outlet pipe 4 from the open end face 33 of the outlet pipe 4 , whereupon a part of the exhaust gas flows into the outlet pipe 4 through the plurality of bypass holes 51 . in other words , the exhaust gas flowing into the outlet pipe 4 converges at the positions of the bypass holes 51 , and is then discharged into the atmosphere . according to this embodiment , the substantial air column length of the outlet pipe 4 and the length of the expansion chamber 11 are set similarly to the first embodiment such that l 2 being approximately 2nl 1 , and hence air column resonance of the n th harmonic can be suppressed effectively by means of an interference effect inside the expansion chamber 11 . furthermore , by inserting the inlet pipe 3 and outlet pipe 4 into the expansion chamber 11 and employing the plurality of bypass holes 51 in the manner described above , exhaust noise can be muffled in a wider frequency range than that of the first embodiment . as shown in fig5 , the interior of the muffler 2 in the exhaust muffling device 1 according to a fourth embodiment is separated into the expansion chamber 11 , which is disposed on the inlet pipe 3 side , and a resonance chamber 42 , which is disposed on the outlet pipe 4 side , using a separator 41 . the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 11 in the exhaust direction corresponds to a distance from the inner wall 12 of the muffler 2 on the inlet pipe 3 side to the separator 41 . the length l 3 of the resonance chamber 42 in the exhaust direction corresponds to a length obtained by subtracting the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 11 from the entire length l 0 of the muffler 2 in the exhaust direction . the open end face 33 of the outlet pipe 4 near the muffler 2 communicates with the expansion chamber 11 , and the plurality of punch holes 44 ( through holes ) formed in the peripheral wall of the open end portion 31 at the open end face 33 face the resonance chamber 42 , and thus communicate with the resonance chamber 42 . similarly to the third embodiment , air column resonance is generated inside the outlet pipe 4 in accordance with a pipe length from the other open end face 34 of the outlet pipe 4 , which communicates with the outside , to the closest punch hole 44 to the open end face 34 , and hence this pipe length (“ the substantial air column length ”) is set as l 2 , which is approximately equal to 2nl 1 . the exhaust gas which expands in the expansion chamber 11 flows into the outlet pipe 4 through the open end face 33 , and is then discharged into the atmosphere . a part of the exhaust gas flowing into the outlet pipe 4 flows into the resonance chamber 42 through the punch holes 44 , and it is here that the exhaust gas resonance effect occurs . accordingly in this embodiment , similarly to the third embodiment , the relationship of l 2 being approximately 2nl , is established , and therefore air column resonance of the n th harmonic can be favorably suppressed . furthermore , similarly to the second embodiment , the resonance chamber 42 is provided separately inside the muffler 2 , enabling exhaust noise of a predetermined frequency , such as high frequency sound waves , to be reduced inside the muffler 2 . the entire disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2003 - 415415 filed on dec . 12 , 2003 including specification , claims , drawings and summary are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . | 5 |
the following detailed description of the embodiments of the hexapeptides of the present invention , as represented in fig1 through 18 , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as claimed , but is merely representative of presently preferred embodiments of the invention . the orl - 1 receptor and its natural ligand , nociceptin , provide a novel target for analgesic compounds . animal studies have been conducted to confirm the usefulness of nociceptin agonists or antagonists with this target in analgesic applications . these tests showed that agonists or antagonists do exhibit analgesic properties . specific testing showed effectiveness of such compounds as an analgesic in models of neuropathic pain . yamamoto et al ., neurosci . lett ., 224 : 107 – 110 ( 1997 ). novel agonists and antagonists have been developed and are disclosed herein . these compounds have been tested to more clearly characterize the effect of orl1 activation and inhibition on analgesic and other opioid systems . these newly discovered antagonists may later be used to determine whether nociceptin has constitutive activity in mammalian brain , as well as whether an orl1 receptor antagonist will act as a non - addicting analgesic . further , the compounds of the invention may exhibit diuretic properties , as well as cancer - fighting ability . as noted above , the identification and characterization of high - affinity compounds furthers the development of a better understanding of the actions of nociceptin and its receptor orl1 . the physiological actions of nociceptin are poorly understood in part because of the absence of low molecular weight , stable agonists and high - affinity antagonists . although initial testing showed that nociceptin decreased tail flick latencies in rats , and further that it inhibited opiate analgesia , further testing has begun to show that the physiological actions of nociceptin may be very complicated . some studies showed the anti - opiate activity of nociceptin to potentially be region - and assay - specific . in one study , nociceptin was found to be analgesic in the spinal cord . tian et al ., br . j . pharmacol ., 120 : 676 – 680 ( 1997 ); xu et al , neuroreport , 7 : 2092 – 2094 ( 1996 ). additionally , as noted above , it has also been reported to be an effective analgesic in a model of chronic pain . yamamoto et al ., neurosci . lett ., 224 : 107 – 110 ( 1997 ). in addition , nociceptin exhibits significantly greater potency as an analgesic when used in diabetic mice than when used in non - diabetic mice . kamei , et al ., eur . j . pharmacol ., 370 : 109 – 116 ( 1999 ). in contrast , it has also been shown to induce allodynia , a condition in which normal non - painful stimuli cause pain , when injected into the spinal cord . hara et al ., br . j . pharmacol ., 121 : 401 – 408 ( 1997 ). for research purposes , the development of antagonists will be even more valuable . as with opiate receptors , and now with tetrahydrocannabinol ( thc ) receptors , the availability of an antagonist allows for a better understanding of the specific actions of a compound . opiate actions are currently defined by their ability to be antagonized by naloxone . it is anticipated that the same criteria apply for orl1 . the availability of an antagonist also aids in the identification of any constitutive actions of nociceptin - orl1 , or in vivo actions brought on by altered physiologic states . for instance , naloxone has no effects on analgesia in naive animals , but it does have important effects with respect to cerebral glucose utilization in specific brain regions . kraus et al ., brain res ., 724 : 33 – 40 ( 1996 ). these experiments demonstrate regions of endogenous opiate activity in untreated animals . of course , naloxone has significant and well known effects in animals with altered physiologic states , including the precipitation of withdrawal and the inhibition of stress - induced analgesia . antagonists to orl1 will undoubtedly uncover many actions of nociceptin in normal and altered states . the invention thus provides hexapeptide compounds which interact with the orl - 1 receptor ( hereinafter , the “ nociceptin receptor ”, including compounds exhibiting agonist and antagonist properties . the hexapeptides of the invention may be constructed solely of natural amino acids . alternatively , the hexapeptides may include non - natural amino acids including , but not limited to , modified amino acids . modified amino acids include natural amino acids which have been chemically modified to include a group or groups not naturally present on the amino acid . the hexapeptides of the invention may additionally include d - amino acids . still further , the hexapeptides of the invention may include amino acid analogs . a first group of these compounds were constructed having the general formula : these compounds contained various amino - and carboxy - terminal modifications and an amino acid substitution , as shown in table 1 . the compounds of table 1 were tested for [ 35 s ] gtpγs stimulation similar to that induced by nociceptin . the results of this testing are shown in the chart in fig1 . nociceptin stimulates [ 35 s ] gtpγs to bind to membranes derived from cho cells transfected with human orl - 1 . the compounds of table 1 were tested in a [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding assay to determine their ability to stimulate [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding in comparison to nociceptin . the [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding assays were conducted generally as described by traynor and nahorski ( 1995 ). first , cho cells transfected with human orl - 1 are scraped from tissue culture dishes into 20 mm hepes , 1 mm edta , and then centrifuged at 500 × g for 10 minutes . the cells are then re - suspended in this buffer and homogenized using a polytron homogenizer . the cellular homogenate is next centrifuged at 20 , 000 × g for 20 minutes . following this , the resulting pellet is resuspended in a buffer containing 20 mm hepes , 10 mm mgcl 2 , and 100 mm nacl , having a resulting ph of 7 . 4 . the suspension is then re - centrifuged at 20 , 000 × g and suspended once more in the above - listed buffer . the pellet may be frozen at − 70 ° c . prior to the final centrifugation . for the binding assay , membranes ( 10 – 20 μg protein ) are incubated with [ 35 s ] gtpγγs ( 50 pm ), gdp ( usually 10 μm ), and the desired compound . the total volume of the mixture is 1 ml , which is incubated for 60 min at 25 ° c . following incubation , samples are filtered over glass fiber filters and counted . a dose response with the full agonist nociceptin may then be conducted in each experiment to identify full and partial agonist compounds . as seen in fig1 and table 1 , iv - 16 - c ( seq id no : 24 ), having the structure propionyl - ryyrwr - nh 2 exhibited high affinity and appeared to be a potent , nearly full agonist of orl - 1 . in contrast , compound iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ), having the structure hexanoyl - ryyrwr - nh 2 maintains high affinity but is a very low efficacy compound . as seen in fig1 , the antagonist properties of iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ) can readily be observed in its ability to inhibit the stimulation of [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding induced by 10 nm nociceptin . the 20 % stimulation found at 1 and 10 μm of [ 35 s ] gtpγs confirms the partial agonist activity of this compound , as also seen in fig1 and shown in table 1 . in addition , as seen in fig2 , iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ) is at least 10 times more potent as an antagonist than the complete antagonist n 1 - phe - nociceptin ( 1 – 13 ) nh 2 reported in calo et al ., 2000 . n 1 - phe - nociceptin ( 1 – 13 ) nh 2 is a recently - developed peptide antagonist that has been shown to potentiate morphine analgesia and to possess some analgesic activity on its own . iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ) was tested in vivo for analgesic activity and for potentiation of morphine analgesia . this testing showed no measurable in vivo activity . without being limited to any one theory , it was concluded that the apparent in vivo inactivity of the molecule is likely attributable to its rapid in vivo degradation . these studies suggest that iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ) is a very promising lead , for which more stable analogs have potential as analgesic compounds . based upon the activity of the compounds discussed above , additional compounds were synthesized . these compounds were varied in order to identify residues which must be conserved in order to retain binding affinity and functional activity . thus , the group consisted of molecules resulting from “ alanine scans ” of the high affinity agonist iv - 16 - c ( seq id no : 24 ) and the antagonist iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ). in these alanine scans , the original sequences , propionyl - ryyrwr - nh 2 ( seq id no : 24 ) and hexanoyl - ryyrwr - nh 2 ( seq id no : 25 ) were systematically modified by substituting an alanine amino acid into every position of the hexapeptide , one amino acid at a time . the binding affinities of these alanine scan molecules are shown in table 2 . the data in table 2 indicate the importance of each residue in the parent peptide , ac - ryyrwr - nh 2 , even with the lipophilic addition to the amino terminals . even in the best cases , binding affinities dropped by a factor of at least 30 . the iv - 16 - c ( seq id no : 24 ) agonist was then subjected to computational studies . first the hexapeptide molecule was modeled in a random conformation using software model building and energy refinement tools . the software utilized was catalyst , from molecular simulations , inc . these structural models were used to create an arbitrary 3 - dimensional pharmacophore model . this was done using the functional mapping capability of the molecular modeling program used in the “ view hypothesis workbench ” mode of catalyst . fig3 shows the 3 - dimensional conformation of the iv - 16 - c peptide overlapped with the 3 - dimensional structure of the hypothetical agonist pharmacophore . these preliminary computational studies were conducted with no data available about the structure of the peptide that had been deduced from experimental sources ( nmr , x - ray ). as a result , a completely random conformation was chosen for the purpose of illustration in fig3 . the iv - 16 - c ( seq id no : 24 ) peptide studied above is a very flexible molecule and in principle may likely adopt many low energy conformations , due to the fact that it is endowed with at least 15 rotatable bonds . pharmacophore generation methods in catalyst are sensitive to the conformational models employed . hence , the choice of the pharmacophore for the purpose of illustrations of database search methods is purely random . the actual pharmacophore structure may be derived based on an experimental structure for such flexible molecules . the pharmacophore may be deduced by conducting a conformational search to find molecules similar to leading compounds such as iv - 16 - c ( seq id no : 24 ) and creating a multi - conformation 3 - dimensional database of the molecules . the compound may then be subjected to an alignment to fit , and the quality of the molecules categorized be assessed with respect to the lead compounds . these data help to generate a pharmacophore model , which may then be studied using databases such as the available chemical directory ( acd ), biobyte master file , national cancer institute database ( nci ), the derwent world drug index , and the maybridge catalog . accuracy may then be assessed by producing or locating molecules conforming to the pharmacophore model , mapping between the pharmacophore model and the new molecules , predicting the activity of the new molecules based on the pharmacophore , and synthesizing and assaying the more promising drug candidates . following the above plan , a series of peptide analogs was generated for testing . these analogs incorporated amino acid replacements using commercially - available non - natural amino acids . the sequences of these analogs are listed in table 3 . all of the peptides listed above in table 3 were next synthesized using merrifield &# 39 ; s solid phase technique on a cs bio 136 peptide synthesizer . fmoc - rink - amide resin was purchased from anaspec ( san jose , calif .). fmoc amino acids were purchased from anaspec or perseptive biosystems ( foster city , calif .). the non - natural or unusual amino acids needed were purchased from rsp amino acids analogues inc . the purity of peptides was checked by analytical high pressure liquid chromatography ( hplc ) and mass spectroscopy and they were greater than 95 % pure . these molecules were subjected to computational analysis to predict their potential utility . the molecules were designed and modeled in catalyst in “ view compound workbench ” mode . as a reference , the 3 - dimensional structure of the compounds iv - 16 - c ( seq id no : 24 ) and iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ) are shown overlapped with their predicted 3 - dimensional pharmacophores in fig4 a and 4b , respectively . the structures of the newly - generated analogs were compared with these two pharmacophores , using the “ compare fit ” function of catalyst . fig5 a through 5w show the results of overlapping the predicted 3 - dimensional structures of the hexapeptide analogs with the predicted pharmacophore of iv - 16 - c ( seq id no : 24 ). similarly , fig6 a through 6w show the results of overlapping the predicted 3 - dimensional structures of the hexapeptide analogs with the predicted pharmacophore of iv - 17 - c ( seq id no : 25 ). fig7 a through 7w show the simple 2 - dimensional structures of each of the hexapeptide analog compounds investigated . the results of the computational studies are shown in table 4 . in this table , the structures of the analog hexapeptides were compared with the pharmacophores using the “ compare fit ” function of catalyst . using these methods , best fit values ranging from 2 . 26 to 5 . 99 were obtained , the higher values indicating a better overlap of the pharmacophore “ hypothesis ” and the analog and the lower values indicating a worse overlap . for example , value of zero indicates no overlap while a value of six indicates a perfect overlap . receptor binding studies were conducted on human orl1 ( opiate receptor like 1 ) transfected into chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cells using each of the hexapeptide analog compounds of table 3 . all the compounds were evaluated for binding affinities . the results are shown in table 5 . affinity was determined using [ 3 h ] nociceptin binding to membranes derived from cho cells transfected with human orl - 1 . ic 50 values and hill coefficients were then determined using the curve fitting program prism , and ki values were calculated from the formula ki = ic 50 /( 1 + l / kd ) ( chang and prusoff ), where kd is the binding affinity of [ 3 h ] nociceptin and l is the concentration of [ 3 h ] nociceptin in each particular experiment . [ l ] of nociceptin was approximately 0 . 2 nm , and the kd , as determined by the scatchard analysis is 0 . 05 nm . the data shown in table 5 represents the average ± sem of at least two experiments conducted in triplicate . orl1 - containing cho cells were produced using cdna obtained from dr . brigitte kieffer . the cells are grown in dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle medium ( dmem ) with 10 % fetal bovine serum , in the presence of 0 . 4 mg / ml g418 and 0 . 1 % penicillin / streptomycin , in 100 - mm plastic culture dishes . for binding assays , the cells are scraped off the plate at confluence . for determination of inhibition of camp accumulation , cells are subcultured onto 24 - well plates and used at confluence . receptor binding assays will be examined as described previously in toll , 1992 . cells are removed from the plates by scraping with a rubber policeman , and then homogenized in tris buffer using a polytron homogenizer . following this homogenization step , the cellular mixture is centrifuged once and washed by an additional centrifugation at 40 , 000 × g for 15 min . the pellet formed during the centrifugation is re - suspended in 50 mm tris , ph 7 . 5 . the resulting suspension is incubated with [ 3 h ] nociceptin in a total volume of 1 . 0 ml , in a 96 - well format , for 120 min at 25 ° c . samples of the suspension are then filtered over glass fiber filters using a wallac cell harvester . for the orl - 1 binding experiments , 1 mg / ml bovine serum albumin is used to prevent absorption of the ligand to the glass tubes , and filters are soaked in 0 . 1 % polyethyleneimine ( pei ) to prevent adsorption to the glass fiber filters , thus lowering nonspecific binding considerably . for the data in table 5 , binding was conducted as described above . ic 50 values and hill coefficients were determined using the curve - fitting program prism . k 1 values were calculated using the equation k 1 = ic 50 /( 1 +[ l ]/ kd ). [ l ] of nociceptin was approximately 0 . 2 nm , and the k d , as determined by scatchard analysis , was 0 . 05 nm . the data in table 5 represent the average ± sem of at least two experiments conducted in triplicate . table 6 shows the results of [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding assays conducted using the compounds of table 3 . [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding is conducted generally according to the methods described by traynor and nahorski ( 1995 ). first , cells are scraped from their tissue culture dishes into 20 mm hepes , 1 mm edta . this suspension is then centrifuged at 500 × g for 10 minutes . following this , the cells were re - suspended in buffer and homogenized using a polytron homogenizer . the resulting homogenate was centrifuged at 20 , 000 × g for 20 minutes . the pellet produced during centrifugation is next re - suspended in a buffer containing 20 mm hepes , 10 mm mgcl 2 , and 100 mm nacl , having a ph of 7 . 4 . the suspension is re - centrifuged at 20 , 000 × g and then suspended once more in the buffer outlined above . the pellet may be frozen at − 70 ° c . prior to the final centrifugation . for the binding assay , membranes ( 10 – 20 μg protein ) are incubated with [ 5 s ] gtpγs ( 50 pm ), gdp ( usually 10 μm ), and the desired compound , in a total volume of 1 ml , for 60 minutes at 25 ° c . samples are filtered over glass fiber filters and counted as described for the binding assays . a dose response with the full agonist nociceptin was then conducted in each experiment to identify full and partial agonist compounds . in these [ 35 s ] gtpγs assays , binding was conducted as described above . ec 50 values and percent stimulation were determined using the program prism . the data shown represent the average ± sem of at least two experiments conducted in triplicate . if percent stimulation was less than 20 %, ec 50 values could not be reliably determined , and the compound was considered an antagonist . as seen in table 5 , the structural modifications made in peptide analogs have produced a variety of receptor affinities , potencies , and efficacies . the highest affinity compound ( vii - 39 - d ) ( seq id no : 7 ) has a ki value of 0 . 03 nm , equivalent to that of nociceptin . the modifications also produced compounds ranging from a full agonist ( vii - 39 - d ) ( seq id no : 7 ), to several antagonists . the activity of several of these compounds is compared in fig8 . specifically , fig8 shows stimulation of [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding by the full agonist vii - 39 - d ( seq id no : 7 ), the partial agonist vii - 43 - c ( seq id no : 6 ), and the full agonist , standard nociceptin . as can be seen in table 5 and fig8 , vii - 39 - d ( seq id no : 7 ) also has potency similar to that of nociceptin . the most potent antagonist vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ) has been tested for antagonist potency by schild analysis . as seen in fig9 , vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ) produces a dose - dependent parallel shift in the nociceptin dose response curve . this indicates competitive inhibition . schild analysis produced the following values : ke = 1 . 06 ± 0 . 11 , slope =− 1 . 02 ( competitive inhibition ), pa 2 = 8 . 99 ± 0 . 05 . this compound is more potent as an antagonist when tested in vitro than any antagonist found in the literature to date . as briefly discussed above , peptide analog vii - 39 - d ( seq id no : 7 ) is a very potent agonist . an additional hexapeptide analog vii - 87 - b ( seq id no : 23 ) was similarly tested and shown to be an agonist . agonists have been shown to have efficacy as anxiolytics against some forms of chronic pain when administered intrathecally . vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ) is a very potent antagonist . some such antagonists have been shown to be effective in animal thermal pain models , particularly when administered into the brain . the above hexapeptide drugs were used in in vivo experimentation to show their potential medical usefulness . specifically , the antagonist vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ), the agonist 87 - b ( seq id no : 23 ), and the agonist vii - 39 - d ( seq id no : 7 ) were tested in vivo alone or in combination with morphine . the antagonist vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ) was also tested in combination with morphine and n / ofq . nociception was assessed using a tail flick assay with mice kept on a 12 - hours light and 12 - hours dark regimen and housed 10 per cage . tail flick latencies were determined using a tail flick analgesia instrument ( stoelting ) that uses radiant heat . this instrument is equipped with an automatic quantification of tail flick latency and a 15 - second cutoff to prevent damage to the animal &# 39 ; s tail . during testing , the focused beam of light was applied to the lower half of the animal &# 39 ; s tail , and tail flick latency was recorded . baseline values for tail flick latency were determined before drug administration in each animal . basal tail flick latency was between 3 . 7 and 6 . 3 seconds ( average 4 . 6 ± 0 . 1 sem ). immediately after testing , animals were lightly anaesthetized with isoflurane and received a unilateral 2 μl intracerebroventricular injection approximately 2 . 0 mm caudal and approximately 2 . 0 mm lateral with respect to the bregma ( the junction of the sagittal and coronal sutures of the skull ), and 3 mm ventral from the skull surface ). injections may be made using a hamilton syringe equipped with a 26 - guage needle fitted with a plastic sleeve to prevent more than 2 . 5 mm penetration beyond the skull surface . following the intracerebroventricular injections , the animals were tested for tail flick latencies at 5 -, 10 -, and 20 - minutes post - injection . if the animal subject did not respond prior to the 15 - second cutoff , the animal was assigned a score of 100 %. behavioral results were analyzed using anovas with the antagonist , agonist , morphine , and n / ofq as between group variables and post - drug treatment time ( 5 -, 10 -, and 20 - minutes ) as the repeated measure followed by dunnet post - hoc tests where appropriate . the level of significance was set at p & lt ; 0 . 05 . in the experiments examining the combined effects of morphine alone or with the antagonist and / or n / ofq , planned comparisons were used to compare the effects of combined administration of antagonist / n / ofq and morphine to the morphine alone groups at the three different post - infusion time points since it was hypothesized that the antagonist and / or n / ofq would alter morphine - induced analgesia . also , planned comparisons were used to compare the groups that received n / ofq and morphine since it was hypothesized that the antagonist would decrease the efficiency of n / ofq on morphine - induced analgesia . the modified boniferroni test was used for these planned comparisons ( p value was set at p & lt ; 0 . 036 ). doses were determined based on the potency of the compounds tested . in a first example , the antagonist vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ) having the sequence : pentanoyl - ryyrwr - nh 2 was assayed for analgesic effects . in this assay , the responses of a control mouse were compared against mice receiving three different dosages of the vii - 7 - b antagonist ( seq id no : 26 ). the responses were measured at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes after the intracerebroventricular injection of antagonist . the test and baseline latencies were then used to calculate the antinociception as detailed above . in the figure , an asterisk represents a significant difference of a test animal from the respective controls . here , the antagonist vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ) showed analgesic properties in those mice receiving the 10 . 0 and 30 . 0 nmol intracerebroventricular injections at 10 and 20 minutes post - injection . the antagonist was next assayed for the ability to reverse the inhibition of morphine - induced analgesia . in this assay , the control received morphine alone , while test animals received morphine + 3 nmol of the antagonist , morphine + 10 nmol of the antagonist . these results were compared with test animals receiving morphine + 3 nmol nociceptin , morphine + nociceptin + 3 nmol antagonist , and morphine + nociceptin + 10 nmol antagonist . for each of these animals , response was measured at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes after intracerebroventricular injection . as shown in fig1 , the antagonist did not appear to significantly reverse the inhibition of morphine - induced analgesia . little reversal was observed in the two animals receiving morphine and antagonist . some reversal appears to be present in the animals receiving morphine , antagonist , and nociceptin . this result was explored further . referring now to fig1 , at 5 minutes post - injection , the administration of 10 nmol of the vii - 7 - b ( seq id no : 26 ) antagonist alone , as well as in combination with n / ofq resulted in a reduction in morphine - induced analgesia . in this figure , as above , asterisks represent a significant difference from morphine alone . as seen in fig1 and 14 , however , at 10 and 20 minutes post injection , the antagonist did not alter the effects of nociceptin . the agonist 87 - b was next assayed for analgesic effects . in this assay , the responses of a control mouse were compared against mice receiving three different dosages of the vii - 87 - b agonist ( seq id no : 23 ). the responses were measured at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes after the intracerebroventricular injection of agonist . the test and baseline latencies were then used to calculate the antinociception as detailed above . the results of this assay are shown in fig1 . in the figure , an asterisk represents a significant difference of a test animal from the respective controls . here , the agonist vii - 87 - b ( seq id no : 23 ) induced pro - nociception in mice receiving 10 nmol of agonist by intracerebroventricular injection at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes post - injection . the agonist vii - 87 - b was further investigated by evaluating its ability to reverse morphine - induced analgesia . in this assay , the control animal received 10 nmols of morphine alone , while test animals received morphine + 0 . 1 nmol of the agonist , morphine + 1 . 0 nmol of the agonist , or morphine + 10 . 0 nmol of the agonist . for each of these animals , response was measured at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes after intracerebroventricular injection . the results of this assay are shown in fig1 . this assay showed dose - dependent reversal of morphine - induced analgesia at 10 and 20 minutes by the antagonist in animals injected with 10 nmol of antagonist in addition to the morphine . the agonist 39 - d was next assayed for analgesic effects . in this assay , the responses of a control mouse were compared against mice receiving three different dosages of the vii - 39 - d agonist ( seq id no : 7 ). the responses were measured at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes after the intracerebroventricular injection of agonist . the test and baseline latencies were then used to calculate the antinociception as detailed above . the results of this assay are shown in fig1 . the agonist vii - 39 - d ( seq id no : 7 ) did not induce anti - or pro - nociception in mice receiving 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 , or 10 . 0 nmol of agonist by intracerebroventricular injection at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes post - injection . the agonist vii - 39 - d was then further investigated by evaluating its ability to reverse morphine - induced analgesia . in this assay , the control animal received 10 nmols of morphine alone , while test animals received morphine + 0 . 1 nmol of the agonist , morphine + 1 . 0 nmol of the agonist , or morphine + 10 . 0 nmol of the agonist . for each of these animals , response was measured at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes after intracerebroventricular injection . the results of this assay are shown in fig1 . this assay showed attenuation of morphine - induced analgesia at 5 , 10 , and 20 minutes by the agonist in animals injected with 1 . 0 and 10 nmol of agonist in addition to the morphine . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its structures , methods , or other essential characteristics as broadly described herein and claimed hereinafter . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims , rather than by the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope . | 2 |
with reference to fig2 - 4 , the sensor system 100 ( best seen in fig3 ) of the present invention has a sensor architecture that makes it possible to combine high performance with low power consumption . it has been surprisingly discovered that the combination of using a multi - bit primary feedback loop back to the sensor element in combination with a single - bit secondary feedback loop back to the electrical part provide an effective high - performance stable sensor system that requires a very low power consumption . the application of the present invention to an accelerometer is only used as an illustrative example to describe the features of the present invention and the sensor system is not limited to accelerometer applications . for example , the sensor system could be used in computer games for mobile computers so that the game is displayed in a certain direction regardless of whether the user turns the mobile computer or not . the mobile computer may use a built - in accelerometer to measure the acceleration of the movement of the earth such as gravitational forces relative to the movement of the mobile computer . another preferred use of the invention is sensing for seismic exploration and surveillance there large number of sensor over large areas are needed and low energy consumption is a must for battery powering or manageable power cabling . the sensing element 102 , such as an inertial sensor , may be included as an integral part of an integrated circuit of an electrical part such as a multi - bit sigma - delta modulator 104 . digital accumulation of quantizer output in a digital accumulator 106 achieves a multi - bit primary feedback 108 with a single - bit quantizer 110 . in other words , the accumulator 106 converts the accumulated single - bit output information received from the single - bit quantizer 110 to a multi - bit feedback signal and sending the multi - bit feedback signal 109 in a delayed primary feedback loop 108 back to the sensor element . the feedback 108 to the sensing element provides low noise and large dynamic range . to compensate for the relatively infrequent feedback signal 109 , single - bit feedback signal / information 111 is sequentially and preferably continuously sent in the secondary feedback loop 112 as each single bit of signal information 107 is received from the single - bit quantizer 110 directly into a electrical loop filter 114 to enhance stability making it possible to eliminate the need for phase compensating filters . it is thus better for the some of preliminary information at a higher frequency in feedback 112 about the position of the proof mass 124 to compensate for the delay and to preliminarily anticipate the change of the feedback signal 109 in feedback loop 108 although the single - bit information 111 in feedback loop 112 may not be as precise and the information of the feedback signal 109 in the primary feedback loop 108 . in other words , since the delay in the feedback loop 108 may be significant , the actual position of , for example , the proof mass 124 may have changed too much during the delay so that the sensor system may have very incorrect and old information . by using the very frequent information in the feedback loop 112 , the information that goes into the quantizer 110 can be preliminarily corrected , such as some preliminary information about the position of the proof mass 124 , while waiting for the more correct but relatively infrequent feedback signal 109 of feedback loop 108 . the information in the feedback loop 112 is used and accumulated in the integrators 115 of the modulator 104 so that the integrators in a way operate like digital accumulators . the information such as current information , in the feedback loop 112 may be subject to weighting factors b 0 , b 1 and b 2 as shown in fig3 before the information is received in the integrators . as explained in detail below , a unit force digital - to - analog converter ( dac ) 118 is disposed in the feedback branch . a multi - level force is created by splitting the electrodes into several smaller units and driving them individually . one important feature of the present invention is the digital accumulation in the digital accumulator 106 of the output information 107 received from the single - bit quantizer 110 . to achieve really low power - consumption , the electrical loop filter and quantizer need to be as simple as possible . it is therefore advantageous to use a single - bit quantizer 110 due to the low power - consumption . however , the signal being fed back to the sensing element 102 is preferably a multi - level signal in the multi - bit primary feedback 108 to reduce the quantization noise and to increase the large signal handling . therefore , one feature of the present invention is to use the single - bit quantizer 110 and to generate a multi - bit feedback control value by digitally integrating the quantifier output of the sinusoidal acceleration movement , as seen in fig2 , fig2 thus illustrates a digital accumulated feedback signal 116 of the primary feedback loop 108 as the digital accumulator output for a large sensor input signal . in the illustrated example , the input signal is a 2 g , 50 hz acceleration that may be applied to an illustrative example based on the parameters described in fig5 which is described in more detail below . the multi - bit control is preferably converted to a corresponding electrostatic force which counteracts the applied acceleration . the moving average of this multi - level signal can be close to the peak value . in a single - bit sigma - delta system the moving average can typically only be driven to half the peak value . this means that the multi - level system makes more efficient use of the available electrostatic force , reducing the required actuator drive voltage , which in turn enables lower power - consumption for the same full scale acceleration , compared to a multi - bit quantizer , the digital accumulator 106 introduces significant delay of the feedback signal of the feedback 108 . it takes several clock cycles to change from full positive feedback to full negative feedback . in other words , the fact that the output signal 107 from the single - bit quantizer 110 must be accumulated in the digital accumulator 106 takes time and makes the frequency or rate of the primary feedback 108 too slow . in conventional sigma - delta modulators such a delay would typically result in an unstable system . the system of the present invention overcomes this stability issue by introducing a secondary feedback loop as seen in fig3 . the low latency single - bit quantizer output 107 is fed directly into the electrical loop filter 114 of the forward path / signal of the electronics without going through the digital accumulator 106 . an additional important advantage of the secondary feedback loop is that it provides enough stability - margin to make it possible to eliminate the power consuming analog lead - lag filter to compensate for the phase - shift of the sensing element . inertial sensors of prior art systems typically have a single pair of actuator electrodes . the most intuitive implementation of a multi - bit feedback force is consequently to control the voltage across this electrode pair . this could be done by driving the electrode pair with an electrical dac . however , noise or imperfections added in the feedback path of σδ - adcs cannot be suppressed by the loop . the dac would therefore need to be both linear and have low noise . the method of the present invention , on the other hand , focuses on the total required electrostatic force . this is the quantity that needs multi - bit properties and it can be achieved more efficiently by replacing the commonly large single outer electrodes into several smaller electrodes disposed inside the sensor element 102 , as shown in fig4 . the plurality of electrodes in the sensor element 102 enables the use of multi - rate primary feedback loop 108 , as explained in detail below . the digital - to - analog converter ( dac ) 118 may have an upper glass carrier 120 and a lower glass carrier 122 with a proof mass common electrode 124 hanging freely in vacuum therebetween so that it may move relative to the carriers 120 and 122 . if the sensor element 102 is moved in one direction such as upwardly , the distance between the proof mass 124 and the carrier 122 will shorten and the distance between the proof mass 124 and the carrier 120 will lengthen . this means the capacitance values will also change since that depends ( inversely proportional ) upon the distance . this change of the capacitance values may be measured as an error signal that is either plus or minus . in other words , each electrode pair may then create a small unit force , f i to attempt to pull back the proof mass to the initial resting position . the sign of the unit force depends on the applied voltages v vi and v li . one problem is that the created pull back force , such as a positive force , may be too large so that is must be compensated by a negative force that may also be too large . the forces may then be switched back and forth until the correct pull back forces are applied to the proof mass to bring it back to the initial resting position . by combining several individually controlled unit forces , the total electrostatic force obtains multi - bit properties . in other words , the number of positive unit forces compared to the number of negative forces is adjusted to try to find an accumulated force that is about right to pull back the proof mass to the initial resting position which reduces the total quantizer error and makes it possible to correct the error quicker and reduce the need for sampling speed . this unit force dac 118 requires no operational amplifier or other power consuming circuitry . instead , the dac 118 is sufficient to have simple switches allowing the outer electrodes to be connected either to ground or supply . mismatch of the unit force dac 118 is preferably mitigated by dynamically selecting which of the unit elements to use for each sample . this technique may be referred to as dynamic element matching and may be used in purely electrical sigma - delta modulated systems . this technique may be applied to electro - mechanical inertial sensors prior to the invention . one application of the present invention that has been carefully investigated is electro - mechanical inertial sensor . with the novel architecture of the present invention it is possible to design an accelerometer with a full scale input of 2 g , close to 130 db signal - to - noise ratio in 300 hz bandwidth and a power consumption as low as 3 mw . the required supply voltage may be limited to 5 v . the sample rate could be 256 khz . preferably , the sensing element is a bulk micro - machined device consisting of a silicon proof mass suspended between two glass plates . the parameters 126 of the sensing element 102 parameters are summarized in fig5 and its sensor transfer function 128 showing a magnitude response of sensor element conversion gain is shown in fig6 . with reference to fig4 , electrostatic forces f i are applied to the proof mass 124 such that forces caused by acceleration and gravity are cancelled and the proof mass 124 remains almost fixed relative to its surrounding electrodes . minimizing the movement of the proof mass 124 and variation in capacitance improves linearity compared to an open loop system . displacement of the proof mass 124 relative to its nominal position is monitoring by measuring the error charge generated when the charge is shifted between the upper and lower capacitances . in other words , the acceleration of the proof mass 124 may be measured by monitoring the electrostatic forces f i required to counteract the acceleration . assuming that the proof mass 124 is perfectly centered between the outer glass plates 120 , 122 if no force is applied , then the capacitances of the unit elements can be described by equation ( 1 ) below : where c 0i is the nominal capacitance and δc i is the capacitance deviation resulting from a net force leading to a displacement of the proof mass since the loop gain of the sensor system is large , the proof mass 124 will be kept close to its nominal position and δc i can be approximated to be zero . the net electrostatic force on unit i can then be described by equation ( 2 ) below : f t = 2 c 0 i 2 v 0 i ɛ a δ v i ( 2 ) where v 0i and δv i are described in equation ( 3 ) below : when δv i changes sign , the charge is transferred between the upper and lower capacitors . if c ui ≠ c vi an error charge will be transferred to c f , resulting in an voltage error signal , v err , at the output of the operation amplifier in fig4 . as can he seen from equation ( 4 ) above , the error signal depends on the sign of the applied feedback signal δv i . this is not explicitly shown in the block diagrams but this should be accounted for . in a differential design this is straight forward . to achieve a low quantization noise level for a larger bandwidth , an electrical resonator has been added , coefficient b 2 . this creates a notch in the noise transfer function 130 at 250 hz calculated from a linearized system model with an effective quantizer gain of 1 . 4 , as shown in fig7 . the high frequency notch at 706 hz may be set by the sensor resonance frequency . preferably , the loop filter has sufficient degrees of freedom to both optimize the signal and noise transfer functions . the electrical loop filter coefficients may be designed such that full - scale becomes 2 g , but the system can typically handle 1 db more before it is overloaded and becomes unstable . fig8 shows a spectrum 132 of a transient simulation without noise or dac mismatch . the spectrum 132 is of a transient simulation of the multi - bit voltage feedback system . the input acceleration is set at 50 hz 2 g sinusoidal signal . no kt / c or thermal noise is added . the feedback signal 134 and resulting instantaneous acceleration error 136 of such a transient simulation is shown in a diagram 138 in fig9 . fig1 shows the simulated spectrum 140 when kt / c noise of the unit force dac is included . the noise density is 18 nv /√ hz . this corresponds to 0 . 4 μv in 500 hz bandwidth and no mismatch is applied . the unit force dac 118 ( best shown in fig4 ) may consist of 12 unit elements . the currently implemented dem is data weighted averaging ( dwa ), i . e . thermometer coding of the unit forces and rotating the control signals . this creates first order high frequency shaping of the mismatch errors . the system &# 39 ; s sensitivity to parameter variations has also been analyzed and taken into account during optimization of the loop filter coefficients . the robustness of the system is greatly enhanced by the secondary feedback loop that is an essential part of the invention . transient simulations prove that the system of the present invention can handle a sensor element resonance frequency shift down to 530 hz ( best seen in fig1 ) and up to 880 hz ( best seen in fig1 ) before it becomes unstable . more particularly , fig1 shows a resulting spectrum 142 of a transient simulation with 18 nv /√ hz white noise , 1 % ( 3σ ) mismatch and data weighted averaging to mitigate the mismatch . fig1 is a schematic view a spectrum 144 of transient simulation when the sensor resonance frequency has been reduced to 530 hz without changing any other system parameters . fig1 shows a schematic view a spectrum 146 of transient simulation when a sensor resonance frequency has been increased to 880 hz without changing any other system parameters . while the present invention has been described in accordance with preferred compositions and embodiments , it is to be understood that certain substitutions and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 7 |
the following specific examples are used for illustrating the present invention . a person skilled in the art can easily conceive the other advantages and effects of the present invention . the present invention can also be implemented by different specific cases be enacted or application , the details of the instructions can also be based on different perspectives and applications in various modifications and changes do not depart from the spirit of the creation . many examples have been used to illustrate the present invention . the examples sited below should not be taken as a limit to the scope of the invention . lactobacillus plantarum subsp . plantarum k37 ( hereinafter referred to k37 ) was isolated from fu - tsai , traditional fermented mustard products of taiwan . to identify species of k37 , a combined use of 16s rdna and phes sequences was performed . 16s rdna ( seq id no : 1 ) and phes ( seq id no : 2 ) from k37 were analyzed by direct sequencing of about 500 nucleotides of pcr - amplified product . genomic dna extraction , pcr mediated amplification , purification of the pcr products , and sequencing of the purified pcr products were carried out , accordingly . the resulting sequence was put into the alignment software provided online by the national center for biotechnology information ( ncbi ) ( http :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov /), aligned manually and compared with representative 16s rdna or phes sequences of organisms belonging to the lactobacillus , respectively . for comparison , 16s rdna and phes sequences were also obtained from the database provided online by the ncbi . as a result of this analysis , the following table 1 lists those organisms , whose 16s rdna ( table 1a ) and phes ( table 1b ) sequences show the highest similarity values compared to the sequence of k37 . lactobacillus plantarum subsp . plantarum k37 has been deposited under budapest treaty at dsmz - deutsche sammlung von mikroorganismen und zellkulturen gmbh ( inhoffenstr . 7 b , d - 38124 braunschweig , germany ) on jun . 27 , 2013 and has been given the dsmz accession no . dsm 27445 by the international depositary authority . this biological material was subjected to the viability test and passed . the pcr - fingerprinting profiles of k37 and the other two lactobacillus plantarum type strains were compared . pcr was carried out under the condition indicated in table 2 . dnas extracted from these strains were used as templates . the obtained amplification products were electrophoresed and the patterns were compared as shown in fig1 a to fig1 c , in which primers represented by seq id no : 3 / no : 4 ( fig1 a ), no : 5 ( fig1 b ) and no : 6 ( fig1 c ) were used . as shown in fig1 a to fig1 c , lane m represents dna ladder ( 250 - 10000 bp ); lane 1 represents lactobacillus plantarum subsp . plantarum k37 ; lane 2 represents lactobacillus plantarum subsp . plantarum atcc 14917 t ; lane 3 represents lactobacillus plantarum subsp . argentoratensis atcc 17638 t . the results indicated that the amplified products of k37 had different patterns from other two lactobacillus plantarum strains . sugar utilization for k37 used in the present invention was investigated using api50chl kit ( biomerieux , france ), and the results are shown in table 3 . the fermentation test indicates that k37 harbor a biochemical property similar to lactobacillus plantarum subsp . plantarum . de man , rogosa , and sharpe ( mrs ) broth was purchased from difco ( sparks , md .). methacholine and ova were purchased from sigma - aldrich ( st . louise , mo .). rpmi - 1640 culture medium , fetal bovine serum ( fbs ), l - glutamate , antibiotics ( penicillin , streptomycin , and amphotericin ) were obtained from gibco ( brl , ny ). all other chemicals were purchased from merck ( darmstadt , germany ). lactobacillus plantarum subsp . plantarum k37 ( hereinafter referred to k37 ) was isolated from fu - tsai , traditional fermented mustard products of taiwan , and preserved in the stock . k37 was inoculated in mrs ( de man , rogosa and sharpe ; ph 5 . 4 ; difco , usa ) broth , cultured at 30 ° c . for 21 hrs , harvested using centrifugation ( 1500 g , 10 min ), and washed twice with sterile pbs . then k37 was resuspended in pbs to a final concentration of 10 10 cfu / ml and were stored at − 20 ° c . until use . as for a heat - killed k37 preparation , 10 10 cfu / ml of k37 were heat - killed at 100 ° c . for 20 min and were stored at − 20 ° c . until use . four - weeks - old female balb / c mice were purchased from the national laboratory animal center , taiwan , and maintained in national yang - ming university . the animal room was kept on a 12 : 12 hrs light - dark cycle at temperature of 25 ± 2 ° c . and humidity of 55 ± 15 %. the mice were fed with a standard laboratory diet ( labdiet autoclavable rodent diet 5010 , pmi nutrition international , brentwood , usa ) to acclimatize them for two weeks prior to ova sensitization and bacterial feeding . all animal experimental procedures were reviewed and approved by the animal management committee , national yang - ming university . to evaluate the anti - allergic effect of k37 , the 6 - weeks - old mice were sensitized and challenged with ova to establish an ova - induced airway allergy balb / c mice model . the experimental procedure for ova immunization , administration of k37 , and sample collection in the ova - sensitized balb / c mice model is summarized in fig2 . five groups ( n = 8 in each group ) of mice were assigned for a different treatment for 34 days . the healthy control group ( con ) and the allergy control group ( ova ) were orally administered with pbs by using stainless feeding tubes . mice were daily fed with 10 5 ( k37 - l ), 10 7 ( k37 - m ), and 10 9 cfu ( k37 - h ) of heat - killed k37 as well as 10 9 cfu of live k37 ( k37 - a ), respectively . all groups , except for the healthy control group , were intraperitoneally injected with 100 μl of al ( oh ) 3 containing 50 μg of ova on day 1 and 14 . the healthy control group mice received al ( oh ) 3 only . on day 28 , 29 and 30 , the mice were challenged with ova ( 1 % in pbs , 100 μl / mouse , day ) or pbs by intranasal administration . on day 32 , the ahr of the mice was measured . at the endpoint of assessment , all mice were sacrificed for bronchoalveolar lavage study . the spleen was removed sterilely for further culture . the lung was removed for histological analysis . mouse body weight was measured every day during the study period . there were no significant differences in food intake , feed efficiency , or changes in body weight among the groups . blood was collected using retro - orbital venous plexus puncture and serum was prepared by centrifugation ( 2 , 000 rpm for 10 min ) on the designated day ( fig2 ). the serum was stored at − 20 ° c . before immunoglobulin analysis . ahr measurement was performed by whole body plethysmography . pressure differences were measured between the main chamber of the plethysmograph containing the animal and a reference chamber ( box pressure signal ). mice were challenged with aerosolized normal saline ( for the baseline measurement ) or methacholine ( 6 . 25 , 12 . 5 , 25 , and 50 mg / ml ) for three minutes and the readings were recorded and averaged for three minutes after nebulization . the enhanced pause ( penh ) ratio for each minute was recorded and after the third recorded value , the average penh value was divided by the penh of normal saline and was presented as a relative percentage increase of penh . after the mice were sacrificed , the lungs were lavaged immediately via the trachea three times with 1 ml of hanks &# 39 ; balanced salt solution ( hbss ). the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ( balf ) was cooled on ice and centrifuged ( 1200 rpm , 4 ° c ., 10 min ). the supernatants were collected for the cytokine assay , and cell pellets were resuspended with 1 ml hbss . the total numbers of cells in the balf were counted with a standard haemocytometer . cell counts for macrophage , eosinophil , neutrophil , and lymphocyte were performed by counting at least 200 cells in the cytocentrifuged preparations stained with liu &# 39 ; s stain solution ( chi i pao , taipei , taiwan ), and differentiated by standard morphological criteria . briefly , the spleen cells were adjusted to 1 × 10 6 cells / ml in rpmi 1640 culture medium supplemented with 10 % fbs , 1 % l - glutamate , 100 iu / ml penicillin , 0 . 1 mg / ml streptomycin , and 0 . 25 μg / ml amphotericin . the cells were cultured in a humidified incubator at 37 ° c . with 5 % co 2 for 48 hrs . after incubation , the supernatants were collected and stored at − 20 ° c . for further cytokine analysis . ( 7 ) measurement of immunoglobulins and cytokines by enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay ( elisa ) the levels of total ige and ova - specific ige , igg1 , and igg2a were measured using the commercial elisa kits ( bethyl laboratory inc ., montgomery , tex ., for total ige and alpha diagnostic international inc ., san antonio , tex ., for ova - specific ig ). the concentrations of il - 2 , il - 4 , il - 5 , il - 6 , il - 12 , il - 13 , tnf - α , and ifn - γ were determined using elisa procedure according to the manufacturers &# 39 ; instructions ( for il - 2 , il - 4 , il - 10 , tnf - α and ifn - γ , ebioscience , boston , mass . ; il - 5 , il - 6 , il - 13 , and eotaxin r & amp ; d systems , minneapolis , minn .). after lavage , the lungs were immediately removed and fixed in 10 % v / v buffered formalin ( in pbs , ph 7 . 4 ) for 24 hrs , and then embedded in paraffin . the fixed and embedded tissue was then stained with hematoxylin and eosin ( sigma , st . louis , mo .) for histological assessment using light microscope ( leica dm750 ). data were expressed as means ± standard deviation ( sd ). the differences between means were tested for statistical significance using a one - way anova followed by a tukey &# 39 ; s post - hoc test . differences between the control group and other groups were considered statistically significant when p & lt ; 0 . 05 (*) or & lt ; 0 . 01 (**). ( 1 ) effect of oral administration of k37 on immunoglobulin expression in ova - sensitized mice the levels of serum immunoglobulins were first investigated to clarify on the effects of lab on ova - sensitized mice . some lab strains with th1 - dominant responses were reported to be effective in regulating the production of ova - induced immunoglobulins . in the present study , mice were orally administered with 10 5 ( k37 - l ), 10 7 ( k37 - m ), and 10 9 cfu ( k37 - h ) of heat - killed k37 as well as 10 9 cfu of live k37 ( k37 - a ), respectively , for 34 days and intraperitoneally injected with ova / al ( oh ) 3 on day 1 and 14 ( fig2 ). as shown in fig3 a , the total serum ige in ova - sensitized mice elevated after day 7 and continued to increase through day 34 . the group receiving high - dose of heat - killed k37 ( 10 9 cfu , k37 - h ) and live k37 ( 10 9 cfu , k37 - a ) showed significantly reduced serum level of total ige ( fig3 a ) and ova - specific ige ( fig3 b ) on day 34 compared with the ova - sensitized group ( ova ) ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). the serum level of ova - specific igg1 and the th2 - type immunoglobulin in k37 - m , k37 - h and k37 - a groups were markedly lower than those in the ova - sensitized group ( ova ) by about 3 folds ( fig3 c ; p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). the k37 groups had increased serum levels of ova - specific igg2a , the th1 - type immunoglobulin . when compared with those in the ova - sensitized group ( ova ), the levels of ova - specific igg2a in the k37 - h and k37 - a groups showed significantly different ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; fig3 d ). to evaluate the effects of k37 on ahr , the assessment was performed using non - invasive whole body plethysmography 1 day after the final challenge . as shown in fig4 , the balb / c mice sensitized intraperitoneally and challenged intranasally with ova revealed an increase in the penh value ( ova and k37 groups ) in response to methacholine inhalation compared with the pbs - sensitized and pbs - challenged mice ( con group ). in the ova group , ahr to methacholine inhalation was markedly increased compared with the con group . however , oral administration of k37 alleviated the development of ahr compared with the ova group . the penh levels of the k37 - h and k37 - a groups were similar to those of the con group and significantly lower than those in the ova group ( methacholine 25 mg / ml , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; 50 mg / ml , p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). the k37 - m group showed a significantly lower penh level at 50 mg / ml methacholine ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) the cell numbers of macrophages , eosinophils , neutrophils and lymphocytes were counted to obtain the cell fractions of balf for evaluating the effects of k37 on lung inflammation . the influx of inflammatory cells into lungs was examined . as shown in fig5 a , the total number of cells in balf of the ova group was significantly increased with ahr . the numbers of cells in k37 - m , k37 - h and k37 - a groups were significantly lower than those in the ova group ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the cell composition of balf was further analyzed ( fig5 b ). in the ova group , the percentage of eosinophils and neutrophils were significantly increased while the percentage of macrophages was decreased compared with the con group . as for the k37 - h and k37 - a groups , the cell number for macrophage is elevated while eosinophil infiltration is alleviated compared with the ova group . the effect of k37 on lung inflammation in the ova - sensitized and ova - challenged mice was further evaluated with histological examination . as shown in fig6 , upon h & amp ; e staining , inflammatory changes such as increase in cell infiltration and thickness of epithelial cells were observed in ova group . the inflammation in the peribronchial and perivascular regions of mice , which were orally administered with k37 , was significantly moderate compared with that in the ova group due to fewer cell infiltration and thinner epithelial layer ( fig6 ). ( 5 ) effects of oral administration of k37 on cytokine levels in balf and spleen cell culture from ova - sensitized mice the cytokine production profile was employed to evaluate the effects of k37 on t - cell responses . the concentrations of th - 1 cytokines , such as il - 2 , il - 12 , and ifn - γ , and th - 2 cytokines , such as il - 4 , il - 5 , and il - 13 , in balf ( fig7 a to 7f ) and in spleen cell cultures ( fig8 a to 8f ) were measured using elisa method . as shown in fig7 a , 7c and 7e , levels of th1 cytokines , such as il - 2 , il - 12 , and ifn - γ , in balf were elevated dose - dependently in k37 groups compared with the ova group . in the k37 - h and k37 - a groups , the levels of il - 2 and il - 12 were significantly higher than those in the ova group ( fig7 a and 7c , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the ifn - γ levels were significantly increased in k37 - m ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ), k37 - h ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) and k37 - a groups ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). levels of th2 cytokines in balf , including il - 4 , il - 5 , and il - 13 , were also measured . the levels of il - 4 in balf of k37 groups ( fig7 b ) were significantly decreased compared with that in the ova group ( k37 - m , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ), k37 - h and k37 - a , p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). in k37 - m , k37 - h and k37 - a groups , the levels of il - 5 were significantly lower than that in the ova group ( fig7 d ; k37 - m , p & lt ; 0 . 05 , k37 - h and k37 - a , p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). however , only in the k37 - h and k37 - a groups , the level of il - 13 was significantly diminished ( fig7 f ). as for the cytokines in spleen cells , the levels of il - 2 ( fig8 a ) in k37 groups were elevated compared with that in the ova group ; however , only the increases in the k37 - h and k37 - a groups showed statistical significance ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). in all ova - sensitized groups ( ova and k37 groups ), the levels of il - 12 were comparable and lower than that in the non - sensitized group ( con group ) ( fig8 c ). in k37 - m , k37 - h , and k37 - a groups , the levels of ifn - γ were higher than that in the ova group , showing statistical significance ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 and p & lt ; 0 . 01 , respectively ). the reduced il - 4 levels were observed in k37 groups ( k37 - h and k37 - a p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the levels of il - 5 and il - 13 were elevated dose - dependently in k37 groups ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 for k37 - m and p & lt ; 0 . 01 for k37 - h and k37 - a ). however , the levels of il - 4 were comparable in all groups ( fig8 b ). taken together , the results of cytokine determination suggested that k37 treatment induced the production of th - 1 cytokines , il - 2 and ifn - γ , in balf and spleen cell culture . diminished secretion of th2 cytokines , il - 4 , il - 5 and il - 13 , was observed in k37 groups . the levels of proinflammatory cytokines , such as tnf - α and il - 6 , and eotaxin , in balf were also measured to evaluate the effects of k37 on inflammation status in lung . as shown in fig9 , the levels of tnf - α were comparable in con and ova groups but dose - dependently decreased in k37 groups . the levels of il - 6 and eotaxin were dramatically elevated in the ova group compared with the con group . however , the levels of il - 6 and eotaxin in k37 - h and k37 - a groups were comparable to those in the con groups . the levels of tnf - α and il - 6 in spleen cell culture showed the same tendency as in balf ( data not shown ). taken together , k37 treatment decreased the production of tnf - α , il - 6 and eotaxin in balf of ova - sensitized mice . the present invention investigates the effects of orally administered k37 on ova - induced allergic asthma in balb / c mice model . the present results shows that k37 suppresses allergic parameters , including ahr , airway inflammation , total ige and ova - specific ige . the cytokine production profiles in balf and spleen cell culture reveal that k37 skews immune responses toward th - 1 responses , elevates levels of th - 1 cytokines , and diminish levels of th - 2 cytokines . the levels of inflammatory mediators in balf , such as tnf - α , il - 6 and eotaxins , are dose - dependently decreased by k37 oral administration . the lower cell numbers of eosinophils and neutrophils in balf suggest that inflammation is ameliorated by k37 . the histological observation on lung sections also shows infiltration of fewer cells . k37 isolated from fu - tsai , traditional fermented mustard products of taiwan , was previously evaluated for the effect on in vitro production of cytokines by hpbmcs . consequently , it is speculated that lactic acid bacteria with an in vitro th1 - polarizing potential might exhibit anti - allergic effects in vivo . ovalbumin ( ova ) is the most frequently used allergen in animal models of allergy . the lower the levels of ige and ova - specific ige and igg1 , the more moderate the allergic responses are . in the present invention , the intraperitoneally ova - sensitized and intranasally ova - challenged balb / c model ( fig2 ) was employed to investigate the anti - allergic effects of k37 . as shown in fig3 , the increased levels of serum ige , ova - specific ige , and igg1 in the ova group indicates the allergic animal model is established and represents b - cell type th - 2 responses . in k37 groups , the levels of total ige , ova - specific ige , and ova - specific igg1 are significantly lower than the ova group at the endpoint of assessment ( k37 - m , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; and k37 - a p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) ( fig3 ). furthermore , considerable increase of ova - specific igg2a was observed in the k37 group ( fig3 d ). the results of serum immunoglobulin analysis demonstrate systemic anti - allergic effects of k37 . moreover , the modulatory effects of k37 on ova - induced immunoglobulins secretion show a dose - dependent tendency . the present results reveals that k37 exhibits both of systemic and airway anti - allergic effects and k37 - h ( 10 9 cfu , heat - killed ) and k37 - a ( 10 9 cfu , live ) show the best activity , suggests that the anti - allergic effects of k37 are dose - dependent . hyperresponsiveness is defined as increased sensitivity to some cholinergic agents , like methacholine , which leads to smooth muscle constrictions and increases airway resistance by narrowing the airways . asthma is one of the airway hyperresponsive diseases which can be characterized by the accumulation of inflammatory cells , increase in mucus production , release of certain th2 cytokines , il - 4 , il - 5 , and il - 13 , and increased levels of ige . in the present invention , the changes in airway remodeling of k37 treatment were investigated . k37 markedly alleviates the ova - induced ahr to inhaled methacholine ( fig4 ). according to lung histopathological studies with h & amp ; e staining , inflammatory cell infiltration is inhibited in the k37 groups compared with the ova group ( fig6 ). cytokine expressions , such as il - 4 , il - 5 , and il - 13 , in connection with t - cell response , and immunoglobulin g1 ( igg1 ) production in connection with b - cell response , are thought to be related to th2 immunity . th2 cytokines play an important role in asthma . among th - 2 cytokines , il - 4 drives naïve t helper cells to be the th2 phenotype and induces b cells to switch the isotype to ige . il - 5 produced by th2 cells is responsible for eosinophil growth , differentiation , mobilization , recruitment , activation and survival . il - 13 plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of asthma . excessive productions of il - 4 , il - 5 , and il - 13 are implicated in the development of asthma . the present results shows increased t - cell responsive th2 cytokines , such as il - 4 , il - 5 and il - 13 , in both of balf and cultured spleen cells from ova groups ( fig6 and fig7 , respectively ). evidences have shown that th1 / th2 regulatory effects of lab are useful in allergic animal model . in the present invention , ahr is decreased by oral administration of k37 , and suggests its anti - allergic effects which may be attributed to the reduction of th - 2 cytokines and eotaxin is well known to play an important role in the development of ahr . it is speculated that the inhibitory effects on il - 13 contributed to the anti - allergic activity of k37 ( fig7 f and 8f ). besides inhibition on th - 2 cytokines , k37 also enhances production of th - 1 cytokines . k37 elevates ifn - γ production in hpbmcs ( data not shown ). k37 also increases the levels of il - 2 , il - 12 and ifn - γ in balf and spleen cell culture ( fig7 and 8 , respectively ). taken together , the present results indicate that k37 has a promising effect on modulating t - cell responses in ova - sensitized mice toward th1 responses . inflammation in lung tissue and balf induces by ova sensitization and challenge was observed in the present invention ( fig5 and 6 ). many types of inflammatory cells are involved in the process of airway inflammation , such as mast cells , eosinophils , and t lymphocytes . among those cells , eosinophils play the crucial role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases . eosinophils are attracted via cc chemokine receptor 3 ( ccr3 ) to chemoattractants , such as eotaxin released in the airway . clinical and experimental studies have established eosinophilia as a sign of allergic disorders . k37 lowers the levels of ova - specific ige as well as total ige . furthermore , ova - specific igg1 is decreased in k37 groups ( fig3 ). eotaxin is regarded as an important aspect of allergy because it induces the recruitment of eosinophils , basophils , and th2 lymphocytes in lungs . the peribronchial and perivascular inflammatory infiltrate generally consisted of eosinophils and mast cells . as shown in fig5 b , the number of eosinophils is significantly decreased in the k37 - h and k37 - a groups compared with the ova group . moreover , the infiltration of eosinophils was observed in the peribronchial regions of the lung section of the ova group . however , fewer cells infiltrated in the k37 groups ( fig6 ). furthermore , the levels of eotaxin in k37 - m , k37 - h and k37 - a groups are comparable to that in the con group . decrease of tnf - α and il - 6 in the k37 - h group and k37 - a group were also observed ( fig9 ). taken together , these results suggest that moderate inflammation in lung contributed to the anti - allergic effects of k37 . in summary , the present invention demonstrates that k37 could ameliorate asthma - like responses in ova - sensitized balb / c mice . in the evaluation of ahr by means of enhanced pause ( penh ) with whole body plethysmography , it is found that the administration of k37 could significantly decrease ahr in ova - immunized balb / c mice . k37 induces pronounced immunomodulatory effects on most of the parameters tested . thus , k37 can be a promising candidate for protection and prophylactic treatment of allergic diseases . while some of the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail in the above , it is , however , possible for those of ordinary skill in the art to make various modifications and changes to the particular embodiments shown without substantially departing from the teaching and advantages of the present invention . such modifications and changes are encompassed in the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claim . | 0 |
the composition according to the invention thus comprises a polymer and at least two essential oils . according to the present invention , polymer a is a polymer selected from the group of homopolymers and copolymers of carboxylic acid and derivatives , or a polyalkylene oxide . polymer a , when being a homopolymer and / or copolymer of carboxylic acid and derivatives , has a plurality of carboxyl groups . the polymer a has a molecular mass preferably from 300 to 10 9 d ( dalton , also referred to as atomic mass units , amu ). the polymer a is selected from the class consisting of homopolymers or copolymers of carboxylic polymers , including natural synthetic and semi - synthetic polymers in this class . the polymer may be a homo polymers or co polymers , wherein by copolymer of monomer x is meant any polymer that contains the monomer x and at least one further monomer . some non - limiting examples of polymer a according to the present invention include : ( a ) homopolymers of a carboxylic acid , including but not limited to polycarboxylic acid such as polyacrylic acid , polymaleic acid or copolymers of acrylic and maleic acid . ( b ) polysaccharides comprising carboxyl groups . such polysaccharides may include ( but are not limited to ) starch , cellulose , sodium alginate , natural gums , and their modified materials such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose . alternatively the polymer a may be or a polyalkylene oxide , preferably poly ethylene oxide . homopolymers or copolymers of poly alkylene oxide preferably have a molecular mass greater than 2 × 10 4 d . the molecular mass is preferably from 2 × 10 4 to 10 6 d , more preferably from 3 × 10 4 to 5 × 10 5 d and most preferably from 5 × 10 4 to 2 × 10 5 d . homopolymers or copolymers of carboxylic acid have a molecular mass of preferably from 2 × 10 3 to 10 7 d more preferably from 5 × 10 4 to 10 6 d and most preferably from 9 × 10 4 to 5 × 10 5 d . if the polymers are in particulate form , the particle size is preferably less than 200 μm , preferably less than 100 μm , more preferably less than 50 μm still more preferably less than 10 μm , or even less than 5 μm . the homopolymers or copolymers of polysaccharide have a molecular mass of preferably from 10 3 to 10 9 d , more preferably from 10 4 to 10 9 d and most preferably from 10 5 to 10 9 d . polymer a is preferably at least partially neutralised in the sodium ( na + ) form , preferably at least 10 % w of polymer a is neutralised , more preferably at least 20 %, still more preferably at least 50 %. polymer a may be synthetic , semi - synthetic or natural . however , synthetic or semi - synthetic polymers are preferred . polymer a is preferably water soluble or water dispersible , most preferably polymer a is water soluble . it is preferred that the polymer a is selected from a class consisting of homopolymers or copolymers of carboxylic acid . the homopolymers or copolymers of carboxylic acid are preferably a polyacrylic acid or a copolymer thereof . examples include sokalan ® pa ( basf ) and carbopol ® ( lubrizol ). the concentration of polymer a in the composition according to the invention is preferably between 0 . 001 and 25 % by weight , more preferably at least 0 . 002 %, or even at least 0 . 005 %, but preferably not more than 15 %, more preferably less than 5 %, still more preferably less than 1 %, even more preferably less than 0 . 5 %, even less than 0 . 1 %, or even less than 0 . 05 % by weight of the composition . polymer a polyacrylic acid ( paa ) polyethylene glycol ( peg ) poly vinyl alcohol ( pva ) sodium carboxymethyl cellulose ( scmc ) hydroxyethyl cellulose starch - graft - polymethacrylic acid pluronic - g - polyacrylic acid sodium carboxymethyl cellulose in a preferred embodiment , the invention comprises the polymer a selected from the group of homopolymers and copolymers of carboxylic acid and derivatives , and a second polymer b selected from the group of homopolymers and copolymers of alkylene oxides , vinyl pyrrolidone and / or their derivatives ; and / or the group of homopolymers and copolymers of vinyl alcohol , saccharides , hydroxyalkyl cellulose and / or their derivates ; polymers a and b are preferably present in the composition in a ratio of between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1 , more preferably between 1 : 2 and 2 : 1 polymer b preferably has a monomeric unit comprising a group that can form hydrogen bonds with the carboxyl groups of polymer a . preferably , polymer b is selected from the group of homopolymers and copolymers of alkylene oxides , vinyl pyrrolidone and / or their derivatives ; and / or the group of homopolymers and copolymers of vinyl alcohol , saccharides , hydroxyalkyl cellulose and / or their derivates . the group of homopolymers and copolymers of vinyl alcohol , saccharides , hydroxyalkyl cellulose and / or their derivates , is generally not water soluble . in order to obtain the benefit of this group of polymers the particle size is set such that the particles are easily dispersible in water or and aqueous solution ( i . e . a wash or rinse liquor ). if the polymers are in particulate form , the particle size is preferably less than 200 μm , more preferably less than 100 μm , even more preferably less than 50 μm still more preferably less than 10 μm , or even less than 5 μm . polymers and homopolymers of carboxylic acid and / or sacchharides and / or polyalkylene glycol / ether qualify to be selected both as polymer a or polymer b , as they comprise hydroxyl or carboxyl group and either a carbonyl or an ether group . however , according to a preferred embodiment , polymer a and polymer b are not the same . it is particularly preferred that the polymers a and b are selected from different classes of polymers . without wishing to be limited by theory , it is believed that the two polymers a and b , when dissolved in water , form a complex with a solubility lower than each of the polymers a and b , which helps in enhanced deposition and other benefits . polymer b preferably has a molecular mass from 10 3 to 10 9 d . homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone or vinyl alcohol preferably have a molecular mass of between 10 3 and 10 7 d , more preferably from 10 4 to 10 6 d and most preferably from 30 , 000 to 500 , 000 d . commercially available polyvinyl pyrrolidone can be used , one example of which is luviskol ® ( basf ). homopolymers or copolymers of poly alkylene oxide preferably have a molecular mass greater than 2 × 10 4 d . the molecular mass is preferably from 2 × 10 4 to 10 6 d , more preferably from 3 × 10 4 to 5 × 10 5 d and most preferably from 5 × 10 4 to 2 × 10 5 d . homopolymers or copolymers of saccharide preferably have a molecular mass of preferably from 10 3 to 10 9 d , more preferably from 10 4 to 10 9 d and most preferably from 10 5 to 10 9 d . any commercially available poly alkylene oxide , for example polyox ® ( dow chemical co ) can be used according to the present invention . polymer b may be synthetic , semi - synthetic or natural . however , synthetic or semi - synthetic polymers are preferred . according to a preferred embodiment , the polymer b is water soluble . it is particularly preferred that the polymer b is selected from a class consisting of homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone or alkylene oxide . when present , the concentration of polymer b in the composition according to the invention is preferably between 0 . 001 and 20 % by weight , more preferably at least 0 . 002 %, or even at least 0 . 005 %, but preferably not more than 10 %, more preferably less than 5 %, still more preferably less than 1 %, even more preferably less than 0 . 5 %, even less than 0 . 1 %, or even less than 0 . 05 % by weight of the composition . some examples of combinations of polymer a and polymer b , which are particularly preferred , are given below . the compositions according to the inventions comprises at least two essential oils selected from aromatic essential oils including amyl salicylate , carvacrol , cymene , e . g . ρ - cymene , dihydroeugenol , eugenol , hexyl eugenol , hexyl salicylate , isoeugenol , methyl eugenol , methyl isoeugenol , methyl salicylate , tert butyl cresol , thymol , and vanillin ; and non - aromatic essential oil terpenoid compounds including cedrene , cineole , citral ( including geranial and neral ), citronellal , citronellol , eucalyptol ( also known as 1 , 8 cineole ) paradihydrolinalool , dihydromyrcenol ( dh myrcenol ), farnesol , geraniol , hexyl cinnamaldehyde , hydroxycitronallol , hydroxycitronellal , isocitral , limonene , preferably d - limonene , linalool , longifolene , menthol , nerol , nerolidiol , pinene , e . g . α - pinene , phellendrene , terpinene , e . g . α - terpinene and γ - terpinene , terpineol , e . g . γ - terpineol and terpin - 4 - ol , and tetrahydromyrcenol ( thm ). although essential oils are often isolated from plants , they may also be obtained though synthetic or semi - synthetic routes . the most preferred essential oils in the context of the present invention are thymol , terpineol and eugenol . it is even more preferred that the composition comprises three essential oils , wherein the essential oils are still more preferably selected from a combination of a thymol , a terpineol and a eugenol . each essential oil is preferably present in the composition in a concentration of between 0 . 001 and 10 % by weight of the composition , but preferably at least 0 . 002 %, or even at least 0 . 005 % by weight of the composition , while preferably not more than 5 %, more preferably not more than 1 %, still more preferably not more than 0 . 5 %, or even not more than 0 . 1 % by weight of the concentration . the compositions according to the invention may be applied in various skin care and cleansing products , including but not limited to hand soap , hand hygiene , deodorants , face wash , body wash and even shampoo and hair conditioner products . it is preferred that the compositions are applied to the skin neat , while the skin may be wet or dry at the time of application . it is preferred that the contact time of the product with the skin before rinsing is at least 15 seconds , preferably at least 1 minute . stay on compositions , such as deodorants , skin hygiene compositions , skin care compositions may stay for a longer period of time , preferably at least 15 seconds , more preferably 1 minute , even more preferably at least 15 minutes , still more preferably at least 1 hour , still more preferably at least 2 hours , or even more than 5 hours . the ph of the compositions is preferably neutral or mildly acidic , more preferably between ph 2 and 9 , still more preferably at least ph 3 , while more preferably less than ph 8 , still more preferably less than ph 7 , or even less than ph 6 . consequently there is provided a method for providing an anti - microbial effect to skin comprising the steps of applying a composition according to the invention to the skin , and waiting for at least 15 seconds . for hand / skin hygiene applications , skin care applications and deodorant applications the composition is preferably left on the skin after application without rinsing , but may be wiped of after the indicated time . for hand soap , face and body wash and shampoo and hair conditioner applications , the skin is preferably rinsed after application and after the indicated time . the invention will now be illustrated by means of the following non - limiting examples . anti - microbial efficacy test ( in vitro ) against e . coli at ph 3 . 5 the protocol used for testing in - vitro is based on standard test method astm e2149 - 01 , wherein working cultures of individual bacterial species ( e . coli atcc 10536 as indicated below ) were added to the test samples ; and were given a 15 seconds contact time . the samples were neutralized and serially diluted in a neutralizer . the viable count is determined by agar pour plating . activity is assessed by comparing the size of the population of untreated with that of treated specimens . test compositions and bacterial kill results are given in the table below : 1 ) the polymer is paa ( poly acrylic acid ; mw 100 , 000 d , ex sigma - aldrich ) 2 ) the saline solution comprised 0 . 1 % nacl and citric acid to a ph of 3 . the table above shows that the composition of polymer and two essential oils provides the objected effect at 15 seconds contact time . anti - microbial efficacy test ( in vitro ) against e . coli — at different ph the same method was used as in example 1 , but a contact time of only 15 seconds was used in this example . test compositions and bacterial kill results are given in the table below : 1 ) the polymer was paa ( poly acrylic acid ; mw 100 , 000 d , ex sigma - aldrich ) 2 ) the saline solution comprised 0 . 1 % nacl and citric acid to the indicated ph . the table above demonstrates that good results are obtained at different ph &# 39 ; s . comparative tests : anti - microbial efficacy test ( in vitro ) against e . coli — effect of single polymers test compositions and bacterial kill results are given in the table below : 1 ) the polymer complex comprised paa ( poly acrylic acid ; mw 450 , 100 , 000 d , ex sigma - aldrich ) and peo ( poly ethylene oxide ; mw 100 , 000 d , ex sigma - aldrich ), in an amount as given in the table . 2 ) the saline solution comprised 0 . 1 % nacl and citric acid to a ph of 3 . 6 . the table above shows that the single polymers do provide the objected effect at 15 seconds contact time . a typical hand sanitizer composition according to the invention is given in the table below . the composition given above provides long lasting hygiene when applied to skin . the compositions given above provide anti bacterial effect on skin within 15 seconds . | 0 |
now referring to fig1 one embodiment of the electrical circuit of the present invention will be described in detail . in the embodiment of the present invention depicted in fig1 the battery of a towing vehicle is used to supply an electrical current both to the electromagnet in the variable valve means of the towed vehicle and to the direct current electric motor which drives the hydraulic fluid pumping means . thus , towing vehicle battery 2 is interconnected by wires 4 and 6 to current varying means 8 and motor relay switch 10 , respectively . when the driver of the towing vehicle depresses the brake pedal of that vehicle , current varying means 8 sends an electric current signal via signal wire 12 to the electromagnet means 14 of the variable valve means of the present invention , further described hereinbelow . since , at this instant in time , there is no hydraulic pressure in the brake lines of the towed vehicle , valve cap 16 is attracted downward toward electromagnetic means 14 . this causes valve cap switch 18 to move from an open to a closed position , thereby completing the circuit through motor relay switch 10 causing that switch , normally in an open position , to close and provide electric current to electric motor 20 . thus , in the first instant of operation , electromagnet means 14 causes a physical shift in position of valve cap 16 , which movement is employed to close the circuit to the electric motor 20 which drives the hydraulic pumping means . the hydraulic pumping means introduces hydraulic fluid , under pressure , into the valve means of the present invention and from there into the brake lines of the towed vehicle . as further described hereinbelow , once the hydraulic pressure in the brake lines of the towed vehicle overcomes the magnetic force ( which is varying proportionally with the signal received from current varying means 8 , and therefore with the brake pressure being applied by the driver in the towing vehicle ) the hydraulic pressure in the brake lines will overcome the electromagnetic force and cause valve cap 16 to rock upward , thus opening valve cap switch 18 . this , in turn , will cause motor relay switch 10 to return to an open position and break the circuit to the electric motor 20 providing power to the hydraulic pumping means . in this manner , the electric motor 20 operates only intermittently as needed to provide sufficient hydraulic pressure in the brake lines of the towed vehicle to match the signal received from the towing vehicle via signal wire 12 . now referring to fig2 the hydraulic circuitry of one embodiment of the braking system of the present invention will be described . hydraulic pumping means 22 , driven by electric motor 20 as described above , pumps hydraulic fluid from reservoir 24 through one way , check valve means 26 and into inlet port 28 of valve means 30 . the fluid passing through valve means 30 exits at outlet port 32 and enters brake line 34 of the towed vehicle thereby applying pressure to wheel cylinders 36 and 38 of the towed vehicle . valve cap 16 and the internal monitoring pin , inside of valve means 30 , further described hereinbelow , act to balance and monitor the hydraulic pressure in the valve means 30 and brake line 34 as compared with the electromagnetic force supplied to the electromagnet means 14 of valve means 30 . when sufficient hydraulic pressure has developed in brake line 34 , the electromagnetic force acting on valve cap 16 will be overcome by the upward action of the monitoring pin of the valve means 30 . the action of the monitoring pin will cause valve cap 16 to rock and open the valve cap switch 18 , as described above . further , if overpressure is developed by pumping means 22 , hydraulic fluid will be allowed to leak out of valve means 30 through fluid return port 40 and back to reservoir 24 via fluid return line 42 because of the unseating of a pressure relief control valve stem contained within valve means 30 and further described hereinbelow . one preferred embodiment of electromagnetic valve means 30 , useful in the braking system of the present invention , will now be described in detail . before referring to fig3 which is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of an electromagnetic valve means of the present invention , it will be useful to describe the operation of the valve . the basic function of the valve is to provide hydraulic pressure to the brake lines of the towed vehicle in a manner responsive to the application of braking pressure by the driver of the towing vehicle . this is accomplished by allowing hydraulic fluid to be pumped through the valve means and into the brake lines of the towed vehicle to raise the pressure in the brake line until that pressure matches or slightly exceeds the electromagnetic force acting to keep the valve cap means in position on the valve housing . the electromagnetic force is , of course , as noted above , indicative of the pressure being applied by the driver to the brake lines of the towing vehicle . once the hydraulic pressure in the brake lines of the towed vehicle meets or begins to exceed the electromagnetic force , the hydraulic pressure in the line causes a pressure monitoring pin means to act as a piston and apply a mechanical force in opposition to the electromagnetic attracting force . as the hydraulic - mechanical force of the monitoring pin becomes stronger than the magnetic force , it will cause a shift in position of the valve cap , which , in turn , causes the hydraulic pumping means to shut off . an especially preferred embodiment of the valve means 30 of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig3 and 4 . referring to fig3 valve means 30 is shown to comprise valve cap 16 , valve housing means 44 with electromagnetic windings 46 disposed therebetween . gear pump 48 is depicted in fig3 as being fixed to the bottom of valve means 30 and valve cap switch 18 ( further described hereinbelow ) is shown mounted in valve cap 16 . the valve cap 16 , which shifts position slightly during operation ( as further described hereinbelow ) can be loosely attached to valve housing means 44 via bolt holes ( not shown ). valve housing means 44 basically comprises inlet port 28 which communicates with the output of gear pump 48 , outlet port 32 which communicates with the brake lines of the towed vehicle , fluid return port 40 through which a controlled amount of hydraulic fluid is allowed to return to the reservoir of gear pump 48 , pressure relief control valve stem means 52 and monitoring pin means 54 . the operation of the valve means 30 , depicted in fig3 and 4 , will now be discussed in detail . hydraulic fluid from gear pump 48 enters inlet port 28 of valve housing means 44 when the electric current signal to the motor driving gear pump 48 is completed by valve cap switch 18 as described above . check valve means 26 , including check ball 58 , o - ring 60 , seating means 62 and spring 64 , insures that hydraulic fluid pumped into valve housing means 44 , via inlet port 28 , cannot return through that same route to gear pump 48 once that pump stops operation . the hydraulic fluid entering valve housing means 44 passes therethrough and out outlet port 32 and into the brake lines of the towed vehicle . pressure relief control valve stem means 52 comprises a first end 66 which can , for example , be conical and which acts to seal fluid return port 40 by seating on o - ring means 68 . second end 70 of pressure control valve stem means 52 extends beyond the valve control surface 72 of valve housing means 44 and contacts valve cap means 16 . in this manner , second end 70 of pressure relief control valve stem means 52 acts as a fulcrum upon which the lower surface of valve cap 16 rocks . intermediate portion 74 of pressure relief control valve stem means 52 includes a variance in cross sectional area so as to provide a hydraulic surface upon which the hydraulic fluid present in valve housing means 44 can act in an upward direction . the electromagnetic force of electromagnetic windings 46 acts to keep valve cap 16 seated on valve housing means 44 ( this seated position conveniently can be accomplished by means of rim 76 on valve cap 16 and groove 78 on valve housing means 44 ). the electromagnetic force is exerted against the hydraulic force transmitted to valve cap 16 mainly via second end 84 of monitoring pin means 54 and also via pressure relief control valve stem means 52 , the hydraulic pressure of the latter being created by the hydraulic surface provided by intermediate portion 74 of pressure relief control valve stem means 52 . o - ring means 80 insure a tight seal for pressure relief control valve stem means 52 . monitoring pin 54 provides a hydraulic surface 82 which communicates with outlet port 32 and , therefore , the brake lines of the towed vehicle . monitoring pin means 54 is suitably sealed within valve housing means 44 by o - ring means 86 , for example . since hydraulic surface 82 is larger than the hydraulic surface provided by intermediate portion 74 of pressure relief control valve stem means 52 , the force exerted by monitoring pin 54 at its second end 84 , which extends beyond valve control surface 72 of valve housing means 44 , exceeds the force exerted by pressure relief control valve stem means 52 . the pressure relief control valve stem means 52 , monitoring pin 54 and valve cap switch 18 are positioned so as to influence the shift of valve cap 16 when hydraulic pressure and magnetic attraction forces are counteracting . the pressure relief control valve stem means 52 is located off - center with respect to the magnetic field created by electromagnet means 46 and with respect to the center of valve cap 16 . since second end 70 of pressure relief control valve stem means 52 extends beyond valve control surface 72 , valve cap 16 &# 34 ; balances &# 34 ; on second end 70 and the lower end of valve cap switch 18 , with monitoring pin 54 being located therebetween . when current is applied to electromagnet means 46 the valve cap 16 will &# 34 ; rock &# 34 ; downward as the spring of valve cap switch 18 is compressed , thus starting the hydraulic pumping means 22 . the electromagnetic force also holds pressure relief control valve stem means 52 down in a seated position . as pressure within valve housing means 44 builds , monitoring pin 54 is forced hydraulically upward , shifting valve cap 16 upward also . this upward shift causes valve cap switch 18 to return to an open position ( stopping the hydraulic pumping means 22 ) while maintaining valve cap 16 in contact with pressure relief control valve means 52 . the pressure then reaches a &# 34 ; static &# 34 ; condition within the brake system of the towed vehicle . if overpressure occurs , the hydraulic surface 74 of pressure relief control valve means 52 will cause it to unseat allowing excess fluid to exit via fluid return port 40 . further , upon reduction of braking pressure by the towing vehicle operator , the electromagnetic force exerted by electromagnet means 46 of valve cap 16 will be reduced . one such force is reduced below the level of the combined hydraulic force acting on monitoring pin 54 and the hydraulic surface 74 of pressure relief control valve means 52 , pressure in the brake liner of the towed vehicle will smoothly be reduced as pressure relief control valve means 52 seats and unseats to allow hydraulic fluid to bleed out of fluid return port 40 to thereby balance the hydraulic pressure with the decreasing electromagnetic force . valve cap switch means 18 can comprise an electrical conduction means 88 , switch pole 90 , spring means 92 , housing means 94 and adjustment nuts 96 . spring means 92 keeps switch pole 90 in a normally open relationship with respect to conduction means 88 . only when valve cap 16 is attracted downward toward valve housing 44 does switch pole 90 compress spring means 92 and close into electrical contact with electrical conduction means 88 . this connection , in turn , activates the motor relay switch 10 described above which closes the circuit to the electric motor 20 which drives gear pump 48 . thus , whenever the pressure in the brake line of the towed vehicle asserts hydraulic pressure on monitoring pin means 54 and pressure relief control valve stem means 52 and the force exerted thereby on valve cap 16 overcomes the electromagnetic downward force being exerted by electromagnet windings 46 , valve cap switch 50 will return to an open position thus stopping the motor . if overpressure has developed some hydraulic fluid is allowed to return to the reservoir via fluid return outlet 40 , past pressure relief control valve stem means 52 which , in the case of overpressure will become unseated due to the hydraulic pressure on the hydraulic surface provided by intermediate portion 74 thereof . while the brake actuating system and electromagnetic variable valve means of the present invention have been described in relation to the preferred embodiments thereof , various adaptations and modifications of the invention will now be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . all of such adaptations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be covered thereby . | 1 |
the current transformer 2 of this invention is isometrically shown in fig1 wherein a length of insulated wire conductor 4 extends axially through a central opening 6 of current transformer 2 . referring also to fig2 current transformer 2 preferably comprises a wire - wound bobbin core 7 which consists of a plastic or the like insulating bobbin 8 which is wound with multiple turns of electrical conducting wire 10 such as transformer wire or the like . it is to be understood that the wound conductor may be a flat ribbon , or may be wire wound on a form other than a bobbin however , a wound - wire bobbin has a greater fill - factor than other forms of winding , providing a very high &# 34 ; turn &# 34 ; count , and is less expensive to wind than other forms . a rubber or vinyl insulating tape 12 is wound around the outer perimeter of coil 10 and bobbin 8 to retain the coil wire 10 in place on the bobbin and to provide protection and electrical insulation for the coil . opposite ends 10a and 10b ( fig1 ) of wire 10 are brought out of the coil and bobbin 8 at a single location for connection to means for measuring the analog output of the coiled wire 10 . when conductor 4 is disposed through the central opening 6 of the current sensor 2 , current i flowing in conductor 4 in either direction according to arrows 14 or 14 &# 39 ; will induce a flux β in a circular ( cylindrical ) pattern around conductor 4 as represented by arrows 16 or 16 &# 39 ;, respectively . it will be appreciated that arrows 16 or 16 &# 39 ; are in the same direction and plane as the coils of wire 10 of the core and therefore the flux β creates no transformer action because it cuts no conductor coils . according to this invention , a closed magnetic material flux path is provided on the wire - wound core to direct the flux β in a path that will completely encircle conductor 4 and will radially completely encircle the coils of wire 10 . the magnetic material path comprises a plurality of magnetic members which are arranged in a predetermined abutting order . to enhance the magnetic characteristics , each member is preferably made of three laminations , but for ease of discussion will be referred to herein as a single member . to fabricate the members in three laminations , it is preferable that the sheets of magnetic material be laminated in the three layers first , bonded together with an adhesive ( e . g . permabond 240 made by permabond international of englewood , n . j . ), and then cut as a laminated assembly from the bonded sheets so as to maintain a reasonable degree of precision for all laminations at the butt contact surfaces with other members . referring also to fig3 - 6 , the magnetic members comprise a substantially circular inner lamination 18 having a gap 18a , a substantially circular outer lamination 20 having a gap 20a , and top and bottom laminations 22 and 24 , respectively . top and bottom laminations 22 and 24 are essentially identical arcuate segments of less than 180 ° length and are oppositely disposed as seen in fig3 and 5 . it will also be noticed in fig3 and 5 that the inner and outer laminations 18 and 20 are disposed to have their respective gaps 18a and 20a arranged in diametrically opposed relationship with the ends of top and bottom laminations 22 and 24 terminating adjacent the respective gaps 18a and 20a . a piece of tape 26 encircles outer lamination 24 to provide electrical insulation for the lamination and to hold the lamination to the core 7 . similarly , a piece of tape 28 lines the interior of inner lamination 18 to provide an insulated central opening 6 for the current transformer 2 of this invention . referring particularly to fig6 and 7 , the magnetic flux path established by the magnetic members 18 - 24 is shown on the outline drawing of the current transformer in fig7 . the flux path extends within the outer lamination 20 to top lamination 22 , radially inward along top lamination 22 to inner lamination 18 , along the inner lamination to bottom lamination 24 , outwardly along bottom lamination 24 to outer lamination 20 , thereby making a complete loop around the central opening 6 and a complete , generally radially extending loop around the coils of wire 10 . this flux path is illustrated as p1 on the coil in fig7 . an alternate version 2 &# 39 ; of the current sensor of this invention is shown in fig8 - 12 wherein a modification of the magnetic members provides two turns of the flux path around the coils of wire 10 . as seen best in fig1 , inner and outer generally circular laminations 32 and 34 , respectively , comprise separate arcuate strips which , when positioned to the bobbin wound core 7 have two diametrically opposed gaps each , 32a and 34a , respectively the top and bottom laminations each comprise two identical members 36 , 38 and 40 , 42 , respectively . as in the foregoing description , each magnetic member preferably comprises three separate laminations as shown , but will be referred to as a single member in the description . in essence , all four members 36 , 38 , 40 and 42 are identical but have been given different numbers to facilitate the description . however , only the structural features of lamination member 36 will be described , using alpha subscripts which apply equally to the members 38 , 40 and 42 . member 36 comprises an outer arcuate segment 36a which is less than 180 ° in length , and an inner arcuate segment 36b which is also less than 180 ° in length . the inner and outer arcuate segments are rotationally offset 90 ° and are interconnected by a web 36c which extends approximately , but less than 90 ° in arcuate length . when top lamination members 36 and 38 are positioned on the top of the bobbin wound core 7 , the adjacent ends of respective outer arcuate segments 36a and 38a form a pair of diametrically opposed gaps g1 as do the respective ends of inner arcuate segments 36b and 38b , the latter gaps g2 being offset 90 ° from the first mentioned gaps g1 . as seen in fig8 and 10 , the inner laminations 34 are disposed within the center opening of the wire wound core 7 , and the outer laminations 32 are disposed around the periphery of the core . the outer laminations 32 abut the outer arcuate segment 36a , 38a , 40a and 42a of the respective top and bottom laminations 36 - 42 . similarly , the inner laminations 34 abut the respective inner arcuate segments 36b , 38b , 40b , and 42b , with the gaps 34a aligned with the gaps g2 in the inner arcuate segments of top and bottom laminations and the gaps 32a being aligned with the gaps g1 in outer arcuate segments of the top and bottom laminations . this alternate magnetic material flux path forms two complete loops around the coils of wire 10 and one complete loop around the conductor 4 . this flux path is illustrated on the isometric view of core 7 &# 39 ; shown in fig1 , wherein the path extends along one of the outer laminations 32 to top lamination outer arcuate segment 38a , inwardly through web 38c to inner arcuate portion 38b , downwardly through one of the inner laminations 34 to arcuate portion 42b , outwardly through web 42c to outer portion 42a into an oppositely disposed outer lamination 32 , upwardly to outer arcuate portion 36a of top lamination 36 , inwardly through web portion 36c to inner web portion 36b , downwardly through inner lamination 34 to inner arcuate portion 40b , outwardly through web portion 40c to outer arcuate portion 40a and back into the first mentioned outer lamination 32 . thus the flux path makes one complete loop around central opening 6 and a conductor 4 disposed therethrough and two complete loops radially around the coils of wire 10 &# 39 ; of core 7 &# 39 ;. the foregoing has described an improved current transformer for use as a current sensor to detect and measure current flowing in a wire conductor . the overall size and cost of the current transformer is greatly reduced by providing a wire - wound bobbin as a core and redirecting magnetic flux from a circular path coincident with the coils of wire to a radial path that encircles the coils of wire . improved sensitivity can be obtained by an alternate version of magnetic members which create a magnetic path that encircles the coils of wire 10 twice in series . it is to be understood that this invention is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims . for example , although the magnetic path has been described as comprising several discrete magnetic members , it is contemplated that a flexible magnetic material could be wound upon the core , or that magnetic material could be deposited in a prescribed path on the core by various spraying or coating methods . | 7 |
in fig1 , a steam reformer reactor unit 10 comprising a reactor section 10 a and a furnace section 10 b is fed by steam 2 and three fuels including natural gas 4 , refinery fuel gas 6 , and recycled off or purge gas 46 from the hydrogen purification unit 22 , typically comprising a pressure swing absorption ( psa ) unit . natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane . steam reforming is sometimes referred to as steam methane reforming ( smr ) and is an efficient and effective method of producing commercial bulk hydrogen . the steam reformer reactor unit 10 operates at high temperatures ( 700 - 1100 ° c .) and in the presence of a metal - based catalyst . in the steam reformer reactor unit 10 , the primary reaction is the steam 2 reacting with the methane in the natural gas 4 and fuel gas 6 to yield carbon monoxide and hydrogen according to the following formula : other reactions occurring in the steam reformer reactor unit 10 include the water gas shift according to the formula : the primary smr reaction is strongly endothermic and requires high temperatures to obtain high methane conversion rates . the large energy requirement for the smr process is obtained from oxidation / combustion reactions occurring in the furnace section 10 b of the steam reformer reactor unit 10 operation . the product from the steam reformer reactor unit 10 is a synthetic gas (“ syngas ”) 12 containing co , co 2 , h z , h 2 o and unreracted ch 4 . the syngas 12 is then catalytically shifted ( co + h 2 o → co 2 + h 2 ) in a water gas shift unit 14 to increase the hydrogen content . the water gas shift reaction is usually carried out in two stages : a high temperature stage , with typical reaction temperatures of about 350 - 400 ° c ., and a low temperature stage , with typical reaction temperatures of about 180 - 240 ° c . while the lower temperature reactions favor more complete carbon monoxide conversion , the higher temperature reactions allow recovery of the heat of reaction at a sufficient temperature level to generate high pressure steam . for maximum efficiency and economy of operation , it may be advantageous to have a high temperature reaction unit for bulk carbon monoxide conversion and heat recovery , and a low temperature reaction unit for final carbon monoxide conversion . the resulting gas is sent to an absorber 16 , preferably an amine absorber , to remove the carbon dioxide 13 . the absorber 16 is typically an absorber that utilizes such solvents as monoethanolamine ( mea ) and potassium carbonate ( k 2 co 3 ). the captured carbon dioxide 13 is thereafter compressed and exported where it can be used for enhanced oil recovery operations and / or sequestered . the co 2 lean syngas product is thereafter sent to a hydrogen purification unit 22 which is typically a pressure - swing adsorption (“ psa ”) unit to produce high purity hydrogen . the psa process is based on the principle that adsorbents are capable of adsorbing more impurities at a higher gas - phase partial pressure than at a lower partial pressure . the impurities are adsorbed in a fixed - bed adsorber at high pressure and then rejected as the system pressure “ swings ” to a lower level . hydrogen is essentially not adsorbed . the ability to completely adsorb impurities allows the production of a hydrogen product with very high purity . the purge gas 46 from the hydrogen purification unit 22 contains a combustible mixture of hydrogen , carbon monoxide , carbon dioxide , and methane and is routed to the smr reactor unit 10 with the largest fraction (& gt ; 80 %) sent to the reactor section 10 a and the smaller fraction routed to the furnace section 10 b to reduce impurities such as nitrogen and argon from the hydrogen product . the smr furnace 10 b provides the heat for the endothermic reforming reaction and also produces a significant quantity of high quality steam 21 . the furnace 10 b is fed by the product hydrogen 24 from the hydrogen purification unit 22 and the smaller portion of the psa purge gas 46 . the low carbon content of the combined fuel to the smr furnace 10 b will result in significant reduction in the amount of co 2 in the resultant flue gas 30 emitted to the atmosphere from the smr furnace 10 b . the hydrogen product 24 from the hydrogen purification unit 22 is routed to multiple users , including the smr furnace 10 b , the refinery process users ( hydrotreaters , etc . ), and to displace all or a portion of the fuel to the refinery fired heaters 18 . the low carbon content fuel to the refinery fired heaters 18 and to the smr furnace 10 b will result in significant reduction in the amount of co 2 in the resultant flue gas 23 emitted to the atmosphere in the refinery process heaters 18 as well as the production of a high purity co 2 product which can be sequestered or utilized for eor . as shown in fig2 , it would be possible and in some cases preferred to take the product syngas from the co 2 absorber 16 and split it between a hydrogen membrane 15 and the aforementioned psa hydrogen purification system 22 . since the hydrogen stream 17 from the psa 22 will be of higher purity it would thereafter be preferably utilized for process users ( hydrotreating , etc .). the hydrogen stream 19 from the lower cost hydrogen membrane unit 15 will be of lower purity and lower pressure and could be utilized for the smr furnace 10 b fuel and the displacement of refinery fired process heater 23 fuel . the membrane purge gas 21 is available at elevated pressure and can be recycled to the smr reactor section 10 a . this second processing configuration is shown in fig2 . in a preferred embodiment , a majority of said purge gas from step d ) is fed to said reactor section of said steam reformer reactor and a smaller quantity of said purge gas from step d ) is fed to said furnace section of said steam reformer reactor . the membrane systems are based on the difference in permeation rates between hydrogen and impurities across a gas - permeable polymer membrane . permeation involves two sequential mechanisms : the gas - phase component must first dissolve into the membrane and then diffuse through it to the permeate side . different components have different solubility and permeation rates . solubility depends primarily on the chemical composition of the membrane and diffusion on the structure of the membrane . gases can have high permeation rates as a result of high solubility , high diffusivity , or both . the driving force for both solution and diffusion is the partial pressure difference across the membrane between the feed and permeate sides . gases with higher permeability , such as hydrogen , enrich on the permeate side of the membrane , and gases with lower permeability enrich on the non - permeate side of the membrane because of the depletion of components with high permeability . the first fraction of the gas to permeate through the membrane consists primarily of the components with the highest permeability . as a larger fraction of the feed gas is allowed to permeate , the relative amount of the components with lower permeability increases in the permeate stream . in hydrogen separations , higher purity hydrogen is associated with lower recovery , and lower purity hydrogen is associated with higher recovery . this invention will be further described by the following example cases , which should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention . the following example cases are based upon a typical north american refinery which is currently operated without co 2 capture . the refinery processes 100 , 000 bpsd of crude with gasoline and diesel being the primary products and other environmentally acceptable liquids also produced . the refinery includes crude atmospheric and vacuum distillation , an fcc unit , catalytic reforming unit , hydrotreater units , and a natural gas fed smr unit . the base case with no co 2 capture is outlined in table 1 and also includes estimated co 2 emissions as reported in the literature . the total co 2 emissions are 115 lb / bbl of refinery feed and result in 5 , 750 stpd of co 2 being emitted to the atmosphere . the smr unit is fed with natural gas and provides 30 . 5 mm scfd of hydrogen . the co 2 emissions are segregated into three sources : from the smr unit ( 862 stpd ), from the fcc unit ( 1 , 000 stpd ) and from the plant fired heaters ( 3 , 888 stpd ). it is assumed that the co 2 emissions from the fcc regenerator ( 1 , 000 stpd ) are not modified in the cases utilizing the applicant &# 39 ; s process . additionally , as shown at the bottom of table 1 , it is assumed that the fired heaters are fed an 80 %/ 20 % blend by energy content of refinery generated fuel gas and imported natural gas and that the total energy provided to the heaters is 2 , 249 mm btu / hr . five cases , including the base case described above , are shown to illustrate the advantages of applicant &# 39 ; s invention . tables 2 and 3 show the results of these cases with a summary of the refinery co 2 material balance shown in table 3 . the base case is as described above for a typical u . s . 100 , 000 bpd petroleum refinery without co 2 capture . the base case results are shown in the first column and details the estimated values of natural gas , refinery fuel gas , hydrogen , and the make - up of the fuels to the process fired heaters . in the second case , shown in the second numerical column , co 2 capture is added to the 30 . 5 mm scfd smr h 2 plant reaction side to calculate the impact of co 2 capture on the refinery co 2 emissions . co 2 capture can be achieved using amine absorption to remove the majority of the co 2 from the smr psa feed gas . as shown in table 3 , this second case reduces the total co 2 emitted to the atmosphere by the refinery by just 8 %, far below proposed environmental targets . in the first case that utilizes applicant &# 39 ; s invention , which is shown in the third column , the processing configuration as shown in fig1 is utilized so that all of the fired heater duty is replaced by using of high purity h 2 product gas feed ( with added smr capacity ). the feed to the smr is all of the available refinery fuel gas ( 74 . 9 mm scfd ) plus 54 . 7 mm scfd of natural gas . co 2 capture is included . the smr furnace is fed product h 2 plus a small portion of the psa purge gas . co 2 emissions from the smr furnace are relatively small . the smr unit provides the 30 . 5 mm scfd hydrogen required for the refinery process users , 162 mm scfd for the smr furnace , and 186 mm scfd for the refinery fired heaters . as shown in table 2 , the 2 , 249 mm btu / hr of required fired heater duty is provided by the smr h 2 ( 1 , 990 mm btu / hr ) and the high temperature steam from the smr ( 259 mm btu / hr ). in this example , some fired heaters are replaced with high temperature steam exchangers for process heating . in this comparison , it is estimated that the smr would still provide a net hp steam product of approximately 85 , 400 lb / hr which is equal to that for the base case . a large quantity of co 2 is captured in the smr unit absorber . as shown in table 3 , this configuration reduces the refinery co 2 emissions of the base case by 79 . 2 percent . the co 2 emissions are primarily from the fcc unit which , as mentioned above , are not affected by this invention . the second case utilizing the applicant &# 39 ; s invention is shown in the fourth column in tables 2 and 3 and is a case where the product gas from the co 2 absorber is split between a hydrogen membrane and the psa hydrogen purification system . the membrane h 2 product is less pure and is utilized for the smr furnace and fired heater fuel . the high purity psa hydrogen is only utilized for the process users ( 30 . 5 mm scfd of h 2 as in the base case ). the membrane purge gas is available at high pressure compared to the psa unit purge gas and can be recycled to the smr reaction section with lower energy and cost requirements . the hydrogen flow rates shown in table 2 are a combination of that purified in the membrane and in the psa units . the results for this case are similar to the first invention case with 80 . 6 percent reduction in the amount of co 2 emitted to the atmosphere . the choice between the first two invention cases will be based on the relative economics of membrane versus psa h 2 purification , cost of co 2 emissions , and the cost of high carbon purge gas recycle to the smr reactor . the third case utilizing the applicant &# 39 ; s invention utilizes the same configuration as in the prior case with the product gas from the co 2 absorber split between a hydrogen membrane and the psa hydrogen purification system . however , this last case shows the situation where complete co 2 emission reduction is not required . the case nevertheless achieves a 20 % reduction as compared with the base case co 2 emissions by displacing only a portion of the refinery fired heater fuel with h 2 and hp steam . of the 2 , 249 mm btu / hr fired heater duty , 150 mm btu / hr is via membrane h 2 product , 37 mm btu / hr , and the remaining 2 , 062 mm btu / hr is the original fuel gas / natural gas fuel . the smr unit feedstock is 100 % natural gas ( 23 . 1 mm scfd ) and produces 92 mm scfd of h 2 . this hydrogen is a combination of that purified in the membrane and psa units . the h 2 is utilized for process users ( 30 . 5 mm scfd ), the smr furnace ( 47 . 4 mm scfd ) and for the fired heaters ( 14 . 1 mm scfd ). a shown in table 3 , 1 , 333 stpd of co 2 is captured in the smr unit absorbers and the net co 2 emission to the atmosphere is 4 , 603 stpd , a 20 % reduction relative to the base case . the invention described herein has been disclosed in terms of specific embodiments and applications . however , these details are not meant to be limiting and other embodiments , in light of this teaching , would be obvious to persons skilled in the art . accordingly , it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions are illustrative of the principles of the invention , and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof . | 2 |
in the present context , the phrase “ medical prosthetic device and implant ” includes within its scope any device intended to be implanted into the body of a vertebrate animal , in particular a mammal such as a human . non - limiting examples of such devices are medical devices that replace anatomy or restore a function of the body , such as the femoral hip joint ; the femoral head ; acetabular cup ; elbow , including stems , wedges , articular inserts ; knee , including the femoral and tibial components , stem , wedges , articular inserts or patellar components ; shoulders including stem and head ; wrist ; ankles ; hand ; fingers ; toes ; vertebrae ; spinal discs ; artificial joints ; dental implants ; ossiculoplastic implants ; middle ear implants including incus , malleus , stapes , incus - stapes , malleusincus , malleus - incus - stapes ; cochlear implants ; orthopaedic fixation devices such as nails , screws , staples and plates ; heart valves ; pacemakers ; catheters ; vessels ; space filling implants ; implants for retention of hearing aids ; implants for external fixation ; and also intrauterine devices ( iuds ); and bioelectronic devices such as intracochlear or intracranial electronic devices . in the present context , the term “ biomolecule ” is intended to cover and comprise within its meaning a very wide variety of biologically active molecules in the widest sense of the word , be they natural biomolecules ( i . e ., naturally occurring molecules derived from natural sources ), synthetic biomolecules ( i . e ., naturally occurring molecules prepared synthetically as well as non - naturally occurring molecules or forms of molecules prepared synthetically ) or recombinant biomolecules ( i . e ., prepared through the use of recombinant techniques ). a non - limiting list of main groups of and species biomolecules that are contemplated as being suitable for incorporation into a metal hydride layer ( in a stable and / or physiologically reversible manner ) in accordance with the invention is given below . these are biomolecules that mediate attachment of cells , tissue , organs or organisms onto non - biological surfaces like glass , rock etc . this group of bio - molecules includes the marine mussel adhesive proteins , fibrin - like proteins , spider - web proteins , plant - derived adhesives ( resins ), adhesives extracted from marine animals , and insect - derived adhesives ( like resilins ). some specific examples of adhesives are : fibrin ; fibroin ; mytilus edulis foot protein ( mefpl , “ mussel adhesive protein ”); other mussel &# 39 ; s adhesive proteins ; proteins and peptides with glycine - rich blocks ; proteins and peptides with poly - alanine blocks ; and silks . cell attachment factors are biomolecules that mediate attachment and spreading of cells onto biological surfaces or other cells and tissues . this group of molecules typically contains molecules participating in cell - matrix and cell - cell interaction during vertebrate development , neogenesis , regeneration and repair . typical biomolecules in this class are molecules on the outer surface of cells like the cd class of receptors on white blood cells , immunoglobulins and haemagglutinating proteins , and extracellular matrix molecules / ligands that adhere to such cellular molecules . typical examples of cell attachment factors with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants are : ankyrins ; cadherins ( calcium dependent adhesion molecules ); connexins ; dermatan sulphate ; entactin ; fibrin ; fibronectin ; glycolipids ; glycophorin ; glycoproteins ; heparan sulphate ; heparin sulphate ; hyaluronic acid ; immunglobulins ; keratan sulphate ; integrins ; laminins ; n - cams ( calcium independent adhesive molecules ); proteoglycans ; spektrin ; vinculin ; vitronectin . biopolymers are any biologically prepared molecule which , given the right conditions , can be assembled into polymeric , macromolecular structures . such molecules constitute important parts of the extracellular matrix where they participate in providing tissue resilience , strength , rigidity , integrity etc . some important biopolymers with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants are : alginates ; amelogenins ; cellulose ; chitosan ; collagen ; gelatins ; oligosaccharides ; pectin . this class of proteins typically contains any dissolved or aggregated protein which normally is present whole blood . such proteins can participate in a wide range of biological processes like inflammation , homing of cells , clotting , cell signalling , defence , immune reactions , metabolism etc . typical examples with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants are : albumin ; albumen ; cytokines ; factor ix ; factor v ; factor vii ; factor viii ; factor x ; factor xi ; factor xii ; factor xiii ; hemoglobins ( with or without iron ); immunoglobulins ( antibodies ); fibrin ; platelet derived growth factors ( pdgfs ); plasminogen ; thrombospondin ; transferrin . enzymes are any protein or peptide that have a specific catalytic effect on one ore more biological substrates which can be virtually anything from simple sugars to complex macromolecules like dna . enzymes are potentially useful for triggering biological responses in the tissue by degradation of matrix molecules , or they could be used to activate or release other bioactive compounds in the implant coating . some important examples with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants are : abzymes ( antibodies with enzymatic capacity ); adenylate cyclase ; alkaline phosphatase ; carboxylases ; collagenases ; cyclooxygenase ; hydrolases ; isomerases ; ligases ; lyases ; metallo - matrix proteases ( mmps ); nucleases ; oxidoreductases ; peptidases ; peptide hydrolase ; peptidyl transferase ; phospholipase ; proteases ; sucrase - isomaltase ; timps ; transferases . specialized cells , e . g ., fibroblasts and osteoblasts , produce the extracellular matrix . this matrix participates in several important processes . the matrix is crucial for i . e ., wound healing , tissue homeostasis , development and repair , tissue strength , and tissue integrity . the matrix also decides the extracellular milieu like ph , ionic strength , osmolarity , etc . furthermore , extracellular matrix molecules are crucial for induction and control of biomineral formation ( bone , cartilage , teeth ). important extracellular proteins and biomolecules with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants include : ameloblastin ; amelin ; amelogenins ; collagens ( i to xii ); dentin - sialo - protein ( dsp ); dentin - sialo - phospho - protein ( ospp ); elastins ; enamelin ; fibrins ; fibronectins ; keratins ( 1 to 2 . 0 ); laminins ; tuftelin ; carbohydrates ; chondroitin sulphate ; heparan sulphate ; heparin sulphate ; hyaluronic acid ; lipids and fatty acids ; lipopolysaccarides . growth factors and hormones are molecules that bind to cellular surface structures ( receptors ) and generate a signal in the target cell to start a specific biological process . examples of such processes are growth , programmed cell death , release of other molecules ( e . g ., extracellular matrix molecules or sugar ), cell differentiation and maturation , regulation of metabolic rate etc . typical examples of such biomolecules with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants are : activins ( act ); amphiregulin ( ar ); angiopoietins ( ang 1 to 4 ); apo3 ( a weak apoptosis inducer also known as tweak , dr3 , wsl - i , tramp or lard ); betacellulin ( btc ); basic fibroblast growth factor ( bfgf , fgf - b ); acidic fibroblast growth factor ( afgf , fgf - a ); 4 - 1bb ligand ; brain - derived neurotrophic factor ( bdnf ); breast and kidney derived bolokine ( brak ); bone morphogenic proteins ( bmps ); b - lymphocyte chemoattractant / b cell attracting chemokine 1 ( blc / bca - 1 ); cd27l ( cd27 ligand ); cd30l ( cd30 ligand ); cd40l ( cd40 ligand ); a proliferation - inducing ligand ( april ); cardiotrophin - 1 ( ct - 1 ); ciliary neurotrophic factor ( cntf ); connective tissue growth factor ( ctgf ); cytokines ; 6 - cysteine chemokine ( 6ckine ); epidermal growth factors ( egfs ); eotaxin ( eot ); epithelial cell - derived neutrophil activating protein 78 ( ena - 78 ); erythropoietin ( epo ); fibroblast growth factors ( fgf 3 to 19 ); fractalkine ; glial - derived neurotrophic factors ( gdnfs ); glucocorticoid - induced tnf receptor ligand ( gitrl ); granulocyte colony stimulating factor ( g - csf ); granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor ( gm - csf ); granulocyte chemotactic proteins ( gcps ); growth hormone ( gh ); i - 309 ; growth related oncogene ( gro ); inhibins ( inh ); interferon - inducible t - cell alpha chemoattractant ( i - tac ); fas ligand ( fasl ); heregulins ( hrgs ); heparin - binding epidermal growth factor - like growth factor ( hb - egf ); fms - like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand ( flt - 3l ); hemofiltrate cc chemokines ( hcc - 1 to 4 ); hepatocyte growth factor ( hgf ); insulin ; insulin - like growth factors ( igf 1 and 2 ); interferon - gamma inducible protein 10 ( ip - 10 ); interleukins ( il 1 to 18 ); interferon - gamma ( ifn - gamma ); keratinocyte growth factor ( kgf ); keratinocyte growth factor - 2 ( fgf - 10 ); leptin ( ob ); leukemia inhibitory factor ( lif ); lymphotoxin beta ( lt - b ); lymphotactin ( ltn ); macrophage - colony stimulating factor ( m - csf ); macrophage - derived chemokine ( mdc ); macrophage stimulating protein ( msp ); macrophage inflammatory proteins ( mips ); midkine ( mk ); monocyte chemoattractant proteins ( mcp - 1 to 4 ); monokine induced by ifn - gamma ( mig ); msx 1 ; msx 2 ; mullerian inhibiting substance ( mis ); myeloid progenitor inhibitory factor 1 ( mpif - 1 ); nerve growth factor ( ngf ); neurotrophins ( nts ); neutrophil activating peptide 2 ( nap - 2 ); oncostatin m ( osm ); osteocalcin ; op - 1 ; osteopontin ; ox40 ligand ; platelet derived growth factors ( pdgf aa , ab and bb ); platelet factor 4 ( pf4 ); pleiotrophin ( ptn ); pulmonary and activation - regulated chemokine ( parc ); regulated on activation , normal t - cell expressed and secreted ( rantes ); sensory and motor neuron - derived factor ( smdf ); small inducible cytokine subfamily a member 26 ( scya26 ); stem cell factor ( scf ); stromal cell derived factor 1 ( sdf - 1 ); thymus and activation - regulated chemokine ( t arc ); thymus expressed chemokine ( teck ); tnf and apol - related leukocyte - expressed ligand - 1 ( tall - 1 ); tnf - related apoptosis inducing ligand ( trail ); tnf - related activation induced cytokine ( trance ); lymphotoxin inducible expression and competes with hsv glycoprotein d for hvem t - iymphocyte receptor ( light ); placenta growth factor ( pigf ); thrombopoietin ( tpo ); transforming growth factors ( tgf alpha , tgf beta 1 , tgf beta 2 ); tumor necrosis factors ( tnf alpha and beta ); vascular endothelial growth factors ( vegf - a , b , c and d ); calcitonins ; and steroid compounds such as naturally occurring sex hormones such as estrogen , progesterone , testosterone as well as analogues thereof . thus , certain implants , such as iud &# 39 ; s ( intrauterine devices ) comprising e . g ., estrogens or progesterone or analogues thereof , could be contemplated . dna encodes the genes for proteins and peptides . also , dna contains a wide array of sequences that regulate the expression of the contained genes . several types of dna exist , depending on source , function , origin , and structure . typical examples for dna based molecules that can be utilized as bioactive , slow release coatings on implants ( local gene - therapy ) are : a - dna ; b - dna ; artificial chromosomes carrying mammalian dna ( yacs ); chromosomal dna ; circular dna ; cosmids carrying mammalian dna ; dna ; double - stranded dna ( dsdna ); genomic dna ; hemi - methylated dna ; linear dna ; mammalian cdna ( complimentary dna ; dna copy of rna ); mammalian dna ; methylated dna ; mitochondrial dna ; phages carrying mammalian dna ; phagemids carrying mammalian dna ; plasmids carrying mammalian dna ; plastids carrying mammalian dna ; recombinant dna ; restriction fragments of mammalian dna ; retroposons carrying mammalian dna ; single - stranded dna ( ssdna ); transposons carrying mammalian dna ; t - dna ; viruses carrying mammalian dna ; z - dna . rna is a transcription of dna - encoded information . ( sometimes ( in some viruses ) rna is the essential information - encoding unit ). besides being an intermediate for expression of genes , rna have been shown to have several biological functions . ribozymes are simple rna molecules with a catalytic action . these rna can catalyze dna and rna cleavage and ligation , hydrolyze peptides , and are the core of the translation of rna into peptides ( the ribosome is a ribozyme ). typical examples of rna molecules with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants are : acetylated transfer rna ( activated trna , charged trna ); circular rna ; linear rna ; mammalian heterogeneous nuclear rna ( hnrna ), mammalian messenger rna ( mrna ); mammalian rna ; mammalian ribosomal rna ( rrna ); mammalian transport rna ( trna ); mrna ; poly - adenylated rna ; ribosomal rna ( rrna ); recombinant rna ; retroposons carrying mammalian rna ; ribozymes ; transport rna ( trna ); viruses carrying mammalian rna . receptors are cell surface biomolecules that bind signals ( e . g ., hormone ligands and growth factors ) and transmit the signal over the cell membrane and into the internal machinery of cells . different receptors are differently “ wired ” imposing different intracellular responses even to the same ligand . this makes it possible for the cells to react differentially to external signals by varying the pattern of receptors on their surface . receptors typically bind their ligand in a reversible manner , making them suitable as carriers of growth factors that are to be released into the tissue . thus by coating implants with growth factor receptors , and then load these receptors with their principal ligands , a bioactive surface is achieved that can be used for controlled release of growth factors to the surrounding tissues following implantation . examples of suitable receptors with potential for use as bioactive coating on metal hydride - coated implants includes : the cd class of receptors cd ; egf receptors ; fgf receptors ; fibronectin receptor ( vla - 5 ); growth factor receptor , igf binding proteins ( igfbp 1 to 4 ); integrins ( including vla 1 - 4 ); laminin receptor ; pdgf receptors ; transforming growth factor alpha and beta receptors ; bmp receptors ; fas ; vascular endothelial growth factor receptor ( flt - 1 ); vitronectin receptor . synthetic biomolecules are molecules that are based on ( mimicking ) naturally occurring biomolecules . by synthesizing such molecules a wide array of chemical and structural modification can be introduced that can stabilize the molecule or make it more bioactive or specific . thus if a molecule is either too unstable or unspecific to be used from extracts it is possible to engineer them and synthesize them for use as implant surface coatings . furthermore , many biomolecules are so low abundant that extraction in industrial scales is impossible . such rare biomolecules have to be prepared synthetically , e . g ., by recombinant technology or by ( bio -) chemistry . below is listed several classes of synthetic molecules that can be potentially useful for implant coatings : a - dna ; antisense dna ; b - dna ; complimentary dna ( cdna ); chemically modified dna ; chemically stabilized dna ; dna ; dna analogues ; dna oligomers ; dna polymers ; dna - rna hybrids ; double - stranded dna ( dsdna ); hemi - methylated dna ; methylated dna ; single - stranded dna ( ssdna ); recombinant dna ; triplex dna ; t - dna ; z - dna . antisense rna ; chemically modified rna ; chemically stabilized rna ; heterogeneous nuclear rna ( hnrna ); messenger rna ( mrna ); ribozymes ; rna ; rna analogues ; rna - dna hybrids ; rna oligomers ; rna polymers ; ribosomal rna ( rrna ); transport rna ( trna ). cationic and anionic liposomes ; cellulose acetate ; hyaluronic acid ; polylactic acid ; polyglycol alginate ; polyglycolic acid ; poly - prolines ; polysaccharides . decapeptides containing dopa and / or didop a ; peptides with sequence “ ala lys pro ser tyr pro pro thr tyr lys ”; peptides where pro is substituted with hydroxyproline ; peptides where one or more pro is substituted with dopa ; peptides where one or more pro is substituted with didop a ; peptides where one or more tyr is substituted with dopa ; peptide hormones ; peptide sequences based on the above listed extracted proteins ; peptides containing an rgd ( arg gly asp ) motif . synthetic enzyme inhibitors range from simple molecules , like certain metal ions , that block enzyme activity by binding directly to the enzyme , to synthetic molecules that mimic the natural substrate of an enzyme and thus compete with the principle substrate . an implant coating including enzyme inhibitors could help stabilizing and counteract breakdown of other biomolecules present in the coating , so that more reaction time and / or higher concentration of the bioactive compound is achieved . examples of enzyme inhibitors are : pepstatin ; poly - pro lines ; d - sugars ; d - aminoacids ; cyanide ; diisopropyl fluorophosphates ( dfp ); metal ions ; n - tosyl - i - phenylalaninechloromethyl ketone ( tpck ); physostigmine ; parathion ; penicillin . biotin ; calciferol ( vitamin d &# 39 ; s ; vital for bone mineralisation ); citrin ; folic acid ; niacin ; nicotinamide ; nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ( nad , nad +); nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate ( nadp , nadph ); retinoic acid ( vitamin a ); riboflavin ; vitamin bs ; vitamin c ( vital for collagen synthesis ); vitamin e ; vitamin ks . adenosine di - phosphate ( adp ); adenosine mono - phosphate ( amp ); adenosine tri - phosphate ( atp ); amino acids ; cyclic amp ( camp ); 3 , 4 - dihydroxyphenylalanine ( dopa ); 5 ′- di ( dihydroxyphenyl - l - alanine ( didopa ); didopa quinone ; dopa - like o - diphenols ; fatty acids ; glucose ; hydroxyproline ; nucleosides ; nucleotides ( rna and dna bases ); prostaglandin ; sugars ; sphingosine 1 - phosphate ; rapamycin ; synthetic sex hormones such as estrogen , progesterone or testosterone analogues , e . g ., tamoxifene ; estrogen receptor modulators ( serms ) such as raloxifene ; bis - phosphonates such as alendronate , risendronate and etidronate ; statins such as cerivastatin , lovastatin , simvaststin , pravastatin , fluvastatin , atorvastatin and sodium 3 , 5 - dihydroxy - 7 -[ 3 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 1 -( methylethyl )- 1h - indol - 2 - yl ]- hept - 6 - enoate . drugs incorporated in the hydride layer could be utilized for local effects like improving local resistance against invading microbes , local pain control , local inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis ; local inflammation regulation , local induction of biomineralisation and local stimulation of tissue growth . examples of drugs suitable for incorporation into metal hydride layers include : antibiotics ; cyclooxygenase inhibitors ; hormones ; inflammation inhibitors ; nsaids ; painkillers ; prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors ; steroids , tetracycline ( also as biomineralizing agent ). ions are important in a diversity of biological mechanisms . by incorporating biologically active ions in metal hydride layers on implants it is possible to locally stimulate biological processes like enzyme function , enzyme blocking , cellular uptake of biomolecules , homing of specific cells , biomineralization , apoptosis , cellular secretion of biomolecules , cellular metabolism and cellular defense . examples of bioactive ions for incorporation into metal hydride include : calcium ; chromium ; copper ; fluoride ; gold ; iodide ; iron ; potassium ; magnesium ; manganese ; selenium ; silver ; sodium ; zinc . biological markers are molecules that generates a detectable signal , e . g ., by emitting light , enzymatic activity , radioactivity , specific color , magnetism , x - ray density , specific structure , antigenicity , etc ., that can be detected by specific instruments or by microscopy or an imaging method like x - ray or magnetic resonance . markers are used to monitor biological processes in research and development of new biomedical treatment strategies . on implants , such markers would typically be employed to monitor processes like biocompatibility , formation of tissue , tissue neogenesis , biomineralisation , inflammation , infection , regeneration , repair , tissue homeostasis , tissue breakdown , tissue turnover , release of biomolecules from the implant surface , bioactivity of released biomolecules , uptake and expression of nucleic acids released from the implant surface , and antibiotic capability of the implant surface to provide “ proof of principle ”, effect , efficacy and safety validation prior to clinical studies . marker biomolecules suitable for incorporation in hydride coatings include : calcein ; alizaran red ; tetracyclins ; fluorescins ; fura ; luciferase ; alkaline phosphatase ; radioed amino acids ( e . g ., marked with 32 p , 33 p , 3 h , 35 s , 14 c , 125 i , 51 cr , 45 cao ; radiolabeled nucleotides ( e . g ., marked with 32 p , 33 p , 3 h , 35 s , 14 c ,); radiolabeled peptides and proteins ; radio labeled dna and rna ; immuno - gold complexes ( gold particles with antibodies attached ); immuno - silver complexes ; immuno - magnetite complexes ; green fluorescent protein ( gfp ); red fluorescent protein ( e5 ); biotinylated proteins and peptides ; biotinylated nucleic acids ; biotinylated antibodies ; biotinylated carbon - linkers ; reporter genes ( any gene that generates a signal when expressed ); propidium iodide ; diamidino yellow . the device or implant according to the invention can be used for a number of purposes . examples of such purposes include use for : inducing local hard tissue ( e . g ., bone tissue ) formation at the implantation site ; controlling microbial growth and / or invasion at the implantation site or systemically ; reducing inflammation at the implantation site or systemically ; stimulating ligament repair , regeneration or formation ; inducing cartilage formation ; nucleating , controlling and / or templating biomineralization ; improving attachment between implants and tissues ; improving osseointegration of implants ; improving tissue adherence to an implant ; hindering tissue adherence to an ( semipermanent or temporary ) implant ; improving contact between tissues or tissues and implants , improving tissue sealing of a ( surgical ) wound ; inducing apoptosis ( cell death ) in unwanted cells ( e . g ., cancer cells ); inducing specific cell differentiation and / or maturation , increasing tissue tensile strength ; improving wound healing ; speeding up wound healing ; templating tissue formation ; guiding tissue formation ; local gene therapy ; stimulating nerve growth ; improving vascularisation in tissues adjacent to an implant ; stimulating local extracellular matrix synthesis ; inhibiting local extracellular matrix breakdown ; inducing local growth factor release ; increasing local tissue metabolism ; improving function of a tissue or body - part ; reducing local pain and discomfort . the purpose will depend on the type of implant as well as the nature and / or concentration of the biomolecule present in the hydride layer on the implant . when the metal material ( a ) is an alloy of titanium , zirconium , tantalum , hafnium or niobium , it may be an alloy between one or more of these metal elements ; or it may be an alloy containing one or more other metals such as aluminium , vanadium , chrome , cobalt , magnesium , iron , gold , silver , copper , mercury , tin or zinc ; or both . it is preferred that the metal material ( a ) is titanium or an alloy thereof , e . g ., an alloy with zirconium , tantalum , hafnium , niobium , aluminium , vanadium , chrome , cobalt , magnesium , iron , gold , silver , copper , mercury , tin or zinc . in a particularly preferred embodiment , the metal material ( a ) is titanium . the amount of biomolecule substance ( c ) present on or in the hydride layer ( b ) of the parts of the prosthesis , device or implant coated with the hydride may vary within wide limits , e . g ., dependent on the chemical and biological characteristics of the biomolecule substance or substances in question . thus , the biomolecule substance ( c ) associated with the hydride material ( b ) may be present in amounts ranging from as low from 1 picogram per mm to as high as 1 mg per mm 2 of hydride - coated device or implant surface . however , it is contemplated that most useful biomolecule coatings will range from 0 . 1 nanogram to 100 microgram per mm 2 . as indicated above , the method of the invention involves subjecting surface parts of the metal material ( a ) to a electrolysis treatment to form the hydride layer ( b ), said treatment being carried out in the presence of one or more biomolecule substances as discussed above . it has been found that is important that the conditions in the electrolyte ( ph , ionic strength etc .) are such that the biomolecule has a net positive charge . it is therefore advantageous that most biomolecules are ampholytes , i . e ., they are weak acids ( or bases ) that change their net charge according to the ionic strength and ph of the solution they are dissolved in . consequently , the main concern for incorporation thereof in a hydride layer is stability under the conditions needed for bio - hydride preparation , i . e ., an environment that supply enough h + ions for hydride preparation and at the same time keeps the net charge of the biomolecule in question positive . this mostly means that the electrolyte should have a high salt concentration and hence ionic strength ; a comparatively high temperature , although preferably below any denaturing temperature of the biomolecule substance ; and a low ph . thus , the electrolyte may be any salt solution , preferably aqueous , e . g ., a solution of sodium chloride , sodium sulphate , calcium phosphate , calcium chloride , phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ), saline , a salt solution mimicking physiological conditions , bicarbonates , carbonates etc ., in which the desired biomolecule is dissolved . the ionic strength of the salt is typically 1m , but concentrations can be adjusted to as low as 0 . 01 m and as high as 10m according to the chemical properties and concentration of the biomolecule ( s ). the temperature of the electrolyte containing the biomolecule may range from ambient ( 20 ° c .) to as high as the boiling point of the electrolyte , typically around 100 ° c ., although the use of temperatures in the upper part of this range clearly depends on the ability of the biomolecule to withstand such temperatures without damage . if the biomolecule can withstand it , an optimum temperature for the formation of hydride is around 80 ° c . the ph of the electrolyte is typically adjusted to the desired ph by means of a strong acid , e . g ., hcl , hf , h 2 so 4 , etc ., although it should be taken into account that a ph below 2 will produce a irregular , corroded implant surface on titanium while a ph above 2 conserves the original surface . the ph is adjusted according to the desired hydridelbiomolecule ratio ; low ph produces an implant surface with a high hydridelbiomolecule ratio (= more metal hydride ), whereas a high ph close to the pi of the biomolecule in question will produce a surface with a low hydridelbiomolecule ratio (= more biomolecules ). accordingly , while any ph between 0 and 10 can be used , the preferred ph for hydride preparation is between 5 and 2 , depending on the chemical characteristics and concentration of the biomolecule ( s ), the electrolyte used and the preferred hydridelbiomolecule ratio . for higher hydridelbiomolecule ( s ) ratios (= more hydride ), adjust ph more acidic , for lower hydridelbiomolecule ( s ) ratios (= more biomolecule ( s )) adjust ph closer to , but not above , pi biomolecule . the only requirement is that there are hydrogen ions ( h + ) and positively charged biomolecules ( biomolecule +, net charge ) present in the electrolyte . the concentration of the biomolecule ( s ) ( one or any combinations of two or more ) in the electrolyte may vary over a very wide range , depending on type of bioactivity , type of molecule , chemical and biological characteristics , toxicity , potency , mode of action , if it is to be released or not from the hydride layer , stability in vivo , stability in the electrolyte , availability , optimal ph , etc ., thus , the concentration of the biomolecule ( s ) in the electrolyte may be within the range of 1 pg to 50 mg per milliliter . a preferred range is between 10 pg and 1 mg per milliliter , but the optimal biomolecule concentration should always be by finally determined in pilot experiments with each biomolecule or biomolecule - mix . also , the time span over which the electrolysis is performed may vary , but chiefly influences the thickness of the hydride layer and hence the concentration of biomolecules in the hydride layer . an electrolysis cell for use in the method of the invention may be of any conventional design , but is typically a two - chamber cell without any conducting connections between the chambers except for the electrolyte . the metal implant to be hydride - modified is placed in the cathode ( i . e ., the negatively charged electrode ) chamber , whereas the anode ( the positively charged electrode ), typically made of carbon , is placed in a separate chamber . the electrolytes of each chamber are connected through a porous glass or porcelain filter allowing the current to pass unhindered , but without any exchange of electrolytes between the two chambers . this is important because the products from the anode reaction , e . g ., chloride or hypo - chlorites etc ., could potentially interfere with the formation of the biomolecule - hydride layer or destroy or modify the biomolecule in the cathode electrolyte . the separation of the two cells also allows the use of a smaller cathode electrolyte volume and thus a more effective use of biomolecules as well as the possibility to use a two - electrolyte system that allows optimization of the electrolytic process , e . g ., one electrolyte optimal for biomolecules on the cathode side and an electrolyte on the anode side which is optimized for the efficacy of the electrolysis per se ( conductivity , avoiding toxic products , or even producing useful byproducts / coatings ). as indicated above , the temperature in the cathode cell ( t cat ) should be as high at possible with an optimum for hydride preparation at 80 ° c . the electrolytic process itself also produces heat which can pose two problems : constituents of the electrolyte will evaporate so that the volume decreases and the ionic strength and the concentration of biomolecules increase above the preferred range , and the increase in temperature might cause precipitation , coagulation , denaturation , degradation or destruction of the biomolecule ( s ) present . therefore , the cathode compartment of the electrolysis cell is preferably equipped with a cooled lid for condensation of vaporized electrolyte and a temperature regulated radiator shell for stabilizing temperatures and volumes during electrolysis . by adjusting current , charge and electrolyte composition it may also be possible to provide a favorable milieu for positive charge for most biomolecules . if not , a pulse field electrolysis set - up where the polarity of the electrodes is switching in controlled cycles during preparation of the bio - hydride layer could be one way to omit a negative net charge problem . the power supply is typically a so - called current pump , i . e ., a device delivering a constant current even if the resistance within the circuit varies . although voltages between 0 . 1 and 1000 volts can be used , the voltage is typically below 10 volts . the current density during electrolysis is typically in the range of 0 . 1 ma to 1 a per square centimeter ( cm 2 ) of implant specimen . a preferred charge density is i ma / cm 2 , although adjustments in the electrolyte , ph and temperature to increase biomolecule compatibility may command minor or major deviations from this value . the duration of the process depends on several parameters , such as the desired thickness of the bio - hydride layer , the composition and characteristics of the electrolyte , the characteristics of the biomolecule , the temperature and ph , the desired hydridelbiomolecule ratio , the size of the implant specimen , the volume of the cathode electrolyte , the concentration of the biomolecule , etc . thus , the duration of the process may be between 0 . 5 hours and several days . however , an optimal time - span is generally between 8 and 24 hours . to monitor the bio - hydride process , a calomel electrode may typically be placed in the cathode chamber . when the hydride layer formation process at the cathode is optimal , a difference of − 1 volt is observed between the calomel electrode and the cathode . if the current differs much from this value , the process will be running under sub - optimal conditions , and a change in the set - up should be considered . furthermore , a temperature probe and a ph probe may typically be placed in the cathode chamber to monitor that the process is running within the desired ph and temperature limits . a stirring device , such as a magnetic stirrer , may also be applied in the cathode cell to continuously mix the electrolyte and keep the temperature homogenous and avoid variations in local ionic strength , ph and biomolecule concentrations . after the electrolysis step , the now biomolecule / hydride - coated metal device or implant is immediately removed from the electrolyte and treated according to the requirement of the biomolecule ( s ) in question . typically , the device or implant specimen is allowed to air - dry and is then packaged in a sterile , airtight plastic bag in which it is stored until use for implantation . however , some biomolecules might be sensitive to drying , and consequently a wet storage system might be desired , e . g ., like canning or storage in a fluid like saline or simply the electrolyte from the manufacturing process . although the electrolysis can be run under aseptic or even sterile conditions , the need for doing this may be avoided by including a sterilization step prior to use , using conventional methods , such as ionizing radiation , heating , autoclaving , or ethylene oxide gas , etc . the choice of method will depend on the specific characteristics and properties of the biomolecule ( s ) present in the metal hydride layer . prior to the electrolysis treatment , the device or implant should be thoroughly cleaned . this may typically consist in the implant being mechanically pre - treated by electropolishing or sandblasting to modify surface structure if desired , and subsequently thoroughly cleaned using hot caustic soda followed by a de - greasing step , e . g ., in concentrated tri - chloro - ethylene , ethanol or methanol , before being treated in a pickling solution , e . g ., hydrofluoric acid , to remove oxides and impurities on the surface . after pickling , the implant specimen is washed thoroughly in hot , double distilled , ion - exchanged water . the invention is further illustrated by the following , non - limiting examples of which examples 1 - 4 describe conducted experiments , and examples 5 - 11 illustrate contemplated working examples . preparation of a titanium hydride implant surface layer containing an extracellular matrix protein . a two - chamber electrolysis cell was used to prepare a layer of titanium hydride containing the extracellular matrix molecule amelogenin onto five coin - shaped electropolished titanium implants each with a surface area of 0 . 6 cm 2 exposed to the electrolyte . five similar items were used as controls by being present in the electrolyte chamber , but not connected to the electrolysis current . the electrolyte in both chambers was 1m nacl in sterile water , ph adjusted to ph 4 by the use of hcl , and the initial concentration of amelogenin was 0 . 1 mg / ml . for electrolysis a voltage of 10 volts at a charge density of 1 ma / cm 2 was used . the temperature of the cathode chamber was set to 70 ° c . electrolysis was allowed to progress for 18 hours , after which the titanium implants were removed from the electrolysis cell , washed in sterile water and allowed to air - dry in a desiccator . after drying the titanium test and control specimens were each washed three times in 1 ml saline at ph 6 . 5 . following the washes , any protein remaining on the titanium surfaces was dissolved by boiling the titanium specimen in 0 . 5 ml 2 × sds - page sample buffer ( 0 . 4 g sds , 1 . 0 g 2 - mercaptoethanol , 0 . 02 g bromophenol blue and 4 . 4 g glycerol in 10 ml 0 . 125 m tris / hcl , ph 6 . 8 ). the washing solutions and the 2 × sds - page sample buffer with possible protein therein were precipitated with an equal volume of 0 . 6 n perchloric acid and the supernatant was cleared by centrifugation . the precipitation pellets , containing salt and possible organic molecules , were then dissolved in 50 μl 2 × sds - page sample buffer and boiled for five minutes . all samples were then submitted to electrophoresis on a 12 % sds - polyacrylamide gel at 80 ma overnight . after electrophoresis , proteins in the gel were transferred onto a poly ( vinylidene difluoride ) membrane by the semidry “ sandwich ” electroblotting technique . amelogenin proteins were then detected by an immune assay using an rabbit amelogenin specific primary igg antibody and a biotin labelled goat anti rabbit igg secondary antibody . the western blot showed significant amounts of amelogenins present in extracts from test specimens , and hence trapped in the titanium hydride layer thereon , whereas no amelogenins were detected in extracts from the control specimens that were not connected to the electrolysis current . this experiment clearly demonstrates that a significant amount of amelogenin was incorporated in the hydride layer during the electrolytic process . the amelogenin proteins were not merely present as a simple coating , since there is no evidence of proteins in the initial washing solutions . only with the combination of a strong detergent ( sds ), a reducing agent ( mercaptoethanol ) and high temperature ( 100 ° c .) could amelogenins be extracted from the titanium hydride surface layer and detected by western blot . the amount of protein extracted was calculated to be 50 μg / cm 2 by comparison with an amelogenin standard . this figure is well within the bioactivity range of this extracellular matrix protein . the set - up from example one was used to produce a layer of titanium hydride containing the extracellular matrix molecule amelogenin onto electropolished titanium implants with a surface area of 0 . 35 cm 2 exposed to the electrolyte . the electrolyte in both chambers was 1m nacl in sterile water , ph adjusted to ph 4 by the use of hcl , and the initial concentration of amelogenin was 0 . 1 mg / ml . for electrolysis a voltage of 10 volts at a charge density of 1 ma / cm 2 was used . t cat was set to 70 ° c . electrolysis was allowed to progress for 18 hours after which the titanium implants were removed from the electrolysis cell , washed in sterile water and allowed to air - dry in a desiccator . after drying , the titanium specimens were washed three times in 1 ml saline at ph 6 . 5 . following the washes the proteins remaining on the titanium surfaces were dissolved by boiling the titanium specimen in 0 . 1 ml 2 × sds sample buffer ( 0 . 4 g sds , 1 . 0 g 2 - mercaptoethanol in 10 ml 0 . 125 m tris / hcl , ph 6 . 8 ) for 5 minutes . the amount of amelogenin dissolved into the sds solution from the rinsed titanium surfaces was then analyzed by standard photometry measuring light absorbance at 280 and 310 nm against a 2 × sds sample buffer blank , and comparing the results with a standard dilution series of amelogenin in 2 × sds sample buffer . the experiment was repeated twice in series of 16 implants , both times with 5 negative internal controls in the form of identical titanium implants that was present in the reaction chamber during the whole process , but not attached to the cathode . this experiment clearly demonstrates that a significant amount of amelogenin was incorporated in the hydride layer during the electrolytic process . the amelogenin proteins were not only present as a simple coating , as there is no evidence of proteins in the washing solutions . only with the combination of a strong detergent ( sds ), a reducing agent ( mercaptoethanol ) and high temperature ( 100 ° c .) could amelogenins be extracted from the surface layer of the titanium hydride . the amount of protein extracted was calculated to range between 57 and 114 μg / cm 2 with a mean value of 87 μg amelogenin per cm 2 , by comparison with the amelogenin standard . this figure is well within the bioactivity range of this extracellular matrix protein . identical control implants that had been present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants , but which were not connected to the cathode , showed no significant amounts of amelogenin proteins attached to the surface (& lt ; 1 μg / cm 2 ). the set - up from example one was used to produce a layer of titanium hydride containing nucleic acids in the form of radio labeled total human placenta dna onto electropolished titanium implants with a total surface area of 0 . 35 cm 2 exposed to the electrolyte . the electrolyte in both chambers was 1 m nacl in sterile water . the ph was adjusted to ph 2 by the use of hcl the initial concentration of dna in the electrolyte was 10 μg / ml . for electrolysis a voltage of 10 volts at a charge density of 1 ma / cm and a t cat of 75 ° c . were used . electrolysis was allowed to progress for 16 or 24 hours after which the titanium specimens were removed from the electrolysis cell , rinsed three times in ample amounts of tris - edta buffer ( te - buffer ; 10 mm tris - cl and 1 mm edta in sterile water , ph 7 . 6 ) and then allowed to air dry over night in a desiccator . the dna was radiolabeled using a stratagene prime - it ® ii random primer labeling kit for production of high specific - activity probes and [ α - 32 ] datp ( amersham ). after labeling of the dna , the specific radioactivity of the dna probe was measured in a packard tricarb ® scintillation counter to be 3 . 0 × 10 8 disintegrations per minute per microgram labeled dna ( dpm / μg ). after drying the titanium specimens with tentative nucleic acids attached , were put on a phosphor screen ( fujii ®) for 15 minutes . the specimens were then removed and the phosphor screen was scanned in a biorad ® phosphor imaging machine measuring the number of disintegrations occurred at the surface of each implant using a 100 / μm grid ( 12265 points per implant ) the experiment was repeated twice in a series of 16 implants , both times with 5 negative internal controls in the form of identical titanium implants that was present in the reaction chamber during the whole process , but which were not connected to the cathode . for the first series the reaction time was 24 hours , for the second it was 16 hours . the total number of dpm per implant was calculated and converted to μg dna per square centimeter ( μg dna / cm 2 ). the amount of dna present on the implants ranged between 0 . 25 and 0 . 75 μg / cm 2 with a mean value of 0 . 43 μg dna per cm 2 when the reaction time was 24 hours . when the reaction time was reduced to 16 hours , the respective values ranged between 0 . 19 and 0 . 32 μg / cm 2 with a mean value of 0 . 30 μg dna per cm 2 . this figure is well within the applicable range for gene therapy and dna vaccines and other molecular medicine applications . identical control implants that had been present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants , but that were not connected to the cathode showed only very small amounts ( picograms ) of dna attached to the surface . this experiment clearly demonstrates that a significant amount of dna was incorporated in the hydride layer during the electrolytic process . the dna was not merely present as a simple coating because the dna was not dissolved or washed off the test implants during rinsing with te . furthermore , the fact that the amount of dna incorporated in the titanium hydride surface layer increased linearly with reaction time also shows that adjusting reaction time is an easy way to control the amount of biomolecules in the hydride layer . preparation of a titanium hydride implant surface layer containing ascorbic acid the set - up from example 1 was used to prepare a layer of titanium hydride containing ascorbic acid ( vitamin c ) onto electropolished coin - shaped titanium implants with a total surface area exposed to the electrolyte of 0 . 35 cm 2 . the electrolyte in both chambers was saline with ph adjusted to ph 3 by means of phosphoric acid . the initial concentration of ascorbic acid was 10 mg / ml . electrolysis with a voltage of 6 volts at a current density of 2 ma / cm 2 and a cathode chamber temperature of 20 ° c . was used . electrolysis was allowed to progress for 16 hours after which the titanium implant is removed from the electrolysis cell , rinsed twice in sterile water and allowed to dry in a desiccator . after drying over night , the tentative ascorbic acid was dissolved from the titanium specimens by submerging the specimens in 1 ml tris - edt a buffer ( te - buffer ; 10 mm tris - cl and 1 mm edt a in sterile water ) at ph 8 . 0 for 1 hour with shaking . the amount of ascorbic acid in the buffer samples was then analyzed by measuring light absorption at 250 nm and comparing the results with a standard curve for ascorbic acid in te , ph 8 . 0 at this wavelength . identical control implants present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants , but not connected to the cathode may be used as controls . the experiment was repeated twice in a series of 16 implants , both times with 5 negative , internal controls . the amount of ascorbic acid extracted from the titanium specimens was calculated to range between 28 and 76 μg / cm 2 with a mean value of 39 μg ascorbic acid per cm 2 , by comparison with the ascorbic acid standard . this figure is well within the bioactivity range of this vitamin ( the normal plasma concentration in humans range between 8 - 15 μg / ml ). the internal control specimens that had been present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants , but which were not connected to the cathode , showed only minute amounts of ascorbic acid attached to the surface ( 4 μg / cm 2 ). this experiment clearly demonstrates that a biologically significant amount of ascorbic acid can be incorporated or attached to the titanium hydride layer during the electrolytic process . preparation of a titanium hydride implant surface layer containing a synthetic growth factor - based peptide the set - up from example 1 may be used to prepare a layer of titanium hydride containing a synthetic , full - length ( 37 amino acids ) fibroblast growth factor 4 ( fgf - 4 ) peptide onto coin - shaped electropolished titanium implants with a total surface area of 0 . 6 cm 2 exposed to the electrolyte . electrolytes , ph , voltage , current density and electrolysis time may suitably be as in example 1 . the initial concentration of fgf - 4 may suitably be 0 . 1 mg / ml , and the cathode chamber temperature may suitably be 50 ° c . following washing in saline and 2 × sds - page buffer , precipitation , centrifugation , re - dissolution in sds - page , boiling and electrophoresis as in example 1 , protein in the gel may be transferred to a silver staining solution and the full - length synthetic fgf - 4 peptides present visualised as a distinct band in the gel . identical control implants incorporated in the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants , but not connected to the cathode , can be used as controls . preparation of a titanium hydride implant surface layer containing an antibiotic the set - up from example 1 may be used to prepare a layer of titanium hydride containing the antibiotic agent amoxicillin ( aminopenicillinium ) onto an electropolished , coin - shaped titanium implant with a surface area exposed to the electrolyte of 0 . 6 cm 2 . the electrolyte in both chambers is suitably 1m nacl in sterile water with ph adjusted to ph 2 by means of hcl , and the initial concentration of amoxicillin is suitably 5 mg / ml . for electrolysis a voltage of 10 volts at a charge density of i ma / cm 2 and a cathode chamber temperature of 50 ° c . may be used . electrolysis may suitably be allowed to progress for 24 hours after which the titanium implant is removed from the electrolysis cell , rinsed in sterile water and allowed to dry in a desiccator . after drying the amount of amoxicillin trapped in the hydride layer on the titanium implants may be assessed by its antibacterial effect on penicillin sensitive bacteria of the species escherichia coli ( e . coli ), strain k12 , in liquid cultures . the cultures are suitably inoculated with one colony of e . coli k12 in 5 ml lb broth . after inoculation , the modified implants and controls are placed in the culture and the cultures incubated at 37 ° c . overnight . the next day the amounts of bacteria present in the cultures may be assessed by photometry and comparison with a standard dilution . identical control implants present in the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants , but not connected to the cathode may be used as controls . the set - up from example 1 may be used to prepare a layer of titanium hydride containing a synthetic poly - proline peptide that has the potential to act as a biological nucleator of mineral formation in saturated solutions of calcium phosphate . the biomolecule may be incorporated in the hydride layer on electropolished , coin - shaped titanium implants surface with a total area exposed to the electrolyte of 0 . 6 cm 2 . the electrolyte in both chambers may suitably be 1m nacl in sterile water with ph adjusted to ph 2 by means of hcl , and the initial concentration of the synthetic poly - proline may suitably be 0 . 1 mg / ml . for electrolysis a voltage of 10 volts at a current density of 1 ma / cm 2 and a cathode chamber temperature of 70 ° c . may be used . electrolysis may suitably be allowed to progress for 18 hours after which the titanium implants are removed from the electrolysis cell , rinsed in sterile water and allowed to air - dry in a desiccator . after drying the titanium implants and controls with tentative mineral nucleating peptide attached are placed in 5 ml saturated solution of calcium phosphate . after incubation for 4 hours in room temperature , the implants are removed from the mineral solution , rinsed in sterile water and air - dried in a desiccator . when dry , the implants may be directly submitted to scanning electron microscopy for assessment of the number of mineral foci present on the modified surfaces . identical control implants present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants but not connected to the cathode may be used as controls . the set - up from example 1 may be used to prepare a layer of titanium hydride containing ca - alginate nanospheres ( pronova as ) onto electropolished , coin - shaped titanium implants with a total area exposed to the electrolyte of 0 . 6 cm 2 . the electrolyte in both chambers is suitably 1m cacl 2 in sterile water with ph adjusted to ph 5 . 5 by means of hcl , and the initial concentration of ca - alginate is suitably 1 % w / v . for electrolysis a voltage of 10 volts at a current density of 1 ma / cm 2 and a cathode chamber temperature of 35 ° c . may be used . electrolysis is suitably allowed to progress for 48 hours , after which the titanium implants are removed from the electrolysis cell , rinsed in cold sterile water and allowed to air - dry in a desiccator . after drying , the titanium implants with a hydride - alginate layer are suitably submerged in sterile saline , dyed with bromophenol blue ( 0 . 02 g / ml ) and incubated for one hour at 37 ° c . with the modified surface facing the solution . following incubation in the dyed saline the implants and controls are rinsed in distilled water and observed with a magnifying glass for the retention of blue dye within the tentative swelled alginate layer . the thickness of the alginate layers may also be assessed by viewing the implants edge on in a calibrated light microscope . identical control implants present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants but not connected to the cathode may be used as controls . the set - up from example 1 may be used to prepare a dual layer of biomolecule containing titanium hydride on the surface of electropolished , coin - shaped titanium implants with a total surface exposed to the electrolyte of 0 . 6 cm 2 . the inner layer may be prepared using amelogenin as biomolecule according to the method in example 1 . immediately after this procedure , and without air - drying in between , the electrolyte and conditions may be changed to those of example 3 using genomic human dna as biomolecule . in this way titanium implants may be prepared with an outer layer of titanium hydride - dna overlaying an inner layer of titanium hydride - amelogenin . after the electrolysis the implants are removed from the electrolysis cell , rinsed in sterile water and allowed to air - dry in a desiccator . after drying the titanium specimens with tentative nucleic acids and proteins attached are suitably rinsed three times in tris - edta buffer ( te - buffer ; 10 mm tris - cl and 1 mm edt a in sterile water ). at each rinse the ph is increased starting at ph 7 . 4 , then rinsed at ph 7 . 6 and finally at ph 8 . 0 . after rinsing in te the remaining dna and protein on the titanium implants is finally removed using 0 . 1 n naoh . the rinsing fractions are then divided in two ; on part for nucleic acid analysis and one for protein analysis . the dna fractions are suitably precipitated with an equal volume of absolute alcohol at − 20 ° c . for 1 hour and then cleared from the supernatant by centrifugation at 13 , 000 g at 4 ° c . the pellet is then dissolved in 50 μl te buffer ph 7 . 4 and the amount of dna from all four rinsing solutions assessed by fluorometric analysis using hoechst dye ( boehringer mannheim ). the fractions for protein analysis are suitably precipitated with an equal volume of 0 . 6 n perchloric acid and the supernatants cleared by centrifugation . the precipitation pellets containing salt and proteins are then dissolved in 50 μl 2 × sds - page sample buffer ( 0 . 4 g sds , 1 . 0 g 2 - mercaptoethanol , 0 . 02 g bromophenol blue and 4 . 4 g glycerol in 10 ml 0 . 125 m tris / hcl , ph 6 . 8 ) and boiled for five minutes . all samples are then submitted to electrophoresis on a 10 % sds - polyacrylamide gel at 80 ma for 4 hours . after electrophoresis proteins in the gel are transferred to a silver staining solution and amelogenin present in the fractions is visualized as distinct bands in the gel . identical control implants present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants but not connected to the cathode may be used as controls . the set - up from example 1 may be used to prepare two separate zones of titanium hydride layers . electropolished , rod - shaped titanium implants with a total area of 2 cm 2 were treated according to examples 3 and 6 . first the implants were placed in the electrolyte from example 3 , so that only one half of each implant was submerged in the electrolyte . after the procedure of example 3 was completed , the implants were turned around and placed in a new electrolyte similar to the one used in example 6 , so that the untreated half of each implant now was submerged in electrolyte . the procedure and reaction conditions from example 6 were then carried out , after which the titanium specimen was removed from the electrolysis cell , rinsed in sterile water and allowed to dry in a desiccator . following electrolysis the dual zone implants are cut in two at the center . the halves layered with titanium hydride - synthetic fgf - 4 peptide may be submitted to analysis according to example 2 . the other halves of the implants , layered with titanium hydride - amoxicillin , may be analyzed in the bacterial growth assay according to example 5 . identical control implants present is the same electrolytic cells as the experimental implants but not connected to the cathode may be used as controls . preparation of a osteoinductive titanium hydride implant surface layer containing a biomolecule implants prepared as in example 1 ( titanium hydride - amelogenin ) are placed in calibrated bone defects in the tibia bone of rabbits , making sure that fenestrations into the bone marrow beneath the implants allow migration of osteogenic cells to the modified implant surfaces , using a standardized and validated model ( rønold and ellingsen , european society for biomaterials conference , amsterdam , october 2000 ). on the day after surgery and every following week the rabbits are given an intravenous calcein ( sigma ) injection of 10 mg / kg body weight . at four weeks after placing of the modified implants and control implants the rabbits will be sacrificed and the tibia removed , fixed in 4 % formaldehyde and embedded for preparation of ground sections through the bone and the integrated implant material . identical control implants present is the same electrolytic cell as the experimental implants but not connected to the cathode may be used as controls . | 0 |
fig1 represents a block diagram embodiment of the present invention , and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 100 . major components of the system are the navigation sensors 101 , the client software running on the phone 102 , data cellular network 103 , and the server 104 . the client 102 gets time and location data from the navigation sensors 101 periodically , normally every second . the navigation sensors include a gps receiver or equivalent positioning unit ; other sensors such as accelerometer , compass , gyro , etc may also be used . measurements of the navigation sensors 101 are processed by the self estimator 111 to calculate states of self vehicle ( sv ) at time k and k + 1 , which k is index of time . self estimator 111 estimates position , speed , and heading of the vehicle using an estimation method , like kalman filtering estimation ( wikipedia . org / wiki / kalman_filter ); these quantities collectively constitute the vector { right arrow over ({ circumflex over ( x )} ( k ), which is the best available estimate of the state of the vehicle at time k . time difference between k and k + 1 is fixed and equal to the time interval between gps measurements . for the rest of the discussion , we refer to { right arrow over ({ circumflex over ( x )} ( k ) of the self estimator 111 as the state of the vehicle at time k . the remote estimator 112 keeps a copy of the most recent information the client 102 has stored in the data storage 116 regarding its own motion . the remote estimator 112 operates first order kinematics model to provide the scheduler 113 with estimates of sv states at time k + 1 given in fact only the information that sv broadcasts to the server 104 via the cellular network 103 . the equations for the kinematics model are as follows : { tilde over ( x )} ( k + 1 )= { tilde over ( x )} ( k )+ { tilde over ( v )} ( k )× cos ({ tilde over ( φ )} ( k ))× δ t ; { tilde over ( y )} ( k + 1 )= { tilde over ( y )} ( k )+ { tilde over ( v )} ( k )× sin ({ tilde over ( φ )} ( k ))× δ t ; the state vectors { right arrow over ({ circumflex over ( x )}(. ), { right arrow over ({ tilde over ( x )}(.) consist of positions x , y ( in the universal gps coordinate frame with a local origin ), speed v , and heading angle φ . symbols with (̂ ) on top refer to the self estimator &# 39 ; s 113 estimates and symbols with (˜) on top refer to the remote estimator &# 39 ; s 112 estimates . the neighbor estimators 114 receive messages from the server 104 via the cellular network 103 . these messages contain the states of the neighborhood traffic , including downstream traffic and / or vehicles that are in the neighborhood of sv . the neighbor estimators 114 comprises of several neighbor estimators 115 , each operating first order kinematics model to provide sv with estimates of states of neighborhood traffic for times in - between message receptions from the server 104 . we keep the model simple because each vehicle may need to operate many neighbor estimators , depending on traffic flow conditions . let the remote estimator 112 of vehicle i be denoted by re i . let the neighbor estimator 115 run by neighbor j for vehicle i be denoted ne ji . the purpose of re i is to estimate the output of all the ne ji &# 39 ; s . whenever sv receives a message , it updates the relevant parameters in the neighbor estimators 114 to reflect the values provided in the transmitted message . the outputs of the vehicle self estimator 111 and the neighbor estimators 114 drive the traffic alert applications . a vehicle &# 39 ; s decision to store the states in the data storage 116 at any time instance is made by the scheduler 113 . the scheduler 113 receives inputs from both the self estimator 111 and the remote estimator 112 . it uses equation below to calculate the longitudinal and lateral position errors . these errors are defined below . ε long . ( k )=|( { tilde over ( x )} ( k )− { circumflex over ( x )} ( k ))× cos ({ circumflex over ( φ )}( k ))−( { tilde over ( y )} ( k )− ŷ ( k ))× sin ({ circumflex over ( φ )}( k ))| ε lat . ( k )=|( { tilde over ( x )} ( k )− { circumflex over ( x )} ( k ))× sin ({ circumflex over ( φ )}( k ))+( { tilde over ( y )} ( k )− ŷ ( k ))× cos ({ circumflex over ( φ )}( k ))|; at time k , if ε long . ( k + 1 ) or ε lat . ( k + 1 ) exceed their respective thresholds , sv broadcasts { right arrow over ({ circumflex over ( x )}( k ) as specified by the following policy : k , is the time index , u ( k ), is the scheduler &# 39 ; s decision on communication at time k ( 1 means communication and 0 means no communication ) ε long . (.) is longitudinal tracking position error , ε lat . (.) is lateral tracking position error , tr . long . , is the threshold on the longitudinal error , tr . lat . , is the threshold on the lateral error . the two lateral and longitudinal position errors are configured depending on type of the application , for example for slow traffic ahead alert application , values these thresholds may be 10 meters and 100 meters , respectively . client 102 periodically or at random times transmits data in the data storage 116 to the server 104 . after each data transmission , the data storage 116 is cleared , i . e . stored data are erased . fig2 represents a block diagram embodiment of the present invention for server component of the system , and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 200 . major components of the server 201 are the clients &# 39 ; estimators 211 , external traffic data 212 , and neighborhood traffic data 213 . the server 201 receives data from clients regarding their location , speed , etc data . as explained in first part of this section , these data are selected samples of outputs of the self estimators 111 . the clients &# 39 ; estimator 211 operates the same kinematics model equations that the remote estimator 112 does to provide the neighborhood traffic data 213 with estimates of clients &# 39 ; states at all times . the neighborhood traffic data 213 also receives traffic data from external sources , for example google traffic . when a client transmits data to the server 201 , the neighborhood traffic data 213 sends back to it local traffic information ; such as speed of downstream traffic for the next ˜ 5 kilometers , incident information along route , etc . fig3 represents a block diagram embodiment of the overall system , and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 300 . as shown in this diagram , at any time “ n ” number of clients 301 , 302 , . . . may exchange data with the server 305 via the cellular network 304 . | 8 |
considering the graph of fig1 which shows on the abscissa the silicon content of the steel and on the ordinate the thickness of a deposit expressed in arbitrary units of mass zinc deposited per unit of surface , it is found that , if the thickness of coating on a steel containing less than 0 . 01 % of silicon is taken as unity , the thickness increases as the silicon content increases , until it reaches a maximum value at about 0 . 05 % silicon , the maximum though not precisely known exceeding 6 , and then decreases to a minimum value at about 0 . 16 % silicon , the minimum value being about 2 . 5 , and finally increases regularly . it will be realised that the irregularity of the thickness of the deposits obtained is greater , the greater the slope of the curve . since excessive thickness of the coating is due to the rapid formation of fragile intermetallic compounds , it will be realised that irregularities of thickness lead to deficiencies in the adherence of the coating . the curve in fig1 also shows the serious difficulties arising with conventional galvanisation baths in the coating of parts having diferent silicon contents . if in fact it is conceivable to develop a galvanisation process for parts having a known , constant silicon content by adjusting the temperature of the bath to modify the rate of formation of intermetallic compounds , and correspondingly adjusting the immersion time and rate of cooling of the coated part so as to stabilise the thickness of intermetallic compounds , this development would need numerous experiments , which can be justified only for very large homogeneous series . it is known that the presence of aluminium reduces the reactivity of the iron - zinc pair . it is also known that the presence of aluminium in amounts of from 100 to 5000 ppm in the zinc reduces the reactivity of silicon steels in relation to zinc . conventional galvanisation baths to which aluminium has been added within the range indicated above give as a rule smooth , white , glossy coatings without excessive thicknesses . unfortunately , the coatings obtained in such baths have bare spots . these bare spots are attributed to the formation of alumina through the oxidation of aluminium , this alumina being entrained by the flux which covers the part to be galvanised and forming an adherent skin on the steel , which the molten zinc will not wet . in the course of studies of the galvanisation of silicon steels which led to the present invention it was determined that the addition of two metals to galvanisation baths containing the above - mentioned amounts of aluminium made it possible to reduce or eliminate bare patches due to the presence of aluminium . by adding tin to the bath a spectacular reduction of the number of bare spots is achieved . the effect , which is noticeable starting from 50 ppm of tin in the bath , becomes significant above 300 ppm . above 20 , 000 ppm of tin in the bath the coatings contain tin in excessive proportions . the most interesting results are obtained with tin contents of from 1000 to 3000 ppm . although the exact mechanism of the reaction of tin in the galvanisation has not been elucidated , it seems probable that the tin increases the fluidity of the molten zinc and also the ability of steels to be wetted by zinc , thereby facilitating the elimination of flux contaminated with alumina . zinc baths containing aluminium and tin in the contents previously mentioned permit the galvanisation of silicon steel parts with less than 10 % of defective parts . by adding magnesium to a zinc bath containing aluminium , bare spots are practically completely eliminated . magnesium starts to be effective in amounts of the order of 10 ppm . since magnesium is more readily oxidisable than aluminium , it is very probable that it reduces the formation of alumina , while magnesia reacts with the flux to form magnesium chloride , a compound which does not substantially modify the fluidity of the flux at the temperature of the galvanisation bath , provided that it is present in small amounts . thus , a magnesium content of 1000 ppm in the bath should not be exceeded , because if it is the formation of magnesia by oxidation of magnesium is excessive . the best results have been obtained with magnesium contents of from 20 to 200 ppm , for which the disappearance of the magnesium by oxidisation is not excessively rapid and without the bath containing a troublesome excess of magnesia . tests have also shown that in galvanisation baths tin and magnesium practically do not react with one another , at least at the contents indicated above , so that the stabilising actions of these two metals do not counteract one another . by adding magnesium and tin to galvanisation baths containing aluminium within the limits of the contents mentioned above , durable and stable galvanisation baths are obtained . if in fact the magnesium content falls below the effective content as the result of oxidation , tin acts as a stabiliser and the bath remains utilisable . tests have shown that the alloys for galvanisation baths which gave the best results in respect of effectiveness and long life contained from 300 to 600 ppm of aluminium , from 20 to 200 ppm of magnesium , and from 1000 to 3000 ppm of tin in addition to zinc of z6 or z7 quality ( standard afnor nfa 55101 , april , 1955 ) and lead in the usual contents of 1000 to 15000 ppm . a standard alloy contains substantially 600 ppm of aluminium , 100 ppm of magnesium , and 2500 ppm of tin . these alloys in particular have been found capable of very wide use , giving equivalent results under similar operating conditions with effervescent steels containing less than 0 . 01 % of silicon , with semi - calmed steels containing from 0 . 02 to 0 . 10 % of silicon , calmed steels containing 0 . 15 % of silicon , and steels containing more than 0 . 2 % of silicon . fig2 shows a conventional surface preparation process which comprises degreasing , rinsing , pickling with concentrated hydrochloric acid to which a corrosion inhibitor has been added , rinsing , fluxing , and drying . in order to facilitate the use of the alloys according to the invention in an immersion galvanisation process it is advantageous to make the operating conditions for the actual galvanisation more flexible and to supplement the steps shown in fig2 . the surface preparation process with the additional steps is illustrated in the diagram of fig3 . between the rinsing following pickling in hydrochloric acid containing an inhibitor there is interposed pickling in concentrated hydrochloric acid without inhibitor , followed by rinsing . this pickling has the object of completing the cleaning of the steel by dissolving from 2 to 3 microns of steel from the surface of the part . the concentration of the hydrochloric acid in the first pickling is advantageously 6 n , whereas the concentration of the acid in the second pickling is preferably from 6 to 12 n . a control is galvanised in a conventional bath of z6 - z7 zinc after conventional surface preparation ( in accordance with the diagram in fig2 ). a similar specimen is galvanised in a bath containing 600 ppm of aluminium , 100 ppm of magnesium , and 2500 ppm of tin in addition to the z6 - z7 zinc , after surface preparation in accordance with the diagram in fig3 ( first pickling in 6 n hcl with inhibitor for 45 minutes , second pickling in 12 n hcl without inhibitor for 5 minutes ). the characteristics of the coatings are given in table i . table i______________________________________characteristics specimen control______________________________________appearance : colour white grey - black gloss glossy / matt marbled matt roughness smooth roughadherence good poor ( fragile ) thickness 70 - 90μm 200 - 300μm ( very ( normal ) thick ) ______________________________________ a control is galvanised in a conventional bath of z6 , z7 zinc ; a similar specimen is galvanised in the same bath as the specimen of example 1 . surface preparations are identical , in accordance with the conventional diagram of fig2 . the characteristics of the coatings are shown in table ii . table ii______________________________________characteristics specimen control______________________________________appearance : colour white grey gloss glossy / matt matt , marbled roughness smooth roughadherence good poorthickness 70 - 90μm 150 - 250μm ( very ( normal ) thick ) ______________________________________ the fact that it is possible for steels having silicon contents within a range extending from less than 0 . 01 % to more than 0 . 2 % to be subjected to immersion galvanisation practically by the same operational processes , utilising the galvanisation alloys and the processes of the invention , is found extremely advantageous , particularly for jobbing galvanisation . it then becomes possible for batches of parts whose composition is not known to the operator to be galvanised simultaneously and in the same bath , and the range of operation does not need to be modified when different parts have to be galvanised . it does without saying that the compositions of galvanisation baths given in the foregoing examples and referred to in general throughout the description and claims contain in addition to the constituants given in their parts per million a quantity of commercially pure zinc which makes up the balance of the bath in each case . | 2 |
[ 0024 ] fig1 schematically shows a fuel injector 1 in a section and a block diagram . it is a fuel injector 1 having an outwardly opening valve needle 2 , which is connected to a valve - closure member 3 . a valve - seat support 5 , integrally formed or constructed with a valve body 4 , has a valve - seat surface 6 , which forms a sealing seat 7 together with valve - closure member 3 . valve needle 2 has a spring stop 8 on which valve needle 9 is braced . at its second end , valve spring 9 rests against a guide sleeve 10 for valve needle 2 . via spring stop 8 , valve spring 9 exerts an initial stress on valve needle 2 , which presses valve - closure member 3 against sealing seat 6 . an actuator 11 is connected to an actuator tappet 13 guided in a partition shield 12 . actuator 11 may be supplied with a current via connecting lines 14 . at its end facing away from sealing seat 6 , actuator 11 is connected to a pressure piston 15 , which seals a compensation chamber 17 from valve body 4 by an elastic seal 16 . the interconnected and cooperating unit made up of actuator tappet 13 , actuator 11 and pressure piston 15 is supported in a moveable and float - mounted manner in the longitudinal axis of fuel injector 1 by partition disk 12 via actuator tappet 13 , and by elastic seal 16 via pressure piston 15 . compensation chamber 17 is continually supplied with fuel as hydraulic fluid by way of a fuel inlet 19 and an inflow throttle 20 . a negligible quantity of fuel is also drained continuously via a discharge throttle 21 und a fuel discharge 22 . also via fuel inlet 19 and inflow bores 23 a , 23 b and 23 c , fuel is flowing to sealing seat 6 . if actuator 11 is energized via connecting lines 14 , it expands in length and attempts to press pressure piston 15 into compensation chamber 17 . since the fuel contained in compensation chamber 17 is only slightly compressible as a fluid and inflow throttle 20 and discharge throttle 21 have small diameters , such as 20 μm , only small quantities of fuel may escape , and high pressure is rapidly generated in compensation chamber 17 against which pressure piston 15 is braced . in this way , valve spring 9 at the other end of actuator 11 is acted on with an opening force , via actuator tappet 13 , and valve needle 2 with valve - closure member 3 is actuated , so that valve - closure member 3 lifts off from sealing seat 6 . once the current has been switched off , valve spring 9 moves valve needle 2 back into its original position . at the same time , chamber spring 18 exerts a compressive force on pressure piston 15 , which retains actuator 11 with actuator tappet 13 at spring stop 8 of valve needle 2 . the spring forces adjust actuator 11 between the hydraulic cushion and the valve needle in a play - free manner . in the process , fuel continues to flow via inflow throttle 20 into compensation chamber 17 until it is completely filled with fuel again . if the heating causes linear deformations of valve body 4 or actuator 11 , actuator 11 with actuator tappet 13 and pressure piston 15 will thus always be displaced in the longitudinal direction of fuel injector 1 until it comes to rest against spring stop 8 of valve needle 2 . since fuel continually flows through compensation chamber 17 , even during the rest phase of actuator 11 in which actuator 11 is not energized via connecting lines 14 , this compensation chamber 17 is cooled . furthermore , in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention no parts of a coupler are dynamically displaced in fuel injector 1 , since compensation chamber 17 is only subjected to a static support force via pressure piston 15 . the response characteristic of fuel injector 1 is thus improved . if fuel discharge 22 is arranged in such a way that an outlet 24 lies at the highest point in the installation position of fuel injector 1 of an internal combustion engine ( not shown here ), any possibly produced gas bubbles are effectively removed from compensation chamber 17 . in particular , once a hot internal combustion engine has been turned off , this prevents that evaporated fuel in compensation chamber 17 forms a gas bubble during restarting , since such gas bubbles are removed via inflow throttle 20 and pushed into fuel discharge 2 when the fuel supply commences 2 . it cannot happen that pressure piston 15 is unable to generate pressure in compensation chamber 17 due to compressed gas bubbles , and valve needle 2 thus fails to open . alternatively , it is possible to use a check valve instead of inflow throttle 20 , which releases a large flow cross section when vacuum pressure exists in compensation chamber 17 . also as an alternative , a pressure limiting valve may be used instead of discharge throttle 21 , which , due to its inertia , does not respond during the brief activation phase of actuator 11 , but opens when a certain adjustable superpressure exists in compensation chamber 17 and releases a large discharge cross section . [ 0030 ] fig2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a fuel injector 1 according to the present invention . components that are identical to fig1 have been provided with the same reference numerals . valve - closure member 3 is in operative connection with valve needle 2 , forming a sealing seat 6 together with valve sealing - seat surface 6 on valve - sealing section 5 formed on valve body 4 . via valve spring 9 and valve - spring stop 8 , valve needle 2 , which is guided in guide sleeve 10 , is pulled into sealing seat 6 by way of its valve - closure member 3 . actuator 11 is arranged between actuator tappet 13 , guided in partition disk 12 , and pressure piston 15 held by elastic seal 16 and is interconnected to them and may be energized via connecting lines 14 . fuel is supplied to sealing seat 6 via fuel inlet 19 and supply bores 23 a , 23 b and 23 c . chamber spring 18 is arranged in compensation chamber 17 . via an oil inlet 25 , which has a switching valve 26 and is connected to the oil circuit of the internal combustion engine ( not shown here ), oil is supplied to compensation chamber 17 as hydraulic fluid . this oil can flow off via an additional switching valve 27 and an oil outlet 28 . switching valves 26 , 27 may release large flow cross sections . after actuator 11 is de - energized , switching valve 26 of oil inlet 25 allows a rapid refilling of the compensation chamber by a large inflow cross section . it is also possible , at the same time and controllable in the extent , to release oil outlet 28 by a switching valve 27 , attaining a flushing and cooling of compensation chamber 17 . in the same manner , it is possible to prevent the formation of bubbles , both after a start and during operation . this danger is additionally reduced by the use of the medium oil as the hydraulic fluid . | 5 |
in accordance with the present invention , there is provided non - toxic solvents for dissolving and stabilizing enzyme substrate used in screening assays . one enzyme substrate widely used is x - gal , which is a dipolar molecule having the formula i : the x - gal solutions prepared with a non - toxic dipolar solvent of the present invention , for example 1 - methylpyrrolidone ( nmp ), n ′- dimethyl propylene urea ( dmpu ), propylene carbonate ( pc ), essential oils or a combination of these , are very stable . in solution at 4 ° c ., the x - gal will keep its activity for more than 6 months . if used to be poured in agar plates containing the proper antibiotic , these plates will remain active and usable for at least 3 months . as an example of its non - toxicity , nmp is known as rapidly absorbed and eliminated . it is currently used intravenously in horses as a preanaesthetic . it is also used as an excipient in topical pharmaceutical formulations in human medicine and in cosmetics . essential oil mixes can be used to create a dipolar environment allowing x - gal dissolution . for instance , a combination of citrus extracts , pine terpenoids , limonene and linseed oil was shown to create an environment allowing the proper dissolution of x - gal . non - toxic micro emulsions can also be used to dissolve x - gal . a micro emulsion is a thermodynamically stable dispersion of one liquid phase into another , stabilized by an interfacial film of surfactant . this dispersion may be either oil - in - water or water - in - oil . micro emulsions are typically clear solutions , as the droplet diameter is approximately 100 nanometers or less . the interfacial tension between the two phases is extremely low . emulsions are in contrast unstable , the suspended droplets will eventually agglomerate and the dispersed phase will phase separate . emulsion droplet sizes are much larger , typically one micron or more , resulting in a cloudy or milky dispersion . the nature of an emulsion may depend on the mixing of the ingredients and the amount of energy put into the mixing process . a combination of essential oil was extracted with chloroform in order to remove part of the oil phase , and create a semi - precipitated emulsion . for example , 20 ml of citrus extract , pine terpenoids , limonene oils and linseed oil was mixed with 20 ml of chloroform by vigorously shaking in a 50 ml falcon tube . the resulting mix was allowed to let stand for approximately one day , and then the upper phase was transferred to a 15 ml falcon tube . the obtained phase is a milky emulsion . it dissolves x - gal very well . if we let stand the milky phase for approximately one week , it will show the development of 5 distinct phases . isolating each phase , it was interesting to observe that only phase # 2 , the milky sub - phase , then still an emulsion , can be used as an active solution to dissolve x - gal . the active phase is yellow milky cloudy in appearance . using 500 μl completely dissolve 0 . 01 g of x - gal ; however , it gives a very opaque and viscous solution in appearance . micro emulsions are proper to create dipolar environment allowing a complete dissolution of x - gal . a mixture of oil , egg yolk or lecithine and acetic acid was sufficient to dissolve x - gal and show blue bacteria when used for its function as spread on an agar surface . linseed oil , which has an average composition of different fatty acids ( c16 : 0 palmitic acid 4 - 9 %, c18 : 0 stearic acid 2 - 4 %, c18 : 1 oleic acid 14 - 39 %, c18 : 2 linoleic acid 7 - 19 %, c18 : 3 linolenic acid 35 - 66 %) is a known carrier for lipophilic molecules ( as essential oils ) and can act as a compound of the oily phase of the emulsion . a micro emulsion is ideally made of a non - polar liquid mixed with a polar liquid in the presence of a surfactant or amphiphile , which is ideally a molecule carrying both polar and non - polar charges . in our situation , the surfactant , or amphiphilic molecule is x - gal . the role of the surfactant is to reduce the interfacial tension between two partially miscible or immiscible fluids below that obtained when no surfactant is present . as shown in table 1 , variation in the composition of the micro - emulsion has an impact on the temperature flash point , which is a concern for transportation purposes . as well , iptg is a usual and relatively essential addition to the cloning process . omitting iptg from the growth medium will decrease the expression level from plac , blue / white selection is usually not possible in the absence of iptg . e . coli lac operon consists of a promoter , a transcriptional regulatory site called the operator ( o ), a cap binding site ( c ), and three structural genes ( lacz , lacy and laca ) that are transcribed as a single polycistronic mrna . transcription of the lac operon is regulated by the lac repressor protein ( lad ) which is encoded on a gene physically linked to the lac operon . lac operon inducers , such as iptg , inactivate the lac repressor protein resulting in transcriptional de - repression of the lac operon . it is possible to artificially induce the lac operon using a nonmetabolizable allolactose analogue , isopropylthiogalactoside ( iptg ), which binds to the lac repressor protein . it is shown here that essential oils are replacing iptg to induce the lac operon . it was found that compositions comprising essential oils not only dissolves x - gal , but also enhances the blue color without the need of iptg . among different tested essential oils , the most interesting alternative to iptg is a small amount of the essential oil sea pine . other essential oils extracted from spruce , pine or other conifers are also candidate to replace iptg . using such oil instead of iptg represents different benefits , being non - toxic , all natural , easily biodegradable , low cost and most importantly , already as a liquid solution , ready to use . monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were shown to be successful in dissolving x - gal and replacing iptg in screening clones using the blue / white x - gal selection method . in addition to x - gal , it is also possible to dissolve iptg with the same solutions for cloning with bacterial systems needing that stimulation ( see table 2 for examples ). these same solutions allow stable dissolution of ampicillin , tetracycline and chloramphenicol , providing an approach wherein a complete solution is available to the user . to dissolve kanamycin , a solution with a base of micelles in aqueous solution is essential . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , individual lb plates are prepared adding 100 μl of x - gal solution to the surface of a lb plate being at room temperature and spreading evenly across the surface . the plate is dried before use . x - gal containing lb + amp plates are stable for up to 90 days when stored at 4 ° c . batches can be prepared by aseptically adding x - gal solution directly to melted lb agar ( temperature 50 ° c .). 100 μl of the solution should be used for every petri dish . for example , for each 500 ml add 2000 μl of x - gal solution . mix well ( for 3 to 5 minutes ) and pour as you normally would . let cool . x - gal lb plates are stable for at least 3 months when stored at 4 ° c . x - gal can be added before or after the addition of selective antibiotics to the medium . for best mixing results , a magnetic stir bar should be added during the autoclaving process or a sterile magnetic stir bar could be ascetically added after autoclaving . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , x - gal solution is prepared as follow : add 7 ml of either nmp or dmpu to 1 gram of x - gal . stir until dissolved and bring to 10 ml with nmp or dmpu ( whichever is already used ). add 3 . 5 ml of either nmp or dmpu to 1 gram of x - gal . stir until dissolved and bring to 5 ml with nmp or dmpu ( whichever is already used ). mix with 5 ml of essential oil until thoroughly mixed . add 7 ml of either nmp or dmpu to 1 gram of x - gal and stir until dissolved . bring to 10 ml with nmp or dmpu ( whichever is already used ). add 90 ml of methanol and mix thoroughly . using 0 . 01 g x - gal in 500 μl of turpenoid natural ® ( comprising a combination of citrus extracts , pine terpenoids , limonene and linseed oil ) provides excellent dissolution of x - gal and without affecting bacterial growth . it also provides a strong blue color without the need of iptg , as shown in fig1 . 10 mg of x - gal powder were successfully dissolved in the solvents described in the table 3 below . a 10 × x - gal / nmp solution could be stored at − 20 ° c . without freezing . over time , the solution will take a very pale yellow color that does not seem to darken over time . a 10 × x - gal / nmp solution is easily diluted to 1 × in anhydrous methanol or 95 % ethanol . when diluted in methanol or ethanol , the solution will not freeze . when the 1 × x - gal / nmp / methanol is stored for 16 weeks at 4 ° c ., there is no loss in x - gal activity as measured by applying 100 μl to a lb plate , streaking e . coli puc19 transfectant , incubation at 37 ° c . and examination for blue colonies after 16 hours . tables 4 and 5 are showing the results obtained by testing the activity of x - gal in solution with different solvent on a weekly basis . in table 4 , the tested solutions were stored at 4 ° c . at weekly intervals , 100 μl was applied to an lb + amp plate and streaked with e . coli containing puc19 . the plate was incubated overnight at 37 ° c . the following morning the plate was examined for blue colonies . in table 5 , lb + amp plates were prepared and stored at 4 ° c . at weekly intervals , a plate was removed and streaked with e . coli containing puc19 . the plate was incubated at 37 ° c . overnight . the blueness of the colonies was then scored . it was shown that when x - gal was first dissolved in nmp , mixed one to one with essential oil , and then diluted in methanol to 10 mg / ml the mixture would ultimately yield colonies that are darker blue than when x - gal is made up in dimethylformamide . this work was repeated and expanded to include other essential oils . the oils tested were : natural orange terpene solvent ( eco - house ); blue gum eucalyptus organic ( divine essense ); atlas cedarwood ( pranarom ); sea pine turpentine ( pranarom ) and natural turpenoid . in this experiment , a 100 mg / ml solution of x - gal in nmp was prepared . a one to one mix with each essential oil was then made using this solution . the net x - gal concentration is now 50 mg / ml . this solution was then dilute 5 × with 100 % methanol such that the final concentration of x - gal is 10 mg / ml . one hundred microliters of this solution is then applied per lb plate . as a control , 50 μl of a 20 mg / ml solution of x - gal dissolved in dimethylformamide was applied to one lb plate . e . coli containing puc19 was streaked onto each “ x - gal spread ” lb plate for isolated colonies . the plates were incubated at 37 ° c . overnight . after incubation , the growth on each x - gal plate was scored for blueness . the ranking was as follows ( least blue to most blue ): a ( least ); b and x - gal / dmf ; c , d and e ( most blue ). the results showed that when either atlas cedarwood , sea pine turpenine or natural turpenoid were mixed with x - gal / nmp / methanol there was an enhanced blueness of the e . coli puc containing bacteria . during assays with sea pine turpentine , the amount of sea pine turpentine added to the x - gal / nmp solution was serially diluted one in two four times , mixed with methanol and then spread onto lb plates . the amount of x - gal added to each plate was the same . the plates were then streaked with e coli containing puc19 and incubated overnight . an examination of the plates showed that the bluest colonies were those obtained with the original amount of sea pine turpentine gave the deepest blue color . in the previous experiments , the final x - gal concentration was 10 mg / ml . the concentration of x - gal was reduced to 7 . 5 , 5 and 2 . 5 mg / ml . plates were prepared and streaked . the net result was that there was a significant drop in blue coloration when the x - gal was dropped from 7 . 5 to 2 . 5 mg / ml . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , x - gal is in a concentration of 10 mg / ml . ligation assays were performed using lambda dna digested with psti and puc19 digested with psti and ctap treated . the completed ligation was transformed into dh5α and plated onto lb plates containing : the plates were incubated overnight . the results for a , b and c are shown in fig2 , 3 and 4 , respectively . for all three plating , there were both white and blue colonies . moreover , it is shown that the blues colonies of fig4 are of a more intense blue than the ones of fig2 and 3 . it is possible to incorporate x - gal directly in molten lb agar . to test this with the x - gal solution of the present invention , 500 ml of lb agar was made , autoclaved and cooled to about 50 ° c . to this 2 ml of a 10 mg / ml x - gal / nmp / seapine / methanol solution was added and mixed . upon the addition of the x - gal solution , there was a cloudy appearance throughout the agar as it mixed . mixing for 3 to 4 minutes did not disperse the cloudiness . however , when the plates were poured , the cloudiness dispersed upon cooling and solidification . a slight surface cloudiness was noted several hours later when the plates were inverted for incubation overnight at room temperature . however , the next day the plates looked normal . one plate was used to streak a white and a blue colony and incubated overnight at 37 ° c . two plates were left at 25 ° c . these two plates served as shipping simulators . the plates were tested after 5 days and were streaked with a blue and white colony and incubated overnight . aging studies have been set up for the liquid product both with and without sea pine turpentine . the studies conducted with the x - gal / nmp / methanol solution shown that the product is stable for 17 weeks at 4 ° c . with only a minor pale yellow color developing over time . this has being conducted at the same time with the x - gal / nmp / seapine / methanol product . x - gal solution using nmp and / or essential oil were shown to have an improve shelf - life . table 6 is providing life span of x - gal solutions . longest - term recipe is 1 jun . 2002 in amber bottles and stored at 4 ° c . the recipe is 10 % nmp and 90 % methanol . the solution was last test sep . 25 , 2003 and found to be functioning fine ( see fig5 ). currently , only a pale yellow color and not crystals . x - gal containing lb plates were prepared jul . 30 , 2002 . two sets of plates were poured and stored at 4 ° c . only . the first set was x - gal dissolved in nmp then an equal volume of natural turpenoid extract was added followed by ethanol . the final x - gal concentration in the solution was 10 mg / ml . ampicillin prepared in water was added separately to the molten agar before pouring . each week one plate was removed , streaked with puc / dh5α and dh5α and incubated at 37 ° c . overnight . during the course of the experiment , the streaked puc / dh5α always turned blue and the dh5α did not grow . up until jul . 30 , 2003 , both ampicillin and x - gal were functioning . tables 7 - 9 provide results from more aging studies performed with solutions in accordance with the present invention in fig6 , dishes from the bt lot no . 024 , as described in table 8 are illustrated . the two top left dish was conserved at 4 ° c ., the top right dish was conserved at room temperature , the bottom left dish was conserved at 37 ° c . and the bottom right dish was conserved at 65 ° c . in fig7 a , dishes from the lot a , as described in table 9 , are illustrated . the top dish was conserved two weeks at 4 ° c ., the bottom left dish was conserved two weeks at 37 ° c . and the bottom right dish was conserved two weeks at 65 ° c . in fig7 b , dishes from the lot 028 , as described in table 9 , are illustrated . the top dish was conserved two weeks at 4 ° c ., the bottom left dish was conserved two weeks at 37 ° c . and the bottom right dish was conserved two weeks at 65 ° c . in fig7 c , dishes from the lot dmso , as described in table 9 , are illustrated . the top dish was conserved two weeks at − 20 ° c ., the bottom left dish was conserved two weeks at 37 ° c . and the bottom right dish was conserved two weeks at 65 ° c . while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof , it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention following , in general , the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth , and as follows in the scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
to better appreciate the present invention , it is helpful to consider the implications of current collapse in a tbu transistor . the first point to note is that the long recovery time from current collapse is not really a problem for the tbu application . the reason for this is that a tbu transistor will only be current collapsed after it has shut off in response to an over - voltage or over - current condition . in most cases , it is not required to recover rapidly from this shut - off condition . however , current collapse can increase the vulnerability of tbu transistors to permanent damage in operation . for example , consider the conventional tbu of fig1 , and assume that transistor q 1 is in a current collapsed state ( i . e ., low conductivity ) immediately after the circuit of fig1 blocks a positive transient . if this positive transient is immediately followed by a negative transient , then the unipolar circuit of fig1 will not act to block the negative transient . ordinarily , such a negative transient would pass harmlessly through the circuit of fig1 , because transistors q 1 and q 3 would both provide low impedance , thereby ensuring low power dissipation in q 1 and q 3 . however , in the situation assumed here , q 1 provides a high impedance to the negative transient because of the assumed current collapse , and as the negative transient will not act to drive the tbu circuit into its fully off low power dissipation state , significant power dissipation will occur in q 1 , dependent purely on its present current collapsed state . such power dissipation could be sufficient to permanently damage or destroy q 1 , thereby rendering the tbu inoperative . the situation of a positive transient immediately followed by a negative transient is not uncommon in practice , since transients and surges frequently have an oscillatory or “ ringing ” behavior . fig3 shows a unipolar tbu according to a first embodiment of the invention . in this example , a diode d 1 is connected from source to drain of q 1 . optionally , impedance r 1 ( which may include a diode ) may also be present , in cases where it is desirable or necessary to alter the voltage or current at the gate of q 3 compared to that provided by a simple connection . practice of the invention does not depend critically on passive biasing element r 1 . the polarities of depletion mode transistors q 1 and q 3 are selected such that positive transients of i tbu ( i . e ., in the direction of the i tbu arrow on fig3 ) are blocked by the tbu if they exceed the tbu threshold . when i tbu is negative , d 1 provide a low impedance shunt path across q 1 . thus , d 1 acts to protect q 1 from the above - described damage mechanism if q 1 exhibits current collapse after blocking a positive transient . in more general terms , it is helpful to think in terms of a controllable current ( i . e ., i tbu ) that can have either of two opposite polarities ( i . e ., positive and negative ). tbu transistors can be protected from their own current collapse by having a diode connected in parallel to the transistor . the diode polarity is selected to provide a low impedance for a current polarity opposite the current polarity that can be blocked by that transistor . for example , if q 1 can block positive transients , d 1 provides a low impedance for negative current . similarly , if q 1 can block negative transients , d 1 provides a low impedance for positive current . effectively , q 1 is removed from the circuit when current flows in a direction it cannot block . although the invention can be practiced with q 1 and q 3 being any kind of transistor , it is preferred for q 1 to be a gan junction field - effect transistor . the resulting tbu can be designed to exploit the advantages of low cost and good high voltage performance provided by gan transistors , without suffering from increased damage vulnerability due to gan current collapse . fig4 shows a bipolar tbu according to a second embodiment of the invention . this example can be understood as two unipolar tbus of the type shown on fig3 having opposite polarity connected in series and sharing q 3 . the tbu formed by transistors q 1 and q 3 blocks surges having a first polarity ( e . g ., positive ), and the tbu formed by transistors q 2 and q 3 blocks surges having a second polarity ( e . g ., negative ). the roles of positive and negative surge polarity can be reversed in this example , provided the polarities of d 1 and d 2 are also reversed . because q 1 can act to block positive transients , its corresponding diode d 1 provides low impedance to negative current . similarly , q 2 can act to block negative transients , so its corresponding diode d 2 provides low impedance to positive current . for example , if q 1 blocks the first half cycle of an oscillatory high current surge and is affected by current collapse , q 1 is bypassed by d 1 when the current of the negative half cycle of the surge begins to flow . as a result , negative current flows unhindered through the tbu until the tbu formed by transistors q 2 and q 3 switches to a current blocking state . once this occurs , both q 1 and q 2 may be affected by current collapse , and no current will flow through the tbu in either direction until the surge voltage goes below the hold voltage of the tbu long enough for q 1 and q 2 to recover from current collapse . if d 1 were not present , then the first negative half cycle of the surge could destroy q 1 . optional impedances r 1 , r 2 , and / or r 3 , any of which can include a diode , may be included in the circuit of fig4 . practice of the invention does not depend critically on details of these passive biasing elements . although the invention can be practiced with q 1 , q 2 and q 3 being any kind of transistor , it is preferred for q 1 and q 2 to be gan junction field - effect transistors . the resulting bipolar tbu can be designed to exploit the advantages of low cost and good high voltage performance provided by gan transistors , without suffering from increased damage vulnerability due to gan current collapse . preferred specifications for gan q 1 and q 2 in this example include & gt ; 600 v blocking voltage , threshold voltage − 2 & lt ; vp & lt ;− 0 . 5 and resistance & lt ; 3ω . fig5 shows a modified version of the embodiment of fig4 . this example differs from the example of fig4 by the addition of diodes d 3 and d 4 . the purpose of diodes d 3 and d 4 is to prevent one of the unipolar tbus from interfering with the other unipolar tbu . for example , when q 1 and q 3 are forming the active tbu for blocking positive surges , the gate junction of q 2 can short the voltages generated across q 3 . in such cases , d 4 can be added to prevent this short . similarly , d 3 can be added in cases where the gate junction of q 1 acts to short the voltages across q 3 for negative surges . the orientations of d 3 and d 4 are selected to be opposite to the orientation of the corresponding gate junctions of q 1 and q 2 . in this manner , current flow to or from the gates of q 1 and q 2 is prevented , even in cases where q 1 and q 2 are jfets as opposed to insulated gate fets ( e . g . mosfets ). in preferred embodiments where q 1 and q 2 are gan transistors , the forward diode conduction voltage of the gate junctions of q 1 and q 2 can be as high as 5 v , which may be sufficient by itself to remove the above - described shorting of q 3 by gate junctions . therefore , the approaches of fig4 and 5 are both preferred . fig6 shows a tbu according to a third embodiment of the invention , where a low voltage tbu core controls high voltage transistors . in this example , q 1 and q 2 are high voltage gan jfets protected by diodes d 1 and d 2 as described above . a core tbu 602 is connected to the gates of q 1 and q 2 , to the source of q 1 and to the source of q 3 . core tbu 602 acts as a control circuit to switch off q 1 if a tbu current having a first polarity ( e . g ., positive ) exceeds threshold , and acts to switch off q 2 if a tbu current having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity ( e . g ., negative ) exceeds threshold . an advantage of this approach is that core tbu 602 does not need to have high voltage capability . instead , transistors q 1 and q 2 provide the high voltage capability ( e . g ., gan fets for q 1 and q 2 can have & gt ; 600 v blocking voltage , threshold voltage & gt ; 15v and resistance & lt ; 3ω ). fig7 shows an example of the embodiment of fig6 . in this example , core tbu 602 includes mosfets q 4 and q 5 and jfet q 6 which act as a tbu as described in connection with fig2 . optional biasing elements r 1 , r 2 , and / or r 3 can be included , but practice of the invention does not depend critically on details of these passive biasing elements . it is helpful to regard core tbu 602 of fig6 as one example of a control circuit used for practicing embodiments of the invention . in this example , the control circuit is connected to the gate of q 1 , the gate of q 2 , the source of q 1 , and the source of q 2 . the embodiment of fig3 shows another example of such a control circuit . in this example , the control circuit includes a transistor ( q 3 ) controlling a current from its source to its drain , where i tbu flows through both q 1 and q 3 in series , and where the gate of q 3 is connected to the drain of q 1 , the source of q 3 is connected to the source of q 1 , and the drain of q 3 is connected to the gate of q 1 . the embodiment of fig4 shows another example of such a control circuit . in this example , the control circuit includes a transistor q 3 , a connection between the source of q 1 and the source of q 3 , a connection between the drain of q 3 and the source of q 2 , a connection between the drain of q 3 and the gate of q 1 , a connection between the source of q 3 and the gate of q 2 , a connection between the gate of q 3 and the drain of q 1 ( which may include an optional passive component ), and a connection between the gate of q 3 and the drain of q 2 ( which also may include an optional passive component ). in more general terms , the control circuit is connected to the gate of q 1 and to at least one of the source and drain of q 1 . for a first polarity of a controllable current ( i . e ., i tbu ), the control circuit acts primarily to switch off q 1 responsive to an over - voltage or over - current condition . for a bipolar tbu , the control circuit is also connected to the gate of q 2 and to at least one of the source and drain of q 2 . for a second polarity of the controllable current opposite to the first polarity , the control circuit in a bipolar tbu acts primarily to switch off q 2 responsive to an over - voltage or over - current condition . the preceding description has been by way of example as opposed to limitation . for instance , transistors q 1 and q 2 are shown as n - channel jfets on the schematics of fig3 - 7 . this corresponds to preferred embodiments of the invention where q 1 and q 2 are gan transistors . however , the invention can be practiced for tbus having any kind of transistors . in the preceding examples , diodes d 1 and / or d 2 are employed to protect transistors that can exhibit current collapse . more generally , any uni - directional shunt circuit ( e . g ., a diode , diode + resistor in series , etc .) connected to the source and drain of a transistor can be employed for such protection . the functionality provided by the uni - directional shunt circuit can be regarded as a voltage limiting function , where reverse voltages across a transistor are limited to values substantially less than a reverse breakdown voltage of the transistor . here “ forward ” and “ reverse ” with respect to a transistor are defined by reference to breakdown voltages of a transistor : the drain - source polarity having the higher breakdown voltage is forward polarity , while the drain - source polarity having the lower breakdown voltage is reverse polarity . current flow through the transistor responsive to forward applied voltage has forward current polarity . current flow through the transistor responsive to reverse applied voltage has reverse current polarity . the functionality provided by the uni - directional shunt circuit can also be regarded as providing an alternate path for reverse current flow in parallel to the transistor channel ( which may be current collapsed ). circuits ( e . g ., as in the previous examples ) can be configured such that this alternate current path is irrelevant in normal operation , and is only active when the transistor channel is current collapsed . from this point of view , one aspect of some embodiments of the invention is detection of a current collapsed condition in a transistor and automatic provision of an alternate current path around such current collapsed transistor . because the reverse breakdown voltage tends to be much less than the forward breakdown voltages , it tends to be much easier to damage transistors by application of excess reverse voltage . thus the reverse voltage limiting capability provided by the uni - directional shunt circuit is particularly valuable . for example , if the shunt is a diode , the voltage is limited to a value comparable to the voltage drop across the diode when the diode is forward biased . the preceding description also relates specifically to tbu applications of gan transistors . however , the idea of protecting gan transistors from excessive reverse voltage ( which can be induced by current flow through a current collapsed channel ) by a uni - directional shunt circuit to a gan is applicable to other circuit applications in addition to the tbu application . such protected gan transistors are expected to be of greatest interest for applications where the recovery time of a gan transistor from its current collapsed condition is not a problem ( i . e ., like the tbu application ). | 7 |
fig1 depicts the configuration of a dc - dc converter incorporating therein a switching control circuit according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the dc - dc converter 1 a includes a switching control circuit 10 a , n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 , an inductor 13 , a capacitor 14 , resistors 21 and 22 , a current source 23 , a capacitor 24 , a power source 25 , a capacitor 31 , a resistor 32 , and a microcomputer 35 . the switching control circuit 10 a includes an error amplifying circuit 40 , a comparator 45 , an inverter 47 , a buffer 48 , an sr flip - flop ( hereinafter “ sr - ff ”) 50 , an inverter 51 , and an and circuit 53 . the n - channel mosfet 11 ( first transistor ) is connected in series to the n - channel mosfet 12 ( second transistor ). an input voltage vin is applied to the drain of the n - channel mosfet 11 , and the source of the n - channel mosfet 12 is grounded . the gate ( control electrode ) of the n - channel mosfet 11 is connected to a terminal hd of the switching control circuit 10 a , and the gate ( control electrode ) of the n - channel mosfet 12 is connected to a terminal ld of the switching control circuit 10 a . while n - channel mosfets are used as transistors in the present embodiment , the n - channel mosfets may be replaced with p - channel mosfets or with bipolar transistors . the inductor 13 has one end that is connected to a junction between the n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 , and the other end that is connected to one end of the capacitor 14 , the other end of which is grounded . thus , a voltage at a junction between the inductor 13 and the capacitor 14 , that is , a voltage generated by electricity charging the capacitor 14 is equivalent to an output voltage vout . the resistors 21 and 22 are the voltage - dividing resistors that generate the feedback voltage vf corresponding to the output voltage vout . the resistor 21 has one end to which the output voltage vout is applied , and the other end connected to one end of the resistor 22 , the other end of which is grounded . a voltage at a junction between the resistors 21 and 22 is equivalent to the feedback voltage vf that is given by dividing the output voltage vout by a resistance ratio between the resistors 21 and 22 . the feedback voltage vf is applied to a terminal fb of the switching control circuit 10 a . the current source 23 and the capacitor 24 compose a circuit that generates a voltage vss ( first reference voltage ) for soft starting the dc - dc converter 1 a . the current source 23 is connected to one end of the capacitor 24 so that a current iss output from the current source 23 flows into the capacitor 24 , the other end of which is grounded . a voltage at a junction between the current source 23 and the capacitor 24 , that is , a voltage generated by electricity charging the capacitor 24 is equivalent to the voltage vss for soft start , which is applied to a terminal ss of the switching control circuit 10 a . the power source 25 is the power source that outputs a vref ( second reference voltage ) equal in potential to the feedback voltage vf that is given when the output voltage vout from the dc - dc converter 1 a becomes a voltage at a target level , i . e ., target voltage . the vref output from the power source 25 is applied to a terminal rf of the switching control circuit 10 a . the capacitor 31 and the resistor 32 compose a circuit that causes the error amplifying circuit 40 to make an integral action according to a time constant that is defined by the product of the capacitance c of the capacitor 31 and the resistance value r of the resistor 32 . the capacitor 31 has one end connected to a terminal cc of the switching control circuit 10 a , and the other end connected to one end of the resistor 32 , the other end of which is connected to a terminal cr of the switching control circuit 10 a . the error amplifying circuit 40 has one input terminal with one polarity ( negative input terminal in the present embodiment ), and two input terminals with the other polarity ( positive input terminal in the present embodiment ). the feedback voltage vf is applied to the negative input terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 via the terminal fb , the voltage vss is applied to one positive input terminal of the same via the terminal ss , and the voltage vref is applied to the other positive input terminal of the same via the terminal rf . the negative input terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 is connected to the capacitor 31 via the terminal cc , and the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 is connected to the resistor 32 via the terminal cr . the error amplifying circuit 40 outputs an error voltage ve representing an error between lower one of the voltage vss and the voltage vref and the feedback voltage vf . the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 changes according to the time constant defined by the capacitor 31 and the resistor 32 . the comparator 45 ( comparison circuit ) has one input terminal ( positive input terminal in the present embodiment ) to which the feedback voltage vf is applied via the terminal fb , and the other input terminal ( negative input terminal in the present embodiment ) to which the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 is applied . the comparator 45 compares the feedback voltage vf applied to the positive input terminal with the error voltage ve applied to the negative input terminal . the comparator 45 outputs a comparison signal at one logic level ( h level in the present embodiment ) when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the error voltage ve , and outputs a comparison signal at the other logic level ( l level in the present embodiment ) when the feedback voltage vf is lower than the error voltage ve . the inverter 47 and the buffer 48 compose a circuit that outputs a control signal for complementarily turning on and off the n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 based on a comparison signal output from the comparator 45 . when the comparison signal output from the comparator 45 is at the logic level indicating that the feedback voltage vf is higher than the error voltage ve ( h level in the present embodiment ), the inverter 47 outputs a control signal ( first control signal ) at one logic level ( l level in the present embodiment ) for turning off the n - channel mosfet 11 ( power source side transistor ), while the buffer 48 outputs a control signal ( second control signal ) at the other logic level ( h level in the present embodiment ) for turning on the n - channel mosfet 12 ( ground side transistor ). when the comparison signal output from the comparator 45 is at the logic level indicating that the feedback voltage vf is lower than the error voltage ve ( l level in the present embodiment ), the inverter 47 outputs the control signal ( first control signal ) at the other logic level ( h level in the present embodiment ) for turning on the n - channel mosfet 11 ( power source side transistor ), while the buffer 48 outputs the control signal ( second control signal ) at one logic level ( l level in the present embodiment ) for turning off the n - channel mosfet 12 ( ground side transistor ). the sr - ff 50 serves as a circuit that prevents a regenerative action by stopping complementary on / off operation by the n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 when a pre - bias state occurs at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a . controlling current flowing through the coil 13 by complementarily turning on and off the n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 is referred to as synchronous rectification . the sr - ff 50 outputs a signal for starting synchronous rectification ( switching start signal ) after the error voltage ve becomes higher than the feedback voltage vf . to a set terminal s of the sr - ff 50 , a comparison signal output from the comparator 45 is input via the inverter 51 . to a rest terminal r of the sr - ff 50 , a stand - by signal output from the microcomputer 35 is input via a terminal stb . in the present embodiment , the stand - by signal is a pulse signal that comes to an h level at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a . a signal output from an output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 is a signal that indicates permission to or denial of the start of synchronous rectification . in the present embodiment , synchronous rectification is carried out when an h level signal ( start signal ) is output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 . thus , in the present embodiment , the stand - by signal output from the microcomputer 35 turns a signal output from the sr - ff 50 into an l level signal at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a , which leads to execution of regeneration preventive operation . a signal other than the stand - by signal may be used as the signal that turns a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 into an l level signal at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a . for example , a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 may be turned into an l level signal at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a , based on a signal output from a uvlo ( under voltage lock out ) circuit for determining on whether a drive voltage for the dc - dc converter 1 a has reached a level required for driving the dc - dc converter 1 a . a signal output from the inverter 47 is input to the gate ( control electrode ) of the n - channel mosfet 11 via the terminal hd . a signal out put from the buffer 48 is input to one input terminal of the and circuit 53 . a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 is input to the other input terminal of the and circuit 53 . a signal output from the and circuit 53 is input to the gate ( control electrode ) of the n - channel mosfet 12 via the terminal ld . this means that a signal output from the and circuit 53 is kept at l level regardless of a comparison signal output from the comparator 45 in a period during which an l level signal is output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , so that synchronous rectification is not carried out in this period . in the switching control circuit 10 a , a combination of the inverter 47 , buffer 48 , sr - ff 50 , inverter 51 , and and circuit 53 is equivalent to a drive circuit of the present invention . a combination of the sr - ff 50 and inverter 51 is equivalent to a start signal output circuit of the present invention . a combination of the inverter 47 and buffer 48 is equivalent to a control signal output circuit of the resent invention . the and circuit 53 is equivalent to a drive control circuit of the present invention . the switching control circuit 10 a may be constructed as an integrated circuit , in which case , for example , the current source 23 , the power source 25 , etc ., may be incorporated in the switching control circuit 10 a , or the n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 may be incorporated in the switching control circuit 10 a . the operation of the dc - dc converter 1 a will be described . the operation to be carried out when the output voltage vout is at zero level , which means the pre - bias state does not occur , at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a will first be described . fig2 depicts a voltage change in the dc - dc converter 1 a that results when the pre - bias state does not occur at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a . when the dc - dc converter 1 a is started , the voltage vss starts rising due to the current iss output from the current source 23 . at this point , the voltage vss is lower than the voltage vref , so that the error amplifying circuit 40 amplifies an error between the voltage vss and the feedback voltage vf to output the amplified error . since the voltage vss is higher than the voltage vf when the pre - bias state does not occur , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 gradually increases following the voltage vss . as a result , a signal output from the comparator 45 comes to l level , which causes the inverter 47 to output an h level signal and the buffer 48 to output to an l level signal . the l level signal output from the comparator 45 results in an h level signal input to the set terminal s of the sr - ff 50 . when the h level signal is input to the set terminal s of the sr - ff 50 , an h level signal is output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 . thus , the level of a signal output from the and circuit 53 is determined by the level of a signal output from the buffer 48 . now , the inverter 47 outputs the h level signal while the buffer 48 outputs the l level signal . this turns on the n - channel mosfet 11 and turns off the n - channel mosfet 12 , which causes the output voltage vout to start rising . then , when the rising output voltage vout causes the feedback voltage vf to exceed the voltage vss , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 starts to fall . when the error voltage ve becomes lower than the feedback voltage vf , a signal output from the comparator 45 comes to h level . when the h level signal is output from the comparator 45 , the inverter 47 outputs an l level signal , which turns off the n - channel mosfet 11 . at this time , an h level signal is output from the buffer 48 as the h level signal is output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , so that an h level signal is output from the and circuit 53 . this turns on the n - channel mosfet 12 . as a result , the output voltage vout starts to fall . specifically , when the feedback voltage vf is lower than the voltage vss , the n - channel mosfet 11 becomes on and the n - channel mosfet 12 becomes off to raise the feedback voltage vf . when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vss , the n - channel mosfet 11 becomes off and the n - channel mosfet 12 becomes on to lower the feedback voltage vf . in this manner , in the dc - dc converter 1 a , the output voltage vout gradually rises so as to turn the feedback voltage vf into the voltage vss through synchronous rectification carried out by complementary turning on and off of the n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 . when the voltage vss exceeds the voltage vref , soft start operation ends , after which the error amplifying circuit 40 amplifies an error between the voltage vref and the feedback voltage vf to output the amplified error . when the feedback voltage vf becomes lower than the voltage vref , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 rises to turn a signal output from the comparator 45 into an l level signal . as a result , the n - channel mosfet 11 is turned on and the n - channel mosfet 12 is turned off to raise the feedback voltage vf . when the feedback voltage vf becomes higher than the voltage vref , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 falls to turn the signal output from the comparator 45 into an h level signal . as a result , the n - channel mosfet 11 is turned off and the n - channel mosfet 12 is turned on to lower the feedback voltage vf . in this manner , in the dc - dc converter 1 a , the output voltage vout becomes a target voltage corresponding to the feedback voltage vref through synchronous rectification that is carried out to turn the feedback voltage vf into the voltage vref . the operation to be carried when the output voltage vout is not at zero level , which means the pre - bias state occurs , at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a will then be described . fig3 depicts a voltage change in the dc - dc converter 1 a that results when the voltage level of the output voltage vout is equal to or higher than zero level to equal to or lower than a target level at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a . at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 a , a stand - by signal output from the microcomputer 35 turns a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 into an l level signal . meanwhile , the current iss output from the current source 23 causes the voltage vss to start rising . at this point , the voltage vss is lower than the voltage vref , so that the error amplifying circuit 40 amplifies an error between the voltage vss and the feedback voltage vf to output the amplified error . since the voltage vf is higher than the voltage vss in the pre - bias state , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 keeps remaining at l level . as a result , a signal output from the comparator 45 stays at h level , which causes the inverter 47 to output an l level signal and the buffer 48 to output an h level signal . the h level signal output from the comparator 45 results in an l level signal input to the set terminal s of the sr - ff 50 . a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , therefore , remains at l level . at this time , while the h level signal is output from the buffer 48 , the l level signal is output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 . this results in output from an l level signal from the and circuit 53 . the l level signal , therefore , is output to both terminals hd and ld , which turns off both n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 . hence synchronous rectification is not carried out , which prevents the regenerative action . subsequently , when the voltage vss rises to exceed the feedback voltage vf , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 starts to rise . when the error voltage ve becomes higher than the feedback voltage vf , the signal output from the comparator 45 comes to l level . when the l level signal is output from the comparator 45 , an h level signal is output from the inverter 47 , which turns on the n - channel mosfet 11 . at this time , an l level signal is output from the buffer 48 , so that an l level signal is output from the and circuit 53 . this turns off the n - channel mosfet 12 . as a result , the output voltage vout starts to rise . when the l level signal is output from the comparator 45 , an h level signal is input to the set terminal s of the sr - ff 50 , which results in output of an h level signal from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 . then , when the output voltage vout rises to cause the feedback voltage vf to exceed the voltage vss , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 starts to fall . when the error voltage ve becomes lower than the feedback voltage vf , the signal output from the comparator 45 comes to h level . when the h level signal is output from the comparator 45 , an l level signal is output from the inverter 47 , which turns off the n - channel mosfet 11 . at this time , an h level signal is output from the buffer 48 as the h level signal is output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , so that an h level signal is output from the and circuit 53 . this turns on the n - channel mosfet 12 . as a result , the output voltage vout starts to fall . specifically , after a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 comes to h level , that is , after the regeneration preventive operation is canceled , the n - channel mosfet 11 becomes on and the n - channel mosfet 12 becomes off to raise the feedback voltage vf when the feedback voltage vf is lower than the voltage vss , and the n - channel mosfet 11 becomes off and the n - channel mosfet 12 becomes on to lower the feedback voltage vf when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vss . in this manner , in the dc - dc converter 1 a , the output voltage vout gradually rises so as to turn the feedback voltage vf into the voltage vss through synchronous rectification carried out by complementary turning on and off of the n - channel mosfets 11 and 12 . then , when the voltage vss exceeds the voltage vref , the error amplifying circuit 40 comes to amplify an error between the voltage vref and the feedback voltage vf to output the amplified error . thus , in the dc - dc converter 1 a , the output voltage vout becomes the target voltage corresponding to the voltage vref through synchronous rectification carried out to turn the feedback voltage vf into the voltage vref . as described above , in the dc - dc converter 1 a , the regeneration preventive operation is controlled based on a comparison signal output from the comparator 45 . in other words , the comparator 45 offers a function of generating a signal for controlling synchronous rectification and a function of generating a signal for canceling the regeneration preventive operation in the dc - dc converter 1 a . the dc - dc converter 1 a , therefore , does not need a dedicated comparator for carrying out the regeneration preventive operation . this enables a reduction in the circuit scale of the switching control circuit 10 a . in the dc - dc converter 1 a , at the start of synchronous rectification following cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation , the n - channel mosfet 11 is turned on first before turning on the n - channel mosfet 12 . if the n - channel mosfet 12 were turned on first at the start of synchronous rectification , the output voltage vout would fall until the n - channel mosfet 11 is turned on . the dc - dc converter 1 a , however , ensures that the n - channel mosfet 11 is turned on first , thus suppresses a drop in the output voltage vout at the start of synchronous rectification . fig4 depicts the configuration of a dc - dc converter incorporating therein a switching control circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the dc - dc converter 1 b is provided with a switching control circuit 10 b in replacement of the switching control circuit 10 a of the dc - dc converter 1 a of the first embodiment . the switching control circuit 10 b includes a comparator 60 ( reference voltage comparison circuit ), a power source 61 , a nor circuit 62 , and an inverter 63 , in addition to the components of the switching control circuit 10 a . the comparator 60 is the circuit that forcibly cancels the regeneration preventive operation in the switching control circuit 10 b . for example , such a case is assumed that the output voltage vout is higher than the target voltage when the dc - dc converter of the first embodiment is in the pre - bias state . in this case , the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref , so that a signal output from the comparator 45 remains at h level . because of this , a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 remains at l level , which prevents the start of synchronous rectification . as a result , the output voltage vout continues to be higher than the target voltage . to prevent this situation , the dc - dc converter 1 b is equipped with the comparator 60 to offer a function of forcibly canceling the regeneration preventive operation following the end of soft start operation . the comparator 60 has one input terminal ( positive input terminal in the present invention ) to which the voltage vss is applied via the terminal ss , and the other input terminal ( negative input terminal in the present invention ) to which a voltage vend output from the power source 61 is applied . the comparator 60 compares the voltage vss applied to the positive input terminal with the voltage vend applied to the negative input terminal , and outputs a comparison signal at one logic level ( h level in the present embodiment ) when the voltage vss is higher than the voltage vend and outputs a comparison signal at the other logic level ( l level in the present embodiment ) when the voltage vss is lower than the voltage vend . the power source 61 may be disposed at the outside of the switching control circuit 10 b . the voltage vend is the voltage for detection of the end of soft start operation , and is set higher than the voltage vref . when the voltage vss becomes higher than the voltage vend to causes the comparator 60 to output an h level signal , the end of soft start operation is concluded , which leads to cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation . it is preferable that the voltage vend be not identical with the voltage vref but be slightly higher than the voltage vref so that the regeneration preventive operation is canceled in proper timing surely after the end of soft start operation . the nor circuit 62 has one input terminal to which a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 is input , and the other input terminal to which a signal output from the comparator 60 is input . when either the signal from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 or the signal from the comparator 60 comes to h level , therefore , a signal output from the nor circuit 62 comes to l level . the signal output from the nor circuit 62 is input to the and circuit 53 via the inverter circuit 63 as a signal output from the buffer 48 is input to the and circuit 53 . in the switching control circuit 10 b , a combination of the inverter 47 , buffer 48 , sr - ff 50 , inverter 51 , and circuit 53 , nor circuit 62 , and inverter 63 is equivalent to the drive circuit of the present invention . a combination of the sr - ff 50 and inverter 51 is equivalent to the start signal output circuit of the present invention . a combination of the inverter 47 and buffer 48 is equivalent to the control signal output circuit of the present invention . a combination of the and circuit 53 , nor circuit 62 , and inverter 63 is equivalent to the drive control circuit of the present invention . operation of the dc - dc converter 1 b will be described . the regeneration preventive operation is not carried out when the pre - bias state does not occur , in which case , therefore , the dc - dc converter 1 b operates in the same manner as the dc - dc converter 1 a of the first embodiment operates . when the feedback voltage vf is lower than the voltage vref in the pre - bias state , the voltage vss rises through soft start operation . when the voltage vss becomes higher than the voltage vf , a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 comes to h level in the same manner as in the dc - dc converter 1 a of the first embodiment . when the h level signal is output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , an h level signal is output from the inverter 63 , which cancels the regeneration preventive operation . when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref in the pre - bias state , a signal output from the comparator 45 remains at h level even after the end of soft start operation . because of this , a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 remains at l level , so that the regeneration preventive operation is not canceled by the signal from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 . when the voltage vss becomes higher than the voltage vend , however , a signal output from the comparator 60 comes to h level , because of which a signal output from the nor circuit 62 comes to l level . thus , an h level signal is output from the inverter 63 . as a result , the regeneration preventive operation is canceled forcibly regardless of the level of a signal output from the comparator 45 . as described above , in the dc - dc converter 1 b , the regeneration preventive operation is controlled based on a comparison signal output from the comparator 45 in the same manner as in the dc - dc converter 1 a of the first embodiment . the dc - dc converter 1 b , therefore , does not need a dedicated comparator for carrying out the regeneration preventive operation , enabling a reduction in the circuit scale of the switching control circuit 10 b . in addition , according to the dc - dc converter 1 b , the regeneration preventive operation is canceled forcibly when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref even after the end of soft start operation . the output voltage vout , therefore , does not continue to be higher than the target voltage . this reduces an effect on a circuit supplied with the output voltage vout . in the dc - dc converter 1 b of the second embodiment , the output voltage vout drops temporarily when the regeneration preventive operation is canceled forcibly . fig5 depicts a voltage change in the dc - dc converter 1 b that results when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref in the pre - bias state . since the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 keeps remaining at l level even when the voltage vss rises . subsequently , as described above , when the voltage vss becomes higher than the voltage vend , the comparator 60 outputs an h level signal , which forcibly cancels the regeneration preventive operation , thus leading to the start of synchronous rectification . at this time , the voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 remains at l level . a signal output from the comparator 45 , therefore , comes to h level , so that the n - channel mosfet 11 becomes off while the n - channel mosfet 12 becomes on . this causes the output voltage vout to start falling . when the feedback voltage vf becomes lower than the voltage vref as a result of a fall in the output voltage vout , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying voltage 40 starts to rise . the error amplifying voltage 40 , however , makes the integral action according to the integral constant defined by the capacitor 31 and the resistor 32 , thus not allowing the error voltage ve to rise immediately . for this reason , in the dc - dc converter 1 b , the output voltage vout temporarily drops to a voltage level close to zero level . afterward , as the error voltage ve rises , the signal output from the comparator 45 comes to l level , so that the n - channel mosfet 11 becomes on while the n - channel mosfet 12 becomes off . hence the output voltage vout rises so as to turn the feedback voltage vf into the voltage vref . in this manner , in the dc - dc converter 1 b of the second embodiment , the output voltage vout falls when the regeneration preventive operation is canceled forcibly . for a circuit supplied with the output voltage vout , suppression of the fall in the output voltage vout at the time of forcible cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation may be preferable , as shown in the following third embodiment . fig6 depicts the configuration of a dc - dc converter incorporating therein a switching control circuit according to the third embodiment of the present invention . the dc - dc converter 1 c is provided with a switching control circuit 10 c in replacement of the switching control circuit 10 b of the dc - dc converter 1 b of the second embodiment . the switching control circuit 10 c has a function of suppressing a wide fall in the output voltage vout at the time of forcible cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation , and includes a switch circuit 70 ( error voltage control circuit ), in addition to the components of the switching control circuit 10 b . the switch circuit 70 is capable of switching a voltage applied to the negative input terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 in response to a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 . specifically , when the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 is at one logic level ( l level in the present embodiment ) indicating execution of the regeneration preventive operation , the switch circuit 70 electrically connects the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 to the negative input terminal of the same to input the error voltage ve to the negative input terminal . in this case , the error voltage ve becomes equal in potential to lower one of the voltage vss and the voltage vref . in other words , the error amplifying circuit 40 works as a buffer circuit that outputs lower one of the voltage vss and the voltage vref . when the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 is at the other logic level ( h level in the present embodiment ) indicating cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation , the switch circuit 70 electrically connects the terminal fb to the negative input terminal of the amplifying circuit 40 to input the feedback voltage vf to the negative input terminal . in the switching control circuit 10 c , a combination of the inverter 47 , buffer 48 , sr - ff 50 , inverter 51 , and circuit 53 , nor circuit 62 , and inverter 63 is equivalent to the drive circuit of the present invention . a combination of the sr - ff 50 and inverter 51 is equivalent to the start signal output circuit of the present invention . a combination of the inverter 47 and buffer 48 is equivalent to the control signal output circuit of the present invention . a combination of the and circuit 53 , nor circuit 62 , and inverter 63 is equivalent to the drive control circuit of the present invention . operation of the dc - dc converter 1 c will be described . the operation to be carried out when the pre - bias state does not occur will first be described . when the dc - dc converter 1 c is started , a stand - by signal output from the microcomputer 35 turns a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 into an l level signal . in response to the l level signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , the switch circuit 70 electrically connects the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 to the negative input terminal of the same , which means that the positive terminals and negative terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 are put in a short - circuited state . since the voltage vss is lower than the voltage vref at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 c , the error voltage ve output from the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 becomes equal in potential to the voltage vss . as the voltage vss rises gradually , the error voltage ve becomes higher than the feedback voltage vf . because of this , a signal output from the comparator 45 comes to l level , which changes the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 into an h level signal . when the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 is changed into the h level signal , the switch circuit 70 electrically connects the terminal fb to the negative input terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 . afterward , synchronous rectification is carried out so as to turn the feedback voltage vf into lower one of the voltage vss and the voltage vref . operation to be carried out when the feedback voltage vf is lower than the voltage vref in the pre - bias state will then be described . at the start of the dc - dc converter ic , as in the above case , a stand - by signal output from the microcomputer 35 turns a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 into an l level signal . in response to the l level signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , the switch circuit 70 electrically connects the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 to the negative input terminal of the same . because of this , the error voltage ve output from the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 becomes equal in potential to the voltage vss . at this time , the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vss under the pre - bias state , so that a signal output from the comparator 45 is at h level , which keeps the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 at l level . as a result , the regeneration preventive operation is carried out in the dc - dc converter 1 c . then , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 rises as the voltage vss rises . when the error voltage ve becomes higher than the feedback voltage vf , the signal output from the comparator 45 comes to l level , which means that when the voltage vss exceeds the feedback voltage vf to cause cancellation of the pre - bias state , the signal output from the comparator 45 comes to l level . when the signal output from the comparator 45 comes to l level , the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 comes to h level , which leads to cancellation of the regenerative preventive operation . afterward , synchronous rectification is carried out so as to bring the feedback voltage vf equal in potential to lower one of the voltage vss and the voltage vref . operation to be carried out when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref in the pre - bias state will then be described . fig7 depicts a voltage change in the dc - dc converter 1 c that results when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref in the pre - bias state . at the start of the dc - dc converter 1 c , as in the above case , a stand - by signal output from the microcomputer 35 turns a signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 into an l level signal . in response to the l level signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , the switch circuit 70 electrically connects the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 to the negative input terminal of the same . because of this , the error voltage ve output from the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 becomes equal in potential to the voltage vss . at this time , the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vss under the pre - bias state , so that a signal output from the comparator 45 is at h level , which keeps the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 at l level . as a result , the regeneration preventive operation is carried out in the dc - dc converter 1 c . then , when the voltage vss rises to exceed the voltage vref , the voltage ve output from the output terminal of the error amplifying circuit 40 becomes equal in potential to the voltage vref . at this point , the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref , so that the signal output from the comparator 45 remains at h level . the signal output from the output terminal q of the sr - ff 50 , therefore , remains at l level . as a result , the regeneration preventive operation is continued in the dc - dc converter 1 c . afterward , when the voltage vss keeps rising to become higher than the voltage vend output from the power source 61 , a signal output from the comparator 60 comes to h level , which results in forcible cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation . at this time , the voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 is equal in potential to the voltage vref because the error amplifying circuit 40 is working as a buffer circuit . for this reason , synchronous rectification is carried out so as to turn the feedback voltage vf into the voltage vref immediately after cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation . this suppresses a wide fall in the output voltage vout . as set forth in the above description of the first to third embodiments , the regeneration preventive operation is controlled based on a comparison signal output from the comparator 45 in the dc - dc converters 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c . in other words , the comparator 45 offers a function of generating a signal for controlling synchronous rectification and a function of generating a signal for canceling the regeneration preventive operation in the dc - dc converters 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c . the dc - dc converters 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c , therefore , do not need a dedicated comparator for carrying out the regeneration preventive operation . this enables a reduction in the circuit scale of the switching control circuit 10 a , 10 b , and 10 c . in the dc - dc converters 1 a , 1 b , and ic , the n - channel mosfet 11 is turned on first before turning on the n - channel mosfet 12 at the start of synchronous rectification following cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation . this suppresses a fall in the output voltage vout at the start of synchronous rectification . in the dc - dc converters 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c , as shown in the second and third embodiments , the regeneration preventive operation is forcibly canceled when the feedback voltage vf is higher than the voltage vref even after the end of soft start . even when the output voltage vout is higher than the target voltage in the pre - bias state , therefore , the regeneration preventive operation is canceled forcibly after the end of soft start operation . this prevents the continuation of a state where the output voltage vout is higher than the target voltage , allowing the output voltage vout to change into the target voltage . in the dc - dc converters 1 c , as shown in the third embodiment , the error amplifying circuit 40 works as the buffer circuit that outputs lower one of the voltage vss and the voltage vref . because of this , the error voltage ve output from the error amplifying circuit 40 becomes equal in potential to the voltage vref at forcible cancellation of the regeneration preventive operation . this suppresses a wide fall in the output voltage vout . the above embodiments of the present invention are simply for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not in any way to be construed as limiting the present invention . the present invention may variously be changed or altered without departing from its spirit and encompass equivalents thereof . | 8 |
the present invention is directed to improved methods for minimizing the re - emission of mercury in a flue gas desulfurization system . the configuration and use of the presently preferred embodiments are discussed in detail below . it should be appreciated , however , that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of contexts other than traditional flue gas desulfurization processes . accordingly , the specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention , and do not limit the scope of the invention . in addition , the following terms shall have the associated meaning when used herein : “ power plant ” means any plant using furnaces , boilers or heaters consuming coal , oil or any solid , liquid or gaseous fuel from which flue gas is discharged ; “ reagent solids ” means any reagent known in the art for use in a fgd process , including hydrated lime , limestone , soda ash , nahcolite , and dolomite ; and “ wet scrubbing system ” and similar terms mean any system designed for solid particle or so x removal during flue gas discharge . fig1 is a schematic block diagram depicting a typical wet flue gas desulfurization system 10 , wherein one or more mercury re - emission additives 12 are introduced to the wet flue gas desulfurization process with the reagent stream added for so 2 removal . the reagent liquor is prepared as a slurry at station 14 from water and reagent solids 18 , and is provided to absorber 20 . in this embodiment , the mercury re - emission additives of the invention are introduced to the wet flue gas desulfurization process with the slurried reagent stream 22 added for so 2 removal . the flue gas 24 to be treated is provided to the absorber 20 , as is makeup water 26 , where contact between the inlet flue gas and the slurry results in the scrubbing of the flue gas . the treated flue gas 28 is discharged from the absorber 20 as a purified product . the spent slurry is bled off at 30 and dewatered at 32 , with the resulting solid by - product 34 being disposed of or available as a saleable commodity . the overflow and filtrate 36 from the dewatering is returned to the reagent preparation station 14 for use in slurry preparation , and returned to the absorber 20 as additional makeup water . with the exception of the re - emission additives 12 , all of the foregoing procedures and apparatus are known in the prior art . the method of the present invention represents a low cost means of adding mercury re - emission additives to the process at a rate that already varies based on the amount of so 2 being absorbed . since under controlled conditions the amount of so 2 absorbed is an indicator of the amount of coal being combusted , the rate at which reagent is added to the process will correspond to the rate of mercury absorption . fig2 is a schematic block diagram depicting a laboratory scale wet flue gas desulfurization system 40 . the system includes a reactor vessel 42 and absorber tower 44 containing fgd flue gas 56 and liquor 46 . feedback control loops are used : to maintain a constant ph through the addition of sodium hydroxide ( naoh ) from feed tank 48 ; to maintain the sulfite concentration through the addition of hydrogen peroxide ( h 2 o 2 ) from feed tank 50 ; and otherwise to maintain a constant temperature . the liquor 46 from the reaction tank is passed via a loop 52 including recirculation pump 54 , to the tower 44 where it forms a liquid column . the flue gas 56 provided to the tower 44 via inlet 58 exits at the bottom 60 of the column , and after bubbling upwardly through the liquor , where it is scrubbed by the liquor , exits at outlet 62 as the purified waste gas 64 . tests were conducted using the system described above and shown in fig2 to compare the efficacy of the present invention in comparison with other additives . the inlet and outlet mercury concentrations were measured in the flue gas at analyzers 66 and 68 . both total mercury ( oxidized and elemental ) and elemental mercury ( hg 0 ) were measured in a semi - continuous manner . all measurements were performed with the reaction tank operating at 131 ° f . and ph = 5 . other parameters associated with the liquor or flue gas are shown below : 15 - 25 μg / nm 3 hgcl 2 , with trace amounts of hg 0 note that a solid phase was not present in these laboratory scale tests , unlike wet fgd units servicing utilities . in each test except the baseline test , a hg re - emission additive was included in the liquor as a single spike at 0 . 05 mm . all chemicals were added to the liquid phase and the simulated flue gas was bubbled through the absorber tower until steady state was reached . the results of four different experiments are shown in fig3 , which is a plot of elemental mercury ( hg 0 ) in the outlet flue gas stream as a function of elapsed time . from time 0 until approximately 3 hours , the hg 0 concentration was at or below detection limits (-˜ 1 μg / nm 3 ). at approximately 3 hours , the amount of mercury being introduced into the system via the inlet flue gas was supplemented with an injection of soluble hg + 2 in the form of hg ( clo 4 ) 2 . mercury re - emissions are seen to immediately increase after this mercury spike . in the baseline case ( curve a ), re - emissions are steady at nominally their initial values (˜ 10 μg / nm 3 ) for the duration of the experiment . contrast the baseline case with the lipoic acid ( 1 , 2 - dithiolane - 3 - valeric acid ) additive , the results for which are depicted in curve d ; or with curve b which depicts the results where the additive is 2 , 3 - dimercaptopropanol . in these latter two instances the elemental mercury concentration initially increases with this surge in oxidized mercury but the re - emissions are quickly eliminated , as evidenced by the outlet elemental mercury concentration falling to the detection limit (˜ 1 μg / nm 3 ). among the additional additives found to be effective in the present invention are the compounds dimercaptosuccinic acid ; 1 , 8 - octanedithiol ; 2 - methyl 1 , 3 - dithiolane ; mercaptoacetic acid , and the sodium salt of mercaptoacetic acid . two other additives ( 4 - aminothiophenol and 2 - mercapto benzimidazole ) that were tested are also shown in fig3 ( curves c and e ). these two chemicals were not seen to affect emissions as effectively as lipoic acid and 2 , 3 - dimercaptopropanol ; in fact , the mercury re - emission trends were the same as the baseline case for these additives . both of these additives are technically organothiols , and yet both are ineffective for preventing mercury re - emissions . thus , it will be clear that the group of additives delineated in the present invention possess the unexpected and unique properties that are effective for such a result . there are discernable chemical distinctions between the two groups of additives shown in fig3 : the chemicals used in curves b and d that eliminated re - emissions contain a dithiol or dithiolane group as well as a doubly - bounded oxygen (═ o ) and / or a hydroxyl (— oh ) group , whereas the ineffective chemicals 4 - aminothiophenol and 2 - mercapto benzimidazole used in curves c and e contain a single thiol along with an amino functional group . an additional additive , mercaptoacetic acid ( maa ), was tested . in this case , the experiments were performed using a slurry from an operating utility . both the liquid and solid phases were used in an effort to more closely mimic conditions encountered in full scale wet fgd system . the exact composition of the solid and liquid was not determined . some of the test conditions were slightly modified to match the conditions of a utility scrubber ; the changes are noted below . in addition , instead of using sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide to control ph and sulfite levels , reagent grade calcium carbonate and sparged air were used , respectively . all other conditions were the same as the tests presented in fig3 . fig4 shows the gas phase outlet elemental mercury concentration as a function of the elapsed time since the start of the test . since only trace amounts of elemental mercury are introduced in the gas phase , the high concentration of mercury at the scrubber outlet is clearly the result of re - emissions . mercaptoacetic acid was spiked into the system to quickly introduce an inventory in the reactor and continued at a constant feed . the mercaptoacetic acid spike occurs at approximately 2 hours and is annotated on the graph . the mass of mercaptoacetic acid introduced corresponds to a concentration of 27 ppm or 0 . 3 mm . the test lasted approximately 6 hours after maa was initially being added to the system . the addition of mercaptoacetic acid to the system significantly reduced mercury re - emissions . as previously discussed , any gas phase mercury concentration value below ˜ 1 μg / nm 3 can be considered experimental noise and below the detection limit of the instrument . the final concentration of mercaptoacetic acid added during the test resulted in a concentration to 400 ppm or 4 . 3 mm by the end of the test , assuming the additive remained in the liquid phase and did not degrade . of interest is the fact that , as mercaptoacetic acid was being actively added to the fgd system , the mercury partitioning was affected , as shown in fig5 . the distribution of mercury in the solid , liquid and gas phase is shown in fig5 as a function of elapsed time . at the beginning of the test , all of the mercury is in the solid phase ( 400 μg of mercury corresponds to a concentration of 1 μg / g ). after the mercaptoacetic acid is introduced , the mercury is seen to partition to the liquid phase . the highest liquid phase mercury concentration seen at 2 . 5 hours is 50 μg / l . relative to the mercury in the liquid and solid phases , little mercury exits the system as re - emitted mercury , which is evidenced in fig4 and demonstrates the effectiveness of maa . a small parametric test matrix was also performed using mercaptoacetic acid . the ph and chloride levels were varied . the ph was tested at 4 . 7 , 5 . 2 , and 5 . 7 , and chloride was tested at 5 mm and 50 mm levels . instead of performing the tests with samples from a utility wet fgd , a synthetic slurry was prepared using calcium sulfate as the solid material . with the exception of the chloride level and ph , the liquid phase chemistry of the slurry was the same as it was for the results presented in fig3 . reagent grade calcium carbonate and air were used to control ph and sulfite levels . the addition of mercaptoacetic acid , either as a single spike or metered into the system over time , was effective at controlling re - emissions . the results of these experiments are summarized in table 1 . for these conditions , an apparent ratio of 200 - 250 to 1 mercaptoacetic acid to mercury in the system seemed effective at eliminating re - emissions . it was observed that more mercaptoacetic acid was required at higher ph , while the mercury partitioning favored the liquid phase for the tests performed at ph 5 . 2 . while the present system and method has been disclosed according to the preferred embodiment of the invention , those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other embodiments have also been enabled . even though the foregoing discussion has focused on particular embodiments , it is understood that other configurations are contemplated . in particular , even though the expressions “ in one embodiment ” or “ in another embodiment ” are used herein , these phrases are meant to generally reference embodiment possibilities and are not intended to limit the invention to those particular embodiment configurations . these terms may reference the same or different embodiments , and unless indicated otherwise , are combinable into aggregate embodiments . the terms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” mean “ one or more ” unless expressly specified otherwise . the term “ connected ” means “ communicatively connected ” unless otherwise defined . when a single embodiment is described herein , it will be readily apparent that more than one embodiment may be used in place of a single embodiment . similarly , where more than one embodiment is described herein , it will be readily apparent that a single embodiment may be substituted for that one device . in light of the wide variety of flue gas systems known in the art , the detailed embodiments are intended to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention . rather , what is claimed as the invention is all such modifications as may come within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents thereto . none of the description in this specification should be read as implying that any particular element , step or function is an essential element which must be included in the claim scope . the scope of the patented subject matter is defined only by the allowed claims and their equivalents . unless explicitly recited , other aspects of the present invention as described in this specification do not limit the scope of the claims . | 1 |
a chelating ion exchange resin , such as a styrene / divinylbenzene chelating ion exchange resin , is utilized in the present process . a chelating ion exchange is one that has paired iminodiacetate functional groups or iminodiacetic acid functional groups . such ion exchange resins are available from rohm and haas company , e . g . amberlite ® irc 718 ( sodium form ), or chelex ® 20 or chelex ® 100 available as the sodium form from bio rad co . these resins typically contain as much as 100 , 000 to 500 , 000 ppb each of sodium and iron . the photoresist composition is preferably mixed with the acid form of the chelating ion exchange resin , heated for at least one hour at a temperature of 30 to 90 ° c . such a photoresist composition , prior to treatment according to the present invention , typically contains from 60 to 1000 ppb each of sodium and iron ions . during the process of the present invention , these levels are each reduced to as low as 5 ppb each . suitable solvents for such photoresist compositions , and for novolak resins , may include propylene glycol mono - alkyl ether , propylene glycol alkyl ( e . g . methyl ) ether acetate , ethyl - 3 - ethoxypropionate , ethyl lactate , mixtures of ethyl - 3 - ethoxypropionate and ethyl lactate , butyl acetate , xylene , diglyme , ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate and 2 - heptanone . the preferred solvents are propylene glycol methyl ether acetate ( pgmea ) ethyl - 3 - ethoxypropionate ( eep ) and ethyl lactate ( el ). other optional ingredients such as colorants , dyes , anti - striation agents , leveling agents , plasticizers , adhesion promoters , speed enhancers , solvents and surfactants such as non - ionic surfactants may be added to the solution of novolak resin , sensitizer and solvent before the photoresist composition is coated onto a substrate . examples of dye additives that may be used together with the photoresist compositions of the present invention include methyl violet 2b ( c . i . no . 42535 ), crystal violet ( c . i . 42555 ). malachite green ( c . i . no . 42000 ), victoria blue b ( c . i . no . 44045 ) and neutral red ( c . i . no . 50040 ) at one to ten percent weight levels , based on the combined weight of novolak and sensitizer . the dye additives help provide increased resolution by inhibiting back scattering of light off the substrate . anti - striation agents may be used at up to about a five percent weight level , based on the combined weight of novolak and sensitizer . plasticizers which may be used include , for example , phosphoric acid tri -( beta - chloroethyl )- ester ; stearic acid ; dicamphor ; polypropylene ; acetal resins ; phenoxy resins ; and alkyl resins , at about one to ten percent weight levels , based on the combined weight of novolak and sensitizer . the plasticizer additives improve the coating properties of the material and enable the application of a film that is smooth and of uniform thickness to the substrate . adhesion promoters which may be used include , for example , beta -( 3 , 4 - epoxycyclohexyl )- ethyltrimethoxysilane ; p - methyl - disilane - methyl methacrylate ; vinyltrichlorosilane ; and gamma - amino - propyl triethoxysilane up to about a 4 percent weight level , based on the combined weight of novolak and sensitizer . development speed enhancers that may be used include , for example , picric acid , nicotinic acid or nitrocinnamic acid up to about a 20 percent weight level , based on the combined weight of novolak and sensitizer . these enhancers tend to increase the solubility of the photoresist coating in both the exposed and unexposed areas , and thus they are used in applications when speed of development is the overriding consideration even though some degree of contrast may be sacrificed ; i . e ., while the exposed areas of the photoresist coating will be dissolved more quickly by the developer , the speed enhances will also cause a larger loss of photoresist coating from the unexposed areas . the solvents may be present in the overall composition in an amount of up to 95 % by weight of the solids in the composition . solvents , of course are substantially removed after coating of the photoresist solution on a substrate and drying . non - ionic surfactants that may be used include , for example , nonylphenoxy poly ( ethyleneoxy ) ethanol ; octylphenoxy ethanol at up to about 10 % weight levels , based on the combined weight of novolak and sensitizer . the prepared photoresist solution , can be applied to a substrate by any conventional method used in the photoresist art , including dipping , spraying , whirling and spin coating . when spin coating , for example , the resist solution can be adjusted with respect to the percentage of solids content , in order to provide coating of the desired thickness , given the type of spinning equipment utilized and the amount of time allowed for the spinning process . suitable substrates include silicon , aluminum , polymeric resins , silicon dioxide , doped silicon dioxide , silicon nitride , tantalum , copper , polysilicon , ceramics , aluminum / copper mixtures ; gallium arsenide and other such group iii / v compounds . the photoresist coatings produced by the described procedure are particularly suitable for application to thermally grown silicon / silicon dioxide - coated wafers , such as are utilized in the production of microprocessors and other miniaturized integrated circuit components . an aluminum / aluminum oxide wafer can also be used . the substrate may also comprise various polymeric resins , especially transparent polymers such as polyesters . the substrate may have an adhesion promoted layer of a suitable composition , such as one containing hexa - alkyl disilazane . the photoresist composition solution is then coated onto the substrate , and the substrate is treated at a temperature from about 70 ° c . to about 110 ° c ., for from about 30 seconds to about 180 seconds on a hot plate or for from about 15 to about 90 minutes in a convection oven . this temperature treatment is selected in order to reduce the concentration of residual solvents in the photoresist , while not causing substantial thermal degradation of the photosensitizer . in general , one desires to minimize the concentration of solvents and this first temperature treatment is conducted until substantially all of the solvents have evaporated and a thin coating of photoresist composition , on the order of one micron in thickness , remains on the substrate . in a preferred embodiment the temperature is from about 85 ° c . to about 95 ° c . the treatment is conducted until the rate of change of solvent removal becomes relatively insignificant . the temperature and time selection depends on the photoresist properties desired by the user , as well as the equipment used and commercially desired coating times . the coating substrate can then be exposed to actinic radiation , e . g ., ultraviolet radiation , at a wavelength of from about 300 nm to about 450 nm , x - ray , electron beam , ion beam or laser radiation , in any desired pattern , produced by use of suitable masks , negatives , stencils , templates , etc . the photoresist is then optionally subjected to a post exposure second baking or heat treatment either before or after development . the heating temperatures may range from about 90 ° c . to about 120 ° c ., more preferably from about 100 ° c . to about 110 ° c . the heating may be conducted for from about 30 seconds to about 2 minutes , more preferably from about 60 seconds to about 90 seconds on a hot plate or about 30 to about 45 minutes by convection oven . the exposed photoresist - coated substrates are developed to remove the image - wise exposed areas , normally by immersion in an alkaline developing solution or by a spray development process . the solution is preferably agitated , for example , by nitrogen burst agitation . the substrates are allowed to remain in the developer until all , or substantially all , of the photoresist coating has dissolved from the exposed areas . developers may include aqueous solutions of ammonium or alkali metal hydroxides . one preferred hydroxide is tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide ( tmah ). after removal of the coated wafers from the developing solution , one may conduct an optional post - development heat treatment or bake to increase the coating &# 39 ; s adhesion and chemical resistance to etching solutions and other substances . the post - development heat treatment can comprise the oven baking of the coating and substrate below the coating &# 39 ; s softening point . in industrial applications , particularly in the manufacture of microcircuitry units on silicon / silicon dioxide - type substrates , the developed substrates may be treated with a buffered , hydrofluoric acid base etching solution . the photoresist compositions of the present invention are resistant to acid - base etching solutions and provide effective protection for the unexposed photoresist - coating areas of the substrate . the following specific examples will provide detailed illustrations of the methods of producing and utilizing compositions of the present invention . these examples are not intended , however , to limit or restrict the scope of the invention in any way and should not be construed as providing conditions , parameters or values which must be utilized exclusively in order to practice the present invention . 200 grams of amberlite ® irc 718 chelating ion exchange resin beads were placed in a conical flask and deionized water was added , so that all of the resin beads were under water . the flask was sealed and allowed to stand for half an hour to swell the resin beads . the water was then decanted , additional deionized water was then added to cover the resin beads , and the flask was shaken slowly . the water was again decanted . the rinsing with deionized water and decanting steps were repeated three more times . the resulting slurry of ion exchange resin was poured into a glass column having a diameter equipped with a porous disk and a stopcock . the resin was allowed to settle to the bottom and the column was back flushed with deionized water for 25 minutes . the resin was again allowed to settle to the bottom . the bed length was measured and the bed volume was calculated as 320 ml . a 10 percent sulfuric acid solution was passed through the resin bed at a rate of about 32 ml ./ min . 6 bed volumes of the acid solution were passed through the resin bed . sufficient amount of deionized water was then passed through the resin bed at about the same flow rate , to remove the acid . the ph of the effluent water was measured to assure that it matched the ph of 6 for fresh deionized water . an ammonium hydroxide solution ( 6 %, 6 bed volumes ) was then passed through the column at the same rate , followed by di water ( about 60 bed volumes ) to remove the ammonium hydroxide . the ph of the effluent water was measured to assure that it matched the ph of 6 for fresh deionized water . 2 bed volumes of electronic grade acetone was passed through the resin bed to remove water , followed by 2 bed volumes of pgmea to remove the acetone . 242 grams of photoresist containing about 135 ppb of sodium and about 123 ppb of iron was mixed with 24 gram of this chelating ion exchange resin and heated at 70 ° c . for 6 hours and then filtered through a 0 . 2 μm ( micrometer ) filter . the photoresist obtained had a low level of metal ions as follows : sodium - 8 ppb , iron - 87 ppb . 200 grams of amberlite ® irc 718 chelating ion exchange resin beads were placed in a conical flask and deionized water was added so that all of the resin beads were under water . the flask was sealed and allowed to stand for half an hour to swell the resin beads . the water was decanted , deionized water was added to cover the resin beads and the flask was shaken slowly . the water was again decanted . the rinsing with deionized water and decanting steps were repeated three more times . the resulting slurry of chelating ion exchange resin was poured into a glass column having a porous disk and a stopcock . the resin was allowed to settle to the bottom and the column was back flushed with deionized water for 25 minutes . the resin was again allowed to settle to the bottom . the bed length was measured and the bed volume was calculated as 320 ml . a 10 percent sulfuric acid solution was passed down through the resin bed at a rate of about 32 ml ./ min . 6 bed volumes of the acid solution were passed down through the resin bed . a sufficient amount of of deionized water was then passed down through the resin bed at about the same flow rate to remove the acid . the ph of the effluent water was measured to assure that it matched the ph of 6 for fresh deionized water . 2 bed volumes of electronic grade acetone was passed down through the resin bed to remove water , followed by 2 bed volumes of pgmea to remove acetone . the chelated ion exchange resin / pgmea slurry was transfered to a metal ion free bottle . 200 grams of photoresist containing about 180 ppb of sodium and less than 236 ppb of iron was placed in a metal ion free flask equipped with a stirrer and a thermometer , and 20 grams of chelating ion exchange resin ( acid form ) was added . it was heated for 7 hours at 55 ° c . with stirring . the mixture was cooled to 40 ° c . and filtered through a 0 . 2 μm ( micrometer ) filter . the photoresist obtained had a low level of metal ions as follows : sodium 16 ppb and iron 43 ppb . example 2 was repeated and 242 grams of photoresist containing about 180 ppb of sodium and about 236 ppb of iron was treated . the photoresist obtained had a low level of metal ions as follows : sodium - 37 ppb , iron 45 - ppb . 200 grams of amberlite ® irc 718 chelating ion exchange resin beads were placed in a conical flask and deionized water was added so that all of the resin beads were under water . the flask was sealed and allowed to stand for half an hour to swell the resin beads . the water was decanted , deionized water added to cover the resin beads and the flask was shaken slowly . the water was again decanted . the rinsing with deionized water and decanting steps were repeated three more times . a 10 percent sulfuric acid solution ( 300 g ) was added and stirred for 30 minutes by magnetic stirrer and the mixture was allowed to settle . the acid solution was decanted . the rinsing with water and then acid process was repeated 3 more times . 300 g of di water was added and stirred for 30 minutes and then allowed to settle . the water was decanted . the rinsing with water process was repeated 3 more times . the rinsing process was repeated with electronic grade acetone to remove water , followed by pgmea to remove acetone . the chelating ion exchange resin ( acid form ) and pgmea slurry was transfered to a metal ion free bottle . 200 grams of photoresist containing about 156 ppb of sodium and 220 ppb of iron was placed in a metal ion free flask equiped with a stirrer and a thermometer , and 20 grams of chelating ion exchange resin ( acid form ) was added . it was stirred for 7 hours at room temperature . the mixture was filtered through a 0 . 2 μm ( micrometer ) filter . the photoresist obtained had a low level of na : 5 ppb , but a high level of fe : 172 ppb . the photoresist composition from example 2 was coated onto a hexamethyl disilazane ( hmds ) primed silicon wafer to a 1 . 29 μm ( micrometer ) thickness , using a soft bake at 110 ° c . for 60 seconds on an svg ® 8100 i - line hot plate . the reference ( untreated ) was also coated to 1 . 29 μm thickness by the same procedure . the exposure matrix was printed on the coated wafers using a 0 . 54 na nikon ® i - line stepper and a nikon ® resolution reticle . the exposed wafers were post exposure baked ( peb ) at 110 ° c . for 60 seconds on the i - line hot plate . the wafers were then puddle developed using az ® 300 mif developer ( 2 . 38 % tmah ). the developed wafers were examined using a hitachi ® s - 400 scanning electron microscope ( sem ). a nominal dose ( dose to print : dtp ) was measured at the best focus . the photospeed , resolution and depth of focus were measured and are shown below : ______________________________________ reference treated sample______________________________________photospeed 165 mj / cm . sup . 2 &# 39 ; l 175 mj / cm . sup . 2 &# 39 ; lresolution 0 . 4 mm 0 . 35 mmdepth of focus + 0 . 2 /- 0 . 4 0 . 0 / 0 . 4______________________________________ | 6 |
as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention , which can be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . further , the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting ; but rather , to provide an understandable description of the invention . [ 0015 ] fig1 is a graph showing a hierarchical tree topology 100 wireless communication network in accordance with the present invention . the network includes a central wireless device 102 in a root position of the hierarchical tree topology and a plurality of other wireless devices 104 . the central wireless device 102 is distinguished by its position in the network . the central wireless device 102 optionally has increased processing power . on the other hand , the central device 102 is optionally identical in hardware design to other nodes of the network . the edges shown in fig1 represent paths over which messages are routed according to a routing scheme used in the network 102 that is consistent with the hierarchical tree topology . one routing scheme that is consistent with the hierarchical tree topology is described in co - pending application “ network architecture , addressing and routing ” by priscilla chen et al . according to the network addressing and routing scheme , described in the latter application each nodes of the network are assigned addresses such that routing decisions can be made based on numerical comparisons that involve the assigned addresses . alternatively , routing tables maintained at each wireless device are used in routing messages through the network 100 . routing protocols that use hierarchical tree topologies are efficient in the case that a large fraction of network traffic includes messages from or to the root position wireless device 102 . although , the network 100 , as shown in fig1 includes only twelve wireless devices 102 , 104 , more wireless devices can be included in the network . large networks can be divided into a plurality of sub - trees also referred to as ‘ clusters ’. each particular cluster is preferably identified by a cluster address that is common to all wireless devices in the particular cluster . within each particular cluster specific wireless devices are identified by network addresses . the edges shown in fig1 represent network layer level connections , i . e ., paths over which messages are sent . depending on the distances between devices , 102 , 104 , some of the devices 102 , 104 that are not shown to be connected by edges will be within range , and aware of devices in addition to those with which logical links are established . devices may become aware of devices in addition to those with which network layer level connections are maintained via communications at a lower levels of a communication protocol stack . such lower level connections , allow the network layer level connections to be reconfigured according to other network routing protocols . [ 0021 ] fig2 is a graph showing a peer - to - peer topology wireless communication network 200 of the wireless devices shown in fig1 in accordance with the present intention . although the peer - to - peer topology includes the same wireless devices 102 , 104 , as shown in fig1 the topology indicated by the arrangement of edges in fig2 is different . note that edges corresponding to network layer level connections can in certain routing protocols be dynamic . for example logical layer level connections can be established for each messages to be sent if they do not already exist , and can be expired if not used within a certain period . examples of non - hierarchical tree topologies , in which logical layer level connections are changeable include ‘ dynamic source routing protocol ” and “ ad hoc on - demand distance vector protocol ”. routing protocols that do not use hierarchical tree topologies can be more efficient when network traffic is not heavily centered on one particular wireless device . in the case that more than one application is to be run on a single network , it is desirable to be able to optimally choose the routing scheme , and network layer topology of the network for each application . [ 0024 ] fig3 is a functional block diagram of the wireless device 102 of the networks shown in fig1 - 2 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention . the other wireless devices 104 are also preferably described by the same functional block diagram as shown in fig3 . a number of the blocks shown in fig3 correspond to layers of the international organization for standards open system interconnection ( iso / osi ) model . referring to fig3 a physical layer 302 includes a radio frequency transceiver . a media access control ( mac )/ logical link control ( llc ) layer 304 is coupled to the physical layer 304 . the mac / llc layer 304 is in charge of low - level communications . the mac / llc layer coordinates the timing of communications . low - level communications use mac layer addresses which are preferably factory set and permanently stored in each wireless device 102 , 104 . such addresses preferably comprises sixty - four bit ieee addresses . a network layer module 306 is coupled to the mac / illc layer 306 . the network layer 306 comprises a plurality of different network routing protocol modules 308 , 310 , 312 , including a first network routing protocol module 308 , a second network routing protocol module 310 , and an nth network routing protocol module 312 . the network routing protocol modules 308 , 310 , 312 , preferably comprise at least one routing protocol that is based on a hierarchical tree topology such as shown in fig1 and at least one peer - to - pear routing protocol . the network routing protocol modules preferably support diverse routing protocols such as dynamic source routing ( dsr ), location / geographic routing , and / or ad hoc on - demand distance vector ( aodv ) routing . the network layer can also comprises other network layer functionality . an application layer 314 is coupled to the network layer 306 . the application layer 314 comprises a plurality of application programs 316 , 318 , 320 , including a first application program 316 , a second application program 318 , and a third application program 320 . each application program 316 , 318 , 320 routes messages through a network ( e . g ., 100 , 200 ) of which the wireless device 102 is a part . for each application 316 , 318 , 320 a particular network routing protocol 308 , 310 , 312 works best . which routing protocol works best for each application can be determined based on trial and error , or simulation . in certain cases the network routing protocol that is best suited for a particular application will be readily apparent . for example for a sensor network application in which a particular wireless device serves as a data sink , a routing protocol based on a hierarchical tree topology in which the data sink wireless device occupies the root position is appropriate . [ 0027 ] fig4 is a flow chart of a method 400 of operating a wireless device of the networks shown in fig1 - 2 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention . the method 400 is shown from the perspective of a particular device hereinafter referred to as the kth device . the method 400 starts prior to the kth device having joined a network ( e . g ., 100 , 200 ). in step 402 communication is initiated between the kth device and another device , hereinafter referred to as the ith device , that is already part of the network . the communication can be initiated by the kth device or the ith device . initiation of communication is preferably based on mac / llc layer protocols . initiation of communication preferably involves transmitting a beacon signal from one device ( e . g ., the kth device ), and listening for a beacon signal ( e . g ., from the ith device ). in step 404 the kth node transmits a message to or through the ith device requesting to join the network . the message transmitted in step 404 includes or is supplemented by a further message that includes information identifying routing protocols that the kth device supports . such information preferably takes the form of a set of binary flags each of which specifies whether or not a particular routing protocol is supported . the message sent in step 404 is preferably sent using mac / llc layer protocols , e . g ., using a physical address , and not assuming a particular routing protocol . the message is sent to or through one or more neighbors of the kth device that are discovered through mac / llc layer processes . the message is optionally sent to a device in the network that is responsible for supervisory functions . in step 406 the kth device listens for a command to operate according to a specified routing protocol for a predetermined period of time . the command is preferably sent in response to the message sent in step 404 . block 408 is a decision block the outcome of which depends on whether a command to operate according to a specified routing protocol was received . if not then the method 400 continues with decision block 410 the outcome of which depends on whether a preprogrammed retransmit limit has been reached . if not the method loops back to step 404 and retransmits the message requesting to join the network . if in step 410 it is determined that the retransmit limit has been reached then the method 410 halts at step 412 in which a disconnected alert of the kth device is activated . the disconnected alert preferably takes the form of a light ( e . g ., a flashing light ), or an audible alarm . the disconnected alert signals that human intervention may be required to trouble shoot network problems and get the kth device connected to the network ( e . g . by moving the kth device to a position of higher signal strength ). preferably , at least initially , the network is operated using a routing protocol that all wireless devices in the network can support . the command received in step 406 can be sent from a wireless device that has supervisory authority for the network , or supervisory authority for a part of the network that includes the kth device , or from a wireless device that is merely a nearest neighbor or parent ( in a hierarchical tree topology ) of the kth device . according to an alternative embodiment each device is programmed to start operating according to a preprogrammed routing protocol upon being powered on , and need not initially receive a command to operate according to a particular routing protocol . if in block 408 it is determined that a command to operate according to a specified protocol has been received , then the method 400 continues with decision block 414 the outcome of which depends on whether the kth device is able to support the specified protocol indicated in the command received in block 406 . if it is determined in block 414 that the kth device is able to support the specified protocol , the method 400 continues with block 416 in which the kth device operates according to the specified protocol . when operating according to the specified protocol , the kth device preferably periodically transmits a beacon that indicates that the kth device is participating in the network . the beacon indicates that messages can be routed through the kth device ( unless the kth device is at a leaf position , in a hierarchical tree topology network ). thereafter , at any time , while the kth device is operating in the network , a command may be received instructing the kth device to operate according to another routing protocol . for example in the case that , initially the network is operating according to a routing protocol based on a hierarchical tree topology , a command to change to a different routing protocol can be broadcast from a wireless device that is located at the root position . information used to operate according to a first protocol can be stored when switching to another protocol . the possibility of receiving a command to operate according to another protocol is reflected in fig4 in block 418 which follows step 416 , and is a decision block . the outcome of decision block 418 depends on whether a command to operate according to a new routing protocol is received . if not then the kth device continues to operate according to the protocol according to which it is currently operating . if on the other hand a command is received instructing the kth device to operate according to a new protocol , then the method 400 loops back to decision block 414 . if on reaching decision block 414 , either from decision block 408 or decision block 418 , it is determined that the kth device is not able to support the routing protocol according to which it has been requested to operate , then the method 400 continues with step 420 . in step 420 a negative response that indicates that the kth device is not able to operate according to the commanded protocol is transmitted . in step 422 a beacon signal that includes an indication that the kth wireless device cannot establish links with other devices in order to route messages according to the commanded protocol is transmitted . following block 422 after a predetermined delay 424 , the device 402 loops back to step 402 . note that during the delay 424 , or after multiple delay 424 periods have elapsed , the network may have been switched to a protocol that the kth device is able to support ( as determined in step 414 ) and the kth device will be able to join or rejoin the network . [ 0038 ] fig5 is a flow chart of a method 500 of operating a wireless device of the networks 100 , 200 shown in fig1 - 2 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention . the wireless device that executes the method 500 shown in fig6 herein after referred to as the mth wireless device , performs a control function in the networks 100 , 200 . in particular , in block 502 , messages are received from a plurality of wireless devices indicating what routing protocols each of the wireless devices supports . the messages received in step 502 are equivalent to the message sent step 404 of method 400 . alternatively , the messages received in step 502 are sent by an intermediate wireless device ( e . g ., a wireless device having special status among a subset of the wireless devices of a network ) based on information extracted from the message sent in step 404 . step 502 , takes place over at least a period of time as wireless devices join the network . in step 504 a determination to switch to another routing protocol is made based on the information collected in step 502 . in step 506 a command is transmitted to at least a subset of the wireless devices 102 , 104 in the network ( e . g ., 102 , 104 ) to switch to a specified routing protocol . either the entire network can be commanded to switch to a new routing protocol , or a part of the network can be commanded to switch to a new protocol . [ 0041 ] fig6 is a hardware block diagram of the central wireless device 102 that is included in the networks shown in fig1 - 2 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention . the other wireless devices 104 preferably have the same basic internal structure . optionally the wireless devices ( e . g ., central wireless device 102 ) that in carrying out certain routing protocols perform more functions ( e . g ., control functions ) are connected to external power sources , and / or have higher processing power . the wireless device 102 comprises a transceiver 602 a processor 604 , a program memory 606 , a workspace memory 608 and an indicator 614 coupled together through a signal bus 610 . the control processor 604 controls the overall operation of the wireless device 102 , and is used to execute programs embodying the methods shown in fig4 or 5 . the control processor 604 also serves to generate packets for transmission , and process received packets . the program memory 606 is used to store the programs executed by the control processor 604 . the program memory 606 is a type of computer readable medium . programs embodying the method shown in fig4 are alternatively stored in other types of program memories . the works space memory 608 is used as a workspace by the control processor 604 in executing the programs stored in the program memory 606 . the transceiver 602 is coupled to an antenna 612 . the indicator 614 , which can be audible or visual or both is used to indicate that a wireless device 102 is not connected to the network ( e . g ., 100 , 200 ) and human intervention may be necessary to get the wireless device 102 connected to the network . the computer readable medium used in connection with the present invention as a memory for storing programs can comprise volatile memory such as ram , or a medium that contains data in a transient state , such as a communication channel , network circuits , or a wireless communication link , or preferably nonvolatile memory including but not limited to , flash memory , read only memory ( rom ), eprom , eeprom , disk drive . the computer readable medium used as a workspace for signal processing operations , can comprise random access memory ( ram ). the present invention , as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art could be produced in hardware or software , or in a combination of hardware and software . the system , or method , according to the inventive principles as disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiment , may be produced in a single computer system having separate elements or means for performing the individual functions or steps described or claimed or one or more elements or means combining the performance of any of the functions or steps disclosed or claimed . while the preferred and other embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described , it will be clear that the invention is not so limited . numerous modifications , changes , variations , substitutions , and equivalents will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims . | 7 |
preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of a display apparatus of a first embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 denotes a timing generator , 12 denotes a horizontal address counter , 13 denotes a vertical line counter , 14 denotes a vertical address generator , 15 denotes a block address generator , 16 denotes a code converter , 17 denotes a memory start address generator , 18 denotes a display memory address generator , 19 denotes a display memory , 20 denotes a shift register , and 21 denotes a display monitor the timing generator 11 generates a horizontal clock , horizontal synchronizing clock , and a vertical synchronizing clock . the horizontal address counter 12 , as shown in fig2 is reset by the horizontal synchronizing clock , counts the horizontal clock , and outputs a horizontal address ( x7 - x0 ) 22 indicating a display position in the horizontal direction to the block address generator 15 and the display memory address generator 18 . the vertical line counter 13 , as shown in fig2 is reset by the vertical synchronizing clock , counts the horizontal synchronizing clock , and outputs a vertical line count value ( y7 - y0 ) 23 indicating a display position in the vertical direction to the block address generator 15 . the vertical address generator 14 , as shown in fig3 consists of a display memory horizontal address width register 24 , a vertical address adder 25 , and a vertical address register 26 . the vertical address adder 25 adds the value of the horizontal address width register 24 in which a horizontal address width ( hw15 - hw0 ) is previously established and the value of the vertical address register 26 . the vertical address register 26 , which is a register to be reset by the vertical synchronizing clock and to hold the value of the vertical address adder 25 in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing clock , supplies a vertical address ( ya15 - ya0 ) 27 , i . e ., the output of the vertical address register 26 , to the display memory address generator 18 . the block generator 15 , as shown in fig4 consists of a horizontal split data memory 28 , a horizontal split comparator 29 , a horizontal split counter 30 , a vertical split data memory 31 , a vertical split comparator 32 , and a vertical split counter 33 . first , splitting operation of the block address generator 15 in the horizontal direction will be described in the following . in the horizontal split data memory 28 , there are established a first horizontal split coordinate value at address 0 , a second horizontal split coordinate value at address 1 , and succeeding horizontal split coodinate values at succeeding addresses in the like manner each horizontal split coordinate value is read out from the horizontal split data memory 28 when a horizontal split position value 34 is applied thereto as the address , and supplied to one input port of the horizontal split comparator 29 . the horizontal split comparator 29 , which is supplied at the other input port thereof with a horizontal address 22 outputted from the horizontal address counter 12 , compares the output of the horizontal split data memory 28 with the horizontal address 22 , and when these coincide with each other outputs a coincidence pulse . the horizontal split counter 30 counts up upon receipt of the coincidence pulse . in this arrangement , the horizontal split counter 30 reset by the horizontal synchronizing clock outputs a value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; as the horizontal split position value 34 , and the horizontal split data memory 28 outputs the first horizontal split coordinate value at address 0 . the horizontal split comparator 29 compares the horizontal address 22 with the first horizontal split coordinate value , and if these coincide with each other the comparator 29 outputs a coincidence pulse to the horizontal split counter 30 . the horizontal split counter 30 counts up and outputs a value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; as the next horizontal split position value 34 . through repetition of the above described process at a horizontal scanning period , the horizontal split position values 34 are obtained . next , the splitting operation of the block address generator 15 in the vertical direction will be described . in the vertical split data memory 31 , there are established a first vertical split coordinate value at address 0 , a second vertical split coordinate value at address 1 , and succeeding vertical split coordinate values at succeeding addresses in the like manner . each vertical split coordinate value is read out from the vertical split data memory 31 when a vertical split position value 35 is applied thereto as the address , and supplied to one input port of the vertical split comparator 32 . the vertical split comparator 32 , which is supplied at the other input port thereof with a vertical line count value 23 outputted from the vertical line counter 13 , compares the output of the vertical split data memory 31 with the vertical line count value 23 , and when these coincide with each other outputs a coincidence pulse . the vertical split counter 33 counts up upon receipt of the coincidence pulse . in this arrangement , the vertical split counter 33 reset by the vertical synchronizing clock outputs a value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; as the vertical split position value 35 , and the vertical split data memory 31 outputs the first vertical split coordinate value at address 0 . the vertical split comparator 32 compares the vertical line count value 23 with the first vertical split coordinate value , and if these coincide with each other the comparator 32 outputs a coincidence pulse to the vertical split counter 33 . the vertical split counter 33 counts up and outputs a value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; as the next vertical split position value 35 . through repetition of the above described process at a vertical scanning period , the vertical split position values 35 are obtained . the block address generator 15 operating as described above outputs to the code converter 16 a block address ( ys1 , ys0 , xs1 , xs0 ) 36 consisting of the horizontal split position value 34 as a lower address and the vertical split position value 35 as an upper address . the code converter 16 , as shown in fig5 is composed of a block memory 37 which stores predetermined codes and outputs as a converted code 38 one of the predetermined codes which is stored at an address specified by the block address 36 outputted from the block address generator 15 . the display memcry start address generator 17 , as shown in fig5 is composed of a memory start address data memory 39 which stores at least two predetermined memory start address values and outputs as a memory start address ( msa19 - msa0 ) 40 one of the predetermined memory start address values which is specified by the converted code 38 outputted from the code converter 16 . the memory start address 40 is supplied to the display memory address generator 18 . the display memory address generator 18 , as shown in fig5 is composed of a relative address adder 41 for adding the horizontal address 22 outputted from the horizontal address counter 12 and the vertical address 27 outputted from the vertical address generator 14 thereby to produce a relative address 42 , and an absolute address adder 43 for adding the relative address 42 and memory start address 40 thereby to produce a display memory address ( da19 - da0 ) 44 which is outputted to the display memory 19 . the display memory 19 receives the display address 44 from the display address generator 18 and outputs a display data ( dd7 - dd0 ) 45 in bit - parallel to the shift register 20 . the shift register 20 in turn converts the display data 45 into bit - serial data to be displayed on the display monitor 21 . the operation of display apparatus as described above will be explained with reference to fig6 . fig6 shows an example that the display screen is horizontally split into four and vertically split into four . the display screen is thus divided into 16 blocks , block 0 - block 15 . the horizontal split coordinate values are designated aa , bb and cc , and the vertical split coordinate values are designated dd , ee and ff . first , the splitting operation in the horizontal direction will be explained . the horizontal split counter 30 reset by the horizontal synchronizing clock outputs the horizontal split position value 34 as &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; until the value of the horizontal address 22 reaches the value aa . when the value of the horizontal address 22 reaches the value aa , the coincidence signal outputted from the horizontal split comparator 29 is supplied to the horizontal split counter 30 , so that the horizontal split counter 30 counts up and changes the horizontal split position value 34 to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. taking the same steps , the horizontal split position value 34 is kept &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; while the horizontal address value 22 is between aa and bb , &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; while the horizontal address value 22 is between bb and cc , and &# 34 ; 3 &# 34 ; while the horizontal address value 22 is between cc and the end horizontal address . the above operations are repeated for each horizontal scanning period . next , the splitting operation in the vertical direction will be explained . the vertical split counter 33 reset by the vertical synchronizing clock outputs the vertical split position value 35 as &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; until the value of the vertical line count value 23 reaches the value dd . when the value of the vertical line count value 23 reaches the value dd , the coincidence signal outputted from the vertical split comparator 32 is supplied to the vertical split counter 33 , so that the vertical split counter 33 counts up and changes the vertical split position value 35 to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. taking the same steps , the vertical split position value 35 is kept &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; while the vertical line count value 23 is between dd and ee , &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; while the vertical line count value 23 is between ee and ff , and &# 34 ; 3 &# 34 ; while the vertical line count value 23 is between ff and the end vertical line count value . the above operations are repeated for each vertical scanning period . at this time , the horizontal split data memory 28 is set up as shown in fig6 b and the vertical split data memory 31 is set up as shown in fig6 c . now , the value of the block address 36 is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in block 0 shown in fig6 a , &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in block 1 , and likewise from &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 15 &# 34 ; in blocks 2 to 15 . the block memory 37 may store predetermined converted codes as many as the number of the split blocks ( 16 in this case ). the converted code 38 in the block memory 37 , as shown in fig6 d for example , is read out by applying thereto the block address 36 , and supplied to the memory start address generator 17 . the memory start address data memory 39 of the memory start address generator 17 , which stores memory start address data as shown in fig6 e , outputs the memory start address 40 according to the converted code 38 applied thereto as the address . here , the range of the values of the converted codes stored in the block memory 37 is determined by the number of the memory start addresses stored in the memory start address data memory 39 . in this embodiment , since the number of the memory start addresses stored in the memory start address data memory 39 is four , the range of the values of the converted codes is from 0 to 3 . as described above , the memory start address 40 is outputted for each block , the relative address 42 and the display memory address 44 are produced in the display memory address generator 18 , and the display memory address 44 is supplied to the display memory 19 , whereby the display data 45 in any region in the display memory 19 can be read out for each block on the display screen . according to the embodiment as described above , the horizontal split positions can be freely set by changing the horizontal split coordinate values in the horizontal split data memory 28 ( for example , aa , bb , and cc in fig6 a ), and also the vertical split positions can be freely set by changing the vertical split coordinate values in the vertical split data memory 31 ( for example , dd , ee , and ff in fig6 a ), so that the display screen can be freely split in a latticed form . further , the contents of the display on the split blocks on the display screen can be freely selected by establishing the addresses of the memory start address data memory 39 of the memory start address generator 17 at will in the block memory 37 of the code converter 16 as shown in fig6 d . furthermore , by successively updating the values of the memory start address data memory 39 of the memory start address generator 17 with time , the present embodiment enables panning displays on all of those blocks for which the address of the memory start address data memory 39 being in the updating process is established as the value of the block memory 37 . next , a second preferred embodiment of the invention will be described referring to the accompanying drawings . fig7 is a block diagram of a display apparatus of the second embodiment of the invention . referring to fig7 denotes a timing generator , 12 denotes a horizontal address counter , 13 denotes a vertical line counter , 14 denotes a vertical address generator , 15 denotes a block address generator , 16 denotes a code converter , 19 denotes a display memory , and 21 denotes a display monitor , but descriptions of these parts are omitted here since these parts are already shown in fig1 and descriptions of the same are already made . in fig7 denotes a character vertical address generator , 47 denotes a memory start address generator , 48 denotes a first multiplexer ( mux1 ), 49 denotes a display memory address generator , 50 denotes a first shift register , 51 denotes a character generator rom , 52 denotes a second shift register , and 53 denotes a second multiplexer ( mux2 ). the character vertical address generator 46 , as shown in fig8 consists of a character row counter 54 , a character horizontal address width register 55 , a character vertical address adder 56 , and a character vertical address register 57 . the character row counter 54 , which is a counter counting a horizontal synchronizing clock for generating a character row address ( ra2 - ra0 ) 59 , outputs a character pulse 58 and simultaneously resets itself each time when counted up the number of rows of a character . ( in this case , the number of rows is eight .) the count output of the character row counter 54 is supplied as the character row address 59 to the character generator rom 51 . the character address adder 56 adds the value of the character horizontal address width register 55 in which a predetermined character horizontal address width is set with the value of the character vertical address register 57 . the character vertical address register 57 , which is a register reset by a vertical synchronizing clock and holds the value of the character vertical address adder 56 each time the character pulse 58 is inputted thereto , supplies its output , i . e ., a character vertical address ( yca15 - yca0 ) 60 , to the first multiplexer ( mux1 ) 48 . the memory start address generator 47 , composed of a data memory which stores at least two predetermined sets of memory start address values and character / graphic display switching codes , reads out a memory start address 40 and a character / graphic display switching code 61 stored in the data memory when the converted code 38 outputted from the code converter 16 is applied thereto as the address . the memory start address 40 is supplied to the display memory address generator 49 and the character / graphic display switching code 61 is supplied to both the first multiplexer ( mux1 ) 48 and the second multiplexer ( mux2 ) 53 . the first multiplexer ( mux1 ) 48 selects either the vertical address 27 from the vertical address generator 14 or the character vertical address 60 from the character address generator 46 according to the character / graphic display switching code 61 , and supplies the selected one as a character / graph vertical address 62 to the display memory address generator 49 . the display memory address generator 49 is the same in operation as the display memory address generator 18 in the earlier described first embodiment except that this generator 49 receives the character / graph vertical address 62 instead of the vertical address 27 in the earlier case . the generator 49 outputs the display memory address 44 to the display memory 19 . the first shift register 50 , which is the same in operation as the shift register 20 in the earlier described first embodiment , converts the display data 45 , i . e ., the output of the display memory 19 , into serial data to be supplied to the second multiplexer ( mux2 ) 53 . the character generator rom 51 , which is a rom storing character font data , outputs character font data 63 read therefrom in bit - parallel when the character row address 59 is applied thereto as the character row address and the display data 45 is applied thereto as the character address . the character font data 63 is supplied to the second shift register 52 . the second shift register 52 converts the character font data 63 from the character generator rom 51 into bit - serial data to be supplied to the second multiplexer ( mux2 ) 53 . the second multiplexer ( mux2 ) 53 selects either the output of the first shift register 50 or the output of the second shift register 52 according to the character / graphic display switching code 61 , and supplies the selected one to the display monitor 21 . operation of the display apparatus arranged as above will be described in the following . the converted code 38 generated by the code converter 16 in the same manner as in the first embodiment is a signal provided for each of the horizontally and vertically split blocks and supplied to the memory start address generator 47 . the memory start address generator 47 reads therefrom , with the converted code 38 applied thereto as the address , the bit - parallel memory start address 40 and the character / graphic display switching code 61 at the same time . the character / graphic display switching code 61 is used as a signal to specify which of a graphic display and a character display should be made on the specified block on the display screen , and , in the same way as the memory start address 40 , can be set for each block by means of the converted code 38 . here , for example , the character / graphic display switching code 61 is assumed to be &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; for a graphic display and &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; for an alphanumeric character display . if the character / graphic display switching code 61 is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the first multiplexer ( mux1 ) 48 , receiving the vertical address 27 and the character vertical address 60 , selects the vertical address 27 and outputs the same as the character / graph vertical address 62 to the display memory address generator 49 , and the second multiplexer ( mux2 ) 53 , receiving the output of the first shift register 50 and the output of the second shift register 52 , selects the output of the first shift register 50 and outputs the same to the display monitor 21 , so that a graphic display is made . if the character / graphic display switching code 61 is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the first multiplexer ( mux1 ) 48 , receiving the vertical address 27 and the character vertical address 60 , selects the character vertical address 60 and outputs the same as the character / graph vertical address 62 to the display memory address generator 49 , and the second multiplexer ( mux2 ) 53 , receiving the output of the first shift register 50 and the output of the second shift register 52 , selects the output of the second shift register 52 and outputs the same to the display monitor 21 , so that a character display is made . according to the second embodiment as described above , additional function to those described with reference to the first embodiment can be performed . that is , by establishing at least two sets of memory start address values and character / graphic display switching code values in the memory start address generator 47 , reading out the converted code for each of the split blocks , and obtaining the memory start address as well as the character / graphic display switching code from the converted code , either of the graphic display and the character display can be performed at will on each of the split blocks . the number of horizontal and vertical splits on the display screen , the size of the block memory , and the size of the memory start address data memory , used in the above description of the first and second embodiment are merely examples , and the present invention is not limited with regard to such number and size . further , it should be understood that the whole configuration of the apparatus and the configuration of each of the construction elements may be changed or modified within the scope of the invention . | 6 |
fig1 is a schematic of a system 10 for accessing an electrical wiring network 16 from opposing sides of a common wall or partition ( not shown ), in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . wiring network 16 , sometimes referred to as an electrical system , is a network of wires installed in a building or other structure that provide and distribute electrical power throughout the building or structure . wiring network 16 includes a plurality of network branches 22 which are installed inside the walls or partitions of the building or structure , thereby providing and distributing power throughout the building or structure . as used herein , the term plurality is defined as at least two . wiring network 16 is typically connected to a load center ( not shown ), also referred to as a breaker box or fuse box , which is the incoming point for electrical service to a residential or commercial building . however , for smaller buildings or structures other than buildings , wiring network 16 may be a sub - network of a larger wiring network and therefore not directly connected to a breaker box . it is generally known that walls and partitions are typically constructed of at least one structural support , such as a wall stud , and have a wall or partition surface attached to opposing sides of the structural support . system 10 includes a through - wall electrical box 28 that is mounted to one of the structural supports using mounting devices 34 prior to the wall surface being attached to the structural support . although electrical box 28 is shown in fig1 as having a rectangular shape , it is envisioned that electrical box 28 could have any suitable shape , such as circular , oval , or square . mounting devices 34 include mounting apertures 36 for receiving nails , screws , or any other fastening device suitable to mount electrical box 28 to the wall or partition structural support . electrical box 28 is constructed of any material suitable for use in electrical wiring networks , such as plastic or metal . although mounting device 34 is shown in fig1 as an l - shaped bracket coupled to electrical box 28 , it should not be so limited . mounting device 34 could be any device , system or apparatus suitable for mounting any type of electrical box or similar device to the structural support of a wall or partition , as is well known by those skilled in the art . electrical box 28 includes a perimeter wall 40 and two open sides 46 located at opposing ends of perimeter wall 40 thereby defining a passageway through electrical box 28 . in a preferred embodiment , perimeter wall 40 has a depth ‘ d ’ approximately equal to the width of the structural support to which it is to be mounted . therefore , electrical box 28 is constructed such that perimeter wall 40 has a specific predetermined depth ‘ d ’ that is based upon the width of the structural support used to construct the wall in which electrical box 28 is to be installed . additionally , in the preferred embodiment , perimeter wall 40 has a uni - body molded construction or is constructed from a single piece of material joined at opposing ends . in an alternate embodiment , electrical box 28 is constructed such that perimeter wall 40 is adjustable to be adapted to walls of various thicknesses . in another alternate embodiment , perimeter wall 40 is constructed of at least two pieces of material joined end - to - end . in yet another embodiment , electrical box 28 is constructed such that perimeter wall 40 has a depth ‘ d ’ approximately equal to the width of the structural support plus twice the thickness of the wall surface that is to be attached to both sides of the structural support . thus , perimeter wall 40 would have a depth ‘ d ’ that extends past both outer edges of the structural support a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the wall surface . additionally , electrical box 28 includes at least one wiring aperture 52 that allows at least one network branch 22 to pass therethrough . wiring aperture 52 is shown in fig1 as a wiring aperture commonly known in the art as a knockout , but should not be so limited . wiring aperture 52 could be any suitable aperture in electrical box 28 configured to allow at least one network branch 22 to pass therethrough . for example , wiring aperture 52 could be an aperture in electrical box 28 fashioned to provide a strain relief feature that allows network branch 22 pass therethrough , but inhibits network branch 22 from being easily retracted from wiring aperture 52 . although fig1 shows wiring network 16 and network branches 22 free from an enclosure , such as electrical conduit , it is envisioned that wiring network 16 may include a plurality of interconnectable enclosure sections , for example electrical conduits . the interconnectable enclosure sections enclose network branches 22 , are connected to the structure , and coupled at one end to electrical box 28 utilizing a wiring aperture 52 . therefore , it is to be understood that wiring aperture 52 may be formed in perimeter wall 40 in any known manner for accommodating one or more enclosure sections that enclose and provide protection for network branches 22 . system 10 further includes a pair of frames 58 that are coupled to electrical box 28 at open sides 46 prior to the wall covering being coupled to the structural support . frames 58 are sometimes referred to in the art as plaster rings or plaster frames , and are constructed of any material suitable for use in electrical wiring networks , such as plastic or metal . in the preferred embodiment , frames 58 are coupled to electrical box 28 using a plurality of screws 64 inserted through a plurality of frame slots 70 . alternatively , frames 58 are coupled to electrical box 28 in any other suitable manner . for example , frames 58 could include apertures through which screws 64 would be inserted , or screws 64 could be replaced with any other type of suitable connector such as , rivets or nylon press - in snap retainers . further yet , frames 58 could be hingedly connected at one side of perimeter wall 40 and coupled to perimeter wall 40 at the opposing side using any type of connector such as screws , rivets , a latch , or nylon press - in snap retainers . frames 58 are further described below in reference to fig2 . in the preferred embodiment , system 10 includes at least one electrical outlet 76 that includes a plurality of integral leads 82 . again , plurality as used herein means at least two . at least one lead 82 is connected to a network branch 22 thereby providing electrical power to the respective electrical outlet 76 , that is coupled to one frame 58 . electrical outlet 76 provides a source of , or connection point to , electricity flowing through electrical network 16 . a person accesses the electricity by inserting a suitable plug adapter connected to any device that utilizes electricity ( not shown ), into mating electrical receptor holes 88 in electrical outlet 76 . electrical outlet 76 is sometimes known in the art as an electrical socket , or an electrical receptacle , but will be referred to herein as an electrical outlet . electrical outlet 76 is further described below in reference to fig3 . fig2 is a perspective view of one of the frames 58 shown in fig1 . as described above , frames 58 couple to electrical box 28 ( shown in fig1 ) at open sides 46 ( shown in fig1 ) prior to the wall surface being coupled to the structural supports . although frame 58 is shown in fig2 having a rectangular shape it should not be so limited . it is envisioned that frame 58 could have any suitable shape , such as circular , oval , or square . each frame 58 includes a frame aperture 94 that is located off - center in frame 58 , such that a centerline ‘ c ’ of aperture 94 is substantially closer to one edge of frame 58 than the opposing edge of frame 58 . aperture 94 receives electrical outlet 76 ( shown in fig1 ) when outlet 76 is coupled to frame 58 . in an alternate embodiment , aperture 94 of at least one frame 58 receives at least two electrical outlets 76 . although aperture 94 is shown in fig2 having a rectangular shape , it is envisioned that aperture 94 could have any suitable shape , such as circular , oval , or square , and could have dimensions larger or smaller with respect to the overall size of frame 58 than is shown in fig2 . in the preferred embodiment , aperture 94 includes a raised lip 100 extending along the perimeter of aperture 94 that has a predetermined height approximately equal to a thickness of the wall surface to be coupled to the structural support on which outlet box 28 is mounted . raised lip 100 includes a plurality of tabs 106 that include threaded tab holes 112 . outlet 76 is mounted within aperture 94 by coupling outlet 76 to tabs 106 . in an alternative embodiment , aperture 94 includes at least two raised lips 100 located at separate points along the perimeter of aperture 94 , and each lip 100 includes at least one tab 106 that includes at least one threaded hole 112 . fig3 is a perspective front and back view of electrical outlet 76 used in the system 10 ( shown in fig1 ). as described above , outlet 76 includes a plurality of integral leads 82 wherein at least one lead 82 is connected to wiring network 16 ( shown in fig1 ). additionally , outlet 76 includes an internal conductive electrical receptor structure 114 having a plurality of receptors 116 configured to receive the plug adapter when the plug adapter is inserted through mating electrical receptor holes 88 . integral leads 82 are connected to electrical receptor structure 114 such that when outlet 76 is connected to wiring network 16 , via leads 82 , electrical current is provided at outlet 76 accessible via electrical receptor holes 88 . furthermore , each electrical outlet 76 includes at least one outlet mounting bracket 118 that includes at least one mounting hole 124 . in the preferred embodiment , outlet 76 is coupled to frame 58 ( shown in fig1 ) by inserting a screw through outlet mounting bracket hole 124 and threading the screw into tab hole 112 ( shown in fig1 ). alternatively , outlet 76 can be mounted to one of frames 58 by inserting a rivet or nylon press - in snap retainer through bracket hole 124 and into tab hole 112 , or by any other suitable means . electrical outlet 76 further includes an outlet housing 130 constructed of a non - conductive material , such as plastic or rubber . in addition to being constructed of a non - conductive material , outlet housing 130 has a comprehensively non - conductive outer surface 136 free from conductive appendages or surfaces that are electrically active , or live , when outlet 76 is connected to wiring network 16 . known electrical outlets do not include leads 82 , but instead typically include metal screw posts appending from the outlet housing to which a wiring network is connected either directly or via pigtails connected to the metal screw posts . in the present invention , the entire outer surface 136 of each outlet housing 130 is free from any actively conductive appendages or surfaces , such as metal screw posts , or any other actively conductive metal appending from , protruding from , attached to , or otherwise exposed via an aperture in outlet housing 130 that would be in contact with or connected to wiring network 16 . as used herein ‘ actively conductive ’ appendage or surface is defined to mean any appendage or surface that is designed to have live current flowing through it once outlet 76 is connected to wiring network 16 as described herein . therefore , when wiring network 16 is connected to an outlet 76 , outlet housing outer surface 136 can be contacted by a person , or come into contact with a conductive surface , such as an outlet box 40 constructed of metal , without the risk of electrical shock or shorting . it is envisioned that housing 130 is of two part construction comprising a first part having receptor holes 88 and a second part from which leads 82 extend . each lead 82 includes a proximal end 142 , a distal end 148 , a wire 154 , and an insulating layer 160 covering wire 154 . insulating layer 160 is constructed of any electrically insulating material , such as plastic or rubber . in the preferred embodiment , at least one lead 82 has a predetermined length of insulating layer 160 pre - stripped from distal end 148 thereby exposing a predetermined length of wire 154 . outlet 76 is thereby connected to wiring network 16 by connecting the pre - stripped end of at least one lead to a network branch 22 . in an alternate embodiment , insulating layer 160 covers wire 154 from proximal end 142 to distal end 148 , and outlet 76 is connected to wiring network 16 by stripping a desired length of insulating layer 160 from at least one lead 82 , thereby exposing a desired length of wire 154 , then connecting the exposed length of wire 154 to a network branch 22 . in the preferred embodiment , proximal end 142 of each lead 82 extends through outlet housing 130 and is connected to actively conductive electrical receptor structure 114 inside outlet 76 such that each lead 82 is integrally formed , or assembled , with outlet 76 . proximal ends 142 are connected to receptor structure 114 inside outlet 76 using any suitable means such as soldering ends 142 to receptor structure 114 , or using a crimping type connection , or using any type of suitable connector assembly , e . g . a jack , a plug , or a strain relief . therefore , leads 82 are integrally formed or assembled with outlet 76 . furthermore , in the preferred embodiment , leads 82 extend from a back side 166 of outlet housing 130 . alternatively , leads 82 can extend from any other side of outlet housing 130 . it is envisioned that outlet 76 is suitable for use as part of system 10 , as described above , and also suitable for use as a stand - alone electrical outlet for use in conjunction with other known types and configurations of outlet boxes . additionally , in the preferred embodiment , leads 82 all extend individually from housing 130 . in another alternate embodiment , leads 82 are bundled together inside a non - conductive casing and only a predetermined length of each distal end 148 extends past a distal end of the non - conductive casing . fig4 is an alternate embodiment of outlet 76 wherein outlet 76 includes a first connector 161 of a connector module 162 . first connector 161 is connected to receptor structure 114 . additionally , the proximal ends 142 of each lead 82 are connected to a mating second connector 163 of connector module 162 , thereby forming a subassembly that can be coupled with and decoupled from first connector 161 . therefore , the subassembly can be connected to network branch 22 , and outlet 76 can subsequently be connected to network branch 22 by coupling the subassembly second connector 163 with mating first connector 161 of outlet 76 . connector module 162 can be any suitable electrical connection assembly such as a pronged plug assembly or any suitable modular electrical connection device . fig5 is an alternate embodiment of system 10 including a plurality of electrical control modules 172 . control modules 172 include a plurality of integral leads 178 that are integrally formed or assembled with control module 172 in the same manner and fashion as lead 82 ( shown in fig3 ) are integrally formed with outlet 76 ( shown in fig3 ). additionally , integral leads 178 connect to a network branch 22 in the same manner and fashion as leads 82 . control modules 172 are any electrical control module , such as switches or rheostats that monitor and / or control the flow of electricity . additionally , control modules 172 connect to frames 58 in the same manner and fashion as electrical outlets 76 ( shown in fig1 ). in yet another alternate embodiment , system 10 includes any combination of at least one electrical outlet 76 and at least one control module 172 . although system 10 has been described in conjunction with a commercial or residential electrical supply network , it is envisioned that system 10 could be utilized in conjunction with other networks that are utilized for the transmission of mediums other than electricity , such a light or sound . for example , system 10 could be implemented in conjunction with a fiber optic network , or a low voltage communications network , e . g . telephone network , or a coaxial communication network , e . g . a cable television network , or a satellite communication network , or an audio network , e . g . an audio entertainment network or public address network . in which case outlets 76 and control modules 172 would be outlets and control modules associated with such networks . while the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims . | 8 |
in the following description , it is assumed that the smart card used for the transaction features an eeprom memory divided into identical sectors of 32 bytes , for example . an essential characteristic of the invention is the use of a check register that occupies one of the sectors of the memory . this check register contains data , intended to be used for making a transaction , among which the identification of the memory &# 39 ; s free sectors may be used for recording new data . the check register particularly includes the following fields : flagopen : indicates if a transaction is open or not , oldsect : indicates the numbers of the sectors prior to their modification , prevreg : indicates the sector number where the previous check register was located . nextreg : indicates the sector number where the previous check register was located . by assuming that a transaction is carried out , the process according to the invention takes place according to the flowchart illustrated in the single figure . there is initially an initialization step ( step 10 ), which consists in initializing 4 variables in the card &# 39 ; s ram memory : check register address : number of the sector in which the check register is located , nbupdates : variable incremented after each record modification or addition of a new record . oldsector : indicates the sector numbers where data are recorded throughout the transaction . the second step is the transaction opening step ( step 12 ) during which the transactionlevel bit of the ram memory changes from 0 to 1 and the flagopen field of the check register which was 0 is set to the hexadecimal value a5 . in the next step , it is determined if there is a record to be modified or added in a memory location ( step 14 ). if this is the case , the number of the old sector is written in ram memory ( step 16 ), the address of the sector in which the new record must be written is read in the check register ( step 17 ), the new record is written in a sector identified by a number read in the check register ( step 18 ), and the modifications of the check data in the ram memory are carried out ( step 20 ). the process loops back to determine if another record is to be modified or added ( step 14 ). it should be noted that the advantage of the invention mainly resides in the fact that the transaction almost always necessitates modification of several records , which permits the use of the check register without loosing time since free sectors are indicated in the check register without the need to search for them . it should be noted that , in the case of a record addition and not a record modification , a sector number in the ram is not memorized as this sector does not exist , but a virtual number 0 is memorized instead . sector contents 1 record # 1 2 record # 2 3 record # 3 4 record # 4 5 check register 6 free , new check register 7 free , modification candidate # 1 8 free , modification candidate # 2 9 free , modification candidate # 3 10 free , modification candidate # 4 11 free , modification candidate # 5 12 free , modification candidate # 6 13 free , modification candidate # 7 14 free , modification candidate # 8 when there are no more records to write in memory , a new check register containing new data is written in a free sector whose number is provided by the old check register ( step 18 ), the old check register is erased ( step 20 ), the old sectors containing records which resulted in a modification are erased ( step 22 ) and the ram check variables are reset to zero ( step 24 ). in order to illustrate the process of the invention , the following example can be considered in which the eeprom memory takes the following form prior to the transaction : the check register located in sector 5 includes the data below : flagopen : 00 oldsect : 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 prevreg : 0 nextreg : 6 flagclose : a5 newsect : 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 opening of the transaction : write the flagopen field at a5 in hexadecimal in the current register and initialization of the variables : & gt ; nbupdates = 0 & gt ; transactionlevel = 1 & gt ; oldsect [ 8 ]={ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 } modification of record # 2 : memorize the old sector # 2 in ram , write the new record in sector # 7 ; the ram variables are : & gt ; nbupdates = 1 & gt ; transactionlevel = 1 & gt ; oldsect [ 8 ]={ 2 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 } modification of record # 3 : memorize the old sector # 3 in ram , write the new record in sector # 8 . the ram variables are : & gt ; nbupdates = 2 & gt ; transactionlevel = 1 & gt ; oldsect [ 8 ]={ 2 , 3 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 } addition of record # 5 : memorize the old sector # 0 in ram ( 0 signifies the old absent sector ), write the new record in sector # 9 . the ram variables are : & gt ; nbupdates = 3 & gt ; transactionlevel = 1 & gt ; oldsect [ 8 ]={ 2 , 3 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 } modification of record # 2 : memorize the old sector # 7 in ram , write the new record in sector # 10 . the ram variables are : & gt ; nbupdates = 4 & gt ; transactionlevel = 1 & gt ; oldsect [ 8 ]={ 2 , 3 , 0 , 7 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 } transaction closure : & gt ; decrement transactionlevel & gt ; write the new register in sector # 6 with flagclose = 0 & gt ; erase the old check register & gt ; erase the old sectors # 2 , # 3 , # 7 & gt ; write flagclose at $ a5 & gt ; initialize : nbupdates = 0 transactionlevel = 0 oldsect [ 8 ]={ x , x , x , x , x , x , x , x , x } flagopen : 00 oldsect : 2 , 3 , 0 , 7 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 prevreg : 5 nextreg : 11 sector contents after transaction 1 record # 1 2 free 3 free 4 record # 4 5 free , old check register 6 check register 7 free 8 record # 3 9 record # 5 10 record # 2 11 free , new check register 12 free , modification candidate # 1 13 free , modification candidate # 2 14 free , modification candidate # 3 15 free , modification candidate # 4 16 free , modification candidate # 5 17 free , modification candidate # 6 flagclose : a5 newsect : 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 we see that the new check register contains the identification of the old sectors whose values were supplied by the ram , the identification of the sector where the old check register was located , the identification of the sector where the next check register is to be placed , the numbers of the free sectors where the next modifications are to be written , and the indication ( flagclose ) that the transaction was closed . if a power failure occurs while modifications are being made to the eeprom memory , the contents of the ram is lost , although the condition of the data allows any transaction to be repeated again from zero without fear of losing sensitive data . all the sectors which were likely to have been written simply have to be erased using new data , either by erasing all sectors labeled as “ free ” in the check register , or by erasing only those which were written after having scanned their contents to check if they were written ( otherwise , they contain zeros ). it should be noted that if the power failure occurs during transaction closure , having placed a 0 in the flagclose field of the new check register indicates that the transaction is not closed and that the contents of the old sectors which were erased at the penultimate operation must be taken into account , the last operation being the writing of flagclose indicating the closure of the transaction . the process according to the invention uses fewer cycles in comparison with the process which saves data in a buffer memory . in the traditional process , 4 eeprom memory operations are required for each data modification : writing in the buffer memory zone , erasing the future location , writing the new data in this location and erasing the location in the buffer memory zone . on top of that , one must also add buffer memory management and the management of information relative to the data to be stored . in contrast , the procedure according to the invention requires only 2 eeprom operations for each modification , namely the writing of new data in a new sector and the erasure of the old sector , as well as 4 general operations , namely writing of flagopen in the check register at the start , the erasure of the old check register , the writing of the new check register and the writing of flagclose in the check register . in this manner , for n modifications , the following comparison table can be established giving the number of eeprom memory operations in the traditional process and in the process according to the invention , as well as the savings made . number of flash memory ( eeprom ) operations traditional invention n 4n + 2 2n + 4 savings 1 6 6 0 2 10 8 2 3 14 10 4 4 18 12 6 5 22 14 8 if a write or erase operation in the eeprom memory lasts 5 ms , the savings made with a minimum of 4 operations is 30 ms . beside to the gain of time , one should add the gain of time which is the result of the fact that it is not necessary to scan the eeprom memory for finding 4 free sectors because of the fact that free sectors are indicated in the check register . | 6 |
it has now been discovered that unexpected benefits are achieved by ammoniating the wet process phosphoric acid prior to , as shown schematically in fig2 or at the time of , making the mixed feed which is later charged to the defluorination kiln 11 . the unexpected results obtained by this method include greatly enhanced mixing , as evidenced by improved homogeneity of the mixed feed fed to the kiln 11 , with fewer lumps , stratification and segregation , and by less variation in the chemical analysis of feed samples taken from the mixer 12 discharge . as examples of the additives which may be used to ammoniate the phosphoric acid , there can be mentioned mono - ammonium phosphates and diammonium phosphates in any of numerous grades . in addition , ammonia , preferably in an anhydrous form or as an aqueous solution , can also be added to the phosphoric acid in the practice of the present invention . the ammoniation can take place in any number of ways . examples include adding a substantially dry solid ammonia - containing compound with the phosphate rock , prior to the introduction of the phosphoric acid into the mixer 12 . another example comprises sparging anhydrous ammonia directly into the mixer 12 , concurrent with or subsequent to the addition of the phosphoric acid . a still further example comprises spraying or sparging aqueous ammonia into the mixer 12 prior to or concurrent with or even subsequent to the addition of the phosphoric acid to the mixer 12 . the amount of ammonia added to the wet process acid is preferably an amount sufficient to result in about a 75 ° f . temperature rise in the acid ( the reaction between the acid and ammonia is exothermic ). the mole ratio of added nh 3 : po 4 is preferably in the range of about 0 . 05 : 1 to 0 . 5 : 1 , more preferably about 0 . 17 : 1 . the probable mechanism whereby ammoniated acid improves the mixed feed quality is believed to be as follows . reaction rate is an extremely important aspect of the present invention . the amounts of phosphate rock and acid fed to the mixer are approximately 80 parts dry ingredients ( rock and soda ash ) and 20 parts wet ingredients ( 10 parts acid and 10 parts water ). thus , there is very little liquid acid to react with and coat the substantially solid mixture . without the addition of ammonia , the phosphoric acid has a tendency to quickly react with the first particles of phosphate rock with which it contacts . this results in an inhomogenous feed containing small portions of highly reacted phosphate rock particles and large portions of totally unreacted ( and uncoated ) phosphate rock particles . by slowing down the reaction between the phosphoric acid and the phosphate rock , the acid has a longer time in which to become well mixed with the rock particles and to react more completely with the phosphate rock . the ammoniated acid is believed to reduce the reaction rate between the phosphoric acid and the rock . this allows the mixed feed to stay fluid for a longer period of time resulting in a more uniform mixing of the solid rock and the liquid phosphoric acid . furthermore , more free phosphoric acid is left available to react with the soda ash ( or other alkali - containing fluxing agent ) when it is added to the mixer 12 . the resultant mixed feed consists of individual granules of rock uniformly coated with consecutive layers of reacted rock , ammonium phosphate and sodium phosphate or soda ash . when this mixed feed enters the kiln 11 , the ammonia is driven off starting at temperatures above 1000 ° f . this now makes phosphoric acid available to either react with the &# 34 ; glue phase &# 34 ; which forms at about the same temperature ( and which contributes to the fusion of ball and ring materials ), or to react with the soda ash or rock to form a continuous layer that separates the glue phase . it is believed that the fusion of ball and ring materials occurs when unreacted phosphate rock particles come into contact with one another at high temperatures ( i . e ., in the kiln ). the slower reactive process of the present invention ensures that much greater percentages of the phosphate rock particles are coated ( i . e ., reacted with ) the phosphoric acid . these thin &# 34 ; reaction coatings &# 34 ; separate the rock particles and prevent fusing . furthermore , the slower reactions of the present invention ensure that more phosphoric acid is available to dissolve the glue phase in any materials that do fuse . the particular advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the examples appearing hereinafter . 25 parts by weight of 46 % p 2 o 5 wet process phosphoric acid , 100 parts by weight of phosphate rock , 10 parts by weight of soda ash and ammonia were fed to a mixer . the ammonia was added until a calculated mole ratio of nh 3 : po 4 equal to 0 . 17 : 1 was reached . the mixed product was then fed to a rotary ( 2 rpm ) defluorination kiln having a length of 225 feet and an inner diameter of 9 feet and operating within a temperature range of 1000 °- 3500 ° f . the optimal throughput of the defluorination kiln is determined to be 15 tons of feed per hour . generally , a throughput of less than 10 tons per hour is considered poor and a throughput of less than 7 tons per hour is considered completely unacceptable . the kiln is designed to defluorinate a mixed feed containing phosphate rock having a silica content of less than 3 . 0 %. for the purposes of example 1 , the feed of phosphate rock to the mixer was altered over a month long period . during this time , the ammoniated mixed feed was made with phosphate rock having an average of 3 . 5 % sio 2 . when the ammoniated mixed feed was started , the kiln was restricted with rings and balls . after running on the ammoniated mixed feed for about 7 days , the ball and ring materials were completely dissolved and the feed rate was increased to 11 . 3 tons per hour where it remained for another 6 days . at the end of the month of testing , the kiln feed rate was 10 . 3 tons per hour . no significant ring or ball materials creating draft restrictions were observed . substantially the same test as described above in example 1 was run except that no ammonia was added to the mixture . an 18 day test was run during which time the silica content of the phosphate rock averaged 3 . 5 %. severe ball and ring materials formed , impeding kiln throughput . during five of the 18 days , kiln throughput averaged less than or equal to 7 tons per hour . the average kiln throughput over the 18 day period was 8 . 01 tons per hour . | 2 |
fig1 shows a cleaning system 1 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention , which includes an oxygen supplier 10 , an exchanging unit 20 , an oxygenated water provider 30 , and a pressurizing unit 40 , which is a motor in the present embodiment . the oxygen supplier 10 has an oxygen cylinder 11 to supply pure oxygen . it may have two or more oxygen cylinders according to the requirement . the exchanging unit 20 has a tank 21 . the tank 21 has a first water inlet 202 , a first water outlet 204 , and a first gas inlet 206 . the first water inlet 202 is on a top of the tank 21 , and the first water outlet 204 and the first gas inlet 206 are on a bottom . a water source w is connected to the first water inlet 202 to supply the tank 21 with water . the pressurizing unit 40 pressurizes the water from the water source w before it flows into the tank 21 . the water of the water source w preferable is drinking water , such as water from a reverse osmosis ( ro ) system or sterile water . the oxygen supplier 10 has a controller 12 and a solenoid valve 14 . the oxygen supplier 10 is connected to the first gas inlet 206 of the tank 21 , and a user may control the controller 12 and the solenoid valve 14 to adjust an oxygen flow to the tank 21 . the water from the water source w falls down via the first water inlet 202 , and the pure oxygen of the oxygen supplier 10 goes up via the first gas inlet 206 , so that they will impact and mix in the tank 21 . furthermore , we keep a pressure in the tank 21 in a first pressure , between 120 psi and 170 psi , that would speed up the process of mixing and dissolution to obtain 100 ppm or higher oxygenated water . the oxygenated water provider 30 has a second water inlet 302 , a second water outlet 304 , and a manual switch 32 . a jet member 33 , which is a nozzle in the present embodiment , is connected to the second water outlet 304 of the oxygenated water provider 30 . the second water inlet 302 is connected to the first water inlet 204 of the exchanging unit 20 through a pipe . the manual switch 32 is on the pipe to turn on and turn off the oxygenated water . the oxygenated water comes out via the jet member 33 in a second pressure . in an embodiment , the second pressure is 90 psi , and the jet member 33 provides an oxygenated water jet to clean environment , prevent bacteria &# 39 ; s growth , or clean oral cavity for medical purpose . fig2 shows a cleaning system 2 of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention . basically , the cleaning system 2 of the second preferred embodiment is the same as the cleaning system 1 of the first preferred embodiment , except that the cleaning system 2 further has an ultrasonic generator 34 between the oxygenated water provider 30 and the jet member 33 . the ultrasonic generator 34 provides ultrasonic weaves in the oxygenated water , so that the cleaning system 2 may be used to remove calculus . in addition , the exchanging unit 20 further has a pressure controller 22 and a flow controller 24 . the pressure controller 22 is in the tank 21 to sense a pressure in the tank 21 . if the pressure controller 22 found a low pressure in the tank 21 ( lower than the first pressure ) the pressure controller 22 starts the pressurizing unit 40 to pressurize water from the water source w that would recover the pressure in the tank 21 . the flower controller 24 is on a pipe , which is connected to the first water outlet 204 of the tank 21 to sense a volume of the oxygenated water coming out from the exchanging unit 20 . when a specific volume is found , the flower controller 24 activates the controller 12 and the solenoid valve 14 to provide pure oxygen into the tank 21 . the tank 21 further has a water outlet 208 . the water outlet 208 connects to a wastewater exhaust unit 50 to exhaust wastewater of the exchanging unit 20 . fig3 shows a cleaning system 3 of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention . basically , the cleaning system 3 of the third preferred embodiment is the same as the cleaning system 2 of the second preferred embodiment , except that the jet member 33 is a toothbrush 36 for a user to clean his / her oral cavity with oxygenated water when he / she brushes teeth . a method of cleaning an object by the cleaning system 1 , 2 , or 3 includes the following steps : ( a ). pressurize water from the water source w by the pressurizing unit 40 , supply the pressurized water to the tank 21 through the first water inlet 202 , supply pure oxygen to the tank 21 through the first gas inlet 206 , and keep a pressure in the tank between 120 psi and 170 psi ( the first pressure ). the pure oxygen is dissolved in the pressurized water in the tank 21 to obtain oxygenated water ( 100 ppm or higher ). ( b ). release the oxygenated water in the tank 21 in a second pressure ( 90 psi ) to clean an object . the cleaning method of the present invention may remove calculus , prevent anaerobic bacteria &# 39 ; s growth , and sterilize . 1 . the present invention may be applied in various fields of cleaning or sterilization , especially for medical purposes or healthcare , to reduce the risk of infection . 2 . the present invention may be applied in dentistry field to replace the conventional ultrasonic scaler , and to reduce the usage of antibiotics . 3 . the present invention provides the water coming down from top and pure oxygen going up from bottom that will speed up the mixture in the tank and obtain high oxygenated water . the whole size of the cleaning system is small enough for usage at home . it must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are only some preferred embodiments of the present invention . all equivalent structures and manufacturing methods which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention . | 0 |
an arrangement for elevating liquids by the use of solar and / or wind energy in accordance with the present invention has a liquid supply pipe 1 with a lower end introducable into a liquid . the upper end of the supply pipe 1 is connected with a lower end of a delivery pipe 2 by an inclined pipe 3 . the axes of these pipes are located in the same plane . the upper end of the supply pipe 1 is located higher than the lower end of the delivery pipe 2 . the upper end of the supply pipe 1 also forms an air port . the upper end of the delivery pipe 2 forms a liquid discharge port . a connecting part of the pipes 1 and 2 is connected by an air supply pipe 4 with an upper part of a heat - exchanger 5 which forms means for forming pressure differential between the air port and the liquid discharge port . connecting pipes 6 and 7 connect the upper part of a container of the heat - exchanger and the lower part of the same with purging means which include first and second identical hydraulic valves . each hydraulic valve includes an upper pipe 8 , 9 and a lower pipe 10 , 11 respectively , located vertically and connected with one another by horizontal or inclined connecting pipes 12 and 13 respectively . lower ends of the pipes 1 , 10 and 11 are provided cross section limiting members 14 , 15 , 16 formed as pipe portions of a smaller cross section . the second hydraulic valve and particularly the upper end of its pipe 9 is connected via a pivot joint 17 and a bend 18 with a funnel - shaped diffuser 19 . a wind vane 20 is connected with the diffuser 19 for driving the diffuser . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 an additional container 21 with liquid is provided . it is located higher than the container of the heat - exchanger 5 . the first hydraulic valve including the pipes 8 , 10 , 12 and a cross section limiting member 15 , is accommodated in the container 21 . the arrangement in accordance with the present invention operates in the following manner . the arrangement is immersed into a liquid to be elevated , for example water , to such a level that the inclined pipe 3 and the pipes 12 and 13 are of the hydraulic valves are immersed in the liquid . the liquid passes through the cross section limiting members 14 , 15 , 16 and fill the pipes 1 , 3 , 10 , 12 , 11 and 13 as shown in fig1 a . as a result of this , the heat exchanger is isolated from the surroundings . the condition of fig1 a corresponds to the condition in point a on the diagram of thermodynamic condition of fig3 at which the air pressure inside the heat exchanger 5 equals to the outside atmospheric pressure . the liquid level in the pipes 2 , 8 , 9 coincides with the liquid level in a reservoir with liquid to be elevated . as a result of heating of air in the heat exchanger uner the action of solar energy or another source , the air pressure in it increases and air displaces the liquid from the inclined pipe 3 into the delivery pipe 2 , from the upper part of the supply pipe 1 into its lower part , and from the lower part of the supply pipe 1 through the cross section limiting member 14 into the reservoir of liquid . analogous processes take place in the hydraulic valves . the sizes of the respective parts of the arrangement are selected so that the height of a cut - off liquid portion in the delivery pipe 2 is smaller than the height of the supply pipe 1 , and the quantity of liquid which is cut - off by air bubbles in each hydraulic valve is sufficient for formation in each of the vertical pipes 8 and 9 of liquid portions which are higher that the cut - off portions of liquid in the delivery pipe 2 , and the quantity of air supplied from the heat - exchanger 5 into the pipes 1 , 3 , 10 , 12 , 11 and 13 and required for displacing of the respective liquid portions into the pipes 2 , 8 , 9 has a considerably smaller volume than the total volume of air in the heat - exchanger 5 . because of this , after formation of a liquid portion in the delivery pipe 2 , increase of the height of liquid column in the pipes 8 and 9 will finish . thus the process of formation of liquid portions in the pipes 2 , 8 and 9 takes place with a practically constant volume , and heating of air in the heat - exchanger by solar energy ( or other energy ) takes place in the transition ab in the diagram of fig3 . thermodynamic condition in the point a corresponds to the system condition shown in fig1 a , and thermodynamic condition in the point b corresponds to the system condition shown in fig1 b . actual values of the levels of lowering of liquid in the pipes 1 , 10 and 11 and values of height of elevating of the liquid portions in the pipes 8 , 9 of the hydraulic valves are determined not only by hydrostatic pressure of the formed liquid portion in the pipe 2 , but also by value of dynamic pressure p 1 in fig3 of air required for displacement of a liquid portion upwardly through the pipe 2 with overcoming of resistance in the latter . further absorption of energy by the heat - exchanger 5 leads to expansion of air in the latter with a constant temperature and pressure , isotherm - isobar bc in fig3 and consists of expansion of air and energy consumption to displace the cut - off liquid portion upwardly through the pipe 2 , as shown in fig1 c . further supply of energy through the heat exchanger leads to throwing of the elevated liquid portion through the upper opening of the pipe 2 , which is point c in the diagram of fig3 . discharge of the liquid portion through the upper opening of the pipe 2 leads to loss of hermetization of the system , drop of pressure in the system to the atmospheric pressure and discharge of a portion of air from the heat - exchanger into surroundings , flowing of the liquid from the pipes 8 and 12 into the pipe 10 and from the pipes 9 and 13 into the pipe 11 . since the value of liquid columns in the pipes 8 and 9 is equal to the value of depth of lowering of the liquid level in the pipes 10 and 11 reached by the time before discharge of liquid through the upper opening of the pipe 2 , and the cross sectional areas of the pipes 10 and 11 are greater than the cross sectional areas of the pipes 8 , 12 and 9 , 13 , the volumes of liquid in the pipes 8 , 12 and 9 , 13 will be smaller than the volume of air in the pipes 10 and 11 . the liquid which has been flown out from the pipes 8 , 12 and 9 , 13 does not fill liquid - free spaces in the pipes 10 and 11 and as a result of this the hydraulic valves will be temporarily open as shown in fig1 d . as a result of discharge of the elevated liquid portion through the upper opening of the pipe 2 , adiabatic expansion of air and decrease of its temperature take place in the heat exchanger . however , this process is not sufficient for returning the system to its initial condition identified by point a in the diagram of fig3 . and in fig1 a . from the time moment of complete discharge of the elevated liquid portion from the delivery pipe 2 and flowing off of the liquid from the pipes 8 , 12 and 9 , 13 respectively into the pipes 10 and 11 , and till the time moment of filling of the pipes 1 , 3 , 10 , 12 , 11 and 13 with liquid , the system remains without hermetization . with the aid of wind , through the funnel - shaped diffuser 19 , the bend 18 and the pipes 9 , 13 , 7 , 4 , 6 , 12 , 8 , 3 and 2 , purging by air of the interior of the heat - exchanger takes place , as shown in fig1 d . the cross section limiting members 14 , 15 and 16 are needed for providing a required time interval between the above described time moments of the beginning and the end of hermetization loss of the system , and therefore of purging . during filling of the pipes 3 , 12 and 13 , the initial condition of the system and its readiness for performing a new cycle of liquid elevation is restored . the arrangement can operate even without the first hydraulic valve formed by the pipes 8 , 10 and 12 and connnected with the arrangement by the pipe 6 . however , in the process of elevation of liquid through the delivery pipe 2 and after discharge of the liquid throught its upper opening , flowing out of a portion of liquid from the walls of the deliver pipe into the inclined pipe 3 takes place with the reduction of the cross section of the latter . this decreases the efficiency of purging of the heat - exchanger . the provision of the first hydraulic valve increases the efficiency of purging of the heat - exchanger and provides for a possibility to increase the output of the arrangement . work a performed by the arrangement during one cycle of liquid elevation is ## equ1 ## wherein : p 2 is a pressure of air in the system during movement of a portion of cut - off liquid upwardly in the delivery pipe 2 ; and v 1 - v o is an inner volume of the delivery pipe . contrary to the known arrangements , the height of liquid elevation in the inventive arrangement is determined not by a temperature difference between a heater and a cooler , but by a volume of liquid of the heat - exchanger . this makes possible to elevate liquid to any height with small temperature differences . the operation of the inventive arrangement can be compared with the operation of a steam engine or a two - cycle engine . the process of heating of a working medium , for example water , in a steam engine corresponds to the process of formation of the liquid portions in the pipes 2 , 8 and 9 and takes place in accordance with an isochore ab ( fig . 3 ). the process of conversion during which a formed steam fills the working cylinder and displaces a piston in a steam engine corresponds to the process of displacement of the cut off liquid portion upwardly through the pipe 2 . this work is a work of filling and it takes place in accordance with the isotherm - isobar bc of fig . 3 . the subsequent process in the inventive arrangement takes place analogously to the processes which take place in the two - cycle internal combustion engine . during a working stroke of this engine , a piston is displaced by expanding combustion products and reaches a discharge slot through which the gases discharge from the cylinder . this corresponds in the inventive arrangement to flowing out of a portion of air from the heat - exchanger through the upper opening of the delivery pipe 2 during subsequent time after discharge of the elevated liquid portion . in the two - stroke combustion engine , after dischargae of the gases , air compressed in the crank chamber during the working stroke purges the cylinder through the purging window . analogous process takes place in the inventive arrangement , in which purging of the interior of the heat - exchanger takes place under the action of wind through the upper end of the upper pipe 8 ( purging window ) of the first hydraulic valve and the open end of the delivery pipe 2 . with the aid of the wind vane 20 , the funnel - shaped member 19 is oriented with its open end in accordance with the direction of wind . in the embodiment shown in fig2 the first hydraulic valve including the pipes 8 , 12 and 10 is located higher than the upper part of the heat - exchanger and accommodated in the container 21 filled with liquid . the operation of this arrangement is similar to the operation of the arrangment of fig1 . the difference , however , is that in the event of a weak wind or its absence , purging of the heat - exchanger takes place because of the difference in densities of heated air in the heat - exchanger and the denser surrounding air . the denser air is supplied through the second hydraulic valve into the lower part of the heat - exchanger and displace the heated air from the upper part of the latter through the first hydraulic valve located above the heat - exchanger . for increasing the efficiency of the arrangement , greenhouse effect can be utilized . the heat - exchanger can be accommodated in a case which is transparent for solar radiation and not transparent for long = wave radiation , for example of glass or transparent plastic . for increasing the dependency of operation of the arrangment from wind strength , the height of the heat - exchanger is to be increased . the invention is not limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes are possible without departing in any way from the spirit of the invention . what is desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in particular in the appended claims . | 8 |
a printed image is formed using an ink having electrically charged marking particles . although ink such as typical ink jet inks including pigment particles can be used ( so long as the other physical requirements of the inks as described in this disclosure are met ), it is preferable that the ink includes polymeric particles . although clear polymeric particles can be used if desired , it is generally preferable to use polymeric particles having a dye , pigment , or other colorant . in this disclosure , the term “ marking particles ” shall include polymeric particles whether or not they include a colorant . the ink is deposited in an image - wise fashion using appropriate ink jet deposition methods such as a continuous ink jet stream , or drop - on - demand technology onto an electrically conducting substrate . in the preferred mode of operations the substrate is electrically grounded , although it can be electrically biased if so desired . the image is then passed through a nip formed by the image - bearing substrate and a fractionating device . a potential difference is established between the fractionating device and the image bearing substrate . this is preferably done by electrically grounding the substrate and establishing a bias on the fractionating device that would drive the charged marking particles towards the substrate and the supernatant fluid comprising counter ions towards the fractionating device . although the voltage is not critical , it is preferred that the difference of potential between the fractionating device and the substrate be between 100 and 1 , 000 volts , preferably between 100 and 500 volts and more preferably between 150 and 350 volts . lower voltages may not be sufficiently strong to drive the marking particles towards the substrate within the nip residence times . higher voltages are limited by arcing within the nip and possible by reversing the charge on the marking particles . such charge reversal would preclude the ability to subsequently transfer the particles . after fractionating , the image is transferred from the primary imaging member to a secondary imaging member . the secondary imaging member could be an intermediate member , a receiver such as paper or transparency stock , etc . although any appropriate means of transfer to the secondary imaging member could be employed , it is preferred that transfer be accomplished by applying an electrostatic bias of sufficient magnitude and polarity to urge the marking particles to the secondary imaging member . when the secondary imaging member is an intermediate imaging member , transfer to the receiver can , again , be accomplished using suitable transfer technology such as the application of pressure or heat and pressure or any other suitable means . however , it is preferable to transfer the image by applying an electrostatic field of such magnitude and polarity to urge the marking particles away from the secondary imaging member to the receiver . methods of electrostatic transfer are known in the electrophotographic literature and comprise using a biased roller that presses the receiver against the imaging member , the use of a corona , etc . it should be noted that fractionation can be done , using this same technology , on an intermediate member rather than the primary imaging member . it is not , however , desirable to attempt to fractionate from the final receiver as the receiver may absorb the solvent or a sizable fraction thereof . moreover , the presence of the relatively dilute , thereby low viscosity , ink can run on the receiver , thereby reducing image quality . the nip formed between the fractionator and the imaging member should have a spacing of less than 250 μm , preferably less than 50 μm and more preferably less than 25 μm . in some embodiments of this invention , it is possible for the fractionator to be in physical contact with the image - bearing primary imaging member and form a nip with a finite nip width . as an example , a fractionator can include a wedge - shaped metallic member in which the vertex of the wedge is held in close proximity to the primary imaging member . the fractionator is electrically biased as discussed above in this disclosure and the primary imaging member is grounded . the marking particles are driven towards the primary imaging member , leaving a layer of supernatant solvent that can then be skived off by the wedge . referring to the accompanying drawings , the preferred embodiment of the fractionator is shown in fig1 and 2 . in this embodiment , the fractionation roller 10 is physically and electrically separated from a metallic substrate by a pair of electrically insulating spacing wheels 20 . the spacing wheels are made of an insulating polymer such as delrin or nylon and are pressed onto wheel bearings 51 and 52 . the support bearings 50 and 53 are concentrically located on an axle shaft ( not shown ) with wheel bearings 51 and 52 and hold the roller 10 to front bracket 110 and rear bracket 111 . wheel bearings 51 and 52 allow the spacing wheels 20 to rotate on the axle independently of the fractionation roller 10 . this allows the fractionation roller to rotate in a direction and at a speed that are different from the speed and direction of the imaging member upon which fractionation is occurring . the fractionation roller is belt driven by drive motor 100 through drive roller pulleys operating through drive roller pulleys 90 and 91 . in order to electrically bias the fractionation roller 10 , electrical contact is made to the axle shaft by means of a carbon brush 60 that is held in place by the carbon brush bracket 61 . the roller apparatus and motor drive mechanism is mounted via front bracket 110 , rear bracket 111 , and two bottom brackets 120 . the distance between the fractionation roller 10 and the imaging member is determined by pushing the fractionation roller towards the imaging member until the spacing wheels 20 contact the imaging member . this is done by allowing the front bracket 110 and rear bracket 111 to pivot on pivoting shaft 70 , with a force applied to the two brackets by a spring 130 . travel of the brackets is limited by the travel limiter 140 . the space between the front and rear brackets and the bottom bracket is adjusted by spacers 80 in order to accommodate various fractionation roller lengths . it is further preferred that the fractionator includes a squeegee blade to remove the supernatant liquid from the fractionating roller 10 . this blade is preferably made of an elastomeric polymer that is not plasticized by the solvent . the squeegee blade 30 is mounted so as to be in contact with the fractionating roller after fractionation has occurred . the supernatant fluid is then allowed to drain into a drip tray 40 , where it can be recycled or discarded . in another embodiment of this invention , the imaging member on which fractionation occurs comprises a semiconducting polymer such as an elastomer such as polyurethane . such materials are similar to those often used in transfer rollers in electrophotographic engines . however , in this instance , the polymer cannot be plasticizable or significantly swellable by the ink solvent . materials such as these typically comprise a charge - conducting agent and typically have resistivities between 10 6 and 10 11 ω - cm . in yet another embodiment of this invention , the fractionator can have a compliant , electrically conducting blade or roller in contact with the imaging surface on which fractionation occurs . suitable materials include elastomeric materials such as polyurethane or silicone rubber or foams made from such materials . such fractionating members should also comprise sufficient charge conducting agent so as to result in the fractionating member having a resistivity less than 10 11 ω - cm and preferably less than 10 6 ω - cm . for fractionation to occur , it is important that the ink possess certain physical properties . these properties are often significantly different from inks commonly used in ink jet printers that do not require electrostatic fractionation . the ink must be sufficiently electrically resistive so as to support an electric - field . the resistivity of the ink is determined by measuring the current generated by an alternating voltage ( ac ) having a frequency of 1 khz . the resistance is the ratio of the root - mean - square ( rms ) of the applied voltage ( approximately 0 . 707 times the amplitude of the applied ac voltage for a voltage that is varying sinusoidally with time ) to the current . the resistance is the product of the resistivity times the separation distance between the electrodes containing the ink divided by the area of the electrode . it is recognized that , for high resistance materials , it is often desirable to surround the biased or active part of the electrode with conductive material that is used to form a grounded or guard ring around the active part of the electrode in order to reduce noise . for the presently described fractionator to work , the ac electrical resistivity of the ink should be greater than 10 9 ω - cm and preferably greater than 10 10 ω - cm . this precludes the use of aqueous based ink jet inks and most alcohol based ink jet inks as their resistivities are typically less than 10 7 ω - cm . rather , the ink should comprise a dispersing liquid such as mineral oils such as isopar l or isopar g , both sold by exxon corporation , silicone oil , high molecular weight alcohols , etc . while certain alkanes and other aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons may be suitable , their associated flammabilities and the potential health risks make them less than fully desirable . for purposes of this disclosure , the ac resistivity was determined using an ac signal with an amplitude of 0 . 75 vac , at a frequency of 1 khz . 0 . 4 ml of the ink was placed into a cell using a pipette . the electrode spacing between electrodes was 10 μm and the active diameter of the electrodes was 1 . 3 cm . a guard ring surrounded one of the electrodes . dc resistivity was determined using the same cell , but applying a dc voltage with a magnitude of 100 v . for fractionation and transfer to occur , the resistivity of the supernatant fluid should be sufficiently high so as not to short the field in either the fractionator or transfer station . this requires that the dc resistivity be in excess of 10 9 ω - cm . this high resistivity precludes the use of aqueous and many alcohol based conventional ink jet inks in this process . the ink should also comprise electrically charged marking particles . while the exact magnitude of the charge is not critical , it should be sufficiently large as to preclude flocculation of the marking particles and enable the particles to fractionate and transfer within the time allowed by the specific engine . moreover , it is important that the vast majority of the particles have the same charge polarity to enable fractionation and transfer to occur and to prevent flocculation . the charge and charge sign can be determined using known techniques . the marking particles can comprise a colorant , which can be either a dye or a pigment . the marking particles can also comprise a polymeric binder such as polyester , polystyrene , polystyrene butyl acrylate , etc . alternatively , the marking particles can comprise free pigment particles provided the pigment particles meet the size and charge criteria discussed in this disclosure . however , common ink jet inks that comprise dye would not be suitable as the dye is in solution and , accordingly , could be neither fractionated nor transferred in the manner disclosed herein . the particles need to be sufficiently small so as to be jetable from an ink jet head . this limits their average diameter to less than approximately 3 μm . conversely , it would be difficult to control the motion of the particles , even in the presence of an electrostatic field , if the average particle diameter was less than approximately 0 . 1 . smaller particles would be subject to random motion such as that induced by brownian motion . particle diameters can be determined by known techniques including laser scattering , transmission electron microscopy , and scanning electron microscopy . in the preferred embodiment , the marking particles would comprise a polymeric binder . the marking particles can be colorless if desired . the viscosity of the ink is also important , as it must be jetable . it is preferable that the viscosity be less than 20 centipoise , preferably less than 10 centipoise , and even more preferably less than 5 centipoise . the viscosity in the cited examples was measured using a brookfield viscometer model number dv - e . the spindle model number was 00 . the spindle rotated at 100 rpm . in general this viscometer model and spindle model could be used , however , depending on the viscosity the spindle would be rotated between 20 and 100 rpm . alternatively , the viscosity could be measured with a brookfield model lv viscometer with a ul adaptor at approximately 12 rpm . commercially available ink sold as cyan colored signature by kodak , diluted with isopar l , was used for this experiment . the marking particles in this ink are approximately 0 . 1 μm in diameter , as determined using transmission electron microscopy . the ac resistivity measured at 1 khz with an applied voltage with an amplitude of 0 . 75 volts , was approximately 1 . 46 × 10 11 ω - cm . the viscosity was 1 . 75 cpoise . the ink was jetted onto a primary imaging member comprising nickelized polyethylene terephthalate on an aluminum support . the primary imaging member was approximately 12 . 5 cm wide by 20 cm long . the nickel layer was electrically grounded . the roller fractionator that was described as the preferred embodiment of this invention was used in this experiment . as the signature marking particles are charged , the roller was biased at + 300 volts to drive the marking particles towards the primary imaging member . the spacer wheels used on the fractionator established a gap of approximately 40 μm . the fractionating roller was rotated at approximately 10 . 5 to 11 rpm counter to the direction of movement of the primary imaging member . the ink was jetted onto the entire primary imaging member . it was then driven over the fractionator . after fractionation , the image was transferred to a clay - coated paper ( sappi lustro laser ) that had been wrapped around a polyurethane transfer roller similar to those used in electrophotographic printing engines . the paper was chosen because it is nonporous and represents a very stressful receiver for conventional ink jet engines . transfer was accomplished by biasing the roller at − 1 , 000 volts to attract the marking particles to the receiver . it should be noted that it is well known that it is extremely difficult to electrostatically transfer dry toner particles having the same size as the marking particles used in this ink in electrophotographic engines . during the fractionation process , clear supernatant liquid was observed to flow over the roller . immediately after transfer , it was found that the image on the receiver was dry and virtually all of the marking particles transferred from the primary imaging member to the receiver . the image was also permanently fixed after transfer without having to use any external means of fixing the image such as fusing . these are surprising results . in order to quantify how much solvent was present on the receiver after transfer , the image - bearing receiver was placed in a microbalance and its initial mass tared out . upon evaporation of solvent , the receiver should become lighter . no solvent loss was found , to 0 . 1 mg , which was the limit of the balance , over a 24 hour period . this confirms that the marking particles were predominantly dry after fractionation . this example is similar to example 1 except that no bias was applied to the fractionator . in addition , no quantitative measurements of solvent evaporation were made . in this case there was a lot of solvent visible on the paper after transfer . moreover , a large fraction of the marking particles were skived off the primary imaging member by the fractionator . this result shows the importance of the electrical bias applied to the fractionator . this example is similar to example 1 except that the polarity of the bias applied to the fractionator was reversed so as to attract the marking particles to , the fractionator . in this example , there were few marking particles transferred to the receiver , as most were removed from the primary imaging member by the fractionator . solvent was visible on the receiver after transfer . this example is similar to example 1 except that the design of the fractionator was altered . in this case , the fractionator has an aluminum member , approximately semicircular in shape . this device was attached to the frame of the breadboard that also comprised the track on which the primary imaging member traveled . the trailing edge of this member , referenced to the direction of travel of the primary imaging member , was positioned so that there was a space between the fractionator and primary imaging member of approximately 40 μm at the leading edge of the primary imaging member . however , as the fractionator was fixed to the breadboard and its separation was not indexed to the primary imaging member , the space between the fractionator and primary imaging member varied between 40 μm and 75 μm . in this case , fractionation occurred , as was evidenced by the clear supernatant liquid on the fractionator after the fractionation process . however , the ink on the primary imaging member , although concentrated , was not concentrated to the point at which the transferred image was dry . rather , some solvent was clearly visible on the transferred image . this example shows that , although the fractionator described in this example is within the specifications of this patent and does function , it is not the preferred mode . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
each of the two - member luer taper connector sets of this invention is characterized as including at least one soft , resilient and elastomeric luer member ; the individual male and female luer members of this invention are similarly characterized . on the other hand , the luer taper connector sets and individual luer members of the prior art are rigid or semi - rigid . this is a key distinction . the rigid materials employed in the prior art are metal or glass , having characteristics such as being hard and brittle . more recently , thermoplastics , such as polypropylene , polycarbonate , rigid pvc and abs have been employed in luer taper fittings . one characteristic of polymeric thermoplastics typically used in semi - rigid luer taper fittings is that the glass transition temperatures generally are higher than about 25 deg . c ., which is the approximate temperature at which the fittings are used . in contrast , the soft , resilient , elastomeric materials employed in the luer taper fittings of this invention are more properly classified as rubbers , rather than thermoplastics . the polymeric materials useful in this invention typically have glass transition temperatures lower than about 25 deg . c . moreover , the rubbers useful in this invention , vulcanized or otherwise cured as appropriate , have a durometer hardness in the range of about shore a60 to about shore a90 , which is quite soft . in addition , the useful rubbers are resilient , exhibiting a rebound of at least about 50 %, and they are elastomeric , with elongation at the break of at least about 100 %. all the aforesaid properties are referred to at about 25 deg . c . there is a wide range of soft , resilient , elastomeric materials which meet the functional requirements and can be employed in the luer members of this invention . these materials include : polyisoprene , poly ( styrene - co - butadiene ), polyisobutylene , polychloroprene , poly ( butadiene - co - acrylonitrile ), polysulfide , polyurethane , polyacrylate , polysiloxane and poly ( fluorovinylsilane ). however , there is one additional qualification the material must meet . it must be medically acceptable for the intended use . among the recited materials , polyurethane , polyacrylate and polysiloxane rubbers are preferred , and polysiloxane , or silicone , rubbers are especially attractive . catheters and other fluid conduits are often made of silicone rubber , permitting the conduit and the luer taper fitting to be molded together or at least joined smoothly . readily available silicone rubber products which can be advantageously employed in the invention are silastic brand silicone elastomer products and materials , which can be obtained from dow - corning corporation , midland , mich . more specifically , copolymers of dimethyl and methylvinyl siloxane , which may contain silica reinforcement , can be used , an example being dow corning silastic q7 - 4790 medical grade etr elastomer , a two - part product . the luer taper fittings employed in this invention each comprise a single piece which can be produced by conventional rubber molding techniques , such as transfer compression molding or injection molding . these techniques can be employed with the silastic brand elastomers , for example . with reference now to the figures , fig1 and 2 illustrate a typical female luer member of the prior art . rigid or semi - rigid female luer socket member 20 is axially and conically hollowed , the external wall of the socket carrying one part of a two - part thread means , in this case lugs 24 . wings 22 are provided to assist in rotating the member to engage lugs 24 with mating thread means associated with a complementary male luer member . the conical male nozzle of the mating luer member creates a slip fit against luer taper 21 of the female luer member . fluid outlet 23 is the fluid conduit attached to the luer fitting . an alternative luer member 60 is shown in fig1 . in this case the female luer member carries a full thread 61 on the outside of socket wall 62 . fig3 and 4 illustrate a typical male luer member of the prior art . fig9 shows the fitting in cross - section . rigid or semi - rigid luer member 30 has an axially - hollowed nozzle with luer taper 31 . the conical nozzle member is encircled by coaxial cylindrical skirt 32 . the skirt may have a knurl 33 externally . internally , the skirt 32 carries one part 34 of a two - part thread means . axial hollow 36 is in communication with the fluid conduit . fig5 and 8 together illustrate a female luer member of this invention having several optional , but preferred , features . soft , resilient , elastomeric female luer socket member 40 is axially and conically hollowed to provide female luer taper 41 and a lead 46 to a fluid conduit . socket wall 47 has an external thread - receiving periphery 44 which does not carry thread means per se but is sized externally to interfere with and conform itself to mating means carried by a male luer member when the members are joined . circumferential rib 45 is an optional but preferred feature which is especially useful when the fitting is mated with a complementary male member , as will become apparent hereinafter . the fitting may be equipped with rotational wings 42 to assist in gripping it . female luer member 40 is optionally equipped with a cylindrical stiffening insert 50 which can be encapsulated in silicone by a process called insert molding the fitting , which is well known in the art . the insert is conveniently fabricated from very thin ( e . g ., about 0 . 01 in . to about 0 . 02 in .) metal or thermoplastic . although not required , the insert is preferably perforated , the perforations 51 being arranged along thread path 52 ( see fig7 ), angle 53 being the thread angle . another optional feature of the stiffening insert is the protrusions 54 which assist in anchoring the thread of a mating male luer fitting . fig1 shows a soft , resilient , elastomeric male luer nozzle member of this invention . externally , the male luer nozzle member will closely resemble fig3 . male luer member 70 has a nozzle with luer taper 71 and is axially - hollowed to provide lead 74 to the fluid conduit . the nozzle is encircled by coaxial cylindrical skirt 75 . in contrast to the prior art , skirt 75 does not carry thread means per se but is sized internally to interfere with and conform itself to mating means carried by a female luer member when the members are joined . cylindrical stiffening insert 72 is optional and is equivalent to stiffening insert 50 described in the preceding paragraph and further illustrated in fig7 . circumferential groove 73 is also an optional feature which is preferably present and adapts a male luer member of this invention which is so equipped to effectively mate with a female luer member of this invention carrying a complementary circumferential rib , e . g ., rib 45 in fig5 . in producing one two - member set of luer taper connectors according to this invention , a female luer member 40 of this invention , shown in fig5 and 8 , can be joined with a male luer member 30 of the prior art , shown in 12 . the result is the set of this invention illustrated in fig1 . set 80 includes male luer member 30 coupled with female luer member 40 . leading edge 35 of male member 30 makes a seal 81 against shoulder 43 of female member 40 . the thread - receiving periphery 44 conforms itself to the internal thread 34 of the male member by virtue of its sizing and soft , resilient , elastomeric character . the luer taper 41 is deformed by the male luer taper 31 to provide a substantially smooth transition from one member to the other . fluid conduit leads 83 and 84 lead away from the set . another two - member set of this invention is illustrated in fig1 in which male luer member 70 of this invention , shown in fig1 , is united with female member 20 of the prior art , shown in fig1 producing set 90 . it will be evident that male luer member 70 of this invention can also be mated with a female luer member 60 of the prior art shown in fig1 , skirt 75 conforming itself to the full thread 61 by virtue of its sizing and its soft , resilient , elastomeric character . a third two - member set of this invention is shown in fig1 wherein set 95 is produced by joining a female luer member of this invention 40 , illustrated in fig5 and 8 with a male member of this invention 70 , illustrated in fig1 , but in which the optional stiffening insert 72 has been omitted . the lock 96 has been created by mating the optional circumferential rib 45 and optional circumferential groove 73 . it will be evident the rib and groove can be switched between the members . there are a number of other variants of this invention which are not specifically illustrated herein but which are clearly within the contemplation and spirit of the invention . thus , the intended scope of this invention is set forth in the following claims . | 8 |
exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a “ universal ” two - input spare logic gate which can be selectively configured to implement any desired one of all possible two - input logic functions . the spare logic gate can be laid out such that only a single metal mask layer change is needed for configuring and connecting the spare logic gate as desired . considering an arbitrary two - input logic gate , if a and b are the inputs , then there are sixteen ( 16 ) possible output combinations , y 0 through y 15 . the input and output combinations are illustrated in the truth table of fig1 . for example , y 1 represents the logic function of an and gate , y 8 represents the logic function of a nor gate , and y 6 represents the logic function of an xor gate . the truth table of fig1 also provides the functionality of an inverter , for example a and y 12 can be the input and output , respectively , of an inverter . according to exemplary embodiments of the invention , the truth table of fig1 can be implemented with a conventional 4 - to - 1 multiplexer circuit , with the multiplexer select inputs corresponding to the logic inputs a and b of fig1 , and with the multiplexer output corresponding to the logic outputs y 0 through y 15 of fig1 . the desired logic function is programmed by tying the data inputs of the multiplexer circuit to one of two possible logic levels , for example the positive supply voltage ( vdd ) or the negative supply voltage ( vss ). fig2 , 3 , 4 and 5 respectively illustrate xor 21 , inverter 31 , and 41 , and nor 51 functions produced by appropriately programming a 4 - to - 1 multiplexer circuit . in fig2 through 5 , the multiplexer data inputs are designated d 0 , d 1 , d 2 and d 3 , and the multiplexer select inputs are designated s 0 and s 1 . also in fig2 through 5 , a and b represent the logic inputs of fig1 , and thus also designate the nodes of a target circuit that are to be connected to drive the inputs s 0 and s 1 of the spare logic gate . in the examples shown in fig2 through 5 , the data inputs d 0 through d 3 are tied either to ground ( vss ) or to the positive supply voltage ( vdd ) in order to appropriately program the desired logic function . the d 0 through d 3 programming necessary to produce any of the logic functions illustrated in fig1 can be readily determined by inspection of fig1 . with a layout according to exemplary embodiments of the invention , it is possible to provide a 4 - to - 1 multiplexer circuit as a universal two - input spare logic gate that is configurable and connectable by modifying only a single photolithographic mask from among all of the metal and via layer masks in the photolithographic mask set that is utilized to produce the integrated circuit . to avoid standby current , all inputs of the spare 4 - to - i multiplexer circuit , namely d 0 through d 3 , s 0 and s 1 are tied to known logic levels when not in use . an example of this is shown in fig6 , where all inputs of the multiplexer circuit 61 are tied down to ground ( vss ). fig7 diagrammatically illustrates an exemplary construction for each of the input nodes of fig6 according to exemplary embodiments of the invention . thus , each of the nodes d 0 through d 3 , s 0 and s 1 of fig6 can be constructed as shown at 71 in fig7 . the example of fig7 assumes that the integrated circuit utilizes four metal layers m 1 through m 4 that are interconnected by vias in three via layers v 1 through v 3 . each of the input nodes of fig6 is connected to vss by the illustrated interconnection of metal layers and via layers . more specifically , vss at metal layer m 1 is connected by via layer v 1 to metal layer m 2 , which is in turn connected by via layer v 2 to metal layer m 3 , which is in turn connected by via layer v 3 to metal layer m 4 . thus , each of the input nodes of the multiplexer circuit 61 of fig6 is connected to vss and is also connected to every metal layer utilized in the integrated circuit . fig7 also illustrates a power rail structure 73 according to exemplary embodiments of the invention . the power rail structure 73 uses via layers v 1 , v 2 and v 3 to connect the power supply vdd at metal layer m 1 to each of metal layers m 2 , m 3 and m 4 . thus , the power supply voltage vdd is available at every metal layer , as are each of the input nodes of the multiplexer circuit ( spare logic gate ) 61 . the input node and power - rail constructions 71 and 73 illustrated in fig7 permit the spare logic gate 61 to be configured and connected as desired by modifying only a single photolithographic mask of the photolithographic mask set utilized to produce the integrated circuit . fig8 through 10 illustrate an example of how the spare logic gate 61 of fig6 can be configured to perform an and function as shown in fig4 , and can also be connected to a target logic circuit , by modifying only a single - photo - lithographic mask . the example of fig8 through 10 assumes that the target circuit nodes a and b , which will drive the select inputs s 0 and s 1 of fig6 , are defined in metal layer m 2 . therefore , the photolithographic mask associated with metal layer m 2 will be modified to configure and connect the spare logic gate 61 in the manner described hereinafter . in order to configure the spare logic gate 61 to perform the and function , the construction of multiplexer data input d 3 ( see also fig4 and 6 ) must be modified to disconnect d 3 from vss , and also to connect d 3 to the power supply voltage vdd . accordingly , as shown in fig8 , the photo - lithographic mask associated with metal layer m 2 is modified to form an open circuit 83 which disconnects input node d 3 from vss . also , the photolithographic mask associated with metal layer m 2 is modified to provide a connection 81 between the input node d 3 and the power supply voltage vdd , which power supply voltage vdd is already available in metal layer m 2 by virtue of the power rail structure 73 of fig7 . referring still to fig4 and 6 , and also referring now to fig9 , the input node s 0 can be disconnected from vss by modifying the m 2 photolithographic mask to provide an open circuit 93 as shown in fig9 . the input node s 0 is also connected to the node a of the target circuit by modifying the m 2 photolithographic mask to provide the connection 91 illustrated in fig9 . referring also to fig1 , the input node s 1 can be disconnected from vss by modifying the m 2 photolithographic mask to provide an open circuit 103 as shown in fig1 . the input node s 1 is connected to the node b of the target circuit by modifying the m 2 photolithographic mask to provide the connection 101 illustrated in fig1 . thus , and considering the example of fig8 through 10 together with fig4 and 6 , the spare logic gate 61 of fig6 can be configured ( fig8 ) to perform the and function and can be interconnected to the nodes a ( fig9 ) and b ( fig1 ) of a target circuit , by modifying only a single photolithographic mask , namely the mask associated with the m 2 metal layer . fig1 illustrates an example of the physical structures represented by fig7 , and fig1 illustrates an example of the physical structures that result from fig1 when the m 2 photolithographic mask is modified to make the m 2 metal layer changes illustrated in fig8 through 10 . although the foregoing examples have been described with reference to the inputs of the multiplexer circuit 61 of fig6 , the output node of the multiplexer circuit 61 can also be constructed generally as shown at 71 in fig7 , and can be appropriately disconnected from vss and connected to the target circuit in the same general fashion illustrated with respect to select inputs s 0 and s 1 of fig9 and 10 . although the present invention has been described in detail , those skilled in the art should understand that they can make various changes , substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form . | 7 |
as shown in fig1 a prototype system was designed and built to demonstrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention used in conjunction with a plasma enhanced melter , manufactured by integrated environmental technologies , llc . a liquid propane gas ( lpg ) fuel tank 1 supplies liquid propane fuel via a submerged pickup 2 and a main fuel supply line 3 . a converter - regulator 4 manufactured by impco products , cerritos , calif . uses engine heat to convert the liquid into vapor , and to regulate the fuel pressure . this vaporized fuel is fed to an air valve - type gaseous fuel carburetor 6 manufactured by impco products , cerritos , calif . and located in the air intake stream of a spark - ignited internal combustion engine 8 manufactured by vesi , san antonio , tex . air for this engine is supplied via an air filter 5 , and exhaust products exit the engine through an exhaust manifold 9 . the exhaust products transit through a catalytic converter 10 manufactured by miratech corporation , tulsa , okla . for emissions control , and are vented to the atmosphere 11 . for operation in closed - loop air / fuel control mode , a second fuel stream operating under electronic control provides additional fuel . the auxiliary fuel stream includes a fuel vapor pickup 12 located on the lpg supply tank 1 . the fuel is routed to the engine via a fuel vapor hose 12 , and to a fuel pressure regulator 13 manufactured by engineered controls international , inc ., elon college , n . c . fuel flow is controlled via an electronically controlled auxiliary fuel valve 14 manufactured by miratech corporation , tulsa , okla . and admitted to the engine air stream to a point in the engine intake air system 15 . the auxiliary fuel valve 14 is controlled via a computerized air / fuel ratio controller 16 manufactured by miratech corporation , tulsa , okla . connected via cable 19 also manufactured by miratech corporation , tulsa , okla . this system includes exhaust oxygen sensors manufactured by miratech corporation , tulsa , okla . before and / or after 17 and 18 the exhaust catalytic converter 10 . during closed loop operation the primary fuel carburetor 6 is tuned to lean of stoichiometric air / fuel ratio . excess oxygen is detected in the engine exhaust by the oxygen sensors , 17 and 18 . the control module 16 then provides a signal to open the auxiliary fuel valve 14 via the control cable 19 . for synfuel operation , the synfuel is generated in a plasma enhanced melter 20 by integrated environmental technologies . the synfuel stream is fed through a pipe 21 filtered , cooled , and treated via a gas treatment system 22 . the synfuel stream is then pressured to proper operating pressure by a compressor 23 and controlled by a gas pressure regulator 24 . the synfuel stream enters the engine at the syngas carburetor 25 manufactured by impco products , cerritos , calif . located in the intake air stream in series with but prior to the lpg carburetor 6 . during synfuel operation , the lpg carburetor 6 is tuned very lean or fuel flow is shut off completely . synfuel entering into the engine at the synfuel carburetor 25 enrichens the overall air / fuel mixture . a rich mixture is indicated by lack of oxygen in the exhaust stream , as monitored by exhaust sensors 17 and 18 . seeing this rich signal , the control module 16 reduces the fuel flow command to the auxiliary gas valve 14 such that overall air / fuel ratio is returned to stoichiometric . the auxiliary gas valve 14 modulates auxiliary lpg flow to maintain stoichiometric operation throughout the operating range and with various synfuel compositions . while a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . the appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 8 |
fig1 shows a sensing system according to the present invention . the system comprises a camera 10 , which views the scene visible through a windscreen 16 of a car . the camera is connected to a processor 12 , which is adapted to capture images from the camera 10 . also provided are wipers 18 ( only one of which is shown in fig1 ) which are , as is common in the art , in the forms of arms , which can be driven in an arcuate path over the outer surface of windscreen 16 by wiper motor 14 . wiper motor 14 is responsive to signals generated by processor 12 . further provided is washer pump 20 , which is optionally adapted to respond to signals generated by processor 12 to pump washer fluid ( usually water , perhaps with detergent or anti - freeze additives ) onto windscreen 16 through nozzles 22 at an appropriate safe time . the system is also provided with a fault warning light 24 , which indicates the presence of a fault condition . the signals which are generated by the processor 12 in order to control the actuation of wiper motor 14 and optionally the washer pump 20 are calculated at least partly in response to the images captured from the camera 10 . these shall now be described hereinbelow for a more specific embodiment of the invention , which uses an edge detection algorithm to determine the amount of rain on the windscreen . this embodiment also uses the apparatus described above . camera 10 is mounted inside the body of a car on a mounting bracket ( not shown ) attached to the roof of the car . the camera views the scene in front of the car through the windscreen . the system , in addition to sensing rain on the windscreen , is adapted to sense the position of other vehicles and lane markings etc . in order to facilitate this , a bifocal lens 24 is fitted to camera 10 . the images captured from the camera 10 are therefore split horizontally as exemplified in fig2 . an optional light source , such as ir / led 21 aimed at back - lighting the windscreen may be provided . this may be enabled when detected or otherwise determined ambient light levels fall below a prescribed level . the effect or the use of the led would be to highlight the edges of the obscurating media present on the image scene so as to enable the control system to perform more reliably . an optical bandpass filter 11 is also provided , which increases the dominance of the backlight wavelength against the background scene . fig2 shows an example image 30 captured by the camera 10 . the image 30 is split into a top part 32 and a bottom part 34 , divided by a dividing line 42 . this line 42 is not normally visible in the image but has been depicted for purposes of clarity . the top part 32 has been focused on the outer surface of windscreen 16 on which raindrops 36 are visible . in the bottom part 34 of the image , the image has been focused on the road ahead whereby features such as road edges 38 , lane markings 40 and other vehicles 44 can be seen . the processor can then use any of the methods known in the prior art to calculate the position of these features . unless specifically mentioned , when referring to the images we shall henceforth refer to the top part 32 of the captured images as the part relevant to the amount of rain on the windscreen . in order to calculate the need to wipe the windscreen 16 the steps of a first method , shown in fig3 , are taken . firstly , at step 100 , the processor 12 periodically captures the top part 32 of images viewed through the camera 12 . this occurs n times a second , although it is envisaged that it may be more or less frequent . by way of example only , n may be in the range 15 to 40 times a second . the next step 102 is for the captured images to be convolved with a mask , such as a sobel - like mask . the resultant values represent the spatial rate of change , in the horizontal direction , of the pixel intensity of the image . taking a threshold 104 of these values ( that is , determining the points in the image at which the convolved values exceed a pre - determined value ) then gives an indication of where the vertical edges of raindrops 36 lie . this method of edge detection is used as it is commonly in use in lane and vehicle detection systems , such as is known from wo 99 / 44173 . an alternative edge detection scheme replaces convolution with the sobel - like mask with convolution with the mask 51 depicted in fig7 of the accompanying drawings . this consists of a central peak with two outer troughs to either side ( in convolution space ). the peaks and troughs have linear leading and rising edges and may have areas of constant value between them or at their absolute maxima . convolution with this mask gives high values for edges , but edges that occur close to large areas of light are penalized . accordingly , vehicle headlights and the specular reflection of the backlight 21 off the vehicle windscreen 16 are disregarded as not being raindrops . the width and position of the peaks ( as in trace 51 a of fig7 of the accompanying drawings ) can be adjusted in order to tune the raindrop detection and headlight elimination characteristics . however , the person skilled in the art will recognize that any suitable edge detection algorithm could be used . in the next step 106 , the number of edges is counted . this gives an indication of the amount of rain present on the windscreen 16 particularly where day and / or night screens are being viewed and where the glare from oncoming headlights would need to be accounted for . use of multiple mask types , enables independence upon the prevailing ambient scene conditions to be complemented using a simple suitability logic . in an improvement to this step shown in fig1 of the accompanying drawings , the backlight 21 may be employed to increase the visibility of the edges of raindrops . the backlight 21 , camera 10 and edge detection method can be arranged such that edges of raindrops are only detected when the backlight 21 is illuminated . images are captured without 203 and with 207 the backlight 21 illuminated , and the number of edges in each of the images calculated . images captured without the backlight illuminated will only show background details such as passing scenery and headlights of oncoming vehicles . illuminated images will show the same features , plus highlighted raindrops and the specular reflection of the backlight in the windscreen . the number of edges for non - illuminated images then is subtracted 209 from the number of edges for the illuminated images . this value can be used to control 211 the wipers of the vehicle in the manner described below . accordingly , such artifacts as headlights and passing scenery can be accounted for without the complications and memory requirements of comparing frames , as in the prior art method shown in fig9 of the accompanying drawings . the prior art method requires frames to be captured without 202 and with 206 the backlight illuminated and the pixel values for each frame are subtracted from one another . edges are detected 210 in the resultant image and wiper control 212 carried out from the determined number of edges . this requires much more memory and processor time than the method of fig1 of the accompanying drawings , as entire frames are compared rather than single numbers of edges . if the specular reflection of the backlight has not been removed from the detected edges by the alternative mask 51 , then these reflections can be accounted for by subtracting a further , predetermined amount from the number of edges for the illuminated images . in an alternative embodiment , the first method of determining the amount of rain on the windscreen is replaced by a second method depicted in fig4 . steps equivalent to those in the first method have been indicated by the same numeral increased by 50 . in this method , the images are periodically captured 150 , convolved and thresholded 154 as in the first method . the resultant edges are then compared 160 to a mask 170 stored in a memory 13 associated with the processor 12 . the mask 170 indicates which part of the scene is already considered to be an edge of a raindrop , and so initially the mask 170 will be blank . the comparison hence shows the raindrops which have formed edges since the mask 170 was last updated . the number of these new edges is counted 162 and added 164 to a running total 172 . this total 172 will initially be zero . the mask is then updated 166 by dilating the new edges by a dilation amount of , say , 5 pixels and marking the dilated edges on the mask 170 as having been seen . this is a reasonable compromise between mistaking old edges that have simply moved slightly with respect to the camera 10 as new edges and mistakenly ignoring new edges that form . of course , this dilation amount can be varied to achieve the best results . the method then repeats with the next image captured 150 from the camera using the updated mask 170 and total 172 . it can be seen that the total will never decrease merely from adding the number of new edges . accordingly , it is necessary to reset the total 172 and mask 170 when a signal from the wipers 18 indicates the screen is freshly wiped . alternatively , the first method may be employed to give a reading of total number of edges visible and the total 172 and mask 170 could be reset if a large , sudden , decrease in the total number of edges according to the first method was seen . to estimate the amount of rain on the windscreen , it is possible to use the total number of edges from either method . additionally the number of new edges in each image as calculated by the second method can be used as an indication of the rate of fall of rain . when a prescribed or adapted threshold number of edges is reached , an enabling control signal 174 may be generated causing the wash / wipe cleaning apparatus to be activated to sweep and clean the windscreen . in a preferred alternative depicted in fig1 of the accompanying drawings , the number of edges is integrated over times such that small amounts of rain are cleaned off the windscreen after a maximum period . the number of edges for a given frame is counted 250 according to any of the methods described above . if this value is greater than a predetermined “ noise ” threshold 252 , then the number of edges is added 254 to a running total . if not , the running total is reset to zero 256 . if the running total exceeds a predetermined “ wipe ” threshold 258 , the wipers are activated 260 and the running total reset 262 . otherwise , the running total is kept 264 for the next captured image . the method then repeats . in a further optional refinement , the processor 12 may then use these aforementioned outputs to calculate average size 210 and density 212 of raindrops on the windscreen 16 , as shown in fig6 . these are then each scaled 214 , 216 to give a value between 0 and 1 according to fig5 . below a certain range 200 of raindrop size or density 203 the scaled value 202 is constantly zero ; above the range 200 the scaled value 202 is constantly 1 ; and within the range 200 the scaled value 202 increases linearly with raindrop size or density 203 from a minimum scaled value 201 ( which is between 0 and 1 ) to 1 . these two scaled values are multiplied together 218 to give a wiper demand signal 220 between 0 and 1 . this signal 220 indicates the fraction of maximum wiper speed at which the wipers 18 should run , where 0 is no wiper action and 1 indicates maximum speed , providing for the wipers 18 only operating above a certain threshold of both size 210 and density 212 of raindrops . the method used in this system is advantageously combined with a vehicle lane and object detection system as the steps of capturing 100 , 150 and convolving 102 , 152 images ( grouped as 108 and 158 in fig3 and 4 ) are already performed by such a detection system and hence the addition of a rain drop detection system as described herein does not unduly increase computational requirements . as to the choice between first and second methods , the first method requires less computational power and memory . however , it will produce much noisier results as raindrops shift with vehicle vibrations and so on , and as the unfocused scene behind the windscreen changes . as the second method uses an edge boundary masking algorithm , it is less affected by these problems but requires more in the way of memory 13 and processor 12 use . it is also appreciated that whilst with the cameras which are envisaged to be used in this system will not clearly capture the image of a passing wiper 18 and so the system will not recognized as an edge . however , cameras that are capable of sharply capturing moving wipers may be used in which case correction must be made such that the wiper edges are not unduly counted . in another improvement , the system is adapted to detect the presence of mist on the windscreen . this can be demonstrated with reference to fig8 a to 8 c of the accompanying drawings , which depict views captured from the camera 10 , and fig1 of the accompanying drawings , which show the steps taken . in normal view , without the backlight illuminated 220 ( fig8 a of the accompany drawings ), the camera views the background scene and any raindrops on the windscreen . the average intensity surrounding the specular reflections of the backlight is measured 222 . the backlight 21 is then turned on 224 . in the lack of mist , illuminating the backlight 21 ( fig8 b of the accompanying drawings ) does not have any great effect on the average intensity surrounding the specular reflections 53 of the backlight . however , if mist is present ( fig8 c of the accompanying drawings ) then large amounts of diffuse , non - specular , reflection occur , and the intensity in the region surrounding the specular reflections of the backlight is greatly increased . therefore , if the average intensity around the specular reflections 53 is calculated 226 and the difference between the two measured average intensities taken 228 , the presence of mist can be detected as a large difference . this can then be monitored by the system , which can activate 230 demisting heaters , blowers and so on as appropriate . fig1 of the accompanying drawings shows how the system herein described is advantageously used in combination with a lane detection technique . the video camera 10 , the frame grabber 19 ( that part of the processor 12 adapted to capture images from the camera 10 ) and the vertical edge detection 17 are all identical for both the rain detection technique described herein and a lane detection technique . the same processor may therefore run the same instructions on the same data . only the thresholding 15 , edge counting 13 and wiper control 11 add to the processing and hardware requirements . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment . however , it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope . | 6 |
the objects , characteristics and effects of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the illustration of related drawings as follows . with reference to fig2 for a schematic block diagram of a light measurement system in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention , the light measurement system 10 is provided for measuring a plurality of light characteristics of a light source 12 . for example , the light characteristics include a wavelength , a phase , a polarization state , a chrominance and a lumen intensity of the light source , wherein the light characteristics of this embodiment include the chrominance and the lumen intensity of the light source 12 having a wavelength within a range ( such as the wavelength proximate to the frequency bands of red light , green light and blue light ). in addition , the wavelength of the light source 12 is a wavelength of red light that falls within a range from 622 nm to 780 nm , a wavelength of green light that falls within a range from 492 nm to 577 nm , or a wavelength of blue light that falls within a range from 455 nm to 492 nm . further , chrominance is defined as the color saturation of each wavelength ; and lumen intensity is defined as the physical quantity of the light intensity of the light source 12 . further , the light source 12 of this preferred embodiment is a light emitting diode . the light measurement system 10 comprises a processing unit 14 , a capturing module 16 , a signal conversion unit 18 and a demultiplexing unit 20 . the processing unit 14 includes a plurality of pins s 0 , s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , s 4 for issuing plural kinds of control signals from the pins s 0 , s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , and the pin s 4 is provided for receiving measurement results of the light characteristics from the demultiplexing unit 20 . wherein , the pins s 0 , s 1 , s 2 , s 3 are divided into a trigger pin s 0 , a function pin s 1 , s 2 and a switching pin s 3 according to the desired function of the control signal . in addition , the pins s 0 , s 1 , s 2 , s 3 output a high potential or a low potential for outputting a control signal matched with “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” of a logic system . wherein , the trigger pin s 0 can output two logic states of “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” to define “ trigger ” and “ not trigger ” respectively ; the function pins s 1 , s 2 can output four logic states of “ 00 ”, “ 01 ”, “ 10 ” and “ 11 ” to define “ measure the wavelength of red light ”, “ measure the wavelength of green light ”, “ measure the wavelength of blue light ”, and “ measure the lumen intensity of the light source ” respectively ; and the switching pin s 3 also outputs two logic states which will be described further below . wherein , the trigger signal ts and the function signal fs can be transmitted between the processing unit 14 and the capturing module 16 through a first bus 30 . since the first bus 30 is coupled to the trigger pin s 0 and the function pins s 1 , s 2 , therefore the first bus 30 can be comprised of three first transmission lines 302 , 304 , 306 for transmitting the trigger signal ts and the function signal fs ; and the switch signal ss can be transmitted between the processing unit 14 and the capturing module 16 through a second bus 32 . wherein , the second bus 32 further comprises two second transmission lines 322 , 324 coupled to the switching pins s 3 and s 4 respectively , and the second transmission line 322 is provided for transmitting the switch signal sws and the second transmission line 324 is provided for transmitting a capture bit code cbc as described below . the capturing module 16 is coupled to the processing unit 14 , and each of the capturing modules 16 further comprises a control unit 162 and a sampling unit 164 . wherein , the capturing module 16 receives the trigger signals tr and the function signals fs through the control unit 162 . when the capturing module 16 receives the trigger signal tr , the trigger signal tr is provided for driving the sampling unit 164 to capture the light characteristics of the light source 12 . for example , if the processing unit 14 outputs “ 1 ” from the trigger pin s 0 , it shows that the control unit 162 drives the sampling unit 162 and captures the light characteristics of the light source 12 . on the other hand , if the trigger pin s 0 outputs “ 0 ”, it shows that the control unit 162 turns off the sampling unit 164 , so that the light characteristics of the light source 12 will not be captured . in addition , the control unit 162 determines and controls which type of light characteristics of the light source 12 to be captured by the sampling unit 164 according to the function signal fs . assumed that the function pin s 1 , s 2 outputs a control signal “ 00 ”, the function signal fs controls the capturing module 16 to capture the light characteristics of the light source 12 with regard to the wavelength proximate to the frequency band of red light . in other words , the sampling unit 164 captures the portion of the wavelength proximate to the frequency band of red light from the light source 12 according to the control of the control unit 162 , and the sampling unit 164 outputs the captured frequency - related data cd of red light . for example , the frequency in the captured data cd is equal to 482 thz ( in other words , the measured wavelength of the red light source is equal to 622 nm ). the relation of the frequency and the wavelength in the captured data cd is f = c / λ , wherein f is the frequency of the detection in unit of hertz ( hz ); c is the speed of light equal to 3 × 10 8 m / s ; and λ is the wavelength in unit of meter ( m ). for example , the control unit 162 receives the function signal fs transmitted from the processing unit 14 to control the sampling unit 164 to measure either the chrominance or the brightness of the light sources 12 with the wavelength of red light . wherein , the function signal fs is defined as a signal for selectively measuring the wavelength of red light , the wavelength of green light , the wavelength of blue light and the lumen intensity through the function pins s 1 , s 2 . the signal conversion unit 18 is coupled to the sampling unit 164 and provided for receiving the captured data cd and converting the captured data cd into a capture bit code cbc . wherein , the capture bit code cbc is expressed in a binary number system ( which is a number in terms of 2 to the power 0 to 9 ) and has 9 bits , so that the converted capture bit code cbc falls within a range from 000000000 to 111111111 . in other words , the capture bit code cbc corresponds to a range from 0 to 1512 in the decimal number system . in this preferred embodiment , the frequency of the captured data cd captured by the capturing module 16 falls within a range from 384 thz to 659 thz ( in other words , the wavelength ranges from 455 nm to 780 nm ) which is the optical spectrum range of visible lights . therefore , the captured data cd can be converted easily by the signal conversion unit 18 . for example , the frequency in the captured data cd is added with a correction value ( such as − 482 thz ), so that after the captured data cd are processed by the signal conversion unit 18 , the original captured data cd are corrected and expressed in form of the aforementioned 9 bits . for example , if the frequency in the captured data cd is equal to 482 thz ( in other words , the wavelength corresponding to the frequency is equal to 622 nm ) in this preferred embodiment , then the capture bit code dbc will be converted to 000000000 . the demultiplexing unit 20 is coupled to the signal conversion unit 18 and the processing unit 14 . wherein , the demultiplexing unit 20 selectively controls the signal conversion unit 18 according to the switch signal sws transmitted by the select pin s 3 to control whether or not to connect the signal conversion unit 18 with the processing unit 14 . if the signal conversion unit 18 and the processing unit 14 are coupled , then the capture bit code cbc can be transmitted from the signal conversion unit 18 to the processing unit 14 through the demultiplexing unit 20 , or else the capture bit code cbc of the signal conversion unit 18 cannot be transmitted to the processing unit 14 through the demultiplexing unit 20 . for example , if the switch signal sws is “ 1 ”, it shows that the signal conversion unit 18 and the processing unit 12 are coupled to each other . on the other hand , if the switch signal sws is “ 0 ”, it shows that the signal conversion unit 18 and the processing unit 12 are not coupled to each other . in addition , the demultiplexing unit 20 comprises a plurality of input ports , output ports and selecting ports ( not shown in the figure ). wherein , the input ports are coupled to the signal conversion unit 18 , and the output ports and the selecting port are coupled to the processing unit 14 . further , the selecting port switches the connection path between the input ports and the output port according to the switch signal sws received by the processing unit 14 . in addition , the signal conversion unit 18 and the demultiplexing unit 20 are comprised of field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ). with reference to fig3 for a schematic block diagram of a light measurement system in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention , the light measurement system 10 ′ comprises a processing unit 14 ′, a plurality of capturing modules 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 , and a plurality of signal conversion units 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , and the demultiplexing unit 20 ′ receives a control signal from two switching pins s 5 and s 6 used for forming a 1 - to - 4 connection path , in other words , the switching pins s 5 , s 6 control the signal conversion units 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 to output a plurality of capture bit codes cbc 1 , cbc 2 , cbc 3 , cbc 4 to the processing unit 14 ′. wherein , the capturing modules 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 are provided for simultaneously detecting four sets of light sources 12 , and the capturing modules 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 capture 4 groups of captured frequency - related data cd 1 , cd 2 , cd 3 , cd 4 , and the captured data cd 1 , cd 2 , cd 3 , cd 4 are converted by the signal conversion units 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 into the capture bit codes cbc 1 , cbc 2 , cbc 3 , cbc 4 respectively . in addition , the demultiplexing unit 20 ′ can selectively transmit one of the capture bit codes cbc 1 , cbc 2 , cbc 3 , cbc 4 corresponding to the signal conversion units 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 to the processing unit 14 ′ by the control of the switching pins s 5 and s 6 . it is noteworthy that the light measurement systems 10 , 10 ′ of the first preferred embodiment or the second preferred embodiment further comprise a box body ( not shown in the figure ), and the box body has a containing space formed therein and provided for containing the capturing module 16 , 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 , and the light measurement systems 10 , 10 ′ further comprise the light source 12 or contain the light source 12 . therefore , the light measurement system of the present invention can measure the light characteristics of a plurality of light sources by a parallel processing structure , and the system simultaneously obtains the related light characteristics of the light sources from a plurality of capturing modules coupled to the light sources in advance and converts light characteristics into a plurality of captured frequency - related data , and the captured data are converted into a plurality of capture bit codes by a plurality of signal conversion units , and the capture bit codes are kept in the signal conversion units , and the demultiplexing unit is provided for outputting the capture bit code of the signal conversion unit to the processing unit in order to analyze the light characteristics according to the switching of the control signal . while the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments , numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims . | 6 |
the insulator is preferentially chosen from perlite , glass wool , rock wool , cellular glass , vacuum , aerogel , multilayer insulator or any other insulator or combination of insulators conventionally used , etc . moreover , this first alternative may be supplemented by sealing elements fixed to the external barrel of the double barrelling facing the internal barrel of the cylinder . the sealing elements are preferably chosen from brushes , gaskets , welds or welded elements , glue or glued elements and preferably sized so as to mitigate any differential expansion between the barrel of the adsorber and the double barrelling of the parallel - passage contactors during the regeneration of the adsorber . according to a second alternative , each parallel - passage contactor has channels and the channels are at least partially obstructed over a centripetal radial distance of 20 cm , preferentially 10 cm , even more preferentially 5 cm , starting from the external perimeter of the parallel - passage contactor . this obstruction prevents the creation of a preferential gas passage in the channels concerned . it should be noted that , in this second alternative , the parallel - passage contactors may optionally have a barrel . consequently , “ external perimeter ” means the edge of the parallel - passage contactor or the edge of the barrel of the parallel - passage contactor . the channels that have to be partly obstructed are , over at least part of the length thereof , filled in with resin , mastic , silicone or any element that can be applied in liquid or viscous form in order to durably block the channels concerned ; and / or at least one of the ends of the channels having to be partly obstructed is obstructed by a metal plate , or a plastic plate , or a silicone or rubber gasket , or any solid element that can be placed or fixed . the obstruction can be done at the top , at the bottom , or at part of each channel concerned . it can be envisaged blocking the whole of the length of each channel concerned . fig3 shows a parallel - passage contactor with a metal plate at the top ends of the channels that are to be obstructed . fig4 shows an adsorber according to the invention comprising a series of parallel - passage contactors with a metal plate at the top ends of the channels that are to be obstructed . in this second alternative , obstruction of the channels makes it possible to block the circulation of the fluid in these channels and to create an insulation like miniscule layers of gas . the immobile gas cells being much smaller than the conventional layers of gas , an appreciably more efficient thermal insulation is obtained . alternatively , for an equivalent thermal insulation performance , it is possible to greatly reduce the thickness of the insulation . moreover , this second alternative can be supplemented by sealing elements fixed to the external face of the parallel - passage contactors facing the internal barrel of the cylinder . the sealing elements are preferably chosen from brushes , gaskets , welds or welding elements , glue or glued elements and preferably sized so as to mitigate any differential expansion between the barrel of the adsorber and the external periphery of the parallel - passage contactors during the regeneration of the adsorber . the adsorbents able to be used in parallel - passage contactors are those used in conventional gaseous flow purification or separation units . the choice depends on the application . it is possible in the same contactor to use successively several different adsorbents . silica gels , activated alumina , optionally doped , active carbons , zeolites of various types ( 3a , 4a , 5a , type x , lsx , y etc ., optionally exchanged , etc .) can be cited . the zeolites are generally used in the form of microcrystals or even nanocrystals , depending on the synthesis methods . other adsorbents , for example active carbons , can be crushed in order to obtain particles of around 1 micron . the contactors may be identical or on the other hand it is possible to use this invention to singularise at least one contactor and adapt it to the operating conditions situated at this level of the adsorber . concerning this modification , it may a case of another type of adsorbent , a modification to the thickness of the adsorbent layer , the cross section of flow , etc . the device according to the invention may be used in various methods such as tsas , ptsas etc . it may also be used to dry , decarbonate or stop secondary impurities in a gaseous flow , in particular issuing from atmospheric air . secondary impurities means traces of hydrocarbons , nox , sox , etc . it will be understood that many additional changes in the details , materials , steps and arrangement of parts , which have been herein described in order to explain the nature of the invention , may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments in the examples given above . | 1 |
a preferred group , particularly for its inhibiting effect on the adherence of pathogenic coliform enterobacteria , is represented by the glycopeptides of formula i above , in which r 1 is 4g1cnacβ1 → asn or ## str3 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; have the above meanings ; r 3 and r 4 are hydrogen atoms and r 2 is a hydrogen atom or a mannose residue . a preferred oligosaccharide , particularly for its inhibiting effect on pathogenic coliform enterobacteria , is the oligosaccharide of formula i in which r 1 , r 3 and r 4 are hydrogen atoms and r 2 is a hydrogen atom or a mannose residue . in the process of the present invention it is preferred to use an isolate enriched with soya glycoprotein 7s or bean glycoprotein ii by extraction of the defatted flour at an alkaline ph ( 8 - 9 ), followed by selective precipitation of the glycoprotein at ph 4 . 5 - 5 , for example using a method similar to that described in the literature ( see m . shemer , et al ., cereal chem . 55 ( 1978 ), pp . 383 - 391 and a . pusztai , et al ., biochem ., biophys . acta 207 ( 1979 ), pp . 413 - 431 ). to obtain glycopeptides , the fraction enriched with glycoprotein is then subjected to digestion with a proteolytic enzyme , for example using a method similar to that described in the literature ( see f . yamauchi , et al . agr . biol . chem . 39 ( 1975 ), pp . 873 - 878 ). the enzymatic digestion may be carried out with any active proteolytic enzyme at an acid , neutral or alkaline ph . the enzyme may be of fungal origin , microbial origin ( for example , pronase , alkalase ), vegetable origin ( for example bromelin , ficin , papain ) or animal origin ( for example , trypsin , pepsin , pancreatin ). in a first embodiment of the process according to the invention intended for the preparation of oligosaccharides from glycopeptides , the above digestate is treated with an endo - β - n - acetylglucosaminidase h intended selectively to cleave the β1 → 4 bond between the two n - acetylglucosamine residues of formula i , thus converting r 1 into h . in a preferred variant of this first embodiment of the process according to the invention , which is intended to shorten the oligomannoside chains of the above oligosaccharides to increase their activity , the oligosaccharides are subjected to a controlled treatment with an exo - α - mannosidase , an enzyme which preferentially cleaves the α1 → 2 bonds between two mannose residues , for example using a method similar to that described in the literature ( see t . tai , et al ., j . biol . chem . 250 ( 1975 ), pp . 8569 - 8575 ). in a second embodiment of the process according to the invention , which is preferred because it gives products showing greater activity than those obtained in the first embodiment , the oligomannoside chains are shortened by subjecting the above glycopeptides to a controlled treatment with an exo - α - mannosidase . alternatively , the corresponding oligosaccharides may then be prepared by treating these glycopeptides with an endo h . the compositions according to the invention may be used for the prophylaxis , treatment or diagnosis of infectious diseases caused by bacteria provided with type i fimbriae , more especially gastro - intestinal illnesses caused by coliform enterobacteria , such as escherichia coli for example , and may be presented in a form adapted to the mode of administration and use . for oral or enteral administration for example , the active constituent may be formulated as a syrup , pill , capsule , tablet , dragee , solution , suspension , emulsion or powder capable of reconstitution by the addition of an aqueous medium , for example , preferably in the form of a dietetic product , for example a milk powder . for parenteral administration , it may bbe formulated as a physically stabilized , sterile and apyrogenic solution or suspension . for topical administration , for example for an ophthalmological application , it may be formulated as a solution , aerosol , ointment or unguent . when the active constituent is intended for the diagnosis , identification or isolation of pathogenic bacteria , it will advantageously be coupled , preferably by covalent bonding , to a macromolecular support . finally , the compositions according to the invention may be used for disinfecting surfaces , for example in the form of solutions or emulsions for treating contact lenses . in these compositions , the active constituent may represent from 0 . 1 to 90 % by weight . the invention is illustrated by the following examples in which the parts and percentages are by weight , unless otherwise indicated . in examples 1 to 3 below , proof of the structure of the active constituents of formula i derives from the following characteristics : ( a ) analysis of the glucidic composition of the starting glycoproteins reveals the presence of only two monosaccharide constituents , namely mannose aand glucosamine . the oligosaccharides formed from these two constituents are attached to the polypeptide chain by the nitrogen of an asparagine ( n - glycosidic bond ), the &# 34 ; endo &# 34 ; part of these oligosaccharides thus corresponding to the following structure : ## str4 ## ( b ) the fact that all the glycopeptide substrates are completely hydrolyzed by the endo - β - n - acetylglucosaminidase h ( endo h ) proves that they all correspond to the minimum structure required for such an enzymatic digestion ( see tarentino , et al ., methods in enzymology 50 ( v . ginsburg , ed . ), academic press , new york ( 1978 ) pp . 574 - 580 . ): ## str5 ## the superposition of the two above structures leads to the formulation of the proposed general structure . ( a ) glycoprotein : a fraction enriched with glycoprotein 7s is prepared from defatted soya flour by extraction at ph 8 . 0 with a 0 . 5 mmolar solution of na 2 so 3 , precipitation at ph 5 . 7 to remove a first fraction ( rich in 11s ) and a second precipitation at ph 4 . 5 , followed by two washings at the same ph which gives the fraction enriched with 7s . ( b ) glycopeptides : the enzymatic digestion of the protein fraction is carried out from 30 g of protein in 2 liters of tris - hcl buffer solution ( 0 . 05 molar , ph 8 . 0 ) in the presence of toluene for 24 hours at 40 ° c . using 600 mg of pronase e ( merck ag ) and then for 48 hours using another 300 mg of enzyme . the glycopeptides are isolated after filtration of this solution , passing the eluate over dowex 50w - x8 resin ( h + form ), washing the resin with distilled water until the glucides have disappeared from the washing waters and neutralizing the combined fractions with an amberlite ira 400 resin ( co 3 -- form ). the final solution is concentrated and freeze - dried and the product may finally be purified by fractionation in a column of sephadex g - 25 . the overall yield of the process is 88 % ( based on the final quantity of mannose present in the glycopeptide mixture ). analysis of the glucidic composition of the mixture obtained as described above ( by the method described in j . r . neeser , et al ., anal . biochem . ( 1984 )) revealed the presence of an average of 7 . 6 units of mannose for two units of n - acetylglucosamine . ( c ) oligosaccharides : the glycopeptides isolated as described above proved to be completely digestible with endo - β - n - acetylglucosaminidase h ( endo h , seikagaku kogyo co . ltd . ), this latter property forming the basis of the process used to obtain the corresponding oligosaccharides : a glycopeptide sample containing 7 . 5 mg of oligomannoside is dissolved in 10 ml of citrate - phosphate buffer solution ( ph 6 . 0 , 10 mmolar ) and 100 milliunits of endo h ( unit defined by the manufacturer ) and 0 . 5 ml of toluene are added to the resulting solution . after incubation for 24 hours at 37 ° c ., the enzyme is denatured by heating . the hydrolysate thus obtained may be used in this form ( crude ) for hemagglutination tests ( see example 4 below ). the same hydrolysate may also be treated with an amberlite mb 3 resin ( h + and oh - form ) in order to isolate the oligosaccharides thus liberated : after addition , agitation and decantation of the resin , it was washed with distilled water until the glucides have disappeared from the washing waters and the combined fractions are concentrated . analysis of the oligosaccharides thus purified revealed the presence of 7 to 8 mannose units for one n - acetylglucosamine unit for a product containing 85 % of mannose , the overall yield of the enzymatic hydrolysis and isolation of the oligosaccharides being substantially quantitative . analysis by high - performance thin - layer chromatography ( hptlc ) of the crude product of the digestion with endo h and of the mixture of the purified oligosacchardes gives similar results : the enzyme releases three different products corresponding to the structures g1cnac -( man ) 6 ( 18 %), g1cnac -( man ) 7 ( 26 %) and g1cnac -( man ) 8 ( 56 %) ( man representing a mannose residue ), these carbohydrates being completely released from the starting glycopeptides . ( a ) glycoprotein : a fraction enriched with glycoprotein ii is prepared from ground and defatted kidney bean ( phaseolus vulgaris ) flour by extraction at ph 9 . 0 and dialysis against acidified water at ph 5 . 0 , resulting in precipitation of the glycoprotein fraction which is separated and redissolved at ph 8 . 0 . the fraction rich in glycoprotein ii is obtained after the combined supernatants have been centrifuged twice and freeze - dried . ( b ) glycopeptides : the enzymatic digestion of the protein fraction is carried out in exactly the same way as from soya glycoprotein 7s ( example 1b above ). analysis of the glucidic composition of the mixture obtained ( see j . r . neeser , et al ., anal . biochem . ( 1984 )) revealed the presence of an average of 7 . 8 units of mannose for two units of n - acetylglucosamine . ( c ) oligosaccharides : the glycopeptides isolated as described above proved to be completely digestible with endo h . the enzymatic hydrolysis and isolation of the oligosaccharides are carried out in exactly the same way as from the soya glycopeptides ( see example 1c above ). in this case , analysis by hptlc revealed the liberation of 5 different products corresponding to the structures g1cnac -( man ) 5 ( 5 %), g1cnac -( man ) 6 ( 10 %), g1cnac -( man ) 7 ( 26 %), g1cnac -( man ) 8 ( 15 %) and g1cnac -( man ) 9 ( 44 %). in order to produce glycopeptides and oligosaccharides of reduced structure from the products of examples 1 and 2 , use is made of the ability of α - mannosidase ( from canavalia , canavalia , sigma chemical company ) to cleave the manα1 → 2 bonds preferentially to the manα1 → 3 man bonds . a sample of glycopeptides containing 350 mg of oligomannoside originating from soya glycoprotein 7s ( example 1b above ) is dissolved in 75 ml of citrate buffer solution ( 0 . 01 molar , ph 4 . 5 ) and 190 units of α - mannosidase ( from canavalia , unit defined by the manufacturers ) are added to the resulting solution . after incubation for 1 hour at 25 ° c ., the mixture is scalded , cooled and filtered . the filtrate is then freeze - dried . the freeze - dried product may be used as such ( crude ) for hemagglutination tests ( see example 4 below ). it may also be purified in a column of sephadex g - 25 in order effectively to separate the glycopeptide mixture and the mannose released by the enzyme . analysis of the glucidic composition of the product ( see j . r . neeser , et al ., anal . biochem . ( 1984 ).) revealed the presence of 4 . 8 units of mannose for two of n - acetylglucosamine . analysis by hptlc of the products obtained as described above , but from the corresponding oligosaccharides of vegetable origin ( examples 1c and 2c above ), confirms that a compound corresponding to the formula g1cnac -( man ) 5 is indeed the principal constituent of the mixtures obtained . inhibition of the hemagglutination of erythrocytes in guinea pigs by adherent strains of e . coli in the presence of glycopeptides and oligosaccharides two adherent strains of e . coli were used systematically in hemagglutination tests and hemagglutination inhibition tests , namely : a clinical isolate of e . coli 16375 ( univ . klinik fur kinderheilkunde , innsbruck ) and the strain e . coli 0119 . k69 , l74 - 30 ( k69 ). these bacteria were washed with saline water ( 0 . 9 % nacl ) and the suspensions were adjusted to a concentration of 10 9 bacteria / ml ( by optical density measurement ). the guinea pig erythrocytes were suspended in saline water in a concentration of 1 %. the hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition tests were carried out by mixing 25 μl ( microliter ) of the bacterial suspension , 50 μl of the erythrocyte suspension and 25 μl of a saline solution ( respectively free from or containing an inhibitor , in which case several different concentrations were tested in series ). the readings were made after standing for 2 hours at 4 ° c . table i__________________________________________________________________________ inhibition of erythrocyte hemagglutination in guinea pigs concentration . sup . a concentration . sup . b ( ppm of oligomannoside ) ( μ - molarity ) e . coli e . coli e coli e coli activity relative 16375 k 69 16375 k 69 to α - mm__________________________________________________________________________methyl - α - . sub .-- d - mannoside ( α - mm ) 125 60 650 325 1glycopeptides from the glycoprotein 7sendo - h digestate ( crude ) 130 / 150 65 / 75 100 50 6 . 5purified oligosaccharides of soya seedsglycopeptides from the glycoprotein iiendo - h digestate ( crude ) 125 60 90 45 7purified oligosaccharides of bean seedsmixture of the glycopeptides of ovalbumin . sup . c 40 / 60 20 / 30 70 35 10gp iv 95 n . t . 90 n . t . 7 . 5gp v 10 / 15 5 12 6 60oligosaccharides ( from soya glycopr . 7s ) digested ( 1 h ) 10 / 25 10 / 15 18 12 30with α - mannosidaseoligosaccharides ( from bean glycopr . ii ) digested ( 1 h ) 10 / 25 10 18 12 30with α - mannosidasemanα1 → 3 manβ1 → 4 glcnac ( of syntheticorigin ). sup . d 7 . 5 5 . 5 20 15 25glycopeptides ( from soya glycopr . 7s ) digested ( 1 h ) 12 / 18 6 / 9 15 7 . 5 40with α - mannosidaseglycopeptides ( from bean glycopr . ii ) digested ( 1 h ) 12 / 18 6 / 9 15 7 . 5 40with α - mannosidase__________________________________________________________________________ table i , legend : . sup . a minimum inhibiting concentration in the final mixture recalling in complete inhibition of hemagglutination . . sup . b calculated expression of the concentration of inhibitor from the formula ( mean in the case of mixtures ) derived from analysis of the glucidic composition of the product . . sup . c the products gp iv and v correspond to the carbohydrates attached to an asparagine obtained , separated and named in t . tai , et al ., j . biol chem . 250 ( 1975 ) pp . 8569 - 8575 . . sup . d synthetic product kindly offered by prof . dr . hans paulsen ( institut fur organische chemie und biochemie der universitat hamburg ). n . t . means not tested . other experiences have shown that the vegetable glycopeptides have a comparable inhibiting effect on the hemagglutination of guinea pig erythrocytes caused by the enteropathogenic strains e . coli 086 . k61 , b74 - 10 and 0111 . k58 , b75 - 44 . adherence and adherence inhibition of enteropathogenic e . coli 16375 to human buccal cells cells were collected by taking smears from the mouth of a member of the laboratory staff , washed 4 times with a phosphate - buffered physiological salt solution ( nacl 0 . 15 molar , phosphate 0 . 01 molar , ( pbs )) and finally diluted to a concentration of 10 6 cells / ml . the enteropathogenic bacteria e . coli of the clinical isolate 16375 were washed twice with pbs and diluted to a concentration of 2 . 10 9 bacteria / ml . the incubations were carried out by mixing 500 μl of the cell suspension , 250 μl of the bacterial suspension and 250 μl of pbs ( for measuring adherence ) or an inhibitor ( a series of different concentrations being tested for measuring inhibition ). mixing was carried out by slow rotation for 30 minutes at ambient temperature . four washings with pbs ( 5 ml ) then preceded the collection of smears and the gram stainings . the number of adhering bacteria per cell was counted under an optical microscope , 50 cells per test being analyzed . the results are shown in table ii below : table ii______________________________________ concentration % adherenceinhibitor ( ppm equivalent mannoside ) inhibition______________________________________methyl - α - . sub .-- d - 100 70mannoside : 50 45 10 35glycopeptides from 100 65soya glycoprotein 50 307s ( example lb ) 10 25glycopeptides from 100 90soya glycoprotein 25 777s digested ( 1 h ) 5 21with α - mannosidase )( example 3 ) ______________________________________ the glycopeptides produced by the digestions with pronase ( examples 1b and 2b ) may be fixed to sepharose gel by the following method : 2 g of sepharose 6mb activated with cnbr ( pharmacia fine chemicals ) were washed with a solution of hcl ( 1 mmolar , 400 ml ) and filtered . at the same time , 63 mg ( dry weight , containing 25 mg of oligomannoside ) of glycopeptides from the bean glycoprotein ii ( example 2b ) were dissolved in a buffer solution of nahco 3 ( 0 . 1 molar , ph 8 . 3 ) containing nacl ( 0 . 5 molar ). mixing of the glycopeptide solution and the suspended gel was carried out by slow rotation for 2 hours at ambient temperature . successive washings with nahco 3 / nacl buffer , with an ethanolamine solution ( 2 hours at ambient temperature ), with more nahco 3 / nacl buffer , with an acetic buffer solution ( 0 . 1 molar , ph 4 . 0 ) containing nacl ( 0 . 5 molar ) and finally with more nahco 3 / nacl buffer lead to the gel coupled to the glycopeptides . the yield of the reaction was a fixing of 48 % ( based on the dosage of mannose ). diagnosis test for identifying bacteria having specific acceptors for the structures of the active constituents ( a ) bacteria are mixed with guinea pig erythrocytes for a hemagglutination test in accordance with example 4 . at the same time , a similar mixture is prepared with the addition of a solution of one of the biologically active products ( in a sufficient concentration to cause complete inhibition in accordance with table i ). a reading confirming the hemagglutination of erythrocytes by the bacterial suspension and its inhibition by addition of one of the active constituents will provide the proof that the bacteria have specific acceptors for the structure of that constituent . ( b ) alternatively , a mixture of a bacterial suspension and sepharose gel coupled to the glycopeptides ( example 6 ) may be prepared on a microscope slide . after incubation for 15 minutes , analysis under an optical microscope shows that , if the bacterial have the specific acceptors , they cover the gel particles whereas , in the opposite case , the same particles do not fix any bacteria . isolation of bacteria having specific acceptors for the structures of the active constituents the sepharose gel coupled with the glycopeptides obtained in accordance with example 6 is introduced into a column . a mixture of bacteria is passed through that column , the bacteria having specific acceptors for the glycopeptides coupled with the gel being retained whilst the other bacteria are directly eluted . after rinsing , a buffer containing one of the active constituents is used for eluting the bacteria having specific acceptors in pure form . | 2 |
hereinafter the present invention will be explained by way of examples , which , however , should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present invention . the methods for measuring the properties of the mineral oil softening agent used in examples and comparative examples are as follows . the oil 10 g was put in a 300 ml - volume beaker having a diameter of 60 mm , and the beaker was immersed for 1 hour in an oil bath heated to 200 ° c . so as for it to sink by 50 mm . the evaporation loss was determined from the change in weight of the oil before and after the immersion . the kinetic viscosity and viscosity index were measured according to the prescription of jis k2283 . the flash point was measured according to the prescription of jis k2265 . the pour point was measured according to the prescription of jis k2269 . there were kneaded , with a bumbury &# 39 ; s mixer in nitrogen atmosphere at 180 ° c . for 5 minutes , 50 parts by weight of an ethylene - propylene - 5 - ethylidene - 2 - norbornene copolymer rubber ( b - i ) having an ethylene / propylene molar ratio of 67 / 33 , an iodine value of 13 and a mooney viscosity ml 1 + 4 ( 100 ° c .) of 74 , 30 parts by weight of a polypropylene ( a - 1 ) having a mfr ( astm d1238 - 65t , 230 ° c .) of 40 g / 10 min . and a density of 0 . 91 g / cm 3 , 20 parts by weight of a polyethylene ( a - 2 ) having a mfr ( astm d1238 - 65t , 230 ° c .) of 18 g / 10 min . and a density of 0 . 92 g / cm 3 , and 20 parts by weight of a mineral oil softening agent ( c - 1 ) having a kinetic viscosity ( 40 ° c .) of 102 . 3 cst , a viscosity index of 103 , a flash point of 274 ° c ., a pour point of - 15 c and a density of 0 . 8709 g / cm 3 , the evaporation loss of which at a condition of 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour had b been made 0 . 22 % by weight by distilling a paraffinic oil ( made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 90 ) ( evaporation loss at 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour being 0 . 77 % by weight ) to cut low molecular weight components by 20 % by weight . then , the kneaded mass was passed through rolls to form a sheet , which was cut with a sheet cutter to produce square pellets . the square pellets , 0 . 4 part by weight of 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 -( tert - butylperoxy ) hexane as crosslinking agent and 0 . 3 part by weight of divinylbenzene as crosslinking aid were blended and stirred with a henschel mixer . then , the mixture was extruded under nitrogen atmosphere at 220 ° c . using a twin - screw extruder having a l / d of 40 and a screw diameter of 50 mm to obtain pellets of an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition . the gel content of the obtained olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition was 88 % by weight according to the previously mentioned method . an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition was produced ( molded ) in the same way as example 1 , except for using a mineral oil softening agent ( kinetic viscosity ( 40 ° c .) 97 . 25 cst , viscosity index 103 , flash point 274 ° c ., pour point − 15 ° c ., density 0 . 8705 g / cm 3 ), the evaporation loss of which at a condition of 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour had been made 0 . 26 % by weight by distilling a paraffinic oil ( made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 90 ) ( evaporation loss at 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour being 0 . 77 % by weight ) to cut low molecular weight components by 10 % by weight . an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition was produced ( molded ) in the same way as example 1 , except for using as mineral oil softening agent a blend ( c - 4 ) of a paraffinic oil ( c - 3 )( made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 90 , evaporation loss at 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour being 0 . 77 % by weight ) and an oil ( c - 1 ) prepared beforehand by distilling the original oil ( c - 3 ) and cutting low molecular weight components by 20 % by weight so as for the evaporation loss of the resultant to make 0 . 26 % by weight at a condition of 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour , wherein the ratio of ( c - 3 ) to ( c - 1 ) is 20 : 80 by weight . the blend ( c - 4 ) had an evaporation loss of 0 . 35 % by weight at a condition of 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour , a kinetic viscosity ( 40 ° c .) of 91 . 6 cst , a viscosity index of 103 , a flash point of 260 ° c ., a pour point of − 15 ° c . and a density 0 . 8705 g / cm 3 . an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition was produced ( molded ) in the same way as example 1 , except for using as mineral oil softening agent a paraffinic oil ( c - 3 )( i . e ., original oil ) ( made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 90 , evaporation loss at 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour being 0 . 77 % by weight ) which had a kinetic viscosity ( 40 ° c .) of 87 . 6 cst , a viscosity index of 103 , a flash point of 256 ° c ., a pour point of − 15 ° c . and a density of 0 . 8691 g / cm 3 . an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition was produced ( molded ) in the same way as example 1 , except for using as mineral oil softening agent an oil ( kinetic viscosity ( 40 ° c .) 90 . 5 cst , viscosity index 103 , flash point 260 ° c ., pour point − 15 ° c ., density 0 . 8703 g / cm 3 ) which was prepared by subjecting a paraffinic oil ( made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 90 , evaporation loss at a condition of 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour being 0 . 77 % by weight ) to distillation method and by cutting its low molecular weight components by 3 % by weight so as for the evaporation loss to become 0 . 45 % by weight at a condition of 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour . there were kneaded , with a bumbury &# 39 ; s mixer in nitrogen atmosphere at 180 ° c . for 5 minutes , 60 parts by weight of an ethylene - propylene - 5 - ethylidene - 2 - norbornene copolymer rubber ( b - 1 ), 40 parts by weight of a polypropylene ( a - 1 ), 50 parts by weight of a mineral oil softening agent ( c - 1 ), 1 part by weight of titanium dioxide , 0 . 5 part by weight of zinc oxide and 2 parts by weight of a methylol phenolic curing resin ( dimethylol - p - nonylphenol ; compound described on table - v in the specification of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 311 , 628 ). then , the kneaded mass was passed through rolls to form a sheet , which was cut with a sheet cutter to produce square pellets . the square pellets and 0 . 3 part by weight of stannous chloride were blended and stirred with a henschel mixer . the mixture was extruded with a twin - screw extruder in the same manner as example 1 to obtain the pellets of an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition . an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer composition was produced ( molded ) in the same way as example 4 , except for using as mineral oil softening agent the original paraffinic mineral oil ( c - 3 ) ( made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 90 ) ( with an evaporation loss of 0 . 77 % by weight at 200 ° c ., atmospheric pressure and 1 hour ) having a kinetic viscosity ( 40 ° c .) of 87 . 6 cst , a viscosity index of 103 , a flash point of 256 ° c ., a pour point of − 15 ° c . and a density of 0 . 8691 g / cm 3 . regarding the olefinic thermoplastic elastomers thus obtained , the following evaluation test was conducted , and the results are shown in table 1 . using the obtained pellets , the fogging after 100 ° c . and 3 hours was evaluated in terms of haze values according to the prescription of a method of din . the tensile properties were measured according to the prescription of jis k6301 . the raw materials used in the manufacture of the olefinic thermoplastic elastomer compositions of examples and comparative examples described below are as follows . hundred parts by weight of a polymer , which has a molar ratio of ethylene / propylene ( unit derived from ethylene / unit derived from propylene ) of 81 / 19 , an iodine value based on 5 - ethylidene - 2 - norbornene of 13 and a mooney viscosity ml 1 + 4 ( 100 ° c .) of 140 , were oil - extended with 40 parts by weight of a paraffinic process oil ( c - 1 , made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 380 ; kinetic viscosity at 40 ° c . 382 cst .) hundred parts by weight of a polymer , which has a molar ratio of ethylene / propylene ( unit derived from ethylene / unit derived from propylene ) of 77 / 23 , an iodine value based on dicyclopentadiene of 8 and a mooney viscosity ml 1 + 4 ( 100 ° c .) of 140 , were oil - extended with 40 parts by weight of a paraffinic process oil ( c - 1 , made by idemitsu kosan co ., trade name pw - 380 ; kinetic viscosity at 40 ° c . 382 cst .) mfr ( astm d1238 - 65t , 230 ° c ., 2 . 16 kg load ) 5 g / 10 min . mfr ( astm d1238 - 65t , 230 ° c ., 2 . 16 kg load ) 10 g / 10 min ., ethylene content 8 mole % mfr ( 190 ° c ., 2 . 16 kg load ) 20 g / 10 min ., ethylene content 97 mole % there were thoroughly mixed in a henschel mixer 75 parts by weight of pellets of an oil - extended ethylene - propylene - 5 - ethylidene - 2 - norbornene copolymer rubber ( a - 1 ) ( rubbery polymer 53 . 6 parts by weight , paraffinic process oil 21 . 4 parts by weight ), 25 parts by weight of pellets of a propylene homopolymer ( b - 1 ), 0 . 3part by weight of an organic peroxide [ 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - di -( tert - butylperoxy ) hexane ] and 0 . 5 part by weight of divinylbenzene ( dvb ). the mixture was fed in a twin - screw extruder and subjected to dynamic heat treatment under the following conditions to obtain pellets of a thermoplastic elastomer . conditions of dynamic heat treatment extruder : werner & amp ; pfleiderer type zsk - 53 , screw diameter 53 mm then , 10 . 0 kg of the obtained pellets were put in a cage made of 100 - mesh stainless wire net , and the cage and all were placed in a hot air drier to effect static heat treatment in the following conditions . temperature of hot air just before hitting pellets t : 115 (° c .) then , using 10 g of the statically heat treated pellets , the fogging test was conducted at a condition of 100 ° c . and 3 hours according to a method of din 75201 , and gloss values and haze values on the tested glass plates were measured . further , according to the following method , the diol component ( 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroxyhexane ) remaining in the pellets was quantitatively determined . the results are shown in table 2 . the pellets 25 g were extracted with 150 ml of methyl ethyl ketone in a soxhlet extractor for 5 hours , and the liquid was concentrated into 10 ml or less with nitrogen bubbling . the solution diluted to 25 ml with chloroform was subjected to gas chromatography to measure the concentration . for determination of the concentration a calibration curve was used which was drawn using standard samples of known concentrations . further , from the pellets of the obtained thermoplastic elastomer , a grain - patterned instrumental panel was molded through two - color injection molding together with a base material , propylene homopolymer . no problem arises on moldability and other and the product appearance was good . the pellets of a thermoplastic elastomer were obtained in the same manner as example 5 from 60 parts by weight of pellets of an oil - extended ethylene - propylene - dicyclopentadiene copolymer rubber ( a - 2 ) ( rubbery polymer 42 . 9 parts by weight , paraffinic process oil 17 . 1 parts by weight ), 25 parts by weight of pellets of a propylene - ethylene block copolymer ( b - 2 ), 15 parts by weight of pellets of an ethylene - 4 - methyl - 1 - pentene randomcopolymer ( b - 3 ), 0 . 2part by weight of an organic peroxide [ 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - di -( tert - butylperoxy ) hexane ] and 0 . 3 part by weight of divinylbenzene ( dvb ). then , 10 . 0 kg of the obtained pellets were put in a cage made of 100 - mesh stainless wire net , and the cage and all were placed in a hot air drier to effect static heat treatment in the following conditions . temperature of hot air just before hitting pellets t : 110 (° c .) then , using 10 g of the statically heat treated pellets , the fogging test was conducted in the same manner as example 5 , and the gloss values and haze values on the tested glass plates were measured . further , the diol component ( 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroxyhexane ) remaining in the pellets was quantitatively determined in the same manner as example 5 . the results are shown in table 2 , respectively . further , there were mixed with a henschel mixer 80 parts by weight of pellets of the obtained thermoplastic elastomer , 5 parts by weight of pellets of a propylene - ethylene block copolymer ( mfr 0 . 5 g / 10 min . ( astm d1238 - 65t , 230 ° c ., 2 . 16 kg ), ethylene content 8 mole %) and 15 parts by weight of pellets of an ethylene - 4 - methyl - 1 - pentene random copolymer ( mfr 2g / 10 min . ( 190 ° c ., 2 . 16 kg ), ethylene content 97 mole %). the mixture was extruded with a t - die equipped extruder , followed by embossing with an embossing roll to produce a grain - patterned sheet having a thickness of 0 . 7 mm . the sheet and a polypropylene foamed product ( toray co ., pef ; ppkm15030 ) were subjected to heat lamination , and the composite sheet was vacuum formed at 140 ° c . using a male - type mold for instrumental panel and then fixed to a polypropylene - made base material to fabricate an instrumental panel . no problem arises on moldability and other and the product appearance was good . the pellets 10 . 0 kg of a thermoplastic elastomer which had been produced from the same raw materials as example 5 and in the same way as example 5 were put into a cage made of 100 - mesh stainless wire net , and the cage and all were placed in a hot air drier to perform static heat treatment in the following conditions . temperature of hot air just before hitting pellets t : 115 (° c .) then , using 10 g of the statically heat treated pellets , the fogging test was conducted in the same manner as example 5 , and the gloss values and haze values on the tested glass plates were measured . further , the diol component ( 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroxyhexane ) remaining in the pellets was quantitatively determined in the same manner as example 5 . the results are shown in table 2 , respectively . the pellets 10 . 0 kg of a thermoplastic elastomer which had been produced from the same raw materials as example 5 and in the same way as example 5 were put into a cage made of 100 - mesh stainless wire net , and the cage and all were placed in a hot air drier to perform static heat treatment in the following conditions . temperature of hot air just before hitting pellets t : 115 (° c .) then , using 10 g of the statically heat treated pellets , the fogging test was conducted in the same manner as example 5 , and the gloss values and haze values on the tested glass plates were measured . further , the diol component ( 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroxyhexane ) remaining in the pellets was quantitatively determined in the same manner as example 5 . the results are shown in table 2 , respectively . the pellets 10 . 0 kg of a thermoplastic elastomer which had been produced from the same raw materials as example 5 and in the same way as example 5 were put into a cage made of 100 - mesh stainless wire net , and the cage and all were placed in a hot air drier to perform static heat treatment in the following conditions . temperature of hot air just before hitting pellets t : 90 (° c .) then , using 10 g of the statically heat treated pellets , the fogging test was conducted in the same manner as example 5 , and the gloss values and haze values on the tested glass plates were measured . further , the diol component ( 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroxyhexane ) remaining in the pellets was quantitatively determined in the same manner as example 5 . the results are shown in table 2 , respectively . the pellets 10 . 0 kg of a thermoplastic elastomer which had been produced from the same raw materials as example 6 and in the same way as example 5 were put into a cage made of 100 - mesh stainless wire net , and the cage and all were placed in a hot air drier to perform static heat treatment in the following conditions . temperature of hot air just before hitting pellets t : 90 (° c .) then , using 10 g of the statically heat treated pellets , the fogging test was conducted in the same manner as example 5 , and the gloss values and haze values on the tested glass plates were measured . further , the diol component ( 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - dihydroxyhexane ) remaining in the pellets was quantitatively determined in the same manner as example 5 . the results are shown in table 2 , respectively . | 2 |
[ 0028 ] fig2 illustrates the construction of an embodiment of the present invention . only parts which differ from that in fig1 are explained , omitting the parts having the same construction or the same operation . the device illustrated in fig2 includes a plural number of clusters cl 1 201 and cl 2 202 . fig2 illustrates two ( 2 ) clusters . however , these are just shown for illustration purposes . any number of clusters can be provided . each cluster preferably includes at least two parallel common buses 211 and 212 for cl 1 201 and common buses 213 and 214 for cl 2 202 . however , each cluster can include only one common bus . the clusters each includes system modules cha 203 - cha 204 and dka 207 and dka 208 for cl 1 201 and cha 205 - cha 206 and dka 209 and dka 210 for cl 2 202 . the system modules of cl 1 201 are connected around pl 1 which includes common buses 211 and 216 . the system modules of cl 2 202 are connected around pl 2 which includes common buses 213 and 214 . each of cha 203 to dka 210 contains a microprocessor . each cluster cl 1 201 and cl 2 202 form a multi - microprocessor controller system around the common buses in the cluster . a difference between the device illustrated in fig1 and the present invention as illustrated in fig2 is the arrangement of the cache 220 which is a common resource element . the cache 220 is connected across the clusters so as to be accessed from any of the clusters . connections between clusters are established by connecting between pl 1 and pl 2 using connectors or cables as illustrated in fig9 . the cache 220 , which is connected to both clusters , includes a memory module , a cache module , etc . such as a shared memory or a cache memory , and is accessible from cha 203 , 204 , 205 and 206 , and dka 207 , 208 , 209 and 210 which are modules in the clusters , through common buses clbus 0 211 , clbus 1 212 , c 2 bus 0 213 and c 2 bus 1 214 for the clusters . the overall transfer performance of the device is doubled due to a construction in which the cache 220 can be simultaneously accessed from the cluster cl 1 201 and the cluster cl 2 202 . overall transfer performance can be multiplied by approximately n if the number of clusters is increased to n as illustrated for example in fig8 . the above - described accesses can be performed independently from the common bus in a transaction transfer mode and also common buses can be operated logically as a bus in a sequential mode transfer . by use of the above - described structure of the present invention , as illustrated in the table shown in fig1 , a sequential bus transfer can be accomplished which are not possible in the conventional apparatus . in the system in the present invention , combinations of buses that are independent to each cluster are possible and two or more bus modes are both possible in a cluster . bus modes can be flexibly modified to adapt to the details of the process . each bus mode can be operated in the same data transfer mode in each cluster , or inversely established independently in each cluster . the transfer mode in conventional apparatus can not be modified due to degenerative bus operation when the common bus fails as shown in the table of fig1 . however , in the present invention , although a cluster with a failure degenerates its bus , in a cluster not having the failure either of the transaction transfer mode and the sequential transfer mode can be selected . thus , a bus transfer mode fitted to the system condition can be flexibly established so as not to deteriorate overall performance when a failure occurs . the cache 220 fig2 receives addresses , data and commands ( address / data / command ) from each common bus . an arbitration is performed internally with respect to each received address / command , and the memory is accessed by a read / write operation . in cache 220 , read / write operations to the same address issued from a plural number of buses are executed without any modification . in the case that write instructions are issued simultaneously from cluster cl 1 201 and the cluster cl 2 202 to the same address ( i . e . in the case of conflict in the buses ), data to be written to the memory are written exclusively among microprocessors accessing from the cluster cl 1 201 and the cluster cl 2 202 . the conflict is resolved , for example , by memory lock control . an embodiment where resources lock control is performed with respect to the cluster to be accessed by the cache 220 is illustrated in fig3 . another embodiment where the function of resource lock control is performed with respect to the cluster which requests access is illustrated in fig4 . this function of resource lock control can be provided in each of the modules cha 203 to dka 210 . in fig3 dka 301 having a microprocessor mp - 1 a and cha 302 having a microprocessor mp - 2 a are connected to the common buses clbus 0 305 and clbus 1 306 in the same cluster . and dka 303 having a microprocessor mp - 1 z and cha 304 having a microprocessor mp - 2 z are also connected to the common buses c 2 bus 0 307 and c 2 bus 1 308 in the same cluster . mp - 1 a ( dka 301 ) and mp - 2 a ( cha 302 ) are connected to the common buses 305 - 308 in the two clusters by the shared memory ( sm ) 309 and a sm control circuit ( sm cntl ) 310 of the cache 320 . the sm cntl 310 includes c 1 m 0 311 , c 1 m 1 312 , c 2 m 0 313 and c 2 m 1 314 which supervise lock mask lkmsk and lock address ( lkadr ) for each common bus . each microprocessor described above inputs a lock address ( lkadr ) to sm cntl 310 and gets information of the lock status of a resource by the lock mask ( lkmsk ). sm cntl 310 reads the indicated lock address ( lkadr ), stores data that have been read to a data buffer dt buf 316 . queue controller que ctl 315 calculates queue information ( que ) using the lkmsk and lkadr . the result of the access to the lock address ( lock access ) is reported to each microprocessor module through the common buses 305 , 306 , 307 and 308 in each cluster , and each of modules 301 to 304 monitors lkadr and que information and accesses to lkadr when its turn comes to the top of the que , to determine whether the lkmsk has been released . when an access occurs from the top module of the que , the common memory control sm cntl 310 writes data to lkadr addressed by the sm and renews the lkmsk . next is a description of an embodiment in which a function of solving a conflict is included is included in each of chas and dkas . in fig4 microprocessor based modules mp - 1 a 403 and mp - 1 z 404 are connected to the common buses clbus 0 407 and clbus 1 408 in the same cluster . microprocessor based modules mp - 2 a 405 and mp - 2 z 406 are also connected to the common buses c 2 bus 0 409 and c 2 bus 1 410 in the same cluster . sm 401 is connected to the common buses 407 to 410 in two clusters through sm cntl 402 . in this embodiment a conflict of the lock access in the shared memory sm is solved by a microprocessor ( mp ) 412 in each module that calculates the que . namely mp - 1 a 403 supervises the lock mask lkmsk , the lock address lkadr and the que , thereby arranging a shared memory port ( sm pt ) 413 between mp 412 and the buses 407 and 408 in the cluster . the microprocessor mp 412 writes a lock address lkadr and a lock mask lkmsk to the sm pt 413 and performs a lock access . the sm pt 413 reads the lock address in the sm 401 through sm cntl 402 . the que is calculated in the sm pt 413 from data in the lock mask and data that was read out , and the result is written to lkadr in sm 401 . other accesses are rejected in the sm cntl 402 by a lock command in the sm pt 413 and sm cntl 402 . the above - described embodiments solving conflicts lock mask and a que . an embodiment of a lock mask and a que are described below . [ 0044 ] fig5 illustrates a word structure of the lock address lkadr holding the lock mask and the que information as elements . the lock mask lkmsk indicates that the word structure is in a lock state . the mpid indicates identification ( id ) own id value of the locked microprocessor in which the lock bit is on . when the lock bit is on , mpid is guaranteed until the lock is released . the waiting que is information for preventing too long of a suspension of the microprocessor if a busy condition occurs due to a lock state for an extended period of time . a suspension that extends too long indicates that the processor never reaches its turn to perform an access . bit allocation of the waiting queue is an information to guarantee the order of locks by delaying a lock operation , so that an unnecessary lock operation does not occur at the moment the bit just before it which has been newly registered at the end of the waiting queue in case of lock busy has turned off . the waiting queue in fig5 has a ring structure for example and supervises the order in making a bit at value 0 as a top of the queue . fig6 and 11 illustrates examples of establishing a register as a control circuit parameter , and fig7 illustrates a flowchart of the process . in fig6 the lold is a register to store data before renewal of the lock mask loaded from the sm . the lnew is a register to store renewed data of the lock mask loaded from the sm . the lcntl includes of a cmp data , a cnt mode and a quepos , and the cmp data is comparing data to judge renewal of lock . namely , it is comparing data to the lock byte ( lock and mpid ) in the lock mask , and the lock state is renewed only when the lock byte agrees with the cmp data . the cntmode establishes the control mode in operation when the resource is locked , and an execution / non - execution of the waiting queue registration is controlled by this mode when the cmp data does not agree with the lock byte . the quepos establishes the off position of the waiting queue when the queue bit is removed ( off ). an illegal waiting queue bit pattern ( pattern with some bits missing , example : “ 0101 ” or like that ) is detected by reading a new sm data stored in the lnew register . the flowchart illustrated in fig7 is described below . after the ladr is established following the lcntl mentioned above , the lnew is loaded ( steps 700 - 703 ). then an illegal mode establishment is checked through read - modify - write operation steps ( steps 704 and 705 ). the lold is loaded ( step 706 ) and compared with the lnew . thereafter a lock bit is established if necessary , and then a waiting queue is registered after a position of the new queue register bit is calculated ( step 707 ). the present invention has further advantages that buses can be repaired without system downtime for a failure of the common buses . namely , one cluster contains at least two or more common buses , and if a failure in either of the buses is detected , the system module stops use of the failed bus and makes use of the remaining normal ( non - failed ) buses . to repair the failed bus , in the cluster that stops operation due to blocking , and degenerates the operation of the cluster of failed side , the pl containing common buses can be exchanged by removing connecting cables or connectors between clusters . by this , problems of failure and repair in the common buses that was conventionally a problem in the disk control device adopting a common bus architecture , can be solved . each microprocessor must have a communication apparatus to detect the failed bus and to control switching of the transfer bus . as a communication apparatus of the microprocessor in each module ( dka / cha ), including intermediate clusters of other systems and those of the system itself , a function of referring to the table of system supervising information on the shared memory through the common buses , or a function of a simultaneous ( broadcasting ) through an interruption signal ( hot - line ) that is directly connected to each microprocessor may be used . this hot - line can be provided on the common buses , and can select all ids for each mpid in each microprocessor , specified mpid , or a mpid of one to one . in the procedure of fig5 a lock bit control of the shared memory is made by verifying the que by polling the access timing . if this verification places pressure on real data transfer , the real data transfer can be performed flexibility just after completion of transfer by a method that informs the removal of a lock to a specified group of mps by combining mp interrupting communications such as a broadcast , or by processing with synchronizing among the mps . however , it is required to introduce a micro - program control to prevent suspension that may be too long . the clustered bus structure of the present invention provides a device in which bus transfer performance is improved , and in which correction of degeneration and repair operations resulting from a failure in the platter having common buses are possible . further the modes of use of the buses ( bus mode ) can be flexibly modified to fit the particular failure encountered . still further , common system modules such as memory can be accessed from each cluster and across clusters making possible communications between modules across clusters . possible conflicts of access from the common buses in each cluster are solved by a resource lock control . thus , the system in the present invention is equipped with a plural number of clusters which includes control basic units that are connected around duplicated or multiplied common buses , for example , channel controllers or disk controllers , and is equipped with resources and a communication system common to each cluster . this structure of the present invention improves transfer performance of each common bus . further , in the present invention it is possible to repair a failed part , especially a platter while keeping the system in operation . in the present invention even if a failure in a cluster occurs , it is possible to switch the mode of the common buses in the other clusters to accommodate the failure . while the present invention has been described in detail and pictorially in the accompanying drawings , it is not limited to such details since many changes and modification recognizable to these of ordinary skill in the art may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
hereinafter , a reciprocating motor and a reciprocating compressor according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig5 , in the reciprocating compressor according to this embodiment , a frame 20 is installed within a sealed casing 10 , a reciprocating motor 30 and a cylinder 41 are fixed to the frame 20 , and a piston 42 coupled to a mover 32 of the reciprocating motor 30 is inserted into the cylinder 40 to reciprocate . a compression space s 1 is formed in the cylinder 41 , a suction path f is formed in the piston 42 , a suction valve 43 for opening and closing the suction path f is installed at a distal end of the suction path f , and a discharge valve 44 for opening and closing the compression space s 1 of the cylinder 41 is installed at a front end surface of the cylinder 41 . in the drawings , unexplained reference numeral 11 denotes an inner space of the casing , 12 denotes a suction pipe , and 13 denotes a discharge pipe . in the aforementioned reciprocating compressor according this embodiment , when power is applied to a coil 35 of the reciprocating motor 30 , the mover 32 of the reciprocating motor 30 reciprocates . then , the piston 42 coupled to the mover 32 sucks and compresses a refrigerant gas while linearly reciprocating within the cylinder 41 , and discharges it . more specifically , when the piston 42 moves backwards , the refrigerant gas in the sealed casing 10 is sucked into the compression space s 1 through the suction path f of the piston 42 , and when the piston 42 moves forwards , the suction path f is closed and the refrigerant gas in the compression space s 1 is compressed . also , when the piston 42 further moves forwards , the discharge valve 44 is opened to discharge the refrigerant gas compressed in the compression space s 1 and move it to the outside refrigeration cycle . as shown in fig6 to 8 , the reciprocating motor 30 comprises a stator 31 having a coil 35 and an air gap formed at only one side of the coil 35 and a mover 32 inserted into the air gap of the stator 31 and having a magnet 325 that linearly moves in the motion direction . the stator 31 includes a plurality of stator blocks 311 and a plurality of pole blocks 315 respectively coupled to sides of the stator blocks 311 and forming an air gap portion 31 a along with the stator blocks 311 . the stator blocks 311 and the pole blocks 315 include a plurality of thin stator cores laminated sheet by sheet in a circular arc shape when axially projected . the stator blocks 311 are formed in the shape of recesses when axially projected , and the pole blocks 315 are formed in a rectangular shape when axially projected . the stator block ( or each of the stator core sheets constituting the stator blocks ) 311 may include a first magnetic path 312 positioned inside the mover 32 to form the inner stator and a second magnetic path 313 extending integrally from an axial side of the first magnetic path 312 , i . e ., the opposite end of the air portion 31 a , and positioned outside the mover 32 to form the outer stator . while the first magnetic path 312 is formed in a rectangular shape , the second magnetic path 313 is formed in a stepwise manner and extends from the first magnetic path 312 . a coil receiving slot 31 b opened in an axial direction , i . e ., the direction of the air gap portion , is formed on inner wall surfaces of the first and second magnetic paths 312 and 313 , and the pole block 315 is coupled to an axial cross - section of the second magnetic path 313 which constitutes the coil receiving slot 31 b so as to open an axial open surface of the coil receiving slot 31 b . also , a coupling groove 311 b and a coupling protrusion 315 b may be formed on a coupling surface of the stator block 311 and a coupling surface of the pole block 315 , which connect the stator block 311 and the pole block 315 to form a magnetic path connecting portion ( not shown ), to firmly couple the stator block 311 and the pole block 315 and maintain a given curvature . although not shown , the stator block 311 and the pole block 315 may be coupled in a stepwise manner . the coupling surface 311 a of the stator block 311 and the coupling surface 315 a of the pole block 315 , except the coupling groove 311 b and the coupling protrusion 315 b , are formed to be flat , thereby preventing an air gap between the stator block 311 and the pole block 315 . this prevents magnetic leakage between the stator block 311 and the pole block 315 , thereby leading to an increase in motor performance . a first pole portion 311 c having an increasing cross - sectional area is formed at a distal end of the second magnetic path 313 of the stator block 311 , i . e ., a distal end of the air gap portion 31 a , and a second pole portion 315 c having an increasing cross - sectional area is formed at a distal end of the pole block 315 , corresponding to the first pole portion 311 c of the stator block 311 . as shown in fig7 , when the stator block 311 is axially projected , the curvatures r 1 and r 2 of the inner and outer circumferential surfaces thereof , the curvature r 3 of the first pole portion 311 c of the air gap portion 31 a , and the curvature r 4 of the second pole portion 315 c may be equal . also , the circular arc length l 1 of the inner circumferential surface of the stator block 311 , the circular arc length l 2 of the outer circumferential surface thereof , the circular arc length l 3 of the first pole portion 311 c , and the circular arc length l 4 of the second pole portion 315 c may be equal . the mover 32 may include a magnet holder 321 having a cylindrical shape and a plurality of magnets 325 attached onto an outer circumferential surface of the magnet holder 321 in a circumferential direction to form a magnetic flux together with the coil 35 . the magnetic holder 321 may be formed of a non - magnetic substance in order to prevent flux leakage ; however , it is not limited thereto . the outer circumferential surface of the magnetic holder 321 may be formed in a circular shape so that the magnets 325 are in line contact therewith and adhered thereto . also , a magnet mounting groove ( not shown ) may be formed in a strip shape on the outer circumferential surface of the magnet holder 321 so as to insert the magnets 325 therein and support them in the motion direction . the magnets 325 may be formed in a hexahedral shape and adhered one by one to the outer circumferential surface of the magnet holder 321 . in the case of attaching the magnets 325 one by one , supporting members ( not shown ), such as fixing rings or a tape made up of a composite material , may be surrounded and fixed around outer circumferential surfaces of the magnets 325 . although the magnets 325 may be serially adhered in a circumferential direction to the outer circumferential surface of the magnet holder 321 , it is preferable that the magnets 325 are adhered at predetermined intervals , i . e ., between the stator blocks in a circumferential direction to the outer circumferential surface of the magnet holder 321 to minimize the use of the magnets , because the stator 31 comprises a plurality of stator blocks 311 and the plurality of stator blocks 311 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction . in this case , the magnets 325 are preferably formed to have a length corresponding to the air gap length of the magnetic holder 321 , i . e ., the circumferential length of the air gap . preferably , the magnet 325 may be configured such that its length in a motion direction is not shorter than a length of the air gap portion 31 a in the motion direction , more particularly , longer than the length of the air gap portion 31 a in the motion direction . at its initial position or during its operation , the magnet 325 may be disposed such that at least one end thereof is located inside the air gap portion 31 a , in order to ensure a stable reciprocating motion . moreover , though only one magnet 325 may be disposed in the motion direction , a plurality of magnets 325 may be disposed in a motion direction in some cases . in addition , the magnets may be disposed in a motion direction so that an n pole and an s pole correspond to each other . another example of the stator in the reciprocating motor according to this embodiment will be described below . that is , the coil receiving slot is formed such that the coil of the stator is placed outside the mover in the foregoing embodiment , whereas the coil receiving slot 31 b is formed such that the coil 35 is placed inside the mover 32 as shown in fig1 in this embodiment . in this case , too , the basic configuration of the stator and the operational effects thereof are similar to those of the foregoing embodiment , except that the stator 31 of this embodiment allows reduced use of coils because the coil receiving slot 31 b is disposed inside the mover 32 and therefore the diameter of the coil is reduced as much . in the reciprocating compressor according to this embodiment , resonant springs 51 and 52 may be installed at both sides of the piston 42 in the motion direction of the piston 42 in order to induce a resonant movement of the piston 42 , as shown in fig5 . although the resonant springs 51 and 52 may be formed as plate springs , the plate springs have a small lateral displacement but a large longitudinal displacement . therefore , if the compressor is installed stood in a motion direction of the piston , a stroke of the piston may not be properly performed because the piston has to reciprocate in an up - and - down direction when the piston hangs vertically downward . moreover , when the plate springs are used , the plate springs and the piston have to be connected by a connecting bar made of soft material or by at least one link ( preferably two links ) on the midway of the connecting bar , in order to maintain the forward movement of the piston , which may increase material costs and the number of assembly processes . taking this into consideration , this embodiment is devised to reduce material costs and the number of assembly processes by varying the configuration of the compressor by using coil springs as the resonant springs , and avoiding the use of a connecting bar or link . if the first resonant spring 51 and the second resonant spring 52 are compressed coil springs , it is preferable that the resonant springs are arranged to engage each other so as to offset a side force or torsion moment generated when the resonant springs 51 and 52 are expanded . in the drawings , unexplained reference numeral 53 denotes a spring stopper . in the above - stated reciprocating compressor , it is required to reduce a frictional loss between the cylinder and the piston to improve the performance of the compressor . to this end , an oil - lubricated type reciprocating compressor for supplying oil contained within the casing 10 between the cylinder 41 and the piston 42 , or a gas - lubricated type reciprocating compressor for supplying a part of compressed gas discharged from the cylinder 41 between the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 41 and the outer circumferential surface of the piston 42 to lubricate between the cylinder and the piston 42 by a gas force may be applied . in this embodiment , the gas - lubricated type reciprocating compressor will be discussed . the gas - lubricated type ( hereinafter , gas bearing ) compressor according to these embodiments may have a plurality of fine through holes , and have an oxide film layer which is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder or on the outer circumferential surface of the piston and makes it easier to regulate the distribution of the fine through holes . for example , as shown in fig1 , the oxide film layer 412 may be formed on an inner circumferential surface of a cylinder body 411 ( or on an outer circumferential surface of a piston body ) to have a plurality of fine through holes . in this case , compressed gas guided to the fine through holes through gas flow paths 401 is uniformly supplied between the cylinder 41 and the piston 42 through the fine through holes to form a gas bearing . the oxide film layer 412 may be formed by anodizing or micro arc oxidation ( mao ). a front end surface 411 a of the cylinder body 411 protrudes to a predetermined height to form a protruding portion 411 b , and a discharge cover 46 is inserted and coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 411 b . a starting end of the gas flow path 401 is preferably formed at a greater distance than the radius ds of the discharge valve 45 relative to the center of the discharge valve 45 so that it is positioned out of the attachment / detachment range of the discharge valve 45 which is selectively attached to and detached from the front end surface 411 a of the cylinder body 411 . an annular filter 47 may be installed on the front end of the gas flow path 401 , i . e ., the front end surface 411 a of the cylinder body 411 so as to prevent impurities from entering the gas flow path 401 . although at least one gas diffusion groove ( not shown ) may be further formed on the outer circumferential surface of the piston 42 , a high - pressure compressed gas may be uniformly distributed over the bearing area between the cylinder 41 and the piston 42 , without forming a gas diffusion groove on the outer circumferential surface of the piston 42 , because the oxide film layer 412 has a porous structure . in the case that the a porous layer is formed of the oxide film layer , the porous layer is easily formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder body , and the reliability of the compressor is improved because of high abrasion resistance and high rub resistance resulting from an increase in the strength of a bearing surface formed of an oxide film layer . although not shown , a porous material member may be coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the piston to form gas flow paths in the cylinder and uniformly distributing and supplying a high - pressure compressed gas guided through the gas flow paths between the cylinder and the piston , or a gas guide member with gas through holes may be coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the piston to form gas flow paths in the cylinder and uniformly distributing and supplying a high - pressure compressed gas guided through the gas flow paths between the cylinder and the piston , thereby uniformly distributing the high - pressure compressed gas between the cylinder and the piston . | 7 |
the polarizing plate in the present invention comprises three main layers : a thermoplastic protective layer , a polarizing thin layer , and a thermoplastic support layer . the polarizing thin layer ( film ), which is a main component of the polarizing plate of the invention , is a film transmitting only a light having a wave front of a specific direction . currently , there are at least four types of polarizing films that can be used to realize the polarizing films that have improved heat and moisture resistance in accordance with the present invention : ( a ) a polarizing film based on copolymer of pva and polyvinylene or blend of pva and polyacetylene , in which the polarizing elements are the polyvinylene units ; ( b ) a polarizing film based a hydrophobic polymer ( e . g ., pet ) doped with water insoluble dichroic dyes , in which the polarizing elements are the dichroic dyes ; ( c ) a polarizing film based on a liquid crystalline polymer doped with dichroic dyes , in which the polarizing elements are the dichroic dyes ; ( d ) a polarizing film based on a thin film of dichroic dye crystals , in which the polarizing elements are the dichroic dyes . a usable pva — polyvinylene copolymer polarizing film is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 666 , 223 as a k - sheet type polarizer . it is incorporated herein by reference . the k - sheet is a light polarizer sheet comprising a molecularly oriented sheet of polyvinyl alcohol — polyvinylene block copolymer material having the polyvinylene blocks thereof formed by molecular dehydration of a sheet of polyvinyl alcohol . the molecularly oriented sheet of polyvinyl alcohol — polyvinylene block copolymer material comprises a uniform distribution of light - polarizing molecules of polyvinyl alcohol — polyvinylene block copolymer material varying in the length ( n ) of the conjugated repeating vinylene unit of the polyvinylene block of the copolymer throughout the range of from 2 to 24 . the sheet is stretched prior to , subsequent to , or during the dehydration step with the result that the light - polarizing molecules become oriented , and such that the degree of orientation of said molecules increases throughout said range with increasing length ( n ) of said polyvinylene blocks . further , the concentration of each of the polyvinylene blocks remains comparatively constant ( i . e ., “ balanced ”) through 200 nm to 700 nm , thus providing balanced polarization . polarizing films made from pva — polyvinylene copolymers have high polarizing efficiency (& gt ; 99 %). high efficient polarizing films can also be obtained from the blend of pva and polyacetylene as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 073 , 014 , which is incorporated herein by reference . to prepare such a polarizing film , polymerization of acetylene is conducted in the solution of pva in a polar solvent under the effect of a nickel catalyst . the resulted blend of pva and polyacetylene is cast into film and subsequently stretched by a ratio of more than 3 . in case it is desired that a pva — polyvinylene ( or polyacetylene ) polarizing film provide a particular color or darkness to eyewear optical articles , color correction / darkening dyes may be added into the laminate plate . the dyes may exist in any of the layers including adhesive layers or an extra thermoplastic layer . a hydrophobic polymer based polarizing film can be obtained , in general , blending a hydrophobic resin with a hydrophobic dichroic dye , then form a film by molten casting or extrusion , followed by uniaxially stretching the film to orient the dye . preferred hydrophobic polymers include halogenated vinyl polymer resins , acrylic resins , polyolefin resins , polyamide resins , polyimide resins , polyester resins , polycarbonate resins , polyethersulfone resins and the like . more preferred are resins which contain at least 80 percent by weight of aromatic polyester resin components ( such as polyethylene terephthalate , polyethylene naphthalate , polybutylene terephthalate and the like ), polyimide resins , polyethersulfone resins , and polycarbonate resins which have excellent thermal resistance , moisture resistance , transparency , and stable birefringence after orientation . in order to obtain a hydrophobic polymer based polarizing film that has a desired color and particularly a neutral gray color , it is preferable to blend a number of hydrophobic dichroic dyes into the base polymer . furthermore , non - dichroic dyes may be used to correct the color if necessary . a polarizing film based on pet and hydrophobic dichroic dyes is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 354 , 513 , which is incorporated herein by reference . a hydrophobic polymer based polarizing film can be made by melting the base polymer together with dichroic dyes of choice , and other colorants added as desired , forming the colored molten polymer into a film or sheet , stretching it longitudinally or transversely at a temperature close to its glass transition temperature with a stretch ratio of 3 to 10 , and then heat - treating it at a temperature of 100 to 250 ° c . for a period of time ranging from 1 second to 30 minutes . although the just described unidirectional stretching may be adequate , the mechanical strength of the film can further be enhanced , if desired , by stretching it with a stretch ratio of about 1 . 1 to 2 in the direction perpendicular to the principal stretching direction . a liquid crystalline polymer ( lcp ) based polarizing film can be made similarly as a hydrophobic polymer based polarizing film by replacing the base polymer to the lcp , except that no stretch is needed . the lcp may be a polyester , a polyamide , a polycarbonate , a poly ( ester - carbonate ), polyaramide , poly ( ester - amide ), and the like . example lcp suitable for polarizing film can be found in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 738 , 803 and 5 , 746 , 949 . their disclosures are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein . organic dichroic dyes commonly used to impart polarizing property to a hydrophobic polymeric film or a lcp film include vat dyes and organic pigments , quinonic dyes , pyrelene dyes , diazo dyes . there are a variety of patents that describe useful hydrophobic organic dichroic dyes . the following u . s . patents are enclosed and their disclosures are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein : 4 , 803 , 014 , 4 , 824 , 882 , 4 , 895 , 677 , 4 , 921 , 949 , 5 , 059 , 356 , 5 , 286 , 418 , 5 , 354 , 513 . tcf polarizing films made from dichroic dyes applied on the surface of rigid or flexible substrate to form a layer of dye crystalline grid , is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 563 , 640 , which is incorporated herein by reference . the polarizing ability of such film is achieved by mechanically orientating the dichroic dye that is coated on the substrate surface from a solution and subsequent drying under the conditions causing ordered crystallization of the dichroic dye . suitable substrates for incorporating a tcf polarizing film into plastic optical article include polycarbonates and polyesters . in addition to dye / colorant additives in polarizing film as aforementioned , they may also exist in the protective layer , the support layer , a separate thermoplastic layer , or adhesive layer . it is preferred to have the colorant ( s ) in the support layer . if the colorant ( s ) needs to be in a separate thermoplastic layer , it is preferred to have the separate thermoplastic layer between the polarizing film and the support layer . according to the present invention , polarizing plates having excellent optical quality can be achieved with two types of thermoplastic protective layers . the first type of thermoplastic protective layer involves a thermoplastic sheet that is non - birefringent . it is either optically isotropic or has retardation value of below 200 nm and shows minimal birefringence under stress ( i . e ., the stress optical coefficient & lt ; 30 × 10 − 6 mm 2 / n ). the second type of thermoplastic protective layer involves a thermoplastic sheet that is oriented by unidirectional stretching to give a retardation value of greater than 2 , 000 nm . with respect to non - birefringent thermoplastic protective layer , the typical thermoplastic resin example includes a cellulose ester , a norbornene resin ( polycycloolefin ), a copolymer of cyclic olefin , a syndiotactic polystyrene , and a polyacrylate . of these , cellulose esters , polyacrylates , and copolymers of cyclic olefin are preferred in view of optical isotropic property and minimum introduction of birefringence during forming the polarizing plate into desired shape . cellulose acetate butyrate are preferred in view of forming and molding compatibility with thermoplastic support layer resin such as polycarbonate . polycarbonate , having a stress - optic coefficient as high as 70 × 10 − 6 mm 2 / n , is not suitable for the protective layer although it is possible to have a polycarbonate film that has a very low birefringence and retardation value . for example , the stress introduced by the injection molding process or a thermo - forming process will impart marked interference fringes in the film . there are many types of cellulose ester resins that can be used to make the cellulose ester protective film . examples are those esters of low fatty acids such as cellulose acetate butyrate ( cab ), cellulose acetate , cellulose biacetate , and cellulose triacetate ( cta ). it is preferred for the cellulose ester of choice to have a phthalic ester type plasticizer . the loading of the plasticizer can be between 10 % to 20 %, by weight . commercial available cellulose ester film products include kodacel ® of eastman kodak co ., fuji tack clear of fuji photo film co ., konicatac of konica , and optigrafix from grafix plastics ( cleveland , ohio ). the resin for preparing the cyclic olefin copolymer ( coc ) resin sheet preferably used in the invention is a polymer comprising a cyclic olefin monomer unit such as norbornene . the typical examples of the coc resin are zeonor ® by zeon chemicals , topas ® by ticona , arton ® by jsr , and apel by mitsui chemicals . the resin for preparing the polyacrylate resin sheet preferably is a polymer from c1 to c6 alkyl ester of ( meth ) acrylic acid , or a polymer from an aromatic ester of ( meth ) acrylic acid . the polarizing plate of the present invention is intended for use in an optical part with the protective layer facing the light source . in order to eliminate or greatly reduce the colored interference fringe , the non - birefringent thermoplastic sheet used for the protective layer preferably has a small retardation value . the polarizing plate according to the invention , which comprises a protective film having a retardation of 200 nm or less in case of a cellulose resin , can give a satisfying result , although a retardation of 50 nm or less is preferable , 25 nm or less is more preferable for other resins , and can provide a polarizing plate with high performance . the manufacturing method of the protective film having a low retardation value used in this invention is not limited . a conventional method such as a melt - extrusion method or a melt casting method , a solution casting method ( band or drum ) or a calendering method may be used . in the invention , the solvent casting film is preferably used in view of excellent surface property , isotropy or a reduced anisotropy . with respect to the second type of thermoplastic protective layer having retardation value of at least 2 , 000 nm , thermoplastic resins having stable birefringence after orientation is preferred . the typical thermoplastic resin example includes an aromatic polyester ( homopolymer , copolymer , or blending ), a polycarbonate , a polyacrylate , a polysulfone , a polyarylate , or a blend of thermoplastic resins such as a polyester and a polycarbonate . of these , polycarbonates , aromatic polyesters such as polyethylene naphthalate and blending of a polycarbonate with a polyester of high glass transition temperature are preferred . there are various resins for manufacturing the polycarbonate sheet , and an aromatic polycarbonate is preferable , and a bisphenol a polycarbonate is especially preferable . such a polycarbonate is obtained employing 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl alkane or a halogenated compound thereof according to a phosgene method or an ester exchange reaction method . the 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl alkane includes 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl methane or 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ethane or 4 , 4 ,′- dihydroxydiphenyl butane . the resin for preparing the polysulfone resin sheet preferably used in the invention includes polysulfone , polyether sulfone and polyarylsulfone , and the typical example thereof is poly ( oxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) or poly ( oxy - 1 , 4 - phenyleneisopropylidene - 1 , 4 - phenyleneoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylenesulfony i - 1 , 4 - phenylene ). the example polyester resins include polyethylene teraphthalate ( pet ), polyethylene naphthalate ( pen ), polyarylate , and their copolyesters . suitable copolyesters are based naphthalene dicarboxylic acid or its ester such as dimethyl naphthalate ranging from 20 mole percent to 80 mole percent and isophthalic or terephthalic acid or their esters such as dimethyl terephthalate ranging from 20 mole percent to 80 mole percent reacted with ethylene glycol . others are based on isophthalic , azelaic , adipic , sebacic , dibenzoic , terephthalic , 2 , 7 - naphthalene dicarboxylic , 2 , 6 - naphthalene dicarboxylic or cyclohexanedicarboxylic acids . other suitable variations in the copolyester include the use of ethylene glycol , propane diol , butane diol , neopentyl glycol , polyethylene glycol , tetramethylene glycol , diethylene glycol , cyclohexanedimethanol , 4 - hydroxy diphenol , propane diol , bisphenol a , and 1 , 8 - dihydroxy biphenyl , or 1 , 3 - bis ( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) benzene as the diol reactant . in addition , blendings of polyesters ( e . g ., pet or pen ) with a polycarbonate can be used as the thermoplastic resin of the protective layer . in the present invention , the retardation value , r , is defined by the following equation : wherein δn is the birefringence of the thermoplastic protective layer , and d is the thickness ( nm ) of the layer . by using a birefringent thermoplastic sheet as a protective layer , a polarizing laminate plate can be obtained lack of interference fringe colors even after the plate is formed into a spherical curved wafer or molded into an optical article such as a lens . the retardation value ( r ) of the thermoplastic sheet used in this invention as the protective layer is at least 2 , 000 nm , preferably at least 3 , 000 nm , especially preferably at least 5 , 000 nm . there is no particular upper limit , and generally , the upper limit is not more than 20 , 000 nm . if a thermoplastic sheet having an r value of less than 2 , 000 nm is used , a colored interference fringe tends to occur in the polarizing plate . in constructing the polarizing laminate plate , it is preferred to achieve substantially parallel or perpendicular alignment between the absorption axis of the polarizing thin layer and a principle index of refraction of the birefringent protective layer . such an alignment reduces polarization efficiency losses . a thermoplastic sheet having the above retardation value for the protective layer can be produced by forming a sheet from an aforementioned thermoplastic resin by an ordinary extrusion method or casting method , and stretching the sheet substantially in one direction while heating it at a temperature slightly higher than its glass transition temperature . the thickness of the sheet and its stretch ratio affect the retardation value ( r ). the thermoplastic sheet used in this invention for the protective layer may have its surface coated with a hard coating , or treated to improve an anti - haze property . the protective sheet used in this invention may contain necessary additives such as plasticizer , uv absorber , light stabilizer , heat stabilizer , etc . suitable thickness for the protective layer in this invention is between 0 . 02 mm to 1 . 3 mm , and preferably 0 . 1 mm to 0 . 8 mm . with respect to the thermoplastic support layer , it is not necessary to have specially treated thermoplastic sheet , such as oriented to a certain retardation value , in order to incorporate it on a eyewear plastic article and to provide excellent optical quality , such as free of interference fringe colors when viewed with the protective layer facing the polarizing source . although the support layer in this invention can be made from any optical grade thermoplastic sheet , it is desired , though , for the thermoplastic layer to be made from same or similar material as the optical article base so that the polarizing plate can be thermally integrated with the article base body through process such as injection molding . it is also desired that the thermoplastic layer resin has similar physical properties ( e . g ., glass transition temperature ) to the selected resin for the protective layer in view of providing better forming compatibility . preferred resins for the thermoplastic support layer include polycarbonate , polyimide , polyamide , polyurethane , polycyclicolefin or cyclic olefin copolymer . considering most of molded polarized eyewear articles are based on polycarbonate , a thermoplastic support layer made from a polycarbonate sheet is more preferred . the polycarbonate sheet for the support layer can be produced with any industry standard manufacturing method , such as hot - melt extruding , calendering , or casting . there is no specific requirement for the retardation value of the polycarbonate sheet used as the support layer . extruded sheets are preferred from the economic viewpoint . examples of optical grade polycarbonate include ge lexan ®, bayer makrolon ®, and teijin panlite ®. theses extruded sheets ( or films ) usually have a retardation value between 100 nm and 1000 nm . the thermoplastic support layer of the invention has a thickness comparable to the thermoplastic protective layer , of preferably 0 . 02 mm to 1 . 3 mm , and more preferably 0 . 1 mm to 0 . 8 mm . an adhesive is used to adhere the thermoplastic protective layer and the thermoplastic support layer to the polarizing film . the adhesive used has to survive the high temperature in the injection molding or thermo - forming process . strong enough adhesion should exist to prevent de - lamination during the process that the polarized optical article is made . examples of adhesives include those based on isocyanate , polyhurethane , polythiourthane , epoxy , and acrylate . in order to have a still better adhesion between the thermoplastic sheet layer and the polarizing film , pre - treatment to the polarizing film surface and the thermoplastic sheet surface by methods commonly known to those skilled in the art is desired . pre - treatment can be done by chemical corrosion such as treating with alkali solution or by plasma discharge such as corona . special additives such as colorant dyes and photochromic dyes can be included in the polarizing plate . they may exist in the protective layer or in the adhesive used bond the layer together . optionally , an additional layer containing desired dyes may be included in the polarizing plate . polarized optical articles such as lenses with the polarizing plate of this invention can be made by methods such as injection molding , laminating , or casting . it is advantageous to use the polarizing plate of the invention to make polarized polycarbonate lenses with the insert injection molding method as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 328 , 446 . in this method , the polycarbonate support layer will be partially fused into the base material to provide excellent adhesion . the polarizing laminate plates of the present invention and their use in injection molded polarized lenses will now be illustrated with reference to the following examples . in these examples , the following methods of measurement are used . ( a ) the visible light transmission ( vlt , %) is measured by using a hunter lab ultrascan spectrophotometer . ( b ) the parallel position vlt ( t 0 , the vlt of a structure obtained by aligning the polarizing axis of sample polarizing plate parallel to the axis of a standard gray polarizer ), the right angle position vlt ( t 90 , the vlt of a structure obtained by aligning the polarizing axis of sample polarizing plate perpendicular to the axis of a standard gray polarizer ) are measured to determine the polarizing efficiency , p . it is defined as following : ( c ) the retardation value ( r , nm ) is defined by the following equation : wherein δn is the birefringence of the protective sheet , and d is the thickness ( nm ) of the sheet . the retardation value at 560 nm is measured under ambient condition with an automatic ellipsometry ( vase ellipsometer by j . a . woollam co .). the colored interference fringe in a polarizing plate or a polarized lens molded with a polarizing plate is observed and evaluated by placing the sample , with the protective layer facing down , on top of an illuminated standard polarizer . observation is done with naked eyes . in the examples , a regular polycarbonate sheet was obtained from ge polymershapes ( boston , mass .). the thickness of the polycarbonate sheet is 15 mil and has variable retardation values from 15 nm to 350 nm across the area . a low birefringence ( retardation less than 50 nm ) optical quality film ( oqf ), 15 mil thick polycarbonate sheet was also obtain from ge polymershapes . a polarizing film based on polyvinyl alcohol — polyvinylene ( or polyacetylene ) block copolymer material was prepared according to columns 7 to 8 of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 666 , 223 . in brief , a 3 . 15 mil thick pva film ( kodacel from eastman kodak , rochester , n . y .) was unidirectionally stretched 3 times its orginal length at about 125 ° c . the stretched film was placed in a vessel containing concentrated hcl ( 37 . 6 %) at about 40 ° c . for 2 minutes . the film was about 1 . 5 cm above the liquid . a dehydration process was followed by heating the film at about 125 ° c . for 2 minutes . the dehydrated film was then immersed in a d . i . water bath of about 50 ° c ., and subsequently stretched about 60 % more . the use of boric acid was omitted . finally , the film was rinsed with water and dried at 110 ° c . for 5 minutes . the polarizing film so obtained has a single film vlt of 24 . 2 %, and a polarizing efficiency of 98 . 3 % over the visible light spectrum . the above polarizing film was laminated between a sheet of poly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( pmma ) as the protective layer and a regular sheet of polycarbonate as the support layer by using a polyurethane adhesive . the pmma sheet ( autoflex from autotype international , wantage , england ) is 10 mil thick and has a formable hard coating on the out side surface . the retardation value of the pmma sheet is less than 100 nm . a 6 - diopter semi - finished single vision lens was made by molding polycarbonate onto the polycarbonate support layer of the above polarizing laminate plate with the insert injection molding process described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 328 , 446 . no color change in the polarizing film and no significant reduction of polarization was observed . when the lens was placed on top of illuminated instrumental polarizing plate in any direction with the pmma side facing the polarizing light , colored interference fringe patterns were not observed . a polyvinyl alcohol — polyacetylene copolymer polarizing film , having a single film vlt of 17 . 0 %, and a polarizing efficiency of 97 . 6 % over the visible light spectrum , was prepared according to the procedure in example 1 . the polarizing film was laminated between an oriented polycarbonate sheet as the protective layer and a regular polycarbonate sheet as the support layer by using a polyurethane adhesive . the oriented polycarbonate sheet is 15 mil thick , and has a retardation value of about 4 , 000 nm . again , a 6 - diopter semi - finished single vision lens was made by molding polycarbonate onto the polycarbonate support layer of the above polarizing plate . no color change in the polarizing film and no significant reduction of polarization was observed . when the lens was placed on top of illuminated instrumental polarizing plate in any direction with the oriented polycarbonate side facing the polarizing light , colored interference fringe patterns were not observed . a polyvinyl alcohol — polyacetylene copolymer polarizing film , having a single film vlt of 39 . 7 %, and a polarizing efficiency of 91 . 0 % over the visible light spectrum , was prepared according to the procedure in example 1 . the polarizing film and a polycarbonate gray filter film ( 50 % vlt , 3 mil thick ) were laminated between an oriented polysulfone sheet as the protective layer and a regular polycarbonate sheet as the support layer by using a polyurethane adhesive . the oriented polysulfone sheet is 6 mil thick , and has a retardation value of about 3 , 000 nm . the polarizing plate so obtained has four layers , omitting the adhesive , in the following sequence : oriented polysulfone sheet , polarizing film , gray filter film , and polycarbonate sheet . the final vlt of the polarizing plate is 20 . 0 %. again , a 6 - diopter semi - finished single vision lens was made by molding polycarbonate onto the polycarbonate support layer of the above polarizing plate . no color change in the polarizing film and no significant reduction of polarization was observed . when the lens was placed on top of illuminated instrumental polarizing plate in any direction with the oriented polysulfone side facing the polarizing light , very slightly colored interference fringes were noted . this causes no problem in the practical use of the polarized lens as a sunscreen . a gray tcf polarizing film on 20 mil thick polycarbonate sheet was supplied by optiva ( san francisco , calif .). it was laminated between a cellulose acetate butyrate ( cab ) sheet as the protective layer and an optical quality polycarbonate sheet as the support layer . the cab sheet , obtained from eastman kodak ( rochester , n . y .) is 15 mil thick , and has a retardation value of about 4 , 000 nm . the so obtained polarizing laminate plate has a single film vlt of 31 . 6 %, and a polarizing efficiency of 98 . 1 % over the visible light spectrum . again , a 6 - diopter semi - finished single vision lens was made by molding polycarbonate onto the polycarbonate support layer of the above polarizing plate . no color change in the polarizing film was observed . when the lens was placed on top of illuminated instrumental polarizing plate in any direction with the cab side facing the polarizing light , colored interference fringe patterns were not observed . the procedure of example 4 was followed , except the polarizing film was replaced by a gray iodine — polyvinyl alcohol based polarizing film . the polarizing laminate had a vlt of 16 . 3 % and a polarizing efficiency of higher than 99 . 0 %. however , after molded into a polarized semi - finished single vision lens , significant color change and vlt reduction in the polarizing film was observed although significant deduction of polarizing efficiency was not observed . the molded lens had a vlt of 38 . 3 %. the procedure of example 4 was followed , except the cab protective layer was replaced by a 15 mil thick , oqf polycarbonate film ( non - oriented ). after the polarizing laminate plate was molded into a polarized semi - finished single vision lens , marked interference fringes was noted . the foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art to which this invention pertains . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
this invention relates to the treatment of ruminal lactic acidosis in ruminant animals . specifically , this invention relates to the use of alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists in the treatment of ruminant animals suffering from ruminal lactic acidosis . examples of suitable classes of alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists include imidazolines , benzodioxan - imidazolines and the benzofuroquinolizines . there are a number of examples of specific alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists from each class known to persons skilled in the art . in the following examples the following alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists were tested : from the class imidazolines - tolazoline ( 2 - benzyl - 2 - imidazoline ); from the class benzodioxan - imidazoline - idazoxan [ 2 -( 1 , 4 - benzodioxan - 2 - yl )- 2 - imidazoline hydrochloride ] and mvp - 1248 ( atipamezole - tm ) [ 4 -( 2 - ethyl - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - inden - 2 - yl ) - 1h - imidazole hydrochloride ]; and from the class benzofuroquinolizine - l - 654 , 248 (( 2r , 12bs )- n -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 12b - hexahydro - 2h - benzo [ b ]- furo [ 2 , 3 - a ] quinolizin - 2 - yl )- n - methyl - 2 - hydroxyethanesulfonamide )), and l - 657 , 743 ( 2s , 12bs ) 1 &# 39 ;, 3 &# 39 ;- dimethylspiro -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 &# 39 ;, 6 , 6 &# 39 ;, 7 , 12b - octahydro - 2h - benzo [ b ] furo [ 2 , 3 - a ] quinolizine )- 2 , 4 &# 39 ; pyrimidine - 2 &# 39 ;- one ). a physiologically - acceptable carrier was chosen to facilitate a dispersion or a solution of the drug for formulation as an injectable . such a carrier could be water or saline solution . in some cases , it may be necessary to add other agents to adjust tonicity and / or acidity of the composition . the administration of the veterinary composition would be parenterally , e . g . intraperitoneally , subcutaneously , intramuscularly or intravenously . the composition could be administered after the onset of ruminal lactic acidosis as in the following examples or it could be given prior to or simultaneously with the introduction of high - energy ration or feed to prevent ruminal lactic acidosis . it would also be possible to use the alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists as a feed - additive to prevent ruminal lactic acidosis . dosages should contain sufficient compound to produce an effective response when administered in a convenient manner . however , such dosages will depend on the potency of the drug being used in blocking alpha - 2 adrenoceptor sites and its selectivity for alpha - 2 adrenoceptor sites . acceptable dosages for the imidazolines ( tolazoline ), benzodioxanimidazolines ( idazoxan , mvp - 1248 ) and one of the benzofuroquinolizines ( l - 654 , 284 ), range from about 2 to about 5 mg / kg body weight . the dosage range of the benzofuroquinolizines ( l - 657 , 743 ), which is highly selective for alpha - 2 adrenoceptor sites , was about 50 to 100 μg / kg . dosage unit forms are very convenient , e . g . 25 - 50 ml of a 5 - 10 % solution in saline of tolazoline , idazoxan , mvp - 1248 or l - 654 , 284 will provide a single dose for an average steer of 500 kg . such a dose given every 6 hrs for two days will alleviate the symptoms in ruminants having this problem . dosage unit forms of the benzofuroquinolizine l - 657 , 743 may be for example from 0 . 5 - 1 ml of a 5 %- 10 % solution in physiological saline , which would provide a single dose for an average steer of 500 kg . a ) surgical preparation of animals and induction of ruminal lactic acidosis -- fifteen adult sheep ( 36 - 50 kg ) and seven calves ( 94 - 130 kg ) were anaesthetized and fitted with permanent rumen cannulas . pairs of nichrome wire recording electrodes were implanted within the walls of the reticulum and rumen to record the myoelectric discharges which preceded contractions of these forestomach regions . strain gauge transducers were also attached to the serosal surfaces of the reticulum and rumen , close to the nichrome wire recording electrodes , to record the tension generated by contractions within these areas . following recovery from surgery , the animals were individually housed and provided with hay , a salt block and water . one month after surgery , ruminal lactic acidosis was induced , following an 18 hr fast . ruminal lactic acidosis was induced by placing a slurry containing ground wheat ( 40 g / kg body weight ) or ground barley ( 50 g / kg ) body weight ) combined with a equal volume of water into the rumen , via the rumen cannula . b ) experimental protocol -- the development of ruminal lactic acidosis was assessed on the presence of marked forestomach hypomotility or ruminal stasis , ruminal acidosis , and systemic acidosis . in addition , behavioural changes associated with ruminal lactic acidosis , i . e . anorexia and depression , were also considered . following the development of ruminal lactic acidosis , afflicted animals were injected with one of the available alpha - 2 antagonists and forestomach motility , ph of rumen contents , and ph of venous blood were monitored for changes in these variables . c ) recording of forestomach motility -- to assess changes in forestomach motility , recordings of myoelectrical activity and tension changes generated by reticular and ruminal contractions began 4 hr before the intra - ruminal placement of wheat or barley and continued until the experiment ended . the level of forestomach motility was assessed by the frequency of the myoelectrical discharges and the frequency and amplitude of reticular tension recordings . d ) rumen fluid and venous blood sampling -- to monitor changes in acidity of rumen contents , samples of rumen fluid were collected 15 minutes before the intra - ruminal placement of wheat or barley and at regular intervals thereafter . the ph of these samples was immediately measured and the osmolality determined in triplicate on a model 5100c vapour pressure osmometer . to determine when systemic acidosis occurred , blood samples were anaerobically obtained , at the time of rumen fluid sampling , from a polyethylene cannula located within the right jugular vein . immediately after collection , the ph and pco 2 of these venous blood samples were measured on a corning model 178 ph / blood gas analyzer and serum hco 3 - and base excess calculated from these values . e ) sources of alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists -- tolazoline ( tm ) hydrochloride was from sigma chemical company ( st . louis , mo ., usa ). mpv - 1248 hydrochloride was from the farmos group ltd . ( turku , finland ) and idazoxan ( tm ) was from reckitt and colman pharmaceutical division ( hull , england ). the alpha - 2 antagonists l - 654 , 284 and l - 657 , 743 were from merck sharp and dome research labs . ( west point , pa ., usa ). f ) effects of alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists on ruminants experiencing ruminal lactic acidosis -- following administration of alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists , a significant increase in the frequency of forestomach motility was evident within half an hour of treatment . an increase in contraction amplitude was , occasionally , observed , but this was not as consistent as the increases in contraction frequency . the ph values of rumen contents and venous blood were not affected by the administration of alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists . all animals which received alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists returned to normal within 48 hr of the induction of ruminal lactic acidosis . g ) effects of alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists on forestomach motility of ruminants experiencing ruminal lactic acidosis - examples of the increases in frequency of forestomach contractions induced by alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonists are depicted in fig1 - 6 . increases in forestomach contractions obtained by doses of 2 . 0 , 3 . 0 and 5 . 0 mg / kg of the alpha - 2 antagonist , tolazoline , in sheep experiencing ruminal lactic acidosis are depicted in fig1 . fig2 displays the mean frequency of forestomach contractions , of six sheep suffering from ruminal lactic acidosis , before and after the administration of 5 . 0 mg / kg of tolazoline . in sheep experiencing ruminal lactic acidosis , increases in forestomach motility obtained with doses of 5 . 0 mg / kg of the alpha - 2 antagonists , idazoxan and mpv1248 and doses of 2 . 0 mg / kg of the alpha - 2 antagonist l654 , 284 , can be seen in fig3 . fig4 presents the increases in frequency of forestomach contractions , of two sheep and a calf exhibiting ruminal lactic acidosis , that were obtained with a dosage of 100 μg / kg of the highly selective alpha - 2 adrenoceptor antagonist l - 657 , 743 . increases in forestomach contractions , in calves suffering from ruminal lactic acidoses , with doses of 2 . 0 , 3 . 0 , 4 . 0 and 5 . 0 mg / kg of the alpha - 2 antagonist , tolazoline , are illustrated in fig5 . finally , fig6 demonstrates the mean frequency of forestomach contractions , of four calves suffering from ruminal lactic acidosis , before and after the administration of 4 . 0 mg / kg of tolazoline . | 0 |
the present invention relates to the use of cyclopentane heptan ( ene ) oic acid , 2 - thiocarbamoyloxy and 2 - carbamoyloxy as therapeutic agents , e . g . as ocular hypotensives . the compounds used in accordance with the present invention are encompassed by the following structural formula i : wherein the substituents and symbols are as hereinabove defined . the dotted line on the bond between carbons 5 and 6 ( c - 5 ) indicates a single or double bond . if two solid lines are used at c - 5 , it indicates a specific configuration for that double bond . a preferred group of the compounds of the present invention includes compounds that have the following structural formula ii : wherein n is 0 or 1 , 2 or 4 ; hatched lines at position c - 8 , c - 9 and c - 11 indicate the α configuration ; and the triangle at position c - 12 represents β orientation . preferably y is ═ o . more preferably , ar is selected from the group consisting of phenyl , furyl and thienyl . in compounds of formula iii , preferably x is — or 1 or n ( r 1 ) 2 and y is ═ o , e . g . the 1 - position is a carboxylic acid or carboxylamide radical . preferably x is oh , nh 2 , nhc 2 h 5 or nhc 2 h 4 oh the above compounds of the present invention may be prepared by methods that are known in the art or according to the working examples below . the compounds , below , are especially preferred representative of the compounds of the present invention . a pharmaceutically acceptable salt is any salt which retains the activity of the parent compound and does not impart any deleterious or undesirable effect on the subject to whom it is administered and in the context in which it is administered . of particular interest are salts formed with inorganic ions , such as sodium , potassium , calcium , magnesium and zinc . pharmaceutical compositions may be prepared by combining a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound according to the present invention , or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof , as an active ingredient , with conventional ophthalmically acceptable pharmaceutical excipients , and by preparation of unit dosage forms suitable for topical ocular use . the therapeutically efficient amount typically is between about 0 . 0001 and about 5 % ( w / v ), preferably about 0 . 001 to about 1 . 0 % ( w / v ) in liquid formulations . for ophthalmic application , preferably solutions are prepared using a physiological saline solution as a major vehicle . the ph of such ophthalmic solutions should preferably be maintained between 6 . 5 and 7 . 2 with an appropriate buffer system . the formulations may also contain conventional , pharmaceutically acceptable preservatives , stabilizers and surfactants . preferred preservatives that may be used in the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention include , but are not limited to , benzalkonium chloride , chlorobutanol , thimerosal , phenylmercuric acetate and phenylmercuric nitrate . a preferred surfactant is , for example , tween 80 . likewise , various preferred vehicles may be used in the ophthalmic preparations of the present invention . these vehicles include , but are not limited to , polyvinyl alcohol , povidone , hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , poloxamers , carboxymethyl cellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose and purified water . tonicity adjustors may be added as needed or convenient . they include , but are not limited to , salts , particularly sodium chloride , potassium chloride , mannitol and glycerin , or any other suitable ophthalmically acceptable tonicity adjustor . various buffers and means for adjusting ph may be used so long as the resulting preparation is ophthalmically acceptable . accordingly , buffers include acetate buffers , citrate buffers , phosphate buffers and borate buffers . acids or bases may be used to adjust the ph of these formulations as needed . in a similar vein , an ophthalmically acceptable antioxidant for use in the present invention includes , but is not limited to , sodium metabisulfite , sodium thiosulfate , acetylcysteine , butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene . other excipient components which may be included in the ophthalmic preparations are chelating agents . the preferred chelating agent is edentate disodium , although other chelating agents may also be used in place or in conjunction with it . the actual dose of the active compounds of the present invention depends on the specific compound , and on the condition to be treated ; the selection of the appropriate dose is well within the knowledge of the skilled artisan . the ophthalmic formulations of the present invention are conveniently packaged in forms suitable for metered application , such as in containers equipped with a dropper , to facilitate the application to the eye . containers suitable for dropwise application are usually made of suitable inert , non - toxic plastic material , and generally contain between about 0 . 5 and about 15 ml solution . the invention is further illustrated by the following non - limiting examples , which are summarized in the reaction scheme of fig1 wherein like numbers refer to the same compounds . phenylisocyanate ( 68 μl , 0 . 63 mmol ) was added to a solution of 1 , 4 - c - diazabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octane ( 76 . 5 mg , 0 . 68 mmol ) and alcohol 1 ( 250 mg , 0 . 57 mmol ) in thf ( 3 . 0 ml at 23 ° c . after 16 h the reaction was concentrated in vacuo and the residue was purified by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 3 : 1 hexane / etoac ) to afford the title compound . a solution of bis - thp ether 2a obtained above and pyridinium p - toluenesulfonate ( 150 mg , 0 . 60 mmol ) in meoh ( 6 . 0 ml ) was stirred at 23 ° c . for 12 h . the solvent was removed in vacuo . the residue was diluted with etoac and washed with 1n hcl , saturated aqueous nahco 3 and brine . the organic portion was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated in vacuo . flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ) of the residue provided 208 mg ( 93 % over two steps ) of the title compound . a mixture of ester 3a ( 64 mg , 0 . 163 mmol ) and lithium hydroxide ( 0 . 66 ml of a 0 . 5 n solution in h 2 o , 0 . 33 mmol ) in thf ( 1 . 3 ml ) was stirred at 23 ° c . for 12 h . the reaction was acidified with 1n hcl and extracted with etoac . the organic portion was washed with brine ( 2x ), dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated in vacuo . the residue was purified by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 9 : 1 etoac / meoh ) to afford 55 . 3 mg ( 90 %) of the title compound . according to the procedures described for 2a the reaction of alcohol 1 ( 275 mg , 0 . 63 mmol ), 1 , 4diazabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octane ( 83 . 6 mg , 0 . 75 mmol ), and benzylisocyanate ( 99 . 3 mg , 0 . 75 mmol ) afforded 182 . 6 mg ( 51 %) of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 2 : 1 hexane / etoac ). according to the procedures described for 3a the reaction of bis - thp ether 2b ( 240 mg , 0 . 42 mmol ) and pyridinium p - toluenesulfonate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ) afforded 153 . 1 mg ( 90 %) of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 1 : 1 hexane / etoac ). according to the procedures described for 4a the reaction of ester 3b ( 40 mg , 0 . 99 mmol ) and lithium hydroxide hydroxide ( 0 . 40 ml of a 0 . 5 n solution in h 2 o , 0 . 20 mmol ) afforded 35 . 6 mg ( 92 %) of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ). according to the procedures described for 2a the reaction of alcohol 1 ( 300 mg , 0 . 68 mmol ), 1 , 4 - diazabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octane ( 153 . 0 mg , 1 . 36 mmol ), and benzylthioisocyanate ( 0 . 14 ml , 1 . 02 mmol ) afforded 380 . 3 mg ( 95 %) of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 3 : 1 hexane / etoac ). according to the procedures described for 3a the reaction of bis - thp ether 2c ( 3 80 . 3 mg , 0 . 65 mmol ) and pyridinium p - toluenesulfonate ( 200 mg , 0 . 78 mmol ) afforded 246 . 4 mg ( 91 %) of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 1 : 1 hexane / etoac ). according to the procedures described for 4a the reaction of ester 3c ( 60 mg , 0 . 142 mmol ) and lithium hydroxide ( 0 . 57 ml of a 0 . 5 n solution in h 2 o , 0 . 29 mmol ) afforded 9 . 7 mg ( 17 %) of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ). according to the procedures described above in examples 1 , 2 and 3 for conversion of alcohol 1 to 4a , the use of ( 2 - thiophen - 2 - ylethylimino ) ethenone afforded 80 mg of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ). according to the procedures described above in examples 1 , 2 and 3 for conversion of alcohol 1 to 4a , the use of ( butylimino ) ethenethione in refluxing thf afforded 20 mg of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ). according to the procedures described above in examples 1 , 2 and 3 for conversion of alcohol 1 to 4a , the use of ( 3 - chlorobenzylimino ) ethenethione in refluxing thf afforded 30 . 5 mg of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ). according to the procedures described above in examples 1 , 2 and 3 for conversion of alcohol 1 to 4a , the use of ( 3 - trifluoromethylbenzylthio ) ethenone afforded 20 mg of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ). according to the procedures described above in examples 1 , 2 and 3 for conversion of alcohol 1 to 4a , the use of ( 3 - trifluoromethylbenzylthio ) ethenethione in refluxing thf afforded 22 . 7 mg of the title compound after purification by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac ). ( 3 - chlorobenzylimino ) ethenethione ( 826 . 6 mg , 4 . 5 mmol ) was added to a solution of alcohol 5 ( 717 mg , 1 . 54 mmol ) and 1 , 4diazabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octane ( 345 . 5 mg , 3 . 08 mmol ) in thf ( 10 ml ) and refluxed for 24 h . the mixture was concentrated in vacuo and the residue was purified by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 2 : 1 hex / etoac ) to afford 614 mg ( 63 %) of the above titled compound . a solution of ester 6 ( 614 mg , 0 . 97 mmol ) and lithium hydroxide ( 62 mg , 1 . 5 mmol ) in thf / h 2 o ( 1 : 1 , 20 ml ) was stirred at 23 ° c . for 72 h . the mixture was acidified with 1n hcl and extracted with etoac . the organic portion was washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated in vacuo to give 430 mg of the above titled compound . a solution of acid 7 ( 60 mg , 0 . 10 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 30 mg , 0 . 30 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 ml ) was cooled to 0 ° c . and ethylchloroformate ( 11 μl , 0 . 12 mmol ) was added . after 0 . 5 h ethanolamine ( 7 . 2 μl , 0 . 12 mmol ) was added and the reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature for 12 h . the reaction was diluted with etoac and washed with 1n hcl , saturated aqueous nahco 3 and brine . the organic portion was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated in vacuo . purification of the residue by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac followed by 19 : 1 etoac / meoh ) provided 40 mg of the above titled compound . a solution of bis - thp ether 8a ( 40 mg , 0 . 062 mmol ) and pyridinium p - toluenesulfonate ( 5 mg ) in meoh ( 1 . 5 ml ) was stirred at 23 ° c . for 16 h . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was diluted with etoac and washed with 1n hcl , saturated aqueous nahco 3 and brine . the organic portion was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated in vacuo . purification of the residue by flash column chromatography ( silica gel , 100 % etoac followed by 9 : 1 etoac / meoh ) provided 20 mg of the above titled compound . according to the procedures described above in examples 17 and 18 acid 7 was converted with use of ethylamine to 30 mg of the above titled compound . according to the procedures described above in examples 17 and 18 acid 7 was converted with use of ammonia to 10 mg of the above titled compound . certain of the above compounds were tested for activity in the various in vitro assays described below and the results are reported in table 1 , below . activity at different prostanoid receptors was measured in vitro in isolated smooth muscle preparations . fp - activity was measured as contraction of the isolated feline iris sphincter . activity was also measured as relaxation of smooth muscle of isolated rabbit jugular vein a preparation which appears to contain a unique pgf 2α - sensitive receptor provisionally termed fp vasc . tp - vasoconstrictor activity was measured as contraction of rings of the isolated rat thoracic aorta . other potential therapeutic applications are in osteoporosis , constipation , renal disorders , sexual dysfunction , baldness , diabetes , cancer and in disorder of immune regulation . many examples also have pronounced activity at the fp receptor , provisionally termed fp associated with the vascular endothelium in the rabbit jugular vein preparation . since such agents would be vasodilators they have potential in hypertension and any disease where tissue blood perfusion is compromised . such indications include , but are not limited to , systemic hypertension , angina , stroke , retinal vascular diseases , claudication , raynauds disease , diabetes , and pulmonary hypertension . the effects of the compounds of this invention on intraocular pressure are also provided in fig3 and 4 . the compounds were prepared at the said concentrations in a vehicle comprising 0 . 1 % polysorbate 80 and 10 mm tris base . dogs were treated by administering 25 μl to the ocular surface , the contralateral eye received vehicle as a control . intraocular pressure was measured by applanation pneumatonometry . dog intraocular pressure was measured immediately before drug administration and at 6 hours thereafter . the compounds of examples 9 and 12 both lowered intraocular pressure . the compounds of the invention may also be useful in the treatment of various pathophysiological diseases including acute myocardial infarction , vascular thrombosis , hypertension , pulmonary hypertension , ischemic heart disease , congestive heat failure , and angina pectoris , in which case the compounds may be administered by any means that effect vasodilation and thereby relieve the symptoms of the disease . for example , administration may be by oral , transdermal , parenterial , subcutaneous , intravenous , intramuscular , intraperitoneal , transdermal , or buccal routes . the compounds of the invention may be used alone , or in combination with other of the known vasodilator drugs . the compounds of the invention may be formulated into an ointment containing about 0 . 10 to 10 % of the active ingredient in a suitable base of , for example , white petrolatum , mineral oil and petroatum and lanolin alcohol . other suitable bases will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . the pharmaceutical preparations of the present invention are manufactured in a manner which is itself known , for example , by means of conventional dissolving or suspending the compounds , which are all either water soluble or suspendable . for administration in the treatment of the other mentioned pathophysiological disorders . the pharmaceutical preparations which can be used orally include push - fit capsules made of gelatin , as well as soft , sealed capsules made of gelatin and a plasticizer such as glycerol or sorbitol . the push - fit capsules can contain the active compounds in liquid form that may be mixed with fillers such as lactose , binders such as starches , and / or lubricants such as talc or magnesium stearate and , optionally , stabilizers . in soft capsules , the active compounds are preferably dissolved or suspended in suitable liquids , such as in buffered salt solution . in addition , stabilizers may be added . in addition to being provided in a liquid form , for example in gelatin capsule or other suitable vehicle , the pharmaceutical preparations may contain suitable excipients to facilitate the processing of the active compounds into preparations that can be used pharmaceutically . thus , pharmaceutical preparations for oral use can be obtained by adhering the solution of the active compounds to a solid support , optionally grinding the resulting mixture and processing the mixture of granules , after adding suitable auxiliaries , if desired or necessary , to obtain tablets or dragee cores . suitable excipients are , in particular , fillers such as sugars , for example lactose or sucrose , mannitol or sorbitol , cellulose preparations and / or calcium phosphates , for example tricalcium phosphate or calcium hydrogen phosphate , as well as binders such as starch , paste using for example , maize starch , wheat starch , rice starch , potato starch , gelatin , tragacanth , methyl cellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose , and / or polyvinyl pyrrolidone . if desired , disintegrating agents may be added such as the above - mentioned starches and also carboxymethyl - starch , crosslinked polyvinyl pyrrolidone , agar , or algenic acid or a salt thereof , such as sodium alginate . auxiliaries are , above all , flow - regulating agents and lubricants , for example , silica , talc , stearic acid or salts thereof , such as magnesium stearate or calcium stearate , and / or polyethylene glycol . dragee cores are provided with suitable coatings which if desired , are resistant to gastric juices . for this purpose , concentrated sugar solutions may be used , which may optionally containing gum arabic , talc , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , polyethylene glycol and / or titanium dioxide , lacquer solutions and suitable organic solvents or solvent mixtures . in order to produce coatings resistant to gastric juices , solutions of suitable cellulose preparations such as acetylcellulose phthalate or hydroxypropylmethyl - cellulose phthalate , are used . dye stuffs or pigments may be added to the tablets or dragee coatings , for example , for identification or in order to characterize combinations of active compound doses . suitable formulations for intravenous or parenteral administration include aqueous solutions of the active compounds . in addition , suspensions of the active compounds as oily injection suspensions may be administered . aqueous injection suspensions may contain substances which increase the viscosity of the suspension include , for example , sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , soribitol , and / or dextran . optionally , the suspension may also contain stabilizers . the foregoing description details specific methods and compositions that can be employed to practice the present invention , and represents the best mode contemplated . however , it is apparent for one of ordinary skill in the art that further compounds with the desired pharmacological properties can be prepared in an analogous manner , and that the disclosed compounds can also be obtained from different starting compounds via different chemical reactions . similarly , different pharmaceutical compositions may be prepared and used with substantially the same result . thus , however detailed the foregoing may appear in text , it should not be construed as limiting the overall scope hereof ; rather , the ambit of the present invention is to be governed only by the lawful construction of the appended claims . | 0 |
describing now the drawings and considering initially the preferred embodiment of the wire - bending machine shown in fig1 and 2 it will be understood that same comprises a stationary wire feed channel 5 mounted rigidly to the frame of the apparatus , to which wire feed channel 5 a wire having been straightened previously is fed to the bending and shearing means 1 . a central mandrel 2 is provided therein , which defines at both sides seen relative to the direction of wire feed shaping jaws 36 , which shaping jaws 36 define the radius of curvature as well as the bending axis for every bend to be made . by means of a driven bending table 4 a bending mandrel 3 is rotatable relative to the direction of wire feed about 180 ° each in a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction . this bending mandrel 3 projects through the bending table 4 and is screwed into a mounting plate 6 located behind the bending table 4 . this mounting plate 6 is axially movable in guide members 7 ( see fig3 ) relative to the bending table 4 into a position shown in fig1 with interrupted lines , with which movement the bending mandrel 3 is retractable from its operating position . the axial shifting movement of the mounting plate 6 is achieved by a not specifically shown lever and linkage arrangement which is oil - hydraulically driven . the torsional moment necessary for bending the workpiece is exerted by the bending table 4 onto the bending mandrel 3 . to this end the bending table 4 is provided with a rear projection in the shape of a hollow cylinder and a driving gear 9 is located thereupon and between bearings 8 , which driving gear 9 is driven by the agency of a not specifically shown generally known kinematic chain . this allows the bending mandrel to move circularly as well as carry out independently therefrom a retracting and extending movement . this feature will be explained later on by reference to fig5 . a shearing and ejection device or shearing means 10 is located within the central mandrel 2 , which shearing and ejection device 10 is provided with a shearing tool 12 which is movable in axial direction and at a predetermined stroke , which shearing tool 12 is driven via an operating rod 13 by a hydraulic cylinder 11 ( fig1 ). the shearing tool 12 which has a reinforced planar shearing surface cooperates with a sleeve 14 located in the central mandrel 2 , which sleeve 14 is structured on the one hand as a wire guide means and on the other hand as a counterknife . as will be explained more in detail later on with reference to fig5 this central location of the shearing means 10 is advantageous because in order to shape the last section of a completely bent wire bracket no reverse feed of the wire is necessary if short end sections must be shaped , which reverse feed is necessary in the bending apparatuses constructed in accordance with the prior art and comprise a shearing means located in front of the bending point . furthermore , a central location of the shearing means did exclude until now the possibility of adjusting the wire - bending machine to prevailing demands . the radii of the bends which to the largest extent are set by the shape of mentioned shaping jaws of the central mandrel 2 must be adjustable depending from the prevailing diameter of the wire or bar , respectively , ( see the respective sia - standards ). mentioned adjustability of the wire - bending apparatus necessitates therefore among other things an easy exchangeability of the central mandrel 2 , within which the shearing means 10 is located as explained earlier . to this end the central mandrel is provided with a hollow shaft 15 located at its rear such as is shown in fig2 and 3 . the rear end of this hollow shaft 15 comprises a thread 16 , which engages into a corresponding counterthread located on a supporting shaft 17 . this supporting shaft 17 which is rotatably supported in bearings 18 comprises a worm gear 19 , which is driven by a drive motor 21 via a worm 20 ( see fig1 ). a further embodiment foresees a crank handle which allows a manual rotating of worm 20 . if the central mandrel is to be exchanged , the drive motor 21 is energized or the crank handle rotated , respectively , such to rotate the supporting shaft 17 . because now the central mandrel and accordingly the hollow shaft 15 are held against rotation in the wire feed channel 5 , but axially movable relatively thereto , the screw joint between supporting shaft 17 and hollow shaft 15 will be released and the central mandrel 2 will move outwards . the shearing tool 12 is now mounted such to the operating rod 13 ( fig3 ) that it is also disconnected and may be removed together with the central mandrel at its front side . to this end the shearing tool 12 is backwardly biassed by means of a spring 22 . its connection to the operating rod 13 is maintained by radially movable bolts 23 , which upon a forward movement of the hollow shaft 15 are urged by the spring force into radial recesses 24 located therein and accordingly release the connection . a locking ring 25 allows that after a complete disconnection of the screw joint the shearing tool 12 can be drawn out together with the central mandrel 2 . the inserting of a different or exchanged , respectively , central mandrel 2 together with a shearing tool 12 proceeds according to corresponding procedure and in which the drive motor 21 is operated in the opposite direction of rotation . the central mandrel 2 defines together with the shearing tool 12 insofar a structural unit as they define together the shaping jaws such as can be clearly seen from fig2 . the shearing tool 12 is provided with guiding projections 26 located at the shearing head , which guiding projections 26 form a part of the shaping jaws and are adjusted to their radius of curvature . the radial location of the bending mandrel 3 must also be adjusted to mentioned radius of curvature , i . e . the diameter of the bar . an increasing bending radius leads to an increasing distance of the bending mandrel from the center . it is now decisive that also the position of the bending mandrel 3 can speedily be adjusted to the prevailing conditions . to this end a plurality of threaded holes 27 is located at varying radii ( see fig2 ) in the mounting plate 6 to form mounting points for said mandrel and the bending table 4 is provided with corresponding openings 28 ( fig3 ). these openings 28 are covered by a cover plate 29 whereby one is left uncovered . the cover plate 29 is provided with one radially extending slot 30 , and the bending mandrel 3 projects in any chosen radial position through this slot 30 . furthermore , the cover plate 29 is freely rotatable relative to the bending table 4 . a metal plate which influences or operates , respectively , proximity switches 32 , 33 is used with a position control element 31 and is located in the area of the radially extending slot 30 . two proximity switches 32 are used to set the two initial angular positions of the bending mandrel 3 and are located within the wire feed means behind the central mandrel and at both sides , respectively , of the wire feed means , and two further proximity switches 33 are located for safety purposes at both sides of the wire feed channel . the changing or adjustment , respectively , of the radial position of the bending mandrel 3 proceeds in that after having removed the bending mandrel the cover plate 29 will be aligned with the suitable threaded hole 27 in the mounting plate and thereafter the bending mandrel will be screwed back in at the corresponding location . with this procedure the position control element 31 will be aligned always again with the new position of the bending mandrel and accordingly , it can again automatically be brought by the proximity switches 32 into the correct initial positions such that no new adjustment of the apparatus will be necessary . the operation of above described apparatus will be explained below with reference to fig4 and 5 . according to fig4 a straightening and feed apparatus 34 which is shown schematically only and which comprises a plurality of rollers is located ahead of the bending and shearing means 1 . this straightening and feed apparatus 34 straightens the wire pulled off the roll and feeds this wire appropriately . a length measuring apparatus having feeler rollers is located after the straightening and feed apparatus seen in direction of wire feed . this length measuring apparatus determines the exact feed distance for the control devices of the apparatus . the length of the legs , bent sections etc . of , for instance , a wire bracket are determined exclusively by the extent of feed such as shown in detail in fig5 a to 5x depicting the individual phases of a typical operation sequence for shaping a s - shaped bracket . it is to be understood that although the following explanation refers to fig5 a through 5x , the fig6 a to 6x show the corresponding operations in side elevation . according to fig5 a a wire feed step ( in direction of the arrow ) is initially made . the dimension of the feed distance must exceed the distance between central mandrel 2 and bending mandrel 3 . the latter is located , for instance , at the upper of its two mentioned initial positions and accordingly is set for a bending proceeding in a clockwise direction . this bending proceeds such as shown in fig5 b at an angle of 90 °. thereafter ( fig5 c ) the bending mandrel will be rotated back by a small angle such to move out of contact with the wire , which wire obviously due to the inherent elasticity exerts an elastic spring force onto the central mandrel , such that after having been moved out of contact with the wire the mandrel can be returned without being subject to friction from the operating position into the retracted position ( fig5 d ). according to fig5 e this is followed by a wire feed step and a simultaneous moving back of the retracted bending mandrel into its upper initial position . due to the fact , that the wire feed and returning movement of the mandrel are carried out simultaneously , which returning movement of the retracted bending mandrel is to be carried out in the retracted position thereof only , it is possible to shorten the operating time somewhat . after the bending mandrel 3 has reached its upper initial position , it will be once more extended into its operating position ( fig5 f ) and accordingly , it is ready for carrying out the subsequent bending operation ( fig5 g ) proceeding in a clockwise direction . after this bending operation has been terminated , the wire will again be released ( fig5 h ) and the bending mandrel once more retracted ( fig5 i ). it is assumed that the subsequent bending operation must proceed in the opposite direction and accordingly the bending mandrel will be rotated during the next wire feed step into its lower initial position ( fig5 k ), and thereafter the bending mandrel will once more be extended into its operating position and thereafter the wire will be bent by 90 ° in a counterclockwise direction such as shown in fig5 l and 5m . after this bending procedure the sequence is repeated : releasing , retracting and returning in an ( the lower ) initial position and simultaneous wire feed ( fig5 n to 5p ). the following steps intended to carry out a further bending directed counterclockwise proceed again in accordance with the above explained procedure , namely : extending of the bending mandrel , bending by 90 °, setting the wire free ( fig5 q to 5s ). thereafter , a further retraction of the bending mandrel ( fig5 t ) and further wire feed step at a simultaneous returning of the bending mandrel in its ( upper ) initial position is carried out ( fig5 u ). thereafter , the shearing and ejection means 10 is operated as shown in fig5 v to separate the finished bracket from the residual wire following the previous step and after the requested wire feed step which as already mentioned is controlled by the length measuring apparatus , specifically the feeder rolls 35 . the sequence is terminated by a retracting of the shearing head ( fig5 w ) and retracting of the bending mandrel ( fig5 x ). according to above description the wire is preferably released after every bending operation ( fig5 c , h , n etc . ), whereafter the retracted bending mandrel is returned into one of its two initial positions at a simultaneous feeding of the wire , which positions are determined by the subsequent bending direction . quite importantly it must be noted that these initial positions will be maintained also after an exchanging of the central mandrel 2 and the shearing means 10 as well as after a changing of the location of the bending mandrel 3 such that no further or new , respectively , adjustment is necessary . the sequence may , however , be simplified by deleting step 5c ( and corresponding steps ), i . e . that the moving out of contact and retracting proceed simultaneously . in the same manner , step 5e may be divided into two separate steps , namely firstly the wire feed and thereafter the rotating of the bending table . the described arrangement allows a speedy adjusting of the apparatus to a given wire material . this allows a considerable increase of the operating efficiency . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims . accordingly , | 8 |
the present invention will be described in more detail , referring to the experiments shown below . mixtures having chemical compositions shown in nos . 1 to 19 in table 1 were sintered in the air at the sintering temperature of 1800 ° c ., and subjected to hip at 1500 ° c . and 1000 atmospheric pressure to obtain sintered ceramic materials in accordance with the manufacturing method described referring to fig3 . the x - ray shielding rate and light reflectance of the sintered ceramic materials obtained were measured . the measured values are shown in table 1 , together with sintering performance . in tables 1 , 2 and 6 , the names of metal elements given mean their oxides . the x - ray shielding rate was obtained by calculating the following equation : where x is the output obtained when an x - ray beam of a tube voltage of 35 kv is transmitted through a scintillator sheet 41 , as shown in fig4 a , and y is the output obtained when the same x - ray beam is transmitted through a sample 42 which is a 30 mm × 20 mm × 0 . 2 mm ( thick .) sintered ceramic material applied to one side of the scintillator sheet 41 , as shown in fig4 b . the light reflectance is a ratio of the intensity of reflected light to the intensity of incident light when a light beam of a wavelength of 512 nm is applied to a 30 mm × 20 mm × 0 . 2 mm ( thick .) sintered ceramic material . sintering performance is expressed in the table by the ratio of the density measured with the water displacement test for each composition to the theoretical density . nos . 1 and 2 samples , which contained excessive amounts of alkali - earth oxides , had so many cracks in their sintered products that their x - ray shielding rates and light reflectance could not be measured . nos . 3 to 19 samples having x - ray shielding rates of not less than 90 % were suitable for use as x - ray shielding ceramics . however , the densities of nos . 13 to 19 samples containing no or little alkali - earth oxides and much rare - earth oxides were as low as 0 . 970 to 0 . 982 , and had poor sintering performance . the light reflectance of no . 3 sample containing no rare - earth oxides was as low as 70 %, and its density was 0 . 982 , a relatively low level . a comparison of those samples containing 25 % of alkali - earth oxides reveals , that all of the alkali - earth oxides have equal effects of improving sintering performance , as evident from no . 5 sample containing 25 % of ca oxide , no . 10 sample containing 25 % of mg oxide , no . 11 sample containing 25 % of ba oxide , no . 12 sample containing 25 % of sr oxide , and nos . 8 and 9 samples containing 25 % in total of ca and mg oxides . as is obvious by comparing no . 13 with no . 14 , and no . 18 with no . 19 , v , nb and ta oxides have similar effects in terms of sintering performance and radiation shielding rate . as is evident from no . 18 sample , the sintered ceramic material having v oxide is not white - colored and has lowered light reflectance . consequently , ta and nb oxides , excluding v oxide , should preferably be used . sintered ceramic samples were prepared by replacing gd oxide in no . 13 sample given in table 1 with the same amount of other rare - earth element oxides , that is , la to yb oxides , and subjecting to the same treatment as in experiment 1 . the sintering performance , x - ray shielding rate and light reflectance of these samples were evaluated , and the results are shown in table 2 . the data indicate that the sintered ceramics samples having any compositions can be successfully sintered , have comparable x - ray shielding rates , and can be used as radiation shielding ceramics . the evaluation results also reveal that all of the rare - earth elements have similar effects in terms of sintering performance and radiation shielding rate no matter what the type . nos . 23 to 28 samples , however , are not suitable for light reflecting materials because they have light reflectance as low as under 60 %. by using gd , la , ga and y oxides as rare - earth oxides , white sintered ceramics having high light reflectance were obtained . radiation detectors as shown in fig1 were prepared using ceramics of nos . 3 to 16 and 18 samples given in table 1 . 0 . 05 - mm thick light reflecting films prepared by blending and kneading titanium oxide with a resin were applied to both sides each of 0 . 1 - mm thick sintered ceramic sheets as separators inserting between the scintillators . as a comparative example , 0 . 1 - mm thick mo sheets and 0 . 05 - mm thick light reflecting films made of titanium oxide plus a resin were used . the protrusion height of the radiation shield 3 from the surface of the scintillator 2 when the light - emitting surface was lapped , and the fraction defective of the radiation detectors are given in table 3 . the sample numbers in the following description are assumed to be the same as those having the compositions shown in tables 1 and 2 . the protrusion height means the residual protrusion , expressed in μm , of the radiation shield 3 when the light - emitting surface was lapped with “ white - alundum ” # 2500 , as shown in fig5 . defective radiation detectors mean those which generate no output current , or have too high background current due to damage caused on the semiconductor photo - detector elements by protruded radiation shields . when the radiation shields according to the present invention were used , the protrusion height of the radiation shields became not higher than 2 . 0 μm , and the fraction defective of the detectors became extremely small . this is attributable to the fact that a small protrusion height was left unpolished because both the scintillator material and the radiation shields of the present invention were sintered ceramics which are very much alike in hardness , polishing speed , polishing performance , compared with a combination of the sintered ceramic scintillators and metallic sheets as used in the comparative example . 16 - channel radiation detectors as shown in fig2 were prepared using ceramic materials of nos . 5 to 16 , and nos . 20 and 21 samples from the compositions given in tables 1 and 2 . 0 . 2 - mm thick sintered ceramic sheets were used as separators interposed between the scintillators , and no light reflecting films made of titanium oxide were used . as a comparative example , that used in experiment 3 was used . the measurement results of the output ratios , variations between elements , and crosstalk of these radiation are given in table 4 . the output ratio is the relative value of the output per scintillator when an x - ray beam of a tube voltage of 120 kv was applied to the radiation detector and the output of the radiation detector of the comparative example . variations between elements were obtained from the following equation based on the output when the same x - ray beam was applied to the radiation detector . the crosstalk values were obtained by closing the light - receptor windows of the scintillators with pb sheets 6 of a thickness enough to prevent x - ray beams from passing through , except for the light - receptor window of a given scintillator , as shown in fig6 ting from the following equation the ratio of the magnitude of the output of the having an open light - receptor window to the output of the surrounding scintillators . as is obvious from table 4 , the radiation detector using the ceramic material according to the present invention as the separators had improved outputs and reduced variations between elements , compared with those using mo sheets and titanium oxide ( including resins ) in the comparative example . this is attributable to that the amount of light introduced in the light detecting part increased and the output increased accordingly because the amount of reflection increased as a result of the reduced absorption of light in the separators . variations between elements were less than ½ that of the comparative example because variations in the reflectance on the surface of the separators were reduced . crosstalk was almost the same as in the case of the comparative example using mo sheets . this is attributable to that the sintered ceramics according to the present invention has almost the same radiation shielding performance as that of mo . the light reflectance of separators made of the sintered ceramics according to the present invention ( having the composition of no . 5 sample in table 1 ) and separators made of conventional mo and titanium oxide ( including a resin ) was measured in the same manner as in experiment 1 . the samples were held at 80 ° c . for a predetermined time , and changes in the light reflectance of the samples were measured with the lapse of time . the results were given in table 5 . as is evident from table 5 , the light reflectance of the comparative example fell from 96 % before heating to 90 % after the lapse of 1000 hours . the sintered ceramic material according to the present invention showed a stable light reflectance of 98 %. this is attributable to the fact that epoxy resin in the comparative example discolored , while the sintered ceramics of the present invention did not . the fraction defective values of exfoliation were shown in table 6 , together with the thermal expansion coefficients ( at . temperatures from room temperature to 100 ° c . ), for the radiation detectors shown in fig1 prepared by using sintered ceramics according to the present invention ( having the compositions of nos . 5 , 6 and 16 samples in table 1 above ) as the scintillators , and the radiation detectors of the comparative example using mo sheets and titanium oxide ( including a resin ) as the separators . the fraction defective values of exfoliation were smaller when the sintered ceramics of the present invention were used , than those for the comparative example using mo . with no . 16 ceramic material having almost the same thermal expansion coefficient as that of the scintillator elements , no exfoliation defects occurred . it can be said from the above data that the fraction defective begins to fall with the difference in thermal expansion coefficient becoming lower than 2 × 10 − 6 /° c ., and the fraction defective falls below 0 . 1 % as the difference in thermal expansion coefficient becomes lower than 1 × 10 − 6 /° c . to establish manufacturing conditions , the measuring results of sintering performance , that is , density , x - ray shielding rate , etc . of samples when the sintering temperature , hot - press temperature and annealing temperature in the manufacturing flow chart shown in fig3 are given below . the samples used had the composition of no . 13 sample in table 1 . first , the x - ray shielding rate of samples prepared by sintering at temperatures of 1500 to 1800 ° c ., and subjecting to hot isostatic pressing operation at 1500 ° c . and 1000 atmospheric pressure was measured . the hip temperature was set at 1500 ° c . because hip is usually performed at temperatures 200 to 300 ° c . lower than sintering temperature . the results are shown in table 7 . the samples sintered at 1500 ° c . had many voids , showing poor sintering performance . they could not be subjected to hip and evaluated their x - ray shielding rate . the samples sintered at 1600 to 1800 ° c ., on the other hand , had good sintering performance , and sufficiently high x - ray shielding rate as their density was improved after hip . it can be said from the above results that sintering temperature should be 1600 to 1800 ° c . in place of the process where the aforementioned normal - pressure sintering is followed by hip , sintering was performed by hot pressing . the measuring results of sintering performance , that is , density and x - ray shielding rate for the samples sintered by hot pressing at 1300 to 1800 ° c . are shown in table 8 . the samples hot - pressed at 1300 ° c . had any voids and low density , whereas those hot - pressed at 1400 to 1800 ° c . had a theoretical density ratio of not less than 98 % and few voids . next , the samples prepared by sintering at normal pressures at 1600 ° c . and subjected to hip at 1600 ° c . and 1000 atmospheric pressure were annealed by changing temperature from 900 ° c . to 1400 ° c . the post - anneal density and the state of cracking are shown in table 9 . the results that the density after hip was 0 . 98 indicate that annealing at lower than 1000 ° c . cannot perfectly eliminate lattice strains due to oxygen deficiency , inducing cracks during processing . annealing at not lower than 1400 ° c . caused voids to grows , resulting in low density . it follows from this that annealing should be performed at 1000 to 1300 ° c . as described in detail above , the sintered ceramics according to the present invention can be used in radiation detectors , such as radiation ct equipment , since the sintered ceramics of the present invention exhibit excellent radiation shielding performance , can be assembled into the semiconductor photo detectors at high yields with less flaws caused on the semiconductor photo detectors during assembly . the sintered ceramics according to the present invention is white colored , and has such an excellent light reflecting performance that no additional light reflecting sheets ( or films ) are needed when used as separators for the radiation detector . | 6 |
as mentioned above chromatic dispersion problems are generally overcome , or partially overcome , by operating at optical frequencies at which the chromatic dispersion is a minimum , or by using a source with a near ideal spectrum . there is , however , an alternative , that is to equalise the dispersion with an element of equal and opposite dispersion . since the system is linear such an element 1 ( fig1 ) can be placed at any position along the length of a dispersive single mode optical fibre 2 between the light source 3 , for example an imperfect laser source , and a receiver 4 . the equaliser element 1 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter basically comprises a directional coupler 5 and a bragg reflector 6 . fig2 shows the fibre dispersion characteristic for a conventional single mode silica fibre , that is a graph of relative delay τ versus wavelength λ ( micron ). the minimum chromatic dispersion is achieved at a wavelength of 1 . 3 microns whereas minimum transmission loss can be achieved at a wavelength in the vicinity of 1 . 55 micron . the spectrum is unstable over the marked wavelength range a with corresponding range of delay fluctuation b . what is required , therefore , is a means of correcting the delay versus optical frequency characteristic , in the region having ranges a and b , that is equalising it . this may be achieved by a device , with at least two ports , which is such that the delay versus optical frequency characteristic may be preset to compensate for the chromatic dispersion inherent in the optical transmission path . fig3 illustrates the characteristics of the equaliser . the dashed line c indicates the relative delay versus wavelength characteristic for the dispersive fibre which is to be equalised . the dotted line d indicates the relative delay versus wavelength characteristic for the equaliser and the solid line e indicates the ratio of optical power in to optical power out versus wavelength , which is a maximum over the equalised wavelength range , as indicated . the equaliser element 1 comprises a means for producing an optical delay which varies rapidly with optical frequency , in such a manner as to achieve chromatic equalisation , and is constituted by a chirped distributed bragg grating formed in a fibre 5 and a directional coupler 6 for separating forward and reverse propagating waves . the element is shown in fig4 a and 4b . the directional coupler 6 may comprise , for example , an optical circulator or isolator or a simple fibre coupler . any type of optical coupler may be used e . g . a half - silvered mirror or an integrated optics system for example of lithium niobate . specific examples of directional coupler techniques are illustrated in fig5 . ideally the coupler is low loss , for example this may be achieved by use of an optical circulator ( fig5 a ) or isolator ( fig5 b ). both of these techniques use faraday rotation to separate counter propagating energy . the simple fibre coupler ( fig5 c ) may be used but it would introduce a minimum loss of 6 db ( 3 db for each transition ). if the input light is in a stable state of polarisation then counter propagating energy could be separated using a quarter wave section 7 and a polarisation splitting element 8 ( fig5 d ). a circular polarisation state would then pertain in the bragg reflector with a linear polarisation state for the input . this quarter wavelength coupler is also low loss . as indicated in fig4 a , the distance which light travels along the bragg reflector fibre 5 before being reflected varies with optical wavelength λ ( optical frequency ω ) and is determined by the chirp of the grating . it has previously been demonstrated ( see , for example , &# 34 ; fiber - optic integrated interference filters &# 34 ; j . lapierre et al . optics letters january 1982 vol . 7 no . 1 pp 37 - 39 ) that it is possible to &# 34 ; write &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; record &# 34 ; bragg reflectors in optical fibre simply by launching into it a high optical power level beam and ensuring that there is sufficient end reflection to produce a standing wave in the fibre . after a short time ( seconds to minutes ) the reflectivity at the employed pumping frequency increases dramatically because a bragg reflector , precisely matched to the pumping frequency , is formed . this grating is permanent and continues to operate at any power level . as illustrated schematically in fig4 b after the grating is made the fibre 5 , having core 9 and cladding 10 , has a periodic structure due to a photo - induced refractive index change , the period being approximately half the wavelength of the employed pump source , and bragg reflection from this periodic structure is obtainable . the length of the grating formed is dependent on the writing power used , it may be as short as 0 . 1 cm with very high writing powers or several meters with low writing powers . for use in an equaliser element a bragg reflector is required in which the periodicity , and thus the optical frequency at which it reflects , is varied along the fibre length in a predetermined manner . this variation may be achieved in a number of ways , of which the following are examples . using a tunable high power laser , several separate sections of optical fiber are exposed to different optical frequencies and subsequently joined ( spliced ) together to form a single fiber . the chirp thus achieved would be discontinuous , but provided the number of sections is sufficiently large , little penalty will result . alternatively , a single frequency laser may be employed to expose several separate sections of optical fibre whilst the sections are extended in length to different extents , by for example stress , strain , change in temperature , or any combination thereof . when a fibre section is returned to its normal state the induced grating will have altered its resonant frequency . a number of such fibre sections can thus be joined to make a single fibre . alternatively the reverse procedure may be applied , that is the fibre may be stretched or heated after formation of the grating , that is whilst in use , however this is less attractive for reasons of fibre fatigue . it is considered that it would be acceptable to fine tune the chirp prior to use by applying low levels of strain . a further possibility comprises exposing a single continuous length of optical fiber using a single frequency laser whilst a strain / stress / temperature gradient is maintained along its length . when the perturbing gradient is subsequently removed after induction of the grating , the grating will have acquired a chirp . a stress / strain gradient can be applied to an optical fibre 11 by winding the fibre onto a deformable mandrel . such a mandrel 12 is illustrated in fig6 . the cavity 13 is so shaped that when pressure is introduced to expand the mandrel 12 the fibre 11 wound thereon is stretched , there being a strain gradient along the length of the fibre in view of the variation in wall thickness of the mandrel . the pressure in the cavity 13 is maintained whilst the grating is being &# 34 ; written &# 34 ; in the fibre . similarly the chirp may be adjusted after recording ( i . e . for use ) by applying a controllable strain gradient . in the case of a system having a fiber to be equalised which has the characteristics shown in fig3 ( dashed line ) the chirped bragg reflector will be required to allow the shorter wavelengths to travel further along the reflector fibre before reflection than the longer wavelengths thereby to compensate for the different delay values . the actual chirp required will be determined by the particular optical transmission path . the equaliser elements proposed by the present invention enable very high dispersion to be achieved in a guided wave structure of low overall size and in use provide an optical delay which varies rapidly with applied optical frequency and can by appropriate construction of the chirped distributed bragg reflector be preset to compensate for the chromatic dispersion inherent in an optical transmission path . whereas the device has been described above in terms of chromatic equaliser applications it is not to be considered as so limited . any predetermined amount of optical delay in an optical signal having variable optical frequency , which delay varies with optical frequency , can be achieved in dependence on the chirp of the grating and the chromatic equaliser is only a particular case thereof . the device offers the production of very high dispersion in a guided wave structure of low overall size . such a device may also be used to achieve optical pulse compression / expansion . a chirped laser may thus produce narrow pulses of much higher peak power . | 7 |
referring first to fig3 round , hardened steel bars 1 are held in rectangular frame 2 comprised of rectangular section hardened steel with holes cut for passage of the bars . the bars are welded where they pass through the frame . the bars are spaced sufficiently close together , less than six inches , to prevent passage of intruders . the ends 3 of the bars extending beyond the frame are adapted for securely fastening to the building such as by casting into the concrete surrounding the window opening . the steel frame 2 includes header 4 , sill 5 and jambs 6 . the header 4 may be structured so as to serve as a lintel to support structures over the window in a manner well known in the art . in the alternative embodiment of fig1 , sill 5 and header 4 are absent from the frame and vertical projections 7 and 8 of jambs 6 extend above and below the frame to be embedded into the concrete along with bar ends 3 to effectively secure the bars . fig4 and 5 show a frame 2 with bars 1 that do not extend beyond the frame 2 at jambs 6 . this embodiment is for insertions into an existing opening without extensive modification of the structure such as in retrofitting existing construction . the jambs are provided with holes 9 . the frame 2 is positioned in the window opening . horizontal holes are drilled through the holes 9 into the wall structure , and hardened steel pins 10 are cemented in place to sucurely hold the frame in place . the pins may be welded to the frame as well . alternatively , the jambs 6 may be fastened in place by clips , screws , and other securing means well known in the art . alternatively , the jambs 6 may be secured in the wall by embedding in concrete or framing in place in a wooden structure . a wide window opening may use the frame of fig6 which includes hardened steel mullion 11 and vertical securing pins 12 to prevent bending the longer bars and firmly anchor the frame . fig7 shows the frame of fig4 with the vents 13 in place . each vent includes glass light 14 held in aluminum sash 15 . the steel frame 2 is covered by aluminum jambs 16 , header 7 and sill 8 , which are shown partially broken away . the aluminum covering enhances apperance , resists corrosion and conceals security elements of steel . the steel may be further protected by coating with zinc , plastic or the like . fig8 is a vertical section through the plane 8 -- 8 of fig7 that shows the vents 13 partially open . pinion gears 19 are connected to the stiles ( vertical sash elements ) 25 of vents 13 . the top rails 23 of vents 13 are rotatably connected to bars 1 . all of the pinion gears 19 are engaged by the rack gear 26 along one edge of vertical drive rod 20 . in a manner well known in the prior art , a crank operator , not shown , raises and lowers drive rod 20 in guide slot 63 by means of linkage 22 to close and open vents 13 by rotating them about the bars 1 . other vent drive means may include mechanisms well known in the art including pivoting links , worm gears and the like . parallel operating mechanisms may operate simultaneously at both ends ( stiles ) of the vents . the novel structure of the vents 13 rotatably supported upon the burglar bars and concealing them from view is shown in the detail of fig1 and 2 . fig2 is a vertical cross section through the upper portion of the window frame and the vent not shown . fig1 shows a portion of the steel jamb 6 at its connection to the bar 1 and the vent 13 with portions broken away . the frame header in fig2 includes the steel frame header 4 covered by the aluminum header exterior portion 7 and interior portion 27 which overlap and may be joined together by cementing , for example , at overlap 28 . weather protecting overhang 29 provides a sealing surface for weatherstrip 30 carried by the vent 13 . this member may optionally carry a retaining slot for storm panels and the like . screen 31 in screen frame 32 is conventionally supported by frame member 27 . the horizontal cylindrical steel bar 1 is welded to the vertical steel frame member 6 . the steel member 6 is covered by interior aluminum jamb member 33 and overlapping exterior aluminum jamb member 16 , shown in fig9 . vinyl , wood or other suitable materials may be substituted for the aluminum . a thin , lubricous , resilient sleeve of nylon , polypropylene or the like , covers bar 1 . it is spirally slit at 36 to enable it to be applied to the bar , that is welded at both ends , by simply winding it on . after the sleeves 35 are applied to the bars 1 , each vent 13 is installed . the top rail 23 of the sash of each vent has a half - cylinder groove 37 to fit over the sleeve 36 . a locking rail 38 with a corresponding half - cylinder groove 17 is secured to top rail 23 to form a cylindrical bearing about the sleeve to permit the vent to rotate about the bar with the sleeve providing the necessary lubrication and smoothness of motion . locking grooves 18 and screws 34 secure the locking bar 38 to the top rail 23 . additional screws may optionally be located at arrow 39 . the glass lights 14 are held in the sash 15 by spring glazing clips 40 well known in the art . fig1 shows in partial section a detail of portions of two vents in closed position . the lower rail 24 of the upper vent 41 and the upper 30 to seal out the weather in a conventional fashion . fig9 shows one vent in closed position at the jamb . the weatherstrip 30 carried in the aluminum jamb 16 is compressed by the stile 25 of the vent . the bars may be of a non - round cross section as shown in fig1 to present more hardened surface to better resist cutting or bending . the sleeve 35 presents a round outer surface to the sash as a bearing . alternatively , as shown in fig1 , the bar may be of composite structure . the outer portion 43 may be a case hardened steel or a vitreous coating to resist cutting , or the center 44 may be hollow or of a different composition such as a hard silicon carbide rod or a material that will fill the teeth of a saw to resist cutting . in certain application , it is necessary to provide a security window that can be broken open from inside without tools in an emergency . fig1 shows an embodiment of the invention with a bar modified for that purpose . the bar 1 is cut through with a notch cut 46 at each end , leaving a free center portion 49 . thin sleeves 45 of frangible material are placed over the center portion 49 , the center portion is then positioned as shown and the sleeves slipped across the cuts to hold the center portion at each end . the helically cut bearing sleeve 35 is then wound into place , holding sleeves 45 in position . when the vent is locked into position over the sleeves , the assembly is firmly secured and operational . when the vent is struck from the outside ( arrow 48 ), the inner bar 49 impinges upon the outer bars 1 at notch 46 , the sash and the sleeves are not stressed and they remain intact . when a strong blow is struck from inside ( arrow 47 ), all of the force is applied to the sleeve 45 and the aluminum locking bar and screws ( fig1 ) which break away , permitting egress in an emergency . the notch may include a dovetail joint to resist forces from top and bottom as well . the outward appearance of the break away window may be indistinguishable from the other windows in appearance . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the bars 1 are cast in place in the cast concrete window frame 56 . no special jamb is then necessary to hold or position the bars . this frame may also serve as a lintel . fig1 shows a concrete form 54 with slots 65 for holding the bars 1 in position while the concrete is cast . this form 54 would be closed by a matching form of similar shape to contain the bars and concrete during casting . in an alternative embodiment shown in fig1 , the bars 1 are held secured in finished frame 2 , not requiring the covering pieces 16 , and 33 of fig9 . the frame 2 may be of steel , wood , aluminum or plastic . the frame may be formed of profile extrusions incorporating the functions of vertical covering elements 16 , 33 ( fig9 ) and horizontal elements 4 and 27 ( fig4 ) and the bars may be secured directly to the vertical jambs 6 by cementing , or by a large washer 52 held in place by a nut 53 or other well known securing means . this embodiment provides less security than aluminum covered steel jamb but it offers more security than current windows . pins 50 or wedges 51 may be fastened to jamb 6 to limit the angle to which the vents 13 may be opened in those installations where the window must not extend beyond the wall and into the walkway . alternatively , a block 57 may restrict the downward motion of control rod 20 ( fig8 ) to the angle of opening of vents 13 the above disclosed invention has a number of particular features which should preferably be employed in combination although each is useful separately without departure from the scope of the invention . while i have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described , and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made within the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims . | 4 |
the following description is presently contemplated as the best mode of carrying out the present invention . this description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the principles of the invention . the scope of the invention should be determined by referring to the appended claims . fig1 shows a block diagram of a scan - based integrated circuit 101 with three inter - related clock domains , cd 1 102 to cd 3 104 , and three scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 . each clock controls one clock domain . in addition , cd 1 102 interacts to cd 2 103 through the cross - clock domain block ccd 12 105 , cd 2 103 interacts to cd 1 102 through the cross - clock domain block ccd 21 106 , cd 2 103 interacts to cd 3 104 through the cross - clock domain block ccd 23 107 , cd 3 104 interacts to cd 2 103 through the cross - clock domain block ccd 32 108 , cd 1 102 interacts to cd 3 104 through the cross - clock domain block ccd 13 109 , and cd 3 104 interacts to cd 1 102 through the cross - clock domain block ccd 3 1110 . the cut ( circuit - under - test ) 101 is a scan - based integrated circuit , in which all of its storage cells are replaced with scan cells sc and all scan cells sc are connected into one or more scan chains scn . note that a scan cell is usually a clocked storage cell with two input ports , one called a data input port and the other called a scan input port , selectable with a scan enable ( se ) signal . the data input port is connected to functional logic , which is used to capture test responses . the scan input port is connected to the output port of another scan cell or to an external scan input signal ; this way , a scan chain , i . e . shift register , can be formed to bring in test stimuli or bring out captured test responses . the cut 101 can be tested in either scan - test mode or self - test mode . the two modes differ in how test stimuli , 114 to 116 , are generated and provided , how test responses , 117 to 119 , are collected and analyzed , and how scan enable signals , se 1 111 to se 3 113 , and scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 , are controlled . in scan - test mode , test stimuli , 114 to 116 , are generated by an atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) program and applied by an ate ( automatic test equipment ). the ate also collects and analyzes test responses , 117 to 119 , and controls all scan enable signals se 1 111 to se 3 113 , and scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 . in self - test mode , test stimuli , 114 to 116 , are generated and provided by an on - chip prpg ( pseudo - random pattern generator ). the test responses , 117 to 119 , are collected and analyzed by an on - chip misr ( multi - input signature register ). scan enable signals , se 1 111 to se 3 113 , and scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 , are also controlled by on - chip circuitry in self - test mode . in both scan - test and self - test mode , test is conducted by repeating two operations : namely shift and capture . during a shift operation , all scan cells sc are configured into one or more scan chains scn , i . e . shift registers , by properly controlled scan enable signals , se 1 111 to se 3 113 . test stimuli , 114 to 116 , are then shifted into these scan chains scn . during a capture operation , all scan cells sc are configured by properly controlled scan enable signals , se 1 111 to se 3 113 , to catch data from their data input ports . during this capture operation , test responses , 117 to 119 , corresponding to the test stimuli , 114 to 116 , shifted into scan cells during the shift operation are captured into scan cells sc by activating scan clocks ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 in one way or another . during the next shift operation , captured test responses are shifted out of the cut to either ate in scan - test mode or to misr in self - test mode . note that , at the same time as this shift operation , new test stimuli are also shifted in . obviously , both scan - test and self - test consist of an atpg and fault simulation process . test stimuli are either generated by an atpg or by a prpg and fault simulation is often needed to check if a fault is detected by a test stimulus or test pattern . in atpg and fault simulation , it is necessary to assume what logic values are captured as test responses during a capture operation . if a cut has only one scan clock , assumed test responses are generally the same as actual test responses . if a cut has multiple scan clocks , assumed test responses may be different from actual test responses . the reason is that there are usually unpredictable clock skews between any two clock domains , although clock skews in each clock domain can be minimized through clock tree synthesis . such cross - clock domain and unpredictable clock skews , if not handled properly in atpg and fault simulation , will cause a difference in assumed test responses and actual test responses . as a result , atpg results and fault coverage will become inaccurate . therefore , it is critical to take the impact of such unpredictable clock skews into consideration in atpg and fault simulation in order to guarantee correct atpg and fault simulation results . fig2 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with regard to prior - art solution # 1 . 3 nodes are used to represent the 3 clock domains , cd 1 102 to cd 3 104 . the corresponding scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 , are also shown in the nodes for easy comprehension . the directed edge between two nodes represents a cross - clock domain block . for example , the edge 201 represents the cross - clock domain block ccd 12 105 as shown in fig1 . fig2 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig2 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults ( referred to as faults ) and with regard to prior - art solution # 1 . in order to avoid the impact of unpredictable clock skews among different clock domains , this solution , also called the one - hot technique , requires that only one scan clock be activated during each capture operation as shown in fig2 c . generally , if scan clocks are activated in this manner , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can be fully represented by only one copy of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . as a result , the impact of unpredictable clock skews can be easily avoided in atpg and fault simulation . as shown in fig2 b , whenever the scan clock ck 1 120 is activated , all faults in the clock domain cd 1 102 and cross - clock domain blocks , ccd 21 106 and ccd 31 110 , can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation ; whenever the scan clock ck 2 121 is activated , all faults in the clock domain cd 2 103 and cross - clock domain blocks , ccd 12 105 and ccd 32 108 , can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation ; and whenever the scan clock ck 3 122 is activated , all faults in the clock domain cd 3 104 and cross - clock domain blocks , ccd 13 109 and ccd 23 107 , can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation . as a result , all faults in the cut 101 can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation . the fault coverage of this solution is usually high since all faults can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation . in addition , a combinational atpg program is enough when test patterns are to be generated deterministically . furthermore , its memory usage is low since , in order to conduct atpg and fault simulation for one capture operation with regard to one scan clock , it is only necessary to keep the circuit model data for the corresponding clock domain and the cross - clock domain blocks that interact to the clock domain . however , the number of test patterns generated by this solution is large and cpu time is long . the reasons are that each run of atpg and fault simulation can only target faults in one clock domain and a few corresponding cross - clock domain blocks and that after a capture operation is conducted for a scan clock , a shift operation must be conducted in order to shift out the test responses and shift in new test stimuli . fig3 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with regard to prior - art solution # 2 . the meanings of nodes and edges are the same as explained for fig2 a . fig3 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig3 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults ( referred to as faults ) and with regard to prior - art solution # 2 . as shown in fig3 c , this solution requires that scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 , be activated one by one in a selected order during each capture operation , and that the capture pulse delays between ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 and between ck 2 121 and ck 3 122 are larger than the possible corresponding clock skews . this will guarantee that the test responses captured during a capture operation are not affected by unpredictable clock skews . generally , if scan clocks are activated in this manner , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can only be fully represented by several copies of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , each with a different set of constraints on its inputs and outputs and each corresponding to a different timeframe , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . this solution , however , only selects one copy of the combinational logic portion corresponding to the so - called pce ( primary capture event ) and uses it for atpg and fault simulation . obviously , some constraints on the inputs and outputs of the selected copy have to be set to unknown ( x ) values since other related copies are discarded . this solution only needs a combinational atpg program when test patterns are to be generated deterministically . its memory usage is also low since , in order to handle each capture operation , it is only necessary to keep one copy of the circuit model data . however , the fault coverage of this solution may be low since unknown values assigned as constraints may result in more undetected faults . some techniques can be used to contain the impact of unknown values in fault coverage , but may result in a larger number of test patterns or longer cpu time . fig4 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with regard to prior - art solution # 3 . the meanings of nodes and edges are the same as explained for fig2 a . fig4 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig4 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults ( referred to as faults ) and with regard to prior - art solution # 3 . as shown in fig4 c , this solution requires that scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 , be activated one by one in a selected order during each capture operation , and that the capture pulse delays between ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 and between ck 2 121 and ck 3 122 are larger than the possible corresponding clock skews . this will guarantee that the test responses captured during a capture operation are not affected by unpredictable clock skews . generally , if scan clocks are activated in this manner , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can only be fully represented by several copies of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , each with a different set of constraints on its inputs and outputs and each corresponding to a different timeframe , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . this solution processes the multiple circuit model copies for different timeframes in a serial manner one by one . when the scan clock ck 1 120 is activated , all faults in the clock domain cd 1 102 and the cross - clock domain blocks ccd 21 106 and ccd 31 110 can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation , corresponding to test stimuli shifted - in through scan chains in three clock domains , cd 1 102 to cd 3 104 . when the scan clock ck 2 121 is activated , all faults in the clock domain cd 2 103 and the cross - clock domain blocks ccd 12 105 and ccd 32 108 can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation , corresponding to test stimuli shifted - in through scan chains in two clock domains , cd 2 103 and cd 3 104 , as well as test responses captured by ck 1 120 . when the scan clock ck 3 122 is activated , all faults in the clock domain cd 3 104 and the cross - clock domain blocks ccd 13 109 and ccd 23 107 can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation , corresponding to test stimuli shifted - in through scan chains in one clock domain , cd 3 104 , as well as test responses captured by ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 . this solution can target all faults in a whole circuit without the need of assigning any unknown values . as a result , it is possible to achieve high fault coverage . the number of test pattern is also smaller than that of prior - art solution # 1 and prior - art solution # 2 since a fault in any clock domain or any cross - clock domain block can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation corresponding to any capture operation . however , a sequential atpg program needs to be used with the capability of handling multiple timeframes . this will significantly increase cpu time and memory usage so that in practice , the number of timeframes may have to be limited to a rather smaller number than the number of scan clocks . obviously , this limitation will compromise the usefulness of this solution . fig5 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with regard to prior - art solution # 4 . the meanings of nodes and edges are the same as explained for fig2 a . fig5 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig5 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults ( referred to as faults ) and with regard to prior - art solution # 4 . as shown in fig5 c , this solution requires that scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 , be activated one by one in a selected order during each capture operation , and that the capture pulse delays between ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 and between ck 2 121 and ck 3 122 are larger than the possible corresponding clock skews . this will guarantee that the test responses captured during a capture operation are not affected by unpredictable clock skews . generally , if scan clocks are activated in this manner , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can only be fully represented by several copies of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , each with a different set of constraints on its inputs and outputs and each corresponding to a different timeframe , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . this solution processes the multiple circuit model copies for different timeframes all at the same time by conducting circuit expansion to generate a complete set of data containing all the circuit model copies . that is , circuit expansion is a circuit modeling technique that uses multiple copies of a block to represent the different state of the block at different times . note that circuit expansion needs to be conducted under a given order of capture clock pulses . in the example shown in fig5 b and fig5 c , the capture order is ck 1 120 → ck 2 121 → ck 3 122 . different capture orders will result in different results of circuit expansion . obviously , after circuit expansion , it is not necessary to handle scan clocks explicitly and atpg and fault simulation can be complete conducted on a combinational circuit model . this solution can use a combinational atpg program when test patterns are to be generated deterministically . fault coverage is high since all faults in a whole circuit can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation . the cpu time is also less than that of prior - art solution # 3 since the latter needs to use a sequential atpg program . the number of test pattern is smaller than that of prior - art solution # 1 and prior - art solution # 2 since a fault in any clock domain or any cross - clock domain block can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation corresponding to any capture operation . however , the memory usage may be high in some cases since multiple copies of the same block may be needed at the same time . fig6 a shows a flow diagram of the method for atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation with clock grouping and circuit expansion in scan - test mode , in accordance with the present invention . the method accepts the user - supplied rtl ( register - transfer level ) or gate - level hdl ( hardware design language ) code 601 representing a scan - based integrated circuit design . in addition , input constraints 602 and an optional foundry library 603 are also provided . the input constraints 602 contain input constraint information on all clocks and scan enable ( se ) signals . this method consists of compilation 604 , model transformation 607 , predetermined pattern fault simulation 609 , atpg 610 , and post - processing 611 . the compilation step 604 compiles the hdl code 601 into a sequential circuit model 605 . the model transformation step 607 converts the sequential circuit model 605 into an equivalent combinational circuit model 608 . circuit expansion based on the clock grouping information 606 is also conducted at this step . the predetermined pattern fault simulation step 609 identifies the faults that are detected by a set of predetermined patterns . the atpg step 610 generates test patterns for detecting faults . finally , the post - processing step 611 generates hdl test benches and ate ( automatic test equipment ) test programs 612 . all reports and errors are stored in the report files 613 . fig6 b shows a flow diagram of the method for fault simulation with clock grouping and circuit expansion in self - test mode , in accordance with the present invention . the method accepts the user - supplied rtl ( register - transfer level ) or gate - level hdl ( hardware design language ) code 651 representing a scan - based integrated circuit design . in addition , input constraints 652 and an optional foundry library 653 are also provided . the input constraints 652 contain input constraint information on all clocks and scan enable ( se ) signals . this method consists of compilation 654 , model transformation 657 , pseudo - random pattern fault simulation 659 , and post - processing 660 . the compilation step 654 compiles the hdl code 651 into a sequential circuit model 655 . the model transformation step 657 converts the sequential circuit model 655 into an equivalent combinational circuit model 658 . circuit expansion based on the clock grouping information 656 is also conducted at this step . the pseudo - random pattern fault simulation step 659 identifies the faults that are detected by a set of pseudo - random patterns . finally , the post - processing step 660 generates hdl test benches and ate ( automatic test equipment ) test programs 661 . all reports and errors are stored in the report files 662 . fig7 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a first embodiment of the present invention . 3 nodes are used to represent the 3 clock domains , cd 1 102 to cd 3 104 . the corresponding scan clocks , ck 1 120 to ck 3 122 , are also shown in the nodes for easy comprehension . the directed edge between two nodes represents a cross - clock domain block . for example , the edge 701 represents the cross - clock domain block ccd 12 105 as shown in fig1 . in addition , there are two clock groups . one consists of two scan clocks , ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 , as well as the corresponding clock domains , cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 . the other consists of one scan clock ck 3 122 and its corresponding clock domain , cd 3 104 . fig7 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig7 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults , ( referred to as faults ) with regard to clock grouping in a first embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment requires that all scan clocks be grouped into a set of clock groups and that the scan clocks in only one clock group be activated during each capture operation . in addition , if a clock group contains multiple scan clocks , this embodiment requires that the scan clocks be activated one by one in a selected order and that the capture pulse delay between any scan clocks is larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . for example , fig7 a shows two scan clock groups , cg 1 707 ={ ck 1 120 , ck 121 } and cg 2 708 ={ ck 3 122 }, which capture in different capture operations . when clock group cg 1 707 captures , a capture order of ck 1 120 → ck 2 121 is used . that is , scan clocks ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 are allowed to capture one by one during a capture operation but the capture pulse delay between ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 should be larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . generally , if a clock group contains only one scan clock , the circuit behavior when the scan clock captures can be fully represented by only one copy of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit . if a clock group contains multiple scan clocks , this embodiment conducts circuit expansion in order to represent the circuit behavior with only one set of circuit data . the reason why this is possible is that circuit expansion uses multiple copies of a logic block to represent the different state of the block at different times . in fig7 b , for example , circuit expansion is conducted for clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 . optionally , circuit expansion can also be conducted for cross - clock domain blocks between cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 . during a capture operation where scan clocks ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 capture , all faults in clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 as well as cross - clock domain blocks between cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 can be targeted . during a capture operation where scan clock ck 3 122 captures , all faults in clock domains cd 3 104 as well as cross - clock domain blocks ccd 13 109 and ccd 23 107 can be targeted . this embodiment of the present invention only needs a combinational atpg program when test patterns are to be generated deterministically . in addition , this embodiment can alleviate the disadvantages of both prior - art solution # 1 and prior - art solution # 4 . the number of test patterns will be smaller than that of prior - art solution # 1 since any fault in clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 can be targeted during the same capture operation . the memory usage will be less than that of prior - art solution # 4 since circuit expansion is only conducted for part of a circuit . fig8 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a second embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig8 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig8 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults , ( referred to as faults ) with regard to clock grouping in a second embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment requires that all scan clocks be grouped into a set of clock groups and that the clock groups be activated one by one in a selected order during each capture operation . in addition , the capture pulse delays between each clock group should be larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . furthermore , if a clock group contains multiple scan clocks , this embodiment requires that the scan clocks are activated one by one in a selected order and that the capture pulse delay between any scan clocks is larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . for example , fig8 a shows two scan clock groups , cg 1 807 ={ ck 1 120 , ck 121 } and cg 2 808 ={ ck 3 122 }, which capture one by one during any capture operation . when clock group cg 1 808 captures , a capture order of ck 1 120 → ck 2 121 is used . that is , scan clocks ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 are allowed to capture one by one during a capture operation but the capture pulse delay between ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 should be larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . generally , if scan clocks are activated in this manner , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can only be fully represented by several copies of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , each with a different set of constraints on its inputs and outputs and each corresponding to a different timeframe , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . this embodiment only selects one copy of the combinational logic portion . obviously , some constraints on the inputs and outputs of the selected copy have to be set to unknown ( x ) values since other related copies are discarded . in addition , for those scan clocks in one clock group , this embodiment conducts circuit expansion in order to represent the corresponding circuit behavior with only one set of circuit data . the reason why this is possible is that circuit expansion uses multiple copies of a logic block to represent the different state of the block at different times . in fig8 b , for example , circuit expansion is conducted for clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 . optionally , circuit expansion can also be conducted for cross - clock domain blocks between cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 . for example , in atpg and fault simulation for the clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 , it is necessary to assign unknown values to the signal lines coming from ccd 31 110 and ccd 32 108 . however , only one expanded copy of the clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 is used . this way , the atpg results are guaranteed to be accurate even clock skews may exist between different clock domains . this embodiment of the present invention only needs a combinational atpg program when test patterns are to be generated deterministically . in addition , this embodiment can alleviate the disadvantages of both prior - art solution # 2 and prior - art solution # 4 . the fault coverage of this embodiment will be higher than that of prior - art solution # 2 since a smaller number of unknown values are assigned . the memory usage will be less than that of prior - art solution # 4 since circuit expansion is only conducted for part of a circuit . fig9 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a third embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig9 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig9 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults , ( referred to as faults ) with regard to clock grouping in a third embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment requires that all scan clocks be grouped into a set of clock groups and that the clock groups be activated one by one in a selected order during each capture operation . in addition , the capture pulse delays between each clock group should be larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . furthermore , if a clock group contains multiple scan clocks , this embodiment requires that the scan clocks are activated one by one in a selected order and that the capture pulse delay between any scan clocks is larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . for example , fig9 a shows two scan clock groups , cg 1 907 ={ ck 1 120 , ck 121 } and cg 2 908 ={ ck 3 122 }, which capture one by one during any capture operation . when clock group cg 1 908 captures , a capture order of ck 1 120 → ck 2 121 is assumed . that is , scan clocks ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 are allowed to capture one by one during a capture operation but the capture pulse delay between ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 should be larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . generally , if scan clocks are activated in this manner , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can only be fully represented by several copies of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , each with a different set of constraints on its inputs and outputs and each corresponding to a different timeframe , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . this embodiment processes the multiple circuit model copies for different timeframes in a series manner one by one . in addition , for those scan clocks in one clock group , this embodiment conducts circuit expansion in order to represent the corresponding circuit behavior with only one set of circuit data . the reason why this is possible is that circuit expansion uses multiple copies of a logic block to represent the different state of the block at different times . in fig9 b , for example , circuit expansion is conducted for clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 . optionally , circuit expansion can also be conducted for cross - clock domain blocks between cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 . when scan clocks ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 are activated one by one , all stuck - at faults in the clock domains cd 1 102 and cd 2 103 , as well as the cross - clock domain blocks ccd 12 105 and ccd 21 106 , can be targeted in the same run of atpg and fault simulation , corresponding to test stimuli shifted - in through scan chains in three clock domains , cd 1 102 to cd 3 104 . when the scan clock ck 3 122 is activated , all stuck - at fault in the clock domain cd 3 104 and the cross - clock domain blocks ccd 13 109 and ccd 23 107 can be targeted in atpg and fault simulation , corresponding to test stimuli shifted - in through scan chains in two clock domains , cd 2 103 and cd 3 104 , as well as test responses captured by ck 1 120 and ck 2 121 . this embodiment of the present invention can alleviate the disadvantages of both prior - art solution # 3 and prior - art solution # 4 . a sequential atpg program needs to be used but with fewer timeframes . this will result in less cpu time and memory usage than prior - art solution # 3 . the memory usage will be less than that of prior - art solution # 4 since circuit expansion is only conducted for part of a circuit . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture , with regard to clock grouping in a fourth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig7 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses two at - speed pulses for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture . refer to the descriptions of fig7 for more details . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a fifth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture , with regard to clock grouping in a fifth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig8 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses two at - speed pulses for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture . refer to the descriptions of fig8 for more details . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a sixth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture , with regard to clock grouping in a sixth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig9 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses two at - speed pulses for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture . refer to the descriptions of fig9 for more details . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a seventh embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift with regard to clock grouping in a seventh embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig7 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses one at - speed pulse for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift . refer to the descriptions of fig7 for more details . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in an eighth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift , with regard to clock grouping in an eighth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig8 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses one at - speed pulse for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift . refer to the descriptions of fig8 for more details . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a ninth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift , with regard to clock grouping in a ninth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig9 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses one at - speed pulse for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift . refer to the descriptions of fig9 for more details . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a tenth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults , with regard to clock grouping in a tenth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment requires that all scan clocks be grouped into a set of clock groups and that the scan clocks in only one clock group be activated during each capture operation . in addition , if a clock group contains multiple scan clocks , this embodiment requires that the scan clocks be activated one by one in a selected order and that the capture pulse delay between any scan clocks is larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . generally , if a clock group contains only one scan clock , the circuit behavior when the scan clock captures can be fully represented by only one copy of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit . if a clock group contains multiple scan clocks that are activated one by one in a selected order , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can only be fully represented by several copies of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , each with a different set of constraints on its inputs and outputs and each corresponding to a different timeframe , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . this embodiment processes the multiple circuit model copies for different timeframes in a serial manner one by one . this embodiment of the present invention only needs a sequential atpg program when test patterns are to be generated deterministically . in addition , this embodiment can alleviate the disadvantage of prior - art solution # 3 by reducing cpu time and memory usage . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating stuck - at faults , bridging faults , or iddq faults , with regard to clock grouping in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment requires that all scan clocks be grouped into a set of clock groups and that the scan clocks in all clock groups be activated during each capture operation . in addition , this embodiment requires that the scan clocks be activated one by one in a selected order and that the capture pulse delay between any scan clocks is larger than the possible corresponding clock skew . generally , if scan clocks are activated in this manner , the circuit behavior during a capture operation can only be fully represented by several copies of the corresponding combinational logic portion in the circuit , each with a different set of constraints on its inputs and outputs and each corresponding to a different timeframe , for the purpose of atpg and fault simulation . this embodiment processes the multiple circuit model copies for different timeframes in a series manner one by one for scan clocks in the clock group cg 1 1707 . however , for the scan clock in the clock group cg 2 1708 , some constraints on the inputs and outputs of the corresponding circuit copy are set to unknown ( x ) values . this embodiment of the present invention only needs a sequential atpg program when test patterns are to be generated deterministically . in addition , this embodiment can alleviate the disadvantages of prior - art solution # 2 and prior - art solution # 3 by achieving higher fault coverage with lower memory usage . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a twelfth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture , with regard to clock grouping in a twelfth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig1 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses two at - speed pulses for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture . refer to the descriptions of fig1 for more details . fig1 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig1 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig1 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture , with regard to clock grouping in a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig1 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses two at - speed pulses for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from capture . refer to the descriptions of fig1 for more details . fig2 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig2 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig2 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift , with regard to clock grouping in a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig1 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses one at - speed pulse for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift . refer to the descriptions of fig1 for more details . fig2 a shows the domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among the clock domains shown in fig1 , with clock grouping in a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention . the meanings of nodes , edges , and clock groups are the same as explained in fig7 a . fig2 b shows the scan clock waveforms in atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation and fig2 c shows the scan clock waveforms in actual test application , both for detecting or locating transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift , with regard to clock grouping in a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is basically the same as the embodiment shown in fig1 . the only difference is that this embodiment uses one at - speed pulse for each capture . this allows this embodiment to detect or locate transition faults or path - delay faults launched from shift . refer to the descriptions of fig1 for more details . fig2 a shows a domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among 8 inter - related clock domains , cd 1 2201 to cd 8 2208 . here , 8 vertexes are used to represent the 8 clock domains , cd 1 2201 to cd 8 2208 . the corresponding clocks , ck 1 2221 to ck 8 2228 , for the clock domains are also shown in the vertexes for the purpose of easy comprehension . the directed arc between any two vertexes represents a cross - clock domain logic block . for example , the arc 2232 represents the cross - clock domain logic block from the clock domain cd 2 2202 to the clock domain cd 1 2201 . fig2 b shows the fault detection or location range for one ordered sequence of capture clocks for the clock domains shown in fig2 a , in accordance with the present invention , where clock domain grouping is conducted . since clock domains cd 7 2207 and cd 8 2208 do not interact with each other , they can be captured at the same time . in addition , since clock domains cd 3 2203 and cd 5 2205 do not interact with each other , they can be captured at the same time . similarly , since clock domains cd 3 2203 and cd 6 2206 do not interact with each other , they can be captured at the same time . however , since clock domains cd 5 2205 and cd 6 2206 interact with each other , they cannot be captured at the same time . based on this analysis , it can be seen the ordered sequence of capture clocks can be picked up as follows : { ck 7 2227 , ck 8 2228 }→ ck 1 2221 → ck 2 2222 →{ ck 3 2223 , ck 5 2225 }→ ck 6 2226 → ck 4 2224 . alternatively , the ordered sequence of capture clocks can be picked up as follows : { cd 7 2227 , cd 8 2228 }→ cd 1 2221 → ck 2 2222 →{ ck 3 2223 , ck 6 2224 }→ ck 5 2225 → ck 4 2224 . that is , some clock domains can be grouped together and captured simultaneously . this will reduce test time . fig2 a shows a domain - interconnect graph used to represent the relationship among 5 inter - related clock domains , cd 1 2301 to cd 4 2305 . here , 5 vertexes are used to represent the 5 clock domains , cd 1 2301 to cd 4 2305 . the corresponding clocks , ck 1 2321 to ck 5 2325 , for the clock domains are also shown in the vertexes for the purpose of easy comprehension . the directed arc between any two vertexes represents a cross - clock domain logic block . for example , the arc 2351 represents the cross - clock domain logic block from the clock domain cd 2 2302 to the clock domain cd 1 2301 . fig2 b shows the fault detection or location range for one ordered sequence of capture clocks , { ck 1 2321 , ck 5 2325 }→ ck 2 2322 → ck 3 2323 → ck 4 2324 , for the clock domains , cd 1 2321 to cd 4 2324 , shown in fig2 a , in accordance with the present invention . the ordered sequence of capture clocks is determined automatically based on the domain - interconnect graph shown in fig2 a . it can also be specified directly . note that test stimuli are shifted into the scan chains in all clock domains simultaneously . then the capture operation is conducted in the following manner : first , the clocks ck 1 2321 and ck 5 2325 , which do not interact with each other , capture . as a result , faults in the clock domain cd 1 2301 as well as in the cross - clock domain logic blocks 2351 and 2357 can be detected or located . in addition , faults in the clock domain cd 5 2305 as well as in the cross - clock domain logic blocks 2356 and 2359 can be detected or located . second , the clock ck 2 2322 captures . as a result , faults in the clock domain cd 2 2302 as well as in the cross - clock domain logic block 2352 can be detected or located . third , the clock ck 3 2323 captures . as a result , faults in the clock domain cd 3 2303 as well as in the cross - clock domain logic block 2354 can be detected or located . fourth , the clock ck 4 2324 captures . as a result , faults in the clock domain cd 4 2304 can be detected or located . obviously , after atpg is conducted for the ordered sequence of capture clocks , { ck 1 2321 , ck 5 2325 }→ ck 2 2322 → ck 3 2323 → ck 4 2324 , all faults except those in the cross - clock domain logic blocks represented by the arcs 2353 and 2355 can be detected or located . the reason is that , when the clocks ck 2 2322 and ck 3 2323 capture , test responses will be captured into all scan cells in the clock domains cd 2 2302 and cd 3 2303 , replacing any previous values shifted into these scan cells when the clocks ck 3 2323 and ck 4 2324 capture , respectively . fig2 c shows the fault detection or location range for one more ordered sequence of capture clocks , ck 4 2324 → ck 3 2323 , for the clock domains , cd 4 2304 to cd 3 2303 , shown in fig2 a , in accordance with the present invention . the ordered sequence of capture clocks is determined automatically based on the domain - interconnect graph shown in fig2 a . it can also be specified directly . note that test stimuli are shifted into the scan chains in all clock domains simultaneously . then the capture operation is conducted in the following manner : first , the clock ck 4 2324 captures . as a result , faults in the clock domain cd 4 2304 as well as in the cross - clock domain logic block 2355 can be detected or located . second , the clock ck 3 2323 captures . as a result , faults in the clock domain cd 3 2303 as well as in the cross - clock domain logic block 2353 can be detected or located . combined with results shown in fig2 b , it can be seen that all faults in the scan - based integrated circuit can be detected or located , after using these two ordered sequence of capture clocks . fig2 d shows the fault detection or location range for one ordered sequence of capture clocks , { ck 1 2321 , ck 5 2325 }→ ck 2 2322 → ck 3 2323 → ck 4 2324 , for the clock domains , cd 1 2301 to cd 4 2304 , shown in fig2 a , in accordance with the present invention , where clock domain merging is conducted . in this case , three clock domains , cd 2 2302 , cd 3 2303 , and cd 4 2304 , are merged together . it means that two - time frames will be used for circuit transformation related to these three clock domains and their corresponding cross - clock domain logic blocks . the benefits are as follows : even the clock ck 3 2323 captures after the clock ck 2 2322 does , the controllability of the cross - clock domain logic block 2353 is still high since the clock domain cd 2 2302 is also transformed to obtain the values in the clock domain cd 2 2302 after the clock ck 2 2322 captures . as a result , all faults in the cross - clock domain logic block 2353 can be detected or located . in addition , even the clock ck 4 2324 captures after the clocks ck 2 2322 and ck 3 2323 do , the controllability of the cross - clock domain logic block 2355 is still high since the clock domains cd 2 2302 and cd 3 2303 as well as the cross - clock domain logic block 2353 are also transformed to obtain the values in the clock domains cd 2 2302 and cd 3 2303 as well as the cross - clock domain logic block 2353 after the clocks ck 2 2322 and ck 3 2323 capture . as a result , all faults in the cross - clock domain logic block 2355 can be detected or located . that is , by merging the 3 clock domains , cd 2 2302 , cd 3 2303 , and cd 4 2304 , only one ordered sequence of capture clocks is enough to detect or locate all faults in the scan - based integrated circuit . fig2 a shows a prior art solution for handling uncontrollability when using a single time - frame in the multiple - capture scheme . the clock domain cd 1 2401 interacts to the clock domain cd 2 2402 through the cross - clock domain logic block ccd 12 2403 . the q output 2409 of the scan cell sc 1 2404 , driven by the clock ck 1 2406 , is connected to the cross - clock domain logic block ccd 12 2403 . the d input 2410 of the d input of the scan cell sc 2 2405 , driven by the clock ck 2 2407 , is connected to the cross - clock domain logic block ccd 12 2403 . suppose that the clock ck 1 2406 is activated before the clock ck 2 2407 is activated in the multiple - capture scheme . when the clock ck 1 2406 captures , the clock domain cd 1 2401 needs to be transformed during atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) for detecting or locating all faults in the clock domain cd 1 2401 . note that , after the clock ck 1 2406 is activated , test responses will be captured into all scan cells in the clock domain cd 1 2401 , replacing any previous values shifted into these scan cells . now , when the clock ck 2 2407 captures , the clock domain cd 1 2401 , the cross - clock domain ccd 12 2403 , and the clock domain cd 2 2402 need to be transformed during atpg for detecting or locating all faults in the cross - clock domain logic block ccd 12 303 and the clock domain cd 2 2402 . here , two time - frames are involved : the first one for ck 1 2406 and the second one for ck 2 2407 . the purpose of transforming the clock domain cd 1 2401 is to get the values for the first time - frame for ck 1 2406 . due to the atpg memory consumption issue , it is sometimes desirable to use a single time - frame even in the multiple - capture scheme for multiple capture clocks . in this example , this means to transform only the cross - clock domain ccd 12 2403 and the clock domain cd 2 2402 during atpg when the clock ck 2 2407 captures . the advantage of this approach is that it reduces memory usage during atpg . however , it is necessary to provide a solution to handle the values provided from the clock domain cd 1 2401 to the cross - clock domain logic block ccd 21 2403 . a prior art solution for handling this uncontrollability issue is to use unknown values , represented by x . as shown in fig2 a , x is assigned to the q output 2409 of the scan cell sc 1 2404 . the disadvantage of this solution is that it reduces the controllability significantly , which will results in a larger set of test patterns with lower fault coverage . fig2 b shows an embodiment of the method for handling uncontrollability when using a single time - frame in the multiple - capture scheme , in accordance with the present invention . same as the case shown in fig2 a , if the clock ck 1 2406 captures before the clock ck 2 2407 captures , test responses will be captured into all scan cells in the clock domain cd 1 2401 , replacing any previous values shifted into these scan cells . suppose that a single time - frame needs to be used in the multiple - capture scheme for multiple capture clocks in order to reduce memory usage . in this example , this means to transform only the cross - clock domain ccd 12 2403 and the clock domain cd 2 2402 during atpg when the clock ck 2 2407 captures . obviously , it is necessary to provide a solution to handle the values provided from the clock domain cd 1 2401 to the cross - clock domain logic block ccd 21 2403 . in order to handle this uncontrollability issue , the present invention makes sure that the value of the q output 2409 of the scan cell sc 1 2404 remains the same before and after the clock ck 1 2406 captures . this can be achieved by setting a proper value either to the d input 2408 or the r ( reset ) input 2411 of the scan cell sc 1 2404 . since a logic value , 0 or 1 , is used instead of an unknown value x , the controllability for the cross - clock domain ccd 12 2403 and the clock domain cd 2 2402 can be improved significantly . this will result in a smaller set of test patterns with higher fault coverage . fig2 shows an electronic design automation system which includes a processor 2502 , a bus 2505 coupled to the processor , a computer - readable memory 2501 coupled to the bus , an input device 2503 , and an output device 2504 . the computer - readable memory 2501 contains a computer - readable program , in accordance with the present invention and described in fig6 a and fig6 b , to cause the electronic design automation system to perform a method of atpg ( automatic test pattern generation ) and fault simulation based on clock grouping and circuit expansion for testing a scan - based integrated in scan - test mode or self - test mode . the processor 2502 may represent a central processing unit of a personal computer , workstation , mainframe computer or other suitable digital processing device . the memory 2501 can be an electronic memory or a magnetic or optical disk - based memory , or various combinations thereof . a designer interacts with the clock grouping and circuit expansion based atpg and fault simulation software run by the processor 2502 to provide appropriate inputs via an input device 2503 , which may be a keyboard , disk drive or other suitable source of design information . the processor 2502 provides outputs to the designer via an output device 2504 , which may be a display , a printer , a disk drive or various combinations of these and other elements . having thus described presently preferred embodiments of the present invention , it can now be appreciated that the objectives of the invention have been fully achieved . and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and circuitry , and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the disclosures and the description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limitation of the invention , more preferably defined in scope by the following claims . | 6 |
the invention relates to compounds , reagents and methods for determining cations in a sample . the invention allows quantitative determination of cations in blood serum and other biological fluids by spectrophotometric technique in a homogeneous single phase solvent system that requires no sample pretreatment . the compounds are defined in formula i , and reagents preferably comprise compounds of formula i and may contain one or more interfering cation complexing compound masks . suitable interfering cation complexing compound masks are non - chromogenic and include spherands , hemispherands , cryptahemispherands , cryptands and podands . the compounds of this invention may be utilized in compositions for making cation determinations on automated clinical chemistry analyzers such as the technicon chem - 1 ® clinical chemistry analyzer , the technicon ra - 1000 ® clinical chemistry analyzer and the technicon smac ® clinical chemistry analyzer . additionally , the compounds of this invention may be utilized in compositions for making cation determinations on industrial or other non - clinical chemistry automated analyzers such as the technicon traacs 800 ™ analyzer . moreover , the compounds of this invention may be utilized in compositions for making cation determinations by manual methods or standard uv / vis spectrophotometers . in one embodiment of the invention , chromogenic cryptand 3 . 2 . 2 is particularly effective for potassium cation determination . in another embodiment of the invention , chromogenic cryptand 3 . 3 . 2 has good sodium cation selectivity . in another embodiment of the invention , reagents and methods of the invention are used for determining potassium ion concentration of a sample comprising a mixture of potassium and sodium ions . the sodium ion complexing compound mask prevents sodium ions from complexing with chromogenic cryptands , thereby providing favorable conditions for promoting chromogenic cryptand - potassium ion complex formation . in another embodiment of the invention , compounds , reagents and methods of the invention are used for determining sodium ion concentration of a sample comprising a mixture of potassium and sodium ions . determination of sodium ion concentration using compounds of the invention may be further improved using potassium ion complexing compound masks . the potassium ion complexing compound mask prevents potassium ions from complexing with chromogenic cryptands , thereby providing favorable conditions for promoting chromogenic cryptand - sodium ion complex formation . the sample fluids on which cation determinations can be performed using the compounds and compositions of this invention include biological , physiological , industrial , environmental and other types of liquids . of particular interest are biological fluids such as serum , plasma , urine , cerebrospinal fluids , saliva , milk , broth and other culture media and supernatants , as well as fractions of any of them . other sources of sample fluid which are tested by conventional methods are also contemplated as within the meaning of the term &# 34 ; sample &# 34 ; as used herein , and can have ionic determinations performed on them in accordance with this invention . the skilled artisan will recognize that the presence of other ionic species , i . e ., calcium , magnesium , and lithium , may also be determined using the compounds and compositions of this invention . the chromogenic cryptands may be used to produce color in the visible range upon interaction with cations . the solvent system consists of water and water miscible organic solvent in proportions to obtain maximum sensitivity but to avoid sample pretreatment , such as protein precipitation , extraction or phase separation . cyclic ethers , glycol ethers , amides , aliphatic alcohols with , for example , three to eight carbon atoms and / or sulfoxides possess excellent photometric properties and are suitable water - miscible organic solvents useful in the present invention . dioxane and tetrahydrofuran are particularly suitable as cyclic ethers , while ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers , particularly methyl , ethyl , propyl and butyl cellosolve , are suitable as glycol ethers , and formamide , dimethylformamide ( dmf ), pyrrolidone and n - alkylpyrrolidones , e . g ., n - methylpyrrolidone ( nmp ), are suitable as amides . aliphatic alcohols such as methanol and ethanol are also suitable , but better results are obtained in alcohols with three to eight carbon atoms such as isopropanol , n - propanol , butanols , amyl alcohols , hexanols , heptanols and octanols . dimethyl sulfoxide is also a suitable solvent . the water - dioxane solvent system has proved particularly advantageous . it has been found that a large number of water - miscible organic solvents , such as , for example , acetone , methyl ethyl ketone and glacial acetic acid are unsuitable as reaction media . the solvent system of the present invention differs from klink , et al ., which teaches suitable reagent solvent systems as including a water - miscible organic solvent in amounts achieving a water to organic solvent ratio of about 1 : 4 to 1 : 6 . the present invention teaches solvent systems of about 1 : 0 . 5 to 1 : 2 , and preferably includes a surfactant and higher ph . the solvent system of the present invention obviates the need for removal of protein from a serum sample . other components may also be included in the compositions of this invention , such as buffers and stabilizers . additional ion masks may be employed to remove the effect of interfering ionic species . because of the importance of maintaining ph at a specific level in making accurate cation determinations , buffer may be included in compositions of this invention for the purpose of controlling the ph . suitable buffers for maintaining the ph include cyclohexylaminopropanesulfonic acid ( chaps ), cyclohexylaminoethanesulfonic acid ( ches ), triethanolamine , diethanolamine , ethanolamine , 2 - naphthalene sulfonic acid , and salicylic acid . preferably , in making a cation determination , the ph of the composition is maintained at about 8 - 12 . the compositions of this invention may also include a surfactant in order to aid in protein solubilization . surfactants are also used in many automated analyzers for hydraulic reasons . suitable surfactants for use in the compositions of this invention include sorbitan monoleate ( commercially available as tween - 80 ® from ici americas co . of wilmington , de ) and polyoxyethylene lauryl ether ( commercially available as brij - 35 ® from ici americas co . of wilmington , de ). reagents of the invention are mixed with a sample to be tested . after mixing of reagent and sample , absorbance of the resulting solution is measured to determine concentration of the cation of interest . the invention also includes reagents and methods for determining cations in a sample , wherein said method employs a reagent comprising a chromogenic cryptand , and a carrier matrix comprising a porous or wettable material . in a single layer format , the carrier matrix can be formed from materials such as paper , cardboard , porous polymers , polymer fiber and natural felts , and other suitable materials . preferred as carrier matrix materials are filter paper , and porous high density polyethylene . in a multilayer analytical element format , the buffer can be stored in an upper layer and the cryptand in a lower layer in a superimposed laminar fashion . the matrices for these layers can be formed from materials such as gelatin , water soluble or water swellable polymers , and other suitable materials . in addition to those two layers , a spreading layer , a reflecting layer and a support material can be incorporated to form an integral analytical element . the reagent may also comprise one or more interfering cation complexing compound masks . in one embodiment of the invention , the sample is blood serum or plasma , the carrier matrix is a device that is a dimensionally stable , uniformly porous , diffusely reflective single layer formed of a polymeric non - fibrous matrix , and the method comprises the following steps : ( a ) preparing a reagent mixture consisting essentially of one or more water - soluble polymeric binders , a surfactant , a compound according to formula i , water and a buffer ; in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the method comprises the following steps : ( a ) preparing a reagent mixture comprising a first organic solvent having low vapor pressure and high boiling point , a second organic solvent that is more volatile than first solvent , a compound of formula i , and a buffer ; the reagent may also comprise one or more interfering cation complexing compound masks . step ( a ) advantageously incorporates both solvents and the organic buffer in one step , and elminates the need for drying step between solvent addition and buffer addition . preferred reagents comprise a first solvent such as trialkylphosphate , triarylphosphate , dialkyladipate , dialkylsebacate , dialkylphthalate , and a second solvent such as cyclohexanone , tetrahydrofuran , dioxane , methanol and diethylether . preferred reagents comprise one or more water soluble polymeric binders selected from the group including polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , polyacrylic acid , methyl cellulose , hydroxymethylcellulose and gelatin . preferred reagents further comprise one or more organic buffers . examples of suitable organic buffers include triethanolamine , diethanolamine , ethanolamine , 2 - naphthalene sulfonic acid , salicylic acid , p - toluene sulfonic acid , chaps and ches . suitable buffers maintain a ph in the range of about 8 to about 12 . the matrix may be constructed in one of several ways . one suitable way involves sintering fine particulates of a high - density polyethylene , ultra - high molecular weight polyethylene , polypropylene , polyvinylidene fluoride , polytetrafluoroethylene , nylon , polyvinylchloride , polyesters , polysulfones and blends thereof . the matrix may be coated with a hydrophilic surfactant selected from the group including polyoxyethyleneoctyl phenols , polyoxyethylenenonyl phenols , and polyoxyethylenelauryl ethers . by incorporating a suitable carrier matrix with the reagent , cation determination can be done using such a device . such a device lends itself to dry storage when not in use , thus enabling long shelf - life , and can be pressed into service immediately simply by contacting it with a small portion of the test sample , be it blood , serum , urine or other aqueous solution to be assayed . it can take on such formats as a dip - and - read strip for urine or a test slide for use with an automatic blood analyzer , or can form a multilayer structure such as is described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 992 , 158 and 4 , 292 , 272 . it is desirable that the carrier matrix comprise a porous or wettable material . thus , in a single layer format the carrier matrix can be formed from materials such as paper , cardboard , porous polymers , polymer fiber and natural felts , and other suitable materials . especially preferred as carrier matrix materials are filter paper , and porous high density polyethylene . in a multilayer analytical element format , the buffer can be stored in an upper layer and the chromogenic cryptand in a lower layer in a superimposed laminar fashion . the matrices for these layers can be formed from materials such as gelatin , water soluble or water swellable polymers , and other suitable materials . in addition to these two layers , a spreading layer , a reflecting layer and a support material can be incorporated to form an integral analytical element . the device is prepared by incorporating the carrier matrix with the test composition and , if desired , providing dried matrix with a support . thus the composition is applied to the matrix by inoculating the surface of the matrix or by dipping it into a solution of the composition . the thus - impregnated matrix can then be dried at room temperature or at elevated temperatures provided the temperature is not so high as to deleteriously affect the composition . the dried , impregnated carrier matrix can then be mounted , if desired , on a suitable support such as a circumferential frame which leaves the matrix exposed to the middle ; or the matrix can be mounted at one end of a plastic strip , the other end serving as a convenient handle . in one embodiment of the invention , the test sample containing sodium is contacted with the surface of the test device and the detectable response is measured at 620 nm or other appropriate wavelength on a reflectometer . experiments using varied known sodium concentrations yield a dose / response curve enabling clear correlation between changes in percent reflectance and sodium concentration in the millimolar range . the following examples illustrate but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . a chromogenic cryptand 3 . 3 . 2 was synthesized by the reaction pathway of fig1 and is shown as compound 7 . to a stirred mixture of anhydrous k 2 co 3 ( 30 g ) and methyl bromoacetate ( 30 . 5 g , 0 . 20 mol ) in 400 ml of acetone was added dropwise under nitrogen a solution of 2 - methoxyresorcinol ( 1 ) in 100 ml of acetone . the mixture was refluxed for 30 h . filtration of the inorganic material and evaporation of the solvent gave a residue which was column chromatographed on silica gel with methylene chloride - methanol ( 50 : 1 ) to afford 19 . 3 g ( 95 %) of 2 as a colorless , viscous liquid which solidified during storage in the form of white crystals ; m . p . 70 °- 72 ° c . calcd . for c 13 h 16 o 7 ( percent ): c , 54 . 93 ; h , 5 . 67 found : ( percent ): c , 54 . 82 ; h , 5 . 55 . dimethylester 2 ( 4 . 00 g , 14 mmol ) was suspended in 250 ml of water containing amberlyst ir - 120 ( h + ) ( 0 . 5 g ). the mixture was refluxed for 8 h . the resin was filtered and the water solution concentrated . a white crystalline material was separated and dried to give 3 . 33 g ( 93 %) of diacid 3 ; m . p . 148 °- 150 ° c . ( lit . mp 150 °- 152 ° c .). diacid 3 ( 2 . 50 g . 9 . 8 mmol ) was suspended in 15 ml of chloroform and the mixture was heated to reflux . thionyl chloride ( 3 ml ) was added dropwise to the refluxing suspension and it was refluxed overnight to give an almost clear solution . the reaction mixture was cooled , filtered , and evaporated in vacuo to afford 2 . 74 g ( 96 %) of a pale yellow solid with mp 61 . 5 °- 63 . 5 ° c . which was used subsequently without purification . to 225 ml of rapidly - stirred toluene at 0 ° c . under nitrogen were simultaneously added solutions of diacid chloride 4 ( 2 . 00 g , 6 , 8 mmol ) in 90 ml of toluene and kryptofix ® 3 . 3 ( 2 . 89 g , 6 . 8 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 2 . 5 ml ) in 88 ml of toluene during a 6 h period . after completion of the addition , the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . the solid material was filtered and the filtrate was evaporated in vacuo . the residue was column chromatographed on alumina with ethyl acetate - methanol ( 20 : 1 ) as eluent to give 1 . 85 g ( 48 %) of cryptand diamide 5 as a viscous colorless oil . calcd . for c 27 h 42 n 2 o 11 ( percent ): c , 56 . 83 ; h , 7 . 43 . found ( percent ): c , 56 . 49 ; h , 7 . 52 . the cryptand diamide 5 ( 1 . 05 g , 1 . 8 mmol ) was added to a suspension of lithium aluminum hydride ( 0 . 57 g , 15 . 0 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 60 ml ) and the mixture was refluxed for 20 h . after cooling , 3 . 0 ml of 5 % naoh was added . the inorganic precipitate was filtered and washed several times with tetrahydrofuran and with chloroform followed by suspension in water and extraction with chloroform . the washings and extracts were combined and the solvent was removed in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in chloroform and the solution was washed with water several times and evaporated in vacuo to give 0 . 87 g ( 91 %) of 6 as a viscous , extremely hygroscopic yellow oil . calcd . for c 26 h 44 n 2 o 9 0 . 75 h 2 o ( percent ); c , 57 . 60 ; h , 8 . 46 . found ( percent ): c , 57 . 60 ; h , 8 . 65 . to cryptand phenol 6 ( 1 . 18 g , 2 . 2 mmol ) was added 32 % naoh until the aqueous solution was basic . the clear , brown - colored solution was evaporated to dryness in vacuo . acetic acid ( 20 ml ) was added to the residue to give a clear yellow solution which was cooled to 0 ° c . a solution of p - nitrobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate ( 0 . 59 g , 2 . 5 mmol ) in water ( 30 ml ) was added dropwise with vigorous stirring . after the addition was completed , the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature and then evaporated to dryness . the residue was subjected to column chromatography on alumina with chloroform and then chloroform - ethanol ( 12 : 1 ) as eluents to give 1 . 10 g ( 73 %) of 7 as a red - brown semi - solid . calcd . for c 32 h 47 n 5 o 11 0 . 75 h 2 o ( percent ): c , 55 . 60 ; h , 7 . 07 . found ( percent ): c , 55 . 54 ; h , 7 . 00 . 1 . diacid 3 and diacid chloride 4 were described in merck &# 39 ; s patent : r . klink , b . bodar , j .- m . lehn , b . helfert , and r . bitsch , west german patent 3002779 , aug . 4 , 1983 . 2 . krypotfix ® 3 . 3 . was prepared by literature procedure reported by b . dietrich , j .- m . lehn , j . p . savage , and j . blanzat , tetrehedron , 29 , 1629 ( 1973 ). among the advantages of this synthesis is that it avoids a messy and low yield reaction of pyrogallol with chlorcacetic acid . the first two steps are straightforward and almost quantitative . the synthesis pathway also accomplishes reduction of the bicyclic diamide and demethylation in one single step using lialh 4 , and avoids the need for purification on a dowex ( oh - ) column . the pathway is shorter and gives higher yields than merck &# 39 ; s method . a chromogenic benzocryptand 3 . 2 . 2 was synthesized by the reaction pathway of fig2 and is shown as compound 11 . a 3000 ml 3 - neck flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and two syringe pumps was evacuated and filled with nitrogen . the flask was charged with toluene ( 265 ml ) and cooled to 0 ° c . in an ice bath . solution a consisting of kryptofix ® 3 . 2 ( 2 . 10 g , 6 . 8 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 80 g , 17 . 8 mmol ) in 35 ml of toluene and solution b consisting of diacid chloride 8 ( prepared in accordance with gansow , o . a . ; kausar , a . r . ; triplett , k . b . j . heterocyclic chem . 1981 , 18 , 297 ) ( 2 . 11 g , 6 . 8 mmol ) in 35 ml of toluene were added simultaneously to vigorously stirred toluene over 5 h . the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . the precipitated salt was filtered and the solvent was removed in vacuo to give a residue which was column chromotographed on an alumina column with chloroform - ethanol ( 100 : 2 ) to afford 1 . 00 g ( 27 %) of 9 as a light yellow fluffy solid . calcd . for c 24 n 35 n 3 o 11 ( percent ): c , 53 . 23 ; h , 6 . 51 . found ( percent ): c , 53 . 00 ; h , 6 . 61 . cryptand diamide 9 ( 1 . 00 g , 1 . 85 mmol ) was dissolved in 10 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran and 1 . 5 ml of 10m bh 3 ( ch 3 ) 2 s complex was added . the mixture was refluxed overnight . excess diborane was destroyed with water and the solvent was removed in vacuo . the residue was treated with 10 ml of 6n hcl at reflux for 7 h . water was removed in vacuo and the dihydrochloride was passed through a dowex ion exchange resin ( oh form ) to give 0 . 95 g ( approximately 100 %) of the crude product which was used in the next step without additional purification . nitrocryptand 10 ( 0 . 90 g , 1 . 75 mmol ) was dissolved in 50 ml of ethyl acetate and palladium on carbon ( 10 %) ( 0 . 3 g ) was added . the mixture was shaken under 40 psi of hydrogen pressure at room temperature . the catalyst was filtered and the solvent was removed to give 0 . 82 g of a brown oil , which was dissolved in methanol ( 3 ml ). to this solution sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 3 g ) and picryl chloride ( 0 . 5 g ) were added . the mixture turned immediately red and was refluxed for 6 h . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was column chromatographed on alumina with chloroform - ethanol ( 200 : 1 ) to produce 0 . 65 g ( 55 %) of a dark red oil . calcd . for c 30 h 42 n 6 o 13 ( percent ) c , 51 . 87 ; h , 6 . 0 %. found ( percent ): c , 51 . 62 , h , 6 . 12 . an experiment was conducted to compare the present invention with a state - of - the - art method for measuring sodium in serum . a series of random serum samples containing a broad range of sodium concentration was obtained . the samples were assayed in ra - 1000 ® analyzer ( technicon instruments corporation ) using the reagent formulation listed below : ______________________________________1 . 35 × 10 . sup .- 4 m chromogenic cryptand 3 . 3 . 2 ( compound 7 of fig1 ) 5 × 10 . sup .- 3 m edta ( divalent ion mask ) ph 10 ches 0 . 15m ( buffer ) 50 % ( v / v ) ethoxyethoxyethanol ( water miscible organic solvent ) 80 ( surfactant ) een ® ______________________________________ ______________________________________sensitivity 3 . 2 ma / mmmethod end pointtemperature 37 ° c . wavelength 600 nmsample volume 8 μlreagent volume 385 μldelay 5 min . ph 10 . 0dilution ratio 1 : 50______________________________________ the absorbance output from the ra - 1000 ® instrument for each sample was recorded and converted to sodium concentrations . the same set of serum samples was also assayed by ra - 1000 ise ® module for sodium concentrations . ______________________________________correlation data on ra - 1000 ® analyzerreference method ra - 1000 ise ® ______________________________________slope 1 . 00intercept - 3 . 17correlation coefficient 0 . 9820number of serum samples 53linear range , mm 80 - 200precision , cv 1 . 3 % ______________________________________ the data show good agreement between the method of the present invention and the state - of - the - art ise ® methodology . this example describes the use of chromogenic cryptand 3 . 3 . 2 for the assay of sodium in undiluted blood serum by dry chemistry technology . dry reagent analytical elements were prepared in the following manner . to each 1 / 2 inch diameter porous disk ( hdpe , 35 μm , 1 / 32 - inch thick ), 30 microliters of a reagent mixture containing 1 . 0 ml cyclohexanone , 0 . 1 ml tricresyl phosphate , 10 mg cellulose acetate , 1 mg chromogenic cryptand 3 . 3 . 2 ( compound 7 of fig1 ), 30 mg triethanolamine , 9 mg 2 - naphthalene sulfonic acid , and 5 mg brij - 35 were deposited , and the disks were allowed to dry at room temperature for five hours before storing in a desiccator for two hours . the disks were tested with 25 microliters of a clinical specimen such as serum or plasma . the diffuse reflective signals after two minutes incubation were measured at 620 nm on a modified infra - alyzer ( technicon instruments corporation ). the reflectance , r measurements were transformed to a linear function of sodium concentration ## equ1 ## where k is the absorption coefficient and s is the scattering coefficient . the plot of k / s versus sodium concentration is linear , as shown in fig3 . an experiment was conducted to compare the present invention with a state - of - the - art method for measuring sodium in serum . a series of random serum samples containing a broad range of sodium concentration was obtained . the samples were assayed on ra - 1000 ® analyzer ( technicon instruments corporation ) using the reagent formulation listed below : ______________________________________1 . 35 × 10 . sup .- 4 m chromogenic cryptand 3 . 2 . 2 . 2 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 3 m cryptand 3 . 2 . 2 . ( potassium mask ) 5 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 3 m edta50 % ( v / v ) ethoxyethoxyethanolph 11 . 2 cap5 0 . 15m2 . 5 % ( w / v ) tween - 80 ® ______________________________________ ______________________________________sensitivity 1 . 7 ma / mmmethod end pointtemperature 37 ° c . wavelength 600 nmsample volume 4 μlreagent volume 395 μldelay 5 min . ph 11 . 2dilution ratio 1 : 100______________________________________ the absorbance output from the ra - 1000 ® instrument for each sample was recorded and converted to sodium concentrations . the same set of serum samples was also assayed by ra - 1000 ise ® module for sodium concentrations . ______________________________________correlation data on ra - 1000 ® analyzerreference method ra - 1000 ise ® ______________________________________slope 1 . 13intercept - 12 . 47correlation coefficient 0 . 9505number of serum samples 80linear range mm 80 - 200precision , cv 2 . 1 % ______________________________________ the data show good correlation between the method of the present invention and the state - of - the - art methodology . an experiment was conducted to compare the present invention with a state - of - the - art method for measuring potassium in serum . a series of random serum samples containing a broad range of potassium concentrations was obtained . the samples were assayed in ra - 1000 ® analyzer ( technicon instruments corporation ) using the reagent formulation listed below : ______________________________________1 . 69 × 10 . sup .- 4 m chromogenic cryptand 3 . 2 . 23 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 2 m kryptofix ® 2 . 1 . 14 . 0 × 10 . sup .- 3 m edta ( divalent ion mask ) 60 % ( v / v ) ethoxyethoxyethanol ( water miscible organic solvent ) ph 11 caps 0 . 12m ( buffer ) 2 . 5 % ( w / v ) tween - 80 ® ( surfactant ) ______________________________________ ______________________________________sensitivity 12 . 0 ma / mmmethod end pointtemperature 37 ° c . wavelength 540 nmsample volume 4 μlreagent volume 395 μldelay 5 min . ph 11 . 5dilution ratio 1 : 100______________________________________ the absorbance output from the ra - 1000 ® analyzer for each sample was recorded and converted to potassium concentrations . the same set of serum samples was also assayed by ra - 1000 ise ® module for potassium concentrations . ______________________________________correlation data on ra - 1000 ® analyzerreference method ra - 1000 ise ® ______________________________________slope 1 . 10intercept - 0 . 26correlation coefficient 0 . 9704number of serum samples 41linear range , mm 0 - 14precision , cv 2 . 2 % ______________________________________ the data show good correlation between the method of the present invention and the state - of - the - art methodology . an experiment was performed to determine the response of a chromogenic benzocryptand 3 . 2 . 2 . ( shown as compound 11 in fig2 ) to potassium ions in aqueous test samples which also contained sodium ions in high concentration . a 0 . 1 mm stock solution of chromogenic benzocryptand 3 . 2 . 2 was prepared by dissolving 6 . 9 mg in 100 ml methylene chloride solvent . a stock buffer solution was prepared by dissolving 2 . 52 g of hepps ( n - hydroxyethyl - piperazine - n - 3 - propanesulfonic acid ) in 90 ml deionized water , adjusting the ph to 8 . 0 with 1 . 0m , tetramethylammonium hydroxide and bringing the total volume to 100 ml with deionized water . a series of test samples was prepared by adding varying amounts of potassium chloride ( potassium concentration range of 0 - 10 mm ) and a constant amount of sodium chloride ( sodium concentration of 140 mm ) to the stock buffer solution . to perform the assay , 2 . 0 ml of the stock chromogenic benzocryptand 3 . 2 . 2 and 1 . 0 ml of the test sample were pipetted in a test tube . the mixture in the test tube was agitated for 1 - 2 min on a vortex mixer . the test tube was set aside to allow the two solvent phases to separate . following the phase separation , the methylene chloride phase was transferred to an optical cuvette and the absorbance was measured at 450 nm wave length on a beckman du8 spectrophotometer . ______________________________________test samplespotassium sodium absorbance at ( mm ) ( mm ) 450 nm______________________________________0 140 0 . 76672 . 0 140 1 . 00304 . 0 140 1 . 09656 . 0 140 1 . 14418 . 0 140 1 . 198010 . 0 140 1 . 2010______________________________________ the results clearly indicate a response to potassium ions in the presence of very high concentration of sodium and hence the usefulness of chromogenic benzocryptand 3 . 2 . 2 in the quantitative determination of potassium in test samples such as blood serum without significant interference from high sodium concentrations . | 2 |
the embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non - limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description . descriptions of well - known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein . the examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein . accordingly , the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein . the embodiments herein provide a sniper localization system using distributed single microphone sensors or handheld computing devices ( e . g ., a personal digital assistant or “ pda ”) using only time differences of arrival (“ tdoa ”) between the shockwave and muzzle blast at each sensor . in addition , a sniper localization method using only the tdoa for determination of the sniper location and does not require the time synchronization across multiple sensors is described herein . referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 through 6 , where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures , there are shown preferred embodiments . fig1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a sniper localization apparatus 1 according to an embodiment . sniper localization apparatus 1 is a device , preferably embodied as a handheld device ; that comprises at least one processor or central processing unit ( cpu ) 10 . the cpus 10 are interconnected via system bus 12 to various devices such as a random access memory ( ram ) 14 , internal clock 16 and an input / output ( i / o ) adapter 18 . sniper localization apparatus 1 can read inventive instructions ( as described further below ) on ram 14 and follow these instructions to execute the methodology of the embodiments herein . internal clock 16 of sniper localization apparatus 1 is sufficiently stable to determine the tdoa between the shockwave and the muzzle blast of a firearm accurately . as described in further detail below , the time of arrival information for the shockwave can be used to determine the projectile &# 39 ; s trajectory : azimuth , elevation , and intercept with an arbitrary plane in the system coordinate frame . with additional information from the muzzle blast , an accurate location of the origin of the projectile and a line of bearing to the origin of the projectile can be determined . even when the muzzle blast is masked , shadowed , silenced or otherwise distorted , at least the bullet trajectory can be estimated from the shockwave alone . i / o adapter 18 connects non - volatile storage devices , such as magnetic disk units 20 and solid state storage units 22 , to system bus 12 . i / o adapter 18 also connects an acoustic sensor 24 to system bus 12 . acoustic sensor 24 is preferably configured as a single microphone sensor , which is capable of recording the acoustic signals due to firing a firearm . in addition , acoustic sensor 24 detects acoustic signals and detects ( in combination with internal clock 16 ) the time of arrival of muzzle blast and the shockwave and hence the tdoa between the two . sniper localization apparatus 1 may further include a communication adapter 26 that optionally connects bus 12 to a wireless communication network 26 a . additionally , sniper localization apparatus 1 may also include a user interface and display adapter 28 that connects a touch screen device 28 a , or other user interface devices , to the bus 12 to display output and gather user input . fig2 , with reference to fig1 , illustrates a schematic diagram of the geometry of a bullet trajectory and the shockwave cone . in fig2 , sniper z is located a position 30 and vector 32 ( or u in the equations below ) is the unit vector in the direction of a bullet ( not shown ) shot from position 30 . as the bullet travels at supersonic speed , the shockwave created generates a shockwave cone 34 with angle 36 θ , where sin θ = 1 / m , m is the mach number . the shockwave propagates perpendicular to the surface of shockwave cone 34 and reaches position 38 ( or s k in the equations below ) of acoustic sensor 24 . the point where the shockwave radiates towards the sensor is denoted by position 40 ( or a k in the equations below ). by the time the shockwave reaches position 38 , the bullet travels from position 40 to position 42 ( or c k in the equations below ) and the miss distance is the distance between the sensor s k and the projection of s k on to the trajectory denoted as position 48 ( or b k in the equations below ). the distance h k is defined as h k =∥ s k − b k ∥, where ∥ b ∥ denotes the norm of the vector b . in addition , angle 46 γ k is the angle between the trajectory of the in the equations that follow , t k is the time of arrival of muzzle blast and t k is the shockwave , where t k and t k are described by equation ( 1 ): where ν denotes the propagation velocity of the sound . noting that in the time the shockwave propagates from position 40 to position 38 as shown in fig2 , the bullet travels from position 40 to position 42 and that implies that the bullet travels from position 30 to position 42 during the time period t k . therefore , t k can be re - written as equation ( 2 ): where t is the transpose and noting that ∥ b k − z ∥ is the projection of the vector s k − z on to the trajectory of the bullet with vector 32 . trigonometric relations provide that ∥ b k − z ∥=∥ s k − z ∥ cos γ k and h k =∥ s k − z ∥ sin γ k and sin θ = 1 / m . applying these trigonometric relations to the equations above produces equation ( 3 ): from equations ( 1 ) and ( 3 ) shown above , the tdoa is shown below as equation ( 5 ): where d k = ν ( t k − t k ) and q k =[ 1 − sin ( θ + γ k )]. as discussed in further detail below , solving equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) above describes the sniper location at position 30 and the trajectory of the bullet . in addition , ν is known , the tdoa ( t k − t k ) is measured by each sensor s k and the cone angle θ is also known . if γ k is known for all k , then equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) can be solved exactly . since the γ k is dependent on the location of the sniper z , an iterative solution is derived that involves estimation of γ k , z and u . fig3 , with reference to fig1 and 2 , illustrates a schematic diagram of the geometry of a bullet trajectory and the shockwave cone , where the bullet ( not shown ) is subjected to resistance . in fig3 , angle 46 varies with respect to distance . angle 50 is the angle that shockwave cone 54 propagates to position 40 , but angle 50 is different than angle 52 when shockwave cone 54 reaches acoustic sensor 24 . the difference in angles is attributable to a decrease in speed of the bullet ( e . g ., due to wind resistance ). in spite of the decrease in speed , the bullet may be assumed to travel at an average of speed of mach m 1 from position 30 to position 48 ( or b k in the equations below ) and sin θ 1 = 1 / m 1 . therefore , a bullet travels from position 48 to position 42 at an average speed of mach m 2 from fig3 , the time of arrival of shockwave cone 54 is given by equation ( 6 ): where w k = 1 − β sin ( α + γ k ) and d k = ν ( t k − t k ). similar to what was described above for fig2 , the unit vector in the direction of bullet trajectory is related to γ k by equation ( 8 ): as previously mentioned , solving equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ), shown above in relation to fig2 , identifies sniper position 30 ( shown in fig2 and 3 ) and the trajectory of a bullet ( not shown ) shot from position 30 . similarly , solving equations ( 7 ) and ( 8 ) identifies the sniper position 30 shown in fig3 for two velocity models . while in the case of equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) one would require to know one mach number for the bullet , in the case of equations ( 7 ) and ( 8 ) one would require to know two mach numbers m 1 and m 2 . in the solution to equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) discussed below , z =[ x z , y z , z z ] t and is a three - dimensional vector depicting position 30 . in addition , the bullet is traveling along the trajectory that is defined by the unit vector ū =[ sin φ cos φ sin φ sin φ cos φ ] t where φand φ represent the elevation and azimuth angles of the trajectory and t denotes the transpose . in addition , ∥ ū ∥ 2 = ū t ū = 1 . equation ( 8 ), shown above in relation to fig3 , requires a similar solution to what is described below for fig2 . therefore , equation ( 8 ) will not be discussed further because those skilled in the art would capable of applying the discussion below to the equation ( 8 ) without undue experimentation . as discussed in further detail below , vector z is describe by using equation ( 5 ) and substituting in the estimated value of z in equation ( 5 ) to estimate the angles γ k for all k . squaring both sides of equation ( 1 ) produces equation ( 9 ): setting the value of k ={ 1 , 2 , . . . , n } in equation ( 9 ) and taking the difference between pairs , produces the linear equations shown below as equation ( 10 ): in equation ( 10 ), s k is position 38 of acoustic sensor 24 and d k is the product of propagation velocity ν and the difference in the time of muzzle blast and shockwave ( t k − t k ) at acoustic sensor 24 . solving the linear equations shown above in equation ( 10 ) requires values of q k for all k . however , from equation ( 6 ) above , q k = 1 − sin ( θ + γ k ), where θ = sin − 1 ( 1 / m ), where the mach number ( m ) is assumed to be known . in general , γ k is small when the distance between the sniper location 30 and the sensor 24 is greater than 200 m and the distance between the bullet &# 39 ; s path and the sensor is less than 10 m . for example , to calculate an initial estimate of the sniper location at position 30 , based on the equations above , γ k = 0 . 01 is arbitrarily set for all k . in equation ( 11 ) below , { tilde over ( z )} is the initial estimate of the sniper location at position 30 and { tilde over ( z )} can be used in equation ( 5 ) to estimate the approximate values of γ k , which is { circumflex over ( γ )} k and shown as equation ( 11 ): in equation ( 3 ) above , { circumflex over ( γ )} k is used to solve for approximate trajectory ũ using the system of linear equations given by equation ( 4 ) and re - written in a matrix form as shown below as equation ( 12 ): which can be solved for ũ using regression . substituting { tilde over ( z )} and ũ in equation ( 4 ) above to solve for γ k results in equation ( 13 ): ideally , if the values of { tilde over ( z )}={ tilde over ( z )}, and ũ = ũ the values of { circumflex over ( γ )} k and { hacek over ( γ )} k calculated using the equations ( 11 ) and ( 13 ) respectively , are equal resulting in determining the sniper location and the bullet &# 39 ; s trajectory . fig4 and 5 , with reference to fig1 through 3 , are flow diagrams illustrating a method for estimating a sniper &# 39 ; s location based on acoustic information gathered from acoustic sensors ( e . g ., acoustic sensor 24 ) and accurate timing of when the acoustic information is gathered from an accurate timing device ( e . g ., internal clock 16 ). step 60 , of the method shown in fig4 , initially sets γ k = 0 . 01 for all k and computes q k = 1 − sin ( θ + γ k ). step 62 estimates an initial sniper location { tilde over ( z )} using equations ( 10 )-( 13 ) as shown in fig5 , which is further elaborated below . step 64 determines the initial minimal and maximum distances values from a sniper located at position 30 ( shown in fig2 and 3 ) to the acoustic sensor 24 location at position 38 ( shown in fig2 and 3 ). the minimum distance is determined by the fact that γ k ≧ 0 , ∀ k . setting γ k = 0 in equation ( 5 ) and the d max is determined the muzzle blast detection capability of the acoustic sensor 24 , which is approximately 500 m . step 66 estimates the rough location of the sniper firing point and the approximate trajectory of the projectile using coarse grid search . when determining the coarse location of the sniper firing point , the following excerpt of pseudo - code may be used , as a non - limiting example : let { tilde over ( z )} = [ x z y z z z ] t = [ 0 0 0 ] t then num = 0 ; for i = x min : x inc : x max for j = y min : y inc : y max for k = z min : z inc : z max z_new = [ x z + i , y z + j , z z + k ] t use z_new in equation ( 11 ) to estimate the γ ⋒ k for all k . use z_new and γ ⋒ k in equation ( 12 ) to estimate the use z_new and u ~ in equation ( 13 ) to estimate the γ ⋓ k . compute g ( num ) = ∑ k = 1 n γ ⋒ k - γ ⋓ k where x min , x max , y min , y max , z min , z max are determined by the d min and d max . the x inc , y inc , z inc are arbitrarily set to 10 m . the pseudo - code shown above is intended only as an example of how the initial coarse location of the sniper firing point and the trajectory may be computed and is not shown in any particular computer programming language or computer interpretable format . while not representing a specific computer programming language , shown in the pseudo - code above is an example of how it may be easily converted to any particular computer programming language by those skilled in the art . as discussed in greater detail below , while executing steps 66 and 68 , the method shown in fig4 can use the method shown in fig5 with initial estimate of { circumflex over ( γ )} k using z new in equation ( 11 ). this invocation of algorithm presented in fig5 allows the search to occur around the z new as opposed to finding the fitness just at z new . in step 68 , the method of fig4 finds the final solution , that is , the sniper firing position and the trajectory . this step is similar to the step 66 with search space set around the solution obtained in step 66 . if the solution in step 66 is denoted by { tilde over ( z )}=[ x z y z z z ] t , and set x min = x z − 5 ; x max = x z + 5 ; y min = y z − 5 ; y max = y z + 5 , and z min = z z − 5 ; z max = z z + 5 in the pseudo code provided above to estimate the final position of the sniper firing location and the trajectory . fig5 , with reference to fig1 through 4 , is a schematic diagram of step 62 shown in fig4 , as related to the equations ( 1 ) through ( 13 ) described above . in step 70 of the method shown in fig5 , an initial value for { hacek over ( γ )} k is set ( e . g ., { hacek over ( γ )} k = 0 . 01 ). step 72 uses the initial value of γ k , set in step 70 , to compute { tilde over ( z )} as described in equation ( 10 ) shown above . step 74 uses the value of { tilde over ( z )} computed in step 72 to compute a value for { circumflex over ( γ )} k using equation ( 11 ) shown above . step 76 uses the value of { circumflex over ( γ )} k computed in step 74 to compute the value of ũ using equation ( 12 ) shown above . step 78 uses the value of ũ computed in step 76 to compute the value of { hacek over ( γ )} k using equation ( 13 ) shown above . in step 80 , the method shown in fig5 determines whether the value of { hacek over ( γ )} k computed in step 78 is approximately equal to the value of { circumflex over ( γ )} k computed in step 74 . in step 80 , the value is computed for each iteration number ‘ num ’ and the iterations terminate when g ( num )& gt ; g ( num − 1 ). step 82 is used to find the global minima and it may involve searching several values of z that give minimal difference of as the techniques provided by the embodiments herein may be implemented on an integrated circuit chip ( not shown ). the chip design is created in a graphical computer programming language , and stored in a computer storage medium ( such as a disk , tape , physical hard drive , or virtual hard drive such as in a storage access network ). if the designer does not fabricate chips or the photolithographic masks used to fabricate chips , the designer transmits the resulting design by physical means ( e . g ., by providing a copy of the storage medium storing the design ) or electronically ( e . g ., through the internet ) to such entities , directly or indirectly . the stored design is then converted into the appropriate format ( e . g ., gdsii ) for the fabrication of photolithographic masks , which typically include multiple copies of the chip design in question that are to be formed on a wafer . the photolithographic masks are utilized to define areas of the wafer ( and / or the layers thereon ) to be etched or otherwise processed . the resulting integrated circuit chips can be distributed by the fabricator in the embodiments herein may comprise hardware and software embodiments . the embodiments that are implemented in software include but are not limited to , firmware , resident software , microcode , etc . furthermore , the embodiments herein can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can comprise , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ) or a propagation medium . examples of a computer - readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output ( i / o ) devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . a more general representation of the hardware environment for practicing the embodiments herein is depicted in fig6 . this schematic drawing illustrates hardware configuration 100 of an information handling / computer system in accordance with the embodiments herein . hardware configuration 100 comprises at least one processor or central processing unit ( cpu ) 110 . the cpus 110 are interconnected via system bus 112 to various devices such as a random access memory ( ram ) 114 , read - only memory ( rom ) 116 , and an input / output ( i / o ) adapter 118 . the i / o adapter 118 can connect to peripheral devices , such as disk units 111 and tape drives 113 , or other program storage devices that are readable by the system . the system can read the inventive instructions on the program storage devices and follow these instructions to execute the methodology of the embodiments herein . the system further includes a user interface adapter 119 that connects a keyboard 115 , mouse 117 , speaker 124 , microphone 122 , and / or other user interface devices such as a touch screen device ( not shown ) to the bus 112 to gather user input . additionally , a communication adapter 120 connects the bus 112 to a data processing network 125 , and a display adapter 121 connects the bus 112 to a display device 123 which may be embodied as an output device such as a monitor , printer , or transmitter , for example . the foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept , and , therefore , such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments . it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation . therefore , while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig6 shows an embodiment of our photolithography method . the rotating imaging system 40 consists of two lenses 42 and 44 of equal focal length separated by a distance of four focal lengths . lens 42 is at a distance of two focal lengths from pattern plane 30 and lens 44 is at a distance of two focal lengths from working plane 50 . the lens combination images pattern plane 30 onto working plane 50 with unit magnification . in addition , the image is not reflected so that the image orientation and the rotational scan motion are consistent . pattern plane 30 and working plane 50 are each translated in the same direction at the same speed . pattern plane 30 is illuminated by the illumination system 100 . the light source 110 is composed of : arc lamp 112 , an ellipsoidal reflector 114 , and lens 116 . the rotating optical system 120 contains mirrors 122 and 124 and lenses 126 and 127 . the rotation axis of imaging system 40 and optical system 120 are coincident and the rotation is synchronized so that the central field - of - view of image system 40 is always illuminated . the entire image is copied from 30 to 50 by rotating 40 and 120 while translating 30 and 50 . also indicated in fig6 are two autofocus systems 32 and 34 , for lens 42 and lens 44 , respectively . the autofocus system is similar to that used in the commercial compact disk players . each autofocus system contains a diode laser which is used to measure the focus of the lens and provide feed back to a coil based translation system which controls the motion of the lens . light from the diode lasers are place in the optical paths of the lenses by dichroic beamsplitters 36 and 38 which are transparent at photolithography wavelengths but reflective at diode laser wavelengths . this is one example of an autofocus system that could be used with our photolithography method . many different autofocus systems exist which could also be used in our photolithography method . another embodiment of our photolithography method is given in fig7 where the only difference with the previous embodiment is the imaging system 40 . the rotating imaging system 40 consists of lenses 42 and 44 , mirrors 46 and 48 , and roof prism 41 . lens 42 is located a focal length away from pattern plane 30 and lens 44 is located a focal length from working plane 50 . the function of the mirrors and roof prism are to reflect the image so that it is oriented in a manner consistent with the scanning motion . the entire image is copied from 30 to 50 by rotating 40 and 120 while translating 30 and 50 . an autofocus system is not shown in fig7 ; however , a variety of existing autofocus system could easily be incorporated into this system . the photolithography system given in fig7 can be used to produce active matrix liquid crystal displays . the light source could be a standard xenon mercury lamp which provides wavelengths from 0 . 2 μm to 0 . 4 μm . a standard , low cost lens with a numerical aperture ( na ) of na = 0 . 1 can provide a resolution of 2 . 0 μm , a depth of focus of 20 μm and a field - of - view of 5 mm . if the lens images a 5 mm subregion and the optical system rotates at 100 rpm , the translation velocity of the pattern plane and working plane can be 500 mm per minute . if the distance of the imaging system from the rotation axis is 0 . 4 meters , the diameter of the circular scanned region is 0 . 8 meters . this can easily accommodate a 0 . 5 meter wide working plane . such a system could expose a 500 mm × 500 mm substrate with 2 . 0 μm resolution in one minute . furthermore , the system can account for variations in the flatness of the pattern and work planes by employing an autofocus system . fig8 shows another embodiment of our photolithography method . this optical imaging system is similar to that shown in fig7 ; however , four different optical imaging systems are positioned at 90 ° intervals around the rotational axis . this enables four circular scans for each revolution of the optical system and increases the throughput of the photolithography system by a factor of four . fig9 a shows a side view of a possible illumination system for the system shown in fig8 . fig9 b shows a top view of the rotating optical system . the rotating optical system 120 has four arms where the elements in each arm are labeled by a number and a post - fixed letter ( i . e ., a , b , c , or d ) depending upon which arm the element lies . light from source 110 enters the rotating optical system 120 slightly displaced from the optical axis . it is reflected from a 4 sided , pyramid shaped mirror 121 where the normal to each mirror makes a 45 degree angle with the rotation axis . as a result , the light beam is always reflected into the sector that lies directly above pattern plane 30 . depending upon which face of mirror 121 the light is incident , it is reflected into one of the four arms . as illustrated in fig9 b the two lenses 126a and 127a refocus the light and mirror 124a deflects the converging light down onto pattern plane 30 . fig1 shows another embodiment of our photolithography method . the rotating optical system 40 consists of : two lenses 42 and 44 , mirror 46 , amici roof prism 47 , and dove prism 43 . the system images pattern plane 30 onto working plane 50 with a 2 - to - 1 reduction . the distance d1 of lens 42 from rotation axis 45 is twice the distance d2 of lens 44 from the rotation axis . lens 42 is located one focal length from pattern plane 30 and lens 44 is located one focal length from working plane 50 ; however , the focal length of 42 is twice the focal length of 44 . the translation speed of pattern plane 30 is twice the translation speed of working plane 50 . the entire image is copied from the pattern plane to the working plane by rotating the optical system while simultaneously translating the pattern plane and working plane . fig1 shows another embodiment of the photolithography system . in this embodiment the imaging system consists of two rotating optical systems , 60 and 70 , and relay system 80 . optical read system 60 consist of lens 62 one focal length from working plane 30 and two mirrors 66 and 68 which deflect the light so it exits the system along the rotation axis . optical relay system 80 consists of two mirrors 82 and 84 and two lenses 86 and 88 . optical write system 70 consists of lens 74 one focal length away from working plane 50 , two mirrors 76 and 78 a dove prism 73 . optical system 60 reads information from pattern plane 30 and optical system 70 writes information to working plane 50 . optical system 80 relays information from optical system 60 to optical system 70 . synchronized rotation of 60 and 70 permit a circular shaped region to be imaged from pattern plane 30 to working plane 50 . here unit magnification is assumed but any magnification would be possible . unit magnification implies that pattern plane 30 and working plane 50 are translated at the same velocity so that 30 and 50 can be attached to a single structural translation unit . synchronized rotation of 60 and 70 along with synchronized translation of 30 and 50 allows 30 to be copied onto 50 . fig1 shows another embodiment of our photolithography method . the rotating optical system 40 consists of : two ellipsoidal mirrors 42b and 44b , and two planar mirrors 46 and 48 . the first focus point of ellipsoidal mirror 42b is located at pattern plane 30 , and the second focus point of ellipsoidal mirror 44b is located at working plane 50 . a subregion in pattern plane 30 is imaged by ellipsoidal mirror 42b from its first focus point to its second focus point . the second focus point of ellipsoidal mirror 42b is located at the first focus point of ellipsoidal mirror 44b . the ellipsoidal mirror 44b images the subregion image from its first focus point to its second focus point , which lies in working plane 50 . the light source 110 is composed of a x - ray source and focus mechanism . the rotating optical assemble 120 contains two ellipsoidal mirrors 121 and 129 . the rotation axis of imaging system 40 and optical system 120 are coincident and the rotation is synchronized so that the central field - of - view of the image system is always illuminated . the entire image is copied from the pattern plane to the working plane by rotating the imaging system while translating the pattern plane and working plane . accordingly , the reader will see that the photolithography method described by this invention can find many applications in various areas , such as high quality photographic reproductions , graphic - arts , the manufacturing of integrated circuits , the manufacturing of flat panel displays ( e . g ., active matrix liquid crystal displays ), etc . in addition , the photolithography method described in this invention can provide many features which cannot be accomplished with other methods . furthermore , the proposed photolithography method has the additional advantages in that : it can provide large field - of - view and high resolution at the same time ; it can achieve very high exposure rates with only modest rotation speed of the imaging system ; it can incorporate an autofocus system to compensate for variation in the surface flatness of the pattern plane and working plane ; it can use extra - ultraviolet and x - ray imaging systems to provide resolutions of better than 0 . 3 μm while scanning a large area ; for instance , it can provide a large field - of - view , high resolution photolithography system for producing flat panel displays with an exposure rate in excess of 1 square meter per minute at a resolution of 2 μm . although the description above contains many specificities , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention . for example , different kinds of optical components can be used to achieve the imaging operation ; different methods such as optical baffles can be used to control the field of view of the optical imaging system ; different types of autofocus systems can be employed ; etc . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than by the examples given . | 6 |
referring to fig1 - 3 , a medical device comprising a stent delivery catheter system comprising a stent delivery catheter with a stent securement means according to the present invention is generally indicated at 10 . as shown at fig1 catheter 10 has a shaft 14 , a proximal portion 16 and a distal portion 18 . distal portion 18 is fixed to shaft 14 by standard means known in the art . for instance , distal portion 18 may be bonded at its ends by adhesive to the catheter in an integral manner , or may be made one - piece with the catheter as is known in the art . referring to fig2 - 3 , distal portion 18 ( dashed circle of fig1 ) is shown in enlarged longitudinal cross - sectional view . distal end portion 18 comprises balloon 22 , which is constructed and arranged for expansion from a contracted state to an expanded state . balloon 22 may be of any length . for instance , balloon 22 may be about 15 mm long . this length , however , is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to be limiting . balloon 22 is shown in a folded , contracted state in fig2 - 3 . balloon 22 may be , and preferably is , made of a material which resiliently deforms under radial pressure . examples of suitable materials are generally known in the art and include non - compliant , semi - compliant and compliant materials such as polyethylene ( pe ), nylon , polyether block amides ( pebax ), polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), silicone , poc , a polyethylene , a polyether , or polyesters such as hytrel ™. in use , balloon 22 has a larger diameter which is obtained when the balloon 22 is expanded in the known manner . catheter balloon 22 may be inflated by fluid ( gas or liquid ) from an inflation port ( not shown ) extending from an inflation lumen contained in the catheter shaft 14 and opening into the balloon 22 , or by other means , such as from fluid communication from a passageway or passageways formed between the outside of the catheter shaft and the membrane forming the balloon , depending on the design of the catheter , all of which are known in the art . the passageway ( s ) may extend from the catheter shaft directly to the interior of the balloon or may extend to the exterior of the balloon . the catheter may alternatively be associated with a source of fluid ( gas or liquid ) external to the catheter ( not shown ), whereby the fluid is delivered to the balloon or expandable member by an inflation lumen located in the catheter shaft 14 and associated with the balloon 22 as is known in the art . the details and mechanics of balloon inflation and specific overall catheter construction will vary according to the design of the catheter , and are known in the art per se . all of these variations are acceptable for use with the balloon catheters and stent delivery systems of the present invention . stent delivery system 10 further comprises stent securement means , such as a sheath , indicated generally at 26 in fig1 - 3 , comprising a very flexible thin walled sleeve or sheath 28 having a proximal end 30 , a distal end 32 ( as shown specifically in fig2 - 6 ), an exterior surface 34 and an interior surface 36 , and a distal elastomeric sock , cuff or collar 38 ( shown in fig1 - 3 ), having a proximal end 40 , a distal end 42 , exterior surface 44 and an interior surface 46 . preferred materials for sheath 28 are ptfe and hdpe , although other materials may be used . preferred wall thickness is 0 . 005 inches although this dimension is not critical . preferably the material is as thin as possible consistent with the constitutional strength of the sheath . the distal end of the sheath 28 is tucked under sock 38 . preferred materials for sock 38 are urethane elastomers . stent securement means 26 serves to secure and cover stent 48 during delivery thereof . any suitable balloon expandable stent or equivalent known in the art may be delivered by the stent delivery system of the present invention . stent 48 , in its delivery diameter , and balloon 22 are coaxially mounted at the distal end 18 of catheter 10 such that stent 48 is mounted axially over balloon 22 as shown in fig2 and 3 . in the preferred embodiment , expandable balloon 22 is designed and adapted for expansion of the stent from the delivery diameter to the deployment diameter upon application of fluid deployment pressure to the balloon as is known in the art . the most unique features of stent securement means 26 of the present invention are the thin , very flexible stent sheath 28 , its distal elastomeric cuff 38 and the tuck under relationship thereof . the advantages provided by these features are the superior stent securement provided thereby , the minimization of trauma to the vessel walls provided by sheath 28 , the securement of the stent during tracking and delivery which prevents distortion of stent 48 , the maintenance of the balloon and stent position in an artery during stent deployment , and the ready release of the sheath and release of the balloon provided by this combination . sheath 28 may be slip coated to further improve trackability . a focus of the invention is the protective sheath 28 distally captured by sock 38 . although socks for capturing stents are known in the art as indicated hereinabove , an ultrathin sheath which covers the stent and is distally captured by a sock is new in the art . distal cuff or sock 38 may have some elastic characteristics or just a gripping ability to provide a modest interference fit . a ptfe sheath — moderately heat shrunk so that there is some gripping of sheath 28 will most preferably meet these requirements . the thinness of sheath 28 is an important feature of the present invention . it is thin and is only present to protect the stent from catching on the body both during implantation or upon withdrawal if stent is not used . it reduces the required traversing force both to the lesion and across the lesion . thus , its trackability improvement . the distal cuff or sock 38 is also an important feature of the invention . if the sock were not included , the sheath 28 might “ umbrella ”, i . e ., roll back during delivery of the stent or be dislodged or “ ice cream ” scoop , i . e ., the cone might be moved to one side . in light of these features , stent securement means 26 of the present invention is of particular utility with delivery systems for balloon expandable stents . in addition , stent securement means 26 may be used with a delivery system for an expandable stent further comprising a storage sleeve as set forth in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 800 , 517 issued sep . 1 , 1998 and incorporated herein by reference . generally a stent delivery system with the stent securement means of the present invention is not provided with an additional balloon or stent protector . sheath 28 is axially movable on shaft 14 of catheter 10 so that it can be remotely retracted from over stent 48 as is known in the art . stent securement means 26 is associated with a pull back means ( not shown ) for proximal retraction of sheath 28 . in a preferred embodiment , stent securement means 26 of the present invention is associated with a wire pull back system for proximal retraction of sheath 28 in order to expose the stent for expansion . the pull back wire ( not shown ) is constructed and arranged to operate through port 60 , best seen in fig2 to proximally retract sheath 28 . proximal retraction of sheath 28 is limited by stop collar 50 ( seen in fig1 ). such arrangements are well known in the art and need not be described here in detail to further understanding of the invention . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 517 , 135 to fraser et al . and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 800 , 517 to anderson et al ., incorporated herein by reference in their entirety , are examples of such arrangements . a full length sheath pull back system may also be used with the present invention . stent securement device 26 of the present invention is of utility with such stent delivery systems as are set forth in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 571 , 168 and 5 , 733 , 267 for pull back stent delivery system , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 772 , 669 for stent deployment catheter with retractable sheath , and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 534 , 007 for stent deployment catheter with collapsible sheath all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . retraction or proximal advancement of sheath 28 may also be accomplished by hydraulic actuation . referring to fig3 in such a configuration wire pull back attachment means 60 would be absent and port 60 would function as a hydraulic perfusion port . hydraulic pull - back systems are disclosed and described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 571 , 135 and 5 , 445 , 646 and in pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 196 , 793 , filed nov . 20 , 1998 entitled stent delivery device . all of these are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety . exterior surface 34 of sheath 28 may be coated with a silicone coating or a hydrophilic coating as a slip coating . a hydrophilic coating is preferred , such as is set forth in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 693 , 034 directed to a lubricious polymer network ( incorporated herein by reference ). the coating is of utility in that it assists in pulling back the system if a lesion or blockage is encountered that the system is not capable of traversing , in which case the system is pulled back into the guide catheter . depending on the application , interior surface 36 of sheath 28 may also be coated with a silicone or hydrophilic coating . in addition , or alternatively , a silicone coating or the like may be provided at the interior surface 46 of the proximal end 40 of distal cuff 38 , and the exterior surface 34 of the distal end 32 of sheath 28 , to provide a slip coating between the proximal interior of distal cuff 38 and the distal exterior of sheath 28 . referring to fig4 sheath 28 may be provided with holes 52 to enhance flexibility . referring to fig5 if the sheath has sufficient thickness , dimples 54 may be provided , or as shown in fig6 radial indentations 56 in a staggered pattern or other desired pattern may be provided . fig7 is a side profile section showing a balloon expandable stent delivery and deployment assembly , with the stent crimped to delivery diameter onto the balloon , the underlying tube component and the catheter , and also having a pull - back wire 62 attached to the sheath of the stent securement means by means of a band or collar 64 . as shown in fig7 sheath 28 is slidable axially along the shaft 14 and is connected to a retracting wire 62 such that sheath 28 may be proximally advanced . the other elements of the figure are similar to those of fig2 . this description is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive . it will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art . all these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the attached claims . those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto . | 0 |
the invention is described below in greater detail with reference to the preferred embodiment which is represented in the drawings . the overall frame 1 has a adjustably mounted aligning frame 2 , which is largely composed of the horizontal guide platform 20 . the aligning frame can be lifted or lowered relative to the rest of the overall frame . the overall frame 1 has two guide stands 4 , which stand on a common base plate 3 . the two guide stands each support two separate guide rails 5 . the two guide rails run parallel on the upper side of the overall frame , forming a slot like conveyor guide 6 for the anode rods . at the inlet and outlet side of the conveyor guide , the guide rails are bent 45 °, forming a 90 ° conical guide into which the anode rods may be guideably introduced . in fig2 an inner cross section of the apparatus is shown . the cross - section slices through the axis along which the bending and realigning operations occur . a misaligned anode rod 7 is represented by a dot - dash lines . this cross section represents the placement of the various parts of the apparatus when the anode rod has been secured in the centering position but just prior to the engagement of the anode stubs by the aligning elements . thus , the aligning elements are disposed below the anode stubs 9 , 10 , 11 the anode stubs are disposed on the anode rod via a transverse yoke 8 . during the aligning process in accordance with the invention , the outer stubs 9 and 11 will be bent back into a position parallel to the undeformed inner stub 10 . if the anode rod has six stubs in two mutually parallel rows of three stubs each , the two sets may be aligned in successive operations of the apparatus . the overall frame preferably has exchangeable anode rod supporting fittings 12 , such that the frame and the fittings form a supporting apparatus for the anode yoke . the supporting fittings help to support and maintain the shape of those portions of the yoke which are not intended to be bent and realigned . one of the two guide stands has an upper covering plate which supports an anode rod securing and centering apparatus 13 and a hydraulic cylinder driving mechanism 14 . the driving mechanism is driveably connected to a piston rod 15 which is driveably connected to two centering flaps that are hingeably attached to two vertical hinge pins which are attached to the upper covering plate . the centering flaps are shown in their closed position in each of the figures . the centering flaps would be open when an anode rod is being transported into the apparatus . when the anode rod reaches the centering position , the centering flaps are closed by the action of the cylinder driving mechanism 14 which swings the flaps inward to fasten and steady the anode rod . this centering mechanism serves to dampen the oscillation in the anode rod and restrict its lateral motion but is generally not intended to ridgedly clamp and support the rod . in fact , generally it is intended that the rod can be slideably elevated or lowered while secured by this mechanism . the upward or downward motion of the aligning frame 2 is guided by its linkage to a vertical guide 17 , best seen in fig2 and which is , in this instance , a telescoping guide . the vertical guide prevents the lateral shifting of the aligning frame within the overall frame . lifting of the aligning frame is accomplished by hydraulic lifting cylinders 18 , which are supported on the base plate 3 . these lifting cylinders are connected to the aligning frames by joints 19 . the aligning frame 2 includes a horizontal guiding platform 20 . within the box - like structure of the horizontal guiding platform shown are two aligning plates 21 the guiding platform guides the motion of the aligning plates so that they move only horizontally and along the axis moving directly towards or away from one another . two hydraulic aligning cylinders 22 are parallelly disposed between the two aligning plates 21 and are disposed within the guiding platform . each cylinder 22 is connected to the first aligning plate at joint 23 and via its cylinder piston rod to the second aligning plate at joint 24 , as seen in fig1 . attached to the aligning plates are the stub receiving housings which are located along a line which is parallel to the axis of the two cylinders and is mid - point between the two cylinders . these stub receiving housings consist of ball - and - sockets 25 having a ring - shaped opening in the ball of suitable size for receiving the stub . the socket mechanism allows the axis of the opening to be adjusted to correspond to the angle of the anode stub to be inserted the spherical surface 26 of the ball or socket contains bearings or bearing mounts to facilitate the ball - and - socket adjustability of the opening . directly between the two aligning plates 21 and along the same axis along which the receiving housings are situated there is an inner stub restraining housing comprised of clamping jaws 33 and 34 , which are connected to the horizontal aligning platform 20 as described below in reference to the clamping apparatus 29 . the inner stub restraining housing has a bottom 28 which is supportably connected to the horizontal guiding platform 20 . attached to the underside of the horizontal guiding platform is the clamping apparatus 29 , best seen in fig3 . the clamping apparatus comprises a driving mechanism 31 attached via joint 32 to a bracket 30 attached to the platform . the piston of the driving mechanism is hingeably attached to a t - shaped lever 35 which is rotatably attached to bracket 30 at joint 28 , to clamp jaw 33 at joint 37 , and at joint 38 to angular lever 40 . angular lever 40 is additionally rotatably attached to bracket 30 at joint 39 and to clamp jaw 34 at joint 47 . through this lever mechanism , the expansion of the hydraulic cylinder driving mechanism 31 is effective to bring clamp jaws 33 and 34 together such that , when the inner stub is disposed therebetween , it is securely grasped . the bottom 28 provides vertical support for the inner stub . the aligning frame 2 can be locked in its upper aligning position by a locking apparatus . in this embodiment of the invention , the locking apparatus consists of latches 42 which are hingeably attached to the guide stands 4 via joints 43 , best seen in fig2 . these latches can be actuated by hydraulic cylinder driving mechanism 44 platform 20 has brackets 45 which have locking bolts or locking bars 46 . it is these bolts or bars which are engaged by latches 42 to secure the platform in its raised aligning position . pressure screws 47 serve to restrict the movement of the aligning plates 21 . the operation of the apparatus of the invention is described below . the anode rod 7 , suspended from an overhead conveyor mechanism , is brought into the aligning apparatus via the conveyor guide 6 . when the rod reaches the receiving position , the centering apparatus 13 is actuated by cylinder driving mechanism 14 . this driving mechanism engages the two centering flaps ( or collars ) 16 so that they close about the rod . the closed centering apparatus , while centering and steadying the movement of the rod in the horizontal plane , allows the rod to be moved up or down . once the anode rod is steadied in the centering position , the horizontal guiding platform 20 is lifted through the action of the lifting cylinder 18 . while the platform is being lifted , the inner stub 10 is inserted into stub restraining opening 27 . concurrently , stubs 9 and 11 are inserted into the receiving openings of ball - and - socket joints 25 . the pivotability of these receiving means openings allows the stubs to be inserted even when they are misaligned ( and thus not perpendicular to the horizontal aligning platform ). once the stubs are fully engaged by the restraining and receiving openings , the restrained inner stub comes to rest against the bottom 28 of the opening 27 . this bottom , which is attached to the horizontal guiding platform , then supports the anode rod while the platform is further lifted until the supported anode rod comes to rest against fittings 12 which comprise the anode rod supporting elements . at this point , the aligning apparatus is locked into this aligning position by means of latches 42 , which engage bolts 46 . in this position , the yoke is restrained from lateral and upwards motion by fittings 12 and restraining elements 27 , 33 , 34 during the alignment process . the latching action is intended to assure that this restraint or support is fully and securely engaged against the yoke . the inner stub engaged by the restraining opening is then tightly clamped ( or was previously clamped ) by clamping jaws 33 and 34 , which are actuated by clamping apparatus 29 . the cylinders 22 are then engaged and they force the aligning plates 21 , on which the outer stub receiving ball and socket joints are mounted , to move in opposite directions . the movement of each aligning plate continues until each has reached its respective end stop 47 . at the end of this cycle , the outer stubs are bent back into their original alignment parallel to the anode rod . the latches 42 and the clamping jaws 33 and 34 are then released , and the guiding platform is lowered . the rod and yoke , now supported by the external overhead conveyor , are lowered to release them from the anode rod support elements . then , the means of securing the rod is released and the aligned rod is transported out of the apparatus . the apparatus is then ready to receive another anode rod . those of ordinary skill will recognize that the apparatus may include electrical detectors and that the aligning process may be controlled by programmed electronic control . ______________________________________list of reference symbols used in the drawings______________________________________overall frame 1aligning frame 2common base plate 3guide stands ( 2 ) 4guide rails 5conveyor guide 6anode rod 7transverse yoke 8anode stubs 9 , 10 , 11exchangeable fittings 12rod centering apparatus 13hydraulic cylinder driving mechanism 14piston rod 15centering flaps 16vertical guide 17hydraulic lifting cylinders 18joints 19horizontal guiding platform 20aligning plates 21hydraulic aligning cylinders ( 2 ) 22joints 23 , 24ball - and - socket joint parts with ring - shaped 25openingsspherical circumferential surface 26 ( fit with bearings or bearing openings ) opening for inner stub restrainer 27stub restrainer bottom 28bracket 30hydraulic cylinder driving mechanism 31joint 32clamping jaws 33 , 34t - shaped 3 - arm lever 35joints 36 , 37 , 38 , 39angular lever 40joint 41latch 42joint 43hydraulic cylinder driving mechanism 44brackets 45locking bolts or locking bars 46pressure screws 47______________________________________ | 2 |
the automotive or car radio illustrated in fig1 is largely of conventional design and , in addition to a display 1 and a plurality of keys 2 , also has two rotary knobs 3 , 4 , a bluetooth module 5 being integrated into the rotary knob 4 , as will be described in more detail . in this case , a plastic cap 6 of the rotary knob 4 has been omitted in fig1 and 2 , in order to be able to recognize the arrangement of the bluetooth module 5 in the rotary knob 4 in the front view in fig1 as well . the structural design of the rotary knob 4 will now be described below with reference to the cross - sectional illustration in fig3 . thus , the rotary knob 4 has a rotation angle sensor 7 with a hollow shaft , the rotation angle sensor 7 being mounted on a front printed circuit board 8 such that the axis of rotation of the rotation angle sensor 7 runs substantially at right angles to the front printed circuit board 8 . mounted on the hollow shaft of the rotation angle sensor 7 is the cap 6 which is rotated by the operator . an axially running corrugation is therefore arranged at the contact location between the cap 6 and the hollow shaft of the rotation angle sensor 7 , in order to permit force closure between the cap 6 and the hollow shaft . furthermore , it may be seen from the cross - sectional illustration in fig3 that the bluetooth module 5 is arranged centrally in the form of a circuit board inside the hollow shaft of the rotation angle sensor 7 , an antenna 9 being arranged in the outwardly directed end of the circuit board . this arrangement of the antenna in the outwardly directed end of the circuit board diminishes the shading and thereby improves the transmission characteristics . moreover , the bluetooth module 5 extends outward with the antenna 9 in the axial direction over the end face of the hollow shaft of the rotation angle sensor 7 , in order to avoid shading of the antenna by the hollow shaft of the rotation angle sensor . it is , furthermore , to be seen from fig1 that the inside diameter of the hollow shaft of the rotation angle sensor 7 is substantially equal to the width of the bluetooth module 5 , and so the bluetooth module 5 fits exactly into the hollow shaft . in the case of the exemplary embodiment described here , the bluetooth module 5 has a length of 32 ± 0 . 3 mm , a width of 15 ± 0 . 3 mm and a thickness of up to 2 . 7 mm , whereas the circuit board of the bluetooth module 5 has only a thickness of 0 . 6 mm . furthermore , a cutout 9 is arranged in the front printed circuit board 8 in the region of the hollow shaft of the rotation angle sensor 7 , the bluetooth module 5 extending through the cutout 9 in the front printed circuit board 8 . on the side of the front printed circuit board 8 averted from the rotation angle sensor 7 , the bluetooth module 5 is connected both electrically and mechanically to a main printed circuit board 10 , in order to permit data transmission from and to the other modules of the automotive radio . it is advantageous in this case that the connection of the bluetooth module 5 to the main printed circuit board 10 can be performed by rf - non - critical lines . the invention is not restricted to the above - described preferred exemplary embodiment . rather , it is possible to conceive a multiplicity of variants and modifications which likewise make use of the idea of the invention and therefore fall within the scope of protection . | 7 |
in fig1 and 2 there is shown a beverage / ice dispensing machine 1 having a top 3 a with an ice bin 5 ( fig2 ) there beneath and two of the four exterior sides 3 and a tower portion 4 having a panel wall 2 . mounted on the tower portion 4 are a plurality of beverage dispensing valves 15 which extend over a drip tray 4 a . in fig2 there is shown the interior structure of machine or unit 1 including two of the four interior sides 7 and the bottom 9 of the beverage dispensing tower &# 39 ; s ice container bin 5 . the beverages from a location ( not shown ) outside the beverage dispensing tower 4 are routed though the refrigeration / ice cooled block or cold plate 11 , usually located in the bottom of the ice bin 5 , by means of beverage delivery hoses or lines 13 ( see fig4 a and b and 6 ) through the tower 4 to the dispensing point valves or spigots 15 . ice of course is normally loaded on the top of the cold plate 11 and used to cool the beverages , the ice being provided by an ice maker contained in the unit ( not shown ) or manually loaded into the bin . fig3 shows the prior art construction typically for an interior of the ice bin and / or bottom , wherein the foam was usually formed between inner and outer parts 14 a and 14 b made of stainless steel or plastic , such as by injection molding , with the foam insulation 19 a being injected there between . while this construction protected the foam , it was expensive and required two other parts , the inner and outer parts 14 a and 14 b , which in the case of ice bins were bulky and relatively expensive , and if made of plastic , subject to damage before being assembled . alternatively in the prior art , the foam was sprayed onto the inner panel , usually stainless steel , and then left exposed and unprotected on its exterior . in fig3 a there is shown a typical side 7 of the present invention comprising an inner panel 21 , such as stainless steel coated with a foam 19 , such as polyurethane , which is then subsequently spray coated with an outer hard coating 17 , such as urethane , as for example sold under the brand chemthane 7000 . the foam could be of from 1 . 00 to 5 . 00 inches thick , with a thickness of about 1 . 50 to 3 . 00 inches preferred , and in this instance is 2 . 00 avg . inches thick . the hard coat could be from 0 . 005 to 0 . 125 inches thick , with a thickness of about 0 . 015 to 0 . 060 inches preferred , and in this instance about 0 . 015 inches . of course thickness of the foam and hard coating could vary depending upon the function to be preferred and for different components / locations in the machine and / or temperature gradient trying to be maintained by the foam insulation . the foam and outer hard coating may be similar composition to the insulation , with just the aeration or foaming compound not included in the hard coat formulation . examples of other suitable foams are : flexible polyurethane foams , and rigid sheet foams . examples of other suitable hard coats are : epoxies , plastics , rubbers , and other polyurethane / polyurea products . in fig3 b there is shown alternatively formed molded or panel of the present invention including polyurethane 19 ′ foam on a stainless steel part 21 ′ of the ice bin 5 with a hard coating 17 ′ on the outside surface of the foam 19 ′ forming a typical side 7 ′ of the ice bin 5 . it should be understood in this construction the outer shell of hard coat 17 ′ could be first formed as by spraying the hard coating in a liquid stage into a mold and then the inner stainless steel part 21 ′ placed therein , but spaced apart , and then the foam 19 ′ injected there between . the use of a second and / or an outer stainless steel such as 14 b or other material , as shown in the prior art , has been eliminated . the hard coating 17 or 17 ′ replaces such outer coating ( 14 b ) at considerably lower cost and ease of manufacture . in fig4 there is shown the uninsulated beverage dispensing hoses or lines 13 that at their bottoms would be connected at 13 a to the cold plate 11 . the lines 13 have bottom connectors 13 a from which the lines 13 enter the beverage dispensing tower 2 and angularly disperse through the back panel 23 to connect to the plurality of spaced spigot / valve 15 . in fig5 a there is shown on a somewhat enlarged scale the beverage dispensing hard lines or hoses 13 of fig4 angled at the back panel to connect with the spigots / valves 15 shown in fig1 . in fig5 a no foam insulation has yet been applied to the component 13 . in fig5 b there is shown enlarged beverage component or dispensing hoses 13 again angled at the back panel to connect to the spaced spigots / valve 15 , but now coated with a block of foam such as polyurethane 19 , and then the foam 19 further coated with a hard coating such as urethane 17 . as noted , if sprayed the foam would be applied first then the hard coat sprayed on . if molded , the order is reversed . a mold is first sprayed with hard coat ; then the lines 13 would be located therein and then the foam injected into the mold to cover the component or lines 13 and to lie within the hard outer coating . fig6 shows how the foam 19 insulates the lines or components 13 , while the hard coat 17 protects the foam 19 . while the present invention is shown with a beverage ice containing tower , it can be used with other beverage and / or ice dispensing devices . the provision of the hard coating on the insulation of such beverage / ice dispensing machines reduces the cost of manufacture , reduces maintenance costs , presents a better image to the user or store operator , is easier to clean and maintain , and is less costly to refurbish or rebuild . as noted , costly and expensive to form or fabricate sandwich construction ( metal ( stainless steel ) or plastic ( injected ) foam , ( metal ( stainless steel )) heretofore used , can be replaced by the less expensive metal ( stainless steel ), foam , hard coat sandwich construction of the present invention with the foregoing advantages . as noted the present invention metal ( stainless steel ) foam , hard coat construction can be either spray formed on the metal part or molded in and removed from a mold . while the described embodiments disclosure certain steps and elements , it should be understood that the present invention could be used for any dispenser for ice alone , beverages alone , be they hot , cold or both , and like herein a dispenser of both ice and beverages . further , it should be understood the equivalent steps and elements will fall within the scope of the following claims . | 8 |
the present invention includes a charging tower system 10 constructed and arranged for storage and / or charging of electronic devices . tower housing 12 is supported on a tower base 14 . in one embodiment , charging tower system 10 includes component housing 16 constructed and arranged to encase and secure various components therein . in one embodiment , electrical component 22 is housed within housing 16 . component 22 , in one embodiment , is a combination battery / transformer with surge suppressor capability and is connected to a source of power by power cable 18 . tower housing 12 is constructed and arranged as described herein . particular configurations can be added and can include any one or more of the components demonstrated . in one embodiment , tower housing 12 has incorporated thereon a plurality of shelves 30 . in one embodiment , demonstrated in fig3 and 4 , shelf 30 includes a shelf mounting tab 50 that is constructed and arranged to mate with tab attachment slot 46 in order to secure shelf 30 onto tower housing 12 . in one embodiment , shelf 30 is an adjustable shelf . in another embodiment , shelves are provided , as in fig8 , shelf 29 being a permanently attached shelf with a permanent attachment such as mounting bolt 47 , as demonstrated in fig8 and 9 . although these figures demonstrate permanent attachment with a mounting bolt , any permanent attachment is contemplated as being usable in the present invention . in one embodiment , tower housing 12 has one or more u - shaped hook devices 28 attached thereto . the u - shaped hook devices are constructed and arranged for hanging electrical and charging cords and other such devices . as demonstrated in fig6 and 7 , u - shaped hook 28 is constructed and arranged to attach with attachment slot 48 on tower housing 12 . in another embodiment , shelf 31 is included in device charging tower 10 assembly of the present invention , whereby shelf 31 is constructed and arranged for wireless charging of a device placed thereon . as demonstrated in fig9 , a power module 43 is positioned underneath shelf 31 . although the embodiment of the figure demonstrates power module 43 underneath shelf 31 , one embodiment of the present invention provides power module 43 incorporated within shelf 31 . charging , in one embodiment , is by inductive charging . however , the present invention is not specifically limited to inductive charging , and any wireless charging is contemplated as being usable in this embodiment of the invention . in one embodiment , tower housing 12 has incorporated thereon an on / off switch 26 that controls power to the entire charging tower assembly 10 . in another embodiment , a plurality of led lamps 24 are positioned on the side of tower housing 12 , whereby said led lamps 24 are configured to be operatively associated with various electrical components of charging tower assembly 10 . for example , one or more led lamps 24 illuminate when a particular electrical feature of charging tower assembly 10 is being used . as one non - limiting example , a mobile device is placed on shelf 31 , wireless charging is initiated , and one or more led lamps 24 are illuminated to indicate charging tower assembly 10 is in use . in one embodiment , electrical outlet 44 is incorporated onto tower housing 12 . tower housing 12 includes , in one embodiment , a lower on / off switch 42 that selectively provides and interrupts power to charging tower assembly 10 . in one embodiment , as demonstrated in fig1 , tower housing 12 is perpendicular to housing base 14 . in one embodiment , the angular orientation of tower housing 12 in relation to housing base 14 is selectively adjustable . in another embodiment of the present invention , one or more usb outlets are configured for charging devices on charging tower assembly 10 . in one embodiment , a console 37 is provided . console 37 is any of a clock , usb audio , terrestrial radio , satellite radio , internet radio , or combinations thereof . in one embodiment , console 37 is configured with bluetooth transceiver compatibility . in one embodiment , charging tower 10 is configured with additional openings providing that future upgrades in the configuration are capable . for example , an unused opening in charging tower 10 accommodates a future outlet , usb , etc . that is added at a later date . while the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity , it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction , fabrication and use , including the combination and arrangement of parts , may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
referring to the single figure of the drawings , there is shown in a schematic block diagram a video device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention . the video device , which is generally denoted 10 , includes a housing 12 which houses or mounts , either directly or indirectly , a single video camera 14 and a laser 16 . for example , laser 16 can be separately mounted on top of housing 12 rather than being located therein . moreover , housing 12 can form part of a robot indicated schematically at 17 , or can be the overall housing for such a robot or form part of such a housing . in the particular application discussed above , robot 17 would be movable in and around narrow passages in a space vehicle to enable inspection of space vehicle hardware . the robot 17 itself can be a conventional robot suitable for such a purpose . camera 14 has a boresight 14 a , and a diverging lens 18 is disposed in alignment with boresight 14 a in front of camera 14 so that the camera 14 has a field of view ( fov ) 14 b which covers a desired area of a target indicated at 20 , which , in the abovementioned application , could be part of some space vehicle hardware . laser 16 is fixedly supported by housing 12 . as indicated in the drawings , laser 16 is spaced a fixed distance “ d ” from the boresight 14 a of camera 14 . an optic element 22 , which can be a simple prism , a diffractive optic element , i . e ., a diffractive grating , or another optical element producing a similar effect , is disposed at the output of laser 16 and serves to split or divide the laser beam produced by laser 16 into a plurality of beams indicated in the drawings and defining angles b 1 , b 2 and b 3 with the boresight 16 a of laser 16 . it will be appreciated that although three beams are shown , and a 3 × 3 grid of spots has some advantages , a different number of spots can be used . the multiple beams produced by diffractive optic element 22 are directed at target 20 within the field of view 14 b of camera 14 . as is also illustrated in the drawings , these beams are reflected from the target 20 and the reflected beams , which define angles a 1 , a 2 , a 3 with the camera boresight 14 a , are received in camera lens 18 . the angles a 1 , a 2 , a 3 ( collectively a i ) are determined by the location of the laser spots in the field - of - view 14 b of camera 14 . because camera 14 has a known angular fov 14 b , the location at which the camera 14 “ sees ” the laser spot relative to the center of the fov 14 b , measured in degrees , defines a i . for example , if camera 14 has a 40 degree fov , and a laser spot is located at ½ of the distance to the edge of the fov from the center of the fov , the angle a i is 10 degrees ( it being understood a 40 degree fov means an angle of ± 20 degrees relative to the boresight 14 a ). the overall device 10 preferably further includes a frame grabber or other conventional image capture circuit 24 connected to camera 14 , an image storage memory 26 connected to frame grabber 24 and a processor 28 connected to memory 26 and to laser 16 . it will be understood that processor 28 can also be directly connected to frame grabber 24 and that , in general , any suitable conventional system for processing the output of video camera 14 can be employed . it will be appreciated that camera 14 is used for general inspection of the target 20 as well as detection of the light spots created by the multiple laser beams produced by laser 16 and diffractive optic element 22 . with the arrangement described above , laser 16 acts as a part of the rangefinder system for determining the range “ r ” between the device 10 , or , more accurately , the focal point , and the target 20 . the splitting of the laser output beam into multiple beams enables simultaneous measurement to several points ( light spots ) in the field - of - view 14 a of camera 14 . when the range to an object ( e . g ., target 20 ) within the field - of - view is required , the laser 16 is turned on by processor 28 and an image frame , as grabbed by frame grabber 24 , and with the laser or light spots in the frame , is stored in the image memory 26 . as another feature , the system can be calibrated to measure range from any point in device 10 ( such as in front of lens 18 ) and the target . in determining range , the centroid of the spot is located on the stored image stored in memory 26 and the range to the spot is calculated thereon . for the multiple spots provided in the preferred embodiment , the range , r , is calculated using the formula : where “ d ” is , as indicated above , the distance between the boresight 16 a of the laser 16 and the boresight 14 a of the camera 14 , “ a i ” is the angle defined between the camera boresight 14 a and the point of deflection of the beam from the target 20 , displaced in a vertical direction from the point at which boresight intersects the target 20 , and “ b i ” is the angle defined by the outgoing laser beam in the vertical direction with respect to the laser boresight 16 a . it is also noted that for multiple spots , the range , r , is also equal to : where the angles “ c ” and “ d ” are comparable to the angles “ a i ” and “ b i ” but would be measured in the horizontal direction . computing r in this latter way would allow for some cross - checking of the range data for a particular spot . information from the spots adjacent to the center point , i . e ., the intersection of the boresight 14 a and the target 20 permits calculation of a rough shape for the target surface . however , only the center point range need be calculated . curved surfaces and corners may be avoided by calculating distances relative to the center point using spatial distortions on the grid . in an alternative embodiment , two frames would be used , viz ., a foreground frame , i . e ., the frame with laser spots , and a background frame , i . e ., a frame without the laser spots , would be used in order to improve the ability of the system to detect the laser spots . the background frame would be used to subtract out the background of the foreground frame , leaving only the laser spots . this simplifies the image processing . as indicated above , in the construction of a practical detection device for indoor inspection purposes , it is assumed that lighting conditions are substantially constant . this is reasonable as the inspection process in accordance with this aspect of the invention is to be performed in a controlled setting . this condition enables simplification of the image processing required to extract usable data from the image . the resultant requirements of the system include the requirement that the intensity of the laser exceed the intensity of the target in the image . with these conditions satisfied , an intensity threshold enables the projected pattern of spots to be easily discerned from objects in the environment . each spot or point to be measured in the image falls within a known region when the target is in the specified range . in a preferred embodiment , performing conventional edge detection in the regions of interest is used to reveal the location of the projected pattern , and allows the target position to be known . if the edge detection performed fails to indicate a location within the region of interest , the measurement result is returned as off - scale . the relationship between the target distance and point of interest in the image is inherently nonlinear . this non - linearity is compounded by the spherical aberrations introduced by the lens of the video camera 14 and / or additional lens 18 . while it is possible to flatten the image , thereby allowing the coordinates in the frame to correspond to real world measurements , this is a costly approach in terms of processing time and power . a simplified approach would be to create a linear approximation for the sensor output so as to permit rudimentary calculations to correlate the sensor output to the approximate target distance . however , this approach , while yielding a reasonable approximation of target distance , introduces further error into the system and is unacceptable for navigating a confined space . in a preferred embodiment , an approach is taken in implementing the system of the invention that accounts for the non - linear relationship referred to above by using a reasonable model of the data that would provide an acceptable error across the range . in this approach , a set of precision , linear stages are used to provide reference measurements , and the coordinates of the point of interest are correlated to the actual measurements . a curve is then fit to the data , and the resultant mean - squared error is then evaluated to determine if the model is of appropriate accuracy . in actual testing , the sensor output allowed for single pixel measurements , and resulted in the requirement that the model never vary from the actual measurement by a half of a pixel in either direction . experimentation has shown that a sixth order polynominal can be consistently fitted to the data with the desired accuracy . testing over many calibrations has shown that the error produced is cyclical , and can be attributed to the discrete nature of the image . as the target distance approaches a value accounted for by one of one of the discrete points associated with a pixel value in the image , the error approaches zero . as the target distances moves away from this zero point , the error increases until the midpoint is reached between the two adjacent pixel values . at this point , the error begins to decrease and approach zero again . in practice , the reference in the image is made to traverse as much of the light of the image as possible . this lessens , but does not eliminate , the effect of the error on the outputted measurements . in a specific , non - limiting implementation , code used was written in the more portable form of c language and a tms3206416 digital signal processor ( dsp ) made by texas instruments was used . this processor generally corresponds to processor 28 of the drawings . computers are common for such platforms . the dsp used provides a frame grabber ( corresponding to frame grabber 24 ). the output of the frame grabber is made available to the dsp in the uyvy4 : 2 : 2 format . the first step in processing a frame of data is to strip the image of the chrominance planes . a black and white camera was used as camera 14 . as indicated above , in the instances that good data is found in a region of interest , the fitted polynominal is used to calculate the target distance in that region . the newton - raphson iterative method was employed to determine the rate of the polynominal offset by the location of the point of interest within the frame . this method is ideally suited for this case in that the fitted polynominal is known to behave well in the neighborhood of the sensor range . further , the newton - raphson method provided the desired result with a minimum of computation making this method ideal for implementation on a variety of low - end processors . also addressed in the implementation discussed above was the orientation of the target in three - dimensional space . in this implementation , the projected pattern was extended to allow multiple points or spots to be measured in the vertical direction of the frame . this allowed the system to distinguish objects that formed varying angles with the surface of travel as well as its horizontal orientation to the object . the horizontal relation to the target was determined by measuring multiple points across the width of the image . knowing ( i ) the distance to these points ( based on the range finding feature of the system ), and ( ii ) the horizontal separation in the image , allows the angle of the camera in relation to the target to be determined on a single axis . this approach can be extended to include the ability to measure relative angles on the vertical axis . additional points are introduced into the projected pattern to provide the extended reference . a calibration routine is required to account for this additional information . the cost of calculating the additional measurements can be prohibitive depending on the size requirements of the final device and the processor used . in the case of the particular dsp mentioned above , the additional calculations had minimal impact on the performance of the system and the structure of the implementation . in view of this , the ability to measure the relative roll as well as yaw with respect to the target can be a significant yet cost effective addition to the system . with the implementations discussed above , the resolution of the camera is the limiting factor in determining the precision of the overall vision system . in tests with small format sensors , the resolution was not significantly reduced with sensors having dimensions as small as ¼ inch . these tests also used an analog camera and the implementations were thus bound by the resolution of the ntsc standard of 720 × 480 pixels . the use of a higher resolution , low frame - rate camera that provides a digital output would not only increase the precision of the system but would also eliminate the need for a frame grabber ( e . g ., frame grabber 24 ), thereby enabling the overall system to be made even smaller . although the invention has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be effected in these preferred embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 6 |
a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 a through 1d are cross - sectional views illustrating a fabrication method for a semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention . “ dummy gate electrodes ” herein represent gate electrodes of a semiconductor device that are not concerned with circuit operation . as previously described , dummy gate electrodes are formed to finish gate electrodes as designed or to make the top surface of an interlayer dielectric uniform in planarization of the interlayer dielectric . when dummy gate electrodes are formed to finish gate electrodes as designed , they each often have a gate length of 10 μm or less . when dummy gate electrodes are formed to make the thickness of an interlayer dielectric uniform , they each often have a gate length of 10 μm . in this embodiment , a description will be given of a fabrication method for a semiconductor device including a mis transistor having a gate electrode whose upper part is silicided and dummy transistors each having a non - silicided dummy gate electrode that has a gate length of 10 μm or less . first , as illustrated in fig1 a , an isolation region 2 ( insulating film for isolation ) is selectively formed in a semiconductor substrate 1 of , for example , silicon by shallow trench isolation ( sti ). as a result , active regions are formed in the semiconductor substrate 1 so as to be surrounded by the isolation region 2 . subsequently , a first insulating film 3 of silicon oxide is formed on the semiconductor substrate 1 by thermal oxidation to have a thickness of , for example , 2 nm . subsequently , a polysilicon film 4 is formed on the first insulating film 3 by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) to have a thickness of , for example , 100 nm . thereafter , a 20 - nm - thick second insulating film 5 is formed on the top surface of the polysilicon film 4 by cvd using tetra ethyl ortho silicate ( teos ). herein , reference numeral 50 denotes a region of the semiconductor substrate 1 on which an element is to be formed ( hereinafter , referred to as “ element formation region ”), and reference numeral 51 denotes a region thereof on which a dummy element is to be formed ( hereinafter , referred to as “ dummy element formation region ”). in the exemplary semiconductor device illustrated in fig1 a through 1d , the dummy element formation region 51 includes part of each active region and at least part of the isolation region 2 . next , as illustrated in fig1 b , the polysilicon film 4 and the first insulating film 3 are patterned by lithography and etching , thereby forming a pair of a gate insulating film 3 a and a gate electrode 4 a and a pair of a dummy gate insulating film 3 b and a dummy gate electrode 4 b on one of the active regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 . simultaneously , a dummy gate electrode 4 c is formed on the isolation region 2 . the gate electrode 4 a , the dummy gate electrode 4 b and the dummy gate electrode 4 c have gate lengths of approximately 60 nm , 60 nm and 5 μm , respectively . in this process step , the second insulating film 5 is also partially removed . in this way , insulating films are formed on the gate electrode 4 a and the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , respectively . one of the insulating films formed on the gate electrode 4 a is referred to as “ on - gate insulating film 5 a ”, another thereof formed on the dummy gate electrode 4 b is referred to as “ dummy on - gate insulating film 5 b ”, and the other thereof formed on the dummy gate electrode 4 c is referred to as “ dummy on - gate insulating film 5 c ”. subsequently , arsenic ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 1 by ion implantation , for example , at an acceleration energy of 3 kev and a dose of 1 . 3 × 10 15 cm − 2 . in this way , n - type extension regions 6 a are formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 located to both sides of the gate electrode 4 a , n - type extension regions 6 b are formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 located to both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 b , and n - type extension regions 6 c are formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 located to both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 c . next , an approximately - 13 - nm - thick silicon oxide film is formed by cvd using teos to cover the semiconductor substrate 1 , and then a 50 - nm - thick silicon nitride film is formed on the silicon oxide film by cvd . thereafter , the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are subjected to an etch back process . in this way , approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 a are formed on both sides of the gate electrode 4 a , approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 b are formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 b , and approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 c are formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 c . subsequently , arsenic ions are implanted into the active region of the semiconductor substrate 1 using a combination of the gate electrode 4 a and the sidewalls 8 a , a combination of the dummy gate electrode 4 b and the sidewalls 8 b and a combination of the dummy gate electrode 4 c and the dummy gate electrode 8 c as masks , thereby forming n - type impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c . in this case , the acceleration energy of the arsenic ions is , for example , 20 kev , and the dose thereof is 4 . 0 × 10 15 cm − 2 . in the exemplary semiconductor device illustrated in fig1 b , one of the impurity diffusion layers 7 a formed to both sides of the gate electrode 4 a adjacent to the dummy gate electrode 4 b is identical with one of the impurity diffusion layers 7 b formed to both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 b . the impurity diffusion layers 7 a serve as source / drain regions . next , as illustrated in fig1 c , a resist is applied to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 , and then a resist mask 9 is formed by lithography to expose the element formation region 50 and cover the dummy element formation region 51 . subsequently , the on - gate insulating film 5 a formed on the top surface of the gate electrode 4 a is removed by dry etching using the resist mask 9 . next , as illustrated in fig1 d , the resist mask 9 is removed , and then an approximately 5 - through 40 - nm - thick metal film of a refractory metal , such as cobalt ( co ) or nickel ( ni ), is formed by sputtering or any other method to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . next , the semiconductor substrate 1 is subjected to heat treatment , for example , at a temperature of approximately 320 ° c . thereafter , unreacted part of the metal film that is not silicided is removed . in this manner , a gate silicide film 20 is formed on the gate electrode 4 a formed on the element formation region 50 of the semiconductor substrate 1 . furthermore , silicide films 10 are formed on the impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c . a semiconductor device including a mis transistor having a gate electrode 4 a and a gate silicide film 20 , a first dummy transistor having a dummy gate electrode 4 b , and a second dummy transistor having a dummy gate electrode 4 c is fabricated through the above - mentioned process steps . according to the fabrication method for a semiconductor device of this embodiment , an upper part of the gate electrode 4 a can be silicided without siliciding the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c . in a miniaturized semiconductor device including a semiconductor integrated circuit having a mis transistor , even when a dummy gate electrode is formed adjacent to a gate electrode formed with a silicide film , a short circuit can be prevented from being caused between the gate electrode and the dummy gate electrode . the method of this embodiment can reduce the contact resistance of the gate electrode and the impurity diffusion layers and allows a high - reliability semiconductor device to be fabricated . as illustrated in fig1 d , a semiconductor device of this embodiment fabricated by the above - mentioned method includes a semiconductor substrate 1 in which active regions and an isolation region 2 surrounding each active region are formed , a mis transistor and a first dummy transistor both formed on the active region of the semiconductor substrate 1 , and a second dummy transistor formed on the isolation region 2 of the semiconductor substrate 1 . the mis transistor includes a gate insulating film 3 a formed on the semiconductor substrate 1 , a gate electrode 4 a formed on the gate insulating film 3 a , a gate silicide film 20 formed on the gate electrode 4 a and made of metal silicide , such as co silicide or ni silicide , sidewalls 8 a formed on both sides of the gate electrode 4 a , impurity diffusion layers 7 a formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 located to both sides of the sidewalls 8 a , and silicide films 10 formed on the impurity diffusion layers 7 a . the first dummy transistor includes a dummy gate insulating film 3 b formed on the semiconductor substrate 1 , a dummy gate electrode 4 b formed on the dummy gate insulating film 3 b , a dummy on - gate insulating film 5 b formed on the dummy gate electrode 4 b , sidewalls 8 b formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 b , impurity diffusion layers 7 b formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 located to both sides of the sidewalls 8 b , and silicide films 10 formed on the impurity diffusion layers 7 b . unlike the first dummy transistor , a dummy gate electrode 4 c of the second dummy transistor is formed on the isolation region 2 . on the other hand , like the first dummy transistor , no silicide film is formed on the top surface of the dummy gate electrode 4 c . under normal conditions , electrical signals are not fed to the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , and thus the first and second dummy transistors do not operate . although in this embodiment the semiconductor device includes dummy gate electrodes for finishing gate electrodes as designed , the same method can be applied for fabrication of a semiconductor device including dummy gate electrodes each having a gate length of 10 μm or more and configured to make the thickness of an interlayer dielectric uniform . in the fabrication method for a semiconductor device of this embodiment , these impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c may be silicided after the formation of the impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c in the process step illustrated in fig1 b . in this case , the gate silicide film 20 can have a different thickness from each silicide film 10 . the gate electrode 4 a and the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c formed in the process step illustrated in fig1 b need only be made of silicon and may be made of amorphous silicon instead of polysilicon . in this embodiment and subsequent embodiments , values represented as the thicknesses , widths and the like of components are exemplary values , and the values may be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention . fig2 a through 2e are cross - sectional views illustrating a fabrication method for a semiconductor device according to a second embodiment of the present invention . in these figures , the same components as those of the semiconductor device of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals , and thus a description of the same components will be simplified . first , in the process step illustrated in fig2 a , like the process step illustrated in fig1 a of the first embodiment , an isolation region 2 is selectively formed in a semiconductor substrate 1 . as a result , active regions are formed in the semiconductor substrate 1 so as to be surrounded by the isolation region 2 . subsequently , a 2 - nm - thick first insulating film 3 and a 100 - nm - thick polysilicon film 4 are deposited on the semiconductor substrate 1 . thereafter , a 20 - nm - thick second insulating film 5 is deposited on the top surface of the polysilicon film 4 . next , in the process step illustrated in fig2 b , like the process step illustrated in fig1 b , a pair of a gate insulating film 3 a and a gate electrode 4 a and a pair of a dummy gate insulating film 3 b and a dummy gate electrode 4 b are formed on one of the active regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 . simultaneously , a dummy gate electrode 4 c is formed on the isolation region 2 . the gate electrode 4 a , the dummy gate electrode 4 b and the dummy gate electrode 4 c have gate lengths of approximately 60 nm , 60 nm and 5 μm , respectively . in this process step , the second insulating film 5 is also partially removed . in this way , an on - gate insulating film 5 a is formed on the gate electrode 4 a , and dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c are formed on the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , respectively . subsequently , arsenic ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 1 by ion implantation , thereby forming extension regions 6 a , 6 b and 6 c . next , an approximately - 13 - nm - thick silicon oxide film is formed by cvd using teos to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 , and then a 50 - nm - thick silicon nitride film is formed on the silicon oxide film by cvd . thereafter , the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are subjected to an etch back process . in this way , approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 a are formed on both sides of the gate electrode 4 a , approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 b are formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 b , and approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 c are formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 c . subsequently , arsenic ions are implanted into the active regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 using a combination of the gate electrode 4 a and the sidewalls 8 a , a combination of the dummy gate electrode 4 b and the sidewalls 8 b and a combination of the dummy gate electrode 4 c and the dummy gate electrode 8 c as masks , thereby forming n - type impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c . the above - mentioned process steps are the same as those in the method of the first embodiment . next , in the process step illustrated in fig2 c , an approximately 20 - through 40 - nm - thick metal film of a refractory metal , such as cobalt ( co ) or nickel ( ni ), is formed by sputtering or any other method to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . then , the semiconductor substrate 1 is subjected to heat treatment , for example , at a temperature of approximately 320 ° c . thereafter , unreacted part of the metal film that is not silicided is removed . in this way , silicide films 10 are formed on the impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c formed in the semiconductor substrate 1 . next , as illustrated in fig2 d , an approximately - 20 - nm - thick silicon nitride film 11 is formed by atomic layer deposition ( ald ) to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . subsequently , an approximately - 400 - nm - thick silicon oxide film 12 is formed on the silicon nitride film 11 by cvd or any other method . thereafter , the silicon oxide film 12 is polished by cmp to have a thickness of approximately 200 nm . next , a resist is entirely applied to the semiconductor substrate 1 , and then a resist mask ( not shown ) is formed by lithography to expose an element formation region 50 and cover a dummy element formation region 51 . subsequently , respective parts of the silicon nitride film 11 and the silicon oxide film 12 formed on the element formation region 50 are partially removed by reactive ion etching ( rie ) using the resist mask . in this case , the silicon oxide film 12 and the silicon nitride film 11 are subjected to etching until the top surface of the on - gate insulating film 5 a is exposed . thereafter , the on - gate insulating film 5 a formed on the top surface of the gate electrode 4 a is also removed . next , as illustrated in fig2 e , an approximately - 100 - nm - thick metal film of a refractory metal , such as co or ni , is formed to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . next , the semiconductor substrate 1 is subjected to heat treatment , for example , at a temperature of approximately 320 ° c . thereafter , unreacted part of the metal film that is not silicided is removed . in this way , a gate electrode 13 obtained by siliciding the whole gate electrode 4 a of polysilicon is formed on the element formation region 50 . silicidation of polysilicon causes the volume thereof to increase . this allows the top surface of the gate electrode 13 to become substantially equal in level to the top end of each sidewall 8 a . in the above - mentioned manner , a mis transistor including a fully silicided gate electrode 13 can be formed on the element formation region 50 , and dummy transistors including non - silicided dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , respectively , can be formed on the dummy element formation region 51 . according to the fabrication method for a semiconductor device of this embodiment , only a desired gate electrode can be selectively silicided without siliciding dummy gate electrodes . therefore , even when a fully silicided gate electrode and a dummy gate electrode are adjacent to each other on the semiconductor substrate 1 , a short circuit can be prevented from being caused between the gate electrode and the dummy gate electrode . in view of the above , according to the method of this embodiment , semiconductor devices having a miniaturized circuit can be fabricated with high yield . as illustrated in fig2 e , a semiconductor device of this embodiment fabricated by the above - mentioned method includes a semiconductor substrate 1 in which active regions and an isolation region 2 surrounding each active region are formed , a mis transistor and a first dummy transistor both formed on one of the active regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 , and a second dummy transistor formed on the isolation region 2 of the semiconductor substrate 1 . the mis transistor includes a gate insulating film 3 a , a fully silicided gate electrode 13 formed on the gate insulating film 3 a , sidewalls 8 a formed on both sides of the gate electrode 13 , impurity diffusion layers 7 a formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 located to both sides of the sidewalls 8 a , and silicide films 10 formed on the impurity diffusion layers 7 a . the first dummy transistor includes a dummy gate insulating film 3 b , a dummy gate electrode 4 b of polysilicon formed on the dummy gate insulating film 3 b , a dummy on - gate insulating film 5 b formed on the dummy gate electrode 4 b , sidewalls 8 b formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 b , impurity diffusion layers 7 b formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 located to both sides of the sidewalls 8 b , and silicide films 10 formed on the impurity diffusion layers 7 b . unlike the first dummy transistor , the second dummy transistor is formed on the isolation region 2 . on the other hand , like the first dummy transistor , instead of a silicide film , a dummy on - gate insulating film 5 c is formed on the top surface of the dummy gate electrode 4 c . since the semiconductor device of this embodiment is formed with a mos transistor having a fully silicided gate electrode , this prevents the gate electrode from being depleted , resulting in enhanced performance and increased reliability . although in this embodiment the gate length of each of dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c is less than 10 μm , it may be 10 μm or more . another method for selectively siliciding only a gate electrode formed on an element formation region will be described in a third embodiment of the present invention . fig3 a through 3e are cross - sectional views illustrating a fabrication method for a semiconductor device according to the third embodiment of the present invention . in these figures , the same components as those of the semiconductor device of each of the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals , and thus a description of the same components will be simplified . first , in the process step illustrated in fig3 a , like the process step illustrated in fig1 a of the first embodiment , an isolation region 2 is selectively formed in a semiconductor substrate 1 . as a result , active regions are formed in the semiconductor substrate 1 so as to be surrounded by the isolation region 2 . subsequently , for example , a 2 - nm - thick first insulating film 3 and a 100 - nm - thick polysilicon film 4 are deposited on the semiconductor substrate 1 . thereafter , a 20 - nm - thick second insulating film 5 is deposited on the top surface of the polysilicon film 4 . next , in the process step illustrated in fig3 b , like the process step illustrated in fig1 b , a pair of a gate insulating film 3 a and a gate electrode 4 a and a pair of a dummy gate insulating film 3 b and a dummy gate electrode 4 b are formed on one of the active regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 . simultaneously , a dummy gate electrode 4 c is formed on the isolation region 2 . the gate electrode 4 a , the dummy gate electrode 4 b and the dummy gate electrode 4 c have gate lengths of approximately 60 nm , 60 nm and 5 μm , respectively . in this process step , the second insulating film 5 is also partially removed . in this way , an on - gate insulating film 5 a is formed on the gate electrode 4 a , and dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c are formed on the dummy gate electrode 4 b and 4 c , respectively . subsequently , arsenic ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 1 by ion implantation , thereby forming extension regions 6 a , 6 b and 6 c . next , an approximately - 13 - nm - thick silicon oxide film is formed by cvd using teos to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 , and then a 50 - nm - thick silicon nitride film is formed on the silicon oxide film by cvd . thereafter , the silicon oxide film and the silicon nitride film are subjected to an etch back process . in this way , approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 a are formed on both sides of the gate electrode 4 a , approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 b are formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 b , and approximately - 45 - nm - wide sidewalls 8 c are formed on both sides of the dummy gate electrode 4 c . subsequently , arsenic ions are implanted into the active region of the semiconductor substrate 1 using a combination of the gate electrode 4 a and the sidewalls 8 a , a combination of the dummy gate electrode 4 b and the sidewalls 8 b and a combination of the dummy gate electrode 4 c and the dummy gate electrode 8 c as masks , thereby forming impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c . next , as illustrated in fig3 c , an approximately - 20 - through 40 - nm - thick metal film of co , ni or any other material is formed by sputtering or any other method to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . then , the semiconductor substrate 1 is subjected to heat treatment , for example , at a temperature of approximately 320 ° c . thereafter , unreacted part of the metal film that is not silicided is removed . in this way , silicide films 10 are formed on the impurity diffusion layers 7 a , 7 b and 7 c formed in the semiconductor substrate 1 . the above - mentioned process steps are the same as those illustrated in fig2 a through 2c in the method of the second embodiment . next , as illustrated in fig3 d , an approximately - 20 - nm - thick silicon nitride film 11 is formed by ald to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . subsequently , an approximately - 400 - nm - thick silicon oxide film 12 is formed on the silicon nitride film 11 by cvd or any other method . thereafter , the silicon oxide film 12 is polished by cmp to have a thickness of approximately 200 nm . next , the silicon nitride film 11 and the silicon oxide film 12 are partially removed by rie . in this case , the silicon oxide film 12 and the silicon nitride film 11 are subjected to etching until the top surfaces of the on - gate insulating film 5 a and dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c are exposed . thereafter , the on - gate insulating film 5 a formed on the gate electrode 4 a and the dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c formed on the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , respectively , are also removed . subsequently , an approximately - 50 - nm - thick silicon oxide film 14 is formed , for example , by cvd to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . a portion of the silicon oxide film 14 formed on the element formation region 50 is removed by lithography and etching until the top surface of the gate electrode 4 a is exposed . as a result , a portion of the silicon oxide film 14 covering the dummy element formation region 51 is left . next , as illustrated in fig3 e , an approximately - 100 - nm - thick metal film of a refractory metal , such as co or ni , is formed by sputtering or any other method to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . next , the semiconductor substrate 1 is subjected to heat treatment , for example , at a temperature of approximately 320 ° c . in this way , the gate electrode 4 a of polysilicon formed on the element formation region 50 is fully silicided , thereby forming a gate electrode 13 . thereafter , unreacted part of the metal film that is not silicided is removed . in the above - mentioned manner , the element formation region 50 can be formed with a mis transistor having a fully silicided gate electrode 13 , and the dummy element formation region 51 can be formed with dummy transistors having dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c of polysilicon that are not silicided , respectively . also according to the fabrication method for a semiconductor device of this embodiment , like the method of the second embodiment , only a desired gate electrode can be selectively silicided without siliciding dummy gate electrodes . therefore , even when a fully silicided gate electrode and a dummy gate electrode of polysilicon are adjacent to each other on the semiconductor substrate 1 , a short circuit can be prevented from being caused between the gate electrode and the dummy gate electrode . as illustrated in fig3 e , the semiconductor device fabricated by the method of this embodiment has substantially the same structure as that of the second embodiment and is different from that of the second embodiment only in that dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c are not formed on dummy gate electrode 4 b and 4 c , respectively . fig4 a through 4c are cross - sectional views illustrating a fabrication method for a semiconductor device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the method of this embodiment is another method for fabricating the same semiconductor device as in the third embodiment . first , as illustrated in fig4 a , in the same process steps as those illustrated in fig3 a through 3c of the third embodiment , a gate insulating film 3 a , a gate electrode 4 a , an on - gate insulating film 5 a , sidewalls 8 a are formed on an element formation region 50 of a semiconductor substrate 1 , and extension regions 6 a and impurity diffusion layers 7 a are formed therein . furthermore , dummy on - gate insulating films 3 b and 3 c , dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c , and sidewalls 8 b and 8 c are formed on a dummy element formation region 51 of the semiconductor substrate 1 , and extension regions 6 b and 6 c and impurity diffusion layers 7 b and 7 c are formed therein . thereafter , an approximately - 20 - nm - thick silicon nitride film 11 is formed by ald to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . subsequently , an approximately - 400 - nm - thick silicon oxide film 12 is formed on the silicon nitride film 11 by cvd or any other method . thereafter , the silicon oxide film 12 is polished by cmp to have a thickness of approximately 200 nm . next , the silicon nitride film 11 and the silicon oxide film 12 are partially removed by rie . in this case , the silicon oxide film 12 and the silicon nitride film 11 are subjected to etching until the top surfaces of the on - gate insulating film 5 a and dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c are exposed . thereafter , the on - gate insulating film 5 a formed on the top surface of the gate electrode 4 a , the dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c formed on the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , respectively , are also removed . next , as illustrated in fig4 b , an approximately - 100 - nm - thick metal film 30 made of co , ni or any other material is formed by sputtering to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . next , a mask 32 is formed on a portion of the metal film 30 formed on the element formation region 50 by a known method . subsequently , a portion of the metal film 30 formed on the dummy element formation region 51 is removed by etching using the mask 32 . next , as illustrated in fig4 c , the mask 32 is removed , and then the semiconductor substrate 1 is subjected to heat treatment , for example , at a temperature of approximately 320 ° c . in this way , only the gate electrode 4 a of polysilicon formed on the element formation region 50 is silicided to form a fully silicided gate electrode 13 . thereafter , unreacted part of the metal film that is not silicided is removed . in this process step , no metal film exists on the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c . this prevents the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c from being silicided . also according to the above - mentioned method , only a desired gate electrode can be selectively silicided without siliciding dummy gate electrodes . therefore , even when a fully silicided gate electrode and a dummy gate electrode of polysilicon are adjacent to each other on the semiconductor substrate 1 , a short circuit can be prevented from being caused between the gate electrode and the dummy gate electrode . in view of the above , according to the method of this embodiment , miniaturized semiconductor devices can be fabricated with high yield . fig5 a through 5c are cross - sectional views illustrating a fabrication method for a semiconductor device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . the method of this embodiment is still another method for fabricating the same semiconductor device as in the third embodiment . first , as illustrated in fig5 a , in the same process step as that illustrated in fig4 a in the method of the fourth embodiment , respective parts of a silicon nitride film 11 and a silicon oxide film 12 , an on - gate insulating film 5 a , and dummy on - gate insulating films 5 b and 5 c ( see fig3 c ) are removed . in this way , the respective top surfaces of a 100 - nm - thick gate electrode 4 a and 100 - nm - thick dummy gate electrode 4 b and 4 c are exposed . next , as illustrated in fig5 b , a mask 34 is formed to cover an element formation region 50 of a semiconductor substrate 1 . subsequently , the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c are completely removed using the mask 34 . next , the mask 34 is removed , and then a 100 - nm - thick metal film of ni or co is formed by sputtering to entirely cover the semiconductor substrate 1 . next , the semiconductor substrate 1 is subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 320 ° c ., and then unreacted part of the metal film that is not silicided is removed . in this way , a fully silicided gate electrode 13 is formed on the element formation region 50 . on the other hand , since the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c are previously removed from the dummy element formation region 51 , no silicide is formed . thereafter , when an interlayer dielectric is formed to cover the semiconductor substrate 1 , the semiconductor device of this embodiment is configured so that its regions occupied by the dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c are filled with the interlayer dielectric . also according to the above - mentioned method , only a desired gate electrode can be selectively silicided . furthermore , since dummy gate electrodes themselves are removed , this prevents an electrical short circuit from being caused between a gate electrode and a dummy gate electrode even when the gate electrode is silicided . the method of this embodiment can be applied even when each of dummy gate electrodes of a semiconductor device has any gate length . however , since the method of this embodiment includes the step of removing the dummy gate electrodes , it is not applied to cases where dummy gate electrodes are to be formed to planarize the top surface of an interlayer dielectric . on the other hand , it is preferably applied to fabrication of a semiconductor device including dummy gate electrodes to finish gate electrodes thereof as designed . although in the first through fifth embodiments polysilicon is used as a material of a gate electrode 4 a and dummy gate electrodes 4 b and 4 c , silicon , such as amorphous silicon , may be used instead . as described above , the present invention is useful for formation of a semiconductor device including a gate electrode and a dummy gate electrode formed in the vicinity of the gate electrode . | 7 |
in the description which follows , the same parts will be referred to by the same reference numbers . in fig1 and 2 a 90 degree pressure balanced prior art rotary swivel joint is referred to generally by the reference number 10 . an elongated stem 12 is formed from hexagonal stock . stem 12 has a threaded connection end 14 having a seal 15 which is shown threaded into a pressurized fluid connection 16 having pressurized fluid passage 18 on the pump side of the assembly . stem 12 has an outer end portion 20 separated from connection end 14 by a drive nut 22 located outside the bearing area . outer end portion 20 extends oppositely from the connection end to an outer end 24 which may also be referred to as the upper end . drive nut 22 has an abutment surface 26 and a barrel seat 28 which defines the height of drive nut 22 and separates connection end 14 from outer end portion 20 . looking from left to right , outer end portion 20 has a pair of support bearings comprising a lower support bearing 30 proximate barrel seat 28 and an upper support bearing 32 proximate outer end 24 of the stem and a pair of seals spaced apart by a seal distance comprising a lower seal 34 and an upper seal 36 which separate support bearings 30 , 32 . seals 34 , 36 comprise &# 34 ; o &# 34 ;- rings held in annular grooves which define a fluid transfer chamber 38 in cooperation with the barrel . a removable barrel generally designated 40 closely fits over outer end portion 20 of stem 12 . barrel 40 has a lower end 42 supported on barrel seat 28 and an upper end 44 proximate outer end 24 of the stem , which is held by a retaining ring 46 mounted at the outer end 24 of the stem . barrel 40 has a lower support surface 48 which is longer than the width of bearing 30 so that it simultaneously tums on bearing 30 and seals against seal 34 . barrel 40 has an upper support surface 50 which tums on support bearing 32 and simultaneously seals against seal 36 . a pressurized fluid passage 52 in stem 12 comprises a blind opening which communicates through two ports 54 into annular fluid transfer chamber 38 in the center of the barrel which delivers pressurized fluid to an external connection 56 on barrel 40 . normally a flexible hose would be attached to connection 56 to deliver pressurized hydraulic fluid to hydraulic cylinders or other operating systems . a small annular gap 58 is provided at the lower edge of lower support bearing 30 and at the upper edge of upper support bearing 32 for a conventional dust seal . an improved fluid conducting rotary joint 60 is shown in fig3 and 4 having a substantially reduced stem installation clearance . the stem installation clearance is defined as the distance between the abutment surface 62 of connector 16 and the extreme outer end 76 of the elongated stem 64 of improved joint 60 . barrel 40 is the same as that of fig1 . however , the overall height of improved joint 60 is reduced because relatively thick drive nut 22 had been replaced by relatively thin collar 66 having a height in the longitudinal direction defined by the distance between abutment surface 68 and barrel seat 70 . it can be seen that collar 66 separates connection end 14 of stem 64 from its upper end portion 72 . the collar is preferably an annular disc with a curved outer periphery or round . upper end portion 72 has the same spaced apart upper and lower support bearings 30 , 32 and the same spaced apart seals 34 and 36 which separate the bearings by the same distance between the seals as the joint of fig1 and in cooperation with barrel support surfaces 48 , 50 forms transfer chamber 38 . pressurized fluid moves from passageway 18 through passage 74 in stem 64 through ports 54 , transfer chamber 38 and out through external connection 56 . it can be seen that integral collar 66 performs all of the functions of drive nut 22 except one . because of reduced clearance between barrel 40 and abutment surface 62 there is insufficient space to insert an appropriately sized conventional wrench to tighten or loosen stem 64 against connection 16 . collar 66 is no more than the thickness of a thick washer . the collar does have certain strength requirements . it must be able to withstand the loads imparted to the barrel by fluid conductors connected thereto . it must be able to withstand the loads imparted by engagement of the mating components when it is tightened in place . the outer end of stem 64 is provided with a means for tightening stem 64 to connection 16 without increasing the stem installation clearance . outer end 76 of stem 64 is provided with a centrally positioned socket opening 78 equipped with lands to receive a conventional wrench for rotating stem 64 to secure or remove threaded connection end 14 from a source of pressurized fluid . socket 78 constitutes a drive mechanism which is located within the bearing of the stem extending within the bearing area in the longitudinal direction of the stem . it is of course separated by a wall from internal passage 74 and ports 54 sufficient to withstand the internal pressure which is applied to the joint . a modified pressurized fluid conducting rotary joint 80 utilizing the principle of the invention is illustrated in fig5 and 6 . joint 80 is drawn to a slightly longer scale . it is shown connected to a pressurized fluid connection 16 . joint 80 illustrates that a joint having the same stem installation clearance as a conventional rotary joint of fig1 having equal flow passage geometry , having the same components , the same distance between the seals and a hex drive stem outside the barrel , can have an outer end portion of the stem having increased length with longer bearing surfaces and a longer barrel to increase wear resistance and operate at higher pressures . joint 80 has the same collar 66 as the joint of fig3 its thickness determined by the distance between abutment surface 68 and barrel seat 70 . collar 66 separates connection end 14 from outer end portion 84 of stem 82 . spaced apart seals 34 , 36 have the same interseal spacing as the joints from fig1 and 3 . outer end portion 84 has an outer end 86 . the overall stem installation clearance between abutment surface 62 and outer end 86 is understood to be the same as the conventional joint of fig1 . however , the length of the bearings on the stem and the corresponding bearings on the barrel 88 are substantially longer in the axial longitudinal direction of the stem and barrel . the bearings are spaced apart by conventional seals 34 , 36 and in fact one edge of the seal groove is the upper edge of the lower bearing 90 . the lower edge of the upper bearing 92 is the upper edge of seal groove 36 . lower bearing 90 extends from proximate barrel seat 70 to the lower edge of the seal groove of seal 34 . the lower edge of bearing 92 defines the upper edge of the seal groove of seal 36 and extends to the small annular dust seal just below retaining ring 46 proximate outer end 86 of stem 82 . outer end 86 has the recessed socket opening 78 within bearing 92 for receiving the end of a conventional wrench that be used to install or remove joint 80 . fig7 somewhat schematically illustrates an important advantage of the embodiment of fig5 . in fig7 the lower end 94 of barrel 88 is supported on barrel seat 70 of collar 66 . lower abutment surface 68 of collar 66 and connection end 14 are firmly engaged into a source of pressurized fluid in an operating system . upper end 96 of barrel 88 is supported on the outer end portion 84 of stem 82 by means of retaining ring 46 proximate outer end 86 of the stem . in response to a load &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; applied in the direction of the arrow to schematically indicated outlet 56 of barrel 88 , there is created a stem and barrel side load angle of misalignment which tilts the rotary barrel in the manner shown . lower support surface 98 of barrel 88 rests against lower bearing 90 of the stem on the left side of fig7 while upper support surface 100 of barrel 88 is pulled away from upper bearing surface 92 and a small gap 102 is thereby created on opposite sides of seals 34 and 36 . in spite of a thin teflon ring 104 which is conventionally used as shown outwardly of the pressure side of transfer chamber 38 , there is a tendency of the extremely high pressure to extrude ring 104 and seals 34 , 36 into some portion of gap 102 . if some portion of the seal is extruded into gap 102 , the rotation of the barrel can cause shearing away of portions of the seal and leakage leading to ultimate failure of the joint . even though the barrel is closely fitted so that the diameter of the support surfaces 98 , 100 approximates the diameter of the stem bearing surfaces 90 , 92 , there must be some clearance provided to install the barrel on the outer portion of the stem and clearance for rotational interface of the cylindrical stem and barrel bearing surfaces . the reduced thickness of the collar 66 as compared to the conventional drive nut 22 has made it possible to increase the length of the outer portion 84 of the stem and provide longer bearing surfaces 90 , 92 and a longer barrel without increasing the comparative stem installation clearance between barrel seat 70 and outer end 86 and without decreasing the interseal spacing between seals 34 , 36 . this combination of features produces a smaller gap 102 as compared with the conventional rotary joint illustrated in fig1 having an equal nominal clearance between the bearings of the stem and barrel . importantly , the longer bearing surfaces on a rotary joint , for example one having a 3 / 8 inch passage opening , is increased by approximately 155 percent . this increase results in a substantial reduction in unit pressure in the contact area between the bearing surfaces of the stem and the corresponding support surfaces of the barrel which greatly reduces wear in use and substantially extends the life of the improved joint before seal extrusion can take place . this improvement also makes it possible to increase the operating fluid pressure capacity of the improved joint from approximately 3000 psi to as much as 5000 psi without detrimentally affecting the life and compromising rated fluid flow volume capacity . fig8 illustrates stem 82 without the barrel wherein the wall of the stem in the area between the grooves for seals 34 , 36 is provided with multiple ports 106 in communication with the passage 74 . this is compared with the two ports 54 in fig1 - 7 which are obtained by crossdrilling the stem . ports 106 are formed by drilling through the wall on both sides in two places 90 degrees apart so that there are four openings which are smaller than ports 54 but collectively have at least as much flow volume capacity for transferring fluid to chamber 38 . this structure enables high torque to be applied to stem 82 at socket 78 without buckling or otherwise damaging the wall stem . it also insures that there is sufficient wall thickness to withstand surges in pressure which with a 4 to 1 safety factor on a 3000 psi pressure line can amount to 12000 psi . the following examples illustrate some of the dimensional relationships of the new improved joints in several sizes as compared to the old conventional joints . rotary swivel joints are conventionally referred to by the inside diameter of the flow passage in the stem . rotary joints must be sized to a system in which they operate so that there is adequate flow volume and reduced velocity without excessive pressure drops across the joint . the safety factors and high operating pressures demand hefty wall thicknesses which increase the size of the joints . therefore operating fluid flow volume cannot simply be obtained by boring out a smaller capacity joint . this in turn can lead to a need for joints with a smaller stem installation envelope clearance without comprised flow volume which is represented by the improved joint of fig3 . the following example illustrates the dimensional characteristics of two different sizes of these rotary joints . ______________________________________reduced stem clearance / same bearing length flow drive stem installation passage nut collar barrel envelopejoint diameter height height length clearance______________________________________old 3 / 4 &# 34 ; . 75 &# 34 ; -- 1 . 74 &# 34 ; 2 . 65 &# 34 ; new 3 / 4 &# 34 ; -- . 25 1 . 74 &# 34 ; 2 . 15 &# 34 ; old 1 &# 34 ; . 79 &# 34 ; -- 1 . 95 &# 34 ; 2 . 90 &# 34 ; new 1 &# 34 ; -- . 25 1 . 95 &# 34 ; 2 . 37 &# 34 ; ______________________________________ the dimensions in example 1 are taken from actual joints . although the dimensions are scaled up somewhat in going from a smaller flow volume rated joint to a larger flow volume rated joint a substantial reduction in the stem installation clearance is seen . in the 3 / 4 inch size the stem installation clearance is reduced 0 . 5 inches while in the 1 inch size the stem installation clearance is reduced 0 . 53 inches . __________________________________________________________________________same stem clearance / increased bearing lengthflow maximum minimum total width stemenvelopepassage barrel bearing bearing bearing of one installationjointdiameter length spacing spacing length bearing clearance__________________________________________________________________________old 3 / 8 &# 34 ; 1 . 40 &# 34 ; 1 . 30 &# 34 ; 1 . 10 &# 34 ; 0 . 20 &# 34 ; 0 . 10 &# 34 ; 2 . 11 &# 34 ; new 3 / 8 &# 34 ; 1 . 71 &# 34 ; 1 . 61 &# 34 ; 1 . 10 &# 34 ; 0 . 51 &# 34 ; 0 . 255 &# 34 ; 2 . 11 &# 34 ; old 1 / 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 38 &# 34 ; 1 . 28 &# 34 ; 0 . 91 &# 34 ; 0 . 37 &# 34 ; 0 . 185 &# 34 ; 2 . 28 &# 34 ; new 1 / 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 87 &# 34 ; 1 . 77 &# 34 ; 0 . 91 &# 34 ; 0 . 86 &# 34 ; 0 . 43 &# 34 ; 2 . 28 &# 34 ; __________________________________________________________________________ example 2 represents the modification of fig5 - 8 in which the stem clearance between the old and new is held constant but the bearing surfaces are lengthened along with the outer portion of the stem and barrel . with the 3 / 8 inch joint there is an approximately 155 percent increase in contact surface of the bearings and an increase of about 132 percent for the 1 / 2 inch rotary joint . it should be noted with respect to both examples , that in all cases the spacing between seals 34 and 36 is the same as the prior art joint shown in fig1 . it would be possible to increase the bearing length by simply moving the seals closer together but this solution is undesirable because it reduces the rated volume flow capacity and adversely affects the pressure drop across the joint . example 2 shows substantial increase in the maximum bearing spacing which is the distance between the innermost edge and the outermost edge of the pair of bearings . it will be noted that the minimum bearing space for a joint of equal size is the same for the old and new because the spacing between the seals is constant and the innermost edges of the bearings form the edge of the seal channel to retain equal rated flow volume . in the 3 / 8 inch joint the bearings are lengthened from 1 . 30 inches to 1 . 61 inches , an increase of 23 . 8 percent . in the 1 / 2 inch joint the increase in maximum distance between the inner and outer bearings is 38 percent . these increases are very significant because when the bearings are further apart and the barrel is accordingly lengthened , the resulting gap at the seal with the same nominal diametrical clearance between the old and new stem bearing surfaces and barrel bearing surfaces , as illustrated in fig7 is reduced . the range of the reduction in the gap 102 between old and new joints with the same stem installation envelope clearance is believed to range between about 8 percent and about 22 percent depending upon the flow volume rating of the joints . this has made it possible to increase the pressure capacity rating of comparable joints having the same stem installation clearance from about 3000 psi to about 5000 psi without reducing the life of the joints . | 8 |
the present invention will be described with reference to the drawing figures wherein like numerals represent like elements throughout . one method 53 for assigning codes to timeslots in accordance with the present invention uses consecutive codes and will be described with reference to the flow diagram of fig3 , and a simplified illustration of such code assignments for ue a , ue b and ue c is shown in fig4 . in fig4 , twelve ( 12 ) potential timeslots and sixteen ( 16 ) potential codes are shown , although the present invention is not limited to a specific number of timeslots and / or codes . each timeslot is potentially assigned a predetermined number of codes , such as sixteen codes . the predetermined number of codes are assigned an order or sequence , such as from 0 to 15 , ( step 54 ). for a particular ue , only consecutive codes are assigned to that ue in a given timeslot , ( step 56 ). to illustrate , referring to fig4 for ue a in timeslot 2 , codes 4 - 8 are assigned . an assignment of codes 1 , 3 and 4 to ue a is not permitted , unless code 2 is also assigned to ue a . likewise , ue a in timeslot 6 has been assigned codes 6 - 9 ; ue b in timeslot 2 has been assigned codes 9 - 12 and in timeslot 9 has been assigned codes 0 - 13 ; and ue c in timeslot 11 has been assigned codes 1 - 5 . referring back to fig3 , to signal this assignment scheme to a ue , for each assigned timeslot , an indication of the first code and the last code of the consecutive codes is required , ( step 58 ). for a sixteen ( 16 ) potential code sequence , eight ( 8 ) bits are required . four ( 4 ) bits indicate the start code , ( code 0 to 15 ), and four ( 4 ) bits indicate the last code or the number of consecutive codes , ( code 0 to 15 ) or the number ( 1 to 16 ) of consecutive codes . for a twelve ( 1 2 ) timeslot system , 96 bits are needed , ( eight ( 8 ) bits per timeslot by twelve ( 12 ) timeslots ). one approach to reduce the number of bits signaled for downlink transmissions in the control channels is to signal only a small portion of the assignment information over a control channel , ( hereinafter referred to as “ prior signaled information ” ), and signal the remaining portion of the assignment information with the downlink data , ( hereinafter referred to as “ post signaled information ”). the post signaled information sent with the downlink data will undergo the same am & amp ; c processing as the data , thereby significantly reducing the amount of air resources required to transmit the assignment information over the control channel . in a typical system , it takes two ( 2 ) timeslots to recover the data , since the control information must be received and then processed in order to be ready to receive the actual data . the prior signaled information must therefore only relay the assignment information for the first two ( 2 ) timeslots used to transmit downlink data which comprises a four ( 4 ) bit indicator for the first used timeslot ; a four ( 4 ) bit indicator for the next timeslot ; and indicators , ( two ( 2 ) bits each ), for the first and last codes for each of the used timeslots . accordingly , only a maximum of sixteen ( 16 ) bits are signaled as prior signaled information . the remaining assignment information is signaled as post signaled information with the downlink data . as a result , for a sixteen ( 16 ) code and a twelve ( 12 ) timeslot system , only sixteen ( 16 ) bits are prior signaled information , with the remaining post signaled information signaled with the downlink data . one advantage to this approach is that it allows the use of any number of codes in any timeslot . however , this approach requires signaling for typically at least two timeslot assignments , and possibly all timeslot assignments . although this limits the code choice to consecutive codes , with the use of code reassignment , this restriction is not significant . if an optimal reassignment requires non - consecutive codes , the timeslot ue code usage can be repacked to allow the assignment of only consecutive codes to all ues . a second method 80 to assign codes and timeslots uses common consecutive codes and is described with reference to the flow diagram of fig5 and the simplified illustration of such code assignments for ue a , ue b and ue c in fig6 . each timeslot is potentially assigned a predetermined number of codes , such as sixteen ( 16 ) codes . the predetermined number of codes are assigned an order or sequence , such as from 0 to 15 , ( step 82 ). the same set of consecutive codes assigned to one timeslot must be assigned to all timeslots used for a particular ue , ( step 84 ). to illustrate using fig6 , ue a is assigned timeslots 2 , 3 and 11 and is assigned codes 2 - 4 in each timeslot . however , since ue a was assigned codes 2 - 4 in timeslot 2 , it could not be assigned only code 2 or codes 2 - 5 in another timeslot . likewise , ue b is assigned codes 0 - 13 in timeslots 8 and 9 ; and ue c is assigned code 11 in timeslots 11 and 12 . to signal this assignment scheme to a ue , an indication of the first and last codes of the consecutive codes is required as well as an indicator of the used timeslots ( step 86 ). for the system of fig6 , eight ( 8 ) bits are required for the consecutive codes , ( four ( 4 ) bits for the first code and four ( 4 ) bits for the last code or number of codes ), and twelve ( 12 ) bits to identify the used timeslot ( s ). each bit corresponds to a timeslot . in one ( 1 ) implementation , a one ( 1 ) bit value indicates that the timeslot is used and a zero ( 0 ) bit value indicates that it is not used . thus , a total of twenty ( 20 ) bits are required . the use of prior signaled information and post signaled information with this method 80 reduces the number of prior signaled bits . the prior signaled information must indicate the first used timeslot and the following timeslot , and the first and last codes of the common sequence . for the system of fig6 , eight ( 8 ) bits indicating the first two ( 2 ) timeslots of the twelve ( 12 ) timeslots , ( four ( 4 ) bits to indicate each timeslot ) and eight ( 8 ) bits for the start and end codes or number of codes . thus , a total of sixteen ( 16 ) bits of prior signaled information is required . to further reduce the bits of the prior signaled information , five ( 5 ) bits may be used for the first two ( 2 ) timeslots . four ( 4 ) bits indicates the first used timeslot and the fifth bit represents whether the following timeslot is used . as a result , either sixteen ( 16 ) or thirteen ( 13 ) bits are prior signaled information , with at most ten ( 10 ) bits of post signaled information . one advantage to the second method is that it reduces the amount of prior signaled information . one drawback is that it reduces flexibility in code and timeslot assignments , since each timeslot used by a particular ue must be assigned the same codes . a third method 90 for code and timeslot assignment uses common consecutive codes in consecutive timeslots and is described with reference to the flow diagram of fig7 and the simplified illustration of such code assignments for ue a , ue b and ue c in fig8 . each timeslot is potentially assigned a predetermined number of codes , such as sixteen ( 16 ) codes . the predetermined number of codes are assigned an order or sequence , such as from 0 to 15 , ( step 92 ). in this approach , not only are the same codes assigned for each used timeslot , but also only consecutive timeslots may be assigned , ( step 94 ). to illustrate using fig8 , ue a is assigned codes 2 - 4 in timeslots 5 - 7 . however , ue a could not be assigned codes 2 - 4 in timeslots 5 , 6 and 8 , unless timeslot 7 was also assigned . likewise , ue b is assigned codes 0 - 13 in timeslots 8 and 9 . ue b could not be assigned a lesser or greater number of codes in any other timeslots , nor could it be assigned codes 0 - 13 in timeslot 11 or 12 , unless timeslot 10 was also assigned . ue c is assigned code 11 in timeslot 11 . to signal this assignment scheme to a ue , an indication of the first and last ( or number of ) assigned codes in each assigned timeslot and an indication of the first and last ( or number of ) assigned timeslots , ( step 96 ). for the system of fig8 , eight ( 8 ) bits are required for the code assignments and eight ( 8 ) bits for the timeslot assignments , ( four ( 4 ) for the first timeslot and four ( 4 ) for the last , or number of , timeslots ), totaling sixteen ( 16 ) bits . the use of prior signaled information and post signaled information with this method 90 reduces the number of prior signaled bits . in this method 90 , thirteen ( 13 ) bits must to be signaled prior to the data , ( eight ( 8 ) for the codes used in the timeslots , four ( 4 ) for the first used timeslot and one ( 1 ) bit to indicate whether another timeslot is used ). if another timeslot is used , four ( 4 ) bits indicating the last , or number of , timeslots are signaled as post signaled information with the data . this third method limits the amount of signaling , but at the expense of code / timeslot assignment flexibility . a fourth method 100 to assign codes and timeslots assigns ues all the codes in a timeslot and is described with reference to the flow diagram of fig9 and the simplified illustration of such code assignments for ue a , ue b and ue c in fig1 . in this approach , the ues are assigned all of the codes in a timeslot ( step 102 ). to illustrate using fig1 , ue a is assigned all the codes of timeslots 2 and 5 , ue b is assigned all of the codes of slots 8 and 9 , and ue c is assigned all of the codes of timeslot 11 . to signal this assignment scheme to a ue , an indicator of the assigned timeslots is needed , ( step 104 ). for the system of fig1 , the indicator is a twelve ( 12 ) bit field , with each bit representing whether a particular timeslot is used . typically , the maximum number of codes in a timeslot is known by the ue . however , if the maximum number of codes is not known , an indicator of the number of codes is sent , ( also a part of step 104 ), such as four ( 4 ) bits indicating a maximum number of codes ranging from 0 to 16 . the use of prior signaled information and post signaled information with this method 100 reduces the number of prior signaled bits . in this method 100 , an indicator of the first two used timeslots is signaled . for the system of fig1 , this two timeslot indicator is eight ( 8 ) bits . the indicator of the remaining assigned timeslots is signaled as post signaled information with the data in the first timeslot . alternately , to further reduce the number of signaled bits , five ( 5 ) bits of prior signaled information may be used . four ( 4 ) bits indicate the first timeslot and the fifth bit indicates whether the following timeslot is used . a fifth method 110 for code and timeslot assignment uses entire consecutive timeslots and is described with reference to the flow chart of fig1 and the simplified illustration of such assignments for ue a , ue b and ue c in fig1 . in this approach , a ue is assigned all of the codes in consecutive timeslots ( step 112 ). to illustrate using fig1 , ue a is assigned all the codes of timeslots 2 - 4 . ue a could not be assigned all the codes of timeslots 2 , 3 and 5 without also assigning ue a timeslot 4 . likewise , ue b is assigned all of the codes of timeslots 8 and 9 ; and ue c all of the codes of timeslot 11 . to signal this assignment scheme to a ue , an indicator of the first and last timeslots ( or number of ) used timeslots is signaled , ( step 114 ). for the system of fig1 , eight ( 8 ) bits are required , ( four ( 4 ) for the first used timeslot and four ( 4 ) for the last or number of timeslots ). the use of prior signaled information and post signaled information with this method 110 reduces the number of prior signaled bits . in this method 110 , only five ( 5 ) bits are sent as prior signaled information . four ( 4 ) bits indicate the first used code and the fifth bit indicates whether the following timeslot is used . if the following timeslot is used , four ( 4 ) bits are signaled as post signaled information with the transmitted downlink data to indicate the last timeslot or number of timeslots . a sixth method 120 numbers all codes consecutively in all timeslots and is described with reference to the flow diagram of fig1 in the simplified illustration of such codes assignments for uea , ueb and uec in fig1 . in this method 120 , all of the codes are numbered consecutively in all timeslots ( step 122 ). the ue is then assigned a desired number of codes ( step 124 ). to illustrate using fig1 , uea is assigned codes 69 - 99 , ueb is assigned codes 129 - 142 and uec is assigned codes 162 - 181 . to signal this assignment scheme to a ue , an indicator of the first and last codes is needed ( step 126 ). for the system of fig1 , the indicator is sixteen ( 16 ) bits , ( eight ( 8 ) bits for the first codes and eight ( 8 ) bits for the last code ). alternatively , the indicator of the first code may be signaled along with the number of codes ; particularly when the number of codes is small . the use of prior signaled information and post signaled information with this method 120 reduces the number of prior signaled bits . in this method 120 , thirteen ( 13 ) bits must be signaled as prior signaled information , ( eight ( 8 ) for the first code and five ( 5 ) bits for the number of codes in the first two ( 2 ) timeslots ). if more codes are used , the code count can be superceded in the post signaled information . the table of fig1 summarizes the bits required to signal the code / timeslot assignment for the six ( 6 ) schemes for a sixteen ( 16 ) code and twelve ( 12 ) available timeslot system . although the present invention may be implemented by many physical systems , one such system for implementing the invention will be described with reference to fig1 . fig1 illustrates a simplified wireless hybrid tdma / cdma communication system for use in physical channel configuration signaling . a preferred implementation is for downlink transmitted data , such as for a high speed downlink channel , although physical channel configuration signaling may also be used in other implementations , such as the uplink . downlink data to be communicated to a particular ue 24 is assigned at least one code and at least one timeslot by a resource management device 28 . the resource management device 28 may be in a radio network controller ( rnc ) or node - b 20 . the resource management device 28 assigns codes and timeslots as will be described in detail hereinafter . the assigned code and timeslot are sent to a signaling transmitter 30 and an am & amp ; c controller 32 in the base station 22 . the signaling transmitter 30 formats for transmission the code and timeslot information as will also be described in detail hereinafter . a data modulation and spreading device 34 modulates , spreads and time multiplexes the downlink data in the timeslots and with the codes assigned by the resource management device 28 . the modulated data and signaled information is radiated by an antenna 36 or antenna array through a wireless radio channel 26 . at the particular ue 24 , the transmitted downlink data and signaled information is received by an antenna 38 . a signaling receiver 40 recovers the signaled information and relays it to an am & amp ; c controller 42 . the am & amp ; c controller 42 determines the modulation to be used and indicates the code and timeslot used for the downlink data to the data detection device 44 . one potential data detection device 44 is a joint detection device using a channel estimation device , although other data detection devices may be used . the data detection device 44 recovers the downlink data using the timeslot and code information from the am & amp ; c controller 42 . fig2 illustrates a simplified system for use in uplink physical channel configuration signaling . the resource management device 28 assigns the code / timeslot to be used for the particular ue &# 39 ; s uplink data . the assigned code / timeslot are sent to a signaling transmitter 30 in the base station 22 . the signaling transmitter 30 formats for transmission the code and timeslot information as will be described in detail hereinafter . the signaled information is passed through a switch 48 or isolator and radiated by an antenna 36 or antenna array through a wireless radio channel 26 . the particular ue 24 receives the signaled information . the received information is passed thorough a switch 50 or isolator to a signaling receiver 40 . the signaled information is recovered by the signaling receiver 40 and relayed to an am & amp ; c controller 42 . the am & amp ; c controller 42 relays the uplink code and timeslot assignment to the data modulation and spreading device 52 . the data modulation and spreading device 52 modulates , spreads and time multiplexes the uplink data as directed by the am & amp ; c controller 42 in the timeslots and with codes signaled by the base station 22 . the modulated data is passed through a switch 50 or isolator and radiated by the ue antenna 38 through the wireless radio channel 26 . the transmitted data is received by the base station antenna 36 or antenna array . the received data is passed through a switch 48 or isolator to a data detection device 46 . one possible data detection device 46 is a joint detection device using a channel estimation device , although other data detection devices may be used . a base station am & amp ; c controller 32 receives the code and timeslot assignment from the resource management device 28 . the data detection device 46 recovers the uplink data from the received uplink signal using the assigned code and timeslot as directed by the am & amp ; c controller 32 . while the present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment , other variations which are within the scope of the invention as outlined in the claims below will be apparent to those skilled in the art . | 7 |
referring to the drawings and firstly to fig1 and 2 , a panel mount 1 is a generally angular section strip of metal and in one face has a three sided cutout 2 with the portion of the wall cut out , bent outwardly and bent back to form a tongue 3 which extends parallel to the wall in which the cutout 2 is formed . the tongue 3 can be inserted in any one of horizontally spaced apertures in a vertical side member 5 forming part of the frame of an electrical cabinet or can be inserted in any one of horizontally spaced apertures 6 in a brace 7 which can be secured to the side members of the frame of an electrical cabinet on one side of the cabinet to extend between a front side member and a rear side member . the apertures 4 or 6 are spaced at a pitch of 25 mm and thus the panel mount 1 can be supported on the side member 5 or the brace 7 by inserting the tongue 3 in an aperture 4 or 6 and then moving the panel mount 1 to cause the tongue 3 to move behind the web of the side member 5 or the brace 7 in which the aperture 4 or 6 is formed . the panel mount 1 does thus not need to be moved vertically to secure it and can be of the same length as the side members so as to extend completely between upper and lower frame members of the cabinet . a through aperture 8 may be provided in the panel mount 1 through which a pin or clip ( not shown ) can be inserted to engage in an aperture 9 provided alongside the aperture 4 or 6 in which the tongue 3 is engaged thereby to prevent return movement which would free the tongue from the aperture 4 or 6 . elongate slots 10 in the brace 7 can be used to secure the brace 7 by bolts to the side members , the length of the slots 10 allowing longitudinal shifting of the brace 7 with respect to the side members to allow stepless positioning of the panel mounts with respect to the side members 5 . referring to fig3 and 4 , a chassis support 11 is shown which comprises upper and lower flanges 12 and 13 above and below a vertical web 14 . in the web 14 two cutouts 15 are formed by cutting around three sides and the member formed by each cutout is pressed out of the plane of the web 14 by a bend 16 and a further bend 17 and the tongue so formed which extends parallel to the web 14 but spaced therefrom is cut away to form upper and lower hooks 18 , 19 . by providing the two spaced hooks the chassis support 11 can be engaged in two vertically spaced apertures and then moved downwardly so that the chassis support 11 is cantilevered from a pair of the hooks 18 , 19 and can resist tilting forces applied thereto . although the chassis support 11 is shown as having two cutouts 15 and two pairs of hooks 18 , 19 it is only envisaged that one or other of the pairs of hooks would be used at any one time but by providing two cutouts the chassis support 11 can act as a lefthanded chassis support or a righthanded chassis support . the chassis supports 11 are particularly suitable for supporting shelves in electrical cabinets . referring to fig5 , an electrical cabinet 20 , shown in exploded form , comprises an upper frame 21 and a lower frame 22 each formed by back - to - back u - shaped members 23 of tubular metal , four side members 24 extending between the upper frame 21 and the lower frame 22 , an upper member 25 with cutouts 25 a in three of the walls thereof , removable side panels 26 only one of which is shown and a removable door 27 which closes the front of the cabinet . as can be seen in fig6 , the side panel 26 has an upper horizontal flange 28 with a return vertical flange 29 , the panel 26 enveloping the two side members 24 on that side of the frame of the cupboard . fig7 shows the means whereby each of the u - shaped members 23 which extend horizontally can be mounted to the respective side members 24 which extend vertically . two first holes 30 are punched or drilled in one wall 31 of the side member 24 and two first holes 32 are punched or drilled in one wall 33 of the u - shaped member 23 . operating through the first holes 30 , 32 , second holes 34 are then burst through the second wall 35 of the side members 24 and second holes 36 are burst through the second wall 37 of the u - shaped member 23 . bursting the holes in this way forms collars 38 at the outsides of the holes 34 and collars 39 at the outside of the holes 36 . the holes 36 are then screw threaded . when the members 23 , 24 are pressed together the collars 38 on the side members 24 are a push fit into the first holes 32 in the u - shaped member 23 so that when bolts ( not shown ) are inserted along the aligned axis 40 of each of the holes 30 , 34 , 32 , 36 to pull the members 23 , 24 tightly into engagement with one another , the members 23 , 24 are locked accurately at right angles one to the other without any play such that even a tall framework of u - shaped members 23 and side members 24 , for example two meters tall , can stand rigidly without a tendency for the upper frame to move sideways or from to rear due to the connections being less than entirely rigid . the collars 38 can however have a tapering formation such that great precision is not required in the formation of the holes and collars . referring to fig8 to 12 , the upper end of each side member 24 is provided with a formation similar to that shown in fig1 at the righthand side thereof , that is to say it has a groove 41 in the upper face 42 stepped back from a front upper corner 43 . actually the formation shown in fig1 is an extension piece to be hung on the upper or lower end of one of the side members 24 but the formation of the top end and bottom end of the side members 24 is the same as shown in fig1 . referring to fig8 , the side panel 26 shown has its horizontal upper flange 28 overlapping the upper surface 42 of the side member 24 and its vertical flange 29 engaged in the groove 41 of the upper end of the side member 24 . at the lower end the side panel 26 has a horizontal flange 44 which , as shown in fig9 , has , in alignment with each of the side members 24 , apertures 45 and cutouts 46 . at each side of the side member 24 both at the upper end and at the lower end a hook 47 is provided . the hook 47 at the upper end has no function but that at the lower end engages in a respective one of the apertures 45 . with reference again to fig8 the method of engagement is that the panel 26 is first hooked onto the upper end of the side member so that the vertical flange 29 engages in the groove 41 . the bottom end of the panel 26 is then pushed inwardly to engage the hooks 47 in the cutouts 46 , a flared mouth of the cutouts 46 assisting this alignment . the side panel 26 is then raised slightly and pushed inwardly so that the hook 47 at the lower end of the side member 24 can engage in the respective aperture 45 in the bottom flange 44 of the side panel 26 . the side panels 26 can thus quickly and easily be engaged with or disengaged from the framework of the cabinet . it will be seen that the hooks 47 taper down towards their free ends such that the weight of the panel engages the edges of the apertures 45 both with the outer and with the inner faces of the hook 47 so that vibration will not cause rattling of the panel . referring now also to fig1 and 12 , the extension pieces 48 have , in addition to the groove 41 , the top face 42 , the front edge 43 and the hooks 47 previously described , a bent out tongue 49 and aligned apertures 50 , 51 by means of which they can be hooked onto and bolted to the outer face of the upper and lower ends of the side members 24 . the extension pieces 48 are preferably 100 mm between the front edge 43 and the upper edge of the face in which the tongue 49 is provided whereby they can space the side panels 26 outwardly from the side members 24 by 100 mm to give an additional space for extra wiring or other purposes . a blanking plate can extend between the door of the cabinet and the extended position of the side panels 26 to fill 100 mm space at the front . if two adjacent cabinets are each provided with extension pieces 48 on their adjacent sides then the two cabinets can be accurately spaced apart by 200 mm to form a wiring space therebetween , a suitable blanking plate being provided to cover the space to the front . | 8 |
an apparatus according to the invention comprises a base , or table 1 , which is hollow and will usually be attached to the pedestal that carries the surgery equipment ( not illustrated ); the table 1 is rendered movable in relation to the pedestal by way of an articulated bracket 13 , and is designed to carry one or more arms 2 each of which supports a relative suspended power driven instrument , or holder 3 . the instrument 3 is connected with the inside of the table 1 by way of a relative power supply cable 11 , this in turn connecting with the power sources and their control media ( air , water , electricity ), which are not illustrated . the cable 11 is supported by the table 1 , and looped around a free pulley 12 that is mounted to the projecting end of the arm 2 . the arm 2 is capable of movement between a lowered , stowed position ( illustrated in bold line ) and a position in which it is raised , or at all events , extended toward the user ( phantom line ). 15 denotes a task light , included in the drawing for added detail , which can be adjusted manually by way of a handle 16 ; positioned directly over the table , such a light constitutes a typical accessory item in dental surgery equipment . according to the invention , the arm 2 is split into at least two members 4 and 5 that are hinged one to the next about a pivot denoted 10a . whilst the arm 2 is shown with two members 4 and 5 in the example of the drawing , a greater number could nonetheless be adopted , provided that the essential features of the embodiment as described below are retained . the innermost member , i . e . lying nearest the table 1 and denoted 4 , is anchored to the table by way of an offset pivot 10 ; more exactly , this anchor pivot 10 is offset from the longitudinal axis of the arm to a degree such that the mass of the arm 2 alone will be sufficient to keep it biased firmly into the stowed , lowered position , i . e . farthest from the user . 6 denotes tensioning means located between the outermost member 5 and the table 1 and serving to balance the instrument and assist the return of the arm 2 ( rotating toward the left , as viewed in the drawing ); the means 6 in question are embodied as a spring 7 , anchored at one end to the table 1 , and a non - extendable element 8 , anchored at one end to the outermost member 5 by means of an element 9 that permits of adjusting its length , and fastened at its other end to the free end of the spring 7 . in the example shown in the drawing , the element denoted 9 is embodied as a rotatable or ratchet - controlled pin , around which the relative end of the non - extendable element 8 is wound . this adjustment facility is of particular importance , since the force exerted by the spring 7 must be sufficient to sustain the mass of the cable 11 when the instrument 3 is in use ( see configuration c ), and at the same time , to bias the arm 2 toward the stowed position when rotated to the left about its anchor pivot 10 . the innermost member 4 is disallowed rotation beyond a given point by a travel limiter 17 forming part of the table 1 itself ; a further limiter 17a curbs the rotation of the outermost member 5 . with an apparatus embodied thus , it will happen that when the user takes up one of the instruments 3 and tugs on the relative cable 11 , it is the outermost member 5 that rotates initially , in relation to the innermost member 4 ( configuration a becomes b ), following which the innermost member 4 will begin to rotate ( configuration b becomes c ). assuming the two members 4 and 5 to be of the same length , therefore , the maximum height reached above the table 1 will be substantially equivalent to the length of either one of the members 4 or 5 , and in any event , much less than that reached by an arm 2 embodied in one piece . expansion of the spring 7 is commensurate with the distance travelled by the non - extendable element 8 , which wraps around the undersides of the two pivots 10 and 10a during the extending movement . when the instrument 3 is released by the user , the force developed through the tensioning means 6 will be boosted initially by slight thrust generated when the cable 11 is first motioned toward the table by the user , causing the member denoted 4 to rotate first , then the member denoted 5 , so that both are returned to the lowered , stowed position denoted a . in an alternative embodiment of the arm 2 , the innermost member 4 might be hinged to the table 1 at a point coinciding with its longitudinal axis , in which case it will be provided with spring means , operating independently if necessary , that invest the member 4 with a force , or at least with a bias , greater than that exerted by the spring 7 . | 0 |
it is well known that absorption of an infrared photon at a wavelength shorter than 20 μm ( micrometer ) gives rise to bond stretching or bending vibration in molecules that are “ infrared - active ”. in fact , organic chemists have been using ir absorption spectral analysis ( so - called “ infrared correlation charts ”) to identify unknown specimens for decades . based on spectral absorption profiles in 3 - 7 μm ( so - called “ functional group ” zone ) and 7 - 20 μm (“ signature ” zone ) the test specimen can be precisely identified . however , what people had long ignored was absorbing ir photons can increase kinetic energy of covalent bonds and thus cause molecule to vibrate . it not only changes dipole moment of the molecule , but also decreases activation barrier of the bond and thus increases reaction chemical rate , which is described in equation ( 6 ) by quantum mechanics : where k is a constant , e activation energy , and t temperature ( in kelvin ). equation ( 6 ) predicts an increased reaction rate w with a reduced activation energy e . the present inventor had reported favorable results on using the devices as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 026 , 788 to excite fuels for enhanced engine performance . the net results were improved fuel combustion efficiency with increased torque / power , reduced fuel consumption , and lowered emissions . in real diesel engine applications the present inventor recognized that the reducing agents such as urea , ammonia , or hydrocarbons used in commercial urea - scr or hc — scr aftertreatment systems for removal of nox are all “ infrared - active ”. in urea and ammonia , bonds such as n — h , — nh 2 , and primary and secondary amide — conh 2 show strong absorption for combination and overtone modes in 3 - 7 μm wavelengths ( i . e . zone i ). there are other overtone bands in long wavelengths , but often too weak to be noticed . the present inventor learned from japanese published results and experimentally confirmed that adding cobalt oxide and / or nickel oxides to the oxide mixture as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 026 , 788 can boost the radiation strength at short wavelengths . meanwhile , increasing ceramic processing temperature from a conventional 1200 ° c . to above 1350 ° c . can further strengthen spectral luminance of the resultant ir - emitter at short wavelengths . accordingly , several examples of the present invention were prepared for demonstration . fig1 shows a cross - sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention , in which an infrared - emitting body 11 takes a tubular form and is disposed as a part of the nozzle assembly 21 that is connected to a supply line 22 for injecting reducing agent into the scr system . in this implementation the infrared - emitting body is in direct contact with reducing agent . by the same token , the infrared - emitting body can be immerged in the storage tank of the reducing agent as an alternative to provide infrared excitation . fig2 shows a cross - sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention , in which a partial - tubular infrared - emitting body 11 is mounted on a supply line 22 connecting to the nozzle assembly 21 . in this arrangement , the infrared - emitting body can be mounted on the exterior of a nonmetal section of the supply line for ease of implementation . infrared photons can penetrate nonmetal hose and excite the substance flowing through the line . such implementation does not require infrared - emitting body to directly contact reducing agent . in other embodiments the infrared emitting bodies can be disposed in the interior of a supply line or nozzle assembly by embedding or coating on the inner wall , or being a part of the reducing agent delivery system . several demonstration samples were made with 40 ( weight ) % silicate , 25 % alumina , 17 % zirconia , 7 % magnesium oxide , 5 % cobalt oxide , and other minor elements and processed at a temperature above 1350 ° c . an sem / eds ( scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometry ) plot was run with the samples to obtain a quantitative analysis on the elemental composition of the oxide compounds . in lab , an infrared imaging camera with variable wavelength band filters was used to determine the spectral luminance for these ir - emitters . the ir - emitter was tested by mounting it on a teflon fuel hose to an hc — scr system with a zeolites catalyst . the preliminary test result seemed very encouraging , while further scientific investigation remained to be done . according to the present invention , an infrared - enhanced selective catalytic reduction ( scr ) device comprises at least an infrared emitting body having specific spectral luminance covering a part or the whole of 3 - 14 μm wavelength range , which can be disposed in the passageway of the reducing - agent to said scr system for better nox conversion . the invention has been described above . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 8 |
fig1 shows the preferred embodiment of the invention used in combination with a simple two - groove sleeve type journal bearing . however , it must be emphasized that the bearing portion of the assembly may be any one of a variety of designs , such as multiple - groove , lobe type , tilting pad type , or even a ball or roller bearing . the choice will depend on the application . referring to fig1 and 2 , the bearing means in this example includes two semi - cylindrical bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 which are faced on their inner surfaces 14 and 16 with bearing material , and which surround the shaft 18 and rotatably support the latter . the bearing surfaces of bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 are grooved at their parting lines to form an opposed pair of axial oil grooves 20 ( fig2 ). the bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 are also bored midway of the length of their parting lines to form radial oil ducts 22 which open into oil grooves 20 for conducting oil to the bearing surfaces 14 and 16 . as shown in fig2 bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 have outer peripheral grooves 24 of nearly as great axial extent as the bearings , and the bearing halves are supported in a split bearing housing 28 whose halves are connected together in a conventional manner by bolts 30 ( fig1 ), the latter engaging threaded openings in one of the housing halves . rotation of the bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 within housing 28 is prevented by an anti - rotation pin 32 ( fig2 ) which engages a radial opening 36 in housing 28 . the outer peripheral grooves 24 in bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 are bordered by opposed peripheral ribs or flanges 38 ( fig2 ) each of which partly fills corresponding circular edge grooves 40 in housing 28 . a plurality of arcuate spring beams 42 are positioned in endwise relationship in circular edge grooves 40 to resiliently support bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 within housing 28 . spring beams 42 are sufficiently thick and are of such material as to resist flexing unless subjected to substantial load . each arcuate spring beam 42 has an inner radius of curvature that is greater than the radius of curvature of the adjacent surface 44 of the bearing flange , and has an outer radius of curvature that is greater than the radius of curvature of the adjacent housing surface 46 , which is the bottom of a groove 40 . thus each arcuate spring beam 42 is supported on its two outer ends 48 and 50 by the surface 46 at the bottom of the housing groove 40 and is free to flex radially in its central portion . bearing surfaces 44 contact the inner central portion 52 of beams 42 and transmit loads and vibrations to the central portions of beams 52 to cushion the loads and vibrations . the manner in which the above noted radii of curvature provide end support and a flexible center for beams 52 is also illustrated in fig3 of my above noted u . s . pat . no . 3 , 738 , 717 and is fully explained therein . since the arcuate spring beams 42 are not a part of the bearing surface in this invention , they can be formed of relatively stiff spring material such as steel to better cushion the vibrations of shaft 18 and bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 . circumferential movement of arcuate spring beams 42 in grooves 40 is prevented by retainer pins 54 which extend transversely of grooves 40 at the ends of the beams 42 . as shown in fig2 there is normally a clearance or gap 56 between the bottoms of groove 24 and the adjacent rib surface 58 of bearing housing 28 . a peripheral oil groove 60 in housing rib surface 58 and a radial oil duct 62 in housing 28 conduct oil to and from clearance 56 and also into ducts 22 , which lubricates the interior of bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 . the oil in clearance 56 provides viscous damping for vibrations of bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 . an outer oil groove 64 in housing 28 , into which oil is pumped by any conventional means ( not shown ) through a duct 66 in supporting structure 68 , serves to simultaneously provide oil in clearance 56 for damping vibrations , and to lubricate the interior of bearing sleeve halves 10 and 12 . in the foregoing embodiment of the invention , the three critical functions of bearing support , flexible support , and damping are each independent and can be individually optimized without introducing an unwanted changes into the other functions . this is an important advantage of the invention and provides a substantial improvement in the operating characteristics of the bearing . fig3 and 4 show a modification in which the above - described embodiment is applied to a tilting pad bearing . in this modification , a plurality of tilting bearing pads 70 are tiltably supported on hardened buttons 72 around the interior of a split bearing shell 74 which is bolted together by bolts 76 ( fig3 ). stop pins 78 containing oil feed ducts 80 extend radially through bearing shell 74 to prevent circumferential movement of pads 70 and to supply oil to the bearing in the spaces between pads 70 . the oil is then distributed by rotation of shaft 82 into the spaces between shaft 82 and the bearing surfaces of pads 70 . flanking end rings 84 are connected to the sides of bearing shell 74 by bolts 86 ( fig4 ). bearing shell 74 has an outer peripheral groove 88 which interfits with circumferential portion 90 of an annular housing 92 . the latter has axially spaced annular grooves 94 , one on each side of the portion 90 . annular housing 92 is split into two halves which are held together by bolts 96 ( fig3 ). arcuate spring beams 98 , which are similar to arcuate spring beams 42 of fig1 are mounted in endwise relationship in grooves 94 to resiliently support bearing shell 74 in housing 92 and cushion vibrations of bearing shell 74 . a clearance or gap 100 is provided between the adjacent surfaces 88 and 104 of bearing shell 74 and housing 92 , respectively . peripheral oil grooves 106 and 108 are connected by radial ducts 110 in housing 92 to conduct oil into clearance 100 and into the interior of the bearing . the oil in clearance 100 provides viscous damping for vibrations of bearing shell 74 . retaining pins 112 project into grooves 94 at the ends of arcuate spring beams 98 to prevent circumferential movement . anti - rotation pins 114 and 116 are mounted in matching openings in bearing shell 74 , housing 92 , and bearing support 118 to prevent rotation of bearing shell 74 and housing 92 . various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention , and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
described below are embodiments of the invention for generating a context , and executing software code within the generated context . as used herein , the phrase “ executing code within a context ” and derivatives thereof is synonymous with the phrase “ applying a context to code .” executing code within a context may include , among other acts , any of : applying context - specific values to the execution of the code ; executing the code within a process and / or thread defined for the context , executing the code on a computer ( or other machine or computational device ) or component thereof defined for the context , executing the code as part of a particular package , assembly , application domain or other logical construct defined for the context ; and any suitable combination of the foregoing . the function and advantage of these and other embodiments of the present invention will be more fully understood from the examples described below . the following examples are intended to facilitate a better understanding and illustrate the benefits of the present invention , but do not exemplify the full scope of the invention . as used herein , whether in the written description or the claims , the terms “ comprising ”, “ including ”, “ carrying ”, “ having ”, “ containing ”, “ involving ”, and the like are to be understood to be open - ended , i . e ., to mean including but not limited to . only the transitional phrases “ consisting of ” and “ consisting essentially of ”, respectively , shall be closed or semi - closed transitional phrases , as set forth , with respect to claims , in the united states patent office manual of patent examining procedures ( eighth edition , revision 2 , may 2004 ), section 2111 . 03 . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system 300 for executing a context switch based at least in part on a declared context and at least one context boundary indicator , according to some embodiments of the invention . system 300 is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as any of numerous other implementations of a system for executing a context switch , for example , variations of system 300 , are possible and are intended to fall within the scope of the invention . system 300 may include any of : execution engine 310 ; context provider module 322 ; information source 326 ; one or more other components ; and any suitable combination of the foregoing . execution engine 310 may be configured to receive software code 302 and execute it . code 302 may include any of : context declaration 304 ; at least one context boundary indicator 306 ; context code 308 ; other elements ; and any suitable combination of the foregoing . it should be appreciated that portions of software code 302 ( not shown ), in some cases the bulk of code 302 , may be completely unrelated to the context corresponding to context - related elements 304 , 306 and 308 . context declaration 304 may declare a context and may specify one or more attributes of the context . for example , the one or more attributes may include any of : a privilege ; a trust ; a user ; a machine ( e . g ., computer or other computation device ); a process ; a thread ; an application domain , other attributes ; and any suitable combination of the foregoing . a privilege is typically specific to a user or a group of users . a trust may be specific to a portion of code and may be specified as a list of one or more permissions associated with the code . there may be multiple possible levels of trust that may be specified in a context declaration . the at least one context boundary indicator may specify one or more boundaries ( e . g ., beginning and / or end ) of the context code — i . e ., the code to be executed within the context . a boundary indicator may be any of a variety of characters such as , for example , a bracket , a parentheses , a curly brace ( e . g ., “{” or “}”), an asterisk , other character , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . further , the position of the boundary indicator within the code in relation to the position of the context declaration ( e . g ., immediately following the context declaration ) also may serve to identify the context code . a character should be used that is not reserved for other operations , functions or values in the programming language in which the code is written . further , context declaration 304 may specify the identification of a context , which can be used by a context provider to retrieve a context abstraction from an information source , from which the identified context can be generated , as described below in relation to context provider module 322 . digressing briefly from fig3 , fig4 is pseudo - code illustrating an example of software code defining a context switch using a context declaration and at least one context boundary indicator , according to some embodiments of the invention . pseudo - code 400 is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as any of numerous other implementations of software code defining a context switch , for example , variations of pseudo - code 400 , are possible and are intended to fall within the scope of the invention . pseudo - code 400 may include code portion 402 , which may include any of : context declaration 404 ; context boundary indicators 406 , 408 and context code 410 . as illustrated in fig4 , in some embodiments of the invention , the term “ usecontext ” is used to declare a context . other terms may be used . the example of declaration 404 illustrates that the context attributes may specify a higher privilege ( than the context currently being executed ), a higher trust and a machine . for example , the context declaration may read as follows : returning to fig3 , software code 302 ( e . g ., pseudo - code 400 ) may have been generated by a programmer using any of a variety of methodologies or techniques . for example , a programmer may have initially written software code 302 to include context code 308 , ( e . g ., context code 410 ) but not context declaration 304 where one or more context boundary indicators 306 . for example , the programmer may have written software code 302 irrespective of any context switch ; i . e ., as if all of software code 302 was to be executed in a same context . the programmer then may determine which , if any , portions of software code 302 , for example , context code 308 , is to be executed in a different context . the programmer then may insert one or more boundary indicators 306 ( e . g ., indicators 406 and 408 ) into the software code to indicate that context code 308 is to be executed in a different context . further , the programmer may write context declaration 304 ( e . g ., declaration 404 ) to declare that a context switch is to occur and specify the one or more attributes of the context in which the context code 308 is to be executed . execution engine 310 may be configured to receive software code and execute it . execution engine 310 may serve as an interface between software code and a processor executing the code ; i . e ., the processor may run native code and the execution engine may provide additional services . execution engine may be any of a variety of types of execution engines such as , for example , a virtual machine ( e . g ., a java ™ virtual machine ), a common language runtime ( clr ) engine ( e . g ., net clr ) or another software entity that is operative to provide run - time services to other software ( e . g ., managed applications ). execution engine 310 may include a code parser 312 that is configured to recognize context declaration 304 and / or the at least one context boundary indicator 306 . during the parsing of code 302 , when code parser 312 identifies context declaration 304 and / or context boundary indicator 306 , it sends context code 312 to context code analyzer 314 . analyzer 314 analyzes the context code and determines the parameters of code 302 to be passed into the new context ( i . e ., the context - passed parameters ). the context - passed parameters may include any of : local variables ; static variables ; global variables ; function parameters ; other parameters , and any suitable combination of the foregoing . code parser 312 or another component of execution engine 310 may be configured to determine the context attributes specified in the context declaration , for example , any of the context attributes described above in relation to context declaration 304 . execution engine 310 may be configured to control the generation of the context specified in the context declaration 304 . this generation may include performance of the tasks that would have to be hand - coded in known systems such as , for example , packaging and repackaging communication code ; setting up communication channels , converting arguments into different data types ; making function calls , harvesting the results of such calls , etc . execution engine 310 may be configured to invoke context provider module 322 , and to pass it context attributes 318 . context provider module 322 may be configured to identify and retrieve a predefined context abstraction that matches the context attributes 318 provided by the execution engine . a context abstraction is an abstraction that defines the information necessary to generate a context . for example , a context abstraction may define any of : values of variables for a stack ; parameters to be passed to a function ; global and / or static variables ; the credentials of a process and / or a thread for the context ; evidence of code to be executed in the context ( e . g ., the author of the code , where the code is to be loaded from , etc . ); tokens associated with the process or the context ( e . g ., the user under whose credentials the process is to be executed ); environmental variables of the environment for the context ; granular permissions ; the machine on which the context is to executed ; other items ; or any suitable combination of the foregoing . for example , context attributes 318 may specify a particular machine and a particular privilege . context provider module 322 may determine whether any of context abstractions 328 stored in information source 326 correspond to ( e . g ., match ) the specified machine and privilege . information source 326 may include a data structure comprising one or more entries , each entry including a context abstraction defining a context , and may include one or more xml files , a windows ® registry , another type of database or any suitable combination of the foregoing . if a match is found , context provider may send the determined context abstraction 324 to execution engine 310 . as noted above , in some embodiments the context declaration 304 includes an identifier ( e . g ., a name ) of a context . in such embodiments , the identifier of the context may be included in context attributes 318 provided to context provider 322 , and the context provider module may use the context identifier to retrieve the predefined context abstraction 328 identified by the context identifier . if no match is found , context provider module 322 may generate a context abstraction according to the received context attributes 318 . for example , context provider 322 may be configured with or have access to information that can be indexed using received context attributes and used to generate a context abstraction . execution engine 310 may be configured to generate a context based on the provided context abstraction 324 , to activate it and to control ( or at least initiate ) an execution of context code 312 within the generated context . controlling the execution may include transporting the context code 308 and the context - passed parameters determined by context code analyzer 314 into the generated context , which may include creating the stack frame and global / static environment of the context . transporting the context code may include creating a new assembly or an executable image , setting up memory , data and other aspects of the context environment so the context code can access the local , static and global variables as if there was only a single execution flow , and dynamically loading the created assembly or executable image into the new context . execution engine 310 may be configured to transport and integrate the results of executing the code in the generated context back into the context in which the remainder of code 302 is executed ( assuming no other defined context switches , which is possible ). in some embodiments of the invention , context code 308 may include another context declaration , one or more other context boundary indicators and other context code . further , this other context code may include yet another context declaration , one or more boundary indicators and context code , etc ., thereby defining one or more nested context switches within software code 302 . in such embodiments , execution engine 310 ( and / or one or more other execution engines used as part of implementing a context switch ) may be configured to execute another context switch during the execution of context code 308 within a generated context . executing these one or more other context switches may be performed at least similarly to the execution of the initial context switch described above and described below in relation to fig5 . in some embodiments , context declaration 304 may specify multiple contexts . for example , context declaration 304 may read as follows : in this example , a first context is declared having an identifier of “ useraccountprovider ”, and specifying a user of “ system ” and a password of “ abc ”, and a second context is declared having an identifier of “ partialtrustprovider ,” a permission of “ fileio ” and a permission of “ registry ”. it should be appreciated that context declaration 304 may declare more than two contexts . execution engine 310 may be configured to interpret the specification of multiple contexts within a context declaration as meaning that one or more contexts should be generated from within one or more other contexts , for example , in an order in which the contexts are declared within the context declaration . that is , execution engine 310 may be configured to interpret the declaration of multiple contexts within a context declaration as the declaration of a context switch chain . for example , execution engine and the components thereof may be configured to execute the context switch for the context declared first within the context declaration 304 . then , from within the context generated as part of executing this context switch , a second context switch may be executed for the second context declared within the context declaration . this process may be repeated for any additional context declared within the context declaration , for example , in an order in which the context are specified within the declaration . it may be desirable to use context switch chains so that context abstractions ( e . g ., abstractions 328 ) can be organized in an object - oriented and / or hierarchical fashion . for example , a first context abstraction can be defined for when user =“ system ” and password =“ abc ,” for example , the context identified above as “ useraccountprovider .” further , multiple other context abstractions may be defined for different permissions when the user =“ system ” and the password =“ abc .” for example , a context abstraction may be defined for the context identified above as “ partialtrustprovider ,” for which permissions are “ fileio ” and “ registry .” a software product that includes the execution engine 310 and the context provider 316 also may include ( e . g ., be shipped and / or packaged with ) one or more predefined context abstractions . further , such a product may be configured to be extensible such that other context abstractions can be defined by programmers for the owner or licensee of the product . system 300 , and components thereof , may be implemented using any of a variety of technologies , including software ( e . g ., c , c #, c ++, java , or a combination thereof ), hardware ( e . g ., one or more application - specific integrated circuits ), firmware ( e . g ., electrically - programmed memory ) or any combination thereof . one or more of the components of system 300 may reside on a single device ( e . g ., a computer ), or one or more components may reside on separate , discrete devices . further , each component may be distributed across multiple devices , and one or more of the devices may be interconnected . further , on each of the one or more devices that include one or more components of system 300 , each of the components may reside in one or more locations on the system . for example , different portions of the components of these systems may reside in different areas of memory ( e . g ., ram , rom , disk , etc .) on the device . each of such one or more devices may include , among other components , a plurality of known components such as one or more processors , a memory system , a disk storage system , one or more network interfaces , and one or more busses or other internal communication links interconnecting the various components . system 300 , and components thereof , may be implemented using a computer system such as that described below in relation to fig6 and 7 . fig5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 500 of executing a context switch based at least in part on a declared context and at least one context boundary indicator , according to some embodiments of the invention . method 500 is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as any of numerous other implementations of executing a context switch , for example , variations of method 500 , are possible and are intended to fall within the scope of the invention . method 500 and / or acts thereof may be performed by system 300 and / or components thereof in accordance with the descriptions thereof above . first software code ( e . g ., code 302 ) including ( e . g ., containing ) second software code ( e . g ., context code 308 ) may be received ( not shown ), for example , by execution engine 310 described above in relation to fig3 . the first software code may include a context declaration ( e . g ., context declaration 304 ) declaring a second context in which to execute second software code , and may include at least one context boundary indicator ( e . g ., indicator 306 ) specifying at least one boundary of the second software code . further , as described above in relation to fig3 , the context declaration may define multiple contexts resulting in a context switch chain . in act 502 , the first software code , except for the second software code , may be executed in a first context . this execution may include interpreting the second context declaration and / or identifying the boundary of the second software code , for example , by a code parser such as code parser 312 described above in relation to fig3 . in act 504 , the second software code may be analyzed , including determining at least one parameter of the first software code that is used by the second software code . this analysis may be performed , for example , by a context code analyzer such as analyzer 314 , as described above in relation to fig3 . in act 506 , the second context specified by the second context declaration may be generated , for example , as described above in relation to fig3 . this generation may include determining a context abstraction based on context attributes specified in the context declaration , for example , by context provider module 322 as described above in relation to fig3 . the context attributes may be used to generate a context abstraction or to retrieve a context abstraction from an information source that includes one or more predefined context abstractions ( e . g ., information source 326 ). in act 510 , the second software code , the at least one parameter and a value of the at least one parameter may be transported into the second context , for example , as described above in relation to fig3 . the context then may be initialized using values of the context - passed parameters and / or values defined by a context abstraction used to generate the context . in act 512 , the second software code may be executed within the generated second context . in act 514 , the results of the execution of the second software code may be transported into the first context , and execution of the remainder of the first software code in the first context may resume . as described above in relation to fig3 , context code 308 may itself include a context declaration , one or more context boundary indicators and other context code , in a sort of nested context arrangement . in such embodiments , act 512 may include repeating acts 504 - 514 for the other context code , initiating the performance of these acts within the generated second context . in some embodiments , generating the context and controlling execution of context code 312 within the generated context may include use of another execution engine within the generated context . that is , execution engine 310 may be configured to generate another execution engine and / or invoke an existing execution engine , and this other execution engine may be configured to control the execution of the context code 308 in another context , including performing one or more of the tasks described above that may be involved in controlling execution . method 500 may include additional acts . further , the order of the acts performed as part of method 500 is not limited to the order illustrated in fig5 , as the acts may be performed in other orders and / or one or more of the acts may be performed in series or in parallel , at least partially . prior to the performance of method 500 , a programmer may initially write the first software code as if there is one single execution flow . the programmer then may mark ( i . e ., scope ) portions ( i . e ., blocks ) of code that need to run in a different context with one or more particular characters such as , for example , squiggly braces “{ }”, and declare the context attributes , for example , using the term usecontext , as described above . method 500 , acts thereof , and various embodiments and variations of this method and these acts , individually or in combination , may be defined by computer - readable signals tangibly embodied on one or more computer - readable media , for example , non - volatile recording media , integrated circuit memory elements , or a combination thereof . computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer . by way of example , and not limitation , computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media . computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile , removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data . computer storage media includes , but is not limited to , ram , rom , eeprom , flash memory or other memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other optical storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , other types of volatile and non - volatile memory , any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can accessed by a computer , and any suitable combination of the foregoing . communication media typically embodies computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media . the term “ modulated data signal ” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal . by way of example , and not limitation , communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct - wired connection , wireless media such as acoustic , rf , infrared and other wireless media , other types of communication media , and any suitable combination of the foregoing . computer - readable signals embodied on one or more computer - readable media may define instructions , for example , as part of one or more programs , that , as a result of being executed by a computer , instruct the computer to perform one or more of the functions described herein ( e . g ., method 500 , or any acts thereof ), and / or various embodiments , variations and combinations thereof . such instructions may be written in any of a plurality of programming languages , for example , java , j #, visual basic , c , c #, or c ++, fortran , pascal , eiffel , basic , cobol , etc ., or any of a variety of combinations thereof . the computer - readable media on which such instructions are embodied may reside on one or more of the components of any of systems 300 , 600 and 700 described herein , may be distributed across one or more of such components , and may be in transition therebetween . the computer - readable media may be transportable such that the instructions stored thereon can be loaded onto any computer system resource to implement the aspects of the present invention discussed herein . in addition , it should be appreciated that the instructions stored on the computer - readable medium , described above , are not limited to instructions embodied as part of an application program running on a host computer . rather , the instructions may be embodied as any type of computer code ( e . g ., software or microcode ) that can be employed to program a processor to implement the above - discussed aspects of the present invention . it should be appreciated that any single component or collection of multiple components of a computer system , for example , the computer system described in relation to fig6 and 7 , that perform the functions described herein can be generically considered as one or more controllers that control such functions . the one or more controllers can be implemented in numerous ways , such as with dedicated hardware and / or firmware , using a processor that is programmed using microcode or software to perform the functions recited above or any suitable combination of the foregoing . various embodiments according to the invention may be implemented on one or more computer systems . these computer systems , may be , for example , general - purpose computers such as those based on intel pentium - type processor , motorola powerpc , sun ultrasparc , hewlett - packard pa - risc processors , any of a variety of processors available from advanced micro devices ( amd ) or any other type of processor . it should be appreciated that one or more of any type of computer system may be used to implement various embodiments of the invention . a general - purpose computer system according to one embodiment of the invention is configured to perform one or more of the functions described above . it should be appreciated that the system may perform other functions and the invention is not limited to having any particular function or set of functions . for example , various aspects of the invention may be implemented as specialized software executing in a general - purpose computer system 600 such as that shown in fig6 . the computer system 600 may include a processor 603 connected to one or more memory devices 604 , such as a disk drive , memory , or other device for storing data . memory 604 is typically used for storing programs and data during operation of the computer system 600 . components of computer system 600 may be coupled by an interconnection mechanism 605 , which may include one or more busses ( e . g ., between components that are integrated within a same machine ) and / or a network ( e . g ., between components that reside on separate discrete machines ). the interconnection mechanism 605 enables communications ( e . g ., data , instructions ) to be exchanged between system components of system 600 . computer system 600 also includes one or more input devices 602 , for example , a keyboard , mouse , trackball , microphone , touch screen , and one or more output devices 601 , for example , a printing device , display screen , speaker . in addition , computer system 600 may contain one or more interfaces ( not shown ) that connect computer system 600 to a communication network ( in addition or as an alternative to the interconnection mechanism 605 ). the storage system 606 , shown in greater detail in fig7 , typically includes a computer readable and writeable nonvolatile recording medium 701 in which signals are stored that define a program to be executed by the processor or information stored on or in the medium 701 to be processed by the program . the medium may , for example , be a disk or flash memory . typically , in operation , the processor causes data to be read from the nonvolatile recording medium 701 into another memory 702 that allows for faster access to the information by the processor than does the medium 701 . this memory 702 is typically a volatile , random access memory such as a dynamic random access memory ( dram ) or static memory ( sram ). it may be located in storage system 606 , as shown , or in memory system 604 , not shown . the processor 603 generally manipulates the data within the integrated circuit memory 604 , 1102 and then copies the data to the medium 1101 after processing is completed . a variety of mechanisms are known for managing data movement between the medium 1101 and the integrated circuit memory element 604 , 1102 , and the invention is not limited thereto . the invention is not limited to a particular memory system 604 or storage system 606 . the computer system may include specially - programmed , special - purpose hardware , for example , an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ). aspects of the invention may be implemented in software , hardware or firmware , or any combination thereof . further , such methods , acts , systems , system elements and components thereof may be implemented as part of the computer system described above or as an independent component . although computer system 600 is shown by way of example as one type of computer system upon which various aspects of the invention may be practiced , it should be appreciated that aspects of the invention are not limited to being implemented on the computer system as shown in fig6 . various aspects of the invention may be practiced on one or more computers having a different architecture or components that that shown in fig6 . computer system 600 may be a general - purpose computer system that is programmable using a high - level computer programming language . computer system 600 also may be implemented using specially - programmed , special - purpose hardware . in computer system 600 , processor 603 is typically a commercially available processor such as any of the well - known pentium class processors available from the intel corporation . many other processors are available . such a processor usually executes an operating system which may be , for example , the windows ® 95 , windows ® 98 , windows nt ®, windows ® 2000 ( windows ® me ) or windows ® xp operating systems available from the microsoft corporation , mac os system x available from apple computer , the solaris operating system available from sun microsystems , linux available from various sources or unix available from various sources . any of a variety of other operating systems may be used . the processor and operating system together define a computer platform for which application programs in high - level programming languages are written . it should be understood that the invention is not limited to a particular computer system platform , processor , operating system , or network . also , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to a specific programming language or computer system , and that other appropriate programming languages and other appropriate computer systems could also be used . one or more portions of the computer system may be distributed across one or more computer systems ( not shown ) coupled to a communications network . these computer systems also may be general - purpose computer systems . for example , various aspects of the invention may be distributed among one or more computer systems configured to provide a service ( e . g ., servers ) to one or more client computers , or to perform an overall task as part of a distributed system . for example , various aspects of the invention may be performed on a client - server system that includes components distributed among one or more server systems that perform various functions according to various embodiments of the invention . these components may be executable , intermediate ( e . g ., il ) or interpreted ( e . g ., java ) code which communicate over a communication network ( e . g ., the internet ) using a communication protocol ( e . g ., tcp / ip ). it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to executing on any particular system or group of systems , and that the invention is not limited to any particular distributed architecture , network , or communication protocol . various embodiments of the present invention may be programmed using an object - oriented programming language , such as smalltalk , java , j # ( j - sharp ), c ++, ada , or c # c - sharp ). other object - oriented programming languages may also be used . alternatively , functional , scripting , and / or logical programming languages may be used . various aspects of the invention may be implemented in a non - programmed environment ( e . g ., documents created in html , xml or other format that , when viewed in a window of a browser program , render aspects of a graphical - user interface ( gui ) or perform other functions ). various aspects of the invention may be implemented as programmed or non - programmed elements , or any combination thereof . further , various embodiments of the invention may be implemented using microsoft ®. net technology available from microsoft corporation . having now described some illustrative embodiments of the invention , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing is merely illustrative and not limiting , having been presented by way of example only . numerous modifications and other illustrative embodiments are within the scope of one of ordinary skill in the art and are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention . in particular , although many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements , it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives . acts , elements and features discussed only in connection with one embodiment are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other embodiments . further , for the one or more means - plus - function limitations recited in the following claims , the means are not intended to be limited to the means disclosed herein for performing the recited function , but are intended to cover in scope any equivalent means , known now or later developed , for performing the recited function . use of ordinal terms such as “ first ”, “ second ”, “ third ”, etc ., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority , precedence , or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed , but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name ( but for use of the ordinal term ) to distinguish the claim elements . | 6 |
the contents of the present invention are described with reference to embodiments . as shown in fig1 , the biomagnetic measurement apparatus according to the present invention comprises a cryogenic container 1 for cooling squid magnetometers , a gantry 2 for fixing the position of the cryogenic container 1 , a monitor 3 for displaying information on the positional adjustment of an object , an inspection bed 4 and a holding stand 5 for holding the bed 4 . the gantry 2 for holding the cryogenic container 1 is fixed on a floor surface . the distance between the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 and the floor surface is represented by a known value set in advance , and the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 is in a position fixed with respect to the floor surface . the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 and the top face of the bed are disposed in an almost parallel manner with respect to the floor surface . the gantry 2 for holding the cryogenic container 1 is fixed on the floor surface and the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 may be tilted arbitrarily with respect to the floor surface instead of fixing the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 with respect to the floor surface . in this case , a test object 9 is disposed in an almost parallel manner with respect to the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 . a plurality of squid magnetometers employ magnetometers for detecting a magnetic field component in the z - axis direction 15 or magnetometers for detecting a magnetic field component in the x - axis direction 14 and in the y - axis direction 13 . a marker used for adjusting the positional relationship between the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 and the test object 9 employs a permanent magnet 10 of known magnetic field strength . the permanent magnet 10 is attached to the body surface of the xiphoid process of the test object 9 mounted on the bed 4 . means for moving the position of the bed 4 with respect to the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 employs a feed rail 8 for moving the holding stand 5 in the x - axis direction 14 on the floor surface , a right / left feed handle 6 for moving the bed 4 in the y - axis direction 13 on the holding stand 5 , and a hydraulic pump handle 7 for moving the bed 4 in the z - axis direction 15 on the holding stand 5 . as the position of the bed 4 moves with respect to the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 , the positional relationship between the test object 9 mounted on the bed 4 and the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 is automatically measured via position measurement means and a measurement result is displayed on the monitor 3 . further , as the position of the bed 4 moves with respect to the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 , the distance between the test object 9 mounted on the bed 4 and the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 is automatically measured via distance measurement means and a measurement result is displayed on the monitor 3 . as shown in fig2 , on an area in the vicinity of the inside bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 , a plurality of squid magnetometers 20 are disposed and cooled , individually , in the x - axis direction and in the y - axis direction . a typical method for determining the position of the test object according to the present invention , which is used for the biomagnetic measurement apparatus , employs a coordinate system ( x , y , z ). the xy surface is parallel to the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 , and the z axis is perpendicular to the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 . the permanent magnet 10 is attached to a body surface 16 of the test object when the test object is mounted on the bed at the lowest height thereof . the bed is moved in the x - axis direction and the y - axis direction such that the permanent magnet 10 is disposed under the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 , and the magnetic strength of the permanent magnet 10 is measured . on the basis of a measurement result , a movement direction 19 of the test object is determined so that a marker 17 of a squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 can correspond to a marker 18 that indicates the target point of positional adjustment . although the marker that indicates the target point has an initial setting value , it may be changed arbitrarily by an operator . as shown in fig3 , the display specification of the positional adjustment of the test object is displayed on the monitor on the basis of the magnetic field measurement result of the permanent magnet , including the squid magnetometers 20 and a dialog box 24 that indicates the measurement result obtained with the position measurement means . on the squid magnetometers 20 , the movement direction 19 of the test object is displayed so that the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 can correspond to the marker 18 that indicates the target point of the positional adjustment . on the dialog box 24 that indicates the measurement result obtained with the position measurement means , a movement distance 21 of the test object in the x - axis direction and a movement distance 22 of the test object in the y - axis direction are displayed so that the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 can correspond to the marker 18 that indicates the target point of the positional adjustment . moreover , an icon 23 that indicates data update is displayed in accordance with the change of the positional relationship between the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 and the test object 9 . as shown in fig4 , the bed is moved in the x - axis direction 14 and in the y - axis direction 13 in accordance with the indication of the monitor 3 so that the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 can correspond to the marker 18 that indicates the target point of the positional adjustment . in this case , the indication of the positional adjustment may be supported by a buzzer , or voice transmission means of voice guidance . also , in fig4 , the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 may be tilted arbitrarily with respect to the floor surface in accordance with the indication of the monitor 3 so that the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 can correspond to the marker 18 that indicates the target point of the positional adjustment . in this case , the test object 9 is disposed in an almost parallel manner with respect to the bottom face of the cryogenic container 1 . as shown in fig5 , the display specification of the positional adjustment of the test object is displayed on the monitor , including the squid magnetometers 20 and a dialog box 25 for the confirmation of the end of the positional adjustment in the z - axis direction . on the squid magnetometers 20 , the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength is displayed . also , on the dialog box 25 for the confirmation of the end of the positional adjustment in the z - axis direction , a display 26 for indicating the positional adjustment and a display 27 for the confirmation of the end of the positional adjustment are displayed . as shown in fig6 , the display specification of the positional adjustment of the test object is displayed on the monitor on the basis of the magnetic field measurement result of the permanent magnet , including the squid magnetometers 20 and a dialog box 29 that indicates the measurement result obtained with the distance measurement means . on the squid magnetometers 20 , the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength is displayed . also , on the dialog box 29 that indicates the measurement result obtained with the distance measurement means , the distance between the test object and the bottom face of the cryogenic container is displayed . as shown in fig7 , the display specification of the positional adjustment of the test object is displayed on the monitor on the basis of the magnetic field measurement result of the permanent magnet , including the cryogenic container 1 , the body surface 16 of the test object , the squid magnetometers 20 and a dialog box 24 that indicates the measurement result obtained with the position measurement means . on the squid magnetometers 20 , the movement direction 19 of the test object is displayed so that the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 can correspond to the marker 18 that indicates the target point of the positional adjustment . the permanent magnet is displayed on the body surface 16 of the test object . on the dialog box 24 that indicates the measurement result obtained with the position measurement means , the movement distance 21 of the test object in the x - axis direction and the movement distance 22 of the test object in the y - axis direction are displayed so that the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 can correspond to the marker 18 that indicates the target point of the positional adjustment . moreover , the icon 23 for calculating movement distance is displayed in accordance with the movement of the bed . as shown fig8 , the display specification of the positional adjustment of the test object is displayed on the monitor on the basis of the magnetic field measurement result of the permanent magnet , including the cryogenic container 1 , the body surface 16 of the test object , the squid magnetometers 20 and the dialog box 25 that instructs the positional adjustment in the z - axis direction . on the squid magnetometers 20 , the marker 17 of the squid magnetometer that indicates the maximum magnetic field strength among the plurality of squid magnetometers 20 is displayed . the permanent magnet is displayed on the body surface 16 of the test object . on the dialog box 25 that instructs the positional adjustment in the z - axis direction , the measurement result obtained with the position measurement means and the instruction of positional adjustment in the z - axis direction are displayed . the marker including the permanent magnet is attached to the xiphoid process portion of the subject and a form image including the pectoral region is obtained via a three - dimensional x - ray ct apparatus . the marker is shown in an x - ray ct cross - sectional image on a ct image . then , the subject is measured via the biomagnetic measurement apparatus according to embodiment 1 regarding the change of the magnetic field strength , and a functional image is obtained ( showing an isofield contour map , a current - arrow map , an isofield - integral map , and functional information on cardiac activity in an estimated position of an activated region ( current source ), for example ). since the position of the heart of the subject is not clear with the functional image obtained by the biomagnetic measurement apparatus , the form image including the pectoral region obtained by the x - ray ct apparatus and the functional image obtained by the biomagnetic measurement apparatus are superposed , thereby obtaining a synthesized image . processes for obtaining the synthesized image include a process for making the pixel size of the functional image obtained by the biomagnetic measurement apparatus correspond to the pixel size of the cross - sectional image obtained by the three - dimensional x - ray ct apparatus , and a process for making the center position ( equivalent to the position of a measurement surface that the z - axis of the coordinate system ( x , y , z ) of the biomagnetic measurement apparatus goes through ) of the reference point in the functional image obtained by the biomagnetic measurement apparatus correspond to the reference point ( the center point of the image of a marker including a permanent magnet ) photographed in the cross - sectional image . | 0 |
the mode of operation of apparatus according to the present invention , as exemplified by the block circuit diagram of fig1 will be explained for the example of a flow speed measuring device . to effect such measurement , as is known , sound energy is emitted by a transmitting transducer s arranged , as shown in fig2 at the shore of a body of flowing water in a direction oblique and counter to the direction of flow and is received at a location e &# 39 ; on the other shore by a receiving transducer w 1 . a particularly advantageous arrangement of measuring paths has already been described in german patent application no . p 26 28 336 . 3 and counterpart allowed u . s . application ser . no . 794 , 660 , filed by manfred gerlach on may 6th , 1977 , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 094 , 193 . the received pulses occur at a repetition rate which depends due to their directions of transmission with and counter to the stream , on the sum and difference of the pulse propagation speed and stream flow speed , the length of the measuring path being known , and provides an indication of the flow speed of the stream , as disclosed in german pat . no . 1 , 076 , 980 . however , the measurement of the pulse repetition rate may be falsified at the receiving end e &# 39 ; by interference if the sound energy , which is emitted at a beam angle α , does not propagate only along a direct path s 1 from the transmitting transducer s to the receiving end e &# 39 ; but also via indirect paths such as s 2 and s 3 which correspond to the beam boundaries . this multipath propagation has a particularly negative effect in the case of paths which impinge at the surface of water since the sound energy is there reflected virtually without attenuation losses . fig3 a illustrates the waveforms of the receiving transducer response to three different received pulses occurring in the water body depicted in fig2 the pulses being depicted along three mutually independent time scales . fig3 a illustrates the starting transient oscillations of each such received pulse . the first pulse depicted extends over a time region e 1 and is received under such conditions that the waveform of the receiving transducer output is determined essentially by the transient behavior of the receiving transducer , the envelope of the starting transient being a unidirectionally increasing function with positive slope . the second received pulse has a starting transient extending over a time region e 2 and the envelope thereof is interrupted by breaks due to interference . the third received pulse has a starting transient in time region e 3 whose envelope increases unidirectionally but with a slope lower than in region e 1 due to multipath propagation of the transmitted pulse waves . referring to the apparatus shown in fig1 the received sonic pulses are connected in transducer w 1 to a corresponding electrical signal which is fed to a rise filter 1 composed of a comparator 2a and a series - connected time generator 2b . in comparator 2a the received pulse signal is compared with a comparison voltage sg , shown in fig3 a , which voltage can preferably be set in dependence on the fundamental interference level threshold . if the oscillations constituting the received pulse exceed the comparison voltage sg , comparator 2a triggers the time generator 2b with the result that a rise pulse c appears at the output of generator 2b . the duration of this rise pulse is set to be equal to , or greater than , the reciprocal of the band width of the receiving transducer w and at most equal to its transient response period t 3 . fig3 b shows the rise pulse c at the output of the rise filter 1 . additionally , the received pulse signal from transducer w 1 is delivered to a threshold value detector 3 in which the curve of the peak values of the oscillations in the starting transient is observed , the detector 3 emitting an output signal b , as shown in fig3 c , constituted by a pulse at each instant when the oscillations exceed a settable threshold . at the output of a signal generator 4 which is connected to the outputs of the rise filter 1 and the threshold value detector 3 , a &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g appears , as shown in fig3 i , if during the period of a rise pulse c the peak values of the received pulse produce a pulse in output signal b at the output of the threshold value detector 3 . according to a further feature of the invention , a pulse edge detector 5 is provided to check the received pulse signals in addition to the rise filter 1 and the threshold value detector 3 . in the pulse edge detector 5 , one embodiment of which is disclosed in german offenlegungsschrift [ laid - open application ] no . 22 54 019 and counterpart u . s . pat . no . 3 , 887 , 871 , issued to burckhard aechter and manfred gerlach on june 3rd , 1975 , there is determined on the envelope of the received pulse signal a reference value r which appears in the case of interference - free reception at a reference time t 1 after the time t 0 of arrival of the leading edge of the received pulse signal . the occurrence of reference value r results in a reference signal that triggers a monostable multivibrator 6 which is connected to the output of pulse edge detector 5 . the signal conducted to multivibrator 6 corresponds to signal s24 shown in fig3 of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 887 , 871 . the monostable multivibrator 6 has a pulse period , i . e . an astable state period , t 2 which is at least as long as the reciprocal of the band width of the receiving transducer w and less than the time duration of each rise pulse in the signal c at the output of the rise filter 1 . preferably , the time duration of each such rise pulse is equal to the normal transient period t 3 . fig3 d shows the output signal a of the monostable multivibrator 6 over time t . fig4 shows a block circuit diagram of a preferred embodiment of the threshold value detector 3 according to the invention including a monostable multivibrator 7 connected in series with a threshold value generator 8 and a comparison circuit 9 . the threshold value generator 8 produces a lower threshold output signal s u which is approximately equal to 1 /√ 2 times the peak value of the pulse signal oscillations in the steady state of such signal until the multivibrator 7 has been triggered , at the end of the period t 2 , by a negative edge of a pulse in the output signal a from the monostable multivibrator 6 . it is likewise possible for the negative edge of a rise pulse in the output signal c from rise filter 1 to switch the multivibrator 7 . each time the peak value of an oscillation of the received pulse signal exceeds the lower threshold value s u , the comparison circuit 9 emits a pulse in its output signal b as shown in fig3 c . when in its astable state , i . e . when producing a pulse , multivibrator 7 causes threshold value generator 8 to switch in an upper threshold value s o which is significantly higher than the peak value of the oscillation when a received pulse is in its steady state . due to the presence of the upper threshold value s o , acoustic pulse signals which travel to receiver w 1 over indirect paths during a time after t 0 which is shorter than the time between two received pulses and longer than the time difference between the arrival of a received pulse over the direct propagation path s 1 and over its longest possible indirect path s 2 or s 3 , respectively , are unable to falsify the time measurement between two received pulses . thereafter the threshold value generator 8 is again switched to produce the lower threshold value s u . if the oscillations of a received pulse signal , after reaching the reference value r , do not exceed the lower threshold s u of threshold value generator 8 within the period t 2 , no output pulse appears in the output b of threshold value detector 3 . in the case of time region e 2 of fig3 a , a received pulse is shown whose peak values do not pass the lower threshold value s u of threshold value detector 3 during a first period t 2 . after first reaching the reference value r with which the monostable multivibrator 6 is triggered , the envelope has a break if the waves reach the receiving transducer w , on the one hand , over the direct propagation path s 1 and , on the other hand , over indirect paths s 2 and s 3 , as shown in fig2 so that no pulse appears in output signal b of the threshold value detector 3 during the first period t 2 . at the end of the first period t 2 , monostable multivibrator 7 switches the threshold value generator 8 to the upper threshold value s o . a later arriving received pulse , reaching receiving transducer w over an indirect path s 2 , as shown in fig3 a in region e 2 , is therefore ineffective although the monostable multivibrator 6 has been restarted by a subsequent reference signal from pulse edge detector 5 , as shown in fig3 d , since the upper threshold value s o which the peak values of the received pulses cannot exceed , has previously been set in the threshold value generator 8 . fig3 a shows , for the case depicted in time region e 3 , a received pulse signal in which the reference value r appears not at the end of reference time t 1 but much later , as shown in fig3 d . the slope of the envelope of the received pulse is here too shallow since waves reaching the receiving transducer w over indirect paths s 2 and s 3 do not permit normal transient behavior of the receiving transducer w . an error measurement is prevented by the action of rise filter 1 which blocks the signal generator 4 before the output signal from the threshold value detector 3 appears . if the system is to operate without the pulse edge detector 5 , it is of advantage , according to the present invention , to use a modified threshold value detector , such as detector 30 of fig5 which evaluates the slope of the envelope of the received pulse signal to generate an output control signal b &# 39 ;. the modified threshold value detector 30 includes an envelope detector 31 connected in series with a differentiating stage 32 to form a signal representative of the first time derivative of the envelope of the received pulse signal after time t 0 . the output of stage 32 is connected to one input of a comparison stage 33 whose output is connected to a control circuit 34 . the comparison stage 33 also receives a comparison value v which serves as the threshold . fig3 e shows the time derivative of the envelope at the output of the envelope detector 31 in solid lines and the comparison value v as a broken line . in the comparison stage 33 a determination is made as to when the first derivative of the signal envelope falls below the comparison value v , each occurrence of which results in the production of a pulse at the output of stage 33 , as shown in fig3 f . fig3 f shows that it is only within time region e 1 that comparison stage 33 emits only a single pulse during the associated observation period t 3 , defined by the time duration of each rise pulse in the output c of the rise filter 1 . in region e 2 the first derivative value twice falls below the comparison value v while in region e 3 the first derivative value falls below the comparison value v only after termination of a rise pulse in output signal c . in the control circuit 34 the number of pulses appearing at the output of comparison stage 33 during each rise pulse in output signal c is checked . the control circuit 34 , according to a further feature of the invention , includes a digital counter 35 to which a test circuit 36 is connected to check the counter state of the digital counter 35 . the control circuit 34 emits a control signal b &# 39 ; having the form shown in fig3 g whenever the contents of digital counter 35 attain a value of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; during the period t 3 of a rise pulse since in that case the first time derivative of the envelope will have fallen below the comparison value v only a single time , indicating that the received pulse was received without interference . the test circuit 36 is connected to a gating circuit 37 which is temporarily enabled by an output signal from a timer circuit 38 for the control signal b &# 39 ; before the time duration t 3 has expired . the timer circuit 38 , which is actuated by each rise pulse in the output signal c of the rise filter 1 , is composed , for example , of two series - connected monostable multivibrators , the first multivibrator producing a pulse which is equal in duration to the time duration t 3 of a rise pulse in signal c minus the duration of one pulse interval defined by the pulse period of the second monostable multimultivibrator . the output pulse from the second multivibrator is triggered by the trailing edge of the output pulse from the first multivibrator and provides a gate enabling pulse for gating circuit 37 at the output of the timer circuit 38 . thus this enabling pulse has a duration determined by the period of the second monostable multivibrator and ends simultaneously with the associated rise pulse in signal c . it is also possible to connect a second differentiating stage ( 32 &# 39 ;) between the first differentiating stage 32 and the comparison stage 33 and to check the second time derivative of the envelope of the received pulse . the control circuit 34 then determines whether the second time derivative falls below the comparison value v set in comparison stage 33 a single time during the duration of a rise pulse in output signal c . the counter 35 is reset by each rise impulse in output signal c , differentiated in a differentiating stage 32 &# 39 ;, as shown in fig5 . fig3 i shows the &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g at the output of the signal generator 4 in a system employing the rise filter 1 and the modified threshold value detector 30 of fig5 . if the control circuit 34 emits a control signal b &# 39 ;, at the output of the signal generator 4 a &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g &# 39 ; appears , as shown in fig3 i . a measuring arrangement 13 is connected to the signal generator 4 , as shown in fig1 to evaluate the repetition frequency of pulses of &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g at the output of the signal generator 4 , from which a conclusion can be made as to the repetition frequency of the received pulses . in another modification according to the invention , the pulse edge detector 5 and the threshold value detector of fig4 are used , in addition to the rise filter 1 , to generate the &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g so as to realize a time definition of the shift of the pulses of &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g with respect to the time of receipt t 0 of the received pulse . according to this modification of the invention , the signal generator 4 can be composed of two bistable stages 15 and 16 and a pulse generator 17 as shown in fig6 . each stage 15 and 16 includes a signal , or set , input , a trigger input and a clear input . if during an observation period t 3 the reference value r is detected and then a pulse appears in output signal b from threshold value detector 3 , the signal generator 4 emits a &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g as shown in fig3 i . the signal input of the bistable stage 15 and the trigger input of stage 16 are connected to the output of the monostable multivibrator 6 . the output signal b of the threshold value detector 3 acts on the trigger input of the bistable stage 15 and switches it to an output level d = logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; if the monostable multivibrator 6 remains in its astable switching state . fig3 k shows the time sequence of the output level d of the bistable stage 15 . the connected , second bistable stage 16 is switched by the output of monostable multivibrator 6 and has its output connected to pulse generator 17 . the output of stage 16 switches to f = logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; whenever the output level d of the bistable flip stage 15 equals logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and the monostable multivibrator 6 has switched back to its stable switching state , as shown in fig3 l . at the same time the pulse generator 17 is triggered to furnish the &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g shown in fig3 i . thus it is assured that a &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulse appears after the reference time t 1 plus the period t 2 which is defined by the selection of the reference value r and the band width of the receiving transducer w . the &# 34 ; clear &# 34 ; inputs of the two bistable stages 15 and 16 are connected with the output of the rise filter 1 which sets the bistable flip stages 15 and 16 back to the starting level d = f = logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; at the end of each transient period t 3 . the bistabile stages 15 and 16 are from the so called d - type , the bistabile stage 16 has an inverse signal input as shown in fig6 . successive &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; pulses g have the same time interval as successive received acoustic pulses . in the measuring arrangement 13 the sequence of &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulses is evaluated and indicated , for example , as the flow speed . such a measuring arrangement 13 is described , for example , in german pat . no . 1 , 076 , 980 , cited above . fig7 shows , according to a further feature of the invention , a phase locked loop circuit forming an embodiment of the measuring arrangement 13 which cooperates particularly advantageously with the signal generator 4 of fig6 . the measuring arrangement 13 includes a frequency comparison circuit 18 in which the repetition rate of &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulses is compared with that of a pulse sequence furnished by a variable oscillator 19 via a connected frequency divider 20 . the oscillator 19 is tuned in its frequency by the output of frequency comparison circuit 18 if the repetition rate at the output of the signal generator 4 deviates from that at the output of the frequency divider 20 . the frequency divider 20 is connected to a display 21 which presents an indication of the time between two pulses of the &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g or of the associated repetition frequency . with suitable calibration , the stream flow speed can be displayed for the example depicted in fig2 if identical devices for the received pulses are provided downstream and upstream of associated transmitters and a difference is formed between the repetition frequencies of the received pulses . an advantage of the measuring arrangement 13 shown in fig7 is that the measurement is not interrupted when a &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulse is missing due to an interfered with received pulse . instead the last obtained measuring result continues to be displayed and remains available so that the next following measuring result can effect a correction . according to a further modification of the invention , the signal generator 4 can be connected to an error detector 22 which includes a counter 23 with a carry output 24 , as shown in fig7 . the output of the oscillator 19 in the measuring arrangement 13 provides the clock pulses for the counter 23 . the &# 34 ; clear &# 34 ; input of counter 23 is connected to the signal generator 4 . the capacity of the counter 23 is selected so that the counter counts completely through its full range at the frequency of the oscillator 19 between two successive &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulses . if a &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulse is missing , a carry will appear at the carry output 24 of the counter 23 , which is suitable to indicate an error . upon the appearance of a &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulse the counter is set back to zero and a new test is made . if the &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g shows a known jittering effect , which is permissible , a tolerance window can be set for the period of the &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal pulse , by proper dimensioning of counter 23 . fig8 shows another embodiment of the error detector 22 1 which can be used to particular advantage if a plurality of transmitted pulses are to be emitted in succession at the beginning of each measuring period . at the beginning of the measuring period , the number of such plurality of transmitted pulses is set in a backward counter 26 via a setting input 27 and each &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal at the output of the signal generator 4 sets it back by one position . at the end of the measuring period , if no interference occurred , the backward counter 26 is at zero . if one or more received pulses could not be evaluated due to multipath propagation , a residual count remains in backward counter 26 for the error indication . the outputs of the backward counter 26 are connected to an interrogation circuit 28 , which can include a decoding logic , for the determination of the counter state and the emission of a switching signal . when all transmitted pulses of one measuring period do not furnish evaluatable received pulses or when for a longer period of time no &# 34 ; good &# 34 ; signal g appears at the output of the signal generator 4 , this indicates that the transmission conditions on the path being measured have changed considerably , e . g . the water level h , fig2 has changed . in order to be able to continue to make flow measurements without additional equipment , there is provided , according to a further advantageous feature of the invention , a second receiving transducer w 2 arranged , as shown in fig2 vertically below the first receiving transducer w 1 at the receiving end e &# 39 ;. the distance a between the receiving transducers w 1 and w 2 can be selected in dependence on the length of the measuring path , the anticipated changes in the water level height h , the frequency of the sound energy oscillations and the beam angle α , as is known for diversity reception by multipath propagation of radio waves in the atmosphere , the principles of which are disclosed in the above - cited text , meinke , gundlach , pocketbook of the high frequency art , 1968 , pulbished by springer verlag , third revised edition , in chapter j , &# 34 ; wave propagation &# 34 ;, section 9 , &# 34 ; interference and fading &# 34 ;; and chapter x , &# 34 ; receivers &# 34 ;, section 17 , &# 34 ; multiple propagation &# 34 ;. the switching criterion in diversity reception , for the receiver array shown in fig1 is furnished by the error detector 22 which actuates a stepping switch 29 . successive switching contacts of switch 29 are connected to respective ones of a plurality of receiving transducers w 1 , w 2 , . . . w n . upon the emission of a switching signal at the output of the error detector 22 , the switch 29 is advanced to the next receiving transducer . the switch output is the input of the apparatus according to the invention . it will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications , changes and adaptations , and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims . | 6 |
[ 0036 ] fig1 is of a block diagram outlining the whole system of a first embodiment of the present invention . fig5 is a flow diagram showing the operating process in the present embodiment . this embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings . the data output apparatus of the present invention has a storage device 1 mounted with a storage media 2 such as dvd . it is so arranged that a specific size of data stream can be written on the storage media 2 from a first buffer 3 through writing means 4 . meanwhile , a specific size of data stream is read by reading means 7 from the storage media 2 mounted in the storage device 1 and then stored temporarily in a second buffer 6 before being outputted to external device such as a reproducing terminal . second consumption duration predicting means 9 predicts the consumption duration to consume the data stream held in the storage media 2 — second predicted consumption duration — by one of the following methods . the following description is for cases where the data stream is a video - audio data . the second consumption duration predicting means 9 constantly monitors the amount of data stored in the second buffer 6 from the storage device 1 and the amount of data sent out from the second buffer 6 , both up to the present . a time table mt as shown in fig2 is stored in second consumption duration predicting means 9 , for example . on the table mt , the offset values b01 , b01 , . . . , b0n from the top of video - audio data dr 1 to be read are registered linked to the times a01 , a01 , . . . , a0n for the video - audio data dr 1 of the offset values b01 , b01 , . . . , b0n to be reproduced . in that state , second consumption duration predicting means 9 takes the amount of data stored in the second buffer 6 and measured up to the present as the second offset value b0j of the video - audio data dr 1 and the amount of data sent out from the second buffer 6 as the first offset value b0i of the video - audio data dr 1 . then , the first offset value b0i and the second offset value b0j are checked against the time table to work out the second predicted consumption duration ( a0j − a0i ) from the times a0i and a0j corresponding to the respective offset values . it can happen that the time table has no corresponding figures corresponding to the first offset value b0i and the second offset value b0j . for example , the first offset value b0i is between the offset value b01 and the offset value b02 and the second offset value b0j is between the offset value b03 and th offset value b04 . in such a case , the second predicted consumption duration is worked out from the offset value nearest to and larger than the first offset value b0i , that is , the offset value b02 and the value nearest to and less than the second offset value b0j , that is , the offset value b03 . in other words , the second predicted consumption duration a03 − a02 ) is calculated . the time table mt may use information on bit rates ( r11 - r1n ) at the time of reproduction that are set for the respective reproduction times of video - audio data dr 1 instead of the relation between the offset values and the times . in that case , too , second consumption duration predicting means 9 first finds the measured amount of data sent out from the second buffer and the amount of data stored in the second buffer 6 up to the present and then works out the second predicted consumption duration from the time table mt . the time table mt is stored in the storage media 2 along with the video - audio data dr 1 and read onto second consumption duration predicting means 9 when the file is opened . ( 2 ) method for the video - audio data of the mpeg formula and the like the video - audio data of a program stream of the mpeg formula , for example , is provided with a segment for recording the system clock reference ( scr )— the time when the mpeg decoder requires a pack of data — in the pack header at the top of the pack forming video - audio data as shown in fig3 ( a ). the video - audio data of the mpeg formula has each frame , or unit of image , divided into packs of a specific size . data is encoded with the offset time — the time when the decoder requires the pack — being recorded on the scr segment of each pack . the second predicted consumption duration is calculated as difference between the value scr 1 of scr of the pack t be sent out fr m the second buffer out of the data yet to be sent which is held in the second buffer and the value scr 2 of scr of last pack stored in the second buffer from the storage device . it is noted that when mpeg data are prepared at a variable rate , the preparation of next data is held back until the starting time of next frame . the difference in scr between the packs just before and after the gap between the frames is larger than the scr difference between the consecutive packs in one frame , which is equal to about the time for a pack of data size about at the time of the highest bit rate . by the way , the decoder does decoding frame by frame . if data in the second buffer is cut halfway in a frame , the second predicted consumption duration worked out as shown above will not be accurate . from the aforesaid scr difference between packs , therefore , the gap between frames is found out , and the scr value of the scr 3 of the pack immediately following the frame gap is worked out . then , the value scr 1 of the aforesaid scr is subtracted from the value scr 3 of the scr . the value thus obtained will be the second predicted consumption duration . in case of a transport stream of the mpeg formula , the program clock reference in the adaptation field of the transport packet can be used in place of the aforesaid scr . ( 3 ) method used in case information on bit rate at the time of reproduction is recorded inside the data : there will be explained an example where video - audio data dr 1 to be read out as shown in fig3 ( b ) is split into a plurality ( n pieces ) of blocks of a specific size . the aforesaid respective blocks , br 1 , br 2 . . . are provided with information fields df 1 , df 2 . . . in which the bit rates and sizes of blocks are recorded and eob &# 39 ; s ( end of blocks ) that indicate the end of the block . it is noted that the last eob which has to indicate the end of file is also an eof ( end of file ) indicator . in this example , second consumption duration predicting means 9 picks out the block bit rates and sizes from information field df 1 , df 2 . . . of the video - audio data dr 1 stored in the second buffer 6 . on the basis of those block bit rates and sizes is worked out second predicted consumption duration . in case bit rates alone are recorded in information field df 1 , df 2 . . . , second consumption duration predicting means 9 extracts the size between the eob &# 39 ; s in addition to the bit rate and thus the second predicted consumption duration is worked out . next there will be explained , with reference to fig4 an example of controlling the data stream where the reading and writing of video - audio data are effected simultaneously . let it be presumed that video - audio data dr 1 is read through reading means 7 from the storage media 2 mounted in the storage device 1 while video - audio data dw 2 is written through writing means 4 . the duration required for reading of a unit size sr for one reading from the storage device 1 is different from reading and reading , because the seek duration of the aforesaid head is different according to conditions such as the position of the reading head and the position on the storage media 2 of the stored video - audio data to be read . for the same reason , the duration needed for one writing ( writing of the unit size sw ) in different from writing to writing . here , when a unit size sr for one reading is read out , a value larger than the maximum ( longest ) duration required for one reading — the second maximum duration tr — it preset as first threshold value t1 as shown in fig4 . this is done in consideration of the maximum waiting duration — the first waiting duration — from immediately after the end of one reading or writing to the point when the next request for reading or writing can be made . also , the second threshold value t2 is so set that ( t2 − t1 ) is larger than the maximum ( longest ) duration tw — the first maximum duration — required for writing a unit size sw for one writing in the storage device 1 . the amount of data the storage device 1 can read out per unit period : cr the amount of data the storage device 1 can write per unit period : cw the amount of data that can be transferred from the storage device 1 per unit period : sr the amount of data that can be transferred to the storage device 1 per unit period : sw first waiting duration in the storage device 1 : tds the first threshold value t1 is set to a value larger than the second maximum duration tr to prevent the second buffer 6 from underflow while the reading of next data is requested by reading means 7 and the data may be stored in the second buffer 6 , that is , the following conditions may be met . then , the second threshold value t2 is so set that ( t2 − t1 ) is larger than the first maximum duration tw , that is , the following may be met : if writing is not done under the aforesaid conditions that the second predicted consumption duration is less than the second threshold value t2 , then reading means 7 reads data onto the second buffer 6 from the storage device 1 . then , the reading of data is continued until the second predicted consumption duration is not less than the second threshold value t2 . in case the second predicted consumption duration is not less than the second threshold value t2 , no writing in the storage device 1 is requested . and if the second buffer 6 is not full , data will be read from the storage device 1 on to the second buffer 6 . if the second buffer 6 is full , then there will be no data reading . it is noted that in case the end of data reading is detected , no data reading will take place even if the second predicted consumption duration is less than the second threshold value t2 . the end of data reading is detected this way . eof detection means 11 detects eof ( end of file ) of video - audio data dr 1 ( see signal r 0 in fig6 ). or second consumption duration predicting means 9 detects the data consumption to be 0 ( see signal s 0 in fig1 ). now there will be described the control of writing video - audio data dw 2 , an object for writing . writing limiting means 5 constantly monitors the second predicted consumption duration worked out by second consumption duration predicting means 9 . when the second predicted consumption duration is less than the second threshold value t2 , a write inhibit flag fw is erected to bar writing means 4 from writing ( fig5 steps s 1 - s 6 ). then if the second predicted consumption duration is not less than the first threshold value t1 and less than the second threshold value t2 , the ongoing writing in the storage device 1 will be carried out while new writing will be prohibited ( steps s 7 - s 8 - s 9 ). furthermore , in case the second predicted consumption duration is less than the first threshold value t1 , then writing limiting means 5 directs writing means 4 to temporarily stop the ongoing writing in the storage device 1 , too ( steps s 7 - s 10 - s 11 ). in case the second predicted consumption duration is larger than the second threshold value t2 , then the write inhibit flag fw is pulled down ( steps s 1 - s 2 ) to lift the ban on the writing by writing means 4 . when the end of data writing is detected by eof detection means 11 or eof , the write inhibit flag fw will be pulled down even if the second predicted consumption duration is less than the second threshold value t2 . as the writing of video - audio data dw 2 , the object for writing , is started under that setup , the data will first be stored in the first buffer 3 . before starting to write a specific size of data to be written , writing means 4 checks each duration whether the write inhibit flag fw is up . if the write inhibit flag fw is not up , the data first stored in the first buffer 3 will be written in the storage media 2 mounted in the storage device 1 . if , on the other hand , the write inhibit flag fw is up , writing means 4 will not do writing . the process is repeated to write in the storage device 1 until the data stored in the first buffer 3 is exhausted . as set forth above , video - audio data dr 1 being read is kept real - time by temporarily restricting the writing of video - audio data dw 2 in the storage device 1 on the basis of the second predicted consumption duration while video - audio data dr 1 is being read . in the embodiment 1 , whether writing is banned or not is decided on unilaterally according to the state on the reading side . there are cases where it is not always necessary to bar writing totally as will be described in the following , however . the present embodiment is , as shown in fig6 configured as in embodiment 1 and additionally provided with first duration predicting means 10 where the first waiting time tds and the amount of data that can be written per unit period are registered in advance . first duration predicting means 10 works out the duration required for writing data in the storage device 1 from the first buffer 3 — the first predicted consumption duration — on the basis of the above registered information and the amount of data sw 2 held temporarily in the first buffer 3 . the first predicted consumption duration can be worked as follows : the current value ta of the second predicted consumption duration by second consumption duration predicting means 9 is also given to writing limiting means 5 . and as in embodiment 1 , in case the current value ta is less than the second threshold value t2 , writing limiting means 5 pulls up the write inhibit flag fw to bar writing means 4 from writing . also , when the current value ta is not lower than the second threshold value t2 , the procedure is taken as in embodiment 1 . now , there will be described an example of writing control where the reading and writing of video - audio data are effected simultaneously . in case the first predicted consumption duration is less than ( ta − t1 ) in a state under which the writing prohibition is lifted with the current value ta of the second predicted consumption duration not lower than the second threshold value t2 , writing limiting means 5 so controls writing means 4 that all the data already written in the first buffer 3 is continuously written in the storage device 1 . on the other hand , in case the first predicted consumption duration is not lower than ( ta − t1 ), writing limiting means 5 so controls writing means 4 that the amount of data that can be written in a duration of ( ta − t1 ), that is , data in a size not larger than ( ta − t1 − tds )× cw is continuously written in the storage device 1 . in case writing is done continuously , the duration required for writing in th storage devic 1 data in a unit size sw n durations is less than n × tw ( tw : durati n r quir d for writing the unit site sw , that is , tsd + sw / cw as given in expression ( 2 )), because the first waiting duration is needed for the first unit size sw only and not for the subsequent writings . as set forth above , in case the first predicted consumption duration and the second predicted consumption duration are worked out and it is interpreted that the duration required for continuous writing can be secured , data will be written in the storage device 1 continuously . thus , the efficiency of writing data can be increased . in the foregoing embodiments described , no consideration is given to the processing state in equipment after or on the downstream side of the second buffer . but in case the second buffer 6 is connected with the buffer in a reproduction unit directly or via network , it is necessary to take the condition in the buffer into account . [ 0086 ] fig7 is a block diagram outlining the whole system of a third embodiment of the present invention . the present embodiment is set up by providing a reproduction buffer 12 on the reproduction side in the configuration of embodiments 1 and 2 combined . in the present embodiment , let it be supposed that the reproduction buffer 12 retains data of which the amount to be used for reproduction per unit period — bit rate — is variable as shown in fig8 ( a ). there are pieces of data coming up continuously with bit rates r1 , r2 , r3 in that order . and the piece of data with the bit rate r1 is being reproduced . in the second buffer 6 , meanwhile , successive pieces of data with bit rates of r4 , r5 , r6 are held . and following the piece of data with the bit rate of r3 held on the reproduction buffer 12 , the piece of data with the bit rate of r4 is sent out to the reproduction buffer 12 from the second buffer 6 . in that state , the amount of data sent out from the second buffer 6 per unit period — the send rate — is not the bit rate r4 of the piece of data being sent out at the moment but is equal to the bit rate r1 of the piece of data now being reproduced as shown in fig8 ( b ). furthermore , when the piece of data with the bit rate r2 begins to be reproduced after the reproduction of the data with the bit rate r1 is over , the send rate of the data to be sent out from the second buffer is r2 . the send rate will be r3 when the reproduction of the data with the bit rate of r2 is over and the send rate will be r4 when the reproduction of the data with the bit rate of r3 is over . that is , the send rate of data to be sent out from the second buffer 6 will be equivalent to the bit rate of the data now being reproduced . therefore , the send rate of the data to be sent out from the second buffer 6 after a certain delay time should be the same as the bit rate of the data sent after that delay time in the past . it is so arranged , therefore , the bit rate value recorded in video data in advance is picked out by send - out rate detection means 13 from the data held in the second buffer 6 , and its history is memorized . on the other hand , second consumption duration predicting means 9 works out the send rate of the data now being sent out on the basis of the amount of data sent out from the second buffer 6 per unit period . from the timing difference that causes changes in the history and the send out rate , second consumption duration predicting means 9 can predict the duration until the data sent out from the second buffer 6 is actually reproduced — the delay time . then , second consumption duration predicting means 9 will work out the second predicted consumption duration from the delay time , the history and the amount f data held in the second buffer 6 . an example where the bit rate is written in data has just been described . in other cases , the history of bit rates is recorded the following way . the bit rate of part of the data on the second buffer 6 — segment bit rate — can be worked out from the amount of data to be calculated on the second buffer 6 — segment accumulated amount — and the second predicted consumption duration corresponding to the amount of data obtained in the same way as in the foregoing embodiments — segment data consumption predicted duration . that is , segment bit rate = segment accumulated amount / segment data consumption predicted duration . send - out rate detection means 13 works out the segment bit rate and memorizes the history . the subsequent steps are exactly the same as described above . thus , it is possible to make a predication of consumption in the second buffer 6 even if the second buffer 6 is connected with another reproduction buffer 12 thereafter or on the downstream side thereof . there have been described examples where one video - audio data is an object to be read . the same approach is applicable to examples where to be read are a plurality of video - audio data . in such a case , too , the second threshold value t2 is so set that ( t2 − t1 ) is larger than the maximum ( longest ) duration tw required for writing in the storage device 1 a unit size sw of data for one writing as in embodiment 1 . herein t1 is the first threshold value larger than the maximum ( longest ) duration tr required for reading from the storage device 1 a unit size sr of data for one reading . there will now be explained an example where one piece of video - audio data dw 0 is to be written and n pieces of video - audio data dr 1 - drn are to be read . as shown in fig1 , the video - audio data dw 0 to be written is first held in the first buffer 3 and then recorded on the storage media 2 through writing means 4 . and writing means 4 is controlled by writing limiting means 5 as to whether to write data or not as described in the following . meanwhile , the video - audio data dr 1 to drn , the objects to be read , are each held temporarily in the second buffers 6 - 1 to 6 - n through reading means 7 - 1 to 7 - n before being sent out . for the second buffers 6 - 1 to 6 - n , furthermore , there are provided second consumption duration predicting means 9 - 1 to 9 - n so that the second predicted consumption durations of the second buffer 6 - 1 to 6 - 2 may be worked out . in addition , the outputs of second consumption duration predicting means 9 - 1 to 9 - n are inputted in reading limiting means 14 . and reading limiting means 14 controls the respective reading means 7 - 1 to 7 - n . as shown in fig9 if at least one of the second predicted consumption durations ta1 to tan of second consumption duration predicting means 9 - 1 to 9 - n is below the second threshold value t2 , reading limiting means 14 pulls up the write inhibit flag fw so that writing limiting means 5 bars writing means 4 from writing . that way , writing can be so controlled that continuous reading may be guaranteed , even if the objects to be read are a plurality of video - audio data dr 1 to drn . in embodiment 4 , the way of limiting writing is described . in the arrangement as shown in fig1 , it is possible to restrict the reading on the basis of the mutual relation of a plurality of video - audio data to be read . first , as in the foregoing respective embodiments , with a value larger than the maximum ( longest ) duration tr required for reading from the storage device 1 the unit size sr of data for one reading as the first threshold value t1 , the second threshold value t2 is so preset that ( t2 − t1 ) is larger than the first maximum duration tw required for writing in the storage device 1 the unit size sw of data for one writing . in addition , it is so arranged in advance that priority numbers are assigned to video - audio data dr 1 - drn to be read . the second predicted consumption durations obtained from second consumption duration predicting means 9 - 1 to 9 - n described in embodiment 4 are inputted in reading limiting means 14 . if one of the second predicted consumption durations ta1 to tan is below the second threshold value t2 , that is , there is one video - audio data drk with that second predicted consumption duration , then reading limiting means 14 bars the reading of video - audio data — of which the second predicted consumption duration is not below the second threshold value t2 — from the storage device 1 to the second buffer 6 - 1 to 6 - n ( except for the 6 - k which is described below ). and reading from the storage device 1 is done on the second buffer 6 - k ( corresponding to the video - audio data drk ) of which the second predicted consumption duration is below the second threshold value t2 . in case more than one of the second predicted consumption durations ta1 to tan are below the second threshold value t2 , that is , there are a plurality of video - audio data with such second predicted consumption durations , then reading limiting means 14 bars the reading in the second buffer the video - audio data of which the second predicted consumption duration is not below the second threshold value t2 . and the video - audio data with the second predicted consumption durations below the second thresh ld value t2 are read on the second buffer in the order of priority . the arrangement just described guarantees that when the reading of a plurality of video - audio data is requested , the data requested will be read real - time in the preset order of priority . the order of priority may be the order in which files are opened or may be set in preparing files for specific video - audio data . the present invention is also applicable in case a plurality of video - audio data are to be written and one video - audio data is to be read . the arrangement is the same as in the foregoing respective embodiments . that is , with a value larger than the maximum ( longest ) duration tr required for reading from the storage device 1 the unit site sr of data for one reading as the first threshold value t1 , the second threshold value t2 is so preset that ( t2 − t1 ) is larger than the first maximum duration tw required for writing in the storage device 1 the unit size sw of data for one writing . in case there are n pieces of first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n , furthermore , the third threshold value t3 is so set that : let it be assumed that there are now a piece of video - audio data dr 0 to be read and n pieces of video - audio data dw 1 - dwn to be written . as shown in fig1 , the video - audio data dr 0 is referred to the second buffer 6 through reading means 7 and temporarily held therein before being sent out . it is furthermore so arranged that second consumption duration predicting means 9 works out the second predicted consumption duration as in the foregoing respective embodiments . meanwhile , the video - audio data dw 1 - dwn to be written are each temporarily retained in the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n as they are inputted from data supply means 17 - 1 to 17 - n , and then written in the storage device 1 through writing means 4 - 1 to 4 - n . and there are provided first accumulated duration predicting means 15 - 1 to 15 - n for the respective first buffers . first accumulated duration predicting means 15 - 1 to 15 - n measure the amounts of data held in the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n . in addition , first accumulated duration predicting means 15 - 1 to 15 - n receive information on the amounts of data supplied to the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n per unit period as accumulation rate from data supply means 17 . furthermore , first accumulated duration predicting means 15 predicts the durations t3 - 1 to t3 - n that the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n become full — the first predicted accumulation duration — on the basis of the amounts of data currently held in the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n and notifies writing limiting means 5 of the results . writing limiting means 5 bars writing means 4 - 1 to 4 - n from writing data under the specific conditions described below . here , the following information is used as accumulation rate . that is , in case data supply means 17 - 1 to 17 - n which supply the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n with data can give the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n information on the amounts of data that are inputted into the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n per unit period , first accumulated duration predicting means 15 - 1 to 15 - n take information given from data supply means 17 - 1 to 17 - n as accumulation rate . if data supply means 17 - 1 to 17 - n can not give information on the amounts of data that are inputted into the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n per unit period , first accumulated duration predicting means 15 - 1 to 15 - n take the preset values as accumulation rate . in case the second predicted consumption duration is below the second threshold value t2 , data will be read from the storage device 1 , while writing limiting means 6 bars writing means 4 - 1 to 4 - n from writing data . in case the second predicted consumption duration is not lower than the second threshold value t2 , the following control will be effected . writing limiting means 5 has the video - audio data in the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n written in order of increasing predicted accumulation durations t3 - 1 to t3 - n or a preset order . but the writing in the storage device 1 is suspended in the first buffers 3 - 1 to 3 - n where the first predicted accumulation duration is below the third threshold value t3 as shown in fig1 . it is noted that the order of priority is set on writing limiting means 5 by the user who is writing data . as set forth above , suspending the writing ensures that video - audio data can be read real - time from the storage device 1 and that data can be written in the storage device 1 according to the state in the first buffer 3 or in order of priority numbers given to the video - audio data . control mainly on writing has been described . the present invention is also applicable to control on reading . in the present embodiment , with a value larger than the first maximum duration tw as the fourth threshold value t4 , the fifth threshold value t5 is so set that ( t5 − t4 ) is larger than the second maximum duration tr . let it be assumed that one video - audio data dr 1 is to be read and one video - audio data dw 2 is written . video - audio data dr 1 to be read is read through reading means 7 and temporarily held in the second buffer 6 before being sent out from the second buffer 6 as in the foregoing embodiments . second consumption duration predicting means 9 works out the second predicted consumption duration also as in the foregoing embodiments . meanwhile , video - audio data dw 2 to be reed is first held in the first buffer 3 and written in the storage device 1 through writing means 4 . furthermore , reading limiting means 14 controls the operation of reading means 7 depending on the state in the following way . still furthermore , first accumulated duration predicting means 15 predicts the first predicted accumulation duration on the basis of the amount of data per unit period held in the first buffer 3 , that is , the accumulation rate . the way of first accumulated duration predicting means 15 deciding on the accumulation rate in the above process is the same as in embodiment 6 . meanwhile , reading limiting means 14 monitors the first predicted accumulation duration and pulls up the write inhibit flag fr when the first predicted accumulation duration is less than the fifth threshold value t5 . then , reading means 7 is bars from reading . if the first predicted accumulation duration is not lower than the fourth threshold value t4 , the ongoing reading from the storage device 1 will be carried out but new reading will be prohibited . in case the first predicted accumulation duration is less than the fourth threshold value t4 , reading limiting means 14 directs reading means 7 to suspend reading data including the ongoing reading . in case the first predicted accumulation duration is larger than the fifth threshold value t5 , reading limiting means 14 pulls down the write inhibit flag fr to lift the reading bar on reading means 7 . as set forth above , the arrangement of the present data output apparatus guarantees the writing of the video - audio data when video - audio data is being read and written with priority given to the writing . it is noted that it is natural that the third embodiment may be provided with a plurality of second buffers 6 &# 39 ; s . as set forth above , the present invention can ensure that if the data consumption duration in the reading buffer — the second buffer — decreases below a specific level while video - audio data is being read and written , the writing will be banned so that video - audio data may be read real - time . in case a reproduction buffer is connected after or on the downstream side of the reading buffer , it is possible to accurately predict the consumption duration of data in the reading buffer by keeping a record of the history of send rates of video - audio data sent out from the reading buffer . thus , it in ensured that the video - audio data as read are maintained real - time . even if a plurality of video - audio data to be read are present , video - audio data as they are read are kept real - time by barring the writing when the data consumption duration in the reading buffer corresponding to any one of those video - audio data falls below a specific level . also , even if a plurality of video - audio data are to be written , needless to say , real - time reading of video - audio data can be ensured by giving priority to the reading . furthermore , the number of readings is prevented from increasing by banning the writing when the predicted accumulation duration for the writing buffer — the first buffer — is below a specific level even if writing is possible . still further , the present invention offers an advantage that writing is maintained real - time . | 7 |
in a traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamp , the low pressure plasma discharge is confined in a cylindrical glass tube 1 ( fig1 and 2 ). an electrical discharge is excited inside the tube by two electrodes 2 . the discharge 3 emits ultraviolet light which excites the phosphor 4 which is coated on the inside of the glass tube 1 . the phosphor emits visible light by the process of photoluminescence . this light has a spectral content that is controlled by the materials of the phosphor . in a cold cathode discharge , it is important to choose the electrode materials appropriately so that electron emission is maximized for the voltages applied . in addition , it is also important to optimize the composition as well as the pressure of the gas inside the glass tube 1 so that a large amount of ultraviolet light can be generated with high efficiency . the literature has plenty of discussions of these issues and the art is well known . in a type of lamp where there are no electrodes , the plasma discharge is excited via a radio frequency source just outside the lamp . in the present invention , at least in preferred forms , there is provided a plnar or flat light source based on a two - dimensional gas discharge and that is highly suitable for a range of applications such as in projection displays . moreover , preferred embodiments of the invention provide means of increasing greatly the efficiency of the photoluminescence emission process from such gas discharges on the phosphor . such light sources are truly planar and the light is emitted from one side of the light source only . this light source can then be collimated , as well as converted into linear polarization by various means for projection applications . in all projectors , the image forming light valve is planar . the light source is traditionally a pseudo - point source such as an arc lamp . a planar light source of the type to be described below can be imaged directly onto such imagers with high efficiency , and the light on the imager can be imaged onto the projection screen by a projection lens . a flat light source is therefore ideal for projection applications . fig3 shows the basic geometry of a light source according to an embodiment of the invention which has a flat structure . the lamp is substantially flat on both sides and has a rectangular geometry . light is emitted only from one side of the lamp while the other side is opaque . the thickness of the lamp is optimized to give the highest light emission efficiency . this flat geometry has many advantages . firstly , since light is to be emitted from one side only , the opaque side can be coated with a totally reflecting mirror 8 ( fig4 ). this will direct all the light emitted from the phosphor to one side effectively . this reflecting coating 8 should preferably be dielectric so that it will not interfere with the electrical discharge . secondly , an important advantage of this ccfl flat light source is that the emitting phosphor faces the emitting side . this is very different from conventional tube type ccfl . as shown in fig2 , in a conventional ccfl , the inside of the phosphor is excited by the uv photons from the plasma discharge 3 . the visible light emitted will have to go through the phosphor layer in order to escape to the outside . in the flat light source of the present invention , the visible light emitted is on the same side as the incident uv light . there is no scattering loss of the emitted visible light from the phosphor layer 9 . for the light that escapes to the opposite side of the phosphor , the reflective mirror 8 is used to reflect it back to the correct side . thirdly , the flat light source can have enhanced efficiency by recycling of the uv light from the plasma discharge . since uv light is emitted from the plasma discharge 3 in all directions , some uv light will go in the opposite direction of the phosphor layer 9 . an optical coating 4 can be fabricated on the inside of the light source to reflect the uv light back into the phosphor layer 9 . hence all the uv light is utilized . fourthly , an optional polarization conversion film may also be included . the flat geometry of this light source makes it very simple in converting the polarization . the conversion is carried out by using a transmittive / reflective polarizing film 10 ( fig5 ) which has the property of transmitting light of a certain polarization direction and reflecting light of the perpendicular polarization . these films are available commercially such as those from 3m company . this film will pass through light from the light source of one polarization only . light of the wrong polarization will be reflected back into the phosphor . the scattering of the phosphor will give a depolarization effect and convert some of the light into the correct polarization which will be transmitted by the polarizing film 10 . hence eventually all of the light will be transmitted as one polarization . if necessary , a quarterwave film 11 can be placed underneath the polarizing film to rotate the polarization of the rejected reflected light from the polarizing film 10 . the angular distribution of the present planar light source is essentially lambertian with a formula of where θ is the angle form the normal . this distribution is shown as the dotted line in fig8 . one of the applications of embodiments of the present invention is as a light source for projection displays . for a flat light source , imaging optics can be used with high efficiency . in this case , it is necessary to use some sort of collimation films to confine the emission angle of the light from the light source . such films can be in the form of “ brightness enhancement films ” ( bef ) 12 ( fig6 ) from 3m company . alternatively a holographic scattering film 12 that scatters light predominately in the forward direction can be placed on the light source . the narrowed angular distribution , as shown as a solid line schematically in fig8 , is necessary to increase the light utilization efficiency in a projector . as a light source for a projector , the etundue e has to be as small as possible . the definition of e is where a is the area of the light source and ω is the solid angle of the emission . thus it is important to reduce ω for projector applications . this can be accomplished by the use of diffuser films as indicated in this invention . in the first preferred embodiment of this invention , the flat light source is composed of a rectangular cell made of glass with a shape as shown in fig4 . the cell is formed of generally parallel first and second glass walls 5 spaced apart by at least 0 . 5 mm . in the remainder of this description for convenience when referring to the drawings the first wall will be referred to as the lower wall , and the second wall will be referred to as the upper wall , but it will be understood that this lower / upper terminology is for convenience of description only . the walls 5 are generally flat and are held substantially at a fixed distance from each other by spacers 6 . an optically reflecting coating 8 for all visible light is provided on the inner surface of the lower wall 5 . on top of this coating is a provided layer of phosphor material 9 that is capable of converting ultraviolet light into visible light . on the inside of the top glass wall 5 there is provided an optical coating 4 that has the property of reflecting ultraviolet light and transmitting visible light . in this first preferred embodiment , the plasma discharge can either be excited using a pair of electrodes 2 , or by means of electrodeless discharge using an external circuit . the plasma discharge induced either by the electrodes or the external circuitry will produce ultraviolet photons . very often the ultraviolet photons are produced by having mercury in the gas mixture , although this is not a requirement of the present invention . if mercury is used , however , the glass cell may have to be heated slightly ( to above about 30 ° c .) to increase the concentration of mercury vapour and so an additional heating device may preferably be provided . the ultraviolet photons produced will impinge on the phosphor to produce visible light . some ultraviolet photons may impinge on the phosphor directly , while some may first be reflected back by optical coating 4 . visible light generated from the phosphor layer in the direction of the upper glass wall is allowed to escape from the light source from the top surface , while visible light that leaves the phosphor layer in the opposite direction will be reflected by the reflecting coating 8 towards the upper surface where it may then leave the cell . in the second preferred embodiment of the present invention , the construction of the flat light source is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment except that a layer of reflective polarizer 11 is provided on top of the light source , as shown in fig5 . this reflective polarizer has the property of reflecting light of one polarization and transmits light of the perpendicular polarization . in addition , a quarterwave retardation film 10 can be used and placed underneath the reflective polarizer 11 . this embodiment will allow only light of one polarization to be emitted and thus the light source emits only linearly polarized light with high efficiency . in the third preferred embodiment of the present invention , an additional film 12 is placed on top of the light source . the purpose of the film is to limit the emission angle of the light so that it is predominately in the forward direction . there are several such films available in the market as “ brightness enhancement films ”. they can be structured surfaces such as the vikuti ™ film from 3m company , or light diffuser film ™ holographic scattering films from physical optics company . in all preferred embodiments , the placement of the light reflecting layer 8 can be either inside the glass cell or outside of it , as shown in fig7 . | 7 |
one embodiment of the invention will be described referring to the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig1 , an inlet 11 for inserting paper p by hand is provided on a front face of a printer 10 . an outlet 12 for discharging the paper p after printing is provided on an upper face of the printer 10 . inside the printer 10 , there is formed a paper feeding path 13 in a v - shape in a side view extending from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12 , and a paper feeding roller unit 14 and a print head 15 are arranged on the paper feeding path 13 . the paper feeding roller unit 14 includes a paper feeding roller 16 and a paper holding roller 17 which are opposed to each other on both sides of the paper feeding path 13 , and adapted to clamp and transport the paper p in accordance with driving rotation of the paper feeding roller 16 . the print head 15 is mounted on a carriage 18 which reciprocates in a lateral direction of the paper feeding path 13 ( in a direction from the left to the right in fig2 ), and adapted to perform dot matrix printing on the paper p . the position of the paper p is regulated by a platen 19 . the printing system of the print head 15 is an ink jet system in which characters or images are printed on the paper p by discharging ink , and the ink used for printing is supplied to the print head 15 from an ink supply section 20 which is provided in a rear area of the printer 10 . the carriage 18 is supported by a pair of front and rear guide shafts 21 , 22 so as to move from the left to the right , and is forcibly moved in accordance with driving motion of a carriage driving mechanism 23 . the carriage driving mechanism 23 includes a cam shaft 24 which is arranged below the front guide shaft 21 in parallel thereto , and a carriage motor 26 for actuating the cam shaft 24 to rotate by way of a reduction gear train 25 ( fig2 ). on an outer peripheral face of the cam shaft 24 , there is formed a cam groove in a spiral shape ( not shown ), with which a cam follower 27 extending from the carriage 18 is adapted to be engaged . when the cam shaft 24 is rotated in accordance with the driving motion of the carriage motor 26 , the cam follower 27 is shifted in an axial direction with spiral shifting action of the cam groove . in this manner , it will be possible to reciprocate the carriage 18 from the left to the right in accordance with normal and reverse drives of the carriage motor 26 . as shown in fig3 , the print head 15 is mounted on an upper part of the carriage 18 . a flat cable 28 and ink tubes 29 having flexibility are drawn from a side area of the print head 15 , and the ink is supplied to the print head 15 from the ink supply section 20 by way of the ink tubes 29 . the carriage 18 has a sensor mounting part 18 a which is extended downwardly from its rear part , and an optical sensor 30 of a reflective type which includes a light emitting element 30 a for emitting a light beam to the rear and a light receiving element 30 b for receiving a reflective light beam is attached to a back face of the sensor mounting part 18 a . as shown in fig4 , the ink supply section 20 includes a cartridge holder 31 which is provided in a rear area inside the printer 10 , and two ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b which are detachably mounted on the cartridge holder 31 from the above . as shown in fig8 , an ink reservoir 34 a is partitioned inside the ink cartridge 32 a to store secondary ink ( for example , colored ink such as cyan , magenta , yellow , red , green , blue ). the secondary ink is appropriately discharged from an ink outlet 33 a formed in a bottom of the ink cartridge 32 a . a waste ink reservoir 36 is also partitioned inside the ink cartridge 32 a to store waste ink supplied from a recovery inlet 35 formed in the bottom . when the ink cartridge 32 a has been mounted at a predetermined ( specific ) position on the cartridge holder 31 , the ink outlet 33 a and the recovery inlet 35 are communicated with connecting ports 37 a , 38 which are formed in a bottom of the cartridge holder 31 , thus permitting supply of the secondary ink and recovery of the waste ink . on the other hand , inside the ink cartridge 32 b , there are partitioned an ink reservoir 34 b which stores primary ink ( for example , black ink ) and appropriately discharges the primary ink from an ink outlet 33 b in a bottom of the ink cartridge 32 b . when the ink cartridge 32 b has been mounted at a predetermined ( specific ) position on the cartridge holder 31 , the ink outlet 33 b is communicated with a connecting port 37 b which is formed in the bottom of the cartridge holder 31 , thus permitting supply of the primary ink . the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are arranged in a row along a moving direction of the carriage 18 ( the optical sensor 30 ). the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are respectively provided , at positions opposed to a moving path l ( see fig5 ) of the optical sensor 30 on their front faces , with reflectors ( reflectors for detecting an amount of remaining ink ) 39 a , 39 b in a shape of prism having transparency . the reflectors 39 a , 39 b have a shape of a right triangle prism , and two prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 which are at a right angle with respect to each other are protruded into the ink reservoirs 34 a , 34 b . as shown in fig9 b , when the optical sensor 30 is moved to a position opposed to the reflector 39 a and a light is emitted thereto , the emitted light is reflected at the prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 sequentially while passing interiors of the reflector 39 a , and received by the light receiving element 30 b . when the optical sensor 30 is moved to a position opposed to the reflector 39 b and a light is emitted thereto , the emitted light is reflected at the prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 sequentially while passing interiors of the reflector 39 b , and received by the light receiving element 30 b . reflectivity ( refraction index ) of the prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 is low in the case where levels of the remaining ink in the ink reservoirs 34 a , 34 b are higher than the prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 , and is high in the case where the levels of the remaining ink are lower than the prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 . in short , in a state where the prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 are in contact with the ink as shown in fig9 a , an emitted light beam of the optical sensor 30 is absorbed by the ink to have a low reflectivity ( the intensity of reflected light is made low ), and in a state where the prism reflective faces s 1 , s 2 are in contact with air as shown in fig9 b , the light beam is not absorbed by the ink to have a high reflectivity ( the intensity of reflected light is made high ). in this manner , it will be possible to detect the amount of the remaining ink ( presence or absence of the ink at the predetermined level ) in the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b on the basis of a value detected by the light receiving element 30 b of the optical sensor 30 . as shown in fig4 and 6 , on the bottom of the cartridge holder 31 , two reflectors ( reflectors for detecting mounting condition ) 40 a , 40 b are fixed in a row along the moving direction of the carriage 18 ( the moving path l of the optical sensor 30 ), in an upwardly protruding posture . each of the reflectors 40 a , 40 b has a prism part 40 a in a shape of a right triangle prism , and reflective light paths of the optical sensor 30 are formed by two prism reflective faces s 3 , s 4 which are at a right angle with respect to each other , in the same manner as the reflectors 39 a , 39 b for detecting the amount of the remaining ink . on the other hand , recesses ( hollowed parts ) 41 a , 41 b are integrally formed in respective lower portions of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b . when the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b have been mounted at the predetermined positions of the cartridge holder 31 , the reflectors 40 a , 40 b are inserted into the recesses 41 a , 41 b , and the surroundings are covered . on this occasion , shield parts 42 a , 42 b which are integrally formed on one side faces of the recesses 41 a , 41 b ( wall portions opposed to the optical sensor ) are interposed between the optical sensor 30 and the reflectors 40 a , 40 b , so as to shield light paths ( irradiation paths and reflective paths ) between the optical sensor 30 and the reflectors 40 a , 40 b . as shown in fig4 and 9 c , in the state where the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are not mounted on the cartridge holder 31 , the reflectors 40 a , 40 b are exposed . when the optical sensor 30 is moved to a position opposed to the reflector 40 a in this state , the emitted light is sequentially reflected at the reflective faces s 3 , s 4 while passing the interior of the reflector 40 a , and will enter the light receiving element 30 b . when the optical sensor 30 is moved to a position opposed to the reflector 40 b in this state , the emitted light is sequentially reflected at the reflective faces s 3 , s 4 while passing the interior of the reflector 40 b , and will enter the light receiving element 30 b . on the other hand , as shown in fig9 a and 9b , in the state where the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b have been mounted on the cartridge holder 31 , front areas of the reflectors 40 a , 40 b are covered with the shield parts 42 a , 42 b . when the optical sensor 30 is moved to the position opposed to the reflector 40 a in this state , the emitted light is shielded by the shield part 42 a , and will not reach the reflector 40 a nor the light receiving element 30 b of the optical sensor 30 . when the optical sensor 30 is moved to the position opposed to the reflector 40 b in this state , the emitted light is shielded by the shield part 42 b , and will not reach the reflector 40 b nor the light receiving element 30 b of the optical sensor 30 . in this manner , it is possible to detect the mounting condition of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b by the optical sensor 30 , without providing the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b with the reflectors for detecting the mounting condition . moreover , in the state where the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are not mounted on the cartridge holder 31 as described above , since the light receiving element 30 b is always subjected to the light emission , an exterior turbulent light will not influence detection results of the mounting condition of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b , even though the exterior turbulent light is emitted to the light receiving element 30 b . further , in the state where the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b have been mounted on the cartridge holder 31 , since the reflectors 40 a , 40 b are covered with the recesses 41 a , 41 b , the ink will not adhere to the reflectors 40 a , 40 b , even though the ink is splashed during the printing operation . as a result , it is possible to prevent an erroneous detection caused by ink adhering to the reflectors 40 a , 40 b . fig1 is a sectional view of the ink supply section taken along a line x - x in fig7 , showing a state where the ink cartridge is plenarily mounted , and fig1 is a sectional view of the ink supply section taken along a line y - y in fig7 , showing a state where the ink cartridge has been provisionally mounted . as shown in these drawings , there are provided , in a rear part of the cartridge holder 31 , two lock plates 43 a , 43 b in an upright manner . the lock plates 43 a , 43 b are elastic plate members formed with v - shaped locking portions 44 a , 44 b in their upper end portions . when the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b have been mounted on the cartridge holder 31 from above , convex portions 45 a , 45 b projected from back faces of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b lie on the lock portions 44 a , 44 b of the lock plates 43 a , 43 b , as shown in fig1 , to hold the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b in a provisionally mounted state . on this occasion , the shield parts 42 a , 42 b of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are located above the prism parts 40 a of the reflectors 40 a , 40 b , and the light paths between the optical sensor 30 and the reflectors 40 a , 40 b will not be shielded . further , in the above described provisionally mounted state , when the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are pushed downward , the lock plates 43 a , 43 b are pressed by the convex portions 45 a , 45 b to be tilted so as to once retreat backward , and then , ride over the convex portions 45 a , 45 b to be tilted so as to be returned forward . after the lock plates 43 a , 43 b have been tilted to be returned , the locking portions 44 a , 44 b are engaged with upper parts of the convex portions 45 a , 45 b as shown in fig1 , and the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are held ( locked ) in their mounting positions . on this occasion , the shield parts 42 a , 42 b of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are interposed between the prism parts 40 a of the reflectors 40 a , 40 b and the optical sensor 30 to shield the light path of the optical sensor 30 . as described above , according to this embodiment , the printer 10 is constructed by including the optical sensor 30 of a reflective type which projects the light to the cartridge holder 31 to detect the mounting conditions of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b on the basis of the reflective light , the reflectors 40 a , 40 b which are provided on the cartridge holder 31 to form the reflective light path of the optical sensor 30 , and the shield parts 42 a , 42 b which are provided in the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b , and adapted to shield the light path of the optical sensor 30 when the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b have been mounted on the cartridge holder 31 . in short , although the mounting condition of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b is detected by the optical sensor 30 of the reflective type , necessity for providing the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b with the reflectors for detecting the mounting condition can be eliminated . therefore , not only reduction of the cost for the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b can be attained , but also , an erroneous recognition of the mounting condition due to soils such as ink splash on the reflectors or an exterior turbulent light can be prevented . moreover , because the reflectors 40 a , 40 b are fixed members which are integrally provided in the bottom of the cartridge holder 31 , as compared with the reflectors 40 a , 40 b formed of movable members , not only the structure can be simplified , but also reliability of detecting the mounting condition can be enhanced . further , because the shield parts 42 a , 42 b are integrally formed in the lower parts of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b , the number of the components and the production steps of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b can be decreased . still further , because the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b have the recesses 41 a , 41 b which cover the reflectors 40 a , 40 b when they have been mounted on the cartridge holder 31 , and the shield parts 42 a , 42 b are formed at the one side faces of the recesses 41 a , 41 b , the reflectors 40 a , 40 b can be protected when the ink cartridges have been mounted , and defective detection due to soils such as ink splash or damage of the reflectors 40 a , 40 b can be prevented . furthermore , the shield parts 42 a , 42 b will not shield the light path of the optical sensor 30 when the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are provisionally mounted on the cartridge holder 31 , and therefore , problems such as conducting the printing operation in the provisionally mounted state of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b can be avoided . still further , because the cartridge holder 31 and the optical sensor 30 are relatively movable with respect to each other , it is possible to detect the mounting conditions of a plurality of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b , and to detect the amount of the remaining ink in the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b by the same optical sensor 30 . still further , the cartridge holder 31 is provided with a plurality of the reflectors 40 a , 40 b which are arranged in a row along the direction of the relative movement of the optical sensor 30 ( along the line l shown in fig4 and 5 ), and accordingly , the same optical sensor 30 can detect the mounting conditions of the plurality of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b . in addition , the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b are provided with the reflectors 39 a , 39 b for detecting the amount of the remaining ink , enabling the amount of the remaining ink to be detected by the optical sensor 30 , and accordingly , the same optical sensor 30 can detect the amounts of the remaining ink as well as the mounting conditions of the ink cartridges 32 a , 32 b . although one of the embodiments according to the invention has been described heretofore , the present invention is not limited to those matters shown in the above described embodiment , but may include such a scope as those skilled in the art can make modification and application of the invention , on the basis of the description in the claims and in the detailed description of the invention , and the well known art . for example , although in the above described embodiment , the shield part is formed on one side face of the recess which is integrally formed in the ink cartridge , the shield part may be in any shape , provided that it can shield the light path of the optical sensor 30 when the ink cartridge has been mounted on the cartridge holder . for example , the shield part may be formed in a hook - like shape ( l - shape ) on the one side face of the ink cartridge . moreover , although in the above described embodiment , the ink cartridges are mounted on the printer body , the invention can be realized in the printer in which the ink cartridges are mounted on the carriage . specifically , by providing the reflectors on the cartridge holder which is mounted on the carriage , and detecting them by the optical sensor which is provided on the printer body , similar function and advantageous effects to those in the above described embodiment can be obtained . according to the present invention as has been herein before described , although the mounting condition of the ink cartridge is detected by the optical sensor of a reflective type , necessity for providing the ink cartridge with the reflectors for detecting the mounting condition is eliminated , and not only reduction of the cost for the ink cartridge can be attained , but also , an erroneous recognition of the mounting condition due to soils such as ink splash on the reflectors or an exterior turbulent light can be prevented . | 1 |
the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . as shown in both fig1 and fig2 , the invention is directed to a self - contained system 200 which is positioned within a home in direct communication with a municipal water supply line 100 . through direct access of water 110 passing through the municipal water supply line 100 , the system 200 generates electricity 101 . this power in turn is supplied to the furnace 300 and any critical appliances 400 ( such as a refrigerator , range , etc .). accordingly , the system 200 not only functions to maintain an acceptable temperature within the home during a power outage ( by allowing the furnace 300 to run ), but also allows food to stay refrigerated and allow use of other appliances to warm food and provide for other necessities . the system 200 is small , modular , and lightweight . one embodiment as herein described by way of example is approximately sixteen inches wide by sixteen inches long by sixteen inches tall . moreover , the system 200 can easily be installed proximate the water supply line 100 . the system 200 is designed to be robust , water proof and not susceptible to corrosion . fig1 illustrates , by way of example , one manner of placing the system 200 to engage a water supply line 100 to generate electricity 101 in case of a failure of the electrical grid . first , fig1 shows how a typical residential home will feature a water supply line 100 positioned below or proximate the home , which communicates with a water intake 500 . this water intake 500 allows for use and enjoyment of municipal water 110 for use in cooking , plumbing , sanitation , irrigation and other domestic uses . water 110 drawn from the water supply line 100 is typically read by a water meter and charge accordingly to the household by the municipality . further illustrated in fig1 are typical features of a home , including a furnace 300 and appliances 400 . in this application , the furnace 300 runs on some form of fossil fuel , such as propane , natural gas , fuel oil or related hydrocarbon . such fossil fuel may be housed and maintained within a central receptacle near the home ( i . e ., a propane tank ) or may be offered by a supply line 100 ( i . e ., city gas line ). accordingly , such furnace 300 needs very little electricity to offer heat to the home , as the main source of energy is the gas or liquid fossil fuel . optionally , the furnace 300 may be part of a co - generation system that allows use of applicable heat for other purposes , including but not limited to preheating water 110 prior to entry into a flash heater . both the appliances 400 and the furnace 300 ( and / or co - generation system ) may be supplied electricity 101 from a municipal power source . as further shown in fig1 , electricity 101 from the electric grid is provided to a power pole 610 located proximate the home . a power line 620 connects the power pole 610 to a power meter 600 affixed to the home . in turn , the power meter 600 supplies electricity 101 to both the furnace 300 and appliances 400 when the electricity grid is properly functioning . the power meter 600 records the amount of electricity 100 consumed by the home . unlike the traditional home , fig1 further shows addition of the system 200 in direct communication with the water supply line 100 . as shown , such system 200 is positioned below or proximate to the base of the home , near the foundation block and / or basement below the firmament . water 110 is capable of being diverted from the water supply line 100 into the system 200 for later return to the water supply line 100 . accordingly , the system 200 will not actually remove or spend any of the water 110 present in the water supply line 100 and thus will not affect the water bill . while fig1 illustrated the placement of the system 200 , fig2 shows its salient components . first , an intake 210 is positioned within the water supply line 100 . this intake 210 diverts a portion of water 110 from the water supply line 100 into the system 200 . normally , the water 110 from the intake 210 does not flow through the system 200 , due to solenoid valve 220 . the solenoid valve 220 only opens when there is a determination that there is a lapse in power supplied by the electrical grid . upon a breach of the power supply received from the power meter 600 ( shown in fig1 ), the solenoid valve 200 within the system 200 opens and allows entry of water 110 diverted from the water supply line 100 . water 110 then will flow through the solenoid valve 220 and into a first conduit 230 which is in direct communication with the dc generator 240 . while a variety of generation systems may be used within the dc generator 240 to create electricity , the invention contemplates use of an impeller 245 . however , other electrical generator systems are contemplated , including use of a turbine . through spinning the impeller 245 via flow of water 110 supplied by the first conduit 230 , electric current is generated by the dc generator 240 . water 110 exits via the second conduit 250 , which feeds an outlet 260 . the outlet 260 returns the water 110 to the water supply line 100 , which may be then used by the home for water . as further shown in fig2 , a voltage regulator 270 helps create more uniform electrical current based upon supply from the dc generator 240 ( or optionally an ac generator ). electricity flows from the voltage regulator 270 into an inverter or rectifier 275 ( if needed ) to create dc . this power is stored within a self contained electrical power supply , which may take the form of a battery 280 . any battery 280 may be used , but it is preferably lithium ion ( more specifically lithium phosphate ). regardless of form , the battery 280 communicates with a logic network 290 . the logic network 290 functions as a controller to determine when and how much electricity 101 shot be supplied to both the furnace 300 and various appliances 400 connected to the system 200 . through the energy created by the dc generator 240 , the logic network 290 will routinely allow electricity to be supplied to the furnace 300 to maintain a comfortable temperature within the home . likewise , such logic network 290 will supply key appliances 300 with enough electricity to run . the invention not only contemplates an apparatus , but also a method of using a system 200 to supply electricity 101 in the event of a power outage caused by a snow or ice storm . fig3 illustrates , by way of example , one method for using the system 200 to provide a sufficient level of power to supply energy to a furnace 300 to allow ignition of fossil fuels to maintain the home at a sufficient temperature . as shown in fig3 , the process starts ( at 700 ) with allowing normal flow of water 110 ( at 710 ) through water supply line 100 , which in turn may allow transfer into the water intake 500 for normal consumption and use . next , the system 200 determines ( at 720 ) whether there has been a power outage . such power outage could be due to , among other things , a winter storm which may have caused downed power lines . optionally , this step may include checking the outside and / or ground temperature to assess if there is a risk that the pipes may freeze without resuming power . if there is no power outage , the system 100 continues with normal operations . otherwise , the system 100 calls for opening ( at 730 ) a solenoid valve 220 to allow entry of water 110 from the intake 210 . water 110 then flows from the intake 210 through a first conduit 230 which then engages ( at 740 ) an impeller 245 operable within a dc generator 240 to create electricity 101 . by spinning the impeller 245 electricity 101 is created which is then regulated ( at 750 ) by a voltage regulator 270 . as further shown in fig3 , power may be then converted ( at 760 ) into dc by an inverter 275 ( if necessary ). once inverted , power is stored ( at 770 ) in a battery 280 , which may be made of lithium ion . next , the method contemplates retrieving ( at 780 ) the electricity 101 from the battery 280 through a logic network 290 . such logic network 290 then allows a sufficient level of power to be supplied to the furnace 300 and other necessary appliances 400 . as further shown in fig3 , once water 110 engages the impeller 245 of the dc generator 240 , the fluid is transported ( at 745 ) via a second conduit 250 into the outtake 260 . lastly , the water 110 flows ( at 747 ) out of the outtake for return to the water supply line 100 | 7 |
fig1 illustrates a two bay deployed geodesic truss structure 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention . each bay b is formed by connecting sets of battens 11 by longitudinal cross members 12 which give the bay its axial and torsional stiffness . the cross members 12 are hinged at their midpoint at points 14 , 15 and 16 . the bays are deployed and stabilized by actuator means 13 connected between the mid point joint means 17 of the cross members 12 . in fig1 the battens 11 form an equilateral triangle and the cross members 12 that control the deployed height are hinged at their center . the cross members are connected so that a first cross member extends from the first joint means j1 to the sixth joint means j6 , a second cross member extends from the third joint means j3 to the fourth joint means j4 , a third cross member extends from the first joint means j1 to the fifth joint means j5 , a fourth cross member extends from the second joint means j2 to the fourth joint means j4 , a fifth cross member extends from the second joint means j2 to the sixth joint means j6 and a sixth cross member extends from the third joint means j3 to the fifth joint means . as seen in fig1 nine joint means ( j1 - j9 ) are used in the bay . the geodesic truss structure is fabricated from tubular members and , in the collapsed state ( see fig5 ), the stack height of the package is nominally controlled by the diameter of the cross members and the members of the actuator means . the packaging efficiency ( ratio of deployed height to stowed height ) is a function of design requirements . however , packaging efficiencies of twenty or greater should be easily obtainable . fig2 illustrates a typical joint means 18 for connecting the ends of two battens 11 and the ends of four cross members 12 . the battens 11 are fixed to the joint means and are not required to rotate . the cross members 12 are rotatably mounted to rotate ( as shown by arrows ) about a line along the batten axis . as best seen in fig2 the joint means has a joint body 19 , means 20 for connecting two batten ends to the body and means 21 for connecting the ends of four cross members to the body . as illustrated , the means for connecting the batten and cross member ends are cylindrical members adapted to be insertable into the hollow interior of the ends of the battens 11 and cross members 12 . fig3 illustrates a typical joint means 22 for connecting the intermediate ends of the cross members 12 and the ends of two of the actuator means 13 . the necessary mobility of the cross members 12 is obtained by a ball and socket 23 and the actuators are hinged at 24 on the socket body 25 . loading eccentricities to the joint means 22 which are introduced through the top and bottom cross members are reacted by bending of the actuator means 13 . fig3 shows the joint means 22 including a hinge body 25 , ball and socket joint means 23 at opposite ends of the body , means 26 attached to the ball and socket joint means for connecting with the intermediate ends of the cross members 12 , and means 27 for movably connecting the ends of two actuator means 13 to said hinge body by way of hinges 24 . in the figure , the means for connecting the cross members and actuator means are cylindrical members 26 and 27 adapted to be insertable into the hollow interior of the ends of the cross members 12 and the tubular end of the actuator means 13 . fig4 is a view similar to fig1 of a deployed geodesic truss structure of one embodiment of the present invention . fig4 demonstrates the maneuverability of the present invention . in the figure , a plane p1 through the three battens 11 at the top is canted about 60 &# 39 ; to the plane p2 through the three battens 11 at the base resting on the ground . by changing the length of the actuator means 13 , a point in the center of the equilateral triangle formed by the battens at the top of the two bay structure may be placed at virtually any position within the conical region where the vertex of the cone is at the base . when the actuator means 13 are locked , the truss structure 10 has a high axial and torsional stiffness at any position within the same conical region . the maneuverability of the disclosed embodiment provides the advantage that the embodiment may be used as part of an articulating structure or remote manipulator . fig5 is an illustration of the embodiment of fig1 when it is in the collapsed or stowed state . as illustrated , the actuator means 13 have been extended to the full length l , and the equilateral triangles defined by the battens 11 overlie one another . finally , the cross members 12 have been rotated and pivoted into a substantially adjacent plane with the battens 11 and other cross - members 12 . for the sake of clarity , like joint means in comparison to fig1 have been marked with a prime to show the substantial change in the location of the first through ninth joint means between the deployed and stowed state . fig6 is a diagramatic view of another embodiment of the present invention . the embodiment follows the one shown in fig1 - 5 but also includes hinged longerons 28 along the length of the structure . by using the longerons 28 , the truss deploys automatically along the truss axis and does not articulate . the use of longerons along the truss axis contribute substantially to the axial stiffness . the longerons 28 hinge at their mid point 29 to fold for collapsing the truss structure . the truss may be deployed by releasing energy stored in elastic bands within the actuator means 13 . when the longerons 28 are fully deployed with the hinges locked , the actuator means 13 also latch to form a stiff , stable structure . with the cross members straight ( cross members lie in the plane formed by the longerons and battens ) the alternate embodiment is similar to the double laced lattice column but differs from that column by the use of stored energy in the actuator means . an additional advantage results if the cross members are not straight ( e . g . the cross members are slightly longer so that the mid point joints lie outside the plane formed by the longerons and battens ). in that case , the distribution of axial load between the longerons and cross members can be controlled . also , any free play in the truss structure due to joint tolerances will be removed if the actuator means have sufficient stored energy to pretension the longerons . the latter will result in a truss structure that can be deployed repeatedly in a gravity - free environment and the position of the end of the truss structure relative to the base will be the same after each deployment . although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein , it is recognized that modifictions and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art , and , thus , it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents . | 4 |
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention , which is 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 perspective of the sprinkler 9 is shown in fig1 . the sprinkler is in the form of a flamingo having a body 8 , two appendages shaped like wings 7 , and a support appendage resembling a flamingo &# 39 ; s leg 3 that acts as a water conduit . a ground engaging member designed to resemble a foot 1 of the flamingo is attached at the base of the leg 3 , and is provided with a coupler 2 that is adaptable to a water hose . the wings 7 , body 8 , leg 3 and foot 1 can be formed as separate pieces and mechanically coupled together using conventional joining techniques such as threaded connections , ultrasonic welding etc . alternatively , two or more of the components such as the wings 7 , leg 3 , body 8 , and foot 1 can be coupled together by integrally molding the components as one piece from elastomeric materials such as polyethylene . the top end of the leg 3 terminates in a reservoir 11 that is positioned along a portion of the body 8 . water supplied from a garden hose or other fixed supply connected to the coupler 2 is directed up leg 3 and into reservoir 11 formed at the end of the leg 3 . the reservoir is provided with one or more exits for directing the water through fittings such as t - couplings 4 , best seen in fig4 . the t - couplings 4 provide connections to conduits , which in this embodiment are flexible ( but taut ) water tubes 5 that can be made of polyvinylchloride tubing , or other plastic or flexible materials . the tubes 5 extend along wings 7 and terminate at nozzles 6 . as shown in fig3 and 3a , the tubes 5 are connected at their proximal ends to body 8 and reservoir 11 through t - couplings 4 . each tube 5 is affixed to the underside of a respective wing 7 at the proximal portion of the wing 7 by wing tube connectors 10 . the tubes 5 extend along the underside of the wings 7 and include nozzles 6 at their distal ends . the nozzle 6 portions of the tubes 5 affix the distal ends of the tubes 5 to the distal ends of wings 7 . although the present embodiment illustrates the tubes attached along an outside surface of the wings 7 , it is also envisioned that the tubes could be partially or entirely concealed from view by extending along the inside of ( i . e ., within ) the wings 7 . as seen in the exploded view of fig4 tubes 5 enter t - couplings 4 through a central cylindrical portion of each t - coupling 4 , which extends from each t - coupling 4 in the direction of the sprinkler body 8 . the cylindrical portions of t - couplings 4 are inserted into reservoir 11 . the inner diameter of the opening in reservoir 11 designed to accept the cylindrical portions of t - couplings 4 forms a press fit with the cylindrical portions such that when the t - couplings are fastened to the body 8 the connection is water tight . the t - couplings 4 are affixed to the body 8 with screws , but it is envisioned that they could be affixed by other fasteners , adhesive , be integrally formed , or joined in any number of other ways including ultrasonic welding , etc . each wing 7 has a proximal , or near , end , and a distal , or far , end . the wings 7 could each be characterized as having a planar - like shape , in that , although not perfectly two dimensional and flat , each wing 7 is substantially longer and wider than it is thick . the wings 7 in the present embodiment are flexible ( but taut ) and made of a nylon fabric , but could be made of many other materials . the proximal end of each wing 7 is sandwiched between a wing clamp plate 12 and body 8 . the wing clamp plate 12 is affixed to the body 8 with screws in the present embodiment . however , any fastener , adhesive , or snap fit connection could also be employed . the wings 7 could also be integrally formed with the body 8 , or could be integrally formed with one another . as seen in fig4 and 5 , the wing clamp plate 12 creates a hinged connection between the wing 7 and the body 8 . each wing 7 is folded over a top edge of the wing clamp plate that forms an axis of rotation for the wing . the proximal portion of the wing is fixed relative to body 8 by the clamp plate 12 and the distal portion of the wing is free to reciprocate in an up and down motion substantially perpendicular to the edge of the wing clamp plate . a wing tube connector 10 fixes each tube 5 adjacent the proximal end of the wing 7 and , as seen in fig5 its major axis is perpendicular to the major axis of the tube 5 . the portion of the connector 10 coupled to each wing 7 lies flush along the each wing 7 and is of a planar configuration . the wing tube connectors 10 can be formed integrally with the wings 7 or separately attached using conventional joining techniques . each wing tube connector 10 can be provided to extend across substantially the entire width of the wing and with a thickness sufficient to decrease the flexibility of the wing at least in the localized area near the connector . the connectors 10 act as bracing members for the tubes 5 and resist movement of the tubes 5 and the wings 7 outside of a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation . the wider the connectors 10 , the more effective the resistance to movement of the tubes 5 and wings 7 outside of the plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation . as the water flows through tubes 5 from the leg 3 and reservoir 11 , and is jetted out from nozzles 6 , the water applies a force to the tubes 5 . the forces exerted on the tubes in turn cause the wings 7 to rotate about their axes of rotation at the top edges of the clamp plates 12 in a reciprocating motion , thus simulating a flamingo in flight . the wing tube connectors 10 are positioned on the wings 7 closer to the clamped proximal ends of the wings than to the free distal ends . this positioning of the wing tube connectors reduces the moment arm of the forces exerted on the wings through the tube connectors relative to the fixed proximal ends of the wings , and thus enhances the resistance to movement of the wings outside of a plane perpendicular to the axes of rotation . at lower pressures of water the movement of the wings is thus limited to traveling in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the wing 7 and perpendicular to the axes of rotation . in a preferred embodiment of the flamingo sprinkler 9 , water pressures less than 35 psi cause the wings to reciprocate in primarily a single plane perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the wings . at higher water pressures , the force the water exerts on the tubes 5 ( which in turn exert forces on the wings 7 through wing tube connectors 10 and nozzles 6 ) can overcome the resistance the hinge and wing tube connecter 10 pose to movement of the wings 7 parallel to the axis of the hinge . hence , rather than moving in a substantially planar manner , the wings 7 move in a random motion . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the play sprinkler of the present invention and in the structure of the sprinkler without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . for instance , the water pressure at which movement of the wings departs from substantially planar movement perpendicular to the axes of rotation can vary depending on a number of factors such as the rigidity of the materials used to form the wings and the tube connectors , the positioning of the tube connectors relative to the clamped , proximal ends of the wings , the length of the wings and the restriction to flow presented by the nozzles at the ends of the water tubes . additionally , the play sprinkler could have the form of any type of figure or creature with moving appendages . other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims . | 1 |
a high explosive dual purpose projectile 10 comprises a forward fuse 11 and rearward casing 12 for high explosives , which may be interconnected by screw threads 13 . conventionally , the casing 12 contains a hollow conical metal liner 14 which tapers rearwardly to a neck 15 , and the high explosive 16 of the projectile is consolidated about the liner . fuze 11 includes a lead explosive 17 set off by a suitable detonator not shown , which converts a metal closure 20 to a mass moving at high velocity rearward along the axis 21 of the projectile , passing through liner 14 and impinging on explosive 16 at the end of neck 15 , and so initiating a detonation wave which functions first to convert liner 14 to a jet of molten metal moving forwardly at a high velocity as an armor piercing weapon , and second to fragment casing 12 as an antipersonnel weapon . it has been found that mass 20 does not always impact explosive 16 on axis 21 , and the resulting detonation wave does not form properly . the fragmentation of casing 12 occurs , but the conversion of liner 14 to a jet is irregular , and may indeed result in a pair of jets neither of which is the necessary strength for its intended purpose . according to the present invention , a booster pellet 22 of explosive is consolidated into the neck 15 of liner 14 , to be impacted by mass 20 when lead explosive 17 is fired . this ensures that the detonation wave from the high explosive 16 will in fact emanate from a center on axis 21 , and will accordingly act symetrically on liner 14 to convert it to the desired single , properly directed jet . from the above it will be evident that the invention comprises an improved projectile in which a booster pellet of explosive is consolidated in the neck of a liner consolidated into the principal high explosive , so that upon firing of a fuse the resulting detonation wave emanates from a center accurately on the projectile axis , to produce a powerfully directed single jet of high velocity liquid metal . numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description , together with details of the structure and function of the invention , and the novel features thereof are pointed out in the appended claims . the disclosure , however , is illustrative only , and changes may be made in detail , especially in matters of shape , size , and arrangement of parts , within the principle of the invention , to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed . | 5 |
steel cut oats are well known in the industry as oat particulates produced by cutting whole groats from clean , sound oats without rolling . a preferred form of steel cut oat is commercially known as a &# 34 ; table steel cut oat groat &# 34 ;. a desirable granulation size is about 8 % by weight maximum over a u . s . # 7 sieve and 25 % maximum through a u . s . # 12 sieve . steel cut oats are used in the invention to add texture to the resulting food product . oat bran is water soluble and should be handled in such a manner as to avoid clumping . mild agitation is preferred to break up any clumps that may have formed yet avoid harm to the added oat bran . it is not desirable to have a high rate of agitation as the oat bran will break up and solubilize to the detriment of the resulting flavor . any coarseness or granulation of oat bran can be used depending on the taste and texture desired in the final product . a preferred granulation has 10 % maximum on u . s . # 10 , 55 - 75 % on u . s . # 20 , 10 - 30 % on u . s . # 30 , and 10 % maximum in the pan at an overall density of about 30 - 32 lb / cu . ft . rolled oats come in a variety of commercially available thicknesses . all of these thicknesses are useful in the process according to the invention . rolled oats are available as &# 34 ; thick table rolled &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; regular rolled &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; quick cooking oats &# 34 ; in order of decreasing thickness . the thick rolled oats are preferred as they retain their texture and overall flavorful contribution while being less susceptible to processing damage . a desirable granulation of thick table rolled oats is about 80 % minimum on a u . s . # 8 sieve and 10 % maximum passing through a u . s . # 20 sieve . in the method for optionally &# 34 ; aseptically &# 34 ; processing oats and oat fractions into a flavorful oatmeal composition , the first step is to hydrate steel cut oats , for example , by soaking in water for up to about 45 minutes at about 65 - 85 ° f . steel cut oats are well known in the industry as oat particulates produced by cutting whole groats from clean , sound oats without rolling . a preferred form of steel cut oat is commercially known as a &# 34 ; table steel cut oat groat &# 34 ;. a desirable granulation size is about 8 % by weight maximum over a u . s . # 7 sieve and 25 % maximum through a u . s . # 12 sieve . steel cut oats are used in the invention to add texture to the resulting food product . to the soaking steel cut oats can be added an optional flavor fraction . a wide variety of flavors agents may be present but preferably comprise cinnamon , honey or other sweetening material , salt , and vanilla in proportions to taste . cinnamon is desirably present in virtually any physical form at a weight ratio with respect to the overall composition of about 0 . 2 to 0 . 6 %, while honey is desirably added in a weight ratio of about 4 to 12 %. salt can be used in a weight ratio of up to about 0 . 26 % depending on flavor and dietary considerations for the product . vanilla can be added in a weight ratio of 0 . 4 to 1 . 2 %, depending on the vanilla flavor concentration ( fold ). it should be understood that the flavor fraction may contain other ingredients or use widely different proportions for the listed components . taste , style , and economic factors will tend to guide the formulation of the flavor fraction if added to the product at all . oat bran is preferably added to the hydrating steel cut oats after the cut oats have been soaking for about 7 to 12 minutes . oat bran is water soluble and should be added in such a manner as to avoid clumping . mild agitation is preferred to break up any clumps that may have formed yet avoid harm to the added oat bran . it is not desirable to have a high rate of agitation as the oat bran will break up and solubilize to the detriment of the resulting flavor . any coarseness or granulation of oat bran can be used depending on the taste and texture desired in the final product . a preferred granulation has 10 % maximum on u . s . # 10 , 55 - 75 % on u . s . # 20 , 10 - 30 % on u . s . # 30 , and 10 % maximum in the pan at an overall density of about 30 - 32 lb / cu . ft . when the steel cut oats and oat bran have been mixed and soaked , the cut oat / bran mixture is desirably transferred to a holding reservoir . this transfer step may be through a series of pipes or other handling apparatus . the rate and amount of shear that is induced is desirably minimized to preserve the texture of the steel cut oats and the oat bran while assuring adequate mixing to avoid clumping . rolled oats ( otherwise known as oat flakes ) can be added at any point in the process before cooking the mixture . desirably , they are added to the cut oat / bran mixture in the holding reservoir . the rolled oats are even more preferably added before the cut oat / bran mix is passed to the reservoir to minimize shear forces on the flakes and thereby preserve their texture . the oat mixture containing cut oats , bran , and flakes is then heated to a temperature of about 250 ° to 325 ° f . for a time sufficient to cook the oatmeal fractions , e . g . for 15 seconds to about 2 minutes , depending on the temperature . it is preferable to maintain aseptic conditions during the cooking and avoid the introduction of any microorganisms or bacteria which could adversely affect the food product . for that reason , conventional aseptic processing equipment such as closed kettles and heating tubes are desirably used . this aseptic product has a shelf like under refrigeration at 40 °- 50 ° f . of about 4 - 6 months . if the storage conditions of the aseptically packaged product are likely to be at temperatures above 75 ° f . for an extended period of time , it may be desirable to add a small quantity of preservative to ensure the safety of the food composition . among the well known , suitable preservatives are potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate . further , where aseptic packaging conditions are not used , conventional preservatives may be added according to conventional protocols as is customary in the industry to preserve product freshness . in the retort preparation , the steel cut oats and oat bran mixture is heated to a temperature of about 150 ° f . to about 220 ° f ., preferably at least 180 ° f . the rolled oats are then added , and the entire mixture is simmered for about 2 to 5 minutes . preferably , the mixture is simmered for about 3 minutes . the mixture is subsequently placed into containers such as bowls or pouches designed as retail or wholesale packaging for the product and additionally cooked for a time sufficient to produce an edible composition . cooking time in the containers is affected by container size and thickness , with larger and / or denser containers requiring longer cooking times . preferred cooking time in containers is about 13 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes . preferred cooking temperature is at least about 250 ° f ., more preferably 250 ° to about 310 ° f . further , rotation of the container may be performed , which rotation further shortens cooking time . rotation of the containers of up to 15 rpm may be used . flavorings may be added , as discussed above . in addition , raisins may be included in the composition at any point in the preparation . where raisins are to be added , they are preferably added in the final stages of the procedure . when cooking is complete , the containers are sealed and may be heated to sanitize the contents . alternatively , conventional preservatives may be added . in both the optional aseptic and retort processes above , it is desirable to add the rolled oats at a point in the preparation so that their processing is minimized , in order to avoid production of a paste - like product . although the specific order of the steps discussed above represents the preferred methods of practicing the invention , other variations which would delay processing of the rolled oats are also intended to be encompassed within the invention . for example , the steel - cut oats may be cooked separately , combined with previously hydrated oat bran , and then cooked with rolled oats for a short time . in the &# 34 ; hot fill &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; fresh pack &# 34 ; processes , when the steel cut oats and oat bran have been mixed and soaked , the cut oat / bran mixture may be transferred to a holding reservoir or cooking apparatus , e . g ., an open kettle . this transfer step may be through a series of pipes or other handling apparatus . the rate and amount of shear that is induced is desirably minimized to preserve the texture of the steel cut oats and the oat bran while assuring adequate mixing to avoid clumping . rolled oats ( otherwise known as oat flakes ) are added to the cut oat / bran mixture in the cooking apparatus . the rolled oats are even more preferably added before the cut oat / bran mix is passed to the reservoir , where a reservoir is used , to minimize shear forces on the flakes and thereby preserve their texture . in both the hot - fill and fresh pack processes , it is desirable to add the rolled oats at a point in the preparation so that their processing is minimized , in order to avoid production of a paste - like product . although the specific order of the processing steps discussed below represents the preferred method of practicing the invention , other variations which would delay processing of the rolled oats are also intended to be encompassed within the invention . for example , the steel - cut oats may be first hydrated , combined with the oat bran , and then cooked , with subsequent addition of rolled oats and optionally further cooking for a short time . in a preferred embodiment of the fresh pack process , the steel cut oats and water are cooked at a rolling boil for about 5 to 15 minutes , preferably about 10 minutes , at about 15 - 18 psi . the rolled oats are then added and the mixture is cooked for an additional approximately 3 to 8 minutes . the oat bran is then added and cooking is continued for up to about 3 minutes . preferably , the bran is previously hydrated to shorten cooking time , e . g ., soaked for about 1 to 5 minutes in hot water . the mixture is then transferred to containers , e . g ., through a pump system and chilled to about 40 ° to 85 ° f ., preferably to approximately 50 ° to 80 ° f . the container and oatmeal may be cooled using a variety of conventional container cooling techniques , e . g ., contact with cold water or gas , refrigeration , etc . depending on the desired end use of the product , the containers may be large pails for food service applications or retail packs for consumer use . where such packaging is not sterile , preservatives are added , generally to the cooking apparatus during processing . among the well known , suitable preservatives are potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate . these and other conventional preservatives may be added according to conventional protocols as is customary in the industry to preserve product freshness . in a preferred embodiment of the hot fill technique , the oatmeal composition can be acidified with suitable ph modifier using an open kettle for the cooking . suitable ph modifiers include glucono delta lactone , apple butter , apple pectin , any naturally acidic flavorings , and combinations thereof . the resulting product can then be filled into containers at an elevated temperature , e . g ., about 140 ° to 160 ° f ., sealed with a removable plastic film , and inverted . preferably , the container is hot filled with about 80 - 98 vol . % oatmeal with the remainder being air that is naturally drawn into the container during the filling step and becomes heated to the oatmeal temperature . an inversion step permits hot air within the container to rise through the oatmeal composition and kill any bacteria that might have been introduced as a result of the open kettle cooking . the result of the inversion is a sterile package . the hot fill product according to the invention has a refrigerated shelf life of approximately 4 - 6 months for a 24 ounce container . the product can be opened and heated on a conventional stove or in a microwave oven set at high for about 45 to 90 seconds depending on the oven power . additional flavoring agents may be added to the cooked product if desired . in either process , an optional flavor fraction may be added during processing , preferably to the steel cut oats . a wide variety of flavors agents may be present but preferably comprise cinnamon , honey or other sweetening material , salt , and vanilla in proportions to taste . cinnamon is desirably present in virtually any physical form at a weight ratio with respect to the overall composition of about 0 . 2 to 0 . 6 %, while honey is desirably added in a weight ratio of about 4 to 12 %. salt can be used in a weight ratio of up to about 0 . 26 % depending on flavor and dietary considerations for the product . vanilla can be added in a weight ratio of 0 . 4 to 1 . 2 %, depending on the vanilla flavor concentration ( fold ). it should be understood that the flavor fraction may contain other ingredients or use widely different proportions for the listed components . taste , style , and economic factors will tend to guide the formulation of the flavor fraction if added to the product at all . in addition , raisins may be included in the composition at any point in the preparation . where raisins are to be added , they are preferably added in the final stages of the procedure . without further elaboration , it is believed that one skilled in the art can , using the preceding description , utilize the present invention to its fullest extent . the following preferred specific embodiments are , therefore , to be construed as merely illustrative , and not limitative , of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever . the entire texts of all applications , patents and publications , if any , cited above and below , are hereby incorporated by reference . table 1______________________________________ingredient wt . % ______________________________________water 73 . 9steel cut oat groats 8 . 0thick rolled oats 8 . 0wildflower honey 8 . 0oat bran 0 . 76mccormick vanilla extract ( v - 401 ) 0 . 7ground cinnamon 0 . 4salt 0 . 24______________________________________ to prepare the oatmeal composition as shown in table 1 , the following process was used : in a kettle , warm water at 70 ° f . was mixed with steel cut oats and soaked for a total time of 30 minutes . during the soaking , a flavor fraction of water , honey , vanilla , salt , and cinnamon was dissolved in the water . oat bran was added to the soaking cut oat / flavor mixture with mild agitation . rolled oats were then added as a dry feed at the rate of 2 . 1 lbs / min . when mixed , the oatmeal composition was passed through a cooking tube of 130 inches long at 276 ° f . at the rate of 3 gallons per minute . the cooked mixture was filled into six ounce plastic cups at 110 ° to 120 ° f . and capped . water was brought to a rolling boil , and a honey container was placed into the hot water bath and set aside to loosen up . two gallons of water was removed to hydrate the oat bran , blended with the bran until smooth and until no lumps existed , set aside and covered with a plastic bag to retain heat . preservatives were added directly to the water in the kettle and stirred to dissolve . salt , vanilla and cinnamon were added while stirring constantly . steel - cut oats were added , cooked for 10 minutes at an even , rolling boil throughout cooking ( approximately 15 - 18 psi or 210 °- 212 ° f .). at 10 minutes , rolled oats were added and cooked for an additional 6 minutes . at 16 minutes , the hydrated oat bran , honey ( and raisins ) were added and cooked for an additional 3 minutes . steam was shut off immediately and as quickly as possible the product was bucketed out into large pails , followed immediately by co 2 chilling to 50 °- 85 °. co 2 time : approximately 2 minutes 35 seconds . table 2______________________________________ percentage ofingredients description quantity ingredient______________________________________water potable 10509 . 5 77 . 23oats conagra steel cut 1088 . 6 8 . 00 ( code 8273 ) honey wild flower ( tm . sub . 2 ) 680 . 4 5 . 00vanilla gold medal - borden 81 . 6 0 . 60salt non - iodized 21 . 8 0 . 16cinnamon mccormick ( tm . sub . 2 ) 34 . 0 0 . 25oat bran mothers ( code 8l1j ) 103 . 4 0 . 76oats conagra # 3 rolled 1086 . 6 8 . 00 ( code 8273 ) 13607 . 9 100 . 00______________________________________ 1 . combine all ingredients ( except rolled oats ) to maintain identity . heat to 180 ° f . ______________________________________pouches bowls______________________________________process temperature - 250 ° f . process temperature - 250 ° f . rotations / minute - 9 rpm rotations / minute - 0processing pressure - 30 psi processing pressure - 30 psitotal cook time - 13 minutes total cook time - 26 minutes______________________________________ the preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and / or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples . from the foregoing description , one skilled 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 . | 0 |
description is now given with reference to the accompanying drawing of a copy sheet - feeding apparatus embodying this invention when used with , for example , an electrostatic copying press . fig1 shows the external appearance of an electrostatic copying press 1 . an original sheet table 2 is disposed on the upper right hand side of the copying press 1 . a control panel 6 is set on the upper front side . arranged on the control panel 6 are a print button 3 for commencing the copying operation of the copying press 1 , a ten - key system 4 for controlling the copying operation and a display section 5 for visually informing the operator of the general condition of the copying press 1 . a copy sheet discharge port 7 is provided on the upper left hand side of the copying press 1 . a tray 8 for receiving a copy sheet p &# 39 ; drawn off through the discharge port 7 is projectively provided on the left side of fig1 closely below said discharge port 7 . a box - shaped cover 9 prepared from translucent material and used to protect an interior stack of copy sheets held by a copy sheet - feeding apparatus ( not shown ) is positioned near to center of the left hand wall of the copying press 1 in a state hinged at the rear edge as illustrated in fig2 . a window 10 is formed in the central part of the left hand wall of the copying press 1 . part of an elevator type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 11 is projectively provided below the window 10 . part of a cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 is projectively provided above the window 10 . these projections are normally enclosed in the cover 9 , and , where required , can be exposed . where the box - shaped protective cover 9 is opened , namely , when the above - mentioned projections are exposed , then a stack of copy sheets p 1 can be mounted on the tray of the copy sheet rest means 13 of the elevator type copy sheet - feeding mechanism . also , a copy sheet cassette 15 can be freely set on the cassette rest 14 of the cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 or released from said cassette rest 14 . a sufficient space is provided on the tray of the copy sheet rest means 13 to hold a stack of about 1 , 000 copy sheets p 1 ( for example of a4 size ). formed in the copy sheet cassette 15 is a sufficient space to hold a stack of a smaller number ( for example , about 200 ) copy sheets having a different size , for example , b5 which may have to be often exchanged for other sizes . provided at the lower edge of the box - shaped copy sheet cover 9 is a projection 16 fully narrower than any of the operator &# 39 ; s fingers . when the copy sheet cover 9 is closed , then projection 16 is directed toward the left side wall of the copying press 1 . a small hole 17 which allows for the insertion of the aforesaid projection 16 , but obstructs the entry of any of the operator &# 39 ; s fingers is opened at that point of the left side wall of the copying press 1 which exactly faces said projection 16 . the small hole 17 is fitted with an actuator 18a ( fig3 ) of a switch 18 for detecting the open or closed state of the copy sheet cover 9 . the small hole 17 and switch 18 jointly constitute a mechanism for controlling the operation of the copy sheet cover 9 . in this case , the switch 18 is operated in two different modes according as the copy sheet cover 9 is opened or closed . in other words , when receiving a signal denoting the open state of the copy sheet cover 9 from said switch 18 , then the control mechanism causes the copy sheet rest means 13 to be sufficiently lowered to allow for the additional supply of copy sheets to a stack already mounted on the tray of the copy sheet rest means 13 . when receiving a signal showing the closed state of the copy sheet cover 9 from said switch 18 , then the control mechanism causes the copy sheet rest means 13 to be raised to a position ready for the copying operation . the elevator type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 11 and cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 jointly constitute a copy sheet - feeding unit in which the elevator type 11 occupies the lower section of the copying press , and the cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 occupies the upper section . as seen from fig3 a copy press - supporting base 19 is disposed in the copy press 1 itself . right and left upright frames 21 , 20 are fixedly set on the right and left sides of the upper surface of the supporting base 19 . the cassette rest 14 is fixed in the upper part of a space defined between the right and left frames 21 , 20 . the copy sheet rest means 13 is positioned in the lower part of said space . a guide rail 23 is fitted to the outer wall of each of the right and left frames 21 , 20 by means of a bracket 22 . the guide rail 23 is fixedly set in place at both ends . each guide rail 23 supports a block 24 in a vertically movable state . the crosswise edges of the rectangular base 25 of the copy sheet rest means 13 are fixed to both movable blocks 24 . the blocks 24 , 24 are coupled to endless chains 29 , 30 by means of brackets 31 , 31 to be vertically moved with the endless chains 29 , 30 . the left endless chain 29 is stretched over an upper sprocket 26 , lower sprocket 27 and tension sprocket 28 all rotatably fitted to the left frame 20 , extending along the left guide rail 23 on the outside of the left frame 20 . the right endless chain 30 is stretched over the similar sprockets rotatably fitted to the right frame 21 , extending along the right guide rail 23 on the outside of the right frame 21 . the right and left lower sprockets 27 , 27 are engaged with both ends of a common rotatable shaft 32 . a driven gearwheel 33 is fitted to the left end of said common rotatable shaft 32 . the right and left lower sprockets 27 , 27 and common rotatable shaft 32 are jointly driven by the rotation of the driven gearwheel 33 . this driven gearwheel 33 is rotated with a driving gearwheel 36 by means of an intermediate gearwheel 37 . the driving gearwheel 36 is supplied with the drive force of a reversible motor 34 through a gear box 35 . where the reversible motor 34 is rotated in the normal or backward direction , then the right and left endless chains 29 , 30 are made to run similarly in the normal direction ( indicated by a solid line arrow ) or backward direction ( indicated by a broken line arrow ). the above - mentioned gearwheels 33 , 37 , 36 , common rotary shaft 32 and reversible motor 34 jointly constitute a chain drive mechanism 38 . the chain drive mechanism 38 , and the later described mechanism 39 for detecting the allowable lowermost position of the copy sheet rest means 13 , and mechanism 40 for detecting the allowable uppermost position of said copy sheet rest means 13 jointly constitute a mechanism 41 for controlling the drive of the copy sheet rest means 13 . this control mechanism 41 enables the copy sheet rest means 13 to be so moved that the uppermost copy sheet p 1 of the stack always takes a position falling within the range in which the copy sheet can get ready for the copying operation . a mechanism 42 for removing the uppermost copy sheet of the stack mounted on the tray of the copy sheet rest means 13 installed in the lower section of the copy sheet - feeding apparatus is set on the lower rear side of the cassette rest 14 . a mechanism 43 for removing the uppermost copy sheet from the stack mounted on the cassette rest 14 positioned in the upper section of the copy sheet - feeding apparatus is provided on the upper rear side of the cassette rest 14 . provided on that side of both uppermost copy sheet - picking up mechanisms 42 , 43 on which the copying operation is carried out is a timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 used in common to both mechanisms 42 , 43 . a drive mechanism 45 is set on the same side of the copy sheet - feeding apparatus left frame 20 to actuate the copy sheet - picking up mechanisms 42 , 43 respectively provided for the upper and lower copy sheet rest means 14 , 13 and the timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 . an uppermost copy sheet p 1 or p 2 is selectively picked up from the stack mounted on the lower or upper copy sheet rest means 14 or 13 to the timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 when actuated by the drive mechanism 45 . thereafter , the removed copy sheet is supplied in proper timing to the electrostatic image transcription section ( not shown ) of the copying press 1 by the timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 . namely , a sprocket 48 is fitted to the left end of a drive shaft 46 of the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 42 by means of a first electromagnetic clutch 53 . similarly , a sprocket 49 is fitted to the left end of a drive shaft 47 of the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 43 by means of a second electromagnetic clutch 54 . a gearwheel 56 is fitted to the left end of the timing adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 by means of a third electromagnetic clutch 57 . the gearwheel 56 is engaged with a gearwheel 55 provided concentrically with a sprocket 50 . an endless chain 51 is stretched over the three sprockets 48 , 49 , 50 . this endless chain 51 is actuated by a driving sprocket 52 provided in the copying press 1 to rotate the driving shafts 46 , 47 and timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 . upon receipt of a signal instructing the feeding of a copy sheet to a copying press 1 , the first or second electromagnetic clutch 53 or 54 is selectively energized to rotate the driving shaft 46 of the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 42 or the driving shaft 47 of the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 43 . in either case , the third electromagnetic clutch 57 is energized in the timing in which a copy sheet is supplied to the copying press 1 . set above the timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 is a press roller 58 which gravitationally abuts against said roller 44 in a rotatable state . a copy sheet p 1 or p 2 is supplied to the copying press 1 in a state clamped between both rollers 44 , 58 . disposed above the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 42 for the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is a push lever 60 to push up the later described mechanism 59 for lifting or releasing the copy sheet support board in the cassette 12 . the later described copy sheet - detecting mechanism 61 is positioned near the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 42 for the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . the later described copy sheet - detecting mechanism 62 is similarly provided near the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 43 for the upper copy sheet rest means 14 . the gear box 35 of the chain - driving mechanism 38 and reversible motor 34 are enclosed in a cover 63 provided below the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . fitted to the right side of the front wall of said cover 63 is a switch 18 for detecting the open or closed state of the previously described copy sheet cover 9 . the cover 63 is set in such a position that when the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is brought to an allowable lowermost level , a space h ( fig3 ) is still left between said lower copy sheet rest means 13 and the cover 63 which is wide enough to prevent the operator &# 39 ; s fingers from being injured , even if they happen to be put under the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . a capacitor 64 is mounted on a fitting board 65 disposed below the reversible motor 34 . copy sheet size - detecting switches 66 , 67 are provided on the right side of the upper surface of the cassette rest 14 . the size of a copy sheet is defined by the switches 66 , 67 which are rendered conducting or nonconducting by a movable member ( not shown ) which is provided on the underside of the copy sheet cassette 15 and whose position various with a movable guide board ( not shown ) of the copy sheet cassette 15 . as shown in fig4 a stationary guide board 68 is provided on the left side of the passage of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 , and a movable guide board 69 is positioned on the right side thereof . these guide boards 68 , 69 guide both side planes of a stack of copy sheets p 1 superposed one above the other on the lower copy sheet rest means 13 , thereby preventing both crosswise edges of the respective copy sheets from being irregularly arranged . the movable guide board 69 is connected to a copy sheet - feeding roller unit 70 disposed on the right side of the copy sheet - picking up mechanism 42 for the lower copy sheet rest means 13 by means of a coupling member 71 ( fig4 ). where , therefore , the movable guide board 69 is shifted in conformity to the lateral length of the respective copy sheets p 1 superposed one above the other , then the copy sheet - feeding roller unit 70 is made to move jointly with said movable guide board 69 . therefore , a distance between the left edge of the copy sheet p 1 and the central line extending lengthwise of the left copy sheet - feeding roller unit 72 , when perpendicularly projected from said unit 72 on the surface of the copy sheet p 1 , is always rendered equal to a distance between the right edge of the copy sheet p 1 and the central line extending lengthwise of the right copy sheet - feeding roller unit 70 when perpendicularly projected from said unit 70 on the surface of the copy sheet p 1 . the copy sheet - feeding roller unit is arranged as illustrated in fig5 . namely , both upright walls 73a , 73b of a trough - shaped arm 73 are each provided with a vertically elongate hole 75 capable of vertically guiding a bush 74 , a loose roller unit - locating hole 77 penetrated by a stopper shaft 76 , and a hole 79 for fixedly holding a bush 78 . all the holes 75 , 77 and 79 are arranged in the order mentioned as counted from the rear side of the roller unit facing the copying press to the front side thereof . a driving sprocket 80 is disposed between the upright walls 73a , 73b of the trough - shaped arm 73 to face the bush - holding holes 79 . a driven sprocket 81 is set between the upright walls 73a , 73b to face the bush - holding holes 75 . the driving sprocket 80 is fitted to the driving shaft 46 by means of a one - way clutch 82 . the driven sprocket 81 is fitted to a copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 . the relative positions of the arm 73 , driving shaft 46 and copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 are maintained by the bushes 74 , 78 . an endless chain 84 is stretched over the driving sprocket 80 and driven sprocket 81 to transmit the motive force of the driving shaft 46 to the copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 . a copy sheet - feeding roller 85 is fitted to both ends of the copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 by means of a fixing screw 86 . the bushes 74 , 78 are securely set in a prescribed position due to a snap ring 87 being engaged with an annular groove 88 formed in the peripheral walls of the driving shaft 46 and copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 . the trough - shaped arm 73 of the respective right and left copy sheet - feeding roller units 70 , 72 which is constructed as described above is made swingable about the driving shaft 46 , until the inner wall of the roller unit - locating hole 77 is pressed against the peripheral wall of the stopper shaft 76 . the copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 is made vertically movable , until the bushes 74 are pressed against the upper or lower inner wall of the bush holes 75 . as seen from fig6 a , a very small gap g is provided between the outer surfaces of the upright walls 73a , 73b of the trough - shaped arm 73 and the inner surfaces of the flanges of the bushes 74 . as shown in fig6 b , therefore , the roller unit 70 or 72 as a whole is made swingable about the axis of the copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 within the range of half an angle α as measured upward or downward from the axis of the roller unit 70 or 72 . in other words , the right half section of the roller unit 70 or 72 rises , while the left half section thereof falls . or conversely , the right half section of the roller unit 70 or 72 falls , while the left half section thereof rises . the above - mentioned angle α is herein defined to mean a maximum range of swing derived from the widths of both gaps g . a mechanism 40 for detecting the position of the uppermost copy sheet of a stack mounted on the tray of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is provided on the left side of the stopper shaft 76 . this uppermost copy sheet position - detecting mechanism 40 comprises a roller swing - transmitting member 90 , switch - actuating lever 89 and switch 91 through which a signal is sent forth to denote the detection of the position of the uppermost copy sheet of the stack ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; the uppermost position switch 91 &# 34 ;). fitted to the left end of the stopper shaft 76 is a member 90 ( fig7 a and 7b ) for transmitting the extent of the vertical swing of the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 to the switch - actuating lever 89 . this transmission member 90 is formed of a bent wire . the intermediate part of the wire which is bent in the circular form 90a is fitted about the stopper shaft 76 , thereby enabling the transmission member 90 to be rotated about the axis of the stopper shaft 76 . one end portion 90b of the transmission member 90 is abutted to the top of the bush 74 . the other end portion 90c is inserted into an elongate hole 89a formed in the lower end portion of the switch - actuating lever 89 rotatably fitted to the left end of the stopper shaft 76 . the upper end portion of the switch - actuating lever 89 is made to face an actuator 91a of the uppermost position switch 91 ( fig3 ) fitted to the left frame 20 . where the uppermost copy sheet p 1 is separated from the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 as shown in fig7 a , and the bush 74 rotatably supporting the copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 is pressed against the lower inner wall of the bush hole 75 , then the actuator 91a of the uppermost position switch 91 is pressed by the switch - actuating lever 89 , causing said switch 91 to be rendered conducting . where the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 is pushed by the uppermost copy sheet p 1 of the stack as shown in fig7 b , and the bush 74 is pressed against the upper inner wall of the bush hole 75 , then the swing of the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 is transmitted to the switch - actuating lever 89 by means of the transmission member 90 . as a result , the switch - actuating lever 89 is rotated away from the actuator 91a of the uppermost position switch 91 , which in turn is rendered nonconducting . the lower copy sheet rest means 13 comprises , as shown in fig8 : a tray 94 or 95 which is of different size and selectively used in accordance with the size of copy sheets p 1 stacked one above the other ; and tray supports 98 are provided on the front and back sides of the left end portion of the base 25 . each tray support 98 is formed of an upright cutout piece formed like an overturned l - shape . formed in the crosswise central part of the right side of the base 25 is a rectangular window 99 extending lengthwise of said base 25 to allow for the escape of the movable copy sheet stack guide board 69 ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; the stack guide board escape window &# 34 ;). a pair of slits 100 extending lengthwise of the base 25 are provided along both lateral edges of the rectangular window 99 . these slits 100 are penetrated by the threaded portions of the screws 97 . the tray supports 98 are each provided with a tray - supporting plane 98a which is made spatially parallel with the base 25 . the tray - supporting plane 98a is provided at the center with a screw hole 102 , with which there is engaged the threaded portion of a fitting screw 96 passing through a screw hole 101 formed on the left side of the tray 94 or 95 . the spacer 92 is mounted on the right side of the upper surface of the base 25 in a state extending crosswise thereof . a pair of projections 103 provided on the underside of the spacer 92 are made to abut against both inner lateral walls of the rectangular stack guide board escape window 99 , thereby causing the spacer 92 to be set on the base 25 in a state slidable only lengthwise of said window 99 . a boss 104 is projectively mounted at both ends of the spacer 92 . this boss 104 has a tray - supporting plane 92a having the same height as the tray - supporting plane 98a of the tray support 98 . a boss 105 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the spacer 92 at a smaller height than the aforesaid boss 104 . a screw hole 106 is formed at the center of the tray - supporting plane 92a of both bosses 104 . the threaded portions of the fitting screws 97 passing through the two screw holes 101 opened on the right side of the tray 94 or 95 penetrate said screw holes 106 . the threaded portions of the fitting screws 97 further pass through both screw slits 100 extending lengthwise of the base 25 and are threadedly fitted into those two of the three screw holes 102 threadedly formed in the press board 93 which are disposed at both ends of said press board 93 . a screw hole 107 is formed at the center of the middle boss 105 of the spacer 92 . the threaded portion of a separate fitting screw 96 &# 39 ; passes through the stack guide board escape window 99 to be threadedly fitted into a screw hole 102 opened at the center of the narrow press board 93 disposed below the base 25 . in other words , the spacer 92 and press board 93 are coupled together by the fitting screw 96 &# 39 ; in a state slidable along the base 25 to an extend corresponding to the lateral length of the tray 94 or 95 which varies with the size of the copy sheets set in a copy sheet - feeding apparatus . the tray 94 or 95 is fitted to the base by means of the fitting screws 96 , 97 . that side of the tray 94 or 95 from which a copy sheet is supplied to the copying press ( not shown ) is provided , as shown in fig9 with a hole 109 at a point facing a detection part 108a of a detection lever 108 of the mechanism 61 for detecting the presence of copy sheets on the tray of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 or the absence of copy sheets therefrom . the hole 109 receives the detection part 108a when it is let to fall ( the hole 109 is hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; the detection part fall hole &# 34 ;). a pair of friction boards 110 extending along the lateral edge of the tray 94 or 95 are set near both sides of said detection part fall hole 109 . the friction boards 110 cause the uppermost copy sheet alone to be unfailingly fed into the copying press 1 even when the stack consists of a few copy sheets . the copy sheet - detecting mechanism 61 for the lower copy sheet rest means 13 comprises , as shown in fig9 the detection lever 108 , detection lever holder 111 , switch - actuating lever 112 and copy sheet detecting switch 113 . the detection lever 108 is formed of a rigid wire and comprises a linear support section 108 &# 39 ; and a bent detection part 108a contiguous to said support section 108 &# 39 ;. this bent detection part 108a comprises a lever stem 108a bent from the linear support section 108 &# 39 ; at right angles . the outer end portion of said lever stem 108a is further bent substantially in the triangular form to form a detection section 108b . the linear support section 108 &# 39 ; rotatably penetrates a support hole 111a formed in the detection lever holder 111 . the left end of the linear support section 108 &# 39 ; is fitted with the switch - actuating lever 112 , which comprises an actuator - pressing plane 112a . this actuator - pressing plane 112a is normally pressed against an actuator 113a fitted to a copy sheet - detecting switch 113 . an arrow indicated in fig9 shows the direction in which a copy sheet p 1 is supplied from the stack to the copying press . where the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is brought downward , as seen from fig1 a , or cleared of all copy sheets , then the detection part 108a is rotated more clockwise through the detection part 108a fall hole 109 of the tray 94 or 95 than when a stack of copy sheets p 1 is mounted on the tray of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . the clockwise rotation of the detection part 108a leads to the similar large clockwise rotation of the switch lever 112 . the actuator - pressing plane 112a of the switch - actuating lever 112 rotates the actuator 113a of the copy sheet - detecting switch 113 counterclockwise . therefore , the copy sheet - detecting switch 113 is rendered non - conducting , causing a signal to be issued to denote the absence of copy sheets from the tray of the copy sheet rest means 13 . where the copy sheet rest means 13 carrying a stack of copy sheets p 1 is lifted , causing the uppermost copy sheet p 1 to abut against the detection part 108a of the detection lever 108 , then the detection lever 108 is rotated about the axis of the linear support section 108 &# 39 ;. the copy sheet - detecting switch 113 is rendered conducting , a little before the uppermost copy sheet p 1 touches the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 as shown in fig1 b , causing a signal denoting the presence of copy sheets to be sent forth . the detection lever 108 is rotated with the copy sheet - detecting switch 113 rendered conducting , until the uppermost copy sheet p 1 is pressed against the copy sheet feeding roller 85 with a proper pressure in a state ready for the copying operation . as shown in fig1 , the base portion of the substantially triangular detection section 108b of the detection lever 108 constitutes an additional copy sheet supply - restricting stopper 108c . this stopper 108c prevents any more copy sheets than a prescribed number h 1 from being additionally supplied to a stack already mounted on the copy sheet rest means 13 . therefore , a required space at least as wide as h 2 is ensured between the bottom of the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 and the uppermost copy sheet p 1 of a maximum stack . as shown in fig1 , a mechanism 62 for detecting the presence of copy sheets in a cassette type copy sheet rest means disposed in the upper section of the copy sheet - feeding apparatus or the absence of copy sheets from said cassette type copy sheet rest means comprises a detection lever 114 , detection lever holder 115 , switch - actuating lever 116 , and copy sheet - detecting switch 117 . the detection lever 114 is formed of a rigid wire whose right end is bent . provided at the right end of the detection lever 114 for the cassette type copy sheet rest means is a detection part 114a whose forward and rear sides are reversed from those of the detection part 108a of the detection lever 108 for the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . a detection lever support 114 &# 39 ; contiguous to the above - mentioned right end portion of the detection lever 108 rotatably penetrates a support hole 115a formed in the detection lever holder 115 . the detection part 114a of the detection lever 114 penetrated by the drive shaft 47 can swing vertically within a prescribed range . the left end of the detection lever support 114 &# 39 ; is fitted with a switch - actuating lever 116 . an actuator - pressing plane 116a of the switch - actuating lever 116 is pressed against an actuator 117a fitted to a copy sheet - detecting switch 117 . where a cassette 15 is not loaded in a copy sheet - feeding apparatus , or a stack of copy sheets is not received in a cassette 15 already set in the copy sheet feeding - apparatus , then the detection part 114a of the detection lever 114 occupies the lowermost position as shown in fig1 a . as in the lower copy sheet - detecting mechanism 61 , therefore , the copy sheet - detecting switch 117 is rendered nonconducting , causing a signal denoting the absence of copy sheets to be sent forth . where at least one copy sheet p 2 is left in the cassette 15 , then the detection part 114a of the detection lever 114 is lifted , as shown in fig1 b , by said copy sheet p 2 . as a result , the copy sheet - detecting switch 117 is rendered conducting , causing a switch denoting the presence of a copy sheet to be issued . an arrow indicated in fig1 shows the direction in which a copy sheet p 2 is supplied to the copy press ( not shown ). the front underside of a stack of copy sheets p 2 received in the cassette 15 is supported by a copy sheet stack support board 118 . this copy sheet stack support board 118 is pushed upward by a push lever 60 normally urged upward by a spring 119 . therefore , the uppermost copy sheet p 2 of a stack abuts with a proper pressure against a copy sheet - feeding roller 120 fitted to the drive shaft 47 of the copy sheet - feeding mechanism of fig1 . the push lever 60 is pushed on to the upper surface of the bottom board 15a of the cassette 15 or pressed below said bottom board 15a through an opening 121 . a detection part fall hole 122 is formed in the copy sheet stack support board 118 at a point facing the detection lever 114 of the copy sheet - detecting mechanism 62 for the upper cassette type copy sheet rest means 14 . the detection part 114a of the detection lever 114 is let to fall into said detection part fall hole 122 . as shown in fig3 the cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 is provided with a copy sheet support board push - release mechanism 59 . this push - release mechanism 59 causes the means for lifting the copy sheet support board 118 to be operated in two different modes in accordance with the vertical movement of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 resulting from the opening and closure of the copy sheet cover 9 . description is now given with reference to fig1 , 16 and 17 the construction and operation of the copy sheet support board push - release mechanism 59 . this mechanism 59 comprises a push lever 60 and a mechanism 124 for rotating said push lever 60 . the front side of the push lever 60 is fixedly set in place by a fitting shaft 123 which is rotatably fitted to the right and left frames 20 , 21 in a horizontal position by means of a bush 125 ( only the right one is indicated ). the free end of the push lever 60 is provided with a guide roller 126 allowing for the smooth attachment and detachment between the push lever 60 and copy sheet support board 118 . the right end portion of the push lever - fitting shaft 123 projects out of the right frame 21 . mounted on the right end portion of the push lever - fitting shaft 123 are a first lever 127 engaged with a spring and a gearwheel 129 integrally provided with a second lever 128 engaged with a spring , all in the order mentioned as counted from the outer wall of the right frame 21 . the first lever 127 and gearwheel 129 including the second lever 128 are prevented from falling off the right end portion of the push lever - fitting shaft 123 by means of a snap ring 130 . formed in the surface of the right end portion of the push lever - fitting shaft 123 is an axially extending groove 132 with which a pin 133 is engaged . this pin 133 crosswise penetrates the engagement shaft member 127a formed on the first spring - engaged lever 127 , and is inserted into the axially extending groove 132 , thereby effecting the joint rotation of the push lever - fitting shaft 123 and first spring - engaged lever 127 . the first spring - engaged lever 127 comprises a vertical portion 127b and a horizontal portion 127c and takes a substantially overturned l - shape . one end of the push lever spring 119 is connected to the vertical portion 127b of the first spring - engaged lever 127 . said push lever spring 119 normally urges the first spring - engaged lever 127 for clockwise rotation under the condition of fig1 and 17 . therefore , the push lever 60 is urged to be rotated up to a position indicated in 2 dots - dash lines . the outer end of the horizontal section 127c extending rearward of the first spring - engaged lever 127 is bent outward of the right frame 21 at right angles to the body of said horizontal section 127c . a pressure - transmitting plane 135 constituted by the underside of the free end portion of the second spring - engaged lever 128 is pressed against a pressure - receiving plane 134 constituted by the upper edge of the rectangularly bent part of the horizontal section 127c of the first spring - engaged lever 127 . a driven shaft 136 ( fig1 ) is disposed above the push lever - fitting shaft 123 is parallel relationship therewith . the driven shaft 136 is rotatably fitted to the right frame 21 and a subframe 137 fitted thereto in parallel by means of a bush 139 engaged with a hole 138 formed in the right frame 21 and subframe 137 . mounted on the driven shaft 136 are the upper sprocket 26 , hub 140 and anomalous gearwheel 141 engaged with the gearwheel 129 in the order mentioned as counted from the outer wall of the right frame 21 ( fig1 ). the upper sprocket 26 and hub 140 are fixed to the driven shaft 136 by means of the pin 133 . a motive force - transmitting coil spring 142 is fitted around the outer peripheral wall of the hub 140 . one end 142a of the motive force - transmitting coil spring 142 is engaged with the underside of an engagement pawl 143 integrally formed with the subframe 137 . the other end 142b of the motive force - transmitting coil spring 142 is always fitted into an engagement groove 144 formed in the anomalous gearwheel 141 . the second spring - engaged lever 128 is normally urged to regain a prescribed position by a return spring 145 . the push lever spring 119 has its tension controlled by a tension - adjusting mechanism 146 . this tension - adjusting mechanism 146 is fixed to the right frame 21 , and comprises a guide shaft 147 concurrently acting as a fitting shaft for the subframe 137 , a movable guide block 148 slidably set in place by means of the guide shaft 147 , a coupling member 148 which is supported by the movable guide block 148 and with which the other end of the push lever spring 119 is engaged , and an adjustment screw 150 which is threadedly inserted into the movable guide block 148 , and whose inner end face is pressed against the outer peripheral wall of the guide shaft 147 . the movable guide block 148 is retracted when the adjustment screw 150 is tightened and advanced when said adjustment screw 150 is loosened , thereby controlling the tension of the push lever spring 119 . in other words , when the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is brought down about 12 mm ( in about one second ), then the sprocket 26 , hub 140 and driven shaft 136 are rotated clockwise . at this time , the motive force - transmitting spring 142 presses the hub 140 by a frictional force . therefore , the drive of the hub 140 is transmitted to the anomalous gearwheel 141 by means of the motive force - transmitting spring 142 . the transmission of the motive force is continued , until the engagement end 142a of the motive force - transmitting spring 142 is pressed against the engagement pawl 143 to release the tightening force ( fig1 ). the motive force of the anomalous gearwheel 141 is transmitted to the gearwheel 129 engaged with said anomalous gearwheel 141 . the second spring - engaged lever 128 integrally formed with the gearwheel 129 is rotated counterclockwise against the urging force of the return spring 145 . therefore , the pressure - transmitting plane 135 of the second spring - engaged lever 128 presses the pressure - receiving plane 134 of the first spring - engaged lever 127 . as a result , the first spring - engaged lever 127 is rotated counterclockwise against the urging force of the push lever spring 119 from the solid line position of fig1 to a position indicated in two dots - dash lines . the push lever 60 integrally formed with the first spring - engaged lever 127 is rotated from the two dots - dash line position of fig1 to the solid line position thereof , namely from the solid line position of fig1 to the two dots - dash line position to remove the copy sheet - feeding cassette 15 . when the tightening force of the motive force - transmitting spring 142 is released , then the sprocket 26 , hub 140 and driven shaft 136 alone are rotated . at this time , the other end engagement section 142b ( fig1 ) engaged with the engagement groove 144 of the anomalous gearwheel 141 is shifted from a position shown in fig1 a to a position indicated in fig1 b . where the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is lifted when the copy sheet cover 9 is closed , then the upper sprocket 26 , hub 140 and driven shaft 136 are rotated counterclockwise of fig1 by the run of the right side endless chain 30 in the direction of a broken line arrow indicated in fig1 . at the above - mentioned counterclockwise run , the motive force - transmitting spring 142 and anomalous gearwheel 141 are jointly rotated counterclockwise . where the other end engagement section 142b of the motive force - transmitting spring 142 is shifted from a position shown in fig1 b to a position indicated in fig1 a , then a frictional force ceases to take place between the motive force - transmitting spring 142 and hub 140 . accordingly , the hub 140 , upper sprocket 26 and driven shaft 136 alone are rotated . the anomalous gearwheel 141 and gearwheel 129 engaged therewith cease to be rotated . as a result , the second spring - engaged lever 128 integrally formed with the gearwheel 129 and the first spring - engaged lever 127 are rotated from a position shown in two dots - dash line in fig1 to a solid line position indicated therein . the push lever 60 integrally formed with the first spring - engaged lever 127 is rotated from the one dot - dash line position of fig1 to the solid line position indicated therein , namely , from the solid line position shown in fig1 to the two dots - dash line position indicated therein . therefore , the push lever lifts the copy sheet support board 118 without shaking it , thereby enabling copy sheets to be supplied from the cassette 15 to a copying press ( not shown ). the mechanism 39 for detecting the lowermost position of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 comprises a pin 151 provided in the left side rear part of said copy sheet rest means 13 , and a lowermost position - detecting switch 152 whose actuator 152a is set in the traveling course of the pin 151 at a point capable of detecting the prescribed lowermost position of the copy sheet rest means 13 . description is now given chiefly with reference to fig3 of the operation of a copy sheet - feeding apparatus embodying this invention . where the copy sheet cover 9 shown in fig1 and 2 is closed , then the switch 18 for detecting the open state of the copy sheet cover 9 is rendered conducting , thereby effecting the drive of the reversible motor 34 of the chain drive device 38 of the mechanism 41 for actuating the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . where the right and left endless chains 30 , 29 run in the normal direction ( the direction of a solid line arrow indicated in fig3 ) then the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is lifted . where the uppermost copy sheet p 1 of a stack mounted on said rest means 13 pushes the detection lever 108 ( fig9 ), then the copy sheet detection switch 113 is rendered conducting to generate a signal denoting the presence of copy sheets on the copy sheet rest means 13 . where the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is further lifted to push the copy sheet - feeding rollers 85 of the right and left copy sheet - feeding roller units 70 , 72 , then the uppermost position - detecting switch 91 of the uppermost position - detecting mechanism 40 is rendered conducting to stop the drive of the reversible motor 34 , and consequently the lifting of the copy sheet rest means 13 , thereby rendering an elevator type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 11 ready to supply a copy sheet to a copying press ( not shown ). the rise of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 also causes the copy sheet stack support board 118 of the copy sheet cassette 15 of the cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 to be pushed by the push lever 60 ( fig1 ). where the print button 3 of fig1 is pushed under the condition in which an instruction is already given to specify the supply of copy sheets stacked on the tray of the lower elevator type copy sheet rest means 13 , then the drive sprocket 52 ( fig3 ) is actuated . at this time , the first electromagnetic clutch 53 is rendered conducting , causing the drive of the endless chain 51 to be transmitted to the drive shaft 46 of the uppermost copy sheet - picking up mechanism 42 for the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . as a result , the uppermost copy sheet p 1 of a stack mounted on said rest means 13 is taken out of the stack by the rotation of the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 and conducted to that side of the copy sheet - feeding apparatus on which the timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 is set . thereafter the third electromagnetic clutch 57 is actuated in proper timing , causing said timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 to be rotated for the supply of a copy sheet to the copying press . where the copy sheet - feeding roller 85 is progressively brought down as copy sheets are removed from a stack one after another , starting with the uppermost one , then the uppermost position - detecting switch 91 of the uppermost position - detecting mechanism 40 is rendered nonconducting . as a result , the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is lifted in a prescribed stepwise mode . this stepwise or intermittent lifting of the copy sheet rest means 13 enables the uppermost copy sheet of a stack to be always set in a position falling within a prescribed range in which an electrostatic image of the original material never fails to be impressed on the copy sheet . where all the copy sheets p 1 of a stack have been supplied to a copying press , then the detection part 108a of the detection lever 108 of the paper - detecting mechanism 61 is allowed to fall , as shown in fig1 a , into the detection part fall hole 109 of the tray 94 or 95 of the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . as a result , the copy sheet - detecting switch 113 is rendered nonconducting . at this time , the display section 5 of the control panel 6 indicates the absence of copy sheets . where the print button 3 of the copying press 1 of fig1 is pushed under the condition in which an instruction is already given to specify the supply to the copying press of copy sheets p 2 received in the cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 , then the drive sprocket 52 is actuated . at this time the second magnetic clutch 54 of the copy sheet feeding roller - driving mechanism 45 is actuated , causing the drive of the endless chain 51 to be transmitted to the drive shaft 47 of the uppermost copy sheet - picking up mechanism 43 for the upper cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 . as a result , the uppermost copy sheet p 2 of a stack received in the cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 is picked up by the rotation of the copy sheet - feeding roller 120 , and then conducted to that side of the copy sheet - feeding apparatus on which the timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 is provided . when the third electromagnetic clutch 57 is actuated in proper timing for the rotation of the timing - adjusting restart copy sheet - feeding roller 44 , then the copy sheet is supplied to the copying press . when the cassette 15 is cleared of all copy sheets , then the detection part 114a of the detection lever 114 of the copy sheet - detecting mechanism 62 is allowed to fall , as shown in fig1 , into the detection part fall hole 122 formed in the copy sheet stack support board 118 ( fig1 ). as a result , the copy sheet - detecting switch 117 is rendered non - conducting . the display section 5 of the control panel of fig1 indicates the absence of copy sheets . when the absence of copy sheets is indicated in the display section 5 , then the operator opens the copy sheet cover 9 for the supply of a fresh stack of copy sheets p 1 or p 2 to the lower copy sheet rest means 13 or cassette type copy sheet - feeding mechanism 12 . where the copy sheet cover 9 is opened , the switch 18 for detecting the open and closed states of the copy sheet cover 9 is rendered nonconducting . as a result , the reversible motor 34 of the chain - driving mechanism 38 of the copy sheet rest means - actuating mechanism 41 is driven backward , causing the right and left endless chains 30 , 29 to run backward in the direction of a broken line arrow indicated in fig3 for the lowering of , for example , the lower copy sheet rest means 13 . when the actuator 152a of the lowermost position - detecting switch 152 is pushed by the pin 151 integrally formed with the lower copy sheet rest means 13 , then the reversible motor 34 stops its run , causing the copy sheet rest means 13 to stand still in the allowable lowermost position . on the other hand , where the lower copy sheet rest means 13 is brought down , then the push lever 60 for lifting the copy sheet stack support board 118 ( fig1 ) of the copy sheet - feeding cassette 15 is rotated to the two dots - dash line position for the removal of the copy sheet - feeding cassette 15 . where the used cassette 15 is taken out , a stack of fresh copy sheets is supplied to the lower copy sheet rest means 13 or some additional copy sheets are supplied to a stack still mounted on the copy sheet rest means 13 . or fresh copy sheets having different sizes from those already impressed are supplied to the cassette 15 thus taken out . or where necessary , the cassette 15 itself maybe replaced by one having a different size in anticipation of the different sizes of fresh copy sheets which will be used in any of the following copying cycles . later when the copy sheet cover 9 is closed , all automatically becomes ready for the immediately succeeding copying operation . where it is attempted to supply additional copy sheets p 1 , as shown in fig1 , to a stack still mounted on the lower copy sheet rest means 13 , then the stopper section 108c of the detection lever 108 of the copy sheet - detecting mechanism 61 physically prevents those of additionally supplied copy sheets whose stacked height would rise above the upper limit height h 1 of a normal stack of copy sheets from being superposed on the stack already placed on said copy sheet rest means 13 . as seen from fig6 a and 6b , the right and left copy sheet - feeding roller units 70 , 72 of the uppermost copy sheet - picking up mechanism 42 for the lower copy sheet rest means 13 are each vertically movable relative to the arm 73 and also can be rotated about the lengthwise center of the copy sheet - feeding roller shaft 83 relative to said arm 73 . therefore , no matter how the uppermost copy sheet of a stack is positioned relative to a horizontal plane , namely whether the right or left side of the uppermost copy sheet is displaced , for example , downward from said horizontal plane , as shown in fig1 a to 19d , the copy sheet - feeding roller units 70 , 72 never fail to be eventually pressed against the surface of the uppermost copy sheet as seen from fig1 e , thereby enabling the uppermost copy sheet to be reliably carried forward to the copying press with a uniform pressure . | 1 |
although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps . referring now to fig1 , a schematic view of one embodiment of an aplanation lens position and alignment system according to the present invention is depicted . the major components of the system 10 are a laser system 12 and an aplanation lens 14 . to accomplish laser ophthalmic surgery , the laser system 12 includes a laser source 16 which is mounted on the system housing ( not shown ). this laser source 16 generates a laser beam 20 from an origination point 22 , as shown in fig1 . in one embodiment of the invention , the laser beam 20 has a pulse duration less than three hundred picoseconds (& lt ; 300 ps ) and a wavelength of between approximately 400 - 3000 nm . preferably , the laser operates at 1053 nm , with a pulse duration of approximately 600 - 800 femtoseconds , and a repetition rate of 10 khz . fig1 shows that the laser beam 20 is used to define a z - axis 24 that is parallel to the path of the laser beam . as discussed herein , the inventive system and method are shown through the use of an aplanation lens . however , the position and alignment of other objects may be determined . thus , the inventive system and method should be construed to cover any other object for which one wants to determine its position and alignment in relation to a laser beam . referring to fig2 , a schematic view of a laser beam 20 and tilted aplanation lens 14 is shown . to determine the position and alignment of the aplanation lens 14 in relation to the z - axis 24 of the laser beam , the focal point of the laser beam is first directed to a point on the z - axis 24 that is below the aplanation lens 14 . this first point is referred to as z 0 26 . the focal point of the laser beam is then moved along a closed pattern . the closed pattern is a shape where the laser beam focal point will travel . as the laser beam focal point travels along the closed pattern , the laser beam is fired . a spot distance of the laser beam may be set by the laser system such that the laser beam is fired on the closed pattern for a particular distance . for example , in one embodiment , the spot distance may be set to 1 μm - 30 μm . for a particular object and laser source being utilized , the spot distance may be different than the aforementioned example . in a preferred embodiment , the closed pattern is a circular shape having a diameter (“ d ”) 28 . the closed pattern is made in a plane perpendicular to the z - axis 24 . for an ophthalmic procedure using the aplanation lens , the closed pattern should have a diameter sufficiently wide , such that after the position of the aplanation lens and alignment determination is completed , a cornea then pressed against the aplanation lens does not contact an area of the closed pattern . in certain tests using an aplanation lens , a 7 - 9 . 5 mm diameter was utilized for the closed pattern and was found sufficiently wide . other diameters of course may be utilized depending on the type of procedure and the particular object for which alignment is being determined . after the first closed pattern is completed , the focal point of the laser beam is then adjusted up the z - axis 24 a set distance z x 30 to another starting point z 1 32 where z 1 = z 0 + z x . the value for the z x distance between each successive closed pattern is also referred as a separation layer distance . for each pass of the closed pattern , the laser beam focal point will move a distance along the z - axis based on the separation layer setting . the focal point of the laser beam is then again moved along a similar closed pattern in a plane perpendicular to the z - axis 24 and then adjusted up the z - axis to z 2 34 where z 2 = z 1 + z x . the steps of moving the focal point along the closed pattern and adjusting the starting point of the focal point of the laser beam up the z - axis 24 are repeated n times , until the focal point of the laser along the closed pattern makes contact with the aplanation lens 14 , causing a first plasma spark , at z n 36 , which may be detected . the particular manner in which the plasma sparks are detected is described below . a cpu utilizing software preferably instructs the movement of the focal point of the laser beam . while moving the laser beam , the software may record the coordinates of the focal point . for example , as the closed pattern is followed , the specific x -, y - and z - coordinates of the laser beam focal point will be known . this is true because it is the software instructing the movement of the focal point through the closed pattern at particular coordinates . thus , the laser system software may be configured or programmed to record the x , y , and / or z - coordinates based on certain defined events . the particular z n when the first plasma spark occurs is recorded . the steps of moving the focal point along the closed pattern and adjusting the starting point of the focal point of the laser beam up the z - axis 24 are repeated m times , until the focal point of the laser contacts the aplanation lens 14 along the entire closed pattern , causing a plasma spark along the entire closed pattern , at z j 38 , where j = m + n , which is detected . the point z j is recorded . the particular manner in which detection of the completion of the closed pattern occurs is later described below . for a better understanding of the inventive method , fig3 sets out in flowchart form certain steps of the present invention . in step 201 , the focal point of the laser beam is set at a point on the z - axis below the aplanation lens , z 0 . next in step 202 , the focal point of the laser beam is moved along a pattern , preferably in the shape of a circle having a diameter d , in a plane perpendicular to the z - axis . during the movement of the laser beam along the pattern , a check is made for the occurrence of a plasma spark . if a plasma spark is detected , then in step 204 , the z n location is recorded . likewise , the x n and y n coordinates may also be recorded . if no spark is detected , when the pattern is complete , then in step 203 the focal point of the laser beam is moved up the z - axis a determined distance , z x . step 202 is repeated until a plasma spark is detected . in step 205 , the focal point of the laser beam is moved up the z - axis a determined distance , z x . then in step 206 , the focal point of the laser beam is moved along a predetermined pattern , preferably in the shape of a circle having a diameter d , in a plane perpendicular to the z - axis . during the movement of the laser beam along the pattern , a check is made for the occurrence of a completion of a plasma spark for the circumference of the circle . if a completion of the entire circle is detected , then in step 207 , the z j location is record . also , the location of the x n and y n coordinates may also be recorded . if the completion of the plasma spark for the circumference of the circle is not completed , then step 205 repeats . lastly , in step 208 , the tilt of the aplanation lens can be determined . the plasma spark may be visually detected by the operator . for example , a foot switch operated by the user of the laser system may identify when the plasma spark occurs . the movement of the focal point along the closed pattern is performed as discussed above . when the user first detects the plasma spark , a foot switch may be activated . the activation of the switch signals the computer to record the z - axis coordinate of the first plasma spark . when the user detects completion of the closed pattern by watching a complete plasma spark along the closed pattern , the user activates the foot switch again . thus , the second z - axis coordinate is obtained . with both coordinates the tilt of the lens may then be determined . in another embodiment , a photodetector connected with the laser system may be utilized to detect the occurrence of plasma sparks . the photodetector can be any device capable of determining such an event . for example , a photodetector may include a photodiode , ccd , photomultiplier , phototransistor , or any device suited for detecting the occurrence of a plasma spark . the photodetector can be utilized to determine a first occurrence of the plasma spark and the completion of the closed pattern , thereby giving first and second z - axis coordinates which then may be used to calculate the tilt of the aplanation lens . in one embodiment , a photodetector is connected with the laser system . the photodetector is placed in a position on , adjacent to , or near the laser system where the photodetector can detect the plasma spark . the photodetector generates a voltage or signal when the laser beam creates a plasma spark in the aplanation lens . when the photodetector first detects a plasma spark , then the laser system software records the first z - axis coordinate . for the second z - axis position at the completion of the plasma spark along all of the closed pattern , the identification of the completion may be determined in different ways . one way to determine the completion of the closed pattern is to evaluate the voltage or signal from the photodetector and compare it with a known time for completion of the closed pattern . the laser system software may be configured to calculate the duration of time necessary to complete a given closed pattern . at the completion of the closed pattern , the voltage or signal of the photodetector can be evaluated . if the voltage or signal of the photodetector indicates that a plasma spark is occurring at the end of the closed pattern , then we know that a plasma spark has occurred at the end of the closed pattern . with this known completion point , then the second z - axis position can be determined . information about the orientation of tilt can be obtained by determining the x - y coordinate where the most intense plasma spark is detected within the object . the strongest signals from the plasma spark correspond to the deepest position within the object . in an alternative embodiment , a video camera is utilized to capture images of the aplanation lens as plasma sparks are being generated . by comparing sequences of captured images , it is then possible to use the image information to determine the tilt of the aplanation lens . in one embodiment , an ntsc camera with a rate of 30 frames per second was utilized . however , other video cameras with different frame rates may be utilized . in general , video images are searched for plasma spark as the laser beam focal point is scanned upwards toward the bottom surface of the aplanation lens . similar to the visual / manual and photodetector methods described above , the laser beam focal point is set at a beginning point such that the focal point of the laser beam does not create a plasma spark . the laser beam focal point is then moved through successive closed patterns whilst first and second z - axis coordinates are determined . in one embodiment , 8 - bit grey scale images are captured and evaluated . a grey scale image has pixels with a grey scale value between 0 ( black ) and 255 ( white ). the grey scale values ranging between 0 - 255 indicates the brightness for a particular pixel . for example , if an area of certain pixels of an image had a value of zero or near zero , this would indicate that portion of the image was dark . if an area of certain pixels had a value of 255 or near 255 , this would indicate that portion of the image was very light . thus the higher the number for the pixels of a certain area of an image , the brighter ( or whiter ) that area would be . based on this pixel valuation model , the occurrence of a plasma spark can be detected . when a plasma spark occurs and an image is taken , more higher - ranging pixels would exist than would exist if the plasma spark was not occurring . this is because the plasma spark creates a very bright light that would be noted in the image . referring now to fig4 , a graph is shown illustrating an aplanation lens tilt determination utilizing the iterative image comparison method . the frequency of image frames to be captured is set at a periodic time interval . the x - axis on the graph represents the frame number of a captured video image . in the illustrated example , a focal point of the laser beam was set in a circular pattern with a diameter of 7 . 8 mm . the spot distance of the laser was set at 3 μm . an energy level of 3 μj energy for the laser source was utilized . the y - axis on the graph represents the total compared image value , for those pixels above a certain threshold number . in the experiment , the threshold number was set at a value of 20 . the plasma spark line 60 shows the processing of several frames of images before , during and after the occurrence of plasma sparks . the video image process begins with the capture of a first video image . after a preset time interval , the next image is captured . the first video image and the second video image are then compared to one another . each pixel value ( 0 - 255 ) from the first image is added together to obtain a first image value . also , each pixel value ( 0 - 255 ) from the second image is added together to obtain a second image value . if a threshold value is set , then only those pixel values having a value higher than the threshold value would be added together . utilizing a threshold value reduces the light noise dramatically and allows the process to run at full room light and high illumination of the aplanation lens . the first image value is subtracted from the second image value giving a total compared image value . the total compared image value , which is stored in memory of the cpu , may be plotted on a graph . although not shown on the graph , for a total compared image value , the laser system software would also know or have stored the x -, y -, and z - coordinates for the particular image frame . thus , for a particular total compared image value , the x -, y -, and z - coordinates may be associated with the particular total compared image value . as illustrated in fig4 , prior to about frame 860 , no plasma spark has occurred . on the y - axis , the plasma spark line is shown as a linear line having a total compared image value of zero . during the process the ambient light is preferably maintained at a consistent level . as shown in fig4 , literally no noise signal exists before the plasma starts , even at full room light . as the plasma spark starts , from about frame 860 , the increasing mountains of signals occur as is shown on plasma spark line 60 . the spacing between each side of a mountain on the plasma spark line 60 represents the completion of one full circle . the first mountain 64 indicates the first occurrence of a plasma spark . the exact x - y coordinates at any mountain top gives the tilt axis . the first time the mountain does not go down to 0 ( or some low threshold ), the plasma circle is completed ( second or final contact ). to more easily detect the first and the second contact , the plasma spark line 60 is further processed in the following way . a binary signal ( or plasma spark state ) may be created with the following process . the binary signal or plasma spark state is set to one 1 if the total compared image value is over a certain value . if for a particular image frame , the total compared image value is greater than the set value ( in the example it was set to 1 ), then for that frame the plasma spark state would be set to 1 or true . if the total compared image value is below the set value , then the plasma spark state would be set to 0 or false . in this manner , as shown on the graphed plasma spark state line 62 , the state of the plasma spark for a particular image frame and time would be known . the distance between two consecutive mountain peaks is equivalent to the layer separation parameter defined by the laser software . this is usually in the order of 2 - 10 micrometers but may vary according to the desired accuracy . for each mountain peak , the closed pattern makes one revolution and for each revolution , the focus position moves upward in the z - direction in the amount of the layer separation . the amount of peaks contained between the first plasma spark 64 and the full closure of the pattern 61 determines the following δz =| z ( 1st plasma ) − z ( full closure ) |. the determination of the tilt axis is dependent on the position of the x - y coordinate at the time the mountain peak is present . an axis line can be drawn 180 ° from the x - y position of the mountain peak , relative to the center of the circular pattern . the determination of tilt is as follows θ = tan − 1 ( δz / d ) where δz is the difference of z position between the first plasma spark 64 and the full closure of the pattern 61 as detected by the ccd camera and d is the diameter of the circular pattern . the alignment of the aplanation lens 14 in relation to the z - axis 24 is then calculated by using the following equation : θ = tan − 1 ( δz / d ); where θ 40 is the angle between the aplanation lens 14 and a plane perpendicular to the z - axis 24 , and wherein δz is the difference between the first z - axis location and the second z - axis location , and d is the diameter of the predetermined pattern . the angle φ42 between the z - axis 24 and the aplanation lens 14 is 90 − θ . although the methods above discuss obtaining a second z - axis location by electronic or manual means , the second z - axis may be calculated . after the first z - axis location is found , then the second z - axis is calculated . the second z - axis location would be the point on a circular predetermined pattern opposite the first z - axis location . this holds true since , by using a circular predetermined pattern , the first z - axis location is the lowest point of the tilt ( if scanning the laser from the below the aplanation lens upwards ) and the highest point would always be the point on the predetermined pattern opposite the first z - axis location . thus , the first z - axis location may be determined ( along with the x -, y - coordinates ) and then using the known diameter of the circular pattern , the second z - axis location may be determined . utilizing the circular predetermined pattern , by finding the first and second z - axis location , the plane of the contact surface of the aplanation lens can be determined along with the orientation of the plane about the z - axis . determining the tilt of the aplanation lens 14 in relation to the laser beam is very useful . in the field of ophthalmic surgery , a more precise photodisruption of tissue of the eye can be achieved . for example , it is important in ophthalmic laser surgery procedures that photodisruption be very precise . whilst utilizing an aplanation lens , a patient &# 39 ; s cornea is pressed against the lens , thereby flattening the cornea against the glass surface of the lens . with a perfectly calibrated laser system , using a perfectly formed aplanation lens , the contact surface ( the contact plane ) of the aplanation lens would be perpendicular to the laser beam . this would allow the focusing of the laser beam at a z - coordinate in the cornea in one x - y location to be the same z - coordinate if the laser focus was moved to another x - y location . but if the aplanation lens were tilted , this would cause the focus of the laser at one x - y location in the tissue of eye to actually be different than another x - y location in the tissue of the eye . but if the tilt of the aplanation lens were known , then the z - coordinate ( or focal depth ) for a particular x - y location could be offset or compensated for to take into consideration the lens tilt . an alternative way to determine the tilt of a surface of an object in relation to a z - axis of a laser beam is to determine three points of an object . a laser beam may be focused at a z - axis point such that the focal point of the laser beam does not contact the object . this may be at any x -, y - coordinate . the laser beam z - axis focal point is incrementally moved a specified distance and the laser fired . the focal point is moved again a set distance and fired . this continues until a first plasma spark is detected . the detection may be by any manner , including the method described above , manually , via photodetector , and video image comparison . the first point ( its x -, y -, and z - coordinates ) is recorded or saved in memory or storage by the laser system . the laser system then directs the laser beam to a second x , y - coordinate . the focal point of the laser is then moved to a z - axis point such that the focal point of the laser beam does not contact the object . then again , the laser beam z - axis focal point is incrementally moved a specified distance and the laser fired . this continues until a second plasma spark is detected . the second point ( its x -, y -, and z - coordinates ) is recorded or saved in memory or storage by the laser system . the laser system then directs the laser beam to a third x , y - coordinate . the focal point of the laser beam is then moved to a z - axis point such that the focal point of the laser beam does not contact the object . then again , the laser beam z - axis focal point is incrementally moved a specified distance and the laser fired . this continues until third plasma spark is detected . the third point ( its x -, y -, and z - coordinates ) is recorded or saved in memory or storage by the laser system . having now determined three surface points of a surface of the object , a plane of the surface in relation to a z - axis of the laser be would be known . knowing the plane of the object , then subsequent procedures can use the plane as a reference plane for z - offset . also , the distance between two points may be calculated by detecting a first plasma spark at the surface of a first object , and detecting a second plasma spark at the surface of a second object . the detection of the first and second plasma spark may be detected by the methods described above . the z - axis coordinate of each plasma spark is then used the determined the distance between the surface of each object where the plasma spark is detected . by determining the alignment ( or tilt ) of a surface of an object in relation to a laser beam ( or z - axis of the laser beam ), a z - offset value may be utilized for subsequent laser system operations . for a particular x -, y - coordinate , the z - coordinate may be offset a particular distance to allow the focus of the laser beam to be at a plane parallel to the plane of the tilt of the object . in one embodiment , a software program commands a displacement of a focusing assembly of a laser system by writing a voltage to a digital / analog card . a z - galvo will in turn move the focusing assembly to the desired focal depth position based upon the commanded voltage by directing a current to the motor - driven focusing assembly . a linear encoder positioned within the laser system senses the linear movement of the focusing assembly . an intelligent controller interoperating with the host computer and software program utilizes a sensor to read an encoder strip attached to the focusing assembly . as the lens is moved into position , encoder feedback is provided by an intelligent controller and an actual focusing assembly position is obtained . to measure the z - gain , a second point needs to be measured . measurement of the z - gain may be achieved by utilizing a second object , such as glass that has a substantially planar top and bottom surface that are substantially parallel to one another . in one experiment , a 160 μm thick microscope slide was mounted against the contact glass of the aplanation lens contact plane . the slide was made out of borosilicate glass ( corning 0211 ) with a refractive index of 1 . 521 at 1060 nm . the flatness of the slide was measured . it had parallel top and bottom planar surface within ± 1 μm over the whole slide ( 22 × 22 mm ). the slide is pressed against the contact glass by slightly pushing from below with a rod and a round plastic screw head on top of it . this results in an air gap below the slide at the circle diameter of the closed pattern . the circular closed patterns are now cut like in the z - offset procedure except that the starting depth is set at 200 μm . this simulates focusing the laser beam into the corneal tissue . to correct for the human cornea ( n = 1 . 377 ), the 160 μm thick borosilicate glass corresponds to a 146 μm thick cornea layer . this was simulated with the winlase ™ 3 . 0 pro software using a gaussian beam with an f #= 1 . 48 focusing number of the objective lens . with the correction in place , the software is expected to report an offset of 146 μm if the z - offset was zeroed before a procedure . if the number is off , then the z - scale factor ( z - gain ) is off by the following amount : new z - scale factor =( 146 μm / measured offset )* old z - scale factor after correcting the z - scale factor in the laser system settings , the z - offset needs to be redone because it might not fall together with a o - voltage on the z - scanner and therefore can be affected by a gain change . another way to measure the position of a surface of an object relative to a laser beam is utilizing an interferometer . after measurement , the laser system may then account for variances of height dimensions of the object and set offset parameters for the focal depth . offset parameters in software allow canceling the effect of variances of height dimensions of the aplanation lens , thereby delivering consistent surgical depths . this method utilizes the curvature of the wave front of a laser reflected back from the glass surface of the aplanation lens . the curvature of the wave front is measured by an interferometer . there are two ways to relate fringe curvatures to focal depth . first , by knowing the geometry of the optics and the interferometer , the fringe patterns can be exactly calculated and related to focal depths . however this method would require a precise knowledge of the beam geometry . a second , more practical method is to calibrate the machine to measurable focal positions . this is the approach we followed with our implementation . in one implementation the machine is set to cut patterns in a glass sample at different depths while the interference patterns are simultaneously recorded . then the cutting depths in the sample are measured with the help of a microscope and related to the curvatures of the fringes as previously recorded . the interferometer utilizes a reference beam , which is split directly from the laser beam before entering the delivery system , and a measured beam , which passes through the delivery system . the reference beam is essentially a parallel beam . the measured beam is part of the laser beam that reflects back from the optical surface of the aplanation lens . the reflected beam retraces the optical path through the laser focusing optics and the scanner system in a backward direction . if the reflecting surface is at the focal point , then the back - reflected beam retraces the same path all the way through the delivery system and leaves it as a parallel beam . this beam can be interfered with a reference beam . in this case , both beams are parallel and they make an interference pattern with straight fringes . on the other hand , if the aplanation lens is out of focus , then the back - reflected beam does not trace the very same path backwards , and it leaves the delivery system as a convergent or divergent beam . convergent or divergent beams combined with parallel beams produce curved fringe patterns . the position information of the focus can be extracted from the interference pattern , essentially from the sign and magnitude of the curvature of the fringes . in one embodiment an image processing method is followed . a raw image is first captured then filtered and enhanced by convoluting the image with a spatially periodic kernel . this process smoothes imperfections of the image which are of random nature for example due to dust particles on the optics . at the same time the spatial periodicity of the kernel enhances the contrast of the interference pattern with the right periodicity . the next step of the image processing is edge detection by canny edge detection algorithm . ( canny , a . ( 1986 ) a computational approach to edge detection . ieee trans . pami , 8 : 769 - 698 .) the edge fragments are then analyzed . fragments shorter than a given length are discarded . the longer fragments are fitted with a polynomial curve . the second order coefficient of the polynomial gives the curvatures of the individual fringes . finally curvatures from individual fringes are averaged . in one embodiment , the interference pattern is captured by a video camera and frame capture software described above . the pattern may be analyzed by computer software . the curvature of the fringe pattern is extracted and the focal position calculated . to determine the focal position , when the fringe pattern has parallel beams , then the laser beam is focused . one way to determine how much the laser beam is out of focus , is the mass calibrate various curvatures of the fringe pattern and measure the focal distance . for example , a micrometer may be used to determine the various focal distance for a particular fringe curvature . for a particular fringe curvature , a focal depth value may be stored in a table . then for subsequent uses of the laser system , a particular fringe pattern curvature , may be determined and then looked up in the table to determine the focal position . alternatively , for the curvature behavior could be evaluated to determine an algorithm , such that for a particular fringe curve a focal position could be derived . various experiments were performed to determine the fringe patterns and the relation to the focus of the laser beam . in one experiment , the measured interference fringe pattern curved downwards . this is shown in fig5 a . the focus of the laser beam was found to be 20 μm above the contact plane of the aplanation lens . in another experiment , the measured interference fringe pattern formed straight lines . this is shown in fig5 b . the focus of the laser beam was found to be on the glass surface of the aplanation lens . in a third experiment , the measured fringe pattern curved upwards . this is shown in fig5 c . the focus of the laser beam was found to be 10 μm below the contact plane of the aplanation lens . measuring one point at the optical center of the field of view of the aplanation lens provides a z - offset number . this method may be used to measure three point measurements of the contact plane of the aplanation lens to determine the tilt of the focal plane . this interferometric method not only has the advantage of determining the focal point of a plane of an aplanation lens , but also may be used to detect laser beam distortions . some of these distortions may be i ) inherent to the design of the laser system optics , such as spherical and chromatic aberrations , ii ) coming from the laser , such as spatial chirp , iii ) distortions from component level aberrations , such as out of spec mirror flatness , or iv ) distortions due to system misalignment . if the measured focal position of the laser is outside of a pre - determined acceptable range , the laser system software may be configured to instruct the servo system to modify offset values for the z - axis focal position and then bring the laser system into an acceptable range . also , the software parameters for a surgical pattern may be configured to accommodate hardware offset and tilt of the laser focal plane relative to a surgical plane . another method to determine the depth of focus of a laser beam is utilizing a photo multiplier with band pass filter to monitor the nonlinear frequency signal generated by laser beam . the laser system computer monitors the dependence of the signal on depth of focal point . change in the signal indicates the interface between the lower surfaces of the aplanation glass and the cornea . nonlinear frequency conversion method is noninvasive . the depth calibration can be performed while the aplanation lens is docked on a patient &# 39 ; s eye thus reducing the error introduced by mechanical backlashes . this method is based on usage of different nonlinear effects in glass and the cornea to generate light at frequencies other than the frequency of the laser beam . the effects can include , but not be limited to , second harmonic generation , third harmonic generation , stimulated raman , white light generation and others . at laser beam intensities close to photodisruption threshold , conversion efficiencies of mentioned nonlinear processes are high enough to generate a detectable signal . these signals have quadratic or higher order dependence on input intensity and will be confined in space to the beam waist and will therefore increase the accuracy of interface detection . a photo multiplier with a band pass filter is attached to the laser system . the computer of the laser system monitors the dependence of the signal on focal point depth . a change in the signal indicates the interface between the lower surface of the aplanation lens and cornea . accuracy of better than 5 microns may be achieved . referring to fig6 , the method may be further described . fig6 is a graph illustrating dependence of second harmonic signal on beam waist position in pig eye where the positive sign on the depth axis corresponds to the position inside the cornea and the zero position corresponds to the cornea - glass interface . to determine the focal point of the laser beam at the interface of the aplanation lens and the cornea , one takes half the max of the signal . this is shown on the graph on at the point of 0 microns . if the focal spot moves out into the aplanation lens , then the signal decreases , if the focal point goes into the cornea , then the signal increases . this can be done because , with certain laser beams , such as a femtosecond mode - locked laser beam can be described by its confocal parameter . in other words , the laser beam has a focal point with a particular length range . it is when half the length of the focal point range is inside the cornea that the signal would be at the half max of the signal . in one experiment , the method was tested with an aplanation lens in contact with a pig eye . the energy level of laser was reduced to 0 . 2 □ j so that the fluence is below the optical damage threshold of the glass or pig eye , but high enough to generate second harmonic in cornea . while scanning the depth of the focal point , the intensity of second harmonic decreases by factor of 50 from cornea to glass interface . this enabled localization of the focal point at the cornea - glass interface with accuracy of better than +/− 5 . 0 microns . results are presented on fig6 in another experiment , the method was tested with an aplanation lens having a piece of plastic attached to the lens . the piece of plastic was used to simulate a cornea being in contact with the aplanation lens . the energy level of the laser system was reduced to 0 . 7 μj so that the fluence is below the optical damage of the glass , but high enough to generate white light . while scanning the depth of the focal point , the intensity of while light changes by factor of two from glass to plastic . this enable the localization of the focal spot position at the glass - plastic interference with an accuracy of 5 micron . the inventive systems and methods described above are well adapted for a system to determine the position and alignment of an aplanation lens in relation to a laser system . however , it shall be noted that the foregoing description is presented for purposes of illustration and description , and is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein . consequently , variations and modifications to the systems and processes commensurate with the above teachings and teaching of the relevant art are within the scope of the invention . these variations will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the relevant art and are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims . moreover , the embodiments described are further intended to explain the best modes for practicing the invention , and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such , or other , embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular applications or uses of the present invention . it is intended that the appending claims be construed to included alternative embodiments to the extent that it is permitted by the prior art . | 0 |
referring to fig1 the door lock with a clutch having a cam - styled axle sleeve of the present invention is comprised of an outer lock part 10 , an inner lock part 40 , a dead bolt 60 and a spring - loaded latch bolt 70 mounted together on a door panel 80 . wherein : referring to fig2 the outer lock part 10 is a housing with a suitable size , and is provided at suitable locations therein with screw studs and protruding blocks for screwing connecting and positioning of the remaining members . the outer lock part 10 is provided on the housing surface thereof with a handle 11 for rotating an inner rotation axle 13 ; when the rotation axle 13 is connected with the handle 11 , a spring 12 is provided between them for restoration of the handle 11 . the front and the rear portions of the rotation axle 13 are square stubs with different perimeters ; a pot - like member 131 flares out from the step like surface between the front and the rear portions ; the pot - like member 131 is provided thereon with a positioning notch 132 ; the front square stub with a smaller perimeter is provided on the end face thereof with a protruding post 133 ; a spring 14 and a cam - styled axle sleeve 15 are slipped over the front square stub . the axle hole 17 of the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 is a through hole ; the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 is provided at the middle section thereof externally with an engaging edge 16 to be engaged and controlled by a control device 20 provided above the rotation axle 13 . the control device 20 ( referring to fig3 ) is comprised of : a motor 21 , a gear 25 , an abutting block 27 , a pull rod 30 and a lid 23 . wherein the axle of the motor 21 is in the form of a screw rod 22 to be engaged with the gear 25 ; the gear 25 is provided on one side thereof with a recess for positioning a protruding block provided on the housing and is provided on the other side with an eccentric protruding block 26 for placing in a recess 28 on the abutting block 27 . the abutting block 27 is provided on the top thereof with a positioning groove 29 for positioning of the pull rod 30 ( on the abutting block 27 ) having on one end thereof a sheet 32 , on the other end thereof a positioning block 31 and being slipped thereover by a spring 33 . and the lid 23 with a pair of positioning bars 24 is locked in the housing . the abutting block 27 is provided on the top thereof with a positioning groove 29 for positioning of the pull rod 30 ( on the abutting block 27 ) having on one end thereof a sheet 32 , on the other end thereof a positioning block 31 and being slipped thereover by a spring 33 . and the lid 23 with a pair of positioning bars 24 is locked in the housing . the abutting block 27 is exactly abutted on the engaging edge 16 of the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 . and referring to fig2 the pull rod 30 extending out of the lid 23 is engaged with a protruding member 19 provided on a lock core rod of a locking member 18 , a circuit board 90 is added to receive the electronic signals to control rotation of the motor 21 . as shown in fig4 the inner lock part 40 has a size in coincidence with that of the housing of the outer lock part 10 , the housing is provided at locations therein with screw studs and protruding blocks for screwing connecting and positioning of the remaining members . the inner lock part 40 is provided on the housing surface thereof with a handle 41 for rotating an inner rotation axle 43 ; when the rotation axle 43 is connected with the handle 41 , a spring 42 is provided between them for restoration of the handle 41 . the front and the rear portions of the rotation axle 43 are in different shapes , the front portion in connecting with the handle 41 is a square stub ; while the rear portion is a round member which is provided in the center thereof with a recessed axle hole 44 , the axle hole 44 is inserted therein with a second rotation axle 46 which is provided on one end thereof with a recess 461 ( as shown in fig2 ). the round member on the rear portion of the rotation axle 43 is provided laterally with a protruding post 45 able to move an inner pull rod 47 which is provided on the other end thereof with an elongate slot 48 . the elongate slot 48 is to be slipped over a protruding post 50 provided on an axle seat 49 ; the axle seat 49 is provided thereon with a cross hole 51 which is provided on the inner end thereof with a cross mandrel 52 , and is further provided on the outer end thereof with an indicating disk 53 . the dead bolt 60 and the spring - loaded latch bolt 70 is mounted together on the door panel 80 when the present invention is connected with the door panel 80 , as shown in fig5 . the inner lock part 40 is mounted inside the door panel 80 , while the outer lock part 10 is mounted outside the door panel 80 opposite to the inner lock part 40 . the recess 461 on the end of the second rotation axle 46 linked up with the handle 41 of the inner lock part 40 is connected with the protruding post 133 on the end face of the rotation axle 13 linked up with the handle 11 of the outer lock part 10 , and the dead bolt 60 and the spring - loaded latch bolt 70 are both linked up with the inner lock part 40 ; the dead bolt 60 is controlled by the cross mandrel 52 , while the spring - loaded latch bolt 70 is controlled by the second rotation axle 46 ; the cross mandrel 52 is linked up with the rotation axle 43 through the inner pull rod 47 and thereby is synchronically controlled by the handle 41 . referring simultaneously to fig5 a , 5 b , and 5 c , when the dead bolt 60 and the spring - loaded latch bolt 70 are connected with each other , the abutting block 27 of the control device 20 tightly abuts against the engaging edge 16 of the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 to position the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 against moving . meanwhile , although the protruding post 133 of the rotation axle 13 is connected with the recess 461 on the end of the second rotation axle 46 , it is unable to move the second rotation axle 46 . concequently no matter clockwise or counterclockwise the handle 11 only swivel the rotation axle 13 but not move the second rotation axle 46 , and thereby the door panel 80 is unable to open . referring simultaneously to fig6 a , and 6 b , the locking member 18 can be a conventional lock with a lock hole for inserting therein of a key , the lock core rod connected on the rear end of the locking member 18 is provided in the middle thereof with the protruding member 19 ; when the key is rotated in the lock hole , the protruding member 19 of the lock core rod is rotated to move the pull rod 30 and move up the abutting block 27 to move forwards the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 ; the square axle hole 17 of the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 is slipped over the second rotation axle 46 to make the rotation axle 13 of the outer lock part 10 and the rotation axle 43 of the inner lock part 40 as an integral whole . when the handle 11 is pressed down , the rotation axle 13 , the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 , the second rotation axle 46 , and the rotation axle 43 are swiveled synchronically . the spring - loaded latch bolt 70 is moved by the second rotation axle 46 , and the protruding post 45 of the rotation axle 43 is linked up to move the inner pull rod 47 . so that the protruding post 50 restrained by the elongate slot 48 and the axle seat 49 linked up with the protruding post 50 are synchronically rotated therewith . the cross mandrel 52 inserted in the cross hole 51 is linked up with the dead bolt 60 which is contracted together with the spring - loaded latch bolt 70 into the door panel 80 to allow easy opening of the door panel 80 . and the indicating disk 53 provided exteriorly of the inner lock part 40 and slipped over the cross hole 51 is rotated too , thereby , a person can be aware by visual viewing of the state of opening / closing . the outer lock part 10 and the inner lock part 40 are provided with spring leaves 101 , 401 , and the rotation axles 13 , 43 linked up with the handles 11 , 41 are provided on the exterior peripheries respectively thereof with positioning notches 132 , 431 . by virtue that the springs 12 , 42 are respectively provided between the rotation axles 13 , 43 and the handles 11 , 41 , the rotation axles 13 , 43 will be rebounded respectively by the springs 12 , 42 and are positioned respectively by the positioning notches 132 , 431 and the spring leaves 101 , 401 to restore the handles 11 , 41 to their original positions . referring to fig7 going outdoors needs only to press down the handle 41 . because the dead bolt 60 and the spring - loaded latch bolt 70 on the door panel 80 are directly controlled by the second rotation axle 46 and the cross mandrel 52 respectively , and these two are synchronically linked up by the rotation axle 43 , the door panel 80 can be opened by pressing down the handle 41 . in any emergency situation such as conflagration or earthquake the door panel 80 can be opened easily as described above . to lock the door panel 80 from the outdoors , the locking member 18 is inserted with a key for turning , and the protruding member 19 of the lock core rod is rotated to move the abutting block 27 , and further move forwards the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 to make integral of the rotation axle 13 with the second rotation axle 46 ; then the handle 11 is pulled to swivel to make reversion of the rotation axle 13 , the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 , the second rotation axle 46 and the rotation axle 43 so that the dead bolt 60 can be extended out of the door panel 80 and lock the latter . to lock the door panel 80 from the indoors , it needs only to pull up the handle 41 , such as is shown in fig8 to make reversion of the rotation axle 43 to move the second rotation axle 46 and the cross mandrel 52 to thereby extend the dead bolt 60 out of the door panel 80 . the control device 20 of the present invention not only can render the locking member 18 to control raising and lowering of the abutting block 27 manually , but also can be added with an electric circuit board 90 to automatically control the motor 21 to render the screw rod 22 of the motor 21 to move the gear 25 ; the eccentric protruding block 26 of the gear 25 can thereby move the abutting block 27 , so that the cam - styled axle sleeve 15 can be positioned and moved forwards . there are many ways to control the electric circuit board 90 , for example , it can be automatically controlled by an externally connected card reader , code reader or a remote control etc ., so that the door can be opened in a more convenient and safer way . the locking member 18 of the present invention is provided on one side of the outer lock part 10 and is quite close to the door frame ; the distance between the outer lock part 10 and the door frame is less than 2 cm ; the key for the locking member 18 is in the shape of “ l ” to provide theft - proofing because it is hard to be pried with a tool or a master key . the door lock with a clutch having a cam - styled axle sleeve of the present invention has the following advantages : 1 . the present invention is provided with a device as a clutch which is composed of a control device and a cam - styled axle sleeve to be able to control integration of rotation axles and in turn to control opening / closing of a door lock practically . 2 . the dead bolt and the spring - loaded latch bolt of the present invention are directly or indirectly linked up with the rotation axle of the inner lock part , so that the handle of the inner lock part can be directly pressed down to open the door in any situation , which help opening the door for fleeing in an emergency . 3 . the inner lock part is provided with an indicating disk to indicate the state of whether the dead bolt is locked with different colors or signs so it is very convenient in awareness the state . in conclusion , the door lock with a clutch having a cam - styled axle sleeve of the present invention has a brand - new component arrangement and evidently improved function in relating to the door lock devices used presently . all modifications and variations to the invention that would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the above description and the appended claims . | 8 |
referring to fig1 , a user computer 100 running client software is connected over a communications link 102 to web servers , such as web server 140 . web servers are linked ( statically or dynamically ) to data stores , such as data store 142 , containing web pages , such as page 144 . the client software ( which may include one or more separate programs , as well as plug - in modules and operating system extensions ) typically displays information on a display device such as a monitor 104 and receives user input from a keyboard ( not shown ) and a cursor positioning device such as a mouse 106 . the computer 100 is generally programmed so that movement by a user of the mouse 106 results in corresponding movement of a displayed cursor graphic on the display 104 . the programming of computer 100 includes an interface 108 that receives position information from the mouse 106 and provides it to applications programs running on computer 100 . among such applications programs are a web browser 110 , and a pdf viewer 120 . also running on computer 100 is a web page integrator 135 , which may be part of the pdf viewer 120 . in response to a request from the user , the pdf viewer may request the web page integrator 135 to retrieve , from one or more web servers ( such as web server 140 ), an initial document specified by a url supplied by the user , and other documents which are linked , directly or indirectly , to the initial document . when the requested documents are retrieved , the web page integrator integrates them into a single pdf document , which is then displayed by the pdf viewer 120 . the pdf document which is displayed by the pdf viewer may have hypertext links to web pages , as well as to internal pages within the pdf document . when the user selects a hypertext link in the pdf document , e . g ., with the mouse , if the link is to a page within the pdf document , that page is displayed by the pdf viewer . however , if the hypertext link is to a web page , that page is either displayed by the browser , or integrated into the pdf document and displayed by the pdf viewer , depending on a mode set by the user . fig1 , 12 a , and 12 b are a flowchart of a method of incorporating web pages into a single paginated document , which will be described as implemented in a programmed computer system . first , the system queries the user to provide the name of an existing pdf document , or a url along with web traversal criteria ( step 200 ). if the user provides the name of a pdf document , the document becomes the “ target document ” ( step 210 ). the target document is displayed in the pdf viewer and user input is awaited ( step 220 ). if the user provides a url with web traversal criteria , then a new , empty , pdf document is created . this document becomes the target document . parameters of the target document are set which specify a target width and a target height of pages within the document ( collectively the “ target size ” of the document ), according to either a default value or input from the user . then , the routine fetchandincorporate is called , which incorporates a starting document specified by the url , as well as other documents which are linked to the starting document and which satisfy the web traversal criteria , into the target document ( step 230 ). the target document is then displayed by the pdf viewer and the system waits for user input ( step 220 ). the pages of the target document are normally displayed in their target size , i . e ., the size of the pages as specified in their pdf encoding . upon request of the user , however , the pages may be displayed in their “ natural size .” by the “ natural size ” of a page we mean a size having the same aspect ratio as the target size , but having a width equal to the greater of the target width and the minimum width required to display in a browser the web page from which the page was incorporated . if the user selects a hypertext link ( step 235 ), then , and referring now to fig1 a , the link is examined to determine whether it points to a document which has already been incorporated into the target document ( step 240 ), and if so , the page of the target document corresponding to the previously incorporated document is displayed by the pdf viewer ( step 250 ). otherwise , the value of a user - settable flag incorporate ? is checked ( step 260 ) and one of the following steps is taken . if the incorporate ? flag is false , the url specified by the hypertext link is provided to a standard web browser program with instructions to display the document corresponding to the url ( step 270 ). if the incorporate ? flag is true , fetchandincorporate is called with the url , and with web traversal criteria specifying that only the document associated with the url be retrieved ( step 280 ). this results in the creation of one or more pages in the target document corresponding to the document specified by the url . the first of these pages is then displayed by the pdf viewer ( step 290 ). referring again to fig1 , if the user requests submission of a form contained within the target document ( step 300 ), then , and referring to fig1 a , the contents of the form are submitted to the appropriate server ( step 310 ). any web document received from the server in response to the form submission is either displayed in the web browser ( step 330 ) or incorporated into the target document by the procedure converttopdf ( described in more detail below ) and displayed by the pdf viewer ( step 340 ), according to the value of the integrate ? flag ( step 320 ). referring again to fig1 , the following steps are taken if the user selects a point on a server - side image map within the target document ( step 350 ). it should be noted that a server - side image map is an image displayed in a browser such that if the user selects any point within the image using a pointing device such as a mouse , the coordinates of that point within the image are submitted to a specified server , which responds by transmitting a document back to the browser . first , and referring now to fig1 b , the coordinates selected by the user are divided by the value of a variable scalingfactor associated with the currently displayed page ( step 360 ). scalingfactor indicates the amount , if any , by which the dimensions of the original server - side image map were reduced in order to fit it on a page within the target document . the resulting coordinate values are then transmitted to the server ( step 360 ), and , according to the value of the incorporate ? flag ( step 370 ), the document transmitted back by the server is either displayed by the web browser ( step 380 ), or is incorporated into the target document and displayed by the pdf viewer ( step 390 ). referring again to fig1 , if the user requests deletion of a page from the target document ( step 400 ), then , and referring now to fig1 b , the page is deleted ( step 410 ), and all hypertext links within the document which had pointed to that page are reset to be external links ( step 420 ). when the user request has been processed , control returns to step 220 , where further requests from the user are awaited . fig1 is a flowchart showing the steps of the routine fetchandincorporate , which retrieves a collection of documents linked from a given url into the target document . first , the url is placed on a list of pending urls ( step 500 ). then , the list is checked to determine whether any of the urls on it is valid , according to criteria specified by the user ( step 510 ). one web traversal criterion which may be specified by the user is a maximum depth criterion . this criterion limits the depth of recursive calls to fetchandincorporate , and thus limits the “ link distance ” between the initially retrieved document and subsequently retrieved documents to be incorporated into the target document . another criterion that may be specified by the user is a “ stay on server ” criterion . when this criterion is set , only documents with urls indicating the same server as the initially retrieved document are retrieved . another criterion that may be set by the user is a “ same path ” criterion . when this criterion is set , only documents with urls indicating the same file system directory ( or subdirectories of that directory ) as the initially retrieved document are retrieved . if there are valid urls on the list , the document identified by the first valid url on this list is retrieved by calling the routine fetchdoc ( step 520 ). fetchdoc returns either a set of pages from the target document , or a document retrieved from a web server with zero or more associated auxiliary documents . if fetchdoc returns pages from the target document ( step 530 ), this indicates that the requested document has already been incorporated into the target document , and the routine continues at step 560 . if fetchdoc returns a document containing pdf pages from a web server , those pages are appended to the end of the target document ( step 540 ). if fetchdoc returns a non - pdf document ( possibly with associated auxiliary documents ) from a web server , the routine converttopdf is called ( step 550 ). converttopdf takes as arguments a non - pdf document and its auxiliary documents and creates corresponding pdf pages which are appended to the target document . next , all of the urls referenced by the hypertext links in the documents returned by fetchdoc are added to the list of pending urls ( step 560 ), and control returns to step 510 . in this manner , all documents linked to the target documents , and all documents linked to those documents , and so forth , are retrieved , subject to the web traversal criteria specified by the user . we use the term “ transitively linked ” to describe two documents for which there is a series of one or more links connecting them . if at any time the list of pending urls contains no valid urls , hypertext links within the target document are modified so those hypertext links linking to documents which have been incorporated into the target document ( referred to here as “ internal links ”), now point to the corresponding page in the target document , rather than to the corresponding html document from the web ( step 570 ). the original link information ( i . e ., the url pointing to a web based data resource ) is , however , retained . in the event that the internal link becomes invalid ( e . g ., if the page to which it points is deleted from the target document ), the original link information can be used to access data from the web . fig1 is a flowchart showing the steps taken by the routine fetchdoc . the specified url is checked to see whether it corresponds to a document from the web that has already been incorporated into a page of the target document ( step 600 ). a url may so correspond because it refers to a document that was previously incorporated as a page of the target document , or because it was previously discovered to be equivalent , as explained in more detail below , to a url which refers to a document that was incorporated into a page of the target document . if so , the corresponding pages from the target document are returned ( step 610 ). if not , the requested document ( referred to here as the “ primary document ”) is retrieved from the web server ( step 620 ). the primary document is scanned , and the urls of all auxiliary documents ( if any ) to be included in the display of the primary document are noted ( step 630 ). in the case of an html document that is not a frame set , the auxiliary documents may include image documents . in the case of a frame set , these auxiliary documents include documents that provide the content of frames . for each url referring to an auxiliary document , if the auxiliary document is an image document , it is determined whether the url refers to a document that has already been retrieved into pages of the target document . this is done by comparing the url to a list of urls referencing image documents previously incorporated into the target document . a url may appear on this list because it refers to an image document that was previously incorporated into the target document , or because it was previously discovered to be equivalent , as explained in more detail below , to a url which refers to an image document that was previously incorporated into the target document . if so , indirect object references to the corresponding images are retrieved from the target document ( step 640 ). otherwise , the auxiliary document identified by the url is retrieved from the web ( step 640 ). for each auxiliary document retrieved from the web , a numerical “ digest ” is created using a non - linear digesting algorithm such as the md5 digest algorithm described in the document rfc 1321 , the md5 message digest algorithm , published by the internet engineering task force ( step 650 ). the digest created by applying md5 to the document is a numerical value that is exceedingly unlikely to be produced by applying md5 to a different document . it thus serves as a virtually unique identifying “ signature ” for the document . for each auxiliary document which is an image document , the digest value is compared to digest values for documents which have been previously incorporated into pages of the target document . if a match is found , the retrieved image document is discarded , an indirect object reference to the image is retrieved from the target document instead , and the url for the auxiliary document is placed in an equivalence class with the url associated with the matched image ( step 660 ). optionally , the urls in an equivalence class may be marked with expiration dates , indicating that they are to be removed from the equivalence class after that date . this may be done so that urls that refer to resources likely to change over time do not become “ stale ”. it should be noted that it is common on the web for lexicographically distinct urls to point to the same or identical content . by using numerical digests , space is saved by avoiding the incorporation of duplicate pages and images into the target document . once all of the auxiliary documents have been retrieved ( either from the web or as indirect references to previously incorporated content in the target document , a new digest is created by applying the digest algorithm to the concatenation of the digests of all of the auxiliary documents with the contents of the primary document ( step 670 ). the resulting “ composite digest ” is the digest of the primary document . the use of a composite digest of the primary document rather than a simple digest ( i . e ., a digest of the contents of the primary document only ) provides the advantage of distinguishing between primary documents which are textually identical but nonetheless result in the display of different content . for example , an auxiliary document in an html document may be specified as a relative reference . that is , the url may specify a document name without specifying , for instance , a server name or a directory name . such a relative reference is interpreted as a reference to a document in the same directory and on the same server as the document from which the reference is made . thus two primary documents having identical relative references to auxiliary documents may actually reference different auxiliary documents if they are found on different hosts . primary documents that are textually identical may also appear differently to the viewer if they are retrieved at different times . this is because the contents of any auxiliary documents referenced by the document may have changed over time . use of a composite digest allows the content of both the primary document and its auxiliary documents to be efficiently compared with existing target document pages before the decision is made whether to treat the primary document as duplicative of those pages . the compound digest of the primary document is then checked to see if it corresponds to the digest of any web document previously incorporated as a page or pages of the target document ( step 680 ). if so , the primary document is discarded , the pages of the target document corresponding to the previously incorporated web document are returned , and the url for the primary document is placed in an equivalence class with the url associated with the matched previously incorporated document ( step 660 ). otherwise , the primary document is returned , along with its associated auxiliary documents ( step 700 ). fig1 is a flowchart showing the steps of the routine converttopdf . converttopdf takes as arguments a non - pdf document and its auxiliary documents . first , the primary document is checked to see if it is an html document ( step 800 ). if it is not ( i . e ., it is some other type of document such as an image document ), then it is incorporated into the target document using ordinary techniques ( step 810 ). if the primary document is an html document , the primary document and auxiliary documents are parsed into a parse tree of screen objects ( e . g ., document bodies , tables , lists , images , and paragraphs ), using standard parsing techniques ( step 820 ). such techniques are described , for example , in aho & amp ; ullman , principles of compiler design , addison - wesley , 1977 . next , a layoutregion data structure is created . the layoutregion data structure represents a fixed width stripe through a specific pdf document . the layoutregion also includes a pointer cury , which specifies the current vertical position within the document at which layout is to take place . the layoutregion also contains page size information , indicating the width and height of pdf pages to which it refers . the layoutregion also contains a list of so - called “ floating images ” that are defined to occupy a fixed vertical location at either the left or the right edge of the layoutregion , and around which other screen objects flow . fig1 shows schematically a layout region 830 that has been used to lay out several lines of text 840 and to place four images 850 in two successive pdf pages 860 . referring again to fig1 , the layoutregion is created so that cury points to the bottommost edge of the last existing page of the target document . by convention , any pdf screen object placed at this location will appear at the very top of the following page . the left and right extents of the layoutregion are set equal to the desired width of pages within the target document . the page height and width information is set equal to the page dimensions of the target document ( step 870 ). next , the routine layoutelement is called . the routine layoutelement takes as arguments an html screen object ( e . g ., a frame set , a table , a document , a paragraph , or an image ), a layoutregion , and a flag renderpdf ?. layoutelement returns the dimensions , i . e ., width and height , actually required to layout the screen object . when renderpdf ? is true , layoutelement also attempts to create content within the target document corresponding to the html object . this process is explained in more detail below . layoutelement is initially called with the newly created parse tree of the primary html document and its auxiliary documents , the newly created layoutregion , and a renderpdf ? value of false as arguments ( step 880 ). when renderpdf ? is false , layoutelement calculates the minimum width and height required to completely display all of the screen objects specified within the parse tree at their normal size . we refer to the width as the “ logical minimum width ” of the html object represented by the parse tree . the width value returned by layoutelement is then compared to the target width of the target document ( step 890 ). if the returned width value is less than or equal to the width of the target pdf pages , then the variable scalingfactor is set equal to one ( step 900 ), and the value of cury in the layoutregion is reset to equal the bottom edge of the last page of the target document ( step 910 ). if the width value returned by layoutelement is greater than the width of the target pdf pages , the following steps are taken . scalingfactor is computed by dividing the target width of the target document by the returned width value ( step 920 ). if scalingfactor is greater than about 0 . 7 ( step 930 ), a new layoutregion is created in which page height and width are defined to equal the page dimensions of the target pdf pages divided by scalingfactor , cury is set to point to the bottom edge of the last page of the target document , and the width of the layoutregion is set equal to the newly defined page width ( step 940 ). if scalingfactor is less than about 0 . 7 , a flag landscapeview ? is set to true . a new scalingfactor is recomputed by dividing the target height of target document by the returned width value . if the resulting value is greater than one it is set equal to one . a new layoutregion is then created in which page height and width are defined equal to the complementary page dimension ( i . e ., height for width and vice versa ) divided by scalingfactor , cury is set to point to the bottom edge of the last page of the target document , and the width of the layoutregion is set to the newly defined page width ( step 950 ). in another embodiment , the user may specify the value of the threshold at which the landscapeview ? flag is set to true , and may also specify that the landscapeview ? flag is never set to true . next , layoutelement is called again , this time with the parse tree , the newly created layoutregion , and a renderpdf ? value of true . the pdf pages produced by the call to layoutelement are then all scaled by the scalingfactor to convert them to the size of pages in the target document . the scalingfactor is stored with each page for future reference . for example , if the user requests that the pdf page be displayed at its “ natural size ”, the dimensions of the pdf page are divided by scalingfactor to restore the page to its natural size . if landscapeview ? is true , then each of the pdf pages produced by the call to layoutelement is also rotated by 90 degrees ( step 960 ). converttopdf then exits ( step 970 ). fig1 , 17 a and 17 b are a flowchart showing the steps taken by the routine layoutelement . first , the variable minwidth is made equal to the width of the layoutregion , and the pointer starty is assigned the value of cury ( step 1000 ). next , the type of the html object represented by the parse tree is determined . if the object is a unstructured content object ( i . e ., an object composed solely of text and images without internal structure , such as a paragraph , a form element , or a heading ) ( step 1010 ), layoutelement computes the logical minimum width of the object by determining the width of the widest element within the object ( i . e ., the widest word or image ); if this width is greater than minwidth , then minwidth is set to the width ( step 1020 ). if renderpdf ? is true , then the object is placed into the target document at the position pointed to by cury . it should be noted that the object as displayed may take up multiple lines on the page . for example , if the object is a paragraph of text , the text will be placed so as to fill the current line , and continue onto additional lines , placing as many words as possible onto each line . if placing the object at the position pointed to by cury would place part of the object past the end of the current page , then it is determined whether an additional pdf page exists in the target document below the position indicated by cury . if no such page exists , it is created . if the object is small enough to be placed in its entirety on the additional page , this is done . otherwise the object is placed across the page boundary , making sure not to place characters or images across the page boundary if possible . the pointer cury is then incremented to point to the location immediately below the placed object ( step 1030 ). notwithstanding the value of renderpdf ?, the value of cury is then incremented by the height of the object ( step 1040 ). the value of minwidth , and the difference between cury and starty are then returned , representing the actual dimensions of the screen object ( step 1050 ). if the object is a list or list - like object ( e . g ., a menu , an ordered list , or a directory list ) or the body of a simple document ( i . e ., not a frame set ) ( step 1060 ), then the following steps are taken . for each element of the list or screen object within the body of the document , the routine layoutelement is called , with the list element or document screen object , the current layoutregion , and the value of renderpdf ? as arguments . for each such call , if the returned width value is greater than minwidth , minwidth is set to that value ( step 1070 ). after all such elements or screen objects have been processed in this way , the value of minwidth and the difference between cury and starty are returned ( step 1080 ). if the object is a table ( step 1090 ), the following steps are taken . referring now to fig1 a , the widths of the table columns are set so as to equal in total minwidth ( step 1110 ). the relative width of each column is determined according to html table configuration information provided with the html table markup . then , for each row in the table , starting with the first row ( step 1120 ), each of the cells that start within the row are processed sequentially ( left to right ) as follows . a new layoutregion is created with the current value of cury , and the current page size , but with left and right borders determined by the leftmost and rightmost extents of the columns to be occupied by the cell . layoutelement is then called with the contents of the cell , the new layoutregion , and the value of renderpdf ? as arguments ( step 1130 ). after all of the cells in a row have been so processed , the following steps are taken : cury is set to the point below the tallest of the cells in the row ( including any cells with a rowspan greater than one which terminate in the current row ). then , the width of the row ( defined as the sum of the width values returned by layoutelement for all cells occupying the row ) is computed ( step 1140 ), and processing of the next row begins at step 1130 . after all rows have been processed in this way ( step 1150 ), the value of minwidth is compared to the width of each row , and if the width of the widest row is greater than minwidth , then minwidth is set equal to the width of that row ( step 1160 ). the value of minwidth and the difference between cury and starty are returned ( step 1170 ). referring again to fig1 , if the object is a frame set , the following steps are taken . referring now to fig1 b , for each frame in the top level frameset , a tentative width and position is determined , based on the value of minwidth and the frame width information specified in the frameset . for example , if the top level frame set defines horizontal frames , the tentative width of each frame would be minwidth . if the top level frame set defines vertical frames , then the tentative widths of each frame would be determined by dividing up the width specified by minwidth according to the relative widths of the frames as specified in the frame set . then , for each frame in the top level frame set , a new layoutregion is created having the existing page size , and the tentative width and position of the frame , with cury set to point to the top edge of the frame ( step 1190 ). then , if the top level frame set contains horizontal frames ( step 1200 ), the following steps are taken . for each top level frame in the frame set starting with the first such frame ( step 1210 ), layoutelement is called , with the contents of the frame , the newly created layoutregion and renderpdf ? as arguments ( step 1220 ). after each such call , the value of cury is incremented by the height value returned by layoutelement ( step 1230 ). if the width value returned by any call to layoutelement is greater than minwidth ( step 1240 ), then minwidth is set to that value , cury is reset to equal starty ( step 1250 ), and the process begins anew at step 1190 . after all frames in the top level frame set have been so processed ( step 1260 ), the value of minwidth and the difference between cury and starty are returned ( step 1270 ). if the frames in the top level frame set are vertical frames ( step 1200 ), the following steps are taken . for each top level frame in the frame set , layoutelement is called with the contents of the frame , the newly created layoutregion and the value of renderpdf ? as arguments ( step 1280 ). after each top level frame has been so processed , the sum of the widths returned by each of these calls to layoutelement is tested ( step 1290 ). if this sum is greater than minwidth , then minwidth is set equal to the sum of the widths ( step 1300 ) and the process begins anew at step 1190 . otherwise , cury is incremented by the greatest of the height values returned by the calls to layoutelement ( step 1310 ), and the value of minwidth and the difference between cury and starty are returned ( step 1320 ). fig1 - 21 illustrate the result of applying the present method to an html document . shown in fig1 is the display in a web browser of an html document consisting of two frames 1410 and 1420 . although frame 1410 roughly fits within the browser window , frame 1420 extends beyond the bottom edge of the browser window and may be viewed by using the slider to reposition the frame within the window , as illustrated in fig1 . fig2 and 21 show the set of pdf pages that are produced by applying the present method to the html document shown in fig1 and 19 . as can be seen , frame 1410 , which is small enough to fit on a single page , is shown on page 1440 , along with the initial part of frame 1420 . on pages 1450 and 1460 , the remaining parts of frame 1420 are displayed . note that the width of frame 1420 is equal to the width of graphic 1430 , the screen object with the widest logical width within the frame . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . for example , the order of steps of the invention may be changed . the user computer may be a single - user or a multi - user platform , or it may be an embedded computer , such as in a consumer television , personal digital assistant , internet surfing , or special - purpose appliance product . the web pages may reside on a wide area network , on a local area network , or on a single file system . the target document may be an unpaginated document having a fixed width . the target document may be a paginated document with variable width pages . the web pages need not be coded in html , but may be in any semantic markup language . the target document need not be coded in pdf , but may be in any physical markup language . while specific embodiments have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited to the above described embodiments , but instead is defined by the claims which follow , along with their full scope of equivalents . | 8 |
the invention will now be described in terms of its preferred embodiments . these embodiments set forth to aid in the understanding of the invention , but are not to be construed as limiting . throughout the specification , percentages are by weight percent and temperatures are ° c ., unless noted otherwise . one inventive aspect of the subject invention is the production of high potency ( generally from about 30 to about 90 weight percent ) fat - soluble vitamins ( such as a , d , e and k ) in the form of dry powders and / or beadlets . these vitamin powders and / or beadlets can be prepared by ( 1 ) emulsifying vitamin oils ( such as vitamins a , d , e or k ) in a polymeric solution ( such as a cellulose or cellulose derivative ), ( 2 ) dispersing vitamins ( present as crystals ) in a polymeric solution to form a suspension , or ( 3 ) dissolving and / or diluting fat - soluble vitamins in oil , then emulsifying the vitamin - oil solution in a polymeric solution to form an emulsion . typically , the polymeric solution will be an aqueous solution . then , after the emulsifying , dispersing , dissolving and / or diluting , the emulsion or suspension is heated to a polymeric setting temperature ( typically greater than 50 ° c .) under mixing conditions to produce primary particles ( e . g ., microcapsules and / or microspheres ). alternatively , the polymer can be cross - linked . in each of these three above scenarios , the oleophilic substance is present as a liquid during at least a portion of the processing time , and typically throughout processing . for ease in describing the subject invention , emulsifying , dispersing , dissolving and diluting will collectively be referred to as &# 34 ; incorporating .&# 34 ; the term &# 34 ; mixing conditions &# 34 ; refers to a state of imparted movement , such as that associated with stirring , shaking , agitating , jumbling , etc ., which is vigorous enough to cause the emulsion or suspension to solidify as particles . mixing conditions are readily determined by a skilled artisan who has read the present specification using known techniques , for example , by using an anchor stirrer , homogenizers , colloidal mills , microfluidizers , sonicators , or impellers ( mechanical stirring ). particle size can be varied by changing the amount of imparted movement . for example , slow stirring will generally produce a larger particle size than will fast stirring . the examples which follow provide ample guidance for one skilled in the art to determine appropriate mixing conditions without undue experimentation . microcapsules are formed by a single encapsulation , whereas microspheres are conglomerates of multi - oil droplets embedded in a spherical or sphere - like matrix . the term &# 34 ; primary particle &# 34 ; as used herein refers to micro - and / or macro - particles produced by either heat inducing ( setting ), coacervating or cross - linking a polymer - containing emulsification . for convenience , cross - linking , coacervating and thermal setting will collectively be referred to as &# 34 ; solidifying .&# 34 ; theoretically , preparation of oleophilic substances in a primary polymer - containing solution to form an emulsion or suspension can be performed at any temperature . however , the practical temperature range for this step depends on the nature of polymer chosen . for example , in preparing an hpmc emulsion , the preferred temperature should be between room temperature and no higher than 60 ° c . the skilled artisan is readily able to determine an acceptable temperature range based on the components chosen . the solidification step for making the primary particles is physically determined by the mechanism and process temperature . for instance , if solidification is caused by cross - linking , such as with an alginate emulsion cross - linking with calcium ions , temperature may not be critical . that is , processing can be effected at any temperature . however , when hpmc is chosen as the main polymer for the primary particles , and heating is the main mechanism utilized to make primary particles , temperature becomes important and must be maintained at about 60 ° c . throughout the whole process . again , these parameters are determinable to the skilled artisan , having read the present disclosure . primary particles may then be further encapsulated with a secondary and / or tertiary ( depending on whether the primary particles are microcapsules or microspheres ) polymeric layer by the addition of a second polymer to the suspension followed by solidifying the second polymer ( such as cross - linking by adding a cation , or by changing the ph ) to form a secondary particle . the term &# 34 ; secondary particle &# 34 ; as used herein refers to a primary particle which has been further encapsulated or coated . the term &# 34 ; encapsulated &# 34 ; also includes the term &# 34 ; coated &# 34 ;. of course , multiple primary particles ( at least 2 ) may be encapsulated or coated to form a single secondary particle . although the current method of production first solidifies the primary polymers by heating to form the primary particles and then simply coats or chemically cross - links the secondary polymers to form the secondary particles , alternate methods of solidifying may be utilized . additionally , further encapsulations of the secondary particles , such as coating or polymerization around the secondary particles , may be effected . secondary and tertiary polymers are typically celluloses ( e . g ., methylcellulose or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ), cellulose derivatives ( e . g ., hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate ), alginates ( e . g ., sodium alginate or propylene glycol alginate ), modified starches ( e . g ., pregelatinized corn starch or hydroxypropyl starch ), calcium lactate , gelatins ( e . g ., fish gelatin ), maltodextrins ( e . g ., dextrin having about 18 dextrose equivalent value , d . e .= 18 ), or acacias . the final mixture may be sprayed dried or processed by any suitable drying techniques to powder or beadlet form which has high potency , is dry and free - flowing , and is suitable for tableting or encapsulation within soft or hard gelatin capsules . such powders may also be used in food , animal feed , or other pharmaceutical applications , such as premix , suspension and emulsion . the addition of secondary and / or tertiary polymer onto the primary particles is based on the same principle as described above . the proper temperatures , ph ranges , and ionic strengths for adding the second and / or third polymer varies depending on the types of materials and mechanisms used . high potency vitamin e acetate using methocel e 15lv as the primary polymer , sodium alginate as the second polymer , and hpmc 6 cps as the tertiary polymer ______________________________________ingredients formula i a formula i b______________________________________vitamin e acetate 75 + 2 % overage . sup . 1 75 + 2 % overage . sup . 1 methocel e 15lv . sup . 2 13 . 0 20 . 0 kelton lv / cacloride . sup . 3 2 . 0 2 . 0 ratio 1 : 0 . 5 hpmc , 6 cps . sup . 4 10 . 0 3 . 0______________________________________ . sup . 1 overage is standard in the industry to ensure that the final product contains at least the given percentage . therefore , a 2 % overage was added . . sup . 2 methocel e15lv refers to a special grade of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose manufactured by dow chemical co . . sup . 3 keltone lv refers to the trade name for sodium alginate from the kelco , division of merck & amp ; co . inc . . sup . 4 hpmc , 6 cps refers to hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 2910 ; such as that manufactured by shietsu co . (&# 34 ; pharmacoat 606 &# 34 ;). &# 34 ; cps &# 34 ; is the viscosity unit &# 34 ; centiopoise ,&# 34 ; is commonly referred to in the industry , an is referenced throughout the specification . 1 . sodium alginate solution ( 5 % w / w ) was prepared in a 2 liter ( l ) beaker as follows : ______________________________________preparation of 5 % sodium alginate stirrer time temperature speed ( min .) (° c .) ( rpm ) amount comments______________________________________0 20 1 . 27 l add water to beaker and stir 5 20 1200 66 . 7 g add sodium alginate 25 2000 heat suspension to 70 ° c ., and maintain temperature and agitation until the solution is used______________________________________ 2 . calcium chloride solution ( 5 % by weight ) was prepared in a 1 l beaker as follows : ______________________________________preparation of 5 % calcium chloride time temperature ( min .) (° c .) stirrer amount comments______________________________________0 -- 0 . 633 l add water to beaker 1 on 33 . 3 g add calcium chloride 2 22 on stir and maintain temperature at 70 ° c . until used______________________________________ 3 . hpmc , 6 cps solution ( 12 % by weight ) was prepared in a 5 l beaker as follows : ______________________________________12 % hpmc , 6 cps stirrer time temperature speed ( min .) (° c .) ( rpm ) amount comments______________________________________0 21 2 . 45 l add water to beaker and heat to 90 ° c . 32 90 1000 0 . 5 kg slowly add hpmc 6 cps powder with agitation 52 86 200 addition completed remove heating source 82 91 1000 1 . 22 l rapidly add cold water ( rapid cooling ) cool to room temperature while maintaining gentle agitation until use______________________________________ 4 . methocel e15lv solution ( 10 %) was prepared using the same procedure as described in step 3 . essentially , methocel e15lv was dispersed in 90 ° c . water , stirred and then uniformly dissolved in the water while the temperature was cooled . 5 . vitamin e acetate ( an oil ) was added to the methocel solution according to the above formula , and homogenized using a colloidal mill until an emulsion having the smallest possible oil droplet size was reached . although average droplet size tends to vary , droplets less than about 3 μm in diameter are satisfactory for most uses . typically , average droplets range between about 0 . 5 and 1 μm in diameter , even though smaller diameters are generally preferred . ( during emulsification , a cooling system was applied to maintain the temperature at approximately 25 ° c .). 6 . the emulsion was then heated to about 80 - 90 ° c . while mixing slowly ( at about 200 r . p . m .) with an anchor stirrer . 7 . warm ( 70 ° c .) 5 % alginate solution was then added and the mixture was mixed slowly ( at about 200 revolutions per minute ( r . p . m .) with an anchor stirrer ) while maintaining temperature above 70 ° c . 8 . the mixture was maintained at about 70 ° c . for approximately 15 minutes , and then cross - linked by adding 5 % calcium chloride solution . 9 . hpmc 6 cps 12 % solution at room temperature ( rt ) was added in small aliquots while maintaining the temperature above 70 ° c . 10 . water was then added to adjust viscosity to less than about 2 , 000 cps ( in this particular instance 1 , 000 cps ) for spray drying . a specific vitamin e emulsion was prepared in a fryma processing unit ( homogenizer , different types of mixers , and cooling and heating system ) manufactured by fryma , inc ., as follows : __________________________________________________________________________preparation of the vitamin e emulsion and suspensiontime temp . anchor colloidal ( min .) (° c .) stirrer mill dissolver amount comments__________________________________________________________________________0 26 on -- -- 6 . 5 kg add 10 % methocel solution to vessel 10 26 -- -- -- 3 . 83 kg add vitamin e acetate to above solution 18 27 on on on start emulsification 23 on on on sample 1 : particle size of oil droplets 790 nm 28 on on on sample 2 : particle size of oil droplets 713 nm 33 on on on sample 3 : particle size of oil droplets 768 nm 33 on -- -- emulsification ended ; begin heating to 85 ° c . and maintain a proper agitation throughout the whole process 110 35 on -- -- add sodium alginate solution ( 75 ° c .) 115 83 on -- -- mix 15 minutes 130 82 on -- -- add calcium chloride solution ( 75 ° c .) 132 85 on -- -- add hpmc 6 cps solution ( 75 ° c .) 145 85 on -- -- begin cooling 165 82 on -- -- mix at room temperature 195 22 on -- -- heat up to 75 ° c . 245 19 on -- -- measure viscosity : 4300 cps 255 73 on -- -- 21 add water to adjust viscosity to 1000 cs__________________________________________________________________________ spray dry the above vitamin e suspension using a niro spray dryer ; operation with air . this spray dryer is manufactured by niro , inc . high potency vitamin e acetate using methocel e15lv as the primary polymer and hpmcp hp - 55s as the secondary polymer __________________________________________________________________________ingredients 85 % e 80 % e 75 % e 70 % e 65 % e 50 % e__________________________________________________________________________vitamin e acetate 85 80 75 70 65 50 methocel e15lv 10 . 0 13 . 4 16 . 7 20 23 . 4 33 . 4 hpmcp grade hp - 55s * 5 . 0 6 . 6 8 . 3 10 11 . 6 16 . 4__________________________________________________________________________ note : a 2 % overage for vitamin e acetate was used for each formula . * to dissolve hpmcp , 4 . 5 ml of 0 . 5n naoh per gram of hpmcp was utilized . once hpmcp completely dissolved in the alkaline solution , water was added to adjust the solution to 15 % solid content . 1 . hpmcp hp - 55s solution ( 15 % by weight ) was prepared in a 100 l vessel as follows : ______________________________________preparation of 15 % hpmcp hp 55s solution time temp . ( min .) (° c .) stirrer amount comments______________________________________0 16 on 14 . 94 l add water into the vessel 5 15 on 300 g add sodium hydroxide slowly 10 16 on addition ended 15 on 3 . 32 kg add hpmcp hp - 55s powder to above solution with agitation 35 14 on addition ended , start heating 215 65 on 3 . 57 l add 70 ° c . hot water stir the solution until use______________________________________ 2 . methocel e15lv solution ( 10 %) was prepared as in example 1 . 3 . vitamin e acetate was added to the methocel solution according to the above formulas and homogenized to produce an emulsion as in example 1 . 4 . the resulting emulsion was heated to 80 - 90 ° c . with slow ( 200 r . p . m .) mixing with an anchor stirrer . 5 . an amount of warm ( 70 ° c .) 15 % hpmcp solution was added . the amount added corresponded to the amount recited in percentage table shown above . 6 . the temperature of above mixture was kept at about 80 ° c . and cross - linked by adding hcl ( 0 . 1 n ), with mixing , to shift the ph to approximately 5 ( about 4 . 9 - 5 . 2 ). 7 . the cross - linked solution was allowed to equilibrate for approximately 45 minutes . 8 . the resulting cross - linked solution was then spray dried at the conditions shown below to form a powder . __________________________________________________________________________spray drying of the vitamin e suspension the suspension was pumped from the fryma processing unit to the spraytower by a gear pump and then atomized by a rotary atomizer from niro , inc . set set set inlet inlet outlet outlet pressure pressure in at air time temp . temp . temp . temp . tower tower flow in ( min .) (° c .) (° c .) (° c .) (° c .) in mbar in mbar m . sup . 3 / n comments__________________________________________________________________________0 180 100 - 5 start up lower 50 180 181 100 101 - 5 - 3 1500 start spray drying 60 180 181 100 100 - 5 - 3 1500 62 spray drying ended__________________________________________________________________________ the &# 34 ; set pressure tower &# 34 ; is the setting for the equilibrium condition in the dryer . in contrast , the &# 34 ; pressure tower &# 34 ; is the actual pressure reached in the dryer during spray drying . high potency vitamin e acetate using methocel e15lv as the primary polymer and fish gelatin , maltodextrin , pregelatinized corn starch , calcium lactate , or hydroxypropyl starch as the secondary polymer following the procedure in example 2a ( with hpmcp being replaced by another secondary polymer ), several different secondary polymers were evaluated as follows : __________________________________________________________________________ fish preglatinized calcium hydroxypropyl gelatin maltrin corn starch lactate starch ingredients 75 % e 75 % e 75 % e 75 % e 75 % e__________________________________________________________________________vitamin e acetate 75 75 75 75 75 methocel e15lv 16 . 7 16 . 7 16 . 7 16 . 7 16 . 7 fish gelatin 8 . 3 -- -- -- -- maltrin m180 . sup . 1 -- 8 . 3 -- -- -- pregelatinized corn starch -- -- 8 . 3 -- -- calcium lactate -- -- -- 8 . 3 -- hydroxypropyl starch -- -- -- -- 8 . 3__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 brand of maltodextrin ( d . e . = 18 ). analysis of the five secondary polymers provided the following results using standard test procedures : ______________________________________ fish maltrin pregel hp gelatin m180 starch calactate starch______________________________________flow sec ./ 100 g 27 23 28 17 39 ( agway ) density g / ml 0 . 34 0 . 39 0 . 33 0 . 50 0 . 34 tapped g / ml 0 . 39 0 . 44 0 . 38 0 . 56 0 . 39 density moisture % 1 . 3 1 . 0 2 . 8 0 . 8 1 . 0 color w1e313 37 . 87 54 . 26 51 . 43 53 . 65 50 . 10 y1e313 13 . 22 9 . 18 9 . 96 9 . 12 9 . 94 static observed high medium low medium very high free oil . sup . 5 % 2 . 4 1 . 6 2 . 3 2 . 9 2 . 2______________________________________ . sup . 5 free oil refers to the percentage of unencapsulated vitamin e , and was determined as follows : 1 . transfer 0 . 250 g of powder ( vitamin e 75 %) to a suitable container . 3 . shake on a mechanical shaker at medium speed for 15 minutes . 5 . measure the uv absorption of the filtrate at 285 nm to determine the abs ( sample ). compare against known vitamin e acetate standard ( std ). 1 . weigh 150 mg vitamin e oil standard in a suitable container . 3 . mix using a mechical shaker at medium speed for 15 minutes . 4 . remove 2 . 5 g of above solution and transfer to an appropriate container . 5 . add 43 . 0 g of light mineral oil to the container and shake for an additional 15 minutes . 6 . measure the u . v . absorbtion of above solution at 285 nm to determine abs ( std .). calculations : ## equ1 ## % free oil in powder (% unencapsulated vitamin e )= x /( 0 . 25 × 0 . 75 )× 100 the powders of the subject invention are useful in producing antioxidant tablets . to demonstrate their suitability and tabletting performance in antioxidant tablets , tablets were prepared at 4 , 000 lb pressure using a rotary press . __________________________________________________________________________tabletting performance of vitamin e75 % powders in antioxidant tablets at 4000 lb pressure using rotary press__________________________________________________________________________ejection force lbs 47 40 41 38 43 hardness avg scu 15 17 . 1 16 . 9 12 . 3 12 . 9range 11 . 7 - 16 . 9 15 . 6 - 18 . 3 15 . 8 - 18 11 . 1 - 13 . 6 11 . 8 - 13 . 6disintegration minutes 15 15 20 14 14 friability % 0 . 03 0 . 07 0 . 09 0 . 08 0 . 09__________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________antioxidant formula using vitamin e75 , betatab r and c - 90 global claim % kg / 90 kg ingredients tablet overage mg / tab % batch__________________________________________________________________________betatab r 7 . 5 % 6 mg 35 108 11 . 55 10 . 395 ( beta carotene 7 . 5 % beadlets ) vitamin c - 90 global 250 mg 5 292 31 . 23 28 . 107 vitamin e 75 % 200 iu 5 280 29 . 95 26 . 955 microcel c 97 10 . 37 9 . 333 ( calcium silicate ) avicel ph 102 56 5 . 99 5 . 373 ( microcrystalline cellulose ) polyplasdone xl 97 10 . 37 9 . 333 ( crospovidone ) cab - o - sil 5 0 . 54 0 . 486 ( colloidal silicon dioxide ) total 935 100 90__________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________ingredients 75 % e 80 % e______________________________________1 . vitamin e acetate 75 . 0 * 80 . 0 * 2 . hpmc e15lv 15 . 0 12 . 0 3 . acacia 10 . 0 8 . 0 total 100 . 0 % 100 . 0 % ______________________________________ * additional 2 % overage was added . 1 . gum acacia solution ( 20 % by weight ) was prepared in a 4 l beaker as follows : ______________________________________preparation of 20 % gum acacia time ( min .) temp . (° c .) stirrer amount comments______________________________________0 21 ° c . on 2 l add water into beaker 151 39 ° c . on , slow 0 . 5 kg add gum acacia 175 36 ° c . on , fast addition completed 190 37 ° c . on , fast begin heating 208 63 ° c . on , slow 279 71 ° c . -- add to emulsion______________________________________ 2 . 10 % methocel e 15lv solution was prepared as in example 1 . 3 . vitamin e acetate was added to methocel solution according to the above formulas and homogenized to produce an emulsion as in example 1 . 4 . the resulting emulsion was heated to 80 - 90 ° c . with slow ( 200 r . p . m .) agitation . 5 . an appropriate amount of 20 % acacia solution from step 1 was added . 6 . the mixture from above was blended with gentle agitation for an additional 15 minutes while the temperature were maintained at 70 - 90 ° c . __________________________________________________________________________spray drying of the vitamin e suspension the suspension was pumped from the fryma processing unit to the spraytower by a gear pump and then atomized by a rotary atomizer manufactured by niro , inc . set set set in at inlet inlet outlet outlet pressure pressure air time temp . temp . temp . temp . tower tower flow in ( min .) (° c .) (° c .) (° c .) (° c .) in mbar in mbar m . sup . 3 / n comments__________________________________________________________________________0 180 100 - 5 start up lower * 50 180 181 100 101 - 5 - 3 1500 start spray drying 60 180 181 100 100 - 5 - 3 1500 62 spray drying ended__________________________________________________________________________ * shorthand for start up the spray dryer from a lower inlet temperature . i is standard procedure to start up a spray dryer at low temperature , then gradually increase the inlet temperature to reach a proper outlet temperature , and to establish an equilibrium condition . 30 % vitamin a products using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as the primary polymer , and sodium alginate , hpmcp hp - 55 , or acacia as the secondary polymer ______________________________________ingredient formula i formula ii formula iii______________________________________vitamin a palmitate 30 . 0 + 2 . 5 * 30 . 0 + 2 . 5 * 30 . 0 + 2 . 5 * butylated hydroxyanisole 1 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 ( bha ) butylated hydroxytoluene 3 . 0 3 . 0 3 . 0 ( bht ) methocel e15lv 50 . 8 42 . 4 50 . 8 hpmcp , hp - 55s -- 21 . 1 -- acacia -- -- 12 . 7 sodium alginate 3 . 4 -- -- calcium chloride 1 . 7 -- -- pharmacoat 606 7 . 6 -- -- ______________________________________ note : *% overage ______________________________________material content (%) weight ( kg ) ______________________________________vitamin a palmitate 1 . 7 miu / g 32 . 47 1 . 30 bha 1 0 . 04 bht 3 0 . 12 methocel e15lv premium 50 . 82 2 . 03 sodium alginate 3 . 39 0 . 136 calcium chloride 1 . 69 0 . 068 pharmacoat 606 7 . 62 0 . 305______________________________________ all the solutions were prepared using degassed deionized water under nitrogen . vitamin a palmitate was shielded from light . water ( 8 l ) was heated to 85 ° c . methocel e15lv powder ( 2 . 03 kg ) was slowly added into the water while mixing with rapid agitation until a uniform suspension was obtained and thoroughly dispersed . additional cold water ( 6 . 89 l ) was quickly added to the suspension and the temperature was cooled to 25 ° c . sodium alginate powder ( 0 . 136 kg ) was added into 2 . 58 liters of cold water with proper agitation and heated to 80 - 90 ° c . the solution was kept at 70 ° c . until used . calcium chloride ( 0 . 068 kg ) was dissolved in 1 . 29 l of water . the solution was kept at room temperature until used . water ( 0 . 75 l ) was heated to 90 ° c . pharmacoat 606 powder ( 0 . 305 kg ) was slowly added into the water while mixing with proper agitation until a uniform suspension was formed . cold water ( 1 . 50 l ) was added quickly to the suspension and the temperature was cooled to 25 ° c . the solution was maintained at room temperature with gentle agitation until used . bha ( 0 . 04 kg ) and 0 . 12 kg bht were added to 1 . 3 kg vitamin a palmitate and mixed until a clear solution was formed . the resulting solution was added to the methocel e15lv solution and emulsified for 30 minutes with the colloidal mill . ( the oil droplet size measured using a malvern autosizer was 757 nm ). the emulsion was then heated to 75 ° c . while slowly mixing ( 200 r . p . m .) with an anchor stir bar to form a suspension . the 70 ° c . sodium alginate solution was added to the suspension and stirred for 15 minutes . calcium chloride solution was added , and the mixture was cooled . pharmacoat solution was added at room temperature and mixed for 10 minutes . the mixture was then heated to 65 ° c . while mixing slowly with an anchor stir bar . ( the suspension had a viscosity of 11 , 400 cps / 65 ° c .). the suspension was then diluted with 2 l hot water to adjust the viscosity to 2 , 500 cps / 65 ° c . ______________________________________material content (%) weight ( kg ) ______________________________________vitamin a palmitate 1 . 7 miu / g 32 . 47 1 . 46 bha 1 0 . 045 bht 3 0 . 135 methocel e15lv premium 42 . 44 1 . 91 hpmcp 55 21 . 09 0 . 95______________________________________ all the solutions were prepared using degassed deionized water under nitrogen . vitamin a palmitate was shielded from light . water ( 8 l ) was heated to 85 ° c . methocel e15lv powder ( 2 . 03 kg ) was slowly added into the water while mixing with rapid agitation until a uniform suspension was obtained and thoroughly dispersed . additional cold water ( 6 . 89 l ) was quickly added to the suspension and the temperature was cooled to 25 ° c . hpmcp powder ( 0 . 95 kg ) was added to 4 . 28 l of 0 . 5 n naoh with proper agitation and heated to 70 ° c . hot ( 70 ° c .) water ( 1 . 1 l ) was added after the powder completely dissolved . the solution was kept at 70 ° c . until used . bha ( 0 . 045 kg ) and 0 . 135 kg bht were added to 1 . 46 kg vitamin a palmitate and mixed until a clear solution was formed . the solution was added to the methocel e solution and emulsified for 30 minutes using a colloidal mill . the oil droplet size measured using a particle size analyzer ( malvern autosizer 2c manufactured by malverne instruments , inc .) was 888 nm . then , the emulsion was heated to 75 ° c . while slowly stirring ( 200 r . p . m .) with an anchor stir bar to form a suspension . the 70 ° c . hpmcp solution was added to the suspension and continuously stirred with an anchor agitator . the ph was adjusted to 6 . 9 with 0 . 5 l of 1 n naoh ( ph before : 5 . 28 ). the resulting suspension had a viscosity of 500 cps / 70 ° c . ______________________________________material content (%) weight ( kg ) ______________________________________vitamin a palmitate 1 . 7 miu / g 32 . 47 1 . 46 bha 1 0 . 045 bht 3 0 . 135 methocel e15lv premium 50 . 82 2 . 29 gum acacia 12 . 7 0 . 58______________________________________ all solutions were prepared using degassed deionized water under nitrogen . vitamin a palmitate was shielded from light . water ( 6 . 2 l ) was heated to 85 ° c . methocel e15lv powder ( 2 . 29 kg ) was slowly added into the water while mixing with rapid agitation until a uniform suspension was obtained . additional cold water ( 14 . 41 l ) was quickly added to the suspension and the temperature was cooled to 25 ° c . gum acacia powder ( 0 . 58 kg ) was dissolved to 2 . 32 l cold water and heated to 70 ° c . the solution was kept at 70 ° c . until used . bha ( 0 . 045 kg ) and 0 . 135 bht were added to 1 . 46 kg vitamin a palmitate and mixed until a clear solution was formed . the solution was added to the methocel e solution and emulsified for 30 minutes with the colloidal mill . the oil droplet size measured using malvern autosizer 2c was 854 nm . the emulsion was then heated to 75 ° c . while mixing with an anchor bar to form a suspension . the 70 ° c . gum acacia solution was added to the suspension and stirred with an anchor agitator . the ph was adjusted to 7 . 2 with 40 ml of 0 . 5 n naoh ( ph before : 6 . 37 ). the resulting suspension had a measured viscosity of 1060 cps / 70 ° c . ______________________________________ inlet outlet inlet formu - feed air air air wheel lation temp . viscosity temp . temp . flow speed number (° c .) ( cps ) ph (° c .) (° c .) m . sup . 3 / h ( rpm ) ______________________________________i 65 2 , 500 / 65 ° c . -- 165 100 1 , 500 8 , 500 ii 70 500 / 70 ° c . 6 . 9 165 100 1 , 500 8 , 500 iii 70 1 , 060 / 70 ° c . 7 . 2 160 100 1 , 500 8 , 500______________________________________ 2 % silicic acid ( type fk 320 ds ) was added in each trial . pressure inside the tower was always about - 4 mbar . the subject invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiments . however , one skilled in the art will recognize various alternative embodiments having read the specification . these variations are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the invention which is only to be limited by the claims which follow and their equivalents . | 0 |
the present invention will be discussed with reference to preferred embodiments of methods and devices for psuedonoise code tracking loops . specific details , such as numbers of antenna elements and the order of loop filters , are set forth in order to provide a through understanding of the present invention . the preferred embodiments discussed herein should not be understood to limit the invention . furthermore , for ease of understanding , certain method steps are delineated as separate steps ; however , these steps should not be construed as necessarily distinct nor order dependent in their performance . section 2 describes a noncoherent pnctl . section 3 presents analysis : ( 1 ) the overall transfer function of pnctl , and ( 2 ) rms and mtll of the first and second orders under awgn and fading environments . section 4 shows both analysis and simulation results for rms and mtll . section 5 makes conclusions . fig1 shows a block diagram of the proposed noncoherent pnctl with smart antennas . a single dwell serial pn code search is considered for demonstration . other search can be employed . when the received and local pn codes are synchronized within a fraction of a chip time , i . e ., when pn code acquisition is achieved , the pnctl in fig1 is triggered . the dpcch in the w - cdma , or called 3gpp system ( third generation partnership project , “ spreading and modulation ( fdd )”, 3gpp technical specification , ts25 . 213 , v3 . 2 . 0 , march 2000 ), is used for the pn code chip time tracking demonstration . the received signal is down - converted and passed through matched filters . in the 3g w - cdma system , a square root raised cosine ( rrc ) filter with frequency response h ( f ) is employed at both the transmitter and receiver with roll - off factor β = 0 . 22 . the impulse time response of the filter response h ( f ) can be written as rrc ( t ) = sin ( π t t c ( 1 - β ) ) + 4 β t t c cos ( π t t c ( 1 - β ) ) π t t c ( 1 - ( 4 β t t c ) 2 ) ( 1 ) where t c is a chip time interval . the received signal is multiplied by three local pn codes . one code is advanced by δ = t c / 2 seconds for the early gate , another is delayed by δ = t c / 2 seconds for the late gate , and the third is on - time and used for signal demodulation . the outputs multiplied by the local pn codes are accumulated over n t chips to achieve processing gain , and denoted by an m × 1 vector y ( k ) for m element antenna where k denotes the update index , i . e ., kn t t c . an inner product y h ( k ) w ( k ) is taken at every k to obtain an array output where superscripts h and t in the paper denote the hermitian and transpose , respectively . the same weight vector w ( k ) is multiplied to the three de - spread outputs to get array outputs . the on - time array output is fed into an adaptive algorithm to update the weight vector . the nlms adaptive algorithm is used for weight vector updating ( simon haykin , “ adaptive filter theory ”, pp . 437 , prentice hall 1996 ). the reference value is set to the number of antenna elements m because ideal weight vector w ( k ) should be matched with array response vector a ( θ ( k ))=( 1 , e − jπsin ( θ ( k )) , . . . , e − j ( m − 1 ) πsin ( θ ( k )) ) t where θ ( k ) is the doa from the desired signal , and ideal array output w h ( k ) a ( θ ( k )) would be equal to m . array outputs for early and late gates are fed into the square devices in the pnctl , fig1 , to measure energy . measured energy is denoted by z − and z + for the advanced and delayed branches , respectively . energy difference z δ is passed through loop filter f ( z ) and multiplied with loop filter gain γ . the voltage controlled oscillator ( vco ) takes the loop filter output and controls the chip time shifting amount for the local pn code . the transfer function of vco is modeled by z − 1 /( 1 − z − 1 ) ( andrew j . viterbi , “ cdma principle of spread spectrum communication ”, addison wesley , n . y ., 1995 ), where z denotes a sample delay . four samples are taken per chip . the transfer function of loop filter is denoted by f ( z ) and f ( z ) = 1 + az - 1 1 - z - 1 for a second order pnctl ( andrew j . viterbi , “ cdma principle of spread spectrum communication ”, addison wesley , n . y ., 1995 , pp . 66 ). the first order pnctl is a special case of the second order with a = 0 , where a is for the doppler rate compensation . the loop parameters a and γ are determined for given loop bandwidths or pole locations . the jakes rayleigh fading model is employed for multipath simulation . inverse fourier transform of | h ( f )| 2 can be written as g ( τ ) = cos ( πβτ / t c ) 1 - ( 2 βτ / t c ) 2 sin ( πτ / t c ) πτ / t c ( 2 ) where h ( f ) is the rrc frequency response of time response in ( 1 ). the output of the receiver matched filter in fig1 is proportional to g ( τ ) because the transmitter also employs a square root raised cosine filter h ( f ). if samples of g ( τ ) are taken at integer times t c , then there would be no degradation in desired signal power when the pn code is synchronized . let ε ≡ τ / t c denote the normalized chip timing error . then , g ( τ ) at τ = εt c is g ( ɛ t c ) = cos ( πβɛ ) 1 - ( 2 βɛ ) 2 sin ( πɛ ) πɛ . ( 3 ) the loop error characteristic of early and late gate pnctl ( andrew j . viterbi , “ cdma principle of spread spectrum communication ”, addison wesley , n . y ., 1995 ) can be written as η ( ɛ ) = g 2 [ ( ɛ - 1 2 ) t c ] - g 2 [ ( ɛ + 1 2 ) t c ] ( 4 ) by using ( 3 ) where early and late gates employ a half chip delayed and advanced version of received samples . the pnctl characteristic can be assumed to be linear when chip time error ε is small . the slope at ε = 0 is obtained by taking a derivative of ( 4 ) as κ ≡ ⅆ η ( ɛ ) ⅆ ɛ ❘ ɛ = 0 = 16 cos ( βπ 2 ) βπ ( 1 - β 2 ) sin ( πβ / 2 ) + 2 ( 1 - 3 β 2 ) cos ( πβ / 2 ) π 2 ( 1 - β 2 ) 3 ≅ 3 . 2416 ( 5 ) where β = 0 . 22 is used . let z δ denote the energy difference between the early and late branches in fig1 . then , average energy difference can be written as e [ z δ ]= n t 2 e c η ( ε )≅ n t 2 e c κ ( 6 ) by using the loop error characteristic in ( 4 ) ( andrew j . viterbi , “ cdma principle of spread spectrum communication ”, addison wesley , n . y ., 1995 ). fig2 shows an equivalent pnctl model using ( 6 ) where v 0 is an upper bound of total interference variance in the tracking loop when a smart antenna is employed and can be written as v 0 = 2 n t 2 ( i 0 , in / m ) 2 ( 1 + 2 n t e c /( i 0 , in / m )) ( 7 ) where i 0 , in / 2 is variance of input interference fed into each antenna element ( y . s . song , h . m . kwon , and b . j . min , “ computationally efficient smart antennas for cdma wireless comm .”, ieee trans . on vehicular technology , vol . 50 , no . 6 , november 2001 ; andrew j . viterbi , “ cdma principle of spread spectrum communication ”, addison wesley , n . y ., 1995 ; yoo s . song , hyuck m . kwon , and byung j . min , “ smart antennas for 3g and future generation cdma ”, ieee international conference on phased array systems and technology , dana point , calif ., pp . 69 - 72 , may 21 - 25 , 2000 ). the overall loop transfer function can be found from the equivalent pnctl as h ( z ) = n t 2 e c κγ f ( z ) z - 1 1 - z - 1 1 + n t 2 e c κγ f ( z ) z - 1 1 - z - 1 = n t 2 e c κγ f ( z ) z - 1 1 - z - 1 + n t 2 e c κγ f ( z ) z - 1 ( 8 ) which is equal to that of the single antenna element case ( andrew j . viterbi , “ cdma principle of spread spectrum communication ”, addison wesley , n . y ., 1995 ). the major difference between a smart antenna and a single antenna element is interference suppressed by a factor m as ( 7 ). f ( z ) = 1 + az - 1 1 - z - 1 h ( z ) = n t 2 e c κγ ( z - 1 - ( 1 - a ) z - 2 ) 1 + ( - 2 + n t 2 e c κγ ) z - 1 + ( 1 - n t 2 e c κγ ( 1 - a ) ) z - 2 . ( 9 ) let p 1 and p 2 denote two poles of h ( z ) in ( 9 ). then , the two poles satisfy the following : p 1 + p 2 = 2 − n t 2 e c κγ ( 10 - a ) and p 1 p 2 = 1 − n t 2 e c κγ ( 1 − a ). ( 10 - b ) therefore , loop filter gain γ and doppler rate compensation coefficient a can be expressed in terms of poles as γ = 2 - p 1 - p 2 n t 2 e c κ and ( 11 - a ) a = 1 - p 1 - p 2 + p 1 p 2 2 - p 1 - p 2 . ( 11 - b ) variance of chip time error for the second order pnctl is derived in appendix in detail and can be written as var ( τ t c ) = v 0 ( n t 2 e c κ ) 2 ∮ h ( z ) h ( z - 1 ) ⅆ z 2 πⅈz = v 0 γ 2 ( n t 2 e c κγ ) 2 ( a - 1 ) 2 a + 2 n t 2 e c κγ - 3 an t 2 e c κγ + a 2 n t 2 e c κγ ( 2 n t 2 e c κγ - an t 2 e c κγ - 4 ) ( 12 ) while variance of the first order pnctl is shown in ( andrew j . viterbi , “ cdma principle of spread spectrum communication ”, pp . 66 , addison wesley , n . y ., 1995 ) which is a special case of ( 12 ) with a = 0 . one - side loop bandwidth in hertz is given as b l = ∫ 0 π / t c [ h ( ⅇ jω t c ) h ( ⅇ - jω t c ) ] ⅆ ω 2 π . ( 13 ) thus , ( 12 ) can be expressed in terms of loop bandwidth by using ( 13 ) as var ( τ t c ) = 2 v 0 b l t c ( n t 2 e c κ ) 2 . ( 14 ) normalized loop bandwidth of the second order pnctl can be obtained from ( 12 ) and ( 14 ) and expressed in terms of poles with ( 10 ) as b l t c = 2 a + 2 n t 2 e c κγ - 3 an t 2 e c κγ + a 2 n t 2 e c κγ 2 ( a - 1 ) ( 2 n t 2 e c κγ - an t 2 e c κγ - 4 ) = 2 ( 2 - p 1 - p 2 ) + a ( p 1 p 2 + 2 p 1 + 2 p 2 - 3 ) - 2 ( a - 1 ) ( p 1 p 2 + p 1 + p 2 + 1 ) . ( 15 ) rms of the second order pnctl can be obtained by taking the square root of ( 12 ) or ( 14 ). however , it is more useful to represent rms in terms of loop bandwidth as σ ɛ = 2 v 0 b l t c n t 2 e c κ . ( 16 ) equation ( 16 ) shows that rms is proportional to loop bandwidth b l t c . to find the optimum poles that minimize variance of chip time error , we take a derivative of ( 12 ) with respect to p 1 and p 2 , after substituting ( 11 ) into ( 12 ) as ∂ 2 ∂ p 1 ∂ p 2 var ( τ t c ) ❘ γ = 2 - p 1 - p 2 n t 2 e c κ , a = 1 - p 1 - p 2 + p 1 p 2 2 - p 1 - p 2 = v 0 ( n t 2 e c κ ) 2 f ~ ( p 1 , p 2 ) = 0 where ( 17 ) f ~ ( p 1 , p 2 ) = num f ~ den f ~ ( 18 ) num { tilde over ( f )} = p 1 3 p 2 3 + 2 p 1 2 p 2 3 + p 1 p 2 3 + 2 p 1 3 p 2 2 − 11 p 1 2 p 2 2 − 4 p 1 p 2 2 + p 2 2 + p 1 3 p 2 − 4 p 1 2 p 2 + 13 p 1 p 2 + 2 p 2 + p 1 2 + 2 p 1 − 7 ( 19 ) den { tilde over ( f )} = 0 . 5 ( 1 + p 1 )( 1 + p 2 )( p 1 p 2 − 1 ) 3 ( 1 + p 1 + p 2 + p 1 p 2 ). ( 20 ) fig3 shows magnitude |{ tilde over ( f )}( p 1 , p 2 )| by varying two pole locations , p 1 and p 2 . if two poles p 1 and p 2 are located in the right hand side of unit circle z - domain , it is observed that |{ tilde over ( f )}( p 1 , p 2 )| approaches zero as poles are close to 1 on the real axis . this implies that optimum pole locations are equal to 1 . therefore , variance of chip time error will be minimum as poles approach 1 on the real axis . however , pole locations are not allowed to exceed , nor to equal , 1 because of tracking loop stability . under fading environment , ( 7 ) can be modified into conditional variance of interference v 0 | α for given fading amplitude a as v 0 | α 2 n t 2 ( i 0 , in / m ) 2 + 4α 2 n t 3 ( i 0 , in / m ) e c . ( 21 ) then , the average variance of chip timing error under fading environment can be obtained with a probability density function ( pdf ) of fading amplitude , p r ( α ), as var ( τ t c ) = ∫ 0 ∞ var ( τ t c ❘ α ) p r ( α ) ⅆ α where ( 22 ) var ( τ t c ❘ α ) = v 0 | α ( n t 2 α 2 e c ) 2 κ 2 ∮ h ( z | α ) h ( z - 1 | α ) ⅆ z 2 π ⅈz = v 0 | α ( n t 2 α 2 e c κ ) 2 ( a - 1 ) 2 a + 2 n t 2 α 2 e c κγ - 3 an t 2 α 2 e c κγ + a 2 n t 2 α 2 e c κγ 2 n t 2 α 2 e c κγ - an t 2 α 2 e c κγ - 4 ( 23 ) p r ( α ) = α σ α 2 ⅇ - α 2 2 σ α 2 ( 24 ) where σ α 2 = 1 . rms under fading channel can be obtained by taking a square root of ( 22 ). similarly , analysis for the first order pnctl can be done as a special case of the second order with a = 0 in ( 9 )-( 23 ). the first order pnctl transfer function has a single pole p at 1 − n t 2 e c κγ , and loop filter gain γ can be expressed in terms of the pole as γ =( 1 − p )/ n t 2 e c κ . and normalized loop bandwidth of the first order pnctl can be written as b l t c = n t 2 e c κγ 2 ( 2 - n t 2 e c κγ ) = 1 - p 2 ( 1 + p ) . ( 25 ) rms of the first order pnctl can be obtained by replacing b l t c in ( 14 ) with ( 25 ) and taking a square root of ( 14 ). the optimum pole location that minimizes variance ( or rms ) can be found by replacing γ with ( 1 − p )/ n t 2 e c κ and taking a derivative of variance with respect to p as ⅆ ⅆ p ( v 0 γ n t 2 e c κ ( 2 - n t 2 e c κγ ) | γ = 1 - p n t 2 e c κ ) = v 0 ( - 2 ) ( n t 2 e c κ ) 2 ( 1 + p ) 2 & lt ; 0 . ( 26 ) note from ( 26 ) that the derivative is negative , which implies that variance decreases asp increases . therefore , rms will be minimum when p is 1 . rms of the first order pnctl under fading environment can be obtained similar to ( 22 ). loop noise ar ( k ) of variance v 0 in fig2 is the difference between z δ ( k ) and its average e [ z δ ( k )] and can be written as n ( k )= z δ ( k )− e [ z δ ( k )]= z δ ( k )− n t 2 e c η { ε ( k )} ( 27 ) from ( 6 ) where k denotes the pnctl update index . since loop filter f ( z ) can be represented as 1 + az − 1 /( 1 − z − 1 ) for the second order pnctl and ε ( k ) is the vco output in fig1 , the z - transform of ε ( k ) can be written as ɛ ( z ) = γ ( - z - 1 1 - z - 1 ) ( 1 + a z - 1 1 - z - 1 ) z δ ( z ) ( 28 ) where the negative sign is used in ( 28 ) because the vco output is subtracted from the input timing in fig2 . z δ ( z ) in ( 28 ) denotes the forward z - transform for z δ ( k ). by taking the inverse z - transform , ( 28 ) can be rewritten as ɛ ( k ) - 2 ɛ ( k - 1 ) + ɛ ( k - 2 ) = - γ [ z δ ( k - 1 ) + ( a - 1 ) z δ ( k - 2 ) ] = - γ n ι 2 e c η { ɛ ( k - 1 ) } - γ n ( k - 1 ) - ( a - 1 ) [ γ n ι 2 e c η { ɛ ( k - 2 ) } + γ n ( k - 2 ) ] . ( 29 ) [ s ( k + 1 ) - 2 s ( k ) + s ( k - 1 ) ] + ( a - 1 ) [ s ( k ) - 2 s ( k - 1 ) + s ( k - 2 ) ] = - γ n ι 2 e c η { s ( k ) + ( a - 1 ) s ( k - 1 ) } - γ n ( k - 1 ) + ( a - 1 ) [ - γ n ι 2 e c η { s ( k - 1 ) + ( a - 1 ) s ( k - 2 ) } - γ n ( k - 2 ) ] . ( 30 ) equation ( 30 ) can be broken into two equivalent equations . let y 1 ( k )= s ( k − 2 ) and y 2 ( k )= s ( k − 1 ). then , ( 30 ) can be rewritten as the following state equations : y 1 ( k + 1 )= y 2 ( k ) y 2 ( k + 1 )= 2 y 2 ( k )− y 1 ( k )− γ n t 2 e c η ( y 2 ( k )+( a − 1 ) y 1 ( k ))− γ n ( k − 2 ) ( 31 ) ε ( k )= y 2 ( k + 2 )+( a − 1 ) y 1 ( k + 2 ). ( 32 ) the y 1 ( k ) and y 2 ( k ) are discrete time continuous variable markov processes . the joint pdf of y 1 ( k ) and y 2 ( k ) satisfies the chapman - kolmogorov equation ( a . weinberg and b . liu , “ discrete time analysis of nonuniform sampling first and second order digital phase lock loops ,” ieee trans . on comm ., vol . com - 22 , no . 2 , pp . 123 - 137 , february 1974 ) as p k + 1 ( y 1 , y 2 | y 1 , 0 , y 2 , 0 ) = ∫ - ∞ ∞ ∫ - ∞ ∞ q k ( y 1 , y 2 | x 1 , x 2 ) p k ( x 1 , x 2 | y 1 , 0 , y 2 , 0 ) ⅆ x 1 ⅆ x 2 ( 33 ) where y 1 , 0 = y 1 ( 0 ) and y 2 , 0 = y 2 ( 0 ) are the initial chip timing errors , p k (•,•| y 1 , 0 , y 2 , 0 ) is the joint pdf of y 1 ( k ) and y 2 ( k ) for given y 1 , 0 and y 2 , 0 , and q k ( y 1 , y 2 | x 1 , x 2 ) is the joint transition pdf of y 1 ( k + 1 ) and y 2 ( k + 1 ) for given y 1 ( k )= x 1 and y 2 ( k )= x 2 . noting that noise n ( k ) is independent of y 1 ( k ) and y 2 ( k ), we can observe from ( 31 ) that y 2 ( k + 1 ) for given ( y 1 ( k )= x 1 , y 2 ( k )= x 2 ) is gaussian with mean and variance equal to e k ( y 1 , y 2 | x 1 , x 2 )= 2x 2 − x 1 − γn t 2 e c η ( x 2 +( a − 1 ) x 1 ) and γ 2 v 0 , respectively . thus , the conditional density of y 2 ( k + 1 ), given ( y 1 ( k )= x 1 , y 2 ( k )= x 2 ), is independent of k since the channel is assumed to be stationary . therefore , from ( 31 ), one obtains q k ( y 1 , y 2 | x 1 , x 2 ) = δ ( y 1 - x 2 ) 1 2 πγ 2 v 0 exp [ - ( y 2 - 2 x 2 + x 1 + γ n ι 2 e c η ( x 2 + ( a - 1 ) x 1 ) ) 2 2 γ 2 v 0 ] . ( 34 ) p k + 1 ( y 1 , y 2 ) = ∫ - ∞ ∞ 1 2 πγ 2 v 0 exp [ - ( y 2 - 2 y 1 + x 1 + γ n ι 2 e c η ( y 1 + ( a - 1 ) x 1 ) ) 2 2 γ 2 v 0 ] p k ( x 1 , y 1 ) ⅆ x 1 = ∫ - ∞ ∞ k ( y 1 , y 2 , x 1 ) p k ( x 1 , y 1 ) ⅆ x 1 ( 35 ) where k ( y 1 , y 2 , x 1 ) = 1 2 πγ 2 v 0 exp [ - ( y 2 - 2 y 1 + x 1 + γ n ι 2 e c η ( y 1 + ( a - 1 ) x 1 ) ) 2 2 γ 2 v 0 ] . ( 36 ) from ( 31 ), and since n ( k − 1 ) is gaussian with zero mean and variance v 0 , y 1 ( k + 1 ) and y 2 ( k + 1 ) will be also jointly gaussian for all k with zero means . the jointly gaussian density function is written as p k + 1 ( y 1 , y 2 ) = 1 2 πσ 2 ( k + 1 ) 1 - ρ 2 ( k + 1 ) exp { - y 1 2 - 2 ρ ( k + 1 ) y 1 y 2 + y 2 2 2 [ 1 - ρ 2 ( k + 1 ) ] σ 2 ( k + 1 ) } ( 37 ) where σ 2 ( k + 1 ) and ρ ( k + 1 ) denote variances of y 1 ( k + 1 ) and y 2 ( k + 1 ) and their correlation coefficients , respectively . the ρ ( k + 1 ) and σ ( k + 1 ) are two unknown variables and can be obtained from ( 35 ) and ( 37 ) by computing two pair points ( y 1 , y 2 ) recursively for each k and assuming that the digital loop is initially locked , i . e ., y 1 , 0 = 0 and y 2 , 0 = 0 , i . e ., p 0 ( y 1 , y 2 )= δ ( y 1 , y 2 ), where δ ( x ) is the dirac delta function . p k + 1 ( 0 , 0 ) = 1 2 πσ 2 ( k + 1 ) 1 - ρ 2 ( k + 1 ) = 1 2 πσ 2 ( k ) 2 πγ 2 v 0 1 - ρ 2 ( k ) ∫ - ∞ ∞ exp [ - ( x 1 + γ n ι 2 e c η { ( a - 1 ) x 1 } ) 2 2 γ 2 v 0 - x 1 2 2 [ 1 - ρ 2 ( k ) ] σ 2 ( k ) ] ⅆ x 1 and ( 38 ) p k + 1 ( n , 0 ) = 1 2 πσ 2 ( k + 1 ) 1 - ρ 2 ( k + 1 ) exp { - n 2 2 [ 1 - ρ 2 ( k + 1 ) ] σ 2 ( k + 1 ) } = 1 2 πσ 2 ( k ) 2 πγ 2 v 0 1 - ρ 2 ( k ) ∫ - ∞ ∞ exp [ - ( - 2 n + x 1 + γ n ι 2 e c η ( n + ( a - 1 ) x 1 ) ) 2 2 γ 2 v 0 - x 1 2 - 2 ρ ( k ) x 1 n + n 2 2 ( 1 - ρ 2 ( k ) ) σ 2 ( k ) ] ⅆ x 1 ( 39 ) where n is any nonzero real number and set to 0 . 01 . we compute the rightmost terms in ( 38 ) and ( 39 ) numerically and recursively for each k to obtain p k + 1 ( 0 , 0 ) and p k + 1 ( n , 0 ). thus , we have σ 2 ( k + 1 ) = 1 2 π 1 - ρ 2 ( k + 1 ) p k + 1 ( 0 , 0 ) ( 40 ) p k + 1 ( n , 0 ) = p k + 1 ( 0 , 0 ) exp { - n 2 π p k + 1 ( 0 , 0 ) 1 - ρ 2 ( k + 1 ) } ( 41 ) ρ ( k + 1 ) = - 4 ac 2 a , ρ ( k + 1 ) & lt ; 1 . ( 42 ) a = [ ln ( p k ( n , 0 ) p k + 1 ( 0 , 0 ) ) ] 2 and c = ( n 2 ) 2 π 2 p k + 1 2 ( 0 , 0 ) - [ ln ( p k ( n , 0 ) p k + 1 ( 0 , 0 ) ) ] 2 . also , we can have σ 2 ( k + 1 ) by substituting ρ ( k + 1 ) in ( 42 ) into ( 40 ). the mean and variance of timing error ε ( k ) can be obtained from ( 32 ) as μ ɛ , k = ∫ - ∞ ∞ ∫ - ∞ ∞ [ y 2 + ( a - 1 ) y 1 ] p k + 2 ( y 1 , y 2 ) ⅆ y 1 ⅆ y 2 = 0 and ( 43 ) σ ɛ , k 2 = ∫ - ∞ ∞ ∫ - ∞ ∞ [ y 2 + ( a - 1 ) y 1 - μ ɛ , k ] 2 p k + 2 ( y 1 , y 2 ) ⅆ y 1 ⅆ y 2 = σ 2 ( k + 2 ) + 2 ( a - 1 ) σ 2 ( k + 2 ) ρ ( k + 2 ) + ( a - 1 ) 2 σ 2 ( k + 2 ) . ( 44 ) therefore , the pdf of chip timing error ε ( k ) can be written as p k ( ɛ ) = 1 2 π σ ɛ , k 2 exp [ - ( ɛ - μ ɛ , k ) 2 2 σ ɛ , k 2 ] . ( 45 ) the probability that the timing error is out of the limit ± ε l for the first time at the k - th iteration is denoted by p k and can be written as p k = pr { # of iterations = k for which ɛ k ≥ ɛ l } = pr { # of iterations ≤ k for which ɛ k ≥ ɛ l } - pr { # of iterations & lt ; k for which ɛ k ≥ ɛ l } = ( 1 - ∫ - ɛ l ɛ l p k ( ɛ ) ⅆ ɛ ) - ( 1 - ∫ - ɛ l ɛ l p k - 1 ( ɛ ) ⅆ ɛ ) = ∫ - ɛ l ɛ l p k - 1 ( ɛ ) ⅆ ɛ - ∫ - ɛ l ɛ l p k ( ɛ ) ⅆ ɛ . ( 46 ) under fading environment , first we obtain the conditional probability density of the timing error ε ( k ) for a given fading amplitude α similarly to ( 45 ), and then take an average of the conditional pdf . thus , the mtll can be obtained under fading environment . for example , under fading environment , the steady state pdf of ε can be written as p ( ɛ ) = ∫ 0 ∞ α ( 1 2 π σ ɛ α 2 exp [ - ɛ 2 2 σ ɛ α 2 ] ) ⅇ - α 2 2 ⅆ α where ( 48 ) σ ɛ α 2 = ∫ - ∞ ∞ ∫ - ∞ ∞ [ y 2 + ( a - 1 ) y 1 ] 2 p ( y 1 , y 2 α ) ⅆ y 1 ⅆ y 2 ( 49 ) p ( y 1 , y 2 α ) = ∫ - ∞ ∞ 1 2 π γ 2 v 0 α exp [ - ( y 2 - 2 y 1 + x + γ α 2 n t 2 e c η ( y 1 + ( a - 1 ) x ) ) 2 2 γ 2 v 0 α ] p ( x , y 1 ) ⅆ x ( 50 ) the mtll for the first order pnctl in ( r . degaudenzi , m . luise , and r . viola , “ a digital chip timing recovery loop for band limited direct - sequence spread - spectrum signals ,” ieee trans . on comm ., vol . 41 , no . 11 , pp . 1760 - 1769 , november 1993 ) is a special case of the second order pnctl described herein , with a = 0 . for simulation , the doa of the desired signal was chosen arbitrarily between − 90 ° and 90 ° with a zero angle spread . interference was added at each antenna element with a mean of zero and a variance of i 0 , in / 2 . a linear array of m = 4 antenna elements was assumed . the constant parameter and convergence parameter in the nlms were chosen as 0 . 1 and 1 . 5 , respectively . the number of chip intervals n t for energy accumulation was set to spreading factor 256 of dpcch . the antenna weight vector and pnctl were updated at every control symbol time = 0 . 006 ms . normalized bandwidth b l t c was chosen as 0 . 0556 . the corresponding pole for the first order pnctl was 0 . 8 . the corresponding pole locations for the second order pnctls were 0 . 9 and 0 . 9364 . also the rrc filter specified in w - cdma was used , and so κ = 3 . 2 . jakes fading model was used with mobile speeds in the range of 10 km / h and 1000 km / h . although results are not shown in this paper , it was observed that rms chip time jitter and mtll are not sensitive to mobile speeds . this may be due to noncoherent energy detection in the tracking loop . fig4 shows normalized bandwidth b l t c versus the second pole location 1 with the first pole location as a parameter using ( 25 ) and ( 15 ) for the second order pnctl , respectively . as the pole approaches 1 , the bandwidth gets smaller , which means rms decreases according to ( 16 ) and mtll increases as indicated in ( r . degaudenzi , m . luise , and r . viola , “ a digital chip timing recovery loop for band limited direct - sequence spread - spectrum signals ,” ieee trans . on comm ., vol . 41 , no . 11 , pp . 1760 - 1769 , november 1993 ). 1 for the first order pnctl , the pole location in the horizontal axis of fig4 represents its single pole location . fig5 and 6 show rms under awgn and fading environments for the first and second order pnctl , respectively , with the number of smart antenna elements m as a parameter . the solid and dashed lines represent analysis results under awgn and fading environments , respectively . the triangles and circles show corresponding simulation results for awgn and fading environments , respectively . results show significant improvement by employing smart antennas , e . g ., 6 db improvement in e c / i 0 with m = 4 elements to achieve the same rms , compared to m = 1 . performance under fading environment is slightly degraded , compared to awgn , especially at low e c / i 0 . it is also observed that simulation results agree well with analysis . fig7 and 8 show mtll under awgn and fading environments for the first and second order pnctls , respectively , with m as a parameter . again , performance is significantly improved , e . g ., by 6 db with a smart antenna of m = 4 elements . fading channel degrades performance by 0 . 5 db , compared to awgn . the second order pnctl is about 1 db better than the first order for the same bandwidth . the invention employs a smart antenna to improve a noncoherent pn code tracking loop . rms and mtll were analyzed for the first and second order pnctls under fading and awgn environments . simulation results agree well with the theoretical results . the proposed pn tracking scheme was simulated with a 3g w - cdma dpcch channel . chip time tracking performance can be improved significantly , e . g ., by 6 db with four antenna elements , compared to a tracking scheme with a single antenna element . for a given bandwidth , the chip time tracking loop with the second order pnctl can achieve a better mtll than that achieves with the first order . rms and mtll performance under fading environment are slightly worse than that under awgn . in addition , relations between poles of the pnctl transfer function with normalized bandwidth and rms , allow the use of a systematic pnctl design instead of the tedious trial and error method . optimum pole locations are 1 on the real axis to minimize rms for both the first and second order pnctls . in conclusion , a smart antenna can significantly improve chip time tracking performance as well as bit error rate . obviously , numerous other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . variance of chip timing error in second order pn code tracking loop . var ( τ t c ) = v 0 ( n t 2 e c κ ) 2 ∮ h ( z ) h ( z - 1 ) ⅆ z 2 π ⅈ z = v 0 γ 2 2 π ⅈ ∮ q ( z ) ⅆ z where ( a1 ) q ( z ) = [ z + ( - 1 + a ) ] [ 1 + ( - 1 + a ) z ] [ z 2 + az + b ] [ 1 + az + bz 2 ] = [ z + ( - 1 + a ) ] [ 1 + ( - 1 + a ) z ] ( z - z 1 ) ( z - z 2 ) ( 1 - z 1 z ) ( 1 - z 2 z ) ( a2 ) a = - 2 + n t 2 e c κ γ ( a3 ) b = 1 - n t 2 e c κ γ ( 1 - a ) . ( a4 ) let z 1 and z 2 denote roots of z 2 + az + b = 0 inside the unit circle . then 1 / z 1 and 1 / z 2 are roots of 1 + az + bz 2 = 0 , which are outside the unit circle . we know z 1 + z 2 =− a and z 1 z 2 = b . then , | 7 |
preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description , well - known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in unnecessary detail . referring to fig4 - 6 , an attachment 100 for an air blower in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated . the attachment 100 includes a connector portion 102 for connecting the attachment 100 to an airflow outlet of an air blower , a rigid , elongated cylindrical portion 104 for conducting airflow and a nozzle portion 106 for directing airflow out of the attachment 100 . the attachment 100 further includes an actuating sleeve or member 108 for configuring the nozzle portion 106 at various angles , as will be described in more detail below . it is to be appreciated that the connector portion 102 may be adapted for connecting the attachment 100 to any various known or to be developed types of air blowers . for example , the connector portion 102 may include a fitting , a snap - fit type connection , an elastic member , etc . as can be seen most clearly in fig6 , an angled channel 110 is formed in the lower section of the rigid cylindrical portion 104 adjacent the nozzle portion 106 . the actuating sleeve 108 is disposed over the lower section of the rigid cylindrical portion 104 and coupled to the rigid cylindrical portion 104 adjacent the angled channel 110 via a connector 112 . it is to be appreciated that the connector may be coupled to the rigid cylindrical portion 104 via any known means , for example , a fastener , rivet , bolt , etc . by providing the angled channel 110 in the lower section of the rigid cylindrical portion 104 , the nozzle portion 106 can be configured at various angles ( relative to the longitudinal axis 111 of the cylindrical portion 104 ) by twisting the actuating sleeve 108 in the direction of arrow b . as can be seen in fig5 , upon twisting the actuating sleeve 108 , the connector 112 and angled channel 110 are actuated to configure the nozzle portion 106 at angle c . it is to be appreciated that angle c is adjustable and can be configured from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees . it is to be appreciated that this predetermined range is exemplary and not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any manner . a range including any angle from about 0 degrees to about 360 degrees is contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure . it is further to be appreciated that angled channel 110 may be configured to completely encircle the lower section of the rigid cylindrical portion 104 ( i . e ., form a complete circle ) or may be formed in just a portion of the cylindrical portion . for example , the angled channel may be formed in approximately 50 percent of the circumference of the cylindrical portion 104 , i . e ., the angled channel does not go all the way around the circumference of the cylindrical portion 104 . it is to be appreciated that the angled channel is formed to allow the nozzle portion to be flexed relative to the rigid cylindrical portion . the actuating sleeve 108 is held on the rigid cylindrical portion 104 by a retaining mechanism 114 . in one embodiment , the retaining mechanism 114 includes a tongue and groove arrangement which allows the actuating sleeve 108 to be retained on the rigid cylindrical portion 104 while being twisted . referring to fig6 , the retaining mechanism 114 is constructed by forming a tongue portion 116 on one end of the actuating sleeve 108 . a complementary groove portion 118 is formed on the rigid cylindrical portion 104 to receive the tongue portion 116 . it is to be appreciated that the tongue and groove portions may be reversed where the tongue portion is on the rigid cylindrical portion 104 and the groove portion is on the actuating sleeve 108 . it is further to be appreciated that other retaining mechanism can be employed and are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure . for example , the retaining mechanism may include a depressed channel on the rigid cylindrical portion 104 with at least one complementary protrusion on the actuating sleeve 108 configured to ride within the channel . in another example , the rigid cylindrical portion 104 may include a slot with the actuating sleeve 108 including a finger or other rigid member configured to slide in the slot . additionally , the retaining mechanism 114 may include stops to maintain the angle of actuation of the actuating sleeve 108 within a predetermined angle , e . g ., from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees . using the examples above , the tongue portion 116 and groove portion 118 may be of a predetermined length to limit movement . in the depressed channel and at least one complementary protrusion embodiment , the depressed channel may be of a predetermined length to limit movement of the protrusion riding therein . similarly , the slot may be of a predetermined length to limit movement of the finger or rigid member riding therein . other implementation are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure . for example , the retaining mechanisms may include at least one detent to set the nozzle portion at a particular angle . the at least one detent provides tactile feedback to a user to indicate the nozzle portion has been set at the particular angle . in certain embodiments , a handle 120 is provided on an upper end of the rigid cylindrical portion 104 to enable a user to maneuver the attachment 100 when in use . the handle 100 may be coupled to the rigid cylindrical portion 104 via any known means 122 or technique including , but not limited to , a clamp , a bolt , a plastic welding process , etc . it is to be appreciated that the handle can take many forms and shapes . for example , the handle 120 may be configured as a cylindrical member , a curved member , a rectangular prism , etc . or any other shape that would facilitate gripping by a hand of a user . in use , a user attaches the attachment 100 via the connection portion 102 to the flexible tube member of an air blower . the attachment 100 is then employed as in fig4 to direct air in a linear direction via the nozzle portion 106 . as needed , the user can direct airflow in a direction parallel to the ground by simply twisting the actuating sleeve 108 as indicated by arrow b , resulting in the configuration shown in fig5 . the user can return the attachment 100 to the configuration shown in fig4 by simply twisting the actuating sleeve 108 in the reversed direction . in one embodiment , the connector portion 102 , the rigid cylindrical portion 104 and the nozzle portion 106 may be configured as a unitary structure from a similar material . for example , the rigid cylindrical portion 104 and the nozzle portion 106 with the angled channel 110 may be integrally formed from an injection molding process or configured from a single piece of sheet metal . likewise , the actuating sleeve may be constructed from a similar material as the connector portion 102 , the rigid cylindrical portion 104 and the nozzle portion 106 . in other embodiment , at least one of the components is constructed from a dissimilar material . in one embodiment , the various components of the attachment 100 made be constructed from plastic , a resin , metal or any other known material that is flexible enough to achieve the techniques described above . furthermore , the retaining mechanism may be molded , stamped or constructed from various known techniques . in another embodiment , the connector portion 102 , the rigid cylindrical portion 104 and the nozzle portion 106 may be separate parts assembled to form the attachment 100 . in one embodiment , the nozzle portion 106 is coupled to the rigid cylindrical portion 104 by the angled channel 110 , for example , by crimping , welding or any other known method . referring to fig7 - 9 , an attachment 200 for an air blower in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated . the attachment 200 includes a connector portion 202 for connecting the attachment 200 to the flexible tube member of an air blower , a rigid cylindrical portion 204 for conducting airflow and a nozzle portion 206 for directing airflow out of the attachment 200 . as described above , a handle 220 is provided on an upper end of the rigid cylindrical portion 204 to enable a user to maneuver the attachment 200 when in use . the attachment 200 further includes an actuating sleeve 208 for configuring the nozzle portion 206 at various angles . an angled channel 210 is formed in the lower section of the rigid cylindrical portion 204 adjacent the nozzle portion 206 . the actuating sleeve 208 is disposed over the lower section of the rigid cylindrical portion 204 and coupled to the rigid cylindrical portion 204 adjacent the angled channel 210 via a connector 212 . it is to be appreciated that the connector 212 may take the form of a rod , flat rectangular member , etc . it is further to be appreciated that the connector may be coupled to the rigid cylindrical portion 204 and nozzle portion 206 via any known means , for example , a fastener , rivet , bolt , etc . the actuating sleeve 208 is held on the rigid cylindrical portion 204 by a connector 212 . by providing the angled channel 210 in the lower section of the rigid cylindrical portion 204 , the nozzle portion 206 can be configured at various angles by sliding the actuating sleeve 208 in the direction of arrow d . as can be seen in fig8 , upon sliding the actuating sleeve 208 , the connector 212 and angled channel 210 are actuated to configure the nozzle portion 206 at angle e . it is to be appreciated that angle e is adjustable and can be configured from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees . it is to be appreciated that other angles are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure . referring to fig9 , another embodiment of an attachment 250 for an air blower is illustrated . similar to the attachment 200 shown in fig8 , the attachment 250 includes actuating sleeve 252 . in this embodiment , the actuating sleeve 252 is of a greater length than sleeve 208 , e . g ., the actuating sleeve 252 is approximately ⅔ the size of the cylindrical portion 204 , while other sizes are contemplated . an upper end 254 of the actuating sleeve 252 extends to an area adjacent handle 220 to facilitate actuation and directing of the nozzle portion 206 . optionally , a trigger member 256 is provided at the upper end 254 of the actuating sleeve 252 . in use , a user may simultaneously grasp the handle 220 and trigger member 256 causing the trigger member 256 to move in the direction of arrow f towards the handle 220 and actuating the sleeve 252 in direction of arrow d . upon actuation of the trigger member 256 , the nozzle portion 206 is configured in various angles . it is to be appreciated that the actuating sleeve 256 may be spring biased to return the nozzle portion to its normal state ( i . e ., angle e of 0 degrees or linear flow ) upon release of the trigger member . referring to fig1 - 12 , an attachment 300 for an air blower in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated . the attachment 300 includes a connector portion 302 for connecting the attachment 300 to the flexible tube member of an air blower , a rigid cylindrical portion 304 for conducting airflow and a nozzle portion 306 for directing airflow out of the attachment 300 . as described above , a handle 320 is provided on an upper end of the rigid cylindrical portion 304 to enable a user to maneuver the attachment 300 when in use . the attachment 300 further includes deflecting member 360 for directing airflow leaving the nozzle portion 306 at various angles . the deflecting member 360 is coupled to an actuating mechanism 308 for moving the deflecting member 360 in the airflow leaving the nozzle portion 306 . in one position , the deflecting member 360 does not interfere with the airflow leaving the nozzle portion as shown in fig1 . after actuation , the deflecting member 360 is moved into the airflow causing the airflow to be directed an angle relative to the cylindrical portion 304 . the deflecting member 360 may take various forms and shapes . in one embodiment , the deflecting member is planar , rectangular member . in another embodiment , the deflecting member 360 has an arcuate shape to conform to the shape of the cylindrical member 304 when not in use . the actuating mechanism 308 includes a trigger member 362 coupled to an upper portion 354 of the cylindrical portion 304 via a rotatable connector 364 . the trigger member 362 is coupled to the deflecting member 360 by a rod member or other suitable means 366 . the deflecting member 360 is further coupled to the nozzle portion 306 via a bracket 368 and connector 370 . upon moving the trigger member 362 in the direction of arrow g , the rod member 366 causes the deflecting member 360 to rotate about connector 370 in the direction of arrow h . in this manner , the deflecting member 360 moves in the airflow leaving the nozzle portion 306 and directs the airflow at an angle determined by the position of the deflecting member 360 . it is to be appreciated that the deflecting member 360 may be spring biased to return the deflecting member 360 to its normal state ( i . e ., retracted from the airflow leaving the nozzle portion 306 ) upon release of the trigger member . in a further embodiment , the attachment of the present disclosure may be configured for applying a fluid with the high pressure air generated by the air blower , e . g ., for applying a pesticide . it is to be appreciated that a fluid can be any substance , such as a liquid , gas , powder , etc ., that is capable of flowing and that changes its shape at a steady rate when acted upon by a force tending to change its shape . in this embodiment , a tube or channel is provided along the length of the cylindrical portion having an input disposed at the upper end of the cylindrical portion and an output disposed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion adjacent the nozzle portion . referring to fig1 , an attachment 400 for an air blower configured to apply a fluid is illustrated . attachment 400 is similar to the embodiment shown in fig4 - 6 , and therefore , redundant details will not be repeated and similar reference numerals will be employed . attachment 400 includes a tube or flow channel 180 disposed along the length of cylindrical portion 104 . the tube 180 includes an input 182 for receiving a fluid . it is to be appreciated that the input 182 of the tube 180 may be extended to be coupled to a fluid container attached to the air blower . the tube 180 further includes an output 184 disposed adjacent the nozzle portion 106 . in this configuration , as fluid is provided to tube 180 , the fluid will be dispensed at output 184 into the airflow leaving the nozzle portion 106 . it is to be appreciated that the tube 180 is flexible to move with the nozzle portion 106 as it is adjusted . in one embodiment , the tube 180 is integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 104 and nozzle portion 106 , e . g ., in a molding process . referring to fig1 , an attachment 500 for an air blower configured to apply a fluid is illustrated . attachment 500 is similar to the embodiment shown in fig1 - 11 , and therefore , redundant details will not be repeated and similar reference numerals will be employed . attachment 500 includes a tube or flow channel 380 disposed along the length of cylindrical portion 304 . the tube 380 includes an input 382 for receiving a fluid . it is to be appreciated that the input 382 of the tube 380 may be extended to be coupled to a fluid container attached to the air blower . the tube 380 further includes an output 384 disposed adjacent the nozzle portion 306 . in this configuration , as fluid is provided to tube 380 , the fluid will be dispensed at output 184 into the airflow leaving the nozzle portion 306 . in one embodiment , the tube 180 is integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 104 and nozzle portion 106 , e . g ., in a molding process . it is to be appreciated that the various features shown and described are interchangeable , that is a feature shown in one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment . while the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure . furthermore , although the foregoing text sets forth a detailed description of numerous embodiments , it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent . the detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment , as describing every possible embodiment would be impractical , if not impossible . one could implement numerous alternate embodiments , using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent , which would still fall within the scope of the claims . it should also be understood that , unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “ as used herein , the term ‘ _____ ’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence , there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term , either expressly or by implication , beyond its plain or ordinary meaning , and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent ( other than the language of the claims ). to the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning , that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader , and it is not intended that such claim term be limited , by implication or otherwise , to that single meaning . finally , unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “ means ” and a function without the recital of any structure , it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 u . s . c . § 112 , sixth paragraph . | 0 |
the collagen useful in the practice of the invention is a collagen which is capable of being dissolved due to enzymatic digestion and through other biological processes in vivo . most preferably , the collagen is native collagen either in potentially soluble form or natural insoluble collagen which is inherently crosslinked and insoluble in either acid or a basic media . in addition , collagen which has been treated in such a manner as to make it water dispersible or soluble can also be utilized so long as when it is reconstituted it retains its quanternary structure , and thus , its capability of dissolution in vivo due to enzymatic digestion and through other biological processes . the natural insoluble collagen useful in the practice of the invention is such as is disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 382 , 133 , filed may 26 , 1982 entitled &# 34 ; collagen sponge &# 34 ; of gheorghe cioca , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 412 , 947 , incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof . the native collagen which is not crosslinked and is useful in the practice of the invention is one which has its crosslinked interfibrillar bonds between individual polypeptide chains severed while maintaining its quaternary structure and is soluble in at least acidic media . a typical process for preparing such collagen is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 279 , 812 , issued july 21 , 1981 of gheorghe cioca entitled &# 34 ; process for preparing macromolecular biologically active collagen .&# 34 ; other methods known to those skilled in the art for preparing dispersible or soluble collagen can also be utilized , so long as the nativity of the collagen is retained . the thrombin useful in the practice of the invention can be human , porcine , bovine or equine in origin . the thrombin can be prepared by methods well known to those skilled in the art and is typically prepared by production from prothrombin . in order to prepare the collagen useful in the practice of the invention , the particular collagen is dispersed in water and typically in an acidic media to effect adequate dissolution or dispersion . the dispersion is preferably at a solids concentration of 0 . 1 to about 0 . 6 percent by weight collagen in water . subsequent to the dispersion of the collagen , it is preferably , but not necessarily , first dialyzed against distilled water to remove salts therefrom and then again dialyzed against a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution to provide a ph on the basic side . the second or ph dialysis is preferred in order to maintain sterilization and , additionally , to have a more controlled conversion of the acidic collagen solution to the basic side . typically , the ph of the collagen solution is about 7 . 1 to about 8 . 0 after dialysis . the collagen is normally dialyzed against sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide or a similar base in aqueous solution at a level of about 0 . 05 to about 3 normal . after dialysis , the thrombin powder in pure form is added and agitated with the aqueous collagen dispersion or solution until homogeneous . the thrombin powder is incorporated at a level of about 300 units or greater of thrombin to 0 . 1 gram of collagen . below this level it has been found that the collagen articles do not provide sufficient hemostatic properties to be particularly effective . there is no maximum amount of thrombin that can be included in the solution ; however , up to 11 , 000 units of thrombin to 0 . 1 gram of collagen has been found to be particularly effective . subsequent to the formation of a homogeneous dispersion or solution of the collagen - thrombin admixture , the solution or dispersion is placed in an appropriate container , such as a tray or a dish , and freeze - dried . although freeze - drying processes well known to those skilled in the art may be utilized , a freeze - drying process whereby there is some cryogenic destruction of the collagen bonds forming free radicals is particularly desirable . this particular freeze - drying process is such that the collagen - thrombin solution is frozen to reduce its temperature at a rate of - 18 ° l c . to - 24 ° c ./ hour until it is at a temperature of - 60 ° c . to - 70 ° c . the frozen solution is then placed in a freeze - dryer with an initial temperature of - 60 ° c . to - 70 ° c . and vacuum sublimated at 10 - 3 to 10 - 5 torr . the freeze - drying process requires about 12 to 24 hours with a final temperature of 30 ° c . freeze - drying processes wherein the final temperature of the collagen solution if - 20 ° c . prior to vacuum sublimation are also acceptable . after the collagen solution has been freeze - dried and rendered free of moisture , it is in the form of a collagen sponge having thrombin distributed throughout . the collagen product so produced is storage stable and is particularly effective as a hemostat , particularly where the hemostat must remain inside the body . thus , during surgical operations the collagen product is placed on the particular incision and wound to stop bleeding and can remain in contact with the wound and be internal to the body . over time the collagen article or sponge dissolves due to enzymatic digestion or other biological processes . the invention can be more fully understood , although not to be limited , by the following examples : thirty milliliters of collagen solution prepared in accordance with example i of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 279 , 812 were charged to an appropriate vessel . the collagen solution had a solids content of 0 . 2 percent by weight . the collagen solution was dialyzed against distilled water to remove any residual salts therefrom . subsequent to the dialysis against distilled water , the collagen solution was again dialyzed against 0 . 1 normal aqueous sodium hydroxide to a ph of 7 . 2 . subsequent to the second dialysis , 0 . 2 gram of substantially pure thrombin powder representing 6 , 600 units of thrombin was charged to the collagen solution and agitated until apparent homogeneity had resulted . the collagen solution was charged to a tray and frozen at a temperature of - 60 ° c . to - 70 ° c . to effect a temperature reduction rate of the collagen of - 20 ° c ./ hour to a temperature of - 60 ° c . the collagen was then freeze - dried with an initial temperature of - 60 ° c . and had a final temperature of 30 ° c . after 16 hours . after storage for one week at ambient temperature under sterile conditions , the collagen article was tested and found to contain 7 , 000 units of thrombin which represented somewhat above the theoretical recovery of the starting thrombin . thirty milliliters of 0 . 2 percent collagen dispersion of crosslinked native collagen prepared in accordance with example i of u . s . patent application ser . no . 382 , 133 were dialyzed against distilled water to remove salts therefrom and again dialyzed against 0 . 1 normal sodiun hydroxide solution to a ph of 7 . 2 . the thrombin powder was added at the same level and in accordance with the procedure of example 1 and the product was freeze - dried in accordance with example 1 . after storage of the collagen article produced in accordance with example 2 hereof , the article was tested and found to contain effectively the same number of thrombin units as had been originally introduced during the preparation of the collagen article . example 1 was repeated , except that it was not dialyzed and was at a level of 0 . 3 percent solids and adjusted to a ph of 7 . 2 with 0 . 1 normal sodium hydroxide and a phosphate buffer was incorporated therein . 0 . 1 gram of thrombin powder was incorporated into the collagen solution , as in example 1 , and the solution was freeze - dried in accordance with example 1 . the collagen article so produced after storage was tested for thrombin activity and showed 3 , 147 units of thrombin , approximately the same amount as had been previously added . it is important to note that the collagen product in accordance with the invention requires no additional stabilizers to retain its stability , and further , due to the immobilization and fixation of the thrombin on the collagen it has particular utility for use as an internal hemostat . although the invention has been described with respect to specific materials and specific processes , it is only to be limited so far as is set forth in the accompanying claims . | 8 |
referring to fig1 a normally open contact block 10 comprises a substantially rectangular housing 12 made of insulating material . the housing 12 includes two extending arms 14 for connection to the base 16 of an operator 18 . the operator 18 may be a pushbutton linear or a rotary operator ; preferably , the operator is one of those disclosed in my co - pending application ser . no . 13 , 664 , filed feb . 21 , 1979 , entitled &# 34 ; pushbutton operator &# 34 ;, now abandoned in favor of a continuing application ser . no . 18 , 629 , filed aug . 25 , 1980 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . for purposes of this application , the base 16 of the operator is preferably of rectangular cross section and has a hollow cylindrical extension 20 . threads 22 are provided at the end of the extension opposite the base . disposed within the extension and the base is a pushbutton 24 connected to a stem 26 to which is connected a rectangular plate 28 which is adapted to contact a projection 30 of stroker 80 of the contact block to open and close the block electrically . the operator may be mounted in a control panel 32 by inserting the extension 20 with mounting gaskets 33 through an aperture in the panel and threading an internally threaded clamp ring 34 onto threads 22 until the panel 32 is secured tightly between lower surface 36 of the clamp ring and upper surface 38 of the base of the operator . the housing 12 comprises opposed end walls 40 from which arms 14 having laterally extending flanges 15 extend in substantially parallel relationship to the end walls and perpendicular to a sidewall 42 . the end walls of the block are tapered forming a recess 41 in each end wall into which the arms of a similar contact block may be fitted to provide multiple contact blocks . one side of each recess is defined by a mold line or side stop 43 molded in the housing ; the opposite side of the recess is defined by an edge of a cover 110 . in the sidewall 42 about midway between the arms and above the plane which cuts the side and end walls laterally is an opening 44 through which the projection 30 of the stroker extends . on opposite sides of the housing 12 adjacent the end walls are members 46 , 48 which extend perpendicularly inwardly from the end walls substantially on this lateral plane . each member terminates approximately one - third of the distance between the end walls in downwardly extending inside wall portions 50 which are joined by a laterally extending bottom wall 52 or bottom portion forming an inner channel 54 in the bottom of the housing 12 . the side of the housing opposite the sidewall 42 is partially closed by wall portions 56 above the lateral plane through the housing and by wall portion 58 which closes the end of the channel 54 . the wall portions 56 and 58 define an opening 60 similar to opening 44 and exposed outer channels 62 , 64 within which electrical terminals 66 , 68 are located . in the contact block according to the invention , there are two stationary contact supports 70 , 72 on opposite sides of and within the housing 12 . each contact support carries a contact button 74 , preferably of silver , and is integrally formed with a terminal 66 , 68 which extends into the outer channels 62 , 64 . each terminal 66 , 68 includes a threaded opening for a conventional fastener 76 for connecting a conductor wire to the terminal . preferably a captive saddle clamp 78 is provided on each fastener to facilitate wiring of an electrical conductor to the terminal . the stroker 80 is preferably made of an internally lubricated material , such as a teflon alloy which has high lubricity , minimal frictional resistance and good wear . the stroker is reciprocally located within the channel 54 formed in the bottom of the housing 12 . the lower part of the stroker 80 is approximately the same height as the channel in which it is located ( see fig7 ) and includes smoothly rounded edges 82 to minimize frictional resistance as the stroker moves within the channel . the upper part of the stroker 80 comprises two u - shaped members 84 , 86 having the legs of the u - shapes spaced apart an equal distance . the outer edges of the legs of opposed members 84 , 86 are also spaced apart to define a slot in which a metallic movable contact support or bridging member 88 is disposed . the width of the slot less the thickness of the bridging member is about equal to the amount of over - travel permitted . the bridging member is relatively elongated having a u - shaped central section 90 and two arms which extend outwardly therefrom . a contact button 92 is mounted on each arm in alignment with a contact button 74 on the stationary support member with which it will make electrical contact upon movement of the stroker . the open slot permits easy assembly of the bridging member on the stroker . the projection 30 of the stroker extends from the outer surface 94 of u - shaped member 84 through opening 44 in the sidewall 42 . preferably , the outer end of the projection 30 is smoothly curved at 96 to reduce frictional contact with the bottom surface 98 of an operator plate , such as plate 28 . on the outer surface of the opposite u - shaped member 86 is an abutment 100 . the total length of the stroker from the outer end of the projection to the surface of the abutment is approximately equal to the height of the housing , thus permitting stacking or ganging of multiple contact blocks . the abutment is aligned with opening 60 and is provided for contact with the projection of a second contact block , such as block 102 in fig3 connected to contact block 103 whereby two contact blocks may be used in tandem operable by one operator . a biasing means , such as coil spring 104 , is disposed between the surface 106 of end wall 58 along the inner or bottom channel 54 and the stroker 80 . in the normally open contact block shown in fig1 - 7 , the spring 104 biases the support carrier in the direction of the projection 30 , thus normally separating the contacts of the movable and stationary contact supports . a second biasing means , such as small coil spring 108 , is disposed in the space defined by the two arms of the u - shaped member 84 and the u - shaped central portion 90 of the bridging member . the purpose of the spring is to permit some overtravel of the stroker 80 when the bridging member 88 is moved to engage the movable and stationary electrical contacts . this assures electrical continuity through the contact block 10 in the mechanical operation of the block and takes into account wear on the components such as the contact buttons . the top of the housing is closed by a cover 110 which prevents dust and other contaminants from entering the contact block . preferably , the cover 110 is made of a transparent thermoplastic material which permits visual observation of the block components during manufacture , operation and for maintenance purposes . the edge of the cover also forms one side of the recess 41 for connection of another contact block thereto . fig8 - 14 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention , namely a normally closed contact block 112 . since the elements of contact block 112 are the same as those used in the normally open contact block 10 , the same reference numbers will be used to describe them . the housing 12 of the contact block 112 is connected to an operator 18 which includes a pushbutton 24 to depress a plate 28 . as in the first embodiment , the plate 28 is adapted to contact the projection 30 of a stroker 80 which is integrally formed with the stroker in the housing 12 . the only differences between the normally open contact block and the normally closed contact block are the assembly of the bridging member 88 , the location of the biasing means 108 and the disposition of the contact buttons 74 , 92 . in the normally closed contact block , the bridging member 88 is reversed from that in the normally open contact block , that is the u - shaped central portion 90 of the bridging member 88 opens in a direction opposite the projection 30 and the outwardly extending arms of the bridging member are positioned on the side of the stationary contacts 70 , 72 opposite to the projection 30 . in the normally closed contact block , the biasing means or coil spring 104 in the inner channel 54 is also disposed between the inner surface of the wall 106 of the housing 12 and the side of the stroker 80 opposite the projection 30 such that the spring 104 tends to force the contacts on the bridging member 88 into mechanical engagement with the stationary contacts . to permit overtravel and assure good electrical continuity , a biasing means , coil spring 108 , is disposed between the arms of u - shaped member 86 and the u - shaped central portion 90 of the bridging member . to provide positive electrical continuity through the contact block , the contact buttons 74 and 92 in the normally closed contact block of fig8 - 14 are reversed from those in the normally open contact block of fig1 - 7 so that the heads of the buttons on the stationary and movable contact member are normally in engagement . of course , two headed contact buttons may be used eliminating the need to reverse them . to distinguish a normally open contact block from one which is normally closed , preferably the housings are molded of color - coded plastic material , i . e . green for normally open ; red for normally closed . in all other respects the normally open contact blocks of the invention are the same , thus contributing to savings in materials , assembly , inventory , and their consequent expense . fig3 and 10 of the drawings show that multiple contact blocks may be used in any combination with a single operator , whether the blocks are of the normally open or normally closed type . hence , a single operator will efficiently open or close one or more switches to start or stop one or more independent pieces of electrical equipment . the number of contact blocks used with a single operator is usually limited to eight blocks , four blocks on each side of a single operator . the contact block , whether of the normally open or normally closed type , is connected to a pushbutton linear or rotary operator 18 . if a linear operator is used , as shown in the drawings , with a normally open contact block 10 , the contact block is as shown in fig1 . full depression of the pushbutton , as shown in fig2 will cause the operator to depress the projection 30 , thus moving the stroker 80 in the inner channel 54 of the housing overcoming the force of spring 104 and carrying the bridging member 88 and the contact button 92 on the arms thereof into mechanical engagement and electrical contact with the contact button 74 on the stationary supports 70 , 72 . release of the pushbutton 24 causes disengagement of the contacts under the force of the spring 104 as the stroker 80 with its projection 30 returns to the position illustrated in fig1 . in the case of a normally closed contact block , the block 112 connected to a linear operator 18 as shown in fig8 has the movable and stationary contacts 74 , 92 in engagement under the force of spring 104 which biases the stroker 80 in the direction of the projection 30 and the operator 18 . when the pushbutton 24 is fully depressed , as shown in fig9 the projection 30 is forced in the direction of the spring 104 moving the stroker 80 in the direction opposite the projection carrying with it the bridging member 88 , thus disengaging the contacts 74 , 92 and opening the electrical circuit through the contact block 112 . having described presently preferred embodiments of the invention it is to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
cellulosic biomass contains large amounts of structural carbohydrates or polysaccharides ( cellulose , hemicellulose , and the like ) that can provide much less expensive simple sugars for fermentation or non - biological transformation to a variety of products or as improved animal feeds . however , these polysaccharides are difficult to access . the present invention provides pretreatment process using concentrated ammonium hydroxide under pressure to improve the accessibility / digestibility of the polysaccharides from a cellulosic biomass . the present invention preferably uses combinations of anhydrous ammonia and concentrated ammonium hydroxide solutions to obtain results that are not obtained by either dilute ammonium hydroxide or anhydrous ammonia acting alone . this invention also uses various approaches to minimize the amount of ammonia in the gas phase so that the maximum amount of ammonia is always in the liquid phase and is available to react with the biomass , either as ammonium hydroxide or liquid ammonia . in the present invention , the lignocellulosic material is treated with concentrated ammonium hydroxide in an amount greater than 30 % by weight in an ammonium hydroxide solution . the process can be performed in a continuous reactor or a batch reactor as in the examples . the biomass contains water which is naturally present . typically , this natural water represents about 1 % to 20 % by weight of the biomass . in general , this natural water tends to be bound in the biomass and thus the water which is primarily relied upon is that added with the ammonium hydroxide solution . water can also be added to the biomass and , if so , then this mixes with the ammonium hydroxide to provide the ammonium hydroxide solution . up to 50 % of the biomass can be added water . the term “ lignocellulosic biomass ” means a naturally derived lignin and cellulose based material . such materials are , for instance , alfalfa , wheat straw , corn stover , wood fibers , and the like . preferably the materials are comminuted into particles in a longest dimension . the term “ structural carbohydrates ” means the polysaccharide materials containing monosaccharide moieties available by hydrolysis . the mass ratio of a lignocellulose biomass to ammonia is preferably 1 to 1 ; however , the mass ratio can be between 0 . 3 and 1 . 2 to 1 . 0 . the reaction temperature is preferably 90 ° c . ; however , the temperature can be between 50 ° c . and 120 ° c . the pressure is preferably between 100 psi and 300 psi ( 6 . 9 to 20 . 7 atm ); however , pressures between 4 and 50 atm can be used . hot ammonium hydroxide / water solutions or hot ammonia / water vapors can be added to ground lignocellulosic biomass in a contained vessel to obtain final mixture temperatures of 50 ° c . or above , preferably 90 ° c . a preferred ammonia to dry biomass mass weight ratio was about 0 . 2 to 1 . 2 . a preferred water to dry biomass mass ratio was about 0 . 4 to 1 . 0 . fig2 shows the improved system 100 with afex reactor vessel . the slurry is sent directly to the stripping column 104 and condenser in condenser 106 and is sent to mixer 108 for addition of water . high pressure steam is used in the stripping column 104 to remove the ammonia from the slurry . the hot aqueous slurry is removed from the bottom of the stripping column . condensers 110 and 112 are used to cool the water and ammonia mixture which is recycled into the vessel 102 . by comparing fig1 and 2 , it can be seen that the process of fig2 is more efficient . a 300 ml pressure vessel 102 was first filled with a given mass of corn stover wetted to the desired moisture level as indicated in table 1 and the vessel 102 was sealed . then a concentrated ammonium hydroxide mixture was prepared by mixing the right proportions of anhydrous ammonia and water in another pressure vessel and this mixture was added to the corn stover in the 300 ml reactor vessel 102 to achieve the desired final level of ammonia and water . in this case , the target was 1 kg of ammonia per kg and dry biomass and 0 . 6 kg of water per kg of dry biomass . the mixture of ammonia , water and biomass was then heated to 90 ° c ., held at that temperature for 5 minutes and the pressure rapidly released . the resulting solid was hydrolyzed to mixtures of monosaccharides containing , for example , glucose , xylose and arabinose . the results of the present invention are shown in table 1 and examples 2 to 15 . table 1 shows the results for the conversion of corn stover to glucose and xylose following treatment with ammonia and water . the total amount of water , ammonia and biomass and the system temperature is the same in all cases . the biomass was treated with 1 kg of ammonia per 1 kg dry corn stover biomass ( the untreated stover has a moisture content of about 15 % dry basis ). the experiments were run at 90 ° c . with a five minute holding time at that temperature and the treated material of example 1 was hydrolyzed with 15 filter paper units of cellulose per gram of cellulose in the stover . from the point of view of the final conditions to which the stover was subjected , these conditions are identical . however , the way in which these final conditions were reached was varied significantly and novel , surprising results were obtained . columns 3 and 4 of the table show how this was done . for example , the column titled “ ammonia distribution ” shows whether the ammonia ( as nh3 ) was added as anhydrous ammonia or as ammonium hydroxide ( ammonia in water ). for example , “ all nh3 ” means that all of the ammonia was added to the biomass as anhydrous liquid ammonia as in example 1 directly from the pressure tank . “ all nh4oh ” means all of the ammonia was added as aqueous ammonium hydroxide . the fourth column (“ water distribution ”) shows whether the water was added to the stover directly or added as part of the ammonium hydroxide . in the first row for experiment 1a (“ conventional afex ”), “ all nh3 ” and “ all of the water in bm ” means that all the ammonia was added as anhydrous and all of the water was in the biomass as in example 1 . the last set of rows is for “ all nh4oh ” meaning that all of the ammonia was added as ammonium hydroxide and the water was added either to the stover or with the ammonium hydroxide . these rows ( experiments 16 - 19 ) represent essentially ambient pressure treatments of biomass by ammonia , not the concentrated ammonia systems at higher than ambient pressure of experiments 1 - 15 above . thus , depending on how the ammonia and water are added , very different results are obtained . eighty - five percent ( 85 %) conversion of cellulose to glucose is used as the minimum for a cost competitive process . using that criterion , the final column shows the % yield after 168 hours of hydrolysis for both glucose ( g ) and xylose ( x ). in no case , when all of the water was added as ammonium hydroxide ( comparatively more dilute ammonium hydroxide ) is the 85 % criterion achieved . the specific features of the process of the present invention that make it more advantageous than prior art methods are as follows : ( 1 ) it does not degrade any biomass carbohydrates so that yield is not compromised due to the pretreatment ; ( 2 ) high overall yields of glucose ( nearly 100 % of theoretical ) and 85 % of theoretical yields of xylose , are obtained ; ( 3 ) low application rates of otherwise expensive hydrolytic enzymes are needed to obtain these yields ; ( 4 ) residual ammonia can serve as a nitrogen source for subsequent fermentations or animal feeding operations ; ( 5 ) treated biomass and polysaccharides can be fed at very high solids levels to subsequent process operations , thereby increasing the concentration of all products and reducing the expense of producing other chemicals from the polysaccharides ; ( 6 ) using different ammonia and ammonium hydroxide combinations , in combination with different water levels in the biomass , fits well into recovery operations for the ammonia and gives the plant operator additional flexibility to minimize costs and maximize treatment effectiveness ; and ( 7 ) managing the reactor headspace to minimize ammonia evaporation into the gas phase further improves process economics by minimizing the amount of ammonia required to achieve an effective treatment . markets that can use this invention include : ( 1 ) the u . s . chemical industry which is beginning to move away from petroleum as a source of chemical feedstocks and is interested in inexpensive monosaccharides as platform chemicals for new , sustainable processes ; ( 2 ) the fermentation industry , especially the fuel ethanol production industry which is also interested in inexpensive sugars from plant biomass ; and ( 3 ) the animal feed industry which is strongly affected by the cost of available carbohydrates / calories for making animal feeds of various kinds . the following example 16 describes two ( 2 ) design features that reduce process energy requirements relative to existing designs of ammonia recovery for afex pretreatment : ( 1 ) steam stripping of pretreated material ; and ( 2 ) water quench condensation of ammonia vapor . fig2 presents a process flow sheet of these features in the context of the broader afex pretreatment design . after the afex pretreatment is complete , the pretreated material is flashed to a lower pressure , as in the existing design . unlike the existing design ; however , the present invention uses steam - stripping of the resulting pretreated solids to recover residual ammonia . this feature enables the elimination of energy intensive solids drying that is used in the design of fig1 . the processing equipment can be similar to that used for direct steam drying of solids for which there are an increasing number of commercial examples ( kudra , t ., a . s . mujumdar , 2002 . advanced drying technologies , new york , n . y . : marcel dekker , inc . ; pronyk , c ., s . cenkowski , 2003 . “ superheating steam drying technologies ,” asae meeting presentation , paper number rrv03 - 0014 .). ammonia vapor coming from the ammonia recovery steam stripping column is combined with ammonia vapor arising from the post - afex flash operation and condensed by first adding water in the mixer and then indirectly cooling the aqueous solution in two steps , first with cooling water , and then with chilled water . the condensed aqueous mixture is then pressurized via liquid pumping and recycled to the afex reactor . these steps eliminate the need for ammonia vapor compression that is used in the design of fig1 . based on aspen plus ( a commercially available modeling software ) process simulations of the process of fig1 and 2 , the present invention requires significantly less process energy relative to the existing design , as indicated in table 2 . furthermore , it is anticipated that the invention will result in lower processing costs as well . 1 . add hot ammonium hydroxide / water solutions or hot ammonia / water vapors to ground lignocellulosic biomass in contained environments to obtain final mixture temperatures of 50 ° c . 2 . obtain intermediate ammonia to dry biomass mass ratio is about 0 . 2 to 1 . 0 while water to dry biomass mass ratio is about 0 . 4 to 1 . 0 . 3 . allow sufficient time for reaction to occur under these conditions , approximately 5 minutes . 4 . compress the ammonia treated biomass , for example in a screw reactor , to minimize the volume of vapor or “ dead ” space . 5 . further reduce the tendency of ammonia to convert to a gas by , for example , pressurizing the system with an inert gas such as nitrogen , or by mixing finely divided solids such as sand or iron filings with the biomass . 6 . add essentially anhydrous liquid ammonia to the intermediate mixture to obtain a final ammonia level of about 0 . 5 kg ammonia ( as nh3 ) per kg of dry biomass and temperatures of about 90 ° c . 7 . hold new mixture at these conditions for an additional 5 minutes . 8 . rapidly release the pressure to remove and recover the ammonia . 9 . hydrolyze the resulting solids to mixtures of simple sugars containing , for example , glucose , xylose and arabinose . 1 . to establish the fact that the ammonia in the liquid phase where it is in direct contact with the biomass is preferred phase that makes the afex an effective pretreatment process . therefore , to minimize ammonia evaporation , applying nitrogen pressure during pretreatment of biomass is warranted . 2 . to optimize the ammonia loading under nitrogen . old corn stover with 36 . 1 % glucan content was received from nrel ( golden , colo .). the moisture content of the biomass was adjusted from 10 % to the desired level before placing in the reactor . the reactor was a 300 ml parr unit with pressure and temperature monitoring attachments . the sample in the reactor topped up with some spherical steel balls to reduce the void in the reactor and to have similar conditions with experiments without use of nitrogen . a predetermined amount of anhydrous ammonia was charged in a reactor using a sample cylinder . nitrogen gas was introduced to the reactor from a nitrogen cylinder tank via a pressure regulator . the reactor was gradually heated up by a heating mantle until it reached 90 ° c . after 5 min of residence time , the reactor was depressurized at once . both t and p was recorded every 2 min during the experiments . the pressure started at about 400 psig and ended at about 750 psig while the reactor temperature started from about 50 ° c . to 90 ° c . where it was vented . two sets of experiments were conducted . for the first 4 experiments 21 to 24 , the previous optimal conditions of 60 % dwb biomass moisture content , 90 ° c . treatment temperature and 5 min residence time was chosen but the amount of charged ammonia was varied to determine optimal ammonia loading under n 2 pressure . for the second set of 6 experiments 25 to 30 , both the moisture content and ammonia loading was varied . some of the first set of experiments was repeated in the second set as well . the repeated experiments showed similar results . a third set of 6 experiments 31 to 36 , was not conclusive for all the runs possibly due to bad hydrolysis . for hydrolysis , nrel lap - 009 protocol was followed . duplicate samples were prepared and hydrolyzed for a period of 168 hr . at time intervals of 24 hr , 72 hr and 168 hr , samples were taken for hplc analysis . to all samples were added 15 fpu per g of glucan of spezyme cp ( cafi 1 ), old enzyme with 28 . 2 fpu / ml . a waters high performance liquid chromatography ( hplc ) with aminex hpx 87 p biorad column and de - ashing guard column was used to perform the analysis . the analysis was performed in our lab as well as at michigan biotechnology international ( mbi ), east lansing , mich . in the optimized afex pretreatment conditions of 1 kg nh 3 : 1 kg dbm , 60 % mc , 90 ° c . ideally , there is 90 % glucose and 70 % xylose conversion . if the decrease in the amount of ammonia used under nitrogen pressure is back calculated , there is a 1 . 5 , 2 and 5 fold increase in yield under nitrogen pressure proportional to the ammonia loadings of 0 . 5 , 0 . 3 and 0 . 1 kg nh 3 : kg dbm , respectively . in other words , there is a 5 fold savings on the amount of ammonia when afex under nitrogen pressure is employed at 0 . 1 : 1 ammonia charge compared to 1 : 1 . the amount of ammonia has decreased 10 times ( 1 : 1 to 0 . 1 : 10 while both the glucose and xylose yields has dropped to ½ from 90 % to 45 % and 70 % to 35 % for glucose and xylose , respectively . the results are shown in fig3 to 9 . while the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrated embodiments , it should be understood that the invention is not limited hereto . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings herein will recognize additional modifications and embodiments within the scope thereof . therefore , the present invention is limited only by the claims attached herein . | 2 |
the present invention is particularly useful when embodied in a laser printer having a rotating multiple - surface mirror as shown in fig1 . the laser printer comprises a light source 1 such as a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser beam , and a coupling lens 2 in the form of a compound lens for directing a parallel laser beam toward a rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 rotated by a motor 3 coupled therewith . the laser printer also has an f lens 5 for focusing the laser beam as deflected by the rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 onto a photosensitive drum 6 as a scanning spot thereon . the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 is modulated with a signal to be recorded or printed . main scanning is effected axially of the photosensitive drum 6 by the rotation of the rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 , and auxiliary scanning is effected in a direction normal to the axis of the photosensitive drum 6 by the rotation of the latter . the photosensitive drum 6 has its cylindrical surface charged uniformly in advance at a prescribed polarity . the charged cylindrical drum surface is selectively hit and discharged by the scanning beam spot to form an electrostatic latent image in a pattern equal to an image to be printed . colored minute particles , known as &# 34 ; toner &# 34 ;, are then electrostatically applied to the cylindrical drum surface , thereby developing or visualizing the image , which is transferred to an image carrier such as a sheet of paper and then fixed thereto . the scanning beam is detected by a light detector 7 positioned in the vicinity of a point where each main scanning line starts for thereby synchronizing the main scanning with the signal to be recorded . the rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 is liable to undergo various problems that adversely affect optical characteristics of the mirror . one of such difficulties is caused by jitter due to both a phase jitter resulting in cyclic rotational fluctuations of the motor 3 and a velocity instability resulting in time - dependent rotational fluctuations of the motor 3 . the phase jitter is disadvantageous in that any line which would have to be drawn by the mirror 4 perpendicularly to a main scanning direction or parallel to an auxiliary scanning direction tends to suffer from small vibrations as shown in fig2 . any velocity instability , on the other hand , causes such a line to fluctuate in a greater cycle as illustrated in fig3 . in any case , these motor fluctuations impair the quality of an image printed or otherwise displayed . it is known that , in general , as the speed of rotation of the rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 or the motor 3 is reduced , the fluctuations attributable to the phase jitter and the velocity instability are increased , as shown in fig4 . the phase jitter and the velocity instability have the following relationship : where k is a constant , and thus any reduction of the phase jitter can result in a reduction in fluctuations caused by the velocity instability . the phase jitter is considered to be caused by various irregularities associated with the rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 and the motor 3 . these irregularities include a mirror surface inaccuracy of the rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 , a magnetic field ripple in the motor 3 , and a mechanical inaccuracy of the motor 3 . the foregoing irregularities affect the phase jitter as shown in fig5 . more specifically , the magnetic field ripple in the motor 3 has a greatest adverse effect on the phase jitter , and the surface inaccuracy of the mirror 4 and the mechanical inaccuracy of the motor 3 are less conducive to the phase jitter . the magnetic field ripple in the motor 3 is correlated to the number of stator poles and the number of phases of the motor 3 . for example , a two - pole two - phase motor is subjected to magnetic field ripples which appear four times while the rotor and stator make a single relative revolution , as shown in fig6 . this indicates that the frequency of magnetic field ripples produced during one revolution of the motor 3 is given by the following equation : frequency of magnetic field ripples = the number of stator poles × the number of phases ( 2 ) from the foregoing analysis , it is concluded that where the frequency of magnetic field ripples is equalized to a multiple by an integral number of the number of reflecting surfaces of the rotating multiple - surface mirror 4 , the magnetic field ripples can be cancelled out by rotation of the mirror 4 , resulting in a reduction in the phase jitter . with two - pole four - phase motors , four - pole two - phase motors , and four - pole four - phase motors , for example , the number of reflecting surfaces of the mirror 4 is selected to be eight . the number of reflecting surfaces of the mirror 4 is selected to be twelve for four - pole three - phase motors , eight - pole three - phase motors , six - pole two phase motors , and six - pole four - phase motors , for example . such a relationship is effective for both ac synchronous motors and dc motors . although a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described , it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims . for example , the present invention is applicable to other types of light deflectors , such as a hologram disk having a plurality of holograms serving as reflecting surfaces . | 6 |
as seen in fig1 , a dolly 100 in accordance with the present invention includes a plate member 102 having a longitudinal axis a , which extends in a vertical direction in an assembled , upright dolly . the dolly 100 also includes a telescoping handle member 104 that is attached to the plate member 102 . the handle member comprises a pair of legs 106 a , 106 b and a u - shaped telescoping handle 108 whose elongated members are slidingly received into the legs 106 a , 106 b . the dolly 100 also comprises a pair of wheels 110 a , 110 b rotatably mounted to the plate member 102 via an axle 112 which resides in an axle channel formed on the first side 122 of the plate member . in one embodiment , the plate member 102 is formed by injection molding a resin or other suitable material , known to those skilled in the art of plastics and / or composites construction . the plate member 102 has a first side 122 facing in a first direction and a second side 123 facing in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction . the second side 123 of the plate member 102 may be provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending stiffening ribs 136 . the ribs 136 provide strength and torsional rigidity , when the plate member 102 is clamped to a child safety seat . on either side of the longitudinal axis a , the plate member 102 is provided with a longitudinally extending row 124 a , 124 b of through holes . in some embodiments , the first and second rows 124 a , 124 b of through holes are parallel to one another and are equidistant from the longitudinal axis a . as seen in the figures , the rows 124 a 124 b may be arranged along an adjacent vertical edge 125 a , 125 b of the plate member 102 . the through holes in row 124 a are designated by reference numerals 126 a , 126 b , 126 c , 126 d and 126 e , while the through holes in row 124 b are designated by reference numerals 128 a , 128 b , 128 c , 128 d and 128 e . the through holes in one row have the same spacing as the through holes in the other row , and corresponding through holes in the two rows are at the same height relative to the bottom edge 130 of the plate member 102 . thus , for example through holes 126 e and 128 e are the same distance from bottom edge 130 , through holes 126 d , 128 d are the same distance from bottom edge 130 , etc . the plate member 102 may also include a pair of spaced apart clamping bracket through holes 132 a , 132 b which are arranged on either side of the longitudinal axis a . the through holes 132 a , 132 b are spaced apart by a first distance d 1 , which corresponds to the spacing between openings 316 a , 316 b formed in a clamping bracket 300 , described below with respect to fig8 a and 8 b . fig2 shows the first side 122 of the plate member 102 . extending from the top edge 140 of the plate member are a pair of parallel channels 162 a , 162 b configured to receive the legs 106 a , 106 b , respectively , of the handle member 104 . the axle channel 170 formed proximate the bottom edge 130 extends between a first side edge 180 of the plate member 102 and a second , opposite side edge 182 of the plate member 102 . as seen in fig2 , the axle channel has openings 172 throughout its length which communicate with the first side 122 . also proximate the bottom edge 130 of plate member 102 are a pair of spaced apart positioning members 164 a , 164 b which protrude in the same first direction that the first side 122 faces . the positioning members 164 a , 164 b are shaped and sized to be received into complementary openings formed in the back sides of certain brands and models of child safety seats . the operation of the positioning members 164 a , 164 b is further described in aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 991 , 241 , whose contents are incorporated by reference to the extent necessary to understand the present invention . fig3 shows a close - up of the plate member 102 of the dolly 100 in accordance with the present invention , in combination with a first type of child safety seat 250 . the handle member 104 has been omitted in this figure for simplicity . the back side 252 of the child safety seat 250 has an aperture 254 which is part of a passageway 256 . as is well - known to those skilled in the art , such a passageway 256 may be used to pass a seatbelt therethrough for securing the child safety seat 250 in a vehicle . in the embodiment of fig3 , a clamping strap 200 passes through the passageway 256 and secures the dolly 100 to the child safety seat 250 . a first portion 202 of the clamping strap 200 is secured to the plate member 102 via a threaded fastener 270 . it is understood that another portion ( not seen ) of the clamping strap 200 is secured to a second such fastener ( not shown ) on the far side of the plate member 102 . both portions of the clamping strap 200 are provided with internal threads suitable for mating with the threaded fasteners . in one embodiment , the threaded fastener 270 may be in the form of a thumb screw having an enlarged head 272 and a threaded stem 274 . the thumb screw 270 passes through a through a through hole formed in the plate member 102 , with its head 272 on the second side of the plate member . in addition , the thumb screw &# 39 ; s threaded stem 276 threadingly passes through a cleat 280 secured to the clamping strap 200 . the cleat 280 has the internal threads that cooperate with the threaded stem 274 to tighten the clamping strap 200 to the plate member 102 . during use , the threaded fasteners 270 are sufficiently tightened so as to frictionally clamp the plate member 102 , and thus the dolly 100 , to the child safety seat 200 . fig4 a and 4 b show an exploded view and an assembled view , respectively , of the clamping strap 200 . the clamping strap 200 comprises a strip 262 of nylon , plastic , other suitable flexible material having a first end 264 and a second end 266 . the first end 264 of the clamping strap 200 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart sites 268 a at which a cleat 280 may be selectively accommodated . as seen in fig4 a , each site comprises an opening 267 formed through a thickness of the clamping strap 200 , and a grommet 269 attached to the clamping strap 200 at the opening 267 . the second end 266 of the clamping strap 200 is provided with another site 268 b which can also accommodate a similar cleat 280 . by virtue of being able to select from among the different sites 268 a at the first end 264 of the clamping strap 200 , one is able to adjust the effective length of the clamping strap 200 . this allows a single clamping strap to be used with passageways of different lengths , which may be provided on the back sides of different makes and models of child safety seats . each cleat 268 is secured to the clamping strap by a retainer clip 290 . in one embodiment , each retainer clip 290 comprises a pair of elongated legs 292 connected at opposite ends by end loops 293 . with reference fig4 a , 5 a & amp ; 5 b , the legs 292 of the retainer clip 290 are received in spaced apart cutouts 293 which define a channel formed on the underside of the cleat 268 . meanwhile , the end loops of 293 the retainer clips 290 are hooked over shoulders 294 formed on the topside of the cleats 268 and come to rest in valleys 295 . in the embodiment of fig5 a , 5 b and 5 c , two cutouts 273 are formed on each of two spaced apart walls 275 formed on the underside of the cleat 268 . the walls 275 are spaced apart by a distance sufficient to accommodate the width of the clamping strap 200 . furthermore , the cleat 268 has a central through hole 289 which extends through a cylindrical projection 273 formed on the underside of the cleat 268 . when the cleat 268 is secured to the clamping strap 200 , the cylindrical projection 273 occupies the opening 267 and the clamping strap 200 is received between the walls 275 . as seen in fig5 a and 5 c , an internally threaded insert 296 is received into the central through hole 289 of the cleat 268 . in particular , as best seen in fig5 c , the internally threaded insert 296 is received via the topside of the cleat 268 . the internally threaded insert 296 has internal threads 279 . the internal threads 279 cooperate with the threaded fastener 270 , when the threaded fastener 270 is being used to secure the first and second ends of the clamping strap 200 ( which clamping strap passes through the passageway 256 ) to the plate member 102 . thus , in one embodiment , the internally threaded insert 296 mounted within the cleat 268 , which in turn is secured to the clamping strap 200 , provides the clamping strap 200 with threads for cooperating with the threaded fastener 270 . in one embodiment , the internally threaded insert is a dodge ® ultrasert iv - type flanged brass insert . inserts of this type are known to those skilled in the art of providing plastic or composite components with wear - resistant internal threads . fig6 illustrates an intermediate step in securing the plate member 102 to the clamping strap 200 . the threaded stem 274 of the threaded bolt 270 is about to be received into the opening 289 formed in the projection 273 , when the projection 273 protrudes through the grommet 269 . it is understood from fig6 and fig5 c that the threaded stem 274 is pushed into the opening 289 until it engages the internal threads 279 of the insert 296 , at which point the operator may begin turned the threaded fastener 270 to tightened the clamping strap 200 and thereby frictionally secure the plate member 102 , and thus the dolly 100 to child safety seat 250 . fig7 shows a stylized view of the front 122 of the plate member 102 of the dolly 100 and a clamping bracket 300 . the handle member 104 has been omitted in this figure for simplicity . a pair of threaded fasteners in the form of thumb screws 302 a , 302 b are used to secure the clamping bracket 300 to the plate member 102 . the thumb screws 302 a , 302 b pass through clamping bracket through holes 132 a , 132 b from the backside 123 of the plate member and enter the used to fastening clamping bracket 300 is secured to the plate member 102 of the dolly 100 . as seen in this figure , the clamping bracket 300 projects in the same first direction as the positioning members 164 a , 164 b . the clamping bracket has a pair of laterally extending arms 310 a , 310 b , each arm having a rearwardly facing clamping surface 312 a , 312 b , respectively ( see fig8 a ). the function of the clamping bracket 300 is for its rearwardly facing clamping surfaces 312 a , 312 b to abut forwardly facing abutment surfaces formed on apertures associated with a passageway found on the back side of a child safety seat . to accomplish this , the laterally extending arms 310 a , 310 b of the clamping bracket 300 are positioned to enter the apertures , and then the threaded fasteners 302 a , 302 b which pass through the clamping bracket 300 are turned to tighten the assembly . this causes the clamping surfaces 312 a , 312 b to abut the abutment surfaces of the apertures . further tightening secures the plate member 102 of dolly 100 to the child safety seat , with the rearwardly facing clamping surfaces 312 a , 312 b of the clamping member applying a clamping force against the forwardly facing abutment surfaces formed on the apertures of the child safety seat . the clamping action of the clamping bracket 300 is further described in aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 991 , 241 , whose contents are incorporated by reference to the extent necessary to understand the present invention . as seen in fig8 a and 8 b , the clamping bracket 300 has a leg member 317 which terminates in an end surface 318 . it is this end surface 318 of the leg member 317 that abuts against the first side 122 of the plate member 102 , when the threaded fasteners 302 a , 302 b are inserted through the plate member 102 and into spaced apart through holes 316 a , 316 b formed in the end surface 318 . thus , the spaced apart through holes 316 a , 316 b can be aligned with the clamping bracket through holes 132 a , 132 b formed in the plate member 102 , when it is desired to employ the clamping bracket 300 in conjunction with the dolly 100 . a pair of bidirectional internally threaded inserts 320 a , 320 b are positioned in a medial portion of the through holes 316 a , 316 b , respectively . each of these inserts 320 a , 320 b has a corresponding internal thread 322 a , 322 b , respectively , for engaging the threaded fasteners 302 a , 302 b , respectively . in one embodiment , the internally threaded inserts 320 a , 320 b are a dodge ® ultrasert iii - type symmetrical brass insert . inserts of this type are also known to those skilled in the art of providing plastic or composite components with wear - resistant internal threads . fig9 shows the dolly 100 clamped to the back side of another embodiment of a child safety seat , shown generally as 402 . this child safety seat 402 includes a structure 410 that projects outwardly from the child safety seat 402 . as seen in the figure , the structure 410 is an l - shaped eye 410 which connects a first portion 404 of the child safety seat 402 to a second portion 406 of the child safety seat . depending on the child safety seat , the eye 410 may be formed of metal , plastic , composite material , or other substance . although only one eye 410 is shown in this figure , it is understood that two such eyes 410 , on either side , are provide on the child safety seat 402 . hook - type threaded fasteners , in the form of j - bolts 400 , are used to clampingly secure the dolly 100 to the child safety seat 402 . the j - bolts 400 have a hook end 420 which hooks the eye 410 , and a threaded end 422 which passes through a through hole in the plate member 102 . it is understood that two such j - bolts are used , one for hooking each eye 410 . in one embodiment , a wing nut 424 is used to secure the threaded end 422 of the j - bolts to plate member 102 . as the wing nuts 424 are tightened , the hook ends 420 pull on the eyes 410 , thereby clamping the child safety seat 402 to the plate member 102 . the wing nuts 424 are used to tighten the first and second j - bolts sufficiently tight so as to frictionally clamp the plate member 102 to the child safety seat 402 . fig1 shows a combination 500 of a dolly clamped , via clamping strap 502 , to a child safety seat 250 of the sort having a back side formed with a passageway ( the passageway being hidden by the plate member 102 in fig1 ). in this combination 500 , a ratchet 510 is mounted on the plate member 102 , such as at through holes 132 a , 132 b ( see fig1 ). a clamping strap 502 is of sufficient length to pass through the passageway , and has a first portion ( first portion being hidden in fig1 ) adapted to be attached to the plate member 102 and second , toothed portion 506 end suitable for engaging the ratchet 510 . in fig1 , the clamping strap passes through the passageway and a first portion of the clamping strap 502 is secured to the plate member 102 . in the embodiment shown , the ( hidden ) first portion of the clamping strap 502 is secured to the plate member 102 via a threaded fastener 270 , much as seen in fig3 . it is understood , however , that other techniques may be used to secure the first portion of the clamping strap 502 to the plate member 102 . an intermediate portion 504 of the clamping strap 502 emerges from an opposite end of the passageway , wraps around the first edge 125 a of the plate member 102 , and connects to a second , toothed portion 506 . the ratchet 510 mounted on the second side of the plate member 102 cooperates with the toothed portion 506 of the clamping strap 502 . when the toothed portion 506 of the clamping strap is engaged by the ratchet 510 , operation of the ratchet handle 512 serves to tighten the clamping strap 502 and propel the latter &# 39 ; s tongue 508 further towards the threaded fastener 270 , seen in fig1 . people skilled in the art are familiar with the operation and use clamping straps having a toothed portion 506 suitable for engaging such ratchets 510 . while the embodiment of fig1 shows the clamping strap 502 to wrap around the first edge 125 a of the plate member , it is understood that in other embodiments , the plate member may have a vertically extending slot in place of , or adjacent to , the through holes proximate the first edge 125 a of the plate member , and the clamping strap 502 may pass through such a slot . the dolly 100 of the present invention may be sold as kit which a current owner of a child safety seat may wish to acquire . such a kit will generally include a plate member , such as plate member 102 , a handle member 104 , wheels 106 a , 106 b and any hardware needed to mount the wheels , such as the axle 108 . these items may be partially or fully dissembled , though in some embodiments these items may even completely be assembled . the kit will also include at least one of the aforementioned clamping mechanisms to clamp a child safety seat to the dolly . thus , there may be one type of kit that comes with the clamping strap 200 and its various accessories such as the cleats , spring clips , and threaded fasteners . another type of kit may come with the clamping bracket 300 and threaded fasteners . still another type of kit may come with just the j - bolts 400 and the nuts used to tighten the j - bolts . still another type of kit may come with the ratchet 500 and the toothed clamping strap 504 . since different child safety seats differ in their construction , such a kit may include the necessary hardware for more than just a single style of child safety seat . in some embodiments , the kit will include two , three or even all four types of clamping mechanisms , thereby allowing a single kit to function with a variety of different types of child care seats . it should be noted that in such kits , the same plate member 102 may thus be used with a plurality of different types of clamping mechanisms ( clamping strap , clamping bracket and hook ( e . g ., j - bolt ) and even ratchet ) so as to accommodate a variety of child safety seats . also , a child safety seat dolly in accordance with the present invention can selectively be clamped to a child safety seat , for transporting the child safety seat with the child seated therein . since it can be selectively clamped , the dolly does not require that the child safety seat be modified . this obviates the need to permanently change any existing components or permanently attach any new components , either of which may violate regulations an specifications governing such seats . thus , a dolly in accordance with the present invention may be used in conjunction with prior art child safety seats having the necessary structures to mate with the provided clamping mechanisms . although the present invention has been described to a certain degree of particularity , it should be understood that various alterations and modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed . | 1 |
when referring to the figures it will be appreciated that for purposes of clarity some details of construction have not been provided in view of such details being conventional and well within the skill of the art once the invention is disclosed and explained . referring to the drawings , wherein like reference characters represent like elements , fig3 schematically illustrates a line - time distribution structure of one embodiment of the present invention . each line 10 consists of a row of pixels 12 , which commonly consists of three color subpixels at each pixel position . these row lines of pixels are arranged vertically forming a matrix . each row line of pixels 12 is capable of being addressed simultaneously . each subpixel has commonly an 8 bit value associated with it referred to as its grayscale value . such a display is algorithmically color blind , i . e ., the addressing scheme is identical for every pixel regardless of its intended color . colors may thus be arranged in stripes or matrices depending on specific display characteristics . a horizontal display line is assigned a time period equal to the time required to display an image frame of information on the digital display . this line time period is divided into a plurality of eight sub - periods identified as g1 , g2 , g3 , g4 , g5 , g6 , g7 and g8 . each sub - period ( g1 - g8 ) has a different time length determined by the binary weighting of the grayscale bit to be displayed during that period . addressing may take place only at the beginning of a sub - period , which coincides with the end of the previous sub - period . optimally these subperiods are not distributed sequentially in time as their binary weights as shown , but in a mixed order . the visual brightness for each pixel on the line is the accumulation of the display times for each of the eight sub - periods g1 - g8 . thus , 256 levels of gray may be composed of the 8 bits determined for each pixel by selectively operating one or more of the eight sub - periods g1 - g8 . each horizontal line is assigned sub - periods with an identical binary weighting pattern . however , the display time for sub - period g1 is offset from sub - period g1 for the previous line by a time equal to the frame time divided by the number of horizontal lines in the display . thus all lines have a unique starting time for their respective g1 sub - period . further , it can be seen that an address event must occur somewhere in the display at the beginning of each sub - period . fig3 illustrates that line offset time m marks the beginning of eight sub - periods ; g1 for line n , g2 for line n - 2 , g4 for line n - 5 , g8 for line n - 10 , g16 for line n - 19 , g32 for line n - 36 , g64 for line n - 69 , and g128 for line n - 134 . thus at each offset time , a grid consisting of eight horizontal lines must undergo pixel updates to illunminate pixels for the new sub - periods with the first grid line displaying pixels for sub - period g1 , etc . fig4 illustrates a method by which lines may be chosen for updating . in this case , for example , the display consists of 256 horizontal lines listed in the table of fig4 . during the first offset time , a set of eight grid lines indicated as line access 0 to line access 7 selects the display lines that will be addressed from the list of all available lines indicated by the list of addressable lines 0 to 255 . thereafter , the set of grid lines is moved down one position in the addressable line list to determine which display lines will be updated during offset time 1 . the grid line set is moved one position for each offset time until the grid line set has accessed each location in the list . when a grid line reaches the bottom of the list , that grid line will move to the top of the list after the next increment . since the offset time period is the frame time divided by the number of lines in the list , the time required to access each location in the addressable line list is equal to one frame time during which each display line will have been accessed eight times . the grid lines described and shown in fig4 are separated ( spaced ) by the number of positions in the addressable line list and that separation determines the binary weighting bases on the grayscale values . for displays larger than 256 lines , the grid line spacing will be increased by the factor ( ld / 256 ) where ld is the number of lines in the display . the grid line spacing can be varied to effectively change the order of occurrence of the grayscale weightings such that the time dependencies can be avoided . the implementation illustrated in fig4 has the disadvantage of assigning line offsets on a sequential basis . this type of assignment invites visual effects as grayscale brightness of adjacent lines change even in small amounts but with major shifts in pulse timing within a frame period . the eye - brain cell structure can , for example , easily perceive this as motion . these are the image artifacts that have been observed with digital &# 34 ; pulse modulation &# 34 ; techniques . assigning line positions in the addressable line list in an ordered distribution , which will be perceived as sudo - random or scattered can mitigate these image artifacts . in this case , the time modulated digital pulses , which occur at each color subpixel , appear to have a combined &# 34 ; random &# 34 ; occurrence over time and space and motion is not detected by the eye - brain nerve structure . fig5 illustrates a &# 34 ; randomly &# 34 ; assigned line list where r ( n ) is a random line number for list position n . assigning display lines such psuedo - random positions in the addressable line list results in a spatial scattering of the &# 34 ; pulse - width modulation &# 34 ; display times and avoids visual effects . fig6 illustrates how a pattern can appear to move in time if not distributed also in space . in fig6 a are shown two patterns , one of mostly on cells and one of mostly off , which when sequentially updated appear to move in space -- the eye can follow the diagonal bars . in fig6 b the patterns are &# 34 ; mixed up &# 34 ; in space by reversing three space bits . in fig6 c the mixing is more complex utilizing exclusive or in conjunction with reversing . in this way it is arranged so that there is no pattern for the eye to follow . this technique removes most image artifacts except that which is produced by the digitalization of the image itself over time . this happens when a grayscale value at a bit boundry causes oscilation between two digital values from frame to frame which map into a movement pattern . this final problem can be removed by simple hysteresis on a pixel by pixel basis from frame to frame . by this means , there is provided a novel and simple way of generating the required addressable lines by use of a set of grid lines that may be implemented as either a simple sequence generator or as a look - up table and distributes the grayscales in randomly perceived patterns in both space and time . fig1 illustrates the waveforms of the preferred embodiment that meet the necessary requirements for driving the mog structure plasma display as illustrated in fig1 . a front or top substrate 6 has on its interrior surface display electrodes 7 electrodes 7 , also referred to as y and z sustainer electrodes , covered with dielectric material 9 which has applied to its surface a photoemissive layer 10 . the front substrate is sealed to a back substrate 1 containing luminescent areas 5 on the surfaces of microgrooves separated by a thin barrier 4 . on the areas 5 are deposited phosphor material on and coincident with electrodes 2 covering the interior surfaces of the micro - grooves . each adjacent luminescent area may contain a different phosphor color , for example , red [ r ], green [ g ], and blue [ b ] in a repetitive pattern . an image element is typically defined by at least three luminescent areas 5 corresponding to the above three colors . in fig1 , l represents the light output from a selected cell , x is the waveform applied to the address electrode of the selected cell , y is the voltage applied to the y display electrode of the selected cell , and z is the z voltage applied to the z electrode of the selected cell . y and z are of equal amplitude and have opposite polarity . as y transitions to the low level 3 , z transitions to the high level 1 and thus a voltage is applied to the cell of amplitude va and this causes a previously on cell to discharge resulting in a light output pulse 12 . at the next step , y transitions to the high level 1 , z transitions to the low level and this results in the application of a negative voltage to the cell of amplitude va and the on cell again discharges and creates a light output . if the previous state of the cell was off , the transitions of y and z will not be large enough to cause the off cell to discharge and the cell will remain in the off condition . write addressing is shown in fig1 as the application of a negative pulse 5 to the y display electrode and a positive pulse 7 to the z display electrode . if the height of the pulse 5 is vw1 and the height of pulse 7 is vw2 , then the voltage across the addressed cell is va + vw1 + vw2 and this voltage must be greater than vfmax1 + vfmax2 described above in order to cause a discharge between the two display electrodes . the application of these pulses causes the cells on the line formed by the y and z electrode to discharge and collect wall charges on the front substrate of sufficient applitude so that on the next transition of the y and z electrodes ( indicated by 6 in fig1 ), the cell again discharges and becomes on . in this manner , all cells on the horizontal line formed by the y and z electrodes will be written . it will be appreciated that not all cells on the addressed horizontal line should remain in the on state . it therefore becomes necessary to selectively erase those cells that must be off . this is accomplished by the application of erase pulses 8 to the y display electrode and erase pulses 9 to the address electrode x . if the height of the y pulse 8 is vw1 , a common supply can be used to generate both the write and erase pulse heights for the y electrode resulting in a simplification of the power supply for the display . the address pulse height 9 of value ve1 must then be chosen so that vw1 + ve1 must be greater that vfmax1 in order to cause a discharge between the y electrode and the address electrode x in order for the selected cell that is to be turned off . the application of the erase pulse results in a wall charge of same polarity for the y and z electrode and the wall voltage is reduced to a level that does not satisfy equation ( a ) and the cell is extinguished . in order to accomplish the distributed line addressing method of grayscale . eight horizontal lines are written at the same time using the same pulses 5 and 7 shown in fig1 . eight separate erase pulses are then sequentially applied to those eight lines . each of the erase pulses is used to extinguish unwanted cells on those eight addressed lines . this is illustrated in fig1 where horizontal lines l1 , l2 , . . . l8 have all cells written with pulses 5 and 7 and then the first erase pulse 8 is used to selectively erase the unwanted cells on l1 , the second pulse is used to selectively erase the unwanted cells on l2 , the third pulse is used to selectively erase the unwanted cells on l3 , etc . until all eight lines have unwanted cells in the off state . fig7 illustrates the block diagram of a system that is used to generate the waveforms and data necessary to drive the mog structure . the input to the system is control signals for identifying the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals , the data for red , green , and blue information for each pixel in the display and a clock to indicate new pixel information . the pixel data is converted to binary form and stored in a frame memory for later retrieval . the timing control unit synchronizes with the sync signals and controls the waveform generator . the waveform generator is responsible for sending horizontal address information to the y and z drive circuits , and for generating signals that are used to generate the y and z waveforms . horizontal lines are written in groups of eight and the waveform control unit selects which horizontal lines make up the selected set . the selected group are bulk written and then those lines are selectively erased . the data transform block selects information from the frame buffer based on the selected horizontal line to be erased and which bit in the grayscale value of eight bits is to be used for selecting the erase pattern . thus the data transform block is responsible for manipulating the frame buffer data so that grayscale information can be properly displayed on the plasma screen . fig8 illustrates the detailed block diagram for the address electrode ( x ) drive circuit . the pulse generator selects one of three levels to apply to the driver circuits . the vxw level is used to generate the pulse height of the erase pulses for selected cells , the ground levels is used for unselected cells , and the vxm level is used when no erase pulses are being generated during the normal sustain time . energy recovery circuits are used to increase efficiency when driving the capacitance of the address electrodes and is used for both the address pulse voltages ( vxw ) and the vxm level . data to the x drive circuits is determined by the data transform block shown in fig7 . fig9 illustrates the detailed block diagram for the y display electrode drive circuit . the y sustain block generates the sustaining waveform 2 shown in fig1 . the controls for the timing of the waveform is determined by the waveform control block of fig7 . the y sustain block selects between the sustain voltage va and the two intermediate levels vym1 and vym2 . vym2 is the level from which erase pulses are applied . energy recovery circuits are used to increase efficiency when driving the capacitance of the address electrodes and is used for both the sustain voltage ( va ) and the vym levels . erase and write address pulses are generated by the y pulse control block . the same pulse height is used for both erase and write pulses . the y driver circuit chooses lines to write and erase based on y data from the waveform control block . the data is used to apply or not apply the erase and write pulses to each of the horizontal lines in the display . fig1 illustrates the detailed block diagram for the z display electrode drive circuit . the z sustain block generates the sustaining waveform 6 shown in fig1 . the waveform control block of fig7 determines the controls for the timing of the waveform . the z sustain block selects between the sustain voltage va and the two intermediate levels vzm1 and vzm2 . vzm2 is the level from which erase pulses are applied . energy recovery circuits are used to increase efficiency when driving the capacitance of the address electrodes and is used for both the sustain voltage ( va ) and the vim levels . write address pulses are generated by the z pulse control block . the z driver circuit chooses lines to write based on z data from the waveform control block . the data is used to apply or not apply the write pulses to each of the horizontal lines in the display . note that since the z and y block diagrams are so closely related , the same circuitry can be used for both the z and y electrodes . it will be appreciated that this results in a savings of both design , assembly , and circuit costs . fig1 schematically illustrates a typical circuit for generating the required waveform for the address ( x ) electrodes . switches sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 control the voltage that will be applied to the driver . the two switches inside the driver device select either the applied voltage ( when the upper switch is on , lower switch is off ) or the common level ground ( when the lower switch is on , upper switch is off ). the driver switches are controlled by the data bits loaded into the driver circuit by the data transform block shown in fig7 . sw1 of fig1 is closed and sw2 and sw3 are open whenever the address electrode is to be pulsed with voltage vax . sw2 is closed and sw1 and sw3 are open whenever there is only sustain activity and x is held at the medium voltage vxm . sw3 is closed and sw1 and sw2 are open whenever the address electrode is to be at the ground level . this occurs between the address erase pulses . energy recovery is performed by switches sw4 and sw5 . sw4 is closed whenever the applied voltage is to transition from ground to vxa or from vxa to ground . on the transition from vxa to ground , the capacitor is charged through the inductor l1 . on the transition from ground to vxa , he capacitor is discharged through the inductor l1 . thus the capacitor average voltage will be 1 / 2 vxa . energy recovery for the vxm levels is accomplished by sw5 . sw5 is closed whenever the applied voltage is to transition from ground to vxm or from vxm to ground . on the transition from vxm to ground , the capacitor is charged through the inductor l1 . on the transition from ground to vxm , the capacitor is discharged through the inductor l1 . thus the capacitor average voltage will be 1 / 2 vxm . it is important to have only one switch closed at any given time . sw4 and sw5 are used for the transitions and sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 are used to clamp the voltages at their corresponding levels . fig1 schematically illustrates a typical circuit for generating the required waveform for the y display electrode . switches sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 control the voltage that will be applied to the y driver . the two switches inside the driver device select either the applied voltage ( when the upper switch is on , lower switch is off ) or the common level ground ( when the lower switch is on , upper switch is off ). the driver switches are controlled by the data bits loaded into the driver circuit by the waveform control block shown in fig7 . sw1 of fig1 is closed and sw2 , sw3 , and sw4 are open whenever the display electrode is to be pulsed with the sustaining voltage vya . sw2 is closed and sw1 , sw3 and sw4 are open whenever the sustain waveform is to be held at intermediate voltage vym1 . sw3 is closed and sw1 , sw2 , and sw4 are open whenever the display electrode is to be at the second intermediate level vym2 . this occurs during the address erase pulses . sw4 is closed and sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 are open whenever the display electrode is to be at the ground level . switches sw5 and sw6 perform energy recovery . sw5 is closed whenever the applied voltage is to transition from vym1 to vya or from vya to vym1 . on the transition from vya to vym1 , the capacitor is charged through the inductor l1 . on the transition from vym1 to vya , the capacitor is discharged through the inductor l1 . thus the capacitor average voltage will be 1 / 2 ( vya + vym1 ). energy recovery for the vym2 levels is accomplished by sw6 . sw6 is closed whenever the applied voltage is to transition from ground to vym2 or from vym2 to ground . on the transition from vxm to ground , the capacitor is charged through the inductor l1 . on the transition from ground to vxm , the capacitor is discharged through the inductor l1 . thus the capacitor average voltage will be 1 / 2 vxm2 . it is important to have only one switch closed at any given time . sw4 and sw5 are used for the transitions and sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 are used to clamp the voltages at their corresponding levels . fig1 schematically illustrates a typical circuit for generating the required waveform for the z display electrode . switches sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 control the voltage that will be applied to the z driver . the two switches inside the driver device select either the applied voltage ( when the upper switch is on , lower switch is off ) or the common level ground ( when the lower switch is on , upper switch is off ). the driver switches are controlled by the data bits loaded into the driver circuit by the waveform control block shown in fig7 . sw1 of fig1 is closed and sw2 , sw3 , and sw4 are open whenever the display electrode is to be pulsed with the sustaining voltage vza . sw2 is closed and sw1 , sw3 and sw4 are open whenever the sustain waveform is to be held at intermediate voltage vzm1 . sw3 is closed and sw1 , sw2 , and sw4 are open whenever the display electrode is to be at the second intermediate level vzm2 . this occurs during the address erase pulses . sw4 is closed and sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 are open whenever the display electrode is to be at the ground level . switches sw5 and sw6 perform energy recovery . energy recovery for the z display electrode is similar to that described above for the y display electrode . it is important to have only one switch closed at any given time . sw4 and sw5 are used for the transitions and sw1 , sw2 , and sw3 are used to clamp the voltages at their corresponding levels . the patents and documents referenced herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . having described presently preferred embodiments of the present invention , it is to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
the present invention provides a method for purifying cs - 131 that improves the recovery of cs - 131 from barium carbonate . the barium carbonate may be irradiated target material or a precipitated form of barium . the method is efficient and economical for large scale commercial production of cs - 131 . cesium - 131 recoveries using the present invention are on the order of at least 70 %- 90 % ( typically in excess of 85 %). neutron irradiation of a barium target to produce ba - 131 , which then decays to cs - 131 , is well known to one in the art ( e . g ., harper , p . v . et al ., proceedings of the international conference on the peaceful uses of atomic energy , 2 nd , geneva , switzerland , 1958 , pp . 417 - 422 ). the irradiated ba target comprising barium carbonate and cs - 131 is then dissolved in a solution comprising an acid in order to dissolve the barium and cs - 131 . the acid possesses the ability to react with the barium to form a soluble barium salt . such acids are well known to one in the art , and include , for example , acetic acid , formic acid and nitric acid . it may be desirable that the acid additionally forms readily decomposable ammonium salts . the above listed acids possess this property as well . the barium in the solution ( with dissolved barium and cs - 131 ) is precipitated as a carbonate solid , and the cs - 131 remains dissolved in the solution . in one embodiment , the solution with dissolved barium and cs - 131 is then added to a second solution comprising ammonium carbonate under conditions sufficient to precipitate the barium as a solid ( e . g ., u . s . application publication no . us - 2006 - 0024223 - a1 ). the cs - 131 remains dissolved in the combined solution . in another embodiment , a second solution comprising an aqueous solution of ammonia is added to the first solution and co 2 as a gas or solid is delivered through the mixed solution under conditions sufficient to precipitate the barium as barium carbonate solid , while the cs - 131 remains dissolved . in yet another embodiment of this invention , ammonia gas and co 2 as a gas or solid are delivered to the solution such that ba is precipitated as carbonate solid , while cs - 131 remains in solution . the co 2 may be added to the solution after the ammonia gas is delivered . alternatively , the ammonia gas and the co 2 are added simultaneously to the solution . the solids produced by any of the embodiments are separated from the solution containing the cs - 131 by techniques well known to one in the art ( e . g ., u . s . application publication no . us - 2006 - 0024223 - a1 ), including by filtration , centrifuging or decanting . prior to separating the solids from the solution , the solution may be subjected to heat with stirring for a time and temperature sufficient to digest the solids , cooled to room temperature to permit solids to precipitate , and then subjected to the separation step . after the separation step , the solids may be washed one or more times with water and the wash solutions combined with the solution containing the cs - 131 from the separation step . the solids containing the barium are typically stored to allow additional cs - 131 to form from further decay of ba - 131 . the solids may then be processed again , as just described for the initial processing of the irradiated ba target . the cs - 131 remains dissolved in the solution from which the barium is precipitated and removed . as described above , evaporation has been used to remove substances in the solution ( such as ammonium acetate salts ) that are capable of volatilization . the evaporation must be carried out at sufficiently high temperature to enable rapid volatilization . it may be desirable to deliver steam to the solution prior to or during ( e . g ., at the beginning of ) the evaporation step for a period of time so that volatile ammonium salts such as ammonium acetate and organic impurities are volatilized prior to taking the solution to incipient dryness , thus minimizing the amount of carbonaceous ( organic ) material formed . the evaporation step results in formation of an organic carbonaceous residue . the organic residue material was found to hold a significant amount of cs - 131 which could not be released when the organic residue was treated with mineral acids , acetic acid , ammonia or ammonium acetate . the present invention addresses the problem of poor recovery of cs - 131 from the residue obtained by evaporation of the acetate or other organic acid salts formed during cs - 131 separation from barium carbonate . in the present invention , oxidative treatment of the organic residue material using thermal ashing or chemical ashing or both , results in conversion of the organic residue to carbon - like material in a form that allows recovery of the cs - 131 by washing with water or dilute mineral or organic acids . by use of an oxidative treatment step , chemical recovery of the cs - 131 is 70 %- 90 %. thus , by converting the organic residue to a form from which cs - 131 can be effectively recovered by leaching or washing with an aqueous solution , as much as about a 50 % increase in the recovery of cs - 131 may be achieved . in embodiments of the present invention , the combined solution containing the cs - 131 ( from which the solids containing barium have been separated ) is processed as follows . the evaporation ( with or without prior or simultaneous steam treatment ) of the combined solution containing the cs - 131 is carried out to incipient dryness . in an embodiment , the evaporation step is carried out at controlled temperatures to minimize formation of the organic residue . for example , the temperature during the end of the evaporation step is less than 250 ° c . it is preferred that heating is carried in a manner that precludes condensation of the volatilized solids on the walls of the vessel ( i . e ., through uniform heating of the evaporation vessel ). in an embodiment , the residue formed after evaporation of volatile salts is thermally treated in an oxidizing environment ( such as air ) at temperatures between about 250 ° c .- 1000 ° c . to convert organic material to ash or carbon . for example , the temperature for thermal oxidative treatment is between 400 ° c . and 500 ° c . the time period for oxidative treatment is typically between about 1 and 24 hours . alternatively , or in combination with thermal oxidation , the digestion of the organic residue may be carried out by using an oxidizing chemical agent or combinations of such agents . examples of chemical oxidants that may be used alone or in combination include hot concentrated nitric acid , hot concentrated sulfuric acid , peroxidisulfate salts , cerium ( iv ) compounds and cr ( vi ) compounds . a specific example includes addition of 10 ml of 96 % sulfuric acid to the residue and heating the vessel to 300 ° c . until all the sulfuric acid is volatilized . based on the disclosure provided herein , it will be evident to one in the art that other chemical oxidants and combinations of oxidants are possible . the chemical digestion process may be carried out at elevated temperature , for example , using resistive or microwave heating in open or closed digestion vessels . following the oxidative treatment , the cs - 131 may be recovered in a variety of ways . for example , any remaining organic residue may be contacted with an aqueous solution . aqueous solutions include water , acids or bases ( e . g ., dilute acids or dilute bases ). cesium - 131 in the residue will go into the aqueous solution . the residue is separated from the aqueous solution , thereby purifying the cs - 131 . the separation may be accomplished by a variety of means . for example , the residue may be removed from the solution by filtration . the following is an example of chemical oxidative treatment . in this example , the oxidative treatment is performed using a combination of sulfuric acid and nitric acid . neutron - irradiated ba carbonate ( 1800 g ) is processed using acetic acid dissolution . the ba is precipitated using ammonium carbonate . the solution is separated from the precipitate , and is evaporated to incipient dryness to leave an organic residue . the organic residue is treated with sulfuric acid ( 1 - 5 ml ) and nitric acid ( 5 - 10 ml ). digestion is carried out under conditions that minimize vapor loss . following a digestion period of 1 to 3 hours , the solution is taken to incipient dryness until complete evaporation of sulfuric acid is achieved . alternatively for digestion , sulfuric acid may be added to the organic residue in an amount sufficient to wet the residue , digested for several hours under conditions that minimize vapor loss and then the residue is taken to incipient dryness . following the oxidative treatment ( by either the combination of sulfuric acid and nitric acid , or sulfuric acid alone ), the cs - 131 is recovered by washing any remaining residue with water , acids or bases ( e . g ., dilute acids or dilute bases ). the digested residue is separated from the cs - 131 containing solution by filtration . chemical recoveries of cs - 131 are typically in excess of 85 %. as used herein , the term “ separating ” two things ( e . g ., solids and solution , or residue and solution ) may refer to the removal of the first from the second , or the second from the first , or the removal of both simultaneously . for example , “ separating the cs - 131 ” may mean removing the cs - 131 from the irradiated barium target , or removing the irradiated barium target from the cs - 131 , or removal of both simultaneously . in addition , as used herein , the irradiated barium target may have been partially purified prior to separating the cs - 131 . procedures for separating cs - 131 from irradiated barium targets are well known in the art ( e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 066 , 302 ). for example , chemical separation steps can be utilized to isolate cs - 131 from the target material and radioactive impurities that may have been produced in the target material . the solution containing the cs - 131 may also have chemical and radioactive impurities that were present in the irradiated target or that were introduced during processing . examples of such impurities are cerium ( ce ) or chromium ( cr ) ions . separation techniques include precipitation , sorption , extraction , solid phase extraction , ion exchange and combinations thereof . in an embodiment of precipitation , the impurities are precipitated while cs remains in solution . examples of precipitates are fe ( oh ) 3 , baco 3 or baso 4 . in an embodiment of precipitation , the cs is precipitated while the impurities remain in solution . examples of precipitating reagents that selectively remove cs leaving the impurities in solution are ammonium molybdophosphate or cyannoferrates . in an embodiment of extraction , the solution is treated with a solvent which is an extractant with affinities for a broad group of metal ions with the exception of the alkali group elements , including cs . thus impurities are solvent extracted while cs remains in solution . an example is the organiphosphoric liquid cation exchanger extractant di ( 2 - ethylhexyl ) orthophosphoric acid ( hdehp ). in an embodiment of extraction , cs is extracted into an organic solvent , while the impurities remain in the aqueous phase . examples of organic solvents include phenols and crown ethers , such as mono - or bis - crown - 6 ethers , and crown ether derivatives of calix [ 4 ]- arenes . in embodiments of solid phase extraction , extractants are immobilized onto solid supports and may be deployed as packing in columns . as described above , the extractant may have affinity for cs ( so that the impurities remain in solution ) or for impurities ( so that the cs remains in solution ). in an embodiment of ion exchange , the ion exchange media ( which may be used in a column ) selectively retains impurities but not cs . examples of suitable ion exchange media include chelating resins with suitable functionality such as iminodiacetate ( e . g ., chelex 100 from sigma aldrich ) or similar media . in an embodiment of ion exchange , both cs and impurities are retained by the ion exchange media ( which may be used in a column ); however , impurities are preferentially eluted using a complexant . examples of suitable complexants include edta or oxalates . examples of cation exchange resins include conventional cation exchange resins with sulfonic acid functionalities . one or more neutron - irradiated barium targets may be similarly processed ( as described in the steps above ) and the additional purified cs - 131 may be combined with the purified cs - 131 obtained from initial processing of a more recently irradiated ba target . as described above , cs - 131 is useful for example for radiotherapy ( such as to treat malignancies ). where it is desired to implant a radioactive substance ( e . g ., cs - 131 ) into / near a tumor for therapy ( brachytherapy ), cs - 131 may be used as part of the fabrication of brachytherapy implant substance ( e . g ., a seed ). a brachytherapy implant substance containing cs - 131 may be incorporated into a device . the use of cs - 131 in brachytherapy implant substances is not dependent on the method of fabrication of the substances . a method of the present invention provides purified cs - 131 for these and other uses . the following examples are offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation . dissolve 1500 g of irradiated baco 3 in 3 . 7 liters of water using 20 moles of glacial acetic acid ( 17 . 4 m ). perform addition of the acetic acid slowly to minimize foaming . provide gentle heat and stirring to speed the dissolution process . slowly add solution to 7 . 3 liters of saturated ammonium carbonate solution . provide stirring to allow barium carbonate precipitate to form . heat the precipitate to near boiling temperature for 2 hours with stirring to digest the precipitate . filter the precipitate and rinse the solids twice with 1 liter of water . combine the filtrate and wash solutions (˜ 14 . 1 liters ) and evaporate to incipient dryness . digest carbonaceous residue at 500 ° c . for 2 hours . allow to cool to ambient temperature . add 20 ml of 96 % sulfuric acid . heat to 300 ° c . until the acid is volatilized and no further evolution of white fumes is evident . add two portions of 50 ml of water , stir and filter the precipitate . combine the filtrate and evaporate to dryness in a suitable container . chemical recovery of cs - 131 is approximately 90 %. the cs - 131 product contains no detectable ba - 131 . all of the above u . s . patents , u . s . patent application publications , u . s . patent applications , foreign patents , foreign patent applications and non - patent publications referred to in this specification and / or listed in the application data sheet , are incorporated herein by reference , in their entirety . from the foregoing it will be appreciated that , although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims . | 6 |
fig1 shows an integrated state and enhanced information system 100 comprising a mobile device 101 . mobile device 101 comprises communications modules and means capable of establishing and maintaining wireless communications with cellular network 102 , including under advanced protocols such as gsm , or wi - fi network 105 , with said communications modules effectively connected with a communications microprocessor within mobile device 101 . a control program resident in the memory of the mobile device 101 operates said microprocessor and causes the establishment of communications sessions by mobile device 101 for transmission or reception of audio and / or visual image communications . mobile device 101 is uniquely identified by identification numbers or addresses with the cellular network 102 , the wi - fi network 105 or under an ad - hoc , direct wi - fi network established with recipient device 114 . it is preferred that communications sessions between the mobile device 101 and the wi - fi network 105 or the ad - hoc wi - fi network be established under one or more of the available protocols under ieee 802 . 11 . cellular network 102 comprises multiple antenna towers connected by wire or wireless connection with a computer network for providing cellular telephone communications through cellular or pstn telephone systems 112 ( or through cellular network 102 directly ) with recipient 114 , where such communications may include direct transmission of text and / or graphic images or video ( referred to herein as “ cellular communications ”). cellular communications may include sms , which may transmit from mobile device 101 short text messages automatically or upon input from a user . cellular network comprises a computer network 102 connected with towers 103 and 104 that are within communications range of mobile device 101 . cellular communications also include requests from mobile device 101 to the cellular network 102 for transmission of communication data relating to mobile device 101 and , if it is a subscriber to cellular network 102 , to recipient device 114 . mobile device 101 then may communicate with recipient device 114 using one or more of the following communications link means : ( 1 ) establishing an ad hoc , peer to peer wi - fi network for direct wireless communications ; ( 2 ) establishing communications with cellular network 102 and then directly with recipient device 114 or by way of intervening internet 110 or telephone system 112 ; or ( 3 ) establishing communications with wi - fi network 105 and then directly with recipient device 114 or by way of intervening internet 110 or telephone system 112 . means for accomplishing the objects of the invention may be located and their functions performed among one or more of the mobile device 101 , cellular network 102 , wi - fi network 105 , telephone system 112 , and internet 110 . internet 110 comprises intermediate server means for browser communications and data query , storage , access , and transmission functions , such as for captive websites administering access and information processing for the wi - fi network 105 and providing intermediary storage and access of communication data and enhanced phonebook data for use by the mobile device and / or the recipient device . it is preferred that as many as possible of the functions of the invention system of generating , transmitting , storing and using communication data and enhanced phonebook data be accomplished at the mobile device so as to add perceived and actual value to that device . fig2 shows a high level flow diagram of a process by which the invention system establishes state data relating to the availability of a recipient device to receive a telephone call . step 120 establishes a communications session between the mobile device and one of the communications networks available to the mobile device , such as cellular or wi - fi communications . enhanced information data , which is accessible through the phonebook menu of the mobile device , may include a physical location territory of at least one recipient device . a location of fixed device , such as a pstn system telephone or the like . the mobile device can determine the general area or time zone of the location territory is accomplished in one of the following ways . a time zone location of a recipient device can determine a current time of day with reference to a current time of day with reference to a table of telephone number prefixes within each of the time zones of the us , or a portion thereof , or the time of day in that time zone can be determined by transmission of a current time and date of the recipient device so that it is received by the mobile device and presented to the user of the mobile device for viewing on its display screen . the time of day of the recipient device may be periodically transmitted or is transmitted in response to an authorized query from the mobile device or intermediate query means . intermediate query means comprise . the query generated by a clock linked with a microprocessor . in a local determination embodiment of the invention , the cellular device receives and stores an ssid or bssid of network 105 . by comparison of the received ssid with a table of communications ranges of known wi - fi networks , the cellular device determines the second geographic location to be the communications territory of the wi - fi network 105 if that network data has been previously determined or stored . the control program may direct that the second geographic location be displayed on a liquid crystal display screen of the cellular device 101 or be transmitted to recipient 114 . in all the embodiments , recipient 114 may be a device used by someone with a personal , business or other legal reason for receiving a closest physical location of the user of device 101 . for instance , recipient 114 may be a personal or business relation of the user of device 101 and desires to know their physical location for the purposes of arranging a meeting . in such a case , device 101 may be configured to accept , deny or notify the user of device 101 of a request from recipient 114 to transmit a second geographical location or to limit details of thereof . if network 105 is unknown after such comparison , the control program of device 101 assigns a default transmission range to network 105 and locates that transmission range within the first geographical location as the second geographical location based upon comparing signal strengths of towers 102 and 103 . fig2 shows towers 102 and 103 having , respectively , communication ranges 140 and 141 , with an overlap 141 . overlap 141 is the first geographic location if device 101 communicates with both towers 102 and 103 . fig2 shows device 101 comprising a microprocessor with a control program and input / output means for connection to wireless communication modules 120 , liquid crystal display 121 , user audio interface 122 , and user button interface 123 . interface 122 comprises means for audio output detectable by a user and audio input by the user . fig3 shows a front view of a representative mobile device 101 which comprises a housing 124 supporting for presentation a liquid crystal display screen 121 , a push button interface for input by a user with direction buttons 127 . screen 121 shows an upper level menu presented to a user for selection of functions of device 101 . among the available selections are the options to review previous outgoing and incoming calls , messages , and to activate a phonebook , which is highlighted . a user presses a button which causes an activation of the phonebook functions of device 101 , whereupon a next screen 121 of other functions and information is presented as in fig6 . fig4 is another view of the display screen 121 but showing phonebook entity data , including current state and expanded information data , including items 1 through 16 . this list is expanded or restricted according to functions available to device 101 and / or which are operable to obtain state or expanded information data from a recipient device . item 1 provides a telephone number . item 2 provides an on - line status of a recipient device by query to the recipient device , to an intermediate server , or by way of automated transmission to device 101 upon one of several triggering events ( such as periodically or detection that device 101 has been turned on ). other items on the list shown in the figures which represent current or recent data about a recipient device are obtained in one of the three previous methods . fig5 shows item 2 having other options for indicating a current activity status of a recipient device , i . e ., the line is open for phone calls , the line has been available for phone calls for a period of time , currently calls are blocked , the recipient has set a call status of calls from device 101 with a request not to call , or that the recipient has set a call status of calls from device 101 with a request to call . other options are contemplated , as described above . fig5 shows item 3 as indicating the recipient entity is currently conducting an online game by way of the recipient device . alternate indications of entity data relating to current recipient activities as to device current operation are shown , in that the recipient is talking with the user of another device , that a data transfer is taking place by way of the recipient device , the recipient device is currently connected with a wi - fi network , the recipient is web browsing via internet , or the recipient device is currently engaged in sms communications . fig5 shows item 4 as indicating the recipient entity is currently conducting an online game with the name of “ warcraft ”. alternate indications of entity data relating to current recipient activities as to game types are shown , in that no games are currently being played , an on - line game is being played , or a local game resident on the recipient device is being played . fig5 shows item 5 as indicating it is daytime at the physical location of the recipient 20 ( indicated by white center icon ). alternate indications of entity data relating to current time in the recipient &# 39 ; s location are icons indicating nighttime ( a darkened circle ), or morning ( a circle with a bottom half darkened ). fig5 shows item 6 as indicating the recipient entity has , within a specific time period , received a listed number of phone calls . alternate indications of such a number of calls includes that no calls have been received or that the number of calls is under a limit set by the recipient , clearing the user of device 101 to place a call to the recipient . fig5 shows item 7 as indicating the recipient entity has , within a specific time period , been engaged in phone calls . alternate indications of a different status of the recipient are that they have had no calls or that the amount of time spent on calls is under a preset limit of the recipient . items 8 , 13 , 15 and 16 are selections which cause a new display to be shown on screen 121 , respectively as in fig6 , 7 , and 8 for a recipient &# 39 ; s location data , calendar and event data , and peer network data . referring again to fig5 , item 9 indicates a current battery strength of a recipient device , if such device is wireless ( other options are shown in fig5 ). item 10 indicates a current signal strength of a recipient device , if such device is wireless ( other options are shown in fig5 ). item 11 indicates a current type of recipient device as being cellular ( other options are shown in fig5 ). item 12 indicates that the recipient device is currently wi - fi enabled ( other options are shown in fig5 ). item 14 indicates a current capability for transmission and / or reception of data to the recipient device , where a wireless recipient device may be quite limited not capable of receiving data ( other options are shown in fig5 ). fig6 shows selections options relating to a current location of a recipient device . each of the options , when selected , presents a new display . selection options include items 1 through 6 , respectively , a street address , a representation of a portion of a vicinity map showing a location where or a territory within which the recipient device is located , a radius distance for a territory within which the recipient device is located so a user can appreciate the size of said territory , services available to a recipient within or near to said territory , merchants listed in the phonebook of the user who are within or near to said territory , and contacts listed in the phonebook of the user who are within or near to said territory . fig7 shows selections options relating to events and calendar data of a recipient device . each of the options , when selected , presents a new display . selection options include items 1 through 4 , respectively , to present a current calendar or list of events of the user of the device 101 , an action to import ( and show the status of the import ) data from a recipient &# 39 ; s device with event text and dates associated therewith , to present a current calendar or list of events of the recipient received , and to show a combined calendar or list of events of both the user and the recipient . fig8 shows selections options relating to peer to peer wireless network status of a recipient device . each of the options , when selected , presents a new display . selection options include items 1 through 6 and including , respectively , a seeking of peers and report thereof , a presentation of peer identity information , a presentation of network broadcast territory , an option to transmit a user &# 39 ; s peer to peer network address or other announcement , and to send or receive a coupon . fig5 shows an item 16 for a merchant , which selection produces a display similar to those of fig6 - 8 , where selection options include those presented above for specific transaction activities mediated by the invention system . fig9 shows a high level flow diagram of the invention system . in step 130 , a user &# 39 ; s mobile , wireless communication device establishes a communication session with a cellular , wi - fi or ad hoc ( peer to peer ) wireless network . the cellular and wi - fi networks have the capability of connecting the user &# 39 ; s device with the internet or computer system having intermediate servers , and / or a telephone system capable of connecting the user &# 39 ; s device in a phone call to a recipient &# 39 ; s device . step 132 provides the mobile device with the option of sending a query for a recipient &# 39 ; s state or enhanced information data . if a query is sent for said data , the mobile device may transmit with the query a confirmation code which is required by the recipient device or intermediate server ( and previously authorized by the recipient device ) for a right to receive said data . step 134 provides an option for the recipient device to respond the query . if the recipient device does not respond directly to the query by the mobile device , in step 142 the recipient device transmits said data to a trusted intermediate server which stores and distributes said data according to a recipient &# 39 ; s preset requirements . in step 132 , if no query is transmitted , the mobile device may still receive said data by non - query means . step 140 provides an option for the recipient device to , according to preset requirements , transmit said data directly to the mobile device , which receives said data in step 136 . in step 140 , if the transmission is not directly to the mobile device , the recipient device transmits said data to a trusted intermediate server . the intermediate server then transmits said data to the mobile device in step 144 , whereupon the mobile device receives said data in step 136 . step 138 provides for action by the mobile device to display at least some portion of said data . the above design options will sometimes present the skilled designer with considerable and wide ranges from which to choose appropriate apparatus and method modifications for the above examples . however , the objects of the present invention will still be obtained by that skilled designer applying such design options in an appropriate manner . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 a dynamoelectric machine is indicated in its entirety by reference character 1 . more specifically , dynamoelectric machine 1 is shown to comprise a so - called unit bearing motor . this unit bearing motor comprises a stator , as indicated at 3 , having a core 5 made of a plurality or a stack of laminations 7 of a suitable ferromagnetic sheet material . each of the laminations 7 is punched so as to have a center opening and a number of slots extending radially outwardly from the center opening . when the laminations are arranged in a stack so as to form core 5 , the center openings in the laminations form a central stator bore 9 . the slots of the laminations are arranged generally in register with one another , and thus form slots ( not shown ) extending through the core 5 . a plurality of coils of suitable magnet wire or the like are inserted in these slots , and thus the coils of wire constitute the windings 13 ( shown in phantom ) of the motor . further , motor 1 includes a rotor , as generally indicated at 15 . the rotor includes a rotor body 17 made up of a rotor core 19 which is formed of a plurality of rotor laminations 20 . the rotor laminations have a central opening therethrough and a plurality of holes proximate the outer perimeter of the core laminations . as is typical , the rotor core is placed in a suitable die casting machine or the like , and conductor bars 21 and end rings 23 are die cast - in - place on the rotor core so as to constitute a rotor body 17 of squirrel cage construction . a rotor shaft 25 is press - fit into rotor body 17 . as shown , rotor shaft 25 extends endwise from rotor body 17 . motor 1 further includes a bearing support or end shield , as generally indicated at 27 . end shield 27 includes an elongate bearing hub 29 having a sleeve bearing 31 inserted therein , with the sleeve bearing having a bearing bore 33 . end shield 27 further includes a so - called bell end 35 . the bell end terminates in an end flange 37 . as indicated at 39 , the inner surface of the end flange 37 is initially spaced outwardly from outer surface 11 of core 5 , as shown in fig2 . an inner shoulder 41 is provided at the outer end of inner flange surface 39 ( i . e ., toward bearing hub 29 ) so as to serve as a stop when engagement with the end face of core 5 . when stator 3 , rotor 15 , and end shield 27 are assembled in their configuration , as generally shown in fig1 the rotor shaft 25 , rotor body 17 and the bearing bore 33 are concentric or co - axial with stator bore 9 such that an air gap ag of substantially uniform thickness is provided between the outer surface of rotor body 17 received within stator bore 9 and the portions of core 5 which define stator bore 9 . with the exception of end flanges 37 being initially spaced from core side 11 , unit bearing motor 1 , as thus far described , is substantially similar to the unit bearing motor disclosed in the co - assigned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 722 , which is herein incorporated by reference . for a further description of the configuration , assembly , and operation of unit bearing motor 1 , reference may be had to the last - mentioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 722 . generally , the air gap ag is determined by the difference between the inside diameter of stator bore 9 and the outside diameter of rotor body 17 . because stator bore 9 is formed by punching central openings in lamination 7 and by assembling the laminations , there must , of necessity , be a range of tolerances of the stator bore 9 . generally , a stator , within acceptable tolerance limits , will have a maximum stator bore diameter and a minimum acceptable stator bore diameter . likewise , rotor body 17 will have a maximum permissible diameter and a minimum permissible diameter . it will thus be understood that when a rotor assembly having the maximum permissible stator diameter is assembled together with a corresponding rotor body having a minimum acceptable rotor body diameter , the air gap ag will be of a maximum predetermined thickness , while when a stator having a minimum acceptable stator diameter is assembled with a rotor body having a maximum rotor body diameter , the air gap ag will be a minimum predetermined thickness . generally , such diameters of the stator bore and the rotor body may be readily checked during manufacture by simple &# 34 ; go , no - go &# 34 ; tooling gauges or the like . for example , a particular unit bearing motor , such as illustrated in fig1 may have a minimum acceptable stator diameter bore of 1 . 747 inches ( 4 . 437 mm . ), and a maximum rotor body diameter of 1 . 731 inches ( 4 . 44 mm . ), such that the minimum acceptable air gap ag would be 0 . 008 inches . the maximum permissible air gap may be 0 . 011 inches . in accordance with this invention , stator assembly 3 , as generally shown in fig3 has a rotor tool , as generally indicated at 43 , inserted within stator bore 9 . the rotor tool includes a rotor tool body 45 having an outer surface 47 . as indicated at d , the outer diameter of tool body outer surface 47 may be 1 . 746 ± 0 . 0002 inches so as to accommodate a minimum rotor bore , as noted above . further , rotor tool body 45 has an inwardly extending counterbore 49 therewithin so as to at least in part receive bearing hub 29 of end shield 27 . the rotor tool body 45 further has a central opening 51 therethrough which receives a central pin 53 . the central pin includes a head 55 , an intermediate body portion 57 , and a bearing pin 59 , which is snuggly received within bearing bore 33 of sleeve bearing 31 within bearing hub 29 of end shield 27 . for example , bearing pin 59 may have an outer diameter of 0 . 250 ± 0 . 001 inches , and be polished with a hardened , ground surface so as to have a locational clearance fit within bearing bore 33 . generally , locational clearance fits have sufficient tolerances so that the pin can be freely assembled or disassembled with respect to the bearing bore , but so that the pin has a snug fit within the bearing bore for accuracy of location of the pin with respect to the bearing bore . it will be appreciated that within the broader aspects of this invention , the tolerances of both the central bearing pin 59 and the diameter of rotor tool body 45 may vary from the desired locational clearance fits as above - described , and still be within the scope of the present invention . it is important that the tolerances be such so as to accurately locate rotor tool body 45 with respect to stator bore 9 , and so as to locate the bearing bore 33 with respect to bearing pin 59 such that end shield 27 is generally coaxial with respect to stator bore 9 such that when the rotor is installed , the stator , the rotor , and the end shield are substantially coaxial . further , referring to rotor tool 43 , the intermediate body portion 57 of central pin 53 has a press fit into the central opening 51 in rotor tool body 45 so as to permit removal of both the rotor tool body 45 and central pin 53 as a unit . for convenience , a handle 61 ( shown in phantom ) may be secured to head 55 of central pin 53 as by a set screw or the like ( not shown ) so as to permit an operator to readily manually insert and remove rotor tool 43 from within bearing bore 33 and stator bore 9 of the end shield and stator , respectively . as indicated generally at 63 , a magnetic pulse - forming coil is shown to be located on the exterior of the end flanges 37 of end shield 27 . as those skilled in the art with the technique of magnetic pulse - forming will appreciate , coil 63 may be connected in a magnetic pulse circuit which typically includes an energy storage capacitor , a circuit inductance coil 63 , and the circuit includes resistance . a charging circuit is provided to charge up the energy storage capacitor . upon momentarily connecting the storage capacitor to forming coil 63 , a very high but instantaneous current is produced within the forming circuit upon the discharge of the capacitor thereby to produce a magnetic field . the actual coil may include field shaper pieces and the like ( not shown ), such that when the capacitor is discharged , compressive forces in the desired direction and of the desired magnitude can be substantially instantaneously and uniformly applied to the end flanges 37 of end shield 27 . generally , the energy dissipated by forming coil 63 is expressed in terms of kilojoules . it will be appreciated that the energy required to deform end shield flanges 37 of the motor 1 of the present invention may vary considerably , depending on the size of the motor and other conditions . however , for a motor having a stator bore of approximately 1 . 75 inches and an outside stator diameter of approxiately 3 . 5 inches , an energy input ranging between about 6 - 12 kilojoules , and more preferably ranging between about 8 and about 10 kilojoules , may be required so as to generate a collapsing force f of sufficient magnitude to uniformly deform end shield flanges 37 inwardly on the outer surface 11 of core 5 in such manner as to positively lock end shield 27 in place on core 5 . it will be appreciated that the collapsing force f is substantially uniform around the entire periphery of end shield flange 37 and thus , the collapsing force f applies a radially inwardly directed force on core 5 . since rotor tool body 45 has a closer tolerance , sliding fit within stator bore 9 , at least a portion of the inwardly directing collapsing force f is transferred to rotor tool body 45 . further , since central pin 53 is rigidly connected to rotor tool body 45 by the press fit of intermediate pin body portion 57 within central opening 51 of rotor tool body 45 , there is a tendency of central pin 53 to exert a centering force on bearing hub 29 of end shield 27 such that the bearing hub of the end shield is maintained in concentric relationship with end shield flanges 37 and with stator bore 9 as the end shield flanges 37 are deformed inwardly on the outer surface 11 of stator core 5 . in this manner , bearing hub 29 of end shield 27 is self - aligned with stator bore 9 during forming of the end shield on the stator core 5 , and a high degree of concentricity between stator bore 9 and bearing bore 33 is achieved . after magnetically forming end flanges 37 on core 5 , as above - described , an operator may readily grasp handle 61 and remove rotor tool 43 both from stator bore 9 and from bearing bore 33 . for further assembly of the motor , rotor assembly 15 is inserted within the stator and one end of rotor shaft 25 is received within bearing bore 33 of the end shield . the motor may then be assembled generally in accordance with the disclosure of the above - noted u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 722 . for the sake of brevity , a detailed description of the other parts of unit bearing motor 1 and the assembly of the motor are herein omitted . referring to fig3 a portion of another embodiment of dynamoelectric machine 1 of the present invention is indicated by reference character 1 &# 39 ;. this other embodiment of the present invention is essentially identical to the motor and method of assembly , as heretofore described in regard to fig1 and 2 , except in instances as will be hereinafter set forth in detail . for that reason , corresponding parts having a corresponding function to the parts heretofore described in regard to fig1 and 2 , are indicated as &# 34 ; primed &# 34 ; reference characters , and thus a detailed description of the construction and function of these corresponding elements will not be set forth in detail . motor 1 &# 39 ;, except for the provision of a groove g which is formed in outer surface 11 &# 39 ; of stator core 5 &# 39 ;, is essentially the same as motor 1 . upon magnetically forming the flange portion 37 &# 39 ; of end shield 27 &# 39 ; into firm abutting relation with the outer surface 11 &# 39 ; of core 5 &# 39 ;, a portion of the end flange 37 &# 39 ;, as indicated at 101 , is caused by the high magnetic forming forces applied thereto to flow into groove g thereby to positively interlock end shield 27 &# 39 ; with stator core 5 &# 39 ;. this positive interlocking feature tends to positively secure the end shield to the stator core , even at elevated temperatures , without the necessity of adhesives or the like . referring now to fig4 a histogram of air gap distribution of both prior art motors ( as shown in the solid bar graph lines of fig4 ), and motors 1 in accordance with the present invention ( as shown by the cross hatch bar graphs ) are shown . in fig4 the air gap of approxiately 202 prior art or standard production unit bearing motors were measured . these prior art motors were made by machining the stator to fit in the end shield with the stator being concentric with the bearing bore . the end shield was then pressed into place . as shown in fig4 air gaps as small as 0 . 003 inches were measured with the prior art production techniques , while air gaps up to 0 . 013 inches were measured . generally , unduly small air gaps are undesirable because the rotor is more likely to strike the core , thus resulting in a &# 34 ; rotor strike &# 34 ; failure . excessively large air gaps are undesirable because the efficiency of the motor tends to decrease . in comparison , 189 motors of a similar size were assembled in accordance with the present invention and were similarily checked . here , all of the air gaps were found to be between 0 . 006 and 0 . 010 inches , with 49 . 2 percent of the motors made in accordance with the present invention having a desired air gap of 0 . 008 inches . this histogram shows conclusively that the motors formed in accordance with the present invention have a more uniform and predictable air gap which in turn leads to less motor failures and to more efficient operation . in view of the above , it will be seen that the other objects of this invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained . as various changes could be made in the above constructions or methods without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 8 |
fig1 shows the invention in its preferred embodiment in which a bar code scanner 10 of the fixed mount type includes object detection and is mounted alongside a rack conveyance or the like for moving a plurality of objects , in this case , test tubes 12 past the scanner . test tubes 12 may be held by any suitable means such as a rack 14 shown here that is formed with a plurality of test tube receiving openings 16 . bar code scanner 10 includes a housing 20 in which a multifaceted rotating scanner mirror 22 intercepts a beam 24 of coherent light produced by a laser diode 26 . mirror 22 is rotated by a motor 28 ( see fig3 ) so that each of multiple of facets 30 ( see fig2 ) reflect beam 24 in a fan - shaped scan 32 , here in a vertical plane aligned with the elongate axis of the test tube 12 . fan - shaped scan 32 passes through a window 34 of scanner housing 20 as illustrated in fig1 and 3 , so that as each test tube is transported across the path of the scan 32 light is reflected off of a bar code label 36 ( see fig2 ). the alternating high reflection background and low reflection black bars of the bar code label are spaced vertically , or in this case lengthwise along the test tube . the width of the code bars thus wraps partly around the tube &# 39 ; s circumference . as the coherent beam of laser light is deflected into the fan shaped scan pattern 32 by the rotating mirror 30 , the beam sweeps vertically forming a scan line lengthwise of the test tube body from a lower end of label 36 to an upper end . this scan orientation is called a &# 34 ; ladder &# 34 ; and is generally preferred because the beam makes multiple vertical sweeps or &# 34 ; climbs &# 34 ; of the label code as the object is transported horizontally past the fix scan station . reflections off of the label indicated at 40 alternate between high and low intensity due to the alternating dark bars such as black ink print on light background , usually white paper label . the reflections 40 propagate back to scanner 20 and in this embodiment return generally along the beam scan axis 32 striking a facet 30 of mirror 22 that in turn reflects the returns into a receiving face of a bar code scan detector 42 that is oriented toward mirror 22 . detector 42 operates to collect the reflections off of the bar code label and develop a signal of fluctuating reflectivity level representing the bar code . the resulting signal is fed over connection 44 to a bar code preprocessor 46 that shapes and conditions the signal and performs certain known preprocessing operations , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 239 , 169 . it is then fed as a preprocessed digital signal to a microcomputer 48 holding a stored program for reading the code and outputting or storing the contents of the label 36 . incorporated into scanner 20 and operating in combination with the existing coherent scan beam 32 are object presence detection components including object reflection detector and filter assembly 50 and an object detection signal processing circuit 52 connected to detector assembly 50 over connection 54 as best shown in fig2 . it is a feature of the invention that detector assembly 50 is constructed and arranged on scanner 20 so as to receive specular reflections , if any , from each object such as test tube 12 , when present at each of the object retaining locations . the reflections off the object are indicated at 40 &# 39 ; and are unique in that specular reflections , that is reflections at the frequency of the coherent source light from laser diode 26 , are produced off of a surface of the object that might otherwise absorb or transmit scan light , such as yellow or non - coherent light . it is a unique characteristic of smooth or polished surface objects such as bare transparent glass or plastic test tubes or other pharmaceutical containing vessels that a beam of coherent laser light such as the beam in bar code scan 32 when incident at a normal angle , that is 90 ° to the surface , returns specular reflections that are high energy relative to other types of light sources and other angles of incidence and reflection . this is best illustrated in fig4 a and 4b which show in fig4 a a top view of the scanner object detector assembly 50 and one of the test tubes 12 transported passed the fixed scanner station . when the fan - shaped scan beam 32 that is used for reading a label strikes the circumferential surface of test tube 12 dead center of the diameter , then a reflection 40 &# 39 ; in the same plane as the fan - shaped scan bean 32 is returned to detector assembly 50 as a distinctive , high intensity reflection as illustrated in fig4 b at the coherent source frequency λ 0 . contrast the sharp reflection 40 &# 39 ; of the scan beam when it strikes test tube 12 dead center , that is when the plane of scan beam 32 is aligned with the center axis of a test tube 12 , to the reflection that occurs when the test tube is either slightly ahead or beyond the dead center position as indicated by the position of test tube 12a , shown in dotted line form , causing an off dead center reflection 40 &# 39 ; a that is scattered away from the capture angle α of object detector assembly 50 . this is illustrated also in fig4 b in which the prominent object present spectrum 60 is maximum at α = 90 ° to the tangent of the circumferential surface of test tube 12 . furthermore , ambient , or yellow light and random reflections off of nearby structures and substances including test tube holders , clips , chemicals , or other assorted objects that may be present as the test tubes pass the scanner station create lower level yellow light noise in the detector 50 indicated as spurious no object present noise 62 level in fig4 b . by establishing an electronic threshold shown graphically as level threshold 64 in fig4 b , detector assembly 50 and object detection processing circuit 52 effectively and reliably sense the higher level specular reflections off of an object surface such as a bare test tube 12 at dead center of the scanning position . this specular reflection is then used as a signal to indicate object present , or in the case of an absence of the signal , to signify no object present . to further enhance the efficacy of the object detection , photo detector assembly 50 includes a predetection optical device such as a filter 66 that provides a limited angle of acceptance β that , for example , is ± 3 ° in a plane orthogonal to the plane of beam 32 which in this case would be in a horizontal plane relative to the scanner . assembly 50 further includes an optical filter 68 that selectively passes the specular wave lengths λ 0 of the scan beam from source diode 26 . it is observed that the sensitivity of the system to specular reflections off of such materials as transparent glass or plastic is highly sensitive to the angle of incidence and reflection at least in one plane . in this case , the width of the fan - shaped scan beam 32 which is incident on the test tube 12 at various vertical locations corresponding to the height of the label means that the reflections from this beam at dead center of the test tube will be at 90 ° in one plane but vary somewhat above and below 90 ° in the horizontal plane due to the spread of the scan beam . it is an aspect of this preferred embodiment of the invention that it is only the reflections that are normal to the test tube object in one plane , in this instance , being the vertical plane that are critical and thus the angle of acceptance β need only be selective in the horizontal plane to discriminate against reflections such as 40 &# 39 ; a that deviate away from the plane of the scan beam 32 . this is illustrated also in the side elevation view of fig2 which shows that the object specular reflection 40 &# 39 ; off of the test tube 12 is not necessarily coincident with the scan beam 32 in all of the orientations of its sweep . however , the specular reflection 40 &# 39 ; off of the dead center position of the object 12 will lie within the same vertical plane as the sweep of beam 32 . with reference to fig5 a block diagram view illustrates the basic operating blocks of the object detection system . thus , assembly 50 receives reflected light from an object , if any , filters it in optical filter 68 to selectively enhance the specular frequencies at λ 0 . this operation further accentuates the wanted reflections that are within the optical acceptance angle β by limited view acceptance lens 66 . thereafter the resulting specular light energy is impingent on a photo detector and signal filter 69 . the output from photo detector and signal filter 69 is passed on to a rectifier , sample and hold and low frequency a to d converter circuit that forms the object detection processing circuit 52 . the digital output therefrom is fed to a microcomputer 48 which performs stored programmed operations on the digital signal to determine the presence or absence of the object , in coordination with the bar code detection and reading operations when the object is present with a bar code label . in fig6 a , the photo detector and signal filter 69 is shown to include a solid state photo detector 80 connected across the input of an operational amplifier 82 and input and feedback high frequency rc filter networks 84 and 86 , respectively , to filter out unwanted frequencies above the scan frequency representing object reflections 40 &# 39 ;. an output of photo detector and signal filter 69 is applied to a diode rectification circuit 90 shown in the embodiment fig6 a as back - to - back diodes 91 and 92 connected to a supply voltage through resistor 93 . an output of the rectifier circuit 90 is applied across a parallel resistive capacitive sample and hold circuit 95 here formed by resistor 96 and capacitor 97 . an output buffer 98 transforms the output signal to a level and polarity suitable for analog to digital conversion by an a to d convertor shown generally at 52 in fig5 which in turn is applied to a digital data bus of microcomputer 48 as also indicated in fig5 . in certain applications involving low reflectance objects located at a distance from scanner 20 , the alternative rectifier circuit of fig6 b is preferred to avoid an unwanted leakage current offset in the rectifier circuit 90 that may occur in the embodiment shown in fig6 a . thus in fig6 b , an operational amplifier 100 receives at an input the signal from photo detector and signal filter 69 which is rectified by a diode rectifier 100 connected in feedback around operational amplifier 100 and applied to a voltage divider resistance network 104 that develops an output voltage at terminal 106 that in turn is applied to the sample and hold circuit 95 of fig6 a . lower reflectance objects and objects at a distance are more readily detected by the alternative rectifier circuit of fig6 b , but at the expense of causing the full peak signal level of a single reflection pulse to be passed onto the sample and hold circuit , whereas the rectifier circuit 90 of fig6 a has a linear charge time constant that attenuates the peak value of the individual reflection pulses detected at detector and filter 69 . fig7 a and 7b are diagrams showing the charge current of reflection scan pulses in fig7 a that charge the sample and hold capacitor 97 of circuit 95 . fig7 b is a wave form diagram showing the effect of the fluctuating charge current signal of fig7 a as a charge is accumulated on the hold capacitor 97 during a repetitive scan of the object as its dead center scan position . thus an input charging signal 110 causes a sample hold signal 112 to build up on the capacitor through a series of scan events and resulting object reflection pulses until the held signal 112 approaches a maximum value indicated at 114 which can be evaluated in the programmed microcomputer 48 to verify that indeed an object such as a transparent glass , ceramic or plastic test tube is present in the scanners field of view . fig8 a and 8b set forth the signal processing of microcomputer 48 to detect the presence or absence of an object and output the corresponding information for immediate use or storage as a function of the automated bar code reading and inventory control of the pharmaceutical preparations . in fig8 a , a flow chart is shown for the overall bar code scanning , label analysis and object detection . the present invention is concerned with the detection of the object in the environment of a scanner decoding operation . the label reading and decoding operations are known such as described in the above mentioned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 239 , 169 and are not further detailed in this description . thus in fig8 a , the programmed microcomputer 48 commences with a start command 200 in preparation for and awaiting a trigger event 202 that initiates the scanning operation . a scan operation shown generally as block 204 in the flow chart of fig8 a , performs a series of operations explained in more detail in connection with the scan flow chart of fig8 b below . following the scan operation of block 204 , the microcomputer at 206 determines whether the scanner has successfully decoded a label on the object and if yes , the task is completed and the flow passes to the done block 208 . if the scanner has not successfully decoded a label , a no decision from block 206 passes the program flow to another decision block 210 that checks for the scanner sensor status being enabled . if the sensor status is not enabled , a no decision generates an instruction causing scanner to output no read message at block 212 and the program terminates at done block 208 . normally the sensor status will be enabled and a yes decision from block 210 passes the flow to a further decision block 214 that checks for the number of transitions in the label to determine whether they are outside a user defined value . that is if there are too many transitions in the bar code indicating a faulty label read , then the output from block 214 causes an instruction that outputs a bad label message indicated at block 216 and the program terminates at done block 208 . if the number of transitions in the read or scanned label are within a user defined value , then the flow proceeds to a further decision block checking for reflectance greater than a user defined threshold in block 218 . again if the system determines that the signal is outside a user defined value , that is a reflectance greater than a defined threshold expected for reflections from a paper label , then the system causes an instruction block 220 to output a no label message when this particular section of the microcomputer program has been enabled during a set up procedure . after completing the output at block 220 , the flow proceeds to done block 208 . if the reflectance value as determined in decision block 218 is below a user defined threshold level , a no output instructs block 222 to generate a no object message signifying that the system has determined that the reflectance from a scan location at which an object should be present has failed to reach the threshold illustrated by level 64 in fig3 b , hence detecting the absence of an object , namely a test tube 12 . in the scan operation of block 204 , as illustrated in fig8 b , each trigger event causes an instruction block 230 to wait for a new scan sync from scanner 20 . one scan sync occurs as known per se at each sweep of the laser diode beam by one facet 30 of mirror 22 . following a wait interval allowing for the next scan sync at block 230 , the flow proceeds to instruction block 232 that tells the microcomputer 48 to read the digital input from the a to d convertor of object detection processing circuit 52 as shown in fig5 . the read a to d converted data is then checked in a decision block 234 for an a to d value greater than a prior maximum value which has been stored according to instruction block 236 at the yes output of decision block 234 . when the scanner first begins to sweep across an object moving into dead center position as shown in fig4 a , the maximum value detected by decision block 234 and stored or saved in instruction block 236 is an increasing maximum value and there will be a sequence of yes outputs from block 234 with successive storing of this maximum as the value is building up in the wave form diagram shown in fig7 b when an object is present . thus the output of instruction block 236 returns the flow of the program sequence to an end of read cycle decision block 240 which causes the program flow to continue and loop back to wait for new scan sync at 230 so that the process will be continued for each successive sweep or scan of the object holding position such as on moving test tube rack 14 . this process continues until the end of the read cycle as determined by decision block 240 . where the a to d converted value as determined by block 234 is not greater than the previously stored maximum , then the no output from block 234 passes the flow to a less than minimum decision block 242 which performs a similar operation on a previous minimum stored according to instruction block 244 as indicated . as a result of repetitive scans each prompted by a new scan sync from block 230 , the maximum and minimum values for each read cycle are stored in memory by instruction blocks 236 and 244 . it is these stored minimum and maximum values that are then evaluated by decision block 218 . if the stored maximum value resulting from instruction block 236 in fig8 b is above the threshold value indicating that an object of the type anticipated , such as a glass or plastic test tube , is present in one of the holding positions of rack 16 , then the program of fig8 a in the microcomputer instructs decision block 220 to output a no label present message indicating that the object is present but has no label . if the decision block 218 determines that the value is less than the threshold which would be represented by the minimum value stored according to instruction block 244 of fig8 b , then the output from block 218 in fig8 a causes instruction block 220 to output the no object message indicating no object , or in this case no test tube present in the corresponding holder location of moving rack 14 . while only particular embodiments have been disclosed herein , it will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications can be made thereto , including the use of equivalent means , devices , and method steps without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 6 |
the present invention is a flexible artificial fishing lure . figures a , e and f depict perspective views of the present invention in its entirety . an embodiment of the present invention is comprised of the body core of the lure ( 1 ); rear appendages ( 2 ); the head of the lure ( 3 ); front appendages ( 4 ); claws ( 5 ); and exo - ribs ( 6 ). in addition , several of these elements incorporate specific features which add to the invention &# 39 ; s functionality . these features include : current vanes ( 10 ), fork - tipped appendage ends ( 8 ); air traps ( 7 ); and alternating ridge - lips ( 9 ). the body of the invention is comprised of a solid body core ( 1 ) which is a flexible oval mass that runs throughout the length of the body up until the head ( 3 ) of the invention . the body is further comprised of a series of individual exo - ribs ( 6 ). these exo - ribs ( 6 ) protrude from the body core and extend therefrom , forming a three - dimensional , chevron - shaped , circumferential perimeter around the body core . figure b is a magnified frontal perspective illustrating the body of the lure in further detail . the positioning and design of the exo - ribs ( 6 ) in relation to the body core ( 1 ) is instrumental to several key utility features of the present invention and can be seen in closer detail in figure b . the exo - ribs ( 6 ) being individual and directly isolated from one another , protruding a distance from the body core ( 1 ) and being chevron - shaped , allow the present invention to accomplish two important objectives . one , the chevron shape of the individually protruding exo - ribs provides a significantly improved grip for a biting fish . thus permitting a fish to do more than merely bite down onto a lure , they allow a fish to bite into the lure , beyond and through the exo - ribs ( 6 ) down to the solid body core ( 1 ). this creates a more realistic feel for a biting fish , as well as better leverage and grip for the fish . this translates into a more aggressive bite and , more importantly , a more aggressive biting sensation felt by the fisherman greatly increasing reaction time and the odds of setting the hook . secondly , the aforementioned incorporated features depicted within figure b create a one - of - a - kind action , which allows the lure to closer resemble that of a living amphibian or insect compared to prior art . as fish are instinctively attracted to live natural food , the present invention intermittently releases air bubbles to emulate the realistic pulmonary behavior of an oxygen - breathing amphibian or insect whilst underwater . the integration of individual exo - ribs ( 4 ), which are chevron - shaped , create air traps ( 7 ) when the lure is cast and quickly submerged . these chevron - shaped individually separated exo - ribs ( 6 ) temporarily capture and hold air pockets between them which sporadically escapes as the lure is reeled or manipulated throughout the water , thus purposefully bringing attention to the lure making it appear as if the lure is a natural - living , oxygen - breathing , food source . also incorporated into the body of the present invention and depicted in figures a , e and f are rear appendages ( 2 ). several rear appendages are illustrated protruding from the sides of the body , and directly extending from , and being attached to the exo - ribs ( 6 ). in figure e , the rear appendages can be seen to include forked - tips ( 8 ). these fork - tipped rear appendages , as well as the star - winged ( 10 ) front - appendages ( 4 ), are specially designed to act as current vanes . this star - winged design ( 10 ), and fork - tipped ( 8 ) design , creates multidirectional surfaces for which these front and rear appendages can effectively catch and drag against under water current ( s ), regardless of which direction the current is moving . the purpose of these features is to further simulate natural life - like movements of live bait . this features broadens the user &# 39 ; s options when fishing . now a fisherman can leave , what was prior to this invention , a traditional reeling lure alone in the water as a bait . similar to bait fishing with a worm or other live - bait , which would simply be tossed and left , this lure will also move on its own and subtly attract less - aggressive fish while left idle underwater , such interoperability is a significant advancement to prior art in this field . figure h is a segmented isometric view of the invention &# 39 ; s alternating ridge - lip ( 9 ) design which is incorporated into the lure &# 39 ; s claws ( 5 ). this isometric view depicts the opposing ridge - lips ( 9 ) on the opposing diametric sides of the left and right claws , respectively . the present invention incorporates these strategically integrated alternating ridge - lip designs to manipulate the movements of the claws while the lure is pulled through the water . the alternating ridge - lips are protrusions which extend outwardly from the edges along the outermost planar surfaces of the claws and create opposing hydrodynamic drag . these ridge - lips are purposefully contra - positioned on the left and right claws to achieve a natural alternating kinetic movement , as exerted by living organisms . in the figures depicted the alternating ridge - lips are placed on top of the invention &# 39 ; s right claw and the underside of the invention &# 39 ; s left claw , however , these positions can be switched and / or integrated elsewhere on another embodiment of the current invention of the lure and achieve the same desired effect . figure f illustrates the star - winged designs ( 10 ) that are incorporated into the front appendages ( 4 ), as well as a rear isometric view of both the right and left rear claws ( 5 ). also depicted is the raised ridge - lip on the outer edge on the rear side of the left claw ( 9 ), and the smooth surface along the outer edge on the rear side of the right claw ( 5 ). the vertical height of the front appendages ( 4 ) and the alternating raised ridge - lips ( 9 ) are shown in spatial relation to the body core ( 1 ), exo - ribs ( 6 ) and claws ( 5 ) of the lure and are more clearly depicted in figure d and figure g . also shown in figure g is the solid body core ( 1 ) of the invention and its spatial placement and incorporation into the lure , as well as the relative thickness of the invention &# 39 ; s claw ( 5 ) in relation to the raised ridge - lips ( 9 ). in this embodiment of the present invention the star - winged ( 10 ) front appendages ( 4 ) are shown of equal height with that of the claw &# 39 ; s ( 5 ) alternating raised ridge - lip ( 9 ). these star wings ( 10 ) serve as additional current vanes that catch and drag against water current regardless of whether or not the user manipulates the lure , further contributing to greater lure action . the alternating ridge - lip design ( 9 ) utilizes hydrodynamics to effectively create an alternating kicking motion between the opposing claws , thus further simulating a natural , life - like , realistic kinetic muscle movement . acting alone , or in concert with the aforementioned features of this invention , this alternating movement significantly increases the lures resemblance of natural swimming patterns of living organisms . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof ; it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
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