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although many laboratories have centralized critical care services to conserve resources , centralization has often been at the expense of providing optimal patient care . the instant disclosure combines the convenience of bi - direction satellite analysis stations located in , or close to , a critical care unit with the optimal analysis benefits of a centralized laboratory . the analysis stations can , for example , provide whole blood analysis of blood gases ( pco 2 , po 2 ), ph , electrolytes ( na + , k + , c − ), glucose , and hemoglobin by utilizing conventional clinical laboratory instruments linked to the centralized laboratory unit via computer . the remote analysis of blood samples is being used in the description herein , however it should be noted that other fluids can also be tested , such as urine . a medical technologist in the laboratory unit has the ability not only to view the analysis results , but also the ability to control many functions of the analysis station . the individuals utilizing the analysis station need not be laboratorians as their sole responsibility is to introduce the specimen to the system in much the same way as it would be given to a messenger or placed in a pneumatic tube system for delivery to a central laboratory . viewing stations , which only allow monitoring of the test results and status and other operating parameters , provide the ability for administration to directly run administrative reports . the bidirectional , interactive system has two distinct embodiments , with variations , which will be apparent to one skilled in the art , within each embodiment . in one embodiment , analysis stations consist of an analytical instrument and computer . these stand alone analysis stations are easy to use and relatively economical , the pricing being largely dependent upon the analysis instrument incorporated in the station . the stand alone analysis station requires manual introduction of the specimen into the analyzer . in an alternate embodiment an automated system embodiment uses a robot arm to prepare and present the blood specimen to the analytical instrument . the original automated analysis station is disclosed in full u . s . application ser . no . 07 / 739 , 204 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 366 , 896 and , is incorporated herein as though cited in full . the automated system disclosed herein is an embodiment thereof and therefore only an overview of the sequence of steps is set forth herein . both the stand alone and automated analysis stations are linked to the main laboratory unit via a network . the network may be an arrangement of nodes and connecting branches for data exchange . the network may also be the internet , a local area network , a computer network , an intranet , a wide area network , an extranet , a virtual private network , a metropolitan area network , a wireless network , or any other comparable description for an arrangement of nodes and connecting branches for data exchange . monitors , including touch screen , are incorporated into the system both at the analysis station and the laboratory unit . in order to clearly set forth the scope of invention , the following component definitions are provided . the laboratory unit consists of an individual computer , preferably equipped with a color monitor , and a storage arrangement for storing the screen images and the corresponding program . the storage arrangement may be a hard drive , external hard drive , a removable disk , a cd - rom , tape drive or any store arrangement capable of storing data . the individual computer is advantageous for small hospitals or labs , however in most instances the laboratory unit will be networked to the main computer system with both the screen images and program accessed directly therefrom . the commands are given to the program through any input system , such as touch screen or keyboard . the color monitor is beneficial to provide visual distinction between read - outs , emphasize problems , etc . for example , arterial specimens provide red numbers , and venous specimens blue numbers and flashing numbers indicate that results are out of the reference range . the last 10 analyses obtained on the patient can be displayed in tabular form to facilitate interpretation of out - of - range results or to establish trends . it is preferable to add an alarm system , activated by the satellite central computer , which is activated if a pending result is not verified within 10 seconds . the alarm would require user interaction to eliminate , thereby ensuring rapid turn around time . a software program allows the medical technologist to view results and carry out the appropriate action . patient results are sent from the laboratory unit to the network file server where they are stored in a results database . a dedicated micro - processor can be utilized for running all required programs to operate the system , however in the preferred embodiment a multitasking operating system and shared processors are used . the acquisition of patient demographic information from the main hospital information system and return of completed laboratory test results to the main system is also run through the server . a laboratory information system interface serves to translate the patient information received from and sent to the hospital main computer system to the server . interfacing with the main computer system allows for current patient demographics to be accessed to be used in conjunction with the instant system , the interface utilized can be a standard computer to computer interface meeting the american society for testing and materials ( astm ) specifications , such as set forth in designations : e 138191 and e 1394 - 91 which are incorporated herein by reference . once approved , the results received from the analysis are sent to . and stored in the hospital &# 39 ; s main computer system , thereby further updating the patient &# 39 ; s demographics . physical computer to computer communication is achieved through any standard commercially available hardware and software . an example of hard - wired networking is the ansi / ieee 802 . 3 ( csma / cd ) standard , utilized as the lan communication protocol with novell version 3 . 1 , or other appropriate networking software and interface cards . in large installations where several individual hospitals are linked to a central facility , the lans can subsequently be connected to either another user or third party wan . optical fibers , twisted pair , or coax cable may be used to couple the computers together via a network . computer to computer communication can also be achieved through satellite , telephone lines , tv cable networks , cellular telephone , wireless connection , internet or any other protocols that allow for bidirectional communications . one or more monitoring stations may be provided within the system , dependent upon size and proximity . the monitoring stations are not connected to analysis equipment and do not have input capabilities to alter or run analysis programs . the monitoring stations do , however , provide the administration , or head personnel , the capability to view and / or run reports on the test results , number of tests run , system parameters , test status , etc . therefore , it is not necessary to use the analysis stations for monitoring purposes . each analysis station consists of a computer equipped with a video monitor , preferably color , and input means . in instances where the analyzer is provided with networking capability directly to a main computer , the local computer can be eliminated . as stated heretofore , the input means can be a mouse , touch sensitive screen , voice input such as a microphone , keyboard or other input means used in the art . the computer must be equipped with two ports which are compatible with the analyzer and monitor . it is advantageous in many applications for a printer to provide hard copies of the screen results . software has been written to display choices of patient demographics , analytical tests to be performed , and modifications to the outputted data ( e . g . patient temperature and hemoglobin which influence the calculation of the results of the analysis ) which may be selected by the user of the laboratory . in the stand alone analysis station a user inserts the sample into the analytical instrument , allowing the instrument to aspirate the required amount of specimen . in the remote analysis station , the user places a sample on a receiving area , thereby activating the robotic arm to commence processing of the sample . the robot arm allows rapid entry of multiple specimens as well as totally unattended operation . the arm used is a commercial laboratory robot , for example , crs , plus , toronto , canada . additional components of the robot include the robot controller and host microcomputer . in addition the robot comes equipped with gripper sensors which give feedback indication of the forces applied by the robot fingers . gripper sensors provide simple touch sensing which can detect the presence or absence of an object in the robot end effectors . the robot is programmed to perform simple “ pick and place ” operations on 3 ml plastic syringes containing the fluid for analysis , and also is trained to use several peripheral tools designed for complex procedures such as cap removal and replacement , specimen mixing , air bubble removal ( burper ), centrifugation , and aliquotting . the robot arm must be capable of a high degree of repetitive movement precision ( repeatability of 0 . 05 mm ). to maintain such precision an orientation device is incorporated into the design of the robot environment to allow the robot to recalibrate its location should it become disoriented . one advantage to the remote analysis station is the ability to include multiple analytical instruments within the reach of the robot , which allows for a wide variety of tests to be run on multiple analyzers with only one sample and a one time effort by the user . further benefit is achieved from use of the robot when handling contaminate specimens or working in a hostile environment . the remote robotically operated system allows for analysis of toxic materials without human intervention . the robotic arm can easily be programmed to remove the container cap , fill the container , insert the material into the testing apparatus , replace the cap and store the container . the interactive system allows the user to select a specific analysis to be run from the analyses available on the particular instrument . although only the specific analyses are displayed , the entire profile capable by the analysis instrument may be actually measured on each sample . the running of the entire profile is advantageous in several ways . the interface is simpler to write , as the selected tests do not have to be sorted from the unselected tests . although the unselected tests could be eliminated at the server , the accessibility of all tests capable of being run is an advantage . for example , in the event only a blood gas is initially requested , however subsequently it is decided that results on the remaining available tests are required , these tests will be available . other parameters such as f10 2 and patient temperature can be adjusted and default values of no nfg ( f10 2 given , and 37 °) are incorporated for the convenience , of the user . the programs that run on the analysis station computer are adaptable to any commercially available database system , such as sql or microsoft access . alternatively the databases can be custom , written utilizing a compiler such as turbo c . which takes the “ c ” source code and compiles it into an executable program . the analysis stations may be located in a variety of locations within the same hospital which house the laboratory unit at various doctors offices , clinics or hospitals or a combination thereof . although the analysis stations are generally used to input the specimen , all or part of the information contained within the system is accessible based on user &# 39 ; s clearance . therefore , any user with the appropriate clearance level may access data contained within the system from any station . instrument standardization is necessary in three basic areas : sample preparation and introduction , operator input of information to the analyzer , and output of information from the analyzer to the user . in order to standardize these areas , interfaces are incorporated . an universal interface was disclosed in u . s . ser . no . 07 / 739 , 204 , which has been incorporated herein , wherein a system simplified communication between a microcomputer and clinical instrument by establishing a standardized bidirectional communications protocol . both the universal interface and the dedicated interface operate on the same basic principle — translation of instrument codes to interactive program codes and vise versa . current clinical analysis instruments are being designed with interactive analysis capabilities and require little or no modification . up until recently , however , clinical analysis instruments , even if computer compatible , were not designed for interactive analysis . hence , the need for standardization of data communications and analyzer interface hardware . the interface translates input commands to codes or actions recognizable by the analyzer . features not normally available to the user , such as electrode real - time response and full instrument status , are also reported by the interface , thereby establishing a remote monitor and control mechanism for the interfaced instrument . the availability of the interface allows the disclosed system to be compatible with the older analysis hardware , as well as the current equipment having interactive capabilities . the operating system controls the interface , which in turn commands and monitors the clinical analyzer . the server controls the information flow to the interface and provides ( a ) requests to the interface for instrument operation and status and ( b ) commands to the interface to initiate the desired instrument operation . this arrangement maintains complete instrument functionality as designed by the manufacturer while allowing remote monitoring and operation of the instrument . when necessary , the interface minimizes modifications of the commercial analytical instrument . the analytical instrument control signals are translated , through use of a look - up table , into a standardized format on an erasable / programmable read only memory ( eprom ) chip contained on an interface card . this format is compatible with signals used in the remote analysis stations . this translation allows rapid interfacing of a variety of analytical instruments which potentially could be incorporated into the laboratory unit . furthermore , the interface card facilitates packaging of the instrument output into a format that simplifies communication software at the host computer . the interface permits remote control of all calibration cycles , chamber evacuation , washes and sampling mode , retrieval of patient and calibration results , initiation of instrument settings for the patient &# 39 ; s temperature and hemoglobin concentration , barometric pressure , time , and date . standard electronic hardware is used in the design of both the universal and dedicated interfaces , such as intel corporation ( santa clara , calif .) integrated circuits . a microprocessor , peripheral interface adapter , universal synchronous / asynchronous receiver / transmitter , erasable programmable read - only memory , static random - access memory , and support circuitry compose the current standard interface microcomputer . additional hardware to permit ethernet communications or wireless cellular communications may also be incorporated . a unique set of software commands , within the universal interface , is used for each clinical instrument to allow the instrument to be controlled by the interface . the instrument - specific software translates instrument data into a standardized string for transmission to a host computer . alternatively , specific software can be written for each analytical instrument used as a “ dedicated ” interface . although not as convenient as a universal interface , dedicated interfaces can be used to overcome specific hardware problems encountered in less compatible instruments . in an example of an universal analytical instrument interface , a standardized output string for each instrument is made up of an instrument identifier , a mode of operation , the instrument command , device real - time status , results , error checking , and a transmission terminator . the instrument identifier field holds a lead character and a two - digit number ( e . g ., corning : coi ). the mode of operation can be a single ascii character , i . e . a - automatic , c - command , d - diagnostic , e - error , r - results . the default mode is command . if the interface detects an instrument operational error , the error mode is indicated . the diagnostic mode can be set by the host computer to enable routines on board the interface to assist in instrument evaluation and trouble shooting . the automatic mode , also externally selectable , assists in the quality - control operation of the instrument . both of the interfaces are capable of automatically testing calibration results and operations and , if an error is detected , a selected number of attempts to correct the malfunction are initiated . the command - field is a character selected from a standard command set developed for this interface . use of a standard command set for all target analyzers simplifies the interface / operating system instrument control routines . the command set is divided into subsets that perform calibrations , retrieve data , set operation parameters , ascertain device status , and control manual instrument function . one set of commands for any instrument or group of instruments reduces the demands on the host computer for specific device evaluation . instrument real - time status is an 11 - character set and decoded to indicate full instrument operational status . most target instrument functions can be indicated within this field . instrument results are within delimiting brackets to allow ease of extracting results . any sequence of instrument results could be mimicked by other similar devices used with the interface . for example , if two different blood gas analyzers are controlled by an interface , both will report results in the same sequence irrespective of the original manufacturer &# 39 ; s design ( ph , pco 2 , po 2 . etc .). this sequencing allows the host computer to be unaffected by changes resulting from manufacturer design or user instrument selection , which simplifies instrument control and processing of results . as an example of a dedicated interface , modifications to the corning 178 blood gas analyzer were limited to removal of a switch logic board ( board no . 7 ) and replacement with a connector card and custom cable . commands that the blood gas analyzer used to initiate operation were loaded to a particular personality card memory location and an interrupt was triggered . data as well as instrument operation were indicated from the memory output and , with proper decoding , a real - time status was returned . use of the real - time scan gives the laboratory unit full monitoring of the blood gas analyzer and , in conjunction with the input commands , complete control and remote monitoring of the analyzer . an added benefit offered by the real - time scan was monitoring of electrode response of the analyzer at any time . the addition of this scan , provided the ability to trouble shoot instrument errors from a remote site . any commercially available computer compatible analytical instrument can be placed in the analysis station because of the unique design of the interfaces , hardware , and software . the analytical instrument must , however , have the ability to be automated and capable of being interfaced , either with a universal or dedicated interface , with a computerized system . these instruments also include hand held point of care instruments . the system of interfacing is not necessarily limited to hardwiring . bi - directional infrared , radio frequency , wireless cellular and other non - hardwired communications are also applicable . the data is transferred via non - hardwired means to the computer where it is then transmitted to the lab for processing as set forth herein . instruments which were not manufactured to be interactive with computerized systems can readily be altered to interface these instruments with the instant system . instruments which cannot be incorporated with the instant systems are those which require human input on a step by step basis . instruments which do not have the capability to be totally automated , can be utilized with the system on a limited basis . it should , be noted herein that although analytical instruments , such as a blood gas analyzer is being described herein , any medical instrument which can be made compatible with a computerized system can be controlled and monitored through the instant system . the system , as disclosed herein , is referring to laboratory - to - remote instrument interaction . this interaction can be between the laboratory unit and multiple stand alone and / or automated analysis station instruments . however as each interaction takes the same route , for simplicity the interaction between the laboratory unit and a single analysis station will be described herein . many instruments used in the clinical laboratory are designed to be autonomous , easy - to - operate devices . provisions are made for sample introduction , user data input through a keypad or other peripheral input device , and reporting instrument status and test data . instrument operation is controlled by the user or by an internal computer that coordinates instrument operation . each manufacturer of laboratory instrumentation follows its own protocol for device control commands and instrument communications . often data from the analyzer is limited solely to final calibration set point reports and results for patients &# 39 ; samples . most instruments will report derived data to an external device , such as a printer or host computer , according to established communications protocols ( rs - 232c , electronic industry association recommended standard 232 , version c or tcp / ip ethernet ). operational control and monitoring of an analyzer must not only include access to the data produced by the instrument but also allow for total peripheral control of the analyzer . the system as described relates to whole blood analysis but whole blood analysis is just one example of specimen analysis that could be performed by use of this system . the server is a storage and manipulation device used in the standard network manner as well known in the prior art . the uniqueness lies in the database software which enables the hardware to interact with the analysis stations and laboratory unit . 1 . the system hardware is checked for existence of monitoring equipment . 3 . if 1 or 2 above do not meet the predetermined standards , the system is aborted . errors can be displayed on the screen and a reset opportunity presented after error correction . 4 . the laboratory unit program periodically checks the server to determine if unprocessed analysis results have been received from the analytical instrument . the time period between checks with the server can be set by the medical technician operator and can vary based on time of day . if no results are present for the operator &# 39 ; s review , the save screen is initiated . if results are present for viewing , the program proceeds to the next command . 5 . once an unprocessed test result is recognized in the laboratory unit , the result is retrieved by the laboratory unit . 6 . upon receipt of the unprocessed test result , a display is brought up onto the monitor showing the units where the sample originated . simultaneously , an alarm is activated at periodic time intervals to alert the operator . an audio alarm is generally utilized , however any type of appropriate alarm or combination can be used . 7 . the alarm is deactivated upon operator &# 39 ; s input and the commencement of program activation . 8 . once acknowledged the test results are displayed on the screen displaying the test results in the programmed format . the amount of data on the screen can vary based on hospital policy , operator &# 39 ; s preference , etc . this can include a request for past test results or other patient information which has been incorporated within the program for access . 9 . operator &# 39 ; s id codes are requested to verify that the operator reading the results is known to the system . if incorrect id is entered , the system goes back to step 6 . 10 . the screen remains active until an indication of acceptance or rejection is received . 11 . upon acceptance of the test results , the laboratory unit program returns the accepted results to the appropriate database within the server . once returned to the server , the test results are available to the analysis station on request basis . as an alternative , an indicator can be provided at the analysis station monitor to indicate the completion of the analysis review . alternatively , a hard copy print out can be automatically provided once the test results are obtained by the server . 12 . the accepted test results are transmitted to the hospital main computer database for storage . 13 . rejected test results are returned to the server and saved until manual or global deletion . the analysis station preferably has accessible three modes , analysis , review and maintenance . 2 . establish database file access , ( open database engines ), and read “ count ” database for patient sample number . 5 . if any of steps ( 1 )-( 4 ) fail , the system will abort the remaining sequence and display the error reading on the screen . 6 . upon activation by user , id is requested and can be , if desired , a double entry verification system . 7 . the system waits for the user to enter the appropriate login id sequence . if interaction time is exceeded , the system returns to save screen . although not critical , it is preferable to have a “ save screen function ” incorporated in the system to protect the monitor . 8 . the user access and verify codes are tested for correctness . if either the access or verify code is incorrect , the system remains on the login screen to allow unlimited attempts to access the system . the system will go to the save screen at a predetermined time if there is no user interaction . 9 . screen displays mode selection based upon the user &# 39 ; s id codes . if the codes indicate an engineer or medical technologist is operating the system a maintenance mode will appear ( step 39 ). id codes representing a user ( nurse , aide , etc .) will display the analyze / review screen . an entry of analysis proceeds to step 10 ; and entry of review proceeds to step 29 . 10 . the system checks the analyzer to confirm that the instrument is ready for analysis . if it is not ready , an alarm is activated to advise the user that the system is not available . the screen goes to the login screen of step 7 . 11 . the analyze sample screen is displayed , enabling relevant commands ( scroll up , down , enter , search by id number , esc ). 12 . the screen displays a list of valid units from the “ units ” database , defaulting to last selected unit by given user . the default unit follows the different access codes . 13 . the system waits for the user to select the desired unit . in the event the user selects the id option , the system goes to step 26 . if there is no interaction with the system the login screen is reactivated and the system returns to step 7 . 14 . once the unit is selected the user searches the patient roster database , “ patients ”, for patients in the given unit . 15 . the system displays the “ select patient ” screen , selected unit name and enables relevant commands ( scroll up , down , enter , search by id number , esc ). 16 . the screen displays a list of valid patients for the selected unit . 17 . the system waits for the user to select the desired patient . if the dead time is exceeded the system returns to the login screen at step 7 . 18 . the system displays the patient demographics screen with relevant commands enabled ( patient temp , fio2 , coding , test profile , enter , clear , esc ). 19 . the system displays the selected patient , id number and location . displays default values for temp ( 37 . 0 ° c . ), fio2 (%), coding , test profile . 20 . the system waits for the user to select the desired patient demographics . if interaction time is exceeded , the system returns to the login screen at step 7 . 21 . upon user pressing “ enter ”, the analyzer is prepared for analysis , the user is prompted to place valid sample in the docking port . 22 . once the analyzer probe is fully extended , a command to proceed with sample aspiration is sent . upon sample retrieval , the system alerts the user to remove sample from the port . a patient sample number ( an internal number generated by the software to provide a unique patient id ) is incremented and stored in the “ count ” database . 23 . normal instrument function continues until the sample analysis is complete . once operation is complete , the instrument is queried , by the system , for results and errors . 24 . the results , patient demographics , and instrument errors are stored in the results database “ raw ”. 25 . the instrument continues its normal analysis cycle of washing out . displays “ instrument washout ”. at the completion of the washout cycle , the system goes to the login screen at step 7 . 26 . if the search by patient id option is chosen in step 13 , the system displays the search by id screen and enables relevant commands ( numeric pad , clear , enter ). 27 . the system prompts the user to enter desired id . if no response from the user is entered within the specified time the system returns to the login screen at step 7 . 28 . user enters the patient id and the system searches patient database “ patients ” for matching id number . if the id is present the system goes to step 14 . if the id is not located the screen shows “ invalid id ” and allows re - entry of id number . 29 . the system displays the “ review results ” screen relevant commands ( scroll up , down , enter , search by esc ). 30 . a list of valid units in “ units ” database is displayed , defaulting to the last selected unit by given user . the default unit follows the different access codes . 31 . the system waits for the user to select desired unit . if the user selects to search by id , the system goes , to step 42 . if inactivation time is exceeded the screen returns to the login screen of step 7 . 32 . the selected unit is used to search the patient roster database for patients in the given unit . 33 . the system displays the “ select patient ” screen , selected unit name and enables relevant commands ( scroll up , down , enter , search by id number , esc ). 34 . the system displays a list of valid patients for the selected unit . 35 . the system waits for the user to select the desired patient . if interaction time is exceeded , the system returns to login screen at step 7 . 36 . the patient results screen is displayed with relevant commands ( print results , display previous 10 results , esc ). 37 . patient results and demographics are displayed giving analysis results , pending or failed . 38 . the system waits for user input . the user can chose to “ clear ” or “ print and clear ”. if interaction time is exceeded , it returns to login screen at step 7 . 39 . the system displays instrument maintenance screen with relevant commands ( all switches available on analyzer , esc .). 40 . wait for operator input . if interaction time is exceeded the screen goes to login screen at step 7 . the automated analysis station is disclosed in its entirety in the parent application , u . s . application ser . no . 07 / 739 , 204 now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 366 , 896 . to maintain a continuity and to demonstrate the compatibility of the automated and stand alone systems , the following automated analytical sequence is set forth briefly as follows : 41 . steps 1 through 20 are same as stand alone analysis station . 42 . the system requests the robot computer to open the receiving area door . 43 . the system requests the user to place the sample in a single sample receptacle . if the sample is not received within the receptacle within the predetermined time , the system returns to step 7 . 44 . verification of the analysis and placement of the sample is requested by the system . if interaction time is exceeded , the system returns to login screen at step 7 . 45 . upon verification , the system closes the door and instructs the robot to begin the analytical sequence . 46 . the robot lowers its actuators ( fingers ), grasps the syringe and moves it to a mixing chilling chamber . 47 . following a 30 second mixing chilling cycle , the syringe is removed from the mixer by the robot which then places it in a pneumatically driven uncapping device . 48 . the system determines if there is sufficient sample volume for an accurate blood analysis . if all system checks are acceptable then the robot closes its end effectors to grasp the syringe at the correct location for accurate insertion into the instrument . in the event all system checks are not acceptable , the screen displays an error message and activates an audible alarm . 49 . the system rechecks the readiness of the analysis instrument . if the instrument does not indicate “ ready ” the system displays an error message and activates the alarm . 50 . upon issuance of the ready mode , the robot places the syringe into the sample port of the instrument . 51 . the instrument aspirates the required volume of the specimen and initiates the analysis . 52 . the instrument sends a completed signal to the system instructing removal of the specimen . 53 . the system directs the robot to position the syringe in the burper which ejects the air bubble by advancing the syringe plunger and simultaneously washing the tip . 54 . the system returns the syringe to the decapping / capping station for recapping . 55 . once recapped , the syringe is returned to the mixer chiller to maintain specimen integrity . 57 . upon receipt of an acceptance from the laboratory unit the robot is directed to remove the syringe from storage for appropriate disposal . 58 . upon review , if the sample is not acceptable a retest can be ordered at which time steps 47 - 56 are repeated . use of the automated analysis station allows for a retesting using the same sample to be done at the discretion of the reviewing medical technologist . fig1 is a flow diagram of the interactive system 10 . the analysis station 12 is provided with a cpu 14 as described in more detail heretofore . the flow of the information from analysis station 12 to laboratory unit 18 is identical whether the analysis station 12 is a remote or stand alone unit . the data received from the cpu 14 is transmitted to the server 16 where it is processed . the server 16 contacts the hospital information system 22 , through the lis interface 20 , to obtain patient information . the server 16 &# 39 ; s request is through use of the patient identification to obtain patient statistics required for analysis of the test results . upon receipt of the patient information and calculation of values , the information is transmitted , upon request , to the laboratory unit 18 . at the laboratory unit 18 the information is reviewed and accepted or rejected as described above . the results are sent back to the server 16 where they are “ sorted ”. the rejected tests are sent back to the analysis station 12 where the user is notified of the rejection . the accepted results are sent to the analysis station 12 and to the hospital information system 22 where they are stored in the patients database . fig2 - 5 illustrate , in flow diagrams , the program for the laboratory unit as described in u . s . application ser . no . 08 / 343 , 773 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 631 , 844 . the code for the automated robotic station has been disclosed in the aforenoted application . compared to providing services in a central laboratory facility , there are considerable cost benefits of unmanned satellite laboratories . the advantages of reduced labor costs for sample transportation and laboratory staff , and reduced sample turnaround time outweigh the increased costs of equipment required for many laboratories . studies of the cost - saving of the university of virginia unmanned satellite robotic laboratory showed that it saved $ 19 , 900 per year in messenger time , $ 22 , 750 per year in nursing time , and $ 3900 per year in supplies . if the cost for additional laboratory technologist time required for quality control and maintenance of the unit was subtracted from these savings , the net operational savings were $ 38 , 650 per year . compared with equipment purchase costs of $ 85 , 750 , the system will pay for itself over three years . preliminary data indicate that the average test turnaround from time of physician request to reported results is 10 minutes when using the satellite robotic laboratory compared with 72 minutes when the sample is sent “ stat ” to the central laboratory . one obvious alternative to an unmanned satellite laboratory is a satellite facility . the expense of such an approach is excessive requiring at least 4 - 5 full time equivalents for 24 hour per day / 7 days per week operation . without a very high workload , the manned satellite laboratory is not an economically sound approach to critical care testing . the automated remote laboratory provides rapid turnaround of critical care tests , eliminates the labor costs associated with specimen processing , reduces the risks from contact with contaminated specimens , has less staff training than other on - site testing approaches , and provides improved patient care . several embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and / or described herein . however , it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the present invention . | 6 |
an adjustable holder 100 is shown in fig1 , which is a front elevational view of the holder 100 . the holder 100 can support utensils such as make up brushes , toothbrushes , pens , paintbrushes , and the like . the holder 100 is manually adjustable so that it is capable of supporting utensils in more than one position , as discussed further below . in one use of the holder 100 , for make up brushes , paintbrushes or toothbrushes , it is desirable to orient the brushes in one direction for drying purposes and in another position for convenience of use . for example , in the case of make up brushes and also in the case of toothbrushes , an ideal drying position is one wherein the bristles are disposed at a lower position than the handle to avoid runoff from the bristles onto the handle after use . the same approach is applicable to paintbrushes . in another position , the head of the make up brushes or of toothbrushes , the make up brushes or toothbrushes are oriented so that it is above its handle , for facilitate manual grasping of the make up brushes or toothbrushes . this principle can be applied to other types of utensils as well , including tools that may be cleaned and oriented one way for drying and a different way to facilitate use . the adjustable holder 100 in a further embodiment is capable of supporting a cell phone or other electronic device such as cell phones and tablet computers , and for positioning such devices at varying angles to facilitate use of these electronic devices in environments that may be wet such as kitchens and bathrooms . in this further embodiment , a strap or flexible band would be used to secure the cell phone to the left superior plate 40 or the right superior plate 10 , or other securing means could be used . for example , a cell phone is at risk in a bathroom environment when held in a user &# 39 ; s hand , and would be safer when supported by the holder 100 . the holder 100 in fig1 includes a central stem base 90 , a suction pad or cup 101 underlying the base 90 , and a handwheel 80 disposed atop the base 90 . a central stem 70 is supported above the handwheel 80 and the base 90 , and supports a right superior plate 10 , a right interior plate 20 , a right silicone pad 30 , a left superior plate 40 , a left interior plate 50 , a left silicone pad 60 , as well as a central stem cap 71 and a mechanism ( described further hereunder and shown in fig4 - 10 and 11 - 16 ) which is provided inside the central stem cap 71 . the phrase “ left plate assembly ” is used hereafter to describe the assembly that includes the left superior plate 40 , the left interior plate 50 , and the left silicone pad 60 . the phrase “ right plate assembly ” is used hereafter to describe the assembly that includes the right superior plate 10 , the right interior plate 20 , and the right silicone pad 30 . the above - mentioned left plate assembly and the right plate assembly of the holder 100 have a common axis of rotation , which lies along a centerline of the holder 100 along a line lying parallel to the pads 30 and 60 , along the centerlines thereof . this axis of rotation , if viewed in fig1 , is along a line joining the numerals 30 and 60 ; and in fig2 it is along a horizontal line bisecting the figure . the left plate assembly is independently rotatable about this common axis of rotation , and the right plate assembly of the holder 100 is also independently rotatable about this common axis of rotation . in use , the above - mentioned mechanism allows independent rotational movement of the left plate assembly and independent rotational movement of the right plate assembly , as discussed further below . fig2 is a top elevational view of the holder 100 of fig1 . as shown in fig2 , the plate 10 has a plurality of small holes 12 and larger holes 14 for receiving utensils such as make up brushes or toothbrushes therein . the holes are shown to scale in fig2 , wherein the small holes 12 range in size from 15 mm in diameter ( ten such holes this size are shown in plate 10 in fig2 ) and 20 mm in diameter ( two such holes this size are shown in plate 10 in fig2 , those two such holes being located at the top and bottom portions of plate 10 in this view ). the larger holes 14 range in size from 30 mm in diameter ( two such holes this size are shown in plate 10 in fig2 , along a central portion of plate 10 ), 25 mm in diameter ( two such holes this size are shown in plate 10 just above and below a central horizontal axis in the plate 10 ), and 35 mm in diameter ( two such holes this size are shown in plate 10 in fig2 ). the holes 12 and 14 of plate 40 are the same as those of plate 10 , arranged in a mirror image pattern . the holes 12 and 14 of various sizes as described above are used for receiving utensils such as make up brushes , toothbrushes , paintbrushes , and so on . the respective left and right silicone pads 30 and 60 are used to resiliently hold the utensils in place , as discussed in further detail below . the utensils can be placed in the holes 12 and 14 with the handle portion inserted first and with the brush portions up , and then the plates 10 and 40 can be rotated so that a brush side is oriented downward so that it can readily drip dry . the plate 50 has corresponding holes matching the holes 12 and 14 of the plate 40 , and the plate 20 has corresponding holes matching the holes 12 and 14 of the plate 10 . the silicone pads 30 and 60 each have a plurality of star - shaped openings formed by slits 144 forming tabs 142 which are resiliently deformable to grasp utensils in frictional engagement to keep them in a fixed position . the star - shaped openings underlie the holes 12 and 14 in the plates 10 and 40 in fig2 , and overlie the plates 20 and 50 ( shown in fig1 and 3 ). fig3 is a front exploded view of the holder 100 of fig1 and 2 . in fig3 the plates 10 , 20 , 40 , and 50 are seen to be substantially planar and are viewed along their front edges . the plate 40 has an upper bearing end portion 46 , and the plate 50 has a lower bearing end portion 56 . the plate 10 has an upper bearing end portion 18 , and the plate 20 has a lower bearing end portion 28 . the silicone pads 30 and 60 are also substantially planar and are viewed along their front edges . as seen in fig3 , the suction pad 101 includes a threaded attachment portion 102 , and the central stem base 90 has an upstanding portion 91 which receives the threaded attachment portion 102 . a screw or bolt 92 passes through the portion 102 and is received in a threaded hole at the top of the upstanding portion 91 , so as to secure the suction pad 101 to the central stem base 90 . the upstanding portion 91 has an outer periphery that is threaded ( not shown ) so as to engage with an internal threading of the handwheel 80 . the handwheel 80 is provided with the internal threaded portion ( not shown ) and engages with the threaded outer periphery of the portion 91 in threaded engagement , such that rotation of the handwheel 80 pulls the portion 102 into secure engagement with the central stem 70 , and thereby secures the suction pad 101 to the central stem base 90 and also secures the central stem base 90 to the central stem 70 . this type of assembly can be varied by any one having skill in the mechanical assembly arts , for example in the manner in which devices can be affixed to automobile windshields ( e . g . gps units ) or to tables ( e . g . toys to entertain infants and babies ). the central stem 70 is thereby secured to the central stem base by the handwheel 80 and by engagement with the portion 91 . in fig3 , the above - mentioned right plate assembly is formed by the plate 10 , the pad 30 , and the plate 20 . the above - mentioned left plate assembly is formed by the plate 40 , the pad 60 , and the plate 50 . fig4 is a perspective view of the mechanism disposed below the central stem cap 71 , which has been mentioned above with regard to fig1 . the mechanism shown is disposed under the central stem cap 71 , and includes a right shaft vertical gear 72 joining the right plate assembly ( plates 10 and 20 , and the pad 30 ), and a left shaft vertical gear 710 joining the left plate assembly ( plates 40 and 50 , and the pad 60 ). in assembled condition , the right shaft vertical gear 72 is fixed in the lower cap portion 720 ( also shown in fig1 - 15 and discussed further below ), such that the right shaft vertical gear 72 cannot rotate . the right shaft vertical gear 72 has a pair of oppositely disposed flat portions 715 , one of which is visible in fig4 . the right shaft vertical gear joins the right plate assembly ( plates 10 and 20 , and the pad 30 ). the left shaft vertical gear 710 has a pair of oppositely disposed flat portions 714 , and is similar in function to the right shaft vertical gear 72 . as shown in fig4 , the right shaft vertical gear 72 has a shaft portion 723 , a groove 724 , and a toothed engagement portion 721 . the left shaft vertical gear 710 has similar features to that of the right shaft vertical gear 72 . the gears 72 and 710 are movable axially , and are respectively spring biased toward an engaged position as discussed further below . the mechanism of fig4 also includes a right spring 73 which pulls the shaft portion 723 of the gear 72 in an axial direction ( which is leftward as viewed in fig4 ) so as to pull the toothed engagement portion 721 into engagement with an engagement gear 910 . that is , the spring 73 pushes against the washer 74 and its other end is fixed by the engagement gear 910 . the engagement gear 910 is fixed against rotation in the lower cap portion 720 . because there is toothed engagement between the engagement gear 910 and the right shaft vertical gear 72 , the spring force of the spring 73 thereby secures the gear 72 against rotation unless sufficient force is applied to overcome the bias of the spring 73 . the spring 73 operates to prevent the gear 72 from rotating relative to the engagement gear 910 when no external force is being applied , or when such external force is insufficient to overcome the spring bias of the spring 73 . fig4 also shows a right washer 74 mounted on the shaft of the gear 72 . the mechanism further includes a right shaft circlip 75 which prevents the washer 74 from coming off of the shaft of the gear 72 , the circlip 75 being disposed in a groove 724 in a shaft 723 of the gear 72 ( the groove 724 and the shaft 723 are shown unnumbered in fig4 and are shown numbered in fig6 ) to abut against and fix the washer 74 and thus also fix the right spring 73 . fig4 also shows a right ring 76 to prevent opening of the elements on the right side of the gear 72 , which is shown also in fig1 - 15 and is discussed further below . the upper bearing end portion 18 has a ledge portion 181 which forms a semi - circular periphery , and receives the right ring 76 thereon . the upper bearing end portion 18 is similar in shape and function to the upper bearing end portion 46 , the lower bearing end portion 56 , and the lower bearing end portion 28 . the mechanism of fig4 also includes a left shaft circlip 77 which prevents a left washer 78 from coming off of a shaft of a left vertical gear 710 . the mechanism of fig4 also shows a left spring 79 fixed by the left washer 78 ; a left shaft vertical gear 710 which is pulled by the left spring 79 in a direction to keep the gear 710 from rotating ; and a left ring 711 to prevent opening of the elements on the left side of the gear 710 . the gear 710 is similar to the gear 72 , and has a similar function as that of the gear 72 , and likewise has a groove therein ( unnumbered in fig4 ) to receive a circlip ( not shown in fig4 ) and is disposed on the left side as viewed in fig4 . as seen in fig4 , the upper bearing end portion 46 has a ledge portion 461 which forms a semi - circular periphery , and receives the left ring 711 thereon . the pair of engagement gears 810 and 910 fit in an enclosure formed by the cap 71 and the lower cap portion 720 . the engagement gears 810 and 910 have radially arranged teeth which mate with the corresponding teeth of the left shaft vertical gear 710 and of the right shaft vertical gear 72 , specifically radially arranged teeth of the toothed engagement portion 721 . the engagement gear 810 , mentioned above , is fixed against rotation as well as against axial movement relative to the lower cap portion 720 . the engagement gear 910 is similar to the engagement gear 810 , and is likewise secured against relative rotation and against axial movement relative to the lower cap portion 720 . in a preferred embodiment , the lower cap portion 70 , the central stem 70 , and the gears 810 and 910 are injection molded together and therefore do not need to be secured to each other . in an alternative construction , which is contemplated as being within the scope of the invention , the gears 810 and 910 can be formed as separate elements and then secured to the lower cap portion 720 by adhesive , ultrasonic welding , or any other type of connection means that would be known to any one having skill in the manufacturing arts . in a further alternative construction , which is also contemplated as being within the scope of the invention , the holder 100 can be formed by 3 d printing techniques , such that the lower cap portion 70 , the central stem 70 , and the gears 810 and 910 are formed together as a connected part , and so would not need to be secured to each other . in the above , the left side is substantially identical to the right side . therefore , the description of the right side elements of fig4 applies to the corresponding left side elements . fig5 is a front elevational view of the above - mentioned mechanism of fig1 , in assembled view . the parts are as described in fig4 . here , the view is of the assembled elements disposed within the lower cap portion 720 , and with the cap 71 removed . fig6 is a perspective view of the right shaft vertical gear 72 used in the holder 100 of fig1 - 5 . the gear 72 includes a shaft 723 , a ridged portion 721 , and an end portion 722 having an indented flat portion . fig7 is a perspective view of the right washer 74 used in the holder 100 of fig1 - 5 . fig8 is a perspective view of the right spring 73 used in the holder 100 of fig1 - 5 . fig9 is a perspective view of the right shaft circlip 75 ( also know as a snap ring 75 ) used in the holder 100 of fig1 - 5 . fig1 is a top perspective view of the holder 100 of fig1 . as seen in fig1 , the left side can rotate about its axis in the directions shown by the double - headed arrow “ 5 ”, and the right side can rotate about its axis in the directions shown by the double - headed arrow “ r ”. fig1 is a top perspective view of the interior of the lower cap portion 720 , showing a portion of the mechanism of fig4 . this view shows the securement of the gears 810 and 910 to the lower cap portion 720 . fig1 is a top perspective view of the interior of the lower cap portion 720 shown in fig1 , additionally showing a right shaft vertical gear 72 mounted therein , in toothed engagement with the gear 910 . the ring 76 is shown in this view . fig1 is a top perspective view of the interior of the lower cap portion 720 shown in fig1 and 12 , additionally showing the right spring 73 mounted therein . fig1 is a top perspective view of the interior of the lower cap portion 720 shown in fig1 - 13 , additionally showing the right washer 74 mounted therein . fig1 is a top perspective view of the interior of the lower cap portion 720 shown in fig1 - 14 , additionally showing the right circlip 75 mounted therein . fig1 is a vertical cross sectional view of the mechanism of fig4 and fig1 - 15 . in this view , the parts shown in fig4 are shown in their assembled form . the right side end of the right side vertical gear 72 is secured to the plate assembly ( components 10 , 20 , and 30 ) as discussed above . as seen in fig1 , the ring 76 secured the upper bearing end portion 18 and the lower bearing end portion 28 against separation . additionally , the joined parts which are fixed can optionally be secured by adhesive , fasteners such as screws or rivets , and / or by welding such as ultrasonic welding . fig1 is an end elevational view of the engagement gear 910 , showing a central bore 912 . as is clear from the foregoing , the left and right plate assemblies can be independently manually positioned about the aforementioned axis of rotation , by manually turning , i . e . manual application of torque , such that the radially arranged mating teeth ( described above ) of the side experiencing the torque will apply a force along the direction of the aforementioned axis of rotation so as to compress the respective one of the springs 73 , 79 so that the teeth come out of engagement sufficiently to allow turning of the respective one of the left and right plate assemblies relative to the central stem 70 . when the torque is released , the radially arranged teeth are urged back into mating engagement so as to retain the left and right assemblies in place relative to the central stem 70 . the invention being thus described , it will be evident that the same may be varied in many ways by a routineer in the applicable arts . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the claims . | 0 |
reference now is made to the drawings , in which the same reference characters are used throughout the different figures to designate the same elements . fig1 illustrates the principal stages of a process 10 for imaging , analyzing , and tracking an object through terrain space . the process 10 is carried out with a system including a ptz video camera capable of panning , tilting , and zooming through the terrain space from a location . the ptz camera is mounted to the location but is capable of panning , tilting , and zooming with respect to that mounted location . in a first step 11 of the process , an image pair is acquired . in the image pair acquisition step 11 , the camera records video of the terrain space in a field of view of the camera , along with all of the elements in the terrain space in that field of view , which may include the ground , water , people , a single person , animals , trees , boats , etc . as the term is used here , “ element ” will refer to a potential target in terrain space . the camera records video at a specific frame rate , which is capped by the manufacturer &# 39 ; s specifications and the hardware capabilities of the camera , often around 30 to 100 frames per second . frames are generally recorded , or captured , as quickly as the camera can operate . the camera is coupled in communication — either wired communication or wireless communication — to a central computer with a processor , and memory in the form of a hard disk and random access memory (“ ram ”), which form a part of the system operating the process 10 . the camera records and stores a first frame , which will also be termed a first image . the camera preferably stores all frames to ram , or whichever memory device allows for fastest access . the camera then records and stores a subsequent frame , herein termed a second image , which may be the next frame or a later frame . the first and second images are not necessarily sequential , and often will be separated by several frames . preferably , the user defines a maximum number of frames beyond which a subsequent frame will not be recorded as the second image , but rather , the system will record and store a new first image and a new second image . the first and second images together are identified herein as an image pair . once the first and second images have been stored as an image pair , the system performs the next step 12 of inter - frame registration , which stabilizes and aligns the images . as a prerequisite for inter - frame registration , elements in the terrain space which may be later identified as objects or targets ( as will be explained ) should occupy only a small portion of the field of view of the camera . the installer or operator of the system can meet this prerequisite by installing the system so that the field of view encompasses a large area with respect to an element to be detected as a potential target . for instance , if the system is installed in a harbor for detecting boats , the camera should be installed a sufficient distance and height away from the water so that a boat could not occupy a large portion of the camera &# 39 ; s field of view . in another example , if the system is installed at a border crossing for monitoring numbers on license plates of moving vehicles , then the camera should be installed a sufficient distance and height away from the license plates so that the numbers do not occupy the entire field of view , but are still at least sufficiently large that they can be detected , even through a range of camera zoom levels . alignment of the first and second images of the image pair is performed through a normalized correlation of the first and second images relying on all of the elements in the field of view . image alignment is understood in the art and will not be explained in detail here . essentially , the first and second images are overlaid and translated vertically and horizontally with respect to each other toward a maximum value until there is parity between the first and second images . once the first and second images are aligned , that alignment is maintained later during various operations performed on the first and second images . the system next proceeds to a frame subtraction or differencing step 13 in which a differencing operation is performed between the first and second images of the image pair to reveal blobs in the image pair . blobs are clusters of foreground pixels which correspond to moving elements in the terrain space . moving elements become foreground blobs , because the differencing option eliminates elements which do not move and are therefore considered to be only background . blobs are later more specifically identified as objects or wakes , as will be explained . every pixel in the first and second images has a grayscale property which is a function of additional properties of illumination and reflectiveness of the actual element in the terrain space , assuming that the element has a diffused surface . briefly , it is noted that the term “ grayscale ” is synonymous with “ intensity ” in the context of this invention . grayscale has a particular meaning when used in the context of an image illuminated in visible light . despite this , the term grayscale is used without limitation to that particular meaning because it is used as a substitute for intensity , which term is applicable in a broad range of the electromagentic spectrum , including visible and infrared light . the term grayscale is used here because the examples given herein are more clearly understood in the context of the visible light spectrum . the properties of grayscale and reflectiveness are exploited in image subtraction to reveal the blobs . the following equations define image subtraction and determine high and low thresholds which are used to limit the classification of pixels as foreground pixels . where b is a user - defined base for the logarithm function , g is the grayscale value , l t is the illumination , the subscript or suffix t indicates the current frame , or second image , and the suffix t − 1 indicates the previous frame , or first image . this analysis is performed over an overlapping region of the first and second frames , such that the pixels which are subjected to equation ( 1 ) exist in both the first and second images . next , a change in illumination of all the pixels in the overlapping region is determined according to : that change in illumination is used to determine high and low thresholds , according to : for a pixel in the overlapping region to qualify as a foreground pixel , it must satisfy the following pixel - to - neighborhood differencing requirements . first , the grayscale for each pixel in the overlapping region in the first image must deviate from a corresponding pixel in the second image by at least d h to qualify as a foreground pixel . second , the grayscale of that pixel in the first image must also deviate from each adjacent pixel to the corresponding pixel in the second image by at least d h . third , the grayscale for each pixel in the overlapping region in the second image must deviate from each adjacent pixel to the corresponding pixel in the first image by at least d lo . if the pixel meets each of these requirements , it is properly classified as foreground and thus may be part of a blob , and the image containing the foreground blob or blobs , which is a binary image , is defined identified herein as a “ resultant image .” blobs are clusters of pixels in the resultant image which correspond to clustered foreground pixels in the overlapping region of the first and second images . a morphological artifact removal operation is next performed in step 14 of the process 10 . the operation removes singular , or small clusters of foreground pixels , as such pixels are attributed to noise and are unlikely to correspond to a potential target . there are several methods for morphological artifact removal , as the process for revealing blobs is conventional , well - known in the art , and need not be discussed further . next , the system performs an image segmentation step 15 in the process 10 which is intended to group and define clusters of foreground pixels into blobs , separating the blobs from background pixels and also from each other . image segmentation essentially defines a blob as a single , continuous bounded region for easy identification and analysis later . there are several methods for image segmentation , as the process for revealing blobs is conventional , well - known in the art , and need not be discussed further . a shadow detection or suppression step 16 is next optionally performed . shadow detection is used to ensure that the centroid of a blob is as close as possible to the true centroid of the blob corresponding to the real element , when the shadow is actually attached to the element and both are present in the field of view of the camera . because the element in terrain space will cast a shadow , and because that shadow will be attached to or contiguous with the object itself , the object and the shadow will together be defined as a single blob during the image segmentation step 15 . this will create error in the determination of the location of the centroid of the blob . shadow detection reduces that error by discarding portions of the blob which correspond to the shadow cast by the element . the shadow detection step 16 is performed when the target has a width - to - height ratio which is greater than a user - defined threshold and when the target has no more than a user - defined compactness threshold . where the requirements of the width - to - height ratio and compactness are met , the system performs shadow detection . where the requirements are not met , or where the user has chosen not to employ shadow detection , the process 10 proceeds to the object - wake classification step 17 . fig2 a and 2b generally illustrate the shadow detection step 16 . shadow detection is performed on the resultant image , which is a binary image consisting of zeros and ones . first , a bounding box 21 is drawn around a blob 22 and is divided into four quadrants , as in fig2 a . column - sum processing is performed according to : c ⇀ s = [ cs 1 … cs n ] t where cs i = ∑ i = t m a ij ; j = 1 … n , ( 5 ) a maximum column - sum ratio for an upper - left quadrant is determined with equation ( 5 ), and a maximum column - sum ratio for the upper - right quadrant is determined with equation ( 5 ). then , a maximum column - sum ratio for the left half of the bounding box is determined with equation ( 5 ), and a maximum column - sum ratio for the right half of the bounding box is determined with the equation ( 5 ). the bounding box 21 is then pared down to the portion of the blob 22 corresponding to the object . this is done by first comparing the maximum column - sum ratio for the upper - left quadrant to a user - defined threshold . if the maximum column - sum ratio for the upper - left quadrant exceeds that threshold , then the pixels of the right half of the bounding box 21 are discarded , or discounted , along with those pixels corresponding to the blob 22 due to the element , as in fig2 b . if the maximum column - sum ratio for the upper - left quadrant does not exceed that threshold , then the maximum column - sum ratio for the upper right quadrant is compared to the user - defined threshold . if the maximum column - sum ratio for the upper - right quadrant exceeds that threshold , then the pixels of the left half of the bounding box are discarded , or discounted , along with those pixels corresponding to the blob 22 due to the element . the shadow detection step 16 above may performed in successive iterations to further trim the shadow . next in the process 10 is the object - wake classification step 17 , whose purpose is to classify blobs into one of either objects or wakes . fig3 a - 3c illustrate generally some of the operations of the object - wake classification step 17 . an object is a blob associated with the second image , while a wake is a blob associated with the first image . in other words , an object is a blob which corresponds to the position of the actual element ( likely a potential target ) currently , while the wake is a blob which corresponds to the position in which the element was previously . a blob is classified as either an object or a wake after a series of operations is performed on the resultant image and the image pair . different operations are performed depending on the nature of the blob or blobs in the overlapping region , and depending on the desired sophistication of the system . in one method , the system quickly and easily defines the object as the blob which has a centroid which is closest to the center of the resultant image . this is done merely by calculating and comparing the distances between the center and the centroids of the blobs . alternatively , in a more robust application of the system , a set of operations is performed which determines which blob is the object . these operations rely on comparisons of the grayscales of different areas of the second image of the image pair , and how those areas relate to the blobs in the resultant image . this application of the system proceeds below , with reference to fig3 a - 3c . fig3 a shows the resultant image and two blobs 23 and 24 which remain as binary images from the foreground , contrasted against a binary background , shown in fig3 a as a white background . object - wake classification then proceeds according to the following steps : 1 . close and distant blobs are identified in the resultant image based on the blobs &# 39 ; centroids . the centroid is the geometric center , or center of mass , of a blob . determining the centroid of any bounded region on a plot is a conventional and well - known task which need not be explained to one having ordinary skill in the art . once the centroid for each blob is determined , the distances of all of the centroids to the center of the field of view of the camera are compared , and the blob with the centroid closest to the center of the resultant image is located and defined as a “ close blob ,” while the other blob is defined as a “ distant blob .” as shown in fig3 b , the blob 23 is the close blob , because the distance between its centroid 25 and a center 26 of the field of view is smaller than the distance between the centroid 27 of the blob 24 , which is the distant blob . it should be noted that fig3 b shows only the outlines of the blobs 23 and 24 for clarity of the illustration , but blobs 23 and 24 are binary images . 2 . a dilation operation is performed on the resultant image , resulting in the close blob 23 and the distant blob 24 transforming into a dilated close blob 33 and a dilated distant blob 34 , each of which is slightly enlarged in the resultant image , as indicated by the broken outline of the dilated close and distant blobs 33 and 34 in fig3 b . 3 . certain pixels in areas of the second image are analyzed and their grayscale values are compared . more specifically , pixels in the second image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the close blob in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ close pixels ” 43 . likewise , pixels in the second image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the dilated close blob in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ dilated close pixels ” 53 . fig3 c illustrates the close pixels 43 and the dilated close pixels 53 with solid and broken outlines , respectively , bounding the close pixels 43 and the dilated close pixels 53 . again , the close pixels 43 and dilated close pixels 53 exist in the second image of the image pair , and as such , have grayscale values . 4 . a first dissimilarity comparison is performed on the divergence of the grayscale of the close pixels 43 and the dilated close pixels 53 and is assigned to the variable d c , according to : where ┌ a , b ┐ is known as a ceiling function outputting the greater of a and b , p corresponds to the distribution of the grayscale in the close pixels 43 , q corresponds the distribution of the grayscale in the dilated close pixels 53 , and d ( p , q ) and d ( q , p ), which are similar to kulback - liebler (“ kl ”) divergences , are determined according to : 5 . equation ( 8 ) returns d c , which is a dissimilarity measure for the close blob 23 . 6 . steps 3 and 4 are then repeated , but for the distant blob 24 . more specifically , pixels in the second image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the distant blob 24 in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ distant pixels ” 44 . likewise , pixels in the second image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the dilated distant blob 34 in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ dilated distant pixels ” 54 . the distant pixels 44 and dilated distant pixels 54 exist in the second image of the image pair , and as such , have grayscale values . 7 . a second dissimilarity comparison is performed on the divergence of the grayscale of the distant pixels 44 and dilated distant pixels 54 , and assigned to the variable d d , according to : d d = ⌈ d ( p ′ , q ′ ) , d ( q ′ , p ′ ) ⌉ , ( 11 ) where ┌ a , b ┐ is known as a ceiling function outputting the greater of a and b , p ′ corresponds to the distant pixels 44 , q ′ corresponds to the dilated distant pixels 54 , and d ( p ′, q ′) and d ( q ′, p ′), which are similar to kulback - liebler (“ kl ”) divergences , are determined according to : 8 . equation ( 11 ) returns d d , which is a dissimilarity measure for the distant blob 24 . 9 . finally , d c is compared to d d , and if d c is greater , than the close blob 23 is defined as the object and the distant blob 24 is assigned as the wake . conversely , if d d is greater , than the distant blob 24 is defined as the object and the close blob 23 is assigned as the wake . the process 10 next proceeds to a target selection step 18 . target selection identifies a particular blob as the potential target , so that the system 10 knows which blob to track . as described above , the object is discerned from the blobs in the object - wake classification step 17 . the target selection step 21 identifies and selects the object as a target . the target is then tracked autonomously by the ptz camera of the system . once the target is selected , the target is tracked in step 19 of the process 10 . tracking is a responsive function following the target versus a predictive function estimating where the target will next move . the center of the field of view of the camera is also the image center . the distance between the centroid of the target and the image center is defined as an error distance , since the centroid is likely not disposed over the center of the image but is instead likely offset from the center by the error distance . the camera must be instructed to move so as to eliminate or close the error distance . the error distance has i and j components . the i and j components are standard notations used in a left - handed coordinate system , where i indicates a vertical location and j indicates a lateral location . the i and j components of the centroid are found , and once they are found , the error distance is decomposed into δ i and δ j components . the error distance is then physically closed by moving the camera . the system instructs the camera to begin movement at pan and tilt speeds , according to : ω π = ω π 1 + ⅇ - κ ( δ j - v j ) , ( 14 ) ω τ = ω τ 1 + ⅇ - κ ( δ i - v i ) , ( 15 ) where ω π signifies angular pan speed for the camera , ω π signifies a user - selected maximum angular pan speed for the camera , ω τ signifies angular tilt speed for the camera , ω τ signifies a user - selected maximum angular tilt speed for the camera , κ is a user - defined coefficient , and ν i and ν j are also user - defined coefficients . the speeds ω π and ω τ are thus stimulus for correcting the error distance at a given time . however , it takes time for the camera to move to close the error distance , and during that time , the target may have moved as well . therefore , during movement of the camera , and probably before the camera has eliminated the error distance , the target is likely to have moved and the system will have determined a new centroid and a new error distance to that centroid . this represents a feedback loop , through which the speed and direction of the camera is continually updated as the target moves , according to the above equations . a zoom step 20 is entered when the target &# 39 ; s blob has a low number of pixels because it is either small or distant . the zoom step is entered when the number of pixels is below a user - defined size threshold . the size threshold is set by the user based on the application . for example , where the terrain space is being monitored for a number of potential intrusions , the smallest potential target ( perhaps a human walker ) dictates the threshold . in that example , where a human walker is the smallest potential target , the size threshold may be set at a relatively small number of pixels , such as five or ten pixels . given the size threshold , an optimal zoom level z o is determined , at which the camera operates until it receives other information . the optimal zoom level z o is calculated according to : z o = w 2 f w cot ( nw t 2 nr ) , ( 16 ) where w is the width of the camera sensor or detector , f w is the minimum focal length of the camera , n is the width of the image in pixels , w , is the width of the target in meters , n is the width of the target in pixels , and r is the range to the target in meters . it is noted that equation ( 16 ) is useful when exploiting width as the critical dimension for comparison , but that height could be analogously exploited instead of width , with corresponding changes made to equation ( 16 ), when the height is more likely to be the limiting factor . width is a handy dimension when humans are monitored , for example , because most humans are upright and have widths within a relatively well - defined range , while they may vary significantly in height . changing the camera &# 39 ; s zoom level is a time - intensive activity because it relies on the relatively slow movement of mechanical parts within the camera , so the system preferably avoids frequent or unnecessary zoom changes . as such , the system has methodology to prevent unnecessary changes . the optimal zoom having already been determined from equation ( 16 ) is compared with an alternate optimal zoom . when the optimal zoom and the alternate optimal zoom agree , the camera changes its zoom level , but when the optimal zoom and alternate optimal zoom disagree , the camera does not change its zoom level . the optimal zoom and alternate optimal zoom are defined as agreeing when either they are identical to each other or they diverge by an amount less than a user - defined discrepancy , which accounts and allows for minor disagreement . despite the user - defined discrepancy , a special case of disagreement is defined where the optimal zoom and the alternate optimal zoom disagree in sign , i . e ., one is positive and one is negative , even if the optimal zoom and alternate optimal zoom diverge by an amount less than the user - defined discrepancy . the alternate optimal zoom level is : z ~ o = w 2 f w cot ( nw t sin θ 2 nh c ) , ( 17 ) where θ is the tilt of the camera with respect to horizontal , and h c is the height of the camera . once the zoom level is determined by comparison of the optimal zoom and the alternate optimal zoom , sets of discrete ranges for preferred , discrete zoom levels are determined which place a plurality of intermediate upper and lower zoom level stops on the zoom level for the camera throughout the entire zoom level range of the camera . the upper zoom level stop is defined by the following equation , which uses a ceiling equation that takes the greater of two values : the lower zoom level stop is defined by the following equation , which uses a floor equation that takes the lesser of two values : where z max is the maximum zoom level for the camera at its telephoto end , and q is : q = f ( z o ) = q m ax 1 + ⅇ - ( α z o - β ) , ( 20 ) where q max is a user - defined parameter , α is a user - defined parameter defining the growth rate of the sigmoid curve , and β is lateral shift of the sigmoid curve along the z o axis . because changing the camera &# 39 ; s zoom level is a time - intensive activity , the upper and lower zoom level stops are used to save time . when the camera has a current zoom level between the upper and lower zoom level stops and is instructed to zoom in or out , instead of zooming to a particular or incremental zoom level between the upper and lower zoom level stops , the camera will instead zoom only to the upper or lower zoom level stop . for instance , if the camera is zooming in , instead of zooming in to some incremental zoom level , it will move directly to the upper zoom level stop . in this way , a great deal of time is avoided from constant and minute zoom wandering . in an embodiment of the present invention , the process 10 for imaging , analyzing , and tracking an element through terrain space is extended to determine the real size , location , and speed of an element in terrain space . this is helpful to discern true threats from false threats such as nuisance alarms . for instance , a dog walking through the terrain space may be considered a target because , if the dog is close to the camera , it will appear large , and much larger than a human sneaking towards an ammunition depot much further from the camera . determining the actual size of the dog informs the system that the dog is not a threat , and the system can then determine the actual size of the human and classify him as a threat . additionally , an external cue , such as another camera , radar , a guard , or the like may cue the system to direct the camera toward a potential target . the methodology allowing this also allows the process 10 to be extended to cameras mounted on mobile platforms , such as automated guide vehicle ( agvs ), unmanned waterborne vessels , high speed trains , mobile phones , and the like . the methodology is made possible by georeferencing the camera to produce equations for rays in three - space emanating from the camera , with each ray being associated with a camera pixel coordinate when the camera has a specified attitude or orientation . then , as the camera moves because of either movement of the camera platform or changes in pan , tilt , or zoom , those equations are correspondingly transformed to reflect the camera &# 39 ; s new location , attitude , and zoom . the camera location is continually determined and monitored by a gps system carried on board , and the attitude of the camera is likewise continually determined and monitored by both vertical gyros and course gyros ( or mems or ahrs equivalents thereof ). this allows the system to have knowledge of both the camera &# 39 ; s location and attitude at all times . this knowledge , together with a digital elevation map of the terrain space stored in system memory , allows the system to correspond the pixels of the image of the terrain space with the resolution cells of the camera , and hence , infer the size of the real element in the terrain space . the camera has geo - spatial awareness , which means that the system is aware of the camera &# 39 ; s location and attitude or orientation within the terrain space , and the system derives equations for the rays emanating from the camera onto the terrain for the zoom level the camera is currently set at . it is noted that the information for creating geo - spatial awareness may be established during a calibration process , typically performed during initial installation or after a change in location of the camera . preferably , the digital elevation map for the terrain space over the entire area of operation , such as an entire rail line or an entire harbor space for example , is stored on board , and in other cases the digital elevation map is incrementally downloaded as the camera moves . the system performs an intersection of the transformed equations of the rays emanating from the camera with the digital elevation map to determine the points in the terrain space to which each pixel of the camera correspond , which allows the system to relate the pixels during movement of the camera . when the pixels are related to the resolution cells in the camera , the real size , velocity , and acceleration of the element in the terrain space can be determined . momentum of the element is estimated from these kinematic figures . from the real size , velocity , and acceleration , the system classifies the target as a threat depending on the real size of the element . employing georeferencing with the process is helpful because it enables persistent tracking of the intended target . when the target is the only element in the field of view of the camera , and the target emerges from behind the barrier , the camera will track to the target as described above . however , when the target is one of two elements in the field and the target becomes obscured , the camera will track to the other element . with georeferencing , the system determines the real size , velocity , and acceleration of the other element , notes that the real size , velocity , and acceleration are different from that of the target , and ignores the other element . in this way , the system persists in tracking the same target despite the presence of other moving or obscuring objects that may move through or near the center of the field of view . fig4 a and 4b illustrates slew - to - cue functionality of the system which allows the camera to respond to a cue from information from another source , either internal or external to the system , such as another camera , radar , or other raw data intelligence source . the camera moves so as to become directed toward the target , and zooms while moving to focus on the target , or the area in which the target is expected to be . slew - to - cue functionality is thus an initial step 30 in some embodiments of the process 10 . with reference first to fig4 a , slew - to - cue functionality uses on a ptz camera 60 and another intelligence source 61 , such as a fixed camera . the ptz camera may be operated manually , such as by a joystick controlled by a operator . the ptz camera may also may be georeferenced . if it is georeferenced , then the system will be able to determine a size , velocity , and acceleration of an element 62 , and thus be able to better correctly classify an object corresponding to the element 62 as a threat according to the process 10 as described above . briefly , it is understood that the other intelligence source 61 may be something other than a camera , such as radar , sonar , or other intelligence sources . for purposes of clarity , however , the other intelligence source will simply be referred to herein as a fixed camera 61 to distinguish it from the ptz camera 60 . the fixed camera 61 has a field of view directed over a terrain space . the fixed camera 61 is geospatially aware of its own location and attitude , by virtue of gps , manual setup , calibration , and determination , or something else . the fixed camera 61 identifies the target 62 and the geolocation of the target 62 . the system classifies the target 62 , such as a vehicle , person , boat , or the like . the system alerts the ptz camera 61 to slew to the location in which the target 62 is believed to be . the system , knowing the geolocation of the target and the location of the fixed camera , determines a line of sight or axis a between the fixed camera 61 and the target 62 and then determines an error range b surrounding that location along the axis a . error within the error range b is much more likely along the axis a than laterally or through the angular field of view of the camera 61 . the error range b is the uncertainty in the target &# 39 ; s position along the axis a . the ptz camera 60 is then slewed to , or moved and directed toward , the target &# 39 ; s believed location and then searches , or sweeps , within the error range b along the axis a to locate the target 62 . the ptz camera 60 searches by conducting an initial sweep s , panning laterally along the axis a between the extent of the error range b . if the ptz camera 60 locates the target 62 , then the ptz camera 60 locks onto and tracks the target 62 autonomously according to the process 10 described above . if , on the other hand , the ptz camera 60 does not locate the target 62 in the initial sweep of the error range along the axis , then the ptz camera 60 begins a sweep pattern . the sweep pattern first moves to a second sweep s ′, parallel to and just outside the initial sweep s , which extends laterally across the error range b , and which is spaced away from the initial sweep s by an amount generally equal to and slightly overlapping the depth of field of the ptz camera 60 . the second sweep s ′ is performed on both sides of the axis . additional sweeps may be performed at the user &# 39 ; s preferably preset discretion . generally , three sweeps total are recommended , with one on each side of the axis a . in some instances , the geometry between the fixed camera , the ptz camera , and the target require different movement from ptz camera to perform the sweep . for instance , where the fixed camera , the ptz camera , and the target are aligned or nearly aligned , the ptz camera will perform the sweep by tilting rather than panning . fig4 b illustrates such a situation , where the ptz camera 70 is aligned with the fixed camera 71 along the axis c . in fig4 b , the ptz camera 70 will tilt into and out of the page to look in front of and behind the potential location of ht target 72 in the error range d . in another embodiment of the present invention , identified generally as process 100 in fig5 , a modified object - wake classification scheme is used . the process 100 includes many of the steps of the process 10 shown in fig1 , and includes an additional , modified object - wake classification step 17 ′ which presents an alternative to the object - wake classification step 17 . as such , the process 100 includes all of the reference numerals of fig1 for consistency . in the previously described object - wake classification step 17 of process 10 , analysis relied on a divergence measure between a blob and a dilated form of the entire blob . in this modified object - wake classification step 17 ′ of process 100 , the analysis shifts the divergence measure from one which compares a blob and a dilated blob to one which compares a blob and its peripheral region resulting from dilation of the blob , hereinafter referred to as “ periphery .” this modified scheme provides a more definitive divergence measure when the blob and its periphery cover dissimilar regions compared to when the blob and its periphery cover very similar or even homogeneous backgrounds , thus providing high confidence in the object - wake classification . the modified object - wake classification step 17 ′ of process 100 also allows extraction of additional attribute information useful for identifying an object . as before under process 10 , the frame subtraction step 13 yields a resultant image consisting of blobs , and the morphological artifact removal operation of step 14 removes singular or small clusters or thin streaks of connected foreground pixels . image segmentation then occurs in step 15 , and shadow detection is optionally performed in step 16 , as described above with respect to process 10 . this yields a resultant image having one or several blobs , as shown in fig7 b . fig7 b illustrates an exemplary situation in which an object ( here having an oval shape ), has moved slightly , so that in fig7 a , the position of the blob in the first image ( identified generally with reference character 90 ) and the second image ( identified generally with reference character 91 ) are shown overlapped . fig7 b shows two blobs with a void disposed therebetween . the void is due to the overlap between the objects in the first and second images . the modified object - wake classification step 17 ′ then begins after the shadow detection step 16 . fig6 illustrates a flow diagram showing internal steps within step 17 ′. within step 17 ′, the first step 101 is that of locating a close blob in the resultant image . the close blob is first located according to conventional means . fig7 b indicates that the right blob 102 is the close blob 102 as its centroid is closest to the center 103 of the image . according to step 105 of fig6 , the close blob 102 is then dilated to form a periphery 104 of the close blob 102 , as shown in fig7 c . the term “ periphery ” 104 refers only to that strip or band of pixels dilated outside of the blob 102 . the extent of the dilation is dependent upon both the compactness and the size of the blob 102 . more compact blobs will claim a comparatively shorter perimeter with respect to their area than elongated blobs will . since our divergence - based dissimilarity measure rests on pixels &# 39 ; intensity probability distribution of the underlying image regions spanned by the blob and its periphery , an approximately balanced number of contributing pixels in those regions would help the reliability and sensitivity of such divergence measure ; it is preferable that the number of pixels spanned by the blob be comparable to the number of pixels spanned by the periphery . hence , a measure such as the blob area weighted by its compactness is used to establish the periphery area and hence the extent of dilation . compactness is defined as the ratio of area to perimeter - squared . size is defined as the size , or area , of the blob . certain pixels in areas of the second image are analyzed and their grayscale values are compared . more specifically , and with respect to fig7 d which shows the second image , pixels in the second image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the close blob 102 in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ current blob pixels ” 110 of the second image . likewise , pixels in the second image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the area of the periphery 104 in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ current periphery pixels ” 111 of the second image in fig7 d . notably , as defined above , the periphery 104 does not include all pixels bound by the line marked with reference character 104 ; the periphery 104 includes only those pixels bound between the line marked with reference character 104 and the line marked with reference character 102 . thus , the periphery 104 does not include the pixels in the blob 102 . correspondingly , the current periphery pixels 111 include only those pixels in the second image which are bound between the lines marked with the reference characters 110 and 111 in fig7 d . for ease of explanation , the region bound by line 110 may be referred to herein with the reference character 110 , and similarly , the region bound by line 11 may be referred to herein with the reference character 111 . because the current blob pixels 110 and the current periphery pixels 111 exist in the second image of the image pair , the current blob pixels 110 and the current periphery pixels 111 have grayscale values . divergence measures are then taken and compared for the first and second images , as in step 106 in fig6 . a first dissimilarity comparison is performed by using the divergence of the grayscale of the current blob pixels 110 and the current periphery pixels 111 , yielding what is referred to herein as a “ current divergence measure .” a “ prior divergence measure ” is determined to be compared with this current divergence measure . this prior divergence measure is determined from an analysis of the pixels in the first image . certain pixels in areas of the first image are analyzed and their grayscale values are compared . more specifically , pixels in the first image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the close blob 102 in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ prior blob pixels ” 112 of the first image in fig7 e . likewise , pixels in the first image which correspond in location to the pixels that make up the area of the periphery 104 in the resultant image are determined and identified as “ prior periphery pixels ” 113 of the first image in fig7 e . as similar to above , the prior periphery pixels 113 include only those pixels in the first image which are between the lines marked with the reference characters 112 and 113 in fig7 e . because the prior blob pixels 112 and the prior periphery pixels 113 exist in the first image of the image pair , the prior blob pixels 112 and the prior periphery pixels 113 have grayscale values . a second dissimilarity comparison is performed by using the divergence of the grayscale of the prior blob pixels 112 and the prior periphery pixels 113 , yielding the prior divergence measure , still in step 106 of fig6 . if the current divergence measure is greater than the prior divergence measure , then the blob in the second image is identified as the object and the process 100 proceeds to the identification step 107 of fig6 . otherwise , the blob in the second image is identified as the wake , and the process returns to step 101 to locate the next closest blob and repeat the remaining steps of the modified object - wake classification step 17 ′ in fig6 . essentially , step 17 ′ includes a feedback loop for determining the next closest blob which will be tested for potential classification as the object . once the object is determined from the step 107 , the corresponding object blob and its periphery are processed to identify the object , as shown in step 107 , to determine whether the object is an object of interest , or , in other words , a target . a clipping operation is performed on the second image . 1 . the mean of the intensities of the current blob pixels 110 , as defined above , is determined and referred to herein as a “ current blob mean .” 2 . the median of the intensities of the current periphery pixels 111 , as defined above , is determined and referred to herein as a “ current periphery median .” 3 . a lower hinge , or first quartile , of the current periphery pixels 111 is determined and referred to herein as a “ current periphery lower hinge .” the current periphery lower hinge is calculated as the median between a minimum and the current periphery median . 4 . an upper hinge , or third quartile , of the current periphery pixels 111 is determined and referred to herein as a “ current periphery upper hinge .” the current periphery lower hinge is calculated as the median between a maximum and the current periphery median . 5 . apply a clip - low operation on the current blob pixels 110 and the current periphery pixels 111 in the current image if the distance between the current periphery lower hinge and the current blob mean is greater than the distance between the current periphery upper hinge and the current blob mean by suppressing ( i . e ., setting to zero or a user - defined value ) all pixels with intensities less than the mean of the periphery . conversely , apply a clip - high operation on the current blob pixels 110 and the current periphery pixels 111 in the current image if the distance between the current periphery lower hinge and the current blob mean in the current image is less than the distance between the current periphery upper hinge and the current blob mean by suppressing ( i . e ., setting to zero or user - defined value ) all pixels with intensities greater than the mean of the periphery . in some cases , such as where the camera is recording at very high frame rates and the supporting computer system is able to process at very high speeds , it is likely that the current periphery pixels 111 will overlap on pixels corresponding to the actual object , as a faster frame rate will record image pairs closer in time and thus will record smaller movements and smaller changes in position . in short , the frame subtraction step 13 and , in turn , the image segmentation step 15 of fig5 will yield partially - obscured object and wake blobs disguised as background . a segmentation of the periphery ( as shown in step 108 of fig6 ) prior to the divergence measure step 106 is helpful . if , in the case of an overlapped object and wake , the segmentation step 108 is not undertaken , misclassification of the object is possible . the periphery is segmented by : ( i ) computing a threshold that best partitions the histogram of intensities of the periphery in the underlying image pair into two ranges , one range below and one range above the threshold , via the following known relation , which is a well - known and conventional entropic thresholding method , namely , only equation ( 21 ) below : t = arg min t ∈ 0 … l - 1 [ ∑ i = 0 t p i log 2 p i + ∑ i = t + 1 l - 1 p i log 2 p i ] , ( 21 ) where l signifies the range of intensities , t is the sought threshold , and p i is the frequency of occurrence of intensity i normalized by the population of pixels considered . then , ( ii ) finding medians both below and above the thus determined threshold t , in equation ( 21 ), in the histogram of the area spanned by the entire periphery in the second image . finally , ( iii ) if the medians differ by more than a user - defined percentage of mean of pixel intensity differences of the area spanned by the close blob in the first and second images , then the periphery is segmented , once segmented , the divergence is measured between the areas spanned by the blob and the two periphery segments in the second and first images . ultimately , divergence is a useful metric for classifying the blob as either object or wake . with respect to the second image initially , a divergence measure is determined between the pixels spanned by each of the segmented peripheries and the blob , so as to ignore the periphery which yields a lower divergence , so that high divergence indicates a higher likelihood of the blob being the object . this high divergence is noted for use in the below step . then , with respect to the first image , a divergence measure is determined between the pixels spanned by each of the segmented peripheries and the blob . if that divergence measure is greater than the previously - noted high divergence from the second image , then this indicates a higher likelihood of the blob being the wake . when there is overlap , the confidence of the object - wake classification step 17 ′ is lessened such that misclassification is likely , especially if the extent of overlap is considerable ; therefore , segmenting the periphery 104 before the divergence measure step 106 provides a more definite result , and a more confident classification . in other words , an un - partitioned periphery in the event of overlap would render object - wake classification unreliable , particularly if the overlapped area is large compared with the rest of the periphery . in yet another embodiment of the present invention , a “ guided boundary tracing method ” is employed . step 17 ″ in fig5 illustrates boundary tracing in process 100 . boundary tracing is an alternative approach to the object - wake classification steps 17 and 17 ′. the method is “ fully - guided ” in the case of non - overlapped object and wake blobs and “ partially - guided ” in the case of overlapped object and wake blobs . in this alternative approach of step 17 ″, which is shown in greater detail in fig1 , after locating the closest blob to the image center ( as in step 130 in fig1 ), object - wake classification is achieved through counting boundary points in each of the first and second images according to a sufficient gradient magnitude ( as in step 131 in fig1 ). a gradient magnitude above a user - defined threshold qualifies a pixel to be defined as a boundary point . then , according to step 132 in fig1 , if the first image exhibits a greater number of boundary points than the second image , then the blob is classified as wake and the next closest blob to the image center is sought and the process is repeated at step 130 . otherwise , i . e . when the current image exhibits a larger number of boundary points at those blob boundary points , the blob is classified as the object and step 133 of fig1 , i . e . object identification is entered . in short , this embodiment avoids the need for the divergence measure step 106 of fig6 . as an aside , more than one criterion can be imposed for qualifying a point as boundary point in the underlying first and second images of the image pair . in one option , only the gradient magnitude at blob boundary points are measured in the first and second images to identify the greater . a different criterion is based on demanding that each boundary point also be accompanied by two neighboring points with a gradient direction close to that of the boundary point with lower gradient magnitude and gradient directions that do not deviate from that of the boundary point by more than a user - defined extent . the gradient magnitude and orientation are obtained through convolution of the underlying image pair with known sobel kernel . as illustrated in fig1 , it is noteworthy that revealed blob boundaries in cases of overlapped object and wake , part 135 of the blob boundary would be fictitious and lack gradient . in such cases , the object boundary cannot be closed by merely tracing the blob boundary as revealed by the segmentation process . further in such cases , the comparison of the number of boundary points as defined above shall dictate the outcome of such classification . in other words , if the second image exhibits a greater number of such boundary points then the close blob is the object ; otherwise the second image is classified as the wake . in the identification step 133 of fig1 , for overlapped object - wake situations , the object boundary is traced along the closed blob boundary to the extent of satisfying the aforementioned gradient - related criteria . up to a point ( identified with the reference character 136 in fig1 for example ), however , where the apparent blob boundary no longer exhibits gradient magnitude along the object in the second image , then , the next boundary point is located point - by - point until a closed boundary results . object identification as shown in step 133 of fig1 recovers the entire boundary in order to avoid “ tracing ” an erroneous blob boundary , by tracing the boundary sequentially with the aim of securing a closed boundary . once a closed object boundary is detected then the various attributes of the object &# 39 ; s spatial and appearance related attribute are revealed , which , in turn , can assist in target identification . since this extension of the object boundary is contingent on the gradient magnitude surpassing a user - defined threshold as well as user - defined tolerable deviation in gradient direction between central neighboring pixels , it is possible that those user - defined thresholds are , at times , excessive . in such an event , the unclosed boundary is closed by a direct or linear connection of terminal points of the boundary or alternatively , by drawing a bounding box for the object boundary thus far found . referring again to fig5 , process 100 includes an additional alternative step modified from process 10 of fig1 . specifically , a “ modified frame subtraction ” step 13 ′ presents an alternative to the frame subtraction step 13 . this modified frame subtraction step 13 ′ includes the derivation of another binary image , hereinafter referred to as a “ sign map .” the modified frame subtraction step 13 ′ yields two outputs : the binary resultant image that has been described throughout this disclosure , and this sign map which will now be described . the sign - map has utility in all embodiments of the invention , including object - wake classification with isolated object and wake blobs , object - wake classification with overlapped object and wake , regardless of whether a divergence measure is determined from a comparison of the blob and the dilated blob or from the blob and its periphery , or finally , object - wake classification is done through boundary tracing . sign - map plays an especially helpful role in object - wake classification and the subsequent object identification when pixels within the revealed blobs exhibit a relative value , or different polarity . polarity difference comes about when pixels in one of the first and second images of the image pair are not consistently higher or lower than corresponding pixels in the other of the first and second images , but they are higher in one region and lower in another region of the blob , as depicted in fig8 . the pixels of the sign map which correspond to the blob 102 in the resultant image have content or value corresponding to the relative values of respective pixels in the first and second images . more specifically , each pixel of the sign map which corresponds to the blob 102 in the resultant image identifies whether the content of the respective pixel in the second image is greater than or lesser than the content of the respective pixel in the first image . the sign map thus provides polarity information of the second image relative to the first image . the sign map is helpful in determining a spatial extent and appearance of the target , and also in identifying and distinguishing the target from other objects which may be present in the field of view . the below description discloses first how the sign - map enhances each of the object - wake classification steps 17 and 17 ′ for the dilation - related cases ( i . e . through divergence measures of a blob and its periphery ) when , for example , the moving person or vehicle object exhibits more than a single distinct range of gray - tone or alternatively the background displays such characteristics . in such instances the sign - map is leveraged to guide partitioning of the blob . first , the blob is partitioned into homogeneous regions of pixels having the same polarity and then the divergence measure is determined between thus derived homogeneous regions of pixels having the same polarity and their respective peripheries in the first and second images . fig8 depicts an example arising from a human target exhibiting lighter upper body and darker lower body with respect to the background . the blob 102 is partitioned into homogeneous regions of pixels having the same polarity , as shown in fig8 , where the blob 102 is partitioned into regions 102 a and 102 b . for instance , where the actual object is a person wearing dark pants and a light shirt and walking horizontally through the field of view , there may be upper and lower homogeneous regions of pixels having the same polarity with a roughly horizontal boundary between the upper and lower regions . a boundary 120 is identified in the blob 102 between the homogeneous regions of pixels having the same polarity . likewise a boundary 121 is identified in the periphery 104 between homogeneous regions 104 a and 104 b of pixels having the same polarity ; the boundary 120 in the blob 102 is extended proximally through the periphery 104 , so that the boundary 121 in the periphery 104 does not extend far from the boundary 120 in the blob 102 . object - wake classification similar to steps 17 or 17 ′ may occur as described above , but with the modification that instead of determining divergence measures for the entire blob 102 , the divergence measures are calculated for the partitioned regions 102 a and 102 b of the blob . further , instead of determining divergence measures for the entire periphery 104 , the divergence measures are calculated for the partitioned regions 104 a and 104 b of the periphery . the sign map is also useful to aid in determining the pixels which are actually spanned by the object by determining an outer boundary of the object during the boundary tracing step 17 ″. the sign map is processed so as to locate an internal boundary 120 of the blob 102 , as shown in fig9 . the internal boundary 120 is defined between homogeneous regions of pixels having the same polarity . when an internal boundary 120 is defined and known , it is then ignored ( or avoided ) while the boundary tracing step 17 ″ is performed to determine the scope of the pixels of the object . were the internal boundaries not known from the sign map , then during the boundary tracing operation , the outer boundary of the object could be incorrectly drawn into an internal portion of the object along one of the internal boundaries of the blob 102 . hence , the sign map is useful when pursuing not only object - wake classification but also object identification via boundary tracing to the extent of locating and identifying the internal boundary 120 of the blob 102 . it is noted that there may be one , several , or no internal boundaries in the blob 102 . the sign map step 13 ′ is useful when there is one or several internal boundaries ; when there are no internal boundaries , the sign map 13 ′ presents no deleterious consequences . the present invention is described above with reference to a preferred embodiment . however , those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made in the described embodiment without departing from the nature and scope of the present invention . to the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention , they are intended to be included within the scope thereof . | 6 |
in the description below , an intercept event refers to an event where an agency issues a warrant requesting data interception for a targeted user . a targeted user is identified by a unique label , such as a username or account number , that corresponds to a user who is under intercept . a communication event , transaction , or intercept data is any message either sent or received by the targeted user . the intercept data can include synchronization messages , email data , calendars , contacts , tasks , notes , electronic documents , files or any other type of data passing through the communication management system . fig1 shows an example of a communication network 12 that may operate similarly to the networks described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 339 , 368 entitled : connection architecture for a mobile network , filed jan . 8 , 2003 , and u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 339 , 368 entitled : secure , transport for mobile communication network , filed jan . 8 , 2003 , which are both herein incorporated by reference . the communication system 12 in one implementation is used for intercepting data pursuant to legal search warrants . for example , a law enforcement agency may require the operator of communication system 12 to intercept all messages sent to and from a mobile device 21 . it should be understood that this is just one example of a communication system 12 and that the legal intercept system described in more detail below can operate with any communication network that is required to provide legal interception . the communication system 12 includes a mobile network 14 , an enterprise network 18 , and a communication management system 16 that manages communications between the mobile network 14 and the enterprise network 18 . the mobile network 14 includes mobile devices 21 that communicate with an ip infrastructure through a wireless or landline service provider . since mobile networks 14 are well known , they are not described in further detail . the enterprise network 18 can be any business network , individual user network , or local computer system that maintains local email or other data for one or more users . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the enterprise network 18 includes an enterprise data source 34 that contains a user mailbox 44 accessible using a personal computer ( pc ) 38 . in one example , the enterprise data source 34 may be a microsoft ® exchange ® server and the pc 38 may access the mailbox 44 through a microsoft ® outlook ® software application . the mailbox 44 and data source 34 may contain emails , contact lists , calendars , tasks , notes , files , or any other type of data or electronic document . the pc 38 is connected to the server 34 over a local area network ( lan ) 35 . the pc 38 includes memory ( not shown ) for storing local files that may include personal email data as well as any other types of electronic documents . personal client software 40 is executed by a processor 37 in the pc 38 . the personal client 40 enables the mobile device 21 to access email , calendars , and contact information as well as local files in enterprise network 18 associated with pc 38 . the communication management system 16 includes one or more management servers 28 that each include a processor 33 . the processor 33 operates a transfer agent 31 that manages the transactions between the mobile device 21 and the enterprise network 18 . a user database 42 includes configuration information for different users of the mobile communication service . for example , the user database 42 may include login data for mobile device 21 . while referred to as a communication management system 16 and management server 28 , this can be any intermediary system that includes one or more intermediary servers that operate between the mobile network 14 and the enterprise or private network 18 . for example , a separate smart device server ( sds ) 30 may be used in management system 16 for handling communications with mobile devices in mobile network 14 . correspondingly , a seven connection server ( scs ) 32 may be used for handling communications with personal clients in enterprise networks 18 . a legal intercept ( li ) software module 50 is operated by the processor 33 and communicates with the transfer agent 31 in order to capture intercept data 49 associated with targeted user 51 b . an operator sets up a configuration file 51 that is then used by the legal intercept module to automatically intercept communications for a particular target user and then format the intercepted communications into self authenticating log files . an operator runs a toolkit utility 54 from a computer terminal 52 to configure the management server 28 for capturing intercept data 49 . the toolkit utility 54 is used for creating and loading the configuration file 51 into memory in management server 28 and can also display detected intercept data 49 . to initiate an intercept , an entry is loaded into the configuration file 51 . to stop capturing intercept data 49 , the system administrator deletes the entry or configuration file 51 from memory . changes to the configuration file 51 of management server 28 may be automatically replicated to other management servers that are part of the communication management system 16 . the toolkit utility 54 may have tightly controlled access that only allows operation by a user with an authorized login and password . the toolkit 54 allows the operator to view , add , modify , and delete a warrant sequence number 51 a , user identifier ( id ) 51 b , and encryption key 57 in the configuration file 51 . the warrant identifier may be the actual sequence number for a wiretap or search warrant issued by a court of law and presented to the operator of communication management system 16 by a federal , state , or municipal government agency . the user id 51 b for example may be an identifier used by communication management system 16 to uniquely identify different mobile clients 21 . the public encryption key 57 may be the public key component of a public / private key pair , such as a pretty good privacy ( pgp ) or gnu privacy guard ( gpg ) public key , for encrypting the intercept data 49 . in one embodiment , the legal intercept module 50 may not allow the management server 28 to start an interception process until a valid public key 57 is loaded into configuration file 51 . this ensures that the intercepted data 49 can be immediately encrypted while being formatted into a log file 56 . if this encryption fails for any reason , the legal intercept module 50 may shut down the intercept process ensuring that no intercept data 49 is stored in the clear . the configuration file 51 may also include one or more entries defining a transport protocol , destination , and associated configuration values for the transmission of intercepted data via a network . in one embodiment , this could include a destination email address associated with a simple mail transfer protocol ( smtp ) host and port number or other internet protocol ( ip ) destination address that is used by the legal intercept module 50 to automatically transmit the intercept data 49 to mail box 77 on a remote server 76 that is accessible by the agency issuing the warrant . after the configuration file 51 is enabled , the legal intercept module 51 starts intercepting data 49 associated with the targeted user identified by user id 51 b . as mentioned above , this can include any emails , calendar information , contacts , tasks , notes , electronic documents , files or any other type of control or content data associated with user id 51 b . the intercepted data can include any type of communications such as email sent or received , calendar items sent or received , and other data sent / received by and from the targeted smart device 21 . the captured intercept data 49 may then be encrypted using the encryption key 57 contained in the configuration file 51 . the encrypted copy of the captured intercept data 49 may then be formatted and written to log file 56 . the legal intercept module 50 running on each management server 28 may periodically poll the directory or location containing the encrypted intercept log files 56 for each user id under intercept for the presence of new files or data . the poll period in one example is approximately every minute . of course this is only one example and any user configurable time period can be used . new intercept data 49 which has been stored in one or more log files 56 and identified by the legal intercept module 50 during the polling process may be automatically reprocessed and / or transmitted according to the specification in configuration file 51 . as an alternative to storing encrypted intercept data 49 in log file 56 on a file system , intercept data may be stored in database 42 . also , as shown in fig4 , the log file 56 may be stored in an alternative file system 53 located within the management server 28 . the agency issuing the warrant can then access the data contained in log files 56 or database 42 in one of many different ways . in one implementation , an official from the agency physically sits at terminal 52 at the location of communication management system 16 . the agency official then reads the log files 56 in semi - real - time as the intercept events 49 are being detected in the management server 49 . the agency official then uses terminal 52 to store or copy the log files 56 onto a portable storage medium , such as a compact disc ( cd ), memory stick , etc . in this implementation , the legal intercept log files 56 may not reside in user database 42 at all , or may only reside in database 42 for some relatively brief period of time while being transferred onto the portable storage media . a copy of the log files may be stored onto the portable storage medium while the same log files remain in the communication management system 16 . the copy of the log files in the management system 16 could then be used , if necessary , for evidentiary purposes when admitting the copy under control of the agency official into evidence . in an alternative implementation , the legal intercept module 50 may automatically send the log files 56 for the intercepted events to an email mailbox 77 operated in a remote server 76 . the remote server 76 may be located in a wireless service provider network or may be located at the facilities of the enforcement agency issuing the warrant . in this implementation , a terminal 72 at the remote location 70 may include a toolkit utility 54 that has some of the same functionality as toolkit 54 . the utility 54 only allows authorized users to decrypt and access the log files 56 received from communication management system 16 . for example , the toolkit utility 54 may include public and private pgp or gpg encryption keys 57 and 55 , respectively , that are associated with the public encryption key 57 previously loaded into configuration file 51 . only personnel having authorized access to the toolkit 54 can decrypt and read the log files 56 previously generated and encrypted by legal intercept module 50 . this provides additional privacy of the intercept data 49 from technical personnel of the communication management system 16 that may not be authorized to view the intercept data 49 . the intercept module 50 may transfer each captured log file 56 to a smtp email server 76 via the simple mail transfer protocol ( smtp ). the smtp server 76 stores each log file 56 in an inbox of mailbox 77 . the name of the mailbox 77 may be the same as the warrant sequence number @ the agency &# 39 ; s domain name . for example , warrant123 @ lapd . com . the warrant sequence number may correspond with the warrant identifier 51 a in configuration file 51 and the domain name may correspond with the ip address 51 d in configuration file 51 . once transmitted and accepted by the smtp email server 76 , the log file 56 may be automatically deleted from user database 42 . the agency issuing the warrant can retrieve the captured log files 56 in remote server 76 for a particular user id under interception using for example the post office protocol ( popv3 ). the agency is given the name of email server 76 , pop and smtp port numbers , the mailbox id ( warrant sequence number 51 ) and a password to access the mailbox 77 . the agency then retrieves log files 56 in mailbox 77 using pop . once a file is downloaded from the mailbox 77 to an agency terminal 72 , the log file 56 may be automatically deleted from the mailbox 77 . referring to fig1 and 2 , the legal intercept software 50 generates log files 56 in a structured manner that provides more secure and reliable data authentication . in this example , an intercept directory 60 is loaded with log files 56 generated to account for every minute of a particular time period , such as an entire day . the legal intercept 50 may generate a name for directory 60 that identifies the contents as legal intercepts , for a particular user id and for a particular day . of course this is just one naming convention that can be used to more efficiently organize log files . the log files 56 stored in directory 60 may indicate the number of events intercepted for the targeted device during each minute . for example , a first log file 56 a is identified by the following log file name : fe0 - 2005 / 09 / 23 - 00 : 00 . asc , containing a single line that reads as follows : “ 0 events logged in the last minute ”. this indicates that a management server fe0 on sep . 23 , 2005 , at 12 : 00 midnight logged zero intercept events for a particular user id during the specified time period . a second log file 56 b is named to identify a next minute of the intercept period and indicates that between 12 : 00 a . m and 12 : 01 a . m , on the same day , no intercept events were logged . the first detected intercept events for this particular user id for this particular day were detected in log file 56 c identified by the log file name : fe0 - 2005 / 09 / 23 - 00 : 02 . asc , the first and / or last line of which reads “ 3 events logged in the last minute ”. log file 56 c indicates that 3 intercept events were detected on sep . 23 , 2005 , between 12 : 01 a . m . and 12 : 02 a . m . the legal intercept 50 generates this contiguous set of log files 56 that cover each minute or other configured interval of the intercept period . the legal intercept 50 may also load a first entry into the log file directory 60 that lists the warrant id 51 a , pgp key 57 , etc . the legal intercept 50 may also generate a log file 56 that indicates any management server status - change events . for example , if the management server 28 conducts a graceful shutdown , a log file 56 may be generated that indicates when the shut down occurred and possibly the cause of the shutdown . this highly structured log file format provides the agency official a quick indicator of when intercept events are detected for a particular target user . further , as shown above , the log files are created contiguously for predetermined time periods over a particular intercept period even when no intercept events are detected . this provides further verification that the legal intercept 50 was actually in operation and continuously monitoring for intercept events during the intercept period . as described above , the log files 56 may be stored into a portable storage media that can be transported by an agency official . alternatively , the log files 56 may be stored in the user database 42 in the communication management system 16 for later retrieval by the agency official via toolkit 54 . in another implementation , the log files 56 may be sent to the mailbox 77 in a server 76 in a mobile operator infrastructure which is accessible by the agency official . fig3 explains in further detail how the legal intercept module 50 might generate the log files . in operation 61 , communications are monitored for a particular targeted user for predetermined time periods over an intercept period . in one example as described above , the predetermined time period may be one minute . of course , time periods of less than one minute or more than one minute may also be used . the duration of these time periods may also be configurable by setting a parameter in configuration file 51 . if no intercept events are detected during the predetermined time period in operation 62 , an empty log file is generated for that time period in operation 63 . when intercept events are detected , all the intercepted data for that time period is formatted into a same log file 56 in operation 64 . the log file is encrypted in operation 65 using the encryption key 57 ( fig1 ) loaded by the toolkit 54 into configuration file 51 . all of the encrypted log files 56 associated with a particular targeted user for a particular intercept period are stored in a same intercept directory 60 ( fig2 ). for example , all log files generated for a particular user id for a same day are stored in the same intercept directory . if the current day of legal interception is not completed in operation 66 , further monitoring and interception is performed in operation 61 . when interception for a current interception period is completed , a cyclic redundancy check ( crc ) value , or some other type of digital certificate / signature , may be generated in operation 67 . the crc can be used to verify that the contents of intercept directory 60 have not been tampered with or deleted after their initial generation . the crc may be encrypted in operation 68 and then separately emailed to the agency or separately stored for later validation . as discussed above , the encrypted log files may then either be emailed to a mailbox or stored locally for later retrieval by the enforcement agency . thus , the individual log file encryption in operation 65 ensures the authenticity of intercepted events for a particular time period and the crc generated in operation 67 ensures that none of the individual log files have been removed or replaced . referring to fig4 , as described above , the log files 56 may be stored in database 42 or in a file system 53 within the management server 28 . a single or multi - tiered encryption scheme may be used in network 12 . for example , the personal client 40 may make an outbound connection 25 to the management server 28 . the personal client 40 registers the presence of a particular user to the management server 28 and negotiates a security association specifying a cryptographic ciphersuite ( including encryption cipher , key length , and digital signature algorithm ) and a unique , secret point - to - point encryption key 29 over connection 25 . in one example , the key 29 is an advanced encryption standard ( aes ) key . of course , encryption ciphers other than aes can also be used . the encryption key 29 enables secure communication between management server 28 and pc 38 over connection 25 . the mobile device 21 also negotiates a point - to - point security association , specifying a cryptographic ciphersuite and a unique encryption key 27 , with the management server 28 . in one example , the point - to - point encryption key 27 is also an aes encryption key . the negotiated security association that includes encryption key 27 enables secure point - to - point communication between the mobile device 21 and the management server 28 over connection 23 . each different mobile device 21 negotiates a different security association that includes a unique encryption key 27 with the management server 28 . the point - to - point encryption key 27 may be used for encrypting control data that needs to be transferred between the mobile device 21 and management server 28 . the point - to - point encryption key 29 may be used for encrypting control data that needs to be transferred between the management server 28 and personal client 40 . for example , the control data may include login information and transaction routing information . an end - to - end security association , specifying a cryptographic ciphersuite and a unique encryption key 46 , is negotiated between the mobile device 21 and the personal client 40 . in one example , the end - to - end encryption key 46 is also an aes encryption key . the end - to - end encryption key 46 in one example is used for encrypting transaction payloads transferred between personal client 40 and mobile device 21 . for example , the end - to - end encryption key 46 may be used for encrypting the content of emails , files , file path names , contacts , notes , calendars , electronic documents and any other type of data transferred between mobile device and the pc . the end - to - end encryption key 46 is only known by the mobile device 21 and the personal client 40 . data encrypted using the end - to - end key 46 cannot be decrypted by the management server 28 . referring to fig4 and 5 , the legal intercept module 50 can produce log files 56 from intercept data 49 that have any combination of unencrypted data 49 a sent in the clear , point - to - point encrypted data 49 b encrypted using the point - to - point encryption keys 27 or 29 , and end - to - end encrypted data 49 c encrypted using the end - to - end encryption key 46 . the communication management system 16 has access to the point - to - point encryption keys 27 and 29 used for encrypting the point - to - point encrypted information 49 b . therefore , the management system 16 can automatically decrypt the point - to - point encrypted information 49 b before it is reformatted into log file 56 . the end - to - end encryption keys 46 are only shared between the endpoints 21 and 38 and are unknown to the communication management system 16 . therefore , the agency issuing the warrant may be required to extract the end - to - end encryption keys 46 either at the mobile device 21 or at the enterprise server 34 or personal computer 38 . the end - to - end encrypted information 49 c may then be decrypted at a later time separately from the point - to - point encrypted information 49 b . for example , after receiving and decrypting the log file 56 , the enforcement agency may then independently conduct a seizure of the end - to - end encryption key 46 from either the enterprise network 18 or the mobile device 21 . the enforcement agency could then separately decrypt information 56 b in log file 56 with the seized end - to - end encryption key 46 . fig6 explains in more detail how the legal intercept module 50 handles the decryption and reformatting of intercept data into log files . in operation 80 , the management server 28 is configured to conduct a legal intercept for a particular user id as described above in fig1 . accordingly , the management server 28 begins intercepting data for the identified user id in operation 82 . in operation 84 , any point - to - point encrypted portion 49 b of the intercepted data 49 ( fig5 ) is decrypted . in operation 86 , the decrypted point - to - point data is combined with any information 49 a in the intercept data 49 received in the clear . the unencrypted data is then formatted into an unencrypted portion 56 a of the log file 56 in fig5 . any end - to - end encrypted data 49 c is then combined in the same log file 56 as section 56 b in operation 88 . the log file 56 is then possibly encrypted in operation 90 and then either stored in a local database or automatically sent to a remote server . fig7 and 8 explain in more detail how a particular data format used by the communication system 12 can be used to identify point - to - point and end - to - end encrypted intercept data . fig7 shows how encryption can be performed differently for different types of data or for data associated with different destinations . intercept data 102 includes content data 108 such as the contents of an email message , an electronic document , or any other type of information that should only be accessed by two endpoints . the content data 108 in this example is encrypted using an end - to - end encryption key . a second portion 106 of intercept data 102 may include control information that only needs to be processed by one particular server . in this case , control data 106 may be encrypted using a first point - to - point encryption key . a third portion 104 of intercept data 102 may have other control information , for example , error checking data , that needs to be processed by a different server . accordingly , the error checking data 104 is encrypted using a second point - to - point encryption key different than either of the other two encryption keys used for encrypting data 108 and 106 . fig8 shows in more detail an encryption schema 112 is used by the mobile device 21 , management server 28 , and personal client 40 when processing transactions between a source and a target device . in the example below , the mobile device 21 is operating as a source for sending a transaction 110 . the transaction 110 requests personal client 40 to send a document 114 located in a personal directory in local memory 116 of pc 38 . the personal client 40 operates as a target for the transaction 110 and the management server 28 operates as the transfer agent for transferring the transaction 110 from the mobile device 21 to the personal client 40 . it should be understood that this is only an example , and the devices shown in fig8 can process many different types of transactions . for example , the transaction 110 may request synchronization of emails in the pc 38 with emails in the mobile device 21 . further , any device can operate as a source or target for the transaction . for example , the personal client 40 operates as a source and the mobile device 21 operates as a target when a transaction 111 is sent as a reply to request 110 . the mobile device 21 , management server 28 , and the personal client 40 are all configured with an encryption schema 112 that identifies how specific items in the transaction 110 are to be encrypted . each device is also configured with different security associations as described above in fig4 . for example , the mobile device 21 has both point - to - point ( pp ) key 27 and end - to - end ( ee ) key 46 . management server 28 has pp key 27 and pp key 29 , and the pc 38 has pp key 29 and ee key 46 . the mobile device 21 forms the request transaction 110 . one example of a request is as follows . mobile device 21 attaches an auth_token to transactions sent to the management server 28 . for example , the mobile device 21 may be required to authenticate to the management server 28 by transmitting a username and password prior to being permitted to submit other transactions for processing . the management server 28 issues the mobile device 21 an auth_token after successfully validating the username and password against information in the user database 42 . the mobile device 21 then attaches the auth_token to subsequent transactions sent to the management server 28 . the management server 28 uses the auth_token to identify and authenticate the source of each transaction and to determine where to route the transaction . the device_id identifies the particular mobile device 21 sending the request 110 . the device_id may be necessary , for example , when a user has more than one mobile device . the personal client 40 can use different device_id values to track when synchronization information was last sent to each of multiple different mobile devices . the device_id can also be used by either the management server 28 or the personal client 40 to determine how to format data sent to particular types of mobile devices 21 . for example , data may need to be formatted differently for a cell phone as opposed to a personal computer . the device_id can also be used to correlate a known security association with a particular mobile device . the method_id item in the example identifies a particular function getdocument associated with request 110 . the method_id item also requires the inclusion of related argument items that identify the parameters for the getdocument function . for example , the argument items might include the expression path =“/ docs ” identifying the pathname where the requested documents are located . in order to prepare the request 110 for transmission , the mobile device 21 performs a pattern match of the request 110 using the encryption schema 112 . this pattern match separates the items in request 110 into different channels . one example of the different channels is shown below . in this example , the items in each channel are associated with predefined security associations : clear , pp , and ee . the channel contents are encoded ( via a process commonly known as serialization ) into arrays of bits or bytes referred to as data groups . these groupings of bits or bytes are referred to generally below as arrays , but can be any type of partition , group , etc . the contents of the clear channel are encoded into an array of bits referred to as data_group — 1 , the contents of the pp channel are encoded into an array of bits referred to as data_group — 2 , and the contents of the ee channel are encoded into an array of bits referred to as data_group — 3 . the contents of each channel need to be encoded into bit arrays so that they can be encrypted . the contents of the channels after being encoded into bit arrays are represented as follows . the bit arrays are then encrypted according to the security association parameters for each channel . according to the encryption schema 112 , bits in the clear channel ( data_group — 1 ) are not encrypted . the bits in the pp channel data_group — 2 are encrypted using the point - to - point security association between mobile device 21 and management server 28 , using pp key 27 , and are referred to after encryption as pp_data_group — 2 . the bits in the ee channel data_group — 3 are encrypted using the end - to - end security association between mobile device 21 and personal client 40 , using ee key 46 , and are referred to after encryption as ee_data_group — 3 . the data groups are represented as follows after encryption : the bits making up the encrypted and unencrypted channels are then encoded into one or more packets . for clarity , the description below will refer to a single packet , however , the data from the channels may be contained in multiple packets . some of the contents of the packet are shown below . information in the packet header may include the packet length , a version number , and other flags . the packet payload includes a count identifying 3 pairs of items . the three items include the non - encrypted contents in the clear channel , the pp encrypted contents of the pp channel , and the ee encrypted contents of the ee channel . the packet is then transported by mobile device 21 to the management server 28 . the transfer agent operating in server 28 receives the packet . the bits in the packet are separated into the different channels clear = data_group — 1 , pp = pp_data_group — 2 , and ee = ee_data_group — 3 . the data in the clear channel does not need to be decrypted . the transfer agent decrypts the only bits in channels for which it has a known security association . the transfer agent , as a member of the point - to - point security association between mobile device 21 and management server 28 , possesses the pp key 27 and therefore decrypts the contents of the pp channel . the transfer agent is not a member of the end - to - end security association between mobile device 21 and personal client 40 , does not have the ee key 46 and therefore does not decrypt the data in the ee channel . decryption produces the following data groups : clear data_group — 1 , pp = data_group — 2 , and ee = ee_data_group — 3 . the transfer agent decodes the contents of the clear and pp channels . the contents of the encrypted ee channel are not decoded , but instead are maintained in an unmodified state for eventual transport to the personal client 40 . decoding produces the following contents . a partial request is formed by merging the items of the clear and pp channels . the partial request in this example could look similar to the following : partial request : { auth_token = “ abc ”, device_id = “ xyz ”, method_id = “ getdocument ”, args = { } encrypted = { ee = ee_data_group_3 } } the transfer agent 31 in the management server 28 processes the partial request . in this example , the transfer agent may verify the request is authorized by matching the value of auth_token (“ abc ”) with contents in the user database 42 ( fig8 ). the auth_token and the method_id (“ getdocument ”) indicate that the transaction 110 is a document request directed to the personal client 40 . the transfer agent may identify a user_id =“ joe ” associated with the auth_token =“ abc ” and generate the following new request . the legal intercept 50 in fig1 may come into play at this point , or earlier in the encryption schema 112 . for example , the legal intercept 50 checks the user_id in the request with the user id 51 b in the intercept configuration file 51 . in this example , if “ joe ” matches the user_id 51 b in configuration file 51 , then the contents in the request are formatted into a log file 56 as described above . as can be seen , at this point the new request has already decrypted the auth_token =“ abc ” and method_id =“ getdocument ”. further , the device_id =“ xyz ” was received in the clear . the legal intercept 50 simply has to format these different channels into a log file . the end - to - end encrypted data in group 3 remains encrypted and therefore may not provide all of the information desired for the enforcement agency . however , the decrypted information does provide enough information to adequately indicate that the intercepted data is associated with a particular user_id . the intercepted unencrypted data may also provide further evidence that the enforcement agency can then use to obtain another warrant to seize the ee encryption key from the targeted user . as described above in fig2 , the legal intercept 50 may then attach appropriate time / date stamp headers to this raw data frame to authenticate the time and date when the data was intercepted . as described above , the communication management system 16 may not have access to the end - to - end encryption keys 46 ( fig2 ). however , as shown in fig8 , the management server 28 is still capable of identifying data streams belonging to users targeted for interception , as this identifying information is required for routing the datagrams shown above . thus , the legal intercept module 50 can still intercept data that cannot be immediately decrypted . the intercept logs 56 can therefore contain data encrypted using encryption keys known only to the endpoints . for example , a mobile device 21 and a desktop connector running on personal computer 38 ( fig1 ). the toolkit 54 in fig1 can facilitate the recovery of the end - to - end keys 46 . in order to make use of this functionality , the enforcement agency seeking the information may need to obtain both an intercept warrant , and either a search - and - seizure warrant authorizing the extraction of the configuration data from the smart device client in the mobile device 21 or a search - and - seizure warrant authorizing the extraction of the end - to - end encryption key from the desktop connector in the pc 38 ( fig1 ). after the authorized agency has executed the necessary warrants , the toolkit 54 is used by the agency to facilitate the recovery of the end - to - end key 46 . the toolkit utility 54 then uses the end - to - end key 46 to decrypt the end - to - end encrypted information in the log files 56 . the system described above can use dedicated processor systems , micro controllers , programmable logic devices , or microprocessors that perform some or all of the operations . some of the operations described above may be implemented in software and other operations may be implemented in hardware . for the sake of convenience , the operations are described as various interconnected functional blocks or distinct software modules . this is not necessary , however , and there may be cases where these functional blocks or modules are equivalently aggregated into a single logic device , program or operation with unclear boundaries . in any event , the functional blocks and software modules or features of the flexible interface can be implemented by themselves , or in combination with other operations in either hardware or software . having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be apparent that the invention may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . claim is made to all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 7 |
throughout the following description and drawing , an identical reference number is used to refer to the same component shown in multiple figures of the drawing . referring now to the drawing , and to fig1 in particular , there is illustrated a vehicle mounted fire escape chute 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . the fire escape chute apparatus 10 is constructed for use in rescuing people trapped in the upper stories of a burning building and enables many people to be removed from a burning building n the shortest time possible since many people can slide down the chute at the same time . the fire escape chute apparatus 10 of the present invention includes a stndard vehicle 12 , such as a truck , which carries an extensible and retractable telescoping boom 14 . the boom 14 is formed of a plurality of telescoping sections , such as sections 16 , 18 and 20 . the lowermost section 16 is pivotally mounted on a rotatable support 22 which is carried by the vehicle 12 . a passenger basket 24 is mounted on the uppermost section 20 of the boom 14 and is sized to carry one or two people . not shown in fig1 is the conventional power apparatus for extending and retracting the boom 14 , raising and lowering the boom 14 , as well as rotating the base support 22 to move the boom 14 to any position . as such power equipment is convention , it has been deleted from fig1 for reasons of clarity . as shown in fig1 and in greater detail in fig2 and 3 , an extensible and retractable , telescoping chute 30 is mounted on the telescoping boom 14 . the chute 30 is formed of a plurality of u - shaped sections , such as sections 32 , 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 44 and 46 . each of the sections , such as sections 36 and 38 shown in fig2 and 3 , is formed with opposed side walls 48 and 50 , a bottom 52 and an open top . the upper ends 54 and 56 of side walls 48 and 50 , respectively of each chute section are bent over to form inverted channels 58 and 60 . the size of each chute section as well as the overall dimensions of the inverted channels 58 and 50 formed at the upper ends of each chute section gradually increase in size from the lowermost chute section 32 to the uppermost section 46 . in this manner , the channels 58 and 60 of a higher chute section , such as chute section 38 , will telescoping and slidingly receive the channels 58 and 60 of the adjacent , lower chute section , such as chute section 36 . as shown in fig1 the uppermost chute section 46 is connected to the passenger basket 24 by means of a mounting bracket 70 . mounting straps 72 , only one of which is shown in fig1 are used to attach the lowermost chute section 32 to the telescoping boom 14 . referring now to fig1 and 5 , there is illustrated chute support means which are utilized to prevent sideways or tipping movement of the chute 30 when the chute 30 is in its extended position and people or objects are sliding down the extended chute 30 . the chute support means includes cables 74 and 76 disposed on opposite sides of the chute 30 . the cables 74 and 76 are attached to the chute 30 by means of a plurality of hooks 78 which are attached at one end to apertures 80 formed in each chute section and at another end to the cables 74 and 76 . the cables 74 and 76 are wound about steel drums 82 and 84 which are mounted on rotatable shafts 86 and 88 connected to a conventional spring motor 90 . the spring motor 90 is mounted on the vehicle 12 and places the cables 74 and 76 under tension by applying a force acting to constantly urge the cable 74 and 76 in a direction towards the drums 82 and 84 . this tension provides rigidity on opposite sides of the chute 30 which limits sideways tipping or movement of the chute 30 . lock means in the form of a ratchet 92 and pivotal pawl 94 are mounted on the shaft 86 . the ratchet 92 includes a plurality of wedge shaped teeth 96 which are engaged by the pawl 94 in one direction to prevent rotation of the shaft and yet enables the pawl 94 to pivot over each wedge section 96 when the spring motor 90 is rotated in an opposite direction . in this manner , a crank handles 98 , as shown in fig4 may be inserted into the end of the shaft 86 to rotate the shaft 86 . this causes the pawl 94 to slide over one wedge shaped tooth 96 on the ratchet 92 and engage a succeeding wedge tooth 96 . in this manner the spring motor exerts increased tension on the cables 74 and 76 and increases the support provided by the cables 74 and 76 on the sides of the chute 30 . the chute 30 may also be secured to the boom 14 in another embodiment of the present invention by means of a series of pins 120 and wedge members 122 . the pins are in the form of an elongated member having an arm portion 124 and a head portion 126 . an aperture 128 is formed in the bottom of the arm portion 124 . the aperture 128 is in the form of a slot which slidably receives a wedge member 122 having a wedge shape and a cross section approximate that the slot 128 . the wedge member 122 is adapted to be driven into the slot 128 to secure the pin 120 within an aperture 130 formed within each of the chute sections , such as chute section 136 . the aperture 130 is aligned with an aperture 131 formed in the bottom of the hollow boom section 14 to enable the pin 120 to be inserted through the aligned apertures 130 and 131 . the uppermost aperture 130 is formed with an enlarged configuration to receive the head 126 in a smooth aligned position with the inner surface of the chute section , such as chute section 36 . a washer 132 is initially disposed beneath the aperture 131 in the bottom surface of the boom section 16 through which the pin 120 is inserted . this provides additional support for the pin 120 when the wedge 122 is driven through the slot 128 in the pin 120 . in operation , the boom , 14 is extended , section by section in the chute 30 manually extended , section by section . the pins 130 are driven through the chute sections , which may be spaced apart by several chute sections to secure the chute 30 to the boom 14 as the boom is being extended . the reverse operation is employed to remove the chute 30 from the boom 14 as the boom 14 is being retracted . in this manner , the chute 30 is secured to the boom 14 in its extended position to enable persons or objects to be slid down the chute 30 as required during a rescue attempt . in another embodiment of the present invention , an alternate means for securely mounting the chute 30 onto the extensible boom 14 is shown in fig1 and 11 . in these figures of the drawing , the means for securely locking the chute to the boom includes a plurality of locking bolts , such as locking bolt 140 . the locking bolt 140 comprises a housing 142 having hollow upper and lower portions 144 and 146 . an outwardly extending flange is formed on the open upper end portion 144 of the locking lever 140 and surrounds a hollow interior recess 150 as shown in fig1 . the shape and configuration of the upper flange 148 is sized to fit securely and flush within the aperture 130 formed in certain of the sections of the chute 30 as shown in fig7 and described above . a pair of apertures 152 and 154 are formed in opposed side walls of the lower portion 146 of the locking bolt 140 through which extend outwardly extending legs or links 156 and 158 , respectively . the outer ends 160 of each of the legs 156 and 158 have a truncated form which engages the washer 132 to pin the washer 132 to the bottom surface of the boom 14 thereby securely mounting the associated chute section 30 to the boom 14 . the washer 132 is formed with a central aperture 162 through which the housing 142 of the locking bolt 140 extends . the legs 156 and 158 form part of a locking means which locks the locking bolt 142 to the boom 14 . the legs 156 and 158 are interconnected at one end by means of a pivot pin 164 mounted interiorally within the lower portion 146 of the locking bolt 140 . cross links 166 and 168 are interconnected to the legs 156 and 158 , respectively , at intermediate portions on the legs 156 and 158 by means of pivot pins 170 and 172 , respectively . the outermost ends of the cross links 166 and 168 are also interconnected at an opposite end by means of a pivot pin 174 . this forms a linkage which provides a scissors - like movement of the legs 156 and 158 . the cable 176 is attached to a ring or hook 178 disposed within the interior recess 150 in the upper portion 142 of the locking bolt 140 . in operation , the boom 14 is extended until one of the apertures in the boom 14 aligns with one of the apertures in the outermost chute section 30 . one of the locking bolts 140 is then inserted through the aligned apertures and the washer positioned about the lower body portion 146 of the locking bolt 140 . the legs 156 and 158 then spring outward by releasing the outwardly urged hook 178 . this pins the washer 132 to the bottom of the boom section 14 and securely attaches the chute section to the boom 14 . this operation may be repeated for successive or alternating chute sections as desired to securely mount the entire length of the chute 30 to the boom 14 . when it is desired to retract the boom and chute , the locking bolts 140 can be removed successively as the boom 14 is retracted by merely pulling upward on the hook 178 which causes an inward pivotal movement of the legs 156 and 158 into the interior of the housing 142 of the locking bolt 140 until the washer 132 is free to fall from the bottom of the boom and the locking bolt 140 can be removed from boom and chute . this frees the chute and boom for retractive movement to the fully collapsed position . the vehicle mounted fire escape chute apparatus 10 of the present invention also includes an impact cushion 100 which is mounted on the vehicle beneath the lower end of the chute 30 . the cushion 100 , as shown in fig1 and in greater detail in fig6 includes an outer cover 102 having a hollow interior . the shape or form of the cover 102 is not critical to the use of the cushion 100 and can be provided in any convenient form such as a rectangular cross section , circular , etc . a plurality of vertically stacked , inflatable members are disposed within the interior of the outer cover 102 . as shown in fig6 by way of example only , three inflatable members 104 , 106 and 108 are disposed within the cover 102 . each of the inflatable members 104 , 106 and 108 is provided with an inlet valve 110 and an outlet pressure release valve 112 . the inlet valve 110 enables each inflatable member 104 , 106 and 108 to be quickly inflataed . the outlet pressure release valves 112 provide an exhaust of the air within each inflatable member 104 , 106 and 108 when a person or object impacts on the cushion 100 . due to the vertical arrangement of the inflatable members 104 , 106 and 108 , a person or object striking the cushion 100 is gradually decelerated in a controlled manner since the uppermost inflatable member 104 would be deflated first thereby absorbing some of the momentum of the person or object before the subsequent inflatable members will be deflated . it is also possible to provide increased pressure in the lowermost inflatable members , such as inflatable members 106 or 108 or to provide varyingly increasing pressure in the lowermost inflatable members 104 , 106 and 108 to vary the deceleration rate . after the inflatable members have been deflated , they can be quickly reinflated through the inlet valves 110 for any convenient pressurized air source , such as that commonly available on the vehicle 12 . although not shown , the fire escape chute apparatus 10 may also be provided with a conventional manually operated or powered winch positioned at the upper end of the chute 30 or in the passenger basket 24 attached to the telescoping boom 14 . the winch may be used to lower people or objects down the chute 30 while they are afraid to slide down the chute 30 or who are unable to do so due to injuries . also , the fire escape chute 30 may be provided on the base or bottom 52 of each chute section with a roughened center portion to enable people to walk down the chute 30 instead of sliding down the chute 30 . this feature can be utilized only on lower stories of the building since the greater height of upper stories would create too steep an angle on the chute 30 for persons to safely walk down the chute 30 . in summary , there has been disclosed an unique vehicle mounted fire escape chute apparatus which enables many people to be safely removed from a burning building in the shortest amount of time possible . the fire escape chute of the present invention is uniquely mounted on conventional fire fighting vehicle having an extensible and retractable telescoping boom which carries a passenger basket at an upper end . this minimizes the cost of the chute apparatus since it can be added to an existing vehicle carrying a telescoping boom and does not require a dedicated vehicle as in previously devised portable fire escape chute apparatus . | 0 |
referring to fig1 a , there is shown an enlarged partial plan view of the semiconductor device generally indicated by reference numeral 100 . the semiconductor device is formed at its one surface with a dicing line 8 having a certain width , along which a grooving or dicing will be done . fig1 b shows a cross sectional view of a part of the semiconductor device 100 along lines a — a in fig1 a . as can be seen from this drawing , the semiconductor device 100 includes a substrate 1 on which semiconductor elements ( not shown ) are integrated . for clarify , the semiconductor elements are eliminated from the drawings . the semiconductor substrate 1 bears a first insulating layer 2 made of tetraethyl orthoslicate including boron and phosphorus , referred to as “ bpteos layer ” hereinafter , which in turn supports a second insulating layer 3 made of tetraethyl orthoslicate , referred to as “ teos layer ” hereinafter . within the dicing line 8 , a recess or concave 4 for use as a test mark is formed in the first and second layers , bpteos and teos layers 2 and 3 , which terminates at the surface of the substrate 1 facing to the bpteos layer 2 . when viewed from above , i . e ., from the direction indicated by the arrow 9 in fig1 b , the recess 9 has a square in configuration defined by four vertical walls . it may be envisioned that the recess 4 is a rectangular in configuration . the bpteos layer 2 includes a first metal layer 5 leaving a certain space from and running around the recess 4 . in this embodiment , the first layer extends between the top and bottom surfaces each neighboring to the teos layer 3 and the substrate 1 . the formation of this metal layer 5 will be described later . also , the teos layer 3 includes a second metal layer 6 embedded in its bottom surface facing to the bpteos layer 2 . the second metal layer 6 runs along the first metal layer 5 . as can be seen from fig1 b , the second metal layer 6 has s width greater than that of the first metal layer 5 . it should be noted that the bpteos layer 2 is made of material having a specific melting point which is less than a temperature in which the semiconductor device 100 , after it is mounted with various parts , is heat treated to fuse electrical connecting parts such as solder bumps . in contrast , the teos layer 3 is made of material having a specific melting point greater than the fusing temperature . as a result , in the heat treatment , the bpteop layer 2 melts or softens . the teos layer 3 , on the other hand , does not melt or soften in the heat treatment . this may result in a crack 7 at each corner of the square recess 4 of the bpteos layer 2 . this crack 7 tends to extend in a diagonal direction as shown in fig1 a , but it terminates at the metal layer 6 and will never extend beyond the metal layer 6 . this is advantageous that the crack 7 would never provided adverse affect to the semiconductor elements or other recesses ( not shown ) disposed outside the metal layer 6 . fig2 a is a partial plan view of the semiconductor device 100 shown in fig1 a . in fig2 a , the teos layer 3 is eliminated from the drawing . fig2 b is a cross sectional view of the semiconductor device 100 along lines 2 b — 2 b in fig2 a , and fig2 c is a cross sectional view of the semiconductor device 100 along lines 2 c — 2 c in fig2 a . in fig2 b and 2c , the substrate 1 is eliminated from the drawings . as shown in fig2 a to 2 c , the first metal layer 5 is plate - shaped and extends through the bpteos layer 2 between the substrate 1 and the second metal layer 6 . referring next to the fig3 a to 3 g , the method for fabricating the semiconductor device having a test mark will be described . in this process , as shown in fig3 a , a bpteos layer 2 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 1 as a first insulating layer . also , as shown in fig3 b , by use of conventional photolithography and etching techniques , grooves 2 ′ are formed in the bpteos layer 2 . subsequently , as shown in fig3 c , a first metal material layer 5 ′ is deposited on the entire surface of the bpteos layer 2 so as to embed the grooves 2 ′. then , by use of conventional cmp or etch back techniques , the first metal material layer 5 ′ is polished so as to remain in the grooves 2 ′. the remained first metal material layers 5 ′ are used as metal layers 5 as shown in fig3 d . then , as shown in fig3 e , a second metal material layer ( not shown ) is deposited on the bpteos layer 2 and the metal layers 5 , in turn , it is patterned to form a second metal layer 6 . the second metal layer 6 runs along and covers the first metal layers 5 continuously as shown in fig3 e . finally , as shown in fig3 f , a teos layer is deposited on the bpteos layer 2 and the second metal layer 6 . also , as shown in fig3 g , the teos and pbteos layers , 3 and 2 , are etched , so that a recess or concave 4 is formed which is used as a test mark . then a semiconductor device 100 according to this embodiment is accomplished . it is noted that preferably the first and second metal layers , 5 and 6 , may be made from aluminum , copper or aluminum silicate . in fig4 a , there is shown a partial plan view of a semiconductor device of another variation of this embodiment , in which the teos layer 3 is eliminated from the drawing . fig4 b is a cross sectional view of the semiconductor device along lines 4 b — 4 b in fig4 a , and fig4 c is a cross sectional view of the semiconductor device along lines 4 c — 4 c in fig4 a . in fig4 b and 4c , the substrate 1 is eliminated from the drawings . as illustrated in these drawings , a plurality of the metal layers , each of which is cylindrical and extends between the top and the bottom surfaces of the bpteos layer 2 , may be used as a first metal layers 5 . fig5 a is a partial plan view of a semiconductor device of another variation of this embodiment , in which the teos layer 3 is eliminated from the drawing . fig5 b is a cross sectional view of the semiconductor device along lines 5 b — 5 b in fig5 a , and fig5 c is a cross sectional view of the semiconductor device along lines 5 c — 5 c in fig5 a . in fig5 b and 5c , the substrate 1 is eliminated from the drawings . as illustrated in these drawings , no first metal layer is formed beneath the second metal layer 6 . that is , only the second metal layer 6 terminates the extension of the crack from the corner of the test mark ( not shown ). in the producing process described above , the first and second metal layers , 5 and 6 , are formed in the separate steps , however , these layers may be formed in one step . that is , after the first metal material layer 5 ′ is deposited on the bpteos layer 2 as shown in fig3 c , the first and second metal layers , 5 and 6 , are formed simultaneously by use of conventional photolithography and etching techniques . this result in that the first and second metal layers , 5 and 6 , are formed from the first metal material layer 5 ′ as shown in fig6 a and 6b , which are cross sectional views of a semiconductor device . referring to fig7 to 12 , preferred formations of the second metal layer 6 on the bpteos layer 2 are shown . the fig7 to 12 are partial top views of a semiconductor device 100 having a test mark 4 . for clarify , teos layers are eliminated from these drawings . as shown in fig7 the second metal layer 6 may be formed to surround and leave a certain space from the recess 4 , so that the second metal layer 6 is a square - shaped layer . by surrounding the recess 4 by the second metal layer 6 , extension of a crack from the corner of the recess 4 can be terminated by the second metal layer 6 . also , as shown in fig8 each of the second metal layer 16 may be an l - shaped layer , which surrounds the corner of the recess 4 . as described above , at the corner of the recess 4 , a stress in concentrated , causing the formation of the crack , and the crack tends to extend in a diagonal direction of the recess 4 . therefore , the second metal layer 16 , which is opposed to the corner of the recess 4 , can terminate the extension of the crack . also , as shown in fig9 each of the second metal layer 26 may be a delta - shaped layer of which one side opposes to the corner of the recess 4 . most of the cracks are generated at the corner of the recess 4 , therefore the delta - shaped layer 26 can terminate the extension of the crack . further , as shown in fig1 to 12 , another metal layer may surround the metal layer described above . that is , referring to fig1 , the l - shaped metal layer 16 is formed to be opposed to the each corner of the square - shaped metal layer 6 . also , referring in fig1 , the delta - shaped metal layer 26 is formed to be opposed to the each corner of the square - shaped metal layer 6 . further , referring to fig1 , the delta - shaped metal layer 26 is formed to be opposed to the each corner of the l - shaped metal layer 16 which is opposed to the corner of the recess 4 . by forming inner and outer metal layers described above , in the case that the crack expands through and outward the inner metal layer , the expansion of the crack can be terminated by the outer metal layer . it is noted that a first metal layer 5 may be formed beneath these metal layers 6 , 16 and 26 . | 7 |
the invention is best shown in comparison to my prior u . s . pat . no . 4 , 902 , 215 , incorporated herein by reference in full . in side view in fig1 i show a dry lay up for manufacture of a fiber composite structure 1 , utilizing the inventive vacuum bag 4 . the composite 1 is formed on a rigid mold 6 , for this illustrative purpose a flat smooth table surface forming a backing for the fiber composite article 1 . a pattern of dry reinforcing fibers 2 , such as fiberglass or carbon fibers , is laid on the mold 6 . the shape of the mold 6 determines the shape of the final structure 1 , and thus the mold 6 can be curved or of any desired shape , as will be illustrated below . in the prior art , a peel sheet 3 would be placed over the fiber lay up 2 , and then a distribution layer laid on the peel sheet to enhance flow of resin to impregnate the lay up 2 . a resin entrance chamber would be centrally placed on the lay up with a communicating resin distribution chamber to communicate resin flow to the distribution layer . a vacuum outlet , either in the rigid mold or on the outer periphery of the lay up , would communicate with a source of vacuum . a vacuum bag or sheet would then be placed over the entire assembled lay up and distribution layers , and sealed around its perimeter to the mold . a vacuum , applied to the vacuum outlet , would draw the vacuum bag against the lay up . the vacuum both draws the resin throughout the fiber lay up , and presses the resin impregnated lay up against the rigid mold to smoothly form the desired fiber reinforced shape . it should be appreciated that this process requires individual labor to set up the same distribution layers , chambers and vacuum bag in separate steps , even though identical articles may be desired . there are no economies of scale in this process , and every article manufactured is made as though it were a one of a kind article . in the invention , a preformed vacuum bag with integral resin distribution piping and distribution pattern , and optional vacuum piping , is created for the composite article which is to be formed . to create this inventive vacuum bag 4 , the desired rigid mold 6 is first covered with a model of the desired finished fiber composite structure 1 . this can be a master article , manufactured as stated above , or a wax or wood model , or some combination of fiber composite base article and wax or wood additions , to create the external shape of the desired article 1 . this master article pattern is then coated with a separation layer , such as a 50 % soap and water mixture . the separation layer is allowed to completely dry . a reverse master resin distribution pattern , of one of the various forms as illustrated in my prior &# 39 ; 251 patent fig3 - 7 , is then applied over the outer surface of the model article 1 . this reverse master pattern may be the mirror image of any pattern of continuous small channels 14 , preferable running in two cross wise directions . such a reverse master pattern could include a repeated pattern of cylindrical dots , or small regular polyhedral solids 16 . it can also include the pattern of spaced apart rows , crossed by an overlying pattern of spaced rows at right angles to the first rows . over the reverse master pattern is laid a hollow piping structure of significantly greater cross sectional area . such a structure should run the long length of the desired article 1 , and for a wide or complex shape , preferably has branch conduits so that no part of the article 1 is more than forty - eight inches from a conduit . optionally a second conduit structure 24 is placed as a continuous ring around the bag , communicating for vacuum flow from the mold 6 , just outside the perimeter b of the pattern master article 1 . this distribution pattern and the conduit ( s ) are in turn coated with a separation layer which is allowed to dry . the inventive vacuum bag 4 is then formed by repeated applications of an elastomer , such as a viscous , curable silicone rubber , or other peeling , resin resistant curable elastomer , to cover the assembled master pattern 1 , building up a layer of elastomer with greater thickness over the hollow conduit structures 10 , 24 . thicker extensions 19 extending outward from these conduit structures may be provided , to extend beyond the outer limits of the article 1 , and to be completely coated with elastomer . the second conduit structure 24 may be reinforced by embedding a helical coil or spring 25 into the vacuum conduit 24 wall to prevent collapse of the conduit 24 upon application of a vacuum from a vacuum source 26 . a suitable material for forming vacuum bag 4 is dow corning tooling elastomer tht ™. this elastomer is translucent , helping in monitoring the progress of the construction of the vacuum bag . this material has a viscosity of 450 poise , which helps give good brushability , and cures , when catalyzed , at room temperature within 24 hours . after cure , the vacuum bag 4 is peeled from the underlying pattern article 1 . the recommended elastomer has high tear strength , reducing the chance of damage to the finished bag . the bag may be additionally reinforced by fiber reinforcement , such as nylon fibers , applied as a hand lay up during the construction of the bag . the conduit sections produce , within the finished bag 4 , a pattern of elongated flow conduits 10 communicating with the inner surface 12 of the vacuum bag 4 . these flow conduits 10 communicate for fluid flow with a resin distribution pattern 14 , formed from the imprint of the reverse master resin distribution pattern . this pattern 14 will normally be a cross hatch of small channels at right angles to each other , separated by a repeated pattern of small bumps 16 on the inner surface of the bag . these bumps 16 may be pyramidal shapes , or spherical , or small cylindrical or square pillars . any such repeated pattern of bumps 16 that will support the channels 14 against complete collapse under a vacuum is suitable , so that the bump pattern will press against the fiber lay up 2 but the channels 14 will remain open a spaced distance for resin flow . the bag build up around the piping extensions creates hollow cured elastomeric tube receptacles 20 on the bag exterior , which connect for fluid flow with the interior elongated flow conduits 10 in the inner surface 12 of the bag 4 . these tube receptacles 20 accept and seal an inserted plastic tube 22 for connection with a resin dispensing system 23 , and , where a surrounding vacuum flow conduit 24 , with reinforcing wall helical springs 25 , has been formed in the bag 4 , with tubing 22 connected to a vacuum source 26 . the resulting bag 4 is a monolithic vacuum bag structure having embedded resin conduits 10 and distribution channels 14 which have been customized to the article 1 desired to be made on a specific rigid mold 6 . this inventive bag 4 can therefore be repeatedly used to make accurate , identical fiber reinforced articles 1 . in each case it is necessary only to make the fiber lay up 2 against the mold 6 , add the peel layer 3 if desired , and then cover the lay up with the vacuum bag 4 of the invention , sealing the bag to the mold with tacky seal 30 . the described material for making the inventive bag 4 does not adhere to resins . this has the advantage that the bag 4 can be easily peeled from the composite structure 1 and any residual resin in the distribution channels 10 , 11 formed in the bag 4 may be easily removed . it has the disadvantage that it is difficult to seal the bag 4 to the mold 6 using the tapes of the prior art vacuum bag process . however , those skilled in the art know of a &# 34 ; tacky tape &# 34 ; which may be used to seal the bag to the mold , and schnee moorehead adhesives part # 5601 has been reported to be suitable . alternatively , a suitable adhering material , such as teflon , may be embedded in the perimeter of the vacuum bag during manufacture and cure , to provide a suitable surface to seal the bag . in some circumstances , such as where the mold is a planar smooth surface , such as a metal topped table , the silicone rubber vacuum bag may adhere to the table sufficiently to provide a suitable seal . it is recognized that the design of the bag 4 should be such that the resin is distributed from the center of the article a to the periphery b , and the vacuum should be drawn from the periphery b . this set up serves to purge any air leaks from the seals at the periphery of the vacuum bag preventing air bubbles or voids in the resin impregnated fiber . this flow arrangement can easily be established by the set up of the article master pattern during the construction of the bag 4 . the construction of the bag 4 is otherwise highly variable to meet the shape of the desired article and mold . for example , in my prior patent &# 39 ; 215 fig8 a section of the large structure such as a boat hull is shown . in such a structure , the flow of resin is aided by gravity to the periphery of the bag . if for any reason the mold should be inverted , than several resin inlets could be provided , and resin supplied to each in turn as the resin flows centrally outward through the reinforcing fiber lay up . the translucency of the vacuum bag is advantageous in that the progress of the resin can be visually followed by manufacturing personnel so as to sequence the supply of resin . the vacuum outlet 26 does not have to be molded into the bag . providing vacuum conduits 24 in the bag 4 may be useful on complicated molds 6 , or where the mold 6 cannot be provided with an internal vacuum outlet 26 and distribution conduit 24 . otherwise the vacuum conduits 24 may be in the mold 6 , and the bag 4 , when created , is extended to cover the vacuum conduits 24 , the distribution pattern 14 in the bag inner surface running almost to the position of the mold &# 39 ; s vacuum conduits . an alternate form of the inventive bag 4 is formed by providing a polymer film bag having sufficient rigidity to resist collapse under full vacuum , embossing within the polymer film a master resin distribution pattern to provide the pattern of continuous small channels 14 which may run in cross directions or in random directions so as to provide the desired two dimensional crosswise flow of the resin . in the case of a rigid polyethylene or plastic bag 4 of this inventive type , the master pattern would primarily comprise a repeated pattern of grooves or channels which may be regular or irregular in extent but which should extend uniformly across the entire sheet of the rigid bag . placed within the rigid bag 4 is a hollow piping structure 22 of cross sectional area running the long length of the desired vacuum bag 4 , alternately containing branch conduits 10 emanating at right angles from a long conduit . a resin supply 23 opening is provided into at least one part of the conduit through the rigidified vacuum bag 4 . the rigid conduits 10 provide for supply of resin which is rapidly distributed under the rigidified plastic sheet under the application of vacuum . the rigidified plastic sheet is chosen of a material which will conform in general shape to the article being formed but which will maintain the internal channel structure 10 , 14 for the distribution of resin between the bag 4 and the article being formed even under the application of a vacuum to the overall bag 4 . thus the bag forms the resin distribution panel 14 from a cross hatch , which can include a random cross hatch , of non - collapsing essentially v - shaped channels which the stiffness of the bag retains even under the application of a vacuum . a suitable material for forming such a bag is polyethylene sheet . this material remains sufficiently flexible that it can be rapidly applied over the fiber lay up of an article by means of tacky tape as described above and has the further advantage that it provides for a ready and even distribution of resin even under a one time use . the chosen material is not adhesive to resin and may easily be pealed from the resin . if desired , a suitable separation layer may applied to the interface of the material before being laid up against the article to be impregnated . this alternate form of the bag has the advantage , therefore , that it is suitable for one time as well as repeated use and provides the integral uniform resin channels without requiring a separate distribution layer between the outer vacuum bag and the article being laid up . an alternate form of inventive vacuum bag 4 is formed from a sheet 49 of uncured vacuum bag material . in the example described herein , this material is an uncured silicone rubber , but any thermo - setting or otherwise curable plastic material can readily be used for the process . a fixed mask 50 for generating a repeated pattern of uniform width resin flow channels 14 is provided . in the preferred embodiment , mask 50 is a sheet 52 of metal or similar material with a repeated densely packed pattern of polygons 54 ( preferably hexagons ) cut into the sheet . any regular circle , oval shape , or polygon 54 capable of being uniformly patterned within a sheet 52 would be suitable , and there is additionally no reason why any dense packed tiling of irregular patterns 54 ( such as a penrose tiling ) could not readily be used . it is desirable that the distance between any resin channel 14 and the center of its adjoining polygon 54 in the sheet 52 be minimized and it is also desirable that the resin channels 14 be of a fairly uniform width so as to prevent uneven concentration of resin in the finished article . with regular polygons , this is accomplished by making the polygon 54 relatively small . a pattern of polygons ranging from under one inch across to less than a quarter of an inch across has been found suitable . it is also suitable that the mask 50 be a cylindrical mask , with the sheet 49 molded into the mask by an embossing roller , or other form of extruding the sheet 49 into the pattern of the mask 50 . similarly , while the preferred embodiment uses a polygonal pattern in the mask 50 for forming the bumps 16 of the vacuum bag 4 , a pattern such as densely packed ovoids ( ovals or ovals having more pointed ends ), or any other pattern which produces interwoven channels 14 which promote smooth even resin flow , may be suitable . an elastomeric sheet 49 of material from which the vacuum bag 4 is to be formed is laid across this mask 50 and a vacuum drawn on the underside of the mask 50 . an elastomeric sheet 49 may be a thermoplastic , thermoset plastic , silicone rubber , a polyurethene rubber , or other curable or plastic or elastomeric sheet . all such materials are settable : they may be deformed into a shape and then set in that shape to form the bag 4 of the invention . alternately , pressure may be applied at the top of the sheet 49 to extrude the sheet 49 into the mask 50 forming the repeated pattern of raised bumps 16 on the sheet 49 corresponding to the polygonal structure embedded in the mask 50 , and forming a series of recesses 14 in the sheet 49 corresponding to the lands 56 between each polygon 54 on the mask 50 . the sheet 49 is then cured either by the application of suitable temperature cycling , by exposure to a curing agent or the like . upon curing , the sheet 49 is then removed from the mask 50 . the result is a vacuum bag sheet 4 having a uniform pattern of resin channels 14 throughout the sheet extending across the face 12 of the sheet , spaced from the base of the sheet by raised bumps 16 corresponding to the polygonal holes 54 within the mask 50 . it can readily be seen how such sheets 49 can be mass produced repeatedly by use of the same mask 50 . in use , the vacuum bag 4 is formed by placing repeated sheets 49 over the article to be vacuum impregnated , which is laid up as a mat or repeated mats 2 of a fiber - reinforcing material such as fiberglass , carbon filament , boron filaments or the like over a shaping mold 6 . the sheets 49 are then cut to fit and sealed with any suitable sealing compound , such as silicone rubber , to form a uniform bag 4 covering the article to be formed . a flexible tube 22 is then laid periodically along the length of the formed bag 4 and sealed to the bag 4 by a circular band 58 of sealing compound along a length of the tube 22 . a tool is then inserted into the tube and both the tube and the sheet are slit 60 along a length within the area sealed together by the sealing compound . the tube 22 is then connected to a supply 23 of resin . a vacuum is then applied around the outer edges of the molded vacuum bag 4 substantially in the manner disclosed for the other embodiments above . this vacuum then draws resin from the supply tube 22 , through the formed slit 60 and uniformly through the resin channels 14 formed in the sheet 49 , drawing the resin down uniformly , impregnating the reinforcing fiber mat 2 laid over the mold 6 . the pattern of channels 14 insures a uniform wetting action as well as a uniform distribution of resin . the advantages of this embodiment are several : the sheets 49 may be mass produced for storage before use , and then fit and uniformly cut to any number of mold shapes , sealing the sheets together to make an overall vacuum bag 4 . the bag 4 made of sheets 49 is particularly suited for multiple vacuum baggings of complex forms against a mating mold 6 . the method of applying the resin hose 22 and forming the connection from the resin hose 22 into the bag 4 is a particularly simple one and permits the resin hoses 22 to be applied as flow patterns may dictate based upon the underlying shape of the article being formed . the inventive vacuum bag 4 of this embodiment of particular utility when used on a vacuum table having perimeter channels for drawing a vacuum and replaceable molds for lay up of small parts which may be placed upon the table . it can thus be seen how this particular unitary vacuum bag 4 follows the pattern of the other embodiments in having an integrated uniform series of resin flow channels 14 molded within the bag 4 together a resin supply pipe 22 molded to the bag and how the bag 4 may be easily and uniformly fit to any number of complex mold shapes for the creation of a resin impregnated fiber reinforced article . it can thus be seen that the invention provides a vacuum bag which has considerable operational advantages for repeated manufacture of fiber reinforced articles against molds , providing a unitary vacuum cover to both seal and press the resin into the fibers , as well as providing an integrated means for uniform distribution of resin to the fiber lay up and a uniform vacuum suction . further the vacuum bag of the invention , being conformably build for the specific mold and article to be constructed , has none of wrinkling and folds of the prior art planar sheets used for vacuum bags , and therefore control of the surface smoothness of the manufactured fiber reinforced article is improved . the invention extends past the specific embodiments described to include those equivalent structures and processes as will be apparent to those skilled in the art form the claims . | 1 |
an embodiment in accordance with the present invention is intended to provide such a band for a wrist - watch that it is constituted with a thin metal plate on the surface backed up with a resilient material on the rearside , which can be bent so as to conform with an arm of any person &# 39 ; s and yet , even when repeating such bending motion , it can sustain its elastic property , and further it has beautiful luster and , in addition it can utilize such characteristic of said metal plate that any pattern can be formed on its surface , and , on the other hand , elasticity of said metal plate is reinforced by a resilient material intimately backed up on the rearside , no effect of coldness and heat due to the season on the skin being eliminated when in use , such resilient material having different elasticity from that of metal being jointly used , and further it is formed in such a manner that a watch - mounting hole and a base - frame of a watch can be provided therein , and still further it will play a full roll as ornaments with beautifulness that the conventional watch bands have never been provided . thus , an embodiment in accordance with the present invention is to provide bands for wrist - watches having a lot of good points as bands for wrist - watches , which are excellent in many respects such as outside appearance , feeling in use as well as ornamental rolls . referring now to an embodiment according to the present invention in more detail referring to the appended drawings , and in addition , to features and novelties of bands for wrist - watches in accordance with the present invention , in a band for a wrist - watch represented by the symbol a , its surface is made of a thin elastic metal plate 1 . when this thin elastic metal plate is formed with a thin metal plate having beautiful luster produced only by grinding process without plating , for instance , stainless steel , then it will produce a beautiful appearance different from that of a plated band , in other words , it will have an incomparable appearance with plating of a watch , thus enabling a user &# 39 ; s wrist - watch to be more attractive . a mounting hole 2 for mounting a wrist - watch itself b ( which is shown with dotted line in fig3 and 7 ) or a base frame ( see fig5 ) of a wrist - watch fitted therein is opened principally in the center or in a little leftward or rightward position of a band proper a . a band proper for a wrist - watch is adapted to have enough length to be in intimate contact with the surrounding surface of each person &# 39 ; s arm over its entire surface , and since its thickness differs a little according to each person , such band will be formed into about three kinds of lengths of long , medium and short ones , nevertheless a little adjustment of its length can be made by fastening metal pieces c to be fitted on both ends of a band proper . the above - mentioned mounting hole 2 for mounting a wrist - watch b shall be opened according to types such as size and shape of a wrist - watch , i . e . square or rectangle , and other irregularities . for instance , fig1 shows a circular hole , fig4 shows a mounting hole 2 conforming with the most common square watches , and for other irregular watches shall be provided mounting holes 2 conforming therewith . further , a section of a mounting hole 2 for mounting a wrist - watch b is formed , as shown in fig1 and 4 , a little wider 3 than a width of the other part of a band proper a to be attached on the arm , so as to permit said mounting hole 2 to be opened widely . in order to mount a wrist - watch b in a mounting hole 2 , it is performed by mounting a glass - mounting ring 4 on the surface of the band and a rear cap 5 from the rear side . in case a wrist - watch b is fitted in a base - frame 11 , this base - frame 11 will be mounted on a mounting portion 8 . ( see fig3 and 5 ). on the rear side of said thin plastic metal plate 1 is securely backed a resilient material 6 , which is made of a thin rubber or synthetic resin plate , wherein a rubber plate is heat - welded , while synthetic resin is securely backed up integrally with said metal plate by means of bonding agent . said resilient material 6 shall be made of good , resilient and flexible material so as to accommodate itself with bending on the surface of the thin elastic metal plate 1 . said elastic metal plate 1 shall be elastic and be made of beautiful glossy metal produced by grinding , such as stainless steel . this stainless steel plate will produce beautiful luster by grinding process and is rust - proof , so that it can maintain beautiful luster for a long period of time , and where its luster is lost in use for a long time , such luster can be reproduced by regrinding . a band can be formed by punching such plate , wherein said mounting hole 2 will also be punched out simultaneously . in some cases , such luster will be frosted to conform with plating of a watch on purpose . a resilient plate 6 secured to the rearside of a band is made of rubber plate or synthetic resin plate , which will also be punched by dies a little wider than a width of the afore - mentioned elastic metal plate 1 , this resilient plate being adapted to prevent the human body from being hurt with both side ends of a said thin elastic metal plate 1 by virtue of protruding the resilient plate 6 a little from both side ends of the metal plate 1 when the former 6 is backed up with the rearside of the latter 1 . ( see fig2 ). in case of said resilient plate 6 being backed up with a rubber plate , a raw rubber plate is bonded with bonding agent , vulcanizing it by heat after drying , then securing it by pressing . a synthetic resin plate shall be secured thereto by the use of strong bonding agent . primarily , a rubber plate will be used . referring now to a case when a wrist - watch b is mounted on a base - frame 11 and this frame is then mounted on a band , the frame will be mounted thereon by forming a mounting portion on both a thin elastic metal plate 1 on the surface and a resilient plate 6 on the rear side . fig1 shows a case when a mounting portion 8 has been formed on a resilient material 6 . it goes without saying that such mounting portion shall be formed by pressing process . in this case , the mounting portions 8 will be formed at four locations around the mounting hole 2 or in a tubular form in the center thereof and further thin wall sections 9 will be formed on the opposite of the mounting hole 2 of a band so as to allow a wrist watch to make a little movement . a case when mounting portions of a base - frame are formed on a thin elastic metal plate 1 is given in fig4 wherein said mounting portions are formed at each two locations on both sides , totally four locations , of a mounting hole 2 of a thin elastic metal plate 1 by protruding mounting lugs 10 from a band itself , which will then be bent downward . in such a case , when a base - frame is provided with recessed portions which can often be seen in conventional wrist - watches , mounting portions 8 of a resilient material 6 will be formed in comformity with those recessed portions , into which said mounting portions will be fitted , then fixed with pins to be inserted into the mounting lugs 1 mentioned above . in the drawings , fig8 shows a condition that a wrist - watch is attached to a band proper a in fig1 and fig9 shows a condition that a wrist - watch is attached to a band proper a shown in fig4 both of which show conditions that fastening metal pieces c are fitted with the bands respectively . these fastening metal pieces c are ones which can be opened and closed as well - known in the prior art , and those are of such construction as to be expandable and contractable , thereby making it possible to automatically adjust a length of a band proper a . fig1 is another embodiment in accordance with the present invention , in which a band proper a is bent in almost semi - circular form on its both ends without the use of fastening metal pieces c on a band proper a , and said band proper a utilizes a spring - elasticity generated by its bending . as in the foregoing , an embodiment in accordance with the present invention has such excellent features that can never been seen in conventional bands , more specifically , it can provide a novel band for wrist watch , which not only can attain its many objects set forth in the above - mentioned specification , but also it is constructed with a smaller number of components , no assembly of a band proper is needed at all , its elastic force is adequate for the arm for the reason of its elastic metal plate being made of a thin plate , additionally , the advantages of both above properties and resiliency of a resilient material on the rearside being combined dexterously and further it is designed to operate both elasticity and spring action in cooperation with each other . | 0 |
the inventive system is shown in unfolded configuration in fig1 and is generally designated 10 . the typical prior art system is shown in fig2 for comparison purposes , and is designated 20 as a whole . a preferred embodiment of the inventive system 10 includes a television set 12 having a set of controls 13 and a 13 inch ( measured diagonally ) shadow mask tube ( or other directly viewable display ), a system of preferably three fresnel lenses ( elements a , b and c , fig3 ) indicated diagrammatically as 14 ( the preferred spacing and disposition of the individual lenses and the image forming means being best seen in fig3 ), an image folding means ( a mirror ) 16 disposed intermediate to two of the fresnel lenses and a 32 inch by 40 inch projection screen 18 ( fig4 ) tilted , in the illustrated embodiment , 17 to 20 degrees from the vertical . in a commercial embodiment , depicted in fig1 the lens system 14 has a longitudinal dimension of nominally 16 inches in its unfolded configuration , a height dimension of approximately 13 inches , and its proximal end is spaced on the order of 5 . 7 inches from the image source 12 . the screen 18 is spaced only about 37 . 5 inches from the distal end of the lens system 14 . these dimensions will vary somewhat , as necessray to achieve focus , depending on the relative spacings between the lens 14 , the source 12 and the screen 18 . the substantial spatial savings provided by the invention is readily apparent when the corresponding dimensions of the prior art system are examined . specifically , in fig2 a television set 22 having a set of controls 23 and a 13 inch cathode ray tube 22 is spaced 13 . 187 inches from the proximal end of the lens system , diagrammatically shown and indicated as 24 . prior art lens systems are generally 6 . 5 inches by 6 . 5 inches , and the mirror 26 is generally spaced from the distal end of the lens system 24 a distance of 11 . 875 inches . thus , the distal end of the lens system 24 is spaced 56 . 375 inches from the 32 inch by 40 inch screen 28 . assuming a typical set 22 thickness of at least 15 inches , it is seen that a typical installation of the prior art consumes 90 inches of linear space , if used in its unfolded configuration . it will be observed in fig2 that the lens folding mirror 26 of the prior art is 14 inches by 17 inches , whereas the mirror for the inventive system is on the order of only 12 inches by 12 inches . the reduced size and cost of the mirror 16 employed in the inventive system , together with the reduced distortion achieved with a smaller mirror and the spatial savings in the height of the entire inventive system , made possible by the specific lines and disposition of the mirror 16 , constitutes another important benefit to the consumer provided by this invention . the mirror 16 , in the embodiment shown in fig1 is mounted at a 45 degree angle to provide a 90 degree fold . it should be noted that , in the folded configuration , the controls 23 of the set 22 are more than 30 inches behind the mirror , which spacing renders the controls inoperable . the inventive system suffers no such limitations , with the controls 13 being in easy reach , as best shown in fig4 . the prior art lenses 24 are limited in speed to about f / 1 . 9 as indicated in script in fig2 and are also restricted to about 13 gain screens to avoid a loss of viewing angles . fig4 shows the systems of fig1 and 2 in their folded configuration . examination of fig4 shows the advantage of the 45 degree angular disposition of the mirror 16 . the image source 12 and the screen 18 are disposed in substantially perpendicular relation to one another and keystone distortion is thus reduced . fig4 shows how the placement of the prior art mirror 26 results in a greater loss of perpendicularity between source 22 and screen 28 , which produces considerable keystone distortion . to redirect the reflectance angles to be parallel with the audience sight line , prior art systems require a screen angle of 13 degrees from the vertical ( 17 degrees out of perpendicularity ) and 17 degrees from the vertical ( ideally ) for the current invention ( out by 13 degrees ), fig4 . however , because of the wider vertical angle of the current invention , the screen angle of the present invention can be increased to approximately 20 degrees ( now out by only 10 degrees ), and the reflectance angles will still appear to be parallel to the audience sight line . careful control of the vertical beam angle produces a 41 percent improvement in keystone distortion . it is apparent in fig4 and 5 of the drawings that the beam angles are different for the present invention and the prior art systems for both the horizontal and vertical modes . this is caused primarily by the shorter focal length . before discussing the specific design of the lens system according to the invention , the theory of fresnel lenses will first be discussed . fundamentally , a lens generates a continuous optical curve which operates to focus light . in conventional lenses , the optical curve is provided by varying the thickness of the lens , and such thickness can have an effect on the quality of the image that can be good , bad or neutral , according to the design . the fresnel lens eliminates the need for a variable thickness lens , but rather utilizes variable slopes , generally in the form of a large number of grooves or fresnel zones to generate the optical curve . the optical curve is generated by changing the slope of the facets of the grooves or zones from zone to zone . when a large number of grooves or zones are utilized , the facets can be made flat to simplify manufacture and design . when designing a fresnel lens , the optical curve required to obtain the necessary lens performance is first obtained . a typical optical curve can be expressed as a polynomial expression or generating function such as : wherein r , d , e and f are constants determined , for example , by a computer program , y is the zonal radius from the center of the grooves , and x is the value of the generating function as a function of y . a program known as &# 34 ; genii &# 34 ; is commercially available for this purpose . a typical generating function is illustrated in fig6 . such figures are known as general polynomial aspherics . since in a fresnel lens , it is the slope of surfaces of the grooves or fresnel zones , rather than the thickness of the lens , that generates the focusing power , the generating function must be differentiated . the differentiation process results in an equation for the slopes of the facets of the fresnel zone of the following form , with the slope being expressed as a tangent : wherein tan θ equals the slope of the fresnel zone facets , and the other constants and variables are as previously defined . a positive value for tan θ indicates that the facet surface is tilted clockwise , while a negative value for tan θ indicates a counterclockwise tilt . the fresnel facets for three zones corresponding to three values of y in fig6 are illustrated in fig7 . the following design , when employed in the manner just described , overcomes the limitations of the prior art and harnesses the advantages of 17 times or higher gain screens . the elements form a clear aperture of 9 inches by 12 inches , an aperture stop of 6 inches in diameter , and a spacing of 11 inches ( 280 . 6 mm ) between elements a and b ( as shown in fig4 ): nominal crt diagonal : 13 inches , radius of curvature is 25 inch nominal lens element a , in a commercial embodiment , has the following values for the variables , y , r , d , e , and f : element a : y lies between 0 and at least 171 mm , and center thickness is 0 . 075 inch lens b , in a commercial embodiment , has the following values for the variables , y , r , d , e and f : element b : y lies between 0 and at least 110 mm . center thickness is 0 . 075 inch lens c , in a commercial embodiment , has the following values for the variables , y , r , d , e , and f : element c : y lies between 0 and at least 171 mm and the slope , θ , at a zonal ray distance , y , from the optical axis is defined as : it will thus be seen that the objects set forth above , including those made apparent from the preceding description , are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described , and all statements of the scope of the invention which , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween . | 6 |
in the current art , only the conference factory server in the network receives the sip refer and this message is not sent to the chat session participants . often the conference factory server is controlled by a different carrier than the one used by a local subscriber . the sip refer is the only message . containing the new participant list for new chat session participants to invite to the chat session . so , under the current art , additional chat session participants start joining the chat session without any way for the local im server to check the local subscriber &# 39 ; s blacklist before the new session participants are invited to the chat session . all chat clients should then subscribe ( via sip subscribe ) to conference factory server for the chat session to be notified ( via sip notify ) as new participants join the chat session . this is the only way for a chat client to know all of the active session participants that are receiving messages for the session . the new method is for the local im or other server to intercept these notifications ( e . g . sip notify messages ) to determine if any new participants since the original sip invite have been added to the chat session . the local im server can validate the current participant list contained in each sip notify message to the original list included in the sip invite and then perform blacklist ( and / or whitelist ) validation for any new participants . it is expected that the local subscriber is removed from the chat session by the local im server when a new chat session participant is blacklisted . optionally , the local server could just notify the local subscriber with the recommended action via a canned chat session message to the subscriber ( a local im server initiated message to only the local subscriber ). this method fixes the limitations of the sip protocol sip refer message processing and allows the local server to honor blacklist provisioning to keep the local subscriber out of chat sessions with blacklisted members . the local im server could also send a system message to the local subscriber in the case when the local server will remove them from the chat session . in this case the local im server can send sip bye to the foreign conference factory server first to remove them from the chat session , and then send a system message to the local subscriber immediately before close their session with the local im server ( via sip bye ). when the local chat session participant does not subscribe for notifications to the conference factory server , the local im server should subscribe on behalf of the local subscriber when the blacklist ( or whitelist ) is provisioned and not empty . in this case the local im server sends a sip subscribe to the conference factory server in the foreign network as though the local subscriber originated the message . since only the local im server requested the notifications , sip notify messages received for the session should not be forwarded to the local subscriber . if the local subscriber later attempts to subscribe for notifications , the local im server would just respond with success since a subscription already exists and then forward any notifications received . the local im server in this case would need to generate an initial sip notify based on the last sip notify received for the session . optionally the sip subscribe from the local subscriber can still be forwarded directly to the conference factory server , since this would just refresh the existing subscription and require less processing at the local im server . also , it may optionally be desired to only validate system blacklist ( and / or whitelists ) as participants join a chat session and not when the session is setup , since not all invited participants may join the session . in this case blacklist processing could be skipped at sip invite time and the using the method in this invention intercept notification messages for session as new participants join the session to perform blacklist validation at that time . | 7 |
the following is a description of the system for industrial production of fertilizer , in reference to the preferred embodiment in which a progressive digestion process is utilized for the production of fertilizer . the starting materials for the process form a mixture of organic inputs , including digestive enzyme source ( des ) inputs , ph adjustment inputs and nutrient sources ( ns ). digestive enzyme source inputs may be waste materials such as fish processing wastes that contain fish and crab guts with all the digestive enzymes for animal - based proteins ; malt barley plant wastes that carry digestive enzymes for starch - based ns inputs . poultry slaughterhouse wastes with gizzard and poultry intestines carry enzymes for both plant and animal - based protein digestion . rumen contents from sheep and beef slaughterhouses are good source of cellulytic microbes and enzymes that digest cellulose - containing plant materials such as wood chips and sawdust . starch - digesting des can be prepared by sprouting feed barley or other low - cost grains , grinding them , and adding to starch rich ns such as pasta or bakery wastes . the des materials provide the digestive enzymes that augment the microbial digestion , the other major degradative process in pdp . it is important to match proper des with the prevailing ns to facilitate complete digestion of waste organic inputs within the minimum length of time . after pdp is complete , the digestive enzymes from des end up in soil where they contribute to additional organic matter degradation . this in turn contributes to the nutrient assimilation by the crops . examples of ph adjustment inputs are waste organic materials such as waste organic acids ( citric , acetic , lactic , malic , etc .) from their respective manufacturing plants . or , they can be acidic wastes from operations such as juice extracting plants , fruit processing or resulting fruit pumice . these materials are used to keep the ph of the fermentation down to reduce ammonia evaporation and foam creation . nutrient source inputs vary in nutrient content according to the origin of the organic material . thus , slaughterhouse wastes have more protein and bones than pasta processing plant wastes . by comparison , the pasta waste has more starch than slaughterhouse waste . both are good pdp inputs since they both support good microbial growth and are easily digested . the microbial biomass also contributes to the overall nutrition ( fertilizer value ) of the final product , as the microbes also become plant food at the end of their life cycle . the decision about the pdp organic inputs can be made on the basis of available organic wastes , or on the basis of the desired nutritional value of the final product . if it is made on the basis of available inputs , then the nutritional value of the final product is varied . if it is based on the nutritional value of the final product then the combination of the inputs varies with each change of the available supply . this invention claims the unique combination of organic inputs and environmental conditions created by a succession of digestion vessels to obtain a substantially digested , liquid , pathogen - free and malodor - free , fermented organic soil amendment ( fosa ) or liquid organic fertilizer ( lof ) that has been thermophilically treated for pathogen elimination and shelf stability . all starting materials in pdp are added to an rba tank 10 equipped with re - circulating chopper pump 10 a . it is strategically located to receive both liquid and ground solid materials such as slaughterhouse bones and hides , or animal carcasses from confined animal feeding operations ( cafo ) mortalities . solid materials are ground by using a hammer mill ( 8 ) adjusted to less than 1 inch particle size . after receiving pre - determined amount of both liquid and solid inputs , the materials are re - circulated with the re - circulation chopper pump 10 a that further reduces the particle size and homogenizes the slurry in the rba tank 10 . a sample is taken at this stage to measure ph of the slurry . if needed , ph is adjusted by adding acidic wastes to reduce ph to less than 6 . as soon as the material in rba tank 10 is easily pumpable , it is transferred to the primary mesophilic digester ( pmd ) 12 through a fluid connector 10 c . alternatively , the contents of rba tank 10 may be left undisturbed for 1 to 2 days to initiate enzymatic degradation under anaerobic conditions . then , they are pumped to pmd 12 through the fluid connector 10 c . the pmd tank 12 is an upright - standing , cone - bottom , digestion vessel equipped with an all - in - one mixing and aeration system . both , mixing and aeration are accomplished by installing a venturie 12 e directly into the pipe of an external re - circulation system . the liquid medium is constantly pumped from the bottom of the vessel , through the venturie 12 e and discharged back into the tank 12 in close proximity to the suction port . the suction side of the pump 12 b is connected about 2 feet above the lowest point of the pmd cone , with an inlet pipe that is at least one inch wider than the discharge pipe . the discharge side of the pump 12 b is connected through the discharge pipe to the discharge nozzle into the lower half of the digestion vessel , preferably just above the cone of the digestion vessel . the discharge nozzle is a 45 °- angled reduction nozzle that reduces the inside diameter of the pipe by 25 %. the discharge nozzle is pointed downward and to one side away from the intake pipe of the re - circulating pump 12 b . the pump 12 b is connected to a variable speed drive 12 f . its speed is adjustable such that it causes gentle mixing inside the tank at its low speed setting , or a very vigorous mixing at the high end of the pump speed . oxygenated liquid medium is discharged at the bottom of the tank , thus experiencing maximum oxygen contact with liquid medium on its way out of the vessel , and thereby facilitating maximum oxygen dissolution . the liquid discharge into the vessel accomplishes both , the liquid mixing and oxygenation of the medium . the pmd tank 12 is thermally insulated with about 1 - inch wall of foam insulation . after the tank is filled with fresh material the pump 12 b is turned on at a low speed until the fermentation starts to take hold as indicated by the temperature increase . then , the pump 12 b is ramped up slowly by the variable speed drive 12 f until it reaches the maximum speed and the maximum rate of aeration . temperature , ph and oxidation - reduction potential ( orp ) are monitored for process control illustrated , in general , as physical parameter monitoring instrumentation 12 d . also , a foam detector in said monitoring instrumentation 12 d is turned on to monitor the foam level on the liquid surface . in addition , samples are taken for digestion analysis by monitoring the amount of free amino acids ( ninhydrin test ) and undigested starch ( iodine test ) in the medium . the insulation foam thickness on this tank is critical to holding the maximum temperature at 38 ° c . after the digestion has leveled off in pmd ( 2 - 5 days ), the medium is pumped to the secondary mesophilic digester ( smd ) through a 3 ″ pipe 12 c , for further processing . the material coming from the pmd tank 12 is usually close to 38 ° c . it is a partially digested liquid . in the smd tank 14 , it continues the digestion process , except the digestion takes place at a higher temperature . to accomplish this , smd vessel 14 is insulated with about 2 - inch thick wall of insulation foam . all other process parameter monitoring instrumentation 14 d is the same as that in pmd . with this foam thickness the final temperature reached in the vessel is 50 ° c . the digestion is monitored throughout fermentation by taking samples daily and performing ninhydrin and starch tests . after the digestion levels off , the smd contents are pumped into the thermophilic digestion ( td ) tank 16 through a 3 ″ pipe 14 c . the material coming from smd tank 14 is usually close to 50 ° c . it is even more digested than before it was moved to the smd tank 14 . in the td tank 16 , the digestion continues . however , this tank 16 is insulated with 3 . 5 - inch thick layer of insulation foam . thus , the maximum temperature reached in this tank exceeds 65 ° c . after moving the material from smd tank , the pump 16 b in td tank is ramped up slowly by a variable speed drive 16 f to raise the temperature to 65 ° c . over the next 2 days . it is kept at 65 ° c . for 3 days to assure pathogen elimination . other parameters monitored in this processing tank are orp , ph , enzyme activity and microbial activity . similar to the vessels for mesophylic digestion , these parameters are monitored by monitoring instrumentation 16 d provided in the td tank 16 . it is important to monitor the microbial activity to make sure that viable microbial cells are in abundance in the final product . enzyme activity in the final product shows what enzyme activity can be expected to be added to the soil by adding fresh fosa . this activity is monitored throughout the shelf life of the product to see if the enzyme activity of the product increases or decreases with storage . final ph of the product is preferred to be less than 4 . 5 as this ph prevents proliferation of pathogenic micro - organisms . however , after the heat treatment process , no unprocessed materials can be added to the final product due to the possibility of microbial contamination . therefore , last ph adjustment in the process should be done in the smd tank 14 , before transfer to td tank 16 . the product is then pumped through a 3 ″ pipe 16 c to a centrifugation device 18 , as described below . after thermophilic fermentation process is complete , the product is centrifuged with a horizontal decanter centrifuge 18 , or any other solids separator . this assures solids separation and minimizes spray nozzle plugging in the spraying equipment used for dispensing the fertilizer product . after centrifugation , the product is passed through a fluid connector 18 c to a vibrating 200 - mesh screen 20 to separate possible remaining light solids in the product and make it drip - tape compatible . feed rate of the fluid connector 18 c is monitored to assure proper filtration and maximum throughput . the product is poured into one of a number of closed storage tanks 22 outfitted with valves 22 b suitable for product recirculation . the product is circulated through a pump 22 b and a venturie 22 e for 1 hour every week to aerate and mix it . the size of the pump and the venturie are coordinated with the size and volume of the storage tank . as described above , the resulting product is a shelf - stable , mal - odor and pathogen free , liquid fertilizer . moreover , the system can also be employed for treatment of wastes such as the segregated municipal food wastes . in this case , both the solid and the liquid fraction are thermophilically treated at the end of pdp process . solid fraction is a very good adjunct to the windrow composting piles , while the liquid fraction can be used as a soil amendment , or as a stock for higher nutritional value fertilizer by adding more organic nutrients and repeating pdp . while the present invention has been shown and described herein in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is recognized that departures , modifications , adaptations , variations and alterations in the described method may be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the foregoing description which does not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention which is therefore not to be limited to the details herein . for this reason , such changes are desired to be included within the scope of the appended claims . the descriptive manner which is employed for setting forth the embodiments should be interpreted as illustrative but not limitative of the full scope of the claims which embrace any and all equivalents thereto . | 8 |
the present invention is shown in the figures as it would be used in an offshore well drilling system in which a derrick or mast 10 is mounted on a semi - submersible platform 12 supported by flotation devices 14 in a bodyof water 16 . a crown block 18 is mounted at the top of the mast 10 and has a traveling block 20 suspended therefrom by means of a line 22 in an arrayabout the sheaves of the respective blocks and connected to draw works 24 . in the embodiment illustrated , a compensation means 26 is connected to thetraveling block 20 and includes a main frame 28 , a hook frame 30 from whicha hook 32 is suspended and a pair of piston cylinder assemblies 34 , 36 and chains 38 , 40 which interconnect the main frame 28 and hook frame 30 . an elevator 42 is suspended from the hook 32 and engages the load 44 , which is here illustrated as a tubular member representing a drill string , casing section , or any other equipment as might be used in an underwater drilling operation . the compensation apparatus 26 accommodates the platform motion while allowing the load 44 to be maintained at a relatively fixed location with respect to the underwater floor and well orto be selectively maneuvered relative to the seabed or well regardless of the heaving motion of the platform 12 . the operation of the rig is well known . one end of the line 22 is fixed to the mat or one of the two blocks and passes about the sheaves of the blocks over pulleys 46 and 48 to the drawworks 24 . the winding in and paying out of the line from the drawworks causes the relative movement of the traveling block with respect to the common block . in the embodiment illustrated , the traveling block is equipped with a compensator 26 which includes a main frame 28 and a hook frame 30 interconnected by means of the piston cylinder assemblies 34 , 36 and the chains 38 , 40 . fluid pressure for the piston cylinder assemblies 34 , 36 isprovided from a fluid pressure source 50 through flexible conduits 52 . the source and lines can include either and / or both hydraulic and pneumtic pressurized fluid as required . the main frame 28 and hook frame 30 are provided with lock bar slots 54 , 56 , respectively , and one of the frames is provided with a lock bar assembly as shown in fig3 . the lock bar assembly shown in fig3 is in the hook frame 30 and includes a lock bar 58 rotatably mounted on a shaft 60 with an actuating cylinder 62 connected by lever arm 64 to impart a rotary motion to the lock bar 58 . in some instances , it is desirable to incapacitate the compensation means 26 , and this is accomplished by bringing the hook frame 30 and main frame 28 together and locking them together with the lock bar 58 by rotating thebar so that the ends thereof extend through the respective slots 54 , 56 . at other times , it is desirable to increase the capacity for handling loads , and this is accomplished through the use of the present invention , as shown in fig5 and 6 . the present invention includes a booster pistoncylinder assembly 66 having a first mounting means 68 on a first end of a cylinder assembly 70 and a second mounting means 72 on the free end of thepiston rod 74 . the cylinder 70 includes couplings 76 for applying an actuating pressurized hydraulic or pneumatic fluid to the assembly , and couplings 77 to provide velocity control of fluid / piston movement . when it is desired to increase theload capabilities of the system , the booster assembly 66 would be mounted between the main frame 28 and the hook frame 30 by the respective mounting means 68 , 72 engaging in lock barmechanisms , as shown in fig3 . preferably , both the main frame 28 and the hook frame 30 would be provided with lock bar mechanisms to accommodate the present invention , but it will be readily understood that a simple bar ( not shown ) passing through the appropriate frame slot and mounting means would serve . the coupling 76 of the booster assembly 66 would be connectedto the conduit 52 and supplied by the fluid pressure source 50 . an example of a suitable lock bar mechanism is shown and described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 841 , 770 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . also , a compensation means of the type which could utilize the present invention is shown in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 666 , 874 filed oct . 31 , 1984 , the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference . the application discloses and claims a compensation means that is associated with the crown block , as distinguished from the traveling block of the present embodiment . however , either type of compensation means would benefit from the present invention . the foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof , and various changes in the method steps as well as in the details of the illustrated apparatus may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 8 |
fig3 shows schematically one embodiment of a component according to the invention . more particularly , it shows an in - line transmitter / receiver . however , the invention is not only limited to in - line transmitter / receivers , rather it applies to any integrated optoelectronic component for which crosstalk exists , that is to say to any component comprising a detector and an element liable to perturb the detector ; this is the case of a laser transmitter when the transmit wavelength of the laser lies within the absorption spectrum of the detector . in this example , the same references are used to denote the same elements as in the conventional transmitter / receiver shown schematically in fig1 . the laser 30 emits at a wavelength shorter than the receive wavelength of the detector 20 . the transmit wavelength is , for example , close to 1 . 3 μm whereas the receive wavelength is close to 1 . 55 μm . to eliminate the unguided stray light emitted at about 1 . 3 μm , the second section 40 of the component according to the invention , in this case the section capable of absorbing this light , includes an active layer 41 allowing strong optical confinement in the latter , that is to say ensuring stronger confinement and therefore higher absorption than if a layer identical to the layer 31 were to be used , so as to increase the overlap between the unguided light and this second active layer in which the guided light propagates . the component , more specifically the section 40 of the absorber , may also be provided with an additional improvement . this is because the intensity of the guided light emitted at about 1 . 3 μm is much higher as output by the laser than the intensity of the unguided light . now , when the active layer 31 of the laser extends into the second section 40 , as in the case of the component shown in fig1 , the guided light emitted at about 1 . 3 μm is rapidly absorbed over the first 50 μm of its path . it is therefore beneficial to introduce the layer 41 , as described above and which in particular is aimed at absorbing the unguided light , only when the guided light has already been largely absorbed . it is for this reason that the absorber 40 of the component shown schematically in fig4 a ) comprises two vertical structures . the first structure 40 a , extending the structure of the laser , is such that the structure of the active layer 31 of the laser extends partly into the section 40 ; the second structure 40 b , extending the first one , is that which enhances the optical confinement of the unguided light in the active layer , as described above . the reference 41 then denotes the active layer of the second structure 40 b . the first and second active layers of an in - line transmitter / receiver as described above are typically quantum - well layers . the active layer of the laser 30 may comprise , for example , six quantum wells each of 8 nm in thickness and separated by barriers of 10 nm in thickness ; the same applies in the case of the second active layer of the absorber which , for reasons of simplicity and manufacturing cost , is generally obtained at the end of the same epitaxy step as the first active layer and the structure of which is then identical to the latter . thus , an active layer with a thickness of about 0 . 1 μm is obtained . the strong optical confinement in the second layer may be obtained by choosing as second active layer 41 a bulk active layer as a replacement for the quantum - well layer . this bulk layer is , for example , made of a quaternary material having a photoluminescence wavelength of around 1 . 4 μm . since this wavelength is longer than the 1 . 3 μm wavelength of the laser , the light emitted by the laser is absorbed , whereas this bulk layer is transparent for the wavelength close to 1 . 55 μm that it is desired to detect , as it is longer than 1 . 4 μm . it is also possible to increase the optical confinement in the second active layer 41 by increasing its thickness , whether the layer is a quantum - well layer or a bulk layer . when the layer is a quantum - well layer , the number of quantum wells is increased for example — the thickness may be increased to about 0 . 5 μm . this is because there is generally a large difference between the refractive indices of the various constituent materials of the component and especially those of the absorber 40 . in particular , this large difference increases the reflection of the light rays ( or unguided modes ) emanating , for example , from the layer 11 , which may be made of inp , and entering the second active layer 41 , the index of which is higher than that of the inp . to further increase the absorption of the unguided mode in the guiding layer , that is to say the second active layer 41 , an “ anti - reflection ” layer 42 a and an “ anti - reflection ” layer 42 b , that is to say a layer having an index intermediate between that of the absorber and that of the inp , is then added to the lower and / or upper faces of this second active layer 41 . these “ anti - reflection ” layers 42 a and 42 b are placed on the faces of the active layer 41 of the second structure 40 b . the refractive indices , calculated at the 1 . 55 μm wavelength by the broberg method , have , for example , the following values : in the case of the layer 11 , which may be made of inp , a value of 3 . 1693 ; in the case of the layer 41 , which may be made of a quaternary material having a photoluminescence wavelength of 1 . 4 μm , a value of 3 . 4373 ; and , in the case of the “ anti - reflection ” layer , which may be made of a quaternary material having a photoluminescence wavelength of 1 . 17 μm , an intermediate value of 3 . 3317 . the curve shown in fig4 b ) demonstrates the absorption of the guided and unguided light emitted at about 1 . 3 μm as it propagates along the absorber 40 , the vertical structure of which is shown schematically in fig4 a ). over the length corresponding to the first structure 40 a , the curve can be divided into a first curve portion from 0 to about 50 μm , corresponding mainly to the absorption of the guided light , and a second curve portion from about 50 μm to about 100 μm , which corresponds mainly to a moderate absorption of the unguided light . over the distance corresponding to the second structure 40 b , the unguided light is absorbed between about 100 μm and about 200 μm , until no longer significantly perturbing the detector 20 . it is then possible to reduce the length of the absorber 40 from 300 μm to about 220 μm , to reduce the length of the component by a corresponding amount , and thus to reduce the manufacturing cost of the component . in general , the active layers 41 and 21 of the absorber and of the detector are placed end to end and the active layer 21 detects the light by direct coupling . however , in the case shown in fig5 in which the absorber 40 has a vertical double structure , the active layer 41 of the second structure 40 b of the absorber extends into the section 20 of the detector for fabrication reasons . this is the reason why the section 20 of the detector includes a fourth active layer 22 comprising absorbent ternary layers , which active layer 22 is deposited on this active layer 41 that extends into the detector , so that the guided light at about 1 . 55 μm that propagates along the active layer 41 of the absorber is evanescently coupled with the layer 22 in order to be detected : an evanescent - wave detector is thus obtained . according to one particular embodiment of the component , placed along the length of the component , as shown in fig3 , are / is an absorbent layer 70 n in the said lower layer 10 and / or an absorbent layer 70 p in the said upper layer 11 , these layers being capable of absorbing all or part of the said unguided light . it may be advantageous on the upper face of the layer 70 n to add one or more layers 72 n capable of reducing reflection of the unguided light on this upper face . likewise , it is possible to add on the lower face of the layer 70 p one or more layers 72 p capable of reducing reflection of the unguided light on this upper face . these layers 70 n and 72 n are , for example , doped with n - type carriers and the layers 70 p and 72 p doped with p - type carriers , that is to say like the corresponding lower 10 and upper 11 layers . | 7 |
the ( c 1 - c 5 ) alkyl group for r 3 includes a methyl group , an ethyl group , a propyl group , an isopropyl group , a butyl group , a tert - butyl group and the like ; the ( c 1 - c 5 ) haloalkyl group for r 3 includes a 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl group , a chloroethyl group and the like , and the ( c 3 - c 5 ) cycloalkyl group for r 3 includes a cyclopropyl group , a cyclobutyl group , a cyclopentyl group and the like . the halogen atom for r 4 includes a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom and the like . in terms of pesticidal activity , r 2 in the formula ( i ) is preferably a propargyl group . r 3 is preferably a ( c 1 - c 3 ) alkyl group such as an ethyl group , a ( c 1 - c 3 ) haloalkyl group such as 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - 1 - 1 -( trifluoromethyl ) ethyl group , 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl group and the like , or the ( c 3 - c 5 ) cycloalkyl group such as a cyclopropyl group . r 4 is preferably a halogen atom , more preferably a fluorine atom . when r 1 is a methyl group , substitution position of r 2 on the triazolone ring is preferably 4 - position . when r 1 is a hydrogen atom , substitution position of r 2 on the triazolone ring is preferably 2 - position . the present compound includes stereoisomers such as optical isomers designated as 1r - cis , 1r - trans , 1s - cis and 1s - trans resulting from an asymmetric carbon atom of cyclopropane ring moiety , geometrical isomers designated as e and z resulting from a double bond to which coor 3 is bonded , regio - isomers resulting from alcohol moiety such as one having r 2 on the 4 - position of the triazolone ring and one having r 2 on the 2 - position of the triazolone ring , and a mixture thereof in an optional ratio . in the present compounds , cyclopropane ring moiety having ( 1r , cis ) configuration is preferred . when cyclopropane moiety has said cis - configuration , a compound of which coor 3 and cyclopropane take cis configuration with regard to the double bond to which coor 3 is bonded , i . e . when r 4 is a halogen atom , designated as ( e ) configuration , or when r 4 is a hydrogen atom , designated as ( z ) configuration , is preferred . the present compound can be produced , for example , by the following method , which comprises reacting a carboxylic acid compound of the formula ii : ## str3 ## wherein r 3 and r 4 are the same as defined above or its reactive derivative , with an alcohol compound of the formula iii : ## str4 ## wherein r 1 and r 2 are the same as defined above . in this process 1 mole of the carboxylic acid ( ii ) and 1 to 1 . 5 moles of the alcohol compound ( iii ) are usually used . the carboxylic acid compound of the formula ( ii ) or its reactive derivative includes , for example , acid halogenide and acid anhydride , and acid chloride is preferably used . when the carboxylic acid compound itself of the formula ( ii ) is reacted with the alcohol compound of the formula ( iii ), the reaction is usually carried out in the presence of a dehydrating agent such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc ) or 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide hydrochloride ( wsc ) in an inert organic solvent such as dichloromethane , tetrahydrofurane ( thf ), benzene or toluene . an organic base such as pyridine , triethylamine , 4 - dimethylaminopyridine or diisopropylethylamine may be allowed to coexist in this reaction . the reaction temperature is usually - 10 ° c . to + 100 ° c . or the boiling point of the organic solvent employed , preferably 0 ° c . to 30 ° c . the reaction of the carboxylic acid chloride of the carboxylic acid compound of the formula ii and the alcohol compound of the formula iii is usually carried out in the presence of an organic base such as pyridine , triethylamine or 4 - dimethylaminopyridine in an inert organic solvent such as dichloromethane , thf , benzene or toluene . the reaction temperature is usually - 10 ° c . to 100 ° c . or the boiling point of the organic solvent employed , preferably 0 ° c . to + 30 ° c . after compeletion of the reaction , the reaction solution is subjected to a usual post - treatment such as an extraction with an organic solvent , washing and / or concentration to isolate the desired compound , and may be further purified by a usual procedure such as chromatography , if necessary . the carboxylic acid compound of the formula ( ii ) can be produced according to methods as described in kokai ( laid open ) sho 57 - 126447 , european patent 0050534 or kokai ( laid - open ) hei 1 - 156943 . the other intermediate alcohol compound of the formula ( iii ) can be produced according to a method as described in kokai sho 57 - 158765 . table 1______________________________________ ## str5 ## r . sup . 1 r . sup . 2 r . sup . 3 r . sup . 4______________________________________ch . sub . 3 chcch . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 fch . sub . 3 chcch . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 hch . sub . 3 chcch . sub . 2 cyclopropyl fch . sub . 3 chcch . sub . 2 ch ( cf . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 hch . sub . 3 chcch . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 clch . sub . 3 chcch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 fch . sub . 3 chcch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 cf . sub . 3 hch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 chch . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 f______________________________________ table 2______________________________________ ## str6 ## r . sup . 1 r . sup . 2 r . sup . 3 r . sup . 4______________________________________h chcch . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 fh chcch . sub . 2 cyclopropyl fh chcch . sub . 2 ch ( cf . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 hh ch . sub . 2 chch . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 f______________________________________ the present compound exhibits a good pesticidal activity , for example , against noxious insects and acarines listed below . noxious insect pests such as : planthoppers ( delphacidae ) such as small brown planthopper ( laodelphax striatellus ), brown rice planthopper ( nilaparvata lugens ), whitebacked rice planthopper ( sogatella furcifera ), etc . ; leafhoppers ( deltocephalidae ) such as green rice leafhopper ( nephotettix cincticeps ), zig - zag rice leafhopper ( recilia dorsalis ), green rice leafhopper ( nephotettix virescens ), etc . ; aphids ( aphididae ), plant bugs ( alydidae . coreidae , miridae , pentatomidae tingidae , etc . ), whiteflies ( aleyrodidae ), scale insects ( coccoidea ), jumping plantlice ( psyllidae ), etc . pyralid moths ( pyralidae ) such as rice stem borer ( chilo suppressalis ), rice leafroller ( cnaphalocrocis medinalis ), indian meal moth ( plodia interpunctella ), etc . ; owlet moths ( noctuidae ) such as common cutworm ( spodoptera litura ), rice armyworm ( pseudaletia separata ), cabbage armyworm ( mamestra brassicae ), etc . ; whites ( pieridae ) such as common cabbage worm ( pieris rapae crucivora ), etc . ; bell moths ( tortricidae ) such as adoxophyes spp ., etc ; carposinidae ; lyonetiid moths ( lyonetiidae ); tussock moths ( lymantriidae ); plusiid moths ( plusiinae ); agrotis spp . such as turnip moth ( agrotis segetum ), black cutworm ( agrotis ipsilon ), etc . ; heliothis spp . ; diamondback moth ( plutella xylostella ), casemaking clothes moth ( tinea translucens ), webbing clothes moth ( tineola bisselliella ), etc . house mosquitoes ( culex spp .) such as common mosquito ( culex pipiens pallens ), culex tritaeniorhychus , etc . ; aedes spp . such as aedes aegypti , aedes albopictus , etc . ; anophelinae such as anopheles sinensis , etc . ; midges ( chironomidae ); muscidae such as houseflies ( musca domestica ), false stableflies ( muscina stabulans ), lesser houseflies ( fannia canicularis ). etc . ; blow flies ( calliphoridae ); flesh flies ( sarcophagidae ); anthomyiid flies ( anthomyiidae ) such as seedcorn maggot ( delia platura ), onion maggot ( delia antigua ), etc . ; fruit flies ( tephritidae ); small fruit flies ( drosophilidae ); moth flies ( psychodidae ); tabanid flies ( tabanidae ); black flies ( simuliidae ); stable flies ( stomoxyidae ), etc . corn rootworms ( diabrotica ) such as western corn rootworm ( diabrotica virgifera ), southern corn rootworm ( diabrotica undecimpunctata ), etc . ; scarabs ( scarabaeidae ) such as cupreous chafer ( anomala cuprea ), soybean beetle ( anomala rufocuprea ), etc . ; weevils ( curculionidae ) such as rice water weevil ( lissorhoptrus oryzophilus ), etc . ; rhynchophoridae such as maize weevil ( sitophilus zeamais ), etc . ; darking beetles ( tenebrionidae ) such as yellow mealworm ( tenebrio molitor ), red flour beetle ( tribolium castaneum ), etc . ; leaf beetles ( chrysomelidae ) such as striped flea beetle ( phyllotreta striolata ), cucurbit leaf beetle ( aulacophora femoralis ), etc . ; deathwatch and drugstore beetles ( anobiidae ); epilachna spp . such as twenty - eight - spotted ladybird ( epilachna vigintioctopunctata ), etc . ; powderpost beetles ( lyctidae ); false powderpost beetles ( bostrychidae ); longicorn beetles ( cerambycidae ); robe beetles ( paederus fuscipes ); etc . german cockroach ( blattella germanica ), smokybrown cockroach ( periplaneta fuliginosa ), american cockroach ( periplaneta americana ), brown cockroach ( periplaneta brunnea ), oriental cockroach ( blatta orientalis ), etc . ants ( formicidae ), hornets ( vespidae ), bethylid wasps ( bethylidae ), sawflies ( tenthredinidae ) such as cabbage sawfly ( athalia rosae ruficornis ), etc . carmine spider mite ( tetranychus cinnabarinus ), two - spotted spider mite ( tetranychus urticae ), kanzawa spider mite ( tetranychus kanzawai ), citrus red mite ( panonychus citri ), european red mite ( panonychus ulmi ), etc . when the present compounds are used as an active ingredient of the pesticidal agent , it is a common practice to formulate them into the various formulations described below by mixing with a solid carrier , a liquid carrier , a gaseous carrier or a bait , or by impregnating them into base materials such as mosquito coils , mosquito mats , etc ., and if necessary by adding surface active agents and other auxiliaries for formulation . the above formulations include oil sprays , emulsifiable concentrates , wettable powders , flowable formulations such as , for example , water - based suspension formulations , water - based emulsion formulations , etc , granules , dusts , aerosols , heating smoking formulations such as , for example , mosquito coils , electric mosquito mats , electric non - mat formulations , etc ., heating smoking formulations such as , for example , self - combustible smoking formulations , chemically reactive smoking formulations , porous ceramic plate - form smoking formulations , etc ., non - heating volatile formulations such as , for example , resin volatile formulations , impregnated paper volatile formulations , etc ., foggings , ulv formulations , poisonous baits and the like . these formulations usually contain the present compound as an active ingredient in an amount of 0 . 001 % to 95 % by weight . the solid carrier used in formulation includes , for example , fine powders or granules of clays ( e . g . kaolin clay , diatomaceous earth , synthetic hydrated silicon oxide , bentonite , fubasami clay , acid clay ), talcs , ceramics , other inorganic minerals ( e . g . sericites , quartz , sulfur , active carbon , calcium carbonate , hydrated silica ) and chemical fertilizers ( e . g . ammonium sulfate , ammonium phosphate , ammonium nitrate , urea , ammonium chloride ). the liquid carrier includes , for example , water , alcohols ( e . g . methanol , ethanol ), ketones ( e . g . acetone , methyl ethyl ketone ), aromatic hydrocarbons ( e . g . benzene , toluene , xylene , ethylbenzene , methylnaphthalene ), aliphatic hydrocarbons ( e . g . hexane , cyclohexane , kerosene , gas oil ), esters ( e . g . ethyl acetate , butyl acetate ), nitrites ( e . g . acetonitrile , isobutyronitrile ), ethers ( e . g . diisopropyl ether , dioxane ), acid amides ( e . g . n , n dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide ), halogenated hydrocarbons ( e . g . dichloromethane , trichloroethane , carbon tetrachloride ), dimethyl sulfoxide , vegetable oils ( e . g . soybean oil , cotton seed oil ), etc . the gaseous carrier . i . e . a propellant , includes , for example , flon gas , butane gas , lpg ( liquefied petroleum gas ), dimethyl ether , carbon dioxide gas and the like . the surface active agents include , for example , alkyl sulfates , alkylsulfonates , alkylarylsulfonates , alkyl aryl ethers and their polyoxyethylenated products , polyethylene glycol ethers , polyhydric alcohol esters , sugar alcohol derivatives and the like . the auxiliaries for formulation such as fixing agents , dispersing agents , etc . include , for example , casein , gelatin , polysaccharides ( e . g . starch powder , gum arabic , cellulose derivatives , alginic acid ), lignin derivatives , bentonite , saccharides , synthetic water soluble polymers ( e . g . polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , polyacrylic acids ), etc . the stabilizing agents include , for example , pap ( isopropyl acid phosphate ), bet ( 2 , 6 - di - tert - butyl - 4 - methylphenol ), bha ( a mixture of 2 - tert - butyl - 4 - methoxyphenol and 3 - tert butyl - 4 - methoxyphenol ), vegetable oils , mineral oils , surface active agents , fatty acids and their esters , and the like . the base material for the mosquito coils includes , for example , mixtures of a vegetable raw powder ( e . g . wood powder , pyrethrum marc ) with a binder ( e . g . tabu powder , starch , gluten ). the base material for the electric mosquito mats includes , for example , plate - like hardened products of fibrils of cotton linter or a mixture of cotton linter and pulp . the base material for the self - combustible smoking formulations includes , for example , combustible exothermic agents ( e . g . nitrates , nitrites , guanidine salts , potassium chlorate , nitro - cellulose , ethyl cellulose , wood powders ), pyrolysis - stimulating agents ( e . g . alkali metal salts , alkaline earth metal salts , dichromates , chromates ), oxygen - supplying agents ( e . g . potassium nitrate ), combustion assistants ( e . g . melamine , wheat starch ), fillers ( e . g . diatomaceous earth ) and binders ( e . g . synthetic pastes ). the base - material for the chemically reactive smoking formulations includes , for example , exothermic agents ( e . g . sulfides , polysulfides , hydrosulfides and hydrate salts of alkali metals , calcium oxide ) catalysts ( e . g . carbonaceous substances , iron carbide , activated clay ), organic foaming agents ( e . g . azodicarbonamide , benzenesulfonylhydrazide , dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine , polystyrene , polyurethane ) and fillers ( e . g . natural fiber pieces , synthetic fiber pieces ). the base material for the non - heating volatile formulations includes , for example , thermoplatic resins , filter paper and japanese paper . the base material for the poisonous baits include , for example , bait components ( e . g . grain powders , vegetable oils , saccharides , crystalline cellulose ), antioxidant ( e . g . dibutylhydroxytoluene , nordihydroguaiaretic acid ), preservers ( e . g . dehydroacetic acid ), substances for preventing erroneous eating ( e . g . red pepper powder ), and attractants ( e . g . cheese perfume , onion perfume , peanut oil ). flowable formulations ( water - based suspension or emulsion formulations ) are generally obtained by finely dispersing 1 to 75 % of the present compound in water containing 0 . 5 to 15 % of a dispersing agent . 0 . 1 to 10 % of a suspension assistant ( e . g . protective colloids , compounds giving thixotropy ) and 0 to 10 % of a suitable auxiliary ( e . g . antifoaming agents , anti corrosives , stabilizers , spreading agents , penetration auxiliaries , antifreezing agents , antibacterial agents , antimolding agents ). it is also possible to obtain oil based suspension formulations by replacing water by an oil in which the present compound is almost insoluble . the protective colloids include , for example , gelatin , casein , gums , cellulose esters , polyvinyl alcohol , etc ., and the compounds giving thixotropy include , for example , bentonite , aluminum magnesium silicate , xanthane gum , polyacrylic acid and the like . the formulations thus obtained are used as they are or diluted with water , etc . they may also be used in mixture with other insecticides , acaricides , nematicides , soil - pest controlling agents , fungicides . herbicides , plant growth regulators , synergists , fertilizers , soil improvers , etc ., or may be used together with these chemicals simultaneously and without mixing . examples of the insecticides and acaricides used herein include , for example , the following : organophosphorus compounds such as fenitrothion o , o - dimethyl o -( 3 - methyl - 4 - nitrophenyl ) phosphorothioate !, fenthion o , o - dimethyl o -( 3 - methyl - 4 -( methylthio ) phenyl )- phosphorothioate !, diazinon o , o - diethyl - o - 2 - isopropyl - 6 - methylpyrimidin - 4 - ylphosphorothioate !, chlorpyriphos o , o - diethyl - o - 3 , 5 , 6 - trichloro - 2 - pyridylphosphorothioate !, ddvp 2 , 2 - dichlorovinyl - dimethylphosphate !, etc . ; carbamate compounds such as bpmc 2 - sec - butylphenyl methylcarbamate !, propoxur 2 - isopropoxyphenyl n - methylcarbamate !, etc . ; pyrethroid compounds such as ethofenprox 2 -( 4 - ethoxyphenyl )- 2 - methylpropyl - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ether !, fenvalerate ( rs )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( rs )- 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - methylbutyrate !, esfenvalerate ( s )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( s )- 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - methylbutyrate !, fenpropathrin ( rs )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl 2 , 2 , 3 , 3 - tetramethylcyclopropane - carboxylate !, cypermethrin ( rs )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( 1rs - cis , trans )- 3 -( 2 , 2 - dichlorovinyl )- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate !, permethrin 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( 1rs - cis , trans )- 3 -( 2 , 2 - dichlorovinyl )- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate !, deltamethrin ( s )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( 1r - cis )- 3 -( 2 , 2 - dibromovinyl )- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate !, halfenprox 2 - methyl - 2 -( 4 - bromodifluoromethoxyphenyl ) propyl ( 3 - phenoxybenzyl ) ether !, tralomethrin ( 1r - cis ) 3 - ( 1rs )( 1 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 39 ;- tetrabromoethyl )!- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid ( s )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ester !, silafluofen 4 - ethoxyphenyl { 3 -( 4 - fluoro - 3 - phenoxyphenyl )- propyl } dimethylsilane !, d - phenothrin 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( 1r - cis , trans )- chrysanthemate !, cyphenothrin ( rs )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( 1r - cis , trans )- chrysanthemate !, d - resmethrin 5 - benzyl - 3 - furylmethyl ( 1r - cis , trans ) - chrysanthemate !, acrinathrin ( s )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( 1r - cis ( z ))-( 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 -{ 3 - oxo - 3 -( 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropyloxy )- propenyl }- cyclopropanecarboxylate !, cyfluthrin ( rs ) - α - cyano - 4 - fluoro - 3 - phenoxybenzyl 3 -( 2 , 2 - dichlorovinyl )- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate !, lambdahalothrin ( rs )- α - cyano - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ( 1rs - cis ( z ))- 3 -( 2 - chloro - 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoroprop - 1 - enyl )- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate !, tefluthrin 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetrafluoro - 4 - methylbenzyl ( 1rs - cis ( z ))- 3 -( 2 - chloro - 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoroprop - 1 - enyl )- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate !, transfluthrin 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetrafluorobenzyl ( 1r - trans )- 3 -( 2 , 2 - dichlorovinyl )- 2 , 2 - dimethylcyclopropane - carboxylate !, prallethrin ( s )- 2 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 3 -( 2 - propynyl )- 2 - cyclopenten - 1 - yl ( 1r - cis , trans )- chrysanthemate !, d - allethrin 2 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 - cyclopenten - 1 - yl ( 1r - cis , trans )- chrysanthemate !, d - tetramethrin 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 - tetraphthalimidomethyl ( 1r - cis , trans )- chrysanthemate ! etc . ; and nitroimidazolidine derivatives such as imidachloprid 1 -( 6 - chloro - 3 - pyridylmethyl )- n - nitroimidazolidin - 2 - ylidenamine !, etc ., and benzoylphenylurea compounds such as chlorofluazuron 1 -( 3 , 5 - dichloro - 4 -( 3 - chloro - 5 - trifluoromethyl pyridin - 2 - yloxy ) phenyl )- 3 -( 2 , 6 - difluorobenzoyl ) urea !, teflubenzuron 1 -( 3 , 5 - dichloro - 2 , 4 - difluorophenyl )- 3 -( 2 , 6 - difluorobenzoyl ) urea !, flufenoxuron 1 -( 4 -( 2 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenoxy )- 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( 2 , 6 - difluorobenzoyl )- urea !, etc . when the present compounds are used as an active ingredient for the pesticidal agents used in agriculture , their dosage rate is usually 0 . 1 to 500 g / 10 ares . when the emulsifiable concentrates , wettable powders , flowable formulations , etc . are used diluted with water , the application concentration of the active ingredient is from 0 . 1 to 1000 ppm . the granules , dusts , etc ., are used as they are without being diluted . when the present compounds are used as an active ingredient for the pesticidal agents used for household and public hygiene , the emulsifiable concentrates , wettable powders , flowable formulations , etc ., are appllied diluted with water to 0 . 1 to 10000 ppm , and the oil sprays , aerosols , fumigants , smoking formulations , volatile formulations , foggings , ulv formulations , poisonous baits , etc ., are applied as they are . any of these dosage rate and application concentration vary with the kind of formulations , when , where and how these formulations are applied . the kind of pests , the degree of damage , etc ., and therefore they may be increased or decreased independently of the ranges described above . the present invention will be illustrated in more detail with reference to the following preparation examples , formulation examples and test examples , but it is not limited to these examples . 1 . 7 mililiters of thionyl chloride , and catalytic amount of dmf were added to a dry benzene solution of 4 . 576 g of ( e )-( 1r , cis )- 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - 2 - fluoro - 2 -( ethoxycarbonyl )- ethenyl ! cyclopropane - 1 - carboxylic acid and reacted under reflux for 2 hours . the reaction solution was concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain the corresponding carboxylic acid chloride . 3 . 986 g of 5 - methyl - 4 - propargyl - 2 , 4 - dihydro - 3h - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazol - 3 - on - 2 - ylmethyl alcohol , 4 . 2 ml of triethylamine and catalytic amount of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine were dissolved in 30 ml of dry thf and cooled to 0 ° c . to the resulting solution were added 10 ml of thf solution of carboxylic acid chloride prepared above and the resulting solution was stirred for 14 hours at room temperature . the reaction solution was poured into a saturated ammonium chloride solution and extracted three times with diethyl ether . the combined organic layer was washed with brine and separated organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate . the filtered solution was evaporated under reduced pressure to give a crude product . the product was purified with silica gel column chromatography ( eluent ; n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 3 : 1 ( v / v )) to give 6 . 39g of 5 - methyl - 4 - propargyl - 2 , 4 - dihydro - 3h - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazol - 3 - on - 2 - ylmethyl ( e )-( 1r , cis )- 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - 2 - fluoro - 2 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) etheryl ! cyclopropane - 1 - carboxylate ( present compound ( 1 )). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 solvent , tms as internal standard , 250 mhz ) δ value ( ppm ): 5 . 89 ( q , 1h ), 5 . 21 ( dd , 2h ), 4 . 44 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 30 ( q , 2e ), 2 . 88 ( brt , 1h ), 2 . 37 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 36 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 91 ( d , 1h ), 1 . 36 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 26 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 25 ( s , 3h ). 0 . 08 mililiters of thionyl chloride , and catalytic amount of dmf were added to a dry benzene solution of 0 . 183 g of ( z )-( 1r , cis )- 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - 2 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) ethenyl !- cyclopropane - 1 - carboxylic acid and reacted under reflux for 2 hours . the reaction solution was concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain the corresponding carboxylic acid chloride . 0 . 188 g of 5 - methyl - 4 - propargyl - 2 , 4 - dihydro - 3h - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazol - 3 - on - 2 - ylmethyl alcohol , 0 . 23 ml of triethylamine and catalytic amount of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine were dissolved in 5 ml of dry thf and cooled to 0 ° c . to the resulting solution were added 2 ml of thf solution of carboxylic acid chloride prepared above and the resulting solution was stirred for 15 hours at room temperature . the reaction solution was poured into a saturated ammonium chloride solution and extracted three times with diethyl ether . the combined organic layer was washed with brine and separated organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate . the filtered solution was evaporated under reduced pressure to give a crude product . the product was purified with silica gel column chromatography ( eluent ; n - hexane : ethyl acetate = 3 : 1 ( v / v )) to give 0 . 287 g of 5 - methyl - 4 - propargyl - 2 , 4 - dihydro - 3h - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazol - 3 - on - 2 - ylmethyl ( z )-( 1r , cis )- 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - 2 -( ethoxycarbonyl )- ethenyl ! cyclopropane - 1 - carboxylate ( present compound ( 2 )). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 solvent , tms as internal standard , 250 mhz ) δ value ( ppm ): 6 . 60 ( brt , 1h ), 5 . 89 ( d , 1h ), 5 . 73 ( d , 1h ), 5 . 68 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 44 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 17 ( q , 2h ), 3 . 28 ( brt , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( brs , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 94 ( d , 1h ), 1 . 30 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 29 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 26 ( s , 3h ). some of the present compounds and their compound numbers are listed below : formulation examples will be shown below . in the examples , part is by weight , and the present compounds will be shown by the compound numbers shown above . twenty parts of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) are dissolved in 65 parts of xylene , and 15 parts of sorpol 3005x , an emulsifier ( a registered trade mark of toho kagaku co ., ltd .) are added thereto . the resulting mixture is well stirred and mixed to obtain a 20 % emulsifiable concentrate of each compound . to 40 parts of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) are added 5 parts of sorpol 3005x ( described above ), and after well stirring , 32 parts of carplex # 80 , finely powdered synthetic hydrated silicon oxide ( a registered trade mark of shionogi seiyaku co ., ltd .) and 23 parts of 300 - mesh diatomaceous earth are added thereto . the resulting mixture is well stirred and mixed with a juice mixer to obtain a 40 % wettable powder of each compound . 1 . 5 parts of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) and 98 . 5 parts of agsorb lvm - ms24 / 48 , a calcined product of montmorillonite ( a granular carrier of 24 to 48 mesh in particle size ; produced by oil dr1 co ., ltd . ), are well mixed to obtain a 1 . 5 % granule of each compound . ten parts of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ), 10 parts of phenylxylylethane and 0 . 5 part of sumidur l - 75 , tolylenediisocyanate ( produced by sumitomo bayer urethane co ., ltd .) are mixed . the resulting mixture is added to 20 parts of a 10 % aqueous gum arabic solution and stirred with a homomixer to obtain an emulsion of 20 μm in average particle size .. thereafter , 2 parts of ethylene glycol is added thereto and reaction is carried out for 24 hours at 60 ° c . in a warm bath to obtain a microcapsule slurry . separately , 0 . 2 part of xanthane gum and 1 . 0 part of veegum r . aluminum magnesium silicate ( produced by sanyo kasei co ., ltd . ), are dispersed in 56 . 3 parts of ion - exchanged water to obtain a thickening agent solution . 42 . 5 parts of the above microcapsule slurry and 57 . 5 parts of the above thickening agent solution are mixed to obtain a 10 % microencapsulated formulation of each compound . ten parts of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) and 10 parts of phenylxylylethane are mixed and added to 20 parts of a 10 % aqueous polyethylene glycol solution and stirred with a homomixer to obtain an emulsion of 3 μm in average particle size . separately , 0 . 2 part of xanthane gum and 1 . 0 part of veegum r , aluminum magnesium silicate ( produced by sanyo kasei co ., ltd . ), are dispersed in 58 . 8 parts of ion - exchanged water to obtain a thickening agent solution . forty parts of the above emulsion and 60 parts of the above thickening agent solution are mixed to obtain a 10 % flowable formulation of each compound . five parts of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ), 3 parts of carplex # 80 ( described above ), 0 . 3 part of pap and 91 . 7 parts of 300 - mesh talc are mixed with stirring with a juice mixer to obtain a 5 % dust of each compound . 0 . 1 part of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) is dissolved in 5 parts of dichloromethane , and mixed with 94 . 9 parts of deodorized kerosene to obtain a 0 . 1 % oil solution of each compound . one part of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ), 5 parts of dichloromethane and 34 parts of a deodorized kerosene are mixed into a solution . the resulting solution is put in an aerosol container . after attaching a valve part to the container . 60 parts of a propellant ( liquefied petroleum gas ) is charged into the container under pressure through the valve part to obtain an oil - based aerosol of each compound . 0 . 6 part of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ), 5 parts of xylene 3 . 4 parts of a deodorized kerosene and 1 part of an emulsifier , atoms 300 ( a registered trade mark of atlas chemical co ., ltd .) are mixed into a solution . the resulting solution and 50 parts of pure water are put in an aerosol container . after attaching a valve part to the container , 40 parts of a propellant ( liquefied petroleum gas ) is charged into the container under pressure through the valve part to obtain a water - based aerosol of each compound . 0 . 3 gram of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) is dissolved in 20 ml of acetone and uniformly mixed with 99 . 7 g of a mosquito coil carrier ( a mixture of tabu powder , pyrethrum marc and wood powder in a weight ratio of 4 : 3 : 3 ) with stirring . after adding 120 ml of water to the resulting mixture , the mixture is well kneaded , shaped into a mosquito coil and dried to obtain a mosquito coil of each compound . 0 . 8 gram of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) and 0 . 4 g of piperonyl butoxide are dissolved in acetone , and the total volume of the solution is made up to 10 ml with acetone . thereafter , 0 . 5 ml of this solution is uniformly impregnated into a base material for electric mats of 2 . 5 cm × 1 . 5 cm × 0 . 3 cm ( thickness ) ( a plate - like hardened product of fibrils of a mixture of cotton linter and pulp ) to obtain an electric mosquito mat formulation of each compound . three parts of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) are dissolved in 97 parts of a deodorized kerosene and put in a vinyl chloride container . a liquid absorbing core ( a sintered product of an inorganic powder hardened with a binder ), of which the upper part is made so that it can be heated with a heater , is inserted into the container to obtain an electric mosquito liquid formulation of each compound . one hundred milligrams of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) are dissolved in a suitable amount of acetone , and impregnated into a porous ceramic plate of 4 . 0 cm × 4 . 0 cm × 1 . 2 cm ( thickness ) to obtain a heating smoking formulation of each compound . one hundred μg of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) are dissolved in a suitable amount of acetone , and uniformly coated onto a filter paper of 2 cm × 2 cm × 0 . 3 mm ( thickness ). acetone is removed by air - drying to obtain a room - temperature volatile formulation of each compound . an acetone solution of each of the compounds ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) is dropped to a filter paper and impregnated into the paper so that the amount of the compound is 1 g per m 2 . acetone is removed by air - drying to obtain a mite - controlling sheet of each compound . test examples will be shown for the purpose of showing that the present compound is useful as an active ingredient of pesticidal agents . the present compounds are shown by the foregoing compound numbers , and compounds used as a control are shown by the compound symbol in table 3 . table 3__________________________________________________________________________compoundchemical formula remarks__________________________________________________________________________ ( a ) ## str7 ## 1r - trans isomer of compound ( 1 ) disclosed in kokai sho__________________________________________________________________________ 57 - 158765 ten adults ( five males and five females ) of german cockroach ( blattella germanica ) were liberated in a polyethylene cup having a diameter of 9 cm of which the inner wall surface was thinly coated with margarine and covered with 16 - mesh nylon gauze . the cup was placed in a bottom of a cylinder made of acryl having an inside diameter of 10 cm and a height of 37 cm . thereafter , 0 . 6 ml of the 0 . 003 % oil solution of test compound obtained according to formulation example 7 was directly sprayed from the top of the cylinder under a pressure of 0 . 6 atm by means of a spray gun . after 1 minute , the number of the knocked - down insects was examined ( two replicate ). the results are shown in table 4 . ten female adults of common mosquito ( culex pipiens pallens ) were liberated in a 70 cm cube ( 0 . 34 m 3 ) glass chamber . thereafter , 0 . 7 ml of the 0 . 0125 % oil solution of each test compound obtained according to formulation example 7 was sprayed into the chamber under pressure of 0 . 8 atm by means of a spray gun . after 0 . 6 minute the number of the knocked - down insects was examined . the results are shown in table 5 . | 0 |
several exemplary embodiments for an improved ldv system capable of determining direction using an electronically switchable grating will now be described . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of the specific details set forth herein . one embodiment provides a system and method for electronically switching the diffraction grating . determining direction does not require a continuous change in phase position of the diffraction grating but rather the phase need only shift or switch between predefined phase shifts within a single the 0 to 2π radians cycle . further , only three or more discrete steps or shifts are needed within the 0 to 2π radian interval . as described above , a moving diffraction grating imposing frequency shifts on the +/− first diffraction order laser beams in order to give moving fringes is the same as projecting a ( spatially filtered ) image of the moving grating into the flow of particles . the grating can be shifted so that one period of the projected fringe pattern is covered in a single complete cycle of the image of the grating . the cycle can be repeated for as many repetitions as desired . one approach to switching the position of the diffraction grating is to physically move the grating into the desired discrete positions . in another approach the diffraction grating can be an image on a display ( e . g ., liquid crystal , mems device , etc .) and the image can be electronically switched into the desired number of different discrete positions in the display . the display position can be physically moved and the image position displayed therein can also be electronically switched in the display . the present invention can be used to detect movement and determine direction of movement of a target in the measurement volume . the target can be one or more particles in a gaseous or liquid ( i . e ., fluid ) stream moving relative to the measurement volume . the target can be a surface that is moving relative to the measurement volume . by way of example , a surface moving under an optical computer mouse and the invention is included in the computer mouse to detect motion and direction of the mouse relative to the surface . fig2 is a diagram of an electronically switchable grating 200 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the electronically switchable grating 200 includes a mechanical diffraction grating 200 which can be discretely positioned or switched under electronic control of a piezoelectric stage 308 . fig3 is a diagram of an ldv system 300 including the electronically switchable grating 200 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig4 is a graph 400 of the drive voltage for a piezoelectric translation stage 308 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the electronically switchable grating 200 is shown in three phase steps in even intervals of 2π / 3 radians . the electronically switchable grating 200 can be an amplitude grating mounted on a piezoelectric translation stage 308 that is driven by a drive voltage source 306 . the drive voltage can be stepped through the discrete steps as shown in the graph 400 of fig4 . stepping the drive voltage through the discrete steps at 2π / 3 radians intervals causes the piezoelectric translation stage to move the electronically switchable grating 200 in the corresponding discrete steps . the piezoelectric translation stage 308 can accurately step the switchable grating 200 to three discrete positions 202 , 204 and 206 ( i . e ., 0π , ⅔π , and 4 / 3π , respectively ). while three discrete positions are described herein , it should be understood that more than three discrete positions could also be used . by way of example the , the electronically switchable grating 200 could be shifted between four positions ( or , ½π , 1π , and 3 / 2π , respectively ) or five positions ( 0π , ⅖π , ⅘π , 6 / 5π , and 8 / 5π , respectively ) or six positions ( 0π , ⅓π , ⅔π , 1π , 4 / 3π and 5 / 3π , respectively ) or even more positions . while a piezoelectric translation stage 308 is used , the frequency limitations of such devices ( typically up to about 500 hz for the fastest that are commercially available ) can limit the use of the piezoelectric translation stage to only relatively slower particle flow rates . as will be described below , alternative embodiments allow the switchable grating 200 to be used in a selected number of discrete positions at much higher frequencies . fig5 is a diagram of an ldv system 500 including the electronically switchable grating 200 and a movable screen 352 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . referring to both fig3 and 5 , the laser source 102 can be a low power hene laser ( λ = 633 nm ) is incident on a 40 lp / mm ronchi grating ( 25 μm pitch ). the +/− first order laser beams 104 a and 104 b are selected . as shown in fig5 , the focused +/− first order laser beams 104 a ′ and 104 b ′ cross on a ground glass screen 352 with a grating magnification of approximately 1 . the movable ground glass screen 352 simulates a moving particle in the measurement volume 112 . the ground glass screen 352 can be made by grinding the surface of a piece of glass with grit to make an optically rough surface . forward scattered light from the screen 352 is collected and imaged through an opening 330 in a screen 332 and detected with the detector 102 . the opening 330 can have a diameter of roughly the size of one coherence area to maximize signal contrast . the optical intensity fluctuations can be recorded and fourier transformed using a digital oscilloscope . in one embodiment , the grating 200 is mounted on a polytec pi p733 . 2cl piezo stage and the stage driven with a polytec pi e503 lvpzt amplifier ( i . e ., available from polytec in tustin , calif . the frequency response of this system can be limited to several hundred hertz . recall that the fringes 112 a - d are formed using the +/− 1 orders of the grating 200 , therefore a shift of half the period of the grating is needed to translate the fringes by one period , which is 12 . 5 μm in one embodiment . as described above , the translations of 0 , ⅓ and ⅔ of the fringe period are used , so the positions of the diffraction grating should be 0 μm , 4 . 2 μm and 8 . 3 μm . a function generator ( e . g ., agilent 33120a available from agilent in palo alto , calif .) or similar drive voltage source can be used as the drive voltage source 306 to supply the correct drive voltages to the pzt amplifier which then drove the piezo stage 308 . when driven at low frequencies ( e . g ., less than about 50 hz ) the required positions could be achieved to +/− 0 . 1 μm . at higher frequencies ( greater than about 50 hz ) the piezo stage 308 can experience ringing and overshoot . fig6 a through 6e are graphical representations power spectra of light intensity fluctuations 610 , 620 , 630 , 640 and 650 of an actual test of the performance of the ldv system 500 , in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention . the power spectra 614 , 624 , 634 , 644 and 654 are the raw test data . the power spectra 614 , 624 , 634 , 644 and 654 are superimposed on respective summary curves 612 , 622 , 632 , 642 and 652 . the summary assumes only one particle in the measurement volume 112 and specifically neglects the finite extent of the fringe pattern . the intensity of the scattered light as a function of time can be written as shown in formula 1 . where i 0 is a constant representing the maximum intensity of the light , v is the component of the particle velocity across the fringe pattern , a is the fringe period which is the separation between the bright or dark fringes and f 0 is the drive frequency of the grating 200 . the operator floor rounds its argument to the nearest integer in the direction of negative infinity . fig6 a shows the power spectrum 610 when the grating 200 is not moving and the target ( i . e ., the ground glass screen 352 ) is driven forward by piezo stage 308 at 5 hz . a spectral peak 612 a occurs at 5 hz to indicate the movement of the screen 352 . fig6 b shows the power spectrum 620 and the screen 352 is driven backwards by drive stage 308 . the spectral peak 622 a occurs at 7 hz . the difference in location of peak 612 a and peak 622 a ( i . e ., 5 hz v . 7 hz ) is due to variations in the rate at which the piezo stage 308 moves in forward and reverse directions . specifically , the piezo stage 308 moves slightly faster in the reverse direction than in the forward direction , but there is no way to determine a priori the direction of the travel of the screen 352 in forward or reverse direction only that the screen is moving to produce peaks 612 a , 622 a at either 5 hz or 7 hz , respectively . fig6 c shows the power spectrum data 630 f where the screen 352 is stationary and the grating 200 is oscillated at 20 hz . as a result , a distinct peak 632 a at 20 hz is detected . due to the quantized nature of the grating position , a significant harmonic peak 632 b also occurs at 40 hz . fig6 d shows the power spectrum data 640 where the screen 352 is driven forward at 5 hz and the grating 200 is oscillated at 20 hz . the predominant peak 642 a is at 25 hz . 25 hz is the sum of the frequency due to the motion of the screen 352 ( 5 hz ) and the frequency due to the oscillating grating 200 ( 20 hz ). the occurrence of the peak 642 at the 25 hz sum of the two frequencies indicates that the screen 352 is driven forward at 5 hz . peak 642 a stands about 10 db above the next highest peak 642 b at 35 hz ( a difference frequency of 2 * 20 hz minus 5 hz ). lower intensity peaks 646 a , 646 b and 646 c are also harmonic peaks at 5 hz ( the frequency of the screen 352 motion ), 15 hz ( a difference frequency 20 hz - 5 hz ) and 45 hz ( a multiple of the two harmonics of the two frequencies ). fig6 e shows the power spectrum data 650 where the screen 352 is driven in reverse at 7 hz and the grating 200 is oscillating at 20 hz . the resulting largest peak 652 a occurs at 13 hz which is 7 hz less than 20 hz grating frequency . the 13 hz peak indicates that the screen 352 is driven in reverse at 7 hz . peak 652 a stands about 10 db above the next highest peak 655 at 47 hz ( a sum frequency of 2 * 20 hz plus 7 hz ). lower intensity peaks 656 a , 656 b and 656 c are also harmonic peaks at 7 hz ( the frequency of the screen 352 motion ), 27 hz ( a sum frequency 20 hz + 7 hz ) and 33 hz ( a difference frequency of 2 * 20 hz minus 7 hz ). due to the strong harmonics introduced by the discrete nature of the phase stepping , there are many additional spectral peaks 642 b , 646 a , 646 b , 646 c , 655 , 656 a , 656 b and 656 c in the detected spectra 640 and 650 , respectively . as long as the additional spectral peaks 642 b , 646 a , 646 b , 646 c , 655 , 656 a , 656 b and 656 c are well separated from the dominant signal peaks 642 a , 652 a , respectively , the dominant signal peaks 642 a , 652 a can be easily detected to determine valid velocity and direction measurements . as shown in the above fig2 - 6e the electronically switchable grating 200 can be used to remove the velocity ambiguity in a laser doppler velocimeter . the electronically switchable grating 200 can be stepped discretely in precise phase . fig7 is a diagram of an ldv system 700 including the electronically switchable grating 720 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as described in fig2 - 6e above , the mechanical electrically switchable grating 200 was mechanically switchable using a device such as a piezo stage 308 that can accurately move the grating 200 into several selected discrete positions . however , this mechanical switchable grating 200 is still limited in switching speed due to the mass of the grating itself . one embodiment of the present invention replaces the mechanical electrically switchable grating 200 a non - mechanical or much faster electronically switchable grating 720 . the non - mechanical or much faster electronically switchable grating 720 is formed from any device that can accurately interfere with or otherwise modulate the passage of the laser light 104 with a known periodic or quasi - periodic pattern of the phase and / or amplitude modulation of the laser beam 104 . there are several high - speed technologies that suggest themselves for implementation of this ldv system 700 . by way of example , the non - mechanical electronically switchable grating 720 can be manufactured from a liquid crystal display ( lcd ). in another example , the non - mechanical electronically switchable grating 720 can be manufactured from micro - electrical mechanical systems ( mems ). an lcd can have sub - microsecond switching speeds . the mems ( e . g ., as used in the digital micro - mirror ( dmd ) display devices by texas instruments ) have switching times in the tens of microseconds . the non - mechanical , or much faster electronically switchable grating 720 can achieve frequency ranges of less than one hertz to more than 100 mhz and frequency offsets on the order of about one hertz to more than about 100 mhz . one benefit of implementing this technique with a electronically switchable grating 720 is that the frequency shift is only determined by the timing of the drive electronics which can be performed easily and accurately . further , eliminating or minimizing the mechanical portion of the ldv allows the ldv system 700 to be much smaller than previous ldv systems . in the case of compact ldv probes the ldv system 700 would also be advantageous since an electric motor would not have to be accommodated within the compact ldv probe head . the electronically switchable grating 720 can be an lcd or dmd that can display portions 720 a that interfere with the light 104 and portions 720 b that minimally interferes with the light similar to the grating 200 shown in fig2 above . as the electronically switchable grating 720 is an electronically controlled display or an image displayed on an electronic display , the controller 340 can cause the display to switch through the different discrete images . each of the discrete images is analogous to the discrete positions of the grating 200 described in fig2 - 6e above . fig8 is a flowchart diagram that illustrates the method operations performed in measuring the direction and velocity of a target in a measurement volume 112 in the ldv systems 300 , 500 and 700 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in an operation 805 , a number a discrete grating positions or images is selected . the electronically switchable grating 720 or image thereof can switch through three phase images in even intervals of 2π / 3 radians . alternatively , the electronically switchable grating 720 or image thereof can switch through more than three discrete phase images . by way of example the , the electronically switchable grating 720 could be displayed between four positions ( 0π , ½π , 1π , and 3 / 2π , respectively ) or five positions ( 0π , ⅖π , ⅘π , 6 / 5π , and 8 / 5π , respectively ) or six positions ( 0π , ⅓π , ⅔π , 1π , 4 / 3π and 5 / 3π , respectively ) or even more phase images . in an operation 810 , the switchable grating 720 is placed in the light path 104 . the grating 720 is switched or displayed sequentially through the selected number of phase images in an operation 815 . in an operation 820 , the first order light beams 104 a , 104 b are directed through the lens 110 to a measurement volume 112 and to a detector 302 . in an operation 825 , the frequency spectrum of the light fluctuations at the detector are determined . light scattered from the particle 120 in the measurement volume 112 is received in the detector 302 . in an operation 830 , the controller 340 can determine a direction and a velocity of a target ( e . g ., the particle 120 ) in the measurement volume 112 by calculating the power spectrum of the scattered light fluctuations ( e . g ., as shown in fig6 a - 6e ). in an alternate embodiment , the controller can determine the direction and velocity of the target by processing the signal received from the detector by other methods . by way of example , the signal received from the detector can be processed by calculating an autocorrelation or by use of other transforms such as wavelet transforms . fig9 is a diagram of an ldv system 900 including the electronically switchable grating 720 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the ldv system 900 is a more physically compact than the ldv system 700 described above because the detector 902 is located between the lens 110 and the non - mechanical , electronically switchable grating 720 . in operation the ldv system 900 operates substantially similar to the ldv systems described above in other embodiments of the invention except that the signals 904 a and 904 b reflected from the particle 120 and back toward the lens 110 . the signals 904 a and 904 b pass through a secondary lens 910 that focuses the signals 904 a ′ and 904 b ′ to lens 110 which then focuses the signals 904 a ″ and 904 b ″ into the detector 902 . fig1 is a diagram of an ldv system 1000 including an electronically switchable reflective grating 1020 and a reflector 1012 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the reflector 1012 provides a reflective surface placed at an angle θ relative to light path 105 . angle θ can be any suitable angle in a range from less than one degree to more than 179 degrees so as to allow the laser beam 104 to be offset to one side of the light path 105 at an angle α relative to the light path 105 . the angle α can be any suitable angle in a range from less than one degree to more than 179 degrees . offsetting the source 102 allows the ldv system 1000 to be more physically compact . the reflector 1012 can also be combined with relocating the detector 902 as shown in fig9 to further physically package the ldv systems 900 and 1000 as may be desired . the reflective grating 1020 operates by diffracting and reflecting the light emitted from the reflector 1012 . the diffracted light beams 104 a , 104 b are then used as described above . the laser source 102 emits a laser beam 104 toward the reflector 1012 . the reflector 1012 can be a solid reflective surface ( i . e ., a mirror ) or alternatively , a reflective surface that reflects at least a portion of the laser beam 104 toward the grating 1020 . as described above , the grating 1020 reflects and diffracts the light 1004 a and the reflected and diffracted light beams 104 a , 104 b pass through openings 1030 a and 1030 b , respectively , to the lens 110 . the screen 1032 a , 1032 b , 1032 c substantially prevents undesired light beams 1004 b from impinging the lens 110 . while the above embodiments have been described in terms of laser light , it should be understood that other types of light , visible and beyond the visible spectrum and other electromagnetic signals in other frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum . with the above embodiments in mind , it should be understood that the invention may employ various computer - implemented operations involving data stored in computer systems . these operations are those requiring physical manipulation of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated . further , the manipulations performed are often referred to in terms , such as producing , identifying , determining , or comparing . any of the operations described herein that form part of the invention are useful machine operations . the invention also relates to a device or an apparatus for performing these operations . the apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes , or it may be a general - purpose computer selectively activated or configured by a computer program stored in the computer . in particular , various general - purpose machines may be used with computer programs written in accordance with the teachings herein , or it may be more convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the required operations . the invention can also be embodied as computer readable code and / or logic . the computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system . examples of the computer readable medium include hard drives , network attached storage ( nas ), logic circuits , read - only memory , random - access memory , cd - roms , cd - rs , cd - rws , magnetic tapes , and other optical and non - optical data storage devices . the computer readable medium can also be distributed over a network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion . it will be further appreciated that the instructions represented by the operations in the above figures are not required to be performed in the order illustrated , and that all the processing represented by the operations may not be necessary to practice the invention . further , the processes described in any of the above figures can also be implemented in software stored in any one of or combinations of the ram , the rom , or the hard disk drive . although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding , it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims . accordingly , the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein , but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims . | 6 |
the term “ channel ” as used herein is to be interpreted in a broad sense . thus , the term “ channel ” is not intended to be restricted to elongated configurations where the transverse or longitudinal dimension greatly exceeds the diameter or cross - sectional dimension . rather , the term is meant to include a conduit of any desired shape or configuration through which liquids may be directed . a channel may be filled with one or more materials . the term “ microfluidic ” as used herein is to be understood , without any restriction thereto , to refer to structures or devices through which fluid ( s ) are capable of being passed or directed , wherein one or more of the dimensions is less than 500 microns . the term “ stencil ” as used herein refers to a material layer or sheet that is preferably substantially planar , through which one or more variously shaped and oriented channels have been cut or otherwise removed through the entire thickness of the layer , thus permitting substantial fluid movement within the layer ( as opposed to simple through - holes for transmitting fluid through one layer to another layer ). the outlines of the cut or otherwise removed portions form the lateral boundaries of microstructures that are completed when a stencil is sandwiched between other layers , such as substrates and / or other stencils . stencil layers can be flexible , thus permitting one or more layers to be manipulated so as not to lie in a plane . in an especially preferred embodiment , microfluidic devices according to the present invention are constructed using stencil layers or sheets to define channels for transporting fluids . a stencil layer is preferably substantially planar and has one or more microstructures such as channels cut through the entire thickness of the layer . for example , a computer - controlled plotter modified to manipulate a cutting blade may be used . such a blade may be used either to cut sections to be detached and removed from the stencil layer , or to fashion slits that separate regions in the stencil layer without removing any material . alternatively , a computer - controlled laser cutter may be used to cut patterns through the entire thickness of a material layer . while laser cutting may be used to yield precisely - dimensioned microstructures , the use of a laser to cut a stencil layer inherently removes some material . further examples of methods that may be employed to form stencil layers include conventional stamping or die - cutting technologies . any of the above - mentioned methods for cutting through a stencil layer or sheet permits robust devices to be fabricated quickly and inexpensively compared to conventional surface micromachining or material deposition techniques used by others to produce fluidic microstructures . after a portion of a stencil layer is cut or removed , the outlines of the cut or otherwise removed portions form the lateral boundaries of microstructures that are completed upon sandwiching a stencil between substrates and / or other stencils . upon stacking or sandwiching the device layers together , the upper and lower boundaries of a microfluidic channel within a stencil layer are formed from the bottom and top , respectively , of adjacent stencil or substrate layers . the thickness or height of microstructures such as channels can be varied by altering the thickness of a stencil layer , or by using multiple substantially identical stencil layers stacked on top of one another . when assembled in a microfluidic device , the top and bottom surfaces of stencil layers are intended to mate with one or more adjacent stencil or substrate layers to form a substantially sealed device , typically having one or more fluid inlet ports and one or more fluid outlet ports . a stencil layer and surrounding stencil or substrate layers may be bonded using any appropriate technique . the wide variety of materials that may be used to fabricate microfluidic devices using sandwiched stencil layers include polymeric , metallic , and / or composite materials , to name a few . in especially preferred embodiments , however , polymeric materials are used due to their inertness and each of manufacture . when assembled in a microfluidic device , the top and bottom surfaces of stencil layers may mate with one or more adjacent stencil or substrate layers to form a substantially sealed device . in one embodiment , one or more layers of a device may be fabricated from single - or double - sided adhesive tape , although other methods of adhering stencil layers may be used . a portion of the tape ( of the desired shape and dimensions ) can be cut and removed to form microstructures such as channels . a tape stencil can then be placed on a supporting substrate with an appropriate cover layer , between layers of tape , or between layers of other materials . in one embodiment , stencil layers can be stacked on each other . in this embodiment , the thickness or height of the channels within a particular stencil layer can be varied by varying the thickness of the stencil layer ( e . g ., the tape carrier and the adhesive material thereon ) or by using multiple substantially identical stencil layers stacked on top of one another . various types of tape may be used with such an embodiment . suitable tape carrier materials include but are not limited to polyesters , polycarbonates , polytetrafluoroethlyenes , polypropylenes , and polyimides . such tapes may have various methods of curing , including curing by pressure , temperature , or chemical or optical interaction . the thicknesses of these carrier materials and adhesives may be varied . as an alternative to using tape , an adhesive layer may be applied directly to a non - adhesive stencil or surrounding layer . examples of adhesives that might be used , either in standalone form or incorporated into self - adhesive tape , include rubber - based adhesives , acrylic - based adhesives , gum - based adhesives , and various other types . notably , stencil - based fabrication methods enable very rapid fabrication of robust microfluidic devices , both for prototyping and for high - volume production . rapid prototyping is invaluable for trying and optimizing new device designs , since designs may be quickly implemented , tested , and ( if necessary ) modified and further tested to achieve a desired result . the ability to prototype devices quickly with stencil fabrication methods also permits many different variants of a particular design to be tested and evaluated concurrently . in another preferred embodiment , microfluidic devices according to the present invention are fabricated from materials such as glass , silicon , silicon nitride , quartz , or similar materials . various conventional surface machining or surface micromachining techniques such as those known in the semiconductor industry may be used to fashion channels , vias , and / or chambers in these materials . for example , techniques including wet or dry etching and laser ablation may be used . using such techniques , channels may be made into one or more surfaces of a first substrate . a second set of channels may be etched or created in a second substrate . the two substrates are then adhered or otherwise fastened together in such as way that the channels surfaces are facing one another and certain regions may be overlapped to promote mixing . still further embodiments may be fabricated from various materials using well - known techniques such as embossing , stamping , molding , and soft lithography . additionally , in yet another embodiment , the layers are not discrete , but instead a layer describes a substantially planar section through such a device . such a microfluidic device can be constructed using photopolymerization techniques such as those described in cumpston , et al . ( 1999 ) nature 398 : 51 - 54 . in addition to the use of adhesives or single - or double - sided tape discussed above , other techniques may be used to attach one or more of the various layers of microfluidic devices useful with the present invention , as would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in attaching materials . for example , attachment techniques including thermal , chemical , or light - activated bonding ; mechanical attachment ( including the use of clamps or screws to apply pressure to the layers ); or other equivalent coupling methods may be used . in one embodiment providing filtering utility , a microfluidic filtering device is specially constructed to minimize leakage around a filter . referring to fig1 a - 1b , a microfluidic device 50 is composed of five device layers . starting at the bottom of fig1 a , a first device layer 51 supports a filter element 55 and defines an inlet port 56 and an outlet port 57 . the second device layer 52 is a stencil layer that defines a chamber 58 having larger lateral dimensions than the filter element 55 , but the device layer 52 has a thickness that is smaller than the height of the filter element 55 . the second device layer 52 , which is preferably made from a polymeric material , further defines a channel 59 and enlarged end 59 a in fluid communication with the outlet port 57 , and a via 60 in fluid communication with the inlet port 56 . the third device layer 53 , which is preferably made of a flexible polymeric material , defines a third device layer aperture 61 that is substantially centrally located atop the filter element 55 but is smaller in size than the filter element 55 . because the height of the filter 55 is greater than the height of the second device layer 52 that forms the chamber 58 , the third device layer 53 above the filter 55 is pressed tightly against the filter 55 . the third device layer 53 also defines a via 62 . the fourth device layer 54 , which may be made from a polymeric material , defines a channel 63 terminating at a fourth layer aperture 64 that is adjacent to , and preferably larger than , the third device layer aperture 61 . the channel 63 may also be enlarged at the inlet side to mate with the via 62 in the third device layer 53 . the assembled device 50 is shown in fig1 b , a portion of which ( along section lines “ a — a ”) is shown in sectional view in fig1 c . in operation , fluid enters the device 50 through the inlet port 56 , then passes through vias 60 , 62 into the fourth device layer channel 63 and into the fourth device layer aperture 64 . from the fourth device layer aperture 64 , fluid flows into the third device layer aperture 61 and is then forced through the filter 55 . the third device layer aperture 61 essentially determines the functional area of the filter 55 , and the size of this aperture 61 can be varied accordingly . upon exiting the filter 55 , fluid flows through the second device layer channel 59 and enlarged end 59 a to the outlet port 57 . accordingly , all fluid flowing through the device 50 traverses the filter 55 . the configuration of the device 50 prevents leakage in two ways : first , the device layer 53 above the filter 55 is tight against it , thus forming a compression seal . second , the fluid pressure that builds up to push fluid through the filter 55 also pushes the device layer 53 even tighter against the filter 55 , thus reinforcing the compression seal . the filter 55 may be fabricated from paper , polymer , glass fiber or any other suitable material that provides the desired filtration characteristics . filter materials are well understood in the art and readily may be selected by one skilled in the art to provide particular results . preferably , the material of filter 55 would allow fluid to flow through the element in any direction , i . e ., the filter is multi - directional . in other words , fluid entering the filter 55 vertically through the aperture 61 preferably may translate laterally into channel 59 . the material used in filter 55 also is preferably thicker than the device layer 52 , to provide the desired compression seal described above . moreover , the material is preferably sufficiently incompressible so as to resist the force applied by device layer 53 , thereby forming the desired compression seal discussed above . the filter 55 also may be treated with or made from materials selected to achieve particular results , such as binding particular species . for example , it is well known that dna has an affinity to and tends to bind to nylon . thus , a filter may be fabricated from or coated with nylon to promote filtration of dna from the fluid . other desirable filter materials , coatings and / or coatings / treatments are well known in the art and may be selected as suitable for particular needs by one skilled in the art . while the particular filter and surrounding chamber illustrated in fig1 a - 1c are illustrated as circular in shape , other shapes may be used . in other words , the foregoing design is by no means limited to filter materials and chambers that are circular in shape . it is to be understood that the illustrations and descriptions of views of individual microfluidic tools , devices and methods provided herein are intended to disclose components that may be combined in a working device . various arrangements and combinations of individual tools , devices , and methods provided herein are contemplated , depending on the requirements of the particular application . the particular microfluidic tools , devices , and methods illustrated and described herein are provided by way of example only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . | 1 |
referring to the drawings in particular , fig1 shows a schematic view of a mamillary three - compartment model with a central compartment 1 , two peripheral compartments 2 , 3 and an effect compartment e . the drug is administered exclusively into the central compartment 1 , and the elimination takes place exclusively from the central compartment 1 . there is no explicit mass transport into the effect compartment e , arrow drawn in broken line , k 1 e . the concentration ratio between the central compartment 1 and the effect compartment e is indicated by ke 0 . the concentration in the effect compartment e is correlated with the action independently in time . a data processing means 6 is provided in the anesthesia device according to the present invention . as is shown in fig3 , the data processing means 6 comprises a module 10 for pharmacokinetic compartment model calculations , which is set up to perform corresponding compartment model calculations for the different anesthetics of interest on the basis of the continuously entering rates of administration of the individual anesthetics . as a result , a continuously updated sequence of concentration values is provided for the anesthetics of interest , which reflect the course of anesthesia through the sequences of concentration values of the individual anesthetics . provisions are made for the module 10 for pharmacokinetic compartment model calculations to be also used to calculate concentration values for each anesthetic for one point in time or for a plurality of points in time , making the assumption that the administration of the anesthetics is continued constantly . the module 10 for the compartment model calculations may be embodied either in a separate arithmetic unit or implemented as a program section of the data processing means 6 . furthermore , a so - called action module 20 , which keeps ready the curve of at least one anesthesia action parameter as a function of the concentrations of the first and second anesthetics , is provided in the data processing means . such an anesthesia action parameter may be , e . g ., the probability of tolerance of laryngoscopy ( tol ) and that of the tolerance to shaking and shouting ( toss ). another anesthesia action parameter may be “ mac awake ” which is known as the minimum alveolar concentration ( mac ) of inhaled anesthetics that suppresses the appropriate response to command in 50 % of subjects . this dependence of the anesthesia action parameters on the concentrations of two anesthetics used can be represented in a three - dimensional system of coordinates , in which the x and y axes show the concentration of the first and second anesthetic , respectively , the respective anesthesia action parameter being shown on the x axis . examples of two such so - called response surfaces are shown in fig2 , namely , the response surfaces for the probability of the tolerance of laryngoscopy ( tol ) and the tolerance to shaking and shouting ( toss ) for the anesthetics propofol and remifentanyl . such response surfaces are obtained by statistical analyses on volunteers and on patients . the response surface can also be adapted over time in a patient specific manner . the response surfaces can be parametrized and stored in the parametrized form ; as an alternative , it is possible to store a plurality of isoboles , i . e ., lines of equal action , which are formed on cutting the response surfaces with a plane that is parallel to the x - y plane , and which can likewise characterize the course of the response surface if they are available in a sufficient number . furthermore , the data processing means 6 is provided with a display module 30 . the display module 30 receives the concentration data from the module 10 for pharmacokinetic compartment model calculation as well as data from the action module 20 , which characterize the response surface . the display module 30 is set up to actuate a display means 8 , so that at least one action diagram will be displayed on it . the concentrations of the first and second anesthetics are plotted on the x and y axes in this action diagram . the sequence of concentration values up to the current point in time is represented in this x - y system of coordinates as a sequence of dots , which represents the course of the anesthesia . furthermore , the display module 30 superimposes to the x - y system of coordinates a view of the response surface of a selected anesthetic action parameter . this superimposition can be performed , e . g ., by projecting the response surface into the x - y planes by assigning to each point of the x - y plane an intensity that corresponds to the value of the response surface at that point or to the corresponding tristimulus value of a color scale set previously . in a preferred embodiment , the display module 30 performs the projection of the response surface into the x - y diagram of the concentrations of the first and second anesthetics by a plurality of isoboles of the response surface being projected into the x - y plane and by the surfaces located between adjacent isoboles being covered with different colors . it is , in turn , advantageous to assign a color scale to the isobole values in advance , so that , e . g ., critical areas of the anesthetic action parameter are marked by a correspondingly intense red color , middle areas by an increasingly yellow color , and noncritical areas by an increasingly intense green color . the representation of a plurality of isoboles in the x - y plane of the concentrations corresponds to the representation of contour lines for the response surface , which is shown three - dimensionally in fig2 . an exemplary view of the display means 8 is shown schematically in fig4 . the concentration of remifentanyl is shown on the y axis and the concentration of propofol on the x axis . furthermore , four isoboles 51 - 54 , namely , for 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 95 % probability that no reaction will develop , are shown for the anesthetic action parameter in case of probability of tolerance of laryngoscopy ( tol ). furthermore , three isoboles 55 , 56 , 57 are shown , which show the 25 %, 50 % and 75 % probability that the patient does not respond to loud shouting and shaking ( anesthesia action parameter toss ). furthermore , the display module displays the sequence of concentration data of the first and second anesthetics as a sequence of points 58 , which are connected to one another as a trajectory . the current status is indicated by a cross 59 . the line originating from the end of the trajectory with three circle symbols 60 shows the predicted concentration data for the status in 1 , 5 and 15 minutes in case the further rate of infusion is unchanged . furthermore , the module 10 for the pharmacokinetic compartment model calculations performs a model calculation for the assumption that the feed of the anesthetics is immediately interrupted . the point in time at which the awakening curve is intersected with , e . g ., 50 % toss , which corresponds to the hypothetical point of awakening in case of immediate interruption of the feed of anesthetic , is then determined in the module 10 for pharmacokinetic compartment model calculation . this expected awakening time is displayed in the display unit . the concentration data of the anesthetics , which are then predicted , are displayed by a separate asterisk symbol 61 . the data processing means 6 can also have an awakening time prognosis module , which is set up for calculating a predicted awakening time on the basis of the current concentrations of the first and second anesthetics . an awakening isobole can be determined from interaction models and the maximum concentrations for spontaneous breathing . the awakening time prognosis module sends the predicted awakening time on the basis of the current concentrations to the display module , which displays the predicted point in time of awakening in the action diagram at the concentrations of the first and second anesthetics , which concentrations are predicted for that point in time of awakening . two windows , in which the concentrations of the individual anesthetics are shown , are shown next to the action diagram in the display means shown in fig4 . the concentration curve from the beginning of the anesthesia procedure to the current point in time ( vertical line ) as well an extrapolation with predicted concentration values for about 15 minutes into the future are displayed here . the schematic block diagram of the anesthesia device according to fig3 comprises a data processing means 6 and a display means 8 . the data processing means 6 has a user interface 40 , via which the anesthesiologist can enter settings to set the anesthetics fed intravenously or by inhalation . the data processing means 6 acts for this purpose on injection pumps 4 in a controlling manner and for the administration of intravenous anesthetics and a gas dispensing means 5 for adding gaseous anesthetics , such as desflurane , sevoflurane , isoflurane and enflurane , in order to set these corresponding to the requirements for the patient 7 . the arrows in fig3 shall schematically indicate interfaces and transported data . during operation , the injection pumps 4 continuously supply data on the current rates of infusion and other data , which are useful for the determination of the status in the data processing means 6 . if gaseous anesthetics are administered , the data processing means 6 acts on the gas dispensing means 5 in a controlling manner . the action module 20 and the display module 30 may be embodied each in a separate arithmetic unit or implemented as program parts in the data processing means . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 0 |
embodiments of the present disclosure provide elements of a non - volatile memory controller with programmable command templates . fig2 shows a non - volatile memory system 200 according to one embodiment . although in the described embodiments the elements of the non - volatile memory system 200 are presented in one arrangement , other embodiments may feature other arrangements . for example , elements of the non - volatile memory system 200 can be implemented in hardware , software , or combinations thereof . in the example of fig2 , the non - volatile memory system 200 is implemented as a system - on - chip ( soc ). in other embodiments , the non - volatile memory system 200 is implemented as one or more integrated circuits , and the like . referring to fig2 , the non - volatile memory system 200 includes an embedded processor 206 , a non - volatile memory controller 208 , a non - volatile memory 210 , and other circuits 212 . non - volatile memory controller 208 includes a command memory 214 , a payload memory 218 , a read memory 220 , a state machine 222 , and a non - volatile memory interface 224 . the command memory 214 holds a plurality of command templates 216 a - 216 n . the non - volatile memory 210 can be implemented as any sort of non - volatile memory , including nand flash memories and the like . the command memory 214 , the payload memory 218 , and the read memory 220 can be implemented as any sort of memory . the non - volatile memory interface 224 , can be implemented as registers and the like . the state machine 222 can be implemented as a microcontroller and the like . other circuits 212 can include additional memories , timing sources , peripherals , external digital and analog interfaces , power management circuits and the like . fig3 shows a process 300 for the non - volatile memory system 200 of fig2 according to one embodiment . although in the described embodiments the elements of process 300 are presented in one arrangement , other embodiments may feature other arrangements . for example , in various embodiments , some or all of the elements of process 300 can be executed in a different order , concurrently , and the like . also some elements of process 300 may not be performed , and may not be executed immediately after each other . in addition , some or all of the elements of process 300 can be performed automatically , that is , without human intervention . referring to fig3 , the embedded processor 206 provides the command templates 216 to the non - volatile memory controller 208 . at 302 , the command memory 214 stores the command templates 216 . the command templates 216 can be loaded or modified by the embedded processor 206 at any time . the embedded processor 206 subsequently provides a descriptor 230 for a programming operation to the non - volatile memory controller 208 . the descriptors 230 include standard descriptors , as well as flexible descriptors that are implemented according to the described embodiments . fig4 shows the format of a standard descriptor 400 for a programming operation . the standard descriptor 400 includes a memory address field 402 , a command field 404 , and a data field 406 . the memory address field 402 contains the address of the memory locations in the non - volatile memory 210 where the programming operation is to be performed . the command field 404 contains a description of the programming operation . for example , the contents of the command field 404 indicate whether the programming operation is a write operation , a read operation , and so on . the data field 406 contains any data required by the programming operation . for example , for a write operation , the data field 406 includes the data to be written to the non - volatile memory 210 . fig5 shows the format of a flexible descriptor 500 for a programming operation according to one embodiment . the flexible descriptor 500 includes a memory address field 502 , a command pointer field 504 , and a data field 506 . the memory address field 502 contains the address of the memory locations in the non - volatile memory 210 where the programming operation is to be performed . the command pointer field 504 contains a pointer to the location in command memory 214 of the command template 216 to be used by state machine 222 for the programming operation . the data field 506 can contain data required by the programming operation . for example , for a write operation , the data field 506 can include the data to be written to the non - volatile memory 210 . returning to fig3 , at 304 , the state machine 222 receives the descriptor 230 from the embedded processor 206 . the descriptor 230 may be a standard descriptor 400 or a flexible descriptor 500 that is implemented according to the described embodiments . if at 306 , the descriptor 230 is a flexible descriptor 500 , then at 308 , the state machine 222 obtains a command template 216 , according to the contents of the command pointer field 504 of the received flexible descriptor 500 , from the command memory 214 . fig6 shows the format of a command template 600 according to one embodiment . referring to fig6 , the command template 600 includes a plurality of rows 602 . each row 602 specifies the value and timing of one or more pad signals 226 to be applied to the pads 228 of the non - volatile memory 210 . each row 602 includes a plurality of pad value fields 604 , a wait cycle field 606 , a data field 608 , and a data index field 610 . each pad value field 604 specifies values to be applied to particular pads 228 of the non - volatile memory 210 . each wait cycle field 606 specifies an interval for which the pad values must be maintained . each data field 608 contains the data , if any , for the command . for example , when the command is a write command , the data field 608 contains the data to be written to the non - volatile memory 210 . in cases where the amount of the data is too large to be stored in a command template 216 , the data is stored in the payload memory 218 , and the data index field 610 includes a pointer to the data stored in the payload memory 218 . the payload data can be written to the payload memory 218 by the embedded processor 206 , or by the state machine 222 . for example , when the same data is to be used by multiple commands , the data can be conveyed to the state machine 222 by the first descriptor 230 , stored by state machine 222 in the payload memory 218 , and then retrieved from the payload memory 218 by the state machine 222 for use with subsequent descriptors 230 . read memory 220 is used with read operations . in particular , data read from the non - volatile memory 210 is written by the non - volatile memory interface 224 to the read memory 220 . the embedded processor 206 subsequently reads the data from the read memory 220 . returning to fig3 , at 310 , the state machine 222 generates sequences of pad signals 226 based on the command template 216 obtained from the command memory 214 . in particular , the state machine 222 processes the rows 602 of the command template 216 in sequence , and provides the resulting sequences pad signals 226 to the non - volatile memory interface 224 . at 312 , the non - volatile memory interface 224 provides the sequences of pad signals 226 to the pads 228 of the non - volatile memory 210 . process 300 then continues , at 304 . if at 306 , the descriptor 230 is a standard descriptor 400 , then the state machine 222 executes the command in the command field 404 of the standard descriptor 400 . standard descriptors 400 include no pointers to any of the command templates 216 in the command memory 214 . therefore , at 314 , the state machine 222 generates the sequences of pad signals 226 based only on the contents of the standard descriptor 400 . at 312 , the non - volatile memory interface 224 provides the sequences of pad signals 226 to the pads 228 of the non - volatile memory 210 . process 300 then continues , at 304 . various embodiments of the present disclosure feature one or more of the following advantages . when the vendor of the non - volatile memory 210 changes the command sequences for programming the non - volatile memory 210 , these changes can be accommodated quickly , easily , and inexpensively by simply modifying or replacing the command templates 216 stored in the command memory 214 of the non - volatile memory controller 208 . no changes to the silicon of the non - volatile memory controller 208 are required . furthermore , because all commands are processed by a single state machine 222 , commands in multiple protocols can be processed simultaneously , resulting in increased performance compared with conventional controllers . for example , the disclosed state machine 222 is capable of processing a descriptor for a single data rate operation , and a descriptor for a double data rate operation , contemporaneously . the described embodiments are also capable of processing special modes employed by vendors of non - volatile memories 210 . for example , some vendors require toggling the write enable pad of the non - volatile memory 210 while reading data from the non - volatile memory 210 . the disclosed state machine 222 is capable of generating pad signals 226 to implement such special modes . various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor . the described processes can be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output . embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . each computer program can be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language can be a compiled or interpreted language . suitable processors include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors . generally , processors receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . generally , a computer includes one or more mass storage devices for storing data files . such devices include magnetic disks , such as internal hard disks and removable disks , magneto - optical disks ; optical disks , and solid - state disks . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non - volatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). a number of implementations have been described . nevertheless , various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure . accordingly , other implementations are within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
in this method , the activation energy and the needle stroke of the fuel injection valve are controlled in such a way that the engine torque would not change with a fuel injection valve having reference characteristic ; an actually occurring change of the engine torque is detected and the engine torque is adapted to the engine torque generated using an injection valve having reference characteristic by changing the slope of the activation energy / needle stroke characteristic curve of the fuel injection valve . the advantages of the various embodiments are in particular that a more precise control of the combustion is made possible by the adaptation of the activation energy / needle stroke characteristic curve of piezo injection valves having direct drive to mass - production deviations and other tolerances . the fuel consumption may thus also be reduced . an injection system ea for a motor vehicle engine , in particular a diesel engine , comprises a fuel tank 1 , from which fuel is suctioned by a pre - supply pump 3 via a filter 2 ( fig1 ). the fuel delivered by the pre - supply pump 3 is compressed by a high - pressure supply pump 4 to a high pressure of approximately 1500 bar . the pressurized fuel is introduced into a common rail 7 , at which a pressure sensor 6 detects the pressure of the fuel . the pressure in the common rail 7 is set via a pressure regulating valve 5 , which lets off excess fuel via lines ( only indicated ) into the fuel tank 1 . in the present example , six injection nozzles or injection valves 8 are connected to the common rail 7 . the injection nozzles 8 also have a leakage drain 11 , via which excess fuel is returned to the fuel tank 1 , in addition to the high - pressure connection to the common rail 7 . an injection valve 8 may particularly contain a piezoelectric actuator , which is not shown in greater detail here , because it is known per se ( see , for example , de 10 2004 051 405 a1 ). the injection system ea is monitored and controlled by a control unit 10 , which is connected to the high - pressure supply pump 4 to control it , and which analyzes the measured values of the pressure sensor 6 . the control unit 10 is additionally connected to the outputs of further sensors 9 . the injection nozzles 8 are also controlled by the control unit 10 . the construction of an injection system of this type is described in patent specification de 199 57 732 b4 . in the diagram of fig2 , the activation energy of an injection valve 8 is plotted on the abscissa and the needle stroke is plotted on the ordinate , i . e ., the stroke of the nozzle needle of the injection valve or the injection nozzle 8 . the energy for actuating the nozzle needle is referred to as the activation energy here . the reference or nominal characteristic curve of an error - free injection valve is shown by a dashed line and an adapted characteristic curve according to an embodiment is shown by a solid line . the needle stroke of a modern piezo injection valve having direct drive is a function of the energy of the activation . the needle stroke rises with rising energy . the adaptation of the valve characteristic ( or the valve characteristic curve ) to production - related or age - related changes of the actual injection behavior of the valve — referred to hereafter as adaptation for short — and thus the adaptation of the needle stroke is performed by monitoring the engine sensors ( for speed , combustion pressure , knock sensor ), and also by analyzing the sensor signals , and by changing the activation energy . the opening duration of the valve is presumed to be known by measurement or adaptation . the adaptation is based on the finding that a predefined fuel injection quantity may be implemented in various ways . the injection quantity may be implemented using a short duration of the injection and a large needle stroke or a longer duration and a small needle stroke . correspondingly , there are two methods for the adaptation here . firstly , at a constant operating point , if the needle stroke is increased for one or more injections while simultaneously reducing the injection time , and if a reduction of the torque results ( by reduction of the engine speed or the combustion pressure ), the valve characteristic curve , which models the relationship between activation energy and needle stroke , may be adapted using this information . for the case of a rising needle stroke and falling torque , the characteristic curve is changed in such a way that the needle stroke is enlarged , by reducing the slope of the characteristic curve . it is to be noted that the activation time is decreased simultaneously with the increase of the valve stroke . for a reference valve , no torque or speed change would result and no adaptation would occur . the torque or the speed also changes only if the valve deviates from the reference valve because of tolerances or wear . in the described case , the torque and / or the speed drops . it is thus necessary to correct the slope of the characteristic curve downward . the slope of the characteristic curve is expediently changed in that the characteristic curve is pivoted around the point of intersection of the reference characteristic curve and the adapted characteristic curve . this corresponds to an offset of the minimum activation energy in the ordinate axis . in contrast , if it is established that the torque rises because of the valve tolerances , the adaptation is to be performed in that the slope of the characteristic curve is corrected upward ( see fig2 ). a greater valve tolerance means , for example , that the injection opening of the valve is larger than intended , whereby more fuel is injected . in a variant of the method according to an embodiment , the valve stroke is decreased and the activation time is increased , so that the torque of the engine also would remain constant here with a reference valve . as a result of the actually existing valve tolerances , one of the results described above may occur : in the event of positive valve tolerances , the torque increases and in the event of negative valve tolerances , the torque decreases . if the torque decreases , this requires a decreasing slope of the valve characteristic curve . in contrast , if the torque rises because of valve tolerances , this results in an increase of the slope of the valve characteristic curve . is to be taken into consideration that the efficiency of the combustion may change if the identical fuel quantity is injected , but in a shorter time . the reason for this is a changed fuel preparation . in addition , changes of the rail pressure , i . e ., the pressure in the common rail 7 , may have an effect on the adaptation values , so that the adaptation is to be performed at various rail pressures . the method is preferably performed cylinder - selectively to adapt each valve individually . in addition , the slope of the activation energy / needle stroke characteristic curve may be corrected in each point using an adaptation . this means that a characteristic curve may also be adapted if it is composed of multiple characteristic curve parts . a second adaptation method comprises determining the zero crossing of the characteristic curve , i . e ., the minimum energy , at which a valve just opens . for this purpose , the activation energy is increased step - by - step in overrun ( i . e ., with shutdown injection ), beginning with a very small energy , which reliably does not yet open the valve . the minimum activation energy is reached when a torque increase of the engine is recognized for the first time . the recognition is performed with the aid of speed , combustion pressure , or knocking sensors . the adaptation is also expediently performed here cylinder - selectively and at various rail pressures . the adapted activation energy / needle stroke characteristic curve , i . e ., the valve characteristic curve adapted to the actual state of the injection valve 8 , is completely determined using each of the two methods . the method shown in the flowchart of fig3 has the following steps s i : s 1 after the start of the method , in a step s 2 it is queried whether the engine is in overrun . if so , in a step s 3 the activation energy is increased . then , in a step s 4 it is queried whether the engine speed has increased . if not , the sequence jumps back to step s 3 . if so , in a step s 5 the minimum activation energy is adapted , i . e ., changed ( see fig2 ). then , in a step s 6 the activation energy is increased and this change δe of the energy is assessed with the change δn of the speed . ( the assessment is explained following this flowchart .) s 7 the slope of the characteristic curve for the activation energy is adapted . if the response to the query in step s 2 is no , in a step s 8 it is queried whether a constant travel velocity exists . if so , in a step s 9 the activation energy is increased and the activation time is decreased . if the response to the query in step s 8 is no , the sequence jumps back to step s 2 . then , in a step s 10 it is queried whether the speed change is greater than a predefined threshold . if not , the sequence jumps back to step s 9 . if so , in a step s 11 the slope of the characteristic curve is adapted for the activation energy . after step s 7 on the one hand and step s 11 on the other hand , a program run has reached its end . the assessment in step s 6 is performed as follows : the activation energy is increased and the activation time is simultaneously decreased . with a reference valve , no change of the torque or speed would thus result . however , the speed decreases due to the tolerances or the wear of the existing valve , for example . one thus has the information that too little fuel was injected , and the slope of the characteristic curve must thus be corrected upward . | 5 |
referring initially to fig1 and 2 in particular , it will be noted that a bed 10 ( which may conveniently be referred to as a convalescent or hospital bed ) comprises a base frame 12 on casters 14 ( which may be locked and steered in known manner ) and a tilting mattress support frame 16 pivotally mounted on the base frame for movement , under the control of powered operating means to be described , between a horizontal position ( fig1 ) and a vertical position ( fig2 ). further , the mattress support frame is in two parts , namely a body portion 18 incorporating a footboard 20 , and a head portion 22 , incorporating a headboard 24 , the head portion being hinged to the body portion , as will be described , for upward tilting movement to the position shown dotted in fig1 under the control of further powered operating means . the bed includes a mattress 26 , which may be secured on the mattress support frame , for example by straps 28 on the mattress which engage in suitable securement loops 30 on the sides of the support frame . further , there may be provided a releasable patient - securing strap 32 for holding a patient securely on the bed while tilting the support frame between the vertical and horizontal positions . the geometry of the bed is such that in the vertical position of the mattress support frame , footboard 20 just clears the floor , enabling a patient readily to step onto the bed and be lowered into a lying position . upward tilting of head portion 22 of the support frame allows the patient to be raised from a lying position into a semi - reclining position , for example for reading or eating . in more detail , base frame 12 may be of welded tubular steel construction , having rectangular side frame portions 34 , 36 connected by upper cross - braces 38 , 42 and lower cross - braces 44 , 46 , 48 , the foot end of the base frame being clear of cross - braces in order to accommodate the pivoting movements of the mattress support frame . journal bearings 50 , 52 secured to the bottom of portion 18 of the mattress support frame serve pivotally to secure the support frame on upper cross - brace 38 . the two support frame portions 18 and 22 are pivotally interconnected by hinges 54 , 56 , 58 , 60 . sliding bolts 62 , 64 with handles 63 , 65 are provided on the bottom of portion 22 in guides 66 , 68 for releasable engagement in keepers 70 , 72 on the bottom of portion 18 , so as to retain the support frame portions in rigid connection during pivot - ing movements of the frame as a unit about cross - brace 38 , and when the frame is in horizontal position , with portion 22 supported on cross - brace 42 . for pivoting of portion 22 of the support frame about the hinges , the bolts are released from the keepers . ( support frame 16 is depicted in the drawings as being of a planar , board - like construction . this , however , is by way of illustration only , and the frame may be in the form of a conventional sprung bed frame .) the powered operating means for raising and lowering support frame 16 about the axis defined by cross - brace 38 , is depicted as comprising a pair of electrically operated screw jacks 74 , 76 pivotally connected at their lower ends to cross - brace 44 of the base frame , and at their upper ends to pivot pin brackets 78 , 80 on the bottom of the support frame . the screw jacks are extended and retracted in known manner by respective electric operating motors 82 , 84 , and electrical controls for the entire structure may be situated in a control box 86 . limit switches ( not shown ) may be provided for terminating operation of the screw jack motors when the mattress support frame attains the vertical and horizontal positions respectively . the powered operating means for raising and lowering the head portion 22 of frame 16 about hinges 54 - 60 independently of portion 18 is also depicted as a single electrical screw jack 88 with a drive motor 90 , the screw jack being pivotally connected at the bottom to cross - brace 46 of the base frame and having a releasable pivotal connection at its upper end with a bracket 92 on the bottom of head portion 22 . bracket 92 may , for example , include a removable pivot pin 94 ( fig6 ) for connection of the screw jack . by this means , when the mattress support frame is being swung as a unit about brace 38 , screw jack 88 can be disconnected and held upright , for example , by a spring 96 connected to the rear of the base frame . when it is desired to elevate the head portion 22 of the support frame from the horizontal position , independently of portion 18 , the locking bolts can be released as previously described , screw jack 88 connected with pin 94 , and spring 96 released . the electrical controls may also include an interlock which only allows motor 90 to be operated when the support frame is in the horizonal position . while the powered operating means are depicted herein as comprising electrically operated screw jacks , it will be understood that equivalent powered operating means , such as hydraulic jacks , can also be used . in accordance with a further feature of the invention , the entire bed structure , except for the mattress 26 , is adapted to be separated longitudinally into left and right hand sections , as shown in fig4 in order to enhance the maneuverability of the bed , for example , and facilitate its handling in confined spaces or through narrow openings and the like . for this purpose , each of the cross - braces 38 - 48 of the base frame is formed by two interfitting portions with a central coupling therebetween . for example , as shown in fig8 in detail , each left hand cross - brace portion ( as 46a in fig8 ) may be sized to telescopically receive a reduced diameter end portion 46c of the right hand cross - brace portion 46b , with a connecting pin 100 received in aligned openings 102 , 104 of the respective cross - brace portions . it will be appreciated that each of the cross - braces may have a coupling of this nature , but other forms of coupling may also be used . left and right hand sections 16a and 16b of frame 16 may be interconnected by an overlapping - type joint 106 , and releasable connecting pins 108 may be provided between the sections . each of the left and right hand sections of the bed may be provided with casters 14 at its four corners to aid in maneuverability , although this is not essential , and the central casters are only shown in phantom in fig3 and 7 . it will be noted that all of the operational components of the bed , such as the screw jacks , journal bearings , hinges , and locking bolts are positioned respectively on opposite sides of the longitudinal line of division of the two bed sections . also , electrical wiring from control box 86 to the electrical components on the other section of the bed may include suitable plug and socket connections allowing separation of the bed sections . ( in an alternative embodiment , the mattress support frame may disconnect from the bed frame for longitudinal separation of the latter .) it will be seen from the foregoing that the invention provides an improved form of bed structure for use by convalescents , invalids , and the like which provides the facility for a person to step onto the bed , for being lowered into lying position , for being elevated mechanically from a lying position to a semi - reclining position , and to a standing position , the bed also having improved maneuverability due to the longitudinal separation facility . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention . | 0 |
as shown in fig1 , in microwave frequency tunable filtering balun according to a first embodiment of present invention , the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun comprises a first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and a second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 , a fourth variable capacitor c 4 and a fifth variable capacitor c 5 . wherein , the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 are arranged in a bilaterally symmetrical manner . the fourth variable capacitor c 4 and fifth variable capacitor c 5 have same parameters , and the capacitances of the fourth variable capacitor c 4 and fifth variable capacitor c 5 are defined as c v . the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 are vertically symmetrical about a central line ( as shown in fig1 ). it should be noted that , in present embodiment , the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 are connected as a square . of course , the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 also can be connected as a circle , a hexagon , an octagon and so on . furthermore , in present embodiment , the unbalanced input port feed 1 is arranged at a top portion of the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 , the first balanced output port feed 2 and the second balanced output port feed 3 are arranged in a vertically symmetrical manner at an upper portion and a lower portion of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 respectively . a distance between the first balanced output port feed 2 or the second balanced output port feed 3 and the central lines is smaller than a distance between the unbalanced input port feed 1 and the central line . the fourth variable capacitor c 4 is connected between two open ends of the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and the fifth variable capacitor c 5 is connected between two open ends of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 . as shown in fig2 , the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun according to a second embodiment of present invention is similar as that one shown in fig1 and comprises a first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and a second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 , a fourth variable capacitor c 4 , a fifth variable capacitor c 5 , unbalanced input port feed 1 , first balanced output port feed 2 and second balanced output port feed 3 . accordingly , such similar structures are not introduced in detail for conciseness . now , only the difference between the embodiments in fig1 and fig2 is illustrated . the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun shown in fig2 further comprises a first variable capacitor c 1 , a second variable capacitor c 2 and a third variable capacitor c 3 . the first terminal of the first variable capacitor c 1 is connected to the unbalanced input port feed 1 , and the second terminal of the first variable capacitor c 1 is connected to the upper portion of the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 . the first terminal of the second variable capacitor c 2 is connected to the first balanced output port feed 2 and the second terminal of the second variable capacitor c 2 is connected to the upper portion of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 . the first terminal of the third variable capacitor c 3 is connected to the second balanced output port feed 3 and second terminal of the third variable capacitor c 3 is connected to the lower portion of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 . as shown in fig3 , the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun according to a third embodiment of present invention is similar as that one shown in fig2 and comprises a first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and a second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 , a first variable capacitor c 1 , a second variable capacitor c 2 , a third variable capacitor c 3 , a fourth variable capacitor c 4 , a fifth variable capacitor c 5 , unbalanced input port feed 1 , first balanced output port feed 2 and second balanced output port feed 3 . accordingly , such similar structures are not introduced in detail for conciseness . now , only the difference between the embodiments in fig2 and fig3 is illustrated . the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun shown in fig3 further comprises a first open - circuited microwave transmission line 21 arranged at the middle of the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 in a vertically symmetrical manner about the central line and a second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 arranged at the middle of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 in a vertically symmetrical manner about the central line . the work principle of the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun is explained in detail as follows . at first , the odd - and even - mode methods are employed to analyze the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun , wherein , the capacitances of the fourth variable capacitor c 4 and fifth variable capacitor c 5 are defined as c v , the capacitances of the first variable capacitor c 1 , second variable capacitor c 2 and third variable capacitor c 3 are defined as c c . it should be noted that , although the embodiment discussed below only taking the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 as an example , one skilled in the art should understand that , the work principle is the same when taking the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 as an example . when the odd - mode excitation is applied to the feed points of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 ( that is , the first balanced output port feed 2 and the second balanced output port feed 3 ), voltage at the central line of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 is equal to zero and short - circuited to the ground . accordingly , second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 loaded at the central line can be ignored . accordingly , we can symmetrically bisect the fifth variable capacitor c 5 arranged at the two open ends of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 into two loading capacitors to achieve the odd - mode equivalent circuit 12 ′ shown in fig4 . the odd - mode input admittance y ino of the odd - mode equivalent circuit 12 ′ can be obtained as : where y 1 is the characteristic admittance of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 , θ 1 is the half electric length of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 , ω is the angular velocity of the central frequency . according to the resonance condition , the imaginary part of y ino is equal to zero , that is , im { y ino }= 0 . therefore , the odd - mode resonant frequency f odd can be expressed as where l 1 is the half physical length of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 , c is the velocity of light in free space , ε eff is the effective permittivity . it can be found that odd - mode resonant frequency f odd corresponds to the fundamental resonant frequency of the resonator . as expected , the differential outputs of the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun can be achieved , while the shunt stub has no effect on odd - mode resonant frequency f odd . the odd - mode resonant frequency f odd can be reduced by increasing capacitances c v of the fourth variable capacitor c 4 and fifth variable capacitor c 5 and be protected from the affect of the second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 loaded at the central line at the same time . in additional , during the frequency tuning , better impedance matching and lower insertion loss can be obtained at the unbalanced input port and balanced output ports by increasing capacitances c c of the first variable capacitor c 1 , second variable capacitor c 2 and third variable capacitor c 3 , which enable the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun keeps lower insertion loss in the tuned difference passbands . in other aspect , the balanced output ports feed 2 and feed 3 have smaller external quality factor than the unbalanced input port feed 1 if the unbalanced input port and balanced output ports obtain same distance with respect to the central line . accordingly , in order to guarantee that the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun has perfect passband filtering characteristics , the unbalanced input port feed 1 obtains smaller external quality factor by being far away from the central line , so that the unbalanced input port and the balanced output ports can have same external quality factors . when the even - mode excitation is applied to the feed points of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 ( that is , the first balanced output port feed 2 and the second balanced output port feed 3 ), voltage at the central line of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 is equal to zero . accordingly , we can symmetrically bisect the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 and the second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 loaded at the central line of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 into two portions to achieve the even - mode equivalent circuit 12 ″ shown in fig5 . the even - mode input admittance y ine of the even - mode equivalent circuit 12 ″ can be obtained as : where y 2 is the characteristic admittance of the second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 symmetrically bisected along the central line , θ 2 is the electric length of the second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 . scatter parameter s 21 from the unbalanced input port feed 1 to the first balanced output port feed 2 and scatter parameter s 31 from the unbalanced input port feed 1 to the second balanced output port feed 3 can be calculated from the y - parameters from formula ( 1 ) and ( 3 ) and expressed as : then , the atz ( additional transmission zero ) can be obtained when s 21 = s 31 = 0 . for simplifying the analysis , assuming y 1 ≅ y 2 where , l 2 is the physical length of the second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 . from formula ( 5 ) and ( 6 ), it can be found that not only the odd - mode resonant frequency f odd but also the atz frequency f atz are controlled by the capacitances c v of the fourth variable capacitor c 4 and fifth variable capacitor c 5 . the atz frequency f atz is controlled by the physical length l 2 of the second open - circuited microwave transmission line 22 loading at the central line when the half physical length l 1 of the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 and the capacitances c v of the fifth variable capacitor c 5 are fixed . the first variable capacitor c 1 , second variable capacitor c 2 , third variable capacitor c 3 , fourth variable capacitor c 4 and fifth variable capacitor variable capacitor c 5 comprise a varactor diode and a dc block capacitor connected in series . as the equivalent circuit diagrams of the variable capacitors when testing shown in fig6 , wherein , rfc ( rf choke ) is used for isolation between dc bias voltage ( v b1 and v b2 ) and rf signal . varactor diodes var and ordinary dc block capacitor c a connected in series can be used as the variable capacitors c 1 - c 5 . the detail variable capacitance can be expressed by the following formula : wherein , c v1 and c v2 represent the capacitances of the varactor diode , and the capacitance changes with the dc bias voltage ( v b1 and v b2 ). as the varactor diodes on the market have various tunable capacitances ranges with different capacitance values , the varactor diode and dc block capacitor should be seriously considered and selected . accordingly , the varactor diode toshiba jdv2s71e with tunable capacitance 0 . 58 → 8 . 5 pf is selected according to present invention . of course , in other embodiment of present invention , the first variable capacitor c 1 , second variable capacitor c 2 , third variable capacitor c 3 , fourth variable capacitor c 4 and fifth variable capacitor variable capacitor c 5 can be semiconductor diodes or semiconductor transistors with capacitance varying functions . fig7 is a graph of magnitude - frequency response of the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun under open - circuited microwave transmission line with different length . wherein , curves s 21 and s 31 each represents magnitude - frequency response simulation curve of the first balanced output port feed 2 or the second balanced output port feed 3 . curve s 1 represents frequency response simulation curve without loading open - circuited microwave transmission line ( l 2 = 0 ). as shown in fig7 , curves s 21 and s 31 float continuously outside the passband , and there is no atz . curve s 2 represents frequency response simulation curve loading open - circuited microwave transmission line ( l 2 = 5 mm ). as shown in fig7 , there is atz generated at 2 . 8 ghz . accordingly , loading open - circuited microwave transmission line at the central line may obtain an additional transmission zero in the higher stopband without any influence on the bandpass response , increase depressing depth of the difference passband , and alter the position of the additional transmission zero via optimizing length of the open - circuited branch . fig8 is a graph of magnitude - frequency response of the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun under different bias voltages . wherein , curve s 1 represents actual magnitude - frequency response of the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun when v b1 = 25v and v b2 = 13v , and the difference passband has a central frequency of 1 . 03 ghz . curve s 2 represents actual magnitude - frequency response of the microwave frequency tunable filtering balun when v b1 = 5v and v b2 = 6v , and the difference passband has a central frequency of 0 . 593 ghz . as shown in fig8 , the measured center frequency of passband is continuously decreased from 1 . 03 to 0 . 593 ghz as v b1 reduces from 25v to 5v , that is capacitances c v increases . meanwhile , v b2 reduces from 13v to 6v , that is capacitances c c increases for the loss compensation . in additional , the first microwave split ring transmission line resonator 11 and the second microwave split ring transmission line resonator 12 are split ring microstrip line resonators , split ring coplanar waveguide resonators or split ring slot line resonators . the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . any modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching without departing from the protection scope of the present invention . | 7 |
fig1 is a side view of the outside of the hand cutter . the cutter consists of a housing 10 , which has a trigger button 62 extending downwards on the lower part of the housing . at the front end of the cutter , a blade 20 extends from the housing 10 which is protected by a blade guard 30 when the hand cutter is not in use . the housing 10 is formed such that it fits the users hand nicely and the trigger button 62 can be easily pushed by closing the hand or by forming a fist . since no sliding motion is required to activate the trigger , the hand cutter can be easily held and used without a tiring effect even if the trigger button 62 is activated many times during the course of a day . in fig2 the inside of the hand cutter of the preferred embodiment is shown in the closed or protected position without the housing . it shows the trigger button 62 and a trigger rack arm 63 connected to the trigger button 62 . the trigger rack arm 63 is pushed upwards as soon as the trigger button 62 is activated by the users &# 39 ; hand . teeth at the front edge of the upper end of the trigger rack arm 63 interlock with a rack wheel 52 connected to the housing 10 so that the rack wheel 52 rotates clockwise as soon as the trigger rack arm 63 moves upwards . fig4 shows a release wheel 53 which is coupled with the rack wheel 52 so that it rotates clockwise simultaneously . an arm extending from the upper part of the release wheel 53 is rotatably connected to the release piece 51 . as soon as the release wheel 53 rotates clockwise , the release piece 51 is moved towards the front of the hand cutter . at the lower end of the release piece 51 an extension which is wider towards the back part of the hand cutter , pushes down the lock piece 40 as soon as the release piece 51 is moved forward , as can be seen in fig3 . the lock piece 40 is connected to the housing 10 at the front of the cutter , so that the rear part of the lock piece 40 can move downwards . the downward movement of the lock piece 40 releases the locking extension 371 at the lower rear end of a rack 37 from a notch in the lock piece 40 as shown in fig5 . the same forward movement of the release piece 51 pushes forward the rack 37 which is now free to move along the length of the cutter . at the lower front end of the rack 37 teeth are interlocked with a gear wheel 35 . the forward movement of the rack 37 rotates the gear wheel 35 clockwise . below the gear wheel 35 the rear end of the blade guard 30 is also equipped with teeth that are interlocked with the gear wheel 35 . the clockwise rotation of the gear wheel 35 rotates the blade guard 30 counterclockwise , so that the front part of the blade guard 30 moves upwards around the pivot point 34 . through this upward movement of the blade guard 30 , the blade 20 is no longer covered and the cutting edge of the blade is fully visible for an exact positioning on the object to be cut . fig3 shows the inside of the hand cutter in the open position . in this position the user has a clear view of the blade 20 and can position the cutting edge of the blade precisely at the desired spot , so that a cut can be made with great accuracy . as soon as the user releases the trigger button 62 , the upwards force on the trigger rack arm 63 is released and the rack wheel 52 coupled to the release wheel 53 are rotated back counterclockwise . this rotation is enhanced by a spring connected to the release wheel 53 and allows the release piece 51 to move back to the original closed position . the rearward movement of the release piece 51 moves the extension at the lower end , used to force the lock piece 40 downwards , out of the reach of the lock piece 40 . a spring forces the lock piece 40 back upwards to the original position so that the rack 37 , which is forced rearward by an additional spring , can again be locked by means of the locking extension 371 . at the same time , blade guard 30 is rotated back to the protected position via the gear wheel 35 which is rotated counterclockwise by the rack 37 during its rearward movement . in this way the blade 20 is again protected and the blade guard 30 locked as soon as soon as the trigger is released . in order to protect the user of the cutter , a automatic relocking mechanism is added to the safety cutter . in fig6 the blade holder 70 is shown together with the rack wheel 52 and the release wheel 53 . as soon as the blade 20 is placed on the object to be cut , the front of the blade 20 is pushed slightly upwards and the rear end of the blade holder 70 moves downwards as it rotates around the blade holder pivot point 74 . through this downward movement , the blade holder 70 , which extends to the rack wheel 52 and the release wheel 53 , is forced between the two wheels . this pushes the rack wheel 52 and the release wheel 53 apart from each other so that the two wheels are decoupled . as soon as the rack wheel 52 and the release wheel 53 are decoupled , the release wheel 53 is forced to rotate counterclockwise , back to the original position , by a spring 531 as can be seen in fig2 . the rack wheel 52 remains in the same position as long as the trigger button 62 remains pushed . due to the connection of the release wheel 53 with the release piece 51 , the release piece 51 is pulled back to the original position so that the lock piece 40 is rotated back upwards by the spring . in this position the notch in the lock piece 40 returns to the original position , so that the locking extension 371 of the rack 37 can reengage with the notch as soon as the rack 37 moves back to the original position . the blade guard 30 does not return to the protected position until the cutter is removed from the object to be cut . until this occurs , the rack 37 , which is forced towards the back end of the cutter by a spring , does not move completely to the original position , preventing the locking mechanism to reengage . as soon as the blade guard 30 returns all the way to the protected position , the rack 37 returns to the original position where the locking extension 371 reengages with the notch in the lock piece 40 . in this state the blade 20 of the cutter is again protected even if the trigger button 62 is still being pressed , thus preventing accidental cutting after the cut has been completed . the blade guard 30 remains in the locked position until the trigger button 62 is released and pressed again to activate the release mechanism . | 1 |
for illustration purposes only , and by way of example , the present invention is shown to be employed for an ac / dc converter . as will be seen below , the cooling system for the electronic device of the present invention can be easily employed in the fabrication of other electronic devices , such as , and without limitation , power amplifiers and computing devices . the invention will be described in detail below in the context of an application for an ac / dc converter ; however , such disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to such an application of the present invention . fig1 shows a compact power conversion device 100 according to the present invention . the power conversion device 100 includes a substantially rigid body 130 from one end of which extend two power supply leads 110 and 120 that in create a standard male ac plug . the power supply leads 110 and 120 and can include apertures as shown or to be solid . the power supply leads 110 and 120 and can both be the same size as shown or have polarity such that one blade is wider . a third power supply lead can be used as a conventional ground terminal . from the opposite end of the substantially rigid body 130 extends a power cord 140 which terminates in a dc power coupling 150 . as can be seen , the device bears a strong resemblance to a common ac power cord . the substantially rigid body 130 is shown with a particular industrial design . this industrial design is representative only and can be modified without departing from the invention . also owing to the present invention , the device is substantially the same as a common ac power cord . in fig2 , a partial cross sectional view of a power conversion device 200 is shown to include a substantially rigid body 230 from one end of which extend two power supply leads 210 and 220 that together form a standard male ac power plug . the device of fig2 can but need not be the same as that shown in fig1 . from the opposite end of the substantially rigid body 230 extends a power cord 240 which terminates in a dc power coupling 245 . the power cord 240 contains the power output leads 276 which are coupled with the power conversion circuit 270 . the power conversion circuit 270 is shown schematically only with circuit elements represented by blocks ; any conventional circuit could work using the present invention . the power conversion circuit 270 includes primary 272 and secondary 274 portions . further , the body is seen to contain electrically and thermally conductive ends 215 of both power supply leads 210 and 220 . also illustrated is the gap 225 of at least 0 . 4 mm between the primary 272 and secondary 274 sides of the power conversion circuit 270 . the gap 225 being filled with the material that the substantially rigid body 230 is comprised of , which is preferably a ul recognized electrical insulation material that provides the minimum required electrical insulation between the primary 272 and secondary 274 sides of the power conversion circuit 270 . the power conversion circuit 270 is also shown to include heat generating components 260 within the primary portion 272 . in the preferred embodiment , the structural body 230 is coupled to a heat conductive body 250 which is further thermally coupled for substantially efficient heat transfer to the heat generating components 260 and to the thermally conductive ends 215 of the power supply leads 210 , 220 so that the heat generated in the heat generating components 260 is transferred into the power supply leads 210 , 220 and from there to the power supply network ( not shown ) such as conventional power outlets and wall wiring . the thermal coupling is preferably accomplished by molding the heat conductive body 250 around the heat generating components 260 and the thermally conductive ends 215 , but could be accomplished by any reasonable means . according to the present invention , the heat conductive body has at least a minimum thermal conductivity allow adequate heat dissipation and a low electrical conductivity to prevent shorts . in fig3 , a partial cross sectional view of a power conversion device 300 is shown to include a structural enclosure 330 from one end of which extend two power supply leads 310 and 320 that together form a standard male ac power plug . from the opposite end of the structural enclosure 330 extends a power cord 340 which terminates in a dc power coupling 345 . the power cord 340 contains the power output leads 376 which are coupled with the power conversion circuit 370 . the power conversion circuit 370 includes primary 372 and secondary 374 portions . further , the body is seen to contain electrically and thermally conductive ends 315 of both power supply leads 310 and 320 . also illustrated is the gap 325 of at least 0 . 4 mm between the primary 372 and secondary 374 sides of the power conversion circuit 370 . the gap 325 being filled with the material that the structural enclosure 330 is comprised of , which is preferably a ul recognized electrical insulation material that provides the minimum required electrical insulation between the primary 372 and secondary 374 sides of the power conversion circuit 370 . the power conversion circuit 370 is also shown to include heat generating components 360 within the primary portion 372 . in this embodiment , the structural body 330 is comprised of an electrically inert , thermally conductive material which is further thermally coupled for substantially efficient heat transfer to the heat generating components 360 and to the thermally conductive ends 315 of the power supply leads 310 , 320 so that the heat generated in the heat generating components 360 is transferred into the power supply network ( not shown ) through the power supply leads 310 , 320 . the thermal coupling is preferably accomplished by molding the structural enclosure 330 around the heat generating components 360 and the thermally conductive ends 315 , but could be accomplished by any reasonable means . according to the present invention , the structural enclosure 330 has a sufficient thermal conductivity to allow adequate heat dissipation and a low electrical conductivity to prevent shorts . also in accordance with the present invention , a method of cooling an electronic device supplied by an external power source is provided , which will now be discussed with reference to the above devices , and to fig2 and 3 . the method of the present invention comprises thermally coupling for substantially efficient heat transfer at least a portion of an electronic device to a thermally conductive body , and thermally coupling for substantially efficient heat transfer at least a portion of each of a plurality of power supply leads to the thermally conductive body . referring to fig2 , an electronic device 200 is constructed according to the method of the present invention . a portion of the electrical circuit 270 is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive body 270 , which is also thermally coupled to the power supply leads 210 , 220 for substantially efficient heat transfer . in the device 200 , the structural integrity of the device package is maintained by the rigid shell body 230 . referring to fig3 , an electrical device 300 is constructed according to the method of the present invention . a portion of the electrical circuit 370 is thermally coupled to the thermally conductive body 330 , which is also thermally coupled to the power supply leads 310 , 320 for substantially efficient heat transfer . in the device 300 , the thermally conductive body 330 also provides a structurally sound device package . in the method of the present invention , the structural materials are preferably comprised of a ul recognized insulation material . also , in the method of the present invention the thermally conductive materials used to thermally couple the power supply leads to the electrical device have at least a minimum thermal conductivity to allow adequate heat dissipation and a low electrical conductivity to prevent shorts . because the device of the present invention comprises a solid mass of material molded around the circuit components of a power converter , a much more compact size is achieved than is present in prior art devices or possible with prior art designs . though safety regulations dictate a 6 . 4 mm spacing through air between primary and secondary circuitry in a power converter , only 0 . 4 mm spacing is required through any homogeneous ul recognized electrical insulation material . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a ul recognized insulation material is used to provide the structure of the compact power conversion device . though other materials are contemplated in the present invention , because of current regulations other contemplated materials that are non - ul recognized at the time of invention cannot be considered equivalent . of course , any future materials meeting the approval of ul or some similar regulatory authority , would have to be considered equivalents . the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of the principles of construction and operation of the invention . as such , references , herein , to specific embodiments and details thereof are not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the present invention relates to an exercise kit for use indoors to simulate the exercise and develop the muscles used in participation in cross - country skiing outdoors and rowing . the kit also permits other exercises for the arms and legs . the kit comprises a main frame 10 which is the shape of an elongate rectangle having longitudinal side members 11 and 12 , opposite end members 14 and 15 and two members 16 and 18 which extend between the end members parallel to said side members 11 and 12 and parallel to each other to define a pair of rails extending lengthwise of the frame . attached and positioned oblique to the end member 15 is a pair of spaced foot rest pads 20 and 21 . a pulley 22 is pivotally connected to the end member 15 on the side opposite the foot pads 20 and 21 . a spring member 25 is connected at one end to the end member 14 between the two frame members 16 and 18 . the spring member 25 , as illustrated , comprises a plurality of horizontally disposed helical tension springs 26 connected at one end to the end member 14 and to a bracket 27 at their other end . the bracket 27 is connected to one end of a cable 29 which extends through the pulley 22 and about the wheel thereof and through a handle 30 . the cable terminates in an eye 31 . the eye 31 is adapted for connection to a hook 32 on a seat 60 to be hereinafter described . the springs 26 and bracket 27 are supported by a plate 34 positioned at the bottom of the frame between frame members 16 and 18 . the side members 11 and 12 and the frame members 16 and 18 define parallel rails to support a pair of roller members 35 . the roller members 35 comprise an inverted channel shaped frame 36 of rectangular appearance . the upper surface 37 of the frame 36 supports a pad 38 of upholstored foam having a fabric or vinyl covering . the depending flanges 39 of the frame 36 support a pair of transversely extending parallel shafts 40 on each of which is supported rotatably a pair of axially spaced rollers 42 . the rollers 42 comprise a cylindrical member of metal having radially projecting flanges which guide the rollers 42 and roller members 35 along the rails as shown in fig2 . brake means are formed between the roller members 35 and the frame 10 to restrict free , unrestrained rolling movement of said roller members 35 . as shown in fig2 and 5 , the brake means comprise a narrow longitudinal rib 45 extending the length of the rail and between and parallel to the side members 11 and 12 and the frame members 16 and 18 . a threaded rod 46 extends through the flanges 39 of the frame 36 and has a lock nut 47 to restrict displacement of the same . a knurled handle 48 is fixed on the other end . positioned along the rod 46 is a pair of rectangular plates 49 and 50 , each having a friction covering 51 on the opposed faces to engage the rib 45 . one plate 50 is fixed to a threaded nut 52 and moves along the rod upon rotation thereof , and the other plate 49 is urged against the rib 45 by a compression spring 53 . rotation of the knurled handle 48 will loosen the frictional force of the plates 50 against the rib 45 or increase the frictional force to control the freedom of movement of the roller members 35 along the rails . plate 49 is urged against rib 45 continuously . a seat 60 comprising a padded rectangular surface 61 and back support 62 is shown in fig2 and 4 . the seat is adapted to straddle both of the roller members 35 and to move in unison with the roller members to and fro along the rails . the seat 60 is provided with a hook 32 near the front edge of the seat 60 for attachment to the eye 31 on the cable 29 . an arm 71 is pivotally connected to each side member 11 and 12 of the frame 10 . the arms 71 have a generally circular disc 72 at one end with a central pin receiving opening . the other end terminates in a hand grip 74 . the arms include a tubular rod 75 connected to the disc 72 and the hand grip 74 fits over the opposite end of the rod . the arm 71 is between about 48 and 54 inches long . the disc 72 is provided with a friction covering 77 on each side . the covered disc is positioned between a fixed first plate 78 having an l - shape in end view with the foot of the l fixed to the side members 11 and 12 . a second plate 79 of similar shape is provided with a surface to rest on the foot of plate 78 . a threaded bolt 81 extends through plate 79 , disc 72 and plate 78 . a threaded handle 80 receives the bolt 81 and as it is threaded on the bolt , the pressure of the plates 78 and 79 against the disc 72 increases to increase the resistance to rotation of the arm 71 about the bolt 81 in relationship to the frame 10 . in use , as a cross - country skiing exerciser , the seat 60 is removed from the roller members 35 . the arms 71 are raised off a pair of rests on brackets not shown on side members 11 and 12 . the handles 80 are adjusted to provide the tension or resistance desired for pivoting the arms . similarily , the resistance to movement for the roller members 35 is adjusted by turning handles 48 . the feet are placed on the roller members 35 and the hands grasp the hand grips 74 of the arms 71 . exercise begins by sliding the roller members 35 to and fro , along the rails and simultaneously swinging the arms 71 in the manner of alternately sliding the skis and moving the poles . to perform the rowing exercise , the handles 80 are loosened and the arms 71 are positioned parallel to the frame . the roller members are aligned on the rails and the seat is returned to a position across both roller members . by sitting on the seat and placing the feet on the rest pads 20 and 21 , the position is assumed and the exercise begins by grasping the handle 30 with the palms of the hands down and drawing the handle toward the body while simultaneously pushing the seat away from the foot rest pads 20 and 21 by straightening the legs . as the tension in the springs is released slowly the legs are bent , bringing the seat and roller members forward . a leg press exercise is performed by drawing the seat 60 and roller members toward the foot rests 20 and 21 and connecting the eye 31 of the cable to the hook 32 at the front of the seat . by straightening and bending the legs under the tension of the springs 26 , the seat is moved back and forth , along with the roller members 35 along the rails . by releasing the eye 31 from the hook 32 on the seat 60 and grasping the handle 30 with both hands , having the palms up , the arms may be bent toward the chin , tensioning the springs 26 and exercising the arms . having thus described the present invention with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be appreciated that modifications can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 0 |
fig1 is a sectional view schematically showing a slot machine embodying the invention . there is shown a body 10 which has a display section 10a , a reel accomodating section 10b , a hopper accomodating section 10c , and a coin recovery section 10d . the display section 10a has a front display panel 2 and lamps ( not shown ) for illuminating the panel . the reel accomodating section 10b accomodates reels 3 . the hopper accomodating section 10c accomodates a hopper 5 which has a function of detecting the quantity of coins contained in it . the coin recovery section 10d accomodates a cash box 7 . a front plate 20 is hinged to the body 10 so that it can be opened and closed . it has a window 21 , through which the reels are seen . the front plate 20 also has a coin slot 22 and a rejector 23 . the rejector 23 checks each coin inserted from the coin slot 22 and rejects it if it is defective . the front plate 20 further has a chute 24 for guiding inserted coins along a predetermined path and a coin counter 25 , consisting of a photosensor for instance , provided on the chute 24 at a suitable position thereof . a switching plate 31 is pivotally supported at one end 31a and is pivotally movable in the direction of arrow a by a solenoid 32 . when the switching plate 31 is in the illustrated position , coins inserted through the coin slot are collected in the hopper 5 . when the displayed combination of symbol patterns of the reels 3 is a prize - winning combination , coins in number corresponding to the pertinent game points are paid out from the hopper into a saucer 40 . in the slot machine as described , when the hopper 5 becomes full of coins successively inserted through the coin slot 22 , the solenoid 32 is actuated by a detection signal , whereby the switching plate 31 is pivotally moved in the direction of arrow a . coins subsequently inserted are no longer supplied to the hopper 5 but are led through the chute 35 into the cash box 6 . in this way , the overflow of coins from the hopper 5 can be prevented . when a certain amount of coins are paid out as the results of games , the detection signal from the hopper 5 disappears . as a result , the solenoid 32 is de - energized causing the switching plate 31 to be returned to the initial position as illustrated . now coins inserted are supplied again to the hopper 5 . fig2 and 3 show an embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a front view , and fig3 is a sectional view . the hopper 5 includes a support member 51 , a scooping disc 52 , a hopper member 53 made of an insulating material , an electrode 55a ( for instance a positive electrode ) and another electrode 55b ( for instance a negative electrode ), these electrodes being mounted in the hopper member 53 . coins are collected in the hopper member 53 such that they are inclined with respect to the support member 51 . as the scooping disc 52 is rotated by a motor 60 in the direction of arrow x , the collected coins are brought upwards by pins 61 projecting from the scooping disc 52 at a predetermined spacing and a circular recess 62 formed in the support member 51 so that they can be brought by a guide member 63 one by one into a pay - out passage 64 leading to a coin outlet . reference numeral 70 designates a chute for leading coins into the hopper member 53 . the electrode 55a is mounted in the hopper member 53 substantially in the lowermost position thereof such that its contact projects into the interior of the hopper member 53 . the other electrode 55b , the contact of which also projects into the interior of the hopper member 53 , is mounted in the hopper member in a portion thereof at a level higher than the lowermost portion noted above . when the amount of coins collected in the hopper member 53 is increased to an extent as shown by the phantom line in fig3 the two electrodes 55a and 55b are electrically connected to each other since the coins m in the hopper member 53 have conductivity and are in contact with one another . when the amount becomes less than the illustrated amount , the two electrodes are electrically disconnected from each other . thus , whether the amount of collected coins has reached a predetermined value ( corresponding to the position of the electrode 55b ) can be determined from whether the two electrodes 55a and 55b are electrically connected or disconnected . a conduction signal obtained in this way may be used for display and also as a signal for driving the solenoid 32 in fig1 . the position of the electrode 55b may be suitably determined by taking the capacity of the hopper meber 53 and other factors into consideration . the electrode 55b can be mounted in the hopper member 53 by merely forming a mounting hole therein . it is thus possible to form a plurality of mounting holes at positions of different levels and mount the electrode 55b in a suitable selected one of these mounting holes corresponding to a desired amount of accommodated coins , upon the reaching of which the detection signal is to be emitted . fig4 shows a different embodiment of the invention . in this instance , an electrode 82 is mounted in hopper member 80 in the lowermost portion thereof , and other electrodes 82a to 82d are mounted in the hopper member in portions thereof at different levels . reference numeral 90 designates a chute for leading coins into the hopper member 80 . it is made of a conductive material such as iron , and the electrode 82d is in contact with it . fig5 shows the principles of an example of a detecting section making use of the electrodes shown in fig4 . a microcomputer 85 controls the driving of display lamps 83a to 83d . a display panel 84 is illuminated by these lamps . it has display characters as shown , for instance , which are related to the amount of coins in the hopper member 80 . with this construction , the electrode 8 is connected to one or more of the other electrodes ( for instance three electrodes , i . e ., the electrode 82c and electrodes 82a and 82b at a lower level ) according to the amount of coins accommodated in the hopper member 80 . a conduction signal thus obtained is fed to the microcomputer 85 . when a plurality of signals are simultaneously fed to it , the microcomputer 85 turns on a display lamp corresponding to the elctrode at the position of the lowest level ( in this example the lamp 83c corresponding to the electrode 82c ). in this case , a &# 34 ; normal &# 34 ; display of the display panel illuminated . when the collected coins are increased beyond the level of the electrode 82c so that their level eventually reaches the chute 90 , the electrode 82 is electrically connected to the electrode 82d . at this time , a display 83d shown in fig5 is turned on to designate an &# 34 ; excessive &# 34 ; amount of coins beyond the hopper capacity . at the same time , an alarm sound may , if necessary , be produced . furthermore , the relay 32 is driven to switch the switching plate 31 to lead subsequently inserted coins to the cash box 6 . the display device shown in fig5 using the microcomputer 85 is by no means limitative , and the amount of coins in the hopper member may be displaid analogwise , for instance with such an arrangement that display lamps for &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; electrodes are turned on simultaneously . | 6 |
as shown in the drawings wherein like numerals relate to like elements throughout , the invention is embodied in a surgical floor mat 11 comprising four compressed sponge sections 13 and a waterproof and foldable sheet 15 . the compressed sponge sections 13 are adhered to the foldable sheet 15 by way of glue ( not shown ) or some other means commonly known in the art of securement . edges 17 of the foldable sheet overlap top surfaces 19 of the compressed sponge sections 13 by approximately 5 / 8th of an inch . edges 17 of the foldable sheet 15 are stitched or glued to the top surface 19 of the compressed sponge sections 13 . alternatively , as shown in fig1 stitches 21 at about 3 / 8th of an inch inwardly ensure that the edges 17 of the foldable sheet 15 are properly adhered to the top surface 19 of the sponge sections 13 . the glue ( not shown ) also has a tendency to seal any holes which might be created by the stitches 21 . between each of the sponge sections 13 is a flow canal 22 having a dimension shown as &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; in fig1 . the &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; dimension is approximately 2 to 4 millimeters and of sufficient width to allow fluids to readily flow between each of the sponge sections 13 , and also allow the sponge sections 13 to fold relative to each other . the sponge sections 13 are sufficiently spaced apart from one another so that the embodiment of the surgical floor mat 11 as shown in fig1 can be folded once as shown in fig2 and then a second time as shown in fig3 . any fluid which has been absorbed by the compressed sponge sections 13 can be trapped within the surgical floor mat 11 as shown in fig3 . the waterproof and foldable sheet 15 provides a sufficient barrier to the migration of moisture from the compressed sponge sections 13 . additionally , other flow canals 23 can be incorporated in the sponge sections 13 to provide for greater foldability , or at least partially foldability , and allow higher concentrations of fluid or moisture to migrate to drier or other parts of the compressed sponge sections 13 . these other flow canals 23 are similarly 2 to 4 millimeters in width and can be anywhere between 4 to 6 inches in length . these other canals 23 can be formed by stitching the compressed sponge sections to the foldable sheet along a 4 to 6 inch length to create an indentation . as shown in fig1 the surgical floor mat 11 is comprised of four of the compressed sponge sections 13 each having a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; length and an &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; width . the &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; dimensions can vary for each of the compressed sponge sections 13 , as well as the number of compressed sponge sections 13 can be increased or decreased with some effect on foldability and absorption rates . as shown in fig2 adhesive strips 25 can be glued or otherwise fastened to an undersurface 27 of the foldable sheet 15 . the adhesive strips 25 may have a top peel 28 which can be easily pulled off the adhesive strip 25 to expose a sticky or adhesive surface ( not shown ) so that the surgical floor mat 11 can be more securely positioned on an operating floor . alternatively , the adhesive strips 25 may not be utilized and the peel 27 may remain intact so that the surgical floor mat 11 can be readily moved about the operating floor depending upon the particular needs of the operation . as shown in fig4 the compressed sponge sections in a dry condition have a thickness d 1 which optimumly ranges between 1 and 2 millimeters in thickness . when the compressed sponge sections are in a wet condition as shown in fig5 the thickness as shown as d 2 can be of the order of 15 to 25 millimeters , and thereby retain a substantial amount of fluid . also , the edges 17 of the sheet 15 tend to stand more erect and help retain any fluids within the compressed sponge sections 13 . the highly absorbent quality of the compressed sponge sections 13 is due to the compressed cellulose , cloth fiber and salt constituents which are formed by compressing and drying a liquefied composition of those materials so as to be compact and have a low profile in a dry condition , yet absorb a substantial amount of water for fluids when in contact with water or fluid . this type of material is known in the sponge art and typically incorporates wood pulp , cotton , flax , rayon , hemp , with polyol and sodium chloride . this composition is biodegradable and highly absorptive . for an example of its absorptive qualities , a surgical floor mat having compressed sponge sections 13 having a volume of 357 cubic inches when dry can expand to approximately 714 cubic inches when wet . in this example , the compressed sponge sections 13 can absorb approximately 6 liters of fluid , and retain that fluid in such a way as to be easily carried away and deposed of . as shown in fig4 and 5 , stippling 30 can be included on the undersurface 27 of the foldable sheet 15 . this stippling 30 provides better traction between the undersurface 27 and the foldable sheet 15 and the floor ( not shown ) during use of the surgical mat 11 during the course of an operation . such stippling 30 can be made of an elastomeric material which is silk screened onto the undersurface 27 of the foldable sheet 15 . alternatively , stippling 30 may not be necessary , provided the material used for the foldable sheet 15 is sufficiently gummy or sticky or has a coefficient of friction which would prevent the surgical floor mat 11 from slipping when placed upon the floor . it should be pointed out that the foldable sheet can be comprised of polypropylene , polyethylene , an elastomeric material or some other material which is sufficiently flexible and moisture impervious in accordance with the present invention . the optimum sizes for the embodiment of the invention according to fig1 are 24 inches by 36 inches by 2mm ranging to 12 inches by 18 inches × 9mm . also , another size is 36 inches by 36 inches by 2mm ranging to 12 inches by 36 inches by 7mm . in fig6 a second embodiment of the present invention indicated as numeral 29 is round . its radius or &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; is 24 inches in its optimum dimension for many surgical uses . many of the elements in the this embodiment except for the shape and foldability aspects of the second embodiment 29 are similar to the first embodiment as shown in fig1 - 5 . however , the additional flow canals 23 are in a locus of points about a radii from a center 31 of the surgical floor mat 29 . either prior to use when the surgical floor mat 29 is in storage or subsequent to use when the surgical floor mat 29 is to be discarded , sections 31 or 32 can be folded onto section 33 and the remaining section can be folded onto the two sections so folded . again , any absorbed moisture can be trapped sufficiently by the foldable and moisture impervious sheet 15 so as to easily transport the absorbed fluid to its disposal . finally , a third embodiment is shown in fig7 as numeral 35 . a section 37 can be folded over onto a section 39 and a section 41 can be folded onto a section 43 . then , sections 37 and 39 can be folded onto sections 41 and 43 . again , the absorbed fluid resulting from an operation can be easily and quickly transported to its disposal , minimizing leakage and allow expeditiously clean - up after surgery . for all the embodiments , the compressed sponge sections 13 can be of light blue color while the foldable sheets can be of a darker blue color or transparent or translucent so as not to be a distraction over the course of surgery in the event that operating surgeons are looking downwardly during their operation . it should be also be noted that all of the features and attributes as described for the first embodiment 11 of the invention are equally applicable to the second embodiment 29 and the third embodiment 35 of the invention . it should be appreciated that from the foregoing description that the present invention provides an improved disposal surgical floor mat which is simply to use , and simple in construction . it is easily foldable prior to its use and is easily foldable after its use to carry away surgical fluids in a sanitary manner . the surgical mat of the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture , is easily stored , is easily disposed of , and is optionally movable once positioned on the floor or can be more securely held to the floor to prevent persons in the surgery room from tripping . the surgical floor mat &# 39 ; s low profile in a dry condition further reduces the chances of accident by tripping . the surgical floor mat expanded in a wet condition allows for a substantial degree of water absorption necessary over the course of the many operations such as arthroscopic knee surgery . the surgical mat of the invention by its composition and construction resists tearing and allows a stool or chair with rollers to easily roll over the surgical mat without jeopardizing the integrity of the surgical mat . although the present invention has been described in detail with reference only to the presently preferred embodiments , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the invention . accordingly , the invention is limited only by the following claims . | 0 |
for clarity , the following definitions will be used throughout the specification and claims . particle : any sample species that can be retained and separated by fff methods , including both rigid and deformable particles ranging in size from submicron to hundreds of microns , polymer molecules , biological macromolecules and particles including cells , dna , and proteins , and any other molecules subject to fff analysis . field : any influence that when applied to the fff channel has the effect of displacing sample particles in a direction perpendicular to the flow axis and thus causing fff separation . driving force : the force or effective force acting to displace the particles as a consequence of applying the field . accumulation wall : the wall toward which sample particles are normally driven by the field . depletion wall : the wall opposite the accumulation wall , which has particles driven away from it by application of the field . frit element or section : identical in meaning to permeable wall section . frit inlet substream : a substream of fluid entering the channel through a frit section near the inlet end . frit outlet substream ; a substream of fluid exiting the channel through a frit section near the outlet end . sample inlet substream : the substream of fluid that brings the dissolved or suspended sample into the channel . this substream usually enters near the inlet tip of the channel . sample outlet substream : the substream of fluid carrying sample material out of the channel , normally to a detector . this substream will in most cases exit from the outlet tip of the channel . as noted , the present invention entails utilizing one or more special sections of permeable wall material ( referred to as &# 34 ; frit &# 34 ; elements or sections or permeable wall sections ) at one or both ends of the fff channel through which flow can be freely and independently introduced into the channel or withdrawn from the channel depending upon need . the frit element will normally be embedded smoothly in one or more of the channel walls , thus replacing a small area of the usual wall material . however , in some cases it may protrude further into the channl or it may be recessed , relative to other wall elements . the flow substream ( s ) entering or departing through the special section ( s ) are generally complimented by independently controlled flow streams , such as the sample substreams which carry the sample material in or out of the fff channel . the frit inlet substream is introduced into the channel through the inlet frit section in such a way as to compress the sample inlet substream against one wall which is generally the accumulation wall . the frit outlet substream and the associated outlet frit section are similarly positioned to strip carrier liquid away from the sample at the outlet , leaving the sample material concentrated in the sample outlet substream . to function in these roles , such frit sections will normally constitute part of the depletion wall of the channel , which is the wall opposite the accumulation wall where the sample is concentrated . their use makes it possible to achieve both hydrodynamic relaxation and sample enrichment without any of the disadvantages noted above for the flow splitters . in order to distribute the frit inlet substream uniformally over the frit element , a small chamber can be constructed on the backside of the frit section . this chamber serves to collect fluid from the frit inlet substream and distribute it evenly over the area of the frit section . hydrodynamic relaxation achieved by the use of the permeable wall section at the inlet is illustrated in fig1 . the sample pulse is introduced into a stream of carrier ( the sample inlet substream ) that enters the inlet end of the fff channel . a second substream , usually of larger flowrate than the first , is introduced through the permeable wall section , a segment of the depletion wall generally extending across the full breadth of the channel , but only a small fraction of its length . this flow stream ( the frit inlet substream ) percolates into the channel across the permeable wall section , thereby displacing the sample inlet substream downward toward the accumulation wall . this compression is indicated in fig1 by the downward displacement of the inlet splitting plane , the stream plane that divides the fluid elements entering in the two substreams . the sample material remains below the splitting plane and is thereby compressed to the vicinity of the accumulation wall by the unique configuration of merging flows . this sample compression process is referred to as hydrodynamic relaxation . as shown in fig1 the permeable wall section used for hydrodynamic relaxation is located close to the inlet . it may extend over all or part of the triangular end piece normally utilized as part of the fff channel structure . in other cases , it can be positioned partially or entirely beyond the triangular end piece . several possible configurations of the frit element used at the inlet end are shown in fig3 a , 3b , 3c and 3d . special shapes can be used to reduce end or edge effects , or otherwise control the details of channel flow . the achievement of hydrodynamic relaxation by a permeable wall element is expected to be applicable to virtually all forms of fff including sedimentation fff , thermal fff , electrical fff , and flow fff in both steric and normal modes of operation . it is expected to be particularly convenient for flow fff , for which the depletion wall is generally permeable to begin with . a liquid feed chamber usually extends along the length of the permeable wall on its reverse side to distribute incoming carrier fluid uniformly over the area of the wall . all that is needed is to isolate by a sealing arrangement a small feed chamber separate from the main chamber above the area selected to be the permeable wall ( frit ) section . the frit inlet substream is then fed into this isolated chamber and through the adjacent permeable wall section ; the seal prevents this substream from intermixing with the normal crossflow stream entering through the permeable wall section further along the length of the channel . thus , while the permeable wall may be continuous along the length of the channel , it is effectively divided into two ( or more ) sections that can be made functionally different by the independent control of flowrates through them , generally , the permeation rate per unit area of permeable wall will be much higher for the permeable section than for the normal depletion wall downstream , necessitating the proposed isolation of the two . in asymetric flow fff , which normally operates with an impermeable wall the frit section ( s ) can be placed in the depletion wall in much the same manner as in most other forms of fff . a permeable wall section similar to that described above for the inlet can be used at the outlet to enrich the sample . this use is illustrated in fig2 . here one uses the permeable wall section to skim off the &# 34 ; clear &# 34 ; ( sample free ) carrier liquid flowing above the atmosphere of sample particles or molecules . if not removed by some such means , this carrier mixes with the sample at the outlet and leads to considerable sample dilution . as before , the gentle flow conditions provided by a permeable wall element can systematically withdraw all the fluid above an outlet splitting plane whose initial position is determined by the ratio of the volumetric flowrates of the two outlet substreams . while it is generally preferred to make the frit section part of the depletion wall , it can also be introduced with success in the accumulation wall , or in both walls at the same time . in addition , the frit element can be placed at the inlet end or the outlet end or at both ends at the same time . the frit section can be prepared from any permeable material but is preferably a ceramic or metal material having a pore size varying from about 1 μm to 20 μm . the frit section is preferably permeable to fluids and liquid , such as , for example , aqueous solutions and organic liquids , although they may be permeable to many other substances , such as gases and the like . as noted , the frit sections should make up not more than 25 % of the total area of the enclosing wall . preferably the frit sections should make up no more than 10 % of the area of any individual wall . in the case of the flow fff system , the frit sections should make up preferably not more than 5 to 10 % of the depletion wall , while the crossflow wall may occupy from 90 % to 95 % of the wall area . it should be further noted that it is highly preferred to have the flowrate of fluid entering ( or exiting ) the frit section larger than the flowrate of the sample inlet ( or outlet ) substream , preferably at least five times as great . the flowrates for both are independently controlled by conventional pumping and flow control systems . the conditions to be employed in the fff systems are well known and fully illustrated in the prior art . for example , the type of particles , macromolecules and polymer molecules ( all referred to herein as &# 34 ; particles &# 34 ;) to be separated , the carrier fluids , the concentration of particles , the type of field or gradients to be used , strength of field , temperature to separation , rate of flow , recovery techniques and general construction of the fff channels are all illustrated in the prior cited patents , such as giddings -- u . s . pat . no . 4 , 737 , 268 , and so much of that disclosure pertinent to the present invention is incorporated herein by reference . to illustrate the invention the following example is given . it should be understood , however , that the example is given only for the purpose of illustration and should not be regarded as limiting the invention in any way . an apparatus was assembled as shown schematically in fig4 . this apparatus is a conventional flow fff system modified according to the present invention . the fff channel in which separation takes place was cut out of a 0 . 0254 cm thick mylar spacer . the resulting channel is 38 cm in tip - to - top length and 2 . 0 cm in breadth , yielding a channel volume of 1 . 68 ml . directly beneath the channel is a diaflo ym10 membrane which serves as the accumulation wall of the channel . beneath the membrane is a 0 . 60 cm thick ceramic frit with 6 μm average pore size . the frit is mounted in a lucite block directly above a thin chamber ( the outlet crossflow chamber ) designed to collect the crossflow as it emerges through the frit . sandwiched immediately above the channel and serving as the depletion wall is a second slab of ceramic frit mounted in a lucite block like the first . a thin ( 0 . 30 cm ) chamber has been cut into the block above the frit identical to the outlet crossflow chamber . this chamber extends to within 0 . 25 cm of the sample inlet port . this system departs from the convention flow fff system by the placement of a solid blockage across the breadth of this chamber a short distance from the inlet . in this case , the blockage or dam is located 3 . 2 cm from the inlet end of the chamber . this dam creates two fluid chambers . the larger chamber extending over most of the frit area becomes an inlet crossflow chamber that receives and distributes the crossflow stream over the bounding frit area . this crossflow stream gives rise to the driving force that controls the fff separation . the small chamber at the inlet end becomes the frit inlet chamber , a key element of this device that serves to distribute a totally independent flow substream , the frit inlet substream responsible for hydrodynamic relaxation , over the frit area immediately above the small inlet section of the channel where the hydrodynamic relaxation is to be achieved . because the frit inlet substream is controlled independently of the normal crossflow entering the inlet crossflow chamber , higher pressures can be used and higher flowrates per unit area of frit can be realized . in this way the much higher permeation rates needed to achieve hydrodynamic relaxation can be implemented . the sample material is introduced into the above system by means of an inlet hole drilled through the lucite and frit immediately to the left of the frit inlet chamber . bands of sample are introduced into this inlet by means of a 7010 rheodyne sample injection valve equipped with a 40 μl sample loop . a piece of teflon tubing of inner diameter 0 . 05 cm and length 4 . 8 cm carries the sample from the valve through the upper block assembly into the tip of the fff channel . a metering pump was used to introduce the sample into the channel . another pump was used to drive the frit inlet substream . the crossflow stream was controlled by a pulse - free syringe pump . components emerging from the channel were detected by a beckman model 153 uv detector operating at 254 nm and connected to a two - pen recorder . both outlet flows ( crossflow and channel flow ) from the system are controlled by pieces of 0 . 025 cm inner diameter stainless steel tubing acting to restrict flow . the outlet flowrates were measured with a buret and a stopwatch . the carrier liquid used in this study was distilled water containing 0 . 1 % fl - 70 detergent and 0 . 02 % sodium azide . the water was degassed by boiling before use . the system was operated at ambient laboratory temperature 23 °± 1 ° c . the sample used consisted of mixtures of polystyrene latex beads . the nominal bead diameters , 5 . 0 , 9 . 87 and 15 . 0 μm are hereinafter referred to as 5 , 10 and 15 μm diameter . fig5 a and 5b show the elution profiles generated in runs each using particles of a single size , first 5 and then 15 μm latex beads , at four different flow ratios . the ratio of the frit inlet flowrate v f to the sample inlet flowrate v s increases in the sequence 0 / 100 , 50 / 50 , 75 / 25 , and 95 / 5 as one proceeds from elution profiles 1 through 4 , respectively . in all cases , the total inlet flowrate is v s + v f = 4 . 1 ml / min and the crossflow rate is v c = 3 . 1 ml / min . we note that profile 1 , for which there is no hydrodynamic relaxation because the frit inlet flow is zero , is very broad in both cases and greatly distorted from the desired gaussian profile . such profiles interfere with separation and are not suitable for analytical work . the symmetry and narrowness of the profiles improve from 1 through 4 , showing that better results are obtained as one increases the relative level of the frit inlet flow and thus the degree of hydrodynamic relaxation . similar results were obtained with 10 μm latex beads . the effect of the above flow ratio on particle separation is clearly shown in fig6 a , 6b , 6c and 6d . here the sample consists of a mixture of 5 , 10 and 15 μm latex beads . the overall flow rates are v s + v f = 4 . 1 ml / min and v c = 3 . 2 ml / min . the ratio of frit to sample inlet flowrate is again varied through the sequence 0 / 100 , 50 / 50 , 75 / 25 and 95 / 5 . the resolution of the individual particles , almost nonexistent when the ratio is 0 / 100 gradually improves with increasing v f / v s until excellent separation is realized when the ratio is 95 / 5 ( fig6 ). the fractogram at this ratio shows individual , relatively narrow peaks for each of the three particle sizes with each peak well resolved from the neighboring peaks . this figure shows clearly that hydrodynamic relaxation can be realized by employing an inlet frit section and can be used under stopless flow conditions to produce separations that are otherwise not achievable without stopflow . as noted the stopflow process for sample relaxation not only requires more time and is more conducive to particle adhesion at the wall but it also tends to produce unwanted signal due to pressure pulses caused by abrupt flow changes in the channel . this is illustrated in fig7 in which a 60 second stopflow period is used prior to the run . the channel and crossflow rates for the run are the same as those for fig5 . while the stopflow procedure produces peaks that are somewhat sharper than those obtained with hydrodynamic relaxation , the beginning of the run is perturbed by a pressure transient and an unstable baseline that seriously perturbs the measurement of relative particle concentration for all particles above 15 μm diameter and somewhat perturbs measurements down to diameters below 10 μm . this unwanted transient is clearly not present where hydrodynamic relaxation has been used as shown in fig5 . the importance of having independent controls of the frit inlet substream and the crossflow streams , as provided by this invention , is illustrated by the above examples . hydrodynamic relaxation is shown above to be most successful for a 95 / 5 flow ratio , for which v f is 3 . 9 ml / min , a value higher than v c , 3 . 1 or 3 . 2 ml / min . since the area of the frit section is less than 10 % of the area of the depletion wall , the flowrate per unit area is over tenfold greater through the frit section than through the remainder of the depletion wall , requiring a pressure over 10 times higher to drive fluid through the frit section at the amplified rate . the differential flowrates needed for this purpose can only be provided by isolating the frit inlet chamber from the main inlet crossflow chamber and controlling flow to the two chambers independently . in this specification and accompanying claims the expressions &# 34 ; enclosed wall &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; enclosing wall &# 34 ; are meant to include wall elements enclosing around the thin channel and include straight wall elements as well as curved walls as in a cylinder shaped channel . | 1 |
turning now to fig1 , an infusion catheter apparatus 10 suitable for practicing the methods of the invention includes a catheter assembly 12 having a proximal end 14 and a distal end 16 . the proximal end 14 is coupled to a valve body 18 via a strain relief 20 . the distal end 16 is coupled to an occlusion balloon which has an atraumatic tip 24 . as seen best in fig2 - 5 , the catheter assembly 12 includes outer catheter tube 26 and an inner catheter tube 28 . the outer catheter tube 26 defines an infusion lumen 30 and the inner catheter tube 28 defines an inflation lumen 32 . the outer tube 26 is also provided with a plurality of elution holes 34 which extend along a length of the outer tube 26 . an interior tangential tube 36 defines a side lumen 38 which contains an inflatable bladder tube 40 . the tube 36 is provided with a plurality of infusion holes 42 along at least a portion of its length . when the bladder tube 40 is deflated as shown in fig2 and 4 , the infusion lumen 30 is in fluid communication with the side lumen 38 via the infusion holes 42 and the side lumen 38 is in fluid communication with the elution holes 34 . when the bladder tube is inflated as shown in fig3 and 5 , fluid communication from the infusion lumen into the side lumen 38 and out through the elution holes 34 is blocked . returning now to fig1 , the valve body 18 includes three valves : an occlusion balloon inflation valve 44 , an infusion check valve 46 , and a bladder tube pressure release valve 48 . the balloon inflation valve is coupled to a balloon inflation luer 50 and to the lumen 32 of the inner catheter tube 28 ( fig2 - 5 ) which is coupled to the balloon 22 . the infusion check valve 46 is coupled to an infusion luer 52 and to the lumen 30 of the outer catheter tube 26 . the bladder tube pressure release valve 48 is coupled to a bladder tube inflation luer 54 and to the bladder tube 40 . the valve 48 is preferably a releasable check valve so that the bladder tube can be inflated without manipulating the valve and can be deflated by pushing down on the valve button . according to the presently preferred embodiment the catheter assembly 12 has a proximal marker 56 which is used to determine whether the catheter assembly is sufficiently inserted into the blood vessel such that the elution holes 34 are all located inside the blood vessel . as mentioned above and described in detail below with reference to fig1 - 14 , the assembly 12 is delivered to the treatment location through an introducer sheath and if the assembly is not inserted far enough into the sheath , the sheath could block some of the elution holes 34 . according to one embodiment of the invention the overall length of the entire apparatus is approximately 83 cm . the distance between the most proximal elution hole and the marker 56 is approximately 12 cm . according to this embodiment , nine different models are provided where the number of elution holes can be as few as six or as many as twenty - two . in the case of six elution holes , the “ infusion length ” is approximately 12 cm . in the case of twenty - two elution holes , the infusion length is approximately 44 cm . from the foregoing , those skilled in the art will appreciate that when the valve 44 is opened and a syringe ( not shown ) filled with saline or a contrast mixture is attached to the luer 50 , injection will cause the occlusion balloon 22 to inflate . closing the valve 44 will keep the balloon 22 inflated even after the syringe is removed . similarly , when a syringe filled with saline is attached to the luer 54 , injection will cause the bladder tube 40 to inflate . also , when a syringe filled with treating agent is coupled to the luer 52 , injection will cause the agent to enter the infusion lumen 30 and , if the bladder tube 40 is deflated , exit the elution holes 34 . referring now to all of the figures generally and fig6 - 14 in sequence , the preferred methods of the invention will be explained . the first step is to purge the occlusion balloon 22 of air and to see if it leaks . this is done by opening the valve 44 , attaching a syringe ( not shown ) to the luer 50 , and sucking air out of the balloon with the syringe , then closing the valve 44 . with the balloon purged and the valve closed , a syringe ( not shown ) containing saline or a contrast mixture is attached to the luer 50 . the valve 44 is opened and the liquid is injected into the balloon . the amount of liquid used to inflate the balloon depends on the diameter of the blood vessel to be treated . it can be as little as 0 . 2 ml for a 3 . 0 mm diameter blood vessel to as much as 7 . 7 ml for a 19 mm diameter blood vessel . after the balloon is tested as illustrated in fig6 and 7 , and prior to insertion of the catheter into the blood vessel , the balloon is deflated and the valve 44 is closed . also prior to insertion , a 10 ml or 20 ml syringe ( not shown ) filled with at least 5 ml of therapeutic agent is attached to the luer 52 ( fig8 ). agent is injected until it flows through all of the elution holes 34 as shown in fig9 . with the infusion lumen 30 primed with agent , the bladder tube 40 is inflated . this is accomplished by attaching a 1 ml syringe ( not shown ) to the luer 54 and injecting 0 . 75 ml of sterile saline . the valve 48 keeps the bladder tube 40 inflated blocking the holes 34 and 42 as shown in fig1 and 11 . after the foregoing preparation , the blood vessel may be treated as follows with reference to fig1 - 14 . a sheath introducer 1 is first inserted into the blood vessel 2 to be treated . the catheter assembly 12 is advanced through the sheath introducer 1 into the blood vessel 2 until the proximal marker 56 is not visible and until the tip of the catheter reaches a desired location . the location of the catheter assembly 12 and the occlusion balloon 22 is confirmed with ultrasound or fluoroscopy . the occlusion balloon 22 is then inflated until desired occlusion and stability is achieved . with the catheter assembly 12 and the occlusion balloon in position as shown in fig1 and 13 , the bladder tube 40 is deflated by pressing the valve button 48 ( fig1 ) and treating agent is injected through the check valve 46 . after treatment , the occlusion balloon 22 is deflated as shown in fig1 by opening the valve 44 ( fig1 ) and the apparatus is removed through the sheath introducer 1 . the sheath introducer 1 is then removed from the blood vessel 2 and homeostasis is achieved . as mentioned above , the methods of the invention are particularly well suited for the treatment of varicose veins and in particular the great saphenous vein . more particularly , preferably , a patient is first evaluated to determine the length and volume of the vein to be treated so that a catheter of appropriate length with an occlusion balloon of appropriate size can be selected . this evaluation typically occurs prior to the day of the procedure but could occur on the same day . if the procedure is performed at a later date , the initial evaluation is preferably confirmed . a quantity of foam sclerosant is selected based on the calculated volume of the vein to be treated . methods for calculating the volume of the vein are disclosed in previously incorporated [ vrx - 007 ]. the preparation of the catheter is performed as described above . the vein is accessed with a 7 french introducer and the tip of the catheter is advanced through the vein to the proximal - most treatment point . treatment proceeds as described above with the patient &# 39 ; s leg remaining supine with the catheter in place for four minutes before the occlusion balloon is deflated and the catheter is removed . when the catheter is removed , pressure is applied to the access site and the leg is wrapped with gauze to minimize irritation . a six inch long feminine pad is placed along the great saphenous vein starting from the proximal treatment point and an std [ what is std ?] foam pad is placed distal to the feminine pad for the remaining treated length of the vein . the pads are then wrapped with a self - adherent elastic wrap such as 3m coban wrap . the treated leg is then placed in a thigh high compression ( 30 - 40 mm hg ) stocking such as the sigvaris stockings from ganzoni & amp ; cie , st . gallen , switzerland . the patient is then instructed to ambulate for a minimum of 15 minutes . a first follow - up examination is performed 48 hours later at which time the pads and the elastic wrap are removed . the patient continues to wear the stocking ( s ) 24 hours per day for the next week and during daytime only for two more weeks . additional examinations of the patient are performed at 1 month , 3 months , 6 months , 12 months , 18 months and 24 months . during each examination an ultrasound assessment of the deep venous system , treated vein , tributaries and perforators is preformed . the catheter ensures even and simultaneous infusion of foam . the occlusion balloon isolates the treatment area and minimizes drug dilution . the bladder tube guarantees complete infusion control and maintains the primed catheter during pre - op . this substantially pain - free procedure eliminates tumescent anesthesia . the treatment extends into incompetent tributaries . the methods are easily learned by practitioners and the entire procedure can be performed in as little as twenty minutes . the use of a foam sclerosant increases drug contact area , displaces blood through the low density of the foam , enables echogenicity of the drug with ultrasound and requires 80 % less dosage than a liquid sclerosant . there have been described and illustrated herein a method for infusing the interior of a blood vessel . while a particular embodiment of the invention has been described , it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto , as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise . thus , while a particular apparatus for performing the method has been disclosed , it will be appreciated that other apparatus could be used as well . several such apparatus are disclosed in the previously incorporated parent applications . in addition , while every method step has been disclosed in a particular order , it will be understood that some of the method steps can be performed in different order and that some of the method steps , while desirable , are not absolutely necessary . it will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed . | 0 |
i illustrate an embodiment of a suitable apparatus in fig1 . referring to the numbered elements in fig1 , element [ 1 ] is a refrigeration device . in my temperature stability test described below , i used a danby ® maitre &# 39 ; d ® 6 - bottle thermoelectric wine cooler , commercially available from danby products , inc ., findlay , ohio , which operates at a temperature range of 39 ° f .- 72 ° f . it is 11 ″ in width , 22 ″ in depth , and 17 ″ in height . the device [ 1 ] includes a door mechanism [ 2 ] that is used to open the refrigeration device to access its interior . tight - fitting seals on 3 sides of the doorframe retain all cooling power and humidity levels . the door mechanism [ 2 ] includes a translucent glass front [ 3 ]. it is tinted for uv protection but also allows for easy interior viewing . the device [ 1 ] includes a refrigerating mechanism [ 4 ] that cools the interior of the wine cooler . the refrigeration mechanism must be chosen carefully , because my invention requires air to be continuously pumped into the interior space [ 5 ] of the refrigeration device . this air warms the interior space [ 5 ] of the refrigeration unit , and thus must be cooled to the desired temperature . thus , to maintain the desired temperature , the refrigeration mechanism must have sufficient cooling capacity to compensate for the constant addition of warm air . the entire device is plugged into an outlet via a power cord [ 17 ]. the device [ 1 ] includes an interior space [ 5 ] where the aquaculture tanks and air diffusers are located . the device [ 1 ] also includes a hole or port [ 6 ] through which airline tubing [ 7 ] passes from the exterior of the refrigeration device [ 1 ] to the interior space [ 5 ]. this hole [ 6 ] allows the airline tubing [ 7 ] to pass through the side of the refrigeration device [ 1 ] rather than through the front door [ 2 ] of the refrigeration device [ 1 ], thereby increasing the amount of air that is retained in the device and minimizing heat loss via the door . in a preferred embodiment , one may create a port [ 6 ] through the side of the refrigeration device [ 1 ] using a power drill and a 3 / 16 ″ drill bit , sized to assure a snug fit for the airline tubing [ 7 ]. in a preferred embodiment , the airline tubing [ 7 ] is a 2 . 5 ′ length piece of lee &# 39 ; s ® standard clear plastic 3 / 16 ″- diameter flexible airline tubing for aquariums , commercially available from lee &# 39 ; s aquarium and pet products , san marcos , calif . the exterior section of the airline tubing [ 7 ] is attached to a jw pet company ® fusion air pump 400 [ 8 ], commercially available from jw pet company , inc ., arlington , tex ., which is located outside of the refrigeration device [ 1 ]. the air pump is also plugged into an outlet via a power cord [ 15 ]. the interior section of the airline tubing [ 7 ] is attached to a 2 . 5 ″ tall , 1 . 5 ″ diameter aquarium air diffuser [ 9 ], which receives airflow from the air pump [ 8 ] and converts it into air bubbles to oxygenate the aquaculture water . the air diffuser [ 9 ] is placed inside an aquaculture container [ 10 ] in the interior space [ 5 ] that holds both the aquaculture water and the aquaculture organisms . in order to keep the aquaculture water clean , a fluid exchange pipe [ 11 0 ] may optionally be used to draw dirty water from the aquaculture container [ 10 ], via a water pump [ 14 ], and another fluid exchange pipe [ 11 ,] may optionally be used to bring clean aquaculture water into the container . the water pump [ 14 ] is plugged into an outlet via a power cord [ 16 ]. in order to view and regulate the interior temperature of the refrigeration device [ 1 ], an electronic display and control panel [ 12 ] is located on the front of the door mechanism [ 2 ]. the display and control panel includes a temperature adjustment switch to regulate the refrigeration mechanism [ 4 ]. this switch may comprise a temperature ‘ up ’ button ( used to raise the interior refrigeration device temperature , e . g ., in 1 ° increments ), and a temperature ‘ down ’ button ( used to decrease the interior refrigeration device temperature e . g ., in 1 ° increments ). the control panel [ 12 ] may optionally include additional features such as a power button , a temperature display screen ( shows the current temperature setting ) or an interior light toggle button ( used to manually illuminate or extinguish the interior lights while the door remains closed ). a glass thermometer and hydrometer [ 13 ] is placed in the aquaculture container [ 10 ] in the water , to show both the actual water temperature and water salinity level ( in parts per thousand ) simultaneously , since the temperature displayed on the display and control panel [ 12 ] measures the ambient air temperature in the interior space [ 5 ] and does not always precisely match the actual temperature of the aquaculture water . note that in the embodiment illustrated , the air pump is placed on the outside of the refrigeration device . as an alternative , the pump may be placed in the interior space [ 5 ] of the refrigeration device . these alternatives each present certain advantages and disadvantages . placing the air pump in the interior space [ 5 ] of the refrigeration device means that electric power must be supplied to the interior space [ 5 ]. this may readily be done by , for example , installing an electric power outlet on the interior surface of the refrigeration device [ 1 ]. alternatively , the air pump power cord [ 16 ] can be passed through the hole [ 6 ] in the refrigeration device [ 1 ]. placing the air pump in the interior space [ 5 ] of the refrigeration device means the air in the refrigeration device re - circulates repeatedly through the aquaculture containers [ 10 ]. this may be advantageous if the organisms present a biohazard . this also eases water temperature control , because the air fed into the aquaculture containers [ 10 ] is the same temperature as the ambient air in the interior space [ 5 ] of the refrigeration device [ 1 ]. recirculation of air , however , means that the organisms will gradually deplete the oxygen in the air . thus , if the pump is placed in the interior space [ 5 ], one would need to monitor o 2 and co 2 levels in the interior space [ 5 ] and add supplemental oxygen as needed . placing the air pump exterior to the refrigeration device ( as illustrated in fig1 ) enables the pump to pump air directly from the surrounding environment into the refrigeration device interior , and thence into the water in the aquaculture containers . this placement is advantageous because it assures the aquaculture water will be adequately oxygenated with new oxygen , to thereby provide a suitably - oxygenated growth medium for the species there grown . this pump configuration , however , poses two demands on the system . first , the pump must be sited in a location which itself has adequate oxygen for aquaculture . for most purposes , location in a room with free air circulation is adequate . second , placing the pump exterior to the refrigeration device [ 1 ] means that the system must be tuned to assure that it is able to maintain a constant water temperature . this is because the air pump [ 8 ] constantly adds to the interior space [ 5 ] air which is drawn from outside the refrigeration device [ 1 ]. that air is most likely at a temperature different from — and perhaps markedly different from — the temperature desired for the interior space [ 5 ]. thus , the refrigeration mechanism [ 4 ] must be selected carefully to assure that it is adequately powered to cool the incoming air , and do so quickly enough to maintain the temperature of the water in the aquaculture container [ 10 ]. this calculation requires considering the volume of water in the aquaculture container [ 10 ], the oxygen consumption rate of the animals in that container , the air flow required to replace that oxygen , and the amount of heat per unit time that air introduces into the system ( itself a function of the difference in temperature between the external air and the internal space [ 5 ]). incorrectly tuning the system may result in a system which cannot achieve the desired temperature , or which cycles between the desired temperature and the ambient air temperature . four danby ® maitre &# 39 ; d ® wine coolers were used to make the apparatus depicted in fig1 . they were labeled (“ a ” through “ d ,” respectively ). a nominal interior temperature for the interior space [ 5 ] was set using the temperature control panel [ 12 ]. four 1 - gallon polyethylene plastic containers were obtained ; in each was placed thirty two ( 32 ) ounces of room temperature water . one such plastic container with water was then placed into each of the wine coolers ( a - d ). the ambient room air temperature was measured . the door [ 3 ] was then closed , and the system allowed to temperature stabilize for twelve hours . after twelve hours , temperature measurements were taken using a digital thermometer of the ambient room air temperature , the interior space [ 5 ] air temperature and the water temperature . results are shown in table 1 . the first column shows the label of the cooler . the next column shows the nominal temperature , i . e ., the temperature set using the temperature control panel [ 12 ] on the refrigerator apparatus [ 1 ]. the next column shows the actual air temperature of the air in the interior space [ 5 ], as measured by a digital thermometer after the 12 - hour stabilization period . the next column shows the difference ( in degrees fahrenheit ) between the nominal temperature and the actual air temperature . the next column shows the water temperature for the water stored in the cooler , as measured by a digital thermometer after a 12 - hour period . the next column shows the difference between the nominal temperature set by the temperature control panel [ 12 ] and the actual water temperature achieved after twelve hours . the next column shows the difference ( in percent ) between the nominal temperature and the actual water temperature observed after 12 hours . the final column shows the difference ( in percent ) between the actual water temperature and the actual air temperature at 12 hours . these data provide insight into whether a device as simple as a conventional wine chiller can feasibly be used for controlling aquaculture temperature . one insight is that the particular wine chillers used , despite having a temperature - control panel [ 12 ], do not in fact control temperature particularly precisely . this insight can be derived from the fact that air has a far smaller heat capacity than does water ; that is , for a given change in energy , air changes temperature much more rapidly than does water . if the temperature inside the unit [ 5 ] varies rapidly , then the air will equilibrate to this new temperature far more rapidly than does the water , thus creating a difference in temperature between air and water . the greater the difference between air temperature and the water temperature , the more rapid and more pronounced the change in appurtenant change in inside air temperature . the data show that the temperature - control panel provides a reasonably accurate measure of temperature . for example , unit d was set to provide a nominal temperature equal to ambient room air temperature ( i . e ., 65 ° f .). after two twelve - hour stabilizations , the actual interior air temperature was 64 . 5 ° and 66 . 0 ° f . ; not exactly the nominal temperature , but , on average , accurate enough to support aquaculture work . the data here also show that this system produces some inherent cycling of interior air temperature . this can be seen from unit d , where the temperature of the ambient room air was the same as the desired nominal temperature of the water ( i . e ., 65 ° f .). this meant that the air pump provided a constant supply of fresh 65 ° f . ambient room air into the refrigerator interior [ 5 ]. one would expect this to potentially stabilize the temperature entirely , obviating the need for the refrigeration apparatus [ 4 ] to perform any thermal work . my actual results , however , did not bear this thesis out . rather , in both trials , the temperature of the air in the interior space [ 5 ] for unit d differed from the temperature of the water in the container [ 10 ], indicating the system had some amount of temperature cycling . the data here show that the greater the difference between the nominal temperature and the outside air temperature , the greater the degree of temperature cycling . this is shown by the results for units a - c , in comparing the inside air temperature and the water temperature . these data indicate that the greater the difference between the outside air temperature and nominal temperature , the greater the change in inside air temperature over time , and the more rapid those temperature changes occur . these results suggests that to assure a relatively constant water temperature , one needs to use a large enough volume of water in the aquaculture container so that the water can act as a heat sink , providing a great enough heat capacity to resist temperature change in response to transient changes in inside air temperature . the 32 ounce water volume used here was adequate for this only when the nominal temperature was within perhaps 5 ° f . of the ambient room air temperature . extrapolating from this , i believe using a full gallon of water ( as would be necessary to provide adequate oxygen to support even a small number of animals ) would provide quite stable water temperature . overall , the apparatus proves a viable yet inexpensive way to control water temperatures in an experimental environment . while the actual water temperature often varies from the desired water temperature , after a few preliminary tests , these variabilities can be controlled for . i ashizawa , d ., & amp ; cole , j . j . ( 1994 , march ). long - term temperature trends of the hudson river : a study of the historical data . estuaries , 17 ( 1 , part b ), 166 - 171 . retrieved from http :// www . jstor . org // ii rising sea surface temperature : towards ice free arctic summers and a changing marine food chain . ( 2011 , apr . 13 ). retrieved jan . 3 , 2012 , from european environment agency website : http :// www . eea . europa . eu / themes / coast_sea / sea - surface - temperature iii parrilla , g ., lavin , a ., bryden , h ., garcia , m ., & amp ; millard , r . ( 1994 ). rising temperatures in the subtropical north atlantic ocean over the past 35 years . nature , 369 , 48 - 51 . doi : 10 . 1038 / 369048a iv harrould - kolieb , e ., & amp ; savitz , j . ( 2009 , june ). acid test : can we save our oceans from co 2 ? ( research report ). oceana . | 8 |
reference now is made to fig1 wherein is shown a perspective view of a write input apparatus 20 coupled to a printer 22 by a connector 21 . although this is shown as a direct connection or coupling , the actual coupling or connection may actually extend through one or more other devices , such as a controller , as will be described below . the write input device includes a transparent panel 46 through which information may be displayed and on which information may be entered by a human operator 28 through the use of a stylus 26 . stylus 26 is connected to input apparatus 20 by an electrically conductive line 30 . the apparatus 20 may also include an integral magnetic stripe reader 32 having a slot 34 through which a card bearing magnetic indicia may be swiped , so that the data contained thereon can be read , stored , and used by the system which includes the write input apparatus 20 and the printer 22 . the write input device 20 may be configured without the magnetic stripe reader 32 , if not required . the printer 22 will be used most commonly for printing customer receipts such as the receipt 117 which is shown as issuing from an aperture 38 in the housing of printer 22 . other types of record media could also be generated by the printer 22 , if desired , in response to the needs of the system . any suitable printer may be employed , such as an epson rp265 , marketed by epson america , inc ., torrance , calif . as shown in the sectional view of fig2 the write input apparatus 20 is contained within a lower housing 40 and an upper housing 42 , which mate along the edges thereof . the upper housing 42 contains an aperture 44 in a frame 24 within which transparent panel 46 is placed . the panel 46 forms part of an interactive digitizer 47 ( fig5 ) which is capable of generating electrical signals representing the position of the stylus 26 relative to panel 46 . broadly speaking , during operation of the digitizer 47 , the stylus 26 acts as a probe , and the differing potentials between sides of the digitizer , in two coordinate directions , are measured , converted into digital form , and are processed through correction algorithms to obtain digital position signals touch -- x and touch -- y . techniques for generating position signals such as touch -- x and touch -- y are well known in the digitizer art and further description thereof is unnecessary herein . these position signals are used for generating image drive signals lcd -- x and lcd -- y , as hereinafter described . this enables a trace of the movement of the stylus to be captured and retained , as well as displayed on a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) module 48 . suitable interactive digitizers for this purpose are readily available from a number of sources . one such device is the screenwriter controller / digitizer / pen marketed by microtouch systems inc ., wilmington , massachusetts . the operating details for another suitable digitizer are disclosed in kable u . s . pat . no . 4 , 678 , 869 . liquid crystal display module 48 is positioned directly beneath the interactive transparent digitizer 46 and is visible therethrough . liquid crystal display ( lcd ) module 48 is capable of displaying images in response to drive signals lcd -- x and lcd -- y or other electrical signals which are appropriately processed and applied thereto . such other electrical signals may carry information from a card which has been read by magnetic stripe reader 32 , or from a keyboard or other point - of - sale equipment . for example , lcd module 48 may be supplied with information which enables it to display an image 111 of a customer &# 39 ; s name , a store name , a date , and the total charge for a transaction . the customer may verify the transaction and thereafter enter a personal signature for display . other signals carrying the same and additional information , as required , may be supplied to printer 22 for printing paper receipt 117 , the details of which may be as shown in fig6 . it will be appreciated that digitizer 47 generates output signals which change at a relatively high clock frequency to more or less continuously represent the position of the tip of stylus 26 relative to the transparent panel 46 . as hereinafter described in detail , a microprocessor converts this position data into lcd coordinates , so that display module 48 displays a continuously progressing image of the moving stylus tip . this image is visible through the transparent panel 46 , and therefore the customer is presented with what appears to be a normally written signature . the image of this signature is captured on the printed receipt 117 as well as in the system memory . fig3 and 4 are plan and elevation views of lcd module 48 . a display screen 50 forms part of the top surface of the module . a cable 52 provides electrical input connections for supplying power and data signals to the module . electrical conductors 53 provide power to fluorescent tubes for back - lighting the screen 50 . brackets 54 are secured to the module to enable it to be mounted securely within the apparatus 20 . lcd modules of this type are commercially available , and one such module which may be employed in the present invention is model eg7500 , marketed by epson america , inc ., torrance , calif . the magnetic stripe reader 32 and its slot 34 are shown to be located in the upper left portion of the apparatus 20 , as viewed in fig2 . a control circuit board 56 which functions as a controller for the digitizer 47 is located below the lcd module 48 in the lower housing 40 of the apparatus 20 and includes a connector 57 for connection to the digitizer element 46 and also includes an rs232 connector 59 to a pc controller 64 . a contrast control 58 for changing the contrast of the screen 50 of the lcd module 48 is located in a semicylindrical lower extension 60 of the lower housing 40 , which extension also serves as a foot or support for supporting the apparatus 20 on a work surface . fig5 is a block diagram of a system 61 which includes the write input apparatus 20 and the printer 22 , in addition to the magnetic stripe reader 32 , a point of sale ( pos ) terminal 62 and a personal computer functioning as a controller 64 . the write input apparatus 20 is shown in block form in phantom lines , and includes the lcd module 48 and the interactive digitizer element and controller 47 , with associated stylus 26 . the magnetic stripe reader 32 is shown in a separate phantom line block , to indicate that it may be a separate freestanding device , rather than being integrated into the housing of the write input apparatus 20 , if desired . the pos terminal 62 may be any suitable device of that type , such as a class 7052 terminal , marketed by ncr corporation , dayton , ohio . the personal computer 64 which functions as a controller may be any suitable personal computer , such as a model pc 810 , marketed by ncr corporation , dayton , ohio . personal computer 64 includes a microprocessor ( not illustrated ) which is programmed to perform the calculations hereinafter discussed . a display master model ydm6420 graphics adapter , marketed by yahama corporation of america , san jose , calif ., is incorporated into the computer 64 , and functions to drive the lcd module 48 . an ncr corporation part no . 017 - 0035367b rs 232 adapter board adds required additional serial ports for communications . the magnetic stripe reader 32 is connected via a path 66 to the pos terminal 62 , which in turn is connected by an rs232 data bus 68 to the pc controller 64 . the lcd display 48 is connected via a path 70 to the pc controller 64 , and in effect takes the place of the crt display which would normally be associated with the pc . digitizer 47 is connected to the pc controller 64 by an rs232 data bus 72 which carries the position signals touch -- x and touch -- y from the digitizer to the pc . the above noted microprocessor carries out appropriate transformation to convert touch -- x and touch -- y to the image drive signals lcd -- x and lcd -- y which are supplied to the graphics adapter . the graphics adapter then activates the appropriate lcd pixels via line 70 . another data bus 74 connects the pc controller 64 to the printer 22 . the pos terminal 62 may be connected to other data processing facilities in an establishment in which it is used , such as a starlan store network . when a transparent digitizer is used in conjunction with a display as described above , the microprocessor must deal with two different reference systems . the output signals from digitizer 47 indicate the position of the stylus in digitizer coordinates . these coordinates must be mapped into the reference system of display 48 in order to produce an accurately registered image of the stylus tip . in the special case where the skew angle θ = 0 , the display coordinates are given by the equations : the more general case of a non - zero skew angle is illustrated in fig7 . as shown therein , the origin of the coordinate system for lcd unit 48 is displaced from the origin of the digitizer coordinate system by offset distances b -- x and b -- y and is rotated by a skew angle θ . in this case the equations for the display coordinates take the form : which employ scale constants m -- x & amp ; m -- y , skew constants s -- x & amp ; s -- y , and offset constants b -- x & amp ; b -- y . it may be shown that these generalized transformation constants are related to the &# 34 ; non - skew &# 34 ; constants by the equations : in the practice of this invention it is preferred to make no measurement of the skew angle . instead the invention proceeds by storing the coordinate ; lcd -- x1 , lcd -- y1 ); ( lcd -- x2 , lcd -- y2 ); and ( lcd -- x3 , lcd -- y3 ) of three reference points in a non - volatile memory . these three coordinate pairs are read in sequence by the microprocessor and transferred to the graphics adapter for causing three reference spots to appear in sequence on the display . a human operator places the tip of the stylus over each displayed spot , as viewed through the transparent digitizer . the microprocessor then reads the digitizer coordinates touch -- x1 , touch -- y1 ; touch -- x2 , touch -- y2 ; and touch -- x3 , touch -- y3 for each point touched by the operator . the coordinate data for the three points then are used to compute the generalized transformation constants by inversely solving the following six equations : ## equ1 ## the solution proceeds by first computing the value of the determinant det where : ## equ2 ## then det is substituted into the following expressions : ## equ3 ## which are evaluated by the system microprocessor or other computing device to obtain values for the transformation constants . while the computations are somewhat tedious , they are easily performed by the system microprocessor . object code for this purpose may be compiled from a straight forward c language program or a program written in fortran or other source code adapted for compiling . assembly language may also be used , if desired . the constants , so established , are stored for use during a merchandising operation to calculate correct values for the image drive signals lcd -- x and lcd -- y . it will be understood that it is not necessary to establish the three above - described reference points in order to obtain the required transformation constants . alternatively , the non - skew scale constants m0 -- x and m0 -- y may be established experimentally , and the non - skew offset constants b0 -- x and b0 -- y may be measured . then the skew angle θ may be measured , following which the generalized transformation constants may be calculated using the equations outlined above . in another embodiment digitizer 46 may have its surface imbedded with a grid , as taught by kable u . s . pat . no . 4 , 678 , 869 . this effectively subdivides the surface into a set of sub - sectors . in this arrangement a separate set of transformation constants may be established for each subsector . such a method is useful for correcting small irregularities over the digitizer , as opposed to correcting only gross irregularities using one set of constants over the entire digitizer . it will be appreciated that the skew correction invention described herein is not limited to use with a hand held stylus or to use with a transparent digitizer . the invention applies also to the correction of skew in devices of the type where touch coordinates are derived by sensing the touch of a human finger . the invention further has application to systems wherein touch signals are used to initiate the generation of different displays in correspondence with the position of the point of touch . in these latter devices the generated image position signals lcd -- x and lcd -- y are compared with stored reference values thereof in order to identify the particular image to be displayed . such a technique could be used , for instance , to determine whether a user had touched a specific icon on an opaque digitizer . while the method herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
a reclosable package or bag 2 having a flexible plastic string zipper 4 operated by manipulation of a slider 10 is shown in fig1 , taken from u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 367 , 450 . it should be understood that the sliders disclosed herein can be utilized to actuate a zipper installed in a reclosable package or bag of the type shown in fig1 or other types of reclosable packages having different structures . the bag 2 may be made from any suitable film material , including thermoplastic film materials such as low - density polyethylene , substantially linear copolymers of ethylene and a c 3 - c 8 alpha - olefin , polypropylene , polyvinylidene chloride , mixtures of two or more of these polymers , or mixtures of one of these polymers with another thermoplastic polymer . the person skilled in the art will recognize that this list of suitable materials is not exhaustive . the thickness of the film is preferably 2 mils or less . the bag 2 comprises opposing walls ( only the front panel is visible in fig1 ) that may be secured together at opposite side edges of the bag by seams 60 and 62 ( indicated by dashed lines ). the opposing bottoms of the walls may be joined , for example , by means of a heat seal made in conventional fashion , e . g ., by application of heat and pressure . typically , however , the bottom of the package is formed by a fold 64 in the original packaging film , as depicted in fig1 . at its top end , the bag 2 has an openable mouth , on the inside of which is an extruded plastic string zipper 4 . the string zipper 4 comprises a pair of interlockable zipper parts or closure strips 6 and 8 ( best seen in fig2 ). although fig2 shows a rib and groove arrangement , the profiles of the zipper halves may take any form . for example , the string zipper may comprise interlocking rib and groove elements ( as shown in fig2 ) or alternating hook - shaped closure elements . the preferred zipper material is polyethylene or polypropylene . the top edges of the front and rear bag walls 2 a and 2 b ( see fig2 ) are respectively sealed to the backs of the zipper halves 6 and 8 by a conventional conduction heat sealing technique . the string zipper is operated by sliding the slider 10 along the zipper parts . as the slider moves across the zipper , the zipper is opened or closed . as shown in fig1 , the slider is slidable along the zipper in a closing direction “ c ”, causing the zipper halves to become engaged , or in an opening direction “ o ”, causing the zipper halves to become disengaged . the bag shown in fig1 further comprises end stops 66 and 68 for preventing the slider from sliding off the end of the zipper when the slider reaches the zipper closed or fully opened position . such end stops perform dual functions , serving as stops to prevent the slider from going off the end of the zipper and also holding the two zipper profiles together to prevent the bag from opening in response to stresses applied to the profiles through normal use of the bag . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the end stops comprise stomped areas on the zipper parts themselves . the stomped end stops comprise sections of the zipper parts that have been fused together and flattened at the ends of the zipper . during deformation , thermoplastic zipper material flows upward such that the end stops are raised in height above the peak of the undeformed zipper on which the slider rides . such stomping can be carried out using ultrasonic welding equipment of the type disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 113 , 489 , entitled “ method and apparatus for ultrasonically stomping slider end stops on zipper ”. the horn and anvil of the ultrasonic welding apparatus disclosed therein are specifically designed so that the ultrasonic stomping operation create a vertical hump on the zipper to stop the slider , while at the same time preserving the base of the zipper profile to resist pull - off of the slider . sufficient heat penetrates into the mass of the zipper profile in the end stop areas to fuse the zipper parts together , posing an obstacle to the slider plow . also , a v - shaped notch can be formed in one end or both ends of the slider top wall for receiving the vertical hump of respective formed end stops . this allows the plow to abut against the fused end of the zipper in the zipper fully closed state . in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , the zipper halves 6 and 8 comprise interlocking rib and groove elements , which are well known in the art . many configurations of rib and groove elements may be employed to perform any one of a number of required functions . for instance , specific rib and groove elements may be employed to permit the package to be more easily opened from the outside than from the inside , so that the tension produced by the contents of the package will not accidentally open the rib and groove elements . one embodiment of a string zipper suitable for use with the slider of the present invention is seen in fig2 and is shown in greater detail in fig3 . numerals 2 a and 2 b indicate opposing walls ( made , e . g ., of plastic film ) of a receptacle . the walls 2 a and 2 b of the receptacle are joined to the zipper parts 6 and 8 , e . g ., by heat sealing . the zipper in this example is an extruded plastic structure comprising mutually interlockable profiled zipper parts 6 and 8 . zipper part 8 comprises a base and two generally arrow - shaped rib - like male closure elements or members 20 and 28 projecting from a base 14 , and two pairs of hook - shaped gripper jaws connected by a sealing bridge 12 . the pairs of gripper jaws form respective complementary female profiles for receiving the male profiles of closure elements 20 and 28 . more specifically , jaws 16 and 18 receive and interlock with the male element 20 , while jaws 22 and 24 receive and interlock with the male element 28 . alternatively , one zipper part could have one male profile and one female profile , while the other zipper part has one female profile and one male profile , or the respective zipper parts could each have more than two male or female profiles . the sealing bridge 12 and the base 14 are resiliently flexible self - supporting structures having a thickness greater than the thickness of the bag film . the male closure elements are integrally formed with the base 14 , while the female closure elements are integrally formed with the sealing bridge 12 . the upper margins of the walls 2 a and 2 b of the bag are joined to the backs of the sealing bridge 12 and the base 14 respectively , as is best seen in fig3 . the upper margins of the bag film may have short free ends that extend beyond the termination points depicted in fig3 , provided that the free ends are not so long as to interfere with travel of the slider along the zipper or become entangled with the zipper profiles . the end face of upper edge 30 of the base 14 that carries the male closure elements 20 and 28 is inclined at about a 45 ° angle to facilitate loading of the slider onto the zipper from above without snagging on a corner of the upper edge . the bottom edge 8 of the base 14 cooperates with a retaining ledge on the slider ( to be described later ) to increase the slider - pull - off resistance . for the same purpose , a rib 26 is formed on zipper part 6 , the rib 26 cooperating with a retaining ledge on the other side of the slider . in a typical zipper , the profile of each male member has a stem flanked by shoulders or teeth , and a tip of the profile points toward the opposing female profile , the tip being the point of the male member furthest away from the base of the profiled structure . each female profile comprises a pair of gripper jaws extending from a base or root of the female profile . each jaw comprises a wall and a hook integrally formed at the distal end of the respective wall . the hooks are inclined and generally directed toward each other , the distal ends of the hooks defining a mouth that communicates with a groove defined by the walls and root of the female profile . the groove of each female profile receives the head of a respective male member when the zipper is closed , as best seen in fig3 . closing of the zipper is accomplished as follows . when the male members 20 and 28 are properly aligned with and then moved into engagement with the opposing female profiles , the head of each male member will penetrate the opening in the opposing female profile . as the head of each male member penetrates , the resilient hooks of the opposing gripper jaws are pushed apart by the inclined surfaces running from the tip to the shoulders of each male member . the force exerted on the hooks of each female member by the head of the penetrating male member is transferred to the resilient walls of the gripper jaws , causing those walls to flex outwardly . the walls are flexed outward , in opposite directions , until the hooks of the female member pass by and snap into interlocking relation behind the shoulders of the male member . the heads of the male members 20 and 28 are received in the grooves of the respective female profiles and held there by the interlocked hooks , this situation constituting the closed state of the zipper . to open the closed zipper , the zipper parts 6 and 8 are pushed apart with sufficient force by the slider plow to pry the heads of the male members out of the female profiles . when the shoulders of the male members clear the hooks of the outwardly flexed gripper jaws , the male and female members are no longer interlocked and the zipper is open . numerous configurations for the interlockable male and female members are known in the art . the present invention is not limited to use with male members having an arrow - shaped head . male members having expanded heads with other shapes may be used . for example , instead of an expanded head having a pointed tip , the front face of the expanded head may be rounded . in other words , the head could have a semicircular profile instead of a triangular profile . alternatively , the expanded head of the male member could have a trapezoidal profile . in the prior slider - zipper assembly shown in fig2 , the slider 10 for opening or closing the reclosable zipper is generally shaped so that the slider straddles the zipper profiles . the upper margins of the bag walls 2 a and 2 b , which are joined to the backs of the zipper parts 6 and 8 , are disposed between the respective zipper parts and the respective side walls of the slider . fig4 ( again taken from u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 367 , 450 ) shows an isometric view of the slider incorporated in the assembly depicted in fig2 . the slider 10 comprises a top wall 32 , a pair of side walls 34 and 36 connected to opposing sides of the top wall 32 , the top wall 32 and side walls 34 , 36 forming a tunnel for passage of the string zipper therethrough . the ends of the slider are open to allow the zipper to pass through . the width of the tunnel is substantially constant along the section that is divided by the plow and then narrows from a point proximal to the end of the plow to the closing window at one end face of the slider . the narrowing section of the tunnel is formed by the substantially planar , inclined interior surfaces 54 and 56 ( see fig8 ), which converge toward the closing window of the slider . the inclined surfaces 54 , 56 funnel or squeeze the zipper parts toward each other , causing the zipper profiles to interlock , as the slider is moved in the closing direction . the side walls 34 and 36 are formed with concave curved indentations where the user may place the tips of an index finger and a thumb for gripping the slider . alternatively , convexities ( e . g ., ribs ) could be formed on the sides of the slider to facilitate grasping . the slider 10 also comprises a plow or divider 42 that depends downward from a central portion of the top wall 32 to an elevation below the lowermost portions of each side wall . the plow partitions the tunnel inside the slider and is disposed between opposing sections of the zipper parts that pass through the tunnel . in the embodiment shown in fig4 , a wedge - shaped body 44 is disposed near the distal end of the plow 42 . however , the wedge - shaped body is optional . the tip of the plow 42 is truncated and has rounded edges and flattened corners at opposing ends for facilitating insertion of the plow between the zipper profiles without snagging . the plow 42 comprises a beam having a cross - sectional shape that is a rectangle with rounded corners . the axis of the beam is generally perpendicular to the top wall of the slider . as the slider is moved in the opening direction ( i . e ., with the closing end leading ), the plow 42 pries the impinging sections of zipper parts 6 and 8 apart . the plow 42 divides the closing end of the slider tunnel into respective passages for the separated zipper parts to pass through . the slider 10 further comprises a retaining projection or ledge 38 that projects inward from the side wall 34 and a retaining projection or ledge 40 that projects inward from the side wall 36 . the ledges 38 and 40 project toward each other , forming respective latches for latching the slider onto the zipper . the ledges 38 and 40 may have substantially coplanar , generally horizontal upper surfaces on which the bottom edges of the zipper profiles can sit , thereby effectively latching the slider under the bottom edges of the zipper parts to increase slider pull - off resistance . alternatively , the upper surfaces of the ledges may be angled upward to aid in gripping . the ledges 38 and 40 further comprise respective inclined bottom surfaces that extend downward and outward from the respective inner edges of the generally horizontal surfaces . the inclined surfaces 50 and 52 are each substantially planar , with the respective planes of these inclined surfaces intersecting at a line inside the tunnel that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slider . the inclined surfaces 50 and 52 serve to guide the respective zipper parts 6 and 8 into the slider tunnel during insertion of the slider onto the zipper , e . g ., by vertical descent from a position above an open section of the upright zipper . the sliders are typically inserted at spaced intervals onto a bag with string zipper that is intermittently advanced in a machine direction on automated slider insertion equipment . systems for transporting sliders to a slider insertion device are disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 106 , 687 ( incorporated by reference herein ) filed on mar . 25 , 2002 and entitled “ system for transporting sliders for zipper bags ”. that application discloses feeding sliders into a slider insertion device by means of a feeder tube that only accepts correctly oriented sliders having an asymmetric profile , i . e ., one leg of the slider is longer than the other leg . similarly , the slider shown in fig4 has one leg ( i . e ., side wall ) longer than the other , to wit , an extension 58 of side wall 36 projects to an elevation lower than the bottom edge of the opposing side wall 34 ( e . g ., see fig5 ). the sliders are launched into the feeder tube by a sender apparatus that is controlled by a programmable controller based on feedback received by the controller from various sensors that detect the presence or absence of sliders at particular locations in the slider transport system . the sliders are pneumatically transported in predetermined quantities from a supply of sliders , e . g ., a vibratory hopper , to a loading rack built into or mounted over the slider insertion device . in addition , a single v - shaped notch may be formed at one end or a pair of v - shaped notches 48 may be formed at opposite ends of the top wall 32 of the slider . these notches receive a portion of the vertical hump of a respective slider end stop , as previously explained . thus , the notches allow the slider to travel further into the stomped or presealed areas . in the case of the zipper - closed park position of the slider , the notch at the opening end of the slider reduces the size of the open area of the zipper between the plow and the end stop . in the case of the zipper - open park position of the slider , the notch at the closing end of the slider increases the length of the open mouth section by the length of the notch . the slider may be made in multiple parts and welded together or the parts may be constructed to be snapped together . the slider may also be of one - piece construction . the slider can be made using any desired method , such as injection molding . the slider can be molded from any suitable plastic , such as nylon , polypropylene , polystyrene , acetal , polyketone , polybutylene terephthalate , high - density polyethylene , polycarbonate , or abs . the present invention is a slider that improves upon the design depicted in fig4 . one aspect of the improvement is that less material is needed to make the sliders of the present invention as compared to the slider depicted in fig4 . another aspect of the improvement is that the sliders disclosed herein can be injection molded at higher speeds , thereby decreasing per unit cost . a molded slider 70 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is depicted in fig5 - 7 . the slider 70 comprises a pair of spaced - apart side walls 72 and 74 that form a passageway therebetween , and three cross beams or bridging members 76 , 78 and 80 that span the passageway , each cross beam having one end connected to side wall 72 and the other end connected to the side wall 74 . as best seen in fig5 , the side wall 74 extends to a depth greater than the depth of the other side wall 72 . in other words , if the slider were placed upside - down on a flat surface , side wall 74 would extend to a height greater than the height of side wall 72 . in the specific example depicted in fig5 , each side wall has a respective concave surface that has a constant curvature in the elevational direction . these depressions on opposing sides of the slider facilitate grasping of the slider by the consumer . the cross beam 76 is disposed at the opening end of the slider , while the cross beam 80 is disposed at the closing end of the slider . the cross beam 76 has a v - shaped notch 48 as shown for receiving part of a slider end stop . the cross beam 78 is disposed in or near the middle of the slider . the cross beams 76 , 78 and 80 may have the same height and be disposed at the same elevation , i . e ., at the top of the slider . the side walls 72 , 74 both depend downward generally perpendicular to the plane of the cross beams . the slider 70 is made by an injection molding process , meaning that the cross beams are integrally formed with the side walls . to facilitate injection molding , the top of the slider is designed with two mold cutouts 82 and 84 , best seen in fig5 . these cutouts are formed by the mold tooling that also forms the horizontal upper surfaces of the retaining ledges ( e . g ., surface 98 of retaining ledge 90 , which is visible in fig5 ). the cutout 82 is bounded by the cross beams 76 , 78 and by mutually parallel interior surfaces of the side walls 72 , 74 in a portion of the slider where the zipper ( not shown ) is open , while the cutout 84 is bounded by the cross beams 78 , 80 and by mutually converging interior surfaces of the side walls 72 , 74 in a portion of the slider where the zipper is being closed . the slider 70 further comprises a plow 86 ( best seen in fig6 and 7 ) disposed between side walls 72 , 74 in a generally central position that partitions the passageway between the side walls . the plow 86 is connected to and depends downward from the cross beam 78 . in this embodiment , the plow 86 plow is generally tongue - shaped and has an elongated cross - sectional profile with rounded ends . its profile is generally constant along a majority of the length of the plow . the plow 86 extends downward beyond the bottom edges of the side walls 72 , 74 . the zipper parts inside the slider passageway are disengaged except at the closing end of the slider , with the plow 86 intervening between the zipper parts . the generally vertical leading and trailing edges of the plow are disposed forward and rearward of the cross beam 78 . the terms “ leading ” and “ trailing ” are used herein with reference to the situation when the slider is moving in a zipper opening direction . as the slider is moved along the zipper in the zipper opening direction , the generally vertical “ leading ” edge of the plow 86 will pry the oncoming engaged zipper parts apart . the slider 70 further comprises four retaining ledges that latch under the zipper parts and assist in retaining the slider of the zipper . the retaining ledges are formed as two pairs of mutually opposing projections , one pair of retaining projections being disposed on one side of the cross beam 78 in the area where the side walls 72 , 74 are generally mutually parallel , while the other pair of retaining projections is disposed on the other side of the cross beam 78 in the area where the side walls 72 , 74 converge . in other words , one pair of retaining ledges ( 90 and 92 described in detail below ) latches the opening end of the slider to an open zipper section , while the other pair of retaining ledges ( 94 and 96 described in detail below ) latches the closing end of the slider to a closed zipper section . the retaining ledge 90 ( shown in fig5 ) is integrally formed on the interior of the side wall 72 and projects into the slider passageway . the retaining ledge 90 has a generally horizontal planar top surface 98 and an inclined planar surface 100 , which surfaces meet at a linear juncture at the tip of the retaining ledge 90 . similarly , the opposing retaining ledge 92 ( shown in fig7 ) is integrally formed on the interior of the side wall 74 and projects into the slider passageway and toward the retaining ledge 90 . the retaining ledge 92 has an inclined planar surface 102 and a generally horizontal planar top surface ( not visible in fig7 ), which surfaces meet at a linear juncture at the tip of the retaining ledge 92 . the generally horizontal top surfaces of the retaining ledges 90 and 92 may be generally coplanar . retaining ledges 90 and 92 lie entirely under the cutout 82 , and no portion of either cross beam 76 or cross beam 78 overhangs either of the retaining ledges 90 and 92 . the retaining ledge 94 ( shown in fig6 ) is integrally formed on the interior of the side wall 72 in the convergent section and projects into the slider passageway . the retaining ledge 94 has a horizontal planar top surface ( not visible in fig6 ) generally coplanar with surface 98 of ledge 90 and an inclined planar surface 104 , which surfaces meet at a linear juncture at the tip of the retaining ledge 90 . similarly , the opposing retaining ledge 96 ( shown in fig7 ) is integrally formed on the interior of the side wall 74 and projects into the slider passageway and toward the retaining ledge 94 . the retaining ledge 96 has an inclined planar surface 106 and a generally horizontal planar top surface ( not visible in fig7 ), which surfaces meet at a linear juncture at the tip of the retaining ledge 96 . the generally horizontal top surfaces of the retaining ledges 94 and 96 may be generally coplanar . retaining ledges 94 and 96 lie entirely under the cutout 84 , and no portion of either cross beam 76 or cross beam 78 overhangs either of the retaining ledges 94 and 96 . the generally horizontal top surfaces of the retaining ledges 90 , 92 , 94 , 96 latch under the zipper profiles and assist in retaining the slider on the zipper , while the inclined bottom surfaces 100 , 102 , 104 , 106 of the retaining ledges assist in slider insertion onto the zipper by guiding or funneling the respective zipper parts into the slider passageway , including the passages on opposing sides of the plow 86 . to aid in gripping , the top surfaces may be inclined upward toward the tip of each ledge . the slider 70 is designed for injection molding in a die consisting of two tool parts , one stationary and one movable . the cutouts 82 and 84 may be formed by the movable die part . disregarding the portions of plow 86 that project into the mold cutouts 82 , 84 , the cutout 82 is generally rectangular , while the cutout 84 is generally trapezoidal . preferably , for the sake of simplifying the mold tooling , the movable die part will have respective projections of constant profile along a majority of their lengths , at least to the elevation of the coplanar horizontal surfaces of the retaining ledges , with appropriate recesses for receiving injected plastic material to form those respective portions of plow 86 that project forward and rearward of the cross beam 78 . the movable die part will have respective horizontal surfaces for forming the horizontal top surfaces of the four retaining ledges . it should be understood that this movable die part will be displaced vertically upward to remove it from the molded slider after curing . while the cutouts 82 and 84 are the result of the above - described injection molding process , their presence has the added benefit of reducing the mass of the slider , thereby reducing material costs . conversely , the bottom or undersurfaces of the cross beams and the inclined bottom surfaces of the retaining ledges may be formed by the stationary die part . referring to fig6 , a mold cutout 108 must be formed between the retaining ledges 92 and 96 and under one side of the cross beam 78 ; referring to fig7 , a mirror - image mold cutout 110 must be formed between the retaining ledges 90 and 94 and under the other side of the cross beam 78 . these cutouts 108 and 110 allow access for the stationary die tooling to form the undersurfaces 112 ( one of which is shown in fig6 ) of cross beam 78 on both sides of the plow 86 . since the retaining ledges 90 , 92 do not extend into the space underlying the cross beam 76 ( as seen in fig7 ), and the retaining ledges 94 , 96 do not extend into the space underlying the cross beam 80 ( as seen in fig6 ), the stationary die tooling also has access for forming the respective undersurfaces 114 , 115 of cross beams 76 and 80 . the cured slider can be removed from the cavity in the stationary die part by vertical displacement upward . because the slider design has eliminated confronting horizontal interior surfaces , the slider can be injection molded using only two die parts . this increases the speed of the automated injection molding machine as compared to injection molding processes that require the insertion of a third mold tool from the side for the purpose of forming confronting horizontal interior surfaces . in the alternative , the mold could be designed to form the slider in an upside - down state , wherein the cutouts 82 and 84 would be formed by the stationary die part , and the cutouts 108 and 110 would be formed by the movable die part . a slider in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in fig8 . this slider differs from the slider shown in fig5 - 7 in the shape of the cross - sectional profile of the plow . instead of rounded leading and trailing edges , the plow 86 has tapered edges 114 and 114 ′ that narrow in width , so that the leading and trailing plow edges can fit more snugly into the spaces on either side of the plow formed by the partially spread zipper parts when the zipper is fully closed . when the plow edges are rounded , a respective pinhole can be seen at each edge of the plow . these pinholes are due to the mismatch between the round profile of the plow edge as compared to the v - shaped space where the zipper parts start to spread apart . the end result is excessive air leakage into the bag . the amount of air leakage can be reduced by tapering the edges of the plow , thereby providing a better fit with the v - shaped spaces that are present at the loci of initiation of the zipper parts being spread apart in order to pass around the plow . a slider in accordance with another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig9 and 10 . this slider was designed with reduction of material cost in mind . in the embodiment seen in fig6 , the closing end of the slider comprises some extra material that is not essential to proper functioning of the slider . in particular , it has been discovered that the vertical columns , designated by numerals 116 and 118 in fig6 , can be eliminated along their entire height , including at the upper corners , leaving an abbreviated cross piece 80 ′ that projects in cantilever fashion forward of the closing end of the slider , as depicted in fig9 and 10 . further plastic material is saved by forming inclined outer surfaces 120 ( shown in fig9 ) and 122 ( shown in fig1 ) on the exterior of the closing end of the slider . thus , the slider depicted in fig9 and 10 is inherently cheaper to manufacture because it requires less plastic material . also a more uniform part reduces injection mold cycle time ( no pressure drop while injecting ). while the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for members thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . as used in the claims , the term “ package ” includes bags , pouches , and any other type of packaging in which a flexible plastic zipper can be incorporated . as used in the claims , the verb “ joined ” means fused , bonded , sealed , adhered , etc ., whether by application of heat and / or pressure , application of ultrasonic energy , application of a layer of adhesive material or bonding agent , interposition of an adhesive or bonding strip , etc . as used in the claims , the term “ string zipper ” means a zipper comprising two interlockable closure strips that have substantially no flange portions . as used in the claims , the term “ cutout ” means an opening and should not be construed as the result of a cuffing operation since the sliders of the disclosed embodiment are molded . | 1 |
a description of the conventional bearing configuration shown in fig1 and 3 will first be provided in order to facilitate an understanding of the advantages provided by the invention . the conventional bearing configuration illustrated in fig1 and 3 includes a first , outer bearing 10 and a second , inner bearing 12 . the outer bearing 10 , as illustrated , is composed of an outer bearing outer ring 14 , rolling elements 16 , and an outer bearing inner ring 18 . the inner bearing 12 , as illustrated , is composed of an inner bearing outer ring 20 , rolling elements 22 , and a central shaft 24 . a pump housing 26 , typically constructed of aluminum or other such material and partially illustrated in fig1 and 3 , is interposed between the inner bearing outer ring 20 and the outer bearing inner ring 18 to support those rings . as best seen in the enlarged view provided by fig3 , each of the rolling elements 16 travels within an outer bearing outer race 28 formed in the outer ring 14 and a corresponding outer bearing inner race 30 formed in the inner ring 18 . each of the rolling elements 22 , similarly , travels within an inner bearing outer race 32 formed in the outer ring 20 and a corresponding inner bearing inner race 34 formed directly in the shaft 24 . an appropriate retainer or separator ( not shown ) maintains the proper spacing between adjacent rolling elements 16 and 22 of each set of rolling elements . an elastomeric seal 36 is typically interposed between the pump housing 26 and the central shaft 24 to maintain separation of the pump housing interior 38 and the inner bearing 12 . as shown in fig2 and 4 , the bearing arrangement or configuration according to this invention includes a first , outer bearing 40 and a second , inner bearing 42 . the outer bearing 40 , as illustrated , is composed of a bearing outer ring 44 , rolling elements 46 , and a bearing middle ring 48 . the inner bearing 42 , as illustrated , is composed of the same bearing middle ring 48 , rolling elements 50 , and a central shaft 52 . a pump housing 66 , partially illustrated in fig2 and 4 , is secured to the bearing middle ring 48 in a manner that will become apparent . each of the rolling elements 46 travels within an outer bearing outer race 54 formed in the bearing outer ring 44 and a corresponding outer bearing inner race 56 formed in the bearing middle ring 48 . each of the rolling elements 50 , similarly , travels within an inner bearing outer race 58 formed in the bearing middle ring 48 and a corresponding inner bearing inner race 60 formed directly in the shaft 52 . as with the conventional configuration discussed previously , an appropriate retainer or separator ( not shown ) maintains the proper spacing between adjacent rolling elements 46 and 50 of each set of rolling elements . in this arrangement , an elastomeric seal 62 is interposed between the bearing middle ring 48 and the central shaft 52 to maintain separation of the interior 64 of the pump housing 66 and the inner bearing 42 . the races 58 and 58 , and thus the sets of rolling elements running therein , can be staggered relative to the races 56 and 56 on the bearing middle ring 48 in order to minimize packaging space required . as an added feature , containing the outer bearing 40 and the inner bearing 42 as one unit allows a mechanical seal 62 to be placed on the bearing when it is constructed , thereby eliminating an assembly operation for the pump assembler . the bearing middle ring 48 includes an axial protrusion 68 of reduced outer diameter . when the bearing assembly is in use , that axial protrusion 68 extends into the interior 64 of the pump housing 66 . a circumferentially extending wall 70 is thus defined at the junction of the axial protrusion 68 and the remainder of the bearing middle ring 48 , and a surface 72 of the protrusion 68 extends , in the direction of the interior of the pump housing 66 , away from the circumferentially extending wall 70 . the shaft , bearing rings , and rolling elements of the illustrated bearing configuration are made of suj - 2 high chromium tool steel or other such material with suitable hardness and wear resistance characteristics . the bearing outer ring 44 , rolling elements 46 , bearing middle ring 48 , rolling elements 50 , and central shaft 52 can be assembled initially to form the two - level bearing . to secure the pump housing 66 and the bearing middle ring 48 together , the distal end of the bearing middle ring 48 is press - fit into and installed to the pump housing 66 by applying pressure to that bearing middle ring only . this assembly procedure prevents the ball rows from brinelling or deforming any of the races . the assembled bearing and pump housing unit prevents leakage of coolant from the interior 64 by way of ( 1 ) the frictional press fit connection between the outer diameter of the axial protrusion 68 and the inner diameter of a corresponding protrusion receiving opening in the pump housing 66 , and ( 2 ) optionally using a seal , such as the two rubber o - rings 80 shown , between the outer surface of the axial protrusion 68 and the inner surface of the opening in the pump housing 66 . after connection of the two - level bearing to the pump housing 66 , the housing 66 abuts against the wall 70 defined on the axial protrusion 68 for proper positioning . the distal end of the bearing middle ring 48 is retained in the pump housing 66 by ( 1 ) the frictional press fit connection between the outer diameter of the axial protrusion 68 and the inner diameter of a corresponding protrusion receiving opening in the pump housing 66 , and ( 2 ) optionally providing an appropriately located groove 82 in the outer diameter of the axial protrusion 68 and utilization of a retaining ring ( not shown ) receivable in that groove 82 . to prevent relative rotation of the bearing middle ring 48 and the pump housing 66 , a portion of the bearing middle ring can have a “ d - flat ” ( a “ d ” type cross section ) instead of being round . by way of the construction described , the pump housing manufacturer benefits by being provided with fewer areas of the housing casting that require machining . more particularly , referring again to fig3 , the bearing - receiving portion of a conventional pump housing 26 typically requires machining to produce surfaces a , b , c , and d . as is apparent by comparing fig3 and 4 , however , a significant reduction in machining is permitted by way of the configuration shown in fig4 , since only surfaces e and f are needed with a construction according to the present invention . the foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting . since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art , the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof . | 8 |
referring first to fig1 and 2 , an evaporator unit 1 has an input side 2 . air is urged into the input side 2 of the evaporator 1 by the movement of a vehicle in which the air conditioning system is mounted , or by a fan ‘ f ’ ( see fig2 ). the evaporator 1 is disposed in an air duct 3 and the evaporator 1 has an output side 4 from which emerges cooled air . the output duct 3 extends to a throat portion 5 which co - operates with a blend door 10 . the blend door as shown in fig1 may be positioned in a central position to define a first conduit for cold air flow between the blend door 10 and first wall 11 of the duct 3 and a second conduit for air to be heated between the opposite wall 12 of the duct 3 . the second conduit leads to a heat exchanger core 20 which is supplied with hot water , for example from the engine of the vehicle , and which has an output side from which emerges a flow 21 of heated air . the flow 21 of heated air and a cool air flow 22 from the first conduit come together in a mixing region 24 of the duct 3 . two distribution ducts , 41 and 42 are shown in fig1 and these , as has previously been discussed supply air outlets in different parts of the vehicle cabin , e . g . panel or face and / or foot and / or defrost areas . it would be understood by one skilled in the art that although some mixing of the hot and cold air flows will take place in the mixing region 24 , nonetheless the flow resistance caused by the heat exchanger core 20 will substantially reduce the velocity of the hot air and , as a result , on the extreme left of the duct 3 , as seen in the direction of flow , the cold air will predominate and , on the extreme right of the duct 3 as seen in the direction of flow , hot air will dominate . thus distribution duct 41 is more likely to contain cool air and distribution duct 42 is more likely to carry warm air . additionally , the specific arrangement of the system downstream of the mixing region 24 may vary considerably depending on the environment and application for the air conditioning system . referring now to fig2 , 3 a , 3 b and according to the teachings of the invention , a distribution door 100 , 200 is disposed at the mixing region 24 to efficiently control distribution and stratification of the different airflows . the distribution door 100 , 200 of the present invention may take different forms , and by way of example , the instant invention shows a u - channel door structure ( see fig4 and 5 ) and cross - flow - channels door ( see fig6 and 7 ). fig8 further depicts a schematic representation of arrangement of the mixing device disposed in a vehicle air conditioning system . with reference to fig4 and 5 , the u - shaped channel door 100 is formed with a primary flap member 110 attached to a post 112 defining a pivot axis 101 . the primary flap member 110 has opposite sides 110 a , 110 b . projecting from the first side 110 a of the flap member 110 is a u - shaped deflector / scoop 130 through which a u - shaped channel 120 passes . the u - shaped channel 120 is formed at the central portion of the primary flap member 110 and defines an arcuate opening spanning a variable or tunable angle which is tunable to about 0 to 90 degrees , typically approximately 30 - 70 degrees . therefore , the u - shaped channel 120 has two opposite openings 120 a , 120 b oriented at about a 60 degree angle with respect to each other and an arcuate wall 120 c connecting these two opposite openings . when distribution door 100 is disposed in the hot air position shown in fig3 a , the primary flap member 110 will substantially , but not completely , block the flow of cold air ( air path 22 ) and will permit the flow of heated air ( air flow 21 ) to the mixing region 24 . the u - shaped channel 120 will divert a portion of the cold air - flow 22 towards the source of heated air ( air flow 21 ) for mixture therewith before continuing to mixing region 24 . this causes a more violent clash or turbulence between the two airflows substantially increasing mixing and heat transfer between the two flows resulting in a more uniformed temperature air flow emerging from mixing region 24 . when the distribution door 100 is disposed in the cold air position shown in fig3 b , the primary flap member 110 will substantially block the flow of hot air ( air path 21 ) and will permit unfettered flow of cold air ( air flow 22 ) to the mixing region 24 . in the position shown in fig3 b , the u - shaped channel 120 will permit passage of a portion of the heated airflow 21 toward the mixing region 24 . as will be understood by those of skill in the art , the distribution door 100 may be located at any intermediate position between the extreme positions shown in fig3 a and 3 b . with reference to fig6 and 7 , the cross - flow - channels door 200 is formed with a primary flap member 210 attached to a post 212 defining a pivot axis 201 . the primary flap member 210 has opposite sides 210 a , 210 b . formed on the primary flap member 210 is at least one u - shaped channel 220 defining an opening on the second side 210 b of the flap member 210 . projecting from the first side 210 a of the flap member 210 is / are corresponding u - shaped deflector ( s ) 230 through which each u - shaped channel 220 passes . as shown in fig7 , the u - shaped deflectors 230 are shaped as scoops projecting from the first side 210 a . in the preferred embodiment only one u - shaped channel 220 and deflector 230 is provided ; however , fig6 shows three channels 220 and deflectors 230 for illustrative purposes of the invention . as understood by one of skill in the art , the specific number of channels 220 and deflectors 230 will vary depending on the application and system design . when distribution door 200 is disposed in the hot air position shown in fig3 a , the primary flap member 210 partially block the flow of cold air ( air path 22 ) with flow permitted through the channel ( s ) 220 . the u - shaped deflector ( s ) 230 permits deflected flow of heated air ( air flow 21 ) around the u - shaped deflector ( s ) 230 and into the mixing region 24 ( see airflow lines 21 , 22 in fig6 ). the u - shaped deflector ( s ) 230 and channel ( s ) 220 thereby interleave and co - mingle the paths of airflow 21 , 22 in at least one or a plurality of alternating streams . by dividing the hot air flow 21 and cold air flow 22 into adjacent alternating flow paths , heat transfer and mixing between the two air flows 21 , 22 is greatly enhanced . when the distribution door 200 is disposed in the cold air position shown in fig3 b , the primary flap member 210 will primarily block the flow of hot air ( air path 21 ) with partial flow of the hot air ( air path 21 ) passing through the channels 220 . in the position of fig3 b , the distribution door 200 permits unfettered flow of cold air ( air flow 22 ) to the mixing region 24 . from the foregoing description , it will be understood by those of skill in the art that the distribution door 200 may be located at any intermediate position between the extreme positions shown in fig3 a and 3 b . as described above , the present invention provides various mixing structures that commingle and interpose different airflows more efficiently within a limited space . for example , the present invention may be structured to guide more cold air to the floor registers and more hot air to the panel registers . moreover , the invention may increase the hot air flow velocity to penetrate the cold airflow to thereby reduce bi - level stratification . the present invention may also be structured to avoid a permanently installed cross flow baffle that generates pressure drop in the cold air path , whereby in all blend positions including a full - cold position . in such case , the stratification control door is rotated aside in the full - cold position . while the foregoing invention has been shown and described with reference to several embodiments , it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention . for example , although it is envisaged that the structures for mixing airflow will normally be made from plastics material , nevertheless it will also be possible to use metal if this should prove desirable . | 1 |
generally speaking , pursuant to these various embodiments , for a device having a plurality of actions , wherein at least some of the actions comprise a response to external stimuli , a determination can be made to identify specific external stimuli and a unique audible signal then provided that corresponds to that identification . for example , and again using the example of a movable barrier operator system , the determination can identify that a given remote control transmission is not recognized ( that is , the transmitter is not entered into the system ). this would indicate that the transmitter is likely not a legitimate part of this particular movable barrier system . as another example , the determination could identify that a given remote control transmission includes a fixed code or a rolling code , and a unique audible signal then provided that corresponds to those specific conditions . in a fixed code system , for example , upon hearing the unique audible signal indicating that a given transmission includes a rolling code would allow a system operator to readily and easily diagnose why that particular transmitter fails to successfully operate the system . in one embodiment , such diagnostic audible signals can be muted . in another embodiment , when muting diagnostic audible signals , other audible signals ( such as signals indicating that a transmission has been received from an intentionally block transmitter or signals that indicate that a transmission has been received from an authorized transmitter ) are nevertheless left un - muted . referring now to the figures , additional details regarding these and other embodiments will be provided . referring to fig1 a given system 10 , in this embodiment , includes a control unit 11 that is coupled to a movable barrier operator 12 such that the control unit 11 can provide control signals to the movable barrier operator 12 to thereby control , at least to some extent , a movable barrier as operated by the movable barrier operator 12 . the control unit 11 provides such control signals in response to receiving appropriate transmissions from any of a plurality of previously registered remote control transmitters ( represented here by transmitter 1 and transmitter 2 as denoted by reference numerals 13 and 14 ). the number of transmitters supported will vary with the application , and will typically number in the hundreds , though 1 , 000 or more are certainly possible . in this particular embodiment , up to 250 such transmitters are presumed to be supported by the system 10 . pursuant to the embodiments described below , diagnostic information regarding certain aspects of transmissions as received by the control unit 11 are developed and used to provide unique corresponding audible signals to a user . referring now to fig2 the control unit 11 includes a processing unit 22 as provided , for example , through use of a microprocessor with supporting circuitry and outlying components . the processing unit 22 preferably comprises a programmable platform that is programmable to effect the activities described below . the processing unit 22 couples to a user interface 23 which will typically be disposed in a manner that is accessible to a user ( more details regarding the user interface 23 are provided below ). the user interface 23 allows a user to interact directly with the control unit 11 , for example , by muting audible diagnostic signals . in this embodiment , the processing unit 22 also couples to a wireless receiver 24 that at least receives transmissions from various transmitters including the remote control transmitters that are authorized through pre - registration with the control unit 11 . in addition , the processing unit 22 couples to a memory 25 . this memory contains the transmitter information noted above . also , in this embodiment , the user interface 23 includes an audible signal generator 26 . the audible signal generator 26 can be provided in a variety of ways . for example , a simple buzzer can be used . or , a loudspeaker can be used to render audible previously stored sounds ( as stored in either analog or digital form ). mechanical bells and chimes and other electronic mechanisms are also all potentially useful depending upon the specific setting and application and depending also upon the number of unique audible sounds that are necessary to a given system . referring now to fig3 the user interface 23 includes a display 31 and a keypad 32 . the display 31 allows various information to be presented to the user as appropriate to various supported functionality . the keypad 32 comprises a tactile interface that allows a user to enter information and / or express commands to the control unit 11 . for example , in this embodiment , to mute diagnostic audible signals , the user simply asserts the asterisk “*” key 33 combined with assertion of the “ 0 ” key 34 . once muted , the user interface 23 can again be used to un - mute these sounds by again asserting both the asterisk key 33 and the “ 0 ” key 34 . so configured , the control unit 11 comprises a programmable platform that is readily programmed to act as described herein and audible sounds are available to uniquely identify various diagnostic conditions . referring now to fig4 and viewing these embodiments generally , stimuli from some external source is received 41 and identified 42 . for purposes of illustration , and continuing with the example of a movable barrier operator system , a wireless transmission is received and this stimuli from an external source is identified , for example , as constituting a particular type of transmission and / or as including information modulated or formatted in some particular way . a unique audible signal that corresponds to the characterization of the external stimuli is then provided 43 . such a process is in addition to ordinary and normal processing of the external stimuli . for example , a transmission for a remote control transmitter in a movable barrier operator system will be demodulated and decoded ( if possible ) to authenticate the communication and , presuming its authorized status , used to control a corresponding movable barrier . furthermore , such ordinary and usual processing may include audible signals provided in conjunction therewith . the diagnostic processing and the accompanying audible signals described earlier supplements such usual processing . referring now to fig5 more specific embodiments as pertain to a movable barrier operator system will be provided . upon receiving 50 a transmission , the control unit 11 described above will ascertain 51 whether the transmission has been sourced by an authorized remote control transmitter . for example , the transmission will be decoded to recover a unique identifier that corresponds to the transmitter and to compare that unique identifier against previously registered identifiers . when a match occurs , the transmission is recognized as authorized and then processed 52 appropriately . for example , in the context of a movable barrier system , the movable barrier is moved from a present position to a new position . the above actions are representative of typical prior art practice and are illustrative only . they illustrate that the control unit 11 , whatever it may be , carries on with its ordinary and customary functionality . in addition , the control unit 11 also seeks to identify the external stimuli in a more diagnostic fashion . for example , in this embodiment , the control unit 11 examines the incoming transmission to determine whether the transmission can be recognized 53 ( i . e ., constitutes a recognizable modulation and / or coding format ), and if recognizable , contains a unique identifier configured as a fixed code 55 or a rolling code 57 . when the transmission simply can not be recognized 53 , the control unit 11 provides a first audible signal 54 using the audio source 26 of the user interface unit 23 . in this embodiment , the first audible signal comprises silence ( in one embodiment as effected through temporary muting if necessary ). when the transmission includes a fixed code 55 ( regardless of whether the code itself is known or recognizable to the control unit 11 ) the control unit 11 provides a second audible signal 56 using the user interface audio source 26 . for example , a series of fast tones or beeps can be used with the audio source comprises a monotonic source . as another example , when the audio source comprises a polytonic source , a single low - pitched tone can be provided . and as yet another example , when stored audio files are available , a speech signal stating “ fixed code ” or the like can be rendered audible . in like fashion , when a rolling code is recognized 57 , the control unit 11 provides a third audible signal 58 , such as , for example , a series of slow tones or beeps . and lastly , as depicted in this embodiment , if the transmission is recognizable in general but appears to have neither a fixed code nor a rolling code , optionally a fourth audible signal 59 , such as a series of fast tones followed by a series of slow tones can issue from the user interface audio source 26 . once all characterization tests have been conducted , then the process ends 60 . so configured , the control device 11 conducts its usual activities but also further examines the external stimuli to characterize the stimuli in various ways that , while not strictly speaking necessary to its ordinary functionality , nevertheless are helpful to a user when seeking to assess conditions to thereby diagnose and identify one or more likely causes of a given circumstance . for example , a user approaches a movable barrier and asserts their remote control transmitter with no result ; the movable barrier remains in position . such a result can be due to a variety of causes . with the embodiments noted above , however , an individual such as the system administrator or the user can consider the audible signals as provided by the control unit 11 when transmitting . a specific audible signal as issued by the control unit 11 in response to a non - effective transmission can often aid greatly in quickly ascertaining the cause of the problem . in this example , presuming that no audible signal is provided , the likely cause can be identified as the transmitter battery . or , if a particular audible signal as corresponds to a rolling code is provided , the system operator ( knowing that the system comprises a fixed code system ) will be able to quickly identify this as a cause for the transmitter to be unsuccessful ( such a condition can arise , for example , with a dual - mode transmitter that becomes switched from a fixed code mode to a rolling code mode ). or , if the system is , in fact , a rolling code system , then the problem may be diagnosed as being due to the transmitter &# 39 ; s rolling code having become out of synchronization with the code as stored by the control unit 11 . notwithstanding the fact that such audible signals can powerfully assist diagnosis of a problem , the constant occurrence of such audible signals may be potentially distracting and / or bothersome during ordinary use when operation proceeds smoothly . referring to fig6 in an alternative embodiment a user can initiate 61 a diagnostics mute condition by asserting , using the user interface keyboard 32 , a corresponding command . in this embodiment , entering the asterisk key 33 combined with the “ 0 ” key 34 constitutes this command . the control unit 11 then mutes 62 the audible signals as correspond to diagnostics processing and the process ends 64 . to un - mute these audible signals , the user need only repeat the above steps . it would of course be possible to provide a master mute that would inhibit all audible signaling from the control unit 11 . in this above described embodiment , however , this mute process only mutes the audible signals as correspond to the diagnostics review and does not mute audible signals as correspond to the usual and ordinary functionality of the control unit 11 . if desired , when muting the audible diagnostic signals , a visual signal can optionally be provided 63 to indicate this status . for example , when muted in this way , the right - most decimal point on the display 31 can be illuminated to indicate the muted condition . so configured , many issues , problems , and concerns can be more quickly and easily diagnosed without requiring additional equipment , personnel , or training . furthermore , by using an already existing platform in many cases , these benefits can be achieved at little or no incremental cost . those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications , alterations , and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , and that such modifications , alterations , and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept . in particular , specific embodiments have been presented to illustrate the concepts taught . the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments , however , and has application in a variety of settings where control devices of various types interact in various ways with external stimuli . | 6 |
referring now in detail to the drawings for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments for the present invention , the controllable one - way clutch for a vehicle as shown in fig1 ( a ), 2 ( b ), and 3 , comprises an inner race 1 and an outer race 2 rotatably connected to the inner race 1 wherein one of both races 1 and 2 as a driving axle drives the other race of both races 1 and 2 as a driven axle . for example , a driving force transfers and is controlled between the inner race 1 as a driving axle and the outer race 2 as a driven axle . the inner race 1 is provided with a main oil passage 10 disposed at a center thereof and a plurality of cylinders 11 disposed outside of the main oil passage 10 in a transverse direction with respect thereto and formed at equivalent distances from each other . each cylinder 11 opens to the outer race 2 in the driving force transfer direction and is disposed in a groove 12 . the outer portion of the cylinder 11 has a perpendicular plane 121 and a cam plane 122 disposed at an obtuse angle with the perpendicular plane 121 . the cam plane 122 has an elastic material 123 buried in the rear face thereof for smoothly receiving the rollers 30 on the cam plane 122 and providing a buffer effect . the elastic material is rubber or a similar resilient material . at the inner end portion of the cylinder 11 , there is a branch oil passage 100 communicating with the main oil passage 10 and formed in a radial manner in the inner race 1 . as shown in fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ), the cylinder 11 includes a piston assembly 3 disposed at the outer portion thereof . the piston assembly 3 includes a piston 31 having a pair of fixing rings 310 rotatably assembled with a roller 30 at a front portion , and a spring engagement 321 at a rear portion thereof . the outside diameter d of a roller shaft 300 is less than the inside diameter d of the pair of fixing rings 310 as shown in fig2 ( b ) for smoothly rotating the roller shaft 300 in the pair of fixing rings 310 . a plurality of rollers 30 are required in the present invention , preferably three to eight rollers 30 , and more preferably five rollers 30 for forming a large surface so as to improve the traction effect and the scattering effect of contact stress . the piston 31 is biased by a return spring 32 which is connected to a spring pin 320 fixed to the walls of the cylinder 11 and the spring engagement 321 extending from the piston 31 . the piston 31 has a ring stopper 33 disposed on the upper portion thereof for limiting the insertion of the piston 31 into the cylinder 11 . the return spring 32 always pulls the piston 31 toward the inside of the inner race 1 . therefore , when the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinder 11 through the main and branch oil passages 10 and 100 , the piston assembly 3 extends toward the outside of the inner race 1 . at this time , the roller 30 seats between the cam plane 122 and the inside diameter of the outer race 2 so that the roller 30 functions as a kind of wedge and simultaneously the inner race 1 and the outer race 2 become a composite structure such that the transfer of driving force is accomplished as shown in fig3 . as shown in fig1 the controllable one - way clutch according to the present invention provides a large number such as five clutches disposed on the inner race 1 at an equivalent distance from each other . the controllable one - way clutch according to the present invention operates as follows . as shown in fig3 when the rotating force of the outer race 2 is to transfer to the inner race 1 , a certain hydraulic pressure is supplied into the cylinder 11 through the main and branch oil passages 10 and 100 . at that time , the supplied hydraulic pressure in the cylinders 11 pushes the piston assemblies 3 toward the outer side in the direction indicated by an arrow from the real line position to the dotted line position ( fig3 ). thus , when the piston assemblies 3 extend toward the outer side , the rollers 30 contact the inside surface of the outer race 2 . thereafter , the rollers 30 move along the inside surface of the outer race 2 and go down , and immediately contact the surface of the cam planes 122 . therefore , the rollers 30 are seated between the inside diameter of the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 in the grooves 12 of the inner race 1 . accordingly , when the rollers 30 are inserted between the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 in the grooves 12 of the inner race 1 , the rotating force of the outer race 2 can easily and effectively transfer to the inner race 1 . in this process of the driving force transfer , when the outer race 2 rotates in the clockwise direction , if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 11 , the rollers 301 seat between the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 of the inner race and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . on the contrary , when the outer race 2 rotates in the counter - clockwise direction , if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 11 , the rollers 30 do not seat between both inner and outer races 1 and 2 and the transfer of the driving force is not accomplished . even if the hydraulic pressure actuates , the rollers 30 push to the inside of the inner race and downwardly . when the hydraulic pressure closes , the piston assemblies 3 are returned to the original position by bias of the return springs 32 . therefore , the transfer of the driving force does not proceed regardless of the rotating direction of the outer race 2 . accordingly , the controllable clutch for a vehicle according to the present invention is simple in structure , inexpensive to manufacture , and easy to use . furthermore , the controllable clutch for a vehicle according to the present invention functions as a one - way clutch function and can easily close the driving force transfer regardless of the rotating direction of the outer race when the hydraulic pressure closes . referring in detail to fig5 , and 7 , there is illustrated a second embodiment of a controllable clutch for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention . the controllable clutch comprises the inner race 1 and the outer race 2 . the inner race 1 is provided with the main oil passage 10 disposed at a center thereof and a pair of cylinders 11 disposed at both sides of the main oil passages 10 . each cylinder 11 opens to the outer race 2 in one of the two driving force transfer directions and is disposed in a groove 12 . the outer portion of the cylinder 11 has a perpendicular plane 121 and a cam plane 122 disposed at an obtuse angle with the perpendicular plane 121 . the cam plane 122 has an elastic material 123 buried in the rear face thereof for smoothly receiving the roller 30 on the cam plane 122 and providing a buffer effect . at the inner center portion of each cylinder 11 , there is a branch oil passage 100 communicating with the main oil passage 10 and formed at a right angle to the cylinder 11 , in the inner race 1 . as shown in fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ), the piston assembly 3 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiments , that is , the cylinder 11 comprises the piston assembly 3 which includes the piston 31 having the pair of fixing rings 310 rotatably assembled with the roller 30 at a front portion , and the spring engagement 321 at a rear portion thereof . the pair of piston assemblies 3 become one composite product which communicates with the branch oil passage 100 . a plurality of rollers 30 are required in this second embodiment of the present invention , preferably four rollers 30 for forming a large surface so as to improve the traction effect and the scattering effect of contact stress . as shown in fig5 the piston 31 is the same as the first embodiment , and is biased by the return spring 32 which is connected to the spring pin 320 fixed to the walls of the cylinder 11 and the spring engagement 321 extending from the piston 31 . the piston 31 has the ring stopper 33 disposed on the upper portion thereof for limiting the insertion of the piston 31 into the cylinder 11 . the return spring 32 always pulls the piston 31 toward the inside of the inner race 1 . therefore , as shown in fig6 when the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinder 11 through the main and branch oil passages 10 and 100 , the piston assembly 3 extends toward the outside of the inner race 1 . at this time , the roller 30 seats between the cam plane 122 and the inside diameter of the outer race 2 so that the roller 30 functions as a kind of wedge and simultaneously the inner race 1 and the outer race 2 become a composite structure such that the transfer of driving force is accomplished as shown in fig7 . as shown in fig5 the controllable clutch according to the present invention provides a large number such as four clutches disposed on the inner race 1 at an equivalent distance from each other . the controllable clutch according to the present invention operates as follows . as shown in fig6 and 7 , when the rotating force of the outer race 2 is to transfer to the inner race 1 , a certain hydraulic pressure is supplied into the cylinder 11 through the main and branch oil passages 10 and 100 . at that time , the supplied hydraulic pressure in the cylinder 11 pushes the piston assemblies 3 toward the outer side in the direction indicated by an arrow from the real line position to the dotted line position ( fig6 ). thus , when the piston assemblies 3 extend toward the outer side , the rollers 30 contact the inside surface of the outer race 2 . thereafter , the rollers 30 move along the inside surface of the outer race 2 and go down , and immediately contact the surface of the cam planes 122 . therefore , the rollers 30 are seated between the inside diameter of the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 in the grooves 12 of the inner race 1 ( fig7 ). accordingly , when the rollers 30 are seated between the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 in the grooves 12 of the inner race 1 , the rotating force of the outer race 2 can easily and effectively transfer to the inner race 1 . in this process of the driving force transfer , when the outer race 2 rotates in the clockwise direction if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 11 , the rollers 30 in the upper right hand and lower left hand clutches seat between the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 of the inner race 1 and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . the rollers 30 in the upper left hand and lower right hand clutches , however , push to the inside of the inner race 1 and downwardly . when the outer race 2 rotates in the counter - clockwise direction , if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 11 , the rollers 30 in the upper left hand and lower right hand clutches seat between both inner and outer races 1 and 2 and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . even if the hydraulic pressure actuates , the rollers 30 in the upper right hand and lower left hand clutches push to the inside of the inner race 1 and downwardly . when the hydraulic pressure closes , the piston assemblies 3 are returned to the original position by bias of the return springs 32 . therefore , the transfer of the driving force does not proceed regardless of the rotating direction of the outer race 2 . fig8 is a sectional view illustrating a third embodiment of the controllable clutch for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention . the controllable clutch comprises the inner race 1 and the outer race 2 . in this third embodiment of the present invention , piston assemblies 3a are disposed in the outer race 2 and are provided with rollers 30a for smoothly seating between the outer diameter surface of the inner race 1 and cam planes 122a . the pair of piston assemblies 3 become a composite product which communicates with each branch oil passage 100 . in this process of the present driving force transfer , when the inner race 1 rotates in the clockwise direction , the roller 30a on the right hand clutches seats between the inner race and the cam planes 122a of the outer race 2 , and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . the roller 30a on the left hand clutch , however , pushes to the inside of the outer race 2 and upwardly . when the outer race 2 rotates in the counter - clockwise direction , if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 11 , the roller 30a on the left hand clutch seats between both inner and outer races 1 and 2 and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . even if the hydraulic pressure actuates , the roller 30a on the right hand side pushes to the inside of the outer race 2 and upwardly . referring now in detail to fig9 , and 11 , there is illustrated a fourth embodiment of the controllable clutch for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention . the controllable clutch comprises the inner race 1 and the outer race 2 . the inner race 1 is provided with two pairs of branch oil passages 100 disposed at a center portion thereof and two pairs of cylinders 11 disposed at both sides of the branch oil passages 100 . each cylinder 11 opens to the outer race 2 in one of the two driving force transfer direction and is disposed within the groove 12 . the outer portion of the cylinder 11 has the perpendicular plane 121 and the cam plane 122 disposed at an obtuse angle with the perpendicular plane 121 . each cam plane 122 has the elastic material 123 buried in the rear face thereof for smoothly receiving the roller 30 against the cam plane 122 and providing a buffer effect . each cylinder 11 communicates with the branch oil passage 100 which is formed at a right angle to the cylinder 11 in the inner race 1 . as shown in fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ), the piston assembly 3 of the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiments , that is , the cylinder 11 , the piston assembly 3 which includes the piston 31 having the pair of fixing rings 310 rotatably assembled with the roller 30 at a front portion , and the spring engagement 321 at a rear portion thereof . a plurality of rollers 30 are required in this fourth embodiment of the present invention , preferably four rollers 30 for forming a large surface so as to improve the traction effect and the scattering effect of contact stress . as shown in fig1 , the piston 31 is biased by the return spring 32 which is connected to the spring pin 320 fixed to the walls of the cylinder 11 and the spring engagement 321 extended from the piston 31 . the piston 31 has the ring stopper 33 disposed on the upper portion thereof for limiting the insertion of the piston 31 into the cylinder 11 . the return spring 32 always pulls the piston 31 toward inside of the inner race 1 . therefore , when the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinder 11 through the branch oil passage 100 , the piston assembly 3 extends toward the outside of the inner race 1 . if the cylinder 11 opens to the outer race 2 in the driving force transfer direction , the roller 30 seats between the cam plane 122 and the inside diameter of the outer race 2 so that the roller 30 functions as a kind of wedge and simultaneously the inner race 1 and the outer race 2 become a composite structure and the transfer of driving force is accomplished as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 and 11 , the controllable one - way clutch according to the present invention provides a great number such as four clutches disposed on the inner race 1 at an equivalent distance from each other . the controllable clutch according to the present invention operates as follows . as shown in fig1 , when the rotating force of the outer race 2 is to be transferred to the inner race 1 , a certain hydraulic pressure is supplied into the cylinder 11 through the branch oil passages 100 . at that time , the supplied hydraulic pressure in the cylinder 11 pushes the piston assemblies 3 toward the outer side in the direction indicated by an arrow from the real line position to the dotted line position ( fig1 ). thus , when the piston assemblies 3 extend toward the outer side , the rollers 30 contact the inside surface of the outer race 2 . thereafter , the rollers 30 extending from cylinders 11 opening to the driving force transfer direction move along the inside surface of the outer race 2 and go down , and immediately contact the surface of the cam planes 122 . therefore , these rollers 30 are seated between the inside diameter of the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 in the grooves 12 of the inner race ( fig1 ). accordingly , when these rollers 30 are seated between the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 in the grooves 12 of the inner race 1 , the rotating force of the outer race 2 can easily and effectively transfer to the inner race 1 . in this process of the driving force transfer , when the outer race 2 rotates in the clockwise direction if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to all the cylinders 11 , the rollers 30 of the upper right hand and lower left hand clutches seat between the outer race 2 and the cam planes 122 of the inner race and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . the rollers 30 of the upper left hand and lower right hand clutches , however , do not seat between the inner race 2 and outer 2 . instead , these rollers 30 push to the inside of the inner race 1 and downwardly . when the outer race 2 rotates in the counter - clockwise direction if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 11 , the rollers 30 of the upper left hand arch to the right hand clutches seat between both inner and outer races 1 and 2 and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . even if the hydraulic pressure actuates , the rollers 30 of the upper right hand and lower left hand clutches do not seat between the inner race 1 and outer race 2 . instead , these rollers 30 push to the inside of the inner race 1 and downwardly . when the hydraulic pressure closes , the piston assemblies 3 are returned to the original position by bias of the return springs 32 . therefore , the transfer of the driving force does not proceed regardless of the rotating direction of the outer race 2 . furthermore , as shown in fig9 - 11 , the cylinders 11 of the clutches are independently and separately supplied with hydraulic fluid via an associated branch oil passage 100 . by selectively supplying hydraulic fluid only to the branch oil passages 100 for the upper right hand and lower left hand clutches , a controllable one - way clutch in the clockwise direction is formed assuming the outer race 2 applies the transfer driving force . likewise , by selectively supplying hydraulic fluid only to the branch oil passages 100 for the upper left hand and lower right hand clutches , a controllable one - way clutch in the counter - clockwise direction is formed assuming the outer race 2 applies the transfer driving force . in other words , by supply hydraulic fluid to the branch oil passages 100 associated with the cylinders 11 opening in one of the clockwise and counter - clockwise direction , a one - way clutch can be formed in that direction assuming the outer race 2 applies the transfer driving force . fig1 is a sectional view illustrating a fifth embodiment of the controllable clutch for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention . the controllable clutch comprises the inner race 1 and the outer race 2 . in this fifth embodiment of the present invention , piston assemblies 3a are disposed in the outer race 2 and are provided with rollers 30a for smoothly seating between the outer diameter surface of the inner race 1 and cam planes 122a . each piston assembly 3a communicates with an associated branch oil passage 100 . when hydraulic fluid is supplied to both of the branch oil passages , the inner race 1 rotates in the clockwise direction , the roller 30a of the right hand clutch seats between the inner race 1 and the cam planes 122a of the outer race 2 , and the transfer of driving force is accomplished . the roller 30a of the left hand clutch , however , does not seat between the inner race 1 and the cam planes 122a . instead , this roller 30a pushes to the inside of the outer race 2 and upwardly . when the inner race 1 rotates in the counter - clockwise direction , if the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the cylinders 11 , the rollers 30 of the left hand clutch seats between both inner and outer races 1 and 2 and the transfer of the driving force is accomplished . even if the hydraulic pressure actuates , the roller 30 of the right hand clutch does not seat between the inner race 1 and outer race 2 . instead , this roller 30a pushes to the inside of the outer race 2 and upwardly . furthermore , as with the fourth embodiment , a controllable one - way clutch in either the clockwise or counter - clockwise direction could be formed by selectively supply hydraulic fluid to only one of the branch oil passages 100a for the right hand clutch and left hand clutch , respectively . in other words , by supplying hydraulic fluid to the branch oil passage 100a associated with the cylinder 11 which opens to the inner race 1 in one of the clockwise or counter - clockwise directions , a one - way clutch can be formed in that direction assuming the inner race 1 applies the transfer driving force . accordingly , the second , third , fourth , and fifth embodiments of the controllable clutch for a vehicle according to the present invention are simple in structure , inexpensive to manufacture , and easy to use . furthermore , the present controllable clutches for a vehicle according to the present invention function as a clutches , or selectively as one - way clutches , and easily close the driving force transfer regardless of the rotating direction of the outer race or the inner race . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
in an embodiment of the present invention ( c 1 - c 4 ) alkyl group is selected from methyl , ethyl , propyl , iso - propyl , n - butyl , t - butyl and sec - butyl group . in another embodiment of the present invention the water immisible solvent is selected from ethyl acetate , methylene chloride and ethylene dichloride . in still another embodiment of the present invention the product may be isolated by adjusting ph to 2 . 3 to 3 . 0 , by using acid such as hydrochloric acid , sulphuric acid or orthophosphoric acid , more particularly to ph 2 . 5 ± 0 . 05 in the presence or absence of solvent such as acetone at a temperature in the range of 10 ° c . to 45 ° c ., more particularly from 30 ° c . to 40 ° c . to produce cefixime of formula ( i ) in pure form . in another embodiment of the present invention , the cefixime of the formula ( i ) obtained is in trihydrate form . in yet another embodiment of the present invention , the cefixime of the formula ( i ) obtained is a syn isomer . the present invention is exemplified by the following example , which is provided for illustration only and should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention . the compound of formula ( ii ) is prepared according to the process described and claimed in applicants u . s . pat . no . 6 , 388 , 070 to , [ 6r -[ 6α , 7β ( z )]]- 7 -[[( 2 - amino - 4 - thiazolyl )[( methoxycarbonylmethoxy ) imino ] acetyl ] amino ]- 3 - vinyl - 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid compound of formula ( ii ) ( 100 gm ) in distilled water ( 1000 ml ) and ethyl acetate ( 500 ml ), sodium bicarbonate ( 19 gm ) was added slowly at 24 - 26 ° c . till clear solution formation . the solution was cooled to 0 - 1 ° c . and 15 % sodium hydroxide solution ( 180 ml ) was added . the resultant solution was stirred at 6 - 8 ° c . till the completion of reaction . ph of the reaction mass was adjusted to 4 . 8 - 5 . 0 with 19 % aqueous hcl acid solution . the aqueous layer was separated and subjected to carbon treatment . to the clear filtrate , mixture of water ( 580 ml ) and acetone ( 670 ml ) was added . the ph of solution was adjusted to 2 . 45 to 2 . 55 with 8 - 10 % dilute hcl acid at 34 - 36 ° c . the reaction mass was slowly cooled to 1 - 3 ° c . and stirred for 120 minutes . the product obtained was filtered and washed the wet product with water ( 1000 ml ) and dried under vacuum to get the title compound in pure form ( 97 . 5 gm ). the use of sodium hydroxide in the process of the present invention has improved the colour of the cefixime obtained . finally , the solubility of cefixime obtained by this process is also enhanced . | 2 |
typically , lanthanides are sensitized by means of small molecules . in contrast , the present invention sensitizes lanthanides through the use of mofs , which characteristically are porous , crystalline solid - state materials . in accordance with the invention , mofs allow the formation of luminescent compounds that contain a large number of lanthanide cations per unit of volume , resulting in increased luminescence signal . thus , mofs provide a unique means for effecting better control of ligand ( sensitizer ) geometry around the lanthanide metal . moreover , mofs provide for effectively shielding the lanthanide ions from certain solvents that may quench the luminescence . lanthanide cations need to be sensitized by an appropriate antenna , in order to emit an appropriate signal . pursuant to the invention , mofs allow an improved control of such sensitization through modification of the excitation wavelength ; this , due to the rigidity of the structures and preorganization of intermolecular interactions to lower the excitation energy . the inventors initially identified a ligand that could both effectively sensitize the nir emission of yb 3 + and promote its assembly into an extended porous network . 4 , 4 ′-[( 2 , 5 - dimethyoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) di - 2 , 1 - ethenediyl ] bis [ benzoic acid ] ( h 2 - pvdc ) was selected because of its strong absorptivity in the visible , its length , which could promote the formation of large , accessible pores , and the fact that it was capable of sensitizing the nir emission of yb 3 + ( see below ). the inventors chose to target mofs with infinite yb - carboxylate chains or infinite secondary building units ( sbus ). infinite sbus force the ligands into parallel packing arrangements and they are known to promote the formation of non - interpenetrated structures , regardless of the length of the linker . several lanthanide - based mofs exhibiting infinite sbus have been constructed previously . as described in greater detail below , reacting yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o with h 2 - pvdc yielded yb - pvdc - 2 , formulated as yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 . ( dmf ) 12 ( h 2 o ) 10 . yb - pvdc - 2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic pnna spacegroup , and it also exhibits infinite yb - carboxylate sbus . the sbu is composed of alternating octa - and hexa - coordinated yb 3 + . the yb 3 + are bridged by two carboxylates , in a di - mondodentate fashion , and a third carboxylate , which chelates the octa - coordinate yb 3 + and coordinates in a monodentate fashion to the hexa - coordinate yb 3 + ( fig1 a , b ). these coordination modes result in a chain of corner - sharing polyhedral yb 3 + . each chain is linked to a total of six other chains via the phenylenevinylene portion of the pvdc linkers . the ligands that connect the chains along the [ 001 ] stack in parallel with one another , while the ligands that connect the chains in the [ 011 ] form pairs that criss - cross with one another , resulting in close π - π interactions between the central phenyl rings of the pvdc linkers ( fig1 c ). each infinite sbu is connected to six other sbus , resulting triangular channels that measure approximately 13 - 14 å from corner to edge . in order to determine how the mof structure affects the luminescent properties of the yb - pvdc system , the absorbance , emission , and excitation of pvdc and the yb - pdc complex were measured . ( see example below for details on the preparation of yb - pvdc .) due to solubility constraints , it was necessary to use dmso as the solvent for these experiments . as shown in fig2 , the absorbance spectrum of pvdc displays two bands centered at 340 and 415 nm . excitation through either of these bands produces a fluorescence band centered at 485 nm and the excitation spectrum on this fluorescence band shows a profile similar to the absorbance spectrum . as illustrated in fig2 , the yb - pvdc complex displays yb 3 + emission in the nir range , with the typical band maxima of 980 nm . the excitation spectrum of yb 3 + emission ( fig2 ) displays two bands , centered at 340 and 415 nm , the same profile as the absorbance of pvdc , indicating that yb 3 + is sensitized effectively by pvdc via the antennae effect . luminescence analysis of mof yb - pvdc - 1 was performed with a crystalline mof sample kept under chloroform . the mof yb - pvdc - 2 also displayed yb 3 + luminescence ( fig2 ). in contrast to yb 3 + excitation in complex with pvdc in solution , however the mof excitation was notably red - shifted , displaying three bands with maxima at 280 , 370 , and 510 nm , illustrated in fig2 . the close π - π interactions between the pvdc in yb - pvdc - 2 results , it is believed , in a decrease in the π → α -□ transition of the ligand , thus causing a decrease in the excitation energy . in accordance with the invention , therefore , imparting specific ligand - ligand interactions in the context of a mof can produce low energy excitation pathways for nir antennae . the structure of the mof induces the lowering of the excitation wavelength , which allows for more sensitive detection in biological media by decreasing biological fluorescence background . this is so because naturally occurring molecules tend to have an excitation wavelength , located higher in energy . one application for these nir - emitting mofs is as bio - imaging reagents . the size of the mof could be controlled via the addition of surfactant during synthesis , thus creating nano - scale mofs . the nano - scale mofs could be coated into a silica bead , which then could be functionalized to impart biocompatibility and recognition abilities . for yb - pvdc - 1 , it was possible to excite ytterbium emission at wavelengths up to ˜ 510 nm ; and for yb - pvdc - 2 , wavelengths of up to ˜ 540 nm were achieved . these are much lower in energy than the wavelengths possible for the complexes formed with yb 3 + and h 2 - pvdc , which gives the mofs a major advantage that is impossible to be obtained with organic fluorophores or with semiconductor nanocrystals ( quantum dots ). it is likely the mof structure improves the rigidity of the aromatic chromophoric groups , thus lowering the electronic energy states of the chromophoric groups . it also is feasible , as demonstrated through yb - pvdc - 2 , to achieve structural arrangements with close π - π interactions , further lowering the energy necessary for sensitization while at the same time improving the efficiency . lower excitation energy has two main benefits for a bio - imaging application . first , there are many naturally occurring luminescent species in biological media , most of which are excited in the ultra - violet to blue range [ 200 - 375 nm ]. the native fluorescence background often is referred to as “ autofluorescence .” most conventional bio - imaging reagents also are excited in this range , and their fluorescence is difficult to distinguish from the autofluorescence , thus reducing sensitivity . furthermore , since much of the incident excitation light is absorbed by the biological media in addition to the imaging reagent , more intense excitation source is necessary to achieve sufficient absorption for detectable fluorescence . shifting excitation wavelengths to 500 nm significantly reduces the amount of autofluorescence generated by biological media , thus the luminescence of the mofs could be detected with improved sensitivity using a less intense excitation source . secondly , it would be ideal to achieve excitation at wavelengths in the nir window , & gt ; 640 nm . in this range , light can deeply penetrate through biological tissue such as skin and blood , allowing for in vivo applications . with the invention , it is demonstrated that the excitation wavelengths can be red - shifted through appropriately designed mofs . by choosing a different chromophoric group with lower energy absorption than h 2 pvdc , it should be possible to use the mof strategy to achieve excitation at the desired 640 nm or higher wavelength . in this description , the term “ object ” denotes an article of manufacture including but not limited to parcels , mechanical parts , biological samples , electronic chip cards , check cards , credit cards , identity cards , bank notes , certificates , documents and the like . the term “ composition ” denotes one or more lanthanides bound or coordinated to an organic compound capable of binding to a lanthanide , and additionally including water and / or organic solvent . the term “ device ” here refers to a printing system , stamp , rollerball pen , fountain pen , felt - tip pen , dip pen , paint brush , ink jet printer , spinneret , clear tube or similar small clear container and the like . in the present context , the term “ ligand ” denotes any organic compound that : ( a ) binds to a lanthanide ; ( b ) has multiple metal - binding sites and , hence , is capable of binding more than one type of lanthanide , if desired ; and ( c ) an electronic structure that accommodates transfer of energy from the ligand to a complexed lanthanide , sensitizing the latter , e . g ., via electron transfer , a dexter mechanism , or a dipole - dipole interaction . illustrative of this category are ligands that are substituted triphenylene compounds , substituted pyrenes , fluorescein anions , eosin anions , erythrosine anions , fluorexon anions , substituted poly ( pyrazole ) borates , substituted podate anions , lehn cryptands , porphyrins , 1 , 3 - diketonates , pyridines , polypyridines and related derivatives , dipicolinates and related derivatives , hydroxyquinolines and related derivatives , and ( 4 , 4 ′-[( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) di - 2 , 1 - ethenediyl ] bis - carboxylate ). the phrase “ predetermined ratio ” denotes the relative ratios of multiple near - infrared ( nir ) emitting lanthanides , that are characterized by well - controlled composition and photophysical properties . specifically , the ratio of different lanthanides control the characterization of the photophysical properties as to afford a signal that is employed to distinguish one marked object from each other . objects marked with multiple different , nir - emitting lanthanide compositions containing different ratios of different lanthanides can be distinguished spectroscopically . the terms “ mark ” and “ marked ” denote the result of applying a composition of the invention to an object . in this regard , “ crystallizing ” refers to a process or separation technique in which solute from the liquid solution is precipitated in a crystalline phase . the term “ isolating ” here means that when isolated ( e . g ., from other components of a synthetic chemical reaction mixture ), the isolate contains at least 30 %, at least 35 %, at least 40 %, at least 45 %, at least 50 %, at least 55 %, at least 60 %, at least 65 %, at least 70 %, at least 75 %, at least 80 %, at least 85 %, at least 90 %, at least 95 % or at least 98 % of an lanthanide compound by weight of the isolate . in one embodiment , the isolate contains at least 95 % of an lanthanide compound by weight of the isolate . the invention is described further below , by reference to the following examples , which are illustrative only . phenylene derivative barcoded metal organic frameworks containing varied yb 3 + and er 3 + stoichiometries two illustrative , yb 3 + - based mofs , yb - pvdc - 1 and yb - pvdc - 2 , can be tuned and optimized in relation to the photophysical properties of yb 3 + by tailoring mof architecture . in addition , these materials have long luminescence lifetimes and high quantum yields compared to other yb 3 + - based systems under solvent . the synthesis of yb - pvdc - 1 can be modified in accordance with the invention to yield barcoded frameworks containing both ytterbium and erbium . yb 3 + and er 3 + were chosen because they have very distinct emission profiles in the nir . specifically , we reacted h 2 - pvdc ( 4 , 4 ′-[( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) di - 2 , 1 - ethenediyl ] bis - benzoic acid ), our chosen antenna , with er ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o and yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o to produce yellow needles of four luminescent frameworks with varying lanthanide metal stoichiometries : ( 1 ) er 0 . 32 yb 0 . 68 - pvdc - 1 ; ( 2 ) er 0 . 58 yb 0 . 42 - pvdc - 1 ; ( 3 ) er 0 . 70 yb 0 . 30 - pvdc - 1 ; and ( 4 ) er 0 . 81 yb 0 . 19 - pvdc - 1 . phenylene derivative metal organic framework as scaffold antenna for yb 3 + two mof structures are presented , both using yb 3 + and a phenylene derivative organic chromophoric group . this ligand has not been used previously for the synthesis of mofs , and its structure , as well as the structure of the resulting mof complex , has not been described heretofore . these two mofs , yb - pvdc - 1 and yb - pvdc - 2 , demonstrate that utilizing the mof structural backbone in combination with nir - emitting lanthanide cations , in accordance with the invention , results in a novel type of nir - emitting material with superior luminescence properties : quantum yields values among the highest reported in the literature and these mofs have longer luminescence lifetimes , i . e ., more than twice the value observed for comparable nir - emitting lanthanide complexes . these superiorities in luminescence quantum yields , and lifetimes will result in a significant increase in detection sensitivity . such advantage cannot be obtained with organic fluorophores , semiconductor nanocrystals , or “ non - mofs ” lanthanide complexes . initially , the inventors identified a ligand that could both sensitize nir - emitting yb 3 + and direct its assembly into an extended porous network . 4 , 4 ′-[( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) di - 2 , 1 - ethenediyl ] bis - benzoic acid ( h 2 - pvdc ) was chosen because it has strong absorptivity in the visible range because it could promote the formation extended mof structures , and because preliminary studies indicated that it was capable of sensitizing nir - emitting yb 3 + ( see below ). this intermediate was prepared following zhang et al ., angew . chem ., 117 : 2564 ( 2005 ); angew chem . int &# 39 ; l ed . 44 : 2508 ( 2005 ), as detailed here . to a stirred solution of 1 , 4 - dimethoxybenzene ( aldrich , 10 . 00 g , 72 . 37 mmol ) in glacial acetic acid ( fisher , 50 ml ), paraformaldehyde ( aldrich , 4 . 27 g , 144 . 75 mmol ) and hbr / acoh ( fluka , 33 %, 30 ml ) were added slowly . the mixture was stirred at 50 ° c . for one hour and hydrolyzed in water ( 200 ml ) after cooling to room temperature . the white solid was collected by filtration , suspended in chcl 3 ( 50 ml ), and refluxed for 10 min . after cooling to room temperature , the white solid was again collected by filtration and washed with water ( 15 . 75 g , 67 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 6 . 88 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 54 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 87 ( s , 6h ) ppm ; 13 c nmr ( 75 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 151 . 9 , 128 . 0 , 114 . 5 , 56 . 9 , 29 . 1 ppm ; ftir ( kbr pellet ): 2962 ( w ), 2934 ( w ), 2834 ( w ), 1509 ( vs ), 1461 ( s ), 1428 ( w ), 1404 ( vs ), 1319 ( m ), 1228 ( vs ), 1205 ( s ), 1179 ( w ), 1103 ( w ), 890 ( w ), 874 ( w ), 718 ( w ) cm − 1 . hrms ( ei +) calcd for c 10 h 12 o 2 br 2 [ m ] + 321 . 9204 , found 321 . 9209 . a mixture of 1 , 4 - bis ( bromomethyl )- 2 , 5 - dimethoxybenzene 1 ( 9 . 59 g , 29 . 60 mmol ) and triphenylphosphine ( aldrich , 18 . 63 g , 71 . 04 mmol ) was refluxed in dry toluene ( acros , 99 . 8 %, 80 ml ) under argon for 6 hours . the crude white powder was obtained by filtration and used for subsequent reaction without further purification . the following procedure was adapted from stammel et al ., eur . j . org . chem . ( 1999 ), 1709 . a mixture of ( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( methylene ) bis ( triphenylphosphonium bromide ) 2 ( 25 . 68 g , 30 . 26 mmol ) and methyl 4 - formylbenzoate ( tci , 12 . 42 g , 75 . 66 mmol ) was dissolved in dry methanol ( aldrich , 99 . 8 %, 120 ml ) under argon . naome ( aldrich , 0 . 5 m in methanol , 160 ml ) was added via cannula . a yellow precipitate formed immediately . the reaction was stirred under argon for 4 hours . after addition of water ( 140 ml ), the yellow powder was filtered and washed with aqueous ethanol ( 60 %, 3 × 75 ml ). pure trans product was isolated via crystallization from toluene in the presence of few crystals of iodine ( 11 . 95 g , 86 %) 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , chcl 3 ) δ 8 . 02 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 4h ), 7 . 59 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 16 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 95 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 93 ppm ( s , 6h ); 13 c nmr ( 75 mhz , chcl 3 ) δ 167 . 5 , 152 . 4 , 142 . 9 , 130 . 6 , 129 . 4 , 128 . 8 , 127 . 2 , 127 . 0 , 126 . 3 , 109 . 9 , 56 . 9 , 52 . 66 ppm ; ftir ( kbr pellet ): 3007 ( w ), 2943 ( w ), 2835 ( w ), 1714 ( vs ), 1604 ( m ), 1493 ( w ), 1464 ( w ), 1437 ( sh ), 1410 ( m ), 1277 ( vs ), 1209 ( s ), 1183 ( m ), 1111 ( s ), 1041 ( m ), 1014 ( w ), 971 ( trans ═ c — h , w ), 875 ( sh ), 849 ( w ), 766 ( m ), 702 cm − 1 ( w ). hrms ( ei +) calcd for c 28 h 26 o 6 [ m ] + 458 . 1729 , found 458 . 1727 to dimethyl 4 , 4 ′-( 1e , 1 ′ e )- 2 , 2 ′-( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( ethane - 2 , 1 - diyl ) dibenzoate ( 5 . 46 g , 11 . 9 mmol ) was added koh ( alfa aesar , 6 . 2 g , 121 mmol ), methanol ( 60 ml ), thf ( 60 ml ), and h 2 o ( 30 ml ). the mixture was refluxed overnight , cooled , and h 2 o ( 60 ml ) was added , resulting in a clear yellow solution . the solution was acidified with 2n hcl and the resulting yellow solid was collected by filtration and was then recrystallized from dmf to yield a bright yellow powder ( 4 . 24 g , 83 %). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ 12 . 87 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 7 . 5 , 4h ), 7 . 70 ( d , j = 8 . 4 , 4h ), 7 . 51 ( d , j = 21 . 9 , 2h ), 7 . 45 ( d , j = 15 . 9 , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 93 ppm ( s , 6h ); 13 c nmr ( 75 mhz , dmso ) δ 168 . 14 , 152 . 30 , 142 . 64 , 130 . 94 , 130 . 43 , 129 . 33 , 127 . 45 , 126 . 94 , 126 . 01 , 110 . 59 , 57 . 27 ppm ; ftir ( kbr pellet ): 2938 ( b ), 2831 ( b ), 2543 ( m ), 2361 ( w ), 1680 ( c ═ o , s ), 1600 ( s ), 1536 ( w ), 1491 ( w ), 1462 ( m ), 1315 ( m ), 1290 ( s ), 1209 ( m ), 1045 ( m ), 959 ( trans ═ c — h , w ), 859 ( w ), 771 cm − 1 ( w ). hrms ( ei +) calcd for c 26 h 22 o 6 [ m ] + 430 . 1416 , found 430 . 1401 ( i ) synthesis of yb - pvdc - 1 : yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 4 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 . ( dmf ) 6 ( h 2 o ) 8 . 5 in a glass vial ( 4 ml ), a solution of 4 , 4 ′-( 1exe )- 2 , 2 ′-( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( ethene - 2 , 1 - diyl ) dibenzoic acid ( h 2 - pvdc ) ( 8 . 60 mg , 0 . 020 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 4 ml ) was added to a solution of yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 6 . 75 mg , 0 . 015 mmol ) and 1m hno 3 ( aq ) ( 20 . 0 ml ) in dmf ( 0 . 3 ml ) to produce a neon green solution . the vial was capped and placed in an 85 ° c . isotemp oven for 48 hours to produce yellow crystalline needles of the product . the crystals were collected , washed with dmf ( 4 × 3 ml ), and air dried ( 8 . 6 mg , 42 . 4 %). ea calcd . (%) for yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 . ( dmf ) 6 ( h 2 o ) 8 . 5 : c , 51 . 04 ; h , 5 . 49 ; n , 3 . 72 . found : c , 50 . 97 ; h , 4 . 57 ; n , 3 . 91 . ea . calcd . (%) for the chloroform exchange product , yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 . ( chcl 3 ) 2 . 75 ( dmf ) 0 . 3 : c , 48 . 61 ; h , 3 . 44 ; n , 0 . 21 . found : c , 48 . 79 ; h , 3 . 10 ; n , 0 . 21 . ft - ir ( kbr 4000 - 700 cm − 1 ): 3432 ( br ), 2933 ( w ), 1665 ( dmf c ═ o , m ), 1600 ( m ), 1538 ( s ), 1414 ( coo − , vs ), 1256 ( w ), 1209 ( s ), 1180 ( w ), 1106 ( w ), 1042 ( s ), 962 ( m ), 861 ( w ), 780 ( trans c ═ c — h , s ), 709 cm − 1 ( w ). in a glass vial ( 20 ml ), a solution of 4 , 4 ′-( 1e , 1 ′ e )- 2 , 2 ′-( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( ethene - 2 , 1 - diyl ) dibenzoic acid ( h 2 - pvdc ) ( 86 . 0 mg , 0 . 20 mmol ) in dmf ( 4 ml ) was added to a solution of yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 22 . 5 mg , 0 . 05 mmol ) and 1m hno 3 ( aq ) ( 10 l ) in dmf ( 1 ml ) to yield a neon green solution . the vial was capped and placed in an 105 ° c . isotemp oven for 36 hours to produce orange block - like crystals of the product . the crystals were collected , washed with dmf ( 4 × 5 ml ) and air dried ( 48 mg , 51 . 9 %). ea calcd . (%) for yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 . ( dmf ) 12 ( h 2 o ) 10 : c , 50 . 93 ; h , 6 . 15 ; n , 6 . 25 . found : c , 50 . 95 ; h , 5 . 40 ; n , 6 . 47 . ea . calcd . (%) for the chloroform exchange product , yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 . ( chcl 3 ) 7 . 5 ( h 2 o ) 0 . 5 ( dmf ) 0 . 5 : c , 40 . 62 ; h , 2 . 82 ; n , 0 . 27 . found : c , 40 . 66 ; h , 2 . 75 ; n , 0 . 23 . ft - ir ( kbr 4000 - 700 cm − 1 ): 3433 ( br ), 2930 ( w ), 1655 ( dmf c ═ o , m ), 1602 ( s ), 1536 ( m ), 1418 ( coo − , vs ), 1208 ( s ), 1180 ( w ), 1103 ( w ), 1041 ( w ), 960 ( trans ═ c — h , w ), 862 ( w ), 780 cm − 1 ( m ). the molecular formulas for the as - synthesized and chloroform - exchanged materials were determined through analysis of the x - ray crystal data and elemental analysis data . while the absolute framework composition is unambiguous , it is more difficult to obtain accurate estimations of the quantity of guest molecules within the pores . this problem is exacerbated by the fact that these materials have very large cavities which easily lose guest molecules upon standing . therefore , it is difficult to directly compare the number of estimated guest molecules determined form ea and tga . these reported formulas are the best possible match to the ea data . reacting yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o with h 2 - pvdc yielded yellow needles of yb - pvdc - 1 , formulated as [ yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 ]. ( dmf ) 6 ( h 2 o ) 8 . 5 . the materials maintain crystallinity in a variety of solvents , including chloroform and dimethylformamide , as confirmed by complete solvent exchange experiments and powder x - ray diffraction studies . single crystal x - ray diffraction analysis revealed that yb - pvdc - 1 crystallizes in the high symmetry fddd space group and is composed of infinite yb - carboxylate chains that run along the a crystallographic direction ( fig1 a - c ). the chains consist of alternating octa - and hexa - coordinated yb 3 + , bridged together in a di - monodentate fashion via the carboxylates of three different pvdc linkers ( fig1 a , b ). two water molecules are terminally coordinated to the octa - coordinate yb 3 + . these chains are connected along the via the phenylene vinylene portion of the ligand resulting in the formation of large rhombus - shaped channels measuring approximately 24 × 40 å ( fig1 c ). reacting yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o with h 2 - pvdc yielded yellow needles of yb - pvdc - 1 , formulated as [ yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 ]. ( dmf ) 6 ( h 2 o ) 8 . 5 . the materials maintain crystallinity in a variety of solvents , including chloroform and dimethylformamide , as confirmed by complete solvent exchange experiments and powder x - ray diffraction studies . single crystal x - ray diffraction analysis revealed that yb - pvdc - 1 crystallizes in the high symmetry fddd space group and is composed of infinite yb - carboxylate chains that run along the a crystallographic direction ( fig1 a - c ). the chains consist of alternating octa - and hexa - coordinated yb 3 + , bridged together in a di - monodentate fashion via the carboxylates of three different pvdc linkers ( fig1 a , b ). two water molecules are terminally coordinated to the octa - coordinate yb 3 + . these chains are connected along the [ 110 ] via the phenylene vinylene portion of the ligand resulting in the formation of large rhombus - shaped channels measuring approximately 24 × 40 å ( fig1 c ). the uv - visible absorbance , emission , and excitation spectra were measured for yb - pvdc - 1 and compared to corresponding spectra for h 2 - pvdc and an yb - pvdc molecular complex ( see supporting information ) to determine how the mof structure impacts the luminescence properties of the system . the absorbance spectrum of h 2 - pvdc displays two bands with apparent maxima centered at 340 and 415 nm . excitation through either of these bands produces a fluorescence band centered at 485 nm . the excitation spectrum recorded upon this fluorescence band shows a profile similar to the absorbance spectrum . the yb - pvdc molecular complex displays yb 3 + emission in the nir range , with a typical apparent maximum of the band at 980 nm . the excitation spectrum for the complex collected upon monitoring yb 3 + emission ( fig1 e ) also contains two bands , centered at 340 and 415 nm , which adopt the same profile as the absorbance of h 2 - pvdc , indicating that pvdc effectively sensitizes yb 3 + via the antennae effect . luminescence analysis of crystalline yb - pvdc - 1 ( chloroformexchanged material ) displays yb 3 + luminescence in the nir ( fig1 e ). the mof excitation spectrum is notably red - shifted , displaying bands with maxima at 370 and 470 nm ( fig1 e ). the apparent maximum of the excitation band shifts from 415 nm for the yb - pvdc complex to 470 nm for yb - pvdc - 1 , which is a significant change . although the yb - pvdc complex experiments were performed in dmso due to solubility constraints , this observed shift over 50 nm can not solely be attributed to solvatochromic effects . rather , the inventors attribute a significant component of this shift to organizational constraints the mof architecture imparts on the phenylene vinylene linkers . in yb - pvdc - 1 , the ligands are arranged in parallel along [ 110 ], which may allow for weak interactions between neighboring ligands ( fig1 d ). these interactions are hypothesized to affect the electronic structure of the chromophore , resulting in a decrease of the excitation energy of the antennae . to evaluate the extent to which ligand - ligand interactions impact the excitation and emission properties of yb - pvdc systems , we prepared a second mof , yb - pvdc - 2 , formulated as [ yb 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ]. ( dmf ) 12 ( h 2 o ) 10 . yb - pvdc - 2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic pnna space group and also exhibits infinite yb - carboxylate sbus . however , the connectivity within the sbu differs from that of yb - pvdc - 1 . the sbu is composed of alternating octa - and hexa - coordinated yb 3 + . the yb 3 + are bridged by two carboxylates in a di - mondodentate fashion and by a third carboxylate that chelates the octa - coordinate yb 3 + and coordinates in a monodentate fashion to the hexa - coordinate yb 3 + ( fig2 a , b ). these coordination modes result in a chain of cornersharing polyhedral yb 3 + . each chain is linked to six other chains via the phenylene vinylene portion of the pvdc linkers ( fig2 c ). the linkers connecting the chains along the [ 001 ] stack in parallel , while those that connect the chains in the [ 011 ] form criss - crossing pairs with close π - π interactions ( 3 - 3 . 5 å ) between the central phenyl rings of the pvdc linkers ( fig2 d ). because each infinite sbu is connected to six other sbus , the resulting triangular channels are smaller than those observed for yb - pvdc - 1 , measuring ˜ 13 - 14 å from corner to edge ( fig2 c ). the close π - π interactions prompted an examination of the luminescent properties of yb - pvdc - 2 ( chloroform - exchanged material ) to determine whether these interactions impact the photophysical properties of this system . the excitation spectrum collected upon monitoring the emission intensity of yb 3 + luminescence at 980 nm displayed band maxima at 370 and 500 nm ( fig2 e ). the emission spectra collected in the nir range upon excitation at these wavelengths produce characteristic yb 3 + emission . interestingly , the lowest energy excitation band of yb - pvdc - 2 is red - shifted from 470 nm in yb - pvdc - 1 to 500 nm . the close π - π interactions between the pvdc linkers may decrease the π → π * transition , resulting in a lowered excitation energy . in addition to lower energy excitation , the quantum yield of yb - pvdc - 2 , 1 . 8 %, is among the highest values reported for yb 3 + complexes . in addition to the benefits of lower energy excitation , as discussed above , the high quantum yield of these mofs will further improve detection sensitivity for bioanalytical bio - imaging applications . to determine whether the mof architecture provides efficient protection for the lanthanide cations from solvent quenching and to quantify the intramolecular energy transfer of the systems , quantum yield values were measured ( see table 1 ), using an integration sphere . the quantum yield of yb - pvdc - 2 is five times higher than yb - pvdc - 1 when excited through the lower energy band ( 490 nm ), indicating the improved efficiency of the π → π * transition for intramolecular energy transfer . the quantum yield of yb - pvdc - 2 is among the highest values reported so far for ytterbium systems under solvent . these quantum yields are global : the excitation is performed through the sensitizer and the emission is observed through the yb 3 + cations that have two different coordination environments and levels of protection in both mofs . in yb - pvdc - 1 , the octa - coordinate yb 3 + are coordinated by two water molecules which quench ytterbium emission and lower the global quantum yield . the inventors monitored ytterbium - centered luminescence lifetimes in order further to determine the effectiveness of the mofs in protecting the lanthanide cations from nonradiative deactivation . both mofs displayed multiexponential decay patterns and were best fit with four components ( table 1 ), which are tentatively attributed to four different lanthanide environments : the hexa - coordinate and octa - coordinate yb 3 + sites within the core of the mof structures and those along the terminating edges of the crystals , where the lanthanide cations are more exposed to sources of non - radiative deactivation . the long component values are up to two times longer than the longest lifetimes reported for yb 3 + molecular species in solution ( see section ii , below ). these luminescence lifetimes demonstrate that mofs can provide coordination environments with better protection from quenching than molecular complexes . thus , it is illustrated that a mof - based approach to sensitize nir - emitting lanthanides results in materials with enhanced luminescence properties . specifically , we have shown that chromophoric antennae molecules and nir - emitting lanthanides can be assembled into rigid mof structures that effectively control the coordination environments around the lanthanide cations and the arrangement of chromophoric antennae . using this strategy , it was possible to obtain a lower energy excitation wavelength by modifying the 3 - d mof structure to allow for close π - π interactions between the chromophores . the intrinsic structures of the mofs provide protection of the lanthanide cations from solvent vibrations . finally , mofs constitute rigid and organized polymetallic systems with high densities of sensitizing groups and lanthanide cations per unit of volume for enhanced emission intensity . the yb - centered luminescence lifetimes for yb - pvdc - 1 and yb - pvdc - 2 have been measured discussed above . the mofs display multi - exponential lifetimes , with the longest values ranging from 22 μs to 29 μs . these lifetimes are significantly longer than those reported for other yb 3 + complexes in solution ( see tables 2 - 9 ). the long luminescence lifetimes will improve the sensitivity of time - resolved measurements due to increases in the length of time that the signal can be integrated over . in addition , the electronics and timing circuitry necessary to achieve time - resolved measurements can be simplified for emitters with longer lifetimes , thereby decreasing instrumentation costs . c . synthesis of ( 1 ) er 0 . 32 yb 0 . 68 - pvdc - 1 ; ( 2 ) er 0 . 58 yb 0 . 42 - pvdc - 1 ; ( 3 ) er 0 . 70 yb 0 . 30 - pvdc - 1 ; and ( 4 ) er 0 . 81 yb 0 . 19 - pvdc - 1 in a glass vial ( 4 ml ), a solution of 4 , 4 ′-( 1e , 1e )- 2 , 2 ′-( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( ethene - 2 , 1 - diyl ) dibenzoic acid ( h 2 - pvdc ) 1 ( 8 . 60 mg , 0 . 020 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 4 ml ) was added to a solution of yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 1 . 02 mg , 0 . 0025 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 050 ml ), er ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 0 . 55 mg , 0 . 00125 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 025 ml ), and 1m hno 3 ( aq ) ( 10 . 0 μl ) to produce a neon green solution . the vial was capped and placed in a 100 ° c . isotemp oven for 72 hours to produce yellow crystalline needles . the crystals were collected , washed with dmf ( 4 × 3 ml ), and air dried ( 2 . 1 mg , 52 . 8 %). ea calcd . (%) for ( er 0 . 32 yb 0 . 68 ) 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 . ( dmf ) 5 ( h 2 o ) 5 : c , 52 . 71 ; h , 5 . 18 ; n , 3 . 30 . found : c , 52 . 79 ; h , 4 . 33 ; n , 2 . 94 . ft - ir ( kbr 4000 - 700 cm − 1 ): 3381 ( br ), 2933 ( w ), 1659 ( dmf c ═ o , m ), 1600 ( s ), 1536 ( s ), 1413 ( coo − , vs ), 1258 ( w ), 1209 ( s ), 1180 ( m ), 1105 ( w ), 1042 ( s ), 962 ( m ), 865 ( w ), 780 ( trans c ═ c — h , s ), 709 cm − 1 ( w ). in a glass vial ( 4 ml ), a solution of 4 , 4 ′-( 1e , 1 ′ e )- 2 , 2 ′-( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( ethene - 2 , 1 - diyl ) dibenzoic acid ( h 2 - pvdc ) ( 8 . 60 mg , 0 . 020 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 4 ml ) was added to a solution of yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 1 . 02 mg , 0 . 0025 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 050 ml ), er ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 1 . 66 mg , 0 . 00375 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 075 ml ), and 1m hno 3 ( aq ) ( 10 . 0 μl ) to produce a neon green solution . the vial was capped and placed in a 100 ° c . isotemp oven for 72 hours to produce yellow crystalline needles . the crystals were collected , washed with dmf ( 4 × 3 ml ), and air dried ( 4 . 6 mg , 31 . 4 %). ea calcd . (%) for ( er 0 . 58 yb 0 . 42 ) 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 . ( dmf ) 8 . 5 ( h 2 o ) 5 : c , 52 . 41 ; h , 5 . 67 ; n , 5 . 02 . found : c , 52 . 50 ; h , 4 . 87 ; n , 4 . 45 . ft - ir ( kbr 4000 - 700 cm − 1 ): 3433 ( br ), 2934 ( w ), 1658 ( dmf c ═ o , m ), 1602 ( s ), 1534 ( s ), 1418 ( coo − , vs ), 1256 ( w ), 1210 ( s ), 1181 ( w ), 1106 ( w ), 1043 ( s ), 963 ( m ), 866 ( w ), 781 ( trans c ═ c — h , s ), 709 cm − 1 ( w ). in a glass vial ( 4 ml ), a solution of 4 , 4 ′-( 1e , 1 ′ e )- 2 , 2 ′-( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( ethene - 2 , 1 - diyl ) dibenzoic acid ( h 2 - pvdc ) ( 8 . 60 mg , 0 . 020 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 4 ml ) was added to a solution of yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 1 . 02 mg , 0 . 0025 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 050 ml ), er ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 2 . 77 mg , 0 . 00625 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 125 ml ), and 1m hno 3 ( aq ) ( 10 . 0 μl ) to produce a neon green solution . the vial was capped and placed in a 100 ° c . isotemp oven for 72 hours to produce yellow crystalline needles . the crystals were collected , washed with dmf ( 4 × 3 ml ), and air dried ( 2 . 3 mg , 9 . 9 %) ea calcd . (%) for ( er 0 . 70 yb 0 . 30 ) 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 . ( dmf ) 12 ( h 2 o ) 7 : c , 51 . 43 ; h , 6 . 13 ; n , 6 . 31 . found : c , 51 . 42 ; h , 5 . 51 ; n , 6 . 65 . ft - ir ( kbr 4000 - 700 cm − 1 ): 3436 ( br ), 2935 ( w ), 1656 ( dmf c ═ o , m ), 1602 ( s ), 1542 ( s ), 1411 ( coo − , vs ), 1259 ( w ), 1209 ( s ), 1180 ( w ), 1104 ( w ), 1043 ( s ), 947 ( m ), 865 ( w ), 780 ( trans c ═ c — h , s ), 709 cm − 1 ( w ). in a glass vial ( 4 ml ), a solution of 4 , 4 ′-( 1e , 1 ′ e )- 2 , 2 ′-( 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis ( ethene - 2 , 1 - diyl ) dibenzoic acid ( h 2 - pvdc ) ( 8 . 60 mg , 0 . 020 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 4 ml ) was added to a solution of yb ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 0 . 56 mg , 0 . 00125 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 025 ml ), er ( no 3 ) 3 . 5h 2 o ( 2 . 77 mg , 0 . 00625 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 125 ml ), and 1m hno 3 ( aq ) ( 10 . 0 μl ) to produce a neon green solution . the vial was capped and placed in a 100 ° c . isotemp oven for 72 hours to produce yellow crystalline needles . the crystals were collected , washed with dmf ( 4 × 3 ml ), and air dried ( 5 . 8 mg , 70 . 7 %) ea calcd . (%) for ( er 0 . 81 yb 0 . 19 ) 2 ( c 26 h 20 o 6 ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 2 . ( dmf ) 6 ( h 2 o ) 5 : c , 52 . 73 ; h , 5 . 35 ; n , 3 . 84 . found : c , 52 . 87 ; h , 4 . 73 ; n , 4 . 35 . ft - ir ( kbr 4000 - 700 cm − 1 ): 3399 ( br ), 2933 ( w ), 1656 ( dmf c ═ o , m ), 1602 ( s ), 1535 ( s ), 1416 ( coo − , vs ), 1259 ( w ), 1209 ( s ), 1180 ( w ), 1106 ( w ), 1043 ( s ), 962 ( m ), 865 ( w ), 779 ( trans c ═ c — h , s ), 709 cm − 1 ( w ). each framework is isomorphous with yb - pvdc - 1 , as revealed by comparison of their respective powder x - ray diffraction patterns . the lanthanide composition in the products was determined by energy dispersive x - ray spectroscopy ( eds ) and directly correlates to the amounts of each lanthanide salt used during synthesis ( table 1 ). the eds measurements were performed on a minimum of four independently synthesized samples for each mof and showed highly reproducible results for each lanthanide composition . these results indicate that any desired lanthanide composition can be produced in a predictable fashion , simply by controlling the stoichiometry of the reactants . the results also indicate that the mof structure does not preferentially include either lanthanide cation ; hence , any er : yb ratio can be targeted . this predictable aspect of the synthesis is highly advantageous for a barcoded material , and in this context it allows for the preparation of multiple barcodes simply by varying the ratios of two emitters . photoluminescence studies were performed on each sample to determine whether the different lanthanide compositions would result in materials having unique and discernible barcoded signals . mofs 1 - 4 were suspended in chloroform and their excitation and emission spectra were measured . the mofs display both erbium and ytterbium luminescence . the excitation spectrum of either the erbium or ytterbium emission band contains two bands with maxima at 370 and 470 nm , similar to yb - pvdc1 . excitation through either of these bands simultaneously produces the characteristic yb 3 + emission band centered at 980 nm and the er 3 + band centered at 1530 nm in the nir . as expected , increasing the amount of er 3 + and decreasing the amount of yb 3 + affected their respective emission intensities by the same token . this demonstrates that , by controlling lanthanide composition in keeping with the invention , one can effectively control the resulting luminescence intensities . a plot of the ratio of the integrated intensities of the two different lanthanides with respect to their atomic ratio reveals a linear relationship . this trend is similar when either excitation band is used and is reproducible across multiple samples . for practical applications , this feature provides the option of using two excitation sources for verifying an encryption tag . importantly , pxrd shows that these crystals maintain their crystallinity throughout the important requirement for applications . since the er 3 + and yb 3 + luminescence bands are in the nir range , they can not be seen by the naked eye . therefore , the signal can be monitored spectroscopically only , and the signal intensities artificially correlated with two different visible colors , for facile human observation . for example , purple could be used to represent the er 3 + signal and green the yb 3 + signal . their relative intensities also could be reflected in a display . this would create four distinct barcodes correlating to each mof . the number and diversity ( i . e ., the combination ) of barcodes can be increased , pursuant to the invention , by using more metal : metal ratios or by incorporating additional lanthanides into the material . to demonstrate this latter concept , er 0 . 58 nd xx yb 0 . 42 - pvdc - 1 ( 5 ) was prepared and , as expected , it displayed a more complex barcode of nir signals from its three component lanthanide cations . for practical applications , barcoded ( marked ) articles of manufacture must be incorporated in ways that do not detrimentally affect their signal . as a preliminary test to evaluate the possibility of incorporating mofs into actual materials , we coated 2 ( table 1 ) on a microscope slide with an adhesive , and then investigated its luminescence properties . upon excitation at 490 nm the yb 3 + / er 3 + barcode ( mark ) was easily detected in the nir range . marking an article of manufacture with a mof can be effected via various technologies , including but not limited to conventional printing , spin coating , safety threads and adhesion to an article of manufacture . the mof formulation selected is dependent on the marking technology used . solid as well as and viscous liquid formulations , arc employed in a number of marking technologies , depending on the material being marked . the mof is prepared , isolated in crystal form in the conventional manner , and then dried . formulation of the mof is achieved by dissolving the complex in a suitable organic or aqueous solution . organic solvent in this case includes alcohol , amine , ether aromatic , alkane and alkene or a mixtures therein . aqueous solution in this case denotes acidic to basic ph solutions prepared from known acids and bases . solutions can then be concentrated to a viscous liquid or an emulsion prior to the application process of choice . alternatively , formulation can achieved by combining the viscous liquid with a binder such as acrylic polyamide , polyurethane , polyester , polyethylene or an adhesive . the marking technology employed is discussed in detail below , which as mentioned employs a specifically tailored formulation . marking an article of manufacture with a mof in a dried crystalline state can be accomplished by coating the mof with an adhesive to secure the mof to the article of manufacture . alternatively , the dried crystalline mof can be deposited in a clear tube or similar small clear container , and secured to the article of manufacture with an adhesive . emulsions of the mof are used to mark items such as safety threads , which is then incorporated into an identity card , bank note , check or currency . furthermore , an organic viscous liquid form of the mof is combined with a binder and used for spin coating a polymer film or fiber . the aqueous or organic viscous liquid form of the mof is used in a conventional printing system , to mark an article of manufacture . lastly , a viscous liquid form of the mof is smeared with a tool or device on an article of manufacture and then coated with an adhesive . | 2 |
in the drawings , a generally rectangular housing 7 is shown as including , a frame 8 having a horizontally disposed bottom wall 9 and opposite generally vertical inner side walls 10 ; and a shell 11 secured to the bottom wall 9 and including a horizontal top wall 12 , laterally spaced outer side walls 13 outwardly of the inner side walls 10 , a rear wall 14 , and a front wall 15 which defines a rectangular opening 16 . a cash drawer 17 is disposed within the housing 7 , and includes a bottom wall 18 , front and rear walls 19 and 20 respectively , and opposite side walls 21 that are disposed in inwardly spaced parallel relation to respective ones of the frame side walls 10 . the drawer 17 is adapted to hold a compartmented tray , not shown , for reception of bills and coins of various denominations . the drawer 17 is supported for opening and closing movements relative to the housing 7 by cooperating slide rails 22 and 23 , the rails 22 being rigidly secured to the frame side walls 10 , the rails 23 being rigidly secured to the side walls 21 of the drawer 17 . the rails 22 and 23 are of well - known construction , and are provided with rolling friction bearings 24 , some of which are shown in fig2 . a mounting bracket 25 is rigidly secured to the bottom wall 9 of the frame 8 and provides a support for a latch hook 26 , a latch hook operating solenoid 27 , a switch 28 , and a pair of cantilever springs 29 . the latch hook 26 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a vertically extending pivot shaft 30 extending upwardly from a raised horizontal portion 31 of the bracket 25 , for movements of the hooked front end portion 32 toward and away from latching engagement thereof with a rear wall portion 33 secured to and extending downwardly from the rear wall 20 of the drawer 17 . the portion 31 of the bracket 25 is provided with a cushioning pad 34 that engages one side of the latch hook 26 to limit swinging movement thereof in a latching direction . the solenoid 27 is mounted in a u - shaped frame 35 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the bracket 25 , and is provided with an armature 36 having its outer end pivotally secured to the rear end of the latch hook 26 , by means of a pivot pin or like connection 37 . a coiled compression spring 38 encompasses the armature 36 , between one side of the frame 35 and a stop washer 39 , and yieldingly urges the latch hook 26 toward engagement of the hook portion 32 thereof with the rear wall portion 33 . the cantilever springs 29 are formed from elongated rods of flexible resilient metal into elongated u - shape to provide elongated generally parallel rod sections having closed ends 41 and opposite open ends 42 , the closed ends 41 being preferably covered by cushioning or sound - deadening material , such as synthetic plastic material or other suitable substance . adjacent their open ends 42 , the springs 29 are adjustably mounted on a plate - like portion 43 of the bracket 25 , the plate - like portion 43 extending upwardly from the bottom frame wall 9 and disposed at an angle oblique to the direction of opening and closing movements of the drawer 17 , see particularly fig2 . the rod sections 40 are secured to the plate - like portion 43 by clamping plates 44 which straddle the rod sections 40 of their respective springs 29 , and nut - equipped clamping screws 45 , see particularly fig2 and 4 . as shown by broken lines in fig2 the rod sections 40 are normally straight and extend in a direction parallel to the plate - like bracket portion 43 , so that the closed ends 41 of the springs 29 engage a portion of the rear wall 20 of the drawer 17 during closing movements of the drawer 17 . as shown by full lines in fig2 the springs 29 are bent rearwardly when the drawer 17 is in its closed and latched position , and yieldingly urge the drawer 17 toward its open position upon movement of the latch hook 26 to release its hold upon the rear wall portion 33 of the drawer 17 . by loosening of the clamping screws 45 , the cantilever springs 29 may be moved in directions longitudinally thereof with respect to the plate - like portion 43 , so as to vary the effective length of the springs 29 , and thus vary the yielding bias thereof against the drawer 17 in a drawer - opening direction . although not shown , it may be assumed that the solenoid 27 is contained in electrical circuitry including the switch 28 and a remote manually operated switch not shown . in and of itself , the circuitry does not comprise the instant invention . hence , in the interest of brevity , detailed showing thereof is omitted . it should suffice to state that the switch 28 , when closed , permits the solenoid 27 to be energized ; and , when opened , the switch 28 prevents the solenoid 27 from being energized . the switch 28 is provided with an operating arm , indicated at 46 . other means for operating the latch hook 26 and for controlling the operation of the latch hook 26 comprises an elongated shaft 47 having a rear end portion that is journaled in the bracket 25 and a front end portion that is journaled in another bracket 48 secured within the housing 7 near the front wall 15 thereof , see particularly fig5 and 7 . at its rear end , the shaft 47 is formed to provide a crank arm 49 and a rearwardly projecting crank pin portion 50 that is adapted to selectively engage a pair of laterally spaced abutments in the nature of ears 51 and 52 projecting downwardly from the latch hook 26 intermediate the pivot shaft 30 and pivot pin 37 . at its front end , forwardly of the bracket 48 , the shaft 47 is bent at right angles to provide a radially projecting drive portion 53 that is engaged by a drive fork 54 mounted on the inner end of the spindle 55 of a cylinder lock 56 . the lock 56 is of conventional construction , and is provided with a removable key 57 in the usual manner . the crank arm 49 is adapted to be turned by the key 57 selectively in opposite directions from a neutral position wherein the crank arm 49 extends vertically upwardly from the axis of the shaft 47 . in the neutral position of the crank arm 49 , the crank pin portion 50 engages the switch arm 46 to close the switch 28 . with reference to fig4 it will be seen that in its neutral position , the crank arm 49 is disposed in closely spaced relationship to the abutment 51 and relatively remote from the abutment 52 . with the crank arm 49 in its vertical neutral position , the latch hook 26 is free to be moved in an unlatching direction by the solenoid 27 . rotation of the shaft 47 in a clockwise direction with respect to fig4 to a point wherein the crank arm 49 is horizontally disposed , causes the switch 28 to be opened and brings the crank pin portion 50 substantially into engagement with the abutment 52 to positively hold the latch hook 26 against unlatching movement , thus effectively locking the drawer 17 against opening movement . in this position of the crank arm 49 , the key 57 may be withdrawn from the lock 56 , so the contents of the drawer will be safe . the drawer 17 may be opened by means of the key 57 and without the necessity of energizing the solenoid 27 , by turning the shaft 47 in a counterclockwise direction with respect to fig4 the crank pin portion 50 engaging the abutment 51 and moving the same in a direction to unlatch the drawer 17 , as shown by dotted lines in fig2 and 4 . when the latch hook 26 is released from latching engagement with the rear wall portion 33 of the drawer 17 , either by means of the solenoid 27 or the key 57 , the springs 29 will impel the drawer 17 forwardly toward an open position . as soon as the drawer 17 has moved forwardly a short distance , it is released from engagement with the springs 29 , and continues to roll forwardly on its own momentum . with reference to fig3 it will be seen that the slide rails 22 and 23 are disposed to gently slope downwardly from their rear ends adjacent the rear wall 14 to their front ends adjacent the front wall 15 . while only one cooperating pair of rails 22 and 23 is thus shown , it may be assumed that the other pair thereof slopes likewise at the same angle . the slope angle of the rails is obtained mathematically , using newton &# 39 ; s second law of motion and the coefficient of rolling friction between the slide rails 22 and 23 . the angle of slope is such as to maintain the velocity of opening movement of the drawer 17 substantially constant during free movement of the drawer 17 in its opening direction . the lower edge portion of the rear wall portion 33 is bent rearwardly to provide a horizontal lip 58 that is adapted to slidingly engage a flexible leaf spring 59 anchored at one end portion to the bottom wall 9 of the frame 8 , by nut - equipped screws 60 in selected ones of longitudinally spaced openings 60 &# 39 ; in the bottom wall 9 . during forward movement of the drawer 17 , the lip 58 deforms the spring 59 , as shown in fig6 the frictional engagement therebetween causing the drawer 17 to stop before it reaches its fully open position wherein the rear wall portion 33 engages a cushion 61 on the bracket 48 . preferably , the drawer is stopped by the spring 59 when only the front portion of the drawer is disposed outwardly of the housing 7 , so that only coins in the front portion of the tray , not shown , are exposed . when it is desired to insert bills into the tray or withdraw bills therefrom , the drawer may be manually pulled to its full open position so that the bill compartments in the rear portion of the tray are exposed . it will be noted that the spring 59 may be moved longitudinally of the direction of movement of the drawer 17 so that the drawer 17 may be stopped thereby in various desired positions of its forward movement . while a commercial embodiment of the cash drawer assembly of this invention has been shown and described , it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the claims . | 4 |
the raw material precursor in the invention chemical activation may be any of the carbonaceous material of plant or mineral origin earlier recited . preferred precursors primarily are lignocellulosic materials of plant origin and include wood - based materials such as wood chips , wood flour , and sawdust , as well as nut pits and nut shells such as coconut shell . chemical activation agents may include alkali metal hydroxides , carbonates , sulfides , and sulfates ; alkaline earth carbonates , chlorides , sulfates , and phosphates ; phosphoric acid ; polyphosphoric acid ; pyrophosphoric acid ; zinc chloride ; sulfuric acid ; and oleum . preferred among these are phosphoric acid and zinc chloride . most preferred is phosphoric acid . the invention methods for producing the novel carbon can be described generally by the following sequence of steps : the activation typically occurs in a rotary kiln in which the temperature of the thermoset shaped mixture is raised to about 550 ° c . this basic process normally is followed with washing and drying steps . one particular method for producing the invention activated carbon product ( process a ) involves blending a 1 : 3 - 1 : 1 mixture respectively of a chemical activating agent , preferably phosphoric acid or zinc chloride , with a lignocellulose material , preferably wood chips , sawdust ( or , wood dust ), or wood flour , with agitation for up to one hour at a temperature of from about 35 ° c . to about 95 ° c ., after which the mixture is spread on a flat surface in layers of a thickness of from about 6 mm to about 25 mm . the mixture is subjected to a first stage heat treatment at a temperature of from about 35 ° c . to about 95 ° c . for a time sufficient that the mixture material goes through a transition from a highly plastic phase to begin to thermoset . then the material is subjected to a densification step which involves processing through a compressive shaping device such as an extruder or a marumerizer . then the shaped material is heat treated again ( second stage ) at from about 35 ° 0 c . to about 95 ° c . to complete the densification by completing the thermosetting process . upon complete elimination of plasticity , the temperature is gradually increased to from about 425 ° c . to about 650 ° c . typical product characteristics resulting from this process are shown in table i . table i______________________________________invention activated carbon product characteristics______________________________________butane working capacity 17 . 7 g / 100 cm . sup . 3butane activity 68 . 0 g / 100 gsurface area 2180 m . sup . 2 / gapparent density 0 . 30 g / cm . sup . 3particle density 0 . 46 g / cm . sup . 3mesopore content 58 % macropore content 12 % ______________________________________ the surprising improvement in butane working capacity of the new carbon product reflects a major increase in mesoporosity of the individual carbon particles , at the expense of macroporosity . a standard determination of surface area of activated carbon usually is by the brunauer - emmett - teller ( bet ) model of physical adsorption using nitrogen as the adsorptive . this was the method employed in calculating the invention carbon surface areas , based on nitrogen adsorption isotherm data in the range of 0 . 05 to 0 . 20 relative pressure . in the case of granular activated carbon , the density is an important feature of the effectiveness of the adsorbent , a many applications of granular or shaped activated carbon involve a static active carbon bed of fixed volumetric size . the apparent density of the invention activated carbon is measured according to the method astm d 2854 . measurements of apparent density of carbon in a packed bed of particles reported herein were based on 10 × 25 mesh carbon materials . the density of the individual carbon particles was determined by displacement of mercury using a micromeritics ® poresizer 9310 instrument . the density is based on the mass of a particle and its volume including pores smaller than 35 micrometers . butane activity of the invention carbons was calculated by placing a weighed sample of the dry activated carbon , approximately 15 ml in volume , in a 1 . 45 cm diameter tube and admitting butane gas therein . the amount adsorbed at saturation at 25 ° c . is weighed and reported as butane activity in grams of butane per 100 grams carbon ( g / 100 g ). the tube then is purged with air at 25 ° c . at 250 ml / min . for 40 minutes , and the amount of butane removed is reported as butane working capacity ( bwc ) in grams of butane per 100 ml of carbon ( g / 100 cm 3 ). the carbon mass to volume conversion is made on the basis of the measured value of the carbon apparent density . in view of the interrelationship of butane activity , bwc , and density , for carbons of a density from about 0 . 25 to about 0 . 40 g / cm 3 , a bwc & gt ; 15 can be achieved with butane activity values of at least about 50 g / 100 g . porosity in pores larger than 50 nm ( macroporosity ) was determined using a micromeritics ® poresizer 9310 which measures the volume of mercury forced into pores under the influence of pressure . the distribution of pore volume with pore size is calculated using the washburn equation , a standard model . porosity in pores smaller than 50 nm was determined using a micromeritics ® digisorb 2600 adsorption isotherm data for nitrogen , measured at a temperature of about 77 ° k ., are used with the kelvin and halsey equations to determine the distribution of pore volume with pore size of cylindrical pores according to the standard model of barrett , joyner , and halenda . for the purposes of the examples and the invention claimed herein , macroporosity consists of pore diameters greater than 50 nm , mesoporosity consists of pore diameters of from 1 . 8 to 50 nm , and microporosity consists of pore diameters of less than 1 . 8 nm . in an alternative method ( process b ), after the blending and stage 1 heat treatment steps as above , the critical steps of shaping and densification are achieved in a high - speed mixer / agglomerator such as a pin - mixer where particles of plastic char with a high density are formed . formed granules must be heat treated further as provided in the earlier discussed process to obtain strong bonding and , consequently , to maintain the particle strength . activated carbon prepared according to this process exhibited a butane working capacity of 18 . 1 g / 100 cm 3 , an apparent density of 0 . 29 g / cm 3 , a particle density of 0 . 48 g / cm 3 , a mesopore volume of 60 %, and a macropore volume of 12 %. another method for producing novel activated gas - phase carbon of high density and high activity ( process c ) involves reducing the macroporosity of the activated carbon product by blending the activating agent and lignocellulose material under conditions ( of temperature and acid concentration of the activating agent ) such that the lignocellulose material is substantially degraded ( i . e ., solubilized ). for example , solubilization of wood with phosphoric acid produces a viscous fluid in which the discrete particles of the original lignocellulose can no longer be identified . in the solubilization process , the initial viscosity of the slurry mixture is very close to that of the phosphoric acid alone . as the temperature rises , the viscosity of the mass increases as the wood elements thereof dissolve . if the viscosity increases too fast during this stage 1 heat treatment , water can be added to maintain sufficient fluidity for continued mixing under heat at from about 80 ° c . to about 120 ° c . upon reaching transition from plastic to initial thermoset , the material is subjected to shaping , stage 2 heat treatment , and activation steps as described in process a . the foregoing methods are capable of producing the invention high activity , high density activated carbon from relatively low density lignocellulose materials , such as wood chips , wood flour , and sawdust an alternative variation of the invention method to achieve a high density activated carbon employs a higher density starting material , such as coconut shell ( process d ). this alternative process differs from the previously discussed methods in that the stage 1 heat treatment and shaping steps are eliminated . this process also differs from prior art methods of activating coconut shell and produces novel activated carbon products as a result of the combined use of extended time at low temperature during heat treatment , drying , and thermoset , and , similar to processes a - c , activation at a gradual heat up rate to a final temperature of about 480 ° c . due to its natural density , conventional activation of coconut shell results in activated carbon material with high microporosity and mesoporosity and low macroporosity . thus , the improvement in adsorption capacity resulting in a novel activated carbon is achieved by the invention process by creating higher mesoporosity . alternative novel methods for producing the invention activated carbon product are disclosed in the following examples . a series of seven batches of activated carbon products of process a was prepared by mixing 2 , 070 g of concentrated phosphoric acid solution ( 85 - 86 % concentration ) with 1 , 950 g of sawdust ( 43 % moisture ) for an acid : sawdust ratio of 1 . 6 : 1 ( by dry weight of their respective solids ) and stirring for 30 minutes at 80 °- 95 ° c ., after which the mixture ( a mass of discreet sawdust particles ) was transferred to shallow glass trays and spread into 1 - 1 . 5 cm thick layers for continued heating in an oven . heat treatment was continued at 70 ° c . for about 36 hours , at which time the material began transition from plastic to thermoset ( i . e ., product appears dry and not sticky but is nevertheless soft enough to be shaped in the marumerizer ). upon shaping by processing in the marumerizer ( residence time of 15 - 30 minutes at 800 rpm ), the individual sawdust particles are formed into smooth beads . the shaped product is returned to the oven for continued heating at 85 ° c . for about 36 hours to complete the thermosetting process . activation of the thermoset char was performed in a bench - scale , direct - fired rotary kiln by gradually raising the temperature to about 480 ° c . the seven batches of carbon yielded butane working capacity values ranging from 16 . 1 g / 100 cm 3 to 18 . 2 g / 100 cm 3 . the properties of these activated carbon products are listed in table ii . table ii______________________________________activated carbon properties butane apparentsample bwc activity densityno . g / 100 cm . sup . 3 g / 100 g g / cm . sup . 3______________________________________1 16 . 7 67 . 2 0 . 282 17 . 3 64 . 4 0 . 303 18 . 2 68 . 8 0 . 304 16 . 2 63 . 6 0 . 285 17 . 1 66 . 6 0 . 296 16 . 1 63 . 8 0 . 297 18 . 1 69 . 0 0 . 30______________________________________ a 1 . 3 liter sample having a bwc of 17 . 7 g / 100 cm 3 was prepared for gasoline vapor adsorption testing by combining product of sample nos . 3 , 5 , and 7 from example 1 . in this test a 375 ml sample of activated carbon in a test canister is challenged with gasoline vapor generated by bubbling 200 ml / min of air through 300 ml of gasoline at a temperature of 30 ° c . the vapor is adsorbed on the carbon and at saturation breakthrough is detected with a total hydrocarbon analyzer at a concentration of about 5000 ppm . after breakthrough , a countercurrent flow of air is admitted at a rate of 7 . 5 ml / min for 10 minutes to desorb the gasoline vapor . the adsorption / desorption steps are continued for 25 cycles . the gasoline working capacity ( gwc ) is calculated as the average mass of vapor adsorbed during cycles 21 - 25 , expressed on a carbon volume basis . the test showed a capacity of 61 g / l , which compares to a 50 g / l for commercial wv - a 1100 . also , pore size distribution of this sample combination was determined by using mercury intrusion and nitrogen adsorption . analysis of this data indicates that mechanical action in the marumerizer substantially decreased the macropore (& gt ; 50 nm ) volume of the product . an increase in the large mesopore ( 5 - 50 nm ) suggests that some kind of squeezing action took place , but there was , nevertheless , a net reduction in porosity outside the small mesopore range ( important for butane working capacity ), which translates to an increase in effective density . table iii compares the invention carbon with commercial wv - a 1100 in terms of butane capacity and porosity . table iii__________________________________________________________________________ percent of particle volume bact bwc ad pd & gt ; 50 nm 5 - 50 nm 1 . 8 - 5 nm & lt ; 1 . 8 nmcarbon g / 100 g g / 100 ml gm / ml gm / ml macro large meso small meso micro__________________________________________________________________________wv - a 1100 47 . 3 11 . 8 . 28 . 48 23 9 38 6invention 68 . 0 17 . 7 . 30 . 46 12 12 46 8__________________________________________________________________________ an activated carbon product of process a was prepared by blending 2235 g of phosphoric acid solution ( 86 % concentration ) with 2069 g of 4 × 14 mesh ( u . s .) wood chips ( 42 % moisture , produced using a rotary drum chipper ) for an acid : wood ratio of 1 . 6 : 1 . the mixture was stirred for 60 minutes at 50 ° c . after which it was transferred to shallow glass trays for heat treatment in an oven at about 120 ° c . for 45 minutes . following this initial heat treatment , the mixture was transferred to an oven and heated at about 140 ° c . for 30 minutes . the plastic char , which retained the discrete nature of the wood chips , was processed in a marumerizer for 30 minutes to partially shape and densify it , but without substantially changing its granular nature . then it was transferred to an oven to complete the thermosetting process by heating it at 85 ° c . for 16 hours . the thermoset char was activated by raising its temperature to about 480 ° c ., using a direct - fired , rotary kiln . the activated char was washed with water to remove the residual acid and the granular activated carbon product evaluated , yielding the following product property values : table iv______________________________________butane working capacity : 15 . 8 g / 100 cm . sup . 3apparent density 0 . 26 g / cm . sup . 3butane activity 68 . 2 g / 100 cm . sup . 3particle density 0 . 43 g / cm . sup . 3surface area 2490 m . sup . 2 / gmacropore content 19 % mesopore content 54 % ______________________________________ an activated carbon product of process b was prepared by combining 2 , 000 g of aqueous 86 % concentration phosphoric acid solution with 1 , 900 g of wet sawdust ( for an acid : sawdust ratio of 1 . 6 : 1 ) and blending same in a mechanical mixer for 10 minutes at room temperature . the mixture was heated in an oven at 177 ° c . for 45 minutes and then dried in a steam oven at 177 ° c . for 45 minutes , with stirring at 15 minute intervals . the plastic char mixture , in an amount of 2 . 7 liters , was fed into a batch pin - mixer rotating at 1 , 000 rpm , and 100 ml water was added . this now granular char was densified into particles of about 10 × 25 mesh ( 0 . 7 - 2 . 0 mm ) in size in about 5 minutes . the shaped char was thermoset in an oven at 82 ° c . for 60 hours . subsequently , the char was activated by heating to 480 ° c . in about 60 minutes in a direct - fired rotary kiln . the activated product was washed with water and evaluated . the measured product properties were compared with measured properties of commercial wv - a 1100 as presented in table v . table v______________________________________product properties process b wv - a 1100______________________________________butane working capacity 18 . 1 g / 100 cm . sup . 3 11 . 8 g / 100 cm . sup . 3butane activity 69 . 7 g / 100 g 47 . 3 g / 100 gapparent density 0 . 29 g / cm . sup . 3 0 . 28 g / cm . sup . 3particle density 0 . 48 g / cm . sup . 3 0 . 48 g / cm . sup . 3macropore volume 12 % 23 % mesopore volume 60 % 47 % surface area 2420 m . sup . 2 / g 1840 m . sup . 2 / g______________________________________ an activated carbon product of process c was prepared by heating 698 g of 86 % phosphoric acid to 105 ° c . sawdust in a total amount of 300 g ( dry basis ) was added ( causing the acid temperature to drop ) and mixed as the temperature of the mixture was raised to 75 ° c . mixing continued for 57 minutes with periodic addition of sufficient water to maintain fluidity . the viscous fluid product then was transferred to glass trays and heat treated at a temperature of 120 ° c . for 16 hours . the resultant solidified product was granulated and the granules were processed in a marumerizer for 13 minutes converting them to smooth , spheroidal particles . finally , this product was activated in a direct fired , rotary kiln by heating to 480 ° c . the resultant activated carbon had the following product properties : table vi______________________________________butane working capacity 17 . 6 g / 100 cm . sup . 3butane activity 71 . 8 g / 100 gapparent density 0 . 29 g / cm . sup . 3particle density 0 . 46 g / cm . sup . 3macropore content 13 % mesopore content 55 % surface area 2260 m . sup . 2 / g______________________________________ an activated carbon product of process d was prepared by mixing 400 g of 8 × 20 mesh coconut shell ( 12 . 7 % moisture ) and 660 g of 86 % concentration phosphoric acid for 10 minutes . the mixture then was heat treated in three phases . spread in a thin layer ( 13 mm thick ), the mixture was heated in an oven at 65 °- 70 ° c . for 8 hours with stirring at 30 minute intervals , then an additional 16 hours without stirring . in the second phase , the oven temperature was raised to 95 °- 100 ° c . for 8 hours with stirring at 30 minute intervals , then an additional 16 hours without stirring . finally , the oven temperature was increased to 120 ° c . for 2 hours , after which the mixture was removed . this heat treated char was activated in a direct fired laboratory rotary kiln under an atmosphere of air and flue gases from a natural gas burner . the kiln temperature was raised from 30 ° c . to 480 ° c . after cooling , the activated material was washed and dried in a tray drying oven . the results of analyses conducted of the product are : table vii______________________________________butane activity 63 . 6 g / 100 gbutane working capacity 16 . 7 g / 100 cm . sup . 3apparent density 0 . 30 g / cm . sup . 3particle density 0 . 50macropore content 12 % mesopore content 55 % surface area 2260 m . sup . 2 / g______________________________________ in a modification of the process a , as applied in example 1 , sawdust was mixed with phosphoric acid , and the mixture was heat treated until the material began a transition from plastic to a thermoset state . then the heat treated material was subjected to a mechanical pressing ( new step ) by passing it between two closely spaced rollers . the resultant compressed material was granulated and processed in a marumerizer for about 30 minutes . subsequent heat treatment and activation were performed as in example 1 . the suprising result of the mechanical pressing step is that it increases the butane activity of the product and , in conjunction therewith , also raises the butane working capacity . the properties of the product are as shown in table viii . table viii______________________________________butane working capacity 19 . 2 g / 100 cm . sup . 3butane activity 72 . 5 g / 100 gapparent density 0 . 30 g / cm . sup . 3particle density 0 . 47 g / cm . sup . 3macropore content 12 % mesopore content 62 % surface area 2480 m . sup . 2 / g______________________________________ in each of the above examples , activated carbon of surprisingly high butane working capacity is produced by increasing surface area without sacrificing material density . this has been achieved by increasing carbon particle mesoporosity . in most instances the increase in mesoporosity has been created while simultaneously reducing the carbon particle &# 39 ; s macroporosity . while the invention high activity , high density carbon has been described and illustrated herein by references to various specific materials , procedures , and examples , it is understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular materials , combinations of materials , and procedures selected for that purpose . with the disclosure herein of the concepts employed to produce the novel carbon , numerous variations of such details can be employed , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . | 2 |
the ensuing description provides embodiments only , and is not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration of the claims . rather , the ensuing description will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the embodiments . it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the identification in the description of element numbers without a subelement identifier , when a subelement identifiers exist in the figures , when used in the plural , is intended to reference any two or more elements with a like element number . a similar usage in the singular , is intended to reference any one of the elements with the like element number . any explicit usage to the contrary or further qualification shall take precedence . the exemplary systems and methods of this disclosure will also be described in relation to analysis software , modules , and associated analysis hardware . however , to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure , the following description omits well - known structures , components and devices that may be shown in block diagram form , and are well known , or are otherwise summarized . for purposes of explanation , numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure . it should be appreciated , however , that the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forth herein . fig1 shows an illustrative communication system 100 in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure . the communication system 100 may be a distributed system and , in some embodiments , comprises a communication network 104 connecting one or more communication devices 108 to a work assignment module 116 , which may be owned and operated by an enterprise administering a contact center in which a plurality of resources 112 are distributed to handle incoming work items ( in the form of contacts ) from customer communication devices 108 . in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure , the communication network 104 may comprise any type of known communication medium or collection of communication media and may use any type of protocols to transport messages between endpoints . the communication network 104 may include wired and / or wireless communication technologies . the internet is an example of the communication network 104 that constitutes and internet protocol ( ip ) network consisting of many computers , computing networks , and other communication devices located all over the world , which are connected through many telephone systems and other means . other examples of the communication network 104 include , without limitation , a standard plain old telephone system ( pots ), an integrated services digital network ( isdn ), the public switched telephone network ( pstn ), a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), a session initiation protocol ( sip ) network , a voice over ip ( voip ) network , a cellular network , and any other type of packet - switched or circuit - switched network known in the art . in addition , it can be appreciated that the communication network 104 need not be limited to any one network type , and instead may be comprised of a number of different networks and / or network types . as one example , embodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized to increase the efficiency of a grid - based contact center . examples of a grid - based contact center are more fully described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 469 , 523 to steiner , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference . moreover , the communication network 104 may comprise a number of different communication media such as coaxial cable , copper cable / wire , fiber - optic cable , antennas for transmitting / receiving wireless messages , and combinations thereof . the communication devices 108 may correspond to customer communication devices . in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure , a customer may utilize their communication device 108 to initiate a work item , which is generally a request for a processing resource 112 . illustrative work items include , but are not limited to , a contact directed toward and received at a contact center , a web page request directed toward and received at a server farm ( e . g ., collection of servers ), a media request , an application request ( e . g ., a request for application resources location on a remote application server , such as a sip application server ), and the like . the work item may be in the form of a message or collection of messages transmitted over the communication network 104 . for example , the work item may be transmitted as a telephone call , a packet or collection of packets ( e . g ., ip packets transmitted over an ip network ), an email message , an instant message , an sms message , a fax , and combinations thereof . an example of such a harvested communication includes a social media communication that is harvested by the work assignment module 116 from a social media network or server . exemplary architectures for harvesting social media communications and generating work items based thereon are described in u . s . patent application ser . nos . 12 / 784 , 369 , 12 / 706 , 942 , and 12 / 707 , 277 , filed mar . 20 , 1010 , feb . 17 , 2010 , and feb . 17 , 2010 , respectively , each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . the format of the work item may depend upon the capabilities of the communication device 108 and the format of the communication . in particular , work items are logical representations within a contact center of work to be performed in connection with servicing a communication received at the contact center ( and more specifically the work assignment module 116 ). the communication may be received and maintained at the work assignment module 116 , a switch or server connected to the work assignment module 116 , or the like until a resource 112 is assigned to the work item representing that communication at which point the work assignment module 116 passes the work item to a routing engine 132 to connect the communication device 108 which initiated the communication with the assigned resource 112 . although the routing engine 132 is depicted as being separate from the work assignment module 116 , the routing engine 132 may be incorporated into the work assignment module 116 or its functionality may be executed by the work assignment engine 120 . in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure , the communication devices 108 may comprise any type of known communication equipment or collection of communication equipment . examples of a suitable communication device 108 include , but are not limited to , a personal computer , laptop , personal digital assistant ( pda ), cellular phone , smart phone , or combinations thereof . in general each communication device 108 may be adapted to support video , audio , text , and / or data communications with other communication devices 108 as well as the processing resources 112 . the type of medium used by the communication device 108 to communicate with other communication devices 108 or processing resources 112 may depend upon the communication applications available on the communication device 108 . in another embodiment , at least one customer communication device 108 comprises scanning module 140 and sensors 142 . sensors 142 may be any one or more components or systems whereby customer communication device 108 may receive input . sensors 142 may include , but are not limited to , a microphone , a specialty microphone ( e . g ., operable above and / or below normal human speech frequencies ), imager ( e . g ., camera , non - visible spectrum imager , light detector ), tactile input ( e . g ., button , touch screen , pressure , switch , etc . ), accelerometer ( e . g ., motion , orientation ), radio receiver ( e . g ., gps , wifi , cellular , bluetooth , near field , etc . ), operating parameter ( e . g ., configuration , temperature , battery state , signal meter , etc . ), and / or other sensing device . scanning module 140 monitors sensors 142 to identify one or more situation indicating signals . scanning module 140 may further identify one or more relevant situation indicating signals . in one alternative embodiment , a compressed , truncated , summary , or other abbreviated form may be evaluated and / or passed to situation analysis module 122 , such as to reduce the volume of data exchanged . in a further embodiment , scanning module 140 may identify inputs from sensors 142 to include and / or exclude according to the likelihood of being determined relevant . in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure , the work item is sent toward a collection of processing resources 112 via the combined efforts of the work assignment module 116 and routing engine 132 . the resources 112 can either be completely automated resources ( e . g ., interactive voice response ( ivr ) units , processors , servers , or the like ), human resources utilizing communication devices ( e . g ., human agents utilizing a computer , telephone , laptop , etc . ), or any other resource known to be used in contact centers . as discussed above , the work assignment module 116 and resources 112 may be owned and operated by a common entity in a contact center format . in some embodiments , the work assignment module 116 may be administered by multiple enterprises , each of which has their own dedicated resources 112 connected to the work assignment module 116 . in some embodiments , the work assignment module 116 comprises a work assignment engine 120 which enables the work assignment module 116 to make intelligent routing decisions for work items . in some embodiments , the work assignment engine 120 is configured to administer and make work assignment decisions in a queueless contact center , as is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 882 , 950 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference . in other embodiments , the work assignment engine 120 may be configured to execute work assignment decisions in a traditional queue - based ( or skill - based ) contact center . the work assignment engine 120 and its various components may reside in the work assignment module 116 or in a number of different servers or processing devices . in some embodiments , cloud - based computing architectures can be employed whereby one or more components of the work assignment module 116 are made available in a cloud or network such that they can be shared resources among a plurality of different users . in one embodiment , a message is generated by customer communication device 108 and received , via communication network 104 , at work assignment module 116 . the message received by a contact center , such as at the work assignment module 116 , is generally , and herein , referred to as a “ contact .” routing engine 132 routes the contact to at least one of resources 112 for processing . in another embodiment , situation analysis 122 identifies and / or determines a situation associated with a particular contact . situational analysis 122 may , in whole or in part , determine which resource 112 receives the contact . situational analysis 122 may provide assistance to the selected resource 112 , based on the indentified and / or determine contact situation , to better assist the selected resource 122 in processing the contact . for example , a pop - up or other display and / or audio , such as a whisper - mode voice prompt may be provided to the selected resource 122 to assist in processing the contact in accord with the situation . in another embodiment , additional information may be accessed to be presented to the selected resource 112 in order to assist in processing the contact . fig2 shows one environment 200 for operating customer communication device 108 in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure . user 202 and associated customer communication device 108 may be in an environment whereby sensors 142 ( see fig1 ) of customer communication device 108 receive input from audio devices 204 , satellite 206 , other user devices 210 , other people 208 ( e . g ., speech ), objects 212 operable to transmit audio and or electromagnetic signals ( e . g ., near field , wifi , encoded sound , etc . ), cellular transmitters 214 , and / or other devices . in addition to the foregoing , the orientation of customer communication device 108 to the earth , light level , configuration ( e . g ., docked , open , etc . ), temperature , battery level , and / or other inputs may also be provided by environment 200 . it is one object of the present disclosure to determine a situation for user 202 . in one embodiment , sensors 142 produce data . however , not all data from each of sensors 142 will necessarily indicate a relevant situation . for example , user 202 may contact an agent 112 ( e . g ., one of resources 112 ) and before or during the interaction between user 202 and agent 112 , the location of user 202 may be determined by gps signal from satellite 206 , cellular tower 214 , and / or a wifi object 212 and provided to situation analysis engine 122 . scanning module 140 may examine each location and / or situation indicating source and provide an input to situation analysis engine 122 . in another embodiment , scanning module 140 may provide a determined subset of location providing inputs . for example , the gps signal from satellite 206 and location determination from one or more cellular towers 214 may provide a first set of situation indicators . however , scanning module 140 may detect an identifier associated with a signal from object 212 . the identifier may include wifi enabled object 212 and be readily ascertainable by a human observer ( e . g ., “ familytrucksterdisplay1234 ,” “ clothes4ustore33 ,” “ laundrykingdryersn30223a93s ,” etc .) or obfuscated ( e . g ., “ fff938343x343 ,” etc .). scanning module 140 may be programmed to identify certain identifiers or report all identifiers . situation analysis engine 122 , may then determine whether the user being proximate to object 212 indicates a situation . as will be discussed in more detail to respect to the figures that follow , an indicia of the situation may be transmitted to an agent and then presented to an agent , such as to display , “ customer is standing next to the family truckster display at the city mall .” additionally , supplemental information may be provided in response to the indicia and presented to the agent ( e . g ., “ incentive for the customer to visit a dealership & lt ; click here & gt ;,” “ special lease terms & lt ; click here & gt ;,” etc .). in another embodiment , customer communication device 108 may be operating an application , such as a social media application , which may further provide functionality and / or performance with respect to certain embodiments disclosed herein . for example , user 202 may be next to the “ family truckster ” and launch an application , web page , social media page , or other application associated with the manufacturer , dealership , or other entity associated with the sale of “ family trucksters .” as a benefit , scanning module 140 may execute as a portion of , or in communication with , the application and examine sensors 142 having a known association and discarding inputs not associated with the vehicle . as a further example , user 202 using customer communication device 108 navigates to an application associated with the “ family truckster ” and , prior to user 202 initiating a call to an agent , the application in communication with scanning module 140 determines a number of irrelevant objects 212 ( e . g ., clothing stores , other customers , etc .) and exclude them from further processing . fig3 shows illustrative sensors of sensors 142 in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure . sensors 142 may include radio frequency , sound , and light receivers , as well as , internal sensors . more specifically , sensors 142 may include one or more of gps receiver 302 , wifi receiver 304 , cellular telephone receiver 306 , bluetooth receiver 308 , near field radio receiver 310 , and / or other forms of broadcast signal receiver ; microphone 312 , camera 314 , user inputs 316 , accelerometer 318 , position / orientation sensor 320 , battery state sensor 322 , thermometer 324 , and / or other sensors as may be incorporated within customer communication device 108 . fig4 shows illustrative communication system 400 in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure . in one embodiment , customer communication device 108 is operable to communicate with communication network 104 via a second communication and components also logically attached to communication network 104 ( see fig1 ). customer communication device 108 comprises a number of information gathering components and subsystems . information that may be gathered includes sounds 402 , images 404 , location 406 , operating conditions 408 , radio signals 410 , and / or position and motion 412 . the aforementioned information types that may be gathered is not intended to be an exhaustive list . other information 414 may include nearly any information that may be gathered by customer communication device 108 and / or a device associated with customer communication device 108 . in another embodiment , scanning module 140 within customer communication device 108 selectively monitors and / or queries sensors 142 and , upon determining a situation indicating signal is present from sensors 142 , transmitting the situation indicating signal to a contact center via communication network 104 . the situation indicating signal may be the entire signal , a portion of the signal , a summary , a truncation , a partial analysis , a complete analysis , or other means of transmitting data and / or a partial or entire meaning of the data . in one embodiment , the second communication comprises an application utilized by the wireless communication device to communicate using a communication network to the contact center . the application and contact center may utilize known and / or proprietary communication means , such as sms , mms , smtp , ssh , ftp , http , https , and / or other communication protocol operable to provide a channel of communication . in another embodiment , communication may piggyback on the first communication , such as by utilizing spare packet capacity for carrying the second communication . fig5 shows process 500 in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure . in one embodiment , step 502 scans a number of sensors of a mobile communication device , such as by scanning module 140 scanning sensors 142 of customer communication device 108 . step 504 determines if a situation indicating signal has been detected and if yes , processing continues to step 506 . if no , processing may terminate or return to step 502 . step 506 determines the situation such as a location , when gps is not available , proximity to an object or person , motion of the device , or other aspect which may be determined in conjunction with sensors 142 . the situation , or indicia of the situation , may then be transmitted to and agent for presentation to the agent processing a call by the user . step 510 is a call being initiated between the user and their customer communication device 108 and an agent 112 . the call may be incoming or outgoing . and , as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art , the call may be a voice call , video call , text message , email message , co - browse , or other form of communication supported by customer communication device 108 and application operating thereon . step 512 routes the call to a particular agent 112 . optionally , step 512 may consider the situation as one input into the routing decision selecting the particular agent 112 . step 508 presents the situation to the agent to assist the agent in processing the call . the presentation may be a display ( e . g ., message , pop - up window , etc .) and / or audio ( e . g ., whisper message ), or other form of presentation to agent 112 . in one example , a user who is proximate to a particular item that is transmitting a radio signal , an identifiable audio signal , or other information may allow a situation determination module , such as situation analysis 112 , to determine a more relevant situation . in particular , gps may be unavailable and proximity to the object , for example a vehicle on display and transmitting an identifiable bluetooth or wifi signal , may allow an agent to know that the customer is proximate to the vehicle . step 512 may route a call made by the user to a particular agent to assist the customer and provide additional incentives , such as to motivate the customer to visit a showroom or take a test drive at a dealership . in certain embodiments , steps 502 and 510 may be made substantially in parallel . in other embodiments , step 502 may occur prior to step 510 . in one example , a user opens an application that begins step 502 . process 500 may be held at step 502 until step 510 is detected as being initiated . in another embodiment , step 510 occurs first and then causes step 502 , and subsequent steps , to execute . one benefit of such embodiments is the reduction of data gathered , processed , and transferred prior to knowing if a call will be made . in the foregoing description , for the purposes of illustration , methods were described in a particular order . it should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments , the methods may be performed in a different order than that described . it should also be appreciated that the methods described above may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in sequences of machine - executable instructions , which may be used to cause a machine , such as a general - purpose or special - purpose processor ( gpu or cpu ) or logic circuits programmed with the instructions to perform the methods ( fpga ). these machine - executable instructions may be stored on one or more machine readable mediums , such as cd - roms or other type of optical disks , floppy diskettes , roms , rams , eproms , eeproms , magnetic or optical cards , flash memory , or other types of machine - readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions . alternatively , the methods may be performed by a combination of hardware and software . specific details were given in the description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments . however , it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details . for example , circuits may be shown in block diagrams in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail . in other instances , well - known circuits , processes , algorithms , structures , and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments . also , it is noted that the embodiments were described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart , a flow diagram , a data flow diagram , a structure diagram , or a block diagram . although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process , many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently . in addition , the order of the operations may be re - arranged . a process is terminated when its operations are completed , but could have additional steps not included in the figure . a process may correspond to a method , a function , a procedure , a subroutine , a subprogram , etc . when a process corresponds to a function , its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function . furthermore , embodiments may be implemented by hardware , software , firmware , middleware , microcode , hardware description languages , or any combination thereof . when implemented in software , firmware , middleware or microcode , the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine readable medium such as storage medium . a processor ( s ) may perform the necessary tasks . a code segment may represent a procedure , a function , a subprogram , a program , a routine , a subroutine , a module , a software package , a class , or any combination of instructions , data structures , or program statements . a code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information , data , arguments , parameters , or memory contents . information , arguments , parameters , data , etc . may be passed , forwarded , or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing , message passing , token passing , network transmission , etc . while illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail herein , it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed , and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations , except as limited by the prior art . | 7 |
disclosed herein is a robust structure - aware lifetime reliability modeling method and system that is implemented at the architecture - level , wherein the microarchitecture is first broken down into structures that in turn are further broken down into subcircuits including transistors , wires and vias ( collectively referred to herein as “ devices ”). each device is categorized as vulnerable or non - vulnerable with respect to the various failure mechanisms , and thus is “ weeded out ” from lifetime reliability analysis accordingly . further , for those devices that are categorized as vulnerable , the embodiments further determine whether a failure of such a device is “ fatal ” or “ non - fatal ,” wherein a fatal failure is one in which the failure causes a circuit employing the given device to fail . once a vulnerable , “ fatal failure ” device for a given failure mechanism ( e . g ., em , nbti , tddb ) is identified , the effective stress condition of the device is evaluated , instead of simply assuming a constant stress condition . for example , depending upon architecture - level events or states , the effective stress degree and / or time of one device may be greater or less than a similar device for a given failure mechanism . such events or states may include , for example , the amount of current passed in a via , the frequency of access of a transistor , or the state of data in an array . then , using relative stress condition information for those identified vulnerable / fatal devices , a more robust fit for the device can be expressed . in addition , the inventive embodiments also separate architecture - level factors from technology and environment dependent parameters so as to allow a user to abstract the analysis of processor lifetime reliability from technology level effects . in particular , the disclosed methodology introduces a technology - independent unit of reliability , referred to herein as the fit of a reference circuit or “ forc ” for each failure type . forc describes the failure rate , in fits , of a specially defined reference circuit that is easy to model and understand while , at the same time , effective at representing the basic mechanism of a certain type of failures . as such , the failure rate of a given structure or unit on a chip , in the context of a given failure mechanism ( e . g ., electromigration ), may be computed in relative forc units , instead of in absolute fits that are technology and environment dependent . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a flow diagram illustrating a structure - aware method 100 of predicting the lifetime reliability of an integrated circuit device with respect to one or more defined failure mechanisms . for a given microarchitecture analyzed in block 102 ( e . g ., a microprocessor ), the microarchitecture is broken down into basic structures ( e . g ., arrays , register files , latches , multiplexers , logic gates and repeated wires ), as reflected in block 104 . these structures are evaluated in terms of lifetime reliability or fit rates due to various failure mechanisms as discussed above . decision block 106 is an exit condition for determining whether all of the failure mechanisms of interest ( e . g ., em , nbti , tddb ) have been processed , and if so , the individually determined fits are aggregated as reflected in block 108 . further detail concerning the aggregations is provided hereinafter . assuming one or more failure mechanisms are still under analysis , decision block 110 is an exit condition for determining whether each of the structures identified in block 104 have been processed for that particular mechanism . if so , the method 100 loops back to decision block 106 to see whether all failure mechanisms have then been processed . assuming that all structures for a given failure mechanism have not been processed , another decision block ( block 112 ) determines , upon further breakdown of each structure into individual elements ( e . g ., bitlines , wordlines , cells , etc . ), whether each element of the structure has been processed . if so , the method 100 loops back to decision block 110 to again see whether all structures have been processed . if not , each of the elements is then further broken down into individual devices ( e . g ., transistors , vias , wires , etc .). decision block 114 represents an exit condition to determine whether each identified device has been processed , and either returns to decision block 112 or proceeds to decision block 116 . decision block 116 represents a first criteria by which devices are “ weeded out ” from fit evaluation . specifically , it is determined whether the device is vulnerable to the particular failure mechanism under analysis . the determination of vulnerability depends on both the device under consideration and the failure mechanism itself . while specific analytic examples of device vulnerability are presented hereinafter , one example of a vulnerable device in the context of electromigration would be a via structure having unidirectional current passing therethrough . conversely , a device such as a pfet is not vulnerable to electromigration , but is susceptible to ( for example ) tddb or nbti , depending on how the transistor is configured in its associated element or sub - circuit . in any event , if a given device is not considered vulnerable to the failure mechanism under examination , the method 100 loops back to decision block 114 . however , if the device is considered vulnerable to the failure mechanism under examination , a further inquiry is made at decision block 118 . specifically , it is determined whether a failure of such a vulnerable device constitutes a “ fatal ” failure . in so doing , only fatal failures are taken into account for the lifetime reliability of the microarchitecture , thereby providing a more accurate fit rate estimation . as indicated above , a fatal failure is one in which the failure causes a circuit employing the given device to fail . if the failure of a vulnerable device is not a fatal failure , that device is also excluded from fit analysis and the method loops to decision block 114 . on the other hand , if the failure of a vulnerable device is in fact a fatal failure , then the method 100 proceeds to block 120 where the stress condition of the device is evaluated with respect to the failure mechanism in order to take into account only effective stress time or degree for accurate lifetime prediction . the effective stress time or degree is then expressed by architecture - level events or states . using this condition , the fit of the device is evaluated based on reliability models of the failure mechanism in block 122 . additional detail concerning specific fit evaluations is presented hereinafter . again , once all of the devices of the element are evaluated ( decision block 114 ), the next element is processed ( decision block 112 ). once all the elements of the structure are processed , the same process is repeated for the next structure ( i . e ., returning to decision block 110 ). when all the structures are processed for all the failure mechanisms ( decision block 106 ), the evaluated fit rates of the structures due to the failure mechanisms are aggregated in block 108 . as discussed below , exemplary approaches to aggregate the failure rates of structures include summation and weighted summation . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a flow diagram illustrating a more detailed subroutine 200 to estimate the fit rates of structures due to electromigration , in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . decision block 202 is analogous to decision block 110 of fig1 , in that once all structures are processed for electromigration failure analysis , the em subroutine is completed . in block 204 , it is determined whether the particular structure is an array or register file . for a relatively organized structure such as an array or register file , each port therein is further analyzed with respect to electromigration . thus , decision block 206 provides a return loop to the next structure once all ports in a structure are processed . if not , the subroutine proceeds to decision block 208 for a further breakdown , in terms of processing bitlines . array and register file structures include several elements such as bitlines , wordlines , and memory cells . however , among these elements , bitlines include vias having unidirectional current flow between the bitlines and pass transistors . these are the particular elements within such structures having vulnerability with respect to electromigration . moreover , failures of bitline vias in arrays and register files represent fatal failures . thus decision block determines whether each via for a bitline has been processed . if not , the subroutine proceeds to block 212 . each via in every bitline of every port is evaluated for the fit rate in block 212 , based on current density through the via . for local read bitlines of register files , the current density of the via is the product of the number of reads of “ 1 ” of the cell through the bitline and the amount of local bitline capacitance discharged through the via for one read . for local bitlines for arrays , the current density of the via is the sum of current due to reads of “ 0 ” and current due to writes of “ 1 .” for their complementary bitlines , the current density is the sum of current due to reads of “ 1 ” and current due to writes of “ 0 .” for global bitlines of both structures , the current density of the via is the product of the total number of accesses of local bitlines associated to the global bitline and the amount of global bitline capacitance discharged through the via for one access . once all the vias of the bitline are evaluated ( block 210 ), the next bitline is processed ( block 208 ). once all the bitlines of the port are processed , the same steps are repeated for the next port ( block 206 ). once all the ports of the array or register file structure are processed , the next structure is processed ( block 202 ). if the current structure in the electromigration subroutine is neither an array nor a register file , the subroutine 200 proceeds to decision block 214 , which is a return condition once all elements of the structure are processed . in particular , each via of every element of the structure is evaluated ( decision block 216 ) to see whether or not the via is subject to domination by unidirectional current flow . if the via is not dominated by unidirectional current ( e . g ., integration of the charge flowing through the cross section of the wire over the clock cycle ) as reflected in decision block 218 , then the subroutine 200 loops back to decision block 216 to check the next via . on the other hand , if the via is dominated by unidirectional current , the fit of the via is evaluated in block 220 by calculating the amount of the current through the via . more specifically , the number of accesses of metal line employing the via is multiplied by the amount of metal line capacitance discharged or charged through the via due to each access . when all the structures of the microarchitecture are processed ( block 202 ), the fit rate estimation with respect to the electromigration failure mechanism is completed . in terms of fig1 , this represents a return to decision block 106 . referring now to fig3 , there is shown a flow diagram illustrating a more detailed subroutine 300 to estimate the fit rates of structures due to nbti , in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . decision block 302 is analogous to decision block 110 of fig1 , in that once all structures are processed for nbti failure analysis , the nbti subroutine is completed . in decision block 304 , it is similarly determined whether each element of the structure has been processed . at the element level , only pfet devices are examined for nbti failure analysis because they are the only devices vulnerable to nbti , as reflected in decision block 306 . more specifically , for nbti analysis purposes , pfet devices are considered under stress only when their gate voltage is low ( e . g ., ground ) and their source voltage is high ( e . g ., v dd ). accordingly , as shown in decision block 308 , each pfet device of every element of every structure is evaluated to see whether or not it is along a critical path such that the failure of the device ( which results in an increased delay of zero - to - one and / or one - to - zero transitions thereof ) is fatal . if not , the pfet is not further considered in the analysis ( for accurate fit rate estimation purposes ) and the subroutine 300 loops back to decision block 306 . however , if so , then the stress time of the pfet device is evaluated in block 310 , in terms of the relative duration the gate voltage is low and the source voltage is high . then , in block 312 , the fit rate of the device is evaluated , based on its effective stress time or duty cycle . once all the pfet devices of the element are evaluated ( block 306 ), the next element is processed ( block 304 ). once all the elements of the structure are processed , the same steps are repeated for the next element ( block 302 ). when all the structures of the microarchitecture are processed ( block 110 of fig1 ), the fit rate estimation due to the nbti failure mechanism is complete ( i . e ., returning to block 106 in fig1 ). referring now to fig4 , there is shown a flow diagram illustrating a more detailed subroutine 400 to estimate the fit rates of structures due to tddb , in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . decision block 402 is analogous to decision block 110 of fig1 , in that once all structures are processed for tddb failure analysis , the tddb subroutine is completed . in decision block 404 , it is similarly determined whether each element of the structure has been processed . then , in decision block 406 , it is determined whether each device of the elements has been processed . at the device level , only fet devices are examined for tddb failure analysis , as fets include thin gate dielectrics . in other words , only fet devices are vulnerable to tddb . as shown in decision block 408 , the polarity of the fet is determined ( pfet versus nfet ). if the device is a pfet , its stress time is evaluated by determining the relative duration the gate voltage is low and the source and drain voltage is high , as shown in block 410 . conversely , if the device is an nfet , its stress time is evaluated by determining the relative duration the gate voltage is high and the source and drain voltage is low , as shown in block 412 . in either instance , the subroutine 400 proceeds to decision block 414 to determine whether each possible breakdown of the device ( e . g ., gate to source , gate to drain ) has been processed . the processing ( i . e ., fatal failure determination ) is implemented in decision block 416 . that is , decision block 416 evaluates whether the breakdown of the device leads to the failure of circuits employing the device . in the case of tddb , a breakdown is fatal or causes circuit failure if gate leakage current ( i gl ) due to the oxide breakdown exceeds that which can be tolerated by the logic driving the devices . thus , if the device is vulnerable to tddb and the failure of the device is fatal , the fit rate of the device is evaluated in block 418 , based on its effective stress time . otherwise , the fit of the breakdown need not be taken into account for accurate fit rate estimation . once all the breakdowns of the device are evaluated ( block 414 ), the next device is processed ( block 406 ). once all the devices of the element are processed , the same steps are repeated for the next element ( block 404 ). when all the structures of the microarchitecture are processed ( block 402 ), the fit rate estimation due to the tddb failure mechanism is completed ( i . e ., the subroutine exits to block 106 in fig1 ). referring now to fig5 , there is shown flow diagram illustrating a more detailed subroutine 500 to aggregate the estimated fit rates of multiple structures due to various failure mechanisms , in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . as indicated above , subroutine 500 is initiated once all of the failure mechanisms have been processed . thus , subroutine 500 represents a more detailed exemplary implementation of block 108 of fig1 . in the above described subroutines 200 , 300 , 400 , for em , nbti and tddb , respectively , the fit or failure rates are computed in terms of the technology / environment - independent forc metric defined for each of the failure mechanisms . the estimated fit rates of multiple structures and failure mechanisms can be combined in absolute fit values or , alternatively , relative failure rate to forc . if , at decision block 502 , relative failure rates to forc are not desired ( i . e ., absolute fits are desired ), the subroutine 500 proceeds to block 504 , where power and temperature maps are utilized along with technology and implementation parameters . based on calculated temperature , fit rates are computed by calculating the value of forc for every component ( or sub - component ) and multiplying the technology / environment - independent values of the failure rates for each of the components by the corresponding forc values . on the other hand , if relative fit rates to weighted forc are desired ( as reflected in decision block 506 ), fit rates are computed in block 508 by calculating the normalized value of forc for every component ( or sub - component ) and multiplying the technology / environment - independent values of the failure rates for each of the components by the corresponding normalized forc values . then , regardless of whether absolute fit values , forc values or weighted forc values are desired , the subroutine 500 proceeds to block 510 , where the adjusted fit rates are summed up to produce the total fit rate of the evaluated microarchitecture in block 512 . referring generally now to fig6 through 8 , exemplary reference circuits for the above described failure mechanisms are illustrated , in conjunction with determining forc expressions for each mechanism . electromigration is a well - known and well - studied failure phenomenon that can occur on conductor lines . the portions of conductor lines most vulnerable to em are vias interconnecting different metal layers that experience unidirectional current flow . fig6 illustrates an example reference circuit vulnerable to em . the outputs of the pfet and nfet devices are connected through a segment of m2 metal , as shown in the layout portion ( b ) of fig6 . as a result , ν up and ν down vias abut the m1 metal lines to m2 , connecting the outputs of the pfet and the nfet devices . when the clock transits from one to zero , the pfet device conducts , and current flows through ν up upward from m1 to m2 in order to charge the wire capacitance of the m2 line , given by c ref . there is little current through ν down because the nfet device is non - conducting . conversely , on the zero - to - one transition of the clock , the nfet device conducts , and current flows through ν down downward from m2 to m1 in order to discharge c ref , while little current flows through ν up . as a result , ν up and ν down are subject to an average unidirectional current of ( c ref · v dd )/ t , where t is the clock period . this causes the vias to be vulnerable to em effects . based on black &# 39 ; s equation , the fit of the reference circuit ( vias in this case ) for em failures is described by the following : where a em and n are empirical constants , e α — em is the activation energy for em , k is boltzmann &# 39 ; s constant , and t is absolute temperature in degrees kelvin . using this notion of forc , failure rates of microarchitectural components due to em can be expressed in relative terms of forc em , in order to isolate the architect from low - level peculiarities associated with technological and environmental parameters such as a em , v dd , t , e α — em , and t . nbti occurs when the input to a gate is low while the output is high , resulting in an accumulation of positive charges at the interface between gate oxide and silicon . this accumulation causes the threshold voltage , v t , of the pfet device to increase over time , which results in a slowdown in zero - to - one or one - to - zero transitions . eventually , this can lead to circuit failure due to timing violations if the device is along a critical path . to capture this failure mechanism , fig7 illustrates a reference circuit for nbti that includes pfet devices under stress and limits allowable gate delay increase before timing violation occurs . as shown in fig7 , the reference circuit includes of a series of n inv inverters disposed between two latches . the input of one latch should propagate through the inverter chain and be latched into the other within one clock period . because the value of the signal changes between v dd and gnd in passing through each inverter , the pfet device in every other inverter ( shaded ) is stressed and the v t of the device increases over time . this eventually can lead to a violation in the latch setup time and , ultimately , the capturing of a wrong value in the latch . in the following expression , it is assumed that microprocessors are built with a 1 % timing margin . this delay margin can be converted to a maximum allowable v t increase by using the alpha power law model : that is , a v t shift greater than δv t — ref can cause the failure of the reference circuit . this enables the derivation of the fits of the reference circuit by applying one of a number of nbti v t shift equations proposed thus far as follows : k = a nbti · t ox · c ox · ( v gs - v t ) · e e ox e 0 · e - ea_nbti kt . here , a nbti , n , and e 0 are empirical constants and t ox , c ox , e ox , e α — nbti , and v t are oxide thickness , oxide capacitance , electric field , the activation energy for nbti , and the original threshold voltage , respectively . tddb is a failure mechanism causing a conductive path to form in gate oxide , which causes leakage current through the gate . there can be four types of gate oxide breakdown , as illustrated in fig8 : oxide breakdown at the pfet source , pfet drain , nfet source , and nfet drain area . the resistive path between the gate and the source or drain area leads to current flow through the gate . this can oppose the current of the logic stage that is driving the effected fet , leading to a slowdown in either zero - to - one or one - to - zero transitions , thus making the device vulnerable to timing violations . in the present model , it is assumed that for any circuit on the critical path , a single device failure is sufficient to lead to a timing violation . one of the mttf models for tddb proposed thus far is applicable to all four types of breakdown , assuming continuous device stress ( i . e ., 100 % duty cycle ). thus , the forc for tddb assuming either a pfet or an nfet device along the critical path with 100 % duty cycle is given by : where a tddb , a , b , x , y and z are fitting parameters derived empirically . generally , the method for predicting semiconductor device lifetime reliability described herein is practiced with a general - purpose computer and the method may be coded as a set of instructions on removable or hard media for use by the general - purpose computer . fig9 is a schematic block diagram of a general - purpose computer for practicing the present invention . in fig9 , computer system 900 has at least one microprocessor or central processing unit ( cpu ) 905 . cpu 905 is interconnected via a system bus 910 to a random access memory ( ram ) 915 , a read - only memory ( rom ) 920 , an input / output ( i / o ) adapter 925 for a connecting a removable data and / or program storage device 930 and a mass data and / or program storage device 935 , a user interface adapter 940 for connecting a keyboard 945 and a mouse 950 , a port adapter 955 for connecting a data port 960 and a display adapter 965 for connecting a display device 970 . rom 920 contains the basic operating system for computer system 900 . the operating system may alternatively reside in ram 915 or elsewhere as is known in the art . examples of removable data and / or program storage device 930 include magnetic media such as floppy drives and tape drives and optical media such as cd rom drives . examples of mass data and / or program storage device 935 include hard disk drives and non - volatile memory such as flash memory . in addition to keyboard 945 and mouse 950 , other user input devices such as trackballs , writing tablets , pressure pads , microphones , light pens and position - sensing screen displays may be connected to user interface 940 . examples of display devices include cathode - ray tubes ( crt ) and liquid crystal displays ( lcd ). a computer program with an appropriate application interface may be created by one of skill in the art and stored on the system or a data and / or program storage device to simplify the practicing of this invention . in operation , information for or the computer program created to run the present invention is loaded on the appropriate removable data and / or program storage device 930 , fed through data port 960 or typed in using keyboard 945 . in view of the above , the present method embodiments may therefore take the form of computer or controller implemented processes and apparatuses for practicing those processes . the disclosure can also be embodied in the form of computer program code containing instructions embodied in tangible media , such as floppy diskettes , cd - roms , hard drives , or any other computer - readable storage medium , wherein , when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer or controller , the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention . the disclosure may also be embodied in the form of computer program code or signal , for example , whether stored in a storage medium , loaded into and / or executed by a computer or controller , or transmitted over some transmission medium , such as over electrical wiring or cabling , through fiber optics , or via electromagnetic radiation , wherein , when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer , the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention . when implemented on a general - purpose microprocessor , the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits . a technical effect of the executable instructions is to implement the exemplary method described above and illustrated in fig1 through 5 . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment or embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
this invention will be better understood by the following examples and comparative examples wherein epoxy resins which are not modified with rubber are simply called &# 34 ; epoxy resins &# 34 ;, while epoxy resins which have been modified with rubber are called &# 34 ; rubber - modified epoxy resins &# 34 ;. 35μm - thick electrolytic foils one face of each of which has been subjected to roughening treatment were applied respectively to both the faces of a substrate consisting of 8 sheets of a commercially available 0 . 1 mm - thick epoxy resin - impregnated glass cloth prepreg , the 8 sheets being placed one upon another , with the roughened face of the copper foil facing to the substrate as shown in fig1 after which the whole was pressed together at a pressure of 30 kgf / cm 2 and a temperature of 170 ° c . for 60 minutes to prepare an inner - layer member wherein the copper foil has been applied to each face of the substrate thereby to form a laminate . both the faces ( copper foils ) of the thus formed laminate were masked at their predetermined portions and then etched by an ordinary method to form circuits . in a 1 : 1 toluene / methanol mixed solvent were dissolved 40 parts by weight of an epoxy resin ( tradename , epomic r - 301 , produced by mitsui petrochemicals co . ), 20 parts by weight of a rubber modified epoxy resin ( tradename , epotohto yr - 102 , produced by tohto kasei co . ), 30 parts by weight of a polyvinyl acetal resin ( tradename , denka butyral no . 5000a , produced by denki kagaku kogyo co . ), 10 parts by weight as a solid of a melamine resin ( tradename , yuban 20 sb , produced by mitsui toatsu kagaku co . ), 2 parts by weight of a latent epoxy resin curing agent ( dicyandiamide , reagent ) which was added in the form of a dimethylformamide solution of 25 wt . % of a solid , and 0 . 5 parts by weight of a cure accelerating agent ( tradename , cure sol 2e4mz , produced by shikoku kasei co . ), thereby to prepare a resin varnish containing 25 wt . % as solids . the thus prepared resin varnish was coated on the roughened face of 35μm - thick electrolytic copper foils , air - dried and then heated at 150 ° c . for 7 minutes thereby to obtain semi - cured insulating layer - applied copper foils . the insulating layers so obtained at this point was each 100μm in thickness . both the faces of the inner - layer member prepared at the above step ( 1 ) were washed with purified water , the insulating layer - applied copper foils prepared at the above step ( 2 ) were placed respectively on both the washed faces with the insulating layer side of the insulating layer - applied copper foil facing to said washed face , thereafter the whole was pressed together at 30 kg / cm 2 and 170 ° c . for 60 minutes to form outer - layer members respectively on both the faces of the inner - layer member , masking predetermined portions of both the faces ( copper foils ) of the outer - layer member formed at the above step ( 3 ), and then the masked faces ( copper foils ) of the outer - layer member were etched by an ordinary method to form outer - layer circuits , thereby to prepare a multilayer ( 4 layers in this case ) printed wiring board as shown in fig1 . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 20 parts by weight of a rubber - modified epoxy resin ( tradename , sumiepoxy esc - 500 , produced by sumitomo kagaku co .) were substituted for 20 parts by weight of the rubber - modified epoxy resin ( tradename , epotohto yr - 102 , produced by tohto kasei co .) used at the above step ( 2 ), thereby to prepare a multilayer ( 4 - layer ) printed wiring board . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that a urethane resin ( tradename , colonate ap - stable , produced by nippon polyurethane co .) was substituted in the same amount as a solid ( 10 parts by weight ) for the melamine resin ( tradename , yuban , produced by mitsui toatsu kagaku co . ), thereby to prepare a multilayer ( 4 - layer ) printed wiring board . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that 35μm - thick , surface - roughened electrolytic copper foils were substituted for the insulating layer - applied copper foils used in example 1 and commercial available 0 . 1 mm - thick epoxy resin - impregnated glass cloth prepregs were used as insulating layers , thereby to prepare a multilayer ( 4 - layer ) printed wiring board . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that the same copper foils and prepregs as used in comparative example were used , and , before the multilayer formation of an inner - layer member used , the surface of the inner - layer circuits ( copper foils ) was treated with a solution containing 31 g / l of sodium hydrochlorite , 15 g / l of sodium hydroxide and 12 g / l of trisodium phosphate , at 85 ° c . under agitation for 3 minutes thereby to effect a black oxide treatment , thus preparing a multilayer ( 4 - layer ) printed wiring board . the procedure of example 1 was followed except there was used a resin varnish prepared by substituting an epoxy resin ( tradename , epotohto yd - 128 , produced by tohto kasei co .) for the rubber - modified epoxy resin ( tradename , epotohto yr - 102 , produced by tohto kasei co .) used as one ingredient of the insulating layer prepared at the aforementioned step ( 2 ) of example 1 , thereby to prepare a multilayer ( 4 - layer ) printed wiring board . the procedure of example 1 was followed except that there was used a resin varnish having a solid content of 48 wt . % and containing 70 parts by weight of an epoxy resin ( tradename , epomic r - 301 , produced by mitsui petrochemicals co . ), 20 parts by weight of a rubber - modified epoxy resin ( tradename , epotohto yr - 102 , produced by tohto kasei co .) and 10 parts by weight of a polyvinyl acetal resin ( tradename , denka butyral no . 5000a , produced by denki kagaku kogyo co . ), the above resins being the same as those used as the ingredients of the insulating layer prepared at the step ( 2 ) of example 1 , thereby to prepare a multilayer ( 4 - layer ) printed wiring board . the multilayer printed wiring boards ( the laminates ) obtained in examples 1 - 3 and comparative examples 1 - 4 were evaluated for the following performances and properties . the results are as shown in table 1 . 1 . normal - state peeling strength between the copper foil on the surface of the inner - layer member and the insulating layer . the boards are each perforated to make a 0 . 4 mm φ through hole , and the perforated boards are each immersed in a 1 : 1 aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid at room temperature to visually determine whether having occurs or not . the boards are boiled in purified water for 2 hours and then immersed in a solder bath at 260 ° c . for 30 seconds to visually determine whether swelling occurs or not . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ thickness of peeling solder heat surface haloing moisture - insulating layerex . and strength resistance resistance resistance proofing before or aftercomp . ex . ( kgf / cm ) ( sec ) ( ω ) * 1 * 2 pressed ( μm ) __________________________________________________________________________ex . 1 1 . 31 more than 120 6 × 10 . sup . 14 ∘ ∘ 100 / 95ex . 2 1 . 28 more than 120 5 × 10 . sup . 13 ∘ ∘ 100 / 90ex . 3 1 . 55 more than 120 7 × 10 . sup . 15 ∘ ∘ 100 / 95comp . ex . 1 0 . 26 60 1 × 10 . sup . 15 ∘ x 100 / 90comp . ex . 2 1 . 35 more than 120 1 × 10 . sup . 15 x ∘ 100 / 90comp . ex . 3 0 . 72 more than 120 9 × 10 . sup . 14 ∘ ∘ 100 / 70comp . ex . 4 0 . 62 more than 120 8 × 10 . sup . 14 ∘ ∘ 100 / 20__________________________________________________________________________ * 1 ; ∘: no haloing x : haloing occurred * 2 ; ∘: no swelling x : swelling occurred it is apparent from table 1 that the multilayer printed wiring board exhibits performances and properties equal to those of a conventional one even if the former is not subjected to black oxide treatment , and , further , problems as to the black oxide treatment are avoided . this invention enables the black oxide treatment to be dispensed with in the preparation of a multilayer printed wiring board and also enables various problems raised by the black oxide treatment to be eliminated . in addition , the multilayer printed wiring board of this invention is comparable to a conventional one in performances and will not raise any problems as to surface smoothness and migration . further , the insulating layer used in this invention is uniform and does not need a protective film . thus , in a case where , the insulating layer is used in the preparation of an insulating layer - applied copper foil , the layer - applied copper foil so prepared will be satisfactorily easily handled and operated . | 7 |
the present invention comprises a system for refilling a printer ink cartridge . in a preferred embodiment , the method and system refill the cartridge while the cartridge is under a vacuum to prevent vapor lock . the system preferably comprises a positive displacement , peristaltic ink filling pump that operates under computer control to ensure that the proper amount of ink is added to the cartridge without overfilling the cartridge . the method preferably incorporates filling the cartridge while under vacuum , with pauses between filling events to ensure that air can migrate out of the cartridge . as described below , the filling and pause cycle times are dependent upon the type of cartridge being filled . the present invention may be described herein in terms of functional block components , code listings , optional selections and various processing steps . it should be appreciated that such functional blocks may be realized by any number of hardware and / or software components configured to perform the specified functions . for example , the present invention may employ various integrated circuit components , e . g ., memory elements , processing elements , logic elements , look - up tables , and the like , which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices . similarly , the software ( program code ) elements of the present invention may be implemented with any programming or scripting language such as c , c ++, c #, java , cobol , assembler , perl , or the like , with the various algorithms being implemented with any combination of data structures , objects , processes , routines or other programming elements . the system preferably incorporates software modules preferably programmed in visual c and visual basic . the object code created can be executed by any computer having an microsoft windows 95 or higher operating system . further , it should be noted that the present invention may employ any number of conventional techniques for data transmission , signaling , data processing , network control , and the like . it should be appreciated that the particular implementations shown and described herein are illustrative of the invention and its best mode and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of the present invention in any way . indeed , for the sake of brevity , conventional data networking , application development and other functional aspects of the systems ( and components of the individual operating components of the systems ) may not be described in detail herein . furthermore , the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and / or physical or virtual couplings between the various elements . it should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical or virtual connections may be present in a practical electronic data communications system . as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art , the present invention may be embodied as a method , a data processing system , a device for data processing , and / or a computer program product . accordingly , the present invention may take the form of an entirely software embodiment , an entirely hardware embodiment , or an embodiment combining aspects of both software and hardware . furthermore , the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer - readable storage medium having computer - readable program code means embodied in the storage medium . any suitable computer - readable storage medium may be utilized , including hard disks , cd - rom , optical storage devices , magnetic storage devices , and / or the like . the present invention is described below with reference to block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods , apparatus ( e . g ., systems ), and computer program products according to various aspects of the invention . it will be understood that each functional block of the block diagrams and the flowchart illustrations , and combinations of functional blocks in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations , respectively , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be loaded onto a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the function specified in the flowchart block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer - implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks . accordingly , functional blocks of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations support combinations of means for performing the specified functions , combinations of steps for performing the specified functions , and program instruction means for performing the specified functions . it will also be understood that each functional block of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations , and combinations of functional blocks in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations , can be implemented by either special purpose hardware - based computer systems that perform the specified functions or steps , or suitable combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions . one skilled in the art will also appreciate that , for security reasons , any databases , systems , or components of the present invention may consist of any combination of databases or components at a single location or at multiple locations , wherein each database or system includes any of various suitable security features , such as firewalls , access codes , encryption , de - encryption , compression , decompression , and / or the like . the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than by the examples given herein . for example , the steps recited in any method claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented in the claims . moreover , no element is essential to the practice of the invention unless specifically described herein as “ critical ” or “ essential .” fig1 is a block diagram that illustrates a preferred embodiment for a computer ink cartridge refilling system 100 . as shown in fig1 system 100 comprises a computer 120 comprising a database 125 and software program code 150 and a touch screen 130 . as shown , computer 120 is interfaced with the internet 199 . communications between computer 120 and troubleshooting facilities may be physically facilitated through cable or wireless links on which electronic signals can propagate , and may be embodied , for example , as ( i ) a dedicated wide area network ( wan ), ( ii ) a telephone network , including the combination of local and long distance wire or wireless facilities and switches known as the public switched telephone network (“ pstn ”), or ( iii ) the internet 199 . computer 120 is preferably interfaced through an rs - 232 serial port to relay board 140 via communications cable 135 . under the control of computer 120 , relay board 140 supplies power to various motors to control the operation of attached pumps . as illustrated in fig1 , these pumps are color ink pumps 101 - 103 , comprising yellow 101 , cyan 102 , and magenta 103 , waste pump 105 , cleaning pump 106 , and black ink pump 107 . each ink pump draws ink from an associated reservoir , yellow 111 , cyan 112 , magenta 113 and black 117 and supplies the ink via a needle inserted into the cartridge . preferably , each pump is a positive displacement , peristaltic pump that can be run in the reverse direction , so that residual ink can be removed from the line and returned to the reservoir . waste pump 105 draws liquid from the cartridge into a waste reservoir 115 . cleaning pump 106 supplies a cleaning solvent drawn from associated reservoir 116 to the cartridge via a needle inserted into the cartridge . ink lines from color ink pumps 101 - 103 run through the wall of a vacuum chamber 170 . the associated needle may be inserted into the cartridge to be refilled . vacuum chamber 170 has a door that can be opened to place the cartridge within the chamber . preferably , the door seats on a sealing surface of the chamber . air from vacuum chamber 170 is removed by vacuum pump 180 . as air is removed from the chamber , the door and sealing surface seals the vacuum chamber so that an appropriate vacuum can be drawn . vacuumstat 185 controls the amount of vacuum that pump 180 draws on chamber 170 . fig2 a schematic wiring diagram for the printer cartridge ink refilling system . as shown in fig2 , a dc power supply 200 provides power to pc motherboard 210 , a hard disk 220 , and an lcd display 230 . dc power supply 200 also provides positive and negative 12 vdc to relay board 240 . relay board 240 is connected to pc motherboard 210 via rs - 232 communications link 235 . relay board 240 provides 12 vdc of opposite polarities to motors 201 - 203 , 205 - 207 via relays k 1 - k 8 to run motor in either direction . switches 282 , 283 provide power to vacuum pump motor 280 to run this motor in either direction . fig3 is a chart that illustrates an exemplary database schema 300 . database 300 preferably stores information on different printers and the cartridges that are being refilled . database 300 maintains a plurality of records , such as records 305 - 320 , each associated with a type of printer and the print cartridge used in that printer . for each cartridge identified by an cartridge model number in field 330 , database 300 includes a required amount of ink to refill the cartridge in field 335 . preferably , this amount is determined by weighing an empty cartridge and a brand new cartridge . the difference in weight times the density of the ink equals the volumetric amount of ink that must be added to the cartridge in order to refill it . in addition , database 300 preferably includes fields for the length of time that the ink pump should be run and the length of time the ink pump should pause , during each filling cycle , in fields 340 and 345 , respectively . such fields may or may not have been part of the database schema , but may also be coded into software program code 150 . the following discussion describes the methods performed by the inventive system . to provide context , the operation of an exemplary , preferred embodiment of software program code 150 is described in conjunction with fig4 and 5 . fig4 is a flow chart illustrating a series of acts for refilling a printer cartridge using system 100 . as shown in fig4 , in step 410 , a color cartridge being filled is placed into vacuum chamber 170 . the user will provide an indication to system 100 that a particular cartridge is being refilled . this identification is described below in connection with fig5 . before the cartridge is filled , the user must determine whether the cartridge is empty . the preferred way to make this determination is to weigh the cartridge . if the cartridge weighs more than two grams above an empty weight , then the cartridge most likely contains residual ink , which should be removed . preferably , the user can pump the residual ink out of the cartridge . if the ink cannot be removed in this fashion , then the cartridge is preferably placed in a centrifuge to remove the residual ink . in addition , dried ink may not be removed , so a cleaning solved may be necessary , which can be pumped into the cartridge , and then removed . alternatively , the user may clean the cartridge in an ultrasonic cleaner . additionally , the print head of the cartridge may be reconditioned by steam cleaning . in step 420 , the user places the clean , empty cartridge into vacuum chamber 170 and inserts the filling needles into the cartridge . the user manually activates vacuum pump 180 , which will reduce the pressure in the chamber down to the setting provided on vacuumstat 185 . preferably , vacuumstat 185 is set to control pressure in vacuum chamber 170 to between 0 . 4 to 0 . 9 millibars below atmospheric . more preferably , vacuumstat 185 is set to control and maintain pressure in vacuum chamber 170 to about 0 . 7 millibars below atmospheric . in step 430 , the user initiates the automatic refilling process . preferably , software program code 150 causes computer 120 to communicate with relay board 140 to run ink filling pump 101 - 103 to add ink to the cartridge . the ink is added in discrete filling steps . computer 120 preferably runs pump 101 - 103 for a brief period of time , defined either in software program code 150 , or as specified in database 300 . in step 440 , computer 120 pauses running pump 101 - 103 so that the ink will permeate the foam sponge within the cartridge . as the ink displaces air in the foam , vacuum pump 180 removes the air . in a preferred embodiment , the amount of time that the pumps are paused is longer than the amount of time that they are run , so that the air can be more effectively removed . in step 450 , computer 120 determines whether the required amount of ink has been added to the cartridge . because the ink pump is preferably a positive displacement pump , the volume of ink added is directly proportional to the amount of time that pump 101 - 103 is run . computer 120 calculates whether the required amount of ink has been added , and if not , computer 120 repeats steps 430 and 440 . the number of times that computer 120 must repeat these steps is preferably based on the required amount of ink to add to the cartridge divided by the amount of ink added during step 430 . in step 460 , computer 120 has added the required amount of ink to the cartridge , and indicates that the automatic refilling process is complete . the user can then release the vacuum in chamber 170 by running vacuum pump 180 in the reverse direction , open the door to vacuum chamber 170 and remove the cartridge . the user also has the ability to operate other pumps from touch screen 130 . fig5 is a diagram illustrating a control screen 500 for the refilling system . as shown in fig5 , several screen - based buttons are provided so that the user may manually control each pump in system 100 , and may also initiate a refilling process . when activated , buttons 501 - 503 cause computer 120 to run yellow , cyan and magenta pumps 101 - 103 , respectively , in the fill direction . buttons 505 - 507 run the waste , cleaning solution and black ink pumps 105 - 107 , respectively , in the supply direction . buttons 511 - 513 and 517 run yellow , cyan , magenta and black ink pumps 101 - 103 and 107 in the return direction , so that their respective lines can be drained of ink . button group 520 permits the user to select a particular type of color ink cartridge that will be refilled . column 530 provides indicators for the selected cartridge , such as the cartridge type , weight when empty , weight when full , amount of ink required to fill it , and the type of ink . likewise , button group 570 identifies numerous types of black ink cartridges that may be selected for refilling . the selected cartridge information similarly appears in column 580 . button 550 initiates the automatic refilling process described above in connection with fig4 . when the user activates this button , indicators 540 , 545 report the progress of the refilling process . indicator 540 reports the amount of ink that has been added to the cartridge . indicator 545 reports the percentage filled . similar indicators are provided for refilling black ink cartridges . in the specification , the term “ media ” means any medium that can record data therein . fig6 illustrates examples of recording media . the term “ media ” includes , for instance , a disk shaped media for 601 such as cd - rom ( compact disc - read only memory ), magneto optical disc or mo , digital video disc - read only memory or dvd - rom , digital video disc - random access memory or dvd - ram , a floppy disc 602 , a memory chip 604 such as random access memory or ram , read only memory or rom , erasable programmable read only memory or e - prom , electrical erasable programmable read only memory or ee - prom , a rewriteable card - type read only memory 605 such as a smart card , a magnetic tape , a hard disc 603 , and any other suitable means for storing a program therein . a recording media storing a program for accomplishing the above mentioned apparatus maybe accomplished by programming functions of the above mentioned apparatuses with a programming language readable by a computer 600 or processor , and recording the program on a media such as mentioned above . a server equipped with a hard disk drive may be employed as a recording media . it is also possible to accomplish the present invention by storing the above mentioned computer program on such a hard disk in a server and reading the computer program by other computers through a network . as a computer processing device 600 , any suitable device for performing computations in accordance with a computer program may be used . examples of such devices include a personal computer , a laptop computer , a microprocessor , a programmable logic device , or an application specific integrated circuit . in accordance with the foregoing description , the present invention provides the following advantages : because the ink filling process is completely automated , the reliability of the refilled cartridge is greatly improved . by using a positive displacement pump , computer 120 can precisely control the amount of ink that is added to the cartridge to prevent problems caused by overfilling the cartridge . by filling the cartridge while it is under a vacuum , air binding problems are eliminated . having thus described at least illustrative embodiments of the invention , various modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art and are intended to be within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting . the invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and the equivalents thereto . | 1 |
the present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments . it is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed . subject detection is different from subject growing and does not set center as subject region . we consider the focus information to decide the subject is in the center , left , or right . moreover , we propose a new ae metering function to replace amp table . without looking up table and saving table , the new ae metering function is simple and small . fig3 is the flowchart of the metering method of the invention . first , light information from sensor of dsc is received and checked if the focus information is available or not . if focus information is available , we use subject detection to choose the subject region , otherwise , we use default center region . finally , with subject region , we calculate the ev by new ae metering function . in preview mode , af will not work at the time to save the power , and focus information is not available . we use center as default subject and keep a reasonable exposure . in capture mode , af works and focuses on the subject , we can detect subject more precise to take better pictures . without subject growing process and guessing subject always in the center , we use the focus information , if available , to detect subject location . because the af focuses on the subject with high probability , we optimize the exposure quality of subject region , containing high focus value . even if the af does not focus on the correct subject , the focused region is still clearer than others , and it is reasonable to optimize exposure quality for clear regions . fig4 shows the flowchart of subject detection step of this invention . the sensor of dsc is defined as regions 1 - 8 and classified as a center region , a right region and a left region . fig5 ( a ) shows the center region of sensor . fig5 ( b ) shows the right region of sensor . fig5 ( a ) shows the left region of sensor . first , we get the focus values of each segment from af . focus value represents the levels of high frequency in the segments , and high focus value means high frequency and clear region . we find out ten segments , which contain maximum focus values and their light intensities are less than a luminance threshold . next , we calculate ( c , 1 , r ), the numbers of maximum segments in each region . fig3 . 4 shows three gray regions of possible subject locations . the rules of region decision are : ( 1 ) the center region still has the highest probability to contain subject . we detect left or right region only when center region has bad focus and light intensity . ( 2 ) the right or left region needs rigorous condition to be subject . it should contain more focus regions than others and center fails in case one . ( 3 ) if above conditions both fail , then we choose center as subject region . finally , subject detection process passes subject region information to ae metering function . fig6 clearly shows the flowchart of using an ae metering function to calculate an exposure value . first , light information and subject region are obtained to calculate average luminance of each region . as in fig5 , for different subject regions , function calculates different regions 1 ˜ 8 and subject region . second , it sorts regions 1 ˜ 8 and calculates the contrast by subtracting min region from max region . the contrast ratio is calculated by the transformation in fig7 . contrast is concerned when it is larger than contrast threshold ( 3lv ), and maximum contrast ratio is 40 % to protect the importance of subject information . if contrast is larger than contrast threshold , we find the interesting regions depending on the order of subject region in sorted regions . if subject region is close to the maximum part , we take bright region as interesting region . otherwise , if the subject region is close to the minimum part , we take the dark region as interesting region . finally , with the value of subject , contrast ratio , interesting region , and cut process , function calculates the exposure by the equation : fig8 ( a ) shows the exposure result using prior art method and fig8 ( b ) shows the result using the method of this invention . in fig8 , subject is not in the center . it is obvious that without focus information ( fig8 ( a )), the prior art method emphasizes the center region and overexposes the subject . with focus information ( fig8 ( b )), the subject is emphasized correctly and has a better exposure result . fig9 ( a ) shows another exposure result using prior art method and fig9 ( b ) shows the result using the method of this invention . in fig9 , subject is in the center , but left or right region has a high contrast object which has high focus values . we see that with focus information , subject detection still does not lose the subject , even if the left object have more high frequent regions . in ae bracketing , we use the subject detection process of this invention as described above and modify the factors of oes for more precise selection . intensity means of subject and global are still important factors and directly represent the ae performance . we emphasize the intensity mean as prior art oes . intensity standard deviation represents the contrast of pictures , and the higher contrast , the more people prefer . in fact , by the observation from histograms of pictures , different exposure little affects the standard deviation of histogram . people do not prefer the scenes with highest standard deviation , because other factors are more important . we still consider the standard deviations of subject and global , but we give them less weight in overall consideration . most people like colorful pictures , but the relationship between colorfulness and exposure setting is less , so we give colorfulness less weight in overall consideration . one of the important purposes in ae metering method of this invention is to show as much detail as possible . detail factor is not considered in the prior art oes , but we can show how importance of details from fig1 ( a )- 10 ( c ). fig1 ( a )- 10 ( c ) are the bracketing images . fig1 ( a ) has higher scores in light intensity , but the details are less than fig1 ( b ). people prefer 10 ( b ) because the details are clear . we consider the detail factor is important , therefore we give it 10 scores at most . besides the light intensity and detail considerations , another important purpose of ae is to prevent the image underexposure or overexposure . in other words , the saturating pixels should not be many , so the ratio of non - saturating pixels is another important factor in exposure selection . we take 30 sets of ae bracketing picture from sony f828 and fujifilm f601 . the image sets contain the scenes of outdoor , indoor , landscape , portrait , and so on . table i show the matching ratio of the oes factors of this invention and c . c . yu &# 39 ; s results . table i item matching mismatching ratio intensity mean 24 6 80 % intensity st . dev . 10 20 33 % colorfulness 6 24 20 % detail 17 13 57 % non - saturating ratio 21 9 70 % new oes result 26 4 87 % c . c . yu &# 39 ; s oes result 19 11 63 % as shown in experiments , the modified oes can select the better exposed pictures according to details and non - saturating ratio . while the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures . | 7 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig3 is a view for showing a circuit for adjusting the horizontal center of a raster for a monitor according to one embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 the circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a voltage generation part 210 , a current output part 230 , and a control part 250 . the voltage generation part 210 generates a first voltage v 1 and a second voltage v 2 . the voltage generation part 210 provides the first and second voltages v 1 and v 2 to the current output part 230 , respectively . the first voltage v 1 has a higher potential than that of a b + which is applied to a horizontal deflection yoke hy , and the second voltage v 2 has a lower potential than that of the b + . the voltage generation part 210 includes a transformer 211 , a first rectifier 212 , and a second rectifier 213 for generating the first and second voltages v 1 and v 2 , respectively . the transformer 211 includes a primary coil and a secondary coil . the primary coil is driven with the horizontal deflection yoke hy . the secondary coil generates an induced voltage as the primary coil is driven with a horizontal deflection yoke hy by the output transistor q2 of the horizontal output circuit 120 . each of the first and second rectifiers 212 and 213 half - rectifies the induced voltage generated from the transformer 211 . the first rectifier 212 rectifies a positive component of the induced voltage , and integrates the positive component to thereby generate the first voltage having a higher potential than that of the b + . to the contrary , the second rectifier 213 rectifies a negative component of the induced voltage , and integrates the negative component to thereby generate the second voltage having a lower potential than that of the b + . one terminal of the primary coil of the transformer 211 is electrically connected with the b + , and the other terminal of the primary coil is connected with the collector of the output transistor q2 of the horizontal output circuit 120 , such that the primary coil is driven by the output transistor q2 . also , the secondary coil of the transformer 211 is electrically connected with the b + . the first rectifier 212 includes a first diode d6 and a first capacitor c5 for half - rectifying the induced voltage from the secondary coil of the transformer 211 . the anode of the first diode d6 is connected with one terminal of the second coil of the transformer 211 , and the cathode of the first diode d6 is connected with one terminal of the first capacitor c5 . the other terminal of the first capacitor c5 is connected with the b + . the first diode d6 half - rectifies the induced voltage induced at the secondary coil of the transformer 211 to thereby generate a positive half - rectified voltage component signal . the first capacitor c5 integrates the positive half - rectified voltage component signal from the first diode d6 to thereby generate a dc voltage as the first voltage . therefore , the first diode and capacitor c5 generate the first voltage having a higher potential than that of b + . the second rectifier 213 includes a second diode d7 and a second capacitor c6 for half - rectifying the induced voltage from the secondary coil of the transformer 211 . the cathode of the second diode d7 is connected with one terminal of the second coil of the transformer 211 , the anode of the second diode d7 is connected with one terminal of the second capacitor c6 . the other terminal of the second capacitor c6 is connected with the b + . the second diode d7 half - rectifies the induced voltage induced at the secondary coil of the transformer 211 to thereby generate a negative half - rectified voltage component signal . the second capacitor c5 integrates the negative half - rectified voltage component signal from the second diode d7 to thereby generate a dc voltage as the second voltage . therefore , the second diode and capacitor d7 and c6 generate the second voltage having a lower potential than that of b + . the current output part 230 controls an intensity of the direct current flowing through the horizontal deflection yoke hy in response to a control voltage v b related with the first and second voltages v 1 and v 2 , which is provided from the control part 250 illustrated below . the current output part 230 includes a first output circuit 233 and a second output circuit 235 in order to control the intensity of the direct current flowing through the horizontal deflection yoke hy in response to the control voltage 2501 . the first output circuit 233 generates a first output current i 1 according to the control voltage and the second output circuit 235 outputs a second output current i 2 according to the control voltage . the first and second output circuits 233 and 235 are complimentarily operated with respect to the control voltage , such that the direct current of the horizontal deflection yoke hy is increased or decreased by the first and second output circuit 233 and 235 . that is , when the first output current i 1 of the first output circuit 233 is increased , the second output current i 2 is decreased , and vice versa . also , the first and second output circuits 233 and 235 have a common input node d which is electrically connected with an output terminal of the control part 250 . the first output circuit 233 includes a first resistor r23 , second through fifth resistors r12 through r15 , a first npn transistor q3 , and a first pnp transistor q4 in order to generate the first output current i 1 . the second through fifth resistors r12 through r15 are connected in series with one another between both the first and second output terminals 2101 and 2102 of the first and second voltages v 1 and v 2 . one terminal of the first resistor r23 is connected with the first output terminal 2101 of the first voltage v 1 , and the other terminal is connected with the collector of the first npn transistor q3 and the emitter of the first pnp transistor q4 , respectively . further , the base of the first pnp transistor q4 and the emitter of the first npn transistor q3 are connected with a connection node of connecting the fourth and fifth resistors r14 and r15 with each other . the collector of the first pnp transistor q4 is electrically connected with the horizontal deflection yoke hy via a sixth resistor r16 and a choke coil cy . and , the base of the npn transistor q3 is connected with the common input node d . therefore , the first current i 1 of the first output circuit 233 is a collector current i 1 of the first pnp transistor q4 . the second output circuit 235 is a complimentary equivalent of the first output circuit 233 to be operated complimentarily for the control voltage v b . the second output circuit 235 preferably includes the second through fifth resistors r12 through r15 , a second pnp transistor q5 , a second npn transistor q6 , and a seventh resistor r24 . the base of the second npn transistor q6 and the emitter of the second pnp transistor q5 are connected with a connection node which is formed by connecting the second and third resistors r12 and r13 with each other . the collector of the second pnp transistor q5 and the emitter of the second npn transistor q6 which are connected with each other are connected with one terminal of the seventh resistor r24 . the other terminal of the seventh resistor r24 is connected with the second output terminal 2102 through which the second voltage v 2 is outputted from the voltage generation circuit 210 . and , the second output circuit 235 outputs the second current i 2 through the collector of the second npn transistor q6 which is electrically connected with the horizontal deflection yoke hy via the sixth resistor r16 and the choke coil cy . the control part 250 generates the control voltage v b in response to a center adjustment signal 2502 inputted from an exterior . the control part 250 includes an amplifying circuit 251 , a current generation circuit 252 , and a voltage generation circuit 253 . the amplifying circuit 251 amplifies a center adjustment signal 2502 and outputs an amplified signal to the current generation circuit 252 . the amplifying circuit 251 includes an amplifier 254 . the amplifier 254 preferably is an operation amplifier 254 ( hereinafter , referred to as op - amp ). the center adjustment signal 2502 is inputted to the inverting terminal of the op - amp 254 through an eighth resistor r22 , and a reference voltage vref is inputted to the noninverting of the op - amp 254 . the reference voltage vref is generated across a ninth resistor r21 which is connected with an exterior voltage source (- 12 voltage ) through a tenth resistor r20 . the current generation circuit 252 includes a third npn transistor q7 in order to generate a current corresponding to an output voltage which is provided from the op - amp 254 . the base of the third npn transistor q7 is connected with the output terminal of the op - amp 254 through the 11th resistor r18 . the emitter of the third npn transistor q7 is connected with one terminal of the 12th resistor r17 , and the other terminal of the 12th resistor r17 is connected to the exterior voltage source , such that the third npn transistor q7 is biased by the exterior voltage source . and , the current generated at the collector of the third npn transistor q3 according to the output voltage of the op - amp 254 is outputted to the voltage generation circuit 253 . further , the emitter of the third npn transistor q7 is connected with the inverting terminal of the op - amp 254 by a 13th resistor 19 , such that a voltage of the emitter of the third npn transistor q7 feedbacks to the inverting terminal of the op - amp 254 . the voltage generation circuit 253 generates the control voltage v b in response to the current being inputted from the current generation circuit 253 , and outputs the control voltage v b to the current generation part 230 . the voltage generation circuit 253 includes the 14th resistor r9 and the 15th resistor r10 . one terminal of the 14th resistor r9 is connected with the first output terminal 2101 of the first voltage v 1 , and the other terminal of the 14th resistor r9 is connected to a node b . one terminal of the 15th resistor r10 is connected with the collector of the third npn transistor q7 , and the other terminal of the 15th resistor r10 is connected to the node b . therefore , the voltage generation circuit 253 generates the voltage of the node b as the control voltage v b in response to the current of collector of the third npn transistor q7 , and outputs the control voltage v b to each base of both the second pnp transistor q5 and the first npn transistor q3 through the 16th resistor r11 , one terminal of which is connected with the node b and the other terminal of which is connected with the node d . the operation of the circuit according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to fig2 and 3 . as illustrated above , as the horizontal driving pulses are inputted to the output transistor q2 of the horizontal output circuit 120 , by the switching operation of the output transistor q2 , a sawtooth current , as shown in fig2 flows through the horizontal deflection yoke hy , such that a raster is developed on the screen of the monitor ( not shown in fig . 3 ). at this time , the horizonal center of the raster is determined by the amount of direct current flowing through the horizontal deflection yoke hy . when the dc current flowing through the horizontal deflection yoke hy is decreased , the horizontal center of the raster moves left on the screen in proportion to the degree of variation of the amount of the dc current . to the contrary , when the dc current is increased , the horizontal center of the raster moves right . in fig3 the intensity of the dc current flowing through the horizontal deflection yoke hy is increased when the current generation part 230 provides a current to the node a to which the horizontal deflection yoke hy is electrically connected through the sixth resistor r16 and the choke coil cy . when the dc current of the horizontal deflection yoke hy is increased , the current generation part 230 outputs the first current i 1 which is generated from the first output circuit 233 thereof . and , since the second output circuit 235 is complimentarily operated with the first output circuit 233 , the second current i 2 being developed from the second output circuit 235 is decreased when the first current i 1 is increased . therefore , a current i 3 flowing through the sixth resistor r16 and the choke coil ly is increased , such that dc current of the horizontal deflection yoke hy is increased . for increasing the first current i 1 , the control voltage which is provided from the control part 250 to the current output part 230 must be decreased . that is , since the first current i 1 is the collector current of the first pnp transistor q4 , assuming that base currents of the first npn and pnp transistors are zero , the first current ii can be expressed as follows : ## equ1 ## where i 4 denotes a current flowing through the first resistor r23 , and i 5 denotes a current flowing through the fifth resistor r15 . and , in equation ( 1 ), when i 5 has a constant value , the first current i 1 is determined by the current i 4 flowing through the first resistor 23 . also , since a base - emitter voltage drop of the first npn q3 is compensated by a base - emitter voltage drop of the first pnp q4 , assuming that the base currents of the first npn and pnp transistors q3 and q4 are zero , the voltage across the first resistor r23 is equal to the voltage difference between the first voltage v 1 and the control voltage v b . therefore , the current i 4 can be written as follows : ## equ2 ## therefore , as shown in equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ), the first current i 1 is in proportion to the difference voltage v d1 between the control voltage v b and the first voltage v 1 . on the contrary , for moving the horizontal center of the raster to the right of the screen , the dc current of the horizontal deflection yoke hy must be decreased by exhausting the dc current through the sixth resistor r16 and the choke coil ly from the node a . when exhausting the dc current from the horizontal deflection yoke hy , the current output part 230 outputs the second current i 2 . the second current i 2 is generated from the second output circuit 235 of the current output part 230 . when the second current is increased , the first current i 1 is decreased . as the second current is increased , an intensity of the current being exhausted form the horizontal deflection yoke hy is increased . for increasing the second current i 2 , the control voltage which is provided from the control part 250 to the current output part 230 must be increased . that is , since the second current i 2 is the collector current of the npn transistor q6 , assuming that base currents of the second pnp and npn transistors are zero , the second current i 2 can be expressed as follows : ## equ3 ## where i 6 denotes a current flowing through the seventh resistor r24 , and i 7 denotes a current flowing through the second resistor r12 . and , in equation ( 3 ), when i 7 has a constant value , the second current i 2 is determined by the current i 6 flowing through the seventh resistor 24 . also , since a base - emitter voltage drop of the second pnp q5 is compensated by a base - emitter voltage drop of the second npn q6 , assuming that the base currents of the second npn and pnp transistors q6 and q5 are zero , the voltage across the first resistor r23 is equal to the voltage difference between the first voltage v 2 and the control voltage v b . therefore , the current i 6 can be written as follows : ## equ4 ## therefore , as shown in equations ( 3 ) and ( 4 ), the second current i 2 is in proportion to the difference of voltage v d2 between the control voltage v b and the first voltage v 2 . the control voltage v b of the node b is determined by the collector current of the third npn transistor q7 . when the collector current of the third npn transistor q7 is increased , a voltage across the 14th resistor r9 of the voltage generation circuit 253 is increased , such that the control voltage v b of the node b is dropped . to the contrary , when the collector current of the third npn transistor q7 is decreased , the control voltage v b of the node b is increased . the collector current of the third npn transistor q7 is controlled by an output voltage vo of the op - amp 254 . the output voltage vo of the op - amp 254 is determined by an input voltage vref between the inverting and noninverting terminals of the op - amp 254 and a resistor ratio of the 11th resistor r22 and 15 - th resistor r19 . therefore , the output voltage vo of the op - amp 254 is in porportion to a voltage of the center adjustment signal 2502 . therefore , after the horizontal center of the raster is adjusted to the center of the monitor screen by varying the voltage of the center adjustment signal 2502 , by fixing the voltage of the center adjustment signal 2502 , achievement results to make a monitor generate the raster , the horizontal center of which is aligned with the center of the screen . as illustrated above , the present invention provides a circuit which can align the horizontal center of a raster developed on a monitor screen with that of the monitor screen . while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
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 may 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 . the drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof . certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting . for example , the words “ upwardly ,” “ downwardly ,” “ rightwardly ,” and “ leftwardly ” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made . the words “ inwardly ” and “ outwardly ” will refer to directions toward and away from respectively , the geometric center of the embodiment being described and designated parts thereof . said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned , derivatives thereof and words of a similar import . referring to the drawings in more detail , a modular , insulated wall panel system 1 is shown which can be used in the construction of buildings including habitable structures . the wall panel system 1 includes a plurality of types of panels of varying widths and configuration which can be assembled together by a builder to construct a wide variety of straight walled buildings . the panel system 1 includes a set of continuous panels 4 of a standard height and varying widths , including for example , widths of one , two , three , four , six and eight feet wide . the panel system also includes a set of door panels 5 and window panels 6 . door panels 5 include openings 7 in which a door 8 may be hung and window panels 6 include an opening 9 in which windows 10 may be installed . doors 8 and windows 10 are preferably centered from side to side in the panel 5 or 6 in which they are installed . doors 8 may be installed in door panels 5 four feet or greater in width including six and eight feet . single windows 10 may be installed in window panels 6 four feet or greater in width including six or eight feet . double windows 10 may be installed in window panels 6 six foot or greater in width including eight feet . the door panels 5 and window panels 6 may also be referred to as discontinuous panels in that they do not present a continuous exterior surface but have openings formed therein to receive doors 8 and windows 10 . it is to be understood that the width of the panels 4 , 5 and 6 can be varied to accommodate regional or jurisdictional preferences related to stud spacing or metric versus english measurements . the panel system 1 also includes a plurality of corner panels 11 for use in forming corners of the building including outside corner panels 11 a and inside corner panels 11 b . the outside corner panels 11 a are used to construct outside corners of a building where two walls come together to form an external angle , as in a corner one can walk around . the inside corner panels 11 b are used to construct inside corners of a building where two walls form an internal angle . door panels 5 , window panels 6 and corner panels 11 also are preferably constructed to a standard height . the standard height of panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 may be , for example , eight or nine feet or taller depending on the intended use . the construction of each of each of the panels 5 , 7 and 11 is similar and exemplary embodiments are shown in fig2 through 10 . fig6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a window panel 6 with a window 10 supported in the opening 9 formed therein . window panel 6 includes a structural frame 15 preferably formed using conventional framing members 16 which may be formed of wood , steel or other suitable construction materials including composite or engineered framing members . framing members 16 of standard dimensions , including 2 × 4 or 2 × 6 are preferably used depending on regional preferences or factors such as the preferred depth of insulation to be installed between the framing members 16 . the structural frames 15 are preferably constructed using conventional stick and frame construction techniques and practices for forming walls for buildings and in a preferred embodiment are constructed as rectangular frames . each structural frame 15 preferably includes a top plate 17 , a sill or bottom plate 18 and a plurality of studs 19 extending between the top plate 17 and bottom plate 18 . the number of studs 19 will depend on the width of the panel 4 , 5 , 6 or 11 and studs 19 may be spaced using a conventional spacing of sixteen inches from each other &# 39 ; s center or with a spacing of twelve or twenty four inches . conventional framing techniques are also preferably used for forming window sills 20 and 21 and for framing openings 7 and 9 for doors 8 for windows 10 . the structural frames 15 may be secured together using conventional fasteners such as nails or screws or other fastener means including brackets with integrated spikes to connect two or more adjacent frame members together . in one embodiment , an inner sheathing 25 is secured to and across the exterior surface of the structural frame 15 using fasteners such as nails or screw or other acceptable means such as adhesives . the sheathing 25 preferably extends the entire height of the frame 15 . holes are cut or otherwise formed in the sheathing 25 to match any openings formed in the structural frame 15 for windows 10 or doors 9 . the inner sheathing 25 may be formed from oriented strand board or plywood or other engineered wood sheathing or other suitable sheathing material . sheathing 25 may be formed from multiple sheets of material including a water impermeable layer applied as a sheet which is adhered to bonded to or mechanically fastened to an exterior surface of the engineered wood or as a liquid or spreadable type coating . the sealed sheathing 25 forms an airtight barrier . it is also to be understood that a layer of inner sheathing 25 formed from engineered wood or the like and without a waterproof layer applied to an exterior surface thereof may be attached to the frame 15 . a layer of insulation 28 is secured to an exterior surface of the inner sheathing 25 using a compatible adhesive or other acceptable means such as fasteners . however , in a preferred embodiment , the layer of insulation 28 is secured to an exterior surface of the inner sheathing with an adhesive and without the use of any fasteners such as nails or screws extending through the insulation which would form a thermal bridge therethrough . it is also foreseen that the insulation 28 could be secured directly to the structural frame 15 without inclusion of the inner sheathing 25 holes are cut or otherwise formed in the layer of insulation 28 corresponding to any openings 7 and 9 formed in the structural frame 15 for windows 10 or doors 8 . the insulation is preferably formed as rigid panels and may be a rigid foam type insulation including polystyrene or polyurethane foams . the rigid panels may also be formed from materials including mineral wool insulation , wood fiber , wheat straw , mycillium or foam glass or other insulating materials that are now known or later developed . an exterior sheathing 31 is secured to and across the exterior surface of the insulating layer 28 using a compatible adhesive or other acceptable means including the use of fasteners . in a preferred embodiment , the exterior sheathing 31 is connected to the layer of insulation 28 using an adhesive and without the use of fasteners extending through the insulating layer 28 which would form a thermal bridge therethrough . the exterior sheathing 31 is preferably formed from a material into which nails can be driven such as oriented strand board or plywood . the insulating layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 preferably are the same width as the structural frame 15 and may be sized the same height as the structural frame 15 or shorter with portions of the frame 15 and interior sheathing 25 extending above and / or below the insulating layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 . exterior siding ( not shown ) or additional layers may then be secured to the exterior sheathing 31 using fasteners such as nails or screws . the exterior sheathing 31 may also be formed from a plurality of sheets of material including a water impermeable layer applied as a sheet which is adhered to , bonded to or mechanically fastened to an exterior surface of the engineered wood or as a liquid or spreadable type coating . the water impermeable layer may be applied to the exterior sheathing 31 in a factory in which the panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 are assembled or in the field . as shown in fig6 , windows 10 may be secured in the openings 9 of window panels 6 using a plurality of fastening angle clips 35 . referring to fig1 - 15 , each clip 35 includes first and second legs 37 extending in perpendicular relationship and with respective pairs of fastener holes 38 and 39 formed in each leg 36 and 37 . centers of the fastener holes 38 in the first leg 36 of each clip 35 are aligned on an axis extending parallel to a corner 40 formed between the first and second legs 36 and 37 . centers of the fastener holes 39 in the second leg 37 of each clip 35 are aligned on an axis extending transverse to the corner 40 . it is also foreseen that centers of the fastener holes 38 in first leg 36 may extend in spaced relation across the width of the first leg 36 but not with the centers aligned in parallel relation to the corner 40 . similarly , the centers of the fastener holes 39 in the second leg may extend in spaced relation lengthwise relative to the second leg 37 without extending in alignment on an axis extending transverse to the corner 40 . the first leg 36 of each angle clip 35 is secured to an exterior surface of mounting structure of the window 10 using nails or screws ( not shown ) driven through fastener holes 38 . the second leg 37 of each clip 35 projects radially outward from the window 10 and may be secured to the inner sheathing 25 around the opening 9 formed therein and secured in place using fasteners driven through fastener holes 39 formed in the second leg 37 . the opening 9 is sized slightly larger than the window 10 so that a gap of approximately ½ inch or larger is formed between the first leg 36 of each clip and an inner surface of the portion of the inner sheathing 25 extending around the opening 9 . the insulating layer 28 with a mating opening formed therein , may then be attached to the exterior surface of the inner sheathing 25 with a small gap , typically between ¼ to ¾ of an inch , formed between the first leg 36 and insulating layer 28 along the bottom of the window 10 . in an exemplary embodiment , the first leg is 1 and 31 / 32 inches long and the second leg is 31 / 32 inches long with both legs formed from ⅛ inch thick sheet metal . clips 35 may be formed of a variety of widths including 31 / 32 inches wide . a variety of sealants or sealing members may be applied or positioned in the gaps formed between the frame of the window 10 and the portion of the window panel 6 surrounding the opening 9 . as shown in fig6 , a strip of expandable foam 41 and a layer of sealant 42 are shown positioned between the periphery of the window 10 and an inner edge of the frame 15 and inner sheathing 25 around the opening 9 . a trim piece ( not show ) may be installed across the sill to cover the exterior gap between the bottom of widow 10 and the inner edge of the insulating layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 . frames for doors 8 may be secured in an opening 7 of a door panel 5 using angle clips 35 in a manner similar to that described with respect to securing windows 10 in an opening 9 in a window panel 6 . panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 are adapted to be secured to a floor or sub floor by nailing or screwing the bottom plate 18 to the floor or a sill connected to the foundation . additional stories and a roof may be added to the structure formed by panels 4 , 5 , 6 , and 11 using conventional framing and flooring techniques . adjacent panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 may be connected together by a variety of means . as shown in fig1 and 17 , the inner sheathing 25 of each panel 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 may be sized narrower than the structural frame 15 , insulation layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 so that a groove or channel 45 extends vertically along each side of the panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 . a spline 47 , twice as wide as the grooves 45 , may then be positioned in aligned grooves 45 of adjacent panels 4 , 5 , 6 or 11 for joining the panels 4 , 5 , 6 or 11 together . a sealant ( not shown ) may be applied in the grooves 45 to prevent air or water penetration around the joint . abutting studs 19 of adjacent panels 4 , 5 , 6 or 11 may be secured together using wood screws driven horizontally therethrough . alternatively , and as shown in fig1 , panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 may be formed without the channels 45 and simply butted together with a layer of expandable foam tape 48 , or other sealant , applied between adjacent studs 19 of the panels 4 , 5 , 6 or 11 with wood screws driven through the abutting studs 19 to secure the panels 4 , 5 , 6 or 11 together . fig1 shows a j - shaped , insulating foundation form or j - form 51 used in forming a slab foundation 52 and to provide an insulating layer between the slab 52 and the ground . j - form 51 may be formed from a foam material . j - form 51 is preferably used in combination with planar insulating panels 53 to form a layer of insulation underneath the entire foundation 52 . the j - forms 51 are positioned to form the outer periphery of the foundation and form a slab 52 with a thicker peripheral edge . the planar insulating panels 53 extend between the j - forms 51 and have a uniform thickness which may be approximately four inches or thicker . the j - form 51 includes an exterior wall 55 , a bottom 57 and an inner wall or lip 59 . exterior wall 55 projects upward from the bottom 57 along an exterior edge thereof and is rectangular in cross - section . the thickness of the exterior wall 55 preferably matches the thickness of insulating layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 of the panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 . the inner lip 59 extends upward from the bottom 57 along an inner edge thereof and in spaced relation from the exterior wall 55 . inner lip 59 slopes upward and away from the exterior wall 55 and in the embodiment shown is triangular in cross - section inner lip 59 is shorter than exterior wall 55 and a trough 61 is formed between the exterior wall 55 and the inner lip 59 . an air barrier 63 formed from a sheet of polymeric material such as polyethylene is adhered to the inner and upper surface of the j - form 51 . j - forms 51 and planar insulating panels 53 are preferably laid in place on top of a layer of compacted stone 64 shaped so that the upper surface of the planar insulating panels 53 extend horizontally and generally flush with an upper edge of the inner lip 59 of the j - forms 51 . in the embodiment shown , a shoulder 65 projects outward from lip 59 a distance below the upper edge of the lip 59 corresponding to the thickness of a planar insulating panel 53 . the shoulder 65 supports the edges of the insulating panel 53 against sagging as the compacted stone layer 64 settles . shoulder 65 may be formed from a strip 66 of foam material inserted in a groove 67 formed in and extending the length of the j - form 51 . when all of the j - forms 51 and planar insulating panels 53 are positioned in place , concrete is poured into the j - forms 51 and over the planar insulating panels 53 to fill the trough 61 and extend above the upper surface of the insulating panels 53 a uniform depth which may be approximately four inches or greater . additional forms ( not shown ) may be positioned on top of the j - forms so that the concrete may be poured to a depth extending above the top of the j - forms 53 . once the concrete has set and cured , pressure treated lumber may be anchored to the foundation 52 around the periphery thereof to form a sill 68 . bottom panels 18 of panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 may be then be secured to the sills 68 with the insulating layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 extending over the exterior wall 55 of the j - form 51 . an insulating strip 69 , which may be formed from expandable foam or liquid sealant , is preferably positioned and secured in the gap between an upper surface of the exterior wall 55 of j - form 51 and a lower edge of the insulating layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 . it is to be understood that the wall panel system 1 can be used with a wide variety of foundations and is not limited to use with flat slab type foundation formed using the j - form 51 . the panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 may be connected to a sill 68 anchored to a foundation wall . in addition , the panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 may be anchored or secured to the sub - floor of different levels of a building . fig2 - 23 are diagrammatic views showing corner panel jigs 80 a and 80 b for assembling the outer and inner corner panels 11 a and 11 b respectively . each jig 80 a and 80 b includes a jig cradle 81 a and 81 b and a jig cap 82 a and 82 b . the jigs 80 a and 80 b can be used with a standard hydraulic press 83 to press the components together and allow the adhesive securing the insulation layer 28 to the interior sheathing 25 and the exterior sheathing 31 to the insulating layer 28 to set or cure under pressure , bonding the insulation layer 28 to the interior sheathing 25 and exterior sheathing 31 . referring to fig2 and 22 , jig cradle 81 a includes first and second cradle walls 85 a and 86 a which are formed to extend perpendicular to each other and slope downward and inward relative to each other to form a trough . first and second panels of exterior sheathing 89 a and 90 a , sized to form adjacent sides of an outside corner 11 a , are positioned against the first and second cradle walls 85 a and 86 a . first and second panels of insulation 91 a and 92 a are sized to fit on top of the exterior sheathing panels 89 a and 90 a respectively . a layer of adhesive is applied to an upper surface of the first and second panels of exterior sheathing 89 a and 90 a in cradle 81 a or on a bottom surface of first and second panels of insulation 91 a and 92 a or both , prior to positioning insulation panels 91 a and 92 a on top of exterior sheathing panels 89 a and 90 a respectively . first and second frame sections 93 a and 94 a are constructed from framing members and first and second panels of interior sheathing 95 a and 96 a are fastened thereto . a layer of adhesive is applied to the bottom or exterior surface of the interior sheathing panels 95 a and 96 a or to the upper surface of the insulation panels 91 a and 92 a or both prior to positioning frame sections 93 a and 94 a with attached sheathing 95 a and 96 a on top of insulation panels 91 a and 92 a respectively . jig cap 82 a is then positioned on top of the frame sections 93 a and 94 a . jig cap 82 a includes first and second cap walls 97 a and 98 a which extend perpendicular to each other and slope downward and inward toward each other to form a downward projecting v - shaped structure . the jig cradle 81 a and jig cap 82 a with exterior sheathing panels 89 a and 90 a , insulation panels 91 a and 92 a , frame sections 93 a and 94 a with attached interior sheathing panels 95 a and 96 a positioned therebetween are positioned between upper and lower platens 101 and 102 and pressed together while the adhesive between layers at least partially cures . as seen in fig2 , the second panel of exterior sheathing 90 a is sized wider than the second insulation panel 92 a to cover an end of the first insulation panel 91 a which overlaps with second insulation panel 92 a . similarly the second panel of interior sheathing 96 a is sized wider than the second frame section 94 a so that the wider portion of interior sheathing second panel 96 a covers an end of the first frame section 93 a which overlaps with the second frame section 94 a . first insulation panel 91 a is also wider than second insulation panel 92 a and first frame section 93 a is wider than second frame section 94 a . referring to fig2 and 23 , jig cradle 81 b is also constructed with first and second cradle walls 85 b and 86 b extending perpendicular to each other but sloping downward and outward to form a peaked structure against which first and second panels of exterior sheathing 89 b and 90 b may be laid in forming a laminated inside corner panel 11 b . first and second insulation panels 91 b and 92 b are positioned on top of the exterior sheathing panels 89 b and 90 b with a layer of adhesive therebetween and first and second frame sections 93 b and 94 b with interior sheathing panels 95 b and 96 b fastened thereto are positioned on top of the insulation panels 91 b and 92 b with a layer of adhesive therebetween . jig cap 82 b having outwardly and downwardly sloped , perpendicular first and second cap walls 97 b and 98 b is then positioned over frame sections 93 b and 94 b . the jig cradle 81 b and jig cap 82 b with exterior sheathing panels 89 b and 90 b , insulation panels 91 b and 92 b , frame sections 93 b and 94 b with attached interior sheathing panels 95 b and 96 b positioned therebetween are positioned between upper and lower platens 101 and 102 and pressed together while the adhesive between layers at least partially cures . in them embodiment shown , insulation panel 92 b is longer than and overlaps with an end of insulation panel 91 b and frame section 93 b with attached interior sheathing panel 95 b is longer than and overlaps with frame section 94 b and attached interior sheathing panel 96 b . fig2 is a diagrammatic view of a continuous panel assembly 4 compressed between platens 101 and 102 . the continuous panel assembly 4 includes frame 15 , inner sheathing 25 , insulation layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 . in one embodiment , the inner sheathing 25 is fastened to frame 15 prior to positioning between the platens 101 and 102 . a layer of adhesive is applied between the inner sheathing 25 and the insulation layer 28 and another layer of adhesive is applied between the insulation layer is constructed prior to positioning between platens 101 and 102 . it is to be understood that a wide variety of presses could be used in forming the panels including panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 . it is foreseen that a wide variety of adhesives could be used for adhering the insulation layer 28 to the inner sheathing 25 and exterior sheathing 31 . examples of adhesives may include polyurethane , silicone , silyl terminated polyether and silyl terminated polyurethane . the panel system 1 is particularly well adapted for use in modular construction of the exterior walls of buildings . a computer design program is preferably utilized to aid an architect or designer in selecting the panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 to be assembled together to construct a proposed design or plan . referring to fig2 and 23 , the design program preferably allows the designer to drag and drop graphical representations 91 of each panel from a toolbox 92 or the like into position on a grid or work area 93 on a computer screen or display 94 . the program may allow the architect or designer to initially create a floor plan in a traditional drawing format or import a previously drawn floor plan into the program and then drag and drop in representations 91 of panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 necessary to assemble the design . the program allows the designer to revise the design if necessary based upon limitations as to the size and type of existing panels and positioning of windows 10 and doors 9 . the toolbox 92 also preferably includes labels 95 for each of the graphical representations 91 providing information corresponding to the dimensions of the panel or other information such as whether the corner panel 11 is an outside corner panel 11 a or inside corner panel 11 b . the program can also be used to select and specify the foundation forms , such as j - forms 51 , to be utilized . fig2 represents a screen shot of a computer screen 94 on which a designer is selecting panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 to create the exterior walls of a floor plan . the designer initially drew the outline of the floor plan and then placed representations 91 of outside and inside corner panels 11 a and 11 b in the corners of the floor plan . the designer has also added representations of a couple of window panels 6 and a door panel 5 along one side of the floor plan and has added some of the interior detail . fig2 shows the completed floor plan with graphical representations 91 for all of the exterior wall panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 added to the work area to complete the exterior walls . the designer has also filled in additional detail for the floor plan . in one embodiment of the wall panel system 1 and method of using , the exterior walls will often be designed in even foot increments facilitating use panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 formed in even increments of two , four and eight feet . in such panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 , the frames 15 are preferably formed with studs 19 spaced apart in two foot increments . the addition of the insulating layer 28 and exterior sheathing 31 to the frame 15 results in a panel that is generally stronger than a panel formed from a frame 15 and interior sheathing 25 formed with studs 19 on sixteen inch spacing . the one foot panels 4 may be used where necessary and are particularly well adapted for use around door or window panels 5 and 6 to center the panels relative to a wall if necessary . the program is adapted to inventory the panels incorporated into the design based upon the labels 95 associated with each graphical representation 91 . once the inventory of panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 required to build the proposed design has been prepared using the program , the panels 4 , 5 , 6 and 11 can be ordered from a supplier to be delivered to the construction site for assembly . the supplier may be the manufacturer or wholesale or retail outlets . it is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein , it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown . as used in the claims , identification of an element with an indefinite article “ a ” or “ an ” or the phrase “ at least one ” is intended to cover any device assembly including one or more of the elements at issue . similarly , references to first and second elements is not intended to limit the claims to such assemblies including only two of the elements , but rather is intended to cover two or more of the elements at issue . only where limiting language such as “ a single ” or “ only one ” with reference to an element , is the language intended to be limited to one of the elements specified , or any other similarly limited number of elements . | 6 |
having generally described the present invention , a further understanding can be obtained by reference to the specific preferred embodiments which are provided herein for the purpose of illustration only and not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims . hereinafter , the present invention will be described more specifically while naming preferred embodiments . note that it should be reminded that , in addition to the following preferred embodiments , the contents described in the present specification are properly applicable not only to the insulation film according to the present invention but also to magnetic core powders , powder magnetic cores and production processes for the same . as described above , in the present insulation film , the first elements , such as b , p and o ( additionally fe ), and the second element , such as ca whose ion radius is large , are requisite constituent elements . the b , p and o are network former elements , and ca , and the like , are network modifier elements . it is believed that these elements form glassy insulation films . of course , the elements are requisite constituent elements of the present insulation film , and the present insulation film can contain the other elements . in particular , depending on production processes , it is fully possible to believe that the present insulation film includes the elements ( e . g ., fe , etc .) of mating members to be covered therewith . here , it is necessary to consider the reactivity between the mating members ( e . g ., magnetic powders ) and the present insulation film . namely , when insulation films are likely to react with mating members , insulation films are likely to be destroyed ( or broken ). hence , it is preferable to select the second element of the present insulation film while taking the quality of materials to be covered into consideration . for example , when fe is a major component in the mating members to be covered , the second element can preferably be an element whose standard formation energy of oxide is negatively larger than that of p 2 o 5 . in short , the elements whose standard formation energy of oxide is negatively larger than that of p 2 o 5 are elements which are more likely to be oxidized than p 2 o 5 . note that fe &# 39 ; s standard formation energy of oxide is at the same level as that of p 2 o 5 . accordingly , compared with conventional phosphate films , insulation films , which include the second elements whose standard formation energy of oxide is negatively larger than that of p 2 o 5 , are less likely to react with mating members ( e . g ., magnetic powders , etc .) in which fe is a major component , and are more stable at high temperatures . to put it the other way around , if the second elements &# 39 ; standard formation energy of oxide is negatively smaller than that of p 2 o 5 , it is not preferred because the heat resistance of the resulting insulation films is less than that of conventional phosphate films . the thicker the thickness is , the larger insulation films exhibit resistance . however , when magnetic powders for powder magnetic cores are covered with insulation films , if the thickness is too thick , the magnetic flux density of the formed powder magnetic cores lowers . accordingly , from the viewpoint of securing the magnetic flux density and specific resistance of powder magnetic cores , the present insulation film can preferably have a thickness falling in a range of from 10 to 100 nm , further preferably from 10 to 50 nm . the present magnetic core powder is a magnetic powder whose surface is covered with the present insulation film , and is mainly used for producing magnetic cores . as the magnetic powder which is a raw material powder for the present magnetic core powder , it is possible to think of powders in which ferromagnetic elements are a major component . however , in view of the costs and availability , fe powders are a general option . in particular , a pure iron powder whose purity is 99 . 5 % or more , further 99 . 8 % or more , is a suitable option . as such an iron powder , it is possible to use “ abc100 . 30 ” made by höganäs ab ., for example . in the iron powder , components other than fe are controlled so that c is included in an amount of 0 . 001 % by mass , mn is included in an amount of 0 . 02 % by mass and o is included in an amount of 0 . 08 % by mass . thus , compared with the other commercially available iron powders , the content of impurities is extremely less . moreover , since the pure iron powder is good in terms of the compressibility , it is suitable for producing powder magnetic cores . in addition to pure iron , the magnetic powder can further contain ferromagnetic elements such as cobalt ( co ) and nickel ( ni ). for example , when co is included in an amount of from 5 to 30 % by mass with respect to the entire magnetic powder taken as 100 % by mass , it is preferable because it is possible to improve the magnetic flux density of the resulting powder magnetic cores . in addition to co and ni , si or al can be included in an amount of from 0 . 3 to 4 % by mass approximately with respect to the entire magnetic powder taken as 100 % by mass . of course , it is preferable to decrease the content of impure elements , which lower the magnetic characteristics of the magnetic powder , as much as possible . moreover , the magnetic powder can be mixture powders in which a plurality of powders are mixed . for example , it can be mixture powders such as a mixture powder of a pure iron powder and an fe - 49co - 2v powder and a mixture powder of an fe - 9si - 6al powder and a pure iron powder . in order to highly compact powder magnetic cores , it is suitable that the particle diameters of the magnetic core powder can fall in a range of from 20 to 300 μm , further from 50 to 200 μm . according to tests carried out by the present inventors , from the viewpoint of reducing the eddy current loss , it is preferred that the particle diameters can be finer , for example , can be controlled to 50 μm or less . on the other hand , from the viewpoint of reducing the hysteresis loss , it is preferred that the particle diameters can be coarser , for instance , can be controlled to 100 μm or more . note that it is possible to classify the magnetic powder by a sieve classification method , and the like , with ease . the present powder magnetic core is formed by pressurizing the above - described magnetic powder . as far as the constituent particles of the present powder magnetic core are covered with the present insulation film , its magnetic characteristics , and so forth , do not matter at all . indeed , since the constituent particles are covered with the present insulation film , the present powder magnetic core can secure the electric characteristics ( e . g ., specific resistance ) up to an elevated temperature range . moreover , when a later - described warm high - pressure forming method is employed , it is possible to produce the present powder magnetic core which is remarkably good even in terms of the magnetic characteristics . hereinafter , the electric characteristics , magnetic characteristics and mechanical characteristics of the present powder magnetic core will be described . one of the representative characteristics which index the electric characteristics of powder magnetic cores is the specific resistance . the specific resistance does not depend on the configurations of powder magnetic cores , and is an intrinsic value for every powder magnetic core . when powder magnetic cores have an identical configuration , the larger the specific resistance is the less the eddy current loss is . in the present powder magnetic core , not only the specific resistance is stable up to an elevated temperature range , but also the actual value is large . for example , when the present powder magnetic core is not subjected to annealing after it is formed , the specific resistance is 30 μωm or more , further such a high value as 1 , 000 μωm or more . even in the case where it is subjected to annealing , when the annealing temperature is about 400 ° c ., the specific resistance is 10 μωm or more , further such a high value as 20 μωm or more . moreover , even when the annealing temperature is from 450 to 500 ° c . approximately , it is possible for the present powder magnetic core to securely exhibit the specific resistance of 5 μωm or more , further 10 μωm or more . the representative characteristic which indexes the magnetic characteristics of powder magnetic cores might originally be the magnetic permeability . however , it is understood from general b - h curves that the magnetic permeability is not constant . hence , as a substitute therefor , the magnetic characteristics of powder magnetic cores will be hereinafter specified by the magnetic flux density which is produced when magnetic cores are put in a magnetic field with a predetermined strength . as examples of the specific magnetic field , a low magnetic field ( e . g ., 2 ka / m ) and a high magnetic filed ( e . g ., 10 ka / m ) are selected . in accordance with the magnetic flux densities b 2k and b 10k which are produced when the present powder magnetic core is put in the magnetic fields , the magnetic characteristic of the present powder magnetic core was assessed . according to the present powder magnetic core , it is possible to produce a sufficiently large magnetic flux density such as b 2k ≧ 1 . 1t , further 1 . 2t , furthermore 1 . 3t in the 2 ka / m low magnetic field . moreover , it is possible to produce a sufficiently large magnetic flux density such as b 10k ≧ 1 . 6t , further 1 . 7t in the 10 ka / m high magnetic field . note that magnetic cores do not produce a large magnetic flux density when the saturation magnetization ms is small . however , the present powder magnetic core exhibits such a saturation magnetization ms as ms ≧ 1 . 9t , further 1 . 95t or more , in a 1 . 6 ma / m magnetic field . thus , it can produce a high magnetic flux density even in a high magnetic field . moreover , the coercive force which indexes the magnetic characteristics of powder magnetic cores . in powder magnetic cores , the smaller the coercive force is with respect to alternating magnetic fields , the better the follow - up property is , and the hysteresis loss diminishes . as described above , it is possible to reduce the coercive force by removing residual strain . when annealing is carried out at high temperatures by utilizing the good heat resistance of the present insulation film , the coercive force bhc can be 320 a / m or less , further 300 a / m or less , furthermore such a low value as 290 a / m or less . in the present specification , note that the coercive force bhc is defined by a value which is obtained from a magnetization curve produced in a magnetic filed whose maximum strength is 2 ka / m . one of the representative characteristics which index the mechanical characteristics of powder magnetic cores is the strength . contrary to cast products or sintered products , powder magnetic cores are mainly bound mechanically by the plastic deformation of constituent particles covered with insulation films . accordingly , the strength is poor originally . however , by a later - described warm high - pressure forming method , the present powder magnetic core is strong enough to expand its applications . in particular , even when the magnetic powder covered with the present insulation film comprises a spheroidal gas atomized powder , since the present insulation films are entangled with each other and exert attraction forces , and the like , the actions bind the respective constituent particles of the powder magnetic core firmly . accordingly , it is possible to produce green compacts ( or powder magnetic cores ) which are good in terms of the strength as well . for example , the present powder magnetic core can exhibit such a high strength that a 4 - point bending strength σ is 50 mpa or more , further 100 mpa or more . note that the 4 - point bending strength σ is not prescribed in jis ( i . e ., japanese industrial standard ), but can be determined by the testing methods of green compacts . the present process for producing an insulation film as well as the present process for producing a magnetic core powder comprise basically the contacting step of contacting a mating member ( or magnetic powder ) with a coating treatment liquid , and the following drying step . note that the mating member of the present insulation film is not limited to magnetic powders , but the case where the mating member is a magnetic powder is hereinafter exemplified whenever it is proper . the coating treatment liquid is aqueous solutions which include boric acid , phosphoric acid and the second element designated specifically in the present invention . note that it is not limited to aqueous solutions , but can be solutions which use organic solvents such as ethanol , methanol , isopropyl alcohol , acetone , glycerol . anyway , the coating treatment liquid is made by mixing phosphoric acid and boric acid in the solvents and solving the compounds or salts of alkaline - earth elements or rare - earth elements therein . moreover , surfactants and rust prevention agents can be added to the coating treatment liquid . the surfactants improve the wettability of the coating treatment liquid with respect to magnetic powders ( e . g ., fe powders ), and improve the later - described contacting step so as to form uniform films . the rust prevention agents inhibit magnetic powders ( e . g ., fe powders ) from being oxidized . the contacting step can be carried out by a variety of methods ( or processes ) such as a solution spraying method ( or spraying process ), and a solution immersion method ( immersing process ). in the solution spraying method , the coating treatment liquid is sprayed onto the mating member . in the solution immersion method , the mating member is immersed into the coating treatment liquid . the solution spraying method and the solution immersion method make it possible to process in a large volume , and accordingly are effective methods industrially . moreover , the contacting step is not limited to those methods . uniform films can be formed thinly on a surface of the mating member by utilizing electrochemical reactions such as plating . if such is the case , since the surface of the mating member covered with the insulation films are insulated electrically , the not - covered superficial portion ( or exposed portion ) is naturally reacted with the coating treatment liquid preferentially . as a result , the surface of the mating member ( or magnetic powder ) is coated successively , and accordingly the entire surface of the mating member is covered with the present insulation film uniformly and free from pinholes . moreover , by varying the concentration of the coating treatment liquid used in the contacting step , it is possible to control the thickness of the formed insulation films . when the concentration of the coating treatment liquid is concentrated , the insulation films with a thick thickness are produced . when it is diluted , the insulation films with a thin thickness are produced . of course , the insulation films with a thin thickness can be formed in a laminated manner to make the insulation films with a heavy thickness as a whole . in addition , it is believed that the time for contacting the mating member with the coating treatment liquid affects the thickness of the resulting insulation films . however , since the time for reacting them is short actually , even if the contacting time is prolonged , the thickness varies less when the surface of the mating member is once covered with the coating treatment liquid . in the drying step , the excessive coating treatment liquid adhered to the mating member and the solvent are given off . the drying step can be carried out by drying with heat , or can even be carried out by drying naturally . indeed , in order to stably and quickly fix the present insulation film on a surface of the mating member , drying with heat ( i . e ., a heating - drying step ) is a preferable option . the heating temperature can preferably fall in a range of from 200 to 350 ° c . approximately . the heating time can preferably fall in a range of from 10 to 60 minutes approximately . note that regarding the heating atmosphere , the drying step can be carried out in degassed vacuum or in nitrogen , but it is suffice to carry out the drying step in air . the present process for producing a powder magnetic core comprises basically the filling step of filling the above - described magnetic core powder in a forming mold , and the forming step of forming the filled magnetic core powder by pressurizing . in order to improve the magnetic characteristics of the resulting powder magnetic cores , the important step is the forming step . in particular , from the viewpoint of highly densifying the powder magnetic cores and making them produce high magnetic flux density , and the like , accompanying therewith , the forming pressure is very important . indeed , when the forming pressure is enlarged , it is likely to cause galling and / or scoring between an inner surface of the forming mold and the magnetic core powder , to sharply enlarge the pressure for ejecting the resulting powder magnetic cores , and to remarkably shorten the longevity of the forming mold . accordingly , in conventional forming methods , it is difficult to actually enlarge the forming pressure . however , as described above , the present inventors established a revolutionary hot high - pressure forming method , and solved the problem . in the warm high - pressure forming method , the filling step is adapted so that a magnetic core powder is filled in a forming mold in which a higher fatty acid - based lubricant is applied to an inner surface thereof , and the forming step is adapted to be such a high - pressure forming step that a metallic soap film is generated between the magnetic core powder and the inner surface of the forming mold . naming an example , when a powder in which fe is a major component is used as the magnetic powder and lithium stearate is used as the higher fatty acid - based lubricant , a metallic soap film is formed on an outer surface of the resulting powder magnetic cores which contacts with the inner surface of the forming mold . the metallic soap film comprises iron stearate which is good in terms of the lubricating property . due to the presence of the iron stearate film , galling and / or scoring , and the like , do not take place . moreover , the resulting powder magnetic cores can be removed from the forming mold with a very low ejection force . in addition , the longevity of the forming mold is little shortened . hereinafter , the innovative production process will be described in more detail . when carrying out the filling step , it is necessary to apply a higher fatty acid - based lubricant to an inner surface of the forming mold ( i . e ., a coating step ). in addition to higher fatty acids themselves , it is suitable that the higher fatty acid - based lubricant to be applied can be metallic salts of higher fatty acids . the metallic salts of higher fatty acids can be lithium salts , calcium salts , zinc salts , and the like . in particular , lithium stearate , calcium stearate and zinc stearate can be preferable options . in addition , it is also possible to use barium stearate , lithium palmitate , lithium oleate , calcium pamitate , calcium oleate , and so forth . it is suitable to adapt the coating step so that the higher fatty acid - based lubricant , which is dispersed in water or an aqueous solution , is sprayed into the forming mold , which is heated . when the higher fatty acid - based lubricant is dispersed in water , or the like , it is possible to uniformly spray the higher fatty acid - based lubricant onto the inner surface of the forming mold . moreover , when it is sprayed into the heated forming mold , the water content evaporates quickly so that it is possible to uniformly adhere the higher fatty acid - based lubricant on the inner surface of the forming mold . in this instance , although it is necessary to take the temperature in the forming step described later into consideration , it is sufficient to heat the forming mold to a temperature of 100 ° c . or more , for example . in actuality , however , it is preferable to control the heating temperature to less than the melting point of the higher fatty acid - based lubricant in order to form a uniform higher fatty acid - based lubricant film . for instance , when lithium stearate is used as the higher fatty acid - based lubricant , the heating temperature can preferably be controlled to less than 200 ° c . further , when the higher fatty acid - based lubricant is dispersed in water , or the like , note that it is preferred that the higher fatty acid - based lubricant can be included in an amount of from 0 . 1 to 5 % by mass , further from 0 . 5 to 2 % by mass , with respect to the entire mass of the resulting aqueous solution taken as 100 % by mass . thus , a uniform lubricant film can be formed on the inner surface of the forming mold . furthermore , in dispersing the higher fatty acid - based lubricant in water , or the like , it is possible to uniformly disperse the higher fatty acid - based lubricant when a surfactant is added to water , or the like , in advance . as such a surfactant , it is possible to use 6 - grade polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether ( eo ), 10 - grade polyoxyethylene nonyl phenol ether ( eo ), anionic surfactants , cationic surfactants , amphoteric surfactants , nonionic surfactants , boric acid ester - based emulbon “ t - 80 ” ( trade name ), and the like , for example . it is possible to combine two or more of the surfactants to use . for instance , when lithium stearate is used as the higher fatty acid - based lubricant , it is preferable to use three kinds of surfactants , 6 - grade polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether ( eo ), 10 - grade polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether ( eo ) and boric acid ester emulbon “ t - 80 ” ( trade name ), at the same time . this is because , when the surfactants are added combinedly to the higher fatty acid - based lubricant aqueous solution , the dispersibility of lithium stearate to water , or the like , is furthermore activated , compared with the case where one and only surfactant is added to water , or the like . moreover , in order to prepare the higher fatty acid - based lubricant aqueous solution which exhibits a viscosity applicable to spraying , the proportion of the surfactant can preferably be controlled in a range of from 1 . 5 to 15 % by volume with respect to the entire mass of the resulting aqueous solution taken as 100 % by volume . in addition to the surfactant , it is preferable to further add an antifoaming agent in a small amount . this is because , when the aqueous solution , which bubbles vigorously , is sprayed , it is less likely to uniformly form a higher fatty acid - based lubricant film on the inner surface of the forming mold . the antifoaming agent can be silicone - based antifoaming agents , for example . the addition proportion of the antifoaming agent can preferably fall in a range of from 0 . 1 to 1 % by volume approximately with respect to the entire volume of the aqueous solution taken as 100 % by volume , for instance . it is suitable that the particles of the fatty acid - based lubricant , which is dispersed in water , or the like , can preferably have a maximum particle diameter of less than 30 μm . when the maximum particle diameter is 30 μm or more , the particles of the higher fatty acid - based lubricant are likely to precipitate in the resulting aqueous solution so that it is difficult to uniformly apply the higher fatty acid - based lubricant on the inner surface of the forming mold . it is possible to carry out applying the aqueous solution , in which the higher fatty acid - based lubricant is dispersed , by using spraying guns for coating operations , electrostatic guns , and the like . note that the inventors of the present invention examined the relationship between the applying amounts of the higher fatty acid - based lubricant and the pressures required for ejecting green compacts . according to the results , it has been understood that it is preferable to apply the higher fatty acid - based lubricant in such a thickness of from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 μm approximately on the inner surface of the forming mold . although the details have not been cleared yet , it is believed that the above - described metallic soap film is generated by mechanochemical reactions . specifically , due to the reactions , the present magnetic core powder ( especially , the present insulation film ) and the higher fatty acid - based lubricant are bonded chemically . a metallic soap film , for example , an iron salt film of a higher fatty acid , is formed on a surface of a green compact of the present magnetic core powder . the resulting metallic soap film is firmly bonded to the surface of the green compact , and effects better lubricating performance than the higher fatty acid - based lubricant does which has been adhered to the inner surface of the forming mold . as a result , the frictional force is reduced sharply between the inner surface of the forming mold and the outer surface of the green compact . accordingly , it is believed that it is possible to carry out forming with high pressures . although the respective particles of the present powder for a magnetic core are covered with the present insulation film , elements , which facilitate the formation of the metallic soap film , are included as major components in the present insulation film . accordingly , it is believed that the metallic soap film ( or the film made of the higher - fatty - acid metallic salts ) is formed based on the elements . such metallic - soap - film formation facilitating elements are fe , a major component of magnetic powders , and the elements designated as the second element in the present invention , for example . in the forming step , the term , “ warm ,” implies that the forming step is carried out under properly heated conditions according to specific conditions . indeed , it is preferable in general to control the forming temperature to 100 ° c . or more in order to facilitate the reaction between the present magnetic core powder and the higher fatty acid - based lubricant . moreover , it is preferable in general to control the forming temperature to 200 ° c . or less in order to inhibit the present insulation film from being destroyed and inhibit the higher fatty acid - based lubricant from being degraded . in addition , it is more suitable to control the forming temperature in a range of from 120 to 180 ° c . the extent of “ pressurizing ” in the forming step is determined according to the characteristics of desired powder magnetic cores , the types of magnetic core powders , insulation films and higher fatty acid - based lubricants , the material qualities and inner surface properties of the forming mold , and the like . however , when the revolutionary production process is used , it is possible to carry out forming under high pressures which are beyond conventional forming pressures . accordingly , it is possible to control the forming pressure to 700 mpa or more , further 785 mpa or more , furthermore 1 , 000 mpa or more , moreover 2 , 000 mpa or more , for example . the higher the forming pressure is , it is possible to produce a powder magnetic core with a higher density . indeed , taking the longevity of forming mold and the productivity into consideration , it is desirable to control the forming pressure to 2 , 000 mpa or less , more desirably to 1 , 500 mpa or less . note that , in the case where the innovative warm high - pressure forming method is used , the present inventors have confirmed by experiments that the ejecting pressure reaches the maximum when the forming pressure is about 600 mpa , and that the ejecting pressure lowers instead when the forming pressure is 600 mpa or more . even when the forming pressure was varied in a range of from 900 to 2 , 000 mpa , the ejecting pressure was maintained at such a very low value as 5 mpa approximately . from these facts , it is understood how the metallic soap film , which is formed by the revolutionary warm high - pressure forming method , one of the production processes according to the present invention , is good in terms of the lubricating property . thus , it is seen that the warm high - pressure forming method is optimum as a production process for powder magnetic cores which require high densification by forming with high pressures . not limited to the case where lithium stearate is used as the higher fatty acid - based lubricant , such phenomena can occur similarly even when calcium stearate and zinc stearate are used as the higher fatty acid - based lubricant . the annealing step is carried out in order to remove residual stress and strain from green compacts . accordingly , the coercive force of the present powder magnetic core is reduced , the hysteresis loss is reduced , and the follow - up property with respect to alternating magnetic fields improves at the same time . consequently , the magnetic characteristics of the present powder magnetic core are upgraded . the heating temperature in this instance depends on the material qualities of magnetic powders , however , it can preferably fall in a range of from 300 to 600 ° c ., further preferably from 300 to 600 ° c ., when fe is a major component of magnetic powders . moreover , the heating time can preferably fall in a range of from 1 to 300 minutes , further preferably from 5 to 60 minutes . when the heating temperature is less than 300 ° c ., the advantage of reducing residual stress and strain is effected less . when it exceeds 600 ° c ., insulation films are likely to be destroyed . moreover , when the heating time is less than 1 minute , the advantage of reducing residual stress and strain is effected less . when green compacts are heated for beyond 300 minutes , the advantage is not upgraded all the more . in the present powder magnetic core , since the constituent particles are covered with the present insulation film whose heat resistance is good , it is possible to more securely remove the residual strain by heightening the annealing temperature than conventional practices , for example , from 400 to 500 ° c . for instance , when green compacts are made from magnetic core powders whose major component is fe , the annealing step can be carried out so that the green compacts are cooled gradually after they are heated to 400 ° c . or more . of course , when the annealing step is carried out at a temperature at the same level as conventional annealing temperatures , for example , from 300 to 400 ° c ., the specific resistance of the present magnetic core is lowered only by lesser extent because the present insulation film affords great resistance allowance . the present powder magnetic core can be applied to a variety of electromagnetic appliances , such as motors , actuators , transformers , induction heaters ( ih ) and speakers . since the specific resistance as well as the magnetic permeability can be enlarged in the present powder magnetic core , it is possible to highly enhance the performance of the various appliances , downsize them , make them energy - efficient , and the like , while suppressing the energy loss . for example , when the present powder magnetic core is incorporated into fuel injection valves of automotive engines , and so forth , it is possible to realize downsizing them , making them high power and simultaneously making them high response because not only the present powder magnetic core is good in terms of the magnetic characteristics but also its iron loss is less . moreover , the present powder magnetic core is not only good in terms of the magnetic characteristics but also in terms of the heat resistance . accordingly , it is further preferred when the present powder magnetic core is used in products which are used under high - temperature environments . as an example , it is possible to name electromagnetic actuators used for driving engine valves . such an electromagnetic actuator is set forth in japanese unexamined patent publication ( kokai ) no . 2001 - 118 , 725 , and so on . in addition , when the present powder magnetic core is used in motors such as dc machines , induction machines and synchronous machines , it is suitable because it is possible to satisfy both downsizing and making motors high power . the present invention will be hereinafter described in more detail with reference to examples . as a raw material powder , a commercially available fe powder was prepared which was produced by höganäs ab ., had a trade name “ abc100 . 30 ,” and included fe in an amount of 99 . 8 % by mass . here , the raw material powder was not classified , and was used as it was supplied . accordingly , the particle diameters fell in a range of about 20 to 180 μm . an insulation film is coated on the raw material powder in the following manner . first , an oxide of an alkaline - earth element ( i . e ., a compound of an alkaline - earth element ) or a nitrate of a rare - earth element ( i . e ., a salt of a rare - earth element ), both being a commercially available reagent , boric acid ( h 3 bo 3 ) and phosphoric acid ( h 3 po 4 ) were charged into ion - exchanged water , and were stirred to dissolve therein . then , a plurality of coating stock liquids were prepared by changing the types of the using alkaline - earth element oxide or rare - earth element nitrate , or by varying the mixing proportion thereof with respect to the boric acid ( h 3 bo 3 ) and phosphoric acid ( h 3 po 4 ). table 2 below summarizes the compositions of the prepared coating stock liquids . note that the coating stock liquids were used as they were , or were diluted properly with the ion - exchanged water to use them as coating liquids ( i . e ., coating treatment liquids ). next , the various coating liquids were dropped in an amount of 20 ml over the fe powder , being a magnetic powder , which was put in a 100 ml beaker in an amount of 100 g ( i . e ., a contacting step ). after leaving the mixtures for 5 minutes , the fe powder was taken out of the beakers , and was dried with an electric furnace at 300 ° c . for 30 minutes in air ( i . e ., a drying step ). thus , insulation films were fixed on a surface of the fe powder to produce magnetic core powders which were used as raw material powders for powder magnetic cores . with respect to the thus produced various magnetic core powders for every samples , two types of test pieces , ring - shaped test pieces and plate - shaped test pieces , were produced by carrying out a warm high - pressure forming method with a lubricated mold . the ring - shaped test pieces were ø39 mm outside diameter , ø30 mm inside diameter and 5 mm thick . the plate - shaped test pieces were 5 mm thick , 10 mm wide and 55 mm long . the ring - shaped test pieces were for assessing the magnetic characteristics . the plate - shaped test pieces were for assessing the electric resistance . note that no internal lubricants , resinous binders , and the like , were not mixed at all with the magnetic core powders in forming the test pieces ( or magnetic cores ). the warm high - pressure forming was carried out specifically in the following manner . forming molds were prepared which had cavities conforming to the shapes of the aforementioned test pieces and were made from cemented carbide . the forming molds were heated to 150 ° c . with a band heater in advance . note that an inner peripheral surface of the forming molds were subjected to a tin coating treatment in advance , and its superficial roughness was controlled to 0 . 4z . then , onto the inner peripheral surface of the heated forming molds , lithium stearate , which was dispersed in an aqueous solution , was applied uniformly with a spraying gun at a rate of 1 cm 3 / sec . approximately ( i . e ., an applying step ). the aqueous solution used herein was made by adding a surfactant and an antifoaming agent to water . as the surfactant , 6 - grade polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether ( eo ), 10 - grade polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether ( eo ) and boric acid ester - based emulbon “ t - 80 ” ( trade name ) were used , and each of them was added in an amount of 1 % by volume each with respect to the entire aqueous solution taken as 100 % by volume . moreover , as the antifoaming agent , “ fs antifoam 80 ” ( trade name ) was used , and was added in an amount of 0 . 2 % by volume with respect to the entire aqueous solution taken as 100 % by volume . moreover , the used lithium stearate exhibited a melting point of about 225 ° c ., and had an average particle diameter of 20 μm . it was dispersed in an amount of 25 g with respect to 100 cm 3 of the aforementioned aqueous solution . then , the lithium stearate was further subjected to a finely - pulverizing treatment by using a ball - mill type pulverizer provided with steel balls covered with “ telflon ” ( trade name ) for 100 hours . the resulting stock liquid was diluted by 20 times to prepare an aqueous solution whose final concentration was 1 % by mass . the thus prepared aqueous solution was used in the above - described applying step . the aforementioned various magnetic core powders were filled in the forming molds whose inner surface was covered with the lithium stearate ( i . e ., a filling step ). note that the magnetic core powders were heated to 150 ° c . in advance as high as the forming molds were heated . while holding the temperature of the forming molds at 150 ° c ., the filled various magnetic core powders were warm formed with a forming pressure of 1 , 176 mpa ( i . e ., a forming step ). note that , in the warm high - pressure forming , none of the magnetic core powders cause galling , and the like , between them and the forming molds , and the resultant green compacts could be taken out of the molds with an ejecting pressure as low as 5 mpa approximately . the thus produced green compacts were properly subjected to annealing under such condition that the annealing temperature was 400 ° c . or 500 ° c ., the annealing time was 30 minutes , and the atmosphere was air . comparative examples were also produced in the same manner as examples . first , a magnetic powder was covered with insulation films to produce magnetic core powders . then , the magnetic core powders were used to produce powder magnetic cores . the comparative examples differed from the examples regarding the compositions of coating liquids which were used to coat the surface of the magnetic powder . table 2 summarizes the compositions of the coating liquids used in comparative examples together with those used in examples . first , the aforementioned plate - shaped test pieces were used to assess the heat resistance of the insulation films . the assessment method was as follows . three kinds of the test pieces , the test pieces as formed ( i . e ., test pieces before annealing ), the test pieces annealed at 400 ° c . and the test pieces annealed at 500 ° c ., were prepared respectively , and were subjected to a volumetric specific resistance measurement . note that the volumetric specific resistance measurement was carried out with a micro - ohmmeter , which was made by hewlett - packard co ., ltd . and had a model number “ 34420a ,” by means of a four - probe method . table 3 sets forth the measurement results . in all of the test pieces , the specific resistance lowered sharply before and after the annealing . however , in the examples , both of the test pieces annealed at 400 ° c . and the test pieces annealed at 500 ° c . showed that the lowering of the specific resistances ( or reduction rate ) was remarkably less compared with those shown by the comparative examples . moreover , in the comparative examples , even the test pieces annealed at 400 ° c . already showed sharply reduced specific resistances . on the other hand , in the examples , it is understood that not only the test pieces annealed at 400 ° c . but also the test pieces annealed at 500 ° c . maintained sufficiently high specific resistances . thus , it was verified that the insulation films according to the present invention were good in terms of the heat resistance . next , a variety of the above - described ring - shaped test pieces and plate - shaped test pieces were prepared , and their magnetic characteristics and electric characteristics were assessed . also in this assessment , the test pieces were prepared with or without annealing and the annealing temperature was varied in order to carry out diverse measurements . here , in addition to the above - described specific resistance , the test pieces were measured for the various magnetic characteristics and density . tables 4 and 5 recite the measurement results . alternating coating liquid magnetic anneal - field composi - ing static magnetic field characteristic charactristic tion of temp . max . ( 1 . 0 t / 800 hz ) stock (° c .) mag - ( kw / m 3 ) liquid ( in air , netic coer - hys - eddy cific den - ( stock heating perme - cive total tere - cur - resis - sity test piece liquid dilution for 30 ( t ) ability force loss sis rent tance (× 10 3 no . no .) ratio min .) b 1k b 2k b 5k b 8k b 10k ( μm ) ( a / m ) pc loss ph loss pe ( μωm ) kg / m 3 ) ex . 9 ca — b — p — o 20 time 400 0 . 82 1 . 20 1 . 52 1 . 66 1 . 72 690 320 1160 800 380 15 7 . 71 ( stock liquid no . 1 ) 10 sr — b — p — o stock 400 0 . 32 0 . 64 1 . 09 1 . 31 1 . 40 270 300 970 890 80 1240 7 . 47 11 ( stock liquid 500 0 . 36 0 . 67 1 . 12 1 . 32 1 . 40 280 280 920 740 180 728 7 . 45 liquid itself 12 no . 2 ) 5 times 400 0 . 60 1 . 02 1 . 42 1 . 56 1 . 64 490 310 930 780 150 124 7 . 61 13 500 0 . 66 1 . 07 1 . 44 1 . 59 1 . 65 530 280 940 680 260 51 7 . 63 14 10 times 400 0 . 88 1 . 26 1 . 56 1 . 68 1 . 74 740 300 1120 790 330 30 7 . 69 15 500 0 . 90 1 . 29 1 . 57 1 . 69 1 . 74 750 290 1140 720 320 20 7 . 68 16 20 times w / o 0 . 80 1 . 23 1 . 57 1 . 69 1 . 74 650 360 1020 870 150 40 7 . 7 anneal - ing 17 400 0 . 92 1 . 30 1 . 58 1 . 70 1 . 74 820 320 1300 770 530 12 7 . 7 18 500 0 . 99 1 . 34 1 . 60 1 . 71 1 . 78 850 290 1550 710 840 8 7 . 7 19 sr — b — p — o 20 times 400 1 . 88 1 . 26 1 . 56 1 . 68 1 . 74 770 320 1290 800 490 10 7 . 72 ( stock liquid no . 3 ) 20 y — b — p — o stock 400 0 . 72 1 . 11 1 . 46 1 . 60 1 . 67 580 320 1020 810 210 17 7 . 64 ( stock liquid liquid itself no . 4 ) 21 y — b — p — o stock 400 0 . 72 1 . 11 1 . 48 1 . 62 1 . 68 590 320 1010 800 200 24 . 7 . 67 ( stock liquid liquid itself no . 5 ) [ 0124 ] table 5 alternating coating liquid magnetic an - neal - field composi - ing static magnetic field characteristic characteristic tion of temp . max . ( 1 . 0 t / 800 hz ) stock (° c .) mag - ( kw / m 3 ) liquid ( in air , netic coer - hys - eddy cific den - ( stock heating perme - cive total tere - cur - resis - sity test piece liquid dilution for 30 ( t ) ability force loss sis rent tance (× 10 3 no . no .) ratio min .) b 1k b 2k b 5k b 8k b 10k ( μm ) ( a / m ) pc loss ph loss pe ( μωm ) kg / m 3 ) comp . c6 p — o 20 time 400 0 . 65 1 . 09 1 . 46 1 . 60 1 . 66 760 340 2160 900 1260 6 7 . 7 ex . ( stock liquid no . c1 ) c7 b — p — o 20 400 0 . 78 1 . 17 1 . 50 1 . 63 1 . 69 650 320 3140 800 2340 3 7 . 68 ( stock times liquid no . c2 ) c8 b — p — o 20 400 0 . 80 1 . 16 1 . 47 1 . 60 1 . 67 690 330 3110 800 2310 3 7 . 65 ( stock times liquid no . c3 ) c9 b — p — o 20 4000 0 . 60 0 . 96 1 . 36 1 . 52 1 . 59 500 340 3360 800 2560 3 7 . 61 ( stock times liquid no . c4 ) c10 mg — b — p — o 20 400 0 . 57 1 . 04 1 . 48 1 . 60 1 . 67 600 320 2160 800 1360 6 7 . 7 ( stock times liquid no . c5 ) note that the magnetic characteristics were examined in the following manner . the static magnetic filed characteristics were measured with a dc self - recording magnetic - flux meter , which was made by toei kogyo co ., ltd . and had a model number “ model - trf .” the alternating magnetic field characteristics were measured with an ac b - h curve tracer , which was made by iwasaki tsushinki co ., ltd . and had a model number “ sy - 8232 .” in the alternating magnetic characteristics recited in tables 4 and 5 , the iron loss was measured when the powder magnetic cores ( or test pieces ) were put in a magnetic field whose frequency was 800 hz and magnetic flux density was 1 . 0t . moreover , in tables 4 and 5 , the magnetic flux densities in the static magnetic field specify the magnetic flux densities which were produced when the strength of the magnetic filed was varied in the order of 1 , 2 , 5 , 8 and 10 ka / m sequentially , and are recited in the respective tables &# 39 ; columns designated with b 1k , b 2k , b 5k , b 8k and b 10k respectively . the coercive force bhc was a value obtained from a magnetization curve produced in a magnetic curve whose maximum strength was 2 ka / m . the density was measured by an archimedes method . note that the maximum permeability was expressed by μm . when the respective measurement results on the examples are observed , in all of the test pieces , the more concentrated the concentration of the coating liquid is , the more the specific resistance enlarges , and the iron loss is reduced . moreover , when the annealing temperature is high , the specific resistance decreases so that the eddy current loss tends to increase , however , the residual strain is reduced contrarily so that the hysteresis loss is reduced . as a result , it is understood that , depending on the concentration of the coating liquid , it is possible to reduce the iron loss as a whole . at present , it has not been cleared yet on the quantitative relationship between the concentration of the coating liquid and the thickness , and the like , of the insulation film . however , the more concentrated the concentration of the coating liquid is , the thicker the thickness of the insulation film is . accordingly , this phenomenon is believed to result in the above - described advantages . for example , when test piece no . 14 was measured for the thickness of the insulation film by using a tem ( i . e ., transmission electron microscope ), it was found to fall in a range of from 20 to 30 nm . moreover , the measurement results of the examples are compared with those of the comparative example . when the specific resistances were at the same level with each other , the test pieces of the examples produced larger magnetic flux densities than those of the comparative examples did . in addition , when the magnetic flux densities were at the same level with each other , the test pieces of the examples exhibited larger specific resistances than those of the comparative examples did . as a result , in the examples , the iron loss , particularly the eddy current loss , was reduced as well . unless the insulation film is made of a magnetic material , it is inevitable that the specific resistance and magnetic flux density of powder magnetic cores are in a trade - off relationship . however , the relationship in the examples is more favorable than that in conventional ones . specifically , in the examples , both of the specific resistance and magnetic flux density are in such a relationship that they are larger than conventional ones . as such an example , fig1 illustrates the relationship between the specific resistance ρ ( μωm ) and the magnetic flux density b 10k ( t ). note that the data plotted in fig1 belong to the examples according to the present invention and comparative examples set forth in tables 4 and 5 . the straight line shown in fig1 is expressed by the following equation : b 10k + 0 . 2log 10 ρ = 1 . 9 . note that the data exhibited by the test pieces of the examples exist in a region above the straight line , i . e ., b 10k + 0 . 21log 10 ρ ≧ 1 . 9 . having now fully described the present invention , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as set forth herein including the appended claims . | 8 |
the preferred embodiment of the present invention and its advantages are best understood by referring to the drawings , like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings . fig2 depicts a diagrammatic view of the beam splitting cube 300 which provides optical isolation and optical reflection of light beams relative to the polarization of such light beams . a first optic light source 310 preferably having a polarized counterclockwise rotation of forty five degrees relative to the horizontal axis 500 of the first light source enters the cube 300 passing through a first face of the cube 320 directed towards the cube interface 330 wherein the interface is coated with an optical coating 340 . in a preferred embodiment , the cube is coated with an anti - reflective coating ( not shown ), the interface coating is a broadband coating for the range of 1300 - 1600 nm , and the first optic light source is a polarized laser source . approximately 99 % of the first optic light source is transmitted at the interface and is directed to a second face of the cube 350 , wherein the transmitted portion 360 of the first light source is emitted from the second face 350 . the remaining 1 % non - transmitted portion of the first optic light source is isolated from the laser source due to the presence of the faraday rotator which prevents the light from traveling in the source light &# 39 ; s direction . a second optic light source 400 preferably having a polarized clockwise rotation of forty five degrees relative to the horizontal axis 500 of the first light source enters the cube 300 passing through a second face of the cube 350 directed towards the cube interface 330 wherein approximately 99 % of the second optic light source is transmitted by reflection to a third face of the cube 370 and the transmitted portion 410 of the second light source is emitted from the third face 370 . use of polarizing beam splitter cube virtually eliminates the light intensity losses of traditional beam splitting plates , resulting in 50 - 87 % more light in the final image . another benefit of using polarizing beam splitting cube is the virtual elimination of ghost images from reflected light . fig3 depicts a diagrammatic view of the optical isolator and circulator in a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a first light source 600 , which is preferably a polarized laser source , is transmitted through a polarizer 610 , a faraday rotator 620 , and optionally an analyzer 630 , wherein the combination 640 of the polarizer , faraday rotator and optional analyzer are aligned relative to one another such that in a preferred embodiment , the combination is a faraday isolator 640 , and is emitted as a first rotated light source 650 . in a preferred embodiment the faraday isolator 640 is part of a first transceiver device 700 which is capable of transmitting and receiving polarized light beams and comprises a first transmitter 601 and first receiver 602 . the first rotated light source 650 , preferably rotated counterclockwise forty five degrees , is directed to the beam splitting cube 300 and passes through an interface 330 having a broadband optical coating 340 wherein a first emitted beam 660 , having approximately 99 % of the first rotated light source intensity , is directed to a second receiving means 800 , which in a preferred embodiment the receiving means is part of a second transceiver 810 which is capable of transmitting and receiving polarized light beams , and further comprises a second transmitter 901 . a second light source 900 , which is preferably a polarized laser source , is transmitted through a polarizer 910 , a faraday rotator 920 and optionally an analyzer 930 wherein the combination of the polarizer , the faraday rotator and the optional analyzer are aligned relative to one another and a first light source 600 such that in a preferred embodiment , the combination is a faraday isolator 940 , and is emitted as a second rotated light source 950 wherein the second clockwise rotated light source is preferably at a polarization of forty five degrees . the second rotated light sources 950 is directed to the beam splitter cube 300 and is reflected from the interface 330 , wherein a reflected beam 960 having approximately 99 % of the second rotated light source intensity is directed towards a third receiving means 1000 which is positioned perpendicular to the first transmitted beam 650 and parallel to the cube 300 . in a preferred embodiment , the first light source and the second light source transmit respective light sources simultaneously . in another preferred embodiment , a fiber means 1100 connects the first transceiver 700 , the second transceiver 810 , the beam splitting cube 300 , and the third receiving means 1000 . fig4 depicts a preferred embodiment of the present invention having a beam splitting cube integrated with transceiver devices . fig4 a shows the beam splitting cube 300 integrated with a first transceiver device 700 . a first rotated light 650 passes through the cube and is directed to a second transceiver device 810 . the second transceiver device 810 transmits a second rotated light source 950 to the integrated cube 300 and a reflected beam 960 results which is received by the first transceiver 700 . optionally , the beam splitting cube may be integrated with the second transceiver so the second transceiver receives both the first rotated light 650 and the reflected beam 960 . fig4 b shows an optional fiber connection 1500 in conjunction with an integrated cube . the fiber connection 1500 provides a communications path between each of the transceivers excluding the cube . fig4 c shows a cube 300 integrated with both a first and second transceivers 700 , 810 , and an optional fiber path 1510 for a resulting reflected beam . fig5 depicts a further preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein a plurality of beam splitting cubes 300 , 301 and arranged to permit bidirectional communications . in fig5 a first transmitted light source 650 to pass through a first beam splitting cube 300 and a first emitted beam 660 is directed away from the cube 300 . a second transmitted light source 950 is emitted from a second transceiver device 810 and is thereafter directed to a second beam splitting cube 301 wherein a first reflected beam 302 is emitted and is thereafter directed to a first beam splitting cube 300 such that the resulting emitted beam 1200 is reflected from the first beam splitting cube 300 and is thereafter directed to a receiving means 602 of the first transceiver device 700 . fig5 depicts two beam splitting cubes by way of example and not of limitation such that a plurality of cubes may further be arranged for bidirectional communication . in a further preferred embodiment , a fiber means 1250 connects the first transceiver 700 , the second transceiver 810 , and the first 300 and second 301 beam splitting cubes . fig6 depicts the cubes 300 , 301 integrally arranged with transceivers 700 , 810 , and having optical light paths traveling in a similar manner as previously discussed for fig5 . | 6 |
fig1 is a simplified block diagram of a communication system 10 for communicating , receiving , and transmitting data in a session initiation protocol ( sip ) environment . communication system 10 includes endpoints 12 a - 12 d , a public switched telephone network ( pstn ) 14 , an internet 16 , a data network 18 , a broadband access link 20 , and a number of additional links 22 ( which may include , for example , a digital subscriber line ( dsl ) link , a t 1 link , a fiber optic link , and a wireless link ). communication system 10 also includes a set of trunk gateways 24 and 26 , a 3rd - party application server 30 , and a class - 5 switch 32 . endpoint 12 a represents a residential location , which consists of a computer 40 and several telephones 42 . telephones 42 may be an internet protocol ( ip ) telephone or a standard telephone that is operable to interface with computer 40 such that one or more capabilities of sip are enabled through telephone 42 . accordingly , two types of telephones are illustrated in fig1 . endpoint 12 b represents a small business entity , which consists of a local area network ( lan ), a router , several computers 40 , and several telephones 42 . endpoint 12 c represents a medium business entity , which consists of a lan , router , a private branch exchange ( pbx ) or key system , several computers 40 , and several telephones 42 . endpoint 12 d is a large business entity , which consists of a lan , a router , a switch , a line gateway , several computers 40 , and several telephones 42 . in accordance with the teachings of the present invention , communication system 10 offers a new caller id technology service that allows for an effective identification ( and enhanced data - retrieval mechanism ) to facilitate an optimal call session for a receiving party . in the traditional telephony environment , the caller id is provided by text information with the caller &# 39 ; s telephone number and / or the actual name of the calling entity . with the integration of sip into a voip solution , alternative information ( associated with the caller ) may be provided to the called party using ip - based technology . when a caller has placed a call , the called party &# 39 ; s device ( e . g . an ip telephone ) can invoke a web browser and / or a presence - enabled sip client in order to provide unique information about the caller . sip , as a technology platform enables this in two ways . first , this is enabled by allowing web links to be included in the actual call set - up message ( e . g . an invite ) so that a directory can be queried to determine any supplemental information about the caller , which is subsequently provided to the called party . using the corporate directory as an example , the called party may be informed of the caller &# 39 ; s position in the organization , the caller &# 39 ; s method of contact other than phone number ( e . g ., instant message , alias , etc . ), and the identity of the caller ( e . g . via a picture of the caller and even an optional voice or video greeting from the caller ). second , the sip technology supports a presence capability to query for the caller &# 39 ; s presence . this would provide a presence availability status for the caller , location information , device information , as well as any personal presence status that the caller wishes to communicate to the called party . hence , communication system 10 builds on the traditional caller id capabilities and extends it to provide enhanced information to the called party . this can be achieved using voip , specifically sip in particular embodiments . sip allows for the indication that the enhanced information is available and , further offers a mechanism to collect the information . in the context of presence - unique information , the sip technology provides specific information to the called party . communication system 10 offers unique and diverse protocols to inform the called party of caller information , to collect caller information , and to display caller information . in order to further explain and detail these operations and others , a number of additional examples are provided herein in this document and discussed below with reference to fig2 - 3 . endpoints 12 a - d are sip - compatible elements that include hardware and / or software that is operable to receive and to transmit data ( directly or indirectly ) and to implement the enhanced caller id feature as outlined herein . note that the term “ endpoint ” encompasses a myriad of potential devices and infrastructure that may benefit from the operations of communication system 10 . endpoints 12 a - d may be a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a cellular telephone , a standard telephone ( which may be coupled to a personal computer ) an ip telephone , a personal computer , a laptop computer , a mobile telephone , or any other suitable device or element ( or any appropriate combination of these elements ) that is operable to receive data or information . each endpoint may also include suitable network equipment and appropriate infrastructure ( e . g ., switches , routers , lans , gateways , etc .) to facilitate a sip session . fig1 illustrates only one set of example devices that may be used within communication system 10 . the present invention is replete with numerous alternatives that could be used to facilitate the operations of communication system 10 . note that the term “ endpoint ” may also encompass a “ persona .” entities that participate in call each generally have a persona . the persona represents an aggregation of the various devices and / or logical addresses that can be used by a person to communicate with another . for example , the persona of an employee named denise could be represented by her phone number , her fully qualified domain name , her e - mail address , and / or the ip address port of her instant messaging application on her personal computer . any number of these variables ( or others ) could be used to reflect denise &# 39 ; s persona . it should also be noted that the internal structure of endpoints 12 a - d are malleable and can be readily changed , modified , rearranged , or reconfigured in order to achieve their intended operations as they pertain to the enhanced caller id function . as identified supra , software and / or hardware may reside in endpoints 12 a - d in order to achieve the teachings of the enhanced caller id feature of the present invention . however , due to their flexibility , these elements may alternatively be equipped with ( or include ) any suitable component , device , application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), processor , microprocessor , algorithm , read - only memory ( rom ) element , random access memory ( ram ) element , erasable programmable rom ( eprom ), electrically erasable programmable rom ( eeprom ), field - programmable gate array ( fpga ), or any other suitable element or object that is operable to facilitate the operations thereof . considerable flexibility is provided by the structure of endpoints 12 a - d in the context of communication system 10 and , accordingly , it should be construed as such . for purposes of teaching and discussion , it is useful to provide some overview as to the way in which the following invention operates in a sip environment . the following foundational information may be viewed as a basis from which the present invention may be properly explained . such information is offered earnestly for purposes of explanation only and , accordingly , should not be construed in any way to limit the broad scope of the present invention and its potential applications . there are many applications that require the creation and management of a session , where a session is considered an exchange of data between an association of participants . the implementation of these applications is complicated by the practices of participants : users may move between endpoints , they may be addressable by multiple names , and they may communicate in several different media : in many cases simultaneously . certain protocols have been developed to carry various forms of real - time multimedia session data such as voice , video , or text messages . the sip features of communication system 10 work in concert with these protocols by enabling endpoints ( generally referred to as “ user agents ”) to discover one another and to agree on a characterization of a session they would like to share . for locating prospective session participants , and for other functions , sip enables the creation of an infrastructure of network hosts ( generally referred to as proxy servers ) to which user agents can send registrations , invitations to sessions , and other requests . sip is an agile , general - purpose tool for creating , modifying , and terminating sessions . sip works independently of underlying transport protocols and without dependency on the type of session that is being established . sip is an application - layer control protocol that can establish , modify , and terminate multimedia sessions ( conferences ) such as internet telephony calls . sip can also invite participants to already existing sessions , such as multicast conferences . media can be added to ( and removed from ) an existing session . sip transparently supports name mapping and redirection services , which supports personal mobility . end users can maintain a single externally visible identifier regardless of their network location . sip supports five facets of establishing and terminating multimedia communications : 1 ) user location : determination of the end system to be used for communication ; 2 ) user availability : determination of the willingness of the called party to engage in communications ; 3 ) user capabilities : determination of the media and media parameters to be used ; 4 ) session setup : “ ringing ” establishment of session parameters at both called and calling party locations ; and 5 ) session management : including transfer and termination of sessions , modifying session parameters , and invoking services . a standard sip platform does not provide services . rather , sip provides primitives that can be used to implement different services . for example , sip can locate a user and deliver an opaque object to his current location . if this primitive is used to deliver a session description written in sdp , for instance , the endpoints can agree on the parameters of a session . if the same primitive is used to deliver a photo of the caller as well as the session description , a “ caller id ” service can be easily implemented . sip currently does not offer conference control services such as floor control or voting and does not prescribe how a conference is to be managed . sip can be used to initiate a session that uses some other conference control protocol . since sip messages and the sessions they establish can pass through entirely different networks , sip cannot , and does not , provide any kind of network resource reservation capabilities . quality of service ( qos ) parameters may also be accommodated by sip ( e . g ., see rfc 3312 ). the nature of the services provided make security particularly important . to that end , sip provides a suite of security services , which include denial - of - service prevention , authentication ( both user to user and proxy to user ), integrity protection , and encryption and privacy services . fig2 is a simplified flowchart illustrating a number of example steps associated with a method to be performed within communication system 10 . the flowchart begins at step 100 , where endpoint 12 a initiates a sip session . this could include simple invite messages or any other suitable protocol to establish the session . at step 102 , endpoint 12 b , which is enabled with the new enhanced caller id function as outlined herein , autonomously displays critical information associated with an end user of endpoint 12 a . in order to further enhance the call , endpoint 12 b opts to generate network data associated with endpoint 12 a at step 104 . this could include a simple network search , or a search involving a directory , or a search within a local area network ( lan ) or a virtual private network ( vpn ). ( note that these scenarios are further detailed below with reference to fig3 .) in order to achieve the data retrieval , endpoint 12 b initiates a browser and retrieves an appropriate uniform resource locator ( url ) or any other data segment at step 106 . endpoint 12 b effectively reviews the data associated with endpoint 12 a : such data augmenting the user experience for an individual associated with endpoint 12 b . this could be executed during the call or prior to accepting this call . this is reflected by step 108 . endpoints associated with the call may be continuously replaced or added during the sip communication session . the call may then progress between the parties with significant knowledge having been properly provided to endpoint 12 b , as is illustrated by step 110 . fig3 is a simplified block diagram of an example schematic of communication system of 10 fig1 . fig3 includes don and denise , who are co - workers communicating with each other using ip telephones 84 and 86 . fig3 illustrates a situation in which a call is coming in from don and destined for denise . this is illustrated by step 1 and a simple sip invite , as depicted . in this example , denise &# 39 ; s device ( ip telephone 86 ) is equipped such that it has the ability to provide the enhanced caller id function outlined herein . this capability includes the ability to venture out into the network and to collect data . in this example , ip telephone 86 operates as an internet browser and is capable of querying a directory 88 for selected information , as is shown in step 2 . the query pertains to don &# 39 ; s characteristics , which may include persona information or any other suitable data . denise &# 39 ; s device can then format that information appropriately such that denise is fully informed of don &# 39 ; s information prior to receiving the call . this retrieved information can be suitably illustrated using a display 90 , as depicted in step 3 . in this example , don &# 39 ; s information includes his title ( vp / gm , vtg ), his locale ( san jose , calif . ), his phone number 408 - 555 - 1234 , and his e - mail address ( don @ . . . com ). other suitable information could readily be provided in such a context . for example , don &# 39 ; s current sales numbers could be provided here to denise or the customers for which he is responsible . in addition , directory 88 could include information associated with a reporting chain . virtually any information associated with a person &# 39 ; s identity or character traits can be provided in such an application . as used herein in this document , these parameters may be referred to generally as “ identity traits ” and inclusive of any number of data segments . additionally , denise &# 39 ; s ip telephone 86 is intelligent enough to perform any number of additional tasks . for example , don could set up a protocol , whereby introductory information is given to any receiving entity of his call . in this example , ip telephone 86 could fetch that information ( e . g . a wav file , a video message , or an audio message , all of which could be stored in some database , etc .) such that it could be suitably reviewed by denise . the message could indicate : “ this is don , i am calling to review your last quarter &# 39 ; s results and the potential for client development . please be prepared to respond with a list of potential clients that we are seeking to engage .” any suitable message could be provided in such a context . other default operations for denise &# 39 ; s ip telephone 84 could be a simple google ( or other equivalent search engine ) search for the calling party . the name or identity of the calling participant of the session can be used to explore the network ( because sip is an internet - capable protocol ) for additional data , which may be utilized in the call . hence , denise could easily peruse all of don &# 39 ; s google results while ( or before ) proceeding with the call . the applications of such an enhanced caller id tool are endless . in more basic arrangements , this enhanced caller id capability could allow a receiving party to : ignore the call , prioritize the call , prepare to take the call , respond to the call in some other fashion ( for example using im ), or any other appropriate action as determined by the receiving party . what is critical is to empower the individual , who is on the receiving end of this call , to elect between all of the options . in this sense , the receiving entity ( denise in our example ) is knowledgeable about the incoming call and its associated calling party . this allows for the subsequent interaction between these parties to be most productive . in other examples , caller preferences can be used : caller preferences that are provided for in the sip protocol . for example , when denise calls bob ( a friend ) he can see her picture , her calendar for today , etc . however , when denise calls her boss , she would rather her boss not see her calendar for obvious reasons . note that the benefits of the enhanced caller id feature can be achieved by a single person or endpoint in cases where the contacting endpoint is using a standard analog telephone . the person invoking this feature can still ascertain the identity of the calling party . hence , even in cases where don uses a traditional telephone set - up , denise would still be able to identify his relevant characteristics . it is important to note that the stages and steps in fig2 through 3 illustrate only some of the possible scenarios that may be executed by , or within , the present system . some of these stages and / or steps may be deleted or removed where appropriate , or these stages and / or steps may be modified , enhanced , or changed considerably without departing from the scope of the present invention . in addition , a number of these operations have been described as being executed concurrently with , or in parallel to , one or more additional operations . however , the timing of these operations may be altered . the preceding example flows have been offered for purposes of teaching and discussion . substantial flexibility is provided by the tendered architecture in that any suitable arrangements , chronologies , configurations , and timing mechanisms may be provided without departing from the broad scope of the present invention . accordingly , communications capabilities , data processing features and elements , suitable infrastructure , and any other appropriate software , hardware , or data storage objects may be included within communication system 10 to effectuate the tasks and operations of the elements and activities associated with executing enhanced caller id functions . although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to particular embodiments , it should be understood that various other changes , substitutions , and alterations may be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , the illustrated network architecture of fig1 has only been offered for purposes of example and teaching . suitable alternatives and substitutions are envisioned and contemplated by the present invention : such alternatives and substitutions being clearly within the broad scope of communication system 10 . for example , the use of the lan could easily be replaced by a virtual private network ( vpn ), a metropolitan area network ( man ), a wide area network ( wan ), a wireless lan ( wlan ), or any other element that facilitates data propagation for endpoints 12 a - d . using analogous reasoning , the routers and switches illustrated by fig1 may be supplanted by bridges , gateways , or any other suitable devices that are conducive to network communications . numerous other changes , substitutions , variations , alterations , and modifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it is intended that the present invention encompass all such changes , substitutions , variations , alterations , and modifications as falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , and particularly to fig4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 thereof , there is shown a conveyor chain 50 comprising a first embodiment of the invention . the conveyor chain 50 comprises a plurality of identical compact carriages 52 which are connected end to end by a plurality of identical connection members 54 . the conveyor chain 50 operates in a conveyor track 56 comprising a solid bottom wall 58 ; opposed , solid side walls 60 ; and a top wall 62 having a center slot 64 formed therein . each of the compact carriages 52 comprises a unitary structure which may be manufactured from a variety of materials utilizing conventional manufacturing techniques . for example , the compact carriages 52 may be manufactured from steel and / or other metals by means of die casting , investment casting , or other well known manufacturing processes . alternatively , the compact carriages 52 may be formed from various plastic materials suitable for high temperature applications , and may be manufactured utilizing conventional processes such as injection molding . preferably , the material and the process used in the manufacture of compact carriages 52 are selected such that few if any machining operations are required in order to complete the manufacture thereof . each compact carriage 52 comprises an elongate body 74 having identical openings 76 formed in the opposite ends thereof . each opening 76 receives a spherical bushing 78 which in turn receives the end portion of one of the connection members 54 . the spherical bushings 78 are retained in the openings 76 by pins 80 . axles 82 extend through the body 74 at points situated inwardly from the opening 76 . the axles 82 support pairs of wheels 84 which in turn support the conveyor chain 50 for movement along the track 56 . bosses 86 extend upwardly from the body 74 and in turn support a grid ( not shown ) which receives and transports bakery pans having dough received therein along the length of the track 56 . the bosses 86 may be provided with drilled and tapped apertures 88 which receive threaded fasteners to secure the grid thereto . examples of grids which may be used in the practice of the invention are shown and described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 729 , 470 , 4 , 760 , 911 , and 4 , 836 , 360 , all of which are owned by the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference . each of the bosses 86 may have a dimensionally reduced portion 90 at the upper end thereof . top plates 92 are supported on the bosses 86 and receive the portions 90 therethrough . the top plates 92 function to prevent debris from entering the track 56 through the slot 64 . each compact carriage 52 is further provided with a pair of wheels 100 . the wheels 100 function to locate the compact carriage 52 relative to the side walls 60 of the track 56 . the wheels 100 are rotatably supported on a pin 102 extending through the body 74 of the compact carriage 52 . as is best shown in fig7 the wheels 100 cooperate with the wheels 84 to completely prevent bending and tipping of the conveyor chain 50 . referring particularly to fig9 the wheels 84 are secured to the axle 82 for rotation therewith . the axles 82 of conveyors intended for use in proofers may be supported by a self - lubricating plastic bearing 104 which may be of the type manufactured by igus spritzgussteile fur die industrie gmbh ( igus ) of koln ( cologne ), germany and sold under the trademark iglide ®. in oven applications the self - lubricating bearings 104 may be of the type sold by graphite metallizing corporation of yonkers , n . y ., under the trademark graphalloy ®. the bearings 104 do not require lubrication in order to rotatably support the axles 82 and the wheels 84 supported thereon . therefore , by means of the present invention , the need for lubrication of the wheels which support the carriages 52 is eliminated as are the problems attended to the failure to provide required lubrication and difficulties associated with cleaning conveyor chains in which lubricating fluids are used . as is shown in fig4 the wheels 84 may be rotatably supported by sealed self - lubricating anti - friction bearings 105 in lieu of the plastic bearings 104 . referring to fig8 the wheels 100 are rotatably supported on the pin 102 . in conveyors used in proofers , self - lubricating plastic bearings 106 also manufactured by igus are provided at the opposite ends of the pin 102 and in turn rotatably support the wheels 100 thereon . conveyors for oven use may have bearings 106 of the type sold by graphite metallizing . again , the use of self - lubricating bearings 106 to rotatably support the wheels 100 on the pin 102 eliminates the need for lubrication . as is best shown in fig6 and 9 , each connection member 54 has an eye 108 at each end thereof . each eye 108 receives the spherical bushing 78 of one of the compact carriages 52 . in this manner , the eyes 108 of the connection members 54 and the spherical bushings 78 of the compact carriages 52 facilitate the movement of the conveyor chain 50 along inclined and curved portions of the track 56 . for example , fig5 illustrates the movement of the conveyor chain 50 along a vertically curved portion 110 of the track 56 . fig6 illustrates the movement of the conveyor chain 50 along a horizontally curved portion 112 of the track 56 . as will be appreciated by reference to fig5 and 6 , the movement of the conveyor chain 50 along vertically and horizontally curved portions of the track 56 is accomplished without interference between the conveyor chain 50 and the track 56 . fig7 illustrates the relationship between the wheels 84 and 100 of the conveyor chain 50 and the track 56 . the wheels 84 travel along the bottom wall 58 of the track 56 and support the conveyor chain 50 of the movement through the track 56 . the wheels 100 serve to center the conveyor chain 50 in the track 56 and to prevent interference of the conveyor chain 50 with the track 56 as the conveyor chain 50 moves therethrough . again , the wheels 84 and 100 cooperate to prevent bending and tipping of the conveyor chain 50 . referring to fig1 and 11 , one of the advantages in the use of the conveyor chain in the present invention comprises the adaptability thereof to changes in pitch . thus , in fig1 the compact carriages 52 are connected end to end by connection members 54 ′ which are substantially shorter than the connection members 54 of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig4 , and 6 . the use of the connection members 54 ′ in lieu of the connection members 54 results in a conveyor chain 50 having a substantially shorter pitch . the use of a conveyor chain having a shorter pitch is advantageous in those instances in which the conveyor chain is used to transport either heavier bakery pans or bakery pans carrying heavier loads as compared with the loading of a conveyor chain having a longer pitch . referring to fig1 , there is shown a conveyor chain 50 wherein the compact carriages 52 are connected end to end by connection members 54 ″ which are substantially longer than the connection members 54 of the conveyor chain 50 illustrated in fig4 , and 6 . the use of the longer connection members 54 ″ in the conveyor chain 50 of fig9 results in the conveyor chain having a substantially longer pitch as compared with the pitch of the conveyor chain 50 shown in fig4 , and 6 . the use of a conveyor chain having a longer pitch is advantageous in those instances in which the conveyor chain is called upon to carry either lighter bakery pans or bakery pans carrying lighter loads as compared with the loading of the conveyor chain 50 of fig4 , and 6 . referring to fig1 , there is shown a conveyor chain 150 comprising a second embodiment of the invention . the conveyor chain 150 comprises a plurality of identical compact carriages 152 which are connected end to end by a plurality of identical connection members 154 . the conveyor chain 150 operates in a conveyor track 156 comprising a solid bottom wall 158 ; opposed , solid side walls 160 ; and a top wall 162 having a center slot formed therein . each of the compact carriages 152 comprises a unitary structure which may be manufactured from a variety of materials utilizing conventional manufacturing techniques . for example , the compact carriages 152 may be manufactured from steel and / or other metals by means of die casting , investment casting , or other well known manufacturing processes . alternatively , the compact carriages 152 may be formed from various plastic materials adapted for high temperature applications , and may be manufactured utilizing conventional processes such as injection molding . preferably , the materials and the process used in the manufacture of compact carriages 152 are selected such that few if any machining operations are required in order to complete the manufacture thereof . each compact carriage 152 comprises an elongate body 174 having identical openings 176 formed in the opposite ends thereof . each opening 176 receives a spherical bushing 178 which in turn receives the end portion of one of the connection members 154 . the spherical bushings 178 are retained in the openings 176 by pins 180 . axles 182 extend through the body 174 at points situated inwardly from the opening 176 . the axles 182 support pairs of wheels 184 which center the conveyor chain 150 in its movement along the track 156 . the axles are extended downwardly to prevent excess tipping of the compact carriages . a boss 186 extends upwardly from the body 174 and in turn support a grid ( not shown ) which receives and transports bakery pans having dough received therein along the length of the track 156 . the boss 186 may be provided with a drilled and tapped aperture 188 which receives a threaded fastener to secure the grid thereto . examples of grids which may be used in the practice of the invention are shown and described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 729 , 470 , 4 , 760 , 911 , and 4 , 836 , 360 , all of which are owned by the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference . each boss 186 may have a dimensionally reduced portion 190 at the upper end thereof . a top plate 192 is supported on each boss 186 and receives the portion 190 therethrough . the top plates function to prevent debris from entering the track 156 through the slot in the top wall 162 . each compact carriage 152 is further provided with a pair of wheels 200 . the wheels 200 function to support the compact carriage 152 for movement along the bottom wall 158 of the track 156 . the wheels 200 are rotatably supported on a pin 202 extending through the body 174 of the compact carriage 152 . the wheels 184 are secured to the axle 182 for rotation therewith . each axle 182 is rotatably supported by a self - lubricating bearing 204 . the bearings 204 do not require lubrication in order to rotatably support the axles 182 and the wheels 184 supported thereon . therefore , by means of the present invention , the need for lubrication of the wheels which support the carriages 152 is eliminated as are the problems attendant to the failure to provide required lubrication and difficulties associated with cleaning conveyor chains in which lubricating fluids are used . like the rotational support for the wheels 184 , the wheels 200 are secured to the pin 202 . a self - lubricating bearing 206 rotatably supports the pin 202 and the wheels 200 mounted thereon . again , the use of the self - lubricating bearings 206 to rotatably support the wheels 200 and the pin 202 eliminates the need for lubrication . each connection member 154 has an eye 208 at each end thereof . each eye 208 receives a spherical bushing 178 of one of the compact carriages 152 . in this manner , the eyes 208 of the connection members 154 and the spherical bushings 178 of the compact carriages 152 facilitate the movement of the conveyor chain 150 along vertically and horizontally curved portions of the track 156 . referring to fig1 , there is shown a conveyor chain 250 comprising a third embodiment of the invention . the conveyor chain 250 comprises a plurality of identical compact carriages 252 which are connected at equally spaced intervals along a wire rope 254 . the conveyor chain 250 operates in a conveyor track 256 comprising a solid bottom wall 258 ; opposed , solid side walls 260 ; and a top wall 262 having a center slot formed therein . each of the compact carriages 252 comprises a unitary structure which may be manufactured from a variety of materials utilizing conventional manufacturing techniques . for example , the compact carriages 252 may be manufactured from steel and / or other metals by means of die casting , investment casting , or other well known manufacturing processes . alternatively , the compact carriages 252 may be formed from various plastic materials suitable for high temperature applications , and may be manufactured utilizing conventional processes such as injection molding . preferably , the material and the process used in the manufacture of compact carriages 252 are selected such that few if any machining operations are required in order to complete the manufacture thereof . each compact carriage 252 comprises an elongate body 274 having an opening 276 extending axially therethrough . the opening 276 receives the wire rope 254 . compression sleeves 278 mounted on the wire rope 254 locate and secure each compact carriage 252 thereon . axles 282 extend outwardly from the body 274 at points situated inwardly from ends thereof . the axles 282 support pairs of wheels 284 which center conveyor chain 250 for moving along the track 256 . a boss 286 extends upwardly from the body 274 and in turn supports a grid ( not shown ) which receives and transports bakery pans having dough received therein along the length of the track 256 . the boss 286 may be provided with a drilled and tapped aperture which receives a threaded fastener to secure the grid thereto . examples of grids which may be used in the practice of the invention are shown and described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 729 , 470 , 4 , 760 , 911 , and 4 , 836 , 360 , all of which are owned by the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference . the boss 286 may have a dimensionally reduced portion at the upper end thereof . a top plate may be supported on the boss 280 and receive the dimensionally reduced portion therethrough . if used , the top plates function to prevent debris from entering the track 256 through the slot in the top wall 262 . each compact carriage 252 is further provided with a pair of wheels 300 . the wheels 300 function to support the compact carriage 252 for movement along the bottom wall of the track 256 . the wheels 300 are rotatably supported on pins 302 extending from the body 274 of the compact carriage 252 . the wheels 284 are each rotatably supported by a self - lubricating bearing . the self - lubricating bearings do not require lubrication in order to rotatably support the wheels 284 . therefore , by means of the present invention , the need for lubrication of the wheels which support the carriages 252 is eliminated as are the problems attendant to the failure to provide required lubrication and difficulties associated with cleaning conveyor chains in which lubricating fluids are used . the wheels 300 are also rotatably supported by self - lubricating bearings . referring to fig1 , 15 , 16 , 17 , and 18 , there is shown a conveyor chain 350 comprising a fourth and preferred embodiment of the invention . the conveyor chain 350 comprises a plurality of identical links 352 which are connected end to end to form the chain 350 . the conveyor chain 350 comprising the links 352 is adapted for movement along the length of a conveyor track 356 comprising a solid bottom wall 358 ; opposed , solid side walls 360 ; and a top wall 362 having a central slot formed therein . each component of the links 352 comprises a unitary structure which may be manufactured from a variety of materials utilizing conventional manufacturing techniques . for example , the links 352 may be manufactured from steel and / or other metals by means of die casting , investment casting , or other well known manufacturing processes . alternatively , the links may be formed from various plastic materials adapted for high temperature applications , and may be manufactured utilizing conventional processes such as injection molding . preferably , the material and the process used in the manufacture of links are selected such that few if any machining operations are required in order to complete the manufacture thereof . each link 352 comprises a first link portion 364 and a second link portion 366 . each first link portion 364 is connected to its corresponding second link portion 366 by a pin 368 which facilitates relative pivotal movement between the link portions in the nominally vertical plane . each pin 368 also has mounted thereon a pair of wheels 370 which support the link 352 for movement along the bottom wall 358 of the track 356 . the second link portion 366 of each link 352 is connected to the first link portion 364 of the immediately following link 352 by a pin 372 . thus , the pins 372 facilitate relative pivotal movement of the links 352 of the conveyor chain 350 in the nominally horizontal plane . each pin 372 also supports two wheels 374 which serve to center the conveyor chain 350 and the track 356 . as is best shown in fig1 , the diameters of the wheels 370 and 374 are closely matched to the interior dimensions of the track 356 whereby the wheels 370 and 374 completely prevent bending or tipping of the chain 350 . the pins 368 and 372 of the links 352 facilitate the movement of the conveyor chain 350 along inclined and curved portions of the track 356 . for example , fig1 illustrates the movement of the conveyor chain 350 along a vertically curved portion of the track 356 . fig1 illustrates the movement of the conveyor chain 350 along a horizontally curved portion of the track 356 . as will be appreciated by reference to fig1 and 16 , the movement of the conveyor chain 350 along inclined and curved portions of the track 356 is accomplished without interference between the conveyor chain 350 and the track 356 . referring particularly to fig1 , 16 , 17 , and 18 , the wheels 370 are rotatably supported on the pins 368 by self - lubricating bearings 376 . likewise , the wheels 374 are rotatably supported on the pins 372 by self - lubricating bearings 378 . the use of the self - lubricating bearings 376 and 378 to rotatably support the wheels 370 and 374 , respectively , eliminates the need for lubrication . as is shown in fig1 , the wheels 370 and 374 may be supported by sealed self - lubricating anti - friction bearings 379 adapted for high temperature applications in lieu of the bearings 376 and 378 . each first portion 364 of each link 352 includes a boss 380 extending upwardly therefrom and through the slot in the top wall 362 of the track 356 . each boss 380 supports a grid ( not shown ) which receives and transports bakery pans having dough received therein along the length of the track 356 . each boss 380 may be provided with a drilled and tapped aperture 382 which receives a threaded fastener to secure the grid thereto . examples of grids which may be used in the practice of the invention are shown and described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 729 , 470 , 4 , 760 , 911 , and 4 , 836 , 360 , all of which are owned by the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference . each boss 380 may have a dimensionally reduced portion 384 at the upper end thereof . top plates 386 are supported on the bosses 380 and receive the portions 384 therethrough . the top plates function to prevent debris from entering the track 356 through the slot in the top wall 362 thereof . referring to fig1 , one of the advantages of the use of the conveyor chain in the present invention comprises the adaptability thereof to changes in pitch . thus , in fig1 there is shown a conveyor chain 350 having links 352 ′ which are substantially longer than the links 352 of the conveyor chain 350 illustrated in fig1 , 15 , and 16 . the use of the longer links 352 ′ in the conveyor chain of fig1 results in the conveyor chain having a substantially longer pitch as compared with the pitch of the conveyor chain 350 shown in fig1 , 15 , and 16 . the use of a conveyor chain having a longer pitch is advantageous in those instances in which the conveyor chain is called upon to carry either lighter bakery pans or bakery pans carrying lighter loads as compared with the loading of the conveyor chain 350 of fig1 , 15 , and 16 . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a drive mechanism 400 useful in conjunction with all of the conveyor chains illustrated in fig4 through 19 , inclusive , and described hereinabove in conjunction therewith . the drive mechanism 400 includes a drive chain 402 which is trained around an idler sprocket 404 , an idler sprocket 406 , and a drive sprocket 407 . the drive sprocket 407 is actuated by a suitable drive mechanism to cause the drive chain 402 to move around the course defined by the sprockets 404 and 406 . a plurality of chain engaging members 408 are supported on the drive chain 402 for engagement therewith . each chain engaging member 408 includes a forward roller 410 which is rotatably supported on a pin 412 secured in the drive chain 402 and a rearward roller 414 which follows the surface of a cam 416 extending adjacent to the path of the drive chain 402 . referring particularly to the portion of the cam 416 extending adjacent to the idler sprocket 406 , if the rollers 410 and 414 were both secured to the drive chain 402 , the chain engaging members 408 would accelerate during movement around the idler sprocket 406 . however , utilizing the means of the engagement of the roller 414 with the cam 416 , each chain engaging member 408 remains parallel to its corresponding surface on the conveyor chain until the chain engaging member 408 has moved downwardly far enough to disengage from the conveyor chain . in this manner operating power is applied to the conveyor chain evenly and without periodic intervals of acceleration as would otherwise be the case . fig2 illustrates an alternative drive mechanism 420 which may be utilized in the practice of the invention . the drive mechanism 420 includes a drive chain 422 which extends around a course defined by a drive sprocket 424 and two idler sprockets 426 and 428 . the drive mechanism further includes a plurality of conveyor chain engaging members 430 each dimensioned to fully fill the space between adjacent links of a conveyor chain . in this manner the drive mechanism 420 may be utilized to apply a breaking force to the conveyor chain . this is accomplished by slowly reducing the operating power that is supplied to the drive sprocket 424 or by completely reversing the direction of operation of the drive sprocket 424 depending upon the requirements of particular circumstances . each conveyor chain engaging member 430 is secured to the drive chain 422 by a pin . each conveyor chain engaging member 430 is provided with a forward roller 434 and a rearward roller 436 . the rearward roller 436 follows a cam which is substantially identical in shape and function to the cam 416 illustrated in fig2 . thus , the rearward roller 436 causes the conveyor chain engaging member 430 to disengage from the conveyor chain without applying acceleration thereto . the forward roller 434 of each conveyor chain engaging member 430 follows a track 438 . the movement of the forward roller 434 in the track 438 causes each conveyor chain engaging member 430 to enter into the space between adjacent links of the conveyor chain without applying either acceleration forces or deceleration forces thereto . thus , the conveyor chain engaging member moves smoothly into the gap between adjacent links of the conveyor chain and into engagement with both of the adjacent links without applying forces thereto which otherwise would tend to change the speed of travel of the conveyor chain . fig2 illustrates the use of the drive mechanism 420 in those instances in which the pitch of the conveyor chain is too long for the conveyor engaging members 430 to fill the entire gap between adjacent links of the conveyor chain . in such instances a spacer 440 is mounted on each connection member of the conveyor chain at a suitable location between adjacent links thereof so as to receive the chain engaging member 430 between the spacer 440 and the link of the conveyor chain situated forwardly thereof . in this manner the drive mechanism 420 functions identically to the manner in which it functions as illustrated in fig2 but without the necessity of employing conveyor engaging members which are unduly long . referring to fig2 and 24 , there is shown a conveyor chain 450 comprising a variation of the conveyor chain 350 illustrated in fig1 through 18 , inclusive , and described hereinabove in conjunction therewith . the conveyor chain 450 is identical to the conveyor chain 350 except that it comprises identical links 352 ′ each having upper and lower drive cams 452 and 454 secured thereto by fasteners 456 . fig2 illustrates a drive mechanism 460 useful in conjunction with the conveyor chain 450 . the drive mechanism 460 includes a drive motor 462 which actuates a drive sprocket 464 . a drive chain 466 is trained around the drive sprocket 464 and two idler sprockets 468 and 470 . a drive chain cam 472 extends between the idler sprockets 468 and 470 . the drive chain 466 carries a plurality of drive forks 476 . upon actuation by the drive motor 462 , the drive sprocket 464 actuates the drive chain 466 to move the drive forks 476 around a course extending from the drive sprocket 464 around the idler sprocket 468 , across the drive chain cam 472 , around the idler sprocket 470 , and back to the drive sprocket 464 . as each drive fork 476 moves into engagement with the drive chain cam 472 it is gradually lifted into engagement with one of the drive cams 452 on one of the links 352 ′ of the conveyor chain 450 , being understood that an identical drive fork engages the drive cam 454 on the opposite side of the particular link 352 ′. as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the drive chain 466 and the conveyor chain 450 move at the same speed . therefore , the drive forks of the drive chain 466 engage the drive cams of the conveyor chain 450 without applying any acceleration force or any deceleration to the conveyor chain 450 . subsequently , the drive chain cam 472 gradually lowers each drive fork 476 out of engagement with the drive cam 452 with which it has been engaged . again , the disengagement between the drive forks and the drive cams is accomplished without applying any acceleration force or deceleration force to the conveyor chain 450 . although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed , but is capable of numerous rearrangements , modifications , and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 1 |
the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to drawings showing preferred embodiments thereof . fig1 shows the whole arrangement of a d / a conversion apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . this apparatus is comprised of two d / a conversion systems , i . e . a first d / a conversion system provided with a first dac 1 having an n - bit conversion accuracy and a second d / a conversion system provided with a second dac 2 also having an n - bit ( e . g . 24 - bit ) conversion accuracy . at an upstream stage of the dac &# 39 ; s , there is arranged a digital signal processing circuit , or more specifically , a digital signal processor ( hereinafter referred to as “ the dsp ”) 3 . the dsp 3 is comprised of a delay circuit 11 for delaying input digital data di having m ( e . g . 27 ) ( m & gt ; n ) effective bits as a common input by a predetermined time period ts ( a time period required for processing e . g . 16 samples of data ), a multiplier 12 connected to the delay circuit 11 , for multiplying an output from the delay circuit 11 by a factor of k and supplying the same to the dac 1 , another multiplier 13 connected to the delay circuit 11 , for directly passing an output from the delay circuit 11 therethrough to the dac 2 , and a pair of cross - faders 14 , 15 interposed , respectively , between the multiplier 12 and the dac 1 and between the multiplier 13 and the dac 2 , which serve as digital attenuation means for selectively attenuating the outputs from the respective multipliers 12 , 13 to a value equal to or lower than a noise level of the dac 1 or 2 as well as for multiplying the outputs by respective coefficients k1 , k2 ( k1 + k2 = 1 ) so as to carry out cross - fading when switching is carried out between the outputs to be attenuated . further , the dsp 3 includes a cross - fading control block 16 which is connected to the cross - faders 14 , 15 , as well as to an analog attenuator circuit 5 , referred to hereinafter . the cross - fading control block 16 senses a level of the input digital data di to compare the same with two predetermined threshold values , i . e . a first threshold value th - y and a second threshold value th - r , and then controls the switching of the cross - faders , 14 , 15 and the operation of the analog attenuator circuit 5 . when the amplitude level of the input digital data di is equal to or lower than the first threshold value th - y , i . e ., if the level of the input data di does not exceed the maximum amplitude that can be expressed by n bits , the cross - fading control block 16 sets the coefficients k1 and k2 to 1 and 0 , respectively , whereas if the amplitude level of the input digital data di rises above or exceeds the first threshold value th - y , the cross - fading control block 16 controls the cross - faders 14 , 15 such that they start cross - fading at a predetermined cross - fading rate , and if the same exceeds the second threshold value th - r , it controls the cross - faders 14 , 15 such that the cross - fading operation is completed in a time period required for processing 16 samples of data stored in the delay circuit 11 , and thereafter the coefficients k1 and k2 are held at 0 and 1 , respectively . an analog signal vo1 output from the dac 1 is attenuated by the factor of 1 / k by an attenuater 6 connected thereto and then input to one input of an analog adder 4 , while an analog signal vo 2 output from the dac 2 is input as it is , to the other input of the analog adder 4 via the analog attenuator circuit 5 . the analog adder 4 may be implemented by an inverting amplifier comprised of an operational amplifier 21 , a feedback resistance 22 , and input resistances 23 , 24 , and adds the analog input signals vo 1 / k and vo 2 . the analog attenuator circuit 5 is connected between the dac 2 and the analog adder 4 . the analog attenuator circuit 5 may be implemented by a low - pass filter circuit comprised of an analog switch 31 which is connected to the cross - fading control block 16 and having one end thereof grounded , and which is turned on in response to an attenuation - instructing signal at output from the cross - fading control block 16 before the dac 2 starts to receive digitally attenuated data i . e . data of “ 0 ” from the cross - fader 15 , a resistance 32 connected to the other end of the switch 31 , a resistance 33 connected to the dac 2 , and a capacitor 34 connected between the resistances 33 and 34 with a junction of the capacitor 34 with the resistance 33 connected to the input resistance 24 of the analog adder 4 . the output vo from the analog adder 4 in the d / a conversion apparatus configured as above is expressed by the following equation ( 1 ): if original conversion outputs from the respective dac &# 39 ; s 1 , 2 obtained when the digital data di is input are represented respectively by dac 1 ( di ) and dac 2 ( di ), and residual noises by vn 1 and vn 2 , the outputs vo1 and vo 2 from the respective dac &# 39 ; s 1 , 2 are expressed by the following equations ( 2a ) and ( 2b ), respectively : consequently , the output vo from the analog adder 4 is expressed by the following equation ( 3 ): vo = dac 1 ( di )+ dac 2 ( di )+ vn 1 / k + vn 2 ( 3 ) here , the dsp 3 selects one of the conversion outputs dac 1 ( di ) and dac 2 ( di ) which consists of more effective bits without an overflow , i . e . which can ensure a more excellent signal quality , and therefore the output vo is further expressed by the following equation ( 4 ): as is apparent from the equation ( 4 ), the noise vn 1 output from the dac 1 is reduced to 1 / k , whereas the noise vn 2 from the dac 2 is not reduced , so that the noise floor is determined by the residual noise in the dac 2 . now , let it be assumed that digital data that is input is formed of 27 bits ( m = 27 ) and the dac &# 39 ; s 1 , 2 each have a 24 - bit conversion accuracy ( n = 24 ), i . e . are capable of converting 24 bits . in this case , when the dac 2 is in operation , since no more than 24 bits of the entire data can be converted , it is impossible to reduce the noise floor to less than a value corresponding to the dynamic range of 144 db . on the other hand , when the dac 1 is in operation , it is possible to convert the entire 27 - bit data , and therefore the dynamic range can be increased to the proper dynamic range of 162 db . however , if the residual noise from the dac 2 is added , it is impossible to reduce the noise floor to less than the value corresponding to the dynamic range of 144 db . to solve this problem , in the apparatus according to the present embodiment , when the dac 1 is selected for operation , the attenuation - instructing signal at is delivered to the analog attenuator circuit 5 to turn it on . as a result , the noise floor during the operation of the dac 1 is reduced , whereby the dynamic range is increased to the proper dynamic range of 162 db . if the input impedance of the operational amplifier 21 changes in dependence on whether the analog attenuator circuit 5 is on or off , the gain of the analog adder 4 changes , which causes fluctuation in output offset voltage of the operational amplifier 21 . in general , the amount of offset variation at the output of an operational amplifier is approximately 0 . 5 mv , which is a very large value when considered in comparison with the resolution of a dac , which has a noise level of several μvolts ( in a 24 - bit dac , 1 lsb 0 . 6 μvrms ). to solve the problem , according to the present embodiment , the analog attenuator circuit 5 is formed of a low - pass filter circuit for attenuating only medium - to - high frequency range components of the analog signal from the dac 2 , whereby the direct current input impedance of the analog adder 4 is prevented from fluctuating due to the on / off operations of the analog attenuator circuit 5 . referring to fig2 there are shown changes in the level of input digital signal di and the level of the attenuation - instructing signal at together with timing of switching performed between the dac &# 39 ; s 1 , 2 within the dsp 3 . switching between the dac &# 39 ; s 1 , 2 is carried out in a progressive manner , i . e ., through cross - fading so as to prevent transient distortion of the output analog signal , insufficient response to the input digital signal , and occurrence of hop noise , etc . in the following , the cross - fading carried out in switching from the dac 1 to the dac 2 cases will be mainly described . first , in the case of switching from the dac 1 to the dac 2 , as shown in fig2 when the amplitude level of the input digital data di exceeds the first threshold value th - y at a time point t 2 , the cross - facing is started at a time point t 1 earlier than the time point t 2 by a time period ts corresponding to a processing time of 16 samples of data stored in the delay circuit 11 . during the cross - fading , the cross - fading coefficients k1 , k2 are changed at a first predetermined cross - fading rate , e . g . 1 / 128 per step . then , if the cross - fading is not completed at a time point t 3 the amplitude level of the input digital data di exceeds the second threshold value th - r , the cross - fading is continued at a second cross - fading rate such that the cross - fading is completed in a time period required for processing 16 samples of data currently stored in the delay circuit 11 . fig3 a to 3 c show timing charts useful in explaining the cross - fading operation in further detail . fig3 a shows a case in which the amplitude level of the input digital data di changes at a gentle rate , and the number x of samples of the input digital data di processed between the time point t 2 the amplitude level exceeds the first threshold value th - y and the time point t 3 the same exceeds the second threshold value th - r is equal to or more than 128 . in this case , at or before the time point t 3 the amplitude level of the input digital data di exceeds the second threshold value th - r , the cross - fading of data delivered from the delay circuit 11 , which is started at the time point t 1 earlier than the time point t 2 by the time period ts , is completed , so that the whole cross - fading process is completed over 128 steps , i . e . carried out at the first cross - fading rate ks = 1 / 128 per step . fig3 b shows a case in which the amplitude level of the input digital data di rises at a steep rate . in the illustrated example , the number x of samples of the input digital data di processed between a time point t 12 the amplitude level exceeds the first threshold value th - y and a time point t 13 the same exceeds the second threshold value th - r is equal to 1 . in this case , the cross - fading is carried out on one sample of data at the first cross - fading rate ks = 1 / 128 per step , starting at a time point t 10 earlier than the time point t 12 by the time period ts , but the amplitude level of the input digital data di immediately exceeds the second threshold value th - r , and hence the cross - fading rate is changed to the second cross - fading rate ks =( 1 − 1 / 128 )/ 16 per step , to carry out a rapid cross - fading operation starting at a time point t 11 earlier than the time point t 13 by the time period ts , whereby the cross - fading is completed before the level of the input digital data di exceeds the second threshold value th - r , so that clipping of data can be prevented . it should be noted that due to the rapid cross - fading , the gain difference or discontinuity partially becomes noticeable to generate a certain level of switching noise . however , since the input digital data di itself undergoes a rapid change , the auditory masking effect makes the noise practically imperceptible . fig3 c shows a case in which the number x of samples of the input digital data di processed between a time point t 21 the amplitude level exceeds the first threshold value th - y and a time point t 23 the same exceeds the second threshold value th - r is larger than 1 but smaller than 128 ( 1 & lt ; x & lt ; 128 ). first , the cross - fading rate ks is set to the first cross - fading rate 1 / 128 per step , and the cross - fading is started from a time point t 20 earlier than the time point t 21 by the time period ts corresponding to the capacity ( 16 samples ) of the delay circuit 11 . the input digital data di exceeds the second threshold value th - r only after a certain considerable time period during which the cross - fading is continued at the cross - fading rate of 1 / 128 per step . thus , during this time period , the cross - fading is carried out at a gentle cross - fading rate , i . e . by a small cross - fading step , so that noise is hardly generated . thereafter , when the input digital data di exceeds the second threshold value th - r , the cross - fading rate ks is changed to the second cross - fading rate of ( 1 − k11 )/ 16 per step , wherein k11 designates a value of the cross - fading coefficient k2 assumed at the time of change of the cross - fading rate . the above - described method of the cross - fading makes it possible to reduce the capacity of the memory of the delay circuit 11 by minimizing the amount of delay to be provided by the delay circuit 11 . further , appropriate cross - fading can be carried out . in a manner properly responsive to changes in the amplitude level of the input digital data di . next , when the dac 2 is switched over to the dac 1 , as shown in fig2 the switching is not immediately carried out even when the amplitude level of the input digital data di becomes lower than the first threshold value th - y , but the switching is carried out only when the amplitude level remains lower than the first threshold value th - y even after the lapse of a predetermined hold time ht . this prevents frequent switching of the dac &# 39 ; s in response to a large - amplitude signal which only regularly crosses the zero level , and generation of noises resulting from such unnecessary switching operations . it should be note that if the difference ( m − n ) in the signal quality between the dac &# 39 ; s 1 and 2 is 3 bits , the second threshold value th - r may be set to − 18 db corresponding to the 3 bits , but , to provide some margins , the first threshold value th - y may be set to − 24 db , and the second threshold value th - r to − 19 db . fig4 shows an example of the construction of the cross - fading control block 16 realizing the above described control operations . the input digital data di is input to level detectors 41 , 42 , where it is determined whether or not the amplitude level of the input digital data di exceeds the first threshold value th - y and the second threshold value th - r , respectively . a cross - fading rate changeover section 43 connected to the level detector 41 , 42 is controlled by detection result signals y , r delivered therefrom . the cross - fading rate changeover section 43 is also supplied with cross - fading rates ksy ( 1 / 128 ), ksr ( k / 16 ) from cross - fading rate supply section 44 , 45 . the cross - fading rate changeover section 43 selects the cross - fading rate ksy only when the detection result signal y alone is made active , and selects the cross - fading rate ksr when the detection result signals y . r are both made active . the cross - fading coefficient ks selected by the cross - fading switchover section 43 is input to a negative input terminal of an adder circuit 46 at a next stage . the adder circuit 46 has a positive input terminal thereof supplied with an output from a delay element 47 which delays an output from the adder circuit 46 by one sample . the adder circuit 46 generates a coefficient value k by cumulatively subtracting the cross - fading rate ks to generate a coefficient value k . the coefficient value k is directly output as the cross - fading coefficient k1 , while at the same time , the same is subtracted from a value of 1 by a subtracter 48 , and the resulting value is delivered as the cross - fading coefficient k2 . it should be noted that the cross - fading rate supply section 45 is supplied with the output from the adder circuit 46 , i . e . the coefficient value k , and calculates a value of k / 16 based thereon to update the cross - fading rate ksr (= k / 16 ). the detection result signals y , r from the level detectors 41 , 42 are also supplied via an or gate 49 to an ht counter 50 . the ht counter 50 counts a time period over which the output r from the level detector 42 remains inactive , and when the count or measured time period exceeds the predetermined hold time ht , the ht counter 50 activates a cross - fading time ( ct ) counter 51 to start a counting operation . the ct counter 51 counts a cross - fading time over which the dac 2 is switched to the dac 1 , and when the cross - fading time is counted up , it delivers the analog attenuation signal at to the analog attenuator circuit 5 . to realize the above described cross - fading operation by software installed in the dsp 3 , a coefficient - calculating process shown in fig5 may be carried out . this process will now be described in detail . when the input digital data di is input to the level detectors 41 , 42 of the dsp 3 , first , at a step s 1 , the coefficient k is set to an initial value of 1 , a 16 - step coefficient flag fr is reset to an initial value of 0 , and a 128 - step coefficient flag fy is reset to an initial value of 0 . it should be noted that the 16 - step coefficient flag fr is set to 0 before the cross - fading rate ks is switched from the value ksy to the value ksr , and to 1 after the switching , and the 128 - step coefficient flag fy is set to 0 before the cross - fading rate ks is switched from the value ksr to the value ksy , and to 1 after the switching . ( 1 ) first , if the amplitude level of the input digital data di is equal to or lower than the first threshold value th - y , it is determined at a step s 2 that a condition of di ≧ th - r holds , and the program proceeds to a step s 4 , wherein it is determined whether or not the 16 - step coefficient flag fr is on (= 1 ). in the present case , the flag fr is off ( i . e .= 0 ) by the initialization of the process , so that the program proceeds to a step s 8 . if it is determined at the step s 8 that a condition of di ≦ th - y holds , the program proceeds to a step s 15 , where it is determined whether or not the 128 - step coefficient flag fy is on (= 1 ). in the present case , the flag fy is off by the initialization of the process , so that the program proceeds to a step s 10 , wherein the cross - fading coefficient k1 is set to k , while the cross - fading coefficient k2 is set to 1 − k . then , the program returns to the step s 2 , and this loop is repeatedly carried out and the cross - fading coefficients k1 and k2 remain 1 and 0 , respectively . ( 2 ) when the amplitude level of the input digital data di exceeds the first threshold value th - y , it is determined at the step s 8 that a condition of di & gt ; th - y holds , and the program proceeds to a step s 9 , wherein the cross - fading rate ks is set to 1 / 128 per step and the 128 - step coefficient flag fy is set to 1 ( on ). then , the program proceeds to a step s 7 , wherein the coefficient k is updated to a value of k − ks , and it is determined at the following step s 11 whether or not the coefficient k thus obtained is larger than 0 . if the coefficient k is larger than 0 , the program proceeds to the step s 10 , wherein the cross - fading coefficients are set as described above , thereby repeatedly carrying out the above process . ( 3 ) when the amplitude level of the input digital data di becomes larger than the second threshold value th - r , the program proceeds from the step s 2 to a step s 3 to determine whether the 16 - step coefficient flag fr assumes a value of 1 ( on ). when this step is first carried out , the 16 - step coefficient flag fr assumes a value of 0 , and therefore the negative answer is obtained at the step s 3 , and hence the program proceeds to a step s 5 , wherein the cross - fading rate ks is changed to a rounded value of k / 16 . further , at a step s 6 , the 16 - step coefficient flag fr is set to 1 ( on ), and then the program proceeds to the step s 7 . following the step s 7 , the process described above is repeatedly carried out to update the cross - fading coefficients k1 and k2 based on the cross - fading rate ks . the cross - fading coefficients k1 and k2 thus determined are delivered from the cross - fading control block 16 to the cross - faders 14 and 15 , respectively , to be used in the cross - fading operation . ( 4 ) once the 16 - step coefficient flag fr is set to 1 , the program proceeds to the coefficient - updating process of the step s 7 from the step s 3 if the input digital data di is larger than the second threshold value th - r , and from the step s 4 if the input digital data di is equal to or smaller than the second threshold value th - r . ( 5 ) further , once the 128 - step coefficient flag fy is set to 1 , the program proceeds to the coefficient - updating process of the step s 7 from the step s 9 if the input digital data di is larger than the first threshold value th - y , and from the step s 15 if the input digital data di is equal to or smaller than the second threshold value th - y . ( 6 ) if as a result of the coefficient - updating process the coefficient k becomes smaller than 0 , the same is set to 0 at a step s 12 , and the 16 - step coefficient flag fr and the 128 - step coefficient flag fy are both set to 0 ( off ) at a step s 13 , and then , at the following step s 14 , the cross - fading coefficients k1 and k2 are set to k and 1 − k , respectively , followed by terminating the program . the present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment described above . although in the above embodiment , only two channels of dac &# 39 ; s are employed , this is not limitative , but as shown in fig6 this invention can be applied to an apparatus provided with a plurality of dac &# 39 ; s 61 1 , 61 2 , 61 3 , . . . , 61 n . a dsp 62 multiplies the input digital data di by factors of 1 , 2 m − n1 , . . . 2 m − nn ( provided that 1 & lt ; 2 m − n1 & lt ; . . . & lt ; 2 m − nn ) and selects only one of outputs from the dac &# 39 ; s 611 to 61 n to be output , while digitally attenuating the unselected outputs . on the output side of each of the dac &# 39 ; s 61 2 to 61 n ′, attenuators 63 2 , 63 3 , . . . , 63 n are arranged for converting the amplitude level of the analog signals back to their original level . these outputs and an output from the dac 61 1 are added together by an analog adder 64 and the resulting signal is output . in this arrangement as well , when the amplitude level of the input digital data di is increasing , the currently selected dac output is progressively and gently switched by cross - fading to another dac output to be selected next , while changing the cross - fading rate in dependence on the magnitude of a change in the amplitude level of the input digital data . this makes it possible to reduce generation of noise while suppressing the amount of delay of data for processing . further , the amount of shift of ( m − n ) bits employed in the embodiment described above is not limitative , but any other suitable shift amount may be employed instead . | 7 |
the continuous polymerization as a one - stage process ( fig1 ) is carried out under a constant pressure ( measured in the gas space of the reactor above the melt level ) of 1 . 0 to 1 . 5 bar . in the case of the two - stage process , the overpressure in the first stage is 1 to 5 bar . the second stage is operated in the absolute pressure range from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 bar . the two - stage process leads to a particularly low level of cyclic dimer in the polymer after polymerization and hot water extraction . this is due to the higher pressure in the first stage , which leads to a higher water content in the reaction melt . the higher water content favors the degradation of cyclic oligomers . the water content in the melt is set within the range from 0 . 1 to 0 . 4 % by weight through appropriate tempering of the reactor ( s ), setting the final rv viscosity accordingly . the polymerization temperatures are maintained within the range from 230 to 280 ° c . the excess water is distilled off continuously . the reaction times range from 12 to 20 h in the case of the one - stage process and from 7 to 14 h in the case of the two - stage process . the extract water , which leaves the extractor enriched to a lactam and oligomer concentration of up to 16 %, is gently evaporated under reduced pressure in a multistage evaporator . after evaporation , the extract concentration is 75 to 95 % by weight . to prevent oligomers from precipitating from the solution during evaporation , the extract water is admixed with fresh lactam prior to evaporation . the amount of fresh lactam added corresponds to the dissolved extractables ( lactam plus oligomers ) within the range from 1 . 0 to 2 . 0 . the production of the nylon 6 chip of the invention will now be described by way of example . a vk - tube ( melt volume 180 1 ) was continuously fed with a reaction mixture consisting of : 3 % by weight of water , and also 0 . 5 % by weight of terephthalic acid based on lactam . the pressure above the melt was 1 . 04 bar . the temperature of the melt in the uppermost reaction zone was set to 250 ° c . owing to the heat of reaction , the temperature of the melt rose to 275 ° c . and was cooled back down to 250 ° c . in the last third of the reactor . the concentration of cyclic dimer in the polymer prior to extraction was 0 . 96 %, measured by hplc . following hot water extraction and drying in a tumble dryer , the relative viscosity was 2 . 42 , the water content 0 . 06 % and the cyclic dimer content 0 . 09 %. a stirred pressure tank ( as reaction stage 1 ) continuously charged with : the reaction temperature was set to 240 ° c . and a pressure of 2 bar absolute was maintained in the gas space . the excess water was distilled off . the prepolymer was fed into a second reaction stage ( vk - tube ), decompressed therein to 1 . 04 bar ( absolute ) and further polymerized in the uppermost reaction zone at a temperature of 270 ° c . the temperature of the melt in the vk - tube was maintained at 270 ° c . the total reaction time in the two stages was 10 h . the concentration of cyclic dimer in the polymer was 0 . 83 % measured by hplc . after hot water extraction and drying in a tumble dryer with partial solid state postcondensation , the relative viscosity was 3 . 25 and the water content after conditioning 0 . 05 % and the cyclic dimer content 0 . 05 %. a copper - based heat stabilizer was applied during drying . the nylon 6 chip produced in invention examples 1 and 2 was spun in a pilot scale spinning plant . nylon 6 chip representing the prior art and having a higher viscosity was spun for comparison under the same conditions after first likewise having the same heat stabilizer applied to it . spinning head esk 258b from karl fischer with 12 hole jets ( hole diameter : 0 . 25 mm , capillary length : 0 . 50 mm ) spinning head hsk 400 with afterheater from karl fischer with spinneret ø140 , hole diameter : 0 . 3 mm , capillary diameter 0 . 6 mm the nylon 6 chip produced in inventive example 1 was spun with the above - described spinning plant for textile high speed spinning . after optimization had taken place , 300 kg were spun with stable settings . the spinning speed was 4 , 500 m / min . the 12 filament yarn spun had an as - spun linear density of 64 . 8 den . the poy bobbins were tested in respect of breaking strength and breaking extension and later draw - extruded with a rieter - scragg draw - texturing machine dcs 1200 ( draw ratio 1 . 283 , winding speed 683 m / min ). the same spinning means and the same settings were used to spin a commercially available nylon 6 chip ( ultramid bs 400 d2 having an rv viscosity of 2 . 43 ( again a comparable 300 kg ). the poy yarn produced was tested and then textured with the same draw - texturing machine and the same setting as in inventive example 3 . the chip produced in inventive example 2 was spun with the above - described spinning plant for tire cord ( 300 kg with stable settings after optimization had taken place ). the spinning speed ( between jet and first godet ) was 585 m / min . the draw ratio applied was 4 . 793 and the yarn was wound up at 2 , 726 m / min . the yarn was tested after 8 h of conditioning at 22 ° c . and 65 % relative humidity . using the same spinning means as in inventive example 4 , commercially available nylon 6 chip ( ultramid bs 3 . 300 having a viscosity of 3 . 20 ) was spun ( again comparable 300 kg ). the same machine settings as in inventive example 4 produced extremely high yarn breakage rates ( virtually no full packages were possible ). the machine settings were therefore changed as follows : all the other parameters were the same as in the spinning trial of inventive example 4 . it can be seen that the breaking strength and the full package yields in inventive example 3 are higher than in comparative example 1 employing prior art chip . the table shows that inventive example 4 could be operated at a higher draw ratio and produced a higher breaking strength and that the breaking extension was somewhat higher . the full package yield of inventive example 4 was higher . | 2 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings . first , description is now made to an example of the embodiment of the present invention based on fig1 to 6 . fig1 is a diagram showing the constitution of an intruding air removing device according to an example of the present invention . a condenser 103 in fig1 corresponds to the condenser 103 in fig7 . a gas retaining portion 1 is connected to an upper portion of an outlet - side collector of the condenser 103 . an air intruding into a medium is collected into the gas retaining portion 1 via the outlet - side collector . to the gas retaining portion 1 , a thermometer 10 for measuring the temperature in the gas retaining portion 1 and a pressure gauge 11 for measuring the pressure in the gas retaining portion 1 are provided . a first chamber 2 is connected to the gas retaining portion 1 with a pipe via a valve 12 . moreover , a pipe is provided for connecting an upper portion of the first chamber 2 and the gas retaining portion 1 to each other . this pipe is provided with a valve 16 . to the first chamber 2 , a pressure gauge 7 , a liquid level gauge ( higher level ) 8 , and a liquid level gauge ( lower level ) 9 are provided in that order from the upper portion of the chamber . a liquid medium feed pump 18 is connected to the inside of the first chamber 2 with a pipe via a flowmeter 6 for liquid pentane and a valve 13 . at the outlet for the liquid pentane of this pipe , a spray nozzle 25 is provided . a second chamber 3 is connected to an upper portion of the first chamber 2 with a pipe via a valve 14 . a combustor 4 is provided with combustion catalyst therein , and a lower portion of the combustor 4 is connected to the second chamber 3 with a pipe via a valve 15 . an air supply means 19 is connected to the combustor 4 with a pipe via a valve 17 . pentane supplied from the second chamber 3 is mixed with an air supplied from the air supply means 19 , and is burned by the combustion catalyst in the combustor 4 to produce an exhaust gas . the produced exhaust gas is released to the atmosphere . in the combustor 4 , for making the combustion catalyst work , a heater 4 a is provided which controls the combustion catalyst to a predetermined temperature . the combustor 4 , the air supply portion 19 , the valve 17 and the pipes connecting those are not essential components , but are unnecessary in a case where the gas released from the valve 15 is diluted by the atmosphere without being burned . a controller 5 is connected to the thermometer 10 , the pressure gauge 11 , the pressure gauge 7 , the liquid level gauge ( higher level ) 8 , the liquid level gauge ( lower level ) 9 , and the flowmeter 6 with signal lines , respectively . signals from the instruments are respectively input to the controller 5 . moreover , the controller 5 is connected to the valves 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 with electric wires , respectively , to control opening and closing of the valves . another embodiment of this example may be configured to use the circulation pump 104 also as the liquid medium feed pump 18 , substitute the pipe between the condenser 103 and the circulation pump 104 for a liquid medium tank 24 , provide a valve in the pipe at the outlet of the circulation pump 104 , provide a pipe branching from a portion between this valve and the circulation pump 104 and connecting to the first chamber 2 , and provide the valve 13 in this branching pipe . next , an operation of this plant is described . fig2 and 3 are diagrams schematically showing an operational sequence of the plant according to the first embodiment of the present invention . the controller 5 performs an air intrusion detection step s 1 , a medium liquefaction step s 2 , and an exhaust step s 3 in that order . after the exhaust step s 3 is finished , the control flow loops back to the air intrusion detection step s 1 . the intruding air removing device may be configured to operate at all times . more desirably , the intruding air removing device may be operated only when it is confirmed that the pressure of the pressure gauge 11 has fallen to the atmospheric pressure or lower ( in a case where the medium is n - pentane the medium temperature has fallen to 36 ° c . or lower ) after the previous operation . this is because , if a condition where the pressure in the medium flow path is equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure continues , it is difficult for an air to intrude into the medium flow path from the outside . first , the air intrusion detection step s 1 is described . the controller 5 obtains the signal of the pressure gauge 11 provided in a gas phase portion of the gas retaining portion 1 and the signal of the thermometer 10 provided in a liquid phase portion of the gas retaining portion 1 , and calculates a pressure threshold value obtained by adding a margin value ( margin ) to a saturated vapor pressure value of the medium calculated based on the temperature of the thermometer . if the pressure value of the pressure gauge 11 is equal to or less than the pressure threshold value , measurements of the pressure value and the temperature are continued . if the pressure value of the pressure gauge 11 is higher than the pressure threshold value , it is determined that an air has intruded into the medium and the control flow goes to the next step . the above - described margin value is set to a fixed value or a proportional value which is obtained by multiplying the aforementioned saturated vapor pressure value of the medium calculated based on the temperature of the thermometer by a coefficient . more specifically , the saturated vapor pressure ( ps ) at a temperature ( t1 ) is calculated using the following equation 1 . the margin value is determined via several tests considering the number and conditions of joints . in case of the fixed value , for example , the margin value is set to about 10 % of a value at 1 atmosphere . in case of the proportional value , the aforementioned coefficient is set to about 0 . 1 . next , the medium liquefaction step s 2 is described . in this step , an air - containing gas retained in the gas retaining portion is transferred to the first chamber 2 , and the gas is compressed by supplying a liquid medium into the first chamber 2 , so that the medium in the gas is liquefied and the amount of the medium in the gas is reduced . more specifically , after a state where the respective valves 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 of the intruding air removing device shown in fig1 are closed , the valves 12 and 16 are opened to transfer the air - containing gas from the gas retaining portion 1 to the first chamber 2 . if a detection value of the liquid level gauge ( lower level ) 9 which measures the liquid level of the medium in the first chamber 2 is at a predetermined lower liquid level threshold value or higher , the state where the valves 12 and 16 are opened is continued . when the detection value of the liquid level gauge ( lower level ) 9 falls below the predetermined lower liquid level threshold value , the valves 12 and 16 are closed to seal the first chamber 2 . then , the valve 13 is opened and the liquid medium is supplied from the liquid medium tank 24 to the first chamber 2 by the liquid medium feed pump 18 . during a period in which the detection value of the liquid level gauge ( higher level ) 8 is at a predetermined higher liquid level threshold value or lower , the state where the valve 13 is opened is continued . when liquid pentane is introduced into the first chamber 2 to compress the air - containing gas , the gas temperature rises . this rise in temperature is given by the following equation 2 . for example , when adiabatic compression of an air of 30 ° c . saturated with pentane is carried out from 101 kpa to 1 mpa , the temperature rise difference ( δt ) is 83 ° c . this rise in temperature can be suppressed by injecting liquid pentane which is made fine by the spray nozzle into the first chamber 2 , instead of simply injecting liquid pentane into the first chamber 2 . a portion of n - pentane saturated in the air - containing gas is cooled to be liquefied , and can be collected . injection using the spray can reduce the temperature in the first chamber 2 more rapidly than in a method for injecting liquid pentane without spraying it . when the detection value of the liquid level gauge ( higher level ) 8 exceeds the predetermined higher liquid level threshold value , the valve 13 is closed and the liquid medium feed pump 18 is stopped . next , the exhaust step s 3 is described . first , a counter is initialized to 0 . then , the first chamber 2 and the second chamber 3 are made to communicate with each other , so that a portion of the gas compressed in the first chamber 2 is transferred to the second chamber 3 . more specifically , a state where the valve 15 is closed and the valve 14 is opened is continued for a predetermined time . then , the valve 14 is closed . subsequently , the gas is released from the second chamber 3 to the outside of the plant . at this time , the combustor 4 , the air supply portion 19 , the valve 17 and the pipes connecting those to one another are not essential components . for example , in a case where the gas released from the valve 15 is diluted by the atmosphere without being burned , the valve 15 may be opened to release the gas to the atmosphere as it is . in a case where the gas is burned and is then released to the atmosphere , it is expected that the gas cannot be completely burned only by oxygen contained in the gas . in case of n - pentane , for example , when a ratio of mixing with an air exceeds the combustion range ( 1 . 5 % to 7 . 8 %) of n - pentane , oxygen has to be supplied . for adjusting the air amount to this range , an air is introduced via the valve 17 . this air is desirably supplied from compressed air supply equipment . for example , an air for instrumentation for operating instrumentation devices of the plant may be used as this air . more specifically , the following procedure is performed . the combustor 4 is provided therein with a ceramic honeycomb filter carrying platinum fine particles as combustion catalyst . while the inside of the combustor 4 is heated to be at a temperature from 200 ° c . to 350 ° c . by the heater 4 a , the valves 17 and 15 are opened to supply the gas and the air to the combustor 4 , thereby the medium is burned . this state is continued for a predetermined time . then , the valves 15 and 17 are closed . subsequently , the counter is incremented by one . if the counter is less than n times which is a predetermined number of times , the procedure loops back , as shown in fig3 . if the counter is n times which is the predetermined number of times or more , the procedure goes out of this loop . the number n is appropriately set in accordance with the volume and pressure of the gas in the first chamber 2 after being compressed and the volume of the second chamber 3 . to burn the gas in the combustor 4 is not essential for removing the air intruding into the medium flow path from the medium flow path . however , in a case of using combustible gas as the medium , the direct release of the gas to the atmosphere can be prevented . then , the pressure is released from the first chamber 2 to the gas retaining portion 1 and the medium is moved . more specifically , the valves 16 and 12 are opened and , after a predetermined time has passed , the valves 16 and 12 are closed . then , the procedure loops back to the above - described air intrusion detection step s 1 . next , the reason why compressing the mixed gas of the air and the medium can reduce the amount of the medium in the mixed gas is described . the amount fst of n - pentane saturated in an air is expressed by the following equation 3 . fst : the amount of n - pentane which is saturated in an air at a temperature t in the standard state ( nm 3 ) fa : the amount of an air in the standard state ( nm 3 ) ps : the saturated vapor pressure of n - pentane at the temperature t ( kpa ) the results of calculation are shown in fig5 , which was done from equation 3 made with respect to the volume ratio of n - pentane saturated in an air using a pressure and a temperature as parameters . it is found from fig5 that the higher the pressure is or the lower the temperature is , the less pentane saturated in the air is . especially , it is found that increasing the pressure is extremely effective to reduction in n - pentane which is saturated in the air and brought to the outside of the system . next , the description is made with respect to the loss amount of n - pentane . fig6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the volume ratios of the respective chambers of the plant according to an example of the present invention and the associated ratio of pentane as an exemplary case where the temperature is kept constant at 30 ° c . c0 represents the volume of the gas retaining portion 1 , c1 represents the volume of the first chamber 2 , and c2 represents the volume of the second chamber 3 . the amount of n - pentane burned in the combustor 4 is largely varied by a ratio of the volume c1 of the first chamber 2 and the volume c2 of the second chamber 3 , and is therefore important in an operation management . more specifically , the air accumulated and compressed in the first chamber 2 is in a pressure state where the air is compressed and n - pentane is saturated . then , when the valve 14 is opened to make the first chamber 2 and the second chamber 3 communicate with each other , the pressure in the first chamber 2 is reduced by the amount corresponding to the increase in the volume of the second chamber 3 . because of liquid pentane present in the first chamber 2 , the amount of n - pentane in the gas is increased in accordance with equation 3 by the amount corresponding to the reduction in pressure . this shows that the smaller the volume ratio ( c2 / c1 ) is , the less the amount of n - pentane released to the outside of the plant is . the ratio of c1 / c0 has almost no effect on the associated pentane ratio . 8 : liquid level gauge ( higher level ) of the first chamber 9 : liquid level gauge ( lower level ) of the first chamber 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 : valves | 5 |
referring to fig1 a diagram in cross section of the overall construction of a first embodiment of a color image copier unit 1 according to the present invention is shown . original document 2 which is to be copied is transported intermittently in the direction of arrow a by a pulse motor or other drive means . exposure device 3 which illuminates original document 2 with red , blue , and green light is provided below original document 2 . this exposure device 3 has a rotating filter 73 including red , blue , and green light zones , so that red , blue , and green lights are successively emitted as rotating filter 73 turns . the red , blue , and green light emitted from exposure device 3 illuminate original document 2 . the reflected light is focused by lens 4 , and the image of the original is formed on photosensitive film 6 transported along the outer surface of drum 5 . drum 5 also functions as a fixing roller , maintains photosensitive film 6 at exposure position 7 , and also functions to transport the exposed photosensitive film 6 to fixing position 8 . photosensitive film 6 is stored in a roll in film case 9 . when photosensitive film 6 is fed from film case 9 , it is guided by guide member 10 , delivered in transportation direction b by paired transport rollers 11 and 12 , passes between paired guide members 13 and 14 , and is supplied to the outer surface of drum 5 . a detector p1 which functions to detect the leading edge of photosensitive film 6 is positioned slightly upstream in transportation direction b relative to exposure position 7 on drum 5 . guide members 16 , 17 , 18 , and transport rollers 19 and 20 are provided along the circumference of drum 5 . photosensitive film 6 is exposed at exposure position 7 , and transported to fixing position 8 by the rotational drive power of transport rollers 19 , 20 and drum 5 along guide members 16 , 17 , 18 in the direction of arrow c . main fixing roller 15 , which can be variably displaced to contact or release drum 5 , is positioned at fixing position 8 . drum 5 and main fixing roller 15 are coordinated to press together photosensitive film 6 and copy paper 23 , thereby causing the ink particles coating the surface of photosensitive film 6 to burst and be transferred to copy paper 23 as will be discussed later . downstream from fixing position 8 in the direction of rotation c of drum 5 , a separation claw 24 is provided to separate copy paper 23 and photosensitive film 6 . this separation claw 24 forcibly separates photosensitive film 6 and copy paper 23 , which have been pressed together at fixing position 8 . separated copy paper 23 passes guide members 25 and 26 , and is ejected to tray 29 by paired ejection rollers 27 and 28 . note that ejection rollers 27 and 28 may also include a heater k , so that rollers 27 and 28 and may also function as heat fusing rollers . photosensitive film 6 separated by separation claw 24 passes guide members 30 and 31 , and is taken up by film take - up shaft 32 . a detector p2 which functions to detect leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 in order to thread leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 in film take - up shaft 32 is positioned in the transportation path between separation claw 24 and film take - up shaft 32 . also , photosensitive film rewind roller 34 which drives film case 9 in the direction of arrow d is also provided for use in conjunction with film case 9 . transport rollers 11 , 19 , 20 , 21 , and 27 are slave rollers , and transport rollers 12 , 15 , 22 , and 28 are drive rollers . referring to fig2 a detailed perspective view of the film case 9 assembly is shown . film case 9 is made of a lightproof material , and consists primarily of a cylindrical film case body 9a , and covers 9b which can be freely attached to and removed from cylindrical film case body 9a to cover the open ends of film case 9 . on cylindrical film case body 9a are formed a pair of guides 9c which are used to guide photosensitive film 6 . also , covers 9b consist of a disc - shaped body 9b1 , and a spindle 9b2 which projects from the inside face of body 9b1 . to store photosensitive film 6 in film case 9 , the wound roll of photosensitive film 6 is in cylindrical film case body 9a , and covers 9b are fitted on the ends of cylindrical film case body 9a so that spindles 9b2 fit into core 33 of the rolled photosensitive film 6 . because photosensitive film 6 is thus loaded in film case 9 , and film case 9 is as previously mentioned made of a lightproof material , exposure of photosensitive film 6 by ambient light is prevented . reproduction of unclear images on copy paper 23 caused by the exposure of photosensitive film 6 before it is exposed at exposure position 7 is thereby prevented . referring now to fig3 and 4 , a detailed perspective view of the area around cover 40 , and a perspective view from below cover 40 are shown , respectively . a cover 40 is mounted by pins 42 to side wall 41 of the frame of color image copier unit 1 . on both sides of this cover 40 are guide holes 43 running up and down with respect the face of cover 40 , and these guide holes 43 are fitted into the rotating shaft of transport roller 11 . therefore , when cover 40 is closed and in a horizontal position , transport roller 11 is pressed of its own weight against transport roller 12 . guide member 13 has an oval hole 44 extending in the direction of transportation direction b , and actuator p1a of detector p1 positioned behind this guide member 13 passes through oval hole 44 . thus , when cover 40 is closed to obtain horizontal position , actuator p1a protrudes into the transport path of photosensitive film 6 so that leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 presses against this actuator p1a , thereby enabling detector p1 to detect the insertion of leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 . moreover , when cover 40 is open , edge 13a of guide member 13 is juxtaposed to the outside surface of drum 5 immediately upstream of exposure position 7 , and the transportation path of photosensitive film 6 is thereby closed . referring to fig5 an exploded perspective view of the area around guide members 30 and 31 is shown . a flange 45 is provided at the end of guide member 30 on the side to drum 5 . a spindle hole 46 is formed in this flange 45 . in side wall 41 of the frame , holes 47 are formed , and pins 48 are passed through holes 47 , coil springs 49 , and holes 46 . thus , guide member 30 is able to pivot around pins 48 . furthermore , one end of each coil spring 49 is held by a hook 50 on flange 45 , and the other end of each coil spring 49 is held by a hook 51 formed on the inner surface of side wall 41 of the frame . thus , guide member 30 is pulled towards guide member 31 by the tension of coil springs 49 . it is to be noted that stoppers 52 are provided on the inner face of side wall 41 of the frame to constrain the displacement of guide member 30 . guide member 31 has the same construction as guide member 30 , and corresponding parts are suffixed with an &# 34 ; a .&# 34 ; with this construction , guide member 31 can pivot around pin 48a , and is pressed towards guide member 30 by the force of coil springs 49a . also , stoppers 52 constrain the displacement of guide member 30 . furthermore , hole 53 is formed in the aforementioned guide member 30 parallel to the length of the member . actuator p2a of detector p2 extends through this hole , and the tip of said actuator p2a projects into the photosensitive film 6 transportation path defined by guide members 30 and 31 . therefore , when photosensitive film 6 passes between guide members 30 and 31 , leading edge 6a presses and trips actuator p2a , enabling detector p2 to detect that the leading edge of photosensitive film 6 has passed . in film take - up shaft 32 located at the end of guide members 30 and 31 opposite drum 5 is formed a photosensitive film take - up slot 55 parallel to the length of film take - up shaft 32 and slightly longer than the width of photosensitive film 6 . as will be discussed later , leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 is fitted into this take - up slot 55 , and when film take - up shaft 32 is driven with the film inserted in take - up slot 55 , the used photosensitive film 6 is wound onto film take - up shaft 32 . furthermore , when photosensitive film 6 is wound onto film take - up shaft 32 , ends 30a and 31a of guide members 30 and 31 press against surface 6b ( see fig1 ) of photosensitive film 6 . thus , a predetermined contact pressure is maintained on photosensitive film 6 , thereby preventing the film from being carried diagonally and wound unevenly on the shaft , and thus assuring a constantly even roll . referring next to fig6 a block diagram showing the electrical construction of color image copier unit 1 is shown . an operation signal from switch panel 60 is applied to main control 61 . motor control 62 , sensor circuit 63 , solenoid control 64 , light source control 65 , and heater control 66 are connected separately to main control 61 via bus line l1 . motor control 62 controls motors m1 through m9 . these motors m1 through m9 may be pulse motors . motor m1 is the transport motor for original document 2 , and motor m2 is the drive motor for rotating filter 73 provided with exposure device 3 . motor m3 is the drive motor for drum 5 ; motor m4 is the drive motor for supply roller 22 for the aforementioned copy paper ; motor m5 is the drive motor for transport roller 12 ; motor m6 is the drive motor for film take - up shaft 32 ; motor m7 is the drive motor for photosensitive film rewind roller 34 ; motor m8 is the drive motor for ejection roller 28 ; and motor m9 is the drive motor for main fixing roller 15 . detectors p1 , p2 , and p3 provided with exposure device 3 are separately connected to sensor circuit 63 . detector p3 detects a single revolution of rotating filter 73 provided with exposure device 3 . solenoid s which opens and closes separation claw 24 is connected to solenoid control 64 . light source control 65 controls light source 71 and other light sources provided with exposure device 3 . furthermore , heater control 66 controls heating of heater k . in fig7 through 9 there is illustrated the basic operating principle of the photosensitive film 6 in the color image copier unit 1 of the present invention . in fig7 discloses what happens when light having a wavelength of 600 nm to 700 nm , i . e ., red light , illuminates photosensitive film 6 . photosensitive film 6 is coated with yellow , magenta , and cyan ink particles which are separately hardened by light of differing wavelengths ( specifically , red light having a 600 nm to 700 nm wavelength hardens cyan ink particles , green light having a 500 nm to 600 nm wavelength hardens magenta ink particles , and blue light having a 400 nm to 500 nm wavelength hardens yellow ink particles ). if , for example , the film is illuminated with red light having a 600 nm to 700 nm wavelength light component , cyan ink particles are hardened as shown in fig7 ( 1 ). at this time , by setting copy paper 23 against photosensitive film 6 and applying pressure f of approximately 350 kg / cm 2 from the outside of both copy paper 23 and photosensitive film 6 as shown in fig7 ( 2 ), soft magenta and yellow ink particles , which were not hardened by the aforementioned red light illumination , burst and are transferred to copy paper 23 as shown in fig7 ( 3 ). thus , illumination with red light results in copying of magenta and yellow , colors which contain a red component , on copy paper 23 . once the ink particles are transferred , copy paper 23 is carried through ejection rollers 27 and 28 , which are also heat fusing rollers , the ink is fused , and a gloss is imparted as shown in fig7 ( 4 ). in fig8 there is shown the same situation when the aforementioned photosensitive film 6 is illuminated with green light having a 500 nm to 600 nm wavelength light component . the same process described above with red light illumination is repeated as shown in fig8 ( 1 ) through ( 4 ). hardening of magenta ink particles causes cyan and yellow , which have a green color component , to be transferred to copy paper 23 , and gloss is imparted to the copied image through fusing . in fig9 there is illustrated the same situation when the aforementioned photosensitive film 6 is illuminated with blue light having a 400 nm to 500 nm wavelength light component . the same process described above with red and green light illumination is repeated as shown in fig9 ( 1 ) through ( 4 ). hardening of yellow ink particles causes cyan and magenta , which have a blue color component , to be transferred to copy paper 23 , and gloss is imparted to the copied image through fusing . therefore , when red , blue , and green light is reflected from a given unit area of original document 2 and sequentially illuminate the same unit area of photosensitive film 6 , the ink particles coated on the surface of photosensitive film 6 are sequentially hardened , resulting ultimately in copying of a full color image . the timing of red , blue , and green light emissions from the light source , and the timing of original transportation and drum rotation are next discussed with reference to fig1 . referring now to fig1 , the specific construction of exposure device 3 is shown . reference number 71 is a light source consisting of an electric discharge lamp or similar means of illumination . a shield 72 is provided around light source 71 to contain light from light source 71 and to restrict the light path , and a cylindrically - shaped rotating filter 73 with integrated red , blue , and green components encircles light source 71 . p3 is an optical detector which detects a single revolution of the aforementioned rotating filter 73 , and consists of light emitter 74 and receptor 75 . one revolution of rotating filter 73 can be determined by detecting , for example , a slit 76 provided at the filter edge . according to the above construction , when copying of a color image begins , light source 71 first turns on , and rotating filter 73 then rotates . light from light source 71 thereby passes through red rotating filter 73r to illuminate original document 2 , and thus reflected light with a red color component passes lens 4 , and illuminates photosensitive film 6 . next , light from light source 71 passes through green rotating filter 73g to illuminate original document 2 , and thus reflected light with a green color component passes lens 4 , and illuminates photosensitive film 6 ; light from light source 71 then passes through blue rotating filter 73b to illuminate original document 2 , and thus reflected light with a blue color component passes lens 4 , and illuminates photosensitive film 6 . thus , original document 2 is illuminated with red , blue , and green light with one full revolution of rotating filter 73 . detector p3 detects one filter rotation when this full revolution is completed . synchronized to this detection of one complete rotation of rotating filter 73 , original transportation motor m1 operates to carry original document 2 one feed unit and to turn drum 5 a given amount , and the aforementioned operation is then repeated . it is to be noted that while in the previously described embodiment of the present invention red rotating filter 73r , green rotating filter 73g , and blue rotating filter 73b occupy an equal percentage of total surface area in rotating filter 73 , the construction shown in fig1 is preferred due to the characteristics of the respective light components . specifically , red light has the slowest response time of the red , blue , and green light components , and to compensate for this slow response time , the area of the red rotating filter 73r is preferably and relatively larger than that of the other filters , thus compensating for the sensitivity characteristics of photosensitive film 6 . referring to fig1 , shown is a flow chart showing the sequence of operations performed to set photosensitive film 6 in color image copier unit 1 . at the initial stage of this film setting sequence , separation claw 24 is detached from drum 5 as shown in fig1 , and rollers 12 , 15 , 22 , 28 , and 34 are stopped . furthermore , main fixing roller 15 is also detached from drum 5 . when the sequence advances from step n1 to step n2 from this position , cover 40 opens . as shown in fig1 , transport roller 11 is detached from transport roller 12 . furthermore , edge 13a at the drum 5 side of guide member 13 contacts the outer surface of drum 5 , covering the transportation path of photosensitive film 6 . furthermore , actuator p1a of detector p1 is extended slightly into the transportation path . when color image copier unit 1 advances from step n2 to step n3 , leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 is pulled out from film case 9 , passes between paired transport rollers 11 and 12 , and is inserted to where edge 13a of guide member 13 contacts drum 5 . because actuator p1a of detector p1 projects only slightly into the transportation path at this time , it does not contact photosensitive film 6 . in this position , leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 can be accurately positioned to the drum . also , because transport rollers 11 and 12 are detached at this time , photosensitive film 6 can be easily inserted . after photosensitive film 6 is set as thus described , cover 40 closes at step n4 . at the next step n5 , detector p1 determines whether or not photosensitive film 6 was detected . specifically , when cover 40 closes , actuator p1a of detector p1 contacts the top surface of photosensitive film 6 , causing actuator p1a to be displaced as shown in fig1 . this displacement enables detector p1 to detect the presence of photosensitive film 6 in the transportation path . if at step n5 detector p1 does not detect photosensitive film 6 , the sequence moves to step n6 , and an error is indicated by a light emitting diode or other means . if photosensitive film 6 is detected at step n5 , the sequence advances to step n7 , transport roller 12 is driven forward , and at step n8 , drum 5 is driven forward . this action causes photosensitive film 6 to be carried along the circumference of drum 5 . furthermore , at step 9 , counting of the amount of forward rotation of drum 5 by counter 67 ( see fig6 ) begins with the start of the forward rotation of drum 5 . at step 10 , the value of counter 67 is evaluated to determine whether the drum has travelled a first predetermined amount . this first predetermined amount is the distance the leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 must be carried by drum 5 to reach transport roller 19 . if at step n10 the value of counter 67 is not equivalent to the first predetermined amount , the sequence returns to step n7 . if at step n10 the first predetermined amount has been counted , then leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 has reached transport roller 19 , and setting of photosensitive film 6 is completed . thus , color image copier unit 1 enters the standby mode at step n11 . this thereby completes the photosensitive film 6 setting sequence . with reference fig1 a flow chart of initial copy processing is shown . in the default mode , leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 is positioned at transport roller 19 . when the sequence advances from step m1 to step m2 , original document 2 is set . at step m3 , initial copy processing start key n1 ( fig6 ) provided in switch panel 60 is pressed , and copying starts . at step m4 , detector p1 determines whether photosensitive film 6 has been detected , and if photosensitive film 6 has not been detected , an error is displayed at step m5 . if photosensitive film 6 is detected at step m4 , the copier skips to step m6 , and exposure device 3 is driven . thus , red , blue , and green light is sequentially emitted to original document 2 . at step m7 and step m8 , transport roller 12 and drum 5 are driven forward , respectively , causing photosensitive film 6 to be carried around the circumference of drum 5 by guide members 16 , 17 , 18 , and transport rollers 19 and 20 . when the forward rotation of drum 5 starts at step m9 , counting of the amount of forward rotation of drum 5 by counter 67 starts . at step m10 , main fixing roller 15 contacts light sensitive drum 5 , and ejection roller 28 is driven . at step m12 , the value of counter 67 is evaluated to determine if the second predetermined amount has been travelled . this second predetermined amount expresses the distance photosensitive film 6 must travel before supply of copy paper 23 begins . if counting of the second predetermined amount has been completed by step m12 , the sequence skips to the following step m14 . if at step m12 counting of the second predetermined amount has not been completed , the sequence advances to step m13 to determine if the second predetermined amount has been counted , and if it has not , the sequence returns to step m6 . if at step m13 the second predetermined amount has been counted , the sequence advances to step m14 , and supply roller 22 is driven . thus , copy paper 23 is supplied , contacts photosensitive film 6 which is carried along drum 5 at fixing position 8 , and passes between drum 5 and main fixing roller 15 . as previously described , the predetermined ink particles are compressed and broken by drum 5 and main fixing roller 15 , and the predetermined colors are transferred to copy paper 23 and fixed . next , at step m15 , determined is whether a third predetermined amount has been counted . if it has , the sequence advances to step m18 . if the third predetermined amount has not been counted , the sequence advances to step m16 , where it is again determined whether a third predetermined amount has been counted . this third predetermined amount expresses the distance the leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 must travel to pass separation claw 24 . if this third predetermined amount has not been reached by step m16 , the sequence returns to step m6 . if this third predetermined amount has been reached by step m16 , the sequence advances to step m17 , the counter is reset , the sequence advances to step m18 , and separation claw 24 is switched from the detached position to contact drum 5 . thus , copy paper 23 and photosensitive film 6 passing separation claw 24 are forcibly separated . thus , separated copy paper 23 passes guide members 25 and 26 , and is ejected by ejection rollers 27 and 28 to a tray 29 provided outside the copier . it is apparent from the foregoing description that , while copy paper 23 is depressed and guided between roller 15 and drum 5 , photosensitive film 6 is also taken out from film case 9 and wound on film take - up shaft 32 , and during this period no exposure is carried out at the exposure position . therefore , when one image is transferred on copy paper 23 at transfer station , unused photosensitive film 6 extends between the exposure position and the transfer position . thus , the unused photosensitive film portion will be rewound back into film case 9 , as will be described later in connection with steps m29 - m34 . at step m19 , whether or not a fourth predetermined amount has been counted is determined . this fourth predetermined amount is the distance leading edge 6a must travel to reach film take - up shaft 32 after leading edge 6a is detected by detector p2 . if this fourth predetermined amount has been counted by step m19 , the sequence advances to step m23 . if the fourth predetermined amount has not been counted , the sequence advances to step m20 where it is determined whether detector p2 has detected photosensitive film 6 . specifically , when photosensitive film 6 passes separation claw 24 , and passes between guide members 30 and 31 , actuator p2a of detcctor p2 is tripped . thus , detector p2 is able to detect photosensitive film 6 . if at step m20 detector p2 has detected photosensitive film 6 , it is determined at step m21 whether the fourth predetermined amount has been reached . if it has , the sequence advances to step m22 , and the counter is reset . when the fourth predetermined amount is counted , leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 has been threaded through take - up slot 55 as shown in fig1 . if at step m21 the fourth predetermined amount has not been reached , the sequence returns to step m6 . at step m23 , film take - up shaft 32 is driven , and photosensitive film 6 is wound onto the spindle . at step m24 , it is determined whether or not illumination by exposure device 3 of one full page of original document 2 has been completed . if the full page exposure has not been completed , the sequence returns to step m6 , and the entire sequence from step m6 is repeated . if the full page illumination has been completed , the sequence advances to step m25 . note that after leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 is wound onto film take - up shaft 32 , the second , third , and fourth predetermined amounts will have been counted . therefore , step m12 skips to step m14 , step m15 to step m18 , and step m19 to step m23 . at step 25 , determined is whether exposure device 3 is operating , and if it is not , the sequence skips to step m27 . if exposure device 3 is operating , the sequence skips to step m26 , and the counter is reset . at step m27 , it is determined whether a fifth predetermined amount has been counted . this fifth predetermined amount corresponds to the distance the last exposed portion of photosensitive film 6 must travel to pass main fixing roller 15 . if the fifth predetermined amount has not been reached , the sequence returns to step m7 . it is to be noted than when the sequence returns from step m27 to step m7 , exposure device 3 stops . therefore , the sequence after this proceeds from step m7 through step m12 , skips to step m14 and advances to step m15 , then skips to step m18 and advances to step m19 , then skips to step m23 and advances to step m24 and to step m25 , and then skips to step m27 . if the fifth predetermined amount has been counted at step m27 , the sequence advances to step m28 . at step m28 , separation claw 24 is switched from contacting drum 5 to being detached . at the next step m29 , drum 5 is driven backward , causing counter 67 to begin counting the backward rotation amount of drum 5 at step m30 . at step m31 and step m32 , main fixing roller 15 and transport roller 12 are driven backward , respectively , and at step m33 , photosensitive film rewind roller 34 is driven . thus , the last exposed part of photosensitive film 6 , which is positioned at fixing position 8 , is carried backward around drum 5 , and film case 9 rotates accordingly . at step m34 , determined is whether or not a sixth predetermined amount has been counted , and if it has not , the sequence skips to step m29 . if it has been counted , the sequence skips to step m35 , and the copier enters the standby mode . this sixth predetermined amount is the amount of backward travel required for the last exposed part of photosensitive film 6 to rewind to approximately the position of transport roller 19 . it is to be noted that when the sixth predetermined amount is counted , film case 9 may rotate to the estimated position shown in fig1 . this operating sequence from step m1 to step m35 completes the initial process . referring finally 16 , a flow chart showing the sequence for the copy processing operation is shown illustrated . after the previously described initial copying process , the copy processing sequence shown in fig1 is performed . thus , at the start of this copy processing sequence , leading edge 6a of photosensitive film 6 is already wound onto film take - up shaft 32 . from this position , the sequence advances from step r1 to step r2 , at which point the original document 2 to be copied is set on the copier table . when copy start key n2 ( see fig6 ) provided on switch panel 60 is pressed at the step r3 , the sequence advances to step r4 , at which step it is determined whether photosensitive film 6 has been detected by detector p1 . if the film has not been detected , the sequence advances to step r5 , and an error is displayed . if at step r4 detector p1 had detected photosensitive film 6 , the sequence skips to step r6 and exposure device 3 is driven . at step r7 , transport roller 12 is driven forward , at step r8 drum 5 is driven forward , and thus counting of the amount of forward rotation of drum 5 begins at step r9 . furthermore , at step r10 , film take - up shaft 32 is driven . thus , photosensitive film 6 exposed at exposure position 7 is carried around the circumference of drum 5 . at step r11 , main fixing roller 15 is driven , and at step r12 ejection roller 28 is driven . determined at step r13 is whether counting of the second predetermined amount is finished , and if it is , the sequence skips to step r15 . if at step r13 counting of the second predetermined amount is not finished , the sequence advances to step r14 , where it is determined if the value of the counter is the same as the second predetermined amount . if it is not , the sequence returns to step r7 . if at step r14 the counter value has reached the second predetermined amount , specifically , if drum 5 has travelled the distance required for supply of copy paper 23 to start , the sequence advances to step r15 , and supply roller 22 is driven . thus , copy paper 23 is supplied between drum 5 and main fixing roller 15 , where the paper is pressed together with the exposed film by drum 5 and main fixing roller 15 , thus causing the appropriate ink particles to be burst , transferred , and fixed on copy paper 23 . at step r16 , separation claw 24 is switched from the detached position to the position at which it presses against drum 5 . thus , copy paper 23 and photosensitive film 6 which were pressed together at fixing position 8 are separated as they pass separation claw 24 . the separated copy paper 23 passes guide members 25 and 26 , passes ejection rollers 27 and 28 , and is ejected to tray 29 . after it has passed separation claw 24 , photosensitive film 6 is wound onto film take - up shaft 32 . as shown in fig1 , pressure is applied by ends 30a and 31a of guide members 30 and 31 to surface 6b of photosensitive film 6 as it is wound onto film take - up shaft 32 . thus , photosensitive film 6 is wound onto film take - up shaft 32 evenly . at the following step r17 , it is determined whether exposure of one full original page is completed , and if it is not , the sequence returns to step r6 . if exposure of one full page is completed , the sequence advances from step r17 to step r18 . thus , a determination is made to see if exposure device 3 is operating , and if it is not , the sequence skips to step r20 . if exposure device 3 is operating at step r18 , the counter is reset at step r19 . at step r20 , it is determined whether or not the value of counter 67 has reached the fifth predetermined amount , and if it has not , the sequence returns to step r7 . in this case , exposure device 3 stops . if at step r20 the fifth predetermined amount has been counted , the final exposed part of photosensitive film 6 has passed main fixing roller 15 , transfer of the final exposed portion is completed , and the image is fixed . when transfer of a full page from original document 2 to copy paper 23 is completed , the sequence advances to step r21 , and separation claw 24 is detached from drum 5 . note that copy paper 23 has already passed guide members 25 and 26 before separation claw 24 is detached from drum 5 . steps r22 , r23 , r24 , r25 , and r26 are now completed in sequence . thus , main fixing roller 15 of drum 5 and transport roller 12 are driven backward , and photosensitive film rewind roller 34 is driven . counter 67 thus begins to count the amount of backward rotation of drum 5 when drum 5 is driven backward . thus , photosensitive film 6 is rewound , and when the sixth predetermined amount , which is the distance the final exposed part of photosensitive film 6 must travel to be approximately positioned at transport roller 19 , is counted , the sequence advances from step r7 to step r8 . thus , the copier enters the standby mode . when the copy operation for a second original document 2 is performed immediately after the last exposed part of photosensitive film 6 has passed the fixing position without rewinding photosensitive film 6 , the part of photosensitive film 6 positioned between exposure position 7 and fixing position 8 is not used , resulting in uneconomical operation . however , as occurs in a color copier according to the present invention , rewinding of photosensitive film 6 enables more efficient use of the entire photosensitive film . note that when ejection rollers 27 and 28 are used as heat fusing rollers , the surface of copy paper 23 is heat - fused as the paper passes through ejection rollers 27 and 28 , imparting a gloss and improved color to the copied image . according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention as described above , separate red , blue , and green light sources are not required , a charge - coupled device image sensor or other light receptor is not required . therefore , the copier construction can be simplified and the copying speed can be increased . furthermore , because the photosensitive film is enclosed in a lightproof film case , exposure by ambient light or light sources other than the exposure device is prevented . thus , copying of sharper color images is possible . furthermore , insertion of the photosensitive film between the transport rollers is easier because the rollers are detached and the guide members are covering the transportation path when the photosensitive film is first loaded . furthermore , because the leading edge of the photosensitive film contacts the guide member and is prevented from being inserted any farther , the leading edge of the film can be loaded to the same position with each loading operation . thus , detecting the position of the leading edge of the film can be accomplished with high precision . furthermore , according to the first embodiment of the present invention , because the take - up shaft is designed in a manner so as to begin driving after a predetermined time interval after the detection of the leading edge of the photosensitive film by the detection means , the leading edge of the photosensitive film is inserted into a hole in the take - up shaft when this predetermined time has elapsed and the take - up shaft is driven after the leading edge is thus threaded . therefore , a film threading operation in which the photosensitive film is transported and wound automatically onto the take - up shaft can be automatically performed . furthermore , according to the present invention , because the guide members contact the roll of photosensitive film wound onto the take - up shaft in a pressure applied manner , the desired contact pressure acts on the aforementioned roll of photosensitive film . thus , the photosensitive film is wound evenly onto the take - up shaft . furthermore , according to the present invention , because a means for driving the film case backwards is provided , the film case can be driven backwards when the last exposed portion of the photosensitive film reaches the fixing position so that the unused portion of the photosensitive film is rewound from the fixing position to the exposure position when copying is to be performed again . thus , unused portions of the photosensitive film can be eliminated , and the photosensitive film can be effectively used . furthermore , according to the color copying device of the present invention , since ejection rollers are constructed in a such a manner as to function also as heat fusing rollers , and whether such ejection rollers are used as ejection rollers or heat fusing rollers can be selected , a glossy finish can be imparted to copied images without providing separate heat fusing rollers . thus , the copier can be constructed compactly and at a lower cost . although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom . | 6 |
referring now to the drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon , fig1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the laptop computer protector system of the present invention , designated generally as 10 , shown with a laptop computer 12 being inserted therewithin . the laptop computer 12 is shown fully inserted in fig2 . the laptop computer protector system 10 includes a fluid bladder system , designated generally as 14 ; and , a sleeve , designated generally as 16 . the fluid bladder system 14 is preferably covered and sown up with the sleeve 16 , and as such can be easily slipped into any laptop compartment of , for example , a laptop case , a school bag , duffel bag , or handbag . a lid 18 of the laptop computer protector system 10 is shown in a closed position in fig3 . the sleeve is preferably formed of nylon fabric . referring now to fig4 , the laptop computer protector system is shown in an unfolded configuration , with the sleeve removed to reveal the fluid bladder system 14 . in this embodiment , the fluid bladder system 14 includes a main bladder 20 that is positionable about a main portion of a laptop computer . a first side bladder 22 is positionable about a first side portion of the laptop computer ; and , a second side bladder 24 is positionable about a second side portion of the laptop computer . an air pump 26 provides a fluid pressurization means for inflating the fluid bladders 20 , 22 , 24 . this fluid pressurization means also includes fluid conduits 28 , 30 , 32 , that interconnect the fluid bladders 20 , 22 , 24 . the bladders are preferably made of smooth but strong latex rubber material . when standing the laptop protector system upright , each bladder is preferably in a range of about 13 to 15 inches in height , preferably about 1 to 1 . 5 inches in width , and 10 . 5 inches in length . the fluid conduits 28 , 30 , 32 are preferably formed of plastic or latex tubes . fluid conduits 28 , 30 , and 32 preferably have diameters in a range of about 0 . 06 - 0 . 25 inches , most preferably about 0 . 125 inches in diameter . the air pump may comprise , for example , a squeeze bulb . an air release mechanism 34 is utilized to depressurize the fluid bladders . the air release mechanism may be a button or other suitable valve . the main bladder 20 preferably includes anchor patches 36 for stabilizing the shape of the bladder . each of the four anchor patches 36 may be formed of silicon latex or rubber . fig5 shows the laptop computer protector system 10 in a folded configuration , with the sleeve removed to show the fluid bladder system 14 . this figure also shows how the anchor patches 36 stabilize the form and shape of the laptop protector system . fig6 and fig7 show additional views taken along lines denoted in fig2 and 3 , respectively . it is noted that the sleeve 16 of the laptop computer protector system may include additional features for ease in use , for example , a handle 38 , pouches 40 , velcro ® attachments 42 , and latch 44 ; all best seen in fig1 - 3 . the sleeve 16 may be designed to substantially fully encompass the fluid bladder system 14 including the air pump 26 . referring now to fig8 - 9 , another preferred embodiment of the laptop computer protector system , designated generally as 46 . in this embodiment , the laptop computer protector system 46 is embodied as a six bladder configuration . it is shown in this figure unfolded , with the sleeve removed to expose the fluid bladder system . laptop computer protector system 46 splits the main bladder into a first main bladder 48 positionable about a first main portion of a laptop computer ( not shown ); and , a second main bladder 50 positionable about a second main portion of the laptop computer . it includes first , second , third , and fourth side bladders 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 , each positionable about a respective side portion of the laptop computer . as in the previous embodiment , the bladders are inflated by a suitable air pressurization means , including conduits 60 , pump 62 and valve 64 . instead of squeeze bulb air pump other suitable pressurization means can be used . for example , referring now to fig1 , another embodiment designated generally as 66 , utilizes a co 2 cartridge 68 . fig1 illustrates how the laptop computer protector system 10 can be inserted into a suitable carrying case , such as a backpack 70 . although the inventive features herein have discussed relative to their application with a laptop computer they can apply equally well with other sensitive objects that are desired to be transported , such as desktop monitors , china , ceramics , glass , crystals , etc . other embodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
the peptides were solid - phase synthesized with an applied biosystems automatic peptide synthesizer , model 433a , and by fmoc chemistry , which uses the fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl ( fmoc ) group for the temporary protection of the α - amine function of amino acids . the protective groups used for the amino acid side chains were tert - butyl ether ( tbu ) for ser , thr and tyr residues ; tert - butyl ester ( otbu ) for asp , glu ; trityl ( trt ) for gln , asn , cys ; tert - butyloxy - carbonyl ( boc ) for lys ; and 2 , 2 , 5 , 7 , 8 - pentamethyl - chroman - 6 - sulfonyl ( pmc ) for arg . the coupling reaction was carried out in the presence of an excess of 10 equivalents of amino acid ( 1 millimole ) relative to the resin ( 0 . 1 millimole ). the latter was first deprotected with respect to the fmoc group using a 20 % piperidine solution . the excess piperidine was removed by washing with n - methyl - pyrrolidone ( nmp ). the deprotection reaction was monitored by uv - detection at 305 nm of the dibenzo - fulvenepiperidine adducts . in parallel , the amino acid was dissolved in a mixture consisting of 1 ml of nmp and 1 ml of a 1 m solution of 1 - n - hydroxy - 7 - azabenzo - triazole ( hoat ) in nmp . a solution of 1 ml of 1 m n , n ′- dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc ) in nmp was then added so as to form the activated ester of the amino acid . after 40 minutes , this active ester was introduced into the reactor containing the deprotected resin . at the end of synthesis , the resin was washed several times with dichloromethane ( dcm ). the cleavage of the peptide and the deprotection of the protective groups of the amino acid side chains were carried out under acidic conditions . the resin was suspended ( 100 ml per gram of resin ) in a solution of 81 . 5 % tri - fluoroacetic acid ( tfa ), 5 % phenol , 5 % thioanisole , 5 % water , 2 . 5 % ethanedithiol and 1 % triisopropylsilane for three hours with stirring at ambient temperature . after filtration over sintered glass , the reaction medium was precipitated with diisopropyl ether and then centrifuged . the pellet was separated from this supernatant and dissolved in tfa . after reprecipitation with ether and centrifugation , the pellet was again dissolved in 20 % acetic acid and then lyophilized . the crude reaction product obtained was purified a first time on a vydac c18 reverse - phase preparative column ( 1 . 0 × 25 . 0 cm ) using a 0 - 60 % gradient of acetonitrile in 90 minutes . the pure linear peptide was then lyophilized , and then redissolved in 200 ml of a 100 mm tris solution , ph 8 . 0 . an equivalent of 5 , 5 ′- dithiobis ( 2 - nitrobenzoic ) acid was added so as to bring about the specific formation of the intra - molecular disulfide bridge between the two cysteines . the reaction medium was then acidified and then purified using the same protocol as for the crude reaction product . the fractions of pure product were combined and lyophilized . the purity of the product was confirmed by electrospray mass spectrometry . stock solutions were prepared by dissolving in water , and the concentrations were determined by spectrophotometry using molar extinction coefficients of 1280 m − 1 . cm − 1 for tyrosine , 120 m − 1 . cm − 1 for the disulfide bridge and 5690 m − 1 . cm − 1 for tryptophan . all the metal salts used are nitrates (& gt ; 99 . 9 % purity , aldrich , france ). the stock solutions are acidified to ph = 2 with nitric acid so as to prevent the formation of hydroxides . the fluorescence spectra are recorded on a cary eclipse spectrometer ( varian , france ) equipped with a thermostated cuvette holder . the excitation wavelength used is 280 nm with slot widths of 10 nm for excitation and of 2 . 5 nm for emission . the spectra are recorded between 300 nm and 450 nm in a cuvette with a 1 cm optical path . a nd - yag laser ( minilite model , continuum ) operating at 266 nm and delivering an energy of 1 mj in 4 ns pulses at a frequency of 20 hz was used as excitation source . the beam was directed into a 4 ml quartz cuvette , and then into the measuring cell of the “ fluo 2001 ” spectrofluorimeter ( dilor , france ) by means of quartz lenses . the light was then concentrated at the inlet of a polychromator , and the signal was detected using an array of 1024 photodiodes cooled using the peltier effect (− 30 ° c .). the spectra were recorded by integrating the signal detected by the photodiodes for a period of 0 . 5 s . an electronic circuit synchronized with the laser made it possible to carry out the detection after a delay of 90 μs for a period of 50 μs . the assembly was controlled by a computer ( dell ). the positive - detection - mode electrospray mass spectra were recorded with a q - tof ii device ( micromass ). the sample to be analyzed was introduced into the source via a syringe pump ( harvard apparatus ). nitrogen was used as drying and collision gas with a source heated to 80 ° c . the cone voltage was 30 volts , and a high voltage of 3500 kv was applied to the capillary . the sample solution flow rate was fixed at 5 μl . min − 1 . the spectra represent the mean of 40 scans recorded between 400 and 3000 m / z at a scan rate of 6 s / scan . the cd spectra were recorded with a cd6 device ( jobin yvon ) equipped with a thermostated cuvette holder and computer - controlled using the cdmax program . the compounds were solubilized at a concentration of 5 μm in a 1 mm mes buffer at ph 6 . 5 . the spectra were recorded at ambient temperature between 180 nm and 250 nm using a cuvette with a 0 . 1 mm optical path . each spectrum represents the mean of 4 successive accumulations obtained with an integration time of 0 . 5 s and a step of 0 . 5 nm . the spectra were smoothed using the algorithm included in the cdmax program . preparation of cyclic peptides derived from calmodulin site i and analysis of the heavy metal chelation the linear peptide of 33 residues corresponding to calmodulin site i ( cam : eqiaefkeafalfdkdgdgtittkelgtvmrsl , seq id no . 1 ) tested by circular dichroism exhibits no ordered structure , even when placed in the presence of an excess of calcium ions . at high concentration ( 100 μm ), it aggregates in solution , probably because of the inter - molecular interactions between the hydrophobic portions of the non - structured helices . consequently , in order to prevent these interactions that are unfavorable to the formation of a stable native helix - loop - helix structure , peptides comprising a disulfide bridge connecting positions 13 and 29 of said peptide , corresponding , respectively , to positions 19 and 35 in the calmodulin sequence , were prepared . consequently , peptides comprising the mutations phe19cys and val35cys were synthesized . in addition , the mutation thr26tyr was inserted in order to make it possible to introduce a fluorescent probe into the coordinating loop , in such a way as to monitor the binding of the metal . in addition , the glutamic acid at position 25 of the peptide or at position 31 of calmodulin was optionally mutated to aspartic acid ( glu31asp ). the peptides synthesized have the following sequences ( fig2 and table i ), in which the mutations are indicated in bold : 2 ) analysis of the structure and of the affinity of the cyclic peptides for heavy metals ( peptides cam - m1c and cam - m2c ) the corresponding peptide cam - m1c was synthesized and its affinity with respect to various metals was tested by mass spectrometry , circular dichroism ( cd ) and time - resolved fluorescence ( trls ). the cd spectra recorded in the presence of 8 equivalents of metals show good affinity for calcium , cadmium , terbium , europium and uranium , and also a weak affinity with cobalt . no interaction is detected with the other elements of the alkaline earth metal column ( mg , sr , ba ). the circular dichroism ( cd ) analysis of the peptide cam1c shows a spectrum typical of a disordered structure with a minimum at 190 nm ( fig3 ). the absence of a secondary structure was confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1h nmr ) spectroscopy . when dissolved calcium is added , the cd spectrum takes on a form that is typical of a helicoidal conformation with minima at 206 and 222 nm . a cam1c titration by cd was then carried out and the intensity of the dichroic signal at 222 nm was reported as a function of the concentration of calcium ions added ( fig4 ). the binding isotherm curve which goes through the experimental points demonstrates a ca / peptide stoichiometry of 1 / 1 and makes it possible to calculate a dissociation constant kd of 30 μm . the mass spectrum of the peptide in the absence of the metal shows three main peaks at 736 . 8 , 920 . 7 and 1227 . 3 m / z , corresponding to the five -, four - and three - times protonated peptide , respectively . the introduction of the increasing concentrations of calcium to the peptide leads to a modification of this spectrum , with new peaks at 744 . 7 , 930 . 6 and 1240 . 5 m / z , compatible with a 1 : 1 peptide : calcium complex exhibiting the same charge state . assuming that the peptide free of metal and the complex have similar signal responses , a dissociation constant can be calculated , as described by whittal et al . ( prot . sci ., 2000 , 9 , 332 - 343 ), giving a kd = 30 μm ( table ii ), in agreement with the value calculated by the cd titration . the lanthanide ions have often been used as calcium models in biological studies of molecules ( linse et al ., j . biol . chem ., 1991 , 266 , 8050 - 8054 ). spectrofluorimetry titrations of the peptide cam - m1c ( 20 μm solution in 10 mm mes buffer , ph 6 . 5 ) with solutions of terbium and of europium were carried out by time - resolved laser fluorescence ( trls ) ( fig5 ). this spectroscopy is based on excitation of the metal , followed by time resolution of the fluorescent signal , thus overcoming the limitations due to the presence of fluorophores whose fluorescence has a short life span but is of strong intensity ( whittal et al ., mentioned above ). using an excitation wavelength of 266 nm , the fluorescence emission of the two lanthanides is observed by means of an energy transfer mechanism via tyr20 of the peptide , with an increase in the fluorescence emitted from the metal up to a limit corresponding to a lanthanide : peptide ratio of 1 : 1 . for terbium , the stronger emission is located at 545 nm . in the case of europium , the spectrum shows fluorescence emission maxima at 593 and 618 nm . the measurements of fluorescence emission intensity ( 545 nm for tb3 + and 618 nm for eu3 +) as a function of lanthanide concentration and the fit of these data with respect to the binding isotherm lead to the determination of the dissociation constants kd ( tb3 +)= 3 . 5 μm and kd ( eu3 +)= 0 . 6 μm ( table ii ). in the case of uranyl ions , the study of the binding of uranyl ions to the peptide is made difficult by the complex speciation of this metal in water ( fig6 ). specifically , at ph 6 . 5 , the speciation diagram shows that the predominant species are ( uo 2 ) 3 ( oh ) 5 + ( 67 %) and ( uo 2 )( oh ) + ( 17 %). at this ph , only 5 % of uranyl ion uo 2 2 + remains . analysis of the complex formed with the peptide by mass spectrometry shows that the uranium is coordinated in the uo 2 2 + form . now , all uranium species are fluorescent , and it becomes difficult , with conventional fluorescence methods , to monitor just one of the species present in solution . this problem was resolved with trls , which is based on the following principle : after an excitation by laser pulse , the fluorescence is detected after a delay chosen by the user ; a delay of 80 μs made it possible to do away with all the species other than uo 2 oh + for the detection . under these instrumental conditions , using an excitation wavelength of 266 nm , a 2 μm solution of uo 2 ( no 3 ) 2 was titrated by means of successive additions of aliquots of an aqueous solution of the peptide . this experiment made it possible to determine a dissociation constant k d of 4 . 7 μm , table ii . * the species titrated is the uo 2 ( oh ) + entity . a second peptide comprising an additional mutation , namely : substitution of the glutamic acid at position 31 of the calmodulin sequence to aspartic acid ( glu31asp ), was also synthesized . the side chain of the amino acid is shortened by a methylene group , and the cavity formed by the loop is therefore greater in size . the same esi / ms , cd and trls studies show that this peptide loses the affinity for all divalent metals , and for the uranyl ion . only the affinities for the lanthanides are conserved , with dissociation constants of 3 . 5 ± 1 μm and 3 . 2 ± 0 . 8 μm for terbium and europium , respectively . all the results show that the cyclic peptides studied , containing the mutations phe19cys , val35cys and thr26tyr and , optionally , the mutation glu31asp , and in which cysteines 19 and 35 are connected by a disulfide bridge , have the following properties : unlike the linear peptide corresponding to calmodulin site i ( peptide cam ), which does not exhibit an ordered structure and aggregates in solution , the cyclic peptides synthesized have a stable helix - loop - helix type structure , and they are capable of binding metal ions , including uranium vi ( peptide cam - m1c ), with an affinity comparable to that of native calmodulin for the calcium ion . these results also indicate that point mutations in the sequence of the loop of calmodulin site i make it possible to vary the relative affinity of the peptides for various metal ions . however , none of the mutant peptides studied specifically binds uranium vi . the peptides synthesized correspond to cyclic peptides containing the mutations phe19cys , val35cys and thr26tyr , as described in example 2 , and also the following additional mutations : d20t ( peptide cam - m9c ) d24t ( peptide cam - m10c ) d20t and d24t ( peptide cam - m3c ) d20s and d24s ( peptide cam - m7c ) d20t and d22t ( peptide cam - m6c ) d22t and d24t ( peptide cam - m5c ) d20n , d22n and d24n ( peptide cam - m4c ) d20t , d22t and d24t ( peptide cam - m8c ) more specifically , the sequences of these peptides , in which the mutated residues are indicated in bold , are represented in fig2 and in table i . a diagrammatic representation of uranyl in the coordinating loop of calmodulin that has been mutated ( peptide cam - m3c ), obtained from the three - dimensional structure of the calmodulin loop ( pdb code : 1exr ), is given in fig7 . 2 ) analysis of the affinity of the peptides for various metal ions ( peptides cam - m3c , cam - m4c and cam - m5c ) the affinity of the peptide cam - m3c for various metal ions ( ca 2 + , mg 2 + , ba 2 + , sr 2 + , tb 3 + , eu 3 + , uo 2 2 + ) was tested using two spectroscopic methods : circular dichroism ( cd ) and electrospray mass spectrometry ( esi - ms ). the cd spectra and the positive - detection - mode electrospray mass spectra ( esi - ms ) were recorded as described in example 1 . fig8 shows that only the addition of an excess of uranyl results in a modification of the dichroic spectrum of the peptide cam - m3c . in this case , two new minima at 207 nm and 222 nm are observed . they are characteristic of an α - helical ordered secondary structure . this result is confirmed by the esi - ms analysis : only the addition of uranyl in solution results in the appearance of a mass peak compatible with the formation of a 1 / 1 peptide / uo 2 complex . the peptides cam - m4c , cam - m5c , cam - m6c , cam - m7c , cam - m8c , cam - m9c and cam - m10c gave the same results in circular dichroism spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy ( esi - ms ), which indicates that these peptides do not bind calcium , the lanthanides and the other ions tested , but only uranium ( vi ). the analysis of the coordination of the uranyl ion by a biological molecule is envisaged at a ph close to the physiological value , i . e . between 6 and 8 . now , at this ph , the uranyl ion is no longer in solution only in a single form , uo 2 2 + , but in the form of various complexes derived from this metal core : hydroxo and carbonate complexes , for example . this phenomenon is referred to as speciation . the amount of each of the species present in an aqueous solution depends on the concentration of uranium , on the concentration of dissolved gases ( carbonates ) and on the thermodynamic parameters associated with the metal ion . at a concentration of 1 μm with respect to uranium , the speciation diagram ( fig6 ) shows that the predominant species at ph 6 . 5 are the species ( uo 2 ) 3 ( oh ) 5 + , uo 2 ( oh ) 2 and uo 2 ( oh ) + , representing , respectively , 52 . 1 , 16 and 25 . 3 % of the u ( vi ) in solution . the minor species are uo 2 2 + , uo 2 ( oh ) 3 − and uranium / carbonate complexes . in a titration experiment by conventional fluorescence , each of these uranium species contributes to the overall intensity of fluorescence detected after excitation . the calculation of a dissociation constant is consequently impossible , since it is not possible to isolate the contribution of each of the species present in solution . for this reason , the titrations were carried out using time resolution , i . e . the difference in the lifetime of fluorescence of each of the species involved , as described in example 1 . using a delay of greater than or equal to 70 μs between the laser shot ( excitation ) and the detection , the only species detected is the monohydroxo complex uo 2 ( oh ) + . b ) analysis of uranium coordination by the peptide cam - m3c in various media 2 μm uranium was titrated with the peptide cam - m3c in a pure aqueous medium , the ph of which is adjusted to 6 . 5 with aqueous ammonia . the time resolution parameters ( 70 μs delay , 100 μs gate width , 0 . 5 s integration ) make it possible to visualize only the monohydroxylated uranium species . when increasing amounts of peptide are added to the initial solution of uranium , the intensity of the fluorescence of uo 2 ( oh )+ decreases , attesting to the coordination of the metal with the peptide . the graph of the intensity at 520 nm as a function of the concentration of peptide added can be simulated by the theoretical expression corresponding to the chemical equilibrium involved , taking into account the fact that the concentration of uo 2 ( oh )+ in solution is equal to 17 . 21 % of the u ( vi ) introduced . the dissociation constant corresponding to the equilibrium uo 2 ( oh )+ cam - m3c →( cam - m3c )( uo 2 )+ oh − is calculated from the simulation : kd = 3 . 8 ± 0 . 3 μm ( fig9 ). b 2 ) analysis of uranium coordination in a phosphate medium in a second experiment , the uranium chelation by the peptide was studied in a 1 mm phosphate buffer medium , at ph 6 . 5 . in this medium , the uranyl initially forms complexes with the phosphate ions , the thermodynamic data of which are as follows : po 4 3 − + uo 2 2 + uo 2 po 4 − log 10 k = 13 . 7 hpo 4 2 − + uo 2 2 + uo 2 hpo 4 log 10 k = 7 . 7 h 3 po 4 + uo 2 2 + uo 2 h 2 po + + h + log 10 k = 1 . 1 the uranium / phosphate complexes have the particularity of increasing the intensity of fluorescence of the metal ion , whereas the other known ligands bring about an attenuation of the fluorescence . fractions of an aqueous solution of the peptide were added successively to a 2 . 0 μm solution of uo 2 ( no 3 ) 2 in a 1 mm phosphate buffer at ph 6 . 5 . the fluorescence spectrum of the uranyl ion ( λ ex = 266 nm ) was recorded after each addition . all the spectra obtained are represented in fig1 . the graph of the intensity at 520 nm as a function of the concentration of uranium added is then simulated by the binding isotherm corresponding to the formation of a 1 / 1 complex between uranium and the peptide , according to the relationship deduced from the expression of the dissociation constant : where [ u ] 0 = 2 . 0 μm , k d is the dissociation constant of the complex , and [ p ] denotes the amount of peptide added in solution . the experimental data and also the interpretation thereof by means of equation ( 1 ) are represented in fig1 . the dissociation constant calculated by this approach is 18 μm . b 3 ) analysis of the uranium coordination in the presence of other ions the uranium coordination by the peptide was also studied in the presence of a mixture of other ions . the composition of the reaction medium corresponds to an average of the ion composition of several french spring waters , from which the carbonate ions , which are inhibitors of uranyl fluorescence , have been removed . the exact composition of the medium tested is as follows : this medium is artificially contaminated with increasingly low concentrations of uranium ( 20 μm , 2 μm , 0 . 2 μm ). in each case , the peptide is added until complete extinction of the uranium fluorescence is obtained ( fig1 ). the apparent dissociation constants calculated for each of these titrations are 10 ± 1 μm . they are of the same order of magnitude as the dissociation constant calculated in deionized water at ph 6 . 5 and in phosphate buffer . this demonstrates the absence of competition , firstly , between u ( vi ) and the other metal cations and , secondly , between the peptide and the other uranium ligands : the peptide cam - m3c is therefore selective for uranium under these conditions . the results obtained show that the peptide cam - m3c , which has the mutations d20t and d24t , is selective for uranium vi . in the concentration range studied ( 0 . 1 μm to 2 . 0 mm with respect to metals ), the peptide cam - m3c coordinates uranium with a dissociation constant of between 3 . 8 and 18 μm in the various media tested . no measurable affinity for mg , ca , sr , ba , eu or tb is detected . 1 ) analysis of uranium coordination by the bovine brain calmodulin protein the coordination of uranium ( in uranyl form , 2 . 0 μm ) by the native protein in 1 mm phosphate medium was also studied . the complexation of uranium with the protein is reflected by a drop in uranyl fluorescence intensity . the titration spectra are represented in fig1 . in another experiment , a 0 . 4 μm solution of uranyl nitrate in a 1 . 0 mm phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 0 ) was titrated with a solution of calmodulin up to a protein concentration of 8 μm . after the addition of 8 μm of calmodulin , calcium ions were added up to the concentration of 8 mm ( fig1 ). the values for the titration of uranyl by calmodulin were interpreted by simulating the experimental data with a system of equations corresponding to one , two , three or four independent sites for uranium ( fig1 ). the dynafit software ( kuzmic , p . 1996 , anal . biochem . 237 , 260 - 273 ) was used for these simulations . only the system taking into account two high - affinity sites gave an acceptable simulation , with dissociation constants of 3 . 3 ± 0 . 4 μm and 0 . 72 ± 0 . 2 μm for each of the two sites . the values for competition with the calcium ions were also interpreted with a system of suitable equations and the simulation of the experimental points with this system is given in fig1 . the simulation was carried out by considering that , in the presence of 8 μm of calmodulin and 0 . 4 μm of uranyl , each of the two high - affinity sites is occupied by uranium in an equi - probable manner . it is also considered , as a hypothesis , that each of these two sites is independent of the other . the simulation is therefore carried out with a system of four chemical equilibria : two corresponding to the dissociation equilibria of the “ site - uranium ” complexes , and two corresponding to the displacement of uranium by calcium in each of the sites . the simulation confirms that just one of the two sites complexed with uranium is displaced by calcium . this shows that the calmodulin protein can bind uranium in calcium complexation sites . 2 ) interaction of the protein with its ligand in the presence of uranium in the presence of calcium , calmodulin can bind and activate a large diversity of targets . among these , the mlckp peptide , which has 17 residues and is derived from the calmodulin - binding domain of a rabbit muscle myosin light chain kinase ( calbiochem ), has the following sequence : two series of experiments were carried out in order to verify that the protein can still interact with this ligand in the presence of a uranyl ion . in a first series , a fluorescence spectrum for the tryptophan of the ligand , dissolved at a concentration of 5 μm in a 10 mm mes buffer , at ph 6 . 5 , was recorded as described in example 1 . excitation of the solution at 280 nm makes it possible to detect an emission at 350 nm , characteristic of a tryptophan exposed to the aqueous solvent . the addition of one equivalent of calmodulin , in the absence of metals , results in a shift of the maximum emission at 330 nm and in a 25 % increase in intensity . this shows that the protein interacts with the ligand , the tryptophan of the latter then being in a more hydrophobic medium . the addition in solution of 10 equivalents of calcium gives a fluorescence emission spectrum that exhibits an increase in intensity (+ 20 %) and the same maximum at 330 nm . these data are in agreement with a structure being obtained that is similar to the crystallographic structure of the peptide / calmodulin complex obtained in the presence of calcium ( pdb 1cdl ). the same experiment carried out in the presence of uranyl results in a complete extinction of the fluorescence of the ligand tryptophan ( fig1 ). this is compatible with a structure similar to that obtained in the case of calcium . in fact , the latter is a metal with a full shell , which exhibits no possible fluorescence transition . on the other hand , with uranium , the tryptophan de - excites via the metal , which exhibits energy levels corresponding to a fluorescent transition . the emission detected is then that of the metal ( λ & gt ; 450 nm ) and no longer that of the tryptophan . this energy transfer phenomenon shows , in addition , that the uranium is , in this complex , located less than 15 å ( maximum distance for energy transfer ) from the tryptophan , which is in agreement with the distances measured on the x - ray structure ( 10 å and 6 . 5 å ) between the tryptophan of the peptide and two of the four calciums . these results indicate that calmodulin - derived chameleon proteins comprising the sequence of at least one peptide according to the invention can , in the presence of uranium , bind the mlck substrate peptide and can therefore be used as uranium vi - specific biosensors . comparative analysis of the affinity and of the specificity of the peptides for uranium and terbium the compared affinities for uo 2 2 + and tb 3 + of the calmodulin site i - derived peptides , mutated at the residues as indicated in table iii below , were measured in 1 mm phosphate medium , ph = 7 , by the technique as described in example 1 . these results demonstrate that the replacement , in the complexing loop of calmodulin , of a residue d24 with a neutral residue , for example threonine , or of two residues of the residues d20 , d22 and d24 with two neutral residues , for example threonine or serine , or , finally , of the three residues d20 , d22 and d24 with neutral residues , for example threonine , serine or asparagine , induces a specificity for uranyl . for these mutants , the affinity for calcium ions or lanthanides is greatly reduced to the limit of detection . as emerges from the above , the invention is in no way limited to those of its methods of implementation , execution and application which have just been described more explicitly ; on the contrary , it encompasses all the variants thereof that may occur to those skilled in the art , without departing from the context of the scope of the present invention . | 6 |
the exercise / training device shown in fig1 comprises four main assemblies ; a frame , e . g ., frame body assembly 10 , a body support assembly 20 , two footplate assemblies 30 , and two slide bar assemblies 40 , each of which is pivotally affixed to the forward end of the frame body assembly 10 . the frame body assembly 10 provides the support structure for the device and is a generally rectangular frame with a forward end and a back end wherein the forward end is in front of a user and the back end is to the rear of a user . it generally comprises two longer side members 11 , two shorter end members 12 , and a single long central member 13 . the frame body 10 preferably rests on four lateral supports 14 extending out from and at each corner of the rectangular framework . these lateral supports 14 are of sufficient length to provide lateral stability during exercise and contain elements at each end capable of leveling the device during setup . they also incorporate materials that prevent scarring of a floor surface and skidding of the device . attached to the forward end of the long axis of the frame body 10 is the body support assembly 20 . the body support assembly 20 provides support and balance for the exerciser during use and is made up of two upright members 22 and a handlebar 24 . the bottom end of the body support assembly 20 is attached to the forward end of the frame body assembly 10 by having one of each of the uprights 22 arise from one of each of the long side members 11 . the plane of the body support assembly 20 is preferably within about 15 degrees of perpendicular to the plane of the frame body assembly 10 . handlebar 24 is a straight or slightly bent , rigid tube or rod , not unlike a bicycle handlebar , and is attached to the two upright members 22 of the top end of body support assembly 20 . it is in the plane of the body support assembly 20 but is substantially perpendicular to both upright members 22 . the handlebar 24 may be made so as to be adjustable in height to allow for balance and support of a person during training and exercise . also attached to the forward end of the frame body 10 are the two slide bar assemblies 40 , one for each foot . these are preferably identical , but are not linked together and thus each can pivot independently about the common pivot axle 45 . each slide bar assembly 40 includes a pivot block 41 , the shared pivot axle 45 , two slide bars 42 , end cap 43 , and pivot resistance elements 44 . the pivot axle 45 is attached to the forward end of the frame body assembly 10 within the confines of the two long side members 11 and the two short end members 12 and parallel to the short end members 12 . it is a rod or tube of round cross - section , rigid enough to withstand the forces exerted upon it during the use of the device . pivot axle 45 is sufficiently back from the short end member 12 so that the pivot blocks 41 can swing about the pivot axle 45 without contacting the short end member 12 . the pivot blocks 41 , along with the pivot axle 45 , comprise the forward end of the slide bar assemblies 40 . each pivot block 41 rides on , and is free to pivot about , pivot axle 45 . the two slide bars 42 of each assembly are rigidly attached to the respective pivot block 41 and are positioned on the pivot block 41 such that , in the down or rest position , a plane through the slide bars 42 is substantially parallel to the plane of the frame body assembly 10 . the slide bars 42 extend back and terminate in the end caps 43 such that the length of the slide bar assembly 40 is about the same length as the long axis of the frame body assembly 10 . the spacing of the slide bars 42 at the end caps 43 is the same as the spacing at the pivot blocks 41 so that the slide bars 42 are parallel along their length . thus by pivoting about the pivot axle 45 , the slide bar assembly 40 follows a fixed arcuate path from a position in the plane of the frame body assembly 10 to a position in the plane of the body support assembly 20 . attached to the end caps 43 and to the frame body assembly 10 are the pivot resistance elements 44 . these may be , for example , elastic bands , springs , hydraulic or pneumatic elements and thus can provide fixed or adjustable resistance to the pivoting of the slide bar assembly from its down or rest position in the plane of the frame body assembly 10 , up toward the plane of the body support assembly 20 . completing this embodiment of the device are the two identical footplate assemblies 30 , one on each slide bar assembly 40 . the footplate assemblies 30 are comprised of the anchor block 31 , the toe plate 34 , the heel plate 35 , the footplate hinge 36 , the toe strap 37 , the heel strap 38 , the stride resistance element 32 , and the heel plate resistance element 33 . the rectangular anchor block 31 , whose long axis is parallel to the long axis of the slide bar assembly 40 , provides a platform for the elements that are used to secure the foot during use of the device . anchor block 31 captures and rides on the two slide bars 42 of the slide bar assembly 40 using linear bearings or bushings or the like so that it slides smoothly without sticking or jerking . this capture of the slide bars 42 limits the movement of the anchor block 31 to a simple back and forth motion in the plane of the slide bars 42 independent of the position of the slide bar assembly 40 as it rotates about the pivot axle 45 . the toe plate 34 and heel plate 35 , connected to one another by the footplate hinge 36 , are located on top of the anchor block 31 so the long axis is parallel to the long axis of the anchor block 31 . the toe plate 34 is securely attached to the front end of the anchor block 31 thus securing half of the footplate hinge 36 and allowing the heel plate 35 which is attached to the other half of the footplate hinge 36 to rotate up off the anchor block 31 . when the user &# 39 ; s foot is properly affixed to the toe plate 34 and heel plate 35 with the toe strap 37 and heel strap 38 such that the ball of the foot is over the footplate hinge 36 , the pivot at the hinge allows the foot to bend in a natural manner and still be securely attached to the device . the toe strap 37 and heel strap 38 can be leather , velcro , elastomeric material or the like . they are made and positioned such that they not only securely fix the foot of an exerciser to the footplate assemble 30 , but secure the foot in the proper position with the ball of the foot over the footplate hinge 36 . the stride resistance element 32 and the heel plate resistance element 33 provide resistance to the respective parts and can be springs , elastic elements , pneumatic or hydraulic elements or the like and thus may be a constant or adjustable resistance . the stride resistance element 32 provides resistance to the sliding of the anchor block 31 from the front to the back of the slide assembly 40 , and the heel plate resistance element 33 provides resistance to the pivot of the heel plate 35 about the footplate hinge 36 . fig2 is a schematic describing a typical foot travel path during use of the present invention . it is only typical because the foot travel path is not fixed by the device but is determined by the exerciser . within the limits of the device , and without requiring any adjustments , the sliding and pivotal elements of the present invention allow a wide variety of foot travel paths based on the exerciser &# 39 ; s stride length , the type of training pursued , or input from a physician , physical therapist or trainer . fig3 a – 3e sequentially illustrate a typical foot travel path and corresponding hip , leg , and foot positions of the present invention . fig3 a shows the foot and leg at a rest position prior to exercise with the foot properly positioned on the footplate assembly 30 , with the ball of the foot directly over the footplate hinge 36 . as shown next by fig3 b , as the foot and leg extend rearwardly , the gm must overcome the stride resistance element 32 as it extends the hip . also the heel of the foot and the attached heel plate 35 are just starting to rise and engage the heel plate resistance element 33 . between the different positions shown by fig3 b and 3c , the hamstring is engaged and takes over from the gm further overcoming the stride resistance element 32 and the heel plate resistance element 33 as the knee flexes and the foot bends . at the position shown in fig3 d , the hs is under the greatest load as now all three resistance elements 32 , 33 and 44 are fully engaged . finally , fig3 e shows the foot and leg striding forward toward the rest position and starting to unload the hs . while typically both legs are exercised during a training session with alternating strides of sliding rearward and stepping forward , it is simple and possible to exercise only one leg by securing only the foot to be exercised to the footplate . it is also simple and possible for a user to exercise each leg differently . resistance elements can be adjusted based on the strength of each leg . differences in flexibility , leg to leg , are automatically accounted for by the sliding and pivotal elements . it is also apparent that a device may be manufactured for the exercise of only a single leg if it is felt necessary to exercise each leg independently . such a device would have , for example , only a single slide bar assembly including only a single footplate assembly . while the device described above in fig1 represents a preferred embodiment of the present invention , other devices can be imagined that , though mechanically distinct , would still preserve the training method outlined ; namely , the sequentially firing , closed - kinetic - chain mode of training the gm and hs . although mechanically distinct , these alternative embodiments may share various features , for example , the frame body assembly 10 , the body support assembly 20 , or ( more particularly ), the footplate assembly 30 . one such alternative embodiment , as shown by fig4 described herein , comprises four main assemblies ; a frame body assembly 10 , a body support assembly 20 , two footplate assemblies 30 , and two continuous belt assemblies 50 . in this device of fig4 the slide bar assembly 40 of fig1 is replaced by the continuous belt assembly 50 of fig4 . this substitution does not affect the training method but simply provides a different support and attachment point for the footplate assembly 30 . the frame body assembly 10 and the body support assembly 20 may be the same for the devices shown in fig1 and 4 . like the slide bar assemblies 40 , the continuous belt assemblies 50 are not linked together and thus can rotate independently about the common pivot axle 45 . continuous belt assemblies 50 include the continuous belt bed 51 , the continuous belt 52 , the front roller 53 , and the back roller 56 , and have a forward end and a back end . the pivot axle 45 is attached in the same manner as described in the device of fig1 so that the continuous belt assembly can swing about the pivot axle 45 without contacting the short end member 12 . the continuous belt bed 51 also has a forward end and a back end and is a relatively thin rectangular plate . although thin , the continuous belt bed 51 is strong enough to support the forces exerted upon it during use . the upper surface is also of sufficiently low friction , either by surface treatment , small rollers , or the like , to allow the continuous belt 52 to slide across the surface unencumbered . the forward end of the continuous belt bed 51 is attached to the frame body assembly 10 by the pivot axle 45 . like the slide bar assemblies 40 , continuous belt bed 51 rotates about the pivotal axle 45 following a fixed arcuate path from a position in the plane of the frame body assembly 10 to a position in the plane of the body support assembly 20 . the continuous belt 52 is a belt , not unlike an endless treadmill belt , that encircles the continuous belt bed 51 along its long axis . at the forward end and back end of the continuous belt bed 51 are the front roller 53 and the back roller 56 . the rollers are as wide or wider than the continuous belt 52 , and are in the plane of the continuous belt bed 51 perpendicular to the long axis such that the continuous belt can move along the continuous belt bed 51 easily . attached to the continuous belt bed 52 and the frame body assembly 10 are the pivot resistance elements 44 . these are equivalents of the resistance elements described in the device of fig1 and may be elastic bands , springs , hydraulic or pneumatic elements , etc . they provide fixed or adjustable resistance to the pivot of the continuous belt assembly 50 from its down or rest position in the plane of the frame body assembly 10 up toward the plane of the body support assembly 20 . attached to the continuous belt 52 on the under side of the continuous belt bed 51 and to the continuous belt bed 51 are the stride resistance elements 32 . these may be the same type of elements described in the device of fig1 and provide resistance to the movement of the belt as it moves across the continuous belt bed 51 from the forward end to the back end . completing the embodiment shown by fig4 are the two identical footplate assemblies 30 , one on each continuous belt assembly 50 . they are the same as the footplate assemblies 30 of fig1 except for the anchor plates 31 . in the device of fig1 , the anchor plate 31 allows the footplate assembly 30 to ride back and forth on the slide bars 42 , while in the device of fig4 the anchor plate 31 is attached to the continuous belt 52 and thus the footplate assembly 30 rides back and forth with the continuous belt 52 . otherwise they operate in the same manner and provide the same function of securing the foot to the devices in the proper position of the ball of the foot over the footplate hinge 36 . another such exercise / training device , as shown in fig5 , comprises five main assemblies ; a frame body assembly 10 , a body support assembly 20 , two footplate assemblies 30 , crankshaft assembly 60 , and two foot link assemblies 70 . though mechanically different , the device of fig5 still provides the sequential firing , closed - kinetic - chain training method for the gm and hs described above for the devices of fig1 and 4 . the frame body assembly 10 and the body support assembly 20 may be the same for the embodiments of fig1 and 5 . attached to the back end of the frame body is the crankshaft assembly 60 . it comprises the support tower 61 , the axle 62 , the two connecting rods 63 , and the two crankpins 65 . the support tower 61 is attached to and projects up perpendicular to the long central member 13 of the frame body assembly 10 and houses the axle 62 and is tall enough for the connecting rod 63 to rotate about the axle 62 and not hit the floor or any part of the frame body . the axle 62 is mounted in the support tower 61 significantly parallel to the short end member 11 and the plane of the frame body assembly 10 . it is also sufficiently strong that it can support the forces exerted upon it during use . the two connecting rods 63 are attached perpendicular to the axle 62 with bearings or bushings so that they rotate freely . the crankpins 65 are connected to the connecting rods with threads or bolts or the like , and are parallel to the axle 62 and thus perpendicular to the connecting rod 63 . by providing a number of connection points , the crankpins 65 can be placed at varying distances from the axle 62 . they extend out toward the side members 11 of the frame body . the result is that , when observed from a single side , the assembly looks not unlike the cranking portion of a hand - operated winch or windlass . the two connecting rods 63 and accompanying crankpins 65 are preferably not linked together and so are independent of one another in their pivot about the common axle 62 and are of sufficient strength to withstand the forces exerted upon them during use . the foot link assemblies 70 are made up of the foot link 71 , the foot link journal 72 , and two foot link rollers 73 . the foot links are generally elongated , thin , narrow ( relative to their length ) members with a forward end and a back end . they are sufficiently strong and stiff to withstand the weight and force of a person using the device without flexing significantly . the back end of the foot link 71 is connected to the crankpin 65 of the crankshaft assembly 60 via the foot link journal 72 . thus , as the connecting rod 63 rotates about the axle 62 , the trailing foot link 71 , through the foot link journal 72 , turns freely about the crankpin 65 . though able to freely turn , the foot link 71 is also captured such that it cannot slide off the crankpin 65 during use . the forward end of the foot link 71 rides on the foot link roller 73 . the foot link rollers 73 are mounted to the short end member 12 at the forward end of the frame body assembly 10 . they are made such that the forward end of the foot link 71 rolls easily on the rollers but is prevented from going off either side of the roller during use . the resulting motion of the foot link 71 is an oscillation back and forth at the forward end on the foot link roller 73 as the back end of the foot link 71 revolves about the axle 62 . the stride resistance elements 32 are attached to the foot link 71 and to the frame body assembly 10 and provide resistance to the movement of the foot link 71 as it travels back in its oscillation on the foot link roller 73 . the pivot resistance element 44 is also attached to the foot link 71 and the frame body assembly 10 and provides resistance to the pivot of the foot link 71 up off the plane of the frame body assembly 10 as it rotates about the axle 62 . completing the embodiment shown by fig5 are the two identical footplate assemblies 30 , one on each foot link 71 . they may be the same as the footplate assemblies 30 of fig1 and provide the same function of securing the foot to the devices in the proper position of the ball of the foot over the footplate hinge 36 . the device of fig5 may also be adjusted for individual needs of the exerciser . stride length can be adjusted by attaching the back end of the foot link 71 , to the connecting rod 63 , via the foot link journal 72 and crankpin 65 , closer to or farther away from the axle 62 . knee flexion can be adjusted by moving the footplate assembly 30 closer to or farther away from the forward end of the foot link 71 fig2 , describing the foot travel path , and fig3 a – 3e , illustrating the hip , leg , and foot positions during use of the devices , pertain to the devices described in fig1 , 4 and 5 . shown simply as springs in the above drawings , the resistance elements of the three device designs described above may also be hydraulic , pneumatic , electro - mechanical devices or the like and could be adjustable both for force and speed . it is also apparent that an adjustable resistance element ( as well as other aspects of the device ) could be computer controlled . with computer control , the proper resistance elements , transducers , sensors , feedback loops , information capture and storage and the like , the use of the present devices could be broadened to include not only training but also strength , power , and endurance testing . although the devices described above are different in design , all share two essential concepts , the method of training and the footplate . the various embodiments mimic the walking or running stride and thus train the legs in a natural functional manner . the footplate anchors the foot to the device but allows it to flax naturally . this combination of the training method and the unique footplate , particularly including the heel plate resistance elements , trains the entire neuromuscular activity of the hip / knee joint complex . the resulting closed - kinetic - chain training isolates and selectively trains the gm and the hs , in their proper sequence , in a safe stabilizing training regime . while the principles of the invention have been made clear in the illustrative embodiments set forth herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to make various modifications to the structure , arrangement , proportion , elements , materials and components used in the practice of the invention . to the extent that these various modifications do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims , they are intended to be encompassed therein . | 0 |
at first , the key problem mentioned above is explained by means of the known approach with z - indexing , then its solution to hilbert indexing is described ; we refer to it as bigmin problem in the following . regardless what data balancing mechanism is used ( binary , b - type or other ), regardless what indexing scheme is used , multidimensional range searching ends up in the problem of efficiently finding , from a point f encountered in the database ( not being in the query rectangle ), the next one ( according to indexing scheme ) which is in a multidimensional query rectangle . stated otherwise , it is the rectangle point with minimum index bigger than the index of f ; it is called bigmin in the following . when searching is done in left - right manner , bigmin is the only thing needed . if searching is done top - down , as usual with search trees , it is helpful to calculate also the opposite thing , the rectangle point with maximum index , smaller than the index of f . this point is called litmax in the following . at first sight , bit interleaving seems to have substantial difficulties when the query range overlaps the “ strong ” borderlines with large z - value value jumps . in the fig1 b example , the range being queried ( x = 2 . . . 3 , y = 2 . . . 5 ) is indicated by brackets . its lowest z - value ( 12 ) is called min , its highest z - value ( 39 ) is called max . if , in the course of searching a database sorted after z - values , the value f = 19 is encountered , we have to search to the left and to the right of f for all values between min and max . this is not really good . to speed up the search , we calculate bigmin ( 36 in the example ) and litmax ( 15 in the example ); at the low - side of f we search only for values min . . . litmax , at the high side of f we search only for values bigmin . . . max , thus skipping the hatched areas in fig1 b , and much of the search tree can be pruned . z - indexing is only efficient using this technique . performing an efficient bigmin / litmax calculation is therefore a key problem to range searching . changing the [ 1 ] basic tree search algorithm slightly to comply with our hilbert indexing requirements ( dealing with points instead of indexes ), range search with bigmin / litmax is briefly stated in pseudo code as follows : ( plo / phi is the point in the rectangle with lowest / highest hilbert value in the rectangle ), h ( p ) is the hilbert index of a point p ): calculate plo , phi range ( p , plo , phi ): case 1 : h ( p )& lt ; h ( plo ): range ( high son of p , plo , phi ). case 2 : h ( p )& gt ; h ( phi ): range ( low son of p , plo , phi ). case 3 : h ( plo )& lt ;= h ( p )& lt ;= h ( phi ): report p if it lies in the query hyper rectangle compute bigmin and litmax range ( low son of p , plo , litmax ) range ( high son of p , bigmin , phi ) the modification of the algorithm for b - type trees ( developed for external searching ), where each node has more than one record , is obvious . it is shown by means of the following typical situations : situation 1 ): nodes have up to 1 son per node record . a node p has records ri with h - value h ( ri ). a record ri has up to 1 son si . any h - value in the subtree of ri is between h ( ri − 1 ) and h ( ri ). ( this corresponds roughly to the definition of a b - tree , neglecting the an additional rightmost son in order to make the description more readable ; b *- trees are essentially the same but with a different minimum filling degree ). calculate plo , phi range ( p , plo , phi ): for each ri in p do { report ri if it lies in the query hyper reclangle . if h ( plo )& lt ; h ( ri ) and h ( phi )& gt ; h ( ri - 1 ) then { compute bigmin with h ( ri ) range ( si , bigmin , phi ) } } the application to b + trees ( data stored in the leaves ; pointers provided to the subsequent leave ) is along the same lines . situation 2 ): a node p has up to 2 subtrees . h - values in p are greater than any h - values in any nodes of the left subtree ; h - values in p are smaller than any h - values in any nodes of the right subtree . the lowest h - value in p is called hmin ( p ), the highest h - value in p is called hmax ( p ). calculate plo , phi range ( p , plo , phi ): case 1 : hmax ( p )& lt ; plo : range ( high son of p , plo , phi ). case 2 : hmin ( p )& gt ; hmax range ( low son of p , plo , phi ). case 3 : plo & lt ;= h - value ( p )& lt ;= phi report all records in p that lie in the query hyper rectangle . compute bigmin with hmax ( p ) compute litmin with hmin ( p ) range ( low son of p , plo , litmax ) range ( high son of p , bigmin , phi ) now , the 1981 solution for z - indexing [ 1 ] is recalled as much of its ideas can be applied to hilbert indexing . the [ 1 ] approach is recalled because the basic concepts are easier seen with z - coding ; after that , the application to the more complicated hilbert indexing will be described . point f defines a staircase with z - values lower than its z - value on one side , the rest on the other side , depicted in fig1 b with a bold line . bigmin / litmax basically depends on how the ( multidimensional ) staircase cuts the search range . the calculation of bigmin for z - indexing is realized as a binary search with stepwise bisecting the data cube . point f data ( z ( f )) are bitwise scanned in interleaved order ; at each step , the position of f and of the query rectangle is examined in relation to the bisecting line . the rectange is given by its min / max z - value corners . min , max data are also bitwise scanned . f is given in brackets in the examples following ; referring to the fig1 a z - values , the x - coordinate is depicted vertically here , the y coordinate is depicted horizontally . the bisecting line is vertically oriented , which means that y is the actual dimension . case a1 : range is totally left of bisection line ( fbit = 0 minbit = 0 maxbit = 0 ) example : 18 24 26 | 19 25 27 | 22 28 30 | ( 21 ) case a2 : section line crosses query range . ( fbit = 0 minbit = 0 maxbit = 1 ) search continues to the left ; but two cases possible , but not yet distinguishable : a2a : the staircase crosses the query region straight , exactly along the section line . example : 7 13 15 | 37 39 18 24 26 | 48 50 19 25 27 | 49 51 ( 29 ) if this is the case , bigmin is the lowest possible value in the high section ( 37 ). this value is calculated by simply loading 1000 . . . into min ( 7 ), called “ candidate ”, starting form the actual bit position . a2b : the staircase crosses the left query region in staircase form example : ( here , 7 13 15 | 37 39 18 24 26 | 48 50 19 25 27 | 49 51 22 28 30 | 52 54 ( 23 ) bigmin is in the left section . the rectangle is shrinked . max jumps from 54 to 30 . this jump is simply done by loading 0111 . . . into max , starting form the actual bit position . case a3 : range is totally right of bisection line ( fbit = 0 minbit = 1 maxbit = 1 ). example : ( 14 ) | 37 39 | 48 50 | 49 51 ( 38 ) min has become greater than z ( f ). bigmin := min . finish . remark : this can happen due to shrinking the rectangle . case b1 : range is totally left of bisection line ( fbit = 1 minbit = 0 maxbit = 0 ). example : 5 7 13 15 | 16 18 24 26 | 17 19 25 27 | 20 22 28 30 | ( 38 ) max has become lower than z ( f ) ( this can happen due to shrinking the rectangle ). bigmin must have been saved before . report bigmin as saved . finish . | 48 50 | 49 51 | 52 54 ( 53 ) 18 24 26 | 48 50 19 25 27 | 49 51 22 28 30 | 52 54 ( 42 ) if this is the case , bigmin must be in the high section . continue searching in the high section . the rectangle is shrinked . min jumps from 18 to 48 . this value is calculated by loading 1000 . . . into min , starting from the actual bit psoition . the litmax computation is analogous , with symmetries . the complete bigmin / litmax decision table can be found in [ 1 ]. z - bigmin / litmax algorithm as recalled is linear with the number of dimensions and linear with the coordinate value &# 39 ; s wordlength ( supposed proper realisation of the load function ). we will follow these guidelines for doing the same thing for hilbert coded data . the hilbert curve is a space filling curve ( each data point visited exactly once ) with [ 0084 ] fig2 shows by a 2d example how the hilbert curve is recursively u - shaped , with the us rotated at places . in the following , we introduce an alternative view of hilbert indexing that serves as basis for the algorithm described afterwards . the method presented in the present application is based on this special representation of hilbert indexing which is described here . let us first take a look on fig3 for a 3d example with 2 bit resolution . we think the 3d , 2 bit resolution data cube as consisting of 8 subcubes with 1 bit resolution each . the hilbert curve is a walk from one subcube to the next ; the main bisection is between the front and the rear subcubes in the figure ; in each side the subcubes are visited in a u - shaped manner . the subcubes themselves are visited internally in the same manner , mirrored and / or rotated the way as requested by their entry and exit position ( in fig3 only the internal curve of the first subcube is shown ). turning to a bit oriented view , hilbert indexing can be regarded as bit interleaved gray codes with special requirements on the gray codes used . gray coding means coding a sequence the way that at each step only one bit changes . for a cyclic gray code , in addition , only 1 bit is different when comparing the first and the last code ( fig4 example 1 ). a given cyclic gray code can be doubled by adding one bit with first half and second half different , and mirroring the rest ( example 1 ---& gt ; example 2 ). gray codes that allow a columnwise hierarchical decomposition of the indizes without considering wrap around are called g - code in the following ( examples 1 . . . 4 , example 5 is a counterexample . in examples 2 and 3 , the first decomposing bit is bit 1 , second is bit 2 , third is bit 3 . in example 4 the first decomposing bit is bit 3 , second is bit 1 , third is bit 2 ). the classic example 1 or 2 code is called ( standard ) gray code in the following . a g - code remains a g - code if a column is inverted . a g - code remains a g - code if any columns are excanged ( with columns rotation as a special case ). inverting one or more columns is done by xoring the corresponding bits with 1 . an array of bits indicating which column of a code to be xored , is called flip in the following . the procedure is called flipping . flipping example 2 by 101 yields example 3 . the problem discussed in this application is solved by only considering rotations , we need not think about exchanging . when handling rotations , we only think of the no . of columns it is rotated . we define left rotations positive ( in the direction of more significant bits of standard gray code ). rotating example 3 by + 1 yields example 4 . to describe the example 4 g - code , we simply write ( 101 /+ 1 ) denoting that the standard gray code has been flipped by 101 and then rotated by + 1 . with z - indexing , we strictly scan the data bitwise in interleaved order , beginning with the most significant bit , e . g . for three dimensions : xyzxyzxyz . . . . we can look at it bitblockwise : xyz xyz xyz . . . ; this is what we do to cope with hilbert indexing . each bitblock represents a one bit ( sub ) cube with one bit resolution . note that the decimal numbers given at the left in fig4 are the indices , the codes are , in binary interpretation , the bit interleaved geometric coordinates . for hilbert indexing the fig3 cube , we take the gray code for the main bitblock denoting the sequence of subcubes . for each of these code values , we have to find a g - code the way it complies with the hilbert indexing requirements . this g - code describes the way the hilbert curve takes within the subcube . the hilbert requirements are explained now with reference to fig5 wherein transformation ( lmn / r ) means flip with lmn , rotate by r tab ( i )=( lmn / r ) means that the transformation ( table ) for index i is ( lmn / r ). the three hilbert requirements are : ( 1 ) main entry and main exit are main cube corners , so there the coordinate values are extreme , i . e . either 000 . . . or 111 . . . ( x values are either 000 . . . or 111 . . . ; y values are eitehr 000 . . . or 111 . . . ; etc .) viewed bitblockwise that means that the bitblocks must be the identical ( see positions ( a )) in fig5 . ( 2 ) when changing from subcube to subcube , exactly one coordinate changes by a single geometrical step . therefore the changing subcube coordinate bit must do just the opposite thing of the main cube bit , see positions ( b ) in fig5 . so we have fixed one bit : exactly one bit must change at positions ( b ) in fig5 ; it is the bit that is changing in the main cube and it toggles in the opposite way . ( 3 ) for the remaining bits the following consideration holds : the codes need to be cyclic , therefore exactly one of the last row bit is required to be different to the corresponding first row bit ( see arrow c in fig5 ). two cases are possible : if the bit already fixed happens to be different , the remaining bits must be copied from the first row . otherwise we have free choice which of the remaining bits to make different ( this is the reason why for more than 2 dimensions , the hilbert curve is not unique ). without loss of generality we assume that the first bitblock is a standard gray code . a solution for the second bitblock column , under this assumption , is called a standard solution in the following . once a standard solution for a given number of dimensions is known , i . e . the sequence of subcube coordinate transforms ( mirroring and rotations ) in the main cube , the solution for any deeper subcube can be calculated directly by a concatenation of flip / rot transforms . this is shown in fig5 for subcube indexed with 6 . the concatenation is surprisingly easy and can be be found in algorithm 1 . to make plausible that concatenation works : imagine for the moment that the 2nd bitblock code in question ( tab6 ) would be the standard gray code instead of ( 110 , 010 , 011 , 111 . . . ). then the 3rd bitblock g - code would be the tab3 - standard g - code . then imagine that both 2nd and 3rd bitblock g - codes are flipped and rotated by the tab6 flip / rot to fit the 2nd bitblock with the first bitblock ( parallel flipping / rotating does not change the relations between g - codes under consideration ). for simplicity of description assume first that for the given number of dimensions a standard solution flip table / rotation table is given ; in the following algorithms we provide flip tables and rotation tables as constant arrays , for 2 or 3 dimensions . later , we describe how flip and rot standard solution values are calculated “ online ” without the aid of precompiled tables ( calculating the standard solution ). throughout the explanations the flip operation is followed by the rot operation . of course , it can also be done the other way around : rotation followed by flip operation . to get the flip operation needed for this case , just rotate it . the first way is chosen because its expanation is more convenient . an algorithm that follows the above concepts is given as algorithm 1 . calculating the hilbert index is not really needed for the bigmin problem discussed , but this algorithm serves as framework mechanism for the following algorithms to plug in specific blocks at places . wordlength considerations are only critical when really calculating the hilbert value . because the subject is intricate and much depends on fine details , the best thing to keep the description unique is providing complete source code instead of pseudo code , with semantics of the data as comments . the following algorithms are given in pascal , with shift and and / or / xor operations allowed as in borland pascal . throughout these algorithms , hi / lo refers to hilbert index , right / left to coordinates . local comments are given within the source code , general comments at the end of the source code . global declarations are as follows , ( auxiliary functions and tables to be found in detail in the appendix ): (* constants to choose :*) const ndims = 3 ; (* no . of dimensions *) (* beware wordlength for calc_h ; longint used here as max . wordlength . *) const bitresolution = ( sizeof ( longint ) * 8 ) div ndims ; const initialbit = bitresolution − 1 ; (* types to work with :*) type point = array [ 1 .. ndims ] of word ; type rectangle = record left , right : array [ 1 .. ndims ] of word ; (* left = low border , right = high border , viewed in point coordinates *) end ; (* record *) (* dependant :*) type block = array [ 1 .. ndims ] of boolean ; const g_codelength = 1 shl ndims ; this is the function for calculating the n dimensional hilbert index ( algorithm 1 ): function calc_h ( p : point ): longint ; (* calculates hilbert index for point data *) var bitpos : integer ; d : integer ; g_index : word ; flip : block ; rot : integer ; toggle : boolean ; data : block ; indblck : block ; drot : array [ 1 .. ndims ] of integer ; inverted : boolean ; mask : word ; result : longint ; h : integer ; begin result := 0 ; for h := 1 to ndims do flip [ h ]:= false ; rot := 0 ; for bitpos := initialbit downto 0 do begin mask := 1 shl bitpos ; for d := ndims downto 1 do (* this is the generate data block :*) data [ d ]:=( p [ d ] and mask )& lt ;& gt ; 0 ; fliprot ((* var *) data , flip , rot ); toggle := false ; for d := ndims downto 1 do begin (* only for other procedures :*) drot [ d ]:= mod_ ( ( d - 1 − rot ), ndims ) + 1 ; inverted := flip [ drot [ d ]] xor toggle ; (* here optionally comes the working block *) indblck [ d ]:= data [ d ] xor toggle ; (* true if go hi *) toggle := toggle xor data [ d ]; (* toggle for hi data *) (* this is the update result block *) if indblck [ d ] then result := result or ( 1 shl (( bitpos * ndims )+ d - 1 ) ); calc_h := result ; end ; (* for d *) g_index := 0 ; for d := ndims downto 1 do if indblck [ d ] then g_index := g_index or ( 1 shl ( d - 1 )); for d := ndims downto 1 do if indblck [ d ] then g_index := g_index or ( 1 shl ( d - 1 )); concat ( flip , rot , fliptab [ g_index ], rottab [ g_index ], (* var *) flip , (* var *) rot );(* see appendix *) end ; (* for bitpos *) end ; (* calc_h *) drot : from d back rotated index for original data access . drot [ d ] is where the flip for d was active flip , rot : integer ; running hilbert index representation derived from old one and from g - index toggle : does gray coding : going hi half , gray codes mirror in the following . toggle inverts each time when going high half . inverted : boolean ; tells if hi / lo inverted against right / left ( if inverted , left / right means hi / lo , lo / hi otherwise ) result : beware wordlength ! only needed if hilbert index is really calculated , not nedded for further algorithms . inverted and drot are only needed for workinng blocks of further algorithms . now , the bigmin algorithm for hilbert indexing ( shortly h - bigmin ) is described in detail , based on the concepts introduced above ( bigmin / litmax solution for z - indexing , hilbert indexing via fliprot , resp .). the h - litmax computation is along the same lines and needs not to be described separately . the description thus far relies on a table , precompiled once for a given number of dimensions ; ( problem 1 ) a function that tells which of two data points has the greater hilbert value . this is needed for inserting , deleting and exact searching ( the hilbert value itself is not really needed ), and ( problem 2 ) an efficient h - bigmin ( and h - litmax ) computation . which is easily accomplished by the following replacements in the calc_h function : (* this is the generate data block :*) for d := ndims downto 1 do begin p_in_right [ d ] :=( p [ d ] and mask ) & lt ;& gt ; 0 ; p1_in_right [ d ]:=( p1 [ d ] and mask ) & lt ;& gt ; 0 ; end ; data := p_in_right ; fliprot ((* var *) data , flip , rot ); (* this is the update result block :*) if p_in_right [ drot [ d ]]& lt ;& gt ; p1_in_right [ drot [ d ]] then begin greater := p_in_right [ drot [ d ]] xor inverted ; exit ; end ; greater := false ; in order to solve problem 2 , we first solve problem 2a :— within a rectangle , find the coordinates with lowest hilbert index . based on its solution we develop a solution of the problem 2b , the bigmin probem : the lowest index in a query rectangle is no more simply the low rectangle corner index ( as is the case with z - indexing ). a rectangle is represented by its outer borderline coordinates ( left and right for each dimension ). the following algorithm calculates the coordinates of the point with lowest hilbert value within a rectangle ( problem 2a ). it is basically the bitwise scanning of algorithm 1 , with a binary search cutting the rectangle at each step if it overlaps the bisecting dimension . the auxiliary functions forcehigh and forcelow perform what the load functions do with z - indexing ( load 1000 . . . , load 0111 . . . ), but they handle rectangle data instead of point data . for d := ndims downto 1 do begin in_right [ d ]:= ( r . right [ d ] and mask ) & lt ;& gt ; 0 ; in_left [ d ]:= ( r . left [ d ] and mask ) = 0 ; end ; (* generate normalized data to gray :*) data_in_right := in_right ; fliprot ((* var *) data_in_right , flip , rot ); data_in_left := in_left ; fliprot ((* var *) data_in_left , flip , rot ); if not inverted then begin data [ d ]:= data_in_right [ d ]; if in_right [ drot [ d ]] and in_left [ drot [ d ]] then forceri ((* var *) r . left [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ); end else if in_right [ drot [ d ]] and in_left [ drot [ d ]] then begin data [ d ]:= not data_in_left [ d ]; forcele ((* var *) r . right [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ); end else if in_right [ drot [ d ]] and ( not in_left [ drot [ d ]]) then data [ d ]:= data_in_right [ d ] else if ( not in_right [ drot [ d ]]) and in_left [ drot [ d ]] then data [ d ]:= not data_in_left [ d ] else error (‘ 1 ’); if indblck [ d ] xor inverted (* convert bitset decision back *) then h_point [ drot [ d ]]:= h_point [ drot [ d ]] or mask ; the bigmin problem 2b is then solved as follows : the same basic idea as with z - indexing described above , using the hilbert calculation mechanisms of the foregoing algorithms , but there is a serious complication : the candidate point becomes more difficult to calculate . it is not good to calculate the candidate point immediately when a candidate must be saved : maybe it is not needed at all , maybe there will come better candidates while searching . if we would do the calculation immediately , the procedure would become quadratic with the number of dimensions . we do now the following : when a candidate must be saved , we simply save it in form of the sub - rectangle in which it is the lowest / highest value . if it turns out that this candidate is the solution , it is still the right time to do the calculation . if a better candidate shows up , we simply overwrite the candidate &# 39 ; s rectangle data . so in the end at most one candidate must be calculated , and the procedure becomes linear . in the heart of the algorithm , again the 6 cases are distinguished as with z - indexing explained above . here we give only one example ; it is analogous to the above considerations described for z - ordering . 0 3 4 5 | 58 59 60 63 1 2 7 6 | 57 56 61 62 14 13 8 9 | 54 55 50 49 15 ( 12 11 10 | 53 52 ) 51 48 16 ( 17 30 31 | 32 33 ) 46 47 19 18 29 28 | 35 34 45 44 20 23 24 27 | 36 39 40 43 21 22 25 26 | 37 38 41 42 ( 18 ) bigmin is either in low section or the min of rectangle in hi section . save candidate in high , cut hi section from rectangle , go lo section . procedure calc_bigmin ( r : rectangle ; f : point ; var bigmin : point ); (* f is the point encountered in a search tree . precondition : h - index of f is between highest / lowest h - indices in r , but geometrically not in r *) needs a few local variables in addition to the procedure calc_lowest_hpoint_in_rectangle : var f_in_right : bitblock ; f_in_hi : boolean ; cand : rectangle ; for d := ndims downto 1 do begin in_right [ d ]:= ( r . right [ d ] and mask ) & lt ;& gt ; 0 ; in_left [ d ]:= ( r_left [ d ] and mask ) = 0 ; f_in_right [ d ]:= ( f [ d ] and mask ) & lt ;& gt ; 0 ; end ; data := f_in_right ; fliprot ((* var *) data , flip , rot ); if not inverted then begin f_in_hi := f_in_right [ drot [ d ]]; in_hi := in_right [ drot [ d ]]; in_lo := in_left [ drot [ d ]]; end else begin f_in_hi := not f_in_right [ drot [ d ]]; in_hi := in_left [ drot [ d ]]; in_lo := in_right [ drot [ d ]]; end ; if f_in_hi then (* implies go hi *) begin if not in_hi then (* search fails ; rep . min in cand . *) begin calc _lohpoint_in_rect ( cand , (* var *) bigmin ); exit ; end ; if in_lo then if not inverted then forceri ((* var *) r . left [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ) else forcele ((* var *) r . right [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ); end (* di_in_hi *) else begin (* di_in_lo *) if not in_lo then (* search fails ; cand . is bigmin *) begin calc_lohpoint_in_rect ( r , (* var *) bigmin ); exit ; end ; if in_right [ drot [ d ]] and in_left [ drot [ d ]] then begin cand := r ; (* save candidate hi , cut lo , go lo :*) if not inverted then begin forcele ((* var *) r . right [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ); forceri ((* var *) cand . left [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ); end else begin forceri ((* var *) r . left [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ); forcele ((* var *) cand . right [ drot [ d ]], bitpos ); end ; end ; end ; (* di_in_lo *) a number of technical improvements are possible : when rotating the data , copying can be omitted by merely rotating working indices . another technical improvement is that the candidate calculation is only necessary to be done starting with the bit position at which the candidate has been created . to do this , the bitposition and the running flip / rot state have to be saved together with the candidate . bigmin and litmax can be calculated in parallel because f is the guiding point . we only need two candidates of course , one for bigmin and one for litmax , exit to candidate calculation to be coordinated with bookkeeping . we did not present the algorithm with those technical improvements in order to make the description better understandable . now , we describe how this precompiling can be circumvented by replacing the table lookup by a function call that is free from iteration or recursion . when precompiling , lawder [ 7 , 8 ] uses state transition diagrams that are much more complicated than the data described here , derived from so - called generator tables . the fig5 column 2 data are part of what lawder calls a generator table . lawder has observed that there is a system within this column . influenced by his work at this point , we present a somewhat different view of the same sequence . based on this view , we provide an algorithm for calculating the g - code representation just for a given index , without calculating the table column as a whole thing . we start with a primitive cell fig6 ( a ) which is the representation of a 1d , 2 - bit data cube conforming with the hilbert indexing requirements . going to 2d , at first the whole thing is mirrored and a 00 . . . 0 , 11 . . . 1 sequence added ( b ) ( as with gray coding ). then , in order to comply with the hilbert indexing requirements , we invert the outermost bits (“& gt ;”, “& lt ;”) at the mirror point , see ( c ). the 3d standard solution is shown in ( d ). the algorithmic solution for a given index i is as follows : entry code and exit code are set to the gray code of index i . apart from lsb bits , the entry code bits are inverted at places where the binary representations of i − 1 to i changes from 0 to 1 . the exit code bits are inverted accordingly for a binary 0 - 1 - change from i to i + 1 . if such a bit is inverted , then also its lsb is inverted . then , flip is simply the entry code value and rot is the place where entry and exit bits differ . we do not give the source code because transformation to source code is easy . at the mirroring point , after mirroring , inverting the leftmost bit makes it comply with hilbert requirement 2 ( see above ). this , however , introcudes an inversion to the foregoing bit which is compensated by undoing the inversion that always takes place at the rightmost bit of the mirror point , as it stems from the primitive element . note that there are many solutions that comply with the hilbert indexing requirements ( 2d has one solution , 3d has 2 solutions and one dead end when doing exhaustive backtracking ); we consider the solution presented here as being canonical as it is a minimal amendment do gray coding . to avoid precompiling the flip / rot table for a given dimension , just replace the fliptab / rottab table lookup in algorithm 1 by corresponding flipfunc / rotfunc function calls . for experimental studies , performance is measured in terms of the number of nodes inspected . test data are generated with a pseudo random generator for both the data in the database and the query data , both over the whole range of the data cube . first experimental data give a mean 10 % improvement of hilbert ordering over z - ordering ( single cases are possible where hilbert ordering is even worse than z - ordering ). our experiments are done with up to 10 dimensions . lawder uses either precompiled state transition diagrams , or he does a direct calculation that needs iteration . the method described here differs basically from the lawder approach : we do by means of a flip / rot representation and its very simple concatenation transform . we presented a fast noniterative calculation by means of a simple concatenation of a flip / rot representation so that precompiling does not make much sense ; if precompiling is done anyway , the flip / rot tables are much compacter than state diagrams . calculation is done for a given index , without calculating the table column as a whole thing . we use the [ 1 ] candidate technique ; what lawder does using explicit backtracking , is done here by simply saving a rectangle &# 39 ; s data as candidate . another thing may be worth to be mentioned : when bisecting the space , lawder uses two limits explicitely : max_lower and min_higher . we show by our algorithm that these limits are not really needed . as our flip / rot transformation is free from recursion or iteration , the whole bigmin / litmax algorithm becomes linear with the number of dimensions and linear with the coordinate &# 39 ; s values wordlength ; this is true although working bitwise , as in a technically optimized version rotations are done in one step by changing the working indices accordingly , without copying data . last not least we do not necessarily process the search tree left - right ; starting at the root of the search tree and working recursively to both sides with both bigmin and litmax is more convenient as skipping subtrees is done in a natural way . the lawder approach has been presented for b - type trees searching for the page key of bigmin &# 39 ; s bucket ( the page key is the key with minimum index within the bucket ). we strictly separate the search procedure from the bigmin calculation , thereby making considerations and adaption to alternative data handling systems easier ; so it applies to any method of sortig one - dimensional data . for example , it can also be applied to skiplists . as an example , we have explicitely shown how the concept applies to both binary and b - type trees ( algorithms a and b ). we have presented the method in a modular way ; our algorithm is generic in the sense that it is simple to be changed to alternative hierarchical indexing schemes by changing the fliprot and / or toggle and / or concat lines of frame algorithm 1 suitably ( for z - indexing just cancel the latter two lines ). as a side product , we have found a tiny algorithm for bitwise calculating the n - dimensional hilbert index , which — in the opinion of the applicant — is much easier to understand than earlier work . we did not consider scaling . in real applications , scaling or mapping with a monotonic function should be done the way that the data cover the data cube nearly equally in all dimensions . both z - indexing and hilbert indexing apply also to negative and to real valued data . the only thing that is requested is that the bits are accessed in the order of significance ( start with the exponent , msb first , followed by the mantissa ; invert sign bits ). for both z - indexing and hilbert indexing , bit interleaving is not done explicitely . we keep the data as usual and just scan the bits in interleaved order . z - indices or hilbert indices are not calculated explicitely , so there are no wordlength problems . bigmin and litmax values are working records represented just as normal records . in a technically optimized version just some additions and xors do per resolution bit . with the solution presented in this application it looks clear that for external storage the overhead against z - indexing pays , because it virtually vanishes in relation to the time needed for disk accesses ( question posed by [ 4 ] p . 190 ). appendix auxiliary functions and tables function mod_ ( a : integer ; modulo : integer ): integer ; (* modulo correctly for neg . values *) begin a := a mod modulo ; if a & lt ; 0 then mod_ := a + modulo else mod_ := a ; end ; (* mod_ *) procedure rotateblock ( var b : bitblock ; r : integer ); (* rotates b by r *) var hb : bitblock ; h : integer ; begin hb := b ; (* copy : see text for technical improve - ments *) for h := 1 to ndims do b [ h ]:= hb [ mod_ ( h - 1 - r , ndims )+ 1 ]; (* shift right is fetch left *) end ; (* rotateblock *) procedure fliprot ( var b : bitblock ; flip : bitblock ; rot : integer ); (* flips b with flip and then rotates by r *) var h : integer ; begin for h := 1 to ndims do b [ h ]:= b [ h ] xor flip [ h ]; rotateblock ((* var *) b , rot ); end ; (* fliprot *) (* example tables precompiled once for a given no . of dimensions , ndims = 2 , 3 : function replacement see text *) (* 2d :*) const fliptab : array [ 0 .. g_codelength - 1 ] of bitblock =(( false , false ), ( false , false ), ( false , false ), ( true , true )); const rottab : array [ 0 .. g_codelength - 1 ] of integer =( 1 , 0 , 0 , 1 ); (* or , 3d :*) const fliptab : array [ 0 .. 1 shl ndims - 1 ] of bitblock = (( false , false , false ),( false , false , false ), ( false , false , false ),( true , true , false ), ( true , true , false ),( false , true , true ), ( false , true , true ),( true , false , true )); const rottab : array [ 0 .. 1 shl ndims - 1 ] of integer = (+ 2 , + 1 , + 1 , 0 , 0 , + 1 , + 1 , + 2 ); procedure concat_fliprot ( f1 : bitblock ; r1 : integer ; f2 : bitblock ; r2 : integer ; var f : bitblock ; var r : integer ); (* concat flip / rot transforms f1 / r1 and f2 / r2 to single transform f / r :*) (* f2 shifted back by r1 , then f1 xor f2 . r = r1 + r2 . result f order dependent ! *) var h : integer ; begin rotateblock ((* var *) f2 , − r1 ); for h := 1 to ndims do f [ h ]:= f2 [ h ] xor f1 [ h ]; r := mod_ ( r1 + r2 , ndims ); end ; (* concat_fliprot *) procedure forceri ( var b : word ; bitpos : integer ); (*“ force right ”: forces highest possible value into b , beginning with bitposition bitpos ; bitpos = 0 ...*) var mask : word ; begin if bitpos & gt ;( sizeof ( mask )* 8 - 1 ) then error (‘ word length ’); mask := 1 shl bitpos ; (* force 1 into actual bitposition , e . g . . or 001000 ..*) (* force 0 into the rest , e . g . . and111000 ..*) b := b or ( mask ); b := b and ( not ( mask - 1 )); end ; (* forceri *) procedure forcele ( var b : word ; bitpos : integer ); (*“ force left ”: forces lowest possible value into b , beginning with bitposition bitpos ; bitpos = 0 ...*) var mask : word ; begin if bitpos & gt ;( sizeof ( mask )* 8 - 1 ) then error (‘ wordlength ’); mask := 1 shl bitpos ; (* force 0 into actual bitposition , e . g . and110111 ..*) (* force 1 into the rest , e . g . .. or000111 ..*) b := b and ( not mask ); b := b or ( ( mask - 1 )); end ; (* forcele *) | 8 |
examples of the polymer for forming a gel having no fluidity used in the present invention include agar , gelatin , sodium alginate , carrageenan , gellan gum , glucomannan , curdlan and the like . it is preferable that an amount of the polymer to be incorporated is 0 . 1 - 13 % by mass , in particular , 1 - 7 % by mass in an aqueous phase in the cosmetic . when the amount is less than 0 . 1 % by mass , it is insufficient for retaining foams in some cases . when the amount exceeds 13 % by mass , the cosmetic is too hard to scoop with a finger in some cases . a . whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic containing a higher fatty acid soap example of the higher fatty acid soap used in the present invention include sodium and potassium salts of lauric acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , stearic acid , behenic acid , isostearic acid , oleic acid , linolenic acid , linoleic acid , linolenic acid and oxystearic acid . it is preferable that an amount of a fatty acid soap to be incorporated is 1 - 20 % by mass , in particular , 5 - 15 % by mass in the whole cosmetic . when the amount is less than 1 % by mass , the cosmetic is not sufficiently whipped in some cases . when the amount exceeds 20 % by mass , a base becomes hard and the rough feeling in use is generated in some cases . examples of the cationic polymer used in the present invention include polyoctanium , polydimethylmethylenepiperidinium chloride , polycoat , cationated hydroxycellulose , methacryloyloxyethylcarboxybetaine methacrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer , polyacrylate and the like . an amount of the cationic polymer to be incorporated is 0 . 01 - 5 % by mass , preferably 0 . 05 - 3 % by mass in the whole cosmetic . when the amount exceeds 5 % by mass , the base is felt the stickiness in some cases . an oil to be incorporated in an o / w type emulsion in the present invention may be any of a liquid oil , a solid oil and a semi - solid oil . alternatively , a water - slightly soluble substance may be incorporated in an oil phase . by incorporation of an oil , a whipped o / w type emulsion containing a gelling agent does not become too hard and can retain the sufficient softness for scooping with a finger . examples of the oil include liquid fats and oils such as avocado oil , camellia oil , turtle oil , macadamia nut oil , corn oil , mink oil , olive oil , rapeseed oil , yolk oil , sesame oil , pearshic oil , wheat germ oil , sasanqua oil , castor oil , linseed oil , safflower oil , cotton seed oil , evening primrose oil , perilla oil , soybean oil , peanut oil , tea seed oil , kaya oil , rice bran oil , chinese paulownia oil , japanese paulownia oil , jojoba oil , germ oil , triglycerin , glycerin trioctanoate , glycerin triisopalmitate and the like , solid fats and oils such as cacao butter , coconut oil , horseflesh tallow , hydrogenated coconut oil , palm oil , beef tallow , ram tallow , hardened beef tallow , palm kernel oil , lard tallow , beef bone tallow , japan wax kernel oil , hardened oil , beef leg tallow , japan wax , hydrogenated castor oil and the like , waxes such as beeswax , candelilla wax , cotton wax , carnauba wax , bayberry wax , insect wax , spermaceti , montan wax , bran wax , lanolin , kapok wax , lanolin acetate , liquid lanolin , sugarcane wax , lanolin fatty acid isopropyl , hexyl laurate , reduced lanolin , jojoba wax , hardened lanolin , shellac wax , poe lanolin alcohol ether , poe lanolin alcohol acetate , lanolin fatty acid polyethylene glycol , poe hydrogenated lanolin alcohol ether and the like , hydrocarbons such as liquid paraffin , ozocerite , squalene , pristane , paraffin , ceresine , squalane , vaseline , microcrystalline wax and the like , and synthetic esters such as isopropyl myristate , cetyl octanoate , octyldodecyl myristate , isopropyl palmitate , butyl stearate , hexyl laurate , myristyl myristate , decyl oleate , hexyldecyl dimethyloctanoate , cetyl lactate , myristyl lactate , lanolin acetate , isocetyl stearate , isocetyl isostearate , cholesteryl 12 - hydroxystearylate , ethyleneglycol di - 2 - ethylhexylate , dipentaerythritol fatty acid ester , n - alkylglycol monoisostearate , neopentylglycol dicapriate , diisostearyl malate , glycerin di - 2 - heptylundecanoate , trimethylolpropane tri - 2 - ethylhexylate , trimethylolpropane triisostearate , pentaerythritol tetra - 2 - ethylhexylate , glycerin tri - 2 - ethylhexylate , trimethylolpropane triisostearate , cetyl 2 - ethylhexanote , 2 - ethylhexyl palmitate , glycerin trimyristate , glyceride tri - 2 - heptylundecanoate , castor oil fatty acid methyl ester , oleic acid oil , cetostearyl alcohol , acetoglyceride , 2 - heptylundecyl palmitate , diisopropyl adipate , 2 - octyldodecyl n - lauroyl - l - glutamate , di - 2 - heptylundecyl adipate , ethyl laurate , di - 2 - ethylhexyl sebacate , 2 - hexyldecyl myristate , 2 - hexyldecyl palmitate , 2 - hexyldecyl adipate , diisopropyl sebacate , 2 - ethylhexyl succiniate , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate , amyl acetate , triethyl citrate and the like . vitamins such as vitamin a and derivatives thereof , vitamin d and derivatives thereof , vitamin e and derivatives thereof , vitamin k and derivatives thereof and the like , sterols , natural and synthetic perfumes and the like may be incorporated . inter alia , polar oils such as 2 - octyldodecanol and the like are suitably used . in addition to these oily ingredients , a small amount of a silicone oil such as straight polysiloxane and the like such as dimethylpolysiloxane , methylphenylpolysiloxane , methylhydrogenpolysiloxane and the like may be incorporated . however , since they have generally the anti - foaming effects , it is not preferable to incorporate them . an amount of the oil to be incorporated is preferably 1 - 30 % by mass , particularly 1 - 15 % by mass in the whole cosmetic . when the amount is less than 1 % by mass , a whipping base becomes hard , and it tends not to be easy to scoop by finger in some cases . when the amount exceeds 30 % by mass , whipping ability is deteriorated and , moreover , extension on the skin is deteriorated in some cases . additionally , a nonionic surfactant as a foaming auxiliary agent may be incorporated . examples of the nonionic surfactant include ether type surfactants such as polyoxyethylene 2 - 30 mole added { hereinafter , abbreviated as poe ( 2 - 30 )} oleyl ether , poe ( 2 - 35 ) stearyl ether , poe ( 2 - 20 ) lauryl ether , poe ( 1 - 20 ) alkyl phenyl ether , poe ( 6 - 18 ) behenyl ether , poe ( 5 - 25 ) 2 - decyl pentadecyl ether , poe ( 3 - 20 ) 2 - decyl tetradecyl ether , poe ( 3 - 20 ) 2 - decyl tetradecyl ether , poe ( 8 - 16 ) 2 - octyl decyl ether and the like , ester type surfactants such as poe ( 4 - 60 ) hydrogenated castor oil , poe ( 3 - 14 ) fatty acid monoester , poe ( 6 - 30 ) fatty acid diester , poe ( 5 - 20 ) sorbitan fatty acid ester and the like , ethylene oxide added type surfactants such as ether ester type surfactants such as poe ( 2 - 30 ) glyceryl monoisostearate , poe ( 10 - 60 ) glyceryl triisostearate , poe ( 7 - 50 ) hydrogenated castor oil monoisostearate , poe ( 12 - 60 ) hydrogenated castor oil triisostearate and the like , polyglycerin fatty acid esters such as dacaglyceryl tetraoleate , hexaglyceryl triisostearate , tetraglyceryl diisostearate , diglyceryl diisostearate and the like , polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester type surfactants such as glycerin fatty acid ester and the like such as glyceryl monoisostearate , glyceryl monooleate and the like , nonion - modified silicone surfactants , and the like . inter alias , 1 or 2 or more of polyglycerin ( tri - or more - glycerin ) fatty acid ester such as decaglyceryl tetraoleate , hexaglyceryl triisostearate , tetraglyceryl diisostearate and the like , poe added ether type surfactants such as poe ( 2 - 12 ) oleyl ether , poe ( 3 - 12 ) stearyl ether , poe ( 2 - 10 ) lauryl ether , poe ( 2 - 10 ) nonyl phenyl ether , poe ( 6 - 15 ) behenyl ether , poe ( 5 - 20 ) 2 - decyl pentadecyl ether , poe ( 5 - 17 ) 2 - decyl tetradecyl ether , poe ( 8 - 16 ) 2 - octyl decyl ether and the like , poe added ester type surfactants such as poe ( 10 - 20 ) hydrogenated castor oil , poe ( 5 - 14 ) oleic acid monoester , poe ( 6 - 20 ) oleic acid diester , poe ( 5 - 10 ) sorbitan oleic acid ester and the like , poe added ether ester type surfactants such as poe ( 3 - 15 ) glyceryl monoisostearate , poe ( 10 - 40 ) glyceryl triisostearate and the like , as well as ethylene oxide added type nonionic surfactants are suitably used . alternatively , cationic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants may be incorporated in such a range that the effects of the present invention are not deteriorated . examples of the nonionic surfactant used in the present invention include sucrose fatty acid ester , glycerin fatty acid ester , sorbitan fatty acid ester and poe hydrogenated castor oil . embodiments of the nonionic surfactant include ethylene oxide added surfactants such as ether type surfactants such as polyoxyethylene 2 - 30 mole added { abbreviated as poe ( 2 - 30 )} oleyl ether , poe ( 2 - 35 ) stearyl ether , poe ( 2 - 20 ) lauryl ether , poe ( 1 - 20 ) alkyl phenyl ether , poe ( 6 - 18 ) behenyl ether , poe ( 5 - 25 ) 2 - decyl pentadecyl ether , poe ( 3 - 20 ) 2 - decyl tetradecyl ether , poe ( 3 - 20 ) 2 - decyl tetradecyl ether , poe ( 8 - 16 ) 2 - octyl decyl ether and the like , ester type surfactants such as poe ( 4 - 60 ) hydrogenated castor oil , poe ( 3 - 14 ) fatty acid monoester , poe ( 6 - 30 ) fatty acid diester , poe ( 5 - 20 ) sorbitan fatty acid ester and the like , ether ester type surfactants such as poe ( 2 - 30 ) glyceryl monoisostearate , poe ( 10 - 60 ) glyceryl triisostearate , poe ( 7 - 50 ) hydrogenated castor oil monoisostearate , poe ( 12 - 60 ) hydrogenated castor oil triisostearate and the like , ester type surfactants such as polyhydric alcohol fatty acid esters such as polyglycerin fatty acid ester such as decaglyceryl tetraoleate , hexaglyceryl triisostearate , tetraglyceryl diisostearate , diglyceryl diisostearate and the like , polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester such as glycerin fatty acid esters such as glyceryl monoisostearate , glyceryl monooleate and the like , sucrose mono - octastearic acid ester and the like . alternatively , cationic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants may be incorporated in such a range that the effects of the present invention are not deteriorated . in the case where fine foams and high overrun degree are neceessary , it is desirable that casein and / or lecithin are contained . examples of the lecithin include commercially available soybean lecithins , and their purified lecithins . casein may be added at the powder form or the solution in water form . casein may be a sodium salt or a potassium salt . an amount of the nonionic surfactant , casein and lecithin to be added is preferably 0 . 1 - 15 % by mass , in particular 0 . 5 - 10 % by mass in the whole cosmetic . when the amount is less than 0 . 1 % by mass , sufficient foaming cannot be obtained in some cases . when the amount exceeds 15 % by mass , odor of a base is deteriorated at an elevated temperature and , moreover , the stickiness is felt , the cosmetic is not preferable in the safety for the skin in some cases . the solid oil used in the present invention is an oil which is a solid at a temperature of 30 ° c . or lower , preferably 50 ° c . or lower , and which has iob being not zero . since non - polar oils having iob being zero , such as liquid paraffin and vaseline deteriorate whipping ability , it is desirable that an amount thereof to be incorporated is as small as possible . by incorporation of an oil , a whipped o / w type emulsion containing a gelling agent does not become too hard and retains sufficient softness for scooping with finger . an amount of the oil to be incorporated is 1 - 30 % by mass , particularly 1 - 15 % by mass in the whole cosmetic . when the amount is less than 1 % by mass , since a whipping base becomes hard , it tends not to be easy to scoop by finger in some cases . when the amounts exceed 30 % by mass , whipping ability is deteriorated and , moreover , extension on the skin is deteriorated in some cases . example of the solid oil include solid fats and oils such as cacao fat , coconut oil , horseflesh tallow , hydrogenated coconut oil , palm oil , beef tallow , ram tallow , hardened beef tallow , palm kernel oil , lard tallow , beef bone tallow , japan wax kernel oil , hardened oil , beef leg tallow , japan wax , hydrogenated castor oil and the like , waxes such as beeswax , candelilla wax , cotton wax , carnauba wax , bayberry wax , insect wax , spermaceti , montan wax , bran wax , lanolin , kapok wax , lanolin acetate , sugarcane wax , lanolin fatty acid isopropyl , hexyl laurate , reduced lanolin , jojoba wax , hard lanolin , shellac wax , poe lanolin alcohol ether , poe lanolin alcohol acetate , lanolin fatty acid polyethylene glycol , poe hydrogenated lanolin alcohol ether and the like . in addition to the aforementioned solid oils , liquid oils such as liquid lanolin , isopropyl myristate , cetyl octanoate , octyldodecyl myristate , isopropyl palmitate , butyl stearate , hexyl laurate , myristyl myristate , decyl oleate , hexyldecyl dimethyloctanoate , cetyl lactate , myristyl lactate , lanolin acetate , isocetyl stearate , isocetyl isostearate , cholesteryl 12 - hydroxystearate , ethylene glycol di - 2 - ethylhexylate , dipentaerythritol fatty acid ester , n - alkyl glycol monoisostearate , neopentyl glycol dicaprate , diisostearyl malate , glycerin di - 2 - heptylundecanoate , trimethylolpropane tri - 2 - ethylhexylate , trimethylolpropane triisostearate , pentaerythritol tetra - 2 - ethylhexylate , glycerin tri - 2 - ethylhexylate , trimethylolpropane triisostearate , cetyl - 2 - ethyl hexanoate , 2 - ethylhexyl palmitate , glycerin trimyristate , glyceride tri - 2 - heptylundecanoate , castor oil fatty acid methyl ester , oleic acid oil , cetostearyl alcohol , acetoglyceride , 2 - heptylundecyl palmitate , diisopropyl adipate , 2 - octyl dodecyl n - lauroyl - l - glutamate , di - 2 - heptylundecyl adipate , ethyl laurate , di - 2 - ethylhexyl sebacate , 2 - hexyldecyl myristate , 2 - hexyldecyl palmitate , 2 - hexyldecyl adipate , diisopropyl sebacate , 2 - ethylhexyl succinate , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate , amyl acetate , triethyl citrate and the like , higher alcohols such as stearyl alcohol , behenyl alcohol , oleyl alcohol and the like , oil - soluble vitamins such as vitamin a and the like and derivatives thereof , sterols , natural and synthetic perfumes , ultraviolet absorbing agent , and water - slightly soluble substances may be incorporated in an oily phase . if it is a small amount , hydrocarbon oils having iob being zero , such as liquid paraffin , ozocerite , squalene , pristane . paraffin , ceresine , squalane , vaseline , microcrystalline wax and the like may be incorporated . in addition to these oily ingredients , a small amount of silicone oil such as straight polysiloxane and the like such as dimethylpolysiloxane , methylphenylpolysiloxane , methylhydrogenpolysiloxane and the like can be incorporated . however , since they have the anti - foaming effects , it is not preferable to incorporate them . an amount of solid oil to be incorporated is preferably 20 % by mass or more , particularly 40 % by mass or more in the whole oil in the cosmetic . when the amount is less than 20 % by mass , the foam stability at a temperature of 30 ° c . or higher is not retained in some cases . the aforementioned 1 or 2 whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic may further contain powders . by incorporation of powders , the crunchy feeling may be added to a whipped base . examples of the powders include talc , titanium oxide , zinc oxide , polyethylene powders , nylon powders , starch powders and the like . if a small amount , silicone powders may be incorporated . however , since whipping ability is deteriorated , it is not preferable to incorporate them . in addition , polyhydric alcohols and humectants may be incorporated into the present whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic to enhance the moisture - retaining effects as far as the effects of the present invention are not deteriorated . examples of the polyhydric alcohol include divalent alcohols such as ethylene glycol , propylene glycol , trimethylene glycol , 1 , 2 - butylene glycol , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol , tetramethylene glycol , 2 , 3 - butylene glycol , pentamethylene glycol , 2 - butene - 1 , 4 - diol , hexylene glycol , octylene glycol and the like , trivalent alcohols , glycerin , trimethylolpropane , 1 , 2 , 6 - hexanetriol and the like , tetravalent alcohols such as pentaerythritol and the like , pentavalent alcohols such as xylitol and the like , hexavalent alcohols such as sorbitol , mannitol and the like , multivalent alcohol copolymers such as diethylene glycol , dipropylene glycol , triethylene glycol , polypropylene glycol , triglycerin , tetraglycerin , polyglycerin and the like , divalent alcohol alkyl ethers such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether , ethylene glycol monoethyl ether , ethylene glycol monobutyl ether , ethylene glycol monophenyl ether , ethylene glycol monohexyl ether , ethylene glycol mono - 2 - methyl hexyl ether , ethylene glycol isoamyl ether , ethylene glycol benzyl ether , ethylene glycol isopropyl ether , ethylene glycol dimethyl ether , ethylene glycol diethyl ether , ethylene glycol dibutyl ether and the like , divalent alcohol alkyl ethers such as diethylene glycol monomethyl ether , diethylene glycol monoethyl ether , diethylene glycol monobutyl ether , diethylene glycol , dimethyl ether , diethylene glycol diethyl ether , diethylene glycol dibutyl ether , diethylene glycol methyl ethyl ether , triethylene glycol monomethyl ether , triethylene glycol monoethyl ether , triethylene glycol monoethyl ether , propylene glycol monomethyl ether , propylene glycol monoethyl ether , propylene glycol monobutyl ether , propylene glycol monoisopropyl ether , dipropylene glycol methyl ether , dipropylene glycol ethyl ether , dipropylene glycol butyl ether and the like , divalent alcohol ether esters such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate , ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate , ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate , ethylene glycol monophenyl ether acetate , ethylene glycol diadipate , ethylene glycol disuccinate , ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate , diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate , propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate , propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate , propylene glycol monopropyl ether acetate , propylene glycol monophenyl ether acetate and the like , glycerin monoalkyl ethers such as chimyl alcohol , selachyl alcohol , batyl alcohol and the like , sugar alcohols such as sorbitol , maltitol , maltotriose , mannitol , sucrose , erythritol , glucose , fructose , starch - degraded sugar , maltose , xylitol , starch - degraded sugar reduced alcohol and the like , glysolid , tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol , poe tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol , pop butyl ether , pop poe butyl ether , polyoxypropylene glycerin ether , pop glycerin ether , pop glycerin ether phosphate , pop · poe pentaerythritol ether and the like . examples of the humectant include chondroitin sulfate , hyaluronic acid , mucoitin sulfate , charonic acid , atellocollagen , cholesteryl - 12 - hydroxy stearate , sodium lactate , bile acid mono - salt , d , l - pyrrolidonecarbooxylic acid mono - salt , short chain soluble collagen , rosa roxburghii extract , yarrow extract and the like . in addition , other water - soluble polymers may be incorporated in such a range that the use feeling , ph and the like of the present cosmetics are not deteriorated . examples of the natural water - soluble polymer include plant series polymers such as gum arabic , tragacanth gum , galactan , guar gum , carob gum , caraya gum , pectin , quince seed , algae colloid ( seaweed extract ), starch ( rice , corn , potato , wheat ), glycyrrhizic acid and the like , microbial series polymers such as xanthan gum , dextran , succinoglucan , pullulan and the like , and animal series polymers such as collagen , casein , albumin and the like . examples of the semi - synthetic water - soluble polymers include starch series polymers such as carboxymethylstarch , methylhydroxystarch and the like , cellulose series polymers such as methylcellulose , nitrocellulose , ethylcellulose , methylhydroxypropylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , sodium cellulose sulfate , hydroxypropylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose ( cmc ), crystalline cellulose , cellulose powder and the like , alginic acid series polymers such as propylene glycol alginate and the like . examples of the synthetic water - soluble polymers include vinyl series polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl methyl ether series polymer , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , carboxyvinyl polymer ( carbopol 940 , 941 ; bf goodrich ) and the like , polyoxyethylene series polymers such as polyethylene glycol 20 , 000 , polyethylene glycol 6 , 000 , polyethylene glycol 4 , 000 and the like , copolymer series polymers such as polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene copolymer and the like , acrylic series polymers such as sodium polyacrylate , polyethylacrylate , polyacrylamide and the like , polyethyleneimine and the like . as for the present cosmetic , various ingredients which are usually incorporated in the field of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals may be incorporated . among such ingredients , examples of the ingredients in aqueous phase include water - soluble active substances such as vitamins such as vitamin b group , vitamin c and derivatives thereof , pantothenic acid and derivatives thereof , biotin and the like , buffers such as sodium glutamate , arginine , aspartic acid , citric acid , tartaric acid and lactic acid , various plant extracts , chelating agents such as edta as well as water - soluble ultraviolet absorbing agents , various pigments and the like . the present o / w type emulsion cosmetic is utilized , for example , as a skin cosmetic , a hair cosmetic and a skin external preparation in the cosmetic quasi - drug or medicinal field . since the present cosmetic has the excellent usability , it is desirably used as an emulsion cosmetic . examples of the device for making a base contain bubbles are not particularly limited so long as the device takes bubbles therein , but include a bench batch mixer for cooking , dasher and the like . the present whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic may be prepared by whipping an o / w type emulsion containing a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity , or by whipping an o / w type emulsion containing no polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity and , thereafter , incorporating a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity . then , a process of developing the present invention will be explained in more detail by way of test examples . all incorporation amounts mean percentage by mass . an incorporation amount in an aqueous phase and an incorporation amount are indicated , they are described expressly each every time . and , in other cases , an incorporation amount relative to the whole cosmetic is meant . methods of calculating overrun degree and assessment criteria therefor are described below prior to test examples . overrun degree was calculated according to the following equation and assessed by the following assessment criteria : ◯ overrun degree is 50 or more to less than 100 % . δ overrun degree is 10 or more to less than 50 %. the foam stabilities after retained at 0 ° c . and 37 ° c . for 1 month were assessed with eyes according to the following criteria : ten japanese female panelists of 20 - 35 years old took each whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic immediately after preparation with a finger and organoleptically assessed the feeling of scoopability with a finger and the extensibility on the skin according to the following criteria : [ 0085 ] 8 or more panelists answered that scooping is easy . a . whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic containing a higher fatty acid soap whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 1 was prepared , and overrun degree and the foam stability were studied . ingredients ( 1 )-( 8 ), and ( 10 ) were mixed and dissolved , and uniformly dispersed at 80 ° c . to the aqueous phase were added ( 11 )-( 14 ) which had been uniformly dissolved at 80 ° c . and ( 9 ) which had been dissolved in a part of ( 8 ), which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , whipped with a batch mixer to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic , which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled . test example 1 is a composition containing no gelling agent , and test examples 2 - 7 are a composition containing a polymer of a gelling agent . from the results in table 1 , it can be seen that the whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics of test example 1 containing no polymer gelling agent is inferior in the foam stability at 37 ° c . to the contrary , improvement in the foam stability at 37 ° c . was observed in whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics of test examples 2 - 4 containing a polymer ( agar , glucomannan ) for foaming a gel having no fluidity . here , glucomannan does not foam a gel only by itself , but by using together with xanthan gum , it forms a gel having no fluidity . in addition , it can be seen that test example 4 containing , in particular , a cationic polymer is the most excellent in the foam stability at 37 ° c . however , in test examples 5 and 6 in which only xanthan gum or carboxymethylcellulose which has the viscosity - increasing effects but does not form a gel having no fluidity is incorporated , the foam stability at 37 ° c . was inferior . therefore , it can be seen that , by incorporation of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity , the foam stability at an elevated temperature is improved . in addition , test example 7 in which a nonionic surfactant is incorporated in place of a higher fatty acid soap has low overrun degree and is also inferior in the foam stability at 37 ° c . a - 1 amount of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity to be incorporated whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 2 were prepared , and an amount of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity , to be incorporated in the present invention was studied . from the results in table 2 , it can be seen that , when an amount of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity to be incorporated is less than about 0 . 1 % by mass in an aqueous phase , the foam stability at 37 ° c . is inferior . in addition , it can be seen that , when an amount of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity to be incorporated exceeds 13 % by mass , the foam stability at 37 ° c . is inferior and scoopability with a finger is also inferior . therefore , it can be seen that an amount of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity to be incorporated is suitably about 0 . 1 - 13 % by mass , more suitably about 1 - 7 % by mass in an aqueous phase . a - 2 amount of a higher fatty acid soap to be incorporated whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 3 was prepared , and an amount of a higher fatty acid to be incorporated was studied . from the results in table 3 , it can be seen that , when an amount of a higher fatty acid soap to be incorporated is less than 1 % by mass , overrun degree , the foam stability at 37 ° c . and the usability are inferior . in addition , it can be seen that , when the amount is greater than 20 % by mass , the usability is inferior . therefore , it can be seen that an amount of a higher fatty acid soap is suitably about 1 - 20 % by mass , more suitably about 5 - 15 % by mass . by using whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 4 , an amount of a cationic polymer to be incorporated in the present invention was studied . from the results in table 4 , it can be seen that , when an amount of a cationic polymer to be incorporated is less than 0 . 01 % by mass , the foam stability at 37 ° c . is inferior . in addition , it can be seen that , when the amount is greater than 5 % by mass , the usability is inferior . therefore , it can be seen that an amount of a cationic polymer to be incorporated is suitably about 0 . 01 - 5 % by mass , more suitably 0 . 05 - 3 % by mass . whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 5 was prepared , and an amount of an oil to be incorporated was studied . from the results in table 5 , it can be seen that , when an amount of an oil to be incorporated is less than 1 % by mass , the usability is inferior . it can be seen that , when the amount is greater than 30 % by mass , since whipping becomes worse , overrun degree is decreased and the usability is inferior . therefore , it can be seen that an amount of an oil to be incorporated is suitably 1 - 30 % by mass , more suitably 8 - 15 % by mass . from the results in table 6 , it can be seen that the present whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic has the better foam stability and the excellent usability . in addition , from test example 40 , it can be seen that , when a silicone oil is incorporated too much , overrun degree is decreased due to the anti - foaming effects , and the usability is inferior . example 1 massage cleansing cosmetics ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) methylparaben 0 . 1 ( 3 ) 1 , 3 - butyleneglycol 5 . 0 ( 4 ) ascorbic acid 0 . 5 ( 5 ) cationated hydroxycellulose 0 . 1 ( 6 ) xanthane gum 1 . 0 ( 7 ) glucomannan 1 . 0 ( 8 ) hydrophobing starch 2 . 0 ( 9 ) potassium hydroxide 0 . 8 ( 10 ) stearic acid 3 . 0 ( 11 ) palmitic acid 4 . 0 ( 12 ) behenic acid 3 . 0 ( 13 ) cetyl octanoate 5 . 0 ( 14 ) isostearyl alcohol 4 . 0 ( 15 ) perfume q . s . ingredients ( 1 )-( 7 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c . to this was added ( 8 ), which was dispersed uniformly . to this aqueous phase were added uniformly dissolved ( 10 )-( 14 ) and ( 9 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ) at 80 ° c ., ( 15 ) was further added , which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , whipped with a batch mixer to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic , which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled as it was . the resulting whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 2 moisture - retaining cream ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) methylparaben 0 . 1 ( 3 ) glycerin 5 . 0 ( 4 ) trymethyiglycine 1 . 0 ( 5 ) cationated hydroxycellulose 0 . 5 ( 6 ) hydoroxyethylcellulose 0 . 5 ( 7 ) sucrose stearate 2 . 0 ( 8 ) carrageenan 2 . 0 ( 9 ) potassium hydroxide 0 . 3 ( 10 ) stearic acid 2 . 0 ( 11 ) palmitic acid 2 . 0 ( 12 ) 2 - octyldodecanol 4 . 0 ( 13 ) pentaerythrytyl tetraoctanoate 4 . 0 ( 14 ) liquid paraffin 2 . 0 ( 15 ) titanium oxide 4 . 0 ( 16 ) perfume q . s . ingredients ( 1 )-( 7 ) ( aqueous phase ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c . to this was added ( 15 ), which was uniformly dispersed . to this aqueous phase were added uniformly dissolved ( 10 )-( 14 ) ( oily phase ) and ( 9 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ) at 80 ° c . ( 15 ) and ( 16 ) were further added thereto , which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , and whipped with a batch mixer to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic . ( 8 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ) was mixed in the whipped cream at 80 ° c ., which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled as it was . the resulting whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 3 massage cleansing cosmetic ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) phenoxyethanol 0 . 1 ( 3 ) dipropyleneglycol 5 . 0 ( 4 ) arbtin 0 . 5 ( 5 ) sucrose stearate 0 . 5 ( 6 ) polyoctanium 0 . 1 ( 7 ) agar 1 . 0 ( 8 ) nylon powder 2 . 0 ( 9 ) potassium hydroxide 0 . 8 ( 10 ) stearic acid 3 . 0 ( 11 ) isostearic acid 4 . 0 ( 12 ) behenic acid 5 . 0 ( 13 ) vaseline 1 . 0 ( 14 ) isostearyl alcohol 4 . 0 ( 15 ) perfume q . s . ingredients ( 1 )-( 7 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c . to this was added ( 8 ), which was uniformly dispersed . to this aqueous phase were added uniformly dissolved ( 10 )-( 14 ) and ( 9 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ) at 80 ° c . ( 15 ) was further added , which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer and whipped with a batch mixer to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic , which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled as it was . the resulting whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 4 massage cream ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) methylparaben 0 . 1 ( 3 ) 1 , 3 - butyleneglycol 5 . 0 ( 4 ) ascorbic acid 0 . 5 ( 5 ) poly dimethylmethylenepiperidinium chloride 0 . 5 ( 6 ) glucomannan 1 . 0 ( 7 ) kertrol 1 . 0 ( 8 ) sodium alginate 1 . 0 ( 9 ) titanium oxide 2 . 0 ( 10 ) potassium hydroxide 0 . 8 ( 11 ) stearic acid 3 . 0 ( 12 ) behenic acid 4 . 0 ( 13 ) stearyl alcohol 1 . 0 ( 14 ) cetyl octanoate 5 . 0 ( 15 ) menthol 0 . 05 ( 16 ) perfume q . s . ingredients ( 1 )-( 8 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c . to this was added ( 9 ), which was uniformly dispersed . to this aqueous phase were added uniformly dissolved ( 11 )-( 15 ) and ( 10 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ). ( 16 ) was further added thereto , which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , whipped with a batch mixer to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic , which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled as it was . the resulting whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 5 daytime beauty lotion ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) methylparaben 0 . 1 ( 3 ) glycerin 5 . 0 ( 4 ) hyaluronic acid 0 . 5 ( 5 ) polyacrylate 0 . 5 ( 6 ) gelatin 1 . 0 ( 7 ) curdlan 1 . 0 ( 8 ) zinc oxide 2 . 0 ( 9 ) potassium hydroxide 0 . 8 ( 10 ) stearic acid 3 . 0 ( 11 ) myristic acid 1 . 0 ( 12 ) behenic acid 2 . 0 ( 13 ) palm oil 5 . 0 ( 14 ) ultraviolet absorbing agent 1 . 0 ( 15 ) perfume q . s . ingredients ( 1 )-( 7 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c . to this was added ( 8 ), which was uniformly dispersed . to this aqueous phase were added uniformly dissolved ( 10 )-( 14 ) and ( 9 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ) at 80 ° c . ( 15 ) was further added thereto , which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer and whipped with a batch mixer to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic , which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled as it was . the resulting whipped cream had the better foam stability and the usability . whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in tables 7 and 8 were prepared , and overrun degree , the foam stability and the usability were studied . test example 43 is a composition containing no gelling agent , and test examples 44 - 51 are a composition containing a polymer substance of a gelling agent . to an aqueous phase in which ingredients ( 1 )-( 9 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c ., were added ( 10 )-( 14 ) dissolved uniformly at 80 ° c ., which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , and whipped with a batch mixer at 40 ° c . to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic , which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled as it was . the following test examples were performed according to the same manner as that described above . from the results in table 7 , it can be seen that test example 43 containing no polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity and a melting point of 40 ° c . or higher which forms a gel , is inferior in the foam stability . to the contrary , it can be seen that test example 44 containing a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity and a melting point of 40 ° c . or higher , and solid oils , and a nonionic surfactant is excellent in all respects including in the foam stability . however , it can be seen that test examples 45 and 46 containing a polymer which forms a gel having the fluidity are inferior in the foam stability . from the results in table 8 , test example 47 containing no oil is inferior in the usability . in addition , test example 48 containing a liquid oil in place of a solid oil , test example 49 containing a solid oil having iob being zero are inferior in the foam stability . futhermore , in test examples 50 and 51 containing neither lecithin nor casein , overrun degree was slightly low and the foam stability was slightly inferior . therefore , it is preferable that lecithin and casein are incorporated in a nonionic surfactant . b - 1 amount of a polymer which forms a gel having no gluidity and its melting point of 40 ° c . or higher , to be incorporated whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 9 were prepared and an amount of a polymer to be incorporated was studied . the results of assessment are also shown . from the results in table 9 , it can be seen that when an amount of incorporation of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity and a melting point of 40 ° c . or higher is about 0 . 1 % or less by mass in an aqueous phase , the foam stability is inferior . in addition , it can be seen that , when the amount is about 13 % or more by mass , whipping ability is deteriorated , and the usability is inferior . therefore , it is provided that an amount of a polymer which forms a gel having no fluidity and a melting point of 40 ° c . or higher , to be incorporated , is suitably 0 . 1 - 13 % by mass , more suitably 1 - 7 % by mass . b - 2 amount of a nonionic surfactant , lecithin and casein to be incorporated whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 10 was prepared , an amount of a nonionic surfactant , lecithin and casein to be incorporated was studied . from the results in table 10 , it can be discovered that , when an amount of a nonionic surfactant , lecithin and casein to be incorporated is less than 0 . 1 % by mass , in sufficient whipping occurs , decreasing overrun degree and the foam stability and the usability are inferior . moreover , when the amount is 15 % or greater by mass , the usability is inferior . therefore , it can be seen that an amount of a nonionic surfactant , lecithin and casein is suitably about 0 . 1 − about 15 % by mass , more suitably about 0 . 5 − about 10 % by mass . whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetics having the formulations in table 11 were prepared , and an amount of a solid oil to be incorporated at a temperature of 30 ° c . or lower was studied . from the results in table 11 , it can be seen that , when an amount of solid oil to be incorporated in the whole oil is 20 % or less by mass , overrun degree and foam stability are decreased . therefore , an amount of a solid oil in the whole oil to be incorporated is suitably 20 % by mass or more , more suitably 40 % by mass or more . from the results in table 12 , it can be seen that the present whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic has the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 6 moisture - retaining mask ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) phenoxyethanol 0 . 3 ( 3 ) 1 , 3 - butyleneglycol 5 . 0 ( 4 ) ascorbic acid 0 . 5 ( 5 ) glucomannan 0 . 5 ( 6 ) xanthane gum 1 . 0 ( 7 ) sucrose oleate 1 . 0 ( 8 ) saponin 0 . 5 ( 9 ) sodium caseinate 0 . 5 ( 10 ) beeswax 10 . 0 ( 11 ) vaseline 15 . 0 ( 12 ) olefine oligomer 5 . 0 ( 13 ) soybean lecithin 0 . 1 ( 14 ) polyglyceryl stearate 1 . 0 ( 15 ) nylon powder 1 . 0 ( 16 ) perfume q . s . to an aqueous phase in which ingredients ( 1 )-( 9 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c ., were added ( 10 )-( 14 ) and ( 15 ) uniformly dissolved at 80 ° c . and ( 16 ), which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , cooled , whipped with a batch mixer at room temperature to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic , which was filled in a container at room temperature and cooled as it was . the resulting whipped cream has the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 7 moisture - retaining cream ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) methylparaben 0 . 2 ( 3 ) dipropyleneglycol 5 . 0 ( 4 ) arbtin 1 . 0 ( 5 ) treharose 0 . 5 ( 6 ) sodium hexametaphosphate ( 7 ) casein 0 . 5 ( 8 ) calcium lactate 0 . 1 ( 9 ) sucrose monooleate polyester 1 . 0 ( 10 ) carageenan 1 . 0 ( 11 ) gellan gum 1 . 0 ( 12 ) stearyl alcohol 3 . 0 ( 13 ) behenyl alcohol 4 . 0 ( 14 ) isopropyl myristate 4 . 0 ( 15 ) glyceryl monostearate 2 . 0 ( 16 ) purified soybean lecithin 0 . 08 ( 17 ) perfume q . s . to an aqueous phase in which ingredients ( 1 )-( 9 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c ., were added ( 12 )-( 17 ) uniformly dissolved at 80 ° c ., which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , and cooled to room temperature . this o / w phase was whipped with a batch mixer at about 40 ° c ., and ( 10 ) and ( 11 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ) at 80 ° c . were mixed in the whipped cream , which was filled in a container at about 50 ° c . and cooled as it was . the resulting whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 8 massage cream ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) phenoxyethanol 0 . 3 ( 3 ) polyethyleneglycol 5 . 0 ( 4 ) trymethyiglycine 0 . 5 ( 5 ) glyceryl monostearate 1 . 0 ( 6 ) sorbitan oleate 1 . 0 ( 7 ) sodium caseinate 0 . 5 ( 8 ) glucomannnan 0 . 5 ( 9 ) xanthane gum 0 . 5 ( 10 ) saponin , aqueous solution 1 . 0 ( 11 ) microcrystalline wax 10 . 0 ( 12 ) palm hydrogenated oil 15 . 0 ( 13 ) macadamianut oil 5 . 0 ( 14 ) soybean lecithin 0 . 1 ( 15 ) hydrophobing starch powder 1 . 0 ( 16 ) perfume q . s . to an aqueous phase in which ingredients ( 1 )-( 7 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c ., were added ( 11 )-( 16 ) uniformly dissolved at 80 ° c ., which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer , mixed with ( 8 )-( 10 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ), which was whipped with a batch mixer at 30 - 40 ° c . to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic . the prepared whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 9 moisture - retaining cream ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) methylparaben 0 . 2 ( 3 ) propyleneglycol 7 . 0 ( 4 ) sodium hexametaphosphate 0 . 3 ( 5 ) glyceryl monostearate ( self - emulsified type ) 0 . 5 ( 6 ) poe ( 60 ) glyceryl stearate 1 . 0 ( 7 ) stearyl alcohol 2 . 0 ( 8 ) behenyl alcohol 1 . 5 ( 9 ) alkylsilicone wax 1 . 0 ( 10 ) vaseline 5 . 0 ( 11 ) squalane 8 . 0 ( 12 ) pentaerythrityl tetraoctanoate 8 . 0 ( 13 ) glucomannan 1 . 0 ( 14 ) kertrol 1 . 0 to an aqueous phase in which ingredients ( 1 )-( 5 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c ., were added ( 6 )-( 12 ) uniformly dissolved at 80 ° c ., which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer . this was whipped with a batch mixer at 40 ° c ., mixed with ( 13 ) and ( 14 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ), which was filled in a container at 40 ° c ., and cooled to room temperature to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic . the prepared whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . example 10 moisture - retaining mask ( 1 ) purified water balance ( 2 ) methylparaben 0 . 2 ( 3 ) glycerin 7 . 0 ( 4 ) edta - 3na 0 . 3 ( 5 ) glyceryl monostearate ( self - emulsified type ) 1 . 0 ( 6 ) poe glyceryl isostearate 2 . 0 ( 7 ) stearyl alcohol 2 . 0 ( 8 ) ceresin 1 . 5 ( 9 ) beeswax 7 . 0 ( 10 ) vaseline 5 . 0 ( 11 ) olefine oligomer 8 . 0 ( 12 ) glyceryl trioctanoate 8 . 0 ( 13 ) hydrogenated soybean lecithin 0 . 1 ( 14 ) agar 1 . 0 ( 15 ) glucomannan 0 . 3 to an aqueous phase in which ingredients ( 1 )-( 5 ) were mixed and dissolved at 80 ° c ., were added ( 6 )-( 13 ) uniformly dissolved at 80 ° c ., which was uniformly dispersed with a homomixer . this was whipped with a batch mixer at 40 ° c ., mixed with ( 14 ) and ( 15 ) dissolved in a part of ( 1 ), which was filled in a container at 40 ° c ., and cooled to room temperature to prepare a whipped o / w type emulsion cosmetic . the prepared whipped cream had the better foam stability and the excellent usability . | 0 |
with all the above - described exemplary embodiments , the combustion support element e consists of three layers , 1 , 2 , and 3 , which with reference to the throughflow direction lie transversely one upon another and form a composite body . the fuel - air mixture flow , on the inflow side , is indicated by 4 . in combustion operation of the combustion support element e , the fuel - air mixture forms at the outflow side combustion surface 5 of the third layer 3 a flame front 6 , which is schematically indicated only in fig1 and 4 , the outflow speed profile of which is uniform , as is made clear by the small arrows in the flame front 6 . with the exemplary embodiments according to fig1 to 3 , a pipe - like holder 7 can serve for mounting the combustion support element e , which holder surrounds the combustion support element e at its periphery . preferably , the combustion support element e is tapered in step - form or conically towards the outflow side , whereby a step surface 8 is formed behind which the holder 7 can engage in order to prevent an unintended sliding of the combustion support element out of the holder 7 . the fuel - air mixture 4 is lead to the combustion support element e on the inflow side , e . g . in the holder 7 , and thereby there arises in the centre of the flow 4 an increased backup pressure which without particular guide devices leads on the outflow side to an increased outflow speed profile in this region . in such a case , in order to obtain an even outflow speed profile , for example the flow resistance of the combustion support element e may be formed greater in the center than in the region surrounding the center , whereby the degree of gas permeability increases progressively radially . this can be achieved for example by means of a differing porosity . with the exemplary embodiments according to fig2 and 3 , this differing gas permeability is provided by means of a progressively increased thickness of the layer 1 towards the centre . with the exemplary embodiment according to fig2 the layer 1 is thickened in the centre on the inflow side , preferably in the manner of a bulge or arch 9 . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig3 such a thickening is provided on the outflow side at the layer 1 , likewise preferably by means of a bulge or arch 9 . the layers 2 and 3 are in substance uniformly thick and adapted to the thickening of the layer 1 so that in accordance with fig1 and 2 the layers 2 are formed flat up to the edge of the layer 3 and in accordance with fig3 are formed bulged . a similar problem occurs with a sleeve or pot - like combustion support element according to fig4 and 5 . with such a shape , the increased flow pressure arises in the forward region of the combustion support element , in accordance with physical law . in order to attain a uniform outflow speed profile 6 with a sleeve - like combustion support element e , at its peripheral surface , the hollow space 11 is convergent , in particular conical , towards the outflow side , so that with a cylindrical shape of the outer surface 12 of the first layer 1 there is provided a thickness d for the first layer 1 which diverges towards the outflow side . with a configuration of the combustion support element e in the sense of a sleeve closed at the outflow side in accordance with fig4 and 5 , the above - described flow pressure in the forward region of the space 11 likewise leads to an increase outflow speed profile at the end face 13 flattened off with rounded corners ( fig4 ) or at the end face 13 rounded in the shape of a hemisphere ( fig5 ) of the combustion support element e . in order also to obtain an even outflow speed profile at the end face 13 , the first layer 1 may have a thickness d1 which is greater than the thickness d in the region of the first layer 1 joining rearwardly thereto . the forward end of the space 11 is , with regard to its shape , adapted to the external form of the first layer 1 . as is shown by fig4 and 5 , such an alteration of flow , in particular a reduction , can be achieved also by means of a densified region 14 of the first layer 1 in the end region towards the end face . such a densified region 14 can be provided by means of a more or less dense coating or covering with a suitable substance . thereby , such substance may not merely cover over the layer 1 but may also penetrate into the layer 1 . with the configuration according to fig4 and 5 , such a densified region 14 is in each case provided externally on the layer 1 in the central region of the combustion support element e and covered over by the second layer 2 . such a covering or such a densification need not be completely sealing , it may also have a lesser porosity or gas permeability than the first layer 1 . in order to improve sealing to the holder 7 in the retention region of the combustion support element e , using simple means , and thus to avoid a transversely directed leakage flow at the holder 7 , in each case the peripheral surface or mounting surface surrounded by the holder 7 is sealed in the sense of an above - described densified region , so that in this surface region it is not possible for the fuel - air mixture to exit . this densified region 14a extends up to the second layer 2 , to the third layer 3 . preferably , the densified region 14a extends at the rear of the first layer 1 also radially inwardly by a few millimetres . this radial section is indicated by 14b . if appropriate , a corresponding radial section 14c may also be arranged on the outflow side on the first layer 1 as is shown in particular by fig3 . in such a case , the second layer 2 and the third layer 3 may cover over the section 14c . in comparable manner , the inflow side mounting region is also provided with a densified region 14a in the case of a sleeve - like layer 1 , as shown in fig4 and 5 . here , the sleeve - like layer 1 extends beyond the layer 2 , and the layer 3 , on the inflow side by a section 15 as needed for mounting , whereby the outer surface of this section 15 is sealed in the manner of the densified region 14a . preferably , the densified region 14a extends not only with a radial section 14c at the outflow side end face of the first layer 1 , but also with a section 14d on the internal wall of the space 11 . an above - described seal 14 or 14a is preferably a slick coating . preferred layer thicknesses are for layer 1 between about 10 and 50 mm , for the second layer 2 between about 1 and 4 mm and for the third layer 3 between about 1 and 4 mm depending upon the kind of fuel , the power , the constructional form and the available pressure of the fuel / air mixture . the particularly preferred layer thicknesses are 1 . 5 mm to 2 . 5 mm for the second layer 2 and 1 to 2 mm for the third layer 3 . in particular in a performance region from about 150 kw / m 2 to about 400 kw / m 2 ( applied fuel power referred to the surface of the combustion support element ) and mixture supply pressures of about 20 to 80 mm head of water , referred to natural gas - air mixture , provide under these conditions stable combustion conditions which permit a large range of variation of the combustion air ratio and ensure a practically complete oxidative conversion of the fuel . the first layer 1 is preferably of hollow - ball mullite ceramic . with the employment of analogous aggregate sizes , grain sizes , binder quantities and binder types , manufacture can be realized also with other hollow - ball materials of the high temperature region , such as for example corundum , zirconium oxide , titanium oxide , cordierite etc . in relation to the application in the field of combustion / exhaust gas treatment and preferably with the above - mentioned multilayer formation of the overall ceramic , a mullite ceramic of the following composition has proved to be advantageous : hollow - ball mullite with aggregate sizes from 0 . 5 - 5 mm , preferably 0 . 7 - 1 . 5 mm al 2 o 3 content : 72 - 77 weight %; preferably : 72 . 9 weight % proportion in the ceramic : 75 - 92 weight % preferably : 78 - 82 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) mixed binder based on clay , pyrogenic silicic acid and silica sol with the main components : al 2 o 3 content : 72 - 80 weight %; preferably : 72 - 75 % proportion in the ceramic : 5 - 15 weight % preferably : 7 - 10 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) to improve strength in the raw state there may be added to the binder in further configuration a solidifier , e . g . up to 1 weight % monoaluminiumphosphate , preferably in a fluid binder . fine grain mullite with the grain size 0 . 15 mm preferably 0 - 0 . 08 mm , e . g . in melt mullite quality with the main components for the manufacture of a raw body , the binder , beginning with the mixing of the dry components , is stirred with the addition of the silica sol until an even distribution of all components has been attained . the provision of water is effected via the silica sol , if applicable additionally also by means of the phosphate liquid binder and in further configuration by means of a commercial organic thickener , such as e . g . methylcellulose , carboxymethylcellulose or hydroxyethylcellulose , which can be selectively added for improving the working consistency . the aggregates and supplementary materials ( fillers ), pre - mixed dry , are continuously added to the prepared binder as the mixing procedure is continued , and further mixed until an even consistency is achieved . thereafter , forming is effected , preferably by shaking into a corresponding mold , by stamping or isostatic pressing . the raw body is dried for approximately 2 hours up to about 180 ° c . sealing regions 14 or 14a , 14b , 14c , desired from flow considerations , are covered or penetrated with a slick coating of binder mixed with an increased proportion of filler . thereafter the firing process is effected between about 1200 ° and 1600 ° c . finishing burn temperature . the equalization of the flow resistance , described above , for improving the evenness of the outflow speed profile of exhaust gases is attained through a purposive adaptation of layer thicknesses in conjunction with the body geometry . the second layer 2 , explained above with regard to its functional effects , will be described in accordance with the invention preferably with reference to the example of a solid material reinforced mullite fiber conglomeration . embodiments based on other crystalline ( single and / or poly - crystalline ) high temperature fibers or fiber mixtures , having application temperatures approximately above 1500 ° c ., such as e . g . al 2 o 3 fibers with 95 % al 2 o 3 or with more than 99 . 5 % al 2 o 3 , zro 2 fibers or silicon nitride fibers , are possible with the employment of corresponding colloidal solutions and fillers . the fiber diameter should preferably lie in a narrow spectrum above 3 μm . particularly preferred are fibers with a diameter of 10 μm and larger . the fiber length should lie in the range 0 - 5 mm , preferably 0 - 3 mm . crystalline ( single and / or poly - crystalline ) fibers or fiber mixture having the above - mentioned spectrum , e . g . polycrystalline mullite fibers with the chemical composition as main components , with a median fiber diameter ≧ 3 μm and a fiber length of 0 - 3 mm proportion in initial material : 40 - 80 weight % preferably 50 - 70 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) inorganic filler with the chemical composition , adapted to the fiber quality composition , with a grain size of 0 - 0 . 080 mm ca . 23 weight % sio 2 in the main components proportion in the starting material : 10 - 40 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) inorganic binder , preferably mixed binder , adapted to the quality of fiber and filler , of colloidal solutions / precursors of al 2 o 3 , sio 2 and zro 2 e . g . mixed binder of colloidal al 2 o 3 and colloidal sio 2 set to a content of main ingredients of proportion in starting material : 10 - 50 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) in a further configuration , the above - mentioned ceramic starting material may be supplemented by an addition of clay in an order of a 0 - 30 weight % ( referred to the water - free ceramic starting material ). a burnout material is added to the ceramic starting material , which burnout material is preferable in fibrous or splinter form with diameter less than about 0 . 5 mm and a length of less than or equal to about 3 mm , e . g . in the form of artificial fiber cuts , natural fiber cuts or wood powder . there is further added to the ceramic starting material a commercial thickener , preferably in the form of a cellulose , e . g . of the quality of methylcellulose , carboxymethylcellulose or hydroxyethylcellulose with a proportion from 0 . 2 - 5 weight % dry material ( referred to the dry starting material ), in a 1 - percent aqueous solution . there is further added to the ceramic starting material a material which develops gas , which together with an increasing temperature causes a driving reaction in the layer with corresponding porosification . for example , oxygen separation in the thermal / catalytic degradation of h 2 o 2 can be advantageously employed as a driver reaction , whereby preferably about 10 - 30 percent aqueous solutions are used . the second layer 2 can for example be produced in that a fiber cut of the above - mentioned mullite fiber , of the length 3 mm , is wet dispersed in order to gently dissolve the fibers . to the fiber solution there is added the supplementary material which can be burned out , e . g . as wood powder ( sieve undersize 0 . 5 mm ) with an elongate splintery form , and again stirred until an even distribution is attained . thereafter , in successive steps , there are added the inorganic filler , e . g . fine grain mullite , the binder , e . g . the al 2 o 3 -- sio 2 mixed binder having 77 % al 2 o 3 and 23 % sio 2 , and the organic thickener , e . g . hydroxyethylcellulose in a 1 percent aqueous solution , and stirred to even dispersion . the mass is maintained below 20 ° c ., if appropriate by cooling of the individual components . as final step , the gas developing material , e . g . h 2 o 2 in 10 percent or preferably 30 percent aqueous solution , is added and dispersed evenly in the mass . through the provision of water , the mass is brought to a working consistency and preferably by means of trowelling or brushing or spraying applied to the pre - fired carrier ceramic . the ceramic is dried at 40 ° c . for about 12 hours . thereby there forms a uniform finely porous structure , with the desired multidirectional arrangement of fibers , as a result of the decay process of the h 2 o 2 with the release of oxygen , induced by the solid particles together with the supply of heat . before the application of further layers , the dried second layer 2 is preferably subject to an abrading process with which the layer thickness is set , e . g . 2 mm . an abrading process , after drying , is also advantageous for the first layer 1 . the layer 3 , explained above as a flame support layer in consequence of its functional effects , will now be explained on the basis of an example of a mullite fiber conglomeration having a modified structure . a further configuration based on a fiber quality differing from that of the second layer 2 , in particular towards a greater thermal loading capacity , e . g . fibers having 95 % al 2 o 3 or 99 . 5 % al 2 o 3 or more , or zirconium oxide fibers or silicon nitride fibers or fiber mixtures together with an adaptation of the oxidic filler materials and colloidal binders on the basis of al 2 o 3 and zro 2 , are possible . the geometric requirements placed upon the fibre material , with regard to diameter and length , as described with reference to the second layer 2 , apply also for the third layer 3 . the ceramic starting material of the third layer 3 is formed by crystalline ( single and / or poly - crystalline ) fibers or fiber mixtures of the above - mentioned spectrum , e . g . polycrystalline mullite fibers with the chemical composition and fiber geometry described for layer 2 starting material : 20 - 60 weight % preferably 30 - 50 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) inorganic filler of the chemical composition , adapted to the composition of the fiber quality , having a grain size from 0 - 0 . 080 mm , e . g . fine grain melt mullite having the chemical composition described in relation to layer 2 starting material : 5 - 40 weight % preferably 10 - 30 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) inorganic binder , preferably mixed binder , adapted to the fiber and filler qualities , of colloidal solutions / precursors of al 2 o 3 , sio 2 and zro 2 e . g . mixed binder of colloidal al 2 o 3 / sio 2 as described for layer 2 starting material : 5 - 30 weight % preferably 10 - 20 weight % ( referred to water - free substance ) radiatively active inorganic supplement material with a preferred grain size from 0 - 0 . 15 mm , e . g . sic , cr 2 o 3 , cr 2 o 3 - spinel , feo 3 - spinel etc . in a further configuration there may be added to the above - mentioned ceramic starting material supplement of clay in the order of a burn - out material , preferably in fiber or splinter form with the geometry and material configuration described for layer 2 is mixed with the ceramic starting material . the added proportion amounts to : 30 - 50 weight % ( referred to the water - free ceramic starting material ). there is further added to the ceramic starting material a commercial thickener of the quality described for layer 2 , with a proportion of 0 . 1 - 5 weight % dry substance ( referred to the water - free starting material ) further there is added to the ceramic starting material a gas developing material , in accordance with the description of layer 2 , whereby the reactive proportion amounts to layer 3 is produced in a manner analogous to layer 2 . the dissolved fiber solution , having for example polycrystalline mullite fibers of the same length and diameter spectrum and the same chemical composition as described for layer 2 has , in the basic procedure , added to it the burn - out material -- the same in terms of nature and dimensions , but varied in quantity . as solid supplementary materials there are added and worked in for example fine grain melt mullite and fine grain sic premixed in the weight proportions described for layer 3 . analogously to layer 2 , there are then for example added the above - mentioned al 2 o 3 -- sio 2 binder , and thereafter the thickener , in altered weight proportions , and evenly dispersed . reactive substance is added to the gas developing material , as in the case of layer 2 but in varied weight proportion , and up to conclusion of the drying process the ceramic is analogously processed . in further configurations , in place of the mullite fiber , another described crystalline fibre of the type al 2 o 3 or zro 2 etc ., or a mixture of fibers with or without mullite fibers may be of advantage . an outer surface formed by an abrading process after drying is likewise advantageous for the third layer 3 . by this means the gas outflow is improved , and the layer thickness can also be set . in an additional further configuration , the material which can be burned out may be varied in terms of its quality , e . g . artificial fiber sections of the length from about 3 mm with a diameter of smaller than about 0 . 5 mm . in another further configuration , the mixed binder can be varied , in that for example a colloidal solution / precursor of zro 2 is added , which can partially or completely replace the colloidal sio 2 solution . after completion of the driver process and the drying , preferably for about 12 hours at about 40 ° c ., the ceramic is fired , dependent upon the material composition of the layers , between about 1200 ° c . and 1600 ° c . by means of an abrading process of the outer layer 3 or if applicable also layer 2 , the layer thickness is reproducibly set , for example to about 2 mm . the concrete requirements placed by the application concerned , in particular the exhaust emission components in the case of the treatment of gaseous waste products by means of thermal oxidation , determine the choice of materials . available supply pressure and power requirements have a decisive influence on the geometry . with knowledge of the combustion mechanism , the resistances through the three or , if appropriate even more , layer structure can be so controlled and can be so determined by means of analogous air flow trials , that the roots of the flames can be held in the ceramic of the outer layer over a wide range of power and a broad air ratio , so that a waste product leaves the burner surface which is low in nox and almost completely free of cxhy and co . in burner operation , the fuel - air mixture 4 flows to and through the first layer 1 . the layer thereby distributes , correspondingly to the flow resistance , the mixture as evenly as possible over the combustion surface 5 and effects a minor prewarming and aftermixing . in the layer 2 , there is effected an intensification of the prewarming and a further evening of the flow profile . the mixture is brought to reaction temperature . the flame itself sits as a flame front in or directly on the layer 3 and causes this to glow . the exhaust gases flowing away are indicated by the reference sign 6 . such a ceramic is mounted in a gas tight manner through a suitable medium supply inclusive of the fitting 7 . the burnable mixture supplied into the ceramic is ignited at the surface by means of a suitable device , the combustion exhaust gases are supplied to a combustion chamber and there is realized a more or less intensive heat take out , in dependence upon the process . | 5 |
embodiments of a unique clay stabilizer comprise a mixture of constituents applicable for use in heterogeneous shale / clay formations to minimize swelling and migration of fines within in the formation . more particularly , the clay stabilizer is an aqueous - based composition which can be used as an additive in other wellbore fluids or can be used alone as a treatment for the wellbore , typically in a soaking operation . the clay stabilizer comprises effective amounts of two or more amine salts which are capable of cation exchange within one or more clay types that exist in heterogeneous formations . each of the amine salts are selected to have a different molecular weight molecular configuration and ionic strength relative to each of the other of the two or more amine salts so as to permit transport into different size pore spaces within the formation for effecting the cation exchange therein . embodiments of the clay stabilizer are particularly useful because the types of clays which exist in a heterogeneous formation are typically not known and in many cases , treatment of a wellbore to improve production is done without any knowledge of the specific clays present . due to the different molecular sizes present in the formulation and the ability of each to exchange cations , embodiments of the clay stabilizer provide a substantially universal clay stabilizer for use in a wide variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous clay / shale formations . in one embodiment of the invention , the clay stabilizer comprises one or more low molecular weight amine salts in a range from c 1 to about c 18 which are capable of transport and cation exchange within small ( micropore ) and intermediate ( mesopore ) pore spaces in the formation . the low molecular weight amine salts may comprise at least one small molecular weight amine salt having from 1 to 2 carbon atoms . further , the clay stabilizer typically has at least one low molecular weight amine having a molecular size being up to about one order of magnitude greater than that of the 1 - 2 carbon amine salt . typically embodiments which incorporate two or more small molecular weight amine salts can be used in any aqueous wellbore fluid , including drilling mud . in one embodiment , the formulation may comprise a low molecular weight cationic amine , typically having a small number of carbon atoms , preferably c 1 or c 2 , but which can include any of the following and mixtures thereof and which readily migrate into at least small ( micropore ) to intermediate ( mesopore ) pore spaces : choline bicarbonate or choline chloride , potassium chloride , ammonium chloride , various metal halides , aliphatic hydroxyl acids , low molecular weight alkyl ammonium chlorides and tetramethyl ammonium chloride ( tmac ) and the like . preferably , choline bicarbonate or choline chloride are used . further , the formulation may comprise a protonated amine , preferably having from one to about seven available amine groups . more particularly the protonated amine is an alkylamine or alkylpolyamine preferably hexamethylenediamine ( hmd ) which is particularly useful as it is readily mobile in the micropore spaces due to its relatively linear configuration . the protonated amine is typically from about the same order of magnitude to one order of magnitude greater in molecular weight than the cationic amine . optionally , methylamine , butylamine , n - methyl - n -( propyl or isopropyl ) amine ; n , n - diethyl amine ; n - methyl - n - ethylamine ; and n , n - dimethylamine , n , n - dimethyl - n - ethylamine and the homologous series of alkyldiamines ranging from ethylenediamine to octamethylenediamine may be used . further , alkylpolyamines ranging from triamines to heptamines may also be used . an organic acid , preferably formic acid , is added for ph adjustment of the formulation and is particularly useful in providing ph adjustment for the protonated amine , such as hmd , which are ph sensitive . the protonated amines are capable of cationic exchange only when in the protonated state . a ph of greater than 9 . 0 was most beneficial in ensuring protonation and in preventing clay hydration , however formulations have been prepared in a range of from about ph 4 to about ph 11 by adjusting the concentration of the protonated amine in the formulation . mineral acids may be used as well , although the ph is more difficult to control . other acids which may be used include , but are not limited to , acetic acid , glycolic acid , propionic acid , malic acid , citric acid , phosphoric acid , sulphamic acid and hydrochloric acid . additionally , the formulation may comprise substantially any long chain poly quaternary amine having high to very high cationic charge density and having a molecular weight of less than about 5000 atomic mass units and which is easily soluble in aqueous fluids . the poly quaternary amine typically has a molecular weight of at least 2 to 3 orders of magnitude greater than that of the cationic amine . the long chain cationic polymers provide migration into relatively larger or macro pore spaces . the structure of the poly quaternary amines are such that there are a plurality of cationic sites available which are adsorbed simultaneously to the clay surface . in order for the poly quaternary amine to desorb from the clay , all of the cationic sites must simultaneously be displaced . the probability of these occurring is negligible , hence creating a substantially permanent cation exchange at the clay surface . embodiments of the clay stabilizer which include the poly quaternary amines are particularly useful in treating existing wellbores such as with fracturing fluids , acidizing fluids or in a soaking of the formation about the wellbore . contrary to the general knowledge in the industry , applicant has noted that when embodiments of the clay stabilizer formulation which comprise the long chain poly quaternary amine are used to treat a wellbore which has already suffered damage as a result of clay swelling , significant improvement in production is achieved . applicant believes that the significant and substantially permanent restoration of permeability is due to modification of clay swelling which is responsible for the improvement in performance . typically clay stabilizers according to embodiments of the invention to be used in drilling fluids will not contain the poly quaternary amines as drilling mud often contains highly anionic species which are not compatible therewith . instead a protonated polyamine , such as tetraethylene pentamine which has multiple cationic sites , a relatively large structure and limited mobility , is used to achieve relatively the same function as the poly quaternary amine , but which is compatible with the highly anionic species present in most drilling fluids . the cationic polymers could include , but are not limited to , polydimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride or more generally any cationic poly quaternary amine formed by the condensation of dimethylamine with epichlorohydrin or any cationic poly quaternary amines that contain a large number (& gt ; 200 ) of quaternerized nitrogen atoms . in one embodiment , the long chain polymer is a poly quaternary amine such as callaway 4015 ™, obtained from vulcan performance chemicals . use of an embodiment of the invention as described above was compared to simple cation exchange using kcl as a method for preventing swelling of clay or shale or reversing damage as a result of using untreated water in a formation . a capillary suction timer test was performed by mixing formation materials with water , both untreated and treated with either an embodiment of the invention or with kcl . the longer the drainage time that was observed , the more swelling and fines migration or formation damage that has occurred . the results of the following tests are found in table 1 . synthetic clay was treated with a 3 % solution of kcl and with an embodiment of the invention at a rate of 4 l / m 3 to illustrate the effect of both on prevention of swelling in the formation . the same test was performed as in test a however the synthetic clay had already been exposed to untreated water to show restoration in drainage using both kcl and an embodiment of the invention . following test b fresh water was washed through the synthetic clay which had been treated with either kcl or an embodiment of the invention to illustrate the permanence of the restoration of permeability and the potential protective effect of treating a formation with an embodiment of the invention . it is clear that the formulation according to an embodiment of the invention was more successful in preventing swelling than kcl . further , the formulation was capable of reversing damage caused by earlier exposure to untreated water to a greater degree than kcl and the reversing of the damage was substantially permanent compared to kcl , which “ washes out ” of the formation when presented with additional fresh water . an embodiment of the invention was compared to simple cation exchange using kcl as a method for preventing swelling of clay or shale or reversing damage as a result of using untreated water in a formation . a capillary shale stabilizer test was performed by mixing formation materials with water , both untreated and treated with either an embodiment of the invention or with kcl . the longer the drainage time observed , the more swelling and fines migration or formation damage that has occurred . treatment of formation materials using water alone illustrates a large drainage time consistant with swelling and fines migration seen with formation damage . treatment using an embodiment of the invention alone illustrates significant reduction in the drainage times and therefore a significant reduction in clay swelling both at a high and a low treatment rate . formation materials which were already exposed to water and which had significant swelling were exposed to the formulation alone . a significant decrease in drainage times was observed indicating a restoration of permeability , likely due to a reversal of swelling . a variety of foamers were added to the formulation prior to treatment of the formation materials . the addition of anionic foamers generally reduces the permeability , however the addition of a cationic foamer does not affect the restoration of permeability . silica flour and bentonite were finely ground to less than 100 microns . a slurry was prepared using 5 g ground silica flour , 1 . 0 g bentonite and 50 ml fluid , the fluid being those listed in table 3 . a capillary shale stabilizer test was performed to determine drainage rates as discussed in the previous examples . it was evident that treatment with acid could displace the clay stabilizer from the clay . applicant believes that it may be the large excess of hydronium ion which overwhelms the equilibrium . thus , it is thought that the large volumes of acid used in an acid stimulation might reverse the effects of the clay stabilizer however treatment with clay stabilizer following treatment with acid is capable of restoring permeability , likely by reversing swelling . | 2 |
the present art overcomes the prior art limitations by providing a solid elastic sphere levitation device . the device 1 begins as shown in fig1 with a permanent magnet enclosure 2 is designed to safely hold the permanent magnets 3 as a magnetic golf ball is struck above them . the permanent magnets pull down the magnetic ball as the electromagnets apply a repulsive force upwards . fig1 a shows a partial sectional view along two section lines generally orthogonal from a common center . each electromagnet 3 has a construction of stacked layers . each electromagnet then fits within a mounting plate 5 as shown . is fig2 then provides a circuit diagram of a proportional derivative control 6 of the invention . this control applies the electromagnetic force to a magnetic ball to establish a stable suspension of it . fig3 describes a top view ( a ) of a circuit board 7 for the proportional derivative control 6 . then the control 6 has a bottom view ( b ) show of its circuit board . fig4 provides a top view ( a ) of a printed circuit board 8 for a six electromagnet 3 field . the printed circuit board has a bottom view as in ( b ). within the permanent magnet enclosure , the magnets have an equiangular positioning show in the top view ( c ). one electromagnet appears in its top view as in ( d ) and in its side view ( e ). fig5 then illustrates a three hall - effect sensor array in a top view ( a ) of the circuit board 8 . the sensors are positioned in a triangular fashion around the center of the levitation platform , as at 9 . the hall - effect sensors pick up the distance between the sensor and the object being levitated , that is ball 4 , and relay that information to proportional derivative control . this information allows for heavier objects to be compensated with additional electromagnetic repulsive force . this array appears in a bottom view ( b ). and , fig6 shows a golf ball 4 in a sectional view . the golf ball these layers described from the surface inwardly . a surface cover 10 of thermoplastic resin such as surlyn , a first rubber composite layer 11 , a second rubber composite layer 12 , and a neodymium iron boron magnetic core 13 . from the aforementioned description , a solid elastic sphere levitation device has been described . the solid elastic sphere levitation device is uniquely capable of levitating a golf ball for repetitive hitting by a player in a simulator . the solid elastic sphere levitation device and its various components may be may be manufactured from many materials , including but not limited to , steel , aluminum , neodymium , polymers , ferrous and non - ferrous metal foils , their alloys , and composites . various aspects of the illustrative embodiments have been described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some of the described aspects . for purposes of explanation , specific numbers , materials and configurations have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details . in other instances , well known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments . various operations have been described as multiple discrete operations , in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention , however , the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent . in particular , these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation . moreover , in the specification and the following claims , the terms “ first ,” “ second ,” “ third ” and the like — when they appear — are used merely as labels , and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects . the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . for example , the above - described examples ( or one or more aspects thereof ) may be used in combination with each other . other embodiments can be used , such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . the abstract is provided to allow the reader to ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure . also , in the above detailed description , various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure . this should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim . rather , inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment . the scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . as such , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception , upon which this disclosure is based , may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures , methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention . therefore , the claims include such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . | 7 |
fig1 shows a device 1 comprising a spin - chuck 2 for holding and rotating a substrate w . the substrate has a first side wi and a second side w 2 . the spin - chuck is connected to a gear motor unit 5 to be rotated about its axis a . dispense arm 3 is used for dispensing liquid onto the first surface wi of the substrate w . a cup - like liquid collector 4 circumferentially surrounds the spin - chuck 2 . the liquid collector is mounted on a frame ( not shown ). lifting means h are provided to alter the spin - chuck position relative to the liquid collector . thus the spin - chuck can be lifted to each of the three collector levels l 1 , l 2 and l 3 . each collector level l 1 , l 2 , l 3 comprises an annular duct 41 , 42 , 43 to have spun off liquid collected therein . an additional splash guard ( not shown ) can be used for each collector to allow spun off liquid to hit it at an acute angle and thereafter to be directed to the annular duct . each annular duct 41 , 42 , 43 is connected to a pipe 81 , 82 , 83 through which the collected liquid is drained . drained liquid can immediately be reused to be dispensed to the substrate or collected as waste liquid . each collector level l 1 , l 2 , l 3 is for collecting different liquids . l 1 is for collecting rinse liquid ( e . g . di - water ), l 2 for acidic liquids and l 3 for basic liquids . the dash dotted lines indicate the planes , where the substrate is to be placed for spinning off the liquids into the different collector levels . above each collector level l 1 , l 2 , l 3 an exhaust level e 1 , e 2 , e 3 is arranged substantially parallel to the collector level . the exhaust levels are indicated by dotted lines . each exhaust level comprises a plurality of interiorly open annularly arranged suction orifices 21 , 22 , 23 . each array of the plurality of suction orifices 21 , 22 or 23 is connected to a separate ring - shaped gas - collecting chamber 11 , 12 , 13 respectively . each gas - collecting chamber is sucked off via a pipe 61 , 62 , 63 . in each pipe 61 , 62 , 63 is controlled by a valve 71 , 72 , 73 . in the shown embodiment the valves are butterfly valves . this gives the advantage that the valve does not have to be totally closed but can be almost closed so that still a very small amount of gas can be sucked off in that specific suction level . most of the gas flow ( air ) that is sucked from the interior 40 of the liquid collector is provided from above ( first gas - flow f 1 ). additional openings are provided , which connect the interior of the liquid collector below the chuck with the exterior . this results in a second gas - flow f 2 , which is preferably feed with clean air either from the surrounding clean room or from a separate source . means for selectively modulating the second gas - flow can be provided . the following table shows possible conditions for running the device 1 as shown in fig1 : fig2 shows a second embodiment of the invention similar to the first embodiment with the following differences . the exhaust orifices 21 , 22 , 23 are connected to the collector levels . thus the collector levels l 1 , l 2 , l 3 serve at the same time as exhaust levels e 1 , e 2 , e 3 . to equalize suction conditions circumferentially around each exhaust level each array of suction orifices is connected to an annular gas - collector chamber . the following table shows possible conditions for running the device 1 as shown in fig2 : in order to separate gas sucked from a specific exhaust level ( e . g . e 2 ) from gas sucked by another exhaust level ( e . g . e 3 ) it is possible to connect each exhaust level to a different exhaust system . such an exhaust system may contain elements for neutralizing the gas , denoxing ( removing no ) and / or removing liquid residues ( mist ). when lowering the chuck 2 the gas volume 47 below the chuck 2 is reduced . therefore to avoid discharging gas against the second gas flow f 2 might it be necessary to temporarily open the lower gas exhaust level or to generally increase exhaust flow e . | 8 |
the database management and research system of the present invention provides a real time interactive process to manage , redefine , reorganize , access , store , and retrieve information without a need to perform data conversion . the database management and research system preferably provides a customizable directory tree structure that functions with existing networks , security , and infrastructure . the directory tree structure of the preferred embodiment of the present invention overlays and points to existing data thereby providing the necessary management and access processes relative to the existing data . the directory tree structure preferably includes nodes which represent html addresses and branches which represent links from an html address of one node to an html address of another node . since these processes do not require the need for data conversion , the present invention produces a cost savings by deferring the cost of a conversion and an improved efficiency by reducing the overall time to implement a new database management and research technology . a research system of the present invention bundles and enhances four database searching technologies to better manage and organize information on the internet or within an organization &# 39 ; s own proprietary data storage system . it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the source of such information can be stored locally , remotely , centrally or can be distributed across multiple storage systems . the database searching technologies utilized within the present invention include keyword search , hierarchical tree , customizable parametric search , and dichotomous key . the utilization of the combination of these database searching technologies within the database management and research system of the present invention enables a user to retrieve very specific and categorized information . keyword searching is a standard utility used to scan a directory or the content of documents . many internet users believe that all internet searches follow this technique . a keyword , or keywords , search can be used to scan an entire directory of information sources or search complete documents for a specific string or strings of characters . a hierarchical tree structure is basically a decision tree structure that can have multiple nodes , like junctions of limbs on a tree . this structure is similar to those used by internet directories , such as yahoo !™ or looksmart ™. a limitation with these technologies is that they are not always designed to index discrete items of information . as a result , the search may not contain descriptive information about each item of interest . customizable parametric search technology allows users to precisely locate desired information by searching the parametric data that is contained within each node of the tree structure . parameters will include information type and target use of the information . for example , if a user is seeking a house of desired parameters ( location , size , price , age ), this search technique is reliable . the options for search topics and parameters are endless . a dichotomous key structure is a binary key structure or two - node tree . this structure is used as a decision tree mechanism to instruct users in deciphering information given in an answer or question dialog , often a yes or no answer . examples of this include diagnosing a medical disease , diagnosing a mechanical problem , and working a system such as classifying a biological species by physical attributes . the database management and research system of the present invention improves research accuracy and provides data management methodology that reduces costs and the time users spend finding the desired objective . as previously discussed , in most cases , current technology is a singular approach technique . this singular approach technique is productive on occasion ; however , all too frequently , the user uncovers no positive result or receives an excessive number of search results . in either case , had a different technology been employed a positive result may have been achieved . the research system of the present invention enables the user to quickly and easily jump from one technology to another to maximize the benefits of using multiple approach techniques . the database management and research system is a tool designed specifically to manage information . it is designed to organize and co - ordinate all information contained within a database . as used herein , the term database refers to a single collection or database , either previously existing or generated , as well as a collection of multiple databases , such as the internet . it will also be obvious to someone skilled in the art that the research system is capable of managing quantities of data both large and small as compared to the internet . the research system organizes this information into a coherent and orderly data structure to allow simple retrieval of data within the database . the preferred data structure is a directory tree structure , which will be described in detail below . this system also monitors changes to the internal structures and communicates updates and additions of this information structure to users in their chosen areas of interest . within the research system , cross - links are utilized such that related nodes are explicitly linked as a “ related topics ” data structure within the directory tree . this is markedly different from other systems in that each node of the tree can focus on more discrete topics of information , for example creating cross - links that are more discrete . in addition , the preferred embodiment of the research system converts from one of the four basic search technologies to another , and then convert again to another , while in the same search investigation . this provides significant advantage over conventional single approach technologies through improved search effectiveness and increased efficiency in both time and effort . a block diagram of a researching system according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 . a controller 10 includes an internet server 12 , a research module 100 , a keyword search module 300 , an hierarchical tree module 500 , a parametric search module 700 , and a dichotomous key module 900 . the research module 100 is coupled to the internet server 12 , to the keyword search module 300 , to the hierarchical tree module 500 , to the parametric search module 700 , and to the dichotomous key module 900 to provide communications between the controller 10 and users accessing the researching system . as used herein , the term user includes one or more of an individual , groups of individuals , association , corporation , agency , or any other person or entity accessing the researching system to access , organize , retrieve , and manage information contained on the internet and within a database . the keyword search module 300 , the hierarchical tree module 500 , the parametric search module 700 , and the dichotomous key module 900 are each coupled to each other to enable the user to quickly and easily jump from one search methodology to another while performing a research task . the controller 10 is coupled to the public switched telephone network 24 to allow communications between the internet server 12 and the users &# 39 ; computer systems 26 - 32 . using the computer systems 26 - 32 , users have the ability to establish a connection with the research module 100 to perform a desired research task . preferably , this connection is established between the users &# 39 ; computer systems 26 - 32 and the controller 10 over the internet through the public switched telephone network 24 . alternatively , this connection is established by any appropriate connection including a direct connection over the public switched telephone network 24 or over a dedicated intranet network . a block diagram of the internal components of the computer systems 26 - 32 used by users to access the controller 10 of the present invention is illustrated in fig2 . while the controller 10 can be accessed from any appropriately configured computer system or internet access device , an exemplary computer system 50 for accessing the controller 10 is illustrated in fig2 . the exemplary computer system 50 includes a cpu 72 , a main memory 56 , a video memory 60 , a mass storage device 54 and a modem 52 , all coupled together by a conventional bidirectional system bus 58 . the modem 52 is preferably coupled to the public switched telephone network 24 for sending and receiving communications . the mass storage device 54 may include both fixed and removable media using any one or more of magnetic , optical or magneto - optical storage technology or any other available mass storage technology . the system bus 58 contains an address bus for addressing any portion of the memory 54 , 56 and 60 . the system bus 58 also includes a data bus for transferring data between and among the cpu 72 , the main memory 56 , the video memory 60 , the mass storage device 54 and the modem 52 . the computer system 50 is also coupled to a number of peripheral input and output devices including the keyboard 68 , the mouse 70 , and the associated display 66 . the keyboard 68 is coupled to the cpu 72 for allowing a user to input data and control commands into the computer system 50 . a conventional mouse 70 is coupled to the keyboard 68 or computer system 50 , directly , for manipulating graphic images on the display 66 as a cursor control device in a conventional manner . the display 66 displays video and graphical images generated by the computer system 50 . a port of the video memory 60 is coupled to a video multiplex and shifter circuit 62 , which in turn is coupled to a video amplifier 64 . the video amplifier 64 drives the display 66 , when it is being used . the video multiplex and shifter circuitry 62 and the video amplifier 64 convert pixel data stored in the video memory 60 to raster signals suitable for use by the display 66 . one advantage of the database management and research system of the present invention over conventional search techniques lies in the ability of the research module 100 to run discrete searches , the ability to separate information that is typically not able to be separated . for example , a computer hardware manufacturer would like to provide potential customers a way to answer questions regarding their products . previously they were able to provide for a way that they could show product areas to their customers , but their site did not provide the functionality to search on more specific items . using technology provided by the database management and research system of the present invention , users can locate information on discrete product part numbers so customers can obtain complete product information more quickly , and make faster and more educated purchasing decisions . the powerful discrete searching capability of the research system can be compared to a trip to a common grocery store . in a typical searching methodology you may have the ability to search by aisle . the user knows that they are looking for del monte ™ string beans . their search takes them to the aisle of “ canned fruits and vegetables ”. they may be able to narrow their search , by using boolean logic , to the section of the aisle where there are canned vegetables . using conventional means , it is now up to the user to search through the various types of vegetables to find specifically what they are looking for . however , the ability to locate discrete items within the research system of the present invention will allow the user to go to the aisle of the “ canned fruit and vegetables ” and then continue refining the search . by utilizing dichotomous keys the engine will ask whether the user is interested in “ fruits ” or “ vegetables ”. after choosing vegetables , the user may choose “ beans ” from a list of related topics corn , beans , peas , etc . after choosing beans , the user may enter a keyword that they are searching for , e . g . “ del monte ”. they may continue this type of questioning until finding the exact , discrete item that they are searching for . the system ultimately provides a method for the user to retrieve information regardless of how specific . the user has multiple methods of locating data : either via an encyclopedia interface , a multi - node tree classification system , a decision tree dialog , via cross - links ( related topics ), a keyword search system , or using parametric search attributes . as previously discussed , the information within the research system is organized into a directory tree structure . the directory tree structure includes nodes and branches . a node is considered a discrete category . the nodes are collections of related data and branches are links between nodes . as used herein , the term data preferably refers to web - based multimedia that includes sound , video , graphics , and appropriately formatted text . appropriately formatted text can include , but is not limited to , word documents , excel documents , powerpoint documents , mechanical drawings , and any document or file rendered by a personal computer or a workstation . it should be clear to one skilled in the art that data can also include discrete appropriately formatted and independently accessible data items , files , and applications with associated urls and web interface stored in human resource databases , financial and accounting databases , manufacturing databases , order processing and fulfillment databases , customer service databases , sales and marketing databases , and other similar databases or data file formats . the top of the directory tree structure includes nodes of the most general type of information , whereas the bottom of the directory tree structure includes nodes of the most specific type of information . as a user moves down the directory tree structure , the nodes at a next lower level will include more specific information than the nodes of the previous higher level . the converse is also true , as a user moves up the directory tree structure , the nodes at the next higher level will include more general information than the nodes on the previous lower level . as new information is added to the research system , the new information is assigned to a node . each node preferably includes an encyclopedia listing , definition , related topics , and keywords . nodes are also preferably cross - linked to related topics which enables users to navigate laterally within the directory tree structure . as users navigate the directory tree structure , the display screen indicates where the users are within the directory tree structure and suggests other related links . a more detailed description pertaining to construct and formation of the directory tree structure will be discussed below . the research module 100 performs discrete research tasks using any combination of the four search technologies including keyword search , hierarchical tree search , parametric search , and dichotomous key search , as discussed above . such combinations can include one , two , three , or all four search technologies to accomplish any one research task . the specific embodiments of these combinations will be discussed in greater detail below . referring to the keyword search module 300 in fig1 the data in the directory tree structure can be searched using the following keyword search options : search link descriptions , search keywords for nodes , and search contents of the link . in the search link descriptions search , the keyword search module 300 will search only the descriptions of the link objects . in the search keywords for nodes search , the keyword search module 300 searches the keywords located at each node of the directory . for example , searching for “ car ” will lead to the “ automobiles ” node in the directory . in the search contents of the link search , the keyword search module 300 will traverse the directory down to each link path , and upload each page , object , or entire site and store the contents into the search database . this database will be used for the content keyword search . the location within the directory will be stored with each link in the search database in able to narrow the search down to the specific branch of the directory . keyword searches selected at a location within the directory tree structure will only contain results from that node of the directory or below , the further down the directory tree , the narrower the search . applying the keyword search to the directory tree structure provides many advantages over conventional search methodologies . keyword searches are available on multiple sets of data including tree categories that are specific to each tree node , topic descriptions maintained external to the web objects , and web page or object content search . using a keyword search within the directory tree structure keeps the user within the tree as opposed to a link outside the system . most conventional searches provide a list of links and when the user chooses a link they are taken to that website , typically a website external to the location at which the search was performed . with the research system of the present invention , the user receives a list of matches but when an item is selected the user is taken to a node on the directory tree structure or to the encyclopedia . the concept is to include as much data as possible within the system as opposed to pushing the user outside the system via links to other websites . although the research system does provide links to external web sites , the objective is to include enough data within the research system to enable the user to complete the research task without need of linking to external web sites . maintaining data within the research system controls performance and how clean the data is . this concept applies to the entirety of the research system . the keyword search technology utilizes a natural language processor that maps the search request to the query language of the research system . a keyword search can be utilized at any point within the research task . to use the keyword search , first the user does a “ find ” operation . the user inputting the keyword ( s ) to be searched for into a text field accomplishes a find . the keyword search module 300 performs a fuzzy keyword search on all topics within the directory . each match will take the user to the node that matches the search criteria . sometimes the result will be a list , i . e . you search on “ tennis ” and the resulting list might be “ tennis ”, “ tennis shoes ”, “ tennis racquet ”, etc . a flowchart illustrating the process used when a user accesses the keyword search module 300 is illustrated in fig3 . the process of fig3 starts at the step 302 . at the step 305 , the system presents an input field to enter a search criteria . the input field is preferably a text field , but the input field can be any means by which the system can retrieve a keyword ( s ) to be used to perform a keyword search . at the step 310 , the user enters the keyword ( s ) to be used as the search criteria . the keyword ( s ) are entered into the text field presented in the step 305 . at the step 315 , the research system performs the keyword search . the keyword search is performed by matching the search criteria that was input at the step 310 to the data in the research system to generate a list of matches . at the step 320 , the research system lists the search results , the search results are the list of matches generated at the step 315 . at the step 325 , it is determined if the user would like to view a result of the search . the user indicates the desire to view a result by selecting one of the results listed in the step 320 . preferably , the result is selected by using a computer mouse to “ double - click ” on the desired result in the conventional manner . if it is determined at the step 325 that the user does want to view a result , the process jumps to an encyclopedia module 130 ( fig7 ) at the step 327 . the encyclopedia module 130 formats the related data of the selected result into an encyclopedia - like page . the selected result preferably corresponds to a particular node within the directory tree structure . the encyclopedia page will be discussed in greater detail below . if it is determined at the step 325 that the user does not want to view a result or after the system has accessed the encyclopedia module 130 , it is detennined at the step 330 if the user wants to perform another keyword search . if it is determined at the step 330 that the user does want to perform another keyword search , then the process jumps back to the step 305 . if it is determined at the step 330 that the user does not want to perform another keyword search , then the keyword search process ends at the step 335 . referring to the hierarchical tree module 500 in fig1 each node within the directory tree structure is organized into a hierarchical tree structure , also commonly referred to as a directory . directories are useful in situations of selecting from an alphabetized list . simply list a through z and the user chooses a specific letter . a directory corresponding to the specific letter chosen by the user is presented . the user is once again allowed to choose a selection , and so on . conventional directories are typically short on descriptions and simply list available links . within the research system of the present invention , a directory preferably has a title and short description with a collection of links . combined with the encyclopedia , to be discussed below , a more robust list including detail with text and graphics is provided . a flowchart illustrating the process used when a user accesses the hierarchical tree module 500 is illustrated in fig4 . the process of fig4 starts at the step 502 . at the step 506 , the system displays a directory of categories . the specific directory to be displayed is dependent upon the current node within the directory tree structure at which the user currently resides . if the user is at the highest node in the directory , the main directory of categories is displayed . if the user is at a lower node in the directory , the corresponding directory of categories for that node is displayed . at the step 510 , it is determined if the user wants to view a specific category . the user can select a category from the directory of categories currently displayed from the step 506 . the user indicates the desire to view a category by selecting one of the categories listed in the step 506 . if it is determined in the step 510 that the user wants to view a category , the process jumps to the encyclopedia model 130 ( fig7 ) at the step 511 . the encyclopedia module 130 formats the related data of the selected category into an encyclopedia - like page . after the process jumps to the encyclopedia module 130 , at the step 512 the system retrieves a subdirectory of categories . the subdirectory of categories is the directory of categories associated with the node of the category selected at the step 510 . at the step 514 the system displays the subdirectory of categories . at the step 518 , it is determined if the user wants to view a specific category of the subdirectory of categories currently displayed from the step 514 . if it is determined at the step 518 that the user wants to view a category , then the process jumps back to the step 511 to jump to the encyclopedia module 130 . if it is determined at the step 518 that the user does not want to view a category or if it is determined at the step 510 that the user does not want to view a category , then the hierarchical tree process ends at the step 522 . referring to the parametric search module 700 in fig1 each node includes a list of parameters that are specific to that node . this list is customizable . for example , on a real estate website , search on price , location , # bedrooms and you will be provided a list of entries that match all search criteria . when new information is added to the research system it is necessary to specify , or set , the value of each parameter specific to each entry . the types of parameters include , but are not limited to , true - false , selected list , range of values , and alphabetic list . only certain users are granted permission to add new information to the research system . the details as to how new information is added to the research system will be discussed below . in an example of adding new information , one parameter might be “ type ” and the choice of type might be “ white paper ”, “ article ”, “ book ”, etc . the user will then provide which type the new item is . all parameters will be provided by the user in this manner . accordingly , at a particular node within the directory , a user can utilize a parametric search to further define and obtain only the desired information from the information available at the node . each area in the directory tree structure provides different technology . as a user moves down the tree , the technology provides more specific information . for example , if a user is at a high node in the tree , such as “ music ”, and the user uses one of the four aforementioned search technologies to move down the tree , first to a mid - level node “ classical music ” and finally to a bottom node “ bach ”. at the “ bach ” node , the user can run a parametric search for specific items related to “ bach ”. a flowchart illustrating the process used when a user accesses the parametric search module 700 is illustrated in fig5 . the process of fig5 starts at the step 702 . at the step 706 the system displays a list of parameters . the specific parameters to be displayed are dependent upon the node at which the user is located when the user accesses the parametric search module 700 . at the step 710 , the user inputs the desired search parameters . it is preferred that the search parameters are entered into a text field or selected from a drop - down menu , although it should be apparent to someone skilled in the art that other conventional means of data input can be used . in the step 714 , the research system performs a search based on the input search parameter from the step 710 . at the step 718 , the research system displays a list of the matching results from the search performed in the step 714 . at the step 722 , it is determined if the user wants to view a result from the list of matching results displayed in the step 718 . the user indicates the desire to view a matching result by selecting one of the matching results listed in the step 718 . if it is determined at the step 722 that the user wants to view a result , then the process jumps to the encyclopedia model 130 ( fig7 ) at the step 724 . the encyclopedia module 130 formats the related data of the selected result into an encyclopedia - like page . if it is determined at the step 722 that the user does not want to view a result or after the system has accessed the encyclopedia module 130 , it is determined at the step 726 if the user wants to perform another parametric search . if it is determined at the step 726 that the user does want to perform another parametric search , then the process jumps back to the step 706 . if it is determined at the step 726 that the user does not want to perform another parametric search , then the parametric search process ends at the step 730 . referring to the dichotomous key module 900 in fig1 the directory tree structure can be organized into a dichotomous key ( binary key ) structure . such a structure is advantageous because of its flexibility for growth and ease of use . flexibility for growth is accomplished because node splits are made easily and can be done “ on - line ” while the system is running and also during other updates . users are also less likely to notice a binary split verses a larger split . in conventional directory structures , where there are multiple entries per node , users can easily become lost . as directories grow and become more complicated , decisions become more difficult and choosing between two paths associated with a dichotomous key structure verses many paths associated with directory structures is simpler . therefore , the dichotomous tree structure improves ease of use for the user . dichotomous tree structures are not without their limitations , and as such , these limitations need to be accounted for . one problem of a dichotomous key structure is that navigating this structure is more cumbersome when users are looking for simple topics on smaller directories such as shopping , entertainment , etc . another problem with dichotomous key structures is that some objects are either ambiguous or not obvious as to which category or node path they belong . an example is the pepper . if the choice is between fruit and vegetable , to which does the pepper belong ? the answer is fruit , but many may not know this . the present invention addresses the problems associated with the dichotomous key structure by building a dichotomous decision tree within the directories of the directory tree structure . such a structure enables users to break out of the dichotomous key at the corresponding level within the directory tree structure . this corresponding level is typically a specific node . at this specific node , doing keyword searches , hierarchical tree searches , or parametric searches of various types is restricted to that portion of the directory . the tree structure can point to the same object via multiple paths which is valuable for objects that have more than one category or use . also , each node contains keywords for navigational help . these solutions , and others , will be discussed in greater detail below . as is the case with the directory tree structure as a whole , within the dichotomous decision tree the higher the level the more general the information . when navigating down a dichotomous key structure , each lower node splits the knowledge base in half . if a user does break out of the tree to perform a keyword search , the search is performed only on the remaining information below the node . the dichotomous key structure uses a binary search and is good for use when the user is not familiar with what the lower end nodes are . for example , if the top node is medical diseases and bottom nodes are specific medical diseases , a user makes binary decisions based on symptoms to reach a diagnosis . the dichotomous key structure is also used in help desk environments to help end users solve problems , and in scientific classification . the dichotomous key structure is not so good when nodes are obvious , i . e . top node is shoes and bottom nodes are tennis shoes , dress shoes , boots , etc . dichotomous key is also not so good in a - z decisions . it would be tedious to make multiple decisions like choosing between a - m and n - z and so on to reach the desired letter . an example of categories from general to specific within a dichotomous key structure follows : other examples of useful dichotomous key search applications are : at the node for “ fiction ”, the dichotomous key selections are “ fiction books ” and “ fiction other than books ”, or at the node for “ mercedes - benz ” and the dichotomous key selections are “ mercedes - benz dealers ” and “ mercedes - benz models ”. a flowchart illustrating the process used when a user accesses the dichotomous key module 900 is illustrated in fig6 . the process of fig6 starts at the step 902 . at the step 906 the system displays two binary options , one of which is to be selected by the user . the specific binary options to be displayed are dependent upon the node at which the user is located within the dichotomous key structure . at the step 910 , it is determined if the user wants to view either of the binary options displayed in the step 906 . if it is determined at the step 910 that the user does want to view one of the binary options , then the process jumps to the encyclopedia module 130 ( fig7 ) at the step 912 . the encyclopedia module 130 formats the related data of the selected binary option into an encyclopedia - like page . if it is determined at the step 910 that the user does not want to view either of the binary options or after the system has accessed the encyclopedia module 130 , it is determined at the step 914 if the user wants to select one of the two binary options displayed in the step 906 . by selecting one of the binary options , the user is indicating that they want to move down one level in the dichotomous key structure . the user indicates a desire to select one of the binary options by double - clicking on one of the binary options in the conventional manner . if it determined at the step 914 that the user wants to select a binary option , then at the step 918 the system retrieves the next associated binary option pair , where the next binary pair resides at one level down the dichotomous key structure from the binary option pair currently displayed in the step 906 . after the step 918 , the process jumps back to the step 906 . if it is determined at the step 914 that the user does not want to select one of the two binary options , then the dichotomous key process ends at the step 922 . a block diagram of the research module 100 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig7 . the research module 100 includes a search module 110 , a searchable database 120 , a maintenance module 180 , the encyclopedia module 130 , a save search module 140 , a notification module 150 , a query language module 160 , and an external systems module 170 . the search module 110 is coupled to the query language module 160 to format the search request in a query language that the research system can interpret . the search module 110 is coupled to the encyclopedia module 130 to format the collection of data corresponding to a specific node into an encyclopedia - like format . the search module 110 is coupled to the searchable database 120 to access the available searchable data . as described above , the searchable database 120 can be local , remote , central or distributed across multiple storage systems . the searchable database 120 can also include data accessible by the internet or an intranet network . the maintenance module 180 is coupled to the searchable database 120 to manage and organize new and existing information within the searchable database 120 . the external systems module 170 is coupled to the query language module 160 to provide external system access to the search module 110 . the save search module 140 is coupled to the search module 110 to save a navigation path and set parameters used in the search module 110 to perform a specific research task . the notification module 150 is coupled to the save search module 140 to notify users that desired information has been added to the searchable database 120 . the search module 110 performs the research task , the research task being accomplished by utilizing the search methodology specified by the user . as discussed above , the search methodologies include keyword search , hierarchical tree , parametric search , and dichotomous key . the search module applies the specified search methodologies to system accessible data to provide the desired search results . preferably , the accessible data resides in the searchable database 120 . the searchable database 120 includes data accessed by the search module 110 . data within the searchable database 120 also includes links to data external to the research system . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the searchable database 120 is a distributed database which resides internal to the research system of the present invention . it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the searchable database 120 can be a centralized database . it should also be clear to those skilled in the art that the searchable database 120 can reside external to the research system of the present invention . the encyclopedia module 130 includes an encyclopedia . each node in the directory tree structure is linked to an encyclopedia page . an encyclopedia page provides a description of product or data relevant to the corresponding node that is managed by an author , business , or organization . the information within the system , or data residing within the searchable database 120 , is presented to users as an alphabetical list of topics from which to choose . listings can be expanded to reveal graphics and information . listings can also be linked to create relationships with listings on other encyclopedia pages . links are submissions by users within the topic . this access method can either lead a user to the information required , or be a quick - start method to get to a specific area of information . each node within the hierarchical structure and each link listed at each node of the tree has the ability to store extended textual or html data . this allows information within the research system to be useable without users having to leave the system . an exemplary encyclopedia page 810 provided by the encyclopedia module 130 is illustrated in fig8 . the encyclopedia page 810 corresponds to a mercedes - benz / models / roadsters node within the directory tree structure of the present invention . although the encyclopedia page 810 corresponds to the mercedes - benz / models / roadsters node , it should be clear that information within the directory tree structure can be re - organized in such a manner that the encyclopedia page 810 corresponds to a different node . the encyclopedia page 810 includes a graphics section 820 , a text section 830 , a cross - links section 850 , and an external links section 860 . the graphics section 820 includes gif , jpeg , mpeg or other appropriately formatted images and videos . the text section 830 includes descriptive text , listings , definitions , etc . the cross - links section 850 includes links to other related nodes within the directory tree structure . when a cross - link to another node is selected , the encyclopedia page corresponding to the linked node is displayed . in this manner , a user can jump from encyclopedia page to encyclopedia page to encyclopedia page and so on . the external links section 806 includes links to related topics and subject - matter that resides external to the directory tree structure . preferably , these external links are url &# 39 ; s corresponding to external websites . it should be clear that other relevant information can be included within the encyclopedia page 810 . although each section 820 , 830 , 840 , and 850 is illustrated as a single distinct section , it should be clear that each section 820 , 830 , 840 , and 850 can include multiple similar sections , where each section can be displayed anywhere within the encyclopedia page 810 . it should also be clear that the encyclopedia page 810 can be opened as a stand - alone window or as a section of a larger window . in either case , the window can be larger than the display screen whereby the user can view the entire encyclopedia page by scrolling in the conventional manner . the save search module 140 enables users to receive the most current and updated information on any topics of their choice . this is accomplished by saving the navigation path through the directory tree structure and the set parameters of a search so that the exact same search can be done at any time . in this way users can also choose to have new information sent to them regarding their chosen topic . once the parameters have been saved , the same search can be performed again and again , either at the time the search is saved or at a later date with parameters to be set such as the period between searches and the notification method . the available notification methods include pushing the search results to the desired user through email or other notification as discussed below . the user also has the capability of saving research criteria inside a personal profile similar to a “ favorite ”. this allows the user to repeat the search on a regular basis . some examples of this repeated search include a purchasing agent who wants to know the latest prices posted within his / her areas of purchasing responsibilities and a scientist routinely researching his areas of expertise for new developments . the notification module 150 automatically distributes newly entered information within a particular node or category of the directory tree structure to a user over the computer network . the user has the ability to define nodes , categories and parameters of information in which they are interested . when new information meeting the defined criteria is entered into the decision tree or database structure , the system automatically forwards a notice of this newly entered information to the user . this notice is forwarded by one or more methods of notification including over a bulletin board , through an e - mail message , as a news item directed to the user when the user next accesses the directory , and on a desktop interface through which the user is accessing the directory . as a user is performing a research task , the search request , or procedure , can be saved as described above in relation to the save search module 140 . this saved search essentially defines a particular node within the research system structure . once the search procedure has been saved , the user can request to be updated automatically with new information from the particular node of which the saved search defines . at each node , specific articles of information reside . as part of the node , parameters are used to define each individual article of information . as each new article of information is added to a particular node , the parameters associated with that particular node are set to values that define the new article of information to be added . the parameters are set by the user entering the new information into the system . the new information , along with its corresponding parameters , will need to be approved by a node owner before the new information is actually added to the system . this approval method will be discussed in greater detail below . it is the setting of the parameters that enables new information to be “ pushed ” to other users who have previously saved a search in order to be automatically updated when desired new information is entered into the system . in other words , the push functionality is performed in response to a saved search established by a specific user . when new or updated information is added to the node and this information matches the saved query selected by the user , the research system will notify the user of the added information . after a notification has been pushed to the appropriate user , this user accepts the push and establishes a method of receipt . the method of receipt includes , but is not limited to , email , news groups , bulletin boards , or desktop . it should be clear that other alternative methods to push information to users are also available . in conventional systems , push technology is not used within directories or search engines . the research system of the present invention makes it possible to apply push technology to directories and search engines due to the way that the search has been defined ( by its navigation path and by its parameters ) and the structure of the tree . when a new item is entered into the system , the description of this item is propagated up the nodes of the tree so that no matter what level of saved search the user has run , the user will know of any relevant new items entered into the system . for example , certain mercedes dealerships would like to receive all factory announcements related to a particular model . therefore , the notification module 150 is utilized to push all announcements regarding the particular model that are added to the database 120 . the notification module 150 also can be used to push data to research sites or to stockbrokers looking to stay abreast of a particular industry or technology . the query language module 160 uses a specific query language to navigate through the directory and decision tree to access a specific node or a discrete data item within the directory . each node within the decision tree has a corresponding query that can be used to quickly arrive at the node without manually navigating through the branches of the decision tree . the query can be further extended to access a discrete data item corresponding to the specific node . a user has the ability to save a query for a particular node or discrete data item to later access information at the node without manually navigating through the branches of the decision tree to arrive at the node . the structure of the query language of the present invention is preferably similar to that of a specific query language ( sql ), but it is specific to the combined technologies of accessing the directory tree structure and setting parameters for a search . therefore , the application of the query language is different than conventional search methodologies due to the unique directory tree structure of the database management and research system of the present invention . in the present invention , all nodes are specific . this is not typical of nodes in conventional directories . as an example , an “ entertainment ” node may be listed in multiple branches of conventional directories , but within the research system of the present invention the node is specific to a single branch . this specificity allows a query to be performed that will find exactly what is being searched for . if the node were listed in multiple branches , the same query would result in multiple search results , which is not desired . as an alternative to manually navigating the directory tree structure using the aforementioned search methodologies , the user has the option to input a query language string to define the research task desired of the research system . inputting the query string yields equivalent results as does manually going through the directories , the trees , and the parametric searches , as discussed above . direct user input of the desired query string essentially shortcuts the search process . as is the case with the research tasks described above , the query string can be saved as a save search . whether a save search is a result of manually navigating the directory tree structure or directly inputting a desired query string , the research system saves the search in the query language format . the research system has the ability to interface with external applications through the external systems module 170 . interfacing is accomplished utilizing the sql - like query language as discussed above in relationship to the query language module 160 , an application program interface ( api ), and a directory to directory protocol . the query language is a third generation language to do simple queries to the research system . an example query looks like : iquery & lt ; instance node & gt ;/& lt ; instance name & gt ; list * from & lt ; node key & gt ; where commercial = y and link desc contains “ chevrolet ”; the options for this query language contain read functions and update functions . the api within the external systems module 170 allows other applications , either external systems or web sites , to use the research system as a central infrastructure knowledge base . the api system creates an interface between the application and the research system that allows a seamless connection to be made without users of the application noticing . the application can call upon resources contained inside the research system on the same server or across an ip connection on similar networks or across the internet . the external systems use the api to periodically or randomly query the research system for information , the queries are formatted in the query language as described in the query language module 160 . the application can make a request to the research system for specific data from one or more nodes within the directory tree structure , the research system retrieves the requested data , the application pulls the retrieved data from the research system , the application reformats the retrieved data for the system on which the application resides , and the system utilizes the retrieved data as if the system itself retrieved and formatted the data . the database management and research system of the present invention is designed so a separate portal can be set up within the research system that allows external search engines to search the research system directory tree structure and expose information to the search engine customers . as an example , an external system is a job search site and the research system includes a multitude of job listings organized within a job directory tree structure . a user on the job search site submits a request to find all the jobs within california , related to information technology ( it ) with tcp / ip and sna skills . the job search site system formats a query using the api of the research system and forwards the request to the research system , the research system retrieves the matching jobs , and the data is sent back to the job search site system where it is formatted according to the job search site parameters . this entire process is accomplished transparently to the job search site user . in this example , the research system provides the back end functionality and the data is fed back to the job search site program running the api . it is transparent to the research system that the query originated from an external system . the directory to directory protocol allows referrals from one research system to be processed from another research system . this allows the research system to scale to larger proportions across multiple organizations and data centers . one organization can maintain data specific to its own expertise or ownership inside it &# 39 ; s own hosted research system . the maintenance module 180 manages the process of inputting and deleting data into the searchable database 120 . the maintenance module 180 also manages relationships between data residing within the searchable database 120 . a block diagram of the maintenance module 180 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig9 . the maintenance module 180 includes a master nodal record module 182 , a node links table module 184 , an hierarchical security module 186 , and a data maintenance module 188 . the hierarchical security module 186 is coupled to the master nodal records module 182 and the data maintenance module 188 to maintain the integrity of the data associated with each node . the node links table module 184 is coupled to the master nodal records module 182 to manage the linking relationships between the nodes in the research system . the master nodal record module 182 maintains a record of the data and links related to each individual node . as discussed above , each node has an associated encyclopedia page as described in relation to the encyclopedia module 130 . links at the node are attached to records in the searchable database 120 or to the encyclopedia . if the link is to a discrete data item , then the link is attached to the record in the searchable database . if the link is to another node , then the link is attached to the encyclopedia and the associated encyclopedia page . each node in the directory tree structure includes data specific to that location of the tree . the data available preferably includes node - name and node - description . the node - description is a detailed description of the tree node that explains to the user what the category is . each node also includes related topics and search parameters . these topics define a search , they are not just links . the node links table module 184 maintains a node links table of links between all nodes within the directory tree structure . the links between nodes are referred to as cross - links . at each level of the directory there is the possibility of one to many links ( objects ) available . a table linked in a “ one to many ” relationship is the “ links table ”. this table is where the object data is located that the user is interested in locating . the table includes the fields link - node - name , link - description , and link - path . an example of the node links table usage is herein described to navigate down the directory tree structure to “ plants ”. the node links table may include lists to academic web sites on botany . clicking on one of these entries will navigate the user to the external web sites to further research botany . to continue the example , the user could continue down the directory tree structure . the lower down the structure the user travels , the more specific and less general the categories become , and the more specific the links would be . if the user continued down the directory tree structure past “ plants ” to “ juniper trees ”, the links would be web or database objects such as web sites , photos , movie files , etc ., only pertaining to juniper trees . cross - links to related topics are also available . objects are linked to multiple categories inside the directory tree structure , so users can also navigate laterally around the directory tree structure . many objects inside the directory tree structure belong correctly into more than one category . an example of this is the “ pepper plant ”. the “ pepper plant ” is correctly classified as a plant , a spice , a fruit , an edible plant , etc . this object is entered into the system into one nodal master record , as described above in relation to the master nodal record module 182 , then entered into the directory at multiple locations within the tree . when navigating down through the edible plants , a user will find the key for the “ pepper plant .” a user will also find the key for the “ pepper plant ” when navigating down the spice section of the directory tree structure . when a nodal master record is located in more than one location in the directory tree structure , a cross - reference table record is added to the node links table . when the object is located , the user has the option of listing all other nodes ( or categories ) in which the object is also contained . this is an “ also related categories ” function of the system . when this function is accessed , typically by clicking on a related button on the display , for the example of “ pepper plant ”, the other categories are listed ( plants , edible plants , spices , etc .). this gives the user the ability to navigate laterally within the directory structure . the user can find the “ pepper plant ” node , click on the “ also related categories ” button , then select any of the other categories where the “ pepper plant ” is located and move to that location in the directory by selecting that category . using cross - links there are multiple paths to the same data . many conventional search engines will list each path as a separate search result , which leads to cumbersome and repetitive results list . however , using the database management and research system of the present invention , a search result will preferably be listed only once so that a user does not have to wade through multiple search results which all lead back to the same data . additional data is stored about each link in the node links table . the additional data includes such data as family rating , link rating , type , entertainment , and link hits . the family rating is a rating similar to movie ratings , i . e . “ g ” is okay for the family , “ r ” maybe a little rough or risque , and “ x ” is pornography and inappropriate for certain family members . the link rating is maintained by user surveys and maintains a rating or popularity value for the link . the type is a link entry corresponding to categories such as commercial , private , or educational . entertainment can include games , activities , art , etc . link hits represent a value maintained by the system and records the number of times users entered this site from the directory tree . the links hit value is used for recording how active and useful a link is . an additional table linked in a “ one to many ” relationship is the node keyword table . the node keyword table is maintained by the node links table module 184 and includes keywords associated with a particular node in the directory tree structure . the use of this table is to help the system navigate the user directly to the node location . this gives the user the capability of navigating directly to this location in the tree with a simple keyword navigation , or with a directory front - end structure or interface . as an example , the user can enter “ car ” and navigate directly to the “ automobiles ” section in the directory tree structure . the user can then navigate the directory tree structure to the specific object that they are looking for , or enter another more specific keyword . a benefit of the database management and research system of the present invention is when the more specific keyword is entered while the user is at the “ automobile ” node , the resulting search results will reflect matches found in the “ automobile ” node and the lower directory structure tied to the “ automobile ” node . the hierarchical security module 186 allows users to maintain their own data , or their own particular nodes of the tree . an expert within a particular field can “ own ” this node of the tree . this allows for the system to be maintained by any number of editors and contributors with expertise or interest in their particular node ( s ). the system is structurally designed to be able to split the tree into administrative and logical partitions . if necessary , these partitions can span multiple computer nodes and multiple data centers over geographical regions . ownership of portions of the directory tree structure can be delegated to external authors or organizations . organizations with ownership of portions of the directory tree structure can further delegate portions of their ownership to different authors inside their organization . if a user wants to add a new item , the user must first be logged into the system . certain users can be listed as “ ok ” and if these users add a new item , the item will automatically be entered into the system without need for additional approval . of course , the user must still provide the details regarding the new item &# 39 ; s classification , corresponding parameters , etc . however , the item itself does not need to be approved . if a user is not approved or is “ unknown ”, then the new item will be put in a queue for review by the owner of the particular node to which the user wants to add the item . the owner of the node will then determine whether or not to add the new item to the system . typically , if the database is the internet or an internet accessible database , then each new item has an associated uniform resource locator ( url ). the url is considered new data and in essence acts as a directory . certain items will not have a url , such as an announcement . for example , an announcement might be used by a user who wants to enter an item regarding a new book they wrote ; however , if the user does not have a web site associated with the new book , the user fills out the information associated with the new item , which includes some descriptive text and search parameters . only this information associated with the new item is then stored at the appropriate node . each node of the directory tree structure preferably includes a link to a user table . the user table includes a list of users authorized for update access to the node . the users with update access to the node have update access to the nodes below the specific node as well . the user with full authorization can also delegate update authority to users at or below the directory tree structure where they have ownership rights . there are many examples where such update or ownership authorization is beneficial . for example , companies that produce products listed at the particular level of the directory and below . educational organizations might take ownership of specific technologies , such as botany for plants , where the organization could research all botany - related objects and maintain these links on a volunteer basis . individual experts in a field or volunteers might maintain areas of the directory tree structure . in corporate intranets , specific departments maintain their own objects on the directory tree structure . the hierarchical security module 186 enables node owners to control the addition and deletion of data into the searchable database 120 . however , the nodes and associated content also need to be maintained , which is a function of the data maintenance module 188 . volunteers and special interest groups act to maintain the nodes and associated content . maintenance preferably includes the need to rate content , match parameters , scan new items to eliminate spam , hate mail , etc ., and scrub links to maintain the reliability of links . in corporate intranets , individual authors or departments can maintain this structure and object links . if the reliability of a link is below a threshold value the link can be eliminated . such a reliability check is an example of business policies that can be set . the data in the directory is manually entered and maintained . for content on commercial web sites , users submit data into a holding queue to be reviewed before being released and added to the research system . the data maintenance module 188 performs up - front edits to insure data completeness and integrity . one method by which new data is added is for the user to navigate the directory tree is structure to the correct location . at the correct location , the user selects an “ add link ” option . a set of forms is presented to the user who will then fill in the data fields . for each new data item to be added , the user will also set the parameters corresponding to the location within the directory tree structure to which the new data item is to be added . these parameters are of the type described above in relation to the parametric search . after the up - front edits , the data is added or moved to the update queue , where the data is reviewed and released ( or discarded ). the user can navigate the directory tree structure again to add the same link to other locations within the directory . this is done by selecting the “ add again to another category ” option , then navigating to the new location and selecting “ add link ” option as before . the system will “ remember ” the link record and add the link to the current node record as well . it should be clear to those skilled in the art that other methods of data entry are also available to be used to submit new information into the research system . once a user has accessed the research system , the user has the ability to perform a research task and find desired information that resides in the searchable database 120 . the data in the searchable database 120 is organized into a directory tree structure by the research system . at each branch in the tree is a node which includes related information . the higher the node is within the directory tree structure the more general the information , and the lower the node is within the directory tree structure the more specific the information . at each node within the tree , the user is presented with the option of using any one or combinations of the four search methodologies utilized by the research system . the four search methodologies are keyword search , hierarchical tree search , dichotomous key search , and parametric search . regardless as to which search methodology or search methodologies are used to reach a particular node , the user can utilize any of the four search methodologies to further refine the search and move further down the directory tree structure . the user may also navigate back up the directory tree structure to a higher node , and once again have the option to use any one of the four search methodologies to refine the search from the current node and move further down the directory tree structure . the related information at each node is presented in the form of an encyclopedia page . each node is linked to an encyclopedia page , where the encyclopedia page displays the related information associated with that particular node . such related information can include a title , short description , text , graphics , and links to related topics . the links are typically to other nodes within the research system . however , the links may be to web sites external to the research system . in this manner , a user can navigate the directory tree structure , utilizing any one of the four search methodologies in any combination to reach the desired result . the following is an example of how all four search methodologies can be utilized to successfully complete a research task . after accessing the database management and research system , a user inputs the character string “ transportation ” utilizing the keyword search option . the keyword search module then yields a list of search results including the node “ transportation ”. the user performs a hierarchical tree search on “ transportation ” which results in a list including “ airplane ”, “ automobile ”, “ boat ”, “ train ”, etc . the user can then further investigate “ automobile ” by performing a dichotomous key search . the dichotomous key search on “ automobile ” yields the two choices “ foreign ” and “ domestic ”. the user chooses “ foreign ” and the next dichotomous key search yields the two choices “ specific car manufacturer ” and “ not a specific manufacturer ”. the user then performs a hierarchical search on “ specific car manufacturer ” that results in a list of foreign car manufactures which includes bmw , mercedes - benz , volvo , etc . the user performs a dichotomous key search on “ mercedes - benz ” that yields the two choices “ mercedes - benz dealers ” and “ mercedes - benz models ”. the user chooses “ mercedes - benz dealers ” and the next dichotomous key search yields the two choices “ north american dealerships ” and “ european dealerships ”. the user chooses “ north american dealerships ” and the next dichotomous key search yields the two choices “ west ” and “ east ”. the user then performs a parametric search on “ west ” by inputting the relevant parameters to “ object type ”, “ language ”, and “ family rating ”. the parameters are selected from provided drop down menus . additional means for selecting parameters include listing items to be checked or not checked . such parameters to be checked include “ technical document ”, “ commercial ”, “ recalls ”, exclusive ”, “ oem ”, and “ full service ”. upon selecting the desired parameters , the parametric search yields a discrete list of dealerships that match the selected parameters . by selecting a particular dealership from the list of dealerships , an encyclopedia page is displayed by the encyclopedia module . the displayed encyclopedia page corresponds to the selected dealership . as discussed above , the research system provides search techniques and methodologies that enable users to navigate down a directory tree structure for the purpose of performing a research task and finding discrete information . the directory tree structure is organized such that the upper levels include relatively more general information and the lower levels include relatively more specific information . the research system also provides functionality that enables the user to move back up the directory tree structure , preferably moving back up the directory one level at a time . in this way , the user is able to navigate up and down the directory tree structure to perform the desired research task . as discussed above , the database management and research system of the present invention utilizes a directory tree structure to manage and access data within a searchable database . the directory tree structure is preferably customizable and is constructed using easy to use templates . an appropriately authorized user populates the templates to generate the nodes and the branches between the nodes . in the preferred embodiment , the nodes represent html addresses and the branches represent links from an html address of one node to an html address of another node . the html based format facilitates user access of the system over the internet or corporate intranet . as described above , the nodes include related data where data preferably refers to web - based multimedia including sound , images , video , and appropriately formatted text . appropriately formatted text can include , but is not limited to , word documents , excel documents , powerpoint documents , mechanical drawings , and any document or file rendered by a personal computer or a workstation . it should be clear to one skilled in the art that data can also include discrete appropriately formatted and independently accessible data items , files , and applications with associated urls and web interface stored in human resource databases , financial and accounting databases , manufacturing databases , order processing and fulfillment databases , customer service databases , sales and marketing databases , and other similar databases or data file formats . the related data is not physically formatted within the directory tree structure . instead , each data item is accessible through appropriately formatted addresses including uniform resource identifiers ( uris ) and uniform resource locators ( urls ). each node includes associated pointers , where each pointer acts as a link , or points , from a specific node to a url corresponding to a discrete data item within the searchable database . in this manner , the directory tree structure accesses the discrete data item by utilizing the pointer that links the specific node to the url corresponding to the discrete data item . defining the pointers is part of the directory tree structure construction process performed by the user . through such a construct , the directory tree structure essentially overlays the searchable database and groups related data items via the pointers . each discrete node is a collection of pointers to the related data items . this overlay methodology for accessing data is what enables the database management and research system of the present invention to bypass the data conversion process when utilizing the database management and research system with an appropriately formatted existing database . when constructing the directory tree structure , the user is able to create as many nodes and branches as necessary . once constructed , the nodes and branches can be edited or deleted by the corresponding node owners . editing of a node includes adding a new pointer to a node or redirecting an existing pointer from accessing one data item to accessing a different data item . [ 0138 ] fig1 a illustrates an example of how the database management and research system of the present invention is utilized with an existing database . the computer system 26 and the server controller 10 correspond to the like elements of fig1 . as in fig1 the computer system 26 is coupled to the server controller 10 preferably via the public switched telephone network . the searchable database 120 corresponds to the searchable database 120 in fig7 . in fig1 a , the searchable database 120 includes database 122 , database 124 , and database 126 . although the searchable database 120 in fig1 a includes three databases , it should be clear that the searchable database 120 can include any number of databases . server controller 10 is coupled to database 122 via a link 123 . in general , the link 123 represents a link between the controller 10 and the database 122 . in particular , the link 123 represents a pointer corresponding to a specific node within the directory tree structure of the present invention , where the pointer directs the specific node to a discrete data item residing within the database 122 . as such , the link 123 can include any number of pointers where each pointer directs a specific node within the directory tree structure to a discrete data item within the database 122 . similarly , server controller 10 is coupled to the database 124 and the database 126 via a link 125 and a link 127 , respectively . as with the link 123 , the links 125 and 127 can include any number of pointers , where a pointer represented by the link 125 directs a specific node to a discrete data item residing within the database 124 and a pointer represented by the link 127 directs a specific node to a discrete data item residing within the database 126 . a database 128 is coupled to the server controller 10 via a link 131 . the database 128 is external to the searchable database 120 . as such , the directory tree structure does not directly overlay the database 128 and therefore no pointers exist to direct a specific node to a discrete data item residing within the database 128 . although the database 128 is illustrated as a single database , it should be clear that the database 128 serves to represent any data not included within the searchable database 120 . as described above , the database management and research system of the present invention provides links to data residing external to the searchable database 120 . such a link is illustrated by the link 131 and also by a link 129 . the link 129 couples the database 124 to the database 128 . a discrete data item within the database 128 is accessed by the server controller 10 via the link 131 . a specific node within the directory tree structure does not include a pointer which directs the particular node to a discrete data item residing within the database 128 ; instead , the specific node is linked via conventional means , as for example a hypertext link that takes a user outside the system of the present invention by linking to a web server containing the discrete data item . alternatively , the specific node includes a pointer corresponding to the link 125 that directs the specific node to a discrete data item residing within the database 124 . in turn , the discrete data item residing within the database 124 includes a conventional link 129 directed to the discrete data item residing within the database 128 , the link 129 takes the user outside the system of the present invention . nodes and branches can be added , edited , or deleted within the directory tree structure of the present invention . such modifications are made to the directory tree structure using the templates of the database management and research system . fig1 b illustrates the database management and research system of fig1 a after modifications to the directory tree structure have been made . fig1 a illustrates the link 131 representative of a hypertext link between a specific node within the directory tree structure and a discrete data item residing within the database 128 , the database 128 residing external to the system of the present invention . in fig1 b , the database 128 is coupled to the server controller 10 via a link 133 . by using the templates to edit the specific node , a pointer is added to the specific node that now directs the specific node to the discrete data item residing within the database 128 , thereby eliminating the need to link the specific node to the discrete data item via the conventional link 131 . by replacing the conventional link 131 with the pointer represented by the link 133 , the user is no longer taken outside the system of the present invention to view the discrete data item . by staying within the system of the present invention , all or a portion of the discrete data item can be displayed within an encyclopedia page corresponding to the specific node . if the user chooses to view the complete original discrete data item , the user will then be taken out of the system via the link 133 to the database 128 . the added pointer is part of the directory tree structure and as such the directory tree structure now overlays the discrete data item represented by the database 128 . since data within the database 128 is now accessible by the overlaid directory tree structure , the database 128 is included within searchable database 120 , as illustrated in fig1 b . the research system described above has been discussed in terms of a single directory tree structure ; however , it should be apparent that the research system of the present invention can be scaled to include multiple directory tree structures maintained at remote network locations . such scalability allows other organizations to maintain portions of the directory tree structure distinctly but allows the directory tree structure network to function as one logical system or searchable database . by segmenting sections of the directory tree structure into different data centers , the research system essentially becomes a knowledge system where a user can find specific and related information . for example , a user can use the research system to diagnose a medical condition and find relevant information related to that medical condition . the user can also find related sites like clinics and medicines available to treat the medical condition . the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of principles of construction and operation of the invention . such reference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . specifically , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that while the preferred embodiment of the present invention is accessible over the internet through the public switched telephone network , the present invention could also be accessible on any other appropriate communication structures both wired and wireless , including cable , intranets , direct connections and the like . | 8 |
in spite of an earlier interest in reactions of platinum ( ii ) compounds with acetamides and the complex systems which result , little has been done to prepare and fully characterize chemically , physically , and biologically , platinum ( iv ) coordination complex systems . the original amide derivative , the blue compound &# 34 ; platinblau ,&# 34 ; synthesized in 1908 , has been variously characterized up until recently ( barton , et al , journal of the american chemical society 100 , page 3785 , 1978 ) as mixed oxidation state oligomeric compounds containing platinum ( ii ), platinum ( iii ), and platinum ( iv ) species . platinum ( iv ) amide derivatives in this composition were characterized by bonding of the amide ligands through nitrogen and oxygen and not through platinum - carbon bonds . classically , platinum ( iv ) alkyl and aryl complexes have been prepared by addition of grignard or alkyl lithium reagents to platinum ( iv ) compounds , or by oxidative addition of alkyl and acyl halides or metal halides to platinum ( ii ) compounds . orthometallation reactions between platinum ( ii ) and aromatic coordinating substituents are known and have been characterized as interactions between carbon - hydrogen groups and metal centers , however , oxidative addition to the centers has not been found or postulated ( brookhart , m . et al ., j . organomet chem . 250 , page 395 , 1983 ). in the present invention , it has been observed that a reaction occurs under mild conditions upon combining potassium tetrachloroplatinate ( ii ) ( k 2 ptcl 4 ) and at least two - fold molar excess of dimethylacetamide , dma , ( ch 3 c ( o ) n ( ch 3 ) 2 ) results in a pale yellow crystalline product . on the basis of elemental analysis , x - ray crystallography , 13 c nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) spectrometry and infrared ( lr ) spectroscopy , this novel crystalline compound has been identified as ## str1 ## it results from an oxidative - addition reaction involving c -- h bond cleavage and c -- pt bond formation . from the nature of its structure and its oxidation state in this invention , it was expected to have useful properties in chemical synthesis and in biochemistry . reagent grade dimethylacetamide ( dma ), used as received , on ir and nmr analyses showed agreement with literature values . potassium tetrachloroplatinate ( ii ) ( k 2 ptcl 4 ), supplied by johnson matthey , inc . was used as received . reactions were carried out in an inert , dry atmosphere . to a volume of 80 ml dma a quantity , 1 . 0021 g ( 2 . 4 mmol ) of k 2 ptcl 4 was added thereby providing an approximate amount of 500 molar excess of dma to produce a slurry which was heated and stirred at 60 ° c . until all the k 2 ptcl 4 had dissolved ( approximately 120 hours ). the resultant golden yellow solution was centrifuged to remove 0 . 2333 g ( 3 . 3 mmol ) of potassium chloride ( kcl ). the supernatant liquid was then reduced in volume by about two - thirds at reduced pressure until solid product began to form , upon which the supernatant and the solid which started to form were stored at 0 ° c . for 12 hours . the pale yellow crystals that formed were removed from the supernatant liquid by centrifugation , washed with tetrahydrofuran and dried under vacuum for 12 hours , to provide 0 . 3392 g ( 0 . 77 mmol ) of pt ( c 4 h 8 no ) 2 cl 2 , a yield of 51 . 3 % based on k 2 ptcl 4 as the starting material . elemental analysis resulted in the following percentage composition , with calculated percentages based on pt ( c 4 h 8 no ) 2 cl 2 : calculated : c = 21 . 93 ; h = 3 . 68 ; n = 6 . 39 ; cl = 16 . 18 ; pt = 44 . 52 . found : c = 21 . 78 ; h = 3 . 60 ; n = 6 . 39 ; cl = 16 . 11 ; pt = 44 . 45 . further reduction in volume of the supernatant liquid yielded a small number of darker yellow crystals which were identified by elemental analysis and x - ray diffraction as pt ( c 4 h 9 no ) 2 cl 2 . crystals of pt ( c 4 h 8 no ) 2 cl 2 suitable for x - ray diffraction were obtained by reducing the volume of the k 2 ptcl 4 / dimethyl acetamide reaction supernatant liquid by half and storing the remaining solution at an ambient temperature which after two weeks resulted in separation from the mother liquor of well - formed , pale yellow orthorhombic bipyramids . a crystal having the dimensions 0 . 36 mm × 0 . 18 mm × 0 . 22 mm was attached to a glass fiber by epoxy cement for mounting in the diffractometer . data on this material was collected on a nicolet r3 diffractometer using graphite - monochromated mokα radiation . the reflections were collected with an ω ( omega ) scan technique over a range of 4 °- 55 ° in 2 θ ( theta ). the structure was solved by using the shelxtl ( version 4 . 1 ) program system ( nicolet corporation , madison wi ) to provide bond angles and lengths revealing that platinum was present as platinum ( iv ) and was bonded to a carbon atom . these analyses led to the conclusion that the composition was ## str3 ## with the structure : ## str4 ## similar x - ray crystallographic studies were conducted on the second type crystal , much darker yellow in color and more soluble in the supernatant , which was isolated from the same mother liquor and identified by elemental analysis as ( c 4 h 9 no ) 2 ptcl 2 . these x - ray studies indicated a composition with no pt -- c bonds , the acetamide ligands being bonded to the metal center through carbonyl oxygens and situated trans to each other . the structural formula indicated by these studies trans - dichlorobis ( dimethylacetamide - o ) platinum ( ii ) with the structure : ## str5 ## appropriate 13 c nmr spectra of the solid state reaction products of k 2 ptcl 4 and dma were obtained on a bruker cxp300 spectrometer at 75 . 5 mhz . these spectra revealed resonances of carbon atoms affected by coordination to plainum shifted in two directions : downfield for carbonyl carbon and upfield for methylene carbon bonded to platinum . the downfield shift occurs in this carbon is deshielded . movement of oxygen electron density towards the platinum metal center explains the deshielding which was observed . the coupling constant for platinum / methylene carbon interaction was found to be 620 ± 20 hz . j pt -- c values for sp 3 hybridized carbon varies from 360 to 698 h z , depending upon the ligand trans to carbon . the coupling constant increases as the trans influence of the trans ligand decreases in the order : ## str6 ## by analogy , it would be expected that a large coupling constant for ( c 4 h 8 o ) 2 cl 2 pt in which carbons are trans to oxygen ligands of low trans influence . the methylene carbons are therefore positioned cis to each other , confirming x - ray and infrared data . infrared spectroscopy of the pale yellow compound , ## str7 ## in nujol mull , csi pellet and neat solid by reflectance confirmed its structure by the following : the carbonyl peak of dma at 1639 cm - 1 was lowered to 1568 cm - 1 in both nujol mull and csi pellet spectra , an indication of carbonyl oxygen bonding to platinum ; the γ ( pt -- cl ) peak was seen in the csi pellet at 335 cm - 1 and the reflectance spectrum at 341 cm - 1 , the single frequency indicating transplacement of the chloride ligands ; two stretching frequencies at 618 and 603 cm - 1 were seen in the region expected for γ ( pt -- c ) in the csi pellet spectrum indicating cis placement of the methylene ligands ; and a single band at 520 cm - 1 in the csi pellet spectrum was assigned to γ ( pt -- o ) and in the same region in the reflectance spectrum exhibited a broad band between 500 and 550 cm - 1 . these latter were an indication of pt -- o bonds in the cis configuration . these results are tabulated in the table and shown in fig1 fig2 and fig3 . experimental bands indicated above and in the table , in some cases did not agree with the literature values for dma . the experimental ( o -- h ) band , for instance , was much stronger indicating water contamination of dma . upon distillation of dma , however , a poorer yield of pt ( c 4 h 8 no ) 2 cl 2 was obtained . table______________________________________infrared assignment for the compound [ pt ( ch . sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 3 ) c ( ch . sub . 3 ) o ). sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 ] dma dma ref - literature experimental pt ( c . sub . 4 h . sub . 8 no ). sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 er -( cm . sup .- 1 ) cm . sup .- 1 cm . sup .- 1 assignment ence______________________________________3500 3500 ( o -- h ) ( 1 ) 3030 3050 2975 γ ( c -- h ) ( 1 ) 2941 2930 29402850 28501639 1638 1568 γ ( c ═ o ) ( 1 ) 1550 1538 δ ( c -- h ) + ( 1 ) 1492 1485 1474 γ ( c -- n ) + 1398 1388 1392 γ ( c ═ n ) 1266 1254 12271190 1178 1148 γ ( c -- o ) ( 1 ) 1064 1045 10341015 1005 970 838 γ ( c -- n ) ( 1 ) 751 618 603 γ ( pt -- c ) ( 2 ) 503 522 γ ( pt -- o ) ( 3 ) 335 γ ( pt -- cl ) ( 3 ) ______________________________________ ( 1 ) a . silverstein , r . m ., et al . &# 34 ; spectrophotometric identification of organic compounds ,&# 34 ; john wiley , inc ., new york , ny , 1981 b . &# 34 ; the aldrich library of infrared spectra &# 34 ; pouchest , c . j . ed ., milwaukee , wi , 1975 ( 2 ) adams , d . m ., et al ., j . chem . soc . 1960 , 2047 ( 3 ) nakamoto , k ., et al ., &# 34 ; spectroscopy and structure of metal chelate compounds ,&# 34 ; john wiley & amp ; sons , inc ., new york , ny , 1968 , pp . 249 - 268 studies relating to ( c 4 h 9 no ) 2 ptcl 2 studies corresponding to those studies done with the preceding , ( c 4 h 8 no ) 2 ptcl 2 , were conducted on the darker yellow product of the reaction of dma and k 2 ptcl 4 , a compound more soluble in the reactant / mother liquor . these studies revealed that the compound of empirical formula ( c 4 h 9 no ) 2 ptcl 2 is not a chelate and that the amide ligand is bonded to the platinum ( ii ) metal center through the carbonyl oxygen . the amide ligand and the chloride atoms are both in the trans positions with respect to the platinum . the data collected in the foregoing studies of the two reaction products indicate certain structures which appear consistent with theory . however , further consideration had to be given to explain the nature of bonding of these complexes . structures indicated by these data for the pale yellow , less soluble product ## str8 ## and for the more soluble , darker product ## str9 ## leave the carbonyl carbons of each compound electron deficient . as an approach , consideration was given to a mechanism whereby these structures are formed to explain the properties of each structure and the chemical utility for the chelate . organo - platinum ( iv ) compounds have previously been prepared from suitable platinum ( ii ) complexes by oxidative addition of halogens or alkylating agents ( belluco , v ., &# 34 ; organometallic and coordination chemistry of platinum ,&# 34 ; academic press , inc ., london 1974 , pp . 95 - 107 and 174 - 208 ). mechanically , it appears that both the electrophilic and nucleophilic ends of the reagents attack the metal atom . dimethyl acetamide can be formulated as such a reagent : ## str10 ## species b , with nucleophilic and electrophilic sites , could attack the platinum ( ii ) central atom replacing the chloride ion with the oxygen nucleophile , and form the intermediates ( chloride ion omitted for clarity ): ## str11 ## this intermediate has the disadvantage of only four members in the ring , but the advantage of bringing the methyl substitute of the nitrogen electrophile close to the coordination sphere of platinum . the foregoing mechanistic explanation of an initial step in the reaction process enables fulfillment of valence requirements and accommodates the structural element indicated by x - ray , nmr , and infrared spectroscopic studies . the capacity of metal - organic complexes , particularly chelate compounds , to act as intermediaries to enable simpler routes to compounds which are synthesized only with difficulty was investigated with the cis acetamide - platinum chelate . it was found that in a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran ## str12 ## ( the chelate of the invention ) and benzyl magnesium bromide yield the mixed secondary amide ch 3 c ( o ) n ( ch 3 ) ch 2 c 6 h 5 . ## str13 ## the chloroplatinum amine intermediate interacts with the solvent to regenerate the chelate . the mixed acetamide , methyl -/ phenethyl -, upon hydrolysis yields a mixed secondary amine , widely used in synthesis of medicinal compounds by hydrolysis to the corresponding secondary amine . the chelate of the present invention is useful in preparation benadryl ®,&# 34 ; ( park - davis - 2 - diphenylmethoxy - n , n - dimethylethanamine hydrochloride , by a reaction starting with a grignard reagent : ## str14 ## while the foregoing details of the invention relate to preparation of platinum ( iv ) chelates with amide ligands derived from the reaction of dimethylacetamide and potassium tetrachloroplatinate ( ii ), preparation of analogous chelates from other disubstituted amides is within the scope of the invention . embraced amides are represented by the general formula : ## str15 ## where r includes h --, ch 3 --, ch 3 ( ch 2 ) n and aryl ( ch 2 ) n where n = 1 - 6 r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; includes ch 3 --, ch 3 ( ch 2 ) n and aryl ( ch 2 ) n where n = 1 - 6 and it is understood that conditions for preparation of platinum ( iv ) chelates may depend upon the selected substituted amide , however , adjustment can be made in the procedures as are well known and customary to those skilled in the art . for example , the solubility of the reactant ( k 2 ptcl 4 ) and the platinum ( iv ) chelate varies among the various substituted amides . in the preparation of the dimethylacetamide - derived chelate , a preferred temperature of 60 ° c . for approximately 120 hours dissolved starting chloroplatinate . this temperature may be varied but temperatures approaching 100 ° c . are to be avoided since temperatures at this level can cause formation of platinum black . the time and temperature are selected on the basis of the time to dissolve the chloroplatinate . as an example of preparation of chelates with analogs of dimethylacetamide , diethylacetamide as the source of the amide was used as the reactant - solvent in preparation of the platinum ( iv ) chelate . the platinum ( iv ) chelate derived from diethylacetamide , identified by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance , was separated from the mother liquor as a yellow - brown oil rather than by crystallization as was the chelate from dimethylacetamide . | 2 |
referring to the drawings , and to fig1 in particular , a system 10 for remotely determining a liquid level condition within a container 12 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated . in accordance with one adaptation of the preferred embodiment , the container 12 represents a propane tank or lp gas cylinder removably connected to a vehicle 14 , such as a gas - powered forklift or the like . the gas - powered forklift 14 is of conventional construction and accordingly is only partially shown in fig1 . the forklift 14 includes a counterweight 18 located at the rear end of a vehicle frame 20 for retaining balance of the forklift as heavyweight loads are lifted . an engine ( not shown ) is typically mounted at the center of the vehicle frame and usually is covered with a hood 22 . a driver &# 39 ; s seat 24 is typically fixedly secured to the hood 22 and is surrounded by an overhead guard ( not shown ) supported by rear upright members or columns 26 and front upright members ( not shown ) to define a protective cabin for the operator . the forklift 14 is powered by liquid propane and therefore includes the tank 12 which is removably mounted on support structure 30 ( fig2 ) of the counterweight and held in place by a pair of securing straps 31 . with additional reference to fig2 , the tank 12 is also of conventional construction and includes a pressure cylinder 32 for holding a quantity of propane , an annular base 34 located at one end of the cylinder 32 for orienting the cylinder in an upright position during storage , and an annular wall or valve guard 36 located at the opposite end of the cylinder 32 . although not shown , the tank 12 may include other components typically associated with a propane cylinder , such as a fill / supply valve , over - pressure safety valve , and so on . an alignment pin 35 extends from the counterweight 18 of the forklift and through an alignment slot or opening 37 to properly orient the tank on the forklift . as will be appreciated , the present invention is not only applicable to propane tanks and forklifts , but may apply to other vehicles and / or stationary equipment as well as other containers where it is desirous to remotely determine a liquid level condition . the system 10 of the present invention preferably includes a liquid level gauge 38 mounted to and extending through an end wall 40 of the tank 12 in a well - known manner , a dial assembly 58 connected to the gauge 38 , an optical transceiver 42 connected to the forklift 14 for sensing a condition of the dial assembly 58 , and an indicator 44 operably associated with the optical transceiver 42 for remotely indicating the gauge condition to an operator . as shown , the optical transceiver 42 is preferably connected to one of the rear columns 26 via a bracket 36 or other connecting means , such as adhesives , mechanical fasteners , hook and loop material , and so on . if needed , a pivoting or articulated arm ( not shown ) can be associated with the bracket for aligning the transceiver 42 with the end of the gauge 38 . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the liquid level gauge 16 and optical transceiver 18 preferably work in conjunction to detect a predetermined low liquid level condition inside the tank 12 , as will be described in greater detail below . the indicator 44 can include any well - known means for visually and / or audibly alerting a person to the tank condition , including but not limited to speakers , warning lights , led &# 39 ; s , lcd or oled displays , buzzers , chimes , and so on . preferably , the liquid level gauge 38 has a float 46 connected to a pivot arm 48 which is in turn connected to a gear 50 rotatably mounted on a hollow support tube 52 of the liquid level gauge 38 . a spur gear 54 meshes with the gear 50 and causes rotation of a shaft 55 ( shown in hidden line ) extending through the support tube 52 . the shaft in turn rotates a driving magnet 57 ( shown in hidden line ) within a mounting head 56 of the liquid level gauge 38 . the dial assembly 58 is preferably attached to the mounting head 56 and is magnetically driven by the rotating driving magnet 57 to thereby indicate liquid level , as will be described in greater detail below . the mounting head 56 is in turn screwed into the end wall 40 of the tank 12 in a conventional manner . further details of the liquid level gauge 38 can be found in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 041 , 650 issued on mar . 28 , 2000 to swinder et al ., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . it will be understood that other types of liquid level gauges can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring now to fig3 - 6 , the dial assembly 58 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , includes a base 60 , a disk 62 mounted on the base for rotation with respect thereto , a lens or cap 64 connected to the base , and a blocking layer 66 connected to the lens 64 . the base 60 is preferably circular in construction and includes a bottom wall 68 , a continuous side wall 70 extending upwardly from the bottom wall , locking fingers 72 extending downwardly from the bottom wall 68 , and a conically - shaped pin 74 located at an axial center of the bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom . preferably , the locking fingers 72 each include an inwardly extending projection 76 that engages a corresponding slot 78 formed in the mounting head 56 so that the base 60 can be installed on the mounting head 56 in a snap - fit engagement . however , it will be understood that other embodiments can use alternative fastening means known in the art such as screws or other fasteners , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the disk 62 is preferably in the form of a circular - shaped body 80 with an upper surface 82 and a lower surface 84 . a pair of spaced bosses 86 extend downwardly from the lower surface 84 and a driven magnet 88 is located in each boss . a center pivot 90 extends downwardly from the lower surface 84 between the bosses 86 and engages the pin 74 of the base 60 so that the disk 62 rotates in both clockwise and counter - clockwise directions about a central axis 92 of the dial assembly 58 with respect to the base . it will be understood that other well - known means for rotatably connecting the disk 62 to the base 60 can be used . the driven magnets 88 are magnetically coupled to the driving magnet 57 associated with the shaft 55 of the liquid level gauge 38 and thus serve to cause corresponding rotation of the disk 62 when the float 46 is moved in response to a change in liquid level within the tank 12 . although the disk has been shown as rotatably connected to the base , the disk can alternatively or additionally be rotatably connected to the lens or other structure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . a reflective layer 94 is located on the upper surface 82 of the disk 62 and preferably includes a first reflective segment 96 with a first radius 106 and a second reflective segment 100 with a second radius 102 . preferably , the second radius is greater than the first radius such that the second reflective segment 100 extends from a center of the disk 62 to an edge 104 thereof and the first reflective segment 96 extends to a position spaced from the edge . the first reflective segment 96 preferably terminates at a first leading edge 98 and extends peripherally around the disk and terminates at a second leading edge 108 associated with the second reflective segment 100 . preferably , the first and second leading edges extend at an obtuse angle . the second reflective segment 96 also preferably terminates at the second leading edge 108 and extends peripherally around the disk and terminates at a first trailing edge 110 of the second reflective segment 100 . the significance of the reflective segments will be described in greater detail below with respect to fig7 - 10 . the reflective layer 94 , including the first and second reflective segments , is preferably die - cut from a single piece of retro - reflective adhesive tape and applied to the upper surface 82 of the disk 62 . a suitable retro - reflective tape , such as scotchlite ™ reflective tape by 3m , can include thousands of highly - efficient micro prisms that reflect radiant energy back toward the light source . it will be understood that the reflective layer can be formed from other reflective materials such as reflective glass , plastic or metallic materials or coatings , as well as paints or inks that are sprayed , screened or printed onto the disk 62 , without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . a pointer 112 is also preferably located on the upper surface 82 of the disk 62 and is preferably in alignment with or closely adjacent to the first leading edge 98 of the first reflective segment 96 for visually indicating a liquid level condition in conjunction with blocking layer 66 . although shown as triangular in shape , it will be understood that the pointer 112 can be of any suitable shape for indicating a liquid level condition . in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention , the pointer 112 can be eliminated and the first leading edge 98 of the first reflective segment 96 can serve as the pointer . the lens 64 preferably includes an upper wall 114 and a continuous side wall 116 extending downwardly from the upper wall . the lens 64 can be constructed of any suitable transparent or translucent material which allows the observer to view the disk 62 and the blocking layer 66 through the upper wall 114 . the side wall 116 preferably engages the side wall 70 of the base 60 when assembled and can be connected together through any well - known means such as adhesive bonding , heat welding , mechanical fastening , mutually engageable threads , friction fit , and so on . the blocking layer 66 is preferably printed , screened or otherwise applied onto a lower surface 118 of the upper wall 114 and is therefore fixed against movement with the lens 64 . however , it will be understood that the blocking layer 66 can be formed as a separate element and connected to the lens 64 through any well - known connecting means . the blocking layer 66 preferably includes an opaque region 120 with a first transparent section or window 122 and a second transparent section or window 124 located diametrically opposite the first window . when directly printed onto the lens 64 , the first and second windows are preferably formed as cut - outs in the blocking layer . preferably , the first window 122 is larger than the second window 124 and includes a scale 126 that denotes the liquid level condition within the tank 12 , such as empty , ¼ tank , ½ tank , full , and so on . when the blocking layer 66 is formed as a separate element , the windows 122 and 124 are preferably formed as transparent sections of the blocking layer 66 . it will be understood that the term “ transparent ” as used herein does not necessarily refer to completely transparent but rather denotes sufficient transparency to allow an observer to visually determine a position of the underlying disk 62 with respect to the opaque region 120 and allow at least some radiant energy from the optical transceiver to traverse the windows . likewise , it will be understood that the term “ opaque ” as used herein does not necessarily mean completely opaque but rather denotes a condition where transmission of radiant energy from the optical transceiver is sufficiently impaired to prevent a sufficient quantity or intensity of radiant energy to be reflected back to the transceiver . the first window 122 is bordered by a first edge 128 and a second edge 130 of the opaque region 120 that respectively coincide with “ empty ” and “ full ” conditions of the tank 12 . an angle a ( fig7 ) between the first and second edges 128 , 130 is preferably sufficiently large to create a sufficiently long arc length to expose the pointer 112 and at least a portion of the first reflective segment 96 between the empty and full tank conditions ( fig7 - 10 ) as denoted by the scale 126 when the disk 62 is rotated in response to movement of the float 46 ( fig2 ). likewise , the second window 124 is bordered by a third edge 132 and a fourth edge 134 of the opaque region 120 that extend at an angle b to create a sufficiently long arc length so that at least a portion of the second reflective segment 100 is exposed during rotation of the disk 62 between the empty and full tank conditions . in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention , the angle a is approximately 100 degrees while the angle b is approximately 24 degrees for a particular liquid level gauge having a predefined angular rotation of the driving magnet 57 ( fig2 ) of approximately 100 degrees when the float 46 is moved in response to a change in liquid level within the tank 12 between empty and full tank positions . it will be understood that the angles for the window edges , the arc lengths of the reflective segments and the amount of angular rotation of the disk 62 , as well as the arc length and contents of the scale 126 can greatly vary and will depend at least in part on the particular liquid level gauge used and / or the type and amount of information related to liquid level to be displayed for visual observation and / or electronic detection . referring again to fig1 and 2 , the optical transceiver 42 preferably includes a transmitter 136 that emits radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum and a receiver 138 that detects the emitted radiant energy . preferably , the transmitter 136 comprises a led that emits radiant energy in the near - infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum and the receiver comprises a photosensor , such as a photodiode or phototransistor , that detects radiant energy in the near - infrared region . however , it will be understood that the transmitter and / or receiver can alternatively emit and receive radiant energy in the ultraviolet , visible and / or infrared light spectrums without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the transmitter 136 and receiver 138 are preferably located within a housing 140 which is in turn connected to the mounting bracket 46 . the housing may also include circuitry ( not shown ) for detecting when a predetermined condition has occurred and transmitting a signal via an electrical cable 142 to the indicator 44 to inform an operator of the predetermined condition . preferably , the predetermined condition is a low liquid level condition of the tank 12 based on a predetermined reflected value detected by the receiver . the electrical cable 142 can also supply electrical power to the optical transceiver 42 from the forklift 14 or other power source . in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention , the optical transceiver 42 can be battery - powered and a signal can be sent to the indicator 44 via a wireless signal in a well - known manner . as shown in fig2 , the transmitter 136 emits light toward the dial assembly 58 , as represented by phantom lines 144 . the emitted light is then reflected toward the emitter 138 , as shown by dashed lines 146 , when at least a portion of one or more of the reflective regions 96 , 100 ( fig5 ) is exposed through the blocking layer 66 . suitable and well - known techniques for reducing ambient noise can be employed , including but not limited to polarizing the light output , providing one or more light filters , generating a predetermined pattern of light pulses that is recognized by the receiver and related circuitry , and so on . referring now to fig7 - 10 , operation of the system 10 for remotely determining a liquid level condition within the tank 12 will now be described . as shown in fig7 , the pointer 112 of the disk 62 is in alignment with the “ e ” on the scale 126 of the blocking layer 66 , thereby informing an observer that the tank 12 is empty or near empty . in this position , the first and second reflective segments 96 , 100 are covered by the opaque region 120 so that no radiant energy ( or an insignificant amount ) from the transmitter 136 ( fig2 ) is reflected back to the receiver 138 . in this position , a switch signal is preferably generated and sent to the indicator 44 to alert an operator of the low level or “ empty ” tank condition . preferably , the reflective segments and opaque region are arranged to indicate a low level condition with sufficient contents in the tank to allow the forklift ( or other vehicle ) to return to the refueling station . in the event that the optical transceiver 42 malfunctions , the signal will still be sent to the indicator 44 . a visual inspection of the dial assembly 58 will immediately inform an operator that a system malfunction has occurred when the pointer 112 is not aligned with an empty or near - empty condition , i . e . when the contents of the tank are sufficient to preclude a low level warning . this fail - safe mode of operation ensures , with a high level of confidence , that the system 10 is operating correctly when the indicator 44 does not receive a signal . at a particular low level condition , the low level signal may be sporadic due to fuel sloshing . accordingly , well - known damping or delay techniques can be used for mechanically and / or electronically stabilizing the signal . when the disk 62 rotates to a level condition greater than a predetermined low level condition , as shown in fig8 , a portion of the first reflective segment 96 and second reflective segment 100 will be exposed through the first window 122 and second window 124 , respectively , of the blocking layer 66 . in this position , a critical area of the reflective segments is exposed so that radiant energy from the transmitter 136 is reflected back to the receiver 138 with sufficient intensity to stop generation of the low level warning signal . further rotation of the disk 62 toward the half - full and full tank positions , as shown in fig9 and 10 , respectively , expose even more of the first and second reflective segments through their respective windows . accordingly , a low level signal will be sent to the indicator 44 only when the exposed reflective area is insufficient to reflect a significant amount of radiant energy from the transmitter 136 or when the system 10 experiences a malfunction . it will be understood that one of the windows can be eliminated where sufficient reflection is generated with a single window . it will be further understood that one or more of the windows can be enlarged or reduced in size to reveal more or less of the reflective area . in addition , more windows and / or reflective segments can be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring now to fig1 , a dial assembly 150 in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated . the dial assembly 150 is similar in construction to the dial assembly 58 previously described , with the exception that the reflective layer 94 is preferably located on an upper surface 152 of the bottom wall 68 of the base 60 and the blocking layer 66 is located on the disk 62 a . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the disk 62 a is formed of a transparent material and the blocking layer 66 is an opaque layer on the transparent material to form transparent windows 122 a and 124 a . in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention , the disk 62 a is formed of an opaque material and the windows 122 a and 122 b are formed as cut - outs in the material . with this arrangement , the reflective layer is fixedly connected to the base 60 and the blocking layer is fixedly connected to the magnetically - coupled disk 62 a for rotation therewith in response to float movement . the scale 126 can either be associated with the disk 62 a or with the base 60 in this embodiment and the pointer ( not shown ) is associated with the other of the disk and base . in accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention , with the scale located on the disk 62 a , the pointer can be eliminated and the leading edge 98 of the first reflective section 96 can function as the pointer for visually observing the liquid level condition within the tank . in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention , with the scale located on the base 60 , the leading edge 128 of the blocking layer 66 can serve as the pointer . with the above - described embodiments , there is no need to remove sensor components from the tank prior to replacement , as in prior art magnetic flux field sensors . in addition , the operator need not be preoccupied with the liquid level condition of the tank until the low level warning signal is generated . accordingly , the operator is better able to focus on the task at hand . it will be understood that the term “ preferably ” as used throughout the specification refers to one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention and therefore is not to be interpreted in any limiting sense . it will be further understood that the term “ connect ” and its various derivatives as may be used throughout the specification refer to components that may be joined together either directly or through one or more intermediate members . in addition , terms of orientation and / or position as may be used throughout the specification relate to relative rather than absolute orientations and / or positions . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof . it will be understood , therefore , that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed , but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
the illustrative embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the figure drawings , wherein like elements and structures are indicated by like reference numbers . while the embodiments that will be set forth in the following refer to low - if wlan transceivers , other embodiments may relate to other transceivers , transmitters or any type of signal processing devices suffering from dc offsets . referring now to fig2 , a dc offset cancellation process according to an embodiment is shown . this process may allow for minimizing or even completely cancelling a dc offset imposed on a data signal . in step 210 , a dc correction signal may be applied to the input signal path of a low - if wlan transceiver for compensating for a dc offset imposed on the input signal . in this context , the meaning of “ compensating ” may also include partially compensating . further , the term “ dc correction signal ” may indicate that the respective signal is for compensating for , i . e . correcting , the dc offset . the dc correction signal may be a dc signal , e . g ., a dc current and / or voltage , but other types of signals may also be used for compensating for the dc offset . in step 220 , the strength of an indicator signal indicative of the dc offset may be determined versus the value of the dc correction signal . the determination of the indicator signal strength may include measuring the amplitude of the indicator signal . the amplitude can have both positive and negative values . further , the determination may comprise squaring the measured amplitude of the indicator signal and / or calculating the absolute value thereof . if more than one indicator signal is used , the amplitude of each of the indicator signals may be measured . the measured amplitudes may be squared and / or added . in step 230 , it is identified whether the signal strength determined in step 220 comprises a local minimum . according to the present embodiment , the presence of a local minimum is identified by comparing the determined strengths of the indicator signal and detecting whether there is a determined strength inferior to both its left - hand and right - hand neighboring strength . the left - hand ( right - hand ) neighboring strength may be defined as the strength of the indicator signal determined for the next lower ( next higher ) value of the dc correction signal . in the present embodiment , the indicator signal is selected such that the local minimum of the determined strengths corresponds to a value of the dc correction signal at which the dc offset is minimized . this value will be referred to in the following as the optimum value of the dc correction signal . in another embodiment , the identifying step 230 comprises , for each of the determined strengths having a left - hand neighboring strength and a right - hand neighboring strength , calculating a first difference between the determined strength and its left - hand neighboring strength and a second difference between the right - hand neighboring strength and the determined strength . subsequently , it may be determined whether the determined strengths of the indicator signal comprise a local minimum for which the first difference and the second difference have different signs . in a further embodiment , step 230 of identifying whether the determined strengths comprise a local minimum may include interpolating between the determined strengths for generating a smooth strength function . for instance , polynomial spline functions may be used for obtaining the smooth strength function . the first derivative of the smooth strength function may be calculated , and it may be determined whether the first derivative comprises a null . the determined strength or interpolated strength corresponding to the null of the first derivative may be identified as the local minimum . in step 240 , it may be queried whether the local minimum corresponding to a minimized dc offset has been identified in step 230 . if this is not the case , the value of the dc correction signal may be varied in step 250 . according to the present embodiment , the value of the dc correction signal is set to a start value when step 210 of applying the dc correction signal to the input signal path is performed . each time step 250 is executed , the value of the dc correction signal may be increased or decreased by a certain step value until a target value is reached . if no local minimum has been identified for the values of the dc correction signal between the start value and the target value , steps 220 to 250 may be repeated for other start values , target values and / or step values . in another embodiment , step 250 of varying the value of the dc correction signal comprises continuously increasing or decreasing the value of the dc correction signal , and step 220 of determining the strength of the indicator signal is performed continuously while the value of the dc correction signal is varied . in this embodiment , step 220 results in a continuous function of the strength of the indicator signal against the value of the dc correction signal . accordingly , step 230 may comprise calculating the first derivative of the strength function , determining whether the first derivative comprises a null and identifying the determined strength corresponding to the null of the first derivative as the local minimum . once step 240 yields that the determined signal strengths comprise a local minimum , the optimum value of the dc correction signal may be identified in step 260 as the value of the dc correction signal corresponding to the local minimum of the strength of the indicator signal . finally , in step 270 , the value of the dc correction signal may be set to the optimum value . it is noted that the sequence of steps shown in fig2 has been chosen for illustration purposes only and is not to be understood as limiting the invention . for instance , steps 250 and 220 may be performed alternately until the target value of the dc correction signal is reached , and afterwards step 230 of identifying whether the determined signal strengths comprise a local minimum may be performed . in the present embodiment , the determined strength of the indicator signal reaches a local extremum , particularly a local minimum , only if the dc offset is minimized . in other embodiments , the determined strength of the indicator signal may have a local maximum when the dc correction signal is minimized or may include a plurality of local extrema . in such circumstances , step 230 may comprise verifying whether further criteria are fulfilled in order to identify whether the determined strength comprises a local extremum that corresponds to a minimized dc offset . for example , when a continuous strength function is used , a second derivative of the strength function may be calculated and it may be determined whether the second derivative corresponding to the null of the first derivative is positive or negative in order to determine whether the local extremum identified by the null of the first derivative is a local minimum or a local maximum , respectively . turning now to fig3 , a flow diagram illustrating a complex dc offset cancellation process is shown . the complex dc offset cancellation may be employed in systems where dc offsets imposed on a plurality of signals are to be minimized . the complex dc offset cancellation may even be used for minimizing dc offsets residing on cross - coupled signals . in step 310 , the dc offset cancellation described above with reference to fig2 may be applied to a first signal suffering from a first dc offset . in the depicted embodiment , the dc offset cancellation is applied to an i - signal in a system where complex i - and q - signals are used . once the optimum value of the first dc correction signal applied to the i - signal has been identified in step 260 , the value of the first dc correction signal is set to this optimum value in step 270 and is kept at this value while step 320 is performed . in step 320 , the dc offset cancellation according to the process illustrated in fig2 is performed anew for identifying an optimum value of a second dc correction signal applied to the q - signal and setting the value of the second dc correction signal to this optimum value . according to the present embodiment , it is not necessary to switch off the remaining signals carrying dc offsets while the dc offset on one signal is minimized , even when the respective signals are cross - coupled . in particular , it may be unnecessary to switch off the q - signal ( i - signal ) while step 310 ( 320 ) of performing the dc offset cancellation on the i - signal ( q - signal ) is executed . it is noted that steps 310 and 320 may also be performed in the inverse order . the sequence of steps 310 and 320 may be supplemented with corresponding further steps of performing the dc offset cancellation when dc offsets on more than two signals are to be minimized . the same or different indicator signals may be used for minimizing dc offsets on a plurality of signals . in fig4 , components of a low - if wlan transceiver according to an embodiment are shown . the low - if wlan transceiver may be arranged for minimizing or even completely cancelling dc offsets residing on the combined i - signal and / or the combined q - signal which may be caused by the active complex filters 420 , 430 based upon the complex dc offset cancellation process illustrated in fig3 . the components 410 to 460 may correspond to the components 110 to 160 described above with reference to fig1 . dc correction controllers 490 , 495 may be used for applying dc correction signals to the q - path 440 and the i - path 410 , respectively , in step 210 , varying the value of each of the dc correction signals in step 250 , and setting the value of each of the dc correction signals to an optimum value in step 270 . in other embodiments , at least one of the dc correction signals may be applied at any other point between the i - path 410 ( or the q - path 440 , respectively ) and the complex mixer 460 . a switch between the dc correction controllers 490 , 495 and the local minimum identifier 480 may be used for connecting either the dc correction controller 490 operating on the q - path 440 or the dc correction controller 495 operating on the i - path 410 to the local minimum identifier 480 , thereby allowing for completing the dc offset cancellation on one of the signals before the dc offset cancellation on the other signal is started according to fig3 . the switch may be controlled , e . g ., by the local minimum identifier 480 or a separate switch control unit . in the depicted embodiment , the transmission signal is used for the indicator signal . the strength of the indicator signal may be determined by a signal strength analyzer 470 . in particular , the signal strength analyzer may determine the strength of the lo feedthrough , i . e . the strength of a component of the transmission signal at the lo frequency . for this purpose , the signal strength analyzer 470 may comprise a means for measuring the amplitude of the lo feedthrough . further , the signal strength analyzer 470 may comprise means for squaring and / or calculating the absolute value of the measured amplitude . the determined strength of the indicator signal may be provided to a local minimum identifier 480 . the local minimum identifier 480 may be arranged for associating each of the determined strengths with the corresponding value of the dc correction signal applied to the i - path 410 or the q - path 440 in order to determine the strengths of the indicator signal versus the values of the dc correction signal according to step 220 . for this purpose , the local minimum identifier 480 may not only receive the determined strengths from the signal strength analyzer 470 but also the corresponding value of the dc correction signal from the dc correction controllers 490 , 495 . alternatively , the local minimum identifier 480 may send control signals to the dc correction controllers 490 , 495 to make the dc correction controllers 490 , 495 apply dc correction signals having values predefined by the local minimum identifier 480 . the sub - step of associating the determined strengths with the values of the dc correction signal may alternatively be performed by the signal strength analyzer 470 or a separate associating unit . other methods for associating the determined strengths with the corresponding values of the dc correction signal may be applied . the local minimum identifier 480 may further be employed for identifying in step 230 whether the determined strengths of the indicator signal comprise a local minimum . therefore , the local minimum identifier 480 may comprise means for comparing the determined strengths , means for calculating differences between neighboring determined strengths , means for interpolating between the determined strengths of the indicator signal and / or means for calculating derivatives of an indicator signal strength function . upon having found in step 240 that the determined strengths comprise a local minimum , the local minimum identifier 480 may identify in step 260 an optimum value of the dc correction signal corresponding to the local minimum of the determined strengths . thereupon , the local minimum identifier 480 may communicate the optimum value to the dc correction controller 490 or the dc correction controller 495 so that the respective dc correction controller can set the value of the dc correction signal to the optimum value according to step 270 . referring now to fig5 , components of a low - if wlan transceiver according to another embodiment are shown . the low - if wlan transceiver may be adapted to perform the complex dc offset cancellation process shown in fig3 in order to minimize or completely cancel dc offsets imposed on the combined i - signal and / or the combined q - signal . the components 510 to 560 may correspond to the components 110 to 160 described with reference to fig1 . the components 580 to 595 of the low - if wlan transceiver may correspond to the components 480 to 495 discussed with respect to fig4 . the determination of the strength of the indicator signal in step 220 may be performed based on the combined i - signal and the combined q - signal . the signal strength analyzer 570 may comprise means for measuring the amplitudes of the combined i - signal and the combined q - signal . further , the signal strength analyzer 570 may comprise means for squaring the measured amplitudes , for adding the squared measured amplitudes , and for using the result of the addition as the indicator signal . further , the signal strength analyzer 570 and / or the local minimum identifier 580 may be arranged for associating the strengths of the indicator signal thus determined with the corresponding values of the dc correction signal according to the method described above with reference to fig4 . in further embodiments , wlan communication devices or integrated circuit chips may be provided , that are arranged for performing the above described methods and processes . in fig6 , the behavior of the indicator signal versus the value of the dc correction signal according to an embodiment , e . g ., in the low - if wlan transceiver described with respect to fig4 , is shown . in this embodiment , the lo feedthrough is used for the indicator signal . the strength function 610 may represent the behavior of the determined strength of the indicator signal when the value of a first dc correction signal , e . g ., the dc correction signal applied to the i - path 410 , is varied . the first local minimum 620 may be reached when the dc offset on a first signal , e . g ., the combined i - signal , is minimized . the value 630 of the dc correction signal corresponding to the first local minimum 620 may be selected as the optimum value for the first dc correction signal . once a first local minimum 620 for the first path , e . g ., the i - path , has been found , the process for the second path , e . g ., the q - path , may be started . the value of the first dc correction signal may be kept at the optimum value 630 , and the strength of the indicator signal may pass along the curve 640 while the value of the second dc correction signal , e . g ., the dc correction signal applied to the q - path 440 , may be varied . when the dc offset residing on a second signal , e . g ., the combined q - signal , is minimized , the strength of the indicator signal may reach the second local minimum 650 . the optimum value of the second dc correction signal may correspond to the value 660 at which the second local minimum 650 is reached . thus , when setting the values of the first and second dc correction signals to the optimum values 630 , 660 , both the dc offsets on the first and on the second signal may be minimized . as apparent from the above description of embodiments , methods and corresponding devices for performing dc offset cancellation are provided . in a low - if wlan transceiver , i / q - signals may be generated out of an analytic signal to perform image rejection . active complex cross - coupled filters 120 , 130 , 420 , 430 , 520 , 530 may be used to generate these complex signals . active parts may suffer from dc offset which may cause lo feedthrough in a transmitter . the method according to the presented embodiments may reduce this dc offset for a complex cross - coupled structure . the presented dc offset cancellation may be applied in combination with amd &# 39 ; s am1780 wlan transceiver . as discussed above , a dc offset at either the combined i - signal or the combined q - signal depicted in fig4 and 5 or at both the combined i - signal and the combined q - signal may generate an lo feedthrough at the transmission signal . in one embodiment , the amplitude of the lo may be measured and fed into the local minimum identifier 480 . as a first step to reduce the dc offset causing the lo feedthrough , a dc voltage may be injected with the dc correction controller 495 to reduce the overall lo feedthrough . this may be accomplished such that a current is injected starting at a certain level and increased by a certain step . the local minimum identifier 480 may be used to find a first minimum 620 . when the minimum 620 is found for the i - path 410 , the same process may be started for the q - path 440 using the local minimum identifier 480 and the dc correction controller 490 . a second local minimum 650 may then be found . both i and q correction values may be selected now that a local minimum 620 , 650 or the maximum lo rejection , respectively , has been reached . it may not be required to switch either the q - or the i - path off during calibration of the other path . additionally , another type of implementation has been presented . instead of using the transmission signal to detect the lo leakage , the combined i - signal and the combined q - signal may be used to determine the dc offset . the correction mechanism may be the same as in the embodiment where the transmission signal is used for the indicator signal . an advantage of this method may be the simplicity . it may not be required to switch paths off . local minima 620 , 650 may be used to find the maximum value for image rejection . thus , a fast algorithm may be possible to find the total minimum . while the invention has been described with respect to the physical embodiments constructed in accordance therewith , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications , variations and improvements of the present invention may be made in the light of the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , those areas in which it is believed that those of ordinary skill in the art are familiar , have not been described herein in order to not unnecessarily obscure the invention described herein . accordingly , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrative embodiments , but only by the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
the present invention provides a method for inhibiting the development of acidity which occurs during storage of a coffee extract . in order to suppress the acidity increase in stored coffee , it was first necessary to study the changes in the concentrations of organic acids during storage of a coffee brew and to identify the acids which contributed most to the increase in acidity . as is evidenced by the data obtained in comparative example 1 , it was found that the major contribution to increased acidity in a stored coffee brew was provided by the production of quinic acid , which increased by almost 40 %. other acids which showed significant increases in concentration were acetic acid ( 24 %), glycolic acid ( 16 %), formic acid ( 14 %) and phosphoric acid ( 27 %). citric and malic acids showed no significant increase , while the other acids being monitored showed small increases . once the major acids were identified which were responsible for the acidity increase in the stored coffee , the next step in the development of the present invention was to understand the reactions which led to the production of these acids . for example , upon roasting , it has been found that both quinic and chlorogenic acids form lactones , i . e . quinic acid lactone and chlorogenic acid lactone . their formation can be illustrated as follows : ## str1 ## as shown above , the chlorogenic acid present in the coffee degrades on roasting to produce both quinic acid and chlorogenic acid lactone . as is further illustrated , the quinic acid then breaks down to produce quinic acid lactone . the present invention realizes that these lactones represent the primary precursors to the acids which develop upon storage . the gradual hydrolysis of the above - noted lactones are responsible for the development of chlorogenic acid and quinic acid in untreated liquid coffee . through the use of gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy , it was determined that in a stored coffee brew ( for a period of 8 days at a temperature of 60 ° c . ), the concentration of quinic acid increased by 14 . 8 mmol / kg while the quinic acid lactone concentration decreased by 12 . 2 mmol / kg . this translates into a 29 . 6 % increase in acid and a 24 . 5 % decrease in the lactone . the large increase in quinic acid concentration on storage suggests that the hydrolysis of the quinic acid lactone is an important contributor to the acidity development . similarly , it was determined that based on the existence of the chlorogenic acid lactones in the stored coffee , the hydrolysis of the lactones to chlorogenic acid represented a 10 to 15 % increase in the overall acidity of the coffee on storage . the other acids which were found to increase over time , such as acetic acid , formic acid , phosphoric acid and glycolic acid , are all low molecular weight acids which are believed to be produced on storage by hydrolysis of precursor esters . it is suggested that these precursor esters could be produced by reaction of acids produced during roasting with hydroxyl groups such as those present in the coffee polysaccharides . on hydrolysis , the acids would then be released . increases of about 20 %, 10 %, 7 % and 6 % were found to occur with acetic acid , formic acid , phosphoric acid and glycolic acid , respectively . overall , hydrolysis of esters produced on roasting are believed to be ultimately responsible for about 35 % of the acidity increase in the stored liquid coffee product . these are percentages of the total acid increase . in addition to the above , it is further noted that polymeric maillard - type products known as coffee melanoidins are believed to contribute to the sourness of roast coffee . based on the fact that coffee melanoidins are acidic and contain a variety of functional groups , it seems likely that they would also contain ester or lactone linkages which would contribute to acidity increase on storage . based on the observations described above , the overall acidity increase in a stored coffee extract was found to be due primarily to the formation of acids by hydrolysis of esters and lactones produced on roasting . based on these findings , a method was developed for inhibiting acid production and thus stabilizing a coffee extract such that staling of the coffee product would not occur . in the process of the present invention , the first step in stabilizing a coffee extract is the treatment of the coffee extract with an alkali . alkalies are compounds that contain the hydroxide ion ( oh ). when the alkali reacts with an ester a saponification reaction occurs which converts the ester group into an acid salt and an alcohol group . thus , in order to prevent the lactones and esters from forming acids by hydrolysis during storage and increasing the acidity of the beverage , the alkali is reacted with the lactones and esters to produce the stable acid salts . accordingly , on storage , the lactones and esters are no longer present and cannot form their acid counterparts through hydrolysis . the amount of alkali to be added to the extract in the process of the present invention must be in a sufficient quantity to convert the acid precursors present in the coffee extract into their respective acid salts . based on the fact that different varieties of coffee and degrees of coffee roast are comprised of different percentages of acids , the required amount of alkali will vary depending on the coffee blend which is used , as well as other factors which effect the acid composition of the coffee extract . generally speaking , however , the alkali is added in an amount from about 0 . 1 mol / l to about 0 . 5 mol / l . a preferred amount of alkali is from about 0 . 25 mol / l to about 0 . 35 mol / l . alkalis as defined herein may be any of those typically used in the art and include any food - acceptable alkalis such as sodium hydroxide , calcium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide and the like . potassium hydroxide is the preferred alkali because potassium is naturally present in coffee and it is less detectable from a flavor perspective . the treatment of the coffee extract in the first step of the method of the present invention should be conducted at a temperature and ph suitable for the neutralization reaction to take place . the time for the neutralization reaction , i . e . the conversion of the lactones and esters into their respective stable acid salts , will also vary depending on the other variables . more specifically , use of a lower ph is possible at elevated temperatures . for example , the ph of the coffee extract may be raised to a ph of 10 by the addition of n koh at room temperature for one hour . alternatively , the ph can be held at 9 if the coffee extract is treated at a temperature of 60 ° c . for the same time period . generally , the coffee extract can be treated in the temperature range of 0 ° c . to 80 ° c . the higher temperatures allow the use of low ph ( as low as 8 . 5 ) and short processing times ( as short as 1 minute ). lower temperatures would require high ph ( as high as 12 . 0 ) and longer processing times ( as long as 1 day ). the adjustment of these variables to ensure the reaction with the alkali are well within the abilities of those skilled in the art . because of primarily economic considerations , there are two preferred set of processing conditions to effect alkali treatment of the coffee extract . the first preferred set of conditions will treat the coffee extract at room temperature at from about 20 ° c . to about 25 ° c . at these temperatures , the extract should be maintained at a ph of from about 9 . 5 to about 12 for a time effective to convert acid precursors to their respective acid salts . the preferred time should vary from about 0 . 75 to about 1 . 25 hours . the second set of conditions will treat the coffee extract at elevated temperatures of from about 55 ° c . to about 65 ° c . at these temperatures , the extract should be maintained at a ph of from about 8 . 8 to about 9 . 5 for a time effective to convert acid precursors to their respective acid salts . the preferred time should vary from about 0 . 75 to about 1 . 25 hours . the second step in the method of the present invention is the neutralization of the treated coffee extract resulting from the first step . after the first step has been completed , excess alkali is present and the ph of the extract is too high . by addition of an acid , the excess alkali is neutralized and the ph can be adjusted to the desired value . acids which may be used in the present invention may be any of those typically used in the art and include any food - acceptable acid such as various types of phosphoric acid , citric acid , tartaric acid , fumaric acid , adipic acid , malic acid and the like . of course , the specific amount of acid to be used , and the type of acid to be used , will depend on the desired qualities of the end product , specifically the desired ph as well as desired flavor . that is , an acid is added to obtain a final ph which results in an optimum sensory quality . typically , for liquid coffee beverages , a ph of from about 4 . 7 to about 5 . 3 is desired , with a ph of about 4 . 9 to about 5 . 1 being preferred . alternatively , the neutralization reaction of the second step of the present invention may be performed with the use of a cation exchanger in the [ h + ] form . the specifics of such reactions are well known to those skilled in the art and do not need to be detailed . the coffee extracts treated by the method of the present invention were found to have a low quinic acid lactone content indicating what the results would eventually show with respect to the storage of the coffee over time . as was expected , the liquid coffee extracts showed no appreciable drop in ph . a few minor changes were detected in the composition of the coffee volatile fraction , however , the product after a storage time equivalent to six months at room temperature had only a slightly reduced flavor intensity as compared to a fresh control sample . moreover , the preferred process seeks to avoid loss of aromatics by removing aromatics from the extract prior to alkali treatment , as for example by steam distillation and then adding back these aromas after neutralization of the alkali - treated extract . the increased salt level in the treated extract was detected by a few , but not all , tasters on the taste panel . the liquid coffee product produced by the method of the present invention exhibits a longer and more stable shelf - life than liquid coffee products currently available in the market . due to the stabilized ph , there is no longer a risk of milk flocculation occurring on storage . as indicated above , the liquid coffee products made in accordance with the present invention are characterized by either the absence of or having a very low level of quinic acid lactone . generally , liquid coffee products treated by the method of the present invention will have less than 0 . 05 % quinic acid lactone content . the following examples are provided to further illustrate the present invention . based on reaction kinetics which show a strong temperature dependence , it was determined that for acid formation , storage of a coffee extract at a temperature of 25 ° c . for a period of six months was equivalent to the storage of the same extract for a period of 14 days at a temperature of 60 ° c . a standard coffee solution made from colombian beans at a temperature of 60 ° c . was stored and monitored over a 14 day period . after about 200 hours , the development of acid had leveled off , with the ph dropping from about 4 . 9 to about 4 . 5 . the ph drop resulted in an unpleasant sour taste . the resulting data ( see table 1 below ) showed an increase of several organic acids . table 1______________________________________change in organic acids in stored coffee brewacid time [ hrs ][ g / kg ] 0 2 . 5 8 24 72 120______________________________________quinic 7 . 8 8 . 7 8 . 7 9 . 0 9 . 9 10 . 8acetic 3 . 15 3 . 6 3 . 6 3 . 6 3 . 9 3 . 9glycolic 1 . 14 1 . 29 1 . 23 1 . 25 1 . 23 1 . 32formic 2 . 0 2 . 10 2 . 13 2 . 19 2 . 22 2 . 28malic 2 . 09 2 . 19 2 . 16 2 . 40 2 . 22 2 . 19citric 6 . 6 6 . 9 6 . 9 6 . 9 6 . 9 6 . 9phosphoric 1 . 44 1 . 50 1 . 53 1 . 59 1 . 71 1 . 83______________________________________ r & amp ; g coffee was extracted with hot water to give an 8 % liquid coffee solution . the extract was treated with n koh with stirring so that the ph was maintained at a value of 10 at room temperature for a time of one hour . the solution was then neutralized to a ph of 4 . 8 using 85 % h 3 po 4 . storage studies ( for a period of 14 days at a temperature of 60 ° c .) showed no drop in ph . although some minor changes occurred in the composition of the coffee volatile fraction , optimization of conditions for the treatment of the coffee extract resulted in a product which had only slightly reduced flavor intensity when compared to a fresh control sample . r & amp ; g coffee was extracted with hot water to give an 8 % liquid coffee solution . the extract was treated with 10n koh with stirring , and at a temperature of 60 ° c ., so that a ph was held at a value of about 9 . 0 . the treatment was for approximately one hour . the solution was then neutralized to a ph of 5 . 0 using 85 % h 3 po 4 . the solution was stored for a period of 14 days at a temperature of 60 ° c . at the end of the storage period , the product showed no observable drop in ph and had a comparative flavor to a fresh control sample . r & amp ; g coffee was extracted with hot water to give an 8 % liquid coffee solution . the extract was treated with 10n naoh with stirring so that the ph was held at above ph 12 at room temperature for 1 hour . the solution was then neutralized to a ph of 4 . 73 using 85 % h 3 po 4 . following the neutralization step , storage studies showed that the observed drop in ph as was shown in comparative example 1 no longer occurred . the solution ph remained stable on storage ( 60 ° c ., 8 days ). alkali extract treatment at ph 12 requires higher phosphoric acid addition to effect neutralization as compared to the previous two examples . as a result , this will increase the likelihood of sensory perception of the generated phosphate salt in the treated extract . the above preferred embodiments and examples are given to illustrate the scope and spirit of the present invention . the embodiments and examples described herein will make apparent , to those skilled in the art , other embodiments and examples . these other embodiments and examples are within the contemplation of the present invention . therefore , the present invention should be limited only by the appended claims . | 0 |
fig1 and fig2 depict apparatus and method representing the conventional testing apparatus and method for testing vertical piles , as shown on astm d1143 - 81 ( reapproved 1987 ). fig1 depicts the conventional testing apparatus and method for testing a single pile . fig2 depicts the conventional testing apparatus and method for testing a group of piles . referring now to fig1 , a single pile 1 is shown as having been driven into soil 17 . a pair of anchor piles 7 also have been driven into soil 17 , at a distance at least seven feet away from or clear of pile 1 , i . e ., away from the pile 1 under test . a bottom flange 19 of a test beam 6 is set on top of a bearing plate 5 of a piston ram 4 of a hydraulic cylinder 2 . the hydraulic cylinder 2 is set on a test plate 3 , which is centered on top of the individual pile 1 , i . e ., the single pile 1 . the test beam 6 is tied to the anchor piles 7 by means of a series of connecting rods 8 , a pair of plates 9 on a top flange 18 of the beam 6 , and the connecting rods 8 are secured by a series of threaded nuts 10 , threaded down against the plates 9 . by the conventional method , a powerful , upwardly driven push is provided by the piston ram 4 of the hydraulic cylinder 2 , as represented by an arrow 15 . this upwardly driven push is exerted upon the test beam 6 , by means of a bearing plate 5 , which bears on the bottom flange 19 of the beam 6 . the beam 6 is fixedly connected to the anchor piles 7 by means of the threaded nuts 10 , tightened on the connecting rods 8 , against the plates 9 . as a result , the beam 6 cannot move up . the forceful push of the pistons 4 is effectively resisted by the anchor piles 7 because of the friction between the anchor piles 7 and the soil 17 . an equivalent forceful push therefore is exerted downwardly on the test plate 3 and , as a result , on the individual pile 1 . accordingly to astm d1143 - 81 ( reapproved 1987 ), the load applied upon the pile 1 , which is the pile under test , must be 200 % of the anticipated individual pile 1 design load . the scope of purpose for testing piles is to determine if the pile has adequate bearing capacity , by measuring the response of the pile , e . g ., the pile 1 , to a static , compressive load , axially applied , as shown by an arrow 16 of fig1 . in addition , pile testings also are utilized for measuring pile movements under axial loading . fig1 shows a pair of dial gages 11 , connected by means of a pair of stems 20 to the pile 1 , at a pair of lugs 14 and to a pair of reference beams 13 by means of a pair of supports 12 . referring now to fig2 , the conventional testing apparatus and method for a group of piles 40 is represented . pile group 40 includes , by the way of an example , the two piles 40 which have been driven into a soil 53 . a series of anchor piles 47 also have been driven into the soil 53 at a distance at least seven feet away from or clear of any pile 40 , i . e ., the pile 40 of the pile group under test . a bottom flange 57 of a test beam 56 is set on top of a bearing plate 45 of a ram 44 of a hydraulic cylinder 43 . the hydraulic cylinder 43 is set on a test plate 42 , which in turn is set on a pile cap 41 . the pile cap 41 is centered on top of pile group 40 . the pile cap 41 is constructed of reinforced concrete , which is engineered to bear the anticipated load . the test beam 56 has a pair of beams 61 on its top flange 46 . a pair of beams 58 are set with their bottom flanges 59 on top of the i - beams 61 . this i - beam set up is all tied down to the anchor piles 47 by means of a series of connecting rods 48 and threaded nuts 52 , with a plate 51 on top of each flange 60 . the threaded nuts 52 are tightened down against the plates 51 . by the conventional method , a powerful , upwardly driven push is provided by the piston 44 of the hydraulic cylinder 43 , as represented by an arrow 54 . this upwardly driven push is exerted upon the test beam 56 by means of the bearing plate 45 , which bears on the bottom flange 57 of the beam 56 . the beam 56 is fixedly connected to the anchor piles 47 by means of the threaded nuts 52 tightened on the connecting rods 48 , against the plates 51 . as a result , the beam 56 cannot move up . the forceful push of the piston 44 is effectively resisted by the anchor piles 47 because of the friction between the piles 47 and the soil 53 . an equivalent , forceful push is exerted therefore downwardly upon the test plate 42 , the pile cap 41 , and the pile group 40 , as represented by an arrow 55 . accordingly to astm d1143 - 81 ( reapproved 1987 ), the load applied upon the pile group 40 , which is the pile group under test , must be 150 % of the anticipated pile group 40 design load . these astm tests are performed to determine if the pile group has adequate bearing capacity by measuring the response of the pile group , e . g ., the pile group 40 , to a static , compressive load applied axially , as shown in fig2 . the pile group 40 also is tested to determine movements which occur under loading . fig2 shows a pair of dial gages 51 connected by means of a pair of stems 49 to a pile cap 41 and to a pair of reference beams 53 by means of a pair of supports 52 . referring now to fig3 , a pair of reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 in accordance with the apparatus and the methods of the present invention are shown in the process of testing a single pile 90 under a static , axial load , provided by a hydraulic assembly 145 . the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 provide a point of resistance for a pair of hydraulic cylinders 93 to push against , as the hydraulic cylinders 93 exert a specified testing load on the pile 90 , as further described in this detailed description . the reaction anchors and support assemblies 125 are manufactured by safe foundations , inc ., of pittsburgh , pa . the hydraulic cylinders 93 are set on a bearing plate 91 , also known as a test plate 91 , with a pair of pistons 94 , respectively , upon which a bearing plate 92 is set . the hydraulic assembly could include only a one cylinder and one piston set instead of the pair of cylinders and pistons as shown in fig3 and 6 . a load cell 121 is set between the bearing plate 92 and a bearing plate 122 . the bearing plates 91 , 92 , and 122 are of sufficient thickness to support the test loads provided by the hydraulic assembly 145 without bending , but not less than two inches thick . the plate 122 bears against a flange 142 of a novel i - beam assembly 116 . the i - beam assembly 116 bears against an i - beam assembly 115 , which is identical to the beam assembly 116 . a pair of flanges 143 of the i - beam assembly 115 are set on top of a pair of flanges 105 of the i - beam assembly 116 . the beam assembly 115 is set at ninety degrees of the beam assembly 116 and on top of the beam assembly 116 , as shown in fig4 , a perspective view , showing some of the elements shown in fig3 . referring now to fig3 , 4 , and 8 , each of the beam assemblies 115 and 116 is constructed of two parallel i - beams , with one rod centering box 96 at each end of each assembly 115 and 116 . a detail of the rod centering box 96 is shown in fig8 , a perspective view of rod centering box 96 . one box 96 is welded at each end of each beam assembly 115 and 116 . the boxes 96 are made of plates 99 welded to the top flanges 105 and 106 of the beam assembly 116 and 115 , respectively , and of l - shaped bars 100 , also welded to the flanges 105 and 106 , respectively . the rod centering boxes 96 are completed by plates 97 , also welded to flanges 105 and 106 respectively . the plates 99 are also welded to the angled bars 100 and to the plates 97 . angled bars 104 are welded to each end of the i - beams 115 and 116 , respectively . with one rod centering box 96 , and one angled bar 104 welded to each end of each pair of i - beams , very strong , novel reaction frames , i . e ., beam assemblies 115 and 116 , are formed . support plates 101 , shown lifted - up from box 96 in fig8 are utilized to receive threaded rods 102 of the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 . nuts 103 in fig3 and 4 are threaded onto the rods 102 and tightened against the support plates 101 . the plates 101 can slide inside their respective centering box 96 to facilitate positioning the beam assemblies 115 and 116 over rods 102 . referring now to fig3 and 7 , the hydraulic assembly 145 is shown set upon the test plate 91 . the test plate 91 is set on top of the pile 90 , which is the pile under test , as shown in fig3 . to test the pile 90 for determining its capability of supporting its design load , a compressive load is axially applied upon the longitudinal axis of the pile 90 , the compressive load being provided by the hydraulic assembly 145 . the pistons 94 of the hydraulic assembly 145 forcefully push , upwardly , against the bearing plate 92 . this upward push of the pistons 94 is transmitted to the beam assemblies 115 and 116 . since the beam assemblies 115 and 116 are anchored by the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 , the beam assemblies 115 and 116 cannot move upwardly . the forceful upward push of the pistons 94 , as they are forced out of their respective cylinders 93 , is actually exerted axially , downwardly upon the pile 90 , by means of the bottoms of the cylinders 93 , upon the bearing plate 91 . referring to fig3 , a pair of dial gages 109 have their stems 118 connected to a top surface 191 of the bearing plate 91 and to a pair of reference beams 110 by means of a pair of supports 147 . the stems 118 must have , at a minimum , two inches ( 5 cm ) of travel , must have a precision of at least 0 . 01 inches ( 0 . 25 millimeters ) and must read to one sixty - fourth ( 1 / 64 ) of an inch ( 4 mm ). the dial gages 109 provide the measurement of any longitudinal axial movement of the pile 90 under the axial loading provided by the hydraulic assembly 145 . any axial movement beyond that specified renders the pile 90 unacceptable for its specified load . referring to fig3 and 6 , the hydraulic assembly utilized in the apparatus and the method of the present invention could include a single hydraulic cylinder with its piston or a pair of cylinders 93 of a hydraulic assembly 95 of fig6 , with a pair of pressure gages 117 , one pressure gage 117 for each hydraulic cylinder 93 and a master pressure gage 116 , and further includes a hydraulic pump 113 and an automatic pressure control device 114 . the cylinders 93 are connected to the pump 113 by a pair of common manifolds 111 and hoses 112 . the complete hydraulic assembly 95 is to be calibrated as a unit , including the hydraulic cylinders 93 , the pistons 94 , the pressure gages 117 and 116 , the pump 113 , and the automatic pressure control device 114 . fig7 represents the preferred embodiment of the hydraulic means utilized by the apparatus and the methods of the present invention . the hydraulic assembly 145 is very similar to the hydraulic assembly 95 . nevertheless , the hydraulic assembly 145 utilizes a calibrated load cell 121 between the bearing plate 92 and the bearing plate 122 . in accord with the apparatus and the methods of the present invention , the calibrated load cell 121 is connected to a read - out and load graph recorder 124 . the read - out recorder 124 provides a graph 148 showing the load applied during a 24 - hour period . the calibrated load cell 121 and the read - out and load graph recorder 124 substantially improve the accuracy and reliability of the measurements of the loads applied to the pile - under - test 90 . the preferred embodiment for the hydraulic means , e . g ., the hydraulic assembly 145 , also includes the pressure gages 117 , one for each hydraulic cylinder 93 and the master pressure gage 116 , the hydraulic pump 113 , and the automatic pressure control 114 . the cylinders 93 are connected to the pump 113 by the common manifolds 111 and the hoses 112 . this apparatus and method provide a dual measuring system . the load cell 121 must be calibrated to an accuracy of not less than 2 % of the applied load . referring again to fig3 , the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 , also referred to as anchor assemblies 125 , are shown inside earthen holes 126 . the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 include anchoring heads 133 and a pipe column 128 , which has four fins 129 , only three shown , welded longitudinally to the surface of pipe column 128 and at ninety degrees to each other . the pipe columns 128 also have top plates 130 welded to their tops , which have a center hole to allow dywidag rod 102 pass through it , with a minimum clearance , in order to allow dywidag nuts 132 to be tightened against the plates 130 when threaded down on the dywidag rods 102 . the dywidag rods , the nuts , and other dywidag products are manufactured by dywidagsystems international , u . s . a ., inc ., of fairfield , n . jersey . the anchoring heads 133 have the dywidag rods 125 and a plate support 138 formed by four ninety - degree bars , only two being shown , with a plate 137 welded on their top and four compaction and consolidation pivoting plates 139 , only three being shown . a collar 135 is welded on top of the plate 137 and is utilized to insert end 134 of the pipe column 128 into the collar 135 or over the collar 135 , depending on pipe sizes utilized . four bolts 136 , only three shown , are utilized for firmly securing the pipe column 128 to the anchor head 133 . the dywidag rod 102 is inserted through a centerhole in a frusto - cone 140 . a dywidag nut 141 is threaded on the end of the rod 102 and prevents the frusto - cone 140 from falling down . a nut 168 is hand tightened on the dywidag rod 102 , on top of the frusto - cone 140 , as seen in fig4 . the main purpose of the nut 141 is to carry the frusto - cone 140 upwardly whenever the rod 102 is pulled up , during the process of anchoring the reaction anchor and support assembly 125 , prior to installing the test beam assemblies 115 and 116 . during the installation of the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 , hydraulic force is utilized for pulling up on the rod 102 . the pulling on the rod 102 forces the nut 141 to push the frusto - cone 140 upwardly , which in turn pushes the compaction and consolidation pivoting plates 139 upwardly and outwardly . the pulling on the rod 102 makes the pivoting plates 139 swing upwardly and outwardly , thereby compacting and consolidating soil 127 at the bottom of the earthen hole 126 , effectively anchoring the assembly 125 against the soil 127 at the bottom of the earthen hole 126 , thus providing the reaction point needed for the pile test . a nut 132 is threaded downwardly and hand tightened against the plate 130 at the top of the pipe column 128 in order to prevent the rod 102 and the frusto - cone 140 from moving back down . the top end of the reaction anchor and support assembly 125 is left a few inches above grade in order to facilitate its retrieval for further use . holes 131 are utilized for hooking a lifting device . the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 are installed at a distance of at least seven feet , clear distance , from the pile 90 . the pile 90 of fig3 is shown as a round , cylindrical pile . nevertheless , the pile 90 can be an h - pile , an l - pile , a square pile , or an orthogonal pile . the pile 90 can be a concrete pile , whether cast - in - place or pre - cast , a pipe pile , or a timber pile , by the way of an example . the test set up shown in fig3 requires four reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 , as shown in fig4 , in order to provide an anchored reaction capacity , which is greater than the axial load applied to the pile 90 by the hydraulic assembly 145 . the axial loading or test loading required for testing single piles is at least 200 % of the pile design load capacity . nevertheless , smaller piles require smaller test loads , and only one pair of reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 are required for smaller piles . on occasion , three pairs of reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 are required . in such cases , an additional beam assembly is installed upon the beam assembly 115 and at fortyfive degrees from it . the additional pair of reaction anchor and support assemblies are installed as shown for the beam assemblies 115 and 116 and in a substantially similar manner as shown for the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 of fig3 and 4 . referring now to fig5 , one reaction anchoring and support assembly is shown of the four reaction anchoring and support assemblies of fig3 , 4 , and 9 . the one reaction anchoring and support assembly is shown in the process of being installed inside a pre - augured earthen hole 126 , in preparation for utilization in the testing of the single pile 90 of fig3 or group pile 180 of fig9 . the reaction anchor and support assembly 125 of fig5 provides the anchored reaction capacity required to resist the upward push of the hydraulic assemblies 145 of fig3 , 4 , and 9 . the upward push of the hydraulic assemblies 145 provides the resultant downward axial loading required for testing the single pile 90 of fig3 or the group pile 180 of fig9 . the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 are brought to the test site in one piece , pre - assembled , with the anchoring head 133 pre - attached to the rod 102 and with the rod 102 inside the pipe column 128 . the compaction and consolidation pivoting plates 139 come to the test site vertically down and parallel to the rod 102 , with the frusto - cone 140 below the tip end of the compaction and consolidation pivoting plates 139 . the frusto - cone 140 is sandwiched between the nut 168 , on its topside , as shown in fig4 and the nut 141 on its bottom side as shown in fig5 . the pivoting plates 139 come with breakable tie - wire ( not shown ) around them , in order to keep them in a vertical position , which facilitates lowering down the anchor assembly 125 inside the pre - augured earthen hole 126 . the nut 132 comes to the test site hand tightened against the plate 130 . the reaction anchor and support assembly 125 is lowered down inside the earthen hole 126 . about six inches of the top end of the reaction anchor and support assembly 125 is left above ground level 166 . a centering collar 163 is placed over the assembly 125 and pushed down inside the earthen hole 126 , until its plate 162 rests on surface 166 of the soil 126 . the collar 163 is about twelve to eighteen inches long . the centering collar 163 is utilized for centering the reaction anchor assembly 125 inside the earthen hole 126 and to make sure it is fixed in a true , vertical and leveled position . when the correct leveling is attained , four pins 165 ( only two are shown ) are hammered down into the soil 127 , through holes 164 of the plate 162 , in order to immobilize the centering collar in a vertical position . next , the hydraulic assembly 150 is placed over the rod 102 , i . e ., with the rod 102 passing through openings 155 and 156 on plates 152 and 153 , respectively . this is done by means of a crane , which is available at the job site anyways for handling the piles . the hydraulic assembly 145 of fig7 could be utilized instead of the hydraulic assembly 150 of fig5 , if plates 91 , 92 , 94 , and the load cell 121 had an opening through their center , for allowing the rod 102 pass through it . the preferred embodiment provides for utilizing one single hydraulic assembly to perform both the installation of all the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 prior to testing , as well as providing the specified loading for testing the single pile 90 of fig3 or the pile group 180 of fig9 . in such an embodiment , the load cell 121 also has a center hole . if the load cell 121 also is utilized for installing the anchor assembly 125 , then it could be installed between the plate 91 of fig7 and the plate 130 of fig5 . the utilization of the load cell 121 and the read - out / graph recorder 124 is not a requirement for the installation of the reaction anchoring and support assemblies 125 . nevertheless , the utilization of the load cell 121 and the read - out / graph recorder 124 is an additional quality control feature as well as a record keeping feature and a component part of the present invention . when the hydraulic assembly 150 is set on top of the plate 130 , a plate 167 is placed over the rod 102 and set on top of the plate 153 to reduce the actual size of opening 156 so that the dywidag nut 103 can be threaded down on the rod 102 and hand tightened against the plates 167 and 153 . the hydraulic assembly 150 has cylinders 151 connected by means of hoses 158 through the assembly &# 39 ; s inlets 157 to a hydraulic pump 159 . a master pressure gage 168 is provided in series with both the cylinders 151 and the pump 159 . a pressure gage 169 provides a reading of the pressures applied by the pistons 154 , in pounds per - square inch , p . s . i . the total force exerted by the assembly is directly proportional to the diameter of pistons 154 . the diameter of the pistons 154 determines the area in square inches of the cross section of each piston 154 , which pistons 154 are substantially identical pistons . therefore , the total combined area is determined in advance . the operator is provided with a simple table showing how many tons - force are equivalent to various p . s . i . readings from the gage 169 . the operator does not calculate anything . the compaction and consolidation pivoting plates 139 are at the bottom of the earthen hole 126 in a vertical position parallel to the rod 102 . the next step is to swing upwardly the pivoting plates 139 to anchor the assembly firmly against the soil 127 at the bottom of the hole 126 . the operator provides hydraulic pressure to the cylinder 151 , through the bottom inlets 157 , which forces the pistons 154 upwardly . the pistons 154 forcefully push against the plates 153 , 167 and the nut 103 . that forceful upward push as represented by arrows 160 and as exerted on the nut 103 , which is threaded onto the rod 102 , lifts the rod 102 up , which in turn carries the nut 141 up with it . the nut 141 is threaded to the bottom end of the rod 102 . the nut 141 pushes up the frusto - cone 140 , which in turn forces the pivoting plates 139 to break their tie - wire ( not shown ). the pivoting plates 139 are forced to swing upwardly , compacting and consolidating the soil 127 at the bottom of the hole 126 by the expanding plates , i . e ., by the expansion of the pivoting plates 139 , thereby powerfully anchoring assembly the 125 to the soil at the bottom of the hole 126 . as the rod 102 is being slowly , yet powerfully pushed upwardly , the operator hand - tightens down the nut 132 against the plate 130 , thereby preventing the pivoting plates 139 from collapsing back down , which is a very rear situation . now the hydraulic assembly 150 is removed , by first reversing the flow of hydraulic fluid , which now is pumped by the pump 159 , through the upper inlets 157 , which in turn brings the pistons 154 back inside of their respective cylinders 151 . then the hydraulic pressure is released and the nut 103 and the plate 167 are removed . finally , the hydraulic assembly 150 is removed and the installation of the next anchoring assemblies 125 can be started , until all four assemblies required per fig3 , 4 and 9 are installed . preferably , the centering collar 163 stays installed , one on each anchoring assembly 125 until the pile test is concluded and the anchoring assemblies 125 are removed . as opposed to the conventional methods , whereby the anchor piles utilized in the testing remain in the ground and their tops must be sawed off , the reaction anchoring and support assemblies 125 are reusable . the anchoring and support assemblies 125 are retrievable . they are retrieved from the earthen hole 126 utilizing the same hydraulic assembly they were installed with . in order to retrieve the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 from the earthen hole 126 , after the pile testing is completed , first the operator places the hydraulic assembly 150 once more over the rod 102 , by means of an on - site crane . then the operator lowers the assembly down so that the rod 102 passes through the hole 155 on the bottom plate 152 and through the hole 156 of the top plate 153 . now , the plate 167 is reinstalled , and the nut 103 is rethreaded down on the rod 102 and hand tightened against the plate 167 . the operator then pumps hydraulic fluid through the lower inlets 157 , by means of the pump 159 . this forces the pistons 154 out of their respective cylinders 151 , slowly but forcefully pushing upwardly against the plates 153 and 167 and on the nut 103 which , being threaded onto the rod 102 , slowly lifts the rod 102 upwardly . this is done just enough to release the enormous pressure exerted by the nut 132 against the plate 130 at the time the anchor and support assembly 125 was installed . now the operator threads the nut 132 upwardly on the rod 102 and then releases the pressure from the pump 159 , which releases the upward push of the pistons 154 . next the nut 103 and the plate 167 are removed , and the operator pumps again hydraulic fluid through the lower inlets 157 , by means of the pump 159 , to make the pistons 154 extend out of the cylinders 151 for a distance which is approximately equal to the distance the pistons 154 were extended during the process of installation . the hydraulic assembly then is lifted up again , by means of a crane , just enough , so that the top end of the rod 102 is below the plate 153 , in order to allow re - introducing the plate 167 , which now will be on top of the nut 132 , which has been threaded up . then , the operator lowers down the hydraulic assembly and sets its bottom plate 152 back on top of the plate 130 of the reaction anchor and support assembly 125 and with the rod 102 passing through the hole 156 of the top plate 153 . the operator further threads up the nut 132 carrying the plate 167 upwardly until the plate 167 is against the bottom of the plate 153 with the nut 132 hand - tightened under it . now the operator pumps hydraulic fluid through the upper inlets 157 , which forces the pistons 153 back down , slowly but forcefully pushing downwardly on the nut 132 , which now is under the plates 167 , 153 and is threaded onto the rod 102 . therefore the pistons 154 , slowly yet powerfully , push the rod 102 down . since the nut 168 , shown on fig4 , is threaded onto the rod 102 and it is on top and in contact with the frusto - cone 140 , it pushes the frusto - cone 140 also downwardly . by pushing the frusto - cone 140 downwardly , the compaction and consolidation pivoting plates 139 are effectively released from the powerful force which kept them pressed against the soil at the bottom of the earthen hole 126 . with the pivoting plates 139 collapsed back down to a vertical position , now the hydraulic assembly can be finally removed , as previously described , after releasing the hydraulic pressure . a job - site crane then is utilized for lifting the anchor and support assembly 125 out of the earthen hole 126 . openings 131 on fins 129 are utilized for helping in lifting the assembly by means of devises and the job - site crane . referring now to fig9 , the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 , utilized by the methods of the present invention , are shown in the process of testing a pile group 180 under a static axial load provided by the hydraulic assembly 145 . the pile group 180 includes two or more single piles 182 . the pile group 180 is capped with a reinforced concrete cap 181 engineered and constructed specifically for the anticipated test loads . the hydraulic cylinders 93 are set on the bearing plate 91 , with their respective pistons 94 , upon which the bearing plate 92 is set . the load cell 121 is set in between the bearing plate 92 and the bearing plate 122 . the bearing plates 91 , 92 and 122 are of sufficient thickness to support the test loads provided by the hydraulic assembly 145 without bending , but not less than two inches thick . the plate 122 bears against the flange 142 of i - beam assembly 116 . the i - beam assembly 116 bears against the i - beam assembly 115 , which is identical to the beam assembly 116 . the flanges 143 of the i - beam assembly 115 are set on top of the flanges 105 of i - beam assembly 116 . the beam assembly 115 is set at ninety degrees of the beam assembly 116 in the horizontal plane and on top of it . the construction of the i - beam assemblies 115 and 116 of fig9 is substantially the same as described in reference to fig3 and 4 . the hydraulic assembly 145 of fig9 also is substantially the same as described in reference to fig3 and 7 . nevertheless , for the pile group 180 testings , a larger axial load is required , for a larger capacity for the hydraulic cylinders 93 , with their respective pistons 94 , possibly , of larger diameter than it would be required for single pile testings . the reaction anchor and support assemblies 125 of fig9 are also substantially the same as described in reference to fig3 , 4 and 5 . on occasion , a third pair of assemblies 125 is utilized in order to provide the reaction capacity required for the loading specified for a specific pile group test . continuing to refer to fig9 , the instrumentation set up is substantially similar to that described in reference to fig3 . nevertheless , for the group pile testing of fig9 , the dial gages 109 have their stems 118 connected to the top of the concrete cap . the dial gages 109 are connected to reference the beams 110 by means of the supports 147 . the stems 118 must have , at a minimum , two inches ( 5 cm ) of travel , must have a precision of at least 0 . 01 inches ( 0 . 25 millimeters ) and must read to one sixty - fourth ( 1 / 64 ) of an inch . these dial gages provide the measurement of any longitudinal axial movement of the pile group 180 under the axial load provided by the hydraulic assembly 145 . any axial movement beyond that specified , renders pile 90 unacceptable for its specified load . other instrumentation means are available for measuring other single pile and group pile movements under axial test loadings . by the novel methods of the present invention , single piles or group piles are tested utilizing one , two , or more pairs of reaction anchor and support assemblies , as shown in fig3 , 4 , and 9 and as described in the detailed description , instead of utilizing one , two , or more pairs of anchor piles which cannot be reutilized for future pile or pile group tests . the testing process of the present invention does not depart from the procedures established by the a . s . t . m . standards for testing piles or pile groups . the novelty of this invention includes the utilization of the novel anchor and reaction anchoring and support assembly in combination with the novel i - beam assembly , with a built - in centering box . this combination , in addition to its reusability feature , is a safer and more reliable anchoring system than the conventional anchor piles utilized by the conventional methods . the mechanical connections between the conventional reaction beam and the conventional anchor piles of the conventional methods are substantially more susceptible to elongation under the axial pressures involved in the test than the dywidag rod and dywidag nuts combination utilized by this invention . the component parts of the reaction anchor and support assembly of this invention have been utilized under axial loadings several times larger than the loads involved in pile tests . the safety and reliability of the methods of this invention are demonstrated further by the anchoring method of this invention , which compacts and consolidates the soil it is anchored to , with the compaction and consolidation increasing , thus increasing the anchoring capacity , as the test loading increases . this can be understood readily by looking at the drawings in fig3 , 5 , and 9 , showing the swingable pivoting plates anchored and pushing upwardly , at the bottom of an earthen hole , such that the more the test load pulls up on the dywidag rod , the more powerfully the anchoring head gets anchored to the soil at the bottom of the hole . the apparatus and method of the present invention substantially contrast with the conventional anchor piles , which depend absolutely on the friction between the pile and the soil into which it was hammered down . in the conventional application , the more the test load pulls the anchor pile up , the greater are the chances the pile will slide up , and often the piles do slide up . as it can be seen by a review of the detailed description , the apparatus and method of the present invention accomplish all of its stated objectives . the apparatus and methods of the present invention are capable of modifications and variations without departing from the scope thereof . accordingly , the detailed description and examples set forth above are meant to be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout . the embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures . with reference to fig2 , the prismatic type lithium secondary battery 30 , according to an embodiment of the present invention , includes a can 31 , an electrode assembly 32 , which is received in the can 31 , and a cap assembly 40 coupled to an upper portion of the can 31 . the can 31 is formed with a hollow cavity and is metallic . therefore , the can 31 may operate as a terminal . a stopper 50 protrudes towards an interior of the can 31 on opposite sides of an upper part of the can 31 . the stoppers 50 are each formed as a result of an embossing treatment . the embossing treatment is a form of a compressing process in press processing that can be completed rapidly and with lowered costs . referring now to fig3 a and 3b , the stopper 50 is shown protruding from opposite surfaces of the can 31 towards the interior of the can 31 . the left and right side stoppers 50 each include an upper surface 50 a and lower surface 50 b . the cap assembly 40 is attached to the can 31 substantially horizontally along the upper surfaces 50 a of each of the stoppers 50 , which provide support for the cap assembly 40 , such that the cap assembly 40 is substantially parallel with a width of the can 31 . of course , it is understood that the cap assembly 40 need not be attached to the can 31 substantially horizontally and that other formations and arrangements are possible . an upper surface of the insulating case 48 is engaged with the lower surface 50 b of each of the stoppers 50 . therefore , since a size of the left and right side stoppers 50 may be relatively easily controlled by the press treatment system , the can 31 and the stoppers 50 may be formed to have precise respective heights in accordance with a capacity of the battery . the electrode assembly 32 , which is received in the interior of the can 31 , includes a cathode plate 33 , an anode plate 35 , and a separator 34 . the cathode plate 33 , the anode plate 35 , and the separator 34 ( e . g ., a strip or strips of insulating material ) are successively laminated and wound into a jelly roll . in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , the separator 34 is plural in number and insulates the cathode plate 33 and the anode plate 35 from one another . the cap assembly 40 seals the opening of the can 31 and includes a cap plate 41 . the cap plate 41 is flat and metallic and has a size and shape that corresponds to the opening of the can 31 . a terminal through - hole 42 is formed near a center of the cap plate 41 with a predetermined size . an electrolyte liquid injecting hole 43 is formed on a side of the cap plate 41 . a ball 49 may be used to seal the electrolyte liquid injection hole 43 once an electrolyte has been introduced to the interior of the can 31 . a cathode terminal 45 can be inserted through terminal through - hole 42 . a gasket 44 , such as a tube , is installed between an outer surface of the cathode terminal 45 and the through - hole 42 of the cap plate 41 . an insulating plate 46 is installed on the lower surface of the cap plate 41 . a terminal plate 47 is installed on lower surface of the insulating plate 46 . both the insulating plate 46 and the terminal plate 47 include through - holes through which the cathode terminal 45 is inserted . the lower part of the cathode terminal 45 is electrically connected to the terminal plate 47 . since , the insulating case 48 is installed on an upper part of the electrode assembly 32 , the insulating case 48 electrically insulates the cap assembly 40 and the electrode assembly 32 from one another and serves as a flow path for the electrolyte liquid injected through the electrolyte injecting hole 43 . according to an embodiment of the invention , the insulating case 48 comprises high polymer resin , and may include poly - propylene . the insulating case 48 installed in close engagement with the lower surface 50 b of the stopper 50 does not require an extending part as in the conventional battery and may be formed as a flat plate . therefore the shape of the insulating case 48 is relatively simple , and yields space inside of the battery cell such that a capacity of the battery is increased . referring to fig2 and 4 , the procedure of the assembly of the prismatic type secondary battery 30 will be described . the cathode plate 33 , the separator 34 , and the anode plate 35 are laminated and wound into a jelly - roll . the wound electrode assembly 32 is then inserted into a can 31 . a pair of embossed stoppers 50 is then formed in the interior of the can 31 by a press treatment using a press machine on the upper end of both side surface portions of the can 31 . the insulating case 48 is then mounted on the upper portion of the electrode assembly 32 . the insulating case 48 may be flexible and may be made from poly - propylene etc . thus , a form of the insulating case 48 may temporarily change when the insulating case 48 is inserted in the can 31 . because an edge of the insulating case 48 is closely engaged with the lower surface 50 b of the stopper 50 , the insulating case 48 insulates the electrode assembly . the cap plate 41 is welded to the can 31 , and the electrolyte liquid is injected into the interior of the can 31 . the electrolyte injection hole 43 is evacuated and sealed with a vacuum sealing device after a predetermined quantity of electrolyte is injected into the can 31 . a cover plug 49 is then welded onto the injection hole 43 . the cap plate 41 of the cap assembly 40 is welded onto the upper surfaces 50 a of the left and right side stoppers 50 of the can 31 . as such , the cap assembly 40 and the insulating case 48 are maintained at a constant distance from one another . the anode lead 37 is electrically insulated from the cathode terminal 45 , the cathode lead 36 , and the cathode tab 38 . conversely , the cathode terminal 45 , the cathode lead 36 , and the cathode tab 38 remain electrically connected . fig5 a and 5b are plane views of the prismatic type can of fig3 a . as shown in fig5 a , the stoppers 50 are formed as half - circles 51 protruding towards an interior of the can 31 . meanwhile , as shown in fig5 b , the stoppers 50 are formed as rectangular shapes 52 protruding towards an interior of the can 31 . according to additional embodiments of the invention , the stoppers 50 may be any shape that provides support for both the cap assembly 40 and the insulating case 48 . fig6 is a plane view of the can 31 according to another embodiment of the present invention . here , the stoppers 50 are formed on an inside of the both of the shorter sides of the can 31 and additional stoppers 50 are formed in the longer sides of the can 31 . thus , the supporting area , which supports the cap assembly 40 , is broadened by the additionally formed stoppers 50 . therefore the supporting of the cap assembly 40 is additionally stabilized . as is described above , a prismatic type lithium secondary battery according to aspects of the present invention may lead to a decrease in production costs by simplifying the molding process of the receiving portion of the cap assembly , results in the cap assembly being shaped and leveled appropriately , and provides for an increased capacity of the battery . although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
as illustrated in fig1 through 4 , a pushing device for sliding a plurality of fuel rods ( and , in particular all the fuel rods ) from their respective spacers in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly comprises , according to the present invention , a plurality of pressure plates 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 slidably mounted via ball bearing sleeves 15 to respective pairs of guide rods 16 rigidly secured at their upper ends to a base plate 1 and at their lower ends to a guide plate 17 . to each pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 is mounted a respective plurality of push rods 18 disposed parallel to one another in a geometric pattern corresponding to the geometric pitch between the rods of a respective plurality of fuel rods in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly . each push rod 18 is provided at an upper end with a pair of spaced beads or ribs 19 and 20 , bead 19 engaging an upper surface of the respective pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 and bead 20 being spaced from the lower surface of the same pressure plate . between the bead 20 and the respective pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 or 14 each push rod 18 is provided with a respective compression spring 21 . during operation of the pushing device shown in fig1 through 4 , the pressure plates 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 slide downwardly along the respective pairs of guide rods 16 and exert pressure on springs 21 , thereby compressing those springs and transmitting force therethrough to push rods 18 . each pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 is connected via a respective brace or bracket 7 , 8 , 9 and 10 to a respective drive spindle 2 traversing base plate 1 and screwably mounted thereto via a respective drive nut 3 with an internal thread . each drive nut 3 is rotatably supported on base plate 1 and has an external spur gear 5 which meshes with a pinion 6 of an associated electric reduction motor 4 . in accordance with the direction of rotation of pinion 6 , spindle 2 and the associated pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 or 14 executes an upward or downward motion , thereby moving the corresponding push rods 18 into respective spacers of the nuclear reactor fuel assembly and extracting the fuel rods from such spacers . each pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 is provided with a respective mounting plate 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 attached to the pressure plate via a respective pair of hang rods 26 . each hang rod 26 is preferably rigidly connected at its lower end to the respective mounting plate 22 , 23 , 24 or 25 and is slidably connected at its upper end to the respective pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 or 14 . each mounting plate 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 is formed with bores 81 having substantially the same cross - sectional area and the same shape as respective push rods 18 . the bores 81 in each mounting plate 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 are disposed in the same geometric pattern as the group of push rods 18 associated with the respective mounting plate . mounting plates 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 descend with their respective pressure plates 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 during the first half of a fuel rod removal stroke of push rods 18 . upon engagement with the upper surface of guide plate 17 , mounting plates 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 cease their downward motion . during the second half of a fuel rod removal stroke , pressure plates 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 continue to move downwardly , sliding along hang rods 26 as well as along guide rods 16 . resting on top of each pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 and slidably mounted to the respective pair of guide rods 16 is an actuator control plate or strip 27 , 28 , 29 and 30 . upon the jamming of a fuel rod in the nuclear reactor fuel assembly and the consequent arresting of the motion of the corresponding push rod 18 , the upper bead 19 of the push rod disengages itself from the upper surface of the respective pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 and engages the lower surface of the respective actuator control strip 27 , 28 , 29 and 30 . thus an arrested push rod 18 causes an associated actuator control strip 27 , 28 , 29 or 30 to remain stationary , while the respective pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 continues its downward motion along guide rod 16 . each pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 is provided with a respective proximity switch or microswitch 32 which is operatively , i . e ., electrically , connected to a corresponding electric motor 4 for causing the disengagement thereof upon an actuation of the microswitch 32 by an actuator control plate 27 , 28 , 29 or 30 whose motion has been stopped owing to a jammed fuel rod . the disengagement of a motor 4 interrupts the descent of the respective pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 and of the push rods 18 mounted thereto . however , the other pressure plates and their respective groups of push rods continue to slide fuel rods out of the nuclear reactor fuel assembly . upon the removal of these fuel rods , the jammed fuel rod may be extracted via other means , thereby minimizing or eliminating damage to the fuel assembly . base plate 1 and guide plate 17 are mounted to respective schematically illustrated transport components 33 and 34 which function to shift the pushing device into and out of its operating position juxtaposed to a nuclear reactor fuel assembly . microswitches 32 are secured to their respective pressure plates 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 via mounting brackets 31 . in addition to transmitting force from pressure plates 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 to push rods 18 , compression springs 21 serve to define pressure thresholds or upper stress limits of push rods 18 . upon an exceeding of these pressure thresholds by the internal stresses or forces transmitted by push rods 18 , microswitches 32 are actuated and motors 4 for engaged . as illustrated in fig3 the push rods 18 may be arranged in rows at the raster pitch of the fuel assembly , with different numbers of push rods per row . one reason for the geometry shown in fig3 is that gaps must be provided for control rod guide tubes which remain in the fuel assembly . the arrangement of rods shown in fig3 enables the sliding out of varying quantities of rods , depending upon the situation found , e . g ., on the number and locations of jammed fuel rods . a coordinate transport system 33 and 34 permits the disposition of a pressure plate 11 , 12 , 13 or 14 and its associated push rods 18 over different groups of fuel rods , whereby the pushing device according to the present invention is adapted to different conditions of the fuel assembly . the end of push rods 18 facing the fuel assembly are advantageously designed in the shape of a hemisphere or a funnel for at least partially enclosing the plugs of the fuel rods to prevent the push rods from sliding laterally off of the fuel rods under the action of pressure . as illustrated in fig5 an additional mounting plate 36 slidably connected to guide rods 16 and suspended from mounting plate 23 ( or mounting plate 24 , 25 or 27 ) may be provided for further protecting push rods 18 from bending upon the application of compressive force by pressure plate 11 or 12 , 13 or 14 . should it be necessary , mounting plates can be arranged in a similar manner in further horizontal planes . as an alternative to the arrangement illustrated in fig5 hang rods 26 may take the form of hollow tubes , suspension rods 37 being telescopingly mounted to hang rods 26 , so that the suspension rods 37 slide inside hang rods 26 upon a seating of lower mounting plate 36 upon guide plate 17 during a fuel rod removal stroke of the pressure plate . as illustrated in fig6 the section plan of which figure corresponds to that of fig5 in another nuclear reactor pushing device in accordance with the present invention the drive for a pressure plate or strip 41 comprises a hydraulic cylinder 38 rigidly connected to the pressure plate 41 via a plunger or piston member 39 and a mounting bracket 40 . cylinder 38 communicates with a source of hydraulic pressure 83 via a set of electromagnetic valves 84 operated under the control of a programmer 85 in response to signals arising from the manipulation of nonillustrated switches by a human operator . push rods 42 are mounted to pressure plate 41 via respective shear pins 44 . pins 44 serve the dual function of transmitting force from pressure plate 41 to push rods 42 and of interrupting the motion of a push rod upon the exceeding of a predetermined threshold pressure by the stress or force transmitted by that push rod . thus if one of the fuel rods becomes jammed or caught in the spacer of the fuel assembly the shear pin 44 of that push rod is sheared off so that the rod remains in position while the drive itself is not interrupted , plunger 39 and pressure plate 41 bringing the fuel rod ejection stroke of the pushing device to completion and thereby moving the other push rods to their lower end position . subsequently the stuck fuel rod can be removed with a special pulling tool and treated separately . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 there are no push rods located below plunger 39 . such push rods could not be provided with shear pins for preventing the exceeding of predetermined pressure thresholds . if shear pins were provided , plunger 39 would become blocked in the event that one of the shear pins broke . one possible solution to this problem could consist of fastening two central push rods to pressure strip 41 by means of compression springs and extensions of push rods 42 , such as compression springs 21 and beads 19 and 20 illustrated in fig2 and by providing a locking assembly comprising a proximity switch such as the microswitches 32 shown in fig2 . alternatively , plunger 39 together with bracket 40 could be offset perpendicularly to the direction of motion of push rods 42 . as another possibility , guide rod 16 could take the form of plungers operating in parallel , the plungers being rigidly secured to pressure strip 41 and slidably secured via ball bearing sleeves to base plate 1 and to guide plate 17 , the latter to plates being fastened two each other by separate spacer elements . as illustrated in fig7 through 10 , a pushing device according to the present invention may be provided with a single pressure plate or strip 50 slidably mounted by means of ball bearing sleeves 53 to four guide rods 16 &# 39 ; rigid at their upper ends with a base plate 45 and at their lower ends with a guide plate 52 . a multiplicity of push rods 49 disposed in a geometric array or pattern corresponding to the raster geometry of the fuel rod assembly are fastened at their upper ends to pressure plate 50 by means of beads or push rod extensions 19 &# 39 ; and 20 &# 39 ; and compression springs 21 &# 39 ;, as heretofore described with respect to fig2 . at their lower ends , in a neutral or waiting state of the pushing device , push rods 49 traverse guide plate 52 via respective bores 86 having substantially the same shape and cross - sectional area as push rods 49 . bores 86 are disposed in the same array or pattern as push rods 49 which array corresponds to the raster geometry of the fuel rods in the fuel assembly . push rods 49 and pressure plate 50 are moved by means of a single spindle drive comprising an externally threaded spindle 46 , an internally threaded and externally tooth gear nut 48 and an electric motor 47 . motor 47 is provided with a spur gear or pinion whose teeth mesh with the external teeth of gear nut 48 . nut 48 rests on the upper surface of base plate 45 and the internal threads of nut 48 operatively mesh with the external thread of spindle 46 . spindle 46 traverses base plate 45 and is connected to pressure plate 50 via a bracket 54 . a switching or actuator control plate 51 is slidably mounted to guide rods 16 &# 39 ; by means of ball bearing sleeves 88 . switching control plate 51 generally rests on top of pressure plate 50 . however , if during the descent of pressure plate 50 and push rods 49 , the motion of one of the push rods is arested owing to a jammed fuel rod in the fuel assembly , the upper bead 19 &# 39 ; of the stalled push rod connects switching plate 51 , causing the same to actuate approximity switch 32 &# 39 ; mounted to pressure plate 50 via a bracket or arm 31 &# 39 ;. as heretofore described with respect to the embodiment of fig1 through 4 , proximity switch 32 &# 39 ; is operatively connected to electric motor 47 for disengaging or interrupting the operation of the motor upon an actuation of the switch by switching control plate 51 . to prevent push rods 49 from bending , a mounting plate 55 is suspended from pressure plate 50 via a pair of hang or suspension rods 56 rigidly affixed to mounting plate 55 and slidably mounted to pressure plate 50 . the pushing device of fig7 through 10 is supported by a tubular mounting component 58 instead of a coordinate transport system . tubular mounting 58 is different in design and operation from the transport system 33 and 34 illustrated in fig2 . this advantage is especially relevant if the fuel rods can be pushed out in groups so that the position device relative to the fuel assembly does not have to be changed as frequently as , for example , if the fuel rods are pushed out in rows . the pushing device can be suspended via the tubular mounting 58 from a lifting device customarily provided above the reactor pressure vessel and can be transported by means of the tubular mounting into the desired position juxtaposed to the fuel assembly . a particularly advantageous utilization of space is obtained in a pushing device according to the present invention , as illustrated in fig1 and 12 . a pair of externally threaded spindles 60 and 61 for vertically displacing a pressure plate 59 are rotatably supported at opposite ends in a base plate 69 and a guide plate 63 , the external thread 90 of each spindle 60 and 61 meshing with the internal thread of a corresponding nut 91 rigidly secured to pressure plate 59 . each spindle 60 and 61 is provided at its upper end with a friction disc 65 and 66 which is rotatable by means of a respective drive motor 67 and 68 or by a single drive motor via appropriate transmission means . in the pushing device of fig1 and 12 the threaded spindles are not subjected to vertical motion . only the pressure plate 59 , together with push rods 42 executes the desired vertical lifting motion . thus the required overall height of the pushing device is reduced to about one half of that in the above - described pushing devices . push rods 42 are mounted to pressure plate 59 via respective shear pins 44 , as heretofore described with respect to fig6 . other elements of the pushing device of fig1 and 12 operate in substantially the same way and have substantially the same structure as correspondingly designated or referenced elements in fig1 through 10 . | 1 |
one proposed implementation of the present invention integrates the benefits of prior art approaches . it also eliminates the need for special arithmetic mode and carry - chains and still implements n - bit constant coefficient adder / subtractor in n + 1 luts . since only one bit of output is generated from a single lut , at least n + 1 luts are used for n - bit addition / subtraction , thus , the approach provides an area optimal solution . fig5 illustrates an n - bit constant adder / subtractor according to one embodiment of the present invention . during design synthesis of fpgas , when the constant addition / subtraction is inferred , the value of the constant operand is extracted from the design file . this approach realizes a one bit constant adder / subtractor in each lut , where the truth table value to be stored in the ith lut is decided by the synthesis tool based upon the value of ith and i - 1th bits of the constant operand . here , each lut , except the first lut , takes three inputs for the implementation of adder or subtractor . the inputs to the i th lut are : the i - 1 th output bit , the i - 1 th non - constant input bit and the i th non - constant input bit . fig6 shows a cascaded version of the instant invention . the proposed method works by calculating one bit of sum / difference in every 4 - input lut , where one of the inputs is constant . fig7 shows the interconnection of n luts in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . each lut 1 [ 1 : n ] has four inputs with the first input connected to the i - 1 th non - constant input bit ; the second input is connected to the i th non - constant input bit , the third input connected to the i - 1 th output while the last input is connected to a dynamic add / sub selection line for performing i th bit addition / subtraction . the first input of lut 1 [ 1 ] is an external carry - in bit . the lut 1 [ 1 ] performs the function of an ordinary one bit dynamic adder / subtractor with carry - in . the output of lut 1 [ 1 ] gives the least significant bit ( lsb ) of the sum or difference depending on the value of the dynamic add / sub selection line . all the remaining luts have a different configuration and are connected to each other as shown in the figure with said inputs . the last lut 1 [ n + 1 ], which is used to generate a carryout ( c out ), considers the i th non - constant input to be zero . depending on the value of constant bits k i and k i - 1 , different functions are implemented in different luts , which are decided by the synthesis tool at run time . truth table values for the functions f 0 to f 7 are given in the tables 1 , 2 and 3 for the adder and subtractor . all the functions f 0 . . . f 7 used for the generation of output bits o i ( i = 0 , lsb ) are functions of the three inputs o i - 1 , a i - 1 and a i . the functions as represented in boolean form are as follows : f 0 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 * a i )+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i ))+((˜ o i - 1 )* a i - 1 * a i )+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )* a i ) f 1 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 * a i )+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a ))+((˜ o i - 1 )* a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )* (˜ a i )) f 2 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )* a i )+((˜ o i - 1 )* a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a )) f 3 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )* a i )+((˜ o i - 1 )* a i - 1 * a i )+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )* a i ) f 4 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i ))+((˜ o i - 1 )* a i - 1 * a i )+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i )) f 5 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 * a i )+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )* a i )+((˜ o i - 1 ) a i - 1 * a i )+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i )) f 6 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 * a i )+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )* a i )+((˜ o i - 1 )* a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )* a i ) f 7 =( o i - 1 * a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+( o i - 1 *(˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i ))+((˜ o i - 1 )* a i - 1 *(˜ a i ))+((˜ o i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 1 )* a i ), o i - 1 is the output of the i th bit ( i != 0 ) addition / subtraction , k i is the i th bit of a constant operand . a − k / k − a , is the selection line for constant coefficient subtraction , which specify whether the constant is subtractor or subtrahend . in fig7 , add / sub is the dynamic addition / subtraction selection line . fig8 shows the flowchart that highlights the functioning of one embodiment of the invention . in step 80 , synthesis infers a constant coefficient adder / subtractor / dynamic adder / subtractor from a design file and calls a macro generator system for its implementation . the macro generator checks if it &# 39 ; s a call for dynamic adder / subtractor , or for adder or subtractor , step 81 . if dynamic addition or subtraction is to be performed , then the flow proceeds in accordance with the steps 82 , 85 , 89 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 99 and 101 , else a decision is made on whether addition or subtraction is to be performed , step 83 . in case subtraction is to be performed , the constant is checked as to whether it is minuend or subtrahend , step 84 . if the constant is subtrahend , flow proceeds through steps 87 , 91 , 97 , 100 , 102 while if the constant is minuend , flow proceeds through steps 88 , 92 , 98 , 100 , 102 . if addition is to be performed flow proceeds in accordance with the steps 86 , 90 , 96 , 100 , and 102 . the first step in the dynamic adder / subtractor implementation is calculation of the lsb output ( o 0 ) in lut 1 [ 1 ], step 82 . the lsb bit of input and external carry in ( if exists ) is connected at the input of the lut 1 [ 1 ] and the function that is implemented is o 0 = xor ( a 0 , k 0 , cin ). a loop is run ( n − 1 ) number of times to implement n - bit dynamic addition / subtraction , step 85 . the function for adder is g 0 and the function for subtractor is g 1 . the function value for adder g 0 for the penultimate bit to the msb is selected from the functions f 0 , f 2 , f 4 , f 6 depending on value of k i and k i - 1 listed in the table 1 , step 89 , i . e . a column corresponding to the values of k i and k i - 1 from table 1 is selected . the function value g 1 for subtractor is selected , based on whether the constant is subtrahend or minuend , from the tables 2 or 3 , step 94 or 95 i . e . a column corresponding to the values of k i and k i - 1 from tables 2 or 3 is selected . the final function g is calculated as (˜ add / sub ) g 0 +( add / sub ) g 1 to be implemented for dynamic add - sub , step 99 , i . e . the two columns are concatenated to yield the final function . once the output function is calculated , the inputs a i , a i - 1 , o i - 1 and add / sub are connected to the inputs of respective lut and o i with its output , step 101 . the process is repeated for n - bit addition / subtraction . in case addition / subtraction is performed , the lsb output ( o 0 ) in lut 1 [ 1 ] is calculated , step 86 , 87 or 88 . the lsb bit of input and external carry in ( if exists ) is connected at the input of the lut 1 [ 1 ] and the function that is implemented is o 0 = xor ( a 0 , k 0 , cin ). a loop is run n number of times to implement n - bit addition / subtraction , step 90 , 91 or 92 . in case of addition , a function value for g for the penultimate bit to the msb is selected from the functions f 0 , f 2 , f 4 , f 6 depending on value of k i and k i - 1 as listed in the table 1 , step 96 , i . e . a column corresponding to the values of k i and k i - 1 from table 1 is selected . in case of subtractor a function value g for penultimate bit to msb is selected from the functions f 0 , f 2 , f 4 , f 6 ( if constant is subtrahend ) or f 1 , f 3 , f 5 , f 7 ( if constant is minuend ) depending on the value of k i and k i - 1 listed in the tables 2 or 3 , step 97 or 98 , i . e . a column corresponding to the values of k i and k i - 1 from tables 2 or 3 is selected . the output function thus obtained is stored in the lut , step 100 and the inputs a i , a i - 1 and o i - 1 are connected to the inputs of respective lut and o i with its output , step 102 . the process is repeated for n - bit addition / subtraction . the approach is illustrated with the help of an example for a + k , where k is a constant coefficient as shown in table 1 , here , lsb o 0 is calculated by simple addition logic in the lut : there onwards , o i is calculated through the function that is based on value of constant coefficient bits ( k i , k i - 1 ). o i is located in the corresponding row of a i - 1 , o i - 1 and a i . there onwards , o i is calculated through the function that is based on the values of constant coefficient bits ( k i , k i - 1 ). o i is located in the corresponding row of a i - 1 , o i - 1 and a i . there onwards , o i is calculated through the function that is based on the values of constant coefficient bits ( k i , k i - 1 ). o i is located in the corresponding row of a i - 1 , o i - 1 and a i . another embodiment of the invention works by calculating one bit of sum / difference in every lut , where , one of the inputs is constant . the connectivity is as shown in fig9 . the lut 2 [ 1 ] is connected with only two inputs : external carry - in , and the lsb of the non - constant input a 0 . this lut performs the function of an ordinary one bit adder / subtractor with carry - in . similarly , lut 2 [ 2 ] takes three inputs : external carry - in , lsb and penultimate lsb of the non - constant input to generate the penultimate lsb of the output . all the remaining luts have a different configuration and take four inputs . the inputs to the lut performing the i th bit addition / subtraction are the i - 2 th output , i - 2 th , i - 1 th and i th non - constant input bits . the last lut , which is used to generate carryout , considers the i th non - constant input to be zero . depending on the value of constant bits , different functions are implemented in different luts , which are decided by the synthesis tool at run time . truth table values for the functions f 0 to f 23 are given in the tables 4 , 5 and 6 for adder and subtractor below . all the functions f 0 . . . f 23 are four input functions of o i - 2 , a i - 2 , a i - 2 , and a i . the functions in the boolean expression form can be expressed as follows : f 0 = f 22 =(˜ a i )*((˜ a i - 1 )*( a i - 2 )* o i - 2 )+ a i *( a i - 2 + a i - 1 +(˜ o i - 2 )) f 1 = f 20 =(˜ a i )*( a i - 2 + a i - 1 +(˜ o i - 2 ))+ a i *((˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 2 )* o i - 2 ) f 2 = f 18 =(˜ a i )*((˜ a i - 1 )+(˜ a i - 2 )* o i - 2 )+ a i * a i - 1 *( a i - 2 +(˜ o i - 2 )) f 3 = f 16 =(˜ a i )* a i - 1 *( a i - 2 +(˜ o i - 2 ))+ a i *((˜ a i - 1 )+(˜ a i - 2 )* o i - 2 ) f 4 = f 14 =(˜ a i )*(˜ a i - 1 )*((˜ a i - 2 )+ o i - 2 ))+ a i *( a i - 1 +( a i - 2 *(˜ o i - 2 ))) f 5 = f 12 =(˜ a i )*( a i - 1 +( a i - 2 *(˜ o i - 2 )))+ a i *(˜ a i - 1 )*((˜ a i - 2 )+ o i - 2 ) f 6 = f 10 =(˜ a i )*((˜ a i - 2 )+(˜ a i - 1 )+ o 1 - 2 )+ a i * a i - 1 * a i - 2 *(˜ o i - 2 ) f 7 = f 8 =(˜ a i )* a i - 1 * a i - 2 *(˜ o i - 2 )+ a i *((˜ a i - 2 )+(˜ a i - 1 )+ o i - 2 ) f 9 =(˜ a i )*((˜ a i - 1 )+(˜ a i - 2 )+(˜ o i - 2 ))+ a i *( a i - 1 * a i - 2 * o i - 2 ) f 11 =(˜ a i )*( a i - 1 * a i - 2 * o i - 2 )+ a i *((˜ a i - 1 )+(˜ a i - 2 )+(˜ o i - 2 )) f 13 =(˜ a i )*(˜ a i - 1 )*((˜ a i - 2 )+(˜ o i - 2 ))+ a i *( a i - 1 +( a i - 2 * o i - 2 )) f 15 =(˜ a i )*( a i - 1 +( a i - 2 * o i - 2 ))+ a i *( a i - 1 )*((˜ a i - 2 )+(˜ o i - 2 )) f 17 =(˜ a i )*((˜ a i - 1 )+(˜ a i - 2 )*(˜ o i - 2 ))+ a i *( a i - 1 *( a i - 2 + o i - 2 )) f 19 =(˜ a i )*( a i - 1 *( a i - 2 + o i - 2 ))+ a i *((˜ a i - 1 )+(˜ a i - 2 )*(˜ o i - 2 )) f 21 =(˜ a i )*((˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 2 )*(˜ o i - 2 ))+ a i *( a i - 1 + a i - 2 + o i - 2 ) f 23 =(˜ a i )*( a i - 1 + a i - 2 + o i - 2 )+ a i *((˜ a i - 1 )*(˜ a i - 2 )*(˜ o i - 2 )), a i - 2 is the i - 2 th bit of non constant input , a i - 1 is the i - 1 th bit of non constant input , a i is the i th bit of non constant input , a − k / k − a is the selection line for constant coefficient subtraction , which specify whether the constant is subtractor or subtrahend ; k i - 1 is the i - 1 th bit of the constant operand ; and fig1 shows the flowchart that highlights the functioning of the proposed embodiment . in step 104 , synthesis infers a constant coefficient adder / subtractor from a design file and calls macro generator system for its implementation . the macro generator checks if it &# 39 ; s a call for adder or subtractor , step 105 . in case subtraction is to be performed , it checks if the constant is minuend or subtrahend . accordingly , one of the 3 flows is selected . lsb output ( o 0 ) in lut 2 [ 1 ] is calculated , step 106 , 107 or 108 . the lsb bit of input and external carry in ( if exists ) is connected at the input of the lut 2 [ 1 ] and the function that is implemented is o 0 = xor ( a 0 , k 0 , cin ). in case of addition , a loop is run to implement n - bit addition for even bits , step 109 . a function value for g is selected from the functions f 0 , f 1 , f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , f 5 , f 6 , f 7 depending on the values of k i , k i - 1 and k i - 2 by selecting a column from table 4 , step 112 . the output function thus obtained is stored in the lut and the inputs a i , a i - 1 , a i - 2 and oi - 2 are connected to the inputs of respective lut and oi with its output , step 115 . the process is repeated for n - bit addition . lsb output ( o .) in lut 2 [ 2 ] is calculated in accordance with o 1 = xor ( a 1 , k 1 , ( a 0 k 0 + a 0 cin + k 0 cin )), step 118 . another loop is run to implement n - bit addition for odd bits , step 121 . a function value for g is selected from the functions f 0 , f 1 , f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , f 5 , f 6 , f 7 depending on the values of k i , k i - 1 and k i - 2 by selecting a column from table 4 , step 124 . the output function thus obtained is stored in the lut and the inputs a i , a i - 1 , a i - 2 and o i - 2 are connected to the inputs of respective lut and oi with its output , step 127 . the process is repeated for n - bit addition . in the case of a subtractor , a loop is run to implement n - bit subtraction for even bits , step 110 or 111 , a function value g for all the even bits is selected from the functions f 22 , f 20 , f 18 , f 16 , f 14 , f 12 , f 10 , f 8 ( if constant is subtrahend ) or f 23 , f 21 , f 19 , f 17 , f 15 , f 13 , f 11 , f 9 ( if constant is minuend ) depending on the values of k i , k i - 1 and k i - 2 by selecting a column from tables 5 or 6 , step 113 or 114 . the output function thus obtained is stored in the lut and the inputs a i , a i - 1 , a i - 2 and oi - 2 are connected to the inputs of respective lut and oi with its output , step 116 or 117 . the process is repeated for all the even bits . lsb output ( o 1 ) in lut 2 [ 2 ] is calculated in accordance with o 1 = xor ( a 1 , k 1 , ((˜ a 0 ) k 0 +(˜ a 0 ) cin + k 0 cin )) or o 1 = xor ( a 1 , k 1 , ( a 0 (˜ k 0 )+ a 0 cin +(˜ k 0 ) cin )) if constant is subtrahend or minuend respectively , step 119 or 120 . another loop is run , step 122 or 123 to select a function value g for all the odd bits from the functions f 22 , f 20 , f 18 , f 16 , f 14 , f 12 , f 10 , f 8 ( if constant is subtrahend ) or f 23 , f 21 , f 19 , f 17 , f 15 , f 13 , f 11 , f 9 ( if constant is minuend ) depending on the value of k i , k i - 1 and k i - 2 by selecting a column from the tables 5 or 6 , step 125 or 126 . the output function thus obtained is stored in the lut and the inputs a i , a i - 1 , a i - 2 and oi - 2 are connected to the inputs of respective lut and oi with its output , step 128 or 129 . the process is repeated for all odd bits . addition of a and k is explained with the help of an example . let the lsb o 0 and o 1 are calculated by the following formulae : o 0 = xor ( a 0 , k 0 , c in ), o 1 = xor ( a 1 , k 1 , ( a 0 k 0 + a 0 c in + k 0 c in )). there onwards , o i is calculated through the function that is based on the values of constant coefficient bits ( k i , k i - 1 , k i - 2 ). o i is located in the corresponding row of a i - 2 , o i - 2 , a i - 1 and a i as given in table 1 . there onwards , o i is calculated through the function that is based on the values of constant coefficient bits ( k i , k i - 1 , k i - 2 ). oi is located in the corresponding row of a i - 2 , o i - 2 , a i - 1 and a i as given in table 2 . there onwards , o i is calculated through the function that is based on the values of constant coefficient bits ( k i , k i - 1 , k i - 2 ). o i is located in the corresponding row of a i - 2 , o i - 2 , a i - 1 and a i as given in table 6 . the method discussed above eliminates the need to embed extra logic in logic cell to support the generation of two functions from a single lut , i . e . support of arithmetic mode . besides need for arithmetic mode , it also eliminates the requirement of carry chains to propagate carry output . the luts used for implementation are single output luts , therefore for n - bit addition / subtraction at least n + 1 luts are used , n luts for n - bit addition and one lut for generation of carry out bit . thus , an important advantage of this approach is that without even support of arithmetic mode , an n - bit constant coefficient adder / subtractor can still be implemented in n + 1 luts . the proposed technique also makes 100 % utilization of lut logic , i . e . except the first lut , all the four inputs of every lut are utilized . since all luts are used in normal mode , post - mapping optimization algorithms can be run on an lut level net list generated by the proposed method . thus , it still leaves scope for optimization algorithms to merge the logic of adder / subtractor with additional logic . since the calculation is performed in two parallel chains , the drawback of carry propagation in a single chain posed by technique 1 is eliminated . and the output can be generated within a maximum delay of n / 2 . as cascade chains are being used in the proposed technique , it gives far better reduction in delay than technique 2 . 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 |
for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure , reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will , nevertheless , be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended ; any alterations and further modifications of the described or illustrated embodiments and any further applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated therein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates . fig1 illustrates a commonly used first - order microphone array setup . if microphone capsules 101 and 102 are cardioid picking pattern elements , then we can form different patterns by combining or subtracting signals from capsules 101 and 102 in mixer 103 . output buffer 104 provides sufficient output gain and an appropriate interface for the particular microphone application , as will be understood by those skilled in the art . it has been observed that one common problem with the approach discussed above is inconsistent frequency response when different sensitivity patterns are applied . for example , astatic 901vp microphones have frequency response patterns as shown in fig2 . this inconsistency can cause unintentional acoustical feedback and other undesirable audio results when microphone sensitivity patterns are changed . fig2 illustrates frequency response variations depending on the selected first - order polar pattern of an exemplary microphone . during pattern switching , output for some frequencies and locations can have significant variations between the gain resulting from the old pattern and that resulting from the new one . for example , if the polar pattern switches between the illustrated “ omnidirectional ” and “ bidirectional ” ( figure - eight ) patterns , output for a 7 khz audio signal can change as much as 20 db . in order to minimize the effect of variations in frequency response , microphone system 200 includes an output equalizer 204 , as illustrated in fig3 . microcontroller 205 selects the polar - pattern pickup , controlling settings of mixer 203 and switching equalizer 204 as a function of the currently selected pattern and the previously selected pattern . individual level and / or frequency response parameters of microphone capsules 101 and 102 can be corrected by input equalizers 201 and 202 , as illustrated in fig3 . if the frequency response of both capsules is within the limits required by the particular application , input equalizers 201 and 202 can be replaced by simple input amplifiers for capsule - level balancing . mixer 203 , input equalizers / amplifiers 201 and 202 , and output equalizer 204 are built in this exemplary embodiment on a digital signal processor ( dsp ). other implementations will use alternative audio processing technology . in this embodiment , level balancing and optional frequency response correction of microphone capsules 101 and 102 are executed only at a production setup stage as described below . during sensitivity pattern switching , only parameters of mixer 203 and output equalizer 204 are controlled by the microcontroller 205 . in alternative embodiments , other parameters will be adjusted to achieve smooth transitions between sensitivity patterns . fig4 is a schematic diagram of a microphone with components for automated channel balancing / correction . if no frequency response correction is required , the procedure for channel balancing in this embodiment is as follows : a uniform acoustical field 404 in the form of white noise ( see fig5 ) is applied to microphone capsules 101 and 102 . amplifiers 201 and 202 are set to have the same initial fixed gain value . microcontroller 205 turns on switch 206 and turns off switch 207 so that only audio coming through microphone capsule 101 is being processed by mixer 203 . microcontroller 205 reads the output level from capsule 101 from the level detector 208 . microcontroller 205 turns off switch 206 and turns on switch 207 so that only audio coming through microphone capsule 102 is being processed by mixer 203 . microcontroller 205 reads the output level from capsule 102 , compares it to the output level from the capsule 101 , and adjusts the gain value for amplifier 207 until the output level from capsule 102 becomes equal to the one measured with switch 206 on ( that is , the output level from capsule 101 ). in some embodiments , this calibrated gain value is saved permanently ( e . g ., in a non - volatile memory ) for that particular microphone . if frequency response correction of microphone capsules is required , the procedure is as follows : an external signal generator creates a sequence of single tones , which are applied to microphone capsules 101 and 102 by the speaker as a uniform acoustical field . depending on the number of bands necessary , one of the standard sequences ( for example , one - third octave bands ) can be used . switching to the next tone in a sequence is controlled by microcontroller 205 . the first frequency of a sequence is applied to microphone capsules 101 and 102 . microcontroller 205 turns on switch 206 and turns off switch 207 so that only audio coming through microphone capsule 101 is being processed by mixer 203 . a fixed gain is applied to the first band of equalizer 206 . microcontroller 205 reads the output level from capsule 101 from the level detector 208 . microcontroller 205 switches the signal generator to the next tone in the sequence and measures the output level of capsule 101 . the output level is compared to the one for the previous tone , and the current band gain is adjusted until the levels are equal . the procedure of switching to the next tone and adjusting gain is repeated until all tones in the sequence are exhausted . to achieve better results , the whole procedure may be repeated until repeatable results are achieved . microcontroller 205 turns off switch 206 and turns on switch 207 so that only audio coming through microphone capsule 102 is being processed by mixer 203 . starting from the lowest band , microcontroller 205 measures the output level from capsule 102 , compares it to the level from capsule 101 and adjusts the gain for the current band of equalizer 207 until both levels are equal . calibration data is stored to restore the gain for each capsule to the adjusted point . microcontroller 205 switches the signal generator to the next tone and adjusts gains until the whole tone sequence is exhausted . to achieve better results , the procedure for capsule 102 may be repeated until repeatable results are achieved . in some embodiments , the output of mixer 203 is further calibrated as follows : a uniform acoustical field 404 in the form of white noise ( see fig5 ) is applied to microphone capsules 101 and 102 . any mixer equalizer gains are set to 0 db . an output gain applied to the combined output of the first microphone capsule 101 and second microphone capsule 102 is adjusted until a target output level is achieved . calibration data is stored to restore the output gain to the adjusted point . similarly , the response of mixer 203 to input of various frequencies is calibrated in some embodiments for each selectable response pattern as follows : the response pattern for the microphone is set to the selected response pattern . an external signal generator creates a sequence of single tones , which are applied to microphone capsules 101 and 102 by the speaker as a uniform acoustical field . depending on the number of bands necessary , one of the standard sequences ( for example , one - third octave bands ) can be used . switching to the next tone in a sequence is controlled by microcontroller 205 . the first frequency of a sequence is applied to microphone capsules 101 and 102 . the microphone &# 39 ; s mixer output gain is adjusted until a desired reference output level is achieved . calibration data is stored to restore the mixer output gain to the adjusted point . these steps are repeated for each frequency band . fast testing of the balancing between microphone capsules 101 and 102 can be achieved by switching the microphone to the figure - eight pattern and applying acoustical field 404 at equal distance from capsules 101 and 102 ( see fig5 ). switches 206 and 207 are closed ( fig4 ). microcontroller 205 measures the output signal from the mixer 203 through the level detector 204 . if capsules are balanced , the output signal from mixer 203 should be equal to zero with the precision chosen by current application requirements . for automated channel balancing and testing , microphone 402 may be placed in an anechoic test box 400 , as illustrated in fig5 . embedded speaker 403 produces a uniform acoustical field 404 from speaker 403 for application to microphone capsules 101 and 102 . as illustrated schematically in fig6 , microphone 501 includes a dsp - based , customizable audio development engine 503 with configurable sensitivity patterns and mute capability ; a touch - sensing push button 505 ; and one or more configurable , multi - color rgb led indicators 507 . the microphone 501 is connected to a host audio system 521 by a cat - x cable 509 via rj - 45 connector 518 , and that cable carries at least the following signals : power 511 to the microphone 501 , a differential analog / digital audio signal 513 and a bidirectional serial communication channel 517 ( differential ). push button 505 is configured in this embodiment to generate “ button pressed ” and “ button released ” events for the system corresponding to the pressing and releasing of the physical button . as a function of the current “ control mode ” of microphone 501 ( local , remote , or mixed , for example ), these events , their timing , and their sequence are interpreted either locally by a microcontroller 519 or by the host audio system 521 . responsive actions taken by the system 500 are based on the interpretation of these events and the current control mode . rgb led indicator ( s ) 507 provide a significant increase in functionality over single - color indicators . indicator ( s ) 507 are fully configurable , allowing the system manufacturer , installer , integrator , or the like to create multiple custom light patterns based on combinations of their color , intensity , and timed lighting operation , such a combination for a light element being an “ activation state .” light patterns in some embodiments include one or more of the following : custom colors shown with a uniform intensity ; blinking of a custom color with a particular pattern ; and a custom color “ wave ,” for example , by changing the intensity of a single color and / or changing the color over time , such as a gradual transition between two colors . multiple - stage sequences can be configured by combining these light patterns . this variety of signaling techniques greatly increases the available methods that can be applied to communicate information to users of the system . in some implementations , a particular microphone is assigned a “ base ” color , which is used with the signaling techniques listed above to create signaling patterns adapted for that particular microphone . the “ base ” color distinguishes that microphone from other microphones in that particular system for more convenient configuration , use , and management . touch button 505 may have various functions depending on the configuration and the microphone &# 39 ; s operating mode : local , remote , or mixed . as mentioned above , microphones in the present embodiment can operate in local , remote , and mixed control modes . in local mode , operation of the microphone 501 is based on a locally stored configuration , which could be either preprogrammed at or uploaded to the microphone ( for example , over a serial port ( not shown ) or communication channel 517 ). button 505 events are interpreted locally based on the configuration , which also defines actions to be taken based on button events or sequences thereof . responsive actions that can be used in some embodiments include : microphone push - to - mute , push - to - talk , hold - to - mute , hold - to - talk , etc . ; displaying preconfigured light patterns to attract attention ; displaying microphone properties , such as an indicator of the audio pattern currently selected ; and configuring microphone properties , such as the selected audio pattern . in local mode , rgb indicator ( s ) 507 can reflect status or indicate the taking of an action based on a button event , or display microphone status information using configured light patterns , to name just a few options . though others will occur to those skilled in the art , selected example status information includes : mute / un - mute status ; input audio level ( e . g ., by changing color and / or intensity ); and failure , malfunction , or error status of the microphone 501 or broader system 500 . in remote mode , the microphone 501 operates as a function of the configuration stored on the host system 521 . events and commands are communicated over the serial channel 517 ; the host system 521 can query the status of push button 505 at any time ; local microphone properties , such as an audio pattern such as the currently selected audio sensitivity pattern , can be queried or changed at any time by sending a command from the host 521 to the microphone 501 ; the firmware in microphone 501 can be updated by the host 521 over the serial communication channel 517 ; button events are sent to the host system 521 and interpreted by the host system 521 , such as audio functions , such as push - to - mute , push - to - talk , hold - to - mute , hold - to - talk , etc ., and system functions , such as record , private , request to talk , request for attention , etc ., where custom configuration allows adjusting system functions for particular use scenarios ; and operation of the led indicator 507 is defined by a light pattern command sent from the host 521 . in this mode , indicator 507 can display the local and / or system status , as defined by the command , such as : microphone mute / unmute , system record , private status , etc ., permission / request to talk , system error or malfunction code , microphone connection error code , microphone identity , and other functions defined by the system . mixed mode is a combination of local and remote modes , wherein operation of the microphone &# 39 ; s audio engine 503 , the effect of push button 505 , and output of indicator ( s ) 507 can be defined by local configuration , host commands , or a combination of the two . this mode is the most flexible and allows customization of the microphone &# 39 ; s operation for various use scenarios . all publications , prior applications , and other documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each had been individually incorporated by reference and fully set forth . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . | 7 |
an embodiment of the present invention shall be described with reference to fig1 to 3 . in the following description , terms “ front ” and “ rear ” respectively indicate front and rear in a traveling direction of a vehicle , and terms “ upper ” and “ lower ” respectively indicate upper and lower in the vertical direction , unless a different definition is presented . a vehicle 1 shown in fig1 is a station wagon having a tailgate 2 ( an open - close member ) on the rear portion thereof . the tailgate 2 is mounted rotatably in the vertical direction on an opening 3 provided at the backside of the vehicle 1 . a back end of a roof portion of the vehicle 1 functions as a rotational axis of the tailgate 2 . a baggage space 4 is provided in the cabin near the opening 3 , and is adapted to be loaded and unloaded by opening the tailgate 2 . in the roof portion of the vehicle 1 , top ends of side panels 6 which constitute side surfaces of the vehicle 1 are spot welded to both ends of a roof panel 5 disposed at the center in the width of the vehicle 1 . the ends of the roof panel 5 and the side panels 6 which are welded to each other are bent to form a crank . therefore , grooves 7 having a u - shaped cross section are formed along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 after the roof panel 5 and the side panels 6 are welded . the grooves 7 are formed on the right and left ends of the roof portion . the width of each groove 7 gradually increases toward the back end of the vehicle body . a hinge 8 is mounted on the bottom of a portion of the groove 7 which has a greater width , and rotatably supports the tailgate 2 . a roof molding 9 is mounted on each groove 7 , and a hinge molding 10 which covers the hinge 8 is integrally formed at the back end of the roof molding 9 . a window 11 is formed in the upper half of the tailgate 2 , and a tailgate glass 35 is mounted on the window 11 . the tailgate 2 is constituted by integrating an outer panel 12 and an inner panel 13 by a hemming process . the edge of the outer panel 12 is folded on the inner panel 13 , and the inner panel 13 bulges from the portion where the outer panel 12 is folded to the cabin side . the bulge of the inner panel 13 constitutes the thickness of the tailgate 2 . in other words , side surfaces 14 of the tailgate 2 are formed by the bulge of the inner panel 13 and are located inside from the edge of the outer panel 12 in the width direction by the length of the hemming process . the side surfaces 14 extend to be perpendicular to the rotational axis of the tailgate 2 . the rotation of the tailgate 2 is indicated by arrows c and d shown in fig1 . the hinge 8 for mounting the tailgate 2 on the vehicle body includes a first hinge member 15 and a second hinge member 16 . the first hinge member 15 is mounted on the bottom of the groove 7 , at the back end thereof , and the second hinge member 16 is mounted on the side surface 14 , near the top end of the tailgate 2 . the first hinge member 15 and the second hinge member 16 are pivoted by a hinge pin 17 . the first hinge member 15 is made of a metal plate member having an l - shaped cross section and has a base portion 18 and a support strip portion 19 . the base portion 18 is mounted on the bottom of the groove 7 by a bolt , and the support strip portion 19 is formed at the rear end of the base portion to protrude upward . the first hinge member 15 and the second hinge member 16 are coupled at the support strip portion 19 via the hinge pin 17 . the second hinge member 16 is made of a metal plate member and has a base portion 20 , a coupling portion 21 , and a strip portion 22 . the base portion 20 is mounted on the side surface 14 by a bolt . the coupling portion 21 extends from an end of the base portion 20 toward the upper front of the tailgate 2 and substantially parallel to the side surface 14 , and forms an approximately l - shape with the base portion 20 . the strip portion 22 extends from the base portion 20 toward the cabin side of the tailgate 2 . the second hinge member 16 and the first hinge member 15 are coupled at the front end of the coupling portion 21 ( an aperture 21 a shown in fig2 ) via the hinge pin 17 . the base portion 20 and the coupling portion 21 are made almost plane , and a step portion 23 is provided between the base portion 20 and the strip portion 22 as shown in fig3 . this step portion 23 extends from the side surface 14 near a window frame 24 of the tailgate 2 over a backside 25 of the window frame 24 . therefore , the strip portion 22 extends at a position which is offset to the side surface 14 and nearer the center of the vehicle 1 in the width direction . the base portion 20 is mounted on the side surface 14 of the tailgate 2 ( the inner panel 13 ) by a bolt 26 , and a stiffener 27 for increasing the support strength of the second hinge member 16 is joined on the other side of the portion of the inner panel 13 on which the base portion 20 is mounted . reference numeral 28 in fig2 indicates a u - shaped groove for drainage formed at approximately the center of the base portion 20 in its longitudinal direction . a pin 29 protruding outside in the width direction of the vehicle body is provided on the strip portion 22 of the second hinge member 16 , and a first end 31 of a stretchable stay 30 ( hereinafter , simply referred to as “ stay ”) for supporting the tailgate is rotatably coupled to the pin 29 . the stay 30 has a gas spring having a damper function and a second end 32 of the stay 30 is rotatably coupled to the side edge of the opening 3 of the vehicle body . the stay 30 biases the tailgate 2 to open by the pressure of the filler gas of the gas spring . though only the stay 30 on the left side of the tailgate 2 is shown in fig1 , another stay 30 is also mounted on the right side of the tailgate 2 in the same manner . since the first end 31 of the stay 30 is coupled to the second hinge member 16 , the number of components can be reduced and make the mounting operation easier than that of the conventional structure , in which a bracket is mounted on the tailgate 2 and the stay 30 is coupled to the tailgate 2 via the bracket . therefore , manufacturing cost can be saved by the present structure . in addition , since a portion to be coupled with the stay 30 is integrally provided in the second hinge member 16 , it can be easier to set a point on which the load from the stay 30 is applied near the rotational center of the tailgate 2 . therefore , it can be possible to constitute a structure in which the load applied from the stay does not work as a great bending moment to the open - close member . furthermore , the tailgate 2 can be reinforced by the second hinge member 16 so as to prevent the deformation of the tailgate 2 due to the load applied by the stay 30 . since the tailgate is not bent by the bias of the stay 30 in the present structure , fitting adjustment of the tailgate 2 can be reduced . in the present embodiment , the strip portion 22 for coupling the stay 30 extends from the base portion 20 toward the cabin side of the tailgate 2 . therefore , the deformation of the tailgate 2 is more effectively prevented by setting the mounting portion of the stay 30 closer to the rotational center of the tailgate 2 . since the portion for coupling the stay 30 is integrated with the second hinge member 16 in the present structure , the area of the stiffener 27 for reinforcing the inner panel 13 of the tailgate 2 can be reduced . in the present structure around the tailgate 2 of the vehicle , the base portion 20 of the second hinge member 16 made of a plate member is connected to the side surface 14 of the tailgate 2 which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the tailgate 2 . since the load from the stay 30 is applied on the connecting area of the second hinge member 16 and the tailgate 2 from the direction which is perpendicular to the thickness of the second hinge member 16 , the second hinge member 16 can receive the load from the stay 30 from a direction to which the second hinge member 16 has a greater strength . the load from the stay 30 is applied from a shearing direction at the coupling portion of the second hinge member 16 and the tailgate 2 . in the present embodiment , the first hinge member 15 is mounted in the groove 7 on the right - and - left side of the roof of the vehicle body , and the first end 31 of the stay 30 is coupled to the second hinge member 16 which is supported by the first hinge member 15 . therefore , the stay 30 can be disposed sufficiently near the right - and - left side edge of the opening 3 of the vehicle body . as a result , the stay 30 does not obstruct the loading and unloading from the opening 3 , and the space of the opening 3 of the vehicle body can be sufficiently maintained . in this embodiment , since the strip portion 22 extends from the base portion 20 of the second hinge member 16 toward the cabin side of the tailgate 2 and the first end 31 of the stay 30 is coupled to the strip portion 22 , the mounting position of the stay 30 is not restricted by the side surface 14 of the tailgate 2 . therefore , the layout flexibility of the stay can be improved . furthermore , since the step portion 23 is provided on the base portion 20 of the second hinge member 16 over the side surface 14 and the backside 25 and the strip portion 22 extends from the step portion 23 , the first end of the 31 of the stay 30 is disposed at a position which is offset to the side surface 14 of the tailgate 2 and nearer the center of the vehicle 1 in the width direction . the window frame 24 of the tailgate 2 thus can be disposed closer to the side wall of the vehicle body without reducing the cross section of the window frame 24 . 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 . for example , though the strip portion 22 extending toward the cabin side of the tailgate 2 is integrally provided on the base portion 20 of the second hinge member 16 in the present embodiment , the base portion 20 may be extended along the side surface 14 of the tailgate 2 ( an extended portion 33 ) instead of providing the strip portion 22 . in this case , a coupling portion for coupling the stay 30 is provided in the extended portion 33 of the base portion 20 . 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 . | 4 |
an upright shaft 13 which is rotatably mounted in a machine frame 49 carries a freely rotatable turntable 2 which comprises three normally closed openable gripping devices in the form of pairs of clamping jaws 3 , 4 staggered at 120 ° around the shaft 13 . when the turntable 2 rotates in the direction of arrow shown in fig2 the pairs of clamping jaws 3 , 4 are transported past work stations a , b , c , d and e . a cap 12 is screwed onto the shaft 13 . a prestressed helical compression spring 14 is disposed between the cap 12 and a coupling dish 15 which is connected with the shaft 13 . the coupling dish 15 is non - rotatably secured to and is movable axially of the shaft 13 so that it is biased against the turntable 2 under the action of the helical spring 14 . a ring - shaped friction generating element 11 is disposed between the coupling dish 15 and the turntable 2 so that the rotating coupling dish 15 entrains the turntable 2 . however , the turntable 2 can be arrested , while the coupling dish 15 or the shaft 13 rotates , against the action of the force which is generated by the element 11 . the shaft 13 is driven by a motor 48 which is secured to the machine frame 49 . a friction wheel 50 which is non - rotatably mounted at one end of the shaft of the motor 48 drives , by way of a friction wheel 51 , a friction wheel 57 which is mounted on and is free to rotate with respect to the shaft 13 . the friction wheel 57 is rigidly connected with a pinion 58 which meshes with a pinion 54 . the pinion 54 is non - rotatably secured to one end of a shaft which is rotatably mounted in the machine frame 49 and the other end of which carries a pinion 55 meshing with a gear 59 . the gear 59 is non - rotatably connected with the shaft 13 . the friction wheel 51 is mounted on and is free to rotate with respect to a shaft 52 which , in turn , is secured to an end 53 of a lever 60 . the lever 60 is mounted on and is free to pivot relative to the shaft 13 . the free end of the lever 60 projects outwardly through a slot in the machine frame 49 and can be pivoted about the shaft 13 by hand or by foot . such pivotal movement brings the friction wheel 51 in physical contact with or disengages it from the friction wheels 50 and 57 so that the operative connection between the motor 48 and shaft 13 can be interrupted by the step down friction wheel transmission 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 57 . for the opening and closing of the pairs of clamping jaws 3 and 4 , a stationary first disc cam 16 is fixedly connected to the machine frame 49 coaxially with the shaft 13 . the inner clamping jaw 3 of each pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is longitudinally slidably mounted on the turntable 2 by means of a guide rod 5 which is reciprocable in bearings 6 and 7 and is biased against the outer clamping jaw 4 under the action of a prestressed helical compression spring 10 . a discrete cam follower roller 8 is rotatably mounted on each thrust rod 5 , as at 9 , and tracks the cam 16 . the cam 16 is configurated in such a way that the pairs of clamping jaws 3 and 4 are opened for a predetermined interval of time at selected work stations , namely , at the inserting station a for inner books , at the lowering station c and at the combined cover applying and book removing station e . a second disc cam 44 which is non - rotatably secured to the shaft 13 actuates a lever 42 by way of a cam follower roller 43 . the lever 42 is pivotably mounted in the machine frame 49 by way of a shaft 41 . a restrainer in the form of a stop 40 which is pivotable between two end positions is secured to the upper end of the shaft 41 . in one of its end positions , the stop 40 extends into the path of movement of bearings 7 on the turntable 2 and intercepts and arrests the oncoming bearing 7 and hence the turntable 2 ; in the other end position , the stop 40 releases the turntable 2 so that the latter 2 shares the rotary movement of the shaft 13 . the disc cam 44 is configurated in such a way that the stop 40 extends into the path of movement of a bearing 7 when the corresponding pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is located at the inserting station a for the stacks of overlapping sheets which constitute the inner books . since the working stations a , c and e as well as the three pairs of clamping jaws 3 , 4 are angularly offset with respect to each other by 120 °, a pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is always located at each of the working stations c and e when a third pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is located at the inserting station a for the inner books . furthermore , a third disc cam 45 is non - rotatably attached to the shaft 13 . this cam cooperates with a cam follower roller 39 mounted on a lever 38 which is secured to a shaft 18 . the shaft 18 is rotatably mounted in the machine frame 49 and its upper end carries a lever 17 . the disc cam 45 is configurated in such a way that , when a pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is located at the work station e , the clamping jaws 3 , 4 are opened as a result of pivoting of the linking including the lever 17 as soon as a book cover 19 is pressed against the spine of the inner book . the book 1 thereupon descends into the receptacle 29 . to this end , the lever 17 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction , as viewed in fig2 so that it pushes the cam follower roller 8 of a pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 inwardly against the action of the helical spring 10 whereby the guide rod 5 is moved axially toward the shaft 13 and the pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 opens . a fourth disc cam 46 is non - rotatably attached to the shaft 13 at a level below the disc cam 45 . the cam 46 cooperates with a cam follower roller 37 which is rotatably mounted at one end of a thrust rod 36 . the thrust rod 36 is axially movably mounted in a bearing 35 which is fixedly secured to the machine frame 49 , and the other end of the thrust rod 36 carries a pivot 32 articulately connected with a bell crank lever 31 , 34 which is pivotably mounted on a bearing 26 of the machine frame 49 , as at 33 . the arm 31 of the bell crank lever 31 , 34 constitutes a portion of a parallelogram linkage consisting of pivot bearings 23 , 25 , 30 and 33 as well as levers 24 , 31 and a pressing element 22 . the pressing element 22 is displaceable between the end positions shown in fig1 by solid and phantom lines . in the first ( solid - line ) end position , the pressing element 22 urges a cover sheet 19 which is located on a feed table 20 against the adhesive - coated spine of the inner book ( not shown in the drawing ) which is located thereabove . a shaft 27 , to which there is secured a flap 21 , is likewise rotatably mounted in bearings 28 on the machine frame 49 . in its end position which is shown by solid lines , the flap 21 abuts against the pressing element 22 . in an end position 21a which is shown by phantom lines , the flap 21 abuts against a stop 61 on the bearings 28 . the flap 21 is pivoted between the two end positions as a result of upward and downward movement of the pressing element 22 . when a pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is located at the work station a , such pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is open owing to the configuration of the disc cam 16 . at the same time , owing to the configuration of the disc cam 44 , the stop 40 extends into the path of movement of the bearing 7 so that the turntable 2 is arrested even though the shaft 13 continues to rotate . at the same time , another pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is located at each of the work stations c and e . an inner book 1 is manually inserted into the pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 which is located at the work station a so that the spine of the book 1 rests on a table , not shown . the stop 40 is thereupon withdrawn from the path of rotary movement of the bearing 7 so that the turntable 2 is free to rotate . once the turntable 2 has been set in rotary motion , the pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 closes and moves the inner book 1 which is clamped therebetween beyond past the trimming station b where the spine of the inner book 1 is trimmed by a milling tool 47 which is driven by the motor 48 so that the trimmed inner book 1 projects only slightly downwardly beyond the clamping jaws 3 and 4 . the turntable 2 is arrested as soon as the pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 , with an inner book 1 having a trimmed spine , reaches and stops at the work station c because the bearing 7 of the next - following pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 engages the stop 40 . at the work station c , the clamping jaws 3 , 4 are opened and the inner book 1 is lowered onto a horizontal table 62 which is located therebelow and whose upper surface is located in a plane which is tangential to adhesive - applying rolls of the next - following adhesive applying station d . as soon as the stop 40 releases the next - following pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 , the turntable 2 resumes its rotation and the inner book 1 is moved past the work station d at which the spine of the book 1 is coated with adhesive by the adhesive - applying rolls . the turntable 2 is arrested again as soon as the pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 reaches the work station e because the bearing 7 of the third pair of clamping jaws engages the stop 40 . a cover sheet 9 has been previously placed by hand onto the feed table 20 of the work station e . the disc cam 46 thereupon moves the pressing element 22 upwardly until the latter presses the cover sheet 19 against the adhesive - coated spine of the inner book 1 . when the cover sheet 9 adheres to the spine of the inner book 1 , the pressing element 22 is lowered and the flap 21 pivots to the position 21a . in such position 21a of the flap 21 , the disc cam 45 pivots the lever 17 which moves the inner clamping jaw 3 away from the outer clamping jaw 4 via cam follower roller 8 and the finished book 1 is released so that it descends onto the flap 21 and slides off the flap 21 into the receptacle 29 . the stop 40 thereupon again releases the turntable 2 . the pair of clamping jaws 3 , 4 is again advanced to the work station a to be arrested by the stop 40 and to be ready for reception of a further inner book 1 . the aforementioned cycle is then repeated . | 1 |
valve operators of the prior art were bulky , expensive , had poor performance , had limited pressure reduction range and operative pressure range , or were unstable in operation . it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved valve operator which overcomes the prior art disadvantages ; which is simple , economical , and reliable ; which is compact ; which has improved control pressure stability ; which has a plurality of regulator sections only one of which is operatively connected to the housing to set the valve operator at the desired pressure range ; which operator can be set for high ( 100 psig to 1000 psig ), medium ( 5 psig to 100 psig ) or low ( 5 wc to 5 psig ) pressure operation and which operator has a reset valve to produce a predetermined delay in balancing the control pressure and to insure operative stability . other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in the claims . fig1 is a diagrammatic representation of the valve operator of the present invention ; fig2 is a perspective view of the improved valve operator of the present invention ; fig3 is a side elevational view , partly in section , of the improved valve operator of the present invention , including the detachable pressure regulator section . fig3 a shows a high pressure regulator section connectable to the valve operator of fig3 ; fig3 b shows a medium pressure regulator section connectable to the valve operator of fig3 ; fig3 c shows a low pressure regulator section connectable to the valve operator of fig3 ; fig4 is an enlarged side elevational view , partly in section of the control housing , or manifold and reset valve ( on the left side ) shown in fig3 . fig5 is a mirror image of the fig4 in that it is a side elevational view , partly in section showing the reset valve from the opposite side ( right ) and the control housing or manifold from the side shown in fig1 ; fig6 is a view of the exterior of the reset valve as shown in fig5 including the direction of flow . the fundamentals of operation of multi - mode valve operators for controlling flow through a pipeline or conduit are described in &# 34 ; fundamentals of three - mode controllers &# 34 ; by floyd d . tury of the fisher controls company of marshalltown , iowa , tm - 28 , copyrighted 1973 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . a specific proportional reset two mode valve operator , or regulator , is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 083 , 375 the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . the subject invention is also a proportional reset valve operator and is illustrated in fig1 in simplified schematic and diagrammatic form and generally designated by the reference numeral 11 . the valve operator 11 , by way of conduits 15 , 16 , 17 and 23 , is coupled to a main valve 12 for controlling the flow of a compressible fluid or gas through a pipeline which includes an upstream or inlet pipe 13 connected to a source of pressurized fluid ( not shown ) and a downstream or outlet pipe 14 connected to one or more pressurized fluid utilization devices ( not shown ). the valve 12 is controlled by the valve operator 11 to provide substantially constant downstream fluid pressure in the outlet pipe 14 . the valve 12 includes a housing structure 24 connected between the inlet pipe 13 and outlet pipe 14 and includes a valve inlet 18 , a valve outlet 19 and a control chamber 20 . located between the valve 12 inlet 18 and outlet 19 is a slotted barrier 22 that provides an axial fluid flow path through the valve 12 . fluid flow through the valve 12 is controlled by the positioning of a flexible , resilient valve member or sleeve 21 that surrounds the slotted barrier 22 . positioning of the sleeve 21 between open ( sleeve 21 is separated from the slotted barrier 22 by the maximum amount ), closed ( sleeve 21 presses against the slotted barrier 22 to prevent fluid flow therethrough ) and intermediate throttling positions ( sleeve 21 is separated from the slotted barrier 22 less than the maximum amount ) is accomplished by the application of control pressure to the control chamber 20 from the valve operator 11 by way of the conduit 16 . the type of valve 12 shown schematically in fig1 and in more detail in fig3 is described fully in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 836 , 113 which is incorporated herein by reference . it is to be understood , however , that the valve operator 11 of this invention is not limited to use with the type of valve 12 described herein since the valve operator 11 can be utilized with various other types of pressure controlled valves to regulate the fluid pressure in a pipeline . the valve operator 11 comprises a housing 25 having a plurality of chambers formed therein . a diaphram 26 and a first wall 27 within the housing 25 define a balancing chamber 28 and a control chamber 29 that are intercommunicated by way of a variable restrictor 30 . the control chamber 29 receives valve 12 inlet pressure by way of the conduit 15 and a fixed restrictor 33 of fixed cross sectional area and provides control pressure to the control chamber 20 of the valve 12 by way of the conduit 16 . a second wall 31 within the housing 25 forms a bleed chamber 32 between the first and second walls 27 and 31 , respectively . pressure is selectively bled or exhausted from the bleed chamber 32 by way of the conduit 17 to the valve 12 outlet 19 , i . e . the downstream fluid flow . an orifice 34 is secured to the membrane 26 and is slidably mounted within the first wall 27 to protrude into the bleed chamber 32 . a passageway 35 within the orifice 34 intercommunicates the valve operator 11 control 29 and bleed 32 chambers . a bias between the first wall 27 and the orifice 34 is provided by a spring 36 . a poppet valve 37 is slidably mounted in the second wall 31 and has a valve seat 38 adjacent to the orifice 34 outlet . fluid flow through the valve operator 11 is from the valve 12 inlet , through the restrictor 33 and into the control chamber 29 . from the control chamber 29 fluid flows into the balancing chamber 28 by way of the variable restrictor 30 until the pressure in the balancing chamber 28 is equal to the pressure in the control chamber 29 . as long as the orifice 34 does not abutt the valve seat 38 of the poppet valve 37 , fluid flows from the control chamber 29 into the bleed chamber 32 and to the valve 12 outlet 19 by way of the conduit 17 . this fluid flow causes the pressure within the control chamber 29 to be less than the valve 12 inlet pressure by an amount equal to the pressure drop across the fixed restrictor 33 . this reduced pressure is communicated to the control chamber 20 of the valve 12 by way of conduit 16 to at least partially open the valve 12 to enable fluid flow therethrough . if the orifice abutted the valve seat 38 of the poppet valve 37 , no fluid flow would exist between the control 29 and bleed 32 chambers and the presssure within the control chamber 29 would be equal to the inlet pressure at the valve 12 inlet 18 . under these conditions , the sleeve 21 is pressed against the slotted barrier 22 to close the valve 12 . as will now be apparent , as the orifice 34 and poppet valve 37 move apart the fluid flow through the valve operator 11 increases thereby decreasing the pressure in the control chambers 29 and 20 to further open the valve 12 . conversely , as the orifice 34 and poppet valve 37 move closer together the fluid flow through the valve operator 11 decreases thereby increasing the pressure in the control chamber 29 and 20 to reduce the flow through the valve 12 . the housing 25 further includes a regulator portion that includes a static chamber 39 and a reference chamber 40 which are separated by a diaphram 47 . a rod 41 is secured to the diaphram 47 and has one end extending into the static chamber 39 and the other end extending into the reference chamber 40 . the end of the rod 41 extending into the reference chamber 40 has an adjustable spring retaining member 42 thereon . a spring plate 48 surrounds the rod 41 on the reference chamber 40 side of the diaphram 47 . a spring 43 is interposed between the spring retaining member 42 and the spring plate 48 . the spring 43 exerts a pressure on the diaphram 47 that is equivalent to the pressure level at which the flow in the downstream pipe 14 is to be regulated . a removable portion 50 of the housing 25 surrounding the spring 43 permits adjustment of the spring retaining member 42 to adjust the force exerted by the spring on the diaphram 47 . the spring 43 may be augmented or replaced by atmospheric or some other reference pressure . the end of the rod 41 extending into the static chamber 39 has an opening 39 therein that surrounds one end of a bell crank 44 that is rotatable about pivot pin 45 . the other end of the bell crank 44 is rotatably secured to the end of the poppet valve 37 which extends into the static chamber 39 by means of a pin 46 . the static chamber 39 is convected to the downstream pipe 14 by way of the conduit 23 . when the pressure in the static chamber 39 is less than the pressure in the reference chamber 40 , the rod 41 is moved downwardly by the diaphram 47 causing clockwise rotation of the bell crank 44 as shown in fig1 which in turn causes the poppet valve 37 to move to the right away from the orifice 34 . conversely , when the pressure in the static chamber 39 is greater than the pressure in the reference chamber 40 , the rod 41 is moved upwardly causing counterclockwise rotation of the bell crank 44 as shown in fig1 which in turn causes the poppet valve 37 to move to the left toward the orifice 34 . when the pressure in the control chamber 29 of the valve operator 11 is less than the pressure in the balancing chamber 28 , the diaphram 26 will move the orifice 34 to the right toward the poppet valve 37 seat 38 . however , as the pressure in the balancing chamber 28 and control chamber 29 begins to equalize by flow through the variable restrictor 30 , the orifice 34 will begin to move back to its original position away from the poppet valve 37 seat 38 . in a steady state condition , the poppet valve 37 and orifice 34 are separated sufficiently so as to enable the control pressure in the control chamber 29 of the valve operator 11 to maintain the valve 12 in a throttling condition that produces a pressure in the downstream pipe 14 that is at the desired level established by the pressure in the reference chamber 40 . this establishes a set point or null position of the valve operator 11 and the system is in equilibrium . relatively slow pressure changes in the downstream pipe 14 due to a change in fluid demand by downstream fluid utilization devices causes the separation between the poppet valve 37 and the orifice 34 to change from the set point or null position to a final position that establishes a control pressure in the valve operator 11 control chamber 29 that enables the valve 12 to return the pressure in the downstream pipe to the desired level . for example , a decrease of downstream pressure causes the pressure within the static chamber 39 to also decrease . this results in the poppet valve 37 moving to the right thereby increasing its separation from the orifice 34 which decreases the control pressure to further open the valve 12 . an increase of downstream pressure causes the pressure within the static chamber 39 to also increase . this results in the poppet moving to the left thereby decreasing its separation from the orifice 34 which increases the control pressure to move the valve 12 to a more closed position . relatively slow pressure changes in the downstream pipe 14 do not produce a pressure differential between the operator valve 11 balance and control chambers 28 and 29 , respectively , as do abrupt pressure changes in the downstream pipe 14 . this is so because relatively slow pressure changes do not cause any significant delay in passing through the variable restrictor 30 . an abrupt or step in pressure in the downstream pipe 14 due to a change in fluid demand by downstream fluid utilization devices cause the separation between the poppet valve 37 and the orifice to change from the set point or null position to a final reset position that establishes a control pressure in the valve operator 11 control chamber 29 that enables the valve 12 to maintain the pressure in the downstream pipe 14 at the desired level . for example , if a step increase occurs in the load flow the downstream pressure decreases which reduces the pressure in the static chamber 39 . this results in the poppet valve 37 moving to the right to abruptly decrease the pressure in the control chamber 29 . due to the variable restrictor 30 , however , this pressure change does not immediately occur in the balancing chamber 28 . the resultting pressure differential across the diaphram 26 moves the orifice 34 to the right toward the poppet valve 37 to limit the separation therebetween to momentarily maintain a high gain to provide good transient control . as the pressure between the balance chamber 28 and the control chamber 29 begins to equalize due to flow through the variable restrictor 30 , the separation between the orifice 34 and the poppet valve 37 increases to reduce the gain . this gain reduction during the transient portion of the distrubance prevents the system from oscillating in an unstable manner . the resulting decrease of control pressure further opens the valve 12 to enable increased fluid flow into the downstream pipe 14 . as the increased flow demands are met , the pressure across the diaphram 26 slowly reaches equilibrium , the pressure in the static chamber 39 increases , the orifice 34 slowly returns to its original position and the poppet valve moves to the left to a high gain position as before and the system is again stabilized . if a step decrease occurs in the loadflow the downstream pressure increases which increases the pressure in the static chamber 39 . this results in the poppet valve 37 moving to the left to abruptly increase the pressure in the control chamber 29 . due to the variable restrictor 30 , however , this pressure change does not immediately occur in the balancing chamber 28 . the resulting pressure differential across the diaphram 26 moves the orifice to the left to limit the separation between it and the poppet valve 37 to momentarily maintain a high gain to provide good transient control . as the pressure between the balance chamber 28 and the control chamber 29 begins to equalize due to flow through the variable restrictor 30 , the separation between the orifice and the poppet valve 37 increases to reduce the gain . as the transient disturbance decays and the system approaches equilibrium , the pressure in the control chamber 29 slowly increases and cancels the gain cutting effect . a detailed embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig2 through 6 as including a valve 51 that is coupled between an inlet or upstream pipe 53 and an outlet or downstream pipe 52 by any suitable means such as bolts 54 that engage flanged members 55 . the valve 51 includes a slotted barrier member 56 , an elastic sleeve 57 , an inlet portion 58 , an outlet portion 59 and a control chamber 60 . the operation of the valve 51 is substantially identical to the valve 12 described in conjunction with fig1 . a valve operator 61 is coupled to the valve 51 by means of a plurality of bolts 62 and includes a hollow manifold housing 63 and a hollow regulating housing 64 that is secured to the manifold housing 63 by bolts 65 . the regulator housing 64 includes a static chamber 66 and a reference chamber portion 67 that is removable by means of bolts 68 . the interior of the manifold housing 63 includes a valve guide member 69 that has a poppet valve member 70 slidably mounted therein . a pressure seal between the valve guide member 69 and the interior of the manifold housing 63 is provided by an o - ring 71 . located within the manifold housing 63 and spaced apart from the valve guide member 69 is an orifice housing 72 that includes an orifice nut 73 secured thereto . an o - ring 74 provides a pressure seal between the orifice housing 72 and the interior surface of the manifold housing 63 . an orifice 75 having a passageway 76 therethrough is slidably mounted within the orifice nut 73 . one end of the orifice 75 extends into the space 77 between the orifice housing 72 and the valve guide member 69 and is adjacent to a valve seat 78 in the poppet valve 70 . the other end of the orifice 75 is secured to a diaphram 79 by means of a nut 80 . an o - ring 81 provides a pressure seal between the orifice nut 73 and the orifice 75 . the space below the diaphram 79 within the manifold housing 63 defines a balancing chamber 82 and the space around the orifice 75 and orifice nut 73 within the manifold housing 63 defines a control chamber 83 while the space between the valve guide member 69 and the orifice housing 72 defines a bleed chamber 84 . the manifold housing 63 includes a rotatable restrictor element 85 ( best seen in fig3 ) having a fixed restrictor portion and a variable restrictor portion and includes a passageway 86 along a portion of its longitudinal axis . the fixed restrictor portion includes a reduced diameter section 87 . a hole 88 intercommunicates the reduced diameter section 87 with the passageway 86 and provides a fixed resistance to fluid flow . the variable restrictor ( seen in fig4 ) section includes a variable width groove 89 that circumscribes the outer periphery of the restrictor element 85 and provides a variable resistance to fluid flow . a hole 90 intercommunicates the groove 89 with the passageway 86 within the restrictor element 85 . the fixed and variable restrictor sections are pressure sealed by means of o - rings 91 , 92 and 93 between the restrictor element 85 and the manifold housing 63 . the bleed chamber 84 is coupled to the outlet portion 59 of the valve 51 by a passageway 95 . the control chamber 83 of the operator valve is coupled to the control chamber 60 of the valve 51 by a passageway 96 . the control chamber 83 is also coupled to the inlet portion 58 of the valve 51 by a passageway 97 and the fixed restrictor portion of the restrictor element 85 . the balancing chamber 82 is intercommunicated with the control chamber 83 of the operator valve by way of a passageway 98 and the variable restrictor portion of the restrictor element 85 . the restrictor element 85 is rotatable within the manifold housing 63 by means of a screw driver engaging slot 94 in the end of the restrictor element 85 . rotation of the restrictor element 85 places a different portion of the variable width groove 89 in the path of fluid flow between the balancing and control chambers 82 and 83 , respectively , thereby varying the resistance to fluid flow therebetween . rotation of the restrictor element 85 , however , does not change the resistance to fluid flow provided by the fixed restrictor portion of the restrictor element 85 . access to the passageways 95 , 96 and 97 for various measuring and testing purposes is provided by removable bolts 98 , 99 and 100 respectively . the end of the poppet valve 70 remote from the orifice 75 extends into the static chamber 66 and is connected to a pivoted lever 101 by a rivet 104 . the lever 101 is rotatable about a pin 102 secured to a static chamber 66 communicates with the downstream pipe 53 by way of a conduit 105 . the lever 101 includes a slot 106 that engages a pin 107 on a rod 108 that is secured to a diaphram 109 that separates the static and reference chambers 66 and 67 respectively . the reference chamber 67 includes a spring 110 that establishes the desired reference pressure on the diaphram 109 . a bolt 111 enables the pressure exerted by the spring 110 to be varied . access to the bolt 110 is provided by a removable cap 112 on the reference chamber 67 housing 113 . the reference chamber is vented to a reference pressure , such as atmospheric pressure by means of a screened a vent plug 114 . by utilizing springs 110 of different stiffness , different ranges of reference pressures can be obtained . for example one spring was used to provide a low pressure reference chamber 67 ( fig3 c ) for pressures of 5 inches of water column to five psig , another spring to provide a reference chamber 67 for medium pressures ( fig3 b ) of five psig to one hundred psig and still another spring to provide a reference chamber 67 for high pressures ( fig3 a ) of one hundred psig to about one thousand psig . in a manner as described hereinabove in conjunction with fig1 a pressure differential across the diaphram 109 between the static and reference chambers 66 and 67 , respectively , cause the lever 101 to pivot around the pin 102 to change the position of the poppet valve 70 with respect to the orifice 75 whereas a pressure differential across the diaphram 79 between the balancing and control chambers 82 and 83 , respectively , cause a change of position of the orifice 75 with regard to the poppet valve 70 to compensate for changes in fluid flow requirements . in many prior art valve operators , a variation in inlet pressure is accompanied by a proportional variation in outlet pressure . this is termed outlet pressure elevation and results in reduced capacity performance . to offset this feature , orifice 75 includes a wave spring 115 located in the path of travel of the orifice . the flanged end of the movable orifice 75 is exposed to the inlet pressure , and up to approximately five psig the orifice 75 remains in the retracted position . as the inlet pressure is increased , the orifice 75 moves thereby compressing the wave spring 115 until the orifice 75 contacts a stop 116 at approximately eight hundred psig . conversely , as inlet pressure is reduced , the orifice 75 retracts . the amount , and direction , of stroke of the orifice is directly proportional to inlet pressure variation . the effect to the other parts of the valve operator 61 is conducive to the movement of the orifice 75 in that as the orifice 75 moves the poppet valve 70 moves an equivalent amount through the lever piovted lever 101 , and the diaphragm assembly 109 . therefore , as the orifice 75 moves due to an inlet pressure increase , the diaphragm 109 elevation is lowered , reducing the compression in the reference spring 110 which would be similar to backing off the adjusting bolt 111 and tending to reduce the control pressure in control chamber 83 for an increase in inlet pressure . the movements of the parts are naturally reversed for a decrease in inlet pressure . accordingly , the effects of inlet pressure variations are minimized . other embodiments and modifications of the invention described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the following claims . | 6 |
referring now in detail to the drawings and in particular to fig1 thereof , a spindle finishing machine 10 is shown generally as comprising a housing or support structure 12 and having a finishing chamber 14 located adjacent the upper end thereof . disposed within the chamber 14 is a mass of finishing media 16 which is intended to perform a finishing , deburring or analogous manufacturing operation upon suitable workpieces that are brought into contact with the finishing media as the finishing chamber 14 undergoes an oscillatory or other rotating movement as a result of operation of a suitable drive motor 18 and gear box drive assembly 20 which are typically located interiorly of the support structure 12 beneath the finishing chamber 14 , as is well known in the art . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , the finishing machine 10 is provided with a new and improved workpiece holding apparatus , generally designated by the numeral 22 , and detailed description of the operation and construction of which will hereinafter be presented . by way of example , the machine 10 is shown as being provided with two of the apparatus 22 , although it is to be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement since a single apparatus 22 or more than two thereof may be utilized with a single finishing chamber 14 , depending upon the size of the chamber and the particular type of finishing operation to be performed . accordingly , the following description of one of the workpiece holding apparatus 22 is intended to be applicable to both apparatus depicted in fig1 . the apparatus 22 includes a suitable support platform 24 which is fixedly mounted adjacent the upper end of the structure 12 and is intended to pivotably support a suitable drive motor m for tilting movement about a horizontal pivotal axis 26 such that the spindle or turret head 28 of the apparatus may be moved into and out of the chamber 14 for purposes of inspecting the workpiece holders , repair , maintenance , etc . as best seen in fig2 and 3 , the apparatus 22 includes an elongated tubular housing 30 that has its upper end mounted adjacent the motor m and extends downwardly at a preselected angle toward the finishing chamber 14 , the lower end of the housing 30 terminating adjacent the mass of finishing media 16 , as illustrated . disposed coaxially within the housing 30 is an elongated rotatable drive shaft 32 , the upper end of which is drivingly connected to the associated drive motor m and the lower end of which is provided with a suitable hub 34 which is formed with a central aperture 36 . the hub 34 is operatively secured to the drive shaft 32 by means of a suitable threaded fastener , such as a screw , bolt or the like 38 which extends upwardly through an annular spacer 39 and is threadably received within a blind bore 40 extending axially upwardly within the lower end of the shaft 32 . a suitable washer element 41 is preferably provided between the head of the fastener 38 and underside of the spacer 39 , as illustrated . disposed radially outwardly from the hub 34 is an annular base plate 42 which is formed with a central opening 44 within which the outer periphery of the hub 34 is disposed , the base plate 42 being fixedly secured to the hub 34 , as by welding or the like indicated at 46 . as will be apparent , the hub 34 and base plate 42 are intended to rotate concurrently with and about the same rotational axis as the drive shaft 32 upon energization of the associated motor m . in accordance with the present invention , the spindle or turret head 28 is provided with a plurality of workpiece holders which are identical in construction and operation and are generally designated by the numeral 48 . by virtue of their identity , the following description of one of the workpiece holders 48 is intended to be applicable to each of the plurality thereof which , by way of example , consists of eight holders 48 that are spaced circumferentially about the turret head 28 and extend radially outwardly therefrom . as seen in fig3 and 4 , the workpiece holder ( s ) 48 comprises an elongated tubular housing 50 which defines a central passage 52 and has a reduced diameter externally threaded end portion 54 on the radially outer end thereof . the central passage 52 is of generally uniform diameter with the exception of the radially outer end thereof which is provided with a radially outwardly inclined or tapered section 56 . extending longitudinally within the passage 52 is an elongated draw rod 58 which is formed with a reduced diameter externally threaded portion 60 on the radially outer end thereof and with a radially outwardly projecting flange or head portion 62 on the radially inner end thereof . the draw rod 58 is provided with a radially outwardly extending pin or boss 64 adjacent the head portion 62 which is slidably received within a generally u - shaped recess 66 formed in the adjacent end of the housing 50 for preventing relative rotation between the draw rod 58 and housing 50 , yet permitting limited reciprocal movement therebetween , as will be described . the radially inner end of the housing 50 is formed with a reduced diameter end portion 68 which defines a radial shoulder 70 against which an annular spring pad or washer 72 is resiliently biased by means of an end portion 74 of a helical coil spring 76 surmounted upon the end portion 68 . the opposite end portion 78 of the spring 76 bears against the head portion 62 of the draw rod 58 for resiliently urging the draw rod radially inwardly relative to the associated housing 50 , for purposes hereinafter to be described . disposed within the radially outer end of the housing 50 is an elongated collet member , generally designated by the numeral 80 , which includes a tubular body 82 defining a central bore or passage 84 . the radially inner end of the bore 74 is internally threaded , as seen at 86 , and threadably engages the radially outer end 60 of the draw rod 58 . the radially outer end of the collet 80 is formed with a frusto - conical section 88 which defines a tapered surface 90 adapted for engagement with the tapered section 56 of the passage 52 , as illustrated . the collet 80 is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced , longitudinally extending slots 92 which extend from the radially outer end thereof to a position adjacent the threaded bore 84 , whereby to define a plurality of relatively flexible finger sections 94 which are cantilever supported at the radially inner ends thereof and are intended to flex radially inwardly to a limited degree as the collet 80 is moved radially inwardly ( with respect to the axis of the drive shaft 32 ), thereby clampingly engage a workpiece retaining pin hereinafter to be described . the radially outer end of the workpiece holder 48 is provided with an annular nosepiece 96 which defines a central bore or passage 98 having an enlarged diameter , internally threaded counterbore 100 at the radially inner end thereof so as to be adapted for threaded engagement with the end portion 54 of the housing 50 . the bore or passage 98 is adapted to telescopically receive a workpiece holding pin 102 having an elongated cylindrical shank section 104 which extends through the bore 98 to a position interiorly of the radially outer end of the bore 84 of the collet 80 . the outer end of the pin 102 is provided with an enlarged diameter head section 106 for securing a workpiece , representatively designated by the numeral 108 , to the outer end of the nosepiece 96 . by way of example , the type of workpiece 108 with which the pin 102 may be used consists of a carbide tool insert or the like having a central opening for receiving the shank section 104 of the pin 102 . the inner end of the section 104 is intended to be clampingly retained within the collet by having the plurality of flexible finger portions 94 thereof urged radially inwardly under the influence of the draw rod 58 being biased axially of the housing 50 by the coil spring 76 , the interaction of the tapered surfaces 56 , 90 effecting such clamping action of the finger portions 94 as the collet 80 is thus moved longitudinally within the housing 50 . the plurality of workpiece holders 48 are operatively supported upon the base plate 42 by means of radially inner and outer support members 110 and 112 which are affixed at their lower ends to the base plate 42 . the supports 110 , 112 are provided with annular radially aligned pairs of openings 114 , 116 , respectively , within which the workpiece holders 48 are rotatably or journally disposed , whereby each of the workpiece holders 48 is relatively rotatable about its respective longitudinal axis . suitable anti - friction bearing means 118 , 120 is preferably interposed between the periphery of the openings 114 , 116 and the outer periphery of the respective tubular housings 50 , whereby to provide for relatively free rotational movement of the workpiece holders 48 with respect to the supports 110 , 112 . in accordance with the present invention , the workpiece holders 48 are positively rotationally driven with respect to the base plate 42 by means of each of the tubular housings 50 thereof being provided with a gear element , generally designated by the numeral 122 . as illustrated , each of the gear elements 122 includes an annular sleeve section 124 adapted to be surmounted upon the associated workpiece holder housing 50 and be secured thereto by a suitable set screw or the like 126 mounted within an associated threaded bore 128 . the plurality of gear elements 122 are operatively associated with a fixed gear member 130 which is arranged coaxially of the base plate 42 and includes a generally radially extending portion 132 provided with suitable gear teeth 134 adapted for meshing engagement with the plurality of aforementioned gear elements 122 . the fixed gear member 130 includes a generally axially extending annular section 136 defining a central bore 138 through which the lower end of the shaft 32 extends , the section 136 being fixedly secured to the inner periphery of the housing 30 by means of suitable screws , bolts or the like 140 . briefly , in operation of the spindle or turret head 28 , rotation of the shaft 32 will cause concomitant rotation of the base plate 42 and plurality of workpiece holders 48 about the rotational axis of the shaft 32 . by virtue of the driving engagement of the gear elements 122 on each of the workpiece holders 48 with the fixed gear member 130 , rotation of the workpiece holders 48 about the axis of the shaft 32 will result in simultaneous rotational movement of each of the workpiece holders 48 about their respective longitudinal axis and hence workpieces that are carried by the workpiece holders 48 are subjected to a compound rotational movement consisting of rotation about the axis of the shaft 32 as well as rotation about the longitudinal axis of the associated workpiece holder 48 . disposed on the upper side of turret head 28 is a protective shroud or enclosure which is fabricated , for example , of a suitable abrasive resistant material , such as urethane or the like , and is generally designated by the numeral 142 . the shroud 142 includes an annular axially extending section 144 which defines a cylindrical bore 146 through which the lower end of the housing 30 extends , with the inner periphery of the bore 146 being spaced slightly radially away from the outer surface of the housing 30 , as shown in fig3 . integrally connected to the lower end of the section 144 is a radially outwardly extending section 148 , the radially outer end of which is provided with a downwardly depending skirt portion 150 that is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced , radially extending openings 152 through which the outer ends of the workpiece holders 48 extend . the shroud 142 is fixedly secured upon the base plate 42 by any suitable means , such as a clamping strip or the like 154 , whereby the shroud 142 is rotatable concurrently with the base plate 42 and workpiece holders 48 about the rotational axis of the shaft 32 . preferably , each of the workpiece holders 48 is provided with a protective sleeve 156 which extends between the skirt portion 150 of the shroud 142 and a radial shoulder 158 defined by the radially inner end of the associated nosepiece 96 . additionally , a suitable protective sleeve or collar 159 is fixedly secured to the outer surface of the tubular housing 30 and depends downwardly over the upper end of the shroud 142 to prevent finishing media contaminants , etc ., from entering into the annulus between the housing 30 and shroud 42 and into the interior of the turret head 28 . in accordance with another of the principles of the present invention , the plurality of workpiece holders 48 are adapted to be selectively actuated from a condition wherein the associated workpiece holding pin 104 is clamped within the holder 48 , to a condition wherein the workpiece holding pin 102 may be withdrawn from the outer end of the holder 48 , whereby the workpiece 108 may be removed and a new workpiece 108 may be reinstalled on the workpiece holder 48 during a subsequent finishing cycle . toward this end , an annular cam member is mounted on the under side of the fixed gear 130 coaxially of the rotational axis of the shaft 32 . the cam 160 includes a generally ring - shaped body 162 having a central opening 164 through which the lower end of the shaft 32 passes . as seen in fig5 the body 162 is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 166 through which suitable threaded fastening members , such as screws , bolts or the like 168 extend , the upper ends of the screws 168 being threadably received within suitable threaded blind bores 170 formed in the underside of the fixed gear section 136 , whereby the cam 160 is fixedly ( non - rotatable ) disposed within the turret head 28 . as illustrated in fig5 the outer periphery of the cam 160 is of a generally circular configuration , with the exception of a radially outwardly projecting cam lobe portion 172 which is of an arcuate distance consistent with the number of workpiece holders 48 which are to be actuated to a released condition , as above described . more specifically , and as shown in fig5 the circular peripheral portion of the cam 160 is spaced radially inwardly away from the confronting surfaces of the draw rod head portions 62 so that the draw rods 58 are normally not affected by the presence of the cam 160 and hence retain the associated collets 80 in a clamped condition due to the action of the springs 76 ; however , when the workpiece holders 48 rotate to a position in registry with the lobe portion 172 of the cam 160 , the head portions 62 of the draw rods 58 are biased radially outwardly against the resistance of the associated springs 76 so that the collets 80 are actuated to a &# 34 ; release &# 34 ; condition , permitting withdrawal of the associated workpiece holding pins 102 . it will be appreciated , of course , that the arcuate length of the lobe portion 172 may be varied in accordance with the number of workpiece holders 48 that are to be released at any one time during each revolution of the base plate 42 and workpiece holders 48 carried thereon . by way of example , the arcuate length of the lobe portion 172 disclosed in fig5 is approximately 90 ° and hence three of the eight disclosed workpiece holders 48 are released at any one time . of course , the arcuate length of the lobe portion 172 may be varied to have either more or less workpiece holders 48 thus actuated . in the particular embodiments disclosed herein , and in accordance with another feature of the present invention , the cam 160 is rotationally oriented with respect to the housing 30 such that the lobe portion 172 is engaged by the workpiece holder draw rods 58 as the holders 48 ( and workpieces carried thereby ) rotate in an arc out of the finishing media 16 . accordingly , an operator may conveniently remove the workpiece holding pins 102 and workpieces 108 thereon and insert a new pin 102 and workpiece 108 before the particular holder 48 rotates back into the mass of finishing media 16 , and thus the arcuate length of the lobe portion 172 is oriented and selected such that each draw rod 58 moves out of engagement with the lobe portion 172 prior to the associated holder 48 rotating back into the media 16 so as to assure that the associated holding pin 102 is positively clamped by the collet 80 under the influence of the spring 76 . fig6 and 7 illustrate a slightly modified embodiment of the present invention wherein the workpiece holder , instead of being provided with a collet - type arrangement , as is disclosed in fig1 - 5 , is provided with a workpiece retaining head 180 which is intended to selectively retain workpieces 108 of the type which may not have a suitable central opening therein with which a workpiece holding pin may be employed . in particular , the workpiece retaining head 180 disclosed in fig6 and 7 is fabricated with a relatively elastomeric body 182 formed with an elongated central bore 184 and having a reduced diameter mounting portion 186 adapted to be retained within an outer end portion 188 of the associated workpiece holder housing 50 . the outer end of the body 82 is formed with a workpiece receiving recess 190 within which a portion of the workpiece , such as indicated at 108 in fig7 is intended to be received and retained during a finishing operation . retention of the workpiece 108 within the recess 190 is achieved by causing the outer peripheral end of the head 180 to be deformed inwardly from the position shown in fig6 to the position shown in fig7 wherein the workpiece 108 is clampingly secured at least in part , within the recess 190 . means for thus deforming the head 180 includes a generally frustoconical clamping surface 192 formed around the inner end of the recess 190 and cooperable with a complementary - shaped surface 194 formed on a head portion 196 of a draw rod 198 that is analogous in construction and operation to the aforementioned draw rod 58 . in particular , the draw rod 198 is normally biased toward the position shown in fig7 by an associated coil spring acting on the opposite end thereof from that shown in fig6 and 7 , for example , by a coil spring 76 , thereby retaining the workpiece 108 within the recess 190 . at such time as the workpiece holder rotates to a position in radial alignment with an associated cam ( not shown ), the lobe of the cam will bias the draw rod outwardly from the position shown in fig7 to the position shown in fig6 thereby releasing the workpiece 108 and permitting a new workpiece to be inserted in its place . as the holder continues to rotate , the draw rod 98 will move out of engagement with the associated cam lobe so that the rod 198 will again be biased under the influence of the aforementioned spring to the clamping position shown in fig7 . fig8 illustrates one additional embodiment of the present invention wherein the outer end of a workpiece holder is provided with a retaining head 200 consisting of a suitable body 202 defining a longitudinal bore or passage 204 . the body 202 also includes a reduced diameter mounting section 206 retained within the outer end of the associated workpiece holder housing 50 and permitting the bore 204 to be in operative communication with a vacuum conduit , representatively designated by the numeral 208 , which is in turn connected to a suitable source of vacuum pressure . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , by virtue of the vacuum condition thus provided within the bore 204 , workpieces 108 placed in engagement with the outer end or face 210 of the head 200 will be secured thereto , for example , during a workpiece finishing operation . the conduit 208 may be connected through any suitable valving mechanism which may be operated , for example , by an associated cam , such as the cam 160 , so that the vacuum condition existing within the bore 204 will be selectively interrupted or discontinued to permit the removal of a particular finished workpiece 108 and its replacement by a new workpiece 108 yet to be finished , as above described . assuming energization of the drive motor 18 to effect rotating movement of the finishing media 16 , and further assuming energization of the drive motor m to cause rotation of the drive shaft 32 , operation of the turret head 28 will occur as a result of rotational movement of the base plate 42 which , as previously described , effects simultaneous rotational movement of the plurality of workpiece holders 48 about the rotational axis of the shaft 32 . as a result of the provision of the plurality of gear elements 122 and the fixed gear 130 , each of the workpiece holders 48 will also rotate about its respective longitudinal axis , thereby subjecting the workpieces 108 carried thereon to the aforementioned compound rotational movement as the workpieces travel through the media 16 . it is contemplated that the drive motor m will rotate the shaft 32 and workpiece holders 48 at a speed in the order of approximately one revolution per minute , and that the gear teeth on the elements 122 and gear member 130 are selected such that each of the workpiece holders 48 will rotate about its respective longitudinal axis at approximately six times of the rotational speed of the shaft 32 , for example , approximately six revolutions per minute . at these speeds , the operator may conveniently remove finished workpieces off from each of the holders 48 as they rotate to a position out of the mass of finishing media 16 and may thereafter place a new workpiece to be finished on each workpiece holder 48 before it rotates back into the finishing media mass . it will be appreciated , of course , that such speeds may be varied considerably in accordance with the particular finishing media , type of workpiece , and the desired finishing operation , without departing from the present invention . it will also be appreciated that the principles of the present invention are not necessarily limited to use with spindle finishing machines since these principles could readily be applied to other manufacturing operations , such as coating operations and the like , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . while it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated , it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims . | 8 |
according to the method of this invention , as shown in fig1 a n type monocrystalline silicon substrate 10 having an impurity concentration that provides a resistivity of about 1 ohm - cm is , prepared . then , a silicon oxide ( sio 2 ) film 11 having a thickness of about 0 . 4 microns is formed on the surface of the substrate 10 by thermal oxidation method , for example . a second silicon oxide film 12 having a thickness of about 0 . 2 microns and containing boron at a high concentration , for example about 8 - 10 mol % is formed on the surface of the silicon oxide film 11 , as shown in fig1 a , by cvd ( chemical vapor deposition ) method . then , as shown in fig1 b , a photoresist film 13 , for example az - 1350 ( trade mark ), having a thickness of about 0 . 8 microns is applied onto the silicon oxide film 12 and thereafter an opening 14 is formed through the oxide films 11 and 12 by conventional photolithographic etching process . as can be noted from fig1 b , a undercut or side etching l 1 of about 0 . 3 - 1 microns also takes place at this time . then as shown in fig1 c , without removing the photoresist film 13 nitrogen atoms n 2 + are implanted through the opening 14 by ion implantation method to form a nitrogen ion - implanted silicon nitride region 15 in the surface of the substrate 10 . it is to be understood that a silicon nitride film or a polycrystalline silicon film may be substituted for the photoresist film 13 . the depth of nitrogen implantation is very small , less than 0 . 1 micron for example , and the quantity of the implanted nitrogen should be sufficient to form the silicon nitride region 15 , for example a dose of n 2 + of about 3 × 10 16 atoms / cm 3 at an implantation voltage of 30 to 40 kev . as will be described later , the depth of ion implantation is determined such that the ion - implanted region 15 can prevent oxidation so that it is desirable that the ion - implanted region 15 formed near the surface of the substrate as far as possible . then , as shown in fig1 d , after removing the photoresist film 13 , a non - doped polycrystalline silicon layer 16 is formed on the exposed surface by cvd process , for example , to a thickness of about 0 . 4 microns . the polycrystalline silicon layer 16 is in direct contact with the surface of the substrate in the opening 14 . then , as shown in fig1 e , boron is diffused by heat treatment into the polycrystalline silicon layer 16 and into the substrate from the boron containing silicon oxide film 17 to form the portion of the boron containing polycrystalline silicon region 17 and a boron diffused p + region 18 in the monocrystalline silicon substrate 10 around the opening 14 for forming diffused base region . a width l 2 of the p + polycrystalline silicon region 17 in contact with the p + region 18 is about 0 . 3 to 1 μm . the conditions of heat treatment are 900 ° to 1000 ° c . and 20 to 30 minutes , for example . each of the polycrystalline silicon region 17 and the p + region 18 contains boron of more than 5 × 10 19 atoms / cm 3 . the polycrystalline silicon regions 16 and 17 are then etched with an alkaline etching solution to result in the structure shown in fig1 f . the etching speed is much faster at the non - doped polycrystalline silicon film than the boron doped polycrystalline silicon film . for example , where a koh solution is used as the etching solution , the etching speed of the non - doped polycrystalline silicon film is about 3 to 10 times faster than that of the boron doped polycrystalline silicon film . then , as shown in fig1 g , by heat oxidation silicon oxide films 19 and 20 are formed on the surface of the boron doped polycrystalline silicon region 17 and the exposed surface of the nitrogen ion implanted region 15 of monocrystalline silicon substrate 10 , respectively . the heat oxidation process is carried out in an atmosphere of wet oxygen , for example , at a temperature of 1000 ° c . for 60 minutes . the oxidation speed of the nitrogen ion - implanted region 15 is lower than that of the boron doped polycrystalline silicon region 17 . for this reason , an extremely thin oxide film 19 having a thickness of less than 0 . 1 micron is formed on the surface of the nitrogen ion - implanted region 15 whereas the silicon oxide film 20 having a larger thickness of about 0 . 35 - 0 . 5 microns is formed on the surface of the boron doped polycrystalline silicon region 17 . at this time , oxidation is continued until all of the nitrogen ion - implanted region 15 shown in fig1 f is oxidized . in this case , the width l 3 of the p + polycrystalline silicon region in contact with the p + region 18 , although varying with the thickness of the silicon oxide film 20 and the time of the heat oxidation process , has a value of about 0 . 05 to 0 . 8 μm . then , as shown in fig1 h , the silicon oxide film 19 on the nitrogen ion - implanted region is removed . the silicon oxide film 19 is thinner than the silicon oxide film 20 on the polycrystalline silicon film 17 so that when the assembly is etched under the etching conditions necessary to remove the silicon oxide film 19 the silicon oxide film 20 on the boron doped silicon region 17 and on the portion near this film would remain at a thickness of about 0 . 25 microns as shown in fig1 h . although the oxide film 20 slightly extends into the monocrystalline silicon substrate 10 and these portions are also removed , such extended oxide film is not shown . then , as shown in fig1 i , a base region 21 doped with a p type impurity is formed on the surface of the substrate 10 by diffusing the p type impurity through the base - emitter diffusion opening 20a by well known vapor phase diffusion method , solid phase diffusion method or ion implantation method . the base region 21 is formed so as to include therein the p + region 18 formed by the step shown in fig1 e and that the thickness of the base region 21 at the p + region 18 is larger than that of the diffused layer formed by diffusing the impurity through opening 20a . then , as shown in fig1 j , an emitter region 22 doped with a n type impurity is formed by diffusing the n type impurity through the opening 20a by well known vapor phase diffusion method , solid phase diffusion method or ion implantation method . then , as shown in fig1 k , unnecessary portions of the polycrystalline silicon film 17 and the silicon oxide film 20 thereon are removed by conventional photolithographic process . since the emitter and base junctions essential to the operation of the transistor have already been formed it is not necessary to rely upon highly accurate photolithographic technique . then , as shown in fig1 l electrode metal is vapor - deposited and unnecessary portions thereof are removed by conventional photolithographic process for forming an emitter electrode 23 and a base electrode 24 . alternatively , as shown in fig2 a polycrystalline silicon layer 23 &# 39 ; doped with a n type impurity and acting as a source of the n type impurity may be formed to close the opening 20a and to partially overlie the silicon oxide film 20 . with this modified method it is possible to use the polycrystalline silicon layer 23 &# 39 ; as the emitter electrode or a portion thereof after forming the emitter region . although in fig2 a metal layer 23 is vapor - deposited on the polycrystalline silicon layer 23 &# 39 ; such metal layer may be omitted . the transistor and the method of manufacturing the same described above have the following advantages . ( 1 ) since a polycrystalline base electrode having a predetermined width is formed close to the boundary of the base surface region to encircle the same it is possible to decrease the capacitance of the base - emitter junction . ( 2 ) moreover , as the base electrode is formed at a predetermined distance from the emitter region , it is possible to decrease the base resistance . ( 3 ) according to the method of this invention , once the base pattern is determined as shown in fig1 b and succeeding figures , essential elements of the transistor contained in the base region are automatically aligned in the succeeding steps so that it is not necessary to use a photomask before the base electrode is formed . consequently , the width of the base surface region is determined by the extent of the undercut etching of the silicon oxide films 11 and 12 shown in fig1 b thus making it possible to limit the width to be less than one micron . for example , where a transistor provided with an emitter electrode having a minimum size of 2 microns , a position aligning accuracy of ± 1 micron and an area of 2μ × 2μ = 4 square microns , is manufactured by a prior art method , the distance between the base contact having an area of 2 × 2 square microns and the emitter electrode should be 4 microns when the overlapping of the contact opening and the electrode is determined to be 1 micron by taking into consideration the position alignment accuracy . further , when the position alignment accuracy is considered , the emitter and the base contacts should be formed at an inner portion 2 microns spaced from the periphery of the base electrode so that the base area should be 6μ × 12μ = 72 square microns . on the otherhand , in the transistor of this invention , if the extent of the undercut of the silicon oxide films 11 and 12 were made to be 0 . 5 microns , since the patterns formed in the base region are automatically aligned the area of the base would be only about 3 × 3 = 9 square microns . for the reason described above , the base area of the transistor of this invention can be reduced to 1 / 8 of that of the prior art transistor having the same emitter area so that the collector - base junction capacitance decreases proportionally . moreover as the base electrode is in contact with the entire periphery of the base surface region , it is possible to reduce the base resistance thereby improving the characteristics of the transistor . the result of our experiment showed that the switching speed was increased twice by the decrease in the junction capacitance described above . moreover , as it is possible to determine the emitter - base junction and the collector - base junction by using a single photomask , it is easy to produce transistors including base or emitter regions having any desired patterns as shown in fig6 a through 6f thus increasing the freedom of design . where an extremely small photomask of the order of 2 × 2 square microns is used , a circular pattern can be obtained due to interference of light . with the prior art planar construction it has been difficult to manufacture such miniature transistor due to the problem of aligning the position , whereas according to this invention such small transistors can be manufactured very easily with high yield . the advantage described in item 3 of the preceeding paragraph produces a remarkable merit in integrated injection logics ( i 2 l ) in which transistors are used in a reverse operation , because the operating speed of i 2 l can be increased as the ratio of the emitter area to base area approaches unity . in other words , because it is necessary to remove as far as possible unnecessary base surface region . according to this invention it is possible to limit the base width to less than 0 . 5 microns by precisely controlling the amount of undercut . when the invention is applied to a diode array of transistor construction , it is possible to produce a fine diode array having extremely small parasitic capacitance without relying upon high accuracy working . fig3 a through 3f show successive steps of a modification of this invention . as shown in fig3 a , a monocrystalline silicon substrate 30 having a resistivity of one ohm - cm is prepared , and a silicon oxide film 31 having a thickness of about 0 . 5 microns is formed on the substrate by conventional heat oxidation method , cvd method , etc . then an opening 32 is formed through the silicon oxide film 31 by conventional photolithographic technique . then , as shown in fig3 b , a boron doped polycrystalline silicon layer 33 having a thickness of about 0 . 5 microns is formed on the silicon oxide film 31 . the concentration of the doped boron is about 10 19 - 10 21 atoms / cm 3 . as can be noted from fig3 b , the polycrystalline silicon layer 33 is in direct contact with the surface of the substrate within the opening 32 . then as shown in fig3 c , a composite layer comprising a silicon oxide film 34 and a silicon nitride film 35 is formed on the boron doped polycrystalline silicon layer 33 by cvd process or the like and then these films 34 and 35 are worked into the shape of a base electrode by conventional photolithographic technique . then by using these insulating films 34 and 35 as a mask , the boron doped polycrystalline silicon layer is etched with a suitable etching solution such as a koh solution such that the polycrystalline silicon layer 33 is undercut , thereby forming an opening 36 for base diffusion . the extent of the under - cut is about 0 . 3 to 1 micron . at this time , the other portions of the polycrystalline silicon layer 33 are etched according to a predetermined pattern . thereafter , as shown in fig3 d , boron is diffused into the substrate 30 by conventional vapor phase diffusion method , solid phase diffusion method , etc ., to form a base diffusion region 37 . in the case of the vapor phase diffusion method , a silicon oxide film 38 having a thickness of 0 . 1 to 1 micron is formed at the time of heat treatment . in the case of solid phase , solid phase diffusion method , a boron doped silicon oxide film 38 is formed by cvd method and then the film is heat - treated in n 2 atmosphere to diffuse boron . then , as shown in fig3 e , ions of argon , boron , arsenic , phosphor or nitrogen are implanted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate to form ion - implanted insulating film regions 35a and 38a , and an insulating film region 38b not implanted with ions . then , these insulating film regions are etched . the etching speed of the ion - implanted insulating film is larger than that of the film not implanted with ions . this fact has already been pointed out in connection with the previous embodiment . for this reason , as shown in fig3 f , when the ion - implanted insulating film regions are completely removed , the periphery of the opening of the boron doped polycrystalline silicon layer which acts as the base electrode is covered by the insulating film . then an emitter n + region 39 is formed by conventional vapor phase diffusion method or ion implantation method . thereafter , the steps shown in the first embodiment are followed to form an opening for the base contact and electrode metal is vapor - deposited to form emitter and base electrodes . the steps shown in fig3 d through 3f may be identical to those of the first embodiment , and such steps are shown by fig4 a through 4c . more particularly , after forming the base diffusion opening 36 by the step shown in fig3 c , a region 42 implanted with nitrogen ions is formed by using oxide films 34 and 35 as a mask , as shown in fig4 a . then , when heat oxidation is performed , since the oxidation speed of the nitrogen implanted region 42 is slower than that of the region not implanted with nitrogen , the thickness of the silicon oxide film 43 at the non - implanted portion increases before the implanted regions 42 are perfectly oxidized . fig4 b shows this state . 45 shows an oxide film formed on the region 42 by the oxidation treatment . at the portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer in contact with the substrate 30 , the impurity in the boron doped polycrystalline silicon layer 33 diffuses into the substrate to form a p + region . then the oxide films 35 and 45 at the ion - implanted portion are removed by etching to obtain a structure shown in fig4 c . thereafter the steps of base diffusion and emitter diffusion are carried out to obtain the structure shown in fig3 f . fig5 shows an application of this invention to a transistor suitable for incorporation into an integrated circuit , in which reference charactors 50 , 51 and 52 show emitter , base and collector electrodes respectively . the other elements are identical to those shown in fig3 f . although this example relates to a p - n isolation type , the invention is also applicable to dielectric isolation type , for example , aisoplanar . it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above and that many changes and modifications can be made . for example . instead of npn type transistors , pnp type transistors can also be manufactured . | 7 |
as shown in fig1 , a functional assessment catheter 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention comprises a shaft 12 having a flow restrictive component 14 attached at its distal end and a hub assembly 16 attached at its proximal end . the shaft 12 will have dimensions and mechanical properties suitable for trans - bronchial introduction into the passageways of the lung , typically where the flow restrictive component 14 may be placed into the branching bronchii of the lung and advanced to locations in the main bronchus feeding a target lung compartment . usually , the shaft will comprise a braid - reinforced polymer , such as a polyvinylchloride , a polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), a polypropylene , a polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), a polyurethane , a polyurethane / polycarbonate mixture , or any one of a variety of other suitable polymers . in a specific embodiment , a catheter shaft will comprise a relatively soft distal region 18 and a relatively harder proximal region 20 . for example , the distal region can be formed from a 55d durometer polyethylene block polyamide ( pebax ) and the proximal region 20 can be formed from a 72d durometer pebax . the flow restrictive component 14 will normally be in an expanded configuration , as shown in fig1 and 2a , but may be axially elongated in order to assume a contracted or narrow diameter configuration , as shown in fig2 b . the component 14 will typically comprise a scaffold structure 40 , typically formed from counterwound helical elements , covered at least partially by an elastomeric covering 42 . the individual helical elements will be formed from an elastic material , typically an elastic metal but optionally a shape memory polymer . suitable elastic metals include stainless steel , spring stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloy , and the like . in an exemplary embodiments , the elastic elements are made from 0 . 125 mm nitinol wires counterwound into a braid . the individual nitinol wires are joined at a distal end by end cap 44 and are connected at their proximal ends to the distal end of the distal region 18 of the shaft 12 . alternatively , the scaffold structure could be made by chemically etching a thin layer of a suitable elastic metal and forming into the shape of the restrictive component . the membrane can be made from any of the materials described earlier , and in the exemplary embodiment will be formed from a silicone formed over the proximal portion of the scaffold 40 and extending over the mid - section of the scaffold , leaving a distal region 46 of the scaffold open . while the distal region is open , the mid - section of the flow restrictive component 14 will be able to engage the interior of the bronchus in which it is expanded in order to form a tight seal , at least while the flow restrictive component 14 remains attached to the shaft 12 . in the particular embodiment illustrated in fig1 , 2 a , and 2 b , the flow restrictive component 14 is intended to remain fixed to the shaft 12 , so the catheter 10 is intended only for assessment , not for therapy . it will be appreciated that this structure could be modified , or a separate releasing device could be provided in order to detach the flow restrictive component 14 from the shaft in order to leave the component in place should the patient be a good candidate for therapy . other embodiments of the catheter , described hereinafter , are shown with specific detachment means for use in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications . an obturator assembly 30 is provided in order to elongate and constrict the diameter of the flow restrictive component 14 . the obturator assembly 30 comprises a flexible rod 32 , typically a coiled wire formed from a metal or semi - rigid plastic material . suitable metals include stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloy , or any other metal of the type conventionally used in construction of medical guidewires . metal shafts may be coated with ptfe or other material in order to enhance the lubricity as it is introduced through a lumen of the shaft 12 into the interior of the flow restrictive component 14 . a distal tip 33 engages the end cap 44 of the flow restrictive component 14 , as best seen in fig2 a . by axially advancing the rod 32 , the end cap 44 is translated distally , thus axially elongating the flow restrictive component 14 and reducing its diameter , as best seen in fig2 b . conveniently , an advancement actuator 34 may be connected to a proximal end of the rod 32 . as illustrated in fig1 , the actuator 34 may comprise a connector 36 which is mountable on a luer or other fitting 17 on proximal hub 16 . once the actuator 34 is attached to the hub 16 , a plunger 38 may be depressed in order to advance the rod 32 in the direction of arrow 48 in fig2 b . optionally , a detent or other locking mechanism may be provided in the actuator 34 in order to hold the flow restrictive component 14 in its narrow diameter configuration during introduction into the bronchii . by releasing the plunger 18 , the spring force in the flow restrictive component 14 will push the rod 32 proximally and allow the component to reassume its expanded or large diameter configuration within the main bronchus leading to the target lung compartment . referring now to fig3 , a functional assessment and therapy catheter 50 will be described . the catheter 50 differs from the functional assessment catheter 10 described previously in that it is adapted to selectively release a flow restrictive component 54 from a distal end of a catheter shaft 52 . in particular , a release mechanism 58 is formed or otherwise provided at a proximal end of the flow restrictive component 54 . the release mechanism 58 may take any of a wide variety of forms , including mechanical , electrical , chemical ( e . g ., dissolvable ), or combinations thereof . the release mechanism 58 will retain the flow restrictive component 54 firmly on the distal end of the shaft 52 until such a time as it may be desired to release the component within a bronchii . while the flow restrictive component 54 remains attached to the shaft , a flow path will remain between a lumen in the shaft 52 and a passage , lumen , open interior , or other provision within the flow restrictive component which permits gas exchange between the lumen and the shaft 52 and a distal region of the flow restrictive component 54 . the ability to permit gas exchange through the catheter shaft 52 and flow restrictive component 54 is desirable to allow performance of collateral ventilation or other diagnostic procedures while the flow resistive component 54 is expanded within the bronchii and still attached to the catheter shaft 52 . an exemplary release mechanism 158 for selectively detaching a flow restrictive component 154 from a catheter shaft 152 is illustrated in fig3 a through 3c . the release mechanism 158 comprises a collar 153 attached at a proximal end of the self - expanding flow restrictive component 154 . an attachment ball 151 projects from a proximal end of the sleeve 153 . both the attachment ball 151 and the sleeve 153 have an internal passage 157 which permits air flow through the release mechanism 158 so that air or other gases may be exchanged from the catheter shaft 152 through an open aperture 159 at a distal end of the flow restrictive component 154 . the attachment ball 151 is received in an opening 155 ( fig3 b ) formed in a side of the shaft 152 and is held in place by a wire or other element having a tapered distal end which is wedged on a side of the ball opposite to the opening 155 . so long as the wire 156 remains in place , as shown in fig3 a , the ball will be firmly held within the opening 155 and the flow restrictive component 154 will remain attached to the catheter shaft 152 . the flow restrictive component 154 may be released , however , by withdrawing the wire 156 , as shown in fig3 b , to allow the attachment ball 151 to be freed from the constraint of the hole 155 . in this way , the flow restrictive component 154 may be completely released from the catheter shaft 152 , as shown in fig3 c . usually , a separate delivery sheath 60 will be provided for facilitating delivery of the flow restrictive component 54 of the catheter 50 . the sheath 60 will have a diameter 60 suitable for introduction into the target bronchii , typically having an outer diameter in the range from 1 mm to 3 mm . the flow restrictive component 54 will be radially constrained and introduced through an interior lumen of the delivery sheath , simply by pushing the shaft 52 distally so that the constrained flow restrictive component 54 is advanced through the sheath 50 as shown in fig4 a . initially , the flow restrictive component 54 will be fully contained within the sheath 60 . as the shaft 52 continues forward advancement , the flow restrictive component 54 will emerge from a distal end of the sheath 60 , as shown in fig4 b . upon further advancement , the flow restrictive component 54 will be fully released from the sheath , as shown in fig4 c . after performing a desired assessment of collateral ventilation or other lung compartment characteristic while the flow restrictive component 54 remains inflated and the lung compartment isolated , the flow restrictive component may be selectively released by actuating mechanism 58 , as shown in fig4 d . after release , flow restrictive component 54 may be fully closed in order to provide for total occlusion of the bronchii in which it has been deployed . alternatively , a smaller controlled flow path may remain through the flow restrictive component 54 in order to provide for controlled atelectasis or hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction ( hpv ), as described in copending application ser . no . 11 / 682 , 986 , the full disclosure of which has been previously incorporated herein by reference . specific examples of flow restrictive elements suitable for permitting continued air exchange with the isolated lung compartment and controlled atelectasis and / or hpv are illustrated in fig5 - 8 . fig5 illustrates a flow restrictive component 160 in which a housing 162 houses a funnel - shaped ( or hourglass - shaped ) diaphragm 164 which provides a gas flow orifice 166 in the center of the diaphragm . distal and proximal apertures 168 and 170 , respectively , allow air flow into and out of the housing 162 , and the tapered orifice 166 defined by the diaphragm 164 restricts the flow . the diameter of the orifice 166 can be selected to provide a desired flow resistance . the housing 162 can have a uni - body construction or be a wire braided structure encapsulated with silicone or other elastomere . the diaphragm can be a flexible silicone material or other elastomere in order to facilitate compressibility of the restrictor 160 for insertion into the lung via a delivery sheath lumen . fig6 illustrates flow restrictive component 170 in which a gas flow tube 172 is axially aligned in a housing 174 . construction of the housing 174 can be similar to any of the concepts previously described . the gas flow tube 172 can be constructed of any tubular material , preferably being a flexible polymer . flexibility is advantageous since a flexible tube will facilitate insertion into the lung . the housing 174 can have any of the constructions described previously . fig7 is a cross - sectional view of a flow restrictive component 130 in which a housing 132 includes a gas flow orifice tube 134 on its distal end 136 . the housing can have a “ uni - body ” construction , typically being molded or cast from silicone or another biocompatible elastomer . in some instances , the housing 132 can have composite construction of wire frame with silicone membrane coating , or be formed from a variety of materials and construction methods . it can be collapsible and self expanding for a catheter based delivery . in other designs , the flow restrictive component can be malleable to allow plastic deformation and expansion by a balloon or other expandable deployment on the delivery catheter . fig8 illustrates a flow restrictive component 140 in which a housing 142 comprises a plurality of windows 144 in a wall of a distal section 46 in order to permit gas flow in and out of the housing . an orifice 148 at the opposite proximal end completes the gas flow path such that the device restricts but does not obstruct gas flow . as with previously described embodiments , the housing 142 can have a uni - body construction or comprise a wire frame with silicone or other membrane covering . it can be either collapsible and self expanding or balloon expandable . referring now to fig9 , the respiratory system of a patient starts at the mouth and extends through the vocal cords and into the trachea where it then joins the main stem bronchi b which leads into the right lung rl and the left lung ll . the bronchi going into the right lung divide into the three lobar bronchi which lead into the upper lobe rul , the middle lobe rml and the lower lobe rll . the lobes of the right lung include a total of ten segments ( three in the rul , two in the rml , and five in the rll ) which are discrete units of the lung separated from each other by a fibrous septum generally referred to as a lung wall . the left lung ll includes only an upper lobe lul and a lower lobe lll , where the individual lobes include four to five segments each . each lung segment , also referred to as a bronchopulmonary segment , is an anatomically distinct unit or compartment of the lung which is fed air by a tertiary bronchus and which oxygenates blood through a tertiary artery . normally , the lung segment and its surrounding fibrous septum are intact units which can be surgically removed or separated from the remainder of the lung without interrupting the function of the surrounding lung segments . in some patients , however , the fibrous septum separating the lobes or segments may be perforate or broken , thus allowing air flow between the segments , referred to as “ collateral ventilation .” use of the delivery sheath 60 for placement of the flow restrictive component 54 in accordance with the principles of the present invention shown generally in fig1 - 13 . the sheath 60 is advanced through the mouth , down through the trachea t and through the main bronchus into the left lung ll . a distal end 62 of the sheath 60 is advanced into the left lung ll , and further advanced to an airway or bronchus which feeds a diseased lung region dr . the sheath 60 may be introduced through the main bronchus b and into the left lung ll without the use of a bronchoscope or other primary introducing catheter , as illustrated in fig1 . alternatively , the sheath 60 may be introduced through a conventional bronchoscope ( now shown ) which is positioned in the main bronchus b above the branch between the right and left lungs . still further alternatively , the sheath 60 may be introduced into the lung through a scope , such as a visualizing endotracheal tube ( not shown ) which is capable of being advanced into the branching bronchii of the lung and which may be advantageous since it facilitates positioning of the sheath 60 at the desired airway leading to the target diseased lung segment . construction and use of a visualizing endotracheal tube is taught , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 285 , 778 , the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . after the distal end 62 of the delivery sheath 60 has been positioned in the main airway or bronchus which feeds the diseased lung region dr , the sheath may be optionally immobilized by inflating a balloon or cuff 64 at or near the proximal end of the sheath 60 . after immobilizing the distal end of the sheath , the catheter shaft 52 of catheter 50 may be distally advanced in order to deploy the flow restrictive component 54 into the feeding bronchus fb leading to the diseased lung region dr , as shown in fig1 . once the flow restrictive component 54 is deployed , a diagnostic procedure for determining the extent and / or treatability of the disease may be performed , generally as described in previous application ser . nos . 11 / 296 , 951 and 11 / 550 , 660 , the full disclosures of which have previously been incorporated herein by reference . if it is determined that the patient is suitable for treatment by an occlusive or flow restrictive protocol , the flow restrictive component 54 may be released and implanted in the feeding bronchus fb , as shown in fig1 . if , however , the patient is determined to be unsuitable for such treatment , the flow restrictive component 54 may be removed from the feeding bronchus fb , typically by retraction into the delivery sheath 60 and subsequent removal of the sheath from the lung . while the above is a complete description of the preferred embodiments of the invention , various alternatives , modifications , and equivalents may be used . therefore , the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims . | 0 |
certain terms are used throughout the description and following claims to refer to particular components . as one skilled in the art will appreciate , manufacturers may refer to a component by different names . this document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function . in the following description and in the claims , the terms “ include ” and “ comprise ” are used in an open - ended fashion , and thus should be interpreted to mean “ include , but not limited to . . . ”. also , the term “ couple ” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct electrical connection . accordingly , if one device is electrically connected to another device , that connection may be through a direct electrical connection , or through an indirect electrical connection via other devices and connections . the embodiment as follows is illustrated by a universal serial bus 3 . 0 ( usb 3 . 0 ) hub , but this is not a limitation of the invention . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for controlling a hub according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . provided that substantially the same result is achieved , the steps of the flowchart shown in fig1 need not be in the exact order shown and need not be contiguous ; that is , other steps can be intermediate . some steps in fig1 may be omitted according to various embodiments or requirements . the control method is briefly summarized as follows . step s 104 : receive respective link status of each downlink port to learn whether each downlink port has established a connection ; step s 106 : when none of the plurality of downlink ports has established a connection , disconnect a recognition resistor of the uplink port to allow the uplink port to be unrecognizable , and subsequently power off the uplink port ; for illustrative purposes , refer to fig2 in conjunction with fig1 . fig2 is a diagram illustrating a hub according to an embodiment of the present invention . the hub 250 possesses an uplink port up and a first downlink port dp 1 and a second downlink port dp 2 . a hub control circuit 200 includes a link status receiving unit 204 and an uplink port control unit 202 , wherein the link status receiving unit 204 is arranged to receive a signal link_status 1 generated by a physical layer of the first downlink port dp 1 , and a signal link_status 2 generated by a physical layer of the second downlink port dp 2 . by referring to the two signals signal link_status 1 and signal link_status 2 , the hub control circuit 200 may learn whether the first downlink port dp 1 or the second downlink port dp 2 has established a connection with another device . the uplink port control unit 202 may be operable to receive a first control signal cs 1 produced by the link status receiving unit 204 . when the uplink port control unit 202 learns that neither the first downlink port dp 1 nor the second downlink port dp 2 has established a connection , the uplink port control unit 202 will generate a second control signal cs 2 for controlling a switch 206 to disconnect a recognition resistor r of the uplink port up , which makes the uplink port up unrecognizable . in this way , the host terminal cannot recognize the uplink port up as a usb 3 . 0 compliant port , so no link will be established between the host terminal and the hub 250 . when the first control signal cs 1 controls the uplink port control unit 202 to disconnect the recognition resistor r , the hub 250 will immediately lose its connection to the host terminal ; this process is not harmful since the usb port inherently supports a hot - plug . in other words , the host terminal may regard this process as a cable being removed from the usb port , although no actual cable is removed from the host terminal or the hub 250 . then , the uplink port control unit 202 may be operable to actively power off the uplink port up instead of waiting for a power saving mode command from the host terminal . as a result , the disclosed hub control method can be free from a specific system configuration or driver installation . further , the uplink port up does not need to consistently monitor a wake up command sent from the host terminal . equivalently , the uplink port up may be completely powered off . note the invention is not limited to completely power off the uplink port up . for instance , the uplink port up may be partially powered off or remain powered . when the signal link_status 1 indicates the first downlink port dp 1 has established a connection , or when the signal link_status 2 indicates the second downlink port dp 2 has established a connection , the link status receiving unit 204 may be operable to send the first control signal cs 1 to notify the uplink port control unit 202 to switch the switch 206 from disconnected to connected . then , the uplink port control unit 202 may be operable to power on the uplink port up , so that the uplink port up can be recognized by the host terminal and the connection between the uplink port up and the host terminal can be established . fig3 is a diagram illustrating a switch configured in the usb 3 . 0 physical layer according to an embodiment of the present invention . the switch 206 is coupled between a receiving path and a 50 ohm recognition resistor . the other terminal of the 50 ohm recognition resistor is coupled to a ground voltage . the switch 206 may be controlled by the second control signal cs 2 to connect or disconnect the 50 ohm recognition resistor accordingly . note that the invention is not limited to the arrangement shown in fig3 . the hub control method and associated circuit are also applicable to a usb 2 . 0 hub . fig4 is a diagram illustrating a switch configured in the usb 2 . 0 physical layer according to an embodiment of the present invention . the switch 406 is coupled between a differential signal ( dm ) and a 45 ohm recognition resistor . the other terminal of the 45 ohm recognition resistor is coupled to a ground voltage . the switch 406 may be controlled by the second control signal cs 2 to connect or disconnect the 45 ohm recognition resistor accordingly . note that the invention is not limited to the arrangement shown in fig4 . the hub control method and associated circuit may be applied to a hub of other types different from the usb hub . alternative designs include a bridge for converting between different port standards . for example , one of the uplink port and the plurality of downlink ports is a usb 3 . 0 port , a usb 2 . 0 port , a serial advanced technology attachment ( sata ) port , peripheral component interconnect express ( pcie ) port , an ethernet port or a secure digital ( sd ) memory card slot . in one example , the uplink port is a usb 2 . 0 port and the downlink ports include a usb 2 . 0 port , an ethernet port and an sd card slot . compared to the prior art , the disclosed hub can actively disconnect from the host terminal and enter a power saving mode without waiting for the host terminal and the system to send a command . the advantage is that the hub can always enter the power saving mode no matter whether the system supports the power saving mode or not . further , after the hub enters the power saving mode , it is unnecessary to monitor commands sent from the host terminal . thus the uplink port of the hub can be thoroughly powered off and the entire power consumption substantially alleviated . in particular , it is envisaged that the aforementioned inventive concept can be applied by a semiconductor manufacturer to any integrated circuit . it is further envisaged that , for example , a semiconductor manufacturer may employ the inventive concept in the design of a stand - alone device , or application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ) and / or any other sub - system element . aspects of the invention may be implemented in any suitable form including hardware , software , firmware or any combination of these . the invention may be implemented , at least partly , as computer software running on one or more data processors and / or digital signal processors or configurable module components such as fpga devices . thus , the elements and components of an embodiment of the invention may be physically , functionally and logically implemented in any suitable way . the functionality may be implemented in a single unit , in a plurality of units or as part of other functional units . although the present invention has been described in connection with some embodiments , it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein . rather , the scope of the present invention is limited only by the accompanying claims . additionally , although a feature may appear to be described in connection with particular embodiments , one skilled in the art would recognize that various features of the described embodiments may be combined in accordance with the invention . in the claims , the term ‘ comprising ’ does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps . furthermore , although individually listed , a plurality of means , elements or method steps may be implemented by , for example , a single unit or processor or controller . additionally , although individual features may be included in different claims , these may possibly be advantageously combined , and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and / or advantageous . also , the inclusion of a feature in one category of claims does not imply a limitation to this category , but rather indicates that the feature is equally applicable to other claim categories , as appropriate . furthermore , the order of features in the claims does not imply any specific order in which the features must be performed and in particular the order of individual steps in a method claim does not imply that the steps must be performed in this order . rather , the steps may be performed in any suitable order . in addition , singular references do not exclude a plurality . thus , references to ‘ a ’, ‘ an ’, ‘ first ’, ‘ second ’, etc . do not preclude a plurality . thus , an improved hub control method and associated circuit have been described , wherein the aforementioned disadvantages with prior art arrangements have been substantially alleviated . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims . | 6 |
one embodiment relating to the magnetic memory device of the present invention is described hereinafter . the magnetic memory device of the present invention has a configuration as described in fig7 and is particularly characterized in a connecting portion of a second wiring ( bit line ) 12 and a storage cell 13 . hereinafter , the characterized connecting portion is described with reference to a conceptual sectional view shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 the storage cell 13 having a mtj ( magnetic tunnel junction ) is formed on a lower electrode 17 . generally , a conductive protecting layer is formed on the storage cell 13 , although not shown . an insulating film 41 is formed on periphery of the storage cell 13 , and further an opening 42 is formed so as to expose a top surface of the storage cell 13 . the insulating film 41 is made of aluminum oxide , for example , or may be made of a silicon - based insulating film such as a silicon oxide film . the above mentioned opening 42 is formed so that a sidewall 42 s thereof has a forward tapered form having a tilt angle α formed relative to the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 being 45 degrees or more . further on the above mentioned insulating film 41 , the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 three - dimensionally intersecting ( at right angle , for example ) with the first wiring ( write word line ), though not shown , while sandwiching the above mentioned storage cell 13 , is formed so that the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 is connected to the top portion of the storage cell 13 through the opening 42 . accordingly , the angle formed by the sidewall 12 s of the connecting portion 12 c where the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 is connected to the storage cell 13 , and the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 becomes α ( hereinafter referred to as a contact angle ) so as to form a forward tapered form having the contact angle of 45 degrees or more . in this description of the embodiment , the tilt angle of the sidewall 42 s of the opening 42 and the contact angle of the sidewall 12 s at the connecting portion 12 c of the second wiring 12 become the same , so that the same sine α is applied here . then , the effect wherein the contact angle α of the upper electrode affects to the variation in the coercive force ( hc ) of the free layer made of ferromagnetic material of the storage cell 13 having mtj is described . the configuration of the storage cell 13 comprises of an antiferromagnetic layer 301 , a ferromagnetic fixed layer 302 , a non - magnetic spacer layer 303 , a ferromagnetic free layer 304 , and a protecting layer 309 on the lower electrode 17 as shown in fig2 and specifically , the antiferromagnetic layer 301 is made of platinum manganese ( ptmn ), and the ferromagnetic fixed layer 302 has a three - layered structure having a ferromagnetic layer made of ferrocobalt ( cofe ), a conduction layer made of ruthenium ( ru ), and a ferromagnetic layer made of ferrocobalt ( cofe ). in addition , a non - magnetic spacer layer 303 is made of aluminum oxide , a ferromagnetic free layer 304 is formed with a ferromagnetic layer made of ferrocobalt ( cofe ), and a protecting layer 309 is formed with tantalum ( ta ). further , the insulating layer 41 described in fig1 is made of aluminum oxide , and the above mentioned second wiring ( bit line ) 12 is made of copper . further , a correlation of the variation in the coercive force ( hc ) of the free layer is evaluated relative to the magnetic memory device fabricated by altering process condition ( such as a resist shape and a film - forming condition of the insulating film 41 ). one embodiment of thus fabricated device configuration is described with reference to a conceptual sectional view in fig3 a and 3b . fig3 a shows a configuration of the embodiment according to the present invention , and fig3 b shows a comparative example . the structural difference between the present embodiment and the comparative example lies on the contact angle α formed by the sidewall 12 s at the connecting portion of the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 and the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 , and the contact angle α of this embodiment is 80 degrees while the contact angle α of the comparative example is 15 degrees . in order to quantitatively evaluate the variation in the coercive force ( hc ) of the free layer , the variation in the coercive force ( hc ) of the free layer is defined as below . that is , the coercive force ( hc ) is measured at the time when the magnetic field of the ferromagnetic free layer is reversed , and thus obtained distribution is fitted as a normal distribution . a value [ σ /( average value of hc )] obtained by dividing a dispersion σ of the normal distribution with an average value of the coercive force ( hc ) is defined as the variation of the coercive force ( hc ). when the variations in the coercive force ( hc ) are compared between the embodiment and the comparative example in fig3 a and 3b , the variation in the comparative example in fig3 b where the contact angle α formed by the sidewall 12 s of the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 and the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 becomes 15 degrees relative to the variation in the embodiment in fig3 a where the contact angle α formed by the sidewall 12 s of the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 and the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 becomes 80 degrees is improved by around 4 %. further by changing the process condition ( resist form and the film - forming condition for the insulating film 41 ), the storage cell 13 having a mtj of different contact angle α of the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 is fabricated . the correlation between the contact angle α formed by the sidewall 12 s of the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 and the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 and the variation in the coercive force ( hc ) of the free layer is described with reference to fig4 . in fig4 a vertical axis shows variation in the coercive force ( hc ) as a relative value , and an abscissa axis shows the contact angle α of the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 , respectively . as shown in fig4 the variation in the coercive force ( hc ) is decreased as the contact angle α increases as shown in fig4 and the variation becomes constant when the contact angle α becomes over 45 degrees . accordingly , it is clear that in order to obtain a stable variation in the coercive force ( hc ) characteristic of the free layer , the contact angle α of the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 to the storage cell 13 has to be over 45 degrees . the mechanism wherein the variation in the coercive force ( hc ) of the free layer deteriorates as the contact angle α decreases is not fully cleared . as a probable reason , if the contact angle α is small , the distance between the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 and the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 becomes shorter , so that the storage cell 13 is easily affected the disturbance of the external magnetic filed generated from the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 , and as a result , it is probable that the magnetic domain at the top surface of the storage cell 13 becomes unstable . in addition , the above mentioned effects take the same value in a storage cell configured as shown in fig5 a to 5 c as will be described below . next , a film structure of the typical storage cell 13 is described with reference to a conceptual sectional view depicted in fig5 . as shown fig5 a to 5 c , the storage cell 13 is comprised of a so - called magnetic tunnel junction ( hereinafter referred to as a mtj ) including an antiferromagnetic layer , a ferromagnetic fixed layer , a non - magnetic spacer layer , and a ferromagnetic free layer . there are stacked structures such as a bottom type ( antiferromagnetic layer is provided on bottom ), a top type ( antiferromagnetic layer is provided on top ), a dual type ( antiferromagnetic layers are provided on top and bottom ) and the like depending on a stacked order of the antiferromagnetic layer , the ferromagnetic fixed layer , the non - magnetic spacer layer , and the ferromagnetic free layer . the bottom type as shown in fig5 a is configured to have a foundation layer ( lower electrode ) 300 , an antiferromagnetic layer 301 , a ferromagnetic fixed layer 302 , a non - magnetic spacer layer ( tunnel insulating layer ) 303 , a ferromagnetic free layer ( storage layer ) 304 , and a protecting layer ( cap layer , and bit line electrode ) 309 being stacked in this order from bottom . the top type ( antiferromagnetic layer is provided on top ) as shown in fig5 b is configured to have a foundation layer ( lower electrode ) 300 , a ferromagnetic fixed layer 302 , a non - magnetic spacer layer ( tunnel insulating layer ) 303 , a ferromagnetic free layer ( storage layer ) 304 , an antiferromagnetic layer 305 , and a protecting layer ( cap layer , and bit line electrode ) 309 being stacked in this order from bottom . the dual type ( antiferromagnetic layers are provided on top and bottom ) as shown in fig5 c is configured to have a foundation layer ( lower electrode ) 300 , an antiferromagnetic layer 301 , a ferromagnetic fixed layer 302 , a non - magnetic spacer layer ( tunnel insulating layer ) 303 , a ferromagnetic free layer ( storage layer ) 304 , non - magnetic spacer layer ( tunnel insulating layer ) 306 , a ferromagnetic fixed layer 307 , an antiferromagnetic layer 308 , and a protecting layer ( cap layer , and bit line electrode ) 309 being stacked in this order from bottom . the magnetic memory device of the present invention is able to configure an integrated circuit device by applying the magnetic memory devices to the integrated circuit described in the above mentioned fig8 . next , one embodiment of a method for manufacturing the magnetic memory device according to the present invention is described with reference to conceptual sectional views in fig6 a to 6 g . as shown in fig6 a , after forming a selecting device , a sense line and an insulating film for covering these , and a first wiring ( write word line ) and an insulating film for covering it by a well - known manufacturing technology for the magnetic memory device , then , a lower electrode ( bypass line ) 17 is formed . in addition , a film stack 31 for forming a storage cell having a mtj is formed . further , as shown in fig6 b , a resist film 32 is formed on the above mentioned film stack 31 . this resist film 32 is formed to have 300 nm in thickness , for example , by a spin coating method of an organic - based resin . it is preferable that the thickness of the resist film 32 is thicker than that of an insulating film which is formed later . then , as shown in fig6 c , exposure and development are carried out so as to form a resist pattern 33 which serves as an etching mask in case of forming the storage cell having mtj by the above mentioned resist film 32 . thereafter , as shown in fig6 d , patterning is carried out to the above mentioned film stack 31 using the above mentioned resist pattern 33 by an argon ion milling , for example , to form the storage cell 13 having mtj . then , as shown in fig6 e , an insulating film 41 is formed on the above mentioned storage cell 13 while leaving the above mentioned resist pattern 33 . this insulating film 41 is formed , for example , by stacking aluminum oxide of 60 nm in thickness using a sputtering method , for example . this sputtering is carried out within a mixed gas atmosphere of oxygen and argon while using an aluminum target . in this case , aluminum oxide is accumulated also on the resist pattern 33 . after that , the resist pattern 33 and the insulating film 41 of the aluminum oxide accumulated on this resist pattern 33 are removed by a liftoff method for removing the resist pattern 33 using organic solvent . thereby as shown in fig6 f , the opening 42 is formed at the insulating film 41 on the storage cell 13 . the tilt angle α at the sidewall of the resist pattern 33 and the film - forming condition for the insulating film 41 in case of forming the above mentioned resist pattern 33 are set so that the sidewall 42 s of the opening 42 has a tilt angle α = 45 degrees or more relative to the above mentioned top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 , and is formed to be a forward tapered form . a contact angle α of a second wiring ( bit line ) which is formed later relative to the top surface of the storage cell 13 is determined by the tilt angle α of the sidewall 42 s of the opening 42 . this tilt angle α is controlled by changing a shape of the above mentioned resist pattern 33 and the film - forming condition for the insulating film 41 ( such as a pressure of the film - forming atmosphere , sputtering power and the like ). further , the shape of the above mentioned resist pattern 33 is able to be changed by a developing condition ( blend condition such as density , and developing time ). further , the tilt angle α at the sidewall 42 s of the opening 42 depends on an edge shape of the storage cell 13 , so that if the edge shape of the storage cell 13 is changed depending on an incident angle of the argon ion upon the ion milling for forming the storage cell 13 as fabrication parameters , it is able to indirectly control the tilt angle α at the sidewall of the opening 42 of the insulating film 41 . then , as shown in fig6 g , a metal film for forming the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 is formed by a film - forming technology such as a sputtering method and the like so as to bury the above mentioned opening 42 . after that , the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 is formed by patterning the metal film . accordingly , the contact angle α formed by the sidewall 12 s at the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 portion connected to the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 and the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 becomes the same as the tilt angle α at the sidewall 42 s of the opening 42 , and the contact angle α formed by the sidewall 12 s at the second wiring ( bit line ) 12 portion connected to the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 and the top surface 13 s of the storage cell 13 is 45 degrees or more and forms a forward tapered form . as described above , according to the magnetic memory device of the present invention , a method for manufacturing the magnetic memory device , and an integrated circuit device including such magnetic memory devices , a partial sidewall portion that is electrically connecting to the storage cell of the second wiring is formed to be a forward tapered form so as to have a contact angle of over 45 degrees relative to the upper surface of the storage cell , so that the distance between the upper surface of the storage cell and the second wiring , the storage cell is hard to receive a disturbance of the external magnetic filed generated from the second wiring , and as a result , the magnetic domain in the upper surface of the storage cell is stabilized . accordingly , the variation in the coercive force of the magnetic free layer of the storage cell having the mtj is improved . thereby , in the integrated circuit device including the magnetic memory devices such as nram formed by integrating the present magnetic memory devices , a switching characteristic is improved , and it is able to present a stable magnetic memory device without write error . further the effect of the present invention depends only on the device structure ( contact angle α of the upper electrode ), and does not depend on the process and the method for manufacturing described in the embodiment of the present invention . | 7 |
describing now the drawings and considering initially the exemplary embodiment of an articulator as illustrated in fig1 it will be understood that such articulator comprises a base 1 having an outer contour 2 . a support 3 for a not particularly illustrated model of the lower jaw is held on this base by means of a set screw . the base 1 may be manufactured , for instance , from a plastic material . the base 1 is provided with a blind hole 5 and a through bore 6 arranged concentrically thereto and receiving an elongated shaft 8 movably guided in the base 1 against the force of a spiral pressure spring . mentioned elongated shaft 8 can be fixably clamped at the base 1 by means of a clamping screw 9 . the upper face surface of the base 1 is formed as supporting surface 10 for a fixture 11 . this supporting surface 10 extends as is clearly shown in fig2 from the contour 2 &# 39 ; to the contour 2 &# 34 ;. these contours are also illustrated in fig1 and 5 . this supporting surface 10 extends relative to the horizontal at an angle in the range of 15 ° to 25 ° such as illustrated in fig2 and this preferred embodiment illustrated features an angle of 20 °. the plane of occlusion between the model of the lower jaw and the model of the upper jaw not particularly shown in the figures extends in fig1 and 2 along a horizontal line such that accordingly the supporting surface 10 and its longitudinal sides , namely the contours 2 &# 39 ; and 2 &# 34 ;, extend obliquely relative to said plane of occlusion at mentioned angle of 20 ° and extend from a low front location to a rear high location . the front side of the articulator is located in the illustration of fig2 at the right hand side thereof . additionally , the supporting surface 10 of the base 1 has a v - shaped extent such as illustrated in fig1 and 6 . the legs of this v - shape define together an angle in the range of 120 ° to 140 ° and the preferred embodiment shows an angle of 130 °. the base 1 is provided , furthermore , with a vertically extending pin 12 , which is operative as cam follower of a cam , as will be explained in detail further below . this pin 12 is made preferably from a metal . a metal guide bushing not shown may be inserted into an opening or recess , respectively , of base 1 and the support 3 can be inserted into such guide bushing . the rest of the base 1 can be fabricated , for instance , from nylon . next , the fixture 11 will be described . this fixture 11 is a two - piece structure comprising a bearing pedestal 14 and a pivot arm 15 . the upper surfaces 16 and 17 of the bearing pedestal 14 and pivot arm 15 , respectively , coincide if the articulator is located in the position as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . the bearing pedestal 14 comprises , furthermore , outer surfaces 18 , 19 , 20 and 21 . the surfaces 21 of the bearing pedestal 14 provide the supporting surfaces of the fixture 11 relative to the base 1 and , therefore , correspond to the supporting surfaces 10 of base 1 . accordingly , the supporting surfaces 21 of the fixture 11 are also arranged in a v - shaped fashion such that the angle enclosed is within the range of 120 °- 140 °, in the particular illustrated embodiment 130 °. in the position shown in fig1 and 5 the supporting surfaces 10 and 21 of base 1 and fixture 11 , respectively , abut each other in a form closed position and in the position of the articulator as illustrated in fig6 they are out of such respective engagement . it shall be mentioned in this instance that the form closed condition of surfaces 10 and 21 is achieved by means of the spring 7 located at the elongated shaft 8 such that the position of the parts shown in fig6 is arrived at against the action of the force of mentioned spring 7 . at the upper end of the bearing pedestal 14 a slanted surface 22 is provided and a set screw 23 located in the pivot arm 15 can be moved to abut the slanted surface 22 . by means thereof the occlusion between lower jaw model and upper jaw model is set , i . e . the distance between the two jaw models can be altered . mentioned elongated shaft including its thread 24 is screwed into the bearing pedestal 14 to have a locked seat . accordingly , the spiral pressure spring 7 presses the bearing pedestal 14 including its supporting surfaces 21 against the supporting surfaces 10 of base 1 such that the defined position of fixture 11 relative to base 1 is arrived at by a form closed abutment of the v - shaped surfaces 10 and 21 , which position is shown in fig1 and 3 . the elongated shaft 8 including its spring 7 acts as pressure means acting along the elongated shaft , by means of which the supporting surfaces 10 and 21 are pressed onto each other . the rear end of the pivot arm 15 is forked such to provide legs 25 ( fig3 ). the bearing pedestal 14 located therebetween is received in this forked end and the legs 25 of the fork are guided at their inner surfaces at the outer surfaces 19 of the bearing pedestal 14 . the pivot arm 15 is mounted to the bearing pedestal 14 via a lateral shaft 26 , a longitudinal slot 27 and a second spring 28 . the lateral shaft 26 is axially and radially locked relative to and in the pivot arm 15 . the longitudinal slot 27 is located in the bearing pedestal 14 and the longitudinal slot 27 extends from a lower front position to a rear upper position marking an angle with the plane of occlusion in the range of 15 ° to 25 °, the angle shown in this preferred embodiment amounts to 20 °. accordingly , now , this longitudinal slot 27 extends parallel to the slant of the supporting surfaces 10 and 21 . the spiral pressure spring 28 used in this embodiment rests at the one end against the bearing pedestal 14 and the other end against the lateral shaft 26 ( fig3 ). accordingly , the pivot arm 15 is movable relative to the bearing pedestal 14 against the force of this second spring 28 and during such movement the lateral shaft 26 is laterally shifted inside the longitudinal slot 27 . during such movement of the pivot arm 15 relative to the bearing pedestal 14 mentioned moving or shifting , respectively , of the inner surfaces of the legs 25 of the fork relative to the outer surfaces 19 of the bearing pedestal 14 as shown in fig3 is carried out . in place of the spiral pressure spring 27 a further embodiment foresees the use of a leaf spring ( not particularly shown ). the pivot arm 15 is provided with a recess 29 , in which recess 29 a support 30 for a not particularly shown upper jaw model can be inserted . this support 30 is mounted via a set screw 31 to the pivot arm 15 and accordingly mounted also to the fixture 11 . the pivot arm 15 carries an exchangeable plate 32 which is mounted to the pivot arm 15 by means of pins inserted in holes 33 . this plate 32 is provided with an inner cam surface 34 ( see fig4 ) having specifically two cam sections 35 and 36 . this cam 34 is particularly shown in fig4 . the two unequally extending cam sections 35 and 36 extend obliquely to the horizontal line , each marking a separate angle therewith . the meaning of this design will be explained further below . the plane of occlusion 37 is illustrated in fig2 ; according to fig2 this plane of occlusion 37 extends horizontally between support 3 and support 30 . the elongated shaft 8 as well as the pin 12 ( cam follower ) extend perpendicularly thereto . the lateral shaft 26 extends parallel to the plane of occlusion 37 . the plate 32 is mounted exchangeably at the pivot arm 15 such that it may be mounted also in such a position to the pivot arm 15 that according to the illustration of fig4 the slanted cam section 35 may be located at the left hand side and the slanted cam section 36 at the right hand side of the opening illustrated therein . the prevailing chosen position of the plate 32 at the pivot arm 15 depends on a left or a right jaw model being carried by the articulator . fig4 is a view in accordance with fig2 from below against the plate 32 . the position of the plate 32 at the pivot arm 15 as illustrated in fig4 is the position prevailing when a left jaw model is to be carried by the articulator . the fixture 11 is movable relative to the base 1 in all directions , i . e . along the three spatial axes . relative to the movement of one axis the fixture 11 as shown in fig2 is movable against the force of spring 7 in the direction coinciding with the plane defined by the drawing sheet . perpendicularly thereto ( again relative to fig2 ) fixture 11 is movable against the spring 21 illustrated in fig3 also in mentioned plane defined by the drawing sheet . the third spatial direction of movement is arrived at when fixture 11 is rotated around the elongated shaft 8 relative to the base 1 , i . e . based on fig2 in a plane extending perpendicularly to the plane defined by the surface of the drawing sheet . during latter movement the form closed condition between supporting surfaces 10 and 21 of base 1 and fixture 11 is obviated such as illustrated in fig6 . the three above explained freedoms of movement of the fixture 11 relative to the base 1 are controlled with regard to their components of movement by means of the cam 34 and the follower pin 12 such to simulate the natural chewing movement ( articulation ). in order to explain the various angles of the slanted cam sections 35 and 36 illustrated in fig4 relative to the horizontal plane reference is made to the initially described design of articulators in which the two bearing sockets are located at a considerable distance from each other at the lateral axis . if now a left or a right jaw model is carried by such a previously known articulator , this left or right jaw model is not located in the center between the two joint sockets , it is rather located more towards the left joint socket or more towards the right joint socket such as obviously is also the case of the natural human head . the articulating movement between an upper and a lower tooth is , therefore , dependent on the location of such two teeth acting together relative to the two joint sockets between lower jaw and upper jaw . the specific position of the left jaw model or of the right jaw model relative to the two above mentioned joint sockets is now taken into consideration by the two from each other differing slanted cam sections 35 and 36 . if a left lower jaw model or upper jaw model is processed with aid of the illustrated articulator , the fixture 11 will be moved such relative to the base 1 that the slanted cam sections 35 and 36 are moved along the follower pin 12 . the pivot arm 15 is thereby moved against the force of spring 28 relative to the bearing pedestal 14 and the bearing pedestal 14 in turn is moved relative to base 1 . fig6 illustrates such a rotated position of the bearing pedestal 14 relative to base 1 , in which illustration , however , due to an easier understanding the pivot arm 15 is designed such that its cam 34 is moved away from the follower pin 12 , i . e . it has been designed in an opened , swung out pivot position and not in the closed position as obviously is the case during practical operation . the illustrated articulator can also be designed such , that the height of the base 1 can be changed . this embodiment is not illustrated . such can , for instance , be arrived at easily in that the base 1 is made of two separate parts in that the base 1 is divided in a horizontal plane relative to fig2 which two parts can be pushed together or pulled apart by means of guide pins extending vertically with reference to fig2 and not shown . in order to block this possibility of relative movement of the two parts , a further set of screws could be provided , which set of screws would act directly onto the guide pins . the articulator described herein has its application mainly for fractional impressions ( mashing bites ), can , however , also be used for complete impressions . the inventive articulator is designed such that when carrying out fractional impressions the simulation of the chewing movements of the complete jaw on the left or right lateral teeth ( molars ) up to the canine - tooth can be simulated in spite of the missing two joint sockets located at the lateral axis and at a mutual distance from each other . by means of a simple rearranging of the plate 32 as set forth above the chewing movements of the left or of the right joint of the jaw can be simulated . the angle which the slanted cam section 35 marks with the horizontal line and the angle of the slanted cam section 36 relative to the horizontal line shown in fig4 are based on the mean value of the angle of movement of the human jaw joint . the slanted cam section 35 of fig4 marks with the horizontal line an angle of 20 ° and the slanted cam section 36 marks with the horizontal line an angle of 57 °. according to a further embodiment the exchangeable plate may also be fixed to the base 1 , in which case the follower pin 12 is mounted to the pivot arm . according to a still further embodiment the curve , i . e . cam 34 , can have a different shape such that it is not necessary to flip the plate 32 over as mentioned above but rather to rotate the plate 32 in its plane . the set screws 4 , 9 and 31 illustrated in fig1 and 2 are not illustrated in fig3 and 5 . the plane of occlusion 37 corresponds with the plane defined by the surface 38 of base 1 . | 0 |
referring now to fig1 to 5 , the tensioner 1 is mounted in a frame 3 and comprises an endless track 5 consisting of two parallel track belts 5 a and 5 b which are driven by suitable drive means ( not specifically illustrated ). mounted on the respective track belts 5 a , 5 b is a number of spaced traction elements 7 . each traction element 7 includes a pair of lateral wings 9 by means of which it is attached to a respective track belt 5 a , 5 b for movement with the track belt . the track 5 is mounted and driven so that the traction elements 7 describe a path in the form of an endless loop . the path includes a path segment 11 in which the path is essentially straight and aligned with the longitudinal axis 13 of the member ( pipe or cable or isu etc ) 15 . each traction element 7 is essentially similar and consists of a base unit 17 on which are mounted pads or cushions 19 which define gripping surfaces 21 which contact the member in use . the two lateral wings 9 depend from the respective sides of the base unit 17 and may be formed integrally therewith . at either side of the base unit 17 are mounted arms 23 a and 23 b . on each arm is mounted a pad or cushion 25 which is generally similar to the pads or cushions 19 and which defines a further gripping surface 27 a , 27 b . the arms 23 are mounted on the base unit so that they can rotate with respect to the base unit 17 about axes 29 a and 29 b . the axes 29 a and 29 b are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member 15 when the member is retained in the tensioner 1 . the rotation of the arms 23 a , 23 b about the axes 29 a , 29 b allows the arms 23 a , 23 b to move between a clamping position in which the member 15 is gripped by the further gripping surfaces 27 a , 27 b ( in combination with the gripping surfaces 21 of the base unit 17 ) and a release position in which the further gripping surfaces 27 a , 27 b are spaced from the member . fig4 and 5 specifically illustrate the clamping and release positions of arms 23 a and 23 b . in these figures , the arm 23 a is shown in the clamping position and the arm 23 b is shown in the release position . ( nb : the positions of the arms as shown are for the purposes of illustration and explanation only . in normal use , the arms will move in tandem so that both are in the clamping position or both are in the release position ). in order to move the arms 23 a , 23 b from the release position to the clamping position , guide means 31 are provided which in the illustrated embodiment takes the form of a guide bar or rail 33 . in fig1 , 2 and 3 the guide rail for the arms 23 b is omitted for reasons of clarity . the guide rails 33 are arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member 15 as it passes through the tensioner and present a smooth guide surface 35 which contacts the arms 23 a , 23 b . the guide surface includes a curved entrance portion which guides the arms 23 a , 23 b from the release position to the clamping position and a correspondingly curved exit portion which allows the arms 23 a , 23 b to move from the clamping position to the release position . between the entrance and exit portions , the guide surface comprises a straight portion which is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the member 15 and which maintains the arms 23 a , 23 b in the clamping position . the straight portion corresponds to and is generally co - extensive with the path segment 11 of the track 5 which segment is essentially straight and aligned with the longitudinal axis 13 of the member 15 . the size of the base unit 17 and the arms 23 a , 23 b , the spacing of the pads or cushions 19 , 25 and the position and spacing of the guide rails 33 are all selected in accordance with the size of the member 15 to be deployed and the clamping force which is required . in the illustrated embodiment , the arms 23 a , 23 b are provided with rollers 37 for co - operating with the guide surface 25 . the rollers are mounted on the ends of the arms 23 a , 23 b distal from the base unit 17 and rotate about an axis which is normal to the pivot axes 29 of the arms . in use of the tensioner 1 , the track 5 is driven in the forward or reverse direction as appropriate to move the traction elements 7 . the member 15 is fed into the tensioner 1 so that it is accommodated on pads or cushions 19 of base units 17 entering and passing through the path segment 11 . as successive traction elements approach the path segment 11 , the guide rails 33 move the arms 23 a , 23 b from the release position to the clamping position so that in the path segment 11 the member is clamped by the pads or cushions 19 in combination with the arm pads or cushions 25 . the pads or cushions 19 , 25 are so disposed that , with the arms 23 a , 23 b in the clamping position , the pads or cushions 19 , 25 are equidistantly spaced about the circumference of the member 15 . at the end of the path segment 11 , the guide rails 33 release the arms 23 a , 23 b . thus , with the member clamped by the pads or cushions 19 , 25 in the path segment 11 , movement of the member 15 is controlled by the tensioner 1 so that the member can be paid out or deployed , such as in sub - sea cable laying , at an appropriate tension . referring now to fig8 to 10 which illustrate a traction element 107 for a tensioner according to a second aspect of the invention , the traction element is mounted on a track 5 ( not shown ) by means of a pair of lateral wings 109 which depend from respective sides of a base unit 117 and may be formed integrally therewith . first , second third and fourth arms 123 a , 123 b , 123 c and 123 d are mounted on the base unit for movement about pivot axes 129 a , 129 b . the first and second arms 123 a , 123 b are essentially similar to one another and the third and fourth arms 123 b , 123 d are essentially similar to one another . the first and third arms 123 a , 123 c are mounted on one side of the base unit 117 and the second and fourth arms 123 b , 123 d are mounted on a second , opposite , side of the base unit 117 . the first and third arms 123 a , 123 c pivot about a first pivot axis 129 a and the second and fourth arms 123 b , 123 d pivot about a second pivot axis 129 b . each of the four arms 123 a , 123 b , 123 c and 123 d is provided with a pad or cushion 125 which defines a gripping surface 127 for the member 15 . the pad or cushion 125 of the first and second arms 123 a , 123 b is disposed on an upper part 122 a , 122 b of the arm , above the longitudinal axis 13 of the member 15 . the third and fourth arms 123 c , 123 d extend in use principally below the longitudinal axis 13 so that the pads or cushions of these arms are disposed below the longitudinal axis 13 . the first and second arms 123 a , 123 b comprise a roller 137 which co - operates with guide rails in an analogous manner to the first aspect of the invention to move the first and second arms 123 a , 123 b from a first ( released ) condition ( fig9 ) to a second ( gripping ) condition ( fig8 ). as can best be seen from fig1 ( which shows the second and third arms only ), the second arm 123 b includes a lower portion 124 b which extends below the pivot axis 129 b . first arm 123 a includes a corresponding lower portion 124 a extending below pivot axis 129 a . a link arm 139 b extends between the lower portion 124 c of second arm 123 b and a lower part of third arm 123 c and is pivotally attached to the third and second arms 123 c , 123 b at its respective ends 139 ′ and 139 ″. a corresponding link arm 139 a links first arm 123 a and fourth arm 123 d . the link arms provide that as the first and second arms 123 a , 123 b arm moved by the guide rail from the first ( released ) position to the second ( gripping ) position , the third and fourth arms 123 c , 123 d also move from a release position to a gripping position . in this way , members 15 of differing sizes can be accommodated by the tensioner , with the gripping surfaces 127 remaining centred about the axis 13 of the member 15 . that is , relative location of the member axis 13 with respect to the track 5 is independent of the member diameter . a particular advantage of the construction according to the present invention is that the normal gripping forces are isolated from the traction device , allowing the tensioner to be driven by a single traction device . in the prior art designs , drive means are required for each track of the tensioner . furthermore , in the construction according to the present invention the forces that individual traction devices are required to resist are minimised . in particular , the construction according to the present invention aligns the longitudinal force on the member 15 with the line of action of the reacting force of the traction device to minimise the resultant couples applied to the traction elements . this can be seen in particular by comparison of fig6 and 7 . in the prior art device of fig6 , a force f 1 exerted by the member 15 is reacted by reaction force f 2 at the traction elements 7 ′ of tracks 5 ′ ( tracks 5 ′ are shown in part only ). thus the traction elements 7 ′ are subject to a couple equal to ( f 2 / 2 ). d . this couple tends to tilt or skew the contact surfaces between the traction elements and the member , so reducing the contact area . as can be seen from fig7 , in the construction according to the invention , the force f p exerted by the member 15 is reacted by reaction force f r and there is no resulting couple . | 1 |
the concept of the att synthesis is schematically depicted in fig1 . the synthesis may proceed through the cycloaddition of an acetylene - terminated prepolymer with a compound containing a double bond activated toward the formation of a diels - alder type adduct , such as a bismaleimide , a biscitraconimide , or a benzoquinone . the reaction sites are the triple bond conjugated with an aromatic ring in a bisethynyl compound and the active double bond in a compound containing a double bond activated toward the formation of a diels - alder type adduct . the cycloaddition may proceed via at least two reaction pathways as shown in ( a ) and ( b ) of fig1 . both involve a concerted process . pathway ( a ) forms a highly strained intermediate ( 3 ) containing an allene functionality from the diels - alder reaction of the 4π electrons in the conjugated triple bond with the 2π electrons in the maleimide double bond . to release the ring strain , compound ( 3 ) would most likely quickly rearrange itself to give the more stable compound ( 4 ) through a [ 1 , 3 ] sigmatropic hydride shift . alternatively , compound ( 4 ) can be directly formed from the interaction of the 2π electrons in the triple bond with the 2π electrons in the maleimide double bond and a concomitant [ 1 , 5 ] sigmatropic hydride shift ( pathway b ). to enhance thermo - oxidative stability , compound ( 4 ) is heat treated to achieve aromatization leading to compound ( 5 ). if a linear thermoplastic material is to be prepared , the synthesis must utilize stoichiometric quantities of the reactants . otherwise , the presence of an excess reactant can result in the formation of semi - interpenetrating polymer networks . there are precedents reported in the literature in which a triple bond conjugated with an aromatic ring is used as a diene system . hudson and robinson , for example , showed that when piperonyl - alkylene is allowed to react with maleic anhydride in xylene at 150 ° c . for two hours , an aromatic adduct is formed directly . this reaction is shown below . ## str5 ## the most significant aspect of the present synthetic reaction resides in its potential to produce literally hundreds of new , tough , high performance polymeric materials , thereby advancing material technology . such a broad applicability is due primarily to two factors . one -- at the present time there are a large number of acetylene - terminated materials , e . g ., bismaleimides , biscitraconimides and benzoquinones which are available . they can be obtained either from commercial sources or prepared by a well - known synthetic method . the other factor is that these starting components can be reacted in a variety of combinations . the reactivity of bisethynyl compounds varies and is structurally dependent . likewise , the reactivity of bismaleimides , biscitraconimides and benzoquinones also differs from one compound to another , and is controlled by the nature of the particular structure . since the diene characterizes a donor in the diels - alder reaction , the reactivity of the diene system of the present invention is markedly enhanced when an electron - denoting substituent is present in the aromatic ring of a bisethynyl compound . conversely , when an electron withdrawing group is present in the vicinity of the double bond in a bismaleimide , biscitraconimide or benzoquinone , the double bond is activated toward the diel - alder reaction . to understand structure - property relationships for att polymers , a large number of att polymers have been synthesized and characterized . tables 1 and 2 show the chemical structures and designations of the acetylene - terminated materials and the olefinic compounds , respectively . these starting materials were actually used to prepare a variety of att polymers using the synthetic reaction of the present invention . among them , larc - rp 80 has been studied to the greatest extent . the synthesis and characterization of this new material demonstrate the utility of the present synthetic reaction . the att polymers of this invention are adapted for use as composite matrices and as adhesives and molding compounds suitable for aerospace structural applications in the 177 ° c . to 300 ° c . temperature range . the following are examples that illustrate preparation and use of the att polymers for applications in advanced composites , as well as structural adhesives and molding articles . however , it is to be understood that these examples are merely illustrative and intended to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention in all of the embodiments flowing therefrom , and do not in any way limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims . thermid lr - 600 as a 50 weight percent solution in n , n - dimethylpyrrolidone ( nmp ) was purchased from national starch . the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- methylenedianiline ( mda ) from eastman was used as received . the 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 , 4 - dicarboxyphenyl ) hexafluoropropane dianhydride ( 6f ) from american hoechst was recrystallized from acetic anhydride / toluene ( 20 / 80 volume ratio ), m . p . 245 ° c .- 246 ° c . citraconic anhydride ( ca ) from aldrich was freshly distilled . the new biscitraconimide , ca / mda / 6f , the chemical structure of which is shown in table 2 , was prepared in two steps . step one concerns the preparation of the diamine mda / 6f . step two deals with the reaction of ca and mda / 6f according to the following procedure . to a refluxing and stirred solution of the diamine mda / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) in 200 ml of a solvent mixture consisting of methylene chloride and acetone in a 1 : 1 volume ratio , a solution of ca ( 0 . 1 mole ) in 100 ml of the same solvent mixture was added over a 15 minute period . after refluxing for ten minutes , the reaction solution changed color from dark brown to yellow , and the solid material , identified to be the amic acid precursor , was precipitated . after one - half hour , sodium acetate ( 5 g ) and acetic anhydride ( 100 ml ) were added to chemically imidize the amic acid into the corresponding imide . immediately following the addition of acetic anhydride and sodium acetate , the reaction solution changed color from yellow back to dark brown , and the solid material dissolved to give a clear brown solution . the progress of the reaction was followed by ftir . after one hour the reaction product was worked up by washing three times with 200 ml of saturated sodium carbonate aqueous solution , drying the organic materials with anhydrous magnesium sulfate , and then evaporating the organic solvents . this afforded the crude biscitraconimide in 99 % yield . after recrystallization from acetone / water , a light gray solid ( overall yield 78 %) was obtained , m . p . 190 °- 192 ° c . its ftir spectrum had the following characteristic absorption bands : 3100 ( c ═ c -- h maleimide ), 1775 ( c ═ o imide in - phase ) and 1720 ( c ═ o imide out - of - phase ), 1635 ( c ═ c maleimide ), 1375 , 1260 , 1140 , and 1100 cm 1 ( c -- f ). fig2 shows the synthesis of larc - rp80 . the commercial thermid lr - 600 ( 18 . 9 g , 0 . 008 mole ) and the previously prepared ca / mda / 6f ( 8 . 0 g , 0 . 008 mole ) were dissolved in 8 ml of acetone to give a 50 % w / w dark brown solution . the solution was concentrated at 100 ° c . in a nitrogen atmosphere for one and one - half hours , followed by staging at 250 ° c . in air for one hour . this afforded larc - rp80 molding powder , the dsc of which showed one endotherm at 210 ° c . and one exotherm at 240 ° c . interestingly , this exothermic peak was not found in the dsc scans of the thermid 600 molding powder prepared under the same condition as larc - rp80 and ca / mda / 6f prepolymer . this suggests that this exotherm is due to the chemical structure resulting from the reaction of thermid 600 with the biscitraconimide , rather than the homopolymerization of the constitutent materials . the larc - rp80 molding powder ( 15 . 50 grams ) was placed in a cold matched metal die . this was then inserted into a press preheated to 288 ° c . a thermocouple was attached to the die to determine the temperature profile . when the die temperature reached 225 ° c ., 2000 psi pressure was applied . the temperature was raised to 288 ° c . at a rate of 2 ° c ./ minute . the neat resin was cured at 288 ° c . in air under 2000 psi pressure for one hour and removed from the press when the die temperature cooled to 177 ° c . this afforded a neat resin having dimensions of 3 . 2 cm by 3 . 2 cm by 1 . 0 cm and a density of 1 . 35 g / cc . the optical microscopic examination of the cross - section of the neat resin showed no detectable voids or defects . this molding was then accepted for compact tension specimen preparation without postcuring . the compact tension testing was made according to astm g399 specifications . unless otherwise noted , a fresh cut by a razor blade was made for each test specimen prior to its testing . each value of the g ic reported in this invention is an average of at least two determinations . for the other testing , however , the neat resin was postcured at 288 ° c . in air for four hours . table 3 shows the physical and mechanical properties of larc - rp80 while table 4 gives some of the moisture absorption properties of this material . table 3______________________________________neat resin properties of larc - rp80______________________________________physical propertiestg . sup . 1 , dry / wet . sup . 2 , ° c . 268 / 254density , g / cc 1 . 33moisture . sup . 2 / solvent . sup . 3 absorption , % 2 . 60 / 2 . 40toughnessg . sub . lc , j / m . sup . 2 ( in - lbs / in . sup . 2 ). sup . 4 338 ( 1 . 93 ) thermo - oxidative stability by tga in aironset temperature , ° c . 484temperature at 5 % wt loss , ° c . 514wt loss after 50 hours at 371 ° c ., % 18______________________________________ . sup . 1 determined by tma . . sup . 2 specimens immersed in water at room temperature for two weeks . . sup . 3 specimens immersed in boiling ch . sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 for 60 hours . . sup . 4 calculated from k . sub . lc using thermid 600 tensile modulus at room temperature 6 . 0 × 10 . sup . 5 psi , average of two runs with variabilit 3 %. table 4______________________________________moisture absorption of att polymers compared withcommercial products tg , ° c .. sup . a moisture uptake . sup . bresin wet wt . % ______________________________________larc - rp80 254 2 . 6larc - rp83 249 2 . 1thermid 600 tm -- 1 . 2 ( national starch ) kerimid 601 -- 4 . 5 ( rhone - poulenc ) ______________________________________ . sup . a by tma at a heating rate of 5 ° c ./ min . ; . sup . b two weeks in water at 25 ° c . the resin solution from example 1 . 3 was brush coated onto a 112 e - glass ( a1100 finish ) cloth which was stretched over a metal frame . the scrim cloth was dried between coatings at 60 ° c . in air for one - half hour . after the fourth coating , the cloth was staged at 100 ° c ., 150 ° c . and 177 ° c . in air for one hour at each temperature . single lap shear bond specimens were prepared using 25 . 4 mm wide , 1 . 27 mm thick 6al - 4v titanium adherends . the bond area of the adherend was surface treated with pasa jell 107 , which is marketed by semco , glendale , calif ., primed with the resin solution and heated in the same manner as the scrim cloth prepared above . sandwiching the β - staged scrim cloth between the primed adherends having a 12 . 7 mm overlap , the lap shear specimens were bonded as follows : ( 1 ) raise temperature from room temperature to 250 ° c . at 4 ° c ./ min , ( 2 ) apply 200 psi at 250 ° c . and raise temperature to 288 ° c . at 4 ° c ./ min , ( 3 ) hold one hour at 288 ° c . under 200 psi pressure and ( 4 ) cool to room temperature under pressure . the bonded specimens were postcured at 288 ° c . in air for four hours . the lap shear tests were performed on an instron universal testing machine according to astm d - 1002 . table 5__________________________________________________________________________adhesive properties lap shear strength , mpa ( psi ) titanium - to - titanium 25 ° c . 232 ° c . resin dry wet dry wet aged * __________________________________________________________________________larc - rp80 14 . 3 ( 2078 ) 20 . 5 ( 2975 ) 19 . 2 ( 2786 ) 20 . 5 ( 2963 ) 12 . 6 ( 1820 ) larc - rp80 - a 13 . 8 ( 2004 ) 16 . 8 ( 2440 ) -- 9 . 5 ( 1375 ) 8 . 9 ( 1283 ) larc - rp83 16 . 9 ( 2446 ) 21 . 1 ( 3063 ) 20 . 5 ( 2975 ) 20 . 4 ( 2950 ) 10 . 5 ( 1528 ) larc - rp83 - a 14 . 0 ( 2034 ) 16 . 9 ( 2450 ) 17 . 6 ( 2552 ) 17 . 0 ( 2465 ) 17 . 2 ( 2493 ) thermid 600 tm 10 . 5 ( 1515 ) -- 15 . 5 ( 2243 ) -- --( national starch ) kerimid 601 tm 8 . 3 ( 1210 ) -- 4 . 3 ( 620 ) -- --( rhone - poulenc ) __________________________________________________________________________ fig3 shows that the reaction of an acetylene terminated compound with a maleimide can occur in three ways : ( a ) the individual homopolymerization of each of the two reactants leads to a mixture of crosslinked networks ; ( b ) the cycloaddition reaction of the acetylene with the maleimide forms an att via one of the two routes shown in fig1 ; and ( c ) the addition of the maleimide double bond across the acetylene triple bond gives a highly crosslinked material . only pathway ( b ) forms a tough linear thermoplastic material . the other two routes produce brittle crosslinked polymers . this is an important distinction . of the above three reaction mechanisms set forth in fig3 pathway ( b ) is consistent with the following five findings . first , the ftir spectrum of cured larc - rp80 neat resin showed five new absorption bands which are consistent with the formation of a cycloaddition adduct . these new bands are marked with an arrow shown in fig4 . for comparison purposes , the ftir spectra of thermid 600 and ca / mda / 6f polymers cured under the identical condition as larc - rp80 are also shown in fig4 . the new bands and their assignments are 3115 cm - 1 due to stretching vibration of c ═ c -- h in cyclohexene , 1645 cm - 1 due to stretching vibration of c ═ c in cyclohexene , 1510 cm - 1 due to aromatic ring adjacent to cyclohexene , 1140 cm - 1 due to c -- n -- c succinimide . next larc - rp80 is significantly tougher than the constituent polymers ( g ic 338 j / m 2 compared to 93 j / m 2 for thermid 600 ). such high toughness characteristics are in line with the behavior of a linear thermoplastic , but not with the behavior of a highly crosslinked polymer . third , the dsc scan of larc - rp80 molding powder shows an exothermic peak around 240 ° c ., which is not seen in the dsc scans of the constituent materials . this suggests that pathways ( b ) and ( c ), but not ( a ), are occurring . fourth , only one tg was observed in the tma thermogram ( see fig5 ) and confirmed in the tba spectrum of larc - rp80 . from this , it follows that larc - rp80 is a one - phase system . such a morphology is consistent with both pathways ( b ) and ( c ), but not ( a ). finally , as - 4 / larc - rp80 composite can be reprocessed to correct flaws . on the basis of the foregoing discussion , the evidence supporting the formation of an att through pathway ( b ) is strong . a model compound study is underway to clarify the reaction mechanism . state - of - the - art bmis are known for their ease of processing . however , their processing cycles often require long curing and postcuring time involving several steps . larc - rp80 can be processed easily and quickly for the following three reasons . the reacting components are readily soluble in a low boiling solvent , such as acetone , making solvent removal easy . it has an addition curing mechanism , which eliminates voids caused by evolution of volatile by - products during the critical final stage of curing . lastly , the curing takes place rapidly at a moderately high temperature . table 6 shows a standard cure cycle used for the att polymers of the present invention and compares the same with a typical cure cycle adapted for a commercial product . table 6______________________________________adhesive properties of larc - rp80 and thermid600 titanium - to - titanium lap shear strength , mpa ( psi ). sup . 1 rt 232 ° c . resin dry . sup . 3 wet . sup . 4 , 5 dry . sup . 6 wet . sup . 6 aged . sup . 4 , 7______________________________________larc - rp802 14 . 3 20 . 5 19 . 2 20 . 5 12 . 6 ( 2078 ) ( 2975 ) ( 2786 ) ( 2963 ) ( 1820 ) thermid 10 . 5 -- 15 . 5 -- -- 600 ( 1515 ) ( 2243 ) ______________________________________ . sup . 1 average of four tests with variability 6 %; average bondline thickness 0 . 005 &# 34 ;. . sup . 2 fracture surfaces are smooth without visible voids . . sup . 3 failure adhesive . . sup . 4 failure cohesive / adhesive . . sup . 5 specimen immersed in water at room temperature for two weeks . . sup . 6 failure cohesive . . sup . 7 after aging for 500 hours at 288 ° c . in air . as shown in fig5 larc - rp80 had dry and wet tgs at 268 ° c . and 254 ° c ., respectively . isothermal aging at 371 ° c . in air for four hours increased the tg to 312 ° c . while having a high tg , larc - rp80 also showed exceptional toughness characteristics . the value of g ic was found to be 338 j / m 2 . since high toughness and high tg are desirable properties , and because the former is often achieved at the expense of the latter , it is interesting to compare both of the properties simultaneously . the values of g ic for state - of - the - art bmis having tgs in the range of 230 ° c . to 290 ° c . vary from 34 to 260 j / m 2 . fig6 shows the scanning electron micrograph of the fracture surface of larc - rp80 . the fractography of larc - rp80 reveals a dendritic pattern . the initial propagation region shows extended arrays and lines which run in the direction of crack propagation and extend over a considerable distance with a high degree of regularity . the fracture surface morphology of larc - rp80 is in striking contrast with the smooth and mirror - like morphology of thermid 600 material . as shown in fig7 larc - rp80 has a 5 % weight loss temperature of 514 ° c . this represents the highest thermo - oxidative stability ever observed for bmis developed to date . in addition , the data of fig7 and fig8 indicate that the thermo - oxidative stability of larc - rp80 is equivalent to that of thermid 600 , and is substantially better than that of the biscitraconimide ca / mda / 6f . larc - rp80 also exhibited outstanding moisture resistance ( table 4 ). typical bmis have equilibrium moisture absorptions which range from four to six percent . a value of 2 . 6 percent was obtained for larc - rp80 . the good moisture resistant characteristics of this material are reflected in the high wet tg mentioned previously and the excellent hot / wet lap shear strength presented below in table 5 . adhesive properties are summarized in table 5 . the room temperature lap shear strength of larc - rp80 was 2078 psi , using titanium as an adherend . moisture absorption increases the lap shear strengths at both room temperature and elevated temperature . moreover , elevated temperature tests also resulted in higher lap shear strengths for both dry and wet conditions . this was unexpected . invariably , the specimens tested at room temperature in dry conditions showed adhesive failure , whereas the moisture saturated samples tested at 232 ° c . showed cohesive failure . with 2963 psi lap shear strength at 232 ° c . in wet condition , larc - rp80 retains 143 percent of its room temperature properties . state - of - the - art bmis have considerably poorer adhesive properties by comparison . to evaluate the reproducibility of the neat resin properties for larc - rp80 , another molding of larc - rp80 composition was prepared and tested in the same manner as in example 1 . 3 . the g ic value from the first experiment was found to be 324 j / m 2 . this is to be compared with a value of 338 j / m 2 obtained from the second experiment . other testing results comparing two experiments were also found to be in excellent agreement . according to the mechanism proposed for the present synthetic reaction , a highly linear polymer is predicted when a stoichiometric quantity of each reactant is used . an off - stoichiometric composition would lead to a more brittle material . to test this hypothesis , a polymer was prepared from 18 . 9 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution ( 0 . 008 mole ) and 5 . 3 g of ca / mda / 6f ( 0 . 005 mole ). this composition was evaluated in the form of an adhesive . as shown in table 5 , the adhesive properties for this off - stoichiometric composition are considerably inferior to those of the stoichiometric counterpart , namely , larc - rp80 . a similar trend was also observed in larc - rp83 and larc - rp83a as described below . a 50 weight percent resin solution was prepared by stirring 8 . 0 g ( 0 . 008 mole ) of ca / oda / 6f , 18 . 9 g ( 0 . 008 mole ) of the thermid lr - 600 solution and 8 ml of acetone at room temperature for one hour . for a molding application , the procedure of example 1 . 3 was followed , resulting in a void - free neat resin with a density of 1 . 37 g / cc . table 7 summarizes the physical and mechanical properties of the att polymers including larc - rp83 . the above resin solution was also used to prepare titanium - to - titanium single lap shear joints following the procedure described in example 1 . 4 . the adhesive properties for larc - rp83 are given in table 5 . table 7__________________________________________________________________________neat resin properties of att polymers prepared from thermid lr - 600 andbismaleimides , biscitraconimides or benzoquinonecomposition . sup . 1 tga . sup . 5 fractureresin bisethynyl bidmaleimide tg , ° c .. sup . 2 temperature at fracture toughness . sup . 6 energy . sup . 7 relative . sup . 8system compound or other tma . sup . 3 dsc . sup . 4 5 % wt . loss , ° c . k . sub . 1c , psi - in . sup . 1 / 2 g . sub . 1c , toughness__________________________________________________________________________larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ca / mda / 6f 268 -- 514 1076 338 10 . 080larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ca / oda / 6f 248 -- 455 882 227 6 . 783larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ca / dds / 6f 272 275 440 186 10 0 . 356larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ca / pd / 6f 245 -- 440 2076 . sup . 9 1257 37 . 057larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ma / mda / 6f 262 265 430 742 161 4 . 798larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ma / oda / 6f 245 252 435 763 170 5 . 099larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ma / dds / 6f 250 250 395 crack . sup . 10 -- -- 100larc - rp thermid lr - 600 ma / pd / 6f 255 252 385 752 165 4 . 9101larc - rp thermid lr - 600 p - benzoquinone 250 248 485 929 252 7 . 4103larc - rp thermid lr - 600 kerimid 601 270 290 465 1064 330 9 . 7104__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 cured 2 hrs at 288 ° c . ; . sup . 2 post - cured 4 hrs at 288 ° c . ; . sup . 3 by tma at a heating rate of 5 ° c ./ min ; . sup . 4 by dsc at a heating rate of 10 ° c ./ min ; . sup . 5 by tga at a heating rate of 2 . 5 ° c ./ min in air ; . sup . 6 per astm e399 ; . sup . 7 calculated from g . sub . 1c = k . sub . 1c . sup . 2 / e , using thermid lr = 600 tensile modulus e = 6 . 0 × 10 . sup . 5 psi ; . sup . 8 compared to commercial bismaleimide , kerimid 601 ; . sup . 9 no razor blade cut , the others in table 1 had a fresh razor blade cut prior to compact tension testing ; . sup . 10 cracked prior to testing . as in example 3 , a polymer having a 1 . 5 : 1 . 0 mole ratio of thermid lr - 600 to ca / oda / 6f was prepared from mixing 18 . 9 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution with 5 . 3 g of ca / oda / 6f . this polymer was evaluated in the form of an adhesive . to 18 . 89 g ( 0 . 0081 mole ) of the thermid lr - 600 solution were added 8 . 86 g ( 0 . 0081 mole ) of ca / dds / 6f and 15 mole of acetone . the mixture was stirred at about 45 ° c . for 15 minutes to give a gray solution which was dried at 150 ° c . in air for one hour and then under vacuum ( 30 - inch hg ) for another hour at 150 ° c . the dried material showed excessive flow . to reduce the resin flow , the material was staged at 200 ° c . in air for one - half hour . about 17 . 1 g of the staged molding powder was cured two hours at 288 ° c . under 2000 psi pressure . this afforded a neat resin having a density of 1 . 29 g / cc . voids were apparent in all of the neat resin surfaces . as in example 6 , 6 . 60 g ( 0 . 0081 mole ) of ca / pd / 6f and 5 ml of acetone were added into 18 . 89 g ( 0 . 0081 mole ) of the thermid lr - 600 solution . this yielded a void - free neat resin having a density of 1 . 33 g / cc . normally , a fresh razor blade cut was made on all of the compact tension specimens prior to testing . however , no razor blade cut was given to larc - rp57 specimens . this is reflected in the g ic value of 1257 j / m 2 shown in table 7 . this value is higher than an expected value if a fresh razor blade cut had been made prior to testing . to 18 . 89 g ( 0 . 0081 mole ) of the thermid lr - 600 solution was added 8 . 00 g ( 0 . 0081 mole ) of ma / mpa / 6f and 15 ml of acetone . the cured resin showed no voids or defects and had a density of 1 . 34 g / cc . to 18 . 89 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution were added 8 . 0 g of ma / oda / 6f and 15 ml of acetone . the resulting neat resin showed no apparent voids and had a density of 1 . 36 g / cc . to 18 . 89 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution were added 8 . 0 g of ma / dds / 6f and 15 ml of acetone . the neat resin cracked during machining of its compact tension specimen , which is indicative of brittleness . the resin had a density of 1 . 33 g / cc and showed no voids . to 18 . 89 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution was added 8 . 0 g of ma / pd / 6f and 15 ml of acetone . the cured neat resin showed no voids and had a density of 1 . 38 g / cc . about 3 . 49 g ( 0 . 0323 mole ) of p - benzoquinone ( aldrich chemicals ) was mixed with 73 . 55 g ( 0 . 0323 mole ) of the thermid lr - 600 solution at room temperature for one hour . the solution was concentrated at 169 ° c . for two hours under vacuum ( 30 - inch hg ) to give a black solid material . to reduce the flow , the material was staged at 200 ° c . for one hour in air . because of the high flow of the molding powder , a pressure of 200 psi was used instead of the standard 2000 psi pressure used for the other moldings . after curing at 288 ° c . for two hours under 200 psi pressure , a neat resin was obtained which showed voids and a density of 1 . 0 g / cc . such a low density suggests that the material was not consolidated properly . to see if the neat resin could be reprocessed to correct its flaws , the resin was treated at 300 ° c . for ten minutes under 3000 psi pressure . this produced a neat resin the density of which increased from 1 . 0 g / cc to 1 . 33 g / cc . also , the reprocessed material showed no voids . from these results , it can be inferred that an att polymer is reprocessable . about 58 . 78 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution was added into a solution of 20 . 5 g of kerimid 601 powder ( rhone poulenc ) in 30 ml of nmp . after stirring at room temperature for one hour , the solution was concentrated at 150 ° c . for three hours under vacuum ( 30 - inch hg ). to reduce flow , the material was staged at 200 ° c . for 15 minutes . the cured resin showed some voids and had a density of 1 . 25 g / cc . the material had a two - phase morphology with surfaces showing a blending of brown and gold colored materials . a resin solution was prepared by stirring 13 . 97 g ( 0 . 0104 mole ) of the preimidized thermid fa - 700 yellow powder ( national starch ), 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 0104 mole ) of ma / mda / 6f and 150 ml of methyl ethyl ketone ( mek ) at room temperature for one hour . the resulting dark brown solution was concentrated at 60 ° c . under vacuum ( 30 inches hg ) for one - half hour and then staged at 200 ° c . in air for 25 minutes . this yielded a void - free neat resin having a density of 1 . 35 g / cc . table 8 summarizes the neat resin properties . table 8__________________________________________________________________________neat resin properties of att polymers prepared from other bisethynylcompounds andbismaleimides , biscitraconimides or benzoquinonecomposition . sup . 1 tga . sup . 5 fractureresin bisethynyl bidmaleimide tg , ° c .. sup . 2 temperature at fracture toughness . sup . 6 energy . sup . 7 relative . sup . 8system compound or other tma . sup . 3 dsc . sup . 4 5 % wt . loss , ° c . k . sub . 1c , psi - in . sup . 1 / 2 g . sub . 1c , toughness__________________________________________________________________________larc - rp thermid fa - 700 ma / mda / 6f 255 255 435 1378 554 16 . 3105larc - rp thermid fa - 700 ca / mda / 6f 230 -- 473 1689 832 24 . 5106larc - rp thermid fa - 700 kerimid 601 265 -- 107 300 308 470 673 132 3 . 9larc - rp thermid fa - 700 p - benzoquinone 290 275 -- 935 255 7 . 5108larc - rp etae ca / mda / 6f 262 260 470 1755 898 26 . 4109larc - rp m - ats ca / mda / 6f 240 239 442 . sup . 330 . sup . 9 32 1 . 0110larc - rp m - ats kerimid 601 320 320 390 472 65 1 . 9111larc - rp m - atb ca / mda / 6f 230 230 425 crack . sup . 10 -- -- 112larc - rp m - atb kerimid 601 290 300 420 288 24 0 . 7113larc - rp ma / pa p - benzoquinone & gt ; 350 -- -- -- -- 114larc - rp phat ma / ph & gt ; 350 -- -- -- -- 115larc - rp pa ma / mda 321 390 -- -- -- 116__________________________________________________________________________ see table 1 for footnotes 1 through 10 . about 13 . 97 g ( 0 . 0104 mole ) of the thermid fa - 700 powder , 10 . 34 g ( 0 . 0104 mole ) of ca / mda / 6f and 50 ml of acetone was stirred at room temperature for one hour to give a dark brown solution . the solution was concentrated at 149 ° c . in air for one hour . the pale white solids were staged at 200 ° c . for one - half hour . the cured resin showed no voids and had a density of 1 . 36 g / cc . a mixture of 16 . 0 g of the thermid fa - 700 powder , 5 . 1 g of kerimid 601 powder and 30 ml of acetone was stirred at room temperature for one hour to give a red - brown solution . this solution was concentrated at 60 ° c . in air for one hour and then staged at 200 ° c . for one - half hour . the resulting void - free neat resin had a density of 1 . 35 g / cc . the mixture of 13 . 97 g ( 0 . 0104 mole ) of the thermid fa - 700 powder , 1 . 13 g ( 0 . 0104 mole ) of p - benzoquinone and 30 ml of acetone was stirred at room temperature for one hour to produce a brown solution . after concentration and staging at 200 ° c . for one - half hour , the molding powder was cured following the standard cure cycle given in table 6 . this resulted in a neat resin having a density of 1 . 29 g / cc . the surfaces showed some voids but no cracks . a mixture of 7 . 81 g ( 0 . 001 mole ) of etae ( mn 8000 , ηinh 0 . 36 dl / g , tg 252 ° c . ), 0 . 97 g ( 0 . 001 mole ) of ca / mda / 6f and 50 ml of chloroform was stirred at room temperature for one hour to give a yellow - green solution . the solution was concentrated at 150 ° c . in air for 45 minutes . the molding powder showed limited flow and , thus , 3000 psi pressure was used to consolidate the molding . this produced a mirror - like , smooth , and void - free molding . surprisingly , it had a low density of 1 . 21 g / cc . a mixture of 5 . 05 g of m - ats ( hysol - dexter ), 10 . 0 g of ca / mda / 6f , and 20 ml of acetone was stirred at room temperature for one hour to give a dark brown solution . the solution was concentrated at 126 ° c . for one hour and then staged at 288 ° c . for ten minutes . this afforded a neat resin which showed no voids or cracks and had a density of 1 . 30 g / cc . a mixture of 8 . 30 g of m - ats ( hysol - dexter ), 8 . 30 g of kerimid 601 and 30 ml of acetone was stirred at room temperature for one hour to give a yellow solution . the solution was concentrated at 126 ° c . for one and one - half hours and then staged at 225 ° c . for ten minutes . the neat resin had a density of 1 . 20 g / cc . like larc - rp107 , this molding also showed a two - phase morphology . to a solution of 5 . 0 g ( 0 . 0101 mole ) of m - atb ( hysol - dexter ) in 15 ml of acetone was added 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 0101 mole ) of ca / mda / 6f . after stirring at room temperature for one hour , the resulting brown solution was concentrated at 150 ° c . for two hours . to reduce flow , the dried material was staged at 200 ° c . for one hour . the cured resin had a density of 1 . 27 g / cc and showed no voids or defects . however , the four compact tension specimens were cracked during cutting with a sharp razor blade . a mixture of 8 . 30 g of m - atb ( hysol - dexter ), 8 . 30 g of kerimid 601 and 30 ml of acetone was stirred at room temperature for one hour to give a brown solution . the solution was concentrated at 126 ° c . for one hour and then staged at 200 ° c . for five minutes . the staged material strongly adhered onto a beaker and was difficult to remove from the beaker . the curved resin had a density of 1 . 14 g / cc and showed a considerable number of voids . monomeric ma / pa ( 4 . 0 g , 0 . 0203 mole ) prepared by a standard method in our laboratory was allowed to react with p - benzoquinone ( 1 . 10 g , 0 . 0102 mole ) in xylene at 144 ° c . for 24 hours . after cooling to room temperature , brown solid materials precipitated from the solution and were filtered and dried . the material showed no detectable tg up to 350 ° c . moreover , its ftir spectrum showed a new band around 1639 cm - 1 , which is about 20 cm - 1 lower than the absorption at 1659 cm - 1 due to the carbonyl group of p - benzoquinone . monomeric pa ( 0 . 57 g , 0 . 006 mole ) and ma / mda ( 1 . 0 g , 0 . 003 mole ) were allowed to react in a solid state at 250 ° c . for one hour . since many processing parameters are known to significantly affect the properties of a polymeric material , a comparison of material properties would be meaningless , unless the materials are prepared and tested under identical conditions . for this reason , molding compounds of constituent materials including thermid lr - 600 , thermid fa - 700 , ca / mda / 6f , ca / pd / 6f , ca / dds / 6f , ma / mda / 6f , ma / oda / 6f , ma / pd / 6f , and ma / dds / 6f were prepared and tested along with the att materials under carefully controlled conditions . their neat resin properties are summarized in table 9 . table 9__________________________________________________________________________neat resin properties of constituent materialsconstituent material . sup . 1 tga . sup . 5bisethynyl bidmaleimide tg , ° c .. sup . 2 temperature at fracture toughness . sup . 6 fracture relative . sup . 8compound or other tma . sup . 3 dsc . sup . 4 5 % wt . loss , ° c . k . sub . 1c , psi - in . sup . 1 / 2 g . sub . 1c , toughness__________________________________________________________________________thermid lr - 600 -- 305 -- 514 563 93 2 . 7tm ( national starch ) thermid fa - 700 -- 230 242 485 958 268 7 . 9tm ( national starch ) m - ats -- . sup . 360 . sup . 11 -- -- 3 . 5 . sup . 11 0 . 1tm ( hysol - dexter ) m - atb -- . sup . 275 . sup . 11 -- -- 3 . 5 . sup . 11 0 . 1tm ( hysol - dexter ) -- kerimid 601 . sup . 290 . sup . 12 . sup . 347 . sup . 12 . sup . 348 . sup . 12 . sup . 34 . sup . 12 1 . 0 tm ( rhone - poulenc ) -- ca / mda / 6f 230 231 400 . sup . 497 . sup . 9 72 2 . 1 -- ca / oda / 6f -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ca / pd / 6f 302 310 380 crack . sup . 10 -- -- ( extremely brittle ) -- ca / dds / 6f 300 322 420 crack . sup . 10 -- -- ( extremely brittle ) -- ma / mda / 6f 251 250 405 34 0 . 34 0 . 01 -- ma / oda / 6f 290 300 410 . sup . 864 . sup . 9 218 6 . 4 -- ma / pd / 6f 310 322 365 crack . sup . 10 -- -- ( extremely brittle ) -- ma / dds / 6f 350 345 390 crack . sup . 10 -- -- ( extremely brittle ) __________________________________________________________________________ see table 1 for footnotes 1 through 10 ; . sup . 11 reported by y . p . sachdeva and s . e . wentworth , to be published b j . adhesion ; . sup . 12 reported by d . a . scola and d . j . parker , proceedings of the 1985 spe antec , 399 ( 1985 ). a 40 weight percent resin solution was prepared by stirring 117 . 56 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution , 41 . 0 g of kerimid 601 and 90 . 89 g of nmp at 60 ° c . for two hours . a prepreg was prepared by passing a single tow of unsized celion 6000 graphite fiber through the resin solution contained in a dip tank and onto a 12 - inch diameter multiple speed drum winder wrapped with release paper . this afforded a 23 . 5 cm by 190 cm wet prepreg . by visual inspection , the wet prepreg showed good drape and tack characteristics . the tape was dried on the rotating drum at room temperature for 16 hours , removed from the drum and cut into 7 . 6 cm by 17 . 8 cm plies . twelve plies were stacked unidirectionally and then staged at 150 ° c . for one hour in a air - circulating oven . the staged lay - up was placed in a cold matched metal die . this was then inserted into a press preheated to 204 ° c . a thermocouple was attached to the matched die to determine the temperature . when the die temperature reached 177 ° c ., 200 psi pressure was applied . the composite was cured one - half hour at 204 ° c ., one hour at 250 ° c . and one hour at 288 ° c . under 200 psi pressure , and then removed from the press when the die temperature reached 150 ° c . the composite was then postcured at 288 ° c . for four hours in an air - circulating oven . an ultrasonic c - scan of the composite showed no detectable voids or defects and , therefore , the composite was accepted for test specimen preparation . the composite was found to contain 47 weight percent resin . the properties shown in table 10 have not been normalized . for comparison purposes , a celion 6000 / kerimid 601 composite was also fabricated and tested along with the att counterparts . table 10__________________________________________________________________________unidirectional composite properties of att polymers compared withconstituent materials density flexural strength , ksi . sup . b , c flexural modulus , msi . sup . b , c interlaminar shear strength , ksi . sup . c , dcomposite g / cm . sup . 3 tg , ° c .. sup . a 25 ° c . 232 ° c . 25 ° c . 232 ° c . 25 ° c . 232 ° c . __________________________________________________________________________celion 6000 / 1 . 53 310 232 173 13 . 6 12 . 8 17 . 6 11 . 8larc - rp104celion 6000 / 1 . 61 230 , 340 387 232 25 . 1 22 . 2 12 . 0 6 . 6larc - rp117celion 6000 / 1 . 50 245 , 305 340 210 18 . 0 17 . 0 -- -- larc - rp118celion 6000 / 1 . 52 313 284 229 16 . 9 17 . 3 15 . 4 -- kerimid 601tm ( rhone - poulenc ) __________________________________________________________________________ . sup . a by tma ; . sup . b per astm d790 ; . sup . c each value is an average of three determinations ; . sup . d per astm d2344 as in example 26 , a 40 weight percent resin solution was prepared from 117 . 56 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution , 18 . 0 g of ma / mda ( aldrich chemical ), and 56 . 39 g nmp . this resin solution was used to fabricate a high quality composite . as in example 26 , a 40 weight percent resin solution was prepared by mixing 117 . 56 g of the thermid lr - 600 solution , 20 . 50 g of ma / 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dds and 60 . 14 g of nmp . this resulted in a void - free composite . in order to assess the reproducibility of the composite properties , four composite panels , each having dimensions of 7 . 62 cm by 15 . 24 cm by 0 . 18 cm were fabricated using the resin solution and procedure set forth in example 26 . the results of this reproducibility study are summarized in table 11 . from a comparison of the properties presented in table 11 , it is evident that the reproducibility of properties for larc - rp104 composite is excellent . table 11__________________________________________________________________________reproducibility of composite mechanical properties of celion6000 / larc - rp104composite density flexural strength , ksi flexural modulus , msi interlaminar shear strength , ksinumber g / cm . sup . 3 25 ° c . 232 ° c . 25 ° c . 232 ° c . 25 ° c . 232 ° c . __________________________________________________________________________first 216 121 14 . 4 11 . 4 9 . 7 14 . 7 195 113 13 . 1 12 . 2 10 . 2 14 . 9 228 156 13 . 9 12 . 0 13 . 2 13 . 3 ave . 213 130 13 . 8 11 . 9 11 . 0 14 . 3second 221 112 14 . 8 11 . 7 12 . 0 -- 189 151 13 . 4 13 . 2 13 . 5 -- 246 125 13 . 4 12 . 5 13 . 2 -- ave . 219 130 13 . 9 12 . 5 13 . 0 -- third 223 186 13 . 4 12 . 9 17 . 4 9 . 3 231 171 13 . 6 13 . 3 17 . 9 17 . 7 241 162 13 . 9 12 . 2 17 . 5 8 . 4 ave . 232 173 13 . 6 12 . 8 17 . 6 11 . 8fourth 193 130 10 . 4 -- 17 . 9 11 . 0 196 136 -- -- 17 . 6 12 . 3 203 131 11 . 2 -- 17 . 5 12 . 3 ave . 197 132 10 . 8 -- 17 . 7 11 . 9__________________________________________________________________________ the ability to reprocess an att composite to correct flaws is considered an attractive feature . an larc - rp104 composite was purposely cured under 100 psi pressure resulting in a poorly consolidated composite material . the ultrasonic c - scan of this composite showed a considerable number of voids . this poor quality composite was then treated at 300 ° c . for ten minutes under 2500 psi pressure . this treatment yielded an improved composite the density of which increased from 1 . 41 g / cc to 1 . 55 g / cc . an ultrasonic c - scan also showed that the reprocessed composite was essentially void - free . because of the lack of experimental matrix materials , a miniature composite having dimensions of 8 . 89 cm by 1 . 91 cm by 0 . 15 cm was fabricated for each of the following seven matrix systems : larc - rp80 , larc - rp83 , larc - rp56 , larc - rp57 , larc - rp98 , larc - rp99 , larc - rp100 and larc - rp101 . a typical procedure is described as follows : a resin solution was prepared by mixing 8 . 29 g of the thermid al - 600 solution ( national starch , amic ester monomeric mixture having 75 % solids in ethanol ), 3 . 51 g of ma / mda / 6f and 20 ml of acetone . this resin solution was applied onto unsized as - 4 graphite fibers using a paint brush . a unidirectional composite was cured one hour at 250 ° c . under 200 psi pressure , followed by another hour at 288 ° c . under 500 psi pressure . the composite was then postcured at 288 ° c . for four hours . the composite fiber content varied in the range between 72 to 90 weight percent . physical and mechanical properties of these miniature composites , which are presented in tables 12 and 13 , respectively , reflect the low resin content of the composites . table 12__________________________________________________________________________composite physical properties isothermal wt . loss ,. sup . 2 tg , ° c . moisture uptake ,. sup . 1 % at 232 ° c . in air temp ., ° c .,. sup . 3composite fiber wt . % dry wet wt . % 500 hrs 1000 hrs at 5 % wt . loss__________________________________________________________________________as - 4 / larc - rp80 81 . 5 282 258 0 . 6 0 0 . 3 540as - 4 / larc - rp83 85 . 1 275 266 0 . 5 0 0 . 2 520as - 4 / larc - rp57 85 . 9 312 280 0 . 8 0 0 . 2 560as - 4 / larc - rp56 72 . 3 275 272 0 . 5 0 0 . 4 500as - 4 / larc - rp98 89 . 9 287 285 1 . 9 0 0 . 1 536as - 4 / larc - rp99 74 . 6 285 259 1 . 4 0 . 5 0 . 9 514as - 4 / larc - rp101 78 . 5 310 289 0 . 5 0 . 2 0 . 6 585as - 4 / larc - rp100 80 . 4 305 190 2 . 6 0 . 4 0 . 2 500__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 immersed in water for two weeks at room temperature . sup . 2 in air circulating oven . sup . 3 by tga in air table 13__________________________________________________________________________composite mechanical properties interlaminar shear strength , ksi (% retention ) 232 ° c . aged at 232 ° c . in air forcomposite fiber wt . % 25 ° c . dry wet 500 hrs . 1000 hrs . __________________________________________________________________________as - 4 / larc - rp80 81 . 5 8 . 7 4 . 8 5 . 5 ( 115 ) 5 . 5 ( 115 ) 5 . 9 ( 123 ) as - 4 / larc - rp83 85 . 1 8 . 5 4 . 5 5 . 4 ( 120 ) 5 . 4 ( 120 ) 4 . 7 ( 104 ) as - 4 / larc - rp57 85 . 9 8 . 7 4 . 1 4 . 3 ( 105 ) 5 . 8 ( 142 ) 6 . 4 ( 156 ) as - 4 / larc - rp56 72 . 3 13 . 4 5 . 5 5 . 9 ( 107 ) 7 . 0 ( 127 ) 9 . 2 ( 167 ) as - 4 / larc - rp98 89 . 9 9 . 0 6 . 2 6 . 2 ( 100 ) -- 5 . 5 ( 189 ) as - 4 / larc - rp99 74 . 6 7 . 5 4 . 8 4 . 5 ( 94 ) 4 . 5 ( 94 ) 5 . 5 ( 115 ) as - 4 / larc - rp101 78 . 5 7 . 9 4 . 9 5 . 9 ( 121 ) 5 . 5 ( 112 ) 4 . 8 ( 98 ) as - 4 / larc - rp100 80 . 4 7 . 6 4 . 3 4 . 2 ( 98 ) 3 . 3 ( 77 ) 5 . 9 ( 137 ) __________________________________________________________________________ table 2 shows the chemical structures and designations of five biscitraconimides and five bismaleimides which were prepared for the att polymer synthesis described hereinabove . the following is a general synthetic procedure used for the preparation of the above ten compounds . the synthesis involves two steps . step one concerns the preparation of the diamine from 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-( hexafluoroisopropylidene ) bis ( o - phthalic anhydride ), hereinafter referred to as 6f dianhydride , and the corresponding aromatic diamine . for example , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-[ 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - 1 -( trifluromethyl ) ethylidene ] bis ( n -[ α -( p - aminophenyl )- p - toly ] phthalimide ], hereinafter referred to as mda / 6f , was prepared by refluxing 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- methylenedianiline ( mda ) ( 0 . 48 mole ) and 6f dianhydride ( 0 . 24 mole ) in n - methyl - pyrrolidone ( 350 ml ) for four hours . the cooled reaction mixture was poured onto an ice - water mixture ( 500 ml ), and the solid was filtered , washed with distilled water ( 5 × 100 ml ), and dried in vacuum at 100 ° c . to yield diamine mda / 6f in 99 % yield . using the same procedure given above , the following four diamines were also prepared : 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-[ 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - 1 -( trifluoromethyl ) ethylidene ] bis [ n -[ p -( p - aminophenoxy ) phenyl ] phthalimide ] ( oda / 6f ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-[ 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - 1 -( trifluoromethyl ) ethylidene ] bis [ n -) p - sulfanilylphenyl ) phthalimide ] ( dds / 6f ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-[ 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - 1 -( trifluoromethyl ) ethylidene ] bis [ n -( p - aminophenyl ) phthalimide ] ( pd / 6f ) and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;-[ 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - 1 -( trifluoromethyl ) ethylidene ] bis [ n -( 12 - aminododecyl ) phthalimide ] ( dda / 6f ). step two is exemplified by the preparation of biscitraconimide ca / mda / 6f as described in the following example 32 ( a ): 32 ( a ). to a refluxing and stirred solution of the diamine mda / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) in 200 ml of a solvent mixture consisting of methylene chloride and acetone in 1 : 1 volume ratio , a solution of ca ( 0 . 1 mole ) in 100 ml of the same solvent mixture was added over a 15 minute time period . after refluxing for ten minutes , the reaction solution changed color from dark brown to yellow and the solid material , identified to be the amic acid precursor , was precipitated . after one - half hour sodium acetate ( 5 g ) and acetic anhydride ( 100 ml ) were added to chemically imidize the amic acid into the corresponding imide . immediately following the addition of acetic anhydride and sodium acetate , the reaction solution changed color from yellow back to dark brown and the solid material dissolved to give a clear brown solution . the progress of the reaction was followed by ftir . after one hour the reaction product was worked up by washing three times with 200 ml saturated sodium carbonate aqueous solution , drying the organic materials with anhydrous magnesium sulfate and evaporating the organic solvents . this afforded the crude biscitraconimide ca / mda / 6f in 99 % yield . after recrystallization from acetone / water , a pale yellow solid ( overall yield 78 %) was obtained , m . p . 190 ° c .- 192 ° c . ; ir ( chcl 3 ) 3100 , 1775 , 1720 , 1635 , 1375 , 1260 , 1140 and 1100 cm - 1 . analysis : calcd . for c 55 h 34 n 4 f 6 o 8 : c , 66 . 53 ; h , 3 . 43 ; n , 5 . 65 , f , 11 . 49 . found : c , 64 . 48 ; h , 3 . 62 ; n , 5 . 51 ; f , 12 . 31 . 32 ( b ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ca ( 0 . 1 mole ) and oda / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ca / oda / 6f in 99 % yield , m . p . 138 ° c .- 143 ° c . after recrystallization , a dark brown solid was obtained , m . p . 180 ° c .- 182 ° c . ; ir ( chcl 3 ) 3050 , 1775 , 1725 , 1640 , 1225 , 1375 , 1260 , 1140 and 1100 cm - 1 ; &# 39 ; h nmr : δ 2 . 09 , 6 . 80 , 7 . 20 , 7 . 35 , 7 . 91 . analysis : calcd . for c 53 h 30 n 4 f 6 o 10 : c , 63 . 86 ; h , 3 . 01 ; n , 5 . 62 ; f , 11 . 45 . found : c , 62 . 35 ; h , 3 . 29 ; n , 5 . 31 ; f , 13 . 26 . 32 ( c ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ca ( 0 . 1 mole ) and dds / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ca / dds / 6f in 98 % yield , m . p . 174 ° c .- 180 ° c . after recrystallization , a gray solid was obtained , m . p . 210 ° c .- 211 ° c . ; ir ( chcl 3 ) 3030 , 1770 , 1720 , 1350 and 1140 cm - 1 . analysis : calcd . for c 53 h 30 n 4 f 6 o 12 s 2 : c , 58 . 24 ; h , 2 . 75 ; n , 5 . 13 ; f , 10 . 44 ; s , 5 . 86 . found : c , 57 . 39 ; h , 3 . 30 ; n , 4 . 73 ; f , 10 . 67 ; s , 5 . 98 . 32 ( d ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ca ( 0 . 1 mole ) and pd / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ca / pd / 6f in 99 % yield , m . p . 208 ° c .- 212 ° c . after recrystallization , a dark purple solid was obtained , m . p . 230 ° c .- 232 ° c . ; ir ( chcl 3 ) 3030 , 1760 , 1715 , 1640 , 1375 , 1260 , 1140 and 1100 cm - 1 . analysis : calcd . for c 41 h 22 n 4 f 6 o 8 : c , 60 . 59 ; h , 2 . 71 ; n , 6 . 90 ; f , 14 . 04 . found : c , 60 . 32 ; h , 2 . 87 ; n , 6 . 75 f , 14 . 27 . 32 ( e ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ca ( 0 . 1 mole ) and dda / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ca / dda / 6f in 99 % yield , m . p . 121 ° c .- 125 ° c . after recrystallization , a pale yellow solid was obtained , m . p . 132 ° c .- 134 ° c . ; ir ( chcl 3 ) 3300 , 1760 , 1720 , 1375 , 1260 , 1140 and 1100 cm - 1 . analysis : calcd . for c 43 h 58 n 4 f 6 o 4 : c , 62 . 82 ; h , 7 . 35 ; n , 6 . 10 ; f , 11 . 89 . found : c , 63 . 86 ; h , 7 . 18 ; n , 6 . 93 ; f , 12 . 01 . 32 ( f ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of maleic anhydride ( ma ) ( 0 . 1 mole ) and mda / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ma / mda / 6f , m . p . 138 ° c .- 143 ° c ., in gold color . 32 ( g ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ma ( 0 . 1 mole ) and oda / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ma / oda / 6f , m . p . 130 ° c .- 134 ° c . in dark brown color . 32 ( h ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ma ( 0 . 1 mole ) and dds / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ma / dds / 6f , m . p . 158 ° c .- 163 ° c . in off - white color . 32 ( i ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ma ( 0 . 1 mole ) and pd / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ma / pd / 6f , m . p . 189 ° c .- 193 ° c . in purple color . 32 ( j ). as in example 32 ( a ), the reaction of ma ( 0 . 1 mole ) and dda / 6f ( 0 . 05 mole ) afforded the crude ca / dda / 6f in 89 % yield , m . p . 105 ° c .- 108 ° c . in light yellow color . | 2 |
the following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements . also , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims . described herein are methods and systems for calibrating a sensor using a constant vector field . the exemplary embodiment described below uses earth &# 39 ; s magnetic field to calibrate a 3 - d magnetometer , however the present invention can be used to calibrate other types of sensors in other ways , e . g ., accelerometers . exemplary embodiments of the present invention accurately orient the sensor in multiple positions to the vector field enabling the sensor to measure multiple readings of constant magnitude . the actual values measured by the sensor are known due to the fixed orientations achieved by the exemplary embodiments thereby allowing for a calibration of the device . according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig1 , a system includes a calibration cube 100 and a sensor under calibration 110 . the cube 100 can be accurately mounted in different orientations in a cube holder 200 ( shown in fig2 ). another type of cube holder 300 is shown in fig3 . the sensor under calibration 110 is located , in this example , at the center of the calibration cube 100 . due to the design of the cube 100 and the holder 200 or 300 , the sensor will always be located in the same place in space regardless of the orientation of the cube . keeping the sensor 110 in the same absolute position for all orientations of the cube 100 is desirable to minimize the effects of any divergence of the vector field . the sensor model determines the measured output of a sensor due to a known input . the different orientations determine the input vector measured by the sensor . by fitting the model parameters , a suitable calibration solution may be found that predicts the actual input given a measured sensor value . additionally the cube holder should be oriented such that the vector will produce different readings for every orientation . for example , if the vector is normal to the face , then some orientations can provide duplicate information which could create a reduced data set and may not be sufficient to perform the calibration . more specifically , in this exemplary embodiment , the sensor under calibration 10 is mounted in the cube 100 . the cube 100 , and hence the sensor under calibration , is accurately mounted in different orientations in a holder 200 or 300 . in this exemplary embodiment , twenty - four ( 24 ) different cube orientations are achieved by placing the cube faces flush to the holder surface . the sensor readings are collected for each orientation by the supporting test equipment . the collected values may either be a single reading from each orientation , multiple readings from each orientation or a single aggregate value from each orientation . the operator rotates the cube according to a predetermined rotation sequence , an example of which is shown in fig4 . the multiple readings are then processed through the sensor model to produce the sensor model calibration . the sensor model determines the minimum number of points required for calibration . additional points beyond the minimum may help to reduce the calibration error . this exemplary embodiment uses the following sensor model : r i * h e = a s * r * f ( m / m s ) ( 1 ) a s and m s are arbitrary scaling vectors for improved model convergence . r is the 3 × 3 linear transformation matrix . note that r includes rotation , scale , and skew . r i is the 3 × 3 rotation matrix that corresponds to the placement of the cube in the holder . h e is the actual value of the vector . note that h e can be represented in spherical coordinates by : those skilled in the art will recognize that the transformation function is generic and related to the sensor under calibration . f ( x , y , z ) = { k 10 + x + k 12 x 2 + k 13 x 3 k 20 + y + k 22 y 2 + k 23 y 3 k 30 + z + k 32 z 2 + k 33 z 3 } ( 2 ) thus , in this exemplary embodiment , the transformation function f is defined by the 3 × 3 calibration parameter matrix , k . calibration can be performed according to this exemplary embodiment using a least squares fit between the left and right hand sides of equation ( 1 ) using a large scale field solver . the field solver finds appropriate values for r and k . note that the field solver can just as easily find θ and φ along with r and k . therefore , the present invention can calibrate even when the vector direction of h e is not known . each orientation with the collected values results in 3 equations . in the exemplary embodiment with h e calibration , the model includes 20 total variables requiring a minimum of 7 points , however those skilled in the art will appreciate that other exemplary embodiments will have varying numbers of variables and use fewer or more minimum data points . various exemplary methods for processing the calibration data are possible . in one exemplary embodiment , the cube is in communications with a computer either via a wireline connection or a wireless connection . the computer takes the raw data from the cube 100 and processes the raw data into calibration information for the sensor 110 . the calibration information is then sent to sensor 110 . according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the sensor 110 is in communication with cube 100 . the cube 100 collects the raw data and transmits the raw data to the sensor 110 . the sensor 110 has an onboard processor capable of processing the raw data into the desired calibration information . note that the cube 100 can have a communications module ( not shown ) mounted on it for communications purposes . numerous variations and adaptations of the above - described exemplary embodiment may be provided . for example , the cube holder may contain additional supports for additional cube orientations . other embodiments of the present invention include supporting the cube 100 along an edge at an angle or supporting the cube 100 along a corner at an angle . both cube holder 200 and cube holder 300 have provisions for mounting orientations beyond just the cube faces . the cube holder can still be designed such that the sensor is maintained in the same position regardless of orientation . the cube holder could also be designed to include any of the above mounting options in the same physical device . the exemplary embodiments described above operate by having a known sequence of r i . the present invention can be extended to include additional sensors to automatically determine the appropriate value for r i . with automatic r i determination , the system can recover from operator errors and resequence the collected values before determining the model parameters . among other features , these exemplary embodiments require no complicated mechanical design , no automated moving parts and are achievable at low - cost . these exemplary embodiments also require no external devices , such as a helmholtz coil to create or manipulate the input vector field . these exemplary designs are also effective under vector fields with a gradient without additional calibration since the sensor under calibration always measures the field from the same location in space . the above - described exemplary embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects , rather than restrictive , of the present invention . thus the present invention is capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art . all such variations and modifications are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims . no element , act , or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such . also , as used herein , the article “ a ” is intended to include one or more items . | 6 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a schematic of a spiral line circuit 101 with a variable rc time constant to optimize the number of pulses for the best startability of a particular type of hid lamp 102 . a spiral line 103 is used to generate pulses of high amplitude . in order to increase pulse amplitude and width , a spiral line 103 may be used in conjunction with a ferrite core 104 . the high amplitude , for example , can be between three to five kilovolts ; the increased width can be in excess of one microsecond . one or two 110 - volt ( or one 240 volt ) sidacs 106 are used as a switch to initiate a travelling pulse in the spiral line 103 . a spark gap , however , can be used instead of sidacs . in fig1 an inductor 108 is coupled across the 110 volt input line and the neutral line . another inductor 109 , coupled to the 110 volt input line , is connected to the sidac 106 and the spiral line circuit 101 . during starting , the inductors 108 , 109 act as an autotransformer . during operation of the lamp 102 , the inductor 109 acts as a ballast . a variable resistor 107 , which in this example ranges from 3 to 20 kilohms , determines the required number of pulses through variance of the rc constant of the spiral line charging circuit . voltage waveforms were applied to a 100 watt metalarc lamp during the starting procedure , with single and seven spiral line spikes superimposed on the ac ballast waveform , respectively . it was noted that improved starting ( shorter lag time between voltage application and the arc discharge ) with seven pulses was clearly demonstrated . for simplicity of description , these waveforms are not depicted herein . the theory and operation of the spiral line is well known to the art , and it is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 325 , 004 , supra . the spiral line acts as both a capacitor and a voltage multiplier . as a capacitor , its charging time is a function of the value of the resistor 107 which may be varied over an order of magnitude without change in the output pulse voltage . depending on the rc time constant of the resistor 107 and the capacitor 101 , up to 15 pulses have been generated by the spiral line used in this example . these high voltage pulses are superimposed on the peak of a ballast waveform . the starting aid herein described with multiple pulses ( five to ten ) reproducibly starts one - hundred watt lamps which are difficult to ignite with commercial starters . the spiral line generator circuit 101 with variable resistance 107 or capacitance is constructed in order to change the rc time constant , and , consequently , the number of pulses produced by the spiral line starter 103 . it was found that an rc circuit with variable resistance works much more reliably than a variable capacitance . the spark gap in place of the sidac can be used in this circuit although its lifetime may not be as good . fig3 b and 3c are a set of curves showing the number of output pulses versus resistance and resistors &# 39 ; wattage consumption versus resistance . the test was run using the circuit shown in fig3 a with a 240 volt sidac and a 230 volt spark gap . the spark gap has a higher holding current than the sidac ; therefore , a circuit using a spark gap can be made to generate more pulses each half cycle . the holding current of the switching device having the source breakdown voltage is the limiting factor governing the maximum number of output pulses . the higher the holding current , the higher the upper pulse limit . the holding current of a 240 volt sidac is about 25 milliamperes , while the 230 volt spark gap extinguishes below 125 milliamperes . the circuit output voltage with the sidac , in this example , was 6560 volts peak and with the spark gap was 9200 volts peak . this difference relates to faster turn - on of the spark gap than the turn - on time of the sidac . the value of resistance r had very little effect on the peak pulse voltage . in fig3 a , there is shown a circuit 300 including a spiral line circuit 301 having an output 303 coupled to a positive output terminal 302 . a ferrite core 304 is associated with the spiral line 303 . a bidirectional solid state switch , such as a sidac , or a spark gap 306 is in series with a resistance 307 across the input of the spiral line 303 and a neutral output terminal 305 . the junction of the elements 306 , 307 is coupled to the spiral line circuitry 301 . a 100 watt , one ampere ballast 309 , coupled to the spiral line 303 and the spark gap or sidac 306 , receives 277 volts from the applied voltage v in . the input neutral is coupled to the output line 305 . note from fig3 b , that by utilizing a sidac 306 in the circuit of fig3 a , a maximum of seven pulses are produced every half cycle when the resistor 307 has a value of about 7 kilohms . a maximum of 13 pulses can be produced each half cycle utilizing a spark gap in the circuit of fig3 a when the resistor 307 has a value of approximately 5 kilohms . both devices can use the same resistor for about the same number of pulses and power . the individual pulse from the spiral line 103 in the circuit of fig1 is shown in fig4 . fig5 a , 6b , 6c , and 6d show one alternating current cycle with one , two , four , six , and eight pulses , respectively , placed close to the maximum of each one - half cycle . the lamp starting ability depends on the number of pulses forming breakdown and the maintenance of plasma conductivity . the optimum number of pulses depends on the particular lamp as well as the individual pulse amplitude and width . 1 . multiple high - voltage pulses which occur near the peak of the line voltage enhance lamp starting . 3 . the circuit generates multiple output pulses whose number varies with the choice of ballast resistance , switch breakover voltage , and spiral line capacitance . the upper limit on the number of pulses is effected mainly by the holding current of the switching device . 4 . the switching device is not latched on at resistances above the minimum value so that the starter resistor is not placed in parallel with the lamp during lamp breakdown . this , along with the multiple pulse feature , enhances lamp glow to arc transition , which lengthens lamp life . 5 . the starter draws low power and low current due to the selection of resistance over a limited range . 6 . using a minimum amount of resistance , the switching device does not latch on and cause the starter to draw high current and power . multiple output pulses are not possible after the switching device latches on . 7 . the circuit works with either a spark gap or a sidac whose breakdown voltage is greater than the lamp peak operating voltage . various modifications can be performed with this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . | 7 |
three favorable embodiments of the invention related to a hollow rack shaft provided with two rack teeth groups and its manufacturing method will be described below : ( a ) the first embodiment : a case that phase difference θ is small ; ( b ) the second embodiment : a case that phase difference θ is large ; and ( c ) the third embodiment : a case that phase difference θ is shared between right side and left side whether it is large or not . relation in dimension and angle in the following drawings include exaggeration to some extent to simplify the description . [ 0046 ] fig1 a and 1 b show a plate workpiece 1 used in the invention and the embodiments . this workpiece 1 is a substantially rectangular plate and is provided with areas a 1 and b 1 in which two rack teeth groups are respectively formed in the longitudinal direction . difference y ( offset y ) is provided between center lines in the direction of the width in these areas a 1 and b 1 as shown in fig1 a . each width of the plate in the areas is adjusted beforehand in consideration of difference of the volume from the area that the rack teeth group would be formed . the above - mentioned workpiece 1 is bent into a gutter - like shape in the first process as shown in fig2 a to 2 e . forming in the first process is executed by bending the workpiece 1 shown in fig1 a to 1 e by a press machine and others . the areas a 1 and b 1 are respectively formed in a gutter - like shape or a u - shape having a flat part at the bottom as shown in fig2 c and 2 d . in the area b 1 as shown in fig2 d , the bottom tilted by a phase angle θ to the bottom in the area a 1 shown in fig2 c . the other areas are respectively formed in a u - shape having a semi - circular bottom as shown in fig2 b and 2 e . the second process is applied to the flat bottom of the workpiece 1 . in this process , a rack teeth group a 2 and a rack teeth group b 2 are respectively formed in the areas a 1 and b 1 as shown in fig3 a to 3 c . dimensions of the two rack teeth groups a 2 and b 2 can be designed arbitrarily values , and hence , even if the one rack teeth group was formed as cgr and other as vgr , the rack shaft and the rack teeth according to the invention don &# 39 ; t have any problems . naturally it is possible that two rack teeth groups are formed as equal dimension , for example , both cgr or vgr . the rack teeth are formed by putting the workpiece between the lower die that has the shape corresponding with rack teeth shape and upper die that has concave - convex shape corresponding to lower die shape . the concave - convex shape of each die is transferred to the workpiece . therefore , the back surface of the rack teeth , namely the inner surface of the tubed shaft , is formed into concave - convex profile corresponding to the outer surface of rack teeth as shown in fig3 a to 3 c . at this time , it is the most desirable in the view of working time that at this time , the two rack teeth groups a 2 and b 2 are simultaneously formed by one pair of upper and lower dies having each corresponding tooth profile . however , in the case that a load capacity of a press machine is constrained , or in case that the shape shown in fig3 a to 3 c is not acquired in one process from the restraint of the shape , the two rack teeth groups may be sequentially formed one by one . in the third process , the two open legs are bent to butt each other by the side and the workpiece is formed into a hollow tube . [ 0054 ] fig4 a to 4 e show the form after the third process is finished at this time . it is desirable that the butted portions are adjusted as they are located just on the opposite side of each rack teeth group a 2 , b 2 as shown by a dotted encirclement line in fig4 b , 4 c , 4 d and 4 e . the offset y or difference y in level of the center line in fig1 a is provided to adjust this . in the first embodiment , as phase difference θ between two rack teeth groups is small , bending force loaded to the dies is not strong and the dies can be made relatively thinner . hence , desirably , the two rack teeth groups can be simultaneously formed with one stroke by one set of upper die and lower die . in the case that phase difference θ between rack teeth groups is large , extremely large bending force is loaded to the dies when the forming method of the first embodiment is applied . therefore , from a viewpoint of die strength , it becomes difficult to form two rack teeth groups simultaneously with one stroke . desirable process in the is shown as follows . a plate workpiece 1 is similar to that in the first embodiment shown in fig1 a and 1 b . however , the difference y ( offset y ) is larger corresponding phase difference θ of the rack shaft to be manufactured . the plate workpiece 1 is also bent in the first process , however , the degree of the bending is different from the first embodiment . as shown in fig5 a to 5 e , an opening angle of the two legs is wider than that of the first embodiment ( in the first embodiment the legs are formed substantially in parallel ) and the flat bottom in area b 1 is tilted by a phase angle θ to the flat bottom in area a 1 . in the second process , one rack teeth group a 2 is formed by dies as shown in fig6 a and 6 b . the rack teeth group a 2 is formed first by deforming the flat bottom in area a 1 . in the third process , the other rack teeth group b 2 is formed on the bottom in area b 1 as shown in fig7 a and 7 b . in fig7 b , the sectional view on line c - c ( shown by dotted line ) is overlapped on the sectional view on line d - d . as the two legs ( side walls ) p are opened widely , the dies m 1 and m 2 for forming the two rack teeth groups a 2 and b 2 respectively can be inserted without interference with the legs p through the space between them . according to above method , as dies m 1 and m 2 can receive the forging load perpendicularly for both a 2 and b 2 , this method also has more advantage about the die strength . as the workpiece 1 is rotated by angle θ after the second process completed ( the rack teeth group a 2 has been formed ), the dies for forming the rack teeth group b 2 can face properly to the flat bottom . hence , the dies can be designed more easily . after the two rack teeth groups a 2 and b 2 have been formed as described above , in the fourth process , the legs ( walls ) are bent to butt each other by the side and the workpiece is formed into a tube as the first embodiment . a merit of the second embodiment is that the method is applicable to the rack shaft with phase difference θ of a wide range from small to large . third embodiment ( the case that phase difference θ is shared between right side and left side ): as described above , in proportion to increase of phase difference θ between the rack teeth groups , it becomes harder to form the groups simultaneously with one stroke of dies . according to the third embodiment , the two rack teeth groups can be simultaneously formed with one stroke of dies , even though their phase difference θ is relatively large . a workpiece 1 is substantially similar to that in the first embodiment shown in fig1 a and 1 b , however , difference y in level ( offset y ) between center lines is shared between right side and left side and the two rack teeth groups are formed on the respective flat bottoms of areas a 1 and b 1 . the bottoms are tilted in opposite direction by a half of difference θ respectively , as shown in fig8 a to 8 e , fig9 a to 9 c and fig1 a to 10 e . in the first process , the plate workpiece 1 is bent into a gutter - like shape having substantially parallel side walls ( legs ), flat bottoms in areas a 1 and b 1 as shown in fig8 c and 8 d , and semi - circular bottoms in the areas as shown in fig8 a and 8 e . the bottoms in the area a 1 and the area b 1 are tilted mutually in a reverse direction by a phase angle θ / 2 . [ 0068 ] fig9 a to 9 c show the shape of workpiece after the second process is finished . in the second process , two rack teeth groups a 2 and b 2 are formed on the bottoms in the areas a 1 and b 1 respectively . the rack teeth groups are formed simultaneously by putting the workpiece between one pair of upper and lower dies . in more detail , the upper die has two groups of concave - convex die surfaces corresponding to the concave - convex shape of the inner surfaces ( back surfaces ) of the two rack teeth groups which are to be formed . the shapes of the die surfaces of the upper die are transferred onto the inner surface of the workpiece . the lower die has also two groups of concave - convex die surfaces corresponding with the rack teeth shape which are to be formed . the shapes of the die surfaces are transferred onto the outer surfaces of the workpiece . at this time , it is the most desirable in view of working time that the two rack teeth groups a 2 and b 2 are simultaneously formed by one pair of upper and lower dies having each corresponding tooth profile . it is also possible to form the two rack teeth groups a 2 and b 2 sequentially one by one by using a two pairs of dies , as described in the first embodiment . in the third process after the rack teeth have been formed , the legs ( walls ) are bent to butt each other by the side and the workpiece is formed into a tube as shown in fig1 a to 10 e . it is desirable that offset y ( difference y in level ) is adjusted according to an angle θ ( θ / 2 ) as the butted parts are located just on the reverse side of the rack teeth group a 2 or b 2 as shown by the encirclement of a dotted line in fig1 b , 10 c , 10 d and 10 e . in the third embodiment , as each angle θ / 2 can be smaller than the θ which is tilted one way in the first and second embodiment and as transverse bending force loaded to each dies is counterbalanced and reduced to a relatively small value , it is preferable to form simultaneously the two rack teeth groups in one stroke of the dies . if necessary , the workpiece as described in the first , second and third embodiments , is performed post - process as welding butted portion , correcting curvature of the tube , cutting the ends of the tube and heat treatment . thereby , a hollow rack shaft lightweightized as a product is obtained . when the phase difference θ between the two rack teeth groups is not required to the hollow rack shaft , the difference y shown in fig1 a is , needles to say , made to zero , it is possible to form as same as these embodiments . although only preferred embodiments are specifically illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention . | 8 |
the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a device for inscribing related circular figures in mechanical drafting by increasing or decreasing the required sizes by establishing an x or y axis , or both , of the device to coincide with the x and y axis on a pencil drawing . the device is a template set consisting of at least one holder and a circle - guide portion . for large circles , a large exterior holder provides location means for a smaller interior holder , which in turn permits the small - circle guide portion to be precisely located . the exterior of the circle - guide portion is complementary in size and shape with the interior of the respective holder . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; circle guide &# 34 ; is defined as a template means for inscribing closed curvilinear figures , and includes both ellipses and circles . it is the unification in juxtaposition of a template device and a circle or ellipse guide to form a unitary device accomplishing concentricity and accuracy for circles , and commonality or family relationship for ellipses . referring now to fig1 the exterior holder is indicated generally at 11 , and is shown with a square shape , although the shape is not necessary to the function of this invention . inscribed axial lines 12 and 13 permit alignment of the device with coordinate lines on the drawing . large - circle guide portion 29 has an exterior shape 20 complementary to the interior conformation 14 of holder 11 , and has holes 21 through 28 of prescribed size , chosen to permit ease and flexibility of drawing . such sizes include , e . g ., about 1 / 2 inch ( in .) through about 2 in . by appropriately chosen steps , or about 12 millimeters ( mm ) through about 51 mm in integral steps , although smaller and larger sizes are within the spirit and scope of this invention , the limit here being only the size constraints imposed by the size of exterior holder 11 and large - circle guide portion 29 . in the body of exterior holder 11 is an access notch 15 to permit ready removal and replacement of large - circle guide portion 29 , as discussed more fully hereinbelow . the interior conformation 14 of exterior holder 11 delineates the space into which large - circle guide portion 29 fits ; the positioning of holes 21 through 28 is maintained with precise alignment in relation to lines 12 and 13 by the fit of projections 30 on guide portion 29 , shown in fig6 with recesses 19 on exterior holder 11 . the specific size and shape of the alignment means is not critical , so long as their interrelationship retains the necessary alignment of the circle guide with the holder . shim 41 , shown in fig4 has a shape as defined by , and juxtaposed within , recess 17 , and is discussed more fully with respect to fig3 and 7 . referring back to fig1 hole 28 in large - circle guide portion 29 is juxtaposed over hole 18 in shim 41 . fig2 is a view in section taken along lines 2 -- 2 of fig1 . the section is taken through access notch 15 and hole 26 in large - circle guide portion 29 , and shows shim 41 , the size and shape of which is defined by recess 17 , juxtaposed in exterior holder 11 . fig3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3 -- 3 of fig1 . the section is taken through hole 18 in shim 41 , and holes 24 and 28 of large - circle guide portion 29 . as shown in fig1 and 3 , hole 28 is juxtaposed over hole 18 . hole 18 is larger than any of the holes 21 through 28 of large - circle guide portion 29 ; therefore , shim 41 acts as a spacer to prevent large - circle guide portion 29 from physically touching the surface of the drafting medium , and prevents capillarity from spreading the ink when a line is drawn with a pen . fig4 shows a plan view of exterior holder 11 with shim 41 in place , large - circle guide portion 29 having been removed from the view shown in fig1 . axial lines 12s and 13s on shim 41 are extensions of and colinear with lines 12 and 13 on exterior holder 11 . fig5 a sectional view taken along lines 5 -- 5 of fig4 shows exterior holder 11 with shim 41 in place in recess 17 . hole 18 is shown in shim 41 . fig6 shows large - circle guide portion 29 removed from the assembled invention as shown in fig1 . circumferential line 20 is complementary with interior conformation 14 of exterior holder 11 . as noted previously , alignment tabs 30 , in cooperation with alignment recess 19 in exterior holder 11 , cause circles 21 through 28 each to be aligned with respect to exterior holder 11 . by using circles 21 through 28 to draw circles , each such circle is maintained in a concentric relationship with any other circle drawn when exterior holder 11 is maintained in its original position . exterior holder 11 is conveniently maintained in position by , e . g ., taping to the drafting medium or weighing or clamping down . fig7 is a plan view of interior holder 61 , with small - circle guide portion 79 in place . access notch 65 serves the same function for small - circle guide portion 79 as does access notch 15 for large - circle guide portion 29 ; hole 68 serves the same function as does hole 18 in position 29 . holes 71 through 78 in small - circle guide portion 79 permit congruent circles from about 1 / 16 in . or about 1 mm up to about 1 / 2 in . or about 12 mm to be drawn , in a fashion similar to that as described with respect to exterior holder 11 and large - circle guide portion 29 . fig8 is a plan view of interior holder 61 , small - circle guide portion 79 having been removed from the view shown in fig7 . interior conformation 64 of interior holder 61 is a circle ; locating pin 87 and post 88 permit precise alignment of small - circle guide portion 79 , shown in fig9 by the juxtaposition of locating hole 89 and center hole 90 , respectively . referring again to fig8 axial lines 62 and 63 serve the same function as do lines 12 , 13 , 12s and 13s of exterior holder 11 and large - circle guide portion 29 . interior holder 61 is identical in size and shape with shim 41 , fitting snugly enough in exterior holder 11 to prevent movement of the exterior and interior holders with respect to each other , but loosely enough to permit ready insertion or removal of interior holder 61 into or from exterior holder 11 . in the utility of this invention , a drawing is made on a suitable medium which will properly receive pencil or ink . horizontal and vertical axis lines x and y are first conveniently drawn in pencil to provide a reference point at their intersection . if large circles art to be drawn , exterior holder 11 is placed over the area with hole 18 in shim 41 juxtaposed by means of axial lines 12 and 13 and 12s and 13s over the intersection of the lines drawn on the drafting medium . large - circle guide portion 29 is aligned by the spatial relationship of recesses 19 and tabs 30 , and the desired circles drawn . a given circle having been drawn , large - circle guide portion 29 is removed by using access notch 15 , the guide portion 29 moved to present the next desired size , and the succeeding circle drawn . the process is repeated as desired . for both the large - circle guide portion 29 and the small - circle guide portion 79 , the alignment moiety of its respective holder , comprising the locating means 19 and 87 in coooperation with 30 and 89 respectively , permits the guide portion to be removed , rotated , inserted , restored to the original position , or any such operation , all without loss of alignment or concentricity of the drawn figures one from another . the foregoing presumes that the holder 11 or 61 is maintained in place when the circle guide is moved . in the event that small circles are required , shim 41 is removed , and interior holder 61 placed at the same position . small - circle guide portion 79 is then placed in interior holder 61 . if desired , exterior holder 11 can now be removed . with the appropriate hole of small - circle guide portion 79 juxtaposed over the center of the circle to be drawn , center hole 90 on post 88 , and the appropriate locating hole 89 placed on locating pin 87 , precision alignment of the smaller circles is assured , down to the limit imposed by the thickness of the drafting tool . those skilled in the art will realize that it is immaterial whether a small or a large circle is the first in a family drawn with the method and means of the present invention . as already noted , interior holder 61 can be placed within exterior holder 11 to provide a referent for small circles . if the smaller circles have been drawn first , exterior holder 11 is placed over interior holder 61 , holder 61 removed , and shim 41 substituted . large - circle guide portion 29 is then used to make larger circles as desired . if it is necessary to erase any curvilinear figure , whether it is to be redrawn as originally done , or substituted with another figure , the guide can be used as an eraser shield , or the figure simply erased and replaced with another figure . in any event , the invention provides the draftsman with a tool which significantly improves his productivity while at the same time saving undue wear on the drafting medium . another use of the guide means of the present invention is that of drawing shadow or relief lines on circles . once the desired circle is drawn , the skilled draftsman can use the next larger hole to permit him to draw a shadow line , by judicious angling of the pen or pencil . for even the less - experienced person , the guide can be used by shifting it slightly to permit the same circle to be used to draw the shadow line . those skilled in the art will realize that for each diameter of circle to be drawn , there is a unique guide hole . accuracy and alignment are assured each time there is a change in diameter , size , or in the case of ellipses , eccentricity with or without a change in size , due to the fixed relationship of outer portion 11 with the drafting medium . modifications , changes and improvements to the preferred shape and forms of the invention herein disclosed , described and illustrated may occur to those skilled in the art who come to understand the principles and precepts thereof . accordingly , the scope of the patent to be issued hereon should not be limited to the particular embodiments of the invention set forth herein , but rather should be limited only to the advance by which the invention has promoted the art . | 1 |
the phacoemulsification sleeve 10 of the present invention is a silicone sleeve with a built - in reinforcing member . the sleeve can be used in an ultrasonic handpiece similar to the one disclosed in applicant &# 39 ; s commonly owned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 242 , 385 to strukel , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . the sleeve is essentially a silicone sleeve of approximately 0 . 005 inches thickness with an overall dimension of approximately 1 . 0 inch , as shown in fig1 . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , interwoven in the silicone walls of the sleeve are strands of teflon or metallic - based material 12 to provide a rigid frame for the silicone walls . in an alternative embodiment , the teflon or metallic material is in the form of a spiral or single strand that are embedded in the silicone walls of the sleeve . alternatively , the sleeve could be impregnated with strands of fiber glass or kevlar which will also act as a reinforcing member . of course , the sleeve could be reinforced with any number of different devices so long as the reinforcing member has a higher durometer ( i . e ., is harder ) than the silicone . the resulting sleeve has the advantages of both a rigid sleeve and a compressible sleeve , without suffering from the deleterious effects that plague each individual approach . by having a relatively compressible outer layer , the sleeve of the present invention is able to be deformed slightly in order to match the shape or contour of the eye incision 14 , in the cornea 15 , as illustrated in fig2 a - 2b . however , because the present sleeve has a built - in rigid frame , it is not deformable to the extent that a completely compressible silicone sleeve would be deformed . this reduction in deformation avoids the prior art disadvantages such as rubbing between the silicone sleeve and the vibrating tip that results in heat generation and thermal burns , as well as constriction of the fluid flow path into the eye . during phacoemulsification the ultrasonic needle radiates ultrasonic energy from its tip into the eye and pushes fluid and lens material away from the tip . the flow through the aspiration port brings the material to the tip . the ideal effect is to efficiently bring the cataract to the tip , completely emulsify the cataract and aspirate the emulsified cataract through the ultrasonic needle . to enhance the emulsification , surfaces can be added to the inside or outside of the ultrasonic needle which will direct ultrasonic waves in the desired direction . ultrasonic needles are currently manufactured of titanium and have a generally circular cross - section as illustrated in fig6 a and 6b . the needles 16 are used for phacoemulsification and for cutting and removing tissue during surgery . other cross - sectional shapes such as a triangle , as illustrated in fig6 c and 6d , or polygonal shapes , such as a hexagon , as illustrated in fig6 e and 6f can be used to improve the cutting and emulsification properties of the needle . in addition , the use of non - circular cross - sectional needle shapes will provide a flat surface which may be a more practical surface to work with to weld or machine other surfaces to the needle . these additional surfaces would then vibrate with the needle . the surfaces , which will generate ultrasonic energy , can be arranged so that the ultrasonic energy is directed in the preferred areas . conventionally , ultrasonic needles have been manufactured having circular openings at the distal end . this opening is known as the aspiration hole 18 . the aspiration opening within the needle is simply made by drilling a throughbore in the titanium shaft . an alternative method of forming the needle 16 would be to not drill the hole completely through the needle but to leave the distal end of the needle closed . in other words , a blind bore would be drilled into the needle . an aspiration hole 18 would then be provided on the side of the needle 16 . an advantage of providing the aspiration hole 18 in the side of the needle is that the distal axial end of the needle can then be made , by machining , to any desired shape , such as a flat surface or a slanted wedge shape , as illustrated in fig7 a and 7b . numerous other end configurations are illustrated in fig8 a - 27b . a further advantage of placing the aspiration hole 18 in the side of the needle 16 is that the hole 18 can be placed anywhere along the needle surface and can be sized and / or shaped depending on the needs of the user . a further advantage is that with the closed tip , additional ultrasonic energy will be emitted from the closed tip surface which will aid in emulsifying tissue . the specific shape of the tip , including the angle , concavity , convexity , etc . can be designed to selectively focus ultrasonic energy . additionally , surface area can be designed to emit either a large or small amount of ultrasonic energy . generally , the larger the surface area , the larger the amount of ultrasonic energy which will be generated . in certain portions of the tip it is important to emit less ultrasonic energy to reduce the likelihood of breakage to the posterior capsule . the ultrasonic waves radiate from the metallic surfaces . accordingly , the surface of the tip could be modified so that it will intensely focus the ultrasonic energy to emulsify tissue . however , if the surface is designed to focus low ultrasonic energy , that surface can be used to selectively clean tissue without the emulsification of tissue taking place . additionally , if the ultrasonic energy is finely focused , that energy can be used to cut the tissue . accordingly , the surfaces of the tip can be designed to be tissue specific in its ability to focus ultrasonic energy . various embodiments of ultrasonic needles 16 are illustrated in fig7 a - 27b . each of these needle embodiments have holes of various sizes and shapes and various needle surfaces to vary the amount of focusing of the ultrasonic energy and the amount of aspiration through the aspiration hole 18 . as discussed above , conventional ultrasonic needles have only one aspiration port 18 which is disposed at the axial distal end of the needle . applicants have discovered that the addition of a second aspiration port , disposed near the main aspiration port or even as part of the main aspiration port can provide numerous advantages in the use of the needle 16 . fig2 a and b illustrate an embodiment where the second aspiration port 18 &# 39 ; can be disposed as being a part of the main aspiration port 18 . for example , during certain uses of the needle you will want to build a vacuum in order to hold tissue at the tip . this is especially true during certain types of cataract surgery , where it is desirous to occlude the tip during either the &# 34 ; divide and conquer &# 34 ; or the &# 34 ; phaco chop &# 34 ; techniques of cataract surgery . during these techniques , it is often desirable to hold the nucleus on the phaconeedle tip . obviously , it will be necessary to cover both aspiration holes to build a vacuum . however , during the emulsifying of tissue in the primary port , it is often advantageous to have a secondary aspiration port available to assist in the further aspiration of the emulsified tissue . referring to fig3 a - 3g , a sleeve 10 having an infusion port 17 is illustrated . sleeve 10 is illustrated as having baffles 19 disposed on either the interior or exterior surface adjacent to the infusion port 17 to assist in directing the flow of infusion fluid . as illustrated in fig3 a , the baffle 19 can be disposed on the outer portion of the sleeve 10 in an area disposed between infusion port 17 and the distal end of the sleeve 10 . in fig3 a the baffle directs an infusion fluid away from the aspiration port . however , if desirable , the baffle 19 can be placed on the opposite side of the infusion port 17 , as illustrated in fig3 b to direct the infusion fluid in the forward direction towards the distal end of the sleeve 10 . as illustrated in fig3 e , the baffle 19 can be disposed within the interior of the sleeve 10 between the infusion port 17 and the distal end of the sleeve . alternatively , as illustrated in fig3 f , the baffle 19 can be disposed on the proximal side of the infusion port 17 . additionally , as illustrated in fig3 g , a baffle 19 can be disposed on both the exterior and interior surface of sleeve 10 . as illustrated in fig3 g , the baffles are located on the distal side of infusion port 17 . however , just as has been illustrated in fig3 b , 3d and 3f , baffles 19 could be disposed on the proximal side of the infusion port 17 . referring now to fig4 and 5 , a phacoemulsification handpiece 11 according to the present invention is shown . the handpiece 11 has a valve 20 in the aspiration line . the function of the valve is to constrict the flexible tubing of the aspiration line to create resistance in the aspiration line . also , the valve may be used to change the flow characteristics at the needle tip . the valve may be controlled either at the phacoemulsification machine control panel or directly at the handpiece . it should be pointed out that the valve control can be simply an on / off valve or a valve that allows for analog - type control whereby the valve can be adjusted to any precise level between completely on and completely off . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the valve is located at the anterior portion of the handpiece . the handpiece of fig4 has a valve 20 which is preferably , controlled so that it can be adjusted to any precise level between completely on and completely off . the valve can be positioned at position c in fig4 which is within the handpiece , or at position b immediately behind the handpiece or at position a , which is adjacent to the housing for the aspiration pump . the valve is controlled by a control console which receives signals from a pressure transducer ( not shown ) which detects the fluid pressure within the aspiration conduit . upon the detection of the varying pressure within the aspiration line , the control console automatically actuates the valve to variably increase or decrease the cross - sectional area of the aspiration conduit to ensure substantially constant pressure within the conduit . in the embodiment illustrated in fig5 a valve 21 is disposed within the handpiece 11 . this valve 21 is preferably of the type that is an on / off valve , as discussed above . upon the detection of a pressure surge , the control console immediately sends a signal to close valve 21 . simultaneously , valve 23 is opened to release relatively high pressure fluid from a sterile fluid container into the aspiration conduit . thereafter , the bottom valve 21 is opened , the full effect of the surge is erased and then valve 23 is closed once again . the system is then ready to detect and control the next surge within the aspiration line . the advantages of an on / off valve , such as valve 21 , include that when a piece of cataract occludes the phaco tip , vacuum will build up in the aspiration line . when that occluded piece is emulsified , there still will be a vacuum in the aspiration line and a surge will be created thus reducing the intraocular pressure . when a pressure transducer in the aspiration line detects a rapid change in vacuum the valve in the handpiece , can be instantaneously closed and a release of sterile fluid in the aspiration line can occur to remove the vacuum and the handpiece valve can then reopen . this valve , by closing instantaneously and opening immediately after fluid is released into the aspiration line will prevent surges of intraocular pressure . referring now to fig2 and 29 , a handpiece assembly 11 that includes a collapsible silicone membrane 22 is illustrated . the silicone membrane 22 is disposed radially outside of the needle 16 and defines an annular reservoir chamber 24 disposed between the silicone membrane 22 and needle 16 . the reservoir is in fluid communication with the infusion fluid as it passes through the handpiece assembly and out through the infusion sleeve port near the needle tip . the silicone membrane is made from a soft elastic material so that the membrane 22 can collapse during an aspiration surge during use of the ultrasonic handpiece . typically , when an aspiration surge occurs the relatively large amount of fluid within reservoir 24 is of a sufficient volume so that this fluid can be immediately withdrawn from the reservoir and introduced into the intraocular area , which results in an immediate compensation for the fluid lost from the surge . as is well known , a drop in intraocular pressure can cause considerable problems such as collapse of the intraocular tissue onto the vibrating phaco needle . accordingly , the reservoir 24 is designed to provide additional infusion fluid in the intraocular area as soon as an aspiration surge occurs . the reservoir is located immediately adjacent to the needle tip to minimize the time it takes to replace the intraocular fluid . the surge will cause a decrease of intraocular pressure and will therefore provide a suction effect to withdraw the fluid contained within reservoir 24 . this suction effect causes the membrane 22 to collapse , as illustrated in fig2 . an air vent 26 is provided radially outside of the silicone membrane 22 to permit membrane 22 to collapse freely . referring now to fig3 - 42 , a series of barriers are illustrated , which are attached to the walls of the ultrasonic needle 16 . the barriers permit limited or no occlusion at the tip of the needle to enhance emulsification of tissue . as discussed above , occlusion of the tip can create a surge of fluid flow upon break up of the tissue causing the occlusion . this surge in fluid flow can cause a collapse of the intraocular pressure within the eye which is a condition that should be avoided . in addition , the barriers also provide an additional ultrasonic cutting surface to enhance the cutting and emulsification ability of the tip . the barriers are structural members , such as bars , baffles , wedges , etc . which are attached to the walls of the needle 16 .. a barrier 28 is illustrated in fig3 . other embodiments of barriers including a single bar 30 disposed in the center of the needle or double bars 32 , 34 disposed about the center of the needle are illustrated in fig3 and 32 , respectively . the bars 30 , 32 , 34 prevent nuclear tissue from penetrating into the tip beyond a predetermined amount . other embodiments of barriers are illustrated in fig3 a - 42 . for example , in fig3 a and b , an annular ramp shaped barrier 36 is disposed within the tip 16 . a wedge shaped plate barrier 38 which does not extend fully across the inside of the tip is illustrated in fig3 a and b . a pair of spaced apart bars 40 , 42 are illustrated in fig3 a and b . a barrier 44 , 46 , illustrated in fig3 a and b , is disposed on the outer surface of needle 16 . these barriers 44 , 46 do not assist in preventing an occlusion , but they do provide an additional surface from which ultrasonic energy can be generated . other barrier embodiments are illustrated in cross - section in fig3 and 42 . clearly , almost any type of geometric shape can be used to assist in permitting a limited occlusion of the tip and to aid in emulsifying tissue . referring now to fig3 a and b , barrier 42 is illustrated for use in a modified tip 16 &# 39 ;. tip 16 &# 39 ; has a wedge shaped distal end surface 48 which provides a large metallic surface area for ultrasonically cutting tissue . the ultrasonic energy from surface 48 is directed in an opposite direction with respect to the aspiration port 18 . a tip similar to the one illustrated in fig3 a and b is illustrated in fig4 and 44 . the angled surface 50 disposed inside of the needle 16 &# 39 ; can be used to focus energy towards the aspiration port 18 , but within the needle 16 &# 39 ;, to aid in the emulsification of tissue . other surfaces within that needle including surface 52 and a stepped shoulder surface 54 assist in the suction of the nuclear tissue after it has been emulsified . surface 52 also is disposed within the line of ultrasonic energy that has been generated from surface 50 to effectively prevent this energy from causing damage to the surrounding tissue . surface 52 is preferably a spherical surface , and can simply be formed by drilling a blind bore into the shaft 16 &# 39 ;. surface 52 would be the distal portion of the blind bore . exterior surface 53 is a blunt surface which emits ultrasonic energy at a sufficient energy level to be able to split the cataract . however , the energy generated by surface 53 dissipates quickly so as to minimize the risk of damaging to the posterior capsule . fig4 illustrates a needle that includes a ramp shaped annular barrier 56 whose ramp shaped surface 58 is directed towards the needle tip to focus ultrasonic energy across the aspiration port 18 . the stepped rear shoulder surface 60 of the ramp 56 is used to assist in the suction of the nuclear tissue after it has been emulsified . in most uses it is desirous to contain the ultrasonic energy within the needle to minimize the ultrasonic radiation which can cause damage to the intraocular tissue . in the embodiment illustrated in fig4 , ultrasonic energy generated by ramp surface 58 is prevented from exiting the needle by the needle &# 39 ; s interior surface . the present inventors have found the use of steps , angles , and barriers within the ultrasonic needle useful to focus ultrasonic energy across the aspiration port to aid in emulsifying nuclear tissue and to aid in pushing emulsified material in the direction of the aspiration flow . fig4 - 50 illustrate various embodiments of needle tips which achieve these results . fig4 illustrates a tapered needle 16 that has an internal annular shaped ramp 62 similar to ramp 56 illustrated in fig4 . in addition , the front tapered end surface 64 of the needle 16 also radiates ultrasonic energy within the internal area of the tip to assist in the emulsification of nuclear tissue . fig4 illustrates an annular shaped ramp surface 66 that has a forwardly directed ramp surface 68 , a reduced diameter passageway 70 , and a stepped shoulder surface 72 . ramp surface 68 emits ultrasonic energy to aid in the emulsification of tissue , whereas shoulder surface 72 emits ultrasonic energy to assist in the suction of the emulsified tissue . fig4 illustrates a needle tip 16 that has the tip end 71 off - center ( i . e ., not concentric ) with respect to the main portion of the tip 16 . an internal ramp surface 74 emits ultrasonic energy adjacent to the aspiration port 18 to assist in the emulsification of nuclear tissue . a stepped shoulder surface 76 assists in the suction of that emulsified tissue by generating ultrasonic waves in the direction of flow . additionally , an external ramped surface 73 emits ultrasonic energy to aid in the cutting and emulsifying of nuclear tissue . fig4 illustrates a needle tip 16 that has a wedged shape front tip surface 78 . surface 78 emits ultrasonic energy outside and forward of the tip end to assist in the cutting of nuclear tissue . in addition , a shoulder surface 80 disposed adjacent to the aspiration port 18 assists in pushing the material into the interior of the needle tip 16 . internal surfaces 82 , 83 also emit ultrasonic radiation energy to assist in the emulsification of nuclear tissue . fig5 illustrates an embodiment similar to that illustrated in fig4 in that a front wedged shape surface 84 and ramp surfaces 86 , 87 are utilized in a similar manner to surfaces 78 , 82 and 83 in the embodiment illustrated in fig4 . referring now to fig5 and 52 . a compressible sleeve 88 is illustrated . sleeve 88 includes an accordion section 90 to permit the sleeve 88 , once it is connected to the handpiece 11 ( not shown in fig5 and 53 ) at area a , to move axially with respect to the handpiece . sleeve 88 is connected to the handpiece by a fluid tight connection , which permits the handpiece 11 to rotate freely with respect to the sleeve 88 . when the tip end of the needle 16 is inserted into the incision 14 of the cornea 16 , the forward end 92 of the sleeve 88 extends through the corneal surface 16 , such that forward end 92 substantially matches to the incision 14 in the cornea . due to the accordion design and to the rotational coupling , the handpiece and needle can be manipulated to a limited extent in the axial direction and rotated freely about the longitudinal axis while the sleeve 88 will remain stationary with respect to the cornea 16 . thus , this forward portion 92 of the sleeve acts similar to a plug to completely seal the incision in the cornea . in addition , the infusion port at the distal end of the sleeve 92 is located near the cornea and away from the aspiration hole 18 of the needle . thus , there is considerably less turbulence within the eye which provides for better aspiration of emulsified tissue . in other words , if the infusion port is located too close to the aspiration port , the fluid will naturally follow a path of least resistance and short circuit directly from the infusion port to the aspiration port , which clearly reduces the amount of tissue that can be removed from the eye or at the very least reduces the amount of time it takes to remove the desired amount of tissue from the eye . having described the presently preferred exemplary embodiment of a new and improved phacoemulsification handpiece , sleeve , and tip , in accordance with the present invention , it is believed that other modifications , variations and changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein . it is , therefore , to be understood that all such variations , modifications , and changes are believed to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 0 |
the present invention is explained in detail with reference to embodiments illustrated in drawings . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of an immersion lithography apparatus ( scan exposure system ) used for an immersion lithography method according to a first embodiment of the present invention . a reticle stage 11 which is movable in a horizontal direction is disposed below an illumination optical system ( not shown ). a reticle 12 on which an lsi pattern is formed is placed on the reticle stage 11 . a projection lens system 13 to scale down and project the pattern of the reticle 11 is disposed below the reticle stage 11 . a sample stage 14 which is movable in the horizontal direction is disposed below the projection lens system 13 . a semiconductor substrate ( substrate to be processed ) 14 to be subjected to immersion lithography is placed on the stage 14 . further , a support board 17 to reduce the difference in level by an edge portion of the substrate 20 is provided around the semiconductor substrate 20 . a fence 15 which prevents an immersion liquid from going out of the immersed region is attached to the bottom portion of the projection lens system 13 . further , a pair of water supplier and discharger 16 , which supplies water ( a first chemical solution ) into the fence 15 and discharges water from the fence 15 , respectively , are provided on side portions of the projection lens system 13 . in the above structure , a space between a part of the substrate 20 surrounded by the fence 15 and the projection lens system 13 is filled with a water liquid film ( immersed region ) when exposure is performed . exposure light emitted from the projection lens system 13 passes through the immersed region and reaches a radiation region . an image of a mask pattern ( not shown ) on the reticle 12 is projected onto a part of the photoresist on the surface of the substrate corresponding to the radiation region , and a latent image is formed thereon . then , the immersed region is successively relatively moved , and thereby the whole exposure region on the substrate 20 is subjected to exposure . next , a lithography ( exposure ) method using the above scan exposure apparatus is explained with reference to the flowchart of fig2 . a coating material for an anti - reflection film is supplied onto a semiconductor substrate , and spread over the semiconductor substrate by rotating the substrate . then , the coating material is heated , and thereby an anti - reflection film having a thickness of about 50 nm is formed ( step st 201 ). next , an arf chemically - amplified resist film containing an acid generator is formed with a thickness of 200 nm on the anti - reflection film ( step st 202 ). the chemically amplified resist is formed by the following process . specifically , a coating material for the chemically - amplified resist is spread over the anti - reflection film by spin coating . then , the material is heated , and thereby a solvent contained in the coating material is removed . since the surface of the chemically - amplified resist used in the embodiment is relatively hydrophilic , a immersion protective hydrophobic film which is soluble in an alkaline developer is formed on the resist film . the immersion protective film suppresses infiltration of water from the immersion liquid into the resist film , and elution of a resist component substance from the resist into the immersion liquid ( step st 203 ). next , the semiconductor substrate is transfer to the immersion lithography apparatus of scan - exposure type illustrated in fig1 ( step st 204 ), and placed on the stage 14 ( step st 205 ). thereafter , a mark position on the semiconductor substrate is detected ( step st 206 ), and then the exposure of the substrate is performed with respect to the pattern , and a latent image is formed on the resist film ( step st 207 ). fig3 is a diagram illustrating moving directions of the exposure region in a ¼ surface of a semiconductor substrate . arrows of solid lines in fig3 indicate moving directions of the immersed region in scan exposure , and arrows of broken lines indicate moving directions of the immersed region when exposure is not performed . reference numeral 31 in fig3 denotes a semiconductor substrate ( substrate to be processed ), and reference numeral 32 denotes one exposure region , for example , an exposure region corresponding to one chip ( several chips in some cases ). exposure is performed with the movements illustrated in fig3 . fig4 illustrates a distribution of defects of the patterned substrate after exposure , which is superposed on fig3 . black dots in fig4 indicate positions of defects 33 . it has been proved that black dots are mainly distributed in the vicinity of the rim of the substrate . it has been proved that these defects 33 are latent image distortions . the latent image distortions are generated by exposing the pattern with air bubbles , which are taken from the air existing in the border between the semiconductor substrate 31 and the support board 17 of the lithography apparatus located at the same level as the substrate 31 when the immersed region passes through the support board 17 . further , the defects 33 are latent image distortions or dark portions generated by exposing the substrate with minute particles floating in the vicinity of the substrate in the immersed region . these factors move with movement of the immersed region and movement of the liquid in the immersed region ( caused by liquid supply / discharge ), and are referred to as mobile factors herein . it has been reported that defects caused by mobile factors can be reduced as the number of times of exposures increases ( b . j . lin , 2nd immersion symposium ( 2006 , belgium )). in the case of performing multiple exposures , an exposure amount per exposure is small , and defects due to mobile factors by one exposure are reduced . although the number of defects increases by performing a plurality of exposures , each defect is small and ignorable . specifically , performing multiple exposures disperses defects caused by mobile factors , and consequently suppresses occurrence of defects . however , performing multiple exposures in the whole surface of the substrate enormously increases the exposure time ( not exposure amount but time required for exposure , i . e . exposure time , settling time , motion from die to die of exposure , etc .) per substrate , and greatly reduces the throughput . therefore , the inventors of the present invention pursued close research on defects , and found the following fact . air bubbles being one of causes of defects have the property of dissolving in liquid with a lapse of time . therefore , air bubbles gradually become small with a lapse of time , and disappear in the end . therefore , it has been proved that defects are gradually reduced , although defects due to air bubbles occur when exposure is started from the rim of the substrate . further , minute particles taken by a bevel or the like are discharged from the immersed region to the discharger with a lapse of time . therefore , it has been proved that defects are gradually reduced like defects caused by air bubbles , although defects occur when exposure is started from the rim of the substrate . therefore , multiple exposures are not indispensable for all the shots , but may be performed for chips in inside portions close to the rim of the substrate . the other shots may be performed with single exposure . on the basis of the distribution of defects illustrated in fig4 , the whole exposure region is divided into three zones according to the defect generation amount . specifically , the zones are defined by borderlines , which are located at regular intervals around the center of the substrate . zone 0 is a region in which a density of defects due to mobile factors , that is , the number of defects per 1 cm 2 is 0 . 1 or less . zone 2 is a region having frequent defects caused by mobile factors . zone 1 is a region having defect of a number about midway between zone 0 and zone 2 . based on the distribution , as illustrated in fig5 , one exposure , three multiple exposures , and seven multiple exposures were performed for each shot for only zone 0 , each shot including zone 1 , and each shot including zone 2 , respectively . the exposure dose energy of the one exposure , three multiple exposures , and seven multiple exposures were e , e / 3 , and e / 7 , respectively . the semiconductor substrate subjected to the above processing is conveyed to a baker ( step st 208 ), and the substrate is subjected to heating ( peb ) ( step st 209 ). thereby , diffusion of acid generated in the exposure step and amplification are performed , and then the substrate is cooled . thereafter , the substrate is conveyed to a developing unit to perform development , thereby the protective film on the resist is removed ( step st 210 ), and an arf resist pattern is formed ( step st 211 ). fig5 also illustrates the state of defects on the substrate after formation of a resist pattern . in fig5 , no black dots are shown , and defects were eliminated in all the regions from zone 0 to zone 2 located in the peripheral portion of the substrate . specifically , it has been proved that defects due to mobile factors in immersion lithography are suppressed . further , even after patterning following exposure , no defects were found in all the regions from zone 0 to zone 2 located in the peripheral portion of the substrate . as described above , according to the embodiment of the present invention , when a semiconductor substrate is subjected to immersion lithography , multiple exposures ( for example , seven exposures ) are performed in a region close to the rim on the surface of the substrate , single exposure is performed in the central portion ( zone 0 ) on the surface of the substrate , and three exposures are performed in a region ( zone 1 ) between the peripheral portion and the central portion . thereby , it is possible to achieve exposure , which incurs very few defects caused by movement of the immersed region and prevents remaining liquid drips from infiltrating into the resist film . therefore , it is possible to suppress occurrence of defects of a resist pattern due to remaining liquid droplets and localized air bubbles in immersion lithography , and perform highly reliable processing as a device having good pattern dimension accuracy . further , since only a part of the substrate is subjected to multiple exposures instead of performing multiple exposures for the whole substrate , reduction in throughput is suppressed to a minimum . furthermore , wire patterns and transistors manufactured through exposure and processing according to the method of this embodiment have no defects , and have good properties . in the first embodiment described above , zones 0 , 1 and 2 are defined by borderlines which are located at regular intervals around the center of the substrate . however , the present invention is not limited to it . in the second embodiment , a method of determining zones is explained . as illustrated in fig6 , if a defect - occurring zone is wide in a portion where a substrate edge tangent line is perpendicular to the exposure direction ( the direction in which the immersed region moves ), multiple - exposure region are determined by dividing the substrate into zones by an elliptical area having a minor axis in the direction in which the substrate edge tangent is perpendicular to the exposure direction . shaded exposure regions 36 in fig6 are single - exposure regions , and exposure regions 37 which are not shaded and located in the peripheral portion are multiple - exposure regions . further , as illustrated in fig7 , if a defect - occurring zone is wide in a portion where a substrate edge tangent line is parallel with the exposure direction , multiple - exposure regions are determined by dividing the substrate into zones by an elliptical area having a minor axis in the direction in which the substrate edge tangent is parallel with the exposure direction . shaded exposure regions 36 in fig7 are single - exposure regions , and exposure regions 37 which are not shaded and located in the peripheral portion are multi - exposure regions . further , as illustrated in fig8 , a position where the immersed region contacts the edge of the substrate is set as a base point , and a few shots after the base point may be set as multiple - exposure regions . this is an example adopted in the case where there are many defects in the vicinity of the exposure starting point of each line . arrows in fig8 indicate the traveling direction of the immersed region for each shot . in the example of fig8 , multiple exposures are performed for first two exposure regions from a base point , which is in the position where the immersed region contacts the edge . shaded exposure regions 36 in fig8 are single - exposure regions , and peripheral exposure regions 37 which are not shaded are multiple - exposure regions . as in this example , it is preferable to determine the number of exposure regions subjected to multiple exposures from the base point , according to the distribution of defects . if distribution of defects varies line by line , the number of exposure regions subjected to multiple exposures may be determined for each line . the above methods also produce the same effect as that of the above first embodiment , as a matter of course . the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments . the materials and thicknesses of the resist film , the anti - reflection film , and the immersion protective film used in the embodiments can be changed according to specifications . further , although an immersion protective film is formed on the resist film in the embodiments , the immersion protective film can be omitted if the resist film is sufficiently hydrophobic . further , the anti - reflection film can also be omitted . there is another form of steps st 209 to st 210 explained in the first embodiment . for example , if a protective film soluble in a solvent is used , it is preferable that the protective film is removed by a solvent after peb , and then development of the resist is performed by an alkaline developer . further , as indicated by broken lines in fig2 , the protective film may be removed before peb if required , and then pebs and development may be performed . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein . accordingly various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
examples of anode alloy compositions according to the invention are given in table i , which shows the weight percentages of the indicated metals for each specimen a - r . an anode rod of diameter 20 mm and total length 200 mm was prepared by casting the composition of sample a of table i , using a sand mould . the anode was oxidised in air for 24 hours at 700 ° c . electrolysis was carried out in a laboratory scale cell equipped with this oxidised anode immersed to a depth of 50 mm in a fluoride - containing molten electrolyte at 920 ° to 930 ° c . the electrolyte consisted of 16 weight % aluminium fluoride ( alf 3 ) and 7 weight % alumina al 2 o 3 and 4 weight % caf 2 , the balance being cryolite ( 3naf — alf 3 ). the current density was about 0 . 8 a / cm 2 at a cell voltage of 3 . 5 to 3 . 8 v . the concentration of dissolved alumina in the electrolyte was maintained during the entire electrolysis by periodically feeding fresh alumina into the cell . after 150 hours electrolysis was interrupted and the anode extracted . upon cooling the anode was examined externally and in cross - section . the anode was covered with an external oxide scale having a thickness of about 50 - 100 micron . the oxide scale had an outer portion that consisted essentially of non - stoichiometric iron oxide ( feo x ) with small amounts of nickel oxide ( metal equivalent of about 90 weight % fe and 10 weight % ni ) at its surface which is electrochemically active during use . below the outer portion , the external oxide scale had an inner portion that consisted essentially of a mixture of hematite ( fe 2 o 3 ) and mixed oxides of nickel , iron and aluminium . underneath the oxide scale , the anode &# 39 ; s alloy had become vermicular over a depth of about 1500 micron and contained 75 weight % nickel and 15 weight % copper , the balance being essentially iron ( below 10 weight %). the vermicular outer part of the alloy had elongated pores having a diameter of 3 to 5 micron and a length of 10 to 30 micron and containing oxides essentially of iron . below the anode &# 39 ; s vermicular part the alloy was non vermicular but had the same metal alloy composition as the vermicular outer part over a depth of about 50 micron followed by an unchanged inner part having the nominal composition of the alloy before heat treatment . the alloy grain joints were oxidised all over the vermicular outer part and to a depth of about 100 micron therebelow . an anode rod of diameter 20 mm and total length 20 mm was prepared by casting the composition of sample b of table i , using a sand mould . the anode was oxidised in air for 24 hours at 700 ° c . and then tested in a laboratory scale cell as in example 1 . similar results were obtained as in example 1 except that the wear rate of the anode had increased to about 1 mm per 100 hours of use . an anode rod of diameter 20 mm and total length 200 mm was prepared by casting the composition of sample n of table i , using a sand mould . the anode was oxidised in air for 24 hours at 750 ° c . electrolysis was carried out in a laboratory scale cell equipped with this oxidised anode immersed to a depth of 50 mm in a fluoride - containing molten electrolyte at about 940 ° c . the electrolyte consisted of 15 weight % aluminium fluoride ( alf 3 ) and 7 weight % alumina al 2 o 3 and 4 weight % caf 2 , the balance being cryolite ( 3naf — alf 3 ). the current density was about 0 . 8 a / cm 2 at a cell voltage of 3 . 5 to 3 . 8 v . the concentration of dissolved alumina in the electrolyte was maintained during the entire electrolysis by periodically feeding fresh alumina into the cell . after 200 hours electrolysis was interrupted and the anode extracted . upon cooling the anode was examined externally and in cross - section . the anode was covered with an external oxide scale having a thickness of about 50 - 100 micron . the oxide scale had an outer portion that consisted essentially of non - stoichiometric iron oxide ( feo x ) with small amounts of nickel oxide ( metal equivalent of about 70 weight % fe and 30 weight % ni ) at its surface which is electrochemically active during use . below the outer portion , the external oxide scale had an inner portion that consisted essentially of a mixture of hematite ( fe 2 o 3 ) and mixed oxides of nickel , iron and aluminium . underneath the oxide scale and over a depth of about 150 micron , the anode &# 39 ; s alloy was nearly non - porous and contained about 70 - 75 weight % nickel and 20 weight % copper , the balance being essentially iron ( below 10 weight %). therebelow , the anode &# 39 ; s alloy had remained unchanged ( nominal composition of sample n before heat treatment ). the alloy grain joints were nearly not oxidised , unlike those of example 1a . an anode rod of diameter 20 mm and total length 200 mm was prepared by casting the composition of sample n of table i , using a sand mould . a slurry for the application of a protective coating onto the anode rod was prepared by suspending a particle mixture of fe 2 o 3 particles (− 325 mesh , i . e . smaller than 44 micron ) and tio 2 particles (− 325 mesh ) in colloidal alumina ( nyacol ® al - 20 , a milky liquid with a colloidal particle size of about 40 to 60 nanometer and containing 20 weight % colloidal particle and 80 weight % liquid solution ) in a weight ratio fe 2 o 3 : tio 2 : colloid of 40 : 20 : 40 . the ph of the slurry was adjusted at 4 by adding a few drops of hno 3 to avoid gelling of the slurry . the anode rod was covered with several layers of this slurry using a brush . the applied layers were dried for 10 hours at 140 ° c . the dried layers formed a coating of about 350 - 450 micron thick on the anode rod . the anode rod was pre - heated over a molten electrolyte for an hour . during pre - heating at about 900 °- 950 ° c ., the coating was further consolidated by reactive sintering of the iron oxide and the titanium oxide . during the pre - heating or at the latest at the beginning of use in the electrolyte , the coating became substantially continuous and thoroughly reacted forming a protective multiple oxide matrix of fe 2 o 3 and tio 2 . underneath the protective coating , an integral oxide scale mainly of iron oxide was grown from the alloy rod during the heat treatment and reacted with tio 2 from the coating to firmly anchor the coating to the anode rod . the reacted integral oxide scale contained titanium oxide in an amount of about 10 metal weight %. minor amounts of copper , aluminium and nickel were also found in the oxide scale ( less that 5 metal weight % in total ). electrolysis was carried out as in example 2 . the current density was about 0 . 8 a / cm 2 at a reduced cell voltage of 3 . 1 to 3 . 3 v . after 200 hours electrolysis was interrupted and the anode extracted . upon cooling the anode was examined and no significant change was observed . samples of the used electrolyte and the product aluminium were analysed . it was found that the electrolyte was nickel - free and the produced aluminium contained less than 300 ppm nickel . this demonstrated that the fe 2 o 3 — tio 2 coating constituted an efficient barrier against nickel dissolution from the anode &# 39 ; s alloy . anode rods can be prepared , as in examples 1 , 1a and 2 , respectively , by casting using sand moulds and oxidising in air the composition of table i &# 39 ; s samples c to m and o to r , respectively , and as in example 3 by casting and coating the composition of table i &# 39 ; s samples a to m and o to r . thereafter , the anode rods can be tested in laboratory scale cells as in examples 1 to 3 . examples 1 , 1a and 2 and their variations disclosed in example 4 can be repeated without oxidation of the anode rods before use . | 2 |
the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only . to prepare a batch of seal formulation the liquid paraffin is first delivered into a skerman 800l kettle . the mixer is run at 20 rpm . the alugel 30 df ( aluminum stearate ) is then added through the transfer port . the mixer is turned off between additions of the alugel powder . the steam line is opened and the temperature is allowed to rise to 160 to 165 ° c . this temperature is held for approximately 2 hours to sterilize the mixture . at the end of the sterilizing cycle , the condensate valve is opened and blown down . cooling water is then allowed into the jacket to cool the contents to less than 40 ° c . the base thus formed is then checked for quality . if necessary , the batch base may be homogenized for 10 minutes using a silverson homogeniser . the charge port is then opened and 296 kg of the bismuth sub - nitrate is added in 10 kg lots . the contents are mixed for one minute at 20 rpm between additions of each 10 kg of bismuth sub - nitrate . mixing is continued for approximately 1 hour at 45 rpm . the remaining 640 kg of bismuth sub - nitrate is then added in 10 kg lots as above and mixing is continued for 1 hour following the final additions . we have found that the addition of the bismuth sub - nitrate in two separate portions is important in producing a seal which can be processed and used effectively . if necessary , the mixture is homogenized for 15 minutes using a silverson homogeniser . the product is then transferred to a colibri filling machine for filling into injector tubes . 5 cows were infused in all four quarters at drying off with the seal formulation prepared as described in example 1 . these cows had previously been determined as uninfected in all four quarters . commencing at the first milking after calving , these cows were milked and the composite milk sample collected for analysis . this process was repeated for the first 10 milkings after calving . milk samples were also collected in the same manner from 5 untreated cows . to simulate the milk handling process within the milking system , these milk samples were passed through a fibre filter material used in milking machine filters . the milk samples were then analyzed by mass spectrometry for bismuth concentration . the average bismuth level in milk drawn at first milking was 3 . 3 ppm declining to 0 . 39 ppm at milking no . 10 . the maximum level recorded for any individual cow was 8 ppm at first milking . for untreated cows the levels fluctuated in the range 0 . 001 to 0 . 03 ppm . the seal formulation described in example 1 was administered at drying off and has been shown to reduce the incidence of new infection in the dry cow period and in the period around calving . this reduction appears to be comparable with that achieved by prophylactic antibiotic treatment . thus , the seal of the invention very surprisingly offers a non - antibiotic approach to dry cow period prophylaxis . 2 teats in each cow infused at drying - off with seal and remaining teats untreated ( day 0 ). 3 days later ( day 3 ) all teats were inoculated into the teat canal ( depth of 4 mm ; using 22 cfu of streptococcus dysgalactiae code m and an inoculum volume of 0 . 1 ml ). new infections resulting from use of the inoculum occurred in five ( 5 ) of the untreated quarters in the period day 3 to day 13 . new infections resulting from use of the inoculum occurred in two ( 2 ) of the treated quarters in the period day 3 to day 13 . resulting new infections were monitored daily for 10 consecutive days after inoculation ( to day 13 ). samples of secretion were collected in an aseptic manner from quarters showing signs of clinical mastitis prior to treatment with antibiotics . all quarters in all 4 cows were sampled in an aseptic manner on day 13 ( the last day of the trial )— these samples were used to : ( 2 ) monitor the level of str . dysgalactiae surviving in the teats after 10 days 2 teats in each cow infused at drying - off with seal and remaining teats untreated ( day 0 ). 3 days later ( day 3 ) all teats were inoculated into the teat canal ( depth of 17 mm ; using 1 , 190 cfu of streptococcus dysgalactiae code m and an inoculum volume of 0 . 1 ml ). new infections resulting from use of the inoculum occurred in twenty ( 20 ) of the untreated quarters in the period day 3 to day 13 . new infections resulting from use of the inoculum occurred in eight ( 8 ) of the treated quarters in the period day 3 to day 13 . resulting new infections were monitored daily for 10 consecutive days after inoculation ( to day 13 ). samples of secretion were collected in an aseptic manner from quarters showing signs of clinical mastitis prior to treatment with antibiotics . all quarters in all 17 cows were sampled in an aseptic manner on day 13 ( the last day of the trial )— these samples were used to : ( 2 ) monitor the level of str . dysgalactiae surviving in the teats after 10 days . * a total of 4 quarters were infected in three cows and these quarters were excluded from the study . therefore 32 quarters were assigned to each treatment . a total of 528 cows in three commercial herds were used . each herd had a general history of dry period mastitis . the breed of the herds was predominantly fresian or fresian crosses . cows with at least three uninfected quarters , immediately prior to drying off , were identified within the three herds . all individual quarters were assumed to be independent units . the treatments used were as follows 1 . negative control - untreated , no infusions at drying off , but teat ends were sanitized with alcohol soaked cotton wool swabs . 2 . positive control - treated with 250 mg cephalonium in a long - acting base , infused at drying off . this product is known as cepravin drycow . cepravin is a trademark of mallinckrodt veterinary . 3 . antibiotic with seal - cloxacillin benzathine 600 mg in a 4 g unit dose infused at drying off and followed immediately by an infusion of 4 g of a blend of bismuth sub - nitrate ( 66 %) in liquid paraffin with 8 . 5 % alugel 30df . 4 . seal - bismuth sub - nitrate 66 % w / w in liquid paraffin with 8 . 5 % alugel 30 df in a unit dose of 4g infused at drying off . these treatments were randomized among the 528 cows determined to have three or four uninfected quarters at drying off . the treatments were randomized between quarters to achieve as far as possible the same number of quarters per treatment , left and right , front and back . bacteriological results for individual quarters at drying off and at calving were compared to calculate the incidence of new intramammary infections ( imi ). chi - square testing was used to compare the incidence of new infection between quarters , treatments and controls . this experiment has demonstrated that the antiinfective - free seal formulation of the invention administered at drying off is very surprisingly equivalent in terms of prophylactic efficacy , to a long acting dry cow antibiotic . all three treatments reduced new imi during the dry period by approximately 85 %. surprisingly , there was no significant difference between the antibiotic based treatments and the antibiotic - free treatment of the invention . thus , this study has shown that by physically sealing the teat canal with a seal which has no bacteriostatic or bacterial action , the dry period imi may , surprisingly , be controlled . the invention has the potential therefore of achieving dry period prophylaxis on a wide scale , at a lower unit cost , and with no risk of antibiotic residues after calving . the invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in detail . new intrammary infections ( imi ) identified during the study , grouped by period and by herd . | 0 |
in fig1 , there is shown a passive optical network 10 in which an optical line termination ( olt ) device 12 communicates through an optical distribution network ( odn ) with a plurality of optical network units ( onus ) 16 via an optical splitter 14 . the optical splitter 14 can be a cascaded splitter which can also cause a difference in power . in the downstream direction ( from the olt to the onus ), the olt 12 sends a continuous stream of packets at high speed , e . g ., at 1 gb / s , 2 . 5 gb / s or at 10 gb / s ( currently under development ). the downstream contains both control information and data packets for the individual onus 16 . an example is provided by g - pon reference diagram 20 illustrated in fig2 which shows a stream of downstream 22 and upstream 24 frames . here , the olt 12 broadcasts the frames to every onu 16 . the physical control block downstream ( pcbd ) 26 is received by every onu , and the onus then act upon the relevant information contained in the pcbd 26 , in particular the bandwidth map that specifies the burst allocation for upstream communication to the olt for each onu . the fec used should be suitable for the worst olt - onu link ( unless a disaster scenario occurs where a downstream burst frame format to an onu is used that is unable to obtain the pcbd ). the burst is preferably placed in a gtc frame such that it fits completely , and is preferably self - contained , i . e ., it should have a sufficiently long delimiter , and potentially a preamble , such that it can be detected and parsed independently . all relevant information for the onu , as well as relevant parts contained in plud , are part of the payload of this burst frame . in other examples , the downstream frames typically contain a synchronization word ( to determine the frame boundaries ), fields to convey physical layer operations and management information , and a variable length field with the bandwidth map . an example of fec may be based on a reed solomon ( rs ) code consisting of n symbols ( of m bits each ), out of which k symbols are information - carrying symbols ; the remaining ( n − k ) symbols are parity symbols . such a code , commonly referred to as an ( n , k ) rs code , can correct up to ( n − k )/ 2 ( random ) symbol errors . the maximum length for a given symbol size m ( bits ) is 2 m − 1 . note that the maximum length for extended rs codes is 1 - 2 bytes longer . in particular , the ( 255 , 239 ) rs code that is capable of correcting up to 8 symbols ( bytes ) is currently utilized to protect the downstream against transmission errors . if this code is used , the downstream burst transmission of the frames is interspersed with inserted fec parity bytes 31 as shown in fig3 . the fields depicted in fig3 , as well as other similar figures , serve only as an example , and inherent error control and fields with repeated data may be modified , shortened and / or removed in future pon systems . the fields thus created can then be used for fec , e . g ., by one of the proposed ( shortened , stronger ) fec codes . other rs codes , such as a ( 255 , 223 ) rs code has been proposed for optical networks under consideration . other fec codes , e . g ., bose chaudhuri hocquenghem ( bch ) codes , can be used , which are bit - oriented , systematic , algebraic codes ( whereby an erasure aspect described below does not work , but truncation of the payload does ), and low - density parity check codes ( where the rate can be changed by puncturing ( not sending ) preselected groups of parity bits . other options are product codes ( e . g ., rs × rs or rs × bch or bch × bch ). as described above , there can be issues with providing adequate protection and error correction of downstream transmissions due to variations in the snr of the various olt - onu channels . a method for performing downstream transmissions that can at least reduce these issues is illustrated in the flowchart 100 of fig4 . at step 101 , the downstream transmission characteristics are determined for the various olt - onu channels . using the downstream transmission characteristics , channel dependent transmission schemes can be configured for the channels ( step 102 ). downstream transmissions from the olt to the onus can then be performed using the channel dependent transmission schemes for the respective channels ( step 103 ). in another embodiment , a “ monitor input ber and related statistic ” block can be provided in fig4 and , if threshold ( s ) are exceeded , fec parameters can be adjusted . as such , the quality is monitored and actions are taken if the channel changes . further , sync errors can be traced in order to adjust delimiter length , etc . in one embodiment , a transmission scheme may incorporate an appropriate level of fec for each one of the olt - onu downstream links . by this method , fec overheads are effectively used only for those channels that need fec . for onus having a very bad channel , a channel - dependent transmission scheme may include a burst - mode like transmission with appropriately strong fec and sync mechanisms within the downstream transmissions . in addition , transmission schemes may use ( hybrid ) arq with chase - like decoding as will be described in greater detail below . thus , a method in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure determines the characteristics of the links from the olt to the individual onus and uses an fec code that enables each onu to extract its own information and correct received data to the required bero of that onu . the method may be embodied in a passive optical network 50 shown in fig5 . the pon 50 may include an olt 52 and a plurality of onus 56 , though only one onu 56 is shown . the olt 52 communicates with the onus 56 through suitable optical channels 54 . as shown in fig5 , the olt may include a control and management interface 53 that is configured to determine downstream transmission characteristics of the channels 54 . for example , the control and management interface 53 may be configured to determine one or more of the signal power level per channel , the snr , beri or any other suitable downstream transmission parameter . the olt 52 is configured with an fec encoder 55 for providing a forward error correction code into upstream transmission frames . correspondingly , the ont ( s ) 56 may be configured with a fec decoder 57 . the fec encoder 55 may be configurable by the control and management interface 53 . components of the olt 52 and onu 56 that are not critical for highlighting the features of the present disclosure , such as the clock data recovery ( cdr ) block , a frame sync / delimiter detection block , etc ., have been omitted for clarity . further details of such components are available in the standards referenced above . in another embodiment , a “ monitor input ber and related statistic ” block can be provided in fig4 and , if threshold ( s ) are exceeded , fec parameters can be adjusted . as such , the quality is monitored and actions are taken if the channel changes . further , sync errors can be traced in order to adjust delimiter length , etc . though channel characteristics do not very much over time , the ber can be monitored , either periodically or continuously , and updates made to the fec scheme if necessary to either increase the strength of the fec , thereby reducing the error rate , or decreasing the fec thereby allowing a higher transmission rate . one option for determining the downstream channel transmission characteristics is to measure the snr when the system is installed . in an alternative embodiment , the system may be started with a high level of fec ( and subsequent lower rate ) which allows the fec decoder in the onu to count the number of errors that occurred in the frames . if the fec code is strong , it ensures that all errors are corrected , and thus it is easy to count them . in performing the error count , the onu may be configured to use packets that are not intended for that onu to do the error statistics , unless the channel is so bad that many of these packets cannot be corrected , in which case the onu has to stick to its own packets and others with similar channel conditions . if for example for one olt - onu link 15 errors are counted after 10 6 bits , the beri is likely to be around 1 . 5 × 10 − 5 . because of the high transmission rates , the necessary statistics are likely to be obtained in a short time frame . in one embodiment , a measure of the downstream transmission characteristics includes the variance of consecutive measurements . if this is in line with expectations , then the effective beri can be considered to be known , as well as possibly some other statistics , and an appropriate fec can be chosen accordingly . the other statistics may include the number of corrected frames , the number of uncorrectable frames , as well as the number of errors in some other fields . these numbers should match a predefined model to a large extent . for example , consecutive errors ( burst errors ) are not typically expected , but if they do occur , they will lead to a higher frame error rate than would typically be expected . a reed solomon code is fairly resilient , but even in such cases , a stronger rs code should be used to keep the bero . in such situations , byte - wise interleaving of fec codes is another option to consider . the downstream characteristics can be recorded in the onu and reported back to the olt , and / or the olt can request a measurement . once the downstream characteristics are known , the olt can select appropriate fec parameters for future transmissions on a channel and communicate the chosen fec parameters to the onu on that channel , for example in ploam - like commands , or a similar control message . protocols for requesting and / or reporting the downstream transmission characteristics are considered to be within the skill of a person skilled in the art and thus no further discussion of the reporting mechanisms are considered to be necessary here . the characteristics of each olt - onu downstream link do not change very much over time , and therefore a control or management interface can be used to select the appropriate fec code parameters for the individual links and use those parameters for subsequent downstream frames . for example , the ploam field may be used to convey control information . it is only a few bits , so control information and operations , administration and management ( oam ) information is typically conveyed at a much lower speed . this is used to retrieve a parameter from the onu , or to set a parameter . in one embodiment , there is provided a channel - adaptive fec scheme that preserves the currently used format but increases the number of operating points beyond two points . in this transmission scheme , an fec code is used that has a configurable rate and , consequently , configurable error correction capabilities . in the following , let p denote the value of beri for which the required bero can be achieved . for the given beri , a code can be determined that provides the required bero . for instance , for a standard ( n , k ) rs code ( with its corresponding encoder in the olt and decoder in the onu ), the fec capabilities can be increased by reducing the length of the information - carrying part , i . e ., an ( n 1 , k 1 ) code where n 1 − k 1 = n − k . the rate of an ( n , k ) rs code can also be increased by puncturing some symbols at known positions , e . g ., the last b parity bytes . the punctured bytes are regarded as erasures . the punctured code can now correct up to ( n − k − b )/ 2 symbol errors . as an example , consider the use of an ( n , k ) rs code , and in particular an ( 255 , 223 ) rs code , as a base code and a bero that is at most 10 − 12 . the rate of this code is 0 . 8745 and p ≈ 8 . 3 × 10 − 4 . if the payload is shortened , e . g ., to 100 bytes , with , as before , n − k = 32 check bytes , the resulting effective code rate is equal to 0 . 7576 . however , the error correcting capabilities are now better than required ( p ≈ 1 . 6 × 10 − 3 ). the other way around , by puncturing the last 8 bytes of a ( 255 , 223 ) code , the rate can be increased at the expense of error correction capabilities . in one embodiment , an fec encoder and decoder can be made to be configured and thus used to generate and decode a wide variety of derived fec codes , such as a ( 255 , 239 ) code and a ( 255 , 223 ) code , the parameters of which are matched to the channel conditions , and as such , the overhead is minimized . in one embodiment , it may be necessary to maintain the same field size for the fec scheme . slight adaptations to the rs encoder and rs decoder may allow it to encode and decode any ( n , k ) rs code , where n − k ≦ p , for a given value of p , and n ≦ 2 ^ m − 1 , ( or possibly one - two symbols larger for extended rs codes ). for instance , for the ( 255 , 223 ) code , p = 32 ( up to 16 correctable errors ). the encoder / decoder can , after slight modifications , also be used to handle rs codes with parameters ( 255 , 225 ), . . . ( 255 , 239 ), . . . ( 255 , 253 ), ( 255 , 254 ), i . e ., with rates from approx 7 / 8 ( approx . 15 % overhead ) to 254 / 255 ( approx . 0 . 25 % overhead ). payload truncation could give a code , e . g ., ( 8 , 4 ) rs code ( rate = 1 / 2 ), or even ( 33 , 32 ) rs ( rate 1 / 33 ). some of the “ extreme parameter settings ” such as very high rates are mostly of interest for error detection and the low and extremely low rates are of interest for very really bad channels — the extremes , like the rate 1 / 33 code , are not that interesting , but codes with rates of 1 / 2 or 1 / 4 may be quite effective for the protection of the header or other important info , e . g ., ( 64 , 32 ) rs code ( rate 1 / 2 , 16 symbol errors can be corrected ). if this is used for upstream in the beginning of the ( burst ) frame where the beri is high , e . g ., starting off at 1 × 10 − 2 , and if the beri in the second part of the frame becomes very low , e . g ., 1 × 10 − 8 , one can use one rate 1 / 2 code ( e . g . ( 64 , 32 ) rs code , followed by ( 255 , 245 ) rs ( 5 - error correcting ). that way , the overall amount of overhead can be lower than if a uniform ( 255 , 223 ) rs code was used , and the “ effective ” protection is obviously much better . one could also think of several stages where the code rates of the rs codes increase gradually . in terms of measurement , an additional parameter for such a scheme would be to determine how many errors there are in the ( correctly ) decoded first , second , third rs codeword . that way , one can trace the decrease in beri when more bits of the frame are received . for the rs codes to be flexible , they should preferably have the same galois field , e . g ., gf ( 2 8 ), corresponding to 8 - bit symbols ( bytes ). this is also why there is a maximum word - length ( typically 2 8 − 1 ( extension by 1 - 2 bytes may be possible , so called extended rs codes ). the number of bits per symbol ( m ), is not necessarily 8 , of course , but for hardware to be shared , it is best to have the same m . in the channel - adaptive fec scheme , the error resilient methods , including fec , target the entire downstream . in an alternative embodiment , transmission schemes for the olt include scheduling the downstream such that the frames intended for the active onus that have similar link conditions are grouped . in this embodiment , the same fec setting can be used for a group . as such , the grouped transmission scheme does not suffer from rate loss due to protection of fractional segments in variable length frames . the appropriate level of protection is selected for each group . across groups , the stronger fec may be used for the remainder of the packet of the previous group ( that required less fec ), or a fractional fec may be applied to each group . the fec scheme can be embedded in the underlying ( gem ) frames and , depending on the required quality of service ( qos ), sent across gtc frames to reduce losses due to fractioning of variable length frames . depending on the channel quality , the information currently in the pcbd block that is relevant for a particular onu is protected and / or partially replicated at predetermined positions in the gem frames . one option is to start up an olt and joining onus with the same and relative strong fec parameters , and to adjust these for the individual olt - onu links ( upstream , downstream ) over time . a control channel or oam channel can be used to convey the new parameters . the update process could be aided by using the frame counter . the control / oam message specifies at which frame counter the new fec setting becomes active , and it may choose this far enough in the future that one can assure that an acknowledgement is received well before the transition to the new parameters ( until then , the old fec setting is used ). as an option , the updates of the parameters can be broadcast to all onus , such that they know from each other what the parameters are . if an onu was inactive , it starts in the strong fec mode and adjusts after measurements of the error rates have been made . optionally , previously used values can be stored also ( after all , the channel conditions typically do not change ). if , for whatever reason , the channel conditions ( suddenly ) become worse , the fec settings can be changed to obtain a stronger fec . in one scenario , where there are heavy disturbances for all channels , they may all decide to go back to strong fec . in any case , the fecs can effectively measure the ber and protect the channels adaptively . other parameters , e . g ., preamble length for upstream , delimiter length , delimiter sequence specification , header protection scheme , can be communicated in a similar fashion as for the fec parameters . for the downstream , a compact downstream map can be used that , similar to the bandwidth map , identifies which traffic is intended for which onu and where these packets are located in the gtc frame . if the fec parameter settings for a particular onu have been set , packet synchronization can be maintained . if the onus know of each other what their fec settings are , one can also allow the tail of one packet for one onu ( a ) and the head of the packet for a next onu ( b ) in one fec codeword ; the fec code used would for this packet be the stronger of the two ( max overhead fec ( a ), fec ( b ). from a multicast perspective , the strongest fec of the onus involved in the multicast is used . also , especially for 10 g where the 125 microsecond frames contain many more bytes , it could be of interest to repeat a downstream map at repeated , predefined positions . that way , one does not need to know much ahead of time how big the packets to the individual onus are and how the scheduling is set . in a power saving mode , each onu would skip the packets between the downstream maps , if it does not contain any packets for this onu . one would also use a ( relatively strong ) fec code to decode the maps ( such that the probability of losing packet - level sync is low ). for onus that have an exceptionally bad reception , the olt transmission scheme can embed a “ burst - like frame ” in the downstream that has additional fields for synchronization , control and fec , such that the detection and correction capabilities are in line with the channel conditions . for such ( bad ) channels , schemes that retain received but uncorrectable blocks such as ( hybrid ) arq - like techniques can be used to decode information after the reception of subsequent frames . for example , if the snr is very low , the packet error rate for a given olt - onu may become very low . the standard procedure is to discard the packet and request a retransmission . however , if the onu can store the ( erroneous ) packet , it can either request the packet to be sent again or it can ask for more parity checks ( that were computed but not sent ). in the first case , the decoder combines the ( erroneous ) packets to see where they differ , and use for instance chase decoding , which is a known method for combining erroneous packets and correcting them . in the case of transmission of extra parity check symbols , which is shorter than resending the packets , the decoder reassembles the ( now longer ) fec code with more overhead and tries to decode this ( stronger ) code . in one embodiment , the burst - like frame may have a similar composition to a gtc frame , but with a longer sync field ( s ) to allow the onu with the bad channel to detect its part , and then a well protected control message section and payload . as a further enhancement , a transmission scheme using burst - like frames could put a preamble before the sync sequence as is typical in upstream bursts . the above described embodiments may provide additional advantages for the implementation of sleep modes . for example , where the downstream transmission becomes “ burst like ”, the onus detect and / or decode only part of the information and skip / sleep otherwise . in extreme cases it may be necessary to reinforce synchronization techniques to quickly acquire alignment when needed . advantages of the above described embodiments include the ability to provide a selected bero for downstream transmissions while reducing overhead for fec and other error resilient mechanisms in a system where the snr of the links between the olt and the different onus differ significantly . the advantages can be significant ( e . g ., a close to 15 % rate increase for deployments where a ( 255 , 22 ) rs code is used and the active olt - onu links are good ), as well as the ability to deploy the system when several onus have bad channel conditions ( e . g ., are far away , have a low - quality detector or suffer other losses ). extra overhead in terms of fec and sync will only be used selectively when communicating to these onus with the frames / segments for the other onus being protected according to their channel condition , i . e . for good channels , there will be hardly any additional overhead . although embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanied drawings and described in the foregoing description , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed , but is capable of numerous rearrangements , modifications , and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims . for example , the capabilities of the invention can be performed fully and / or partially by one or more of the blocks , modules , processors or memories . also , these capabilities may be performed in the current manner or in a distributed manner and on , or via , any device able to provide and / or receive information . further , although depicted in a particular manner , various modules or blocks may be repositioned without departing from the scope of the current invention . still further , although depicted in a particular manner , a greater or lesser number of modules and connections can be utilized with the present invention in order to accomplish the present invention , to provide additional known features to the present invention , and / or to make the present invention more efficient . also , the information sent between various modules can be sent between the modules via at least one of a data network , the internet , an internet protocol network , a wireless source , and a wired source and via plurality of protocols . | 7 |
in a preferred embodiment , water management device 10 may be interposed in the pneumatic line between the trap 11 and gc 12 , as shown in fig7 . also shown in fig7 is a sparge vessel 13 , vent 14 , and pneumatic tubing 15 connecting the components . typically , the sample concentration cycle involves the steps of purge , desorb , and bake . during purge , the analyte stream flows from sparge vessel 13 through water management device 10 to trap 11 , which is at a cool temperature ( approximately 20 degrees c .). during desorb , the trap is heated ( to approximately 180 degrees c .) and backflushed with carrier gas . the analyte stream flows from the trap to the water management device and then to the gc or ms . during bake , both the trap and the water management device are heated ( to approximately 240 degrees c .). dry gas is introduced to the system to move water vapor out of the water management device and trap through vent 14 . although a preferred embodiment of this invention is intended for desorb by back - flush of the trap 11 , it is contemplated that the invention may also be used with a fore - flush of the trap . now referring to fig3 - 6 , a preferred embodiment of the water management device 10 is shown . in this embodiment , the invention comprises a stainless steel body portion 20 preferably having an l - shaped configuration . the body portion is gold plated . a passage or bore 31 extends through the body 20 , from a first end 32 to a second end 33 . the bore 31 has a first section 34 adjacent the first end , and a second section 35 adjacent the second end . the first and second sections of the bore meet at intersection 16 , preferably at an angle of approximately ninety degrees . as stated above , the present invention is primarily intended for use with a back - flush system , but also may be used with a fore - flush system . when used in a back - flush system , the first end of the device is the outlet during purge and the inlet during desorb , and the second end is the inlet during purge and the outlet during desorb . the removal of water is intended to take place primarily during the desorb step , which will be discussed below . in desorb , the analyte stream from the trap 11 enters the first section 34 of the bore , which has a stepped diameter and a total length of approximately 1 . 000 inches . starting from the first end 32 , the first section 34 of the bore is internally threaded at 41 to provide a fitting body for engagement with a nut ( not shown ) and pneumatic tubing , which is then connected to trap 11 . adjacent the first end , a portion of the internally threaded portion 41 has a conical shape 42 for mating with a ferrule ( not shown ) on the pneumatic tubing . instead , external threads may be used if desired . still referring to first section 34 of the bore , in a preferred embodiment threads 41 terminate at 43 , and the bore has an internal diameter of 0 . 125 inches . this internal diameter can be varied depending on various factors such as the flow rate desired , the pneumatic tubing and the trap used in the system , and the inner diameter of the gc column used . this diameter is preferred for use with pneumatic tubing having an internal diameter of 0 . 03 inches , a trap having an internal diameter of 0 . 105 inches , and gc column internal diameters ranging from approximately 0 . 010 to 0 . 020 inches . in a preferred embodiment shown in fig3 - 6 , the first section 34 includes internal shoulder 44 and a reduction in the bore to 0 . 080 inches , as shown at neck 45 . the reduction in diameter from 0 . 125 to 0 . 080 tends to increase the velocity of the analyte stream flowing through the bore . the neck 45 has an axial length of 0 . 10 inches and intersects the second section 35 of the bore at intersection 16 . in a preferred embodiment the first and second sections of the bore intersect at an angle of ninety degrees . as shown in fig5 the neck 45 is off - center from the center line of the first section of the bore , and is similarly off - center from the second section of the bore , as will be explained in more detail below . the second section 35 of the bore has an internal diameter of 0 . 110 inches . the second section forms a t with the first section , with the one leg extending down to reservoir 48 . water vapor that is caught in the second portion of the bore drains downwardly into the reservoir 48 and remains there until the bake step in the cycle . thus , the water management device should be aligned such that water will drain into the reservoir . preferably , the second section of the bore is vertically aligned . the reservoir is considered &# 34 ; unswept volume &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; dead volume &# 34 ; in the system , as the analyte stream will normally bypass that volume . the reservoir 48 has an axial length of about 0 . 280 inches and a volume of approximately 40 to 50 microliters . the volume of the reservoir may be varied depending on the maximum volume of water that will be removed from the analyte stream as it passes through the second section of the bore . however , it is contemplated that the reservoir volume should not be significantly below about 10 microliters because it would be insufficient for the anticipated water volume , or above about 100 microliters because of deleterious effects of &# 34 ; unswept volume &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; dead volume &# 34 ; on the system . the second section 35 also is configured such that the &# 34 ; dead volume &# 34 ; is minimized . an internal diameter of 0 . 110 inches is most preferred for second section 35 , which is primarily intended for use with gc columns having internal diameters of between approximately 0 . 010 and 0 . 020 inches . it is contemplated that the internal diameter of the second section should be no greater than approximately 11 times the internal diameter of the gc column . in a preferred embodiment , the second section of the bore is internally threaded . this geometry results in a swirling effect on the analyte slug as it leaves the first section and enters the second section , to remove more water vapor from the analyte slug than would be expected at a given temperature and pressure . preferably , the length of the internally threaded portion 49 is 1 . 080 inches . it is contemplated that the length of this portion will be approximately ten times the diameter of the second section . although a threaded configuration is shown for the second section , other non - smooth geometries may be used to remove water vapor and cause that water vapor to be trapped in the second section of the bore . for example , a series of ridges may be included in the interior surface of the second section . alternatively , the second section of the bore may be conical in configuration . as with the threaded or ridged configuration , the conical shape causes a swirling effect on the water vapor to remove that vapor from the analyte slug . as discussed above , the neck 45 is off - center from the second section 35 of the bore . this can be seen in fig5 . this arrangement enhances the swirling effect because of a tangential feed to the second section of the bore . further , the neck &# 39 ; s internal diameter is smaller than the diameter of the second section of the bore . thus , the analyte stream loses heat due to expansion upon entering the second section of the bore . the second section of the bore has a total length of preferably about 1 . 600 inches . adjacent the second end is a conical portion 50 for engagement with a ferrule or other connection ( not shown ). also shown adjacent the second end are external threads 51 for engagement with a fitting and pneumatic tubing , which is then connected to gc 12 and vent 14 . as discussed above , water vapor that is removed from the analyte slug drains into reservoir 48 and accumulates therein . during the bake step , the water in reservoir 48 may be removed . the configuration of the water management device is such that the amount of water vapor removed is above what one would expect to be accomplished from condensation . a number of different geometries for the second section are contemplated , including those having an irregular shaped surface or noncylindrical shape . in contrast , the prior art has generally specified that the pneumatic tubing and passageways between the trap and gc are smooth - walled . in the prior art , i . e . the oi analytical model 4460a , at 35 degrees c approximately 1 . 1 microliters of water vapor are desorbed onto the gc column during the 4 minute desorb period . because of normal condensation , only approximately 0 . 93 microliters of water would be delivered to the gc column if the temperature was reduced to 25 degrees c . however , at the same temperature of 25 degrees c ., the present invention reduces the amount of water delivered to the gc column much further , to approximately 0 . 25 microliters . thus , the present invention substantially reduces the amount of water transfer at a given temperature . the water management device of the present invention includes a pair of bores 61 , 62 adjacent the second section . bore 61 is for insertion of a heating cartridge ( not shown ), which is preferably of between 50 and 100 watts . bore 62 is for a thermocouple ( not shown ), preferably a type k . the heating cartridge and thermocouple are functionally connected to an electrical power source ( not shown ) for heating the water management device , and monitoring its temperature . the heating cartridge and thermocouple are anchored to the water management device body with set screw 80 . also shown in fig6 is a heat sink 70 attached to the water management device to direct heat away from the device . not shown is an electric fan which is configured to blow air on the water management device for cooling of the device as will be described in more detail below . although a fan is used in the preferred embodiment , a variety of conventional cooling apparatus may be used for this purpose . the operation of the water management device during a typical sample concentration cycle will be described below . this process is microprocessor controlled with certain parameters that may be selected by the operator . as shown in fig8 the sample concentration cycle includes the purge , desorb and bake steps . typically , the purge step is 11 minutes , the desorb step is 4 minutes , and the bake step is at least 7 minutes . the vertical axis of fig8 is the temperature of the water management device and sorbent trap in degrees c . during the bake step , the water management device and trap are heated to an operator - selected temperature , preferably approximately 240 degrees c . in a preferred embodiment , the heating means for the water management device is the heating cartridge inserted in bore 61 . the bake step serves to expel water vapor out of the system . during this step , bake gas may be introduced to flow through the trap and water management device , and out through vent 14 . once the bake temperature has been reached , or following an operator - selected time period , the microprocessor activates a fan ( not shown ) to begin cooling the trap and the water management device . the mass of the water management device is larger than that of the trap , so it cools at a much slower rate . once the desired temperature is reached in the trap , preferably about 25 degrees c . or ambient temperature , as selected by the operator , the purge step begins . during this time , the water management device is cooled and / or heated to maintain its temperature at approximately 20 degrees higher than the temperature of the sample in the sparge vessel . therefore , if the water sample is at 20 degrees c ., the water management device is at 40 degrees c . to maintain the water management device at this temperature during the purge step , the heating cartridge and or fan are activated as needed by microprocessor control . there is a significant advantage achieved with the water management device at a higher temperature than the trap during purge . during the purge step , it is intended that no condensation or other removal of water vapor from the analyte stream should occur . the higher temperature of the water management device prevents condensation from taking place before the analyte stream reaches the trap . if condensation occurred before reaching the trap , it is likely that condensed water vapor would remain in the water management device until the desorb step , when the water vapor and / or droplets would flow directly to the gc as the system is backflushed . therefore , maintaining a higher temperature of the water management device during purge reduces the amount of water vapor that enters the gc , thereby improving detection of analytes . as stated above , the purge step is typically about 4 minutes . beginning in the last minute of purge , or at some other operator - selected time , the fan is activated to further cool the water management device . this is done to prepare the water management device for the desorb step which directly follows . during this final minute of purge , the water management device is cooled to ( a ) a selected temperature , or ( b ) a temperature at which the device stabilizes for a selected period of time , such as 20 seconds . the operator may select either of these parameters and temperatures . the temperature of the water management device tends to stabilize after approximately one minute , as further cooling of the water management device below ambient is extremely slow and difficult to achiever with only the fan as the cooling device . therefore , if the selected temperature is not reached at the end of the selected time period , option ( b ) is the default parameter . at the end of purge , the desorb step does not begin until the selected temperature has been reached or the temperature of the water management device has stabilized for the selected time period . when the water management device reaches the selected temperature , or maintains a stabilized temperature for the selected time period , the desorb step begins . in desorb , the trap is heated to a temperature of approximately 180 degrees c . by running electric current through the trap . the trap is back - flushed with carrier gas to remove the trapped analytes . the analyte slug then flows to the water management device on its way to the gc . while the trap is at 180 degrees c ., the fan cools the water management device to ambient or another selected temperature which is generally slightly greater than ambient . preferably , a short length of stainless steel tubing acts as a temperature buffer between the trap and the water management device . during desorb , the water management device removes water vapor from the analyte slug . at the end of the desorb step , the bake step repeats . as shown in fig9 under epa method 524 . 2 operating conditions the amount of water transfer to the gc with the present invention is substantially below that of the prior art . without any water management system , the volume of water transfer to the gc is typically 11 mg . with the condensation approach of the oi analytical model 4460a , the volume of water transfer is approximately 1 . 1 mg . the present invention reduces the water transfer volume to only 0 . 25 mg . one advantage of the present invention is that it allows a wider variety of sample temperature ranges . for example , the sample temperature can be from 0 to 100 ° c ., whereas other means of water management did not work well above 30 ° c . further , the water management device does not require cooling apparatus to bring its temperature below ambient room temperature . since the water management device and sample are not cooled below ambient , the invention helps to reduce the &# 34 ; tailing &# 34 ; of the gc peaks caused by reduced temperature of prior art water management systems . another advantage of the present invention is that it reduces the &# 34 ; dead volume &# 34 ; that was present in prior art condensation devices used for water vapor removal . the reduction of &# 34 ; dead volume &# 34 ; enhances gc detection and analysis . another advantage to the present invention is that water vapor may be removed from the analyte slug without expensive and complex mechanical or electromechanical mechanisms that are subject to failure after repeated cycling . although variations in the embodiment of the present invention may not each realize all the advantages of the invention , certain features may become more important than others in various applications of the device . the invention , accordingly , should be understood to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig1 shows an example powertrain 100 in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure . the powertrain includes a prime mover such as an engine 102 coupled to a transmission 104 . the powertrain 100 also includes a drivetrain 106 for transferring torque from the transmission 104 to a first wheel 108 ( e . g ., a left wheel ) and a second wheel 110 ( e . g ., a right wheel ). the drivetrain 106 includes an axle assembly 112 including an axle module 114 having an axle module housing 116 containing a differential 118 ( see fig2 ). the differential 118 is coupled to a first axle shaft 120 ( e . g ., a left axle half - shaft ) and is also coupled to a second axle shaft 122 ( e . g ., a right axle - shaft ). the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 can be coaxially aligned and rotatable about an axis 124 . the first axle shaft 120 transfers torque from the differential 118 to the first wheel 108 while the second axle shaft 122 transfers torque from the differential 118 to the second wheel 110 . the differential 118 is rotatable about the axis 124 and is configured to transfer torque to the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 while concurrently allowing for differential rotational speeds between the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 . the drivetrain 106 includes a drive shaft 126 that rotates the differential 118 in about the axis 124 . the axle module housing 116 includes a first side 128 that faces toward the first wheel 108 and a second side 130 that faces toward the second wheel 110 . referring to fig2 , the differential 118 includes a differential case 132 that is rotatable about the axis 124 . the differential case 132 is mounted within the axle module housing 116 by a differential mount 134 . a bearing 135 is positioned between the differential mount 134 and the differential case 132 allowing the differential case 132 to rotate about the axis 124 relative to the differential mount 134 and the axle module housing 116 . a ring gear 136 is mounted to an exterior flange 138 that extends around the periphery of the differential case 132 . the ring gear 136 engages a drive gear 140 coupled to the drive shaft 126 . in this way , torque for rotating the differential case 132 about the axis 124 can be transferred from the drive shaft 126 to the differential case 132 . it will be appreciated that the axle module housing 116 can contain lubricant for lubricating the various moving parts contained therein . the differential 118 further includes an internal torque transfer arrangement 142 for transferring torque from the differential case 132 to the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 . in one example , torque transfer arrangement 142 can include internal gears ( e . g ., side gears , pinion gears , etc .) that allow torque to be transferred from the differential case 132 to the first and second shafts 120 , 122 while concurrently allowing the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 to rotate at different speeds relative to one another about the axis 124 . referring still to fig2 , the depicted torque transfer arrangement 142 includes first and second side gears 144 , 146 that are coaxially aligned along the axis 124 . the torque transfer arrangement 142 also includes a plurality of pinion gears 148 positioned between the first and second side gears 144 , 146 . each of the pinion gears 148 intermeshes with both the first and second side gears 144 , 146 . the pinion gears 148 are depicted as being rotatably mounted on shafts 150 anchored to the differential case 132 . the torque transfer arrangement 142 further includes first and second stub - shafts 152 , 154 ( i . e ., output shafts ) that are coaxially aligned along the axis 124 . the first stub - shaft 152 is non - rotatably coupled ( e . g ., by a splined connection ) to the first side gear 144 and the second stub - shaft 154 is non - rotatably coupled ( e . g ., by a splined connection ) to the second side gear 146 . the first stub - shaft 152 is adapted to be coupled to the first axle shaft 120 and the second stub - shaft 154 is adapted to be coupled to the second axle shaft 122 . under normal operating conditions , the differential distributes torque equally between the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 . specifically , the torque is transferred from the differential case 132 , through the pinion gears 148 and the first and second side gears 144 , 146 to the first and second stub - shafts 152 , 154 which transfer the torque to the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 . the first and second side gears 144 , 146 and the pinion gears 148 are free to rotate relative to the differential case 132 to accommodate different rotational speeds between the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 . this allows the wheel on the outside of a turn to rotate faster than the wheel on the inside of the turn . the configuration of the differential 118 is advantageous for allowing relative rotation between the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 during vehicle turning . however , this type of configuration can be problematic under certain types of driving conditions . because equal torque is delivered to each of the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 , the maximum torque that can be provided to any one axle shaft 120 , 122 is dependent upon the maximum torque that can be applied to the other of the axle shafts 120 , 122 . this is problematic under driving conditions where one of the wheels 108 , 110 encounters a low friction condition ( e . g ., ice , oil , mud , etc .) in which only a minimal amount of torque can be applied to the corresponding axle shafts 120 , 122 before the wheel 108 , 110 slips . in this type of situation , the amount of torque that can be applied to the axle shaft 120 , 122 of the non - slipping wheel 108 , 110 is limited to the amount of torque that can be applied to the axle shaft 120 , 122 of the slipping wheel . often , this limited amount of torque is insufficient to turn the non - slipping wheel . thus , the vehicle is unable to move . in other applications ( e . g ., steer assist ), it is also desirable to be able to vary the distribution of torque provided between the first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 . to address the above conditions , axle arrangements in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure can include a torque management system operable in a disengaged state and engaged state . when the torque management system is operated in a disengaged state , the differential 118 essentially functions as an open differential such that the differential 118 delivers torque equally to both the first and second wheels 108 , 110 . as described above , the level of torque delivery is in part limited by the wheel that has lesser traction . for example , if the first wheel 108 is on dry pavement and will not slip unless 2 , 000 foot pounds of torque is applied thereto , and the second wheel 110 is over ice and would slip even when 40 or more foot pounds of torque is applied thereto , the torque delivered to each wheel would be 40 pounds when the torque management system is in the disengaged state . in the above described scenario , this low level of torque may be insufficient to move the vehicle . when the torque management system is in the engaged state , the differential 118 can deliver torque to the wheel with traction well in excess of the amount of torque that would cause the wheel with the least amount of traction to slip , ( e . g ., 40 or more pounds in the above described scenario ). in particular , in one example , the rotation of the first and second wheels 108 , 110 and their corresponding first and second axle shafts 120 , 122 can be effectively locked together thereby causing the first and second wheels to rotate at the same rate . in one example , the torque management system can prevent relative rotation between the first stub - shaft 152 and the differential case 132 such that both axle shafts 120 , 122 have the same rate of rotation about the axis 124 as the differential case 132 . in another example , the torque management system can control relative rotation between the first stub - shaft 152 and the differential case 132 such that the amount of torque provided to the non - slipping wheel can be controlled . this would , in the above scenario , enable the wheel on dry pavement to drive the vehicle forward . this type of functionality is particularly useful to prevent ( or recover ) the vehicle from being stuck in snow , mud , sand or uneven terrain where one of the drive wheels may be suspended in the air . torque management systems in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure can also be used to provide stability to the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling on a highway at high speeds . for example , if the vehicle enters a turn and begins to over steer , the torque management system can activate to induce under steering to counter - act the impending or actual over steer . in this way , activation of the torque management system can provide a more controlled driving experience . it should be appreciated that torque control management systems in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure can have many additional alternative functions other than those specifically described above . referring to fig2 - 9 , an example torque management system 210 in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure is shown . in the depicted example , the torque management system 210 includes a differential cover 212 ( i . e ., a main cover ) that mounts to the first side 128 of the axle module housing 116 . the cover 212 is shown including a central aperture 203 ( i . e ., a shaft opening ) that receives the first stub - shaft 152 . a bearing 214 allows the first stub - shaft 152 to rotate about the axis 124 relative to the differential cover 212 . the first stub - shaft 152 extends outwardly from the differential cover 212 and is adapted for connection to the first axle shaft 120 coupled to the first wheel 108 . the differential cover 212 includes a first side 207 and an opposite second side 209 . when the differential cover 212 is mounted to the axle module housing 116 , the first side 207 faces toward the axle module housing 116 and the second side 209 faces away from the axle module housing 116 . referring to fig7 , the differential cover 212 includes a cavity - defining portion 213 defining a cavity 211 that corresponds to a lower hydraulic reservoir 238 . as shown at fig3 - 6 , a reservoir cover 260 mounts over the cavity defining portion 213 to enclose the hydraulic reservoir 238 . the hydraulic reservoir 238 includes at least a portion 256 that extends radially outwardly from a main body 255 of the differential cover 212 . in the depicted example , the main body 255 of the differential cover 212 includes a circumferential flange 253 having a peripheral edge 259 that defines a main outer boundary b ( e . g ., a footprint or outline ) of the differential cover 212 . the peripheral edge 259 and the main outer boundary b surround the axis 124 . when viewed in side elevation ( e . g ., in an orientation along the axis 124 as shown at fig7 ), the portion 256 of the reservoir 238 is radially outside the main outer boundary b . the reservoir 238 can also include portions 258 positioned radially inside the main outer boundary b . in one example , the portion 256 can represent a majority of the total volume of the hydraulic reservoir 238 . the reservoir cover 260 has a first region 265 that radially overlaps the main body 255 and a second region 267 that projects radially outwardly from the main body 255 . the first region 265 is positioned radially inside the main outer boundary b and the second region 267 is positioned radially outside the main outer boundary b when viewed in the orientation along the axis 124 . in the depicted example , the differential cover 212 includes a plurality of apertures 252 spaced - apart from one another along the peripheral edge 259 of the differential cover 212 . the apertures 252 are defined though the circumferential flange 253 . the apertures 252 are each configured to receive a fastener ( e . g ., a bolt ) used to secure the differential cover 212 to the first side 128 of the axle module housing 116 . in this way , the differential cover 212 functions to enclose the first side 128 of the axle module housing 116 such that the differential 118 and lubricant are effectively contained and protected within the axle module housing 116 . the main outer boundary b can coincide with ( i . e ., conform with or match ) a shape of a sealed interface between the differential cover 212 and the module housing 116 . the fasteners 252 are spaced sufficiently close to one another to ensure effective sealing between the axle module housing 116 and the differential cover 212 along the main outer boundary b . as shown at fig7 , at least one of the apertures 252 ( e . g ., aperture 252 a ) extends axially through the lower hydraulic reservoir 238 . for example , the cavity defining portion 213 includes a projection 215 that projects radially into hydraulic reservoir 238 . a fastener access passage 217 is defined through the projection 215 in alignment with the aperture 252 a . as shown at fig9 , the reservoir cover 260 defines an opening 219 that aligns with the fastener access passage 217 when the reservoir cover 260 is installed on the cavity defining portion 213 . when installed , the reservoir cover 260 forms a seal against the projection 215 . the seal extends about fastener access passage 217 prevents hydraulic fluid from the reservoir 238 from entering the fastener access passage 217 . the opening 219 and the fastener access passage 217 allow a fastener to be inserted through the aperture 52 a from the front and secured to the axle module housing 116 without needing to remove the cover 260 . once the fastener is installed , a head of the fastener can reside in the fastener access passage 217 . the opening 219 is positioned at a central region of the reservoir cover 260 . it should be appreciated that other alternative configurations are possible . referring back to fig3 , the torque management system 210 also includes a brushless electric motor 220 mounted adjacent to a hydraulic pump 240 . the motor 220 and / or the pump 240 can be carried with the reservoir cover 260 . in one example , the motor 220 and the pump 240 are carried with the cover 260 . in one example , the pump is mounted to the cover 260 and the electric motor 220 is mounted to the pump 220 . in the depicted embodiment , the electric motor 220 and the hydraulic pump 240 are stacked in a coaxial arrangement . in the depicted example , the pump 240 is mounted at the first region 265 of the reservoir cover 260 . the electric motor 220 functions to drive the hydraulic pump 240 . when the electric motor 220 is activated to rotate in a first direction , the hydraulic pump 220 draws hydraulic fluid from the reservoir 238 and generates hydraulic pressure used to actuate the torque management system from the disengaged state to the engaged state . in the depicted example , a drive shaft of the motor 220 is in line with the pump 220 and is generally parallel to the first and second stub - shafts 152 , 154 . it should be appreciated that other alternative configurations are possible . referring to fig2 , an intake line 244 ( e . g ., a passage ) is shown extending from the pump 240 to the lower reservoir 238 . the intake line 244 serves as a passage for hydraulic fluid to be drawn into the pump 240 from the reservoir 238 . in the depicted example of fig3 , the intake line 244 can include a tube 247 having an end positioned within the reservoir 238 . the end can include a filter screen assembly 246 . the tube 247 can connect to the reservoir cover 260 which can define an internal passage that forms a section of the intake line 244 that extends from the tube 247 to the intake of the pump 240 . when the electric motor 220 runs in the first direction , hydraulic fluid is drawn from the reservoir 238 through the intake line 244 into the pump , and is output from the pump 240 through a fluid line 241 ( see fig2 ). the fluid line 241 is configured to provide the fluid pressure generated by the pump 240 to an actuator 251 that when actuated switches the torque management system 210 from the disengaged state to the engaged state . a pressure control line 243 is in fluid communication with the fluid line 241 . the pressure control line 243 includes a pressure sensor 248 for monitoring the hydraulic pressure within the fluid line 241 . the pressure control line 243 also includes a pressure regulating valve 222 that regulates the pressure in the fluid line 241 by selectively diverting flow to tank 238 . it will be appreciated that the torque management system 210 can include a controller 290 ( e . g ., an electronic controller , a computer , a processing unit , etc .) that interfaces with the pressure sensor 248 , the pressure regulating valve 222 and the electric motor 220 . the controller can also interface with other feedback sensors that monitor information such as the relative rotational speed between the first and second stub - shafts 152 , 154 the torque being transferred through the sub - shafts 152 , 154 , or other information . based on feedback information concerning the operation of the axle assembly 112 , the electronic controller can control actuation of the actuator 251 to enhance performance of the axle assembly 112 . at least portions of the pressure sensor 248 and the pressure regulating valve 422 can be housed within discrete cavities defined by the reservoir cover 260 . in the depicted example , the step of removing the differential cover 212 from the axle module housing 116 simultaneously also removes the electric motor 220 , the pump 240 , the integral lower hydraulic reservoir 238 , the pressure sensor 248 and the pressure regulating valve 222 . in the depicted example , the electric motor 220 , the pump 240 , the pressure sensor 248 , and the pressure regulating valve 222 can also be separately removed or installed before or after the differential carrier is connected to the axle module housing 116 . the electric motor 220 and pump 240 are external to the reservoir cover 260 and can be removed and replaced without removing the differential cover 212 or the reservoir cover 260 . the pressure sensor 248 and the regulating valve 222 can be removed and replaced without removing the differential cover 212 by removing the reservoir cover 260 from the differential cover 212 . this module configuration results in a torque management system that is easy to manufacture , assembly and service . it should be appreciated that many alternative configurations are possible . in one example , the reservoir cover 260 , the pump 240 , the electric motor 220 , the clutch pack 226 and the piston 250 are carried with the cover 212 when the cover 212 is removed from the axle module housing 116 . in another example , the cover 212 can be removed from the axle module housing 116 without removing the reservoir cover 260 from the cover 212 . in another example , the reservoir cover 260 , the hydraulic pump 240 and the electric motor 220 can be removed as a unit from the cover 212 without removing the cover 212 from the axle module housing 116 . in still another example , the hydraulic pump 240 and the electric motor 220 can be removed from the reservoir cover 260 without removing the reservoir cover 260 from the cover 212 and without removing the cover 212 from the axle module housing 116 . the depicted actuator 251 of the torque management system 210 includes a clutch pack 226 having a plurality of friction disks . the clutch pack 226 is located at the first side 207 of the differential cover 212 . the friction disks include alternating first friction disks and second friction disks . the first friction disks are non - rotatably connected ( e . g ., coupled by a splined connection , keyed connection or other type of connection that restricts relative rotation ) to a clutch basket 232 that is non - rotatably connected to the differential case 132 . the second friction disks are non - rotatably connected to a radial adapter 236 that is non - rotatably connected to the first stub - shaft 152 . in this way , the first friction disks rotate in unison with the clutch basket 232 and the differential case 132 and the second friction disks rotate in unison with the radial adapter 236 and the first stub - shaft 152 . the first and second sets of friction disks are interleaved with respect to one another . the actuator 251 further includes an annular hydraulic piston 250 positioned at the first side 207 of the differential cover 212 . the piston 250 is configured to move axially along the axis 124 based on the magnitude of hydraulic pressure applied to the piston through the fluid line 241 . the level of hydraulic pressure applied to the piston 250 controls the amount of actuation force applied to the clutch pack 226 . when the actuator 251 is fully actuated , the piston 250 applies sufficient axial force to the clutch pack 226 such that the friction disks frictionally engage one another and are prevented from rotating relative to one another . when this occurs , relative rotation is prevented between the first stub - shaft 152 and the differential case 132 . by preventing relative rotation between the first stub - shaft 152 and the differential case 132 , the side gears 144 , 146 and the pinion gears 148 are prevented from rotating relative to the differential case such that the first and second stub - shafts 152 , 154 , the first and second side gears 144 , 146 and the pinion gears 148 all rotate in unison with the differential case 132 about the axis 124 . by applying an actuation pressure that is less than the full actuation pressure , the torque management system 212 can be operated to control a torque distribution between the first and second stub - shafts 152 , 154 . the differential cover 212 is configured to accommodate the piston 250 and the clutch pack 226 . for example , the side 207 of the differential cover 212 that faces toward the axle module housing 116 can include a cavity 271 for receiving and housing the clutch pack 226 and the adapter 236 . the differential cover 212 also defines a piston chamber 273 for receiving the piston 250 . when the torque management system 212 is activated , hydraulic pressure from the pump 240 causes the piston 250 to impart an axial force on a thrust bearing 228 that compresses the clutch pack 226 between the thrust bearing 228 and the clutch basket 232 . a thrust bearing 230 and bearing race 231 are also provided between the rear side of the clutch basket 232 and the differential mount 134 . in the depicted example , the clutch basket 232 rotates with the differential casing 118 . the compression of the clutch pack 226 can be sufficient to cause the radial adapter 236 to rotate with the clutch pack 226 which causes the first stub - shaft 152 to rotate with the differential casing 132 . the relative rotational speed between the radial adapter 236 and the differential casing 132 can be controlled by the selected and / or modulated activation of the clutch pack 226 . when the clutch pack 226 is fully compressed , the first stub - shaft 152 rotates in unison with the second stub - shaft 154 and the differential casing 132 . it will be appreciated that other alternative configurations are also possible . in the depicted example , the clutch pack 226 can be configured to be progressively activated / engaged based on modulation of the hydraulic pressure that acts on the piston 250 . if only a small increase in torque is desirable at a given one of the wheels 108 , 110 , the pressure applied to the piston 250 will be relatively low and the clutch pack will be partially engaged causing some lower level of additional torque to be delivered to the torque deficient wheel . this hydraulic pressure level would be less than the level of hydraulic pressure sufficient to fully lock the differential ( i . e ., cause the differential to act as a mechanically locked differential ) where both wheels 108 , 110 are rotated at the same speed regardless of traction . accordingly , when the differential is locked , enough torque can be transferred to slip one tire on dry pavement at the maximum axle capacity rating . it should be appreciated that many alternative configurations are possible . for example , torque management systems which are not capable of locking the differential are also included within the scope of the present disclosure . in one example , the clutch pack 226 controls ( i . e ., stops , limits , prevents , regulates , etc .) relative rotation between the differential case 132 and the shaft 152 when actuated . in the depicted example , the level of pressure applied to the piston 250 is monitored via the pressure sensor 248 and is electronically controlled / modulated in part by controlling the pressure regulating valve 222 . in the depicted example , a multiple wired electrical connector 254 is located adjacent the exterior of the electric motor 220 . control signals ( e . g ., control instructions to the motor 220 , control instructions to the pressure regulating valve 222 , etc .) and feedback signals ( e . g ., the hydraulic pressure applied to the piston 250 , the temperature of the hydraulic fluid or other various components of the system , etc .) are transmitted to the system controller by a wire having an electrical connector that mates with the electrical connector 254 . in the depicted example , the control unit can interface with memory to reference a look - up table that correlates the hydraulic pressure applied to the piston with the torque load applied to the wheels . the hydraulic pressure corresponding to a particular torque request can be dependent on the wear on the system ( clutch wear ), the temperature of the system , and other factors which can be accounted for by the control system . accordingly , the system of the depicted embodiment determines the appropriate hydraulic pressure based on the desired torque load . it should be appreciated that other alternative configurations are possible . in the depicted example , the friction disks of the clutch pack 226 are positioned outside of the differential casing 132 . this arrangement allows for the friction disks to be relatively large since they do not need to fit within the differential casing 132 . in the depicted example , each of the friction disks is generally circular and has an outer diameter that is greater than an overall cross - sectional diameter of the differential casing 132 . in one example , the friction disks can have outer diameters that are less than 30 centimeters , and the outer diameter of the differential casing 132 is also less than 30 centimeters . it will be appreciated that many alternative configurations are possible . in the depicted example , the relatively large diameters of the friction disks improves the longevity of the disks as well as improves the overall performance of the system . as compared to smaller friction disks that are fit within the differential casing , the larger friction disks of the depicted example can provide the same level of torque delivery with less axial force ( e . g ., less hydraulic pressure is needed or a smaller piston could be used ). the disclosed configuration having relatively large friction disks is less noisy , has fewer and smaller vibrations , and generates less heat than systems with smaller friction disks that are positioned within the differential casing . the disclosed configuration is generally more efficient as fewer friction disks can be used to generate the same amount of torque . due to mechanical factors ( e . g ., binding of years of friction disks ), increasing the number of friction disks generally decreases the efficiency of the clutch pack . it should be appreciated that many alternative configurations are possible . for example , in alternative examples of the torque management system , the system could include friction disks housed within the differential housing . in the depicted example , the friction disks of a clutch pack 226 are positioned adjacent to the differential cover 212 . the clutch pack can be accessed by removing the differential cover 212 , removing the piston 250 , removing the thrust bearing 228 . this modular configuration results in a torque management system that is easy to manufacture , assemble and service . however , as discussed above , it will be appreciated that many alternative configurations are possible . as described above , in the depicted example , the axial force needed to activate the clutch pack 226 from complete disengagement to full engagement is relatively small . in the depicted example , the system does not rely on an accumulator to provide reserve hydraulic pressure . instead , the system only uses the electric motor 220 to generate hydraulic pressure via the hydraulic pump 240 , as needed . the motor 220 can also be run in reverse , thereby causing the hydraulic pump to run in reverse and quickly decrease the hydraulic pressure acting on the piston 250 . however , as discussed above , it should be appreciated that many alternative configurations are possible including , for example , examples that include accumulators . in the depicted example , when the system is operating normally , the clutch pack 226 is not engaged and therefore results in very little friction loss . the electric motor 220 can be run slowly and / or periodically to maintain a target hydraulic pressure . the default target hydraulic pressure can be modified based on driving conditions through either user input ( e . g ., moving a dial , switch or other user interface ), sensed conditions , or both . when the torque management system is directed to engage the clutch pack 226 , the motor 220 can be run at maximum speed or near maximum speed , thereby causing the hydraulic pump 240 to quickly draw hydraulic fluid from the reservoir 238 through the intake line 244 thereby generating reserve hydraulic pressure on the upstream side of the regulating valve 222 . the regulating valve 222 can be directed to supply the precise level of hydraulic pressure needed to generate the desired amount of axial force on the clutch pack 226 thereby providing the desired level of torque at a given one of the wheels 108 , 110 . in the depicted example , the disclosed physical arrangement and configuration of the components enables the use of a relatively small electric motor ( e . g ., 200 to 300 watt ) and relatively low hydraulic pressure ( e . g ., 200 to 300 psi ). for example , as discussed above , the use of large friction disks located outside the differential case 132 can enable the system to fully “ lock ” the wheels 108 , 110 without reliance on an accumulator , large electric motor , and / or high hydraulic pressures . it should be appreciated that other alternative configurations are also possible . the above specification , examples and drawings included herewith disclose examples of how inventive aspects of the disclosure may be practiced . it will be appreciated that changes may be made and the specifics of the disclosed examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the broad inventive aspects of the disclosure . | 5 |
a computer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings . first of all , fig1 is a view illustrating diagrammatically the entire layout of this system . this system comprises a mainframe 1 constituting a host device and a disk array system constituting an external storage device of the mainframe 1 . the disk array system 2 comprises a disk device 21 comprising a plurality of physical volumes ( hereinbelow called pdev ) 21 a and a control device 22 that performs control of the disk device 21 . in the disk device 21 , a plurality of logical volumes ( hereinbelow called ldevs ) 30 ( 30 a to 30 d ) are constituted spanning the plurality of pdevs 21 a . the control device 22 manages the disk device 21 for each ldev 30 , respective logical addresses being allocated to the ldevs 30 . an operating system ( os ) 11 , a snapshot management program 12 , and a prescribed application program 13 are installed on the mainframe 1 . the snapshot management program 12 performs processing such as taking a snapshot of a prescribed ldev of the disk array system 2 periodically or with any desired timing and generating a command for making a snapshot utilizable . also , input / output device configuration definition information ( hereinbelow sometimes simply referred to as configuration definition information ) 14 is registered beforehand in the os 11 . fig2 shows an example of the input / output device configuration definition information 14 . specifically , the configuration definition information 14 comprises as data items a bus id 141 of the bus that is set as the access path in respect of the disk array system 2 , the number 142 of the control device 22 in the disk array system 2 that is accessed by each bus , and the address 143 of an ldev 30 that is accessible by each bus . the mainframe 1 can access the disk array system 2 by designating the address of the ldev that is to be accessed , by referring to the input / output device configuration definition information 14 . the mainframe 1 can therefore only access an ldev that is previously defined in the input / output device configuration definition information 14 . in the example of fig2 , the structure in the range enclosed by the broken line of fig1 is defined . in this case , the mainframe 1 can therefore only access the ldevs 30 a and 30 b and cannot directly access the other ldevs 30 c , 30 d , . . . . next , the functional layout of the disk array system 2 will be described in detail with reference to the block diagram shown in fig3 . as shown in this figure , the control device 22 of the disk array system 2 comprises an interface control section 23 , shared memory 24 , disk control section 26 and a cache memory 27 that are mutually connected by means of a bus 28 . the interface control section 23 comprises a programmed microprocessor 29 ; a mainframe communication section 29 a that performs input / output of information with respect to the mainframe , a snapshot processing section 29 b and a bus input / output control section 29 c that controls data input / output with respect to the bus 28 are implemented by controlling the microprocessor 29 . the disk control section 26 comprises a programmed microprocessor 26 a and performs control of the disk device 21 . the shared memory 24 is constituted by for example non - volatile memory and stores generation management information 25 . the shared memory 24 and the cache memory 27 may be constituted by respectively different memories or may be constituted on the same memory . the bus 28 may be constituted by a high - speed bus such as a very high - speed cross bus , in which data transfer is performed by a high - speed switching action . when for example the disk array system 2 issues a command for the mainframe 1 to execute data input / output in respect of the ldev 30 a ( deva # 00 ), this is received by the mainframe communication section 29 a . if for example the received command is an instruction to input ( write ) data in respect of the ldev 30 a , the bus input / output control section 29 c stores the data to be written in the cache memory 27 and the disk control section 26 writes the data in the ldev 30 a asynchronously . on the other hand , if the received command is an instruction to output ( read ) data in respect of the ldev 30 a , the disk control section 26 , in accordance with an instruction from the bus input / output control section 29 c , reads the designated data from the ldev 30 a and stores it in the cache memory 27 and the bus input / output control section 29 c acquires this data from the cache memory 27 and outputs it to the mainframe 1 . also , the disk array system 2 according to this embodiment performs generation management of a plurality of snapshots . for example , when the mainframe communication section 29 a receives a snapshot acquisition command and a utilization command from the mainframe 1 , the snapshot processing section 29 b executes various types of processing necessary for acquisition and utilization of a snapshot , as will be described . in fact , when a snapshot is acquired , the disk control section 26 acquires a snapshot when the snapshot processing section 29 b gives an instruction for performance of back - up ( i . e . snapshot acquisition ), designating the address of the main volume ( snapshot source volume ) that is the subject of back - up and the address of an auxiliary volume ( snapshot target volume ) that is the back - up target . the generation management information 25 indicates the acquisition status of each generation of snapshots of the ldev that is the subject of back - up . fig4 shows an example of the information that is stored in the generation management information 25 . specifically , the data items of the generation management information 25 comprise the address 251 of the main volume , the address 252 of the auxiliary volume , the generation number 253 that identifies the generation , the ldev addresses 254 for each generation allocated for a snapshot of the various generations , the utilization flag 255 and the snapshot acquisition time point 256 . the address 251 of the main volume is the address of the ldev that is the subject of back - up . in this case , the main volume 251 is the ldev 30 a , so its address deva # 00 is stored . the address 252 of the auxiliary volume indicates the address of the ldev that is recognized an auxiliary volume by the mainframe 1 . that is , although , in this embodiment , a plurality of generations of snapshots can be managed , as will be described , the only back - up target auxiliary volume that can be recognized by the mainframe 1 is the ldev 30 b . in this case , deva # 01 is therefore stored in the address 252 of the auxiliary volume . the generation number 253 is the generation number that is assigned to each snapshot . the ldev addresses 254 for each generation are the addresses of ldev 30 that are allocated to each respective generations . the ldev addresses 254 for each generation are allocated beforehand to each generation ; they may be registered in the generation management information 25 or the necessary generation address may be allocated when the snapshot is acquired . the utilization flag 255 is a flag for identifying generations that are capable of being utilized from the mainframe 1 . the condition of being utilizable from the mainframe 1 i . e . that the address 252 of the auxiliary volume is temporarily allocated is a condition in which data input / output from the mainframe 1 is feasible . in the example of fig4 , for example the snapshot of generation number 3 is utilizable . in a system comprising a construction as described above , the processing for acquiring snapshots of the ldev 30 a for each generation will be described with reference to the flow chart of fig5 . first of all , in the mainframe 1 , in response to an instruction from an application 13 or an instruction from the user using an input device 10 a , the snapshot management program 12 issues ( s 11 ) a snapshot acquisition command in respect of the disk array system 2 . the snapshot acquisition command may include for example an address and generation number for specifying the main volume and auxiliary volume . for example , fig6 shows an example of the case where a snapshot acquisition command is input by the user on the command line 200 . in this case , on the command line 200 , following the snapshot acquisition command , the main volume address 210 , the auxiliary volume address 220 and the generation number 230 are input . thus the information that is input on the command line 200 is included in the snapshot acquisition command . the control device 22 of the disk array system 2 receives this snapshot acquisition command . the snapshot processing section 29 b then , by referring to the generation management information 25 , determines whether the address of the auxiliary volume that is contained in the snapshot acquisition command is registered in the ldev addresses 254 for each generation i . e . determines whether or not this address is already used ( s 12 ). if the address is already used ( s 12 : yes ), the snapshot processing section selects one of the unused ldevs ( s 13 ). if the address is unused ( s 12 : no ), and if an unused ldev is selected in the step s 13 , the address of this ldev is stored in the ldev addresses 254 for each generation , associated with the generation number contained in the snapshot acquisition command , and the generation management information is updated ( s 14 ). the snapshot processing section 29 b then gives an instruction for execution of back - up to the disk control section 26 , by designating the addresses of the main volume and auxiliary volume . the disk control section 26 thereby acquires a snapshot f ( s 15 ). when a snapshot has been acquired , the snapshot processing section 29 b notifies the mainframe 1 of completion of acquisition of a snapshot ( s 16 ). it is thereby possible to acquire a snapshot to a volume that the mainframe 1 does not directly recognize . as a result , a number of snapshots equal to or greater than the number of volumes registered in the configuration definition information of the mainframe 1 can be acquired for each generation . next , processing for utilization of one of the snapshots acquired by the above processing will be described with reference to the flow chart of fig7 . first of all , the snapshot management program 12 issues ( s 21 ) a snapshot utilization command in accordance with information that is input by the user from an input device 10 a or in accordance with information received as an instruction from an application 13 . the snapshot utilization command includes for example the address of the ldev ( in this case , deva # 00 ) that is the subject of back - up , the snapshot address ( in this case , deva # 01 ) and the snapshot generation number that is desired to be utilized . this snapshot utilization command is a command to make it possible for the mainframe 1 to utilize the snapshot of the designated generation of the ldev 30 a that is the subject of back - up as deva # 01 . the control device 22 of the disk array system 2 receives this snapshot utilization command . the snapshot processing section 29 b then determines ( s 22 ) whether the designated generation number is associated with the snapshot address designated in the snapshot utilization command , by referring to the generation number 253 of the generation management information 25 and the ldev addresses 254 for each generation . if the designated generation number is not associated with the designated snapshot address ( s 22 : no ), the mainframe 1 cannot directly access the snapshot volume of the designated generation . for example , if “ 3 ” is designated as the generation number by the snapshot utilization command , the address of the generation number “ 3 ” found in the ldev addresses 254 for each generation is “ deva # 03 ”, so the mainframe 1 cannot access the snapshot volume of generation number “ 3 ”. the snapshot processing section 29 b therefore specifies ( s 23 ) an item in the ldev addresses 254 for each generation ( in the above example , deva # 03 ) corresponding to the designated generation number , by referring to the generation management information 25 . the address ( deva # 01 ) designated by the snapshot utilization command is then allocated ( s 24 ) to the snapshot volume of this specified address . that is , in the above example , deva # 03 is converted to deva # 01 . the snapshot processing section 29 b then notifies ( s 26 ) the mainframe 1 that the snapshot volume of the designated generation has become utilizable by setting the utilization flag 255 of the generation number ( 3 in the above example ) specified by the generation management information 25 to on ( s 25 ). in this way , the mainframe 1 can access the snapshot volume of the designated generation as the already - defined deva # 01 in the configuration definition 14 . as a result , it becomes possible to utilize snapshot volumes from a large number of snapshot volumes of volume number greater than that defined in the configuration definition 14 by specifying their generation number . next , a second embodiment of the present invention will be described . in this embodiment , the system layout shown in fig1 to fig4 is the same as that of the first embodiment . however , in this embodiment , the processing sequence for acquisition and utilization of a snapshot is different from that of the first embodiment . this processing sequence is described below with reference to fig8 to fig1 . fig8 is a flow chart showing the snapshot acquisition processing sequence according to this embodiment . first of all , the snapshot management program 12 of the mainframe 1 issues ( s 31 ) a snapshot acquisition command in respect of the disk array system 2 , in response to an instruction from the application 13 or an instruction from the user using the input device 10 a , in the same way as in the first embodiment . this snapshot acquisition command includes at least the address of the main volume and may further include the address of the auxiliary volume . when the control device 22 receives this back - up command , the snapshot processing section 29 b , by referring to the generation management information 25 , specifies ( s 22 ) the generation number of the generation at which a back - up is to be taken . for example , in this embodiment , the ldev addresses 254 for each generation are allocated beforehand to each generation number 253 . then , if there is a generation which is unused i . e . whose back - up time - point 256 is blank , this generation is specified as the generation to be used in this case or , if all the generations are used , the generation to be used is specified as the generation whose back - up time point 255 is earliest . when the generation number at which a back - up is to be taken is specified in step s 32 , the snapshot processing section 29 b , by further referring to the generation information storage section 25 , sets ( s 33 ) the item in the ldev addresses 254 for each generation that is associated with this generation number 253 as the address of the auxiliary volume . at this point , if the address of the auxiliary volume is specified in the snapshot acquisition command , the specified address is discarded and the aforesaid address is substituted . the snapshot processing section 29 b then acquires a snapshot ( s 44 ) by performing back - up to the auxiliary volume that was set in step s 13 from the main volume that was designated by the snapshot acquisition command . in this way , the disk device 21 acquires a snapshot of the main volume , constituting a snapshot of the designated generation . the snapshot processing section 29 b then updates ( s 45 ) the generation management information 25 in accordance with the snapshot acquisition processing described above . specifically , the snapshot processing section 29 b updates the snapshot acquisition time point 256 corresponding to the generation number 253 of the acquired snapshot . when the above processing has been completed , the disk control section 26 notifies the mainframe 1 of the fact that back - up has been completed ( s 46 ). in this embodiment , a snapshot is acquired by automatically performing generation allocation when the disk array system 2 receives a snapshot acquisition command . that is , the user does not need to be conscious of the generation , since it is not necessary to specify to which generation back - up should be performed at the mainframe 1 . next , the processing for utilization of one of the snapshots acquired by the above processing will be described with reference to the flow chart of fig9 . first of all , the snapshot management program 12 issues ( s 41 ) a request for acquisition of generation management information held by the disk array system 2 in respect of a main volume designated by the user using the input device 10 a , or an ldev that has been designated from an application 13 . the designation of the ldev is performed by for example designating its address . when the control device 22 receives this generation information acquisition request , the snapshot processing section 29 b acquires the generation information of the ldev designated from the generation management information 25 and sends this to the mainframe 1 ( s 42 ). the snapshot management program 12 displays ( s 43 ) on a display device 10 b a screen for the user to select a generation in accordance with the generation management information sent from the disk array system 2 . fig1 shows an example of this selection screen 100 . the generation selection screen 100 includes , as shown for example in this figure , a table 110 of snapshot acquisition time points for each generation and a region 120 that accepts input of a generation number to be utilized . although , in this case , only the snapshot acquisition time point is displayed for each generation number of the generation management information , it would be possible for the screen to also display generation management information other than this . when the user selects a generation number on this generation selection screen , a snapshot utilization command to make it possible to utilize a snapshot of the designated generation number is issued ( s 44 ) in respect of the disk array system 2 . in the case of the screen 100 of fig8 , when the user inputs the generation number of the snapshot to be utilized , this is received by the snapshot management program 12 . the snapshot utilization command includes at least the generation number . when the snapshot processing section 29 b receives this snapshot utilization command , a snapshot of the generation number that is thus designated is put into a condition in which it can be utilized from the mainframe ( s 45 ), by the same processing sequence as in the case of the first embodiment . when the snapshot has thus been put into a condition in which it can be utilized from the mainframe , a message to that effect is communicated to the mainframe 1 ( s 46 ). in this way , generation management can be automatically performed in the disk array system 2 . the embodiments of the present invention described above are examples given by way of explanation of the present invention and the scope of the present invention is not restricted solely to these embodiments . the present invention could be put into practice by persons skilled in the art in various other ways without departing from the essence of the present invention . for example , although , in the above embodiments , a snapshot processing section was provided as a function of the interface control section , a disk control section could also be provided and either of the interface control section or disk control section could be implemented by different processors or could be implemented by a plurality of processors within the disk array system . also , although , in the above embodiments , the disk array system 2 holds the generation management information , this could be held by the mainframe and generation management could be performed on the mainframe . | 6 |
to render the objectives , features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and comprehensible , the present invention is hereunder illustrated with specific embodiments and described in detail . diamines , namely 5 grams of mdea and 95 grams of d - 2000 , are dissolved in 100 grams of dmac solvent , placed in a glass blending reactor , and blended until the solid reactants are dissolved completely . afterward , 0 . 5 gram of glacial acetic acid ( functioning as a dehydrating agent ) and 0 . 01 gram of potassium acetate ( functioning as a catalyst ) are introduced into the reactor and blended therein . then , acid anhydrides , namely 10 grams of btda and 90 grams of opda , are introduced successively into the reactor and blended therein at 25 ° c . to 50 ° c . for around 4 hours , then cooled down to the room temperature to therefore produce polyimide resin pi - 1 - 1 . the aforesaid product is measured by gpc to assay its number average molecular weight . also , the aforesaid product is assessed at a polyimide resin to solvent weight ratio 35 : 65 to evaluate its solubility and examined with the naked eye for any insoluble matter . the aforesaid product is graded with o if it is completely soluble and x if otherwise . production examples 1 - 2 through 1 - 6 differ from the aforesaid production example 1 - 1 in terms of the weight ratio of mdea to d - 2000 . also , unlike the aforesaid production example 1 - 1 , production examples 1 - 2 through 1 - 6 , ingredients react for around 4 hours before being joined by 0 . 05 gram of amp in the reactor and heated up to 200 ° c . to 210 ° c . and maintained at 200 ° c . to 210 ° c . for 1 hour . finally , the reactor is cooled down to the room temperature to therefore produce the polyimide resins pi - 1 - 2 through pi - 1 - 6 . the aforesaid product is measured by gpc to assay its number average molecular weight and examined with the naked eye for any insoluble matter . in production example 1 - 5 , a functional group analysis is carried out by ftir , and its ftir spectrum is shown in fig1 , indicating the disappearance of a bifurcation feature absorption peak which is attributed to primary nh stretching and otherwise shown at 3600 to 3200 cm − 1 and the appearance of an imide feature absorption peak at around 1780 cm − 1 ( co ═ o symmetrical stretching of imide ), around 1720 cm − 1 ( c ═ o asymmetrical stretching of imide ) and around 1390 cm − 1 ( c — n stretching of aromatic imide ), thereby proving that the polyimide resin is produced successfully according to the present invention . unlike the aforesaid production examples 1 - 1 through 1 - 6 in which the diamines are provided in the form of mdea and d - 2000 , production examples 1 - 7 and 1 - 8 have their diamines provided in the form of tpe - r to therefore produce polyimide resin pi - 1 - 7 and pi - 1 - 8 , and then the product is measured by gpc to assay its number average molecular weight and examined with the naked eye for any insoluble matter . the results of the measurement of the products and ratios of ingredients of the reactants in production example 1 are shown in table 1 . 360 grams of bmi - 2300 , 100 grams of mdea , and 500 grams of dmac are placed in a glass blending reactor and blended therein at 105 ° c . for 12 hours to promote the reaction between the bmi - 2300 , mdea , and dmac to therefore produce miscible resin a - 1 . 440 grams of bmi - 5100 , 100 grams of mdea , and 500 grams of dmac are placed in a glass blending reactor and blended therein at 105 ° c . for 12 hours to promote the reaction between the bmi - 5100 , mdea , and dmac to therefore produce miscible resin a - 2 . 340 grams of bmi - 1700 , 100 grams of mdea , and 500 grams of dmac are placed in a glass blending reactor and blended therein at 105 ° c . for 12 hours to promote the reaction between the bmi - 1700 , mdea , and dmac to therefore produce miscible resin a - 3 . 570 grams of ki - 80 , 100 grams of mdea , and 500 grams of dmac are placed in a glass blending reactor and blended therein at 105 ° c . for 12 hours to promote the reaction between the ki - 80 , mdea , and dmac to therefore produce miscible resin a - 4 . ( i ) 50 parts by weight of toluene ( solvent ); ( j ) 20 parts by weight of butanone ( solvent ). the chemicals for use in the aforesaid production examples , embodiments and comparisons are as follows : ope - 2st : vinylbenzyl - terminated biphenyl polyphenylene ether resin purchased from mitsubishi gas chemical the resin compositions in the aforesaid embodiments 1 through 12 are listed in table 2 . the resin compositions in the aforesaid comparisons 1 through 9 are listed in table 4 . the resin compositions in the aforesaid embodiments 1 through 12 and comparisons 1 through 9 are stirred in a blending tank batch by batch to mix evenly . a tiny portion ( around 50 grams ) of each of the solutions in embodiments 1 through 12 and comparisons 1 through 9 is taken out and placed in a glass jar to stand still for one day . afterward , the inventor of this present invention observes with the naked eye whether the varnish ( i . e ., the mixed solution ) has separated out bismaleimide , wherein whatever pale yellow substance found at the bottom of the glass jar is presumed to be the bismaleimide thus separated out . then , the aforesaid evenly mixed solution is applied to a pet film with a coater such that the resin composition is uniformly attached to the pet film before being baked to a b - staged state and thus obtain a resin film . in this regard , the aforesaid baking process is carried out at 160 ° c . for 4 minutes in embodiments 1 through 12 and comparisons 3 and 4 and at 120 ° c . for 4 minutes in comparisons 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 . the resin film manufactured in the aforesaid embodiments 1 through 12 and comparisons 1 through 9 is observed with the naked eye to examine its surface for film - forming capability and grade it as good (⊚), normal (∘), and bad ( x ). the surface of the resin film is graded as normal when the number of pin holes ( also known as fish eyes , characterized by a “ spread out ” phenomenon ) founded on the surface of the resin film is small , bad when a large number of pin holes are found , and good when no pin hole is found , i . e ., when the surface of the resin film is flat . furthermore , the resin film in the aforesaid embodiments 1 through 12 and comparisons 1 through 9 is bent by 180 degrees to observe its endurance bending ( i . e ., non - brittleness ) test . the endurance bending test of the resin film is evaluated and also expressed by three grades , namely as good (⊚), normal (∘), and bad ( x ). the resin film is graded as good when found to be non - brittle , normal when slightly brittle , and bad when very brittle . in addition , the resin composition in the aforesaid embodiments 1 through 12 and comparisons 1 through 9 is introduced into the blending tank batch by batch and mixed therein evenly . then , the mixed solution is applied to a copper foil ( hte copper foil , half ounce ) with a coater before being baked to the b - staged state and obtain a resin coated copper ( rcc ). the aforesaid baking process is carried out at 160 ° c . for 4 minutes in embodiments 1 through 12 and comparisons 3 and 4 . and baking process is carried out at 120 ° c . for 4 minutes in comparisons 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 . the aforesaid manufacturing method is applicable to the resin coated copper ( rcc ) and similar to the manufacturing method of the resin film , but the test described below is conducted on the aforesaid resin film . two pieces of resin film ( around 50 μm thick ) prepared by the same batch , two pieces of 18 - μm ( half ounce ) copper foil , and a core laminate are stacked in the sequence of copper foil , resin film , core laminate , resin film , and copper foil . the core laminate is 4 mil thick and its surface has a circuit made of a half ounce of copper foil , wherein the circuit has a line width / line patch of 3 / 3 mil . a through hole of a diameter of 0 8 mm is formed in the core laminate . after the pieces of resin film are stacked in one direction , the pet film facing an opposing direction must be removed from the exposed sides of the pieces of resin film before a process of stacking the pieces of resin film in the opposing direction begins upon completion of the stacking process , the result structure is known as a stacked structure 1 . one piece of resin film ( around 50 μm thick ) prepared by the same batch and two pieces of 18 - μm copper foil are stacked in the sequence of copper foil , resin film , and copper foil . after a single piece of resin film is stacked in one direction , the pet film facing an opposing direction must be removed from the exposed sides of the pieces of resin film before a process of stacking the pieces of resin film in the opposing direction begins upon completion of the stacking process , the result structure is known as a stacked structure 2 . afterward , the stacked structure 1 and the stacked structure 2 are put in a lamination machine and laminated together therein under a vacuum condition , at 200 ° c ., and for 2 hours to form a copper clad laminate . the two pieces of resin film of the stacked structure 1 are cured to form the insulating layer between the copper foil and the core laminate . the single piece of resin film of the stacked structure 2 is cured to form the insulating layer between the two pieces of copper foil . regarding the stacked structure 1 , the copper foil disposed on the surface of the laminate after the lamination process is etched , and then the laminate is examined with the naked eye to see whether the surface of the resin - based insulating layer is dry . a dry surface of the resin - based insulating layer indicates that the weave texture of the surface of the laminate is exposed . alternatively , the laminate is sliced and then observed under an electronic microscope to see whether there is any void inside the laminate . afterward , the aforesaid slice of the laminate is sampled and evaluated under a sem for the degree of the filling of the through hole . a through hole without any void therein indicates a high degree of filling , whereas a through hole with numerous voids therein indicates a low degree of filling . the copper clad laminate produced as a result of a lamination process performed on the stacked structure 2 is sampled to produce a copper - clad laminate which is 3 inch × 3 inch in size , and then the solder dipping ( s / d ) heat resistance of the copper - clad laminate is measured . the copper - clad laminate is dipped into a solder furnace at 288 ° c . for 10 seconds and then taken out of the solder furnace to be observed for rupture ( i . e ., delaminated ). if no rupture is found , the copper - clad laminate will be dipped into the solder furnace for 10 seconds again before being tested for the number of heat resistance cycles . rupture is indicated by any crack in the insulating layer or separation of the insulating layer and the copper foil . the copper foil disposed on the surface of the aforesaid copper - clad laminate is etched , and then the copper - free laminate undergoes the following characteristic measurement tests : glass transition temperature ( tg ) measured with a tma instrument , dielectric constant ( dk ) measured at 2 ghz with a microwave dielectrometer ( the lower the dk is , the better the dielectric property of the copper - free laminate is , wherein a difference of 0 . 1 in dk is deemed significant by persons skilled in the art ), dissipation factor ( df ) measured at 2 ghz with a microwave dielectrometer ( the lower the df is , the better the dielectric property of the copper - free laminate is , wherein a difference of 0 . 001 in df is deemed significant by persons skilled in the art ), and a flaming test ( conducted in accordance with a ul94 testing technique , wherein grade v - 0 is better than grade v - 1 , and the complete combustion of the laminate is recorded as “ burnt ”). the results of the physical properties of the laminates made from the resin compositions recited in embodiments 1 through 12 are shown in table 3 , whereas those in comparisons 1 through 9 are shown in table 5 . referring to table 3 and table 5 , a comprehensive comparison between the embodiments and the comparisons reveals that the dk and df of the laminates made from a polyimide resin synthesized from diamines not provided in the form of mdea and d - 2000 are significantly high . referring to table 3 and table 5 , a comprehensive comparison between the embodiments 1 through 12 and the comparisons 1 and 2 reveals that the pre - polymerised bismaleimide resin does not cause the release of a bismaleimide resin . a comparison between comparisons 8 and 9 shows that the reactants for use in synthesizing the polyimide resin include diamines ( tpe - r and bapp ) of citations 1 and 2 , and the polyimide resin thus synthesized features poor fluidity and thus is useless to a filling process . furthermore , the polyimide resin thus synthesized is unfit for a lamination process carried out at 150 ° c . to 200 ° c ., not to mention that the dk of the resultant laminates is high . the results of production examples 1 - 2 through 1 - 6 reveal that the molecular weight of the polyimide resin can be increased by increasing the mdea content during the synthesis of the polyimide resin . the results of embodiments 1 - 2 through 1 - 6 reveal that the tg of the laminate can be increased by increasing the mdea content during the synthesis of the polyimide resin . a comparison between embodiments 1 - 5 and 2 and comparisons 1 , 2 and 5 shows that a commercially available conventional polyimide resin ( which does not contain mdea and d - 2000 ) causes the resultant laminates to have a high df , the poor filling of the through hole ( because of voids therein ), and poor lamination fluidity ( dryness ). therefore , the results of the tests conducted in the aforesaid embodiments and comparisons show that a resin film or prepreg can be produced from a pre - polymerised maleimide resin and a polyimide resin synthesized from diamines with a specific structure according to the present invention to thereby attain satisfactory circuit laminate characteristics , such as a low dielectric constant , a low dissipation factor , high heat resistance , and high adhesiveness . hence , the present invention meets the three requirements of patentability , namely novelty , non - obviousness , and industrial applicability . regarding novelty and non - obviousness , the present invention discloses a resin composition characterized by satisfactory circuit laminate characteristics , such as a low dielectric constant , a low dissipation factor , high heat resistance and high adhesiveness . regarding industrial applicability , products derived from the present invention meet the current market demand fully . the present invention is disclosed above by preferred embodiments . however , persons skilled in the art should understand that the preferred embodiments are illustrative of the present invention only , but should not be interpreted as restrictive of the scope of the present invention . hence , all equivalent modifications and replacements made to the aforesaid embodiments should fall within the scope of the present invention . accordingly , the legal protection for the present invention should be defined by the appended claims . | 2 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached figures . fig1 is an overall schematic diagram of the present embodiment . details will be described later ; however , as is shown in fig1 , the storage device 1 of the present embodiment is connected to a host 2 via a communications network such as ( for example ) an fc_san ( fiber channel_storage area network ) or the like . the application program ( hereafter abbreviate to “ application ”) 2 a of the host 2 provides a specified information processing service to client terminals ( not shown in the figures ) by writing data into or reading data from the storage device 1 . the storage device 1 comprises a control part 3 , a low - speed volume 4 corresponding to the first volume , and a high - speed volume 5 corresponding to the second volume , and the control part 3 comprises a memory 6 . for example , the low - speed volume 4 can be constructed by an sata ( serial at attachment ) disk , an scsi ( small computer system interface ) disk or the like . for example , the high - speed volume 5 can be constructed by an fc disk ( fiber channel disk ). generally , performance and cost drop in the order of fc disk , scsi disk , sata disk . furthermore , an sas ( serial attached scsi ) disk can also be used . furthermore , disks that can be used are not limited to these disks ; equivalents of fc disks , scsi disks , sata disks , sas disks and the like , and storage devices that will be developed in the future , can also be used . for example , the disks used are not limited to hard disk drives ; there are also cases in which the low - speed volume 4 and high - speed volume 5 can be respectively constructed using semiconductor memory drives , optical disk drives or the like . the low - speed volume 4 holds all of the data utilized by the host 2 , and the high - speed volume 5 stores only the portion of the data that is relatively new among the data stored in the low - speed volume 4 . as will be described later , a storage period ( life tag ) is set beforehand is the data that is stored in the high - speed volume 5 , and data for which this storage period has elapsed is erased from the high - speed volume 5 . accordingly , the data that is erased from the high - speed volume 5 is stored only in the low - speed volume 4 . the control part 3 processes data access requests from the host 2 , and controls the overall operation of the storage device 1 . the control part 3 can be constructed by causing the cooperation of a plurality of control packages , or can be constructed as a single controller . an updating bit map table 6 a and a life tag control table 6 b are stored in the memory 6 of the control part 3 . furthermore , a virtual volume 7 is constructed in the storage space of the memory 6 . the virtual volume 7 is formed in the storage space of the memory 6 , and comprises the same size storage capacity as the low - speed volume 4 . the actual body of the virtual volume 7 is the low - speed volume 4 and high - speed volume 5 . the updating bit map table 6 a is control information which controls whether or not the data that is stored in the storage space of the virtual volume 7 is present in the high - speed volume 5 . the life tag control table 6 b is control information that is used to control the storage period ( life tag ) that is set beforehand in the virtual volume 7 . the life tag is information which indicates the period for which the data is to be stored in the high - speed volume 5 . for example , this life tag can be set in stages such as 1 day , 1 week , 1 month or the like for each virtual volume 7 . in other words , the data stored in a certain virtual volume 7 can be held in the high - speed volume 5 for one day , and the data stored in another virtual volume 7 can be held in the high - speed volume 5 for one week . in fig1 , only a single virtual volume 7 is shown for convenience of description ; however , the storage device 1 may comprise a plurality of virtual volumes 7 . in addition to data , an updating segment control table 8 can be stored in the high - speed volume 5 . for example , this updating segment control table 8 can be constructed by associating the segment ( data storage unit ) positions in the high - speed volume 5 updated by the host 2 , the segment positions in the low - speed volume 4 where data corresponding to these updating segments is stored , the updating time , the storage period ( life tag ) in the high - speed volume 5 and the like . furthermore , it is not necessary that this data be controlled by a single table ; the data can also be controlled by causing a plurality of tables to cooperate . furthermore , all or part of the updating segment control table 8 may be stored in the memory 6 . next , the operation of the present embodiment will be described . first , the storage device 1 provides a virtual volume 7 to the host 2 . the host 2 recognizes the virtual volume 7 as a physical disk . the application 2 a of the host 2 issues write commands to the virtual volume 2 ( s 1 ). when the control part 3 of the storage device 1 receives a write command from the host 2 , the control part 3 temporarily stores the write data transmitted from the host 2 in the memory 6 , and sends back a completion of writing to the host 2 . the control part 3 first writes the write data into the high - speed volume 5 ( s 2 ), and then also writes this write data into the low - speed volume 4 at a specified timing ( s 3 ). here , write data is written into the low - speed volume 4 in the same position as the position in the virtual volume 7 . write data is written into the high - speed volume 5 regardless of the position in the virtual volume 7 . when write data is written into the high - speed volume 5 , the updating bit map table 6 a sets a flag for the segment that is updated by this write data . this flag is information which indicates that the data of this segment is present in a specified position in the high - speed volume 5 . the segment in which the write data is stored and the life tag associated with this write data are respectively registered in the updating segment control table 8 in the high - speed volume 5 . the control part 3 periodically refers to the updating segment control table 8 , and detects data for which the storage period has expired among the data stored in the high - speed volume 5 . then , the control part 3 erases the data for which the storage period has elapsed from the high - speed volume 5 ( s 4 ). furthermore , the data need not be physically erased ; it is sufficient if the data is made logically invalid . specifically , the segments that are controlled by the updating bit map table 6 a can be invalidated , and these segments can be used to store other new write data by allowing overwriting . thus , in the present embodiment , write data from the host 2 can be stored in the high - speed volume 5 for a preset storage period , and data for which the storage period has elapsed can be erased from the high - speed volume 5 and stored only in the low - speed volume 4 . in other words , from the time that write data is received until the time that the storage period has elapsed , this write data is stored in both the low - speed volume 4 and high - speed volume 5 , and after the storage period has elapsed , this write data is stored only in the low - speed volume 4 . accordingly , only data with a high utilization frequency can be stored in the high - speed volume 5 , so that the response characteristics for data with a high utilization frequency can be improved . furthermore , write data is written into both the low - speed volume 4 and high - speed volume 5 , and data with a low utilization frequency is erased from the high - speed volume 5 after the storage period has elapsed ; accordingly , there is no bother of writing data with a low utilization frequency into the low - speed volume 4 alone . furthermore , since the data life cycle can be controlled within the storage device 1 , there is no need to install new software or the like on the side of the host 2 . moreover , there is no need for the user to confirm the utilization frequency and select data that is the object of movement , or to issue an instruction to move the selected data to another volume ; accordingly , easy and effective data life cycle control can be realized . the present embodiment will be described in greater detail below . fig2 is a block diagram showing an overall outline of a storage system containing a storage device 100 . as will be described later , this storage system can be constructed so that this system contains one or more hosts 10 , and one or a plurality of storage devices 100 and 200 . for example , hosts 10 can be roughly divided into so - called open type hosts and main frame type hosts . examples of open type hosts include sever machines in which a common os ( operating system ) such as windows ( registered trademark ), unix ( registered trademark ) or the like is installed , and which access the storage device 100 via a relatively all - purpose communications protocol such as fc ( fiber channel ), iscsi ( internet scsi ), tcp / ip ( transmission control protocol / internet protocol ) or the like . examples of main frame type hosts include main frame machines which access the storage device 100 via a communications protocol such as ficon ( fiber connection : registered trademark ), escon ( enterprise system connection : registered trademark ), aconarc ( advanced connection architecture : registered trademark ), fibarc ( fiber connection architecture : registered trademark ) or the like . for example , the host 10 is connected to the storage device 100 via a communications network cn 1 which may contain a metal cable , optical fiber cable , switch or the like . for example , the host 10 can be constructed so that this host comprises one or a plurality of hbas ( host bus adapters ) 11 , an input / output ( i / o ) control program 12 , and an application program group ( shown as “ application group ” in the figure ). in fig1 , for convenience of description , only a single host 10 is shown ; however , a plurality of hosts may be provided . furthermore , open type hosts and main frame type hosts may be mixed . here , each hba 11 transmits and receives data on the basis of a specified protocol . for example , the i / o control program 12 is a driver program that controls the data input / output performed using the hbas 11 . the application program group 13 is an email serving program or a program such as data base control software , a file system or the like , and respectively provides a specified information processing service to client terminals not shown in the figures . the control terminal 20 is a device which is used to collect various types of information for the storage device 100 , and to send necessary commands to the storage device 100 via a service processor ( svp ) 180 described later . for example , the control terminal 20 is connected to the svp 180 via a communications network cn 2 such as an lan ( local area network ) or the like . for instance , the control terminal 20 comprises a gui ( graphical user interface ) based on a web browser , and performs the collection of various types of information and the input of commands by logging into a www ( world wide web ) server provided by the svp 180 . in the present embodiment , for example , life tag setting work is performed via the control terminal 20 . furthermore , the present invention is not limited to cases where control is performed via the control terminal 20 ; control can also be performed from the host 10 . for example , the storage device 100 can be constructed so that this storage device comprises a plurality of chas 110 , a plurality of dkas 120 , a cache memory 130 , a shared memory 140 , a connection control part 150 , a storage part 160 , and an svp 180 . a plurality of chas 110 can be installed in the storage device 100 . the respective chas 110 are control packages that control data transfer with the respective hosts 10 . each cha 110 comprises a plurality of communications ports 111 , and can be connected with one or more hosts 10 . each cha 110 can separately control data transfer with a plurality of hosts 10 . furthermore , one cha 110 can control data communications with a second storage device 200 positioned on the outside . a plurality of dkas 120 can be installed in the storage device 100 . each dka 120 can respectively control data transfer with the storage part 160 . for example , each dka 120 can access respective disk drives 171 , and can read out data or write data , by converting logical block addresses ( lbas ) designated by the host 10 into physical disk addresses . the cache memory 130 is a memory that stores write data that is written in from the host 10 and read data that is read out from the host 10 . for example , the cache memory 130 can be constructed by a volatile or nonvolatile memory . in cases where the cache memory 130 is constructed so as to include a volatile memory , it is desirable that memory backup be performed by a battery power supply or the like not shown in the figures . for example , the cache memory 130 can be constructed by a read cache region and a write cache region . for example , the write cache region may include a cache aspect and an nvs ( non - volatile storage ) aspect , so that the write data is stored in multiplex storage ( redundant storage ). the shared memory ( also called a control memory ) 140 can be constructed by ( for example ) a nonvolatile memory ; however , this shared memory can also be constructed by a volatile memory . for example , control information , management information and the like are stored in the shared memory 140 . information such as this control information and the like can be controlled by multiplex control in a plurality of memories 140 . the shared memory 140 and cache memory 130 can be respectively constructed as separate memories , or the cache memory 130 and shared memory 140 can be disposed inside the same memory package . furthermore , a portion of one memory can be used as a cache region , and another portion of this memory can be used as a control region . in other words , the shared memory and cache memory can also be constructed as the same memory of memory group . the connection control part 150 connects the respective chas 110 , the respective dkas 120 , the cache memory 130 and the shared memory 140 to each other . as a result , all of the chas 110 and dkas 120 can separately access the cache memory 130 and shared memory 140 . for example , the connection control part 150 can be constructed as an ultra - high - speed cross bar switch or the like . furthermore , as will be described later , the chas 110 , dkas 120 , cache memory 130 and shared memory 140 can be concentrated in one or a plurality of controllers . the storage part 160 can be constructed so as to comprise numerous disk drives 171 . the storage part 160 can disposed inside the same housing together with the controller parts such as the respective chas 110 and respective dkas 120 , or can be disposed inside another housing separate from the controller parts . for example , the storage part 160 can be constructed so that a plurality of different types of disk drives 171 are mixed . examples of disk drives 171 that can be used include fc disks ( fiber channel disks ), scsi ( small computer system interface ) disks , sata ( serial at attachment ) disks and the like . furthermore , the types of disks used are not limited to the abovementioned disks ; storage devices comparable to the disk drives shown as examples , or storage devices that may be developed in the future may also be used in some cases . a plurality of parity groups ( also called raid groups ) can be disposed in the storage part 160 . the respective parity groups 172 are respectively constructed by the same type of physical disks 171 . specifically , certain parity groups 172 are constructed only from fc disks , while other parity groups are constructed only from sata disks . furthermore , details will be described later ; however , one or more logical volumes ( also called ldevs ) 173 can be disposed in the logical storage regions respectively provided by the respective parity groups 172 . by associating logical volumes 173 with lus ( logical units ) 174 , the open type host 10 can recognize and utilize these volumes as physical storage devices . furthermore , the volumes that are the object of access by the open type host 10 are lus ; however , the object of access of the main frame type host 10 is logical volumes ( ldevs ). the memory resources used by the storage device 100 need not all be present within the storage device 100 . as will be described later , the storage device ( which may also be called the first storage device ) 100 can incorporate and utilize the memory resources of the second storage device 200 located outside the storage device 100 as though these memory resources were its own memory resources . for example , the svp 180 can be respectively connected to the respective chas 110 and respective dkas 120 via an internal network cn 3 such as an lan or the like . the svp 180 collects various states inside the storage device 100 , and provides these states to the control terminal 20 either “ as is ” or after processing . furthermore , the svp 180 can also register data input from the control terminal 20 in various tables t inside the shared memory 140 . for example , the second storage device 200 can be constructed so that this storage device comprises a controller 210 and a disk drive 220 . the controller 210 respectively controls the exchange of data with external devices ( host 10 and storage device 100 ), and the exchange of data with the disk drive 220 . the second storage device 200 may have substantially the same construction as the storage device 100 , or may have a different construction from the storage device 100 . for example , the second storage device 200 is directly connected to the storage device 100 via a communications network cn 4 such as an san ( storage area network ) or the like . in concrete terms , as is shown in fig3 , the external communications port 111 b of the storage device 100 and the target port 211 of the second storage device 200 are connected via the communications network cn 4 so that two - way data communications are possible . furthermore , the second storage device 200 can perform the reading or writing of data from or into the disk drives 220 in response to read requests or write requests from the storage device 100 . fig3 is a structural explanatory diagram focusing on the storage structure of the storage device 100 . the storage structure of the storage device 100 can be constructed by a pdev ( physical device ) 171 which is a physical disk , a vdev ( virtual device ) 172 which is a virtual storage region provided by a plurality of pdevs 171 formed into a group , and an ldev ( logical device ) 173 set in this vdev 172 . here , the pdevs 171 correspond to the disk drives 171 in fig2 , and the vdevs 172 correspond to the parity groups 172 in fig2 . here , luns ( logical unit numbers ) are respectively assigned to several logical volumes ( ldevs ), and these are recognized as lus 174 by the open type host 10 . the host 10 respectively accesses certain logical volumes ( lus 174 ) that have access authorization via the target port 111 a . the target port 111 a corresponds to the communications port 111 provided by the respective chas 110 in fig2 . a plurality of ldevs 173 can be respectively disposed in the vdevs 172 . one ldev 173 can be associated with one lu 174 , or a plurality of ldevs 173 can be associated with one lu 174 . alternatively , a plurality of ldevs 173 disposed in respective separate vdevs 172 can be associated with one lu 174 . the vdev “# 0 ” and vdev “# 1 ” shown on the right side of fig3 are virtual intermediate devices , and the actual storage regions are present inside the second storage device 200 . in other words , the storage structure of the second storage device 200 can also be constructed so as to comprise pdevs 220 , vdevs 230 , and ldevs 240 . the ldevs 240 are associated with lus 250 . the ldevs “# 0 ” and “# 1 ” as real volumes of this second storage device 200 are respectively associated with the virtual intermediate devices vdev “# 0 ” and “# 1 ” of the storage device 100 . for example , the disk drives 171 of the storage device 100 can be constructed from high - speed fc disks , and the disk drives 220 of the second storage device 200 can be constructed from low - speed sata disks . accordingly , the high - speed volumes produced inside the storage device 100 are high - speed volumes , and the volumes of the second storage device 200 are low - speed volumes . in the present embodiment , the optimal disposition of data can be achieved by effectively utilizing the high - speed volume which is high - speed within the storage device 100 and the low - speed volume which is low - speed within the second storage device 200 . furthermore , a construction in which both a high - speed volume and low - speed volume are disposed inside the storage device 100 , or a construction in which both a high - speed volume and low - speed volume are disposed outside the storage device 100 may be used . fig4 is a schematic structural diagram focusing on the main construction of the storage device 100 . the controller 101 of the storage device 100 concentrates the control functions of both the respective chas 110 and respective dkas 120 . the controller 101 controls the overall operation inside the storage device 100 . for example , the controller 101 can comprise a cpu 102 , timer 103 , cache memory 130 and shared memory 140 . furthermore , in fig4 , for convenience of description , the cache memory 130 and shared memory 140 are not distinguished , but are shown as a memory 130 / 140 . for example , a mapping table t 1 , life tag setting file t 2 , life tag definition table t 3 and updating bit map table t 4 can be respectively stored in the memory 130 / 140 . the mapping table t 1 is a table that controls the association of real volumes with respective lus ( virtual volumes described later ). the life tag setting table t 2 is a table that is used to set life tags that indicate the data storage periods for respective lus . the life tag definition table t 3 is a table that is used to define the periods indicating the set life tags . the updating bit map table t 4 is a table provided for each lu , which indicates which data is stored in high - speed fc volumes 320 and the like . furthermore , details of the respective tables t 1 through t 4 will be further described later . a plurality of virtual volumes 310 and 311 can be constructed in the memory 130 / 140 . the storage space of the memory 130 / 140 ( especially the cache memory 130 for example ) is controlled by being divided into segments of specified amounts , so that the respective virtual volumes 310 and 311 are respectively constructed from numerous segments . the respective virtual volumes 310 and 311 respectively have the same storage capacities as the low - speed sata volumes 330 and 331 provided by the second storage device 200 . these sata volumes respectively correspond to the respective ldevs 240 “# 0 ” and “# 1 ” in fig3 . the storage device 100 comprises an fc volume 320 . this fc volume 320 corresponds to the ldev 172 “# 2 ) in fig3 . the fc volume 320 is respectively associated with a plurality of virtual volumes 310 and 311 . in addition to data storage regions ( indicated as “ updating segments ” in fig4 ), an updating segment control table t 5 is stored in the fc volume 320 . details of the updating segment control table t 5 will be described later ; however , this is a table that controls the correspondence relationship , storage periods and the like of the data stored in the fc volume 320 and the data stored in the sata volumes 330 and 331 . in fig4 , the file system 13 a of the host 10 a utilizes the virtual volume 310 , and the dbms ( data base management system ) 13 b of the host 10 b utilizes the second virtual volume 311 . furthermore , as was described above , the first virtual volume 310 is constructed from the first sata volume 330 and fc volume 320 , and the second virtual volume 311 is constructed from the second sata volume and fc volume 320 . the detailed operation will be further described later ; however , in cases where the hosts 10 a and 10 b write data into the virtual volumes 310 and 311 , this write data is temporarily stored in the memory 130 / 140 ( especially the cache memory 130 for example ), and is then written into the fc volume 320 . then , considering the load on the storage device 100 and the like , the write data is also written into the sata volumes 330 and 331 at a specified timing . here , the write positions in the virtual volumes 310 and 311 are the same as the write positions in the sata volumes 330 and 331 . the data that is stored in the fc volume 320 is present in the fc volume 320 until the storage periods preset for each of the virtual volumes 310 and 311 have elapsed . the data for which the storage period has elapsed is erased from the fc volume 320 , and is stored only in the sata volumes 330 and 331 . the desired data is read out from the sata volumes 330 and 331 and provided to the hosts 10 a and 10 b only in cases where the desired data is not stored in the fc volume 320 . as a result , the hosts 10 a and 10 b can mainly read and write data utilizing the high - speed fc volume 320 . fig5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the construction of the mapping table t 1 . for example , the mapping table t 1 can be stored in the shared memory 140 . furthermore , the same is also true of the respective tables described below ; however , all or part of the mapping table t 1 can also be copied into the local memories inside the respective chas 110 . for example , the mapping table t 1 can be constructed by associating the luns , the ldev numbers and ldev sizes ( slot numbers ) associated with these luns , the vdev numbers and vdev sizes associated with these ldevs , the device types of these ldevs , and the path information for the disk drives in which these vdevs are formed . as is shown in fig5 , in cases where the volumes of the external second storage device 200 are incorporated and used , the paths used to access the volumes of the second storage device 200 are set in the path information . furthermore , in cases where volumes inside the storage device 100 are used ( the fc volume 320 in the present embodiment ), information used to access these internal volumes is set . fig6 is an explanatory diagram which respectively indicates examples of the construction of the life tag setting table t 2 and life tag definition table t 3 . for example , these respective tables t 2 and t 3 can be stored in the shared memory 140 . in the life tag setting table t 2 , for example , the luns and life tags are associated . specifically , for each lun , respectively different life tags can be set for each virtual volume 310 and 311 . for example , a plurality of levels such as 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 and the like exist for the life tags . for example , the life tag definition table t 3 defines concrete storage periods for each life tag level . for instance , storage periods are respectively defined for each life tag level , such as 1 day in a case where the life tag is “ 0 ”, 3 days in a case where the life tag is “ 1 ”, 7 days in cases where the life tag is “ 2 ”, 30 days in cases where the life tag is “ 3 ” and the like . the life tag setting and life tag definition can be respectively set by the user via the control terminal 20 . fig7 is an explanatory diagram which shows an example of the construction of the updating bit map table t 4 . for example , the updating bit map table t 4 can be respectively set for each virtual volume 310 and 311 and each lun , and can be stored in the shared memory 140 . the respective updating bit map tables t 4 can be constructed ( for example ) by associating the segment numbers in the cache memory 130 , the fc flags , and the updating segment numbers in the fc volume 320 . here , the fc flag is information that indicates whether or not the data of the segment in question is present in the fc volume 320 . in cases where “ 1 ” is set in the fc flag , this indicates that the data of this segment is stored in the fc volume 320 . in cases where “ 0 ” is set in the fc flag , this indicates that the data of this segment is not present in the fc volume 320 . the segment number indicates the storage position of the data in the virtual volumes 310 and 311 constructed in the cache memory 130 . as was described above , the data storage positions in the virtual volumes 310 and 311 are the same as the data storage positions in the respective sata volumes 330 and 331 . the updating segment number indicates the data storage position in the fc volume 320 . the data storage position ( updating segment number ) in the fc volume 320 does not coincide with the segment numbers in the virtual volumes 310 and 311 . in order to utilize the storage region of the fc volume effectively , for example , data is stored in order in empty updating segments . fig8 is an explanatory diagram which shows the construction of the updating segment control table t 5 , and which also shows how data for which the storage period has elapsed is erased from the fc volume 320 using the updating segment control table t 5 and the like . for example , the updating segment control table t 5 can be constructed by associating the segment numbers that indicate the storage positions in the fc volume 320 ( corresponding to the updating segment numbers in fig7 ), the luns ( virtual volume numbers ) to which the data stored in these segments belong , the updating segment numbers ( corresponding to the segment numbers in fig7 ) that indicate the storage positions in the sata volumes 330 and 331 storing the same data as the data stored in these segments , the life tag levels ( storage periods ) of the data stored in these segments , the time of updating of these segments , and sata updating bits indicating whether or not the data stored in these segments is also stored in the sata volumes 330 and 331 . it is not necessary to set the updating time in a year , month and day format ; as is shown in fig8 , it is sufficient if a value counted by the timer 103 is set . the timer 103 increases the count by one increment for each day . accordingly , by comparing the count values of the timer 103 , it is possible to determined the number of days elapsed from the point in time at which a certain count value was recorded . furthermore , the updating date can also be registered using a year , month and day format . the controller 101 refers to the updating segment control table t 5 either periodically or irregularly , and compares the storage time indicated by the life tag with the time elapsed to the current point in time for the respective segments ( only segments in which data is stored ) in the fc volume 320 . it is sufficient if this comparison is performed at least once a day . furthermore , the comparison table t 6 shown in fig8 is shown for convenience of description ; it is also possible to perform data cleaning processing without producing a comparison table t 6 . for example , when reference is made to the updating segment control table t 5 , the data stored in the segment “# 0001 ” of the fc volume 320 belongs to the virtual volume 330 “# 0 ”; accordingly , “ 1 ” is associated as the life tag level . the storage period in the case of a life tag level of “ 1 ” is 3 days . furthermore , when this data was stored in the segment “# 0001 ” of the fc volume 320 , it is assumed that the count value of the timer 103 was “ 250 ”. it is assumed that the count value of the timer 103 is currently “ 254 ”. thus , a period of 4 days has already elapsed since the updating of the data stored in segment “# 0001 ” of the fc volume 320 . however , the storage period of this data is set at 3 days . accordingly , the controller 101 invalidates the updating segment of the updating bit map table t 4 ( corresponding to the segment of the fc volume ), and permits overwriting . as a result , other new data can be stored in the segment storing data for which the storage period has elapsed . fig9 is a flow chart showing an outline of the updating processing . for example , this processing is executed by the cha 110 ; however , in the following description , the main body of the operation is described as being the controller 101 . the controller 101 receives a write command from the host 10 ( s 11 : yes ), and judges whether or not any empty capacity for storing write data is present in the cache memory 130 ( s 12 ). if the empty capacity required for the storage of the write data is not present ( s 12 : no ), the controller 101 causes the host 10 to wait until this empty capacity is formed . as will be described in the destage processing described later , the data stored in the cache memory 130 is successively written into the fc volume 320 , and the data written into the fc volume 320 is erased from the cache memory 130 . accordingly , while the host 10 is being caused to wait for the transmission of write data , the data in the cache memory 130 is written into the fc volume , so that the empty capacity is increased . then , when the required empty capacity is formed ( s 12 : yes ), the controller 101 allows the host 10 to transmit write data , and receives the write data transmitted from the host 10 ( s 13 ). after the controller 101 stores the write data received from the host 10 in the cache memory 130 ( s 14 ), the controller 101 notifies the host 10 of the completion of the write command ( s 15 ). specifically , at the point in time at which the controller 101 redundantly stores the write data in the cache memory 130 , the controller notifies the host 10 of the completion of the write command , and the writing of the write data into the volume is performed at a different timing . this mode in which the timing at which the write data is written into the volume and the timing at which the host 10 is notified of the completion of the command are thus different can be called the “ asynchronous write mode ”. by using this asynchronous write mode , it is possible to release the host 10 early from writing processing . fig1 is a flow chart showing an outline of the destage processing . for example , this processing can be executed by a dka 120 ; in the following description , however , the main body of the operation will be described as the controller 101 . on the basis of a write command , the controller 101 specifies the segment that is to be updated by the write data ( s 21 ). for example , the segment that is to be updated can be specified from the lun ( virtual volume number ) into which the write data is written and the lba in which the write data is to be stored . the controller 101 refers to the updating bit map table t 4 associated with the lu ( virtual volume ) into which the write data is to be written ( s 22 ), and judges whether or not the data of the segment that is the object of updating is present in the fc volume 320 ( s 23 ). if the data of the segment that is the object of updating is not stored in the fc volume 320 ( s 23 : no ), the controller 101 reads out old data from the sata volume corresponding to the virtual volume that is the object of updating , joins this old data and the write data , and produces the full data of the segment that is the object of updating ( s 24 ). furthermore , in cases where the old data is stored in the cache memory 130 , there is no need to read out data from the sata volume ; the data stored in the cache memory 130 may be used . in ordinary cases , since reference processing is executed prior to updating processing , and old data is read out from the cache memory 130 , the possibility of a cache hit is high . in cases where the old data is stored in the cache memory 130 , there is no need to access the low - speed sata volume and read out data , so that the response characteristics are improved . next , the controller 101 ensures a specified number of segments that are not being used in the fc volume 320 , and specifies ( confirms the updating segment number in which updated data is to be stored ( s 25 ). the controller 101 registers the specified updating segment number in the updating bit map table t 4 , and sets the fc flag as “ 1 ” for this updating segment ( s 26 ). next , the controller 101 stores the updated data in the updating segment registered in the updating bit map table t 4 ( s 27 ), and updates the updating segment control table t 5 ( s 28 ). on the other hand , in cases where data of the segment that is the object of updating is present in the fc volume 320 ( s 23 : yes ), the controller 101 specifies the segment number that is the object of updating ( s 29 ), and stores the updated data in this specified segment ( s 30 ). furthermore , in s 30 , the controller 101 rewrites the updating date of this segment to the current date ( most recent count value of the timer 103 ), and updates the updating segment control table t 5 ( s 28 ). thus , after write data received from the host 10 is stored in the high - speed fc volume 320 , the controller 101 judges whether or not the sata volume can be updated ( s 31 ). the writing of data into the fc volume 320 and the writing of data into the sata volume can be performed simultaneously , or write data can be written into the sata volume at a shifted timing . for example , the controller 101 can update the sata volume at a timing at which the processing burden on the storage device 100 is relatively small . in cases where the sata volume can be updated ( s 31 : yes ), the controller 101 writes the updated data into a specified storage position in the sata volume corresponding to the virtual volume that is the object of updating ( s 32 ), sets “ 1 ” in the sata updating bit corresponding to this segment ( s 33 ), and updates the updating segment control table t 5 . then , the controller 101 releases the storage region in which the write data was stored in the cache memory 130 ( s 34 ). as a result , other data can be overwritten in the storage region in which this write data was stored . on the other hand , in cases where the sata volume cannot be updated because of a heavy processing burden on the storage device 100 or the like ( s 31 : no ), the controller 101 sets “ 0 ” in the sata updating bit corresponding to the updated segment in the fc volume 320 ( s 35 ), erases the write data stored in the cache memory 130 , and releases the storage region ( s 34 ). thus , in the destage processing , the write data received from the host 10 is first stored in the high - speed fc volume 320 , and the write data is also stored in the sata volume either substantially simultaneously with the storage in the fc volume 320 , or with some delay following this storage . furthermore , in cases where the write data is stored in the fc volume 320 , regardless of whether or not the write data is stored in the sata volume , the write data in the cache memory 130 is erased , so that an empty capacity is produced . fig1 is a flow chart which shows an outline of the reference processing . when the controller 101 receives a read command from the host 10 ( s 41 : yes ), the controller 101 specifies the segment to which reference is to be made by analyzing the read command ( s 42 ). for example , the reference segment can be specified by means of the lun ( virtual volume number ) that is the object of reference and the segment number that is the object of reference . the controller 101 refers to the updating bit map table t 4 that is associated with the virtual volume that is the object of reference ( s 43 ), and judges whether or not the data of the segment for which read - out was requested is present in the fc volume 320 ( s 44 ). in cases where the data requested by the host 10 is stored in the fc volume 320 ( s 44 : yes ), the controller 101 specifies the segment number that is the object of reference ( s 45 ), and reads out the data from the segment of the fc volume 320 ( s 47 ). on the other hand , in cases where the data requested by the host 10 is not stored in the fc volume 320 as a result of the execution of cleaning processing ( described later ) ( s 44 : no ), the controller 101 reads out the data requested by the host 10 from the sata volume ( s 47 ). after the controller 101 stores the data read out from either the fc volume 320 or sata volume in the cache memory 130 , the controller 101 transmits this data to the host 10 ( s 48 ). furthermore , the controller 101 notifies the host 10 that the processing of the read command has been completed ( s 49 ). thus , in reference processing ( read command processing ), in cases where the requested data is stored in the fc volume 320 , the controller 101 reads out the data from the fc volume 320 and provides this data to the host 10 . fig1 is a flow chart showing an outline of the cleaning processing . the controller 101 performs cleaning processing at least once a day . in the present embodiment , since the minimum storage period of the life tag is 1 day , it is sufficient if cleaning processing is performed once a day . for example , the controller 101 performs cleaning processing in accordance with the minimum storage period of the life tag . the controller 101 refers to the updating segment control table t 5 , and calculates the number of days elapsed up to the current time for each of the respective updating segments stored in the fc volume 320 ( s 51 ). the number of days elapsed can be determined by subtracting the updating date of the segment ( count value at the time of updating ) from the current date ( count value of the timer ). the controller 101 compares the number of elapsed days calculated for the segment with the storage period set for the data stored in the segment , and judges whether or not the storage period has elapsed ( s 52 ). in cases where the storage period has already elapsed ( s 52 : yes ), the controller 101 judges whether or not the sata updating bit associated with the segment is set as “ 1 ” ( s 53 ). in cases where “ 1 ” is not set in the sata updating bit ( s 53 : no ), this indicates a case in which the data that is the object of cleaning is not stored in the sata volume ; accordingly , the controller 101 refers to the lun and segment of the sata volume constituting the object of data updating ( s 54 ), and writes the data that is the object of erasing into the segment of this confirmed sata volume ( s 55 ). on the other hand , in cases where “ 1 ” is set in the sata updating bit ( s 53 : yes ), the data that is the object of erasing is stored in the sata volume ; accordingly , s 54 and s 55 are skipped . next , the controller 101 invalidates the segment storing the data that is the object of erasing in the updating bit map table t 4 corresponding to the data that is the object of erasing ( s 56 ), and resets the fc flag corresponding to this segment to “ 0 ” ( s 57 ). as a result , other write data can be overwritten in the segment of the fc volume 320 in which the data that is the object of erasing is stored . the controller 101 checks whether or not all of the updating segments of the fc volume 320 have been inspected ( s 58 ), and in cases where the inspection of all of the updating segments has not been completed ( s 58 : no ), the processing moves to the next segment of the updating segment control table t 5 ( s 59 ), and returns to s 51 . then , when inspection has been completed for all of the updating segments registered in the updating segment control table t 5 ( s 58 : yes ), this processing is ended . since the present embodiment is constructed as described above , this embodiment possesses the following merits . in the present embodiment , a construction is used in which data is respectively written into both a high - speed fc volume 320 and low - speed sata volumes 330 and 331 during data updating , and data is held in the high - speed fc volume 320 only for a storage period that is set in advance by a life tag . accordingly , data with a high utilization frequency can be held in the fc volume 320 , so that a rapid response to subsequent data access is possible . furthermore , after the storage period has elapsed , data is held only in the low - speed , inexpensive sata volumes 330 and 331 , so that the high - speed fc volume 320 is prevented in advance from becoming filled with unnecessary non - urgent data , thus making it possible to maintain high - speed volume response characteristics . in the present embodiment , since data for which the storage period has elapsed is erased from the high - speed fc volume 320 in the storage device 100 , data disposition corresponding to the utilization frequency ( utilization value ) of the data can be realized without adding any special function to the host 10 . accordingly , the user need not designate the data that is the object of movement or the like as in conventional data migration , so that the convenience of the system is improved . furthermore , data that is the object of movement does not flow on the communications network cn 1 that connects the host 10 and storage device 100 , so that an increase in traffic can be prevented . in the present embodiment , since a construction is used in which respective life tags are set for each virtual volume 310 and 311 , life tags can be automatically set for ( e . g .) each application using the virtual volumes , or each host using the virtual volumes . in the present embodiment , virtual volumes 310 and 311 are respectively constructed in a plurality of sata volumes 330 and 331 in association with a single fc volume 320 . accordingly , a plurality of virtual volumes 310 and 311 can be constructed by means of an fc volume 320 with a small storage capacity compared to the total storage capacity of the respective sata volumes 330 and 331 . as a result , the response characteristics and the like of the storage device 100 can be improved suing an fc volume 320 with a relatively small storage capacity . in the present embodiment , the levels of the life tags can be set in stages ; accordingly , for example , appropriate storage periods can be set in accordance with the type of application programs using the virtual volumes . furthermore , the setting of life tags and the definition of the contents of these life tags can be set manually by the user via the control terminal 20 , so that storage periods can be freely set in accordance with the use configurations of the user . a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig1 through 18 . in the present embodiment , life tags are set in the host 10 in file units or directory units . furthermore , the storage device 100 performs data re - disposition ( erasing of data from the high - speed volume ) in accordance with life tags set by the host 10 . as is shown in the overall schematic structural diagram in fig1 , the host 10 c in the present embodiment ( like the hosts 10 a and 10 b in the abovementioned embodiments ) comprises a life tag setting part 14 in addition to an i / o control program 12 c , application group 13 c and the like . the life tag setting part 14 has a function that is used to set storage periods in stages in file units or directory units . for example , all or part of this function can be disposed inside the application group 13 c . furthermore , in the present embodiment , since life tags are set in the host 10 c , a life tag setting table t 2 is not stored in the memory 130 / 140 of the storage device 100 . fig1 is a model diagram which shows how communications are performed between the host 10 c and storage device 100 during updating processing . as one example , a higher application program ( hereafter referred to as a higher application ) 15 can be disposed in the host 10 . for example , the higher application 15 is document creating software , graphic creating software or the like . for example , when the higher application 15 requests the updating of a file , the file system 13 c which is one example of an application group transfers the file data that is the object of updating to the i / o control program 12 c . in the present embodiment , for example , the i / o control program 12 c can be constructed as an fcp_scsi driver program . the i / o control program 12 c issues a write command ( fcp_cmnd ( write )) to the controller 101 of the storage device 100 . when the controller 101 receives a write command , the controller 101 checks whether or not any empty capacity is present in the cache memory 130 ; in cases where such an empty capacity can be confirmed , the controller 101 notifies the host 10 c that preparations for the reception of write data have been completed ( fcp_xfer_ready ). when the host 10 c receives this notification , the host 10 c transmits file data to the storage device 100 ( fcp_data ). in cases where the controller 101 normally receives file data and stores this data in the cache memory 130 , the controller 101 notifies the host 10 c of the completion of processing of the write command ( fcp_rsp ). in the present embodiment , as will be described later , a life tag is embedded in the write command that is issued by the host 10 c . fig1 is a model diagram which shows one example in which the life tags are set in file units or directory units . for example , as is shown in fig1 ( a ), the user displays a file tree structure on the terminal screen , and selects the desired file or directory using a pointing device such as a mouse or the like . the user displays a life tag setting menu m 1 for the selected file or directory , and sets a life tag of the desired level . in fig1 , it is assumed that the user has selected the directory “ user 1 ”, and as set a life tag of level 3 . consequently , as is shown in fig1 ( b ), life tags of level 3 are set for all of the files “ file 1 ” through “ file 4 ” contained in this directory “ user 1 ”. furthermore , in fig1 ( b ), for convenience of description , the life tag levels are shown as being visualized . however , the present invention is not limited to this ; for example , it would also be possible to use a construction in which the levels of the life tags are confirmed by means of a window or the like that displays file attributes . furthermore , the life tag setting method is not limited to the example described above ; various methods can be employed . for example , in cases where files are stored by the higher application 15 or the like , a construction may be used in which desired life tags are set via the user interface of the higher application 15 . furthermore , a construction in which life tags of the same level are uniformly set for all of the files contained in the directory selected by the user is shown as an example . however , the present invention is not limited to this ; for example , the system can also be constructed so that the setting of life tags is prohibited for specified files such as system hidden files , files set beforehand by the user or the like . fig1 is an explanatory diagram which shows how life tags are embedded in the write commands . in cases where the higher application 15 performs file updating , a file control function indicating “ updating ” is input for the file system 13 c from the higher application 15 . at this point in time , a life tag is not set for the file that is to be updated . for example , the file system 13 c performs file control by associating file discriminating information , file names , file data storage destination addresses , file attribute information , life tags and the like for each file . when a file control function is input from the higher application 15 , the file system associates a life tag with the file data that is to be updated , produces an i / o control function for updating use , and inputs this into the i / o control program 12 c . for example , this i / o control function for updating use may contain the lun ( virtual volume number ) in which the file data that is the object of updating is stored , the starting address ( lba : logical block address ) of the file data that is to be updated , the lba length , the level of the life tag and the file data that is to be updated . then , when the i / o control program 12 c receives the updating i / o control function from the file system 13 c , this program produces a specified write command ( fcp_cmnd ( write )), and transmits this command to the storage device 100 . fig1 is an explanatory diagram which shows the construction of the write command . the life tag contained in the i / o control function can be embedded in the write command by various methods . for example , the life tag can be stored in at least one of the regions d 331 , d 334 a and d 334 g described later . this will be described in order from the lower side of fig1 . the frame format d 3 used in a fiber channel ( fcp ) can include the regions d 31 through d 35 . the region d 31 is an sof ( start of file ) region used to discriminate the head of the frame . the region d 32 is a frame header region . the region d 33 is a data field region which accommodates commands and the like . the region d 34 is a crc regions which is used to accommodate a crc ( cyclic redundancy check ) code that checks the data with the frame header region d 32 and data field region d 33 . the region d 35 is an eof ( end of file ) region which is used to discriminate the end of the frame . the data field region d 33 can be constructed from the regions d 331 through d 335 . the region d 331 is an optional header region , and is provided in cases where the presence of this region is indicated by the frame header region d 32 . in the optional header region d 331 , for example , the expiration time of the transmitted frame , the routing between networks and information used to discriminate the process group , process or the like can be accommodated . in ordinary cases , however , this is not used . the region d 332 is an fcp_lun region that stores the lun . the region d 333 is an fcp_cntl region that stores control information . the region d 334 is an fcp_cdb ( command descriptor block ) that stores scsi commands . the region d 335 is an fcp_dl region that stores the data length . the fcp_cdb region d 334 can be constructed from the regions d 334 a through d 334 h . the region d 334 a is an operation code region that indicates that this is a write access . the following region d 334 b is an lun region that stores the lun ; however , in ordinary cases , this is not used . the region 334 c is a dpo ( disable page out )/ fua ( force unit access ) region . the region d 334 d is an lba region that stores the logical block address ( lba ). the region d 334 e is a reserved region . the region d 334 f is an lba length region . the region d 334 g is a vu ( vendor unique ) region which accommodates information unique to the vendor . the region d 334 h is a region that can accommodate reservation information , flag information and the like . here , the regions that can accommodate life tag information will be examined . first , life tag information cannot be stored in regions that are already being used . the life tags must be set in unused regions . furthermore , in cases where the type ( level ) of the life tag is tentatively set as “ 4 ”, an empty region of 2 bits or greater is required in order to accommodate the life tag information . accordingly , the life tag information can be set in at least one region among the regions d 331 , d 334 b and d 334 g shown in fig1 . fig1 us a flow chart which shows an outline of the destage processing of the present embodiment . s 62 through s 75 in the present processing respectively correspond to s 22 through s 35 in fig1 ; accordingly , a description of these steps will be omitted . in s 61 of the present processing , this step differs from s 21 in fig1 in that life tag information is extracted from the write command . the extracted life tag is stored in a specified position in the updating segment control table t 5 . thus , in the present embodiment , life tags can be set in stages on the side of the host 10 c in file units or directory units . accordingly , even in the case of data that is stored in the same virtual volume , respectively different storage periods can be set . thus , since life tags can be set in file units or directory units , the disposition of data can be controlled much more in accordance with the utilization frequency , so that the convenience of use is improved . furthermore , in the present embodiment , a construction is used in which life tags for updated data can be set on the side of the host , so that the storage device can erase data for which the storage period has elapsed from the high - speed volume in accordance with life tags set by the host . accordingly , even in the case of detailed data control , there is no burden on the host in regard to searching for object data or moving data . specifically , in the present embodiment , the host need merely set information ( life tags ) acting as a policy for data control in file units or directory units ; the actual data control based on this data control policy is performed in the storage device . thus , the setting of data control policies and the execution of control based on these data control policies is divided between the host and the storage device , so that detailed data control can be performed without increasing the burden on the host . furthermore , in the present embodiment , life tag information is embedded using an already prepared command structure ; accordingly , the convenience of use of the storage device 100 can be improved while maintaining the existing framework . a third embodiment will be described with reference to fig1 . in the present embodiment , the life tag setting table t 2 a is expanded , so that life tags can be set even in cases where a plurality of ldevs are associated with a single lun . in the life tag setting table t 2 a , a plurality of ldevs and the life tags for the respective ldevs are associated for each lun . thus , the present invention can be applied in cases where a single lun ( virtual volume ) is constructed from a plurality of sata volumes . a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to fig2 and 21 . as is shown in the schematic structural diagram in fig2 , respective fc volumes 320 can be associated with respective virtual volumes 310 in the present embodiment . thus , by constructing virtual volume 310 by associating respectively different fc volumes 320 with respective sata volumes 330 , it is possible to increase the proportion of the high - speed storage region in a single virtual volume 310 , so that more data can be stored for a longer time in the fc volumes 320 than in the respective embodiments described above . fig2 shows an example of the construction of the lun - fc volume correspondence table t 7 used in a case where respective fc volumes 320 are associated with respective virtual volumes ( luns ). as is shown in fig2 ( a ), in this table t 7 , control is performed so that fc volume numbers are associated with respective luns . furthermore , as is shown in fig2 ( b ), a plurality of fc volumes can be installed , and each fc volume can be associated with a plurality of virtual volumes . a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to fig2 . in the present embodiment , the updating segment control table t 5 is stored in the memory 130 / 140 ( especially the shared memory 140 for example ) rather than being stored in the fc volume 320 . thus , as a result of the updating segment control table t 5 being stored in the memory 130 / 140 , it is possible to store only data in the fc volume 320 , so that the storage region of the fc volume 320 can be utilized more effectively . furthermore , the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . various additions or alterations may be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention . for example , a person skilled in the art can appropriately combine the respective embodiments described above . furthermore , for example , an nas ( network attached storage ) service can be provided by installing a control package mounting an nas file system ( nas blade ) in the storage device . in this case , for example , life tags can be associated with updated files inside the nas blade . | 6 |
the invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 . in fig5 a front lens group l1 and a rear lens group l2 are the same as those of the zoom lens l in the conventional device . the front lens group l1 and the rear lens group l2 are fixedly supported in a front lens barrel 41 and a rear lens barrel 42 , respectively . the front lens barrel 41 is fitted in a housing 43 , while the rear lens barrel 42 is fitted in a sliding cylinder 44 which is fitted in the housing 43 in such a manner as to be slidable in the direction of the optical axis . the front lens barrel 41 and the rear lens barrel 42 are rotatable and movable along the optical axis in the housing 43 and the sliding cylinder 44 before assembly . after focus adjustment , the lens barrels 41 and 42 are fixedly secured to the housing 43 and the sliding cylinder 44 with screws 45 and 46 , respctively . an interlocking pin 47 is fixed to the sliding cylinder . the pin 47 , which passes through a groove 48 in the housing 43 and extends parallel to the optical axis , is used to move the sliding cylinder 44 in the direction of the optical axis . the pin 47 further extends through an interlocking window 49 in a slide plate 50 which fixedly supports the housing 43 . accordingly , moving the interlocking pin 47 in the direction of the optical axis causes the rear lens group l2 to move towards or away from the front lens group l1 . the slide plate 50 is slidably mounted on a guide shaft 52 above a base plate 51 , the latter being reciprocatable along the guide shaft 52 . the guide shaft 52 is fixedly secured to both end portions of a cam plate 54 which is fixedly mounted on the base plate 51 with screws 53 . the guide shaft is used to guide the front lens group l1 and the rear lens group l2 of the zoom lens l along the optical axis f . pulleys 55 are provided at end portions of the cam plate 54 , and a wire driving pulley 57 driven by a stepping motor 56 is provided on the upper part of the cam plate 54 . a wire 58 is laid over the pulleys 55 and around the wire driving pulley 57 . one end of the wire 58 is fastened to the slide plate 50 , while the other end is fastened through a tension spring 59 to the slider plate 50 . the tension spring 59 is provided to absorb any shock which may occur when the slide plate 50 starts or stops , to correct for any initial dimensional error of the wire 58 , and to correct for any stretching of the wire 58 which may occur over time . the stepping motor 56 has arcuate mounting holes 60 for phase adjustment . a cam lever 62 is pivotally mounted on a pin 61 fixed to the slide plate 50 . the cam lever 62 is substantially l shaped . the cam lever 62 includes an arm 62a extending towards the sliding cylinder 44 , and an arm 62b extending towards the cam plate 54 . an elongated groove 63 , formed in the arm 62a , receives the interlocking pin 47 . the other arm 62b has a cam follower 64 . the cam follower 64 is urged by a spring ( not shown ), such as a torsion spring wound on the pin 61 , into contact with the cam surface 65 of the cam plate 54 . the cam surface 65 is shaped so that , in combination with the movement of the slide plate 50 , the rear lens group l2 is caused to move along the path g indicated in fig1 . a position detecting plate 66 is secured to one end portion of the slide plate 50 opposite to the end where the cam lever 62 is provided . the position of the position detecting plate 66 is adjustable in the direction of the optical axis . the position detecting plate 66 is allowed to pass through the u - shaped part of a photointerruptor 67 secured to the base plate 51 . the enlargement range is indicated when the position detecting plate 66 is in the photointerruptor 67 , interrupting the transmission of light , and the reduction range is indicated when the position detecting plate 66 is not in the photointerruptor 67 , allowing the transmission of light . the life - size magnification position corresponds to the position where the position detecting plate 66 just starts interrupting the transmission of light in the photointerruptor 67 , that is , the position where the output of the photointerruptor 67 changes abruptly . the position detector composed of the position detecting plate 66 and the photointerruptor 67 is used also in the conventional device . therefore , the construction of the position detector is not important to the invention . as is clearly shown in fig7 an elongated groove ( or an elongated hole ) 70 , a small hole 71 and a small hole 72 are formed in the slide plate 50 , the base plate 51 and the cam plate 54 , respectively , which are used for positioning during assembly . the elongated groove 70 is formed in the positioning arm 73 ( a portion of the slide plate 50 ) which extends below the cam plate 54 with the elongated groove 70 extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slide plate 50 . the position of the elongated groove 70 , the small hole 71 and the small hole 72 are determined so that , with a positioning pin inserted into the groove 70 and the small holes 71 and 72 , the relevant elements are fixed to set the lenses for a magnification of x1 , for instance . after assembly , the positioning pin 74 is removed from the device . the reason why , instead of a hole , the elongated groove 70 is employed for positioning the slide plate 50 is that the slide plate 50 should be positioned in the direction of movement thereof and insertion of the positioning pin 74 can be readily achieved with the elongated groove 70 . of course , positioning may be performed for an enlargement or reduction position where a predetermined nonunity magnification is obtained . in the device thus constructed , when the stepping motor 56 is driven , the slide plate 50 , and accordingly the zoom lens l including the front lens group l1 and the rear lens group l2 , is moved along the optical axis f using the wire driving pulley 57 , the pulleys 55 and the wire 58 , while the rear lens group l2 is moved towards the front lens group l1 due to the action of the cam surface 65 , the cam follower 64 , the cam lever 62 , the interlocking groove 63 , the interlocking pin 47 and the rear lens barrel . in this case , the loci of the front lens group l1 and the rear lens group l2 coincides with the movement curves e and g in fig1 . accordingly , good focusing and hence a clear copy is obtained for each magnification setting . the slide plate 50 can be moved to each magnification position by the stepping motor 56 . the magnification may be changed gradually or stepwise as required . in the device of the invention , unlike the conventional device , the position of the rear lens group l2 is regulated by the cam lever 62 and the cam surface 65 , and the latter is horizontally extended , being formed along the path of movement of the slide plate 50 . therefore , the device of the invention can be miniaturized , and especially can be made small in height . furthermore , the device of the invention has a smaller number of components and is simpler in the configuration of components that the conventional device . accordingly , the components can be readily machined and are high in accuracy and stability . thus , the device can be manufactured at a low cost . the lens barrel unit shown in fig5 and the other units can be assembled separately ; that is , the device can be assembled using a so - called subassembly technique . further , in the device of the invention , unlike the conventional one , adjustment of the phase between the cam plate and the wire driving pulley is eliminated . thus , the device of the invention can be more quickly assembled . in assembling the slide plate 50 , the base plate 51 and the cam plate 54 , the elongated groove 70 and the small holes 71 and 72 can be utilized as described above . that is , these plates can be readily assembled with one positioning pin 74 . this is another advantage of the invention . in the above - described embodiment , the technical concept of the invention is applied to a copying machine of the type where the original platen is stationary . however , the technical concept of the invention is applicable also to a copying machine of the type where the original platen is movable . the above - descried embodiment relates to a copying machine in which the optical axis f of the zoom lens is parallel to the guide shaft 52 . however , it should be noted that the technical concept of the invention is applicable also to a copying machine of the type in which the optical axis forms an angle with the guide shaft . as is apparent from the above description , in the magnification varying device according to the invention , the cam plate fixedly secured to the base plate has a cam surface extending in the direction of movement of the slide plate which supports the zoom lens . the cam follower on the cam lever for moving one of the movable lens groups relative to one another is abutted against the cam surface so that the distance between the movable lens groups is varied with the movement of the slide plate . therefore , the device of the invention can be made small in height when compared to the conventional device using a rotary cam plate . that is , the device of the invention can be miniaturized in its entirety . furthermore , adjustment of the device is substantially unnecessary during assembly . therefore , the device can be readily assembled , its reliability and accuracy are high , and maintenance readily achieved . | 6 |
in the present invention , it has been appreciated that light from two different wavelength sources can be used to generate bright - field and dark - field images of faults in a glazing , and be detected using a single image capture device . by successfully combining bright - field and dark - field techniques , it is also possible to generate a shadowgraph image of the glazing using the same source of light as for the bright - field image . fig1 shows a schematic representation of optical inspection apparatus set up for bright - field imaging . the optical inspection apparatus 10 is shown with a glazing 11 ( supported on a stand , which is not shown ) in position to be inspected in transmission . the apparatus 10 comprises a led ( light emitting diode ) point light source 12 , which emits light reflected by a large mirror 13 and incident onto the glazing 11 . the light from the led point light source 12 is directed to the large mirror by a small mirror 14 . a strip spherical surface mirror 15 is positioned directly behind the glazing 11 , and reflects light back through the glazing to the large mirror 13 . this light is then reflected by the large mirror 13 , back past the edge of the small mirror 14 , to an image capture device 16 . the image capture device 16 records in focus images of non - distorting defects and out of focus images of distorting defects . the image capture device 16 is also able to detect illumination variations caused by any wedge effect within the glazing , allowing a shadowgraph image to be recorded simultaneously . the shadowgraph image is an out of focus image of any distorting defects present in the glazing . light travels from the glazing 11 to the strip spherical surface mirror 13 and back again , such that the defect appears to be behind the mirror and therefore out of focus . alternatively , a beam splitter may be used in place of the small mirror 14 , in which case the apparatus is set up such that light reflected by the large mirror 13 into the image capture device 16 also passes through the beam splitter . in fig1 , the angle between the light travelling from the small mirror 14 to the large mirror 13 , and the light returning from the large mirror 13 to the image capture device 16 has been exaggerated for clarity . in practice , the angle is minimised to ensure that the light travelling to and being reflected from the spherical surface mirror 14 travels the same path , so that only one image of each defect is detected . if desired , it is possible to remove the large mirror 13 , and have both the light source 12 and the image capture device 16 pointing directly at the glazing 11 . in this situation , the strip spherical surface mirror 15 is replaced with a full spherical surface mirror . fig2 shows a schematic representation of optical inspection apparatus set up for dark - field imaging . the optical inspection apparatus 20 is shown with a glazing 11 ( supported on a stand , which is not shown ) in position to be inspected in transmission . the apparatus 20 comprises an led ( light emitting diode ) line light source 21 , arranged vertically behind the glazing 11 , which comprises a linear array of leds , and is approximately 1 m in length . the line light source 21 is arranged such that the light transmitted directly through the glazing passes the side of the large mirror 13 , such that only light scattered by defects and faults within the glazing 11 is reflected by the large mirror 13 to an image capture device 16 . the image capture device 16 records all faults in focus , as all faults , including distorting faults , scatter light . fig3 is a plan view of the set up of the optical inspection system for performing the method of the present invention . the bright - field imaging apparatus shown in fig1 and the dark - field imaging apparatus shown in fig2 have been combined into a single optical inspection system . the system 30 allows the glazing 11 to be inspected in transmission , and bright - field and dark - field images to be recorded on a single image capture device . shadowgraph images generated by the led point light source 12 may also be recorded . distorting faults appear highlighted in the shadowgraph image by a bright region or “ halo ”. in order to combine bright - field and dark - field imaging , the two light sources operate at different wavelengths . preferably , the led point light source 12 used for bright - field imaging emits green light , and the led line light source 21 used for dark - field imaging emits red light . however , alternative light sources may be used , such as a laser , for both the point light source and line light source . as with the apparatus in fig1 , the small mirror 14 may be replaced with a beam splitter , and the apparatus set up such that light reflected towards the image capture device 16 passes through the bean splitter ( light from the led point source and forming the bright - field image is shown as a solid line in fig3 ). the led line light source 21 is set up to illuminate the glazing very close to the point where the led point light source 12 illuminates the glazing in focus ( light from the led line source and forming a dark - field image is shown in fig3 as a dotted line , slightly displaced from the line representing the bright - field image for clarity ). light from the led point light source 12 , which is reflected or transmitted directly by faults in the glazing , is reflected from the large mirror 13 to the image capture device 16 , forming a bright - field image . illumination variations in the light reflected back to the camera from the led point light source 12 are used to form a shadowgraph image . light from the led line light source 21 is scattered by faults in the glazing , and then reflected to the image capture device 16 by the large mirror 13 , forming a dark - field image . light from the line light source 21 transmitted directly though the glazing 11 misses the large mirror 12 and forms no part of the image captured . both the bright - field image and dark - field image are focussed onto the image capture device 16 by a single lens 31 , common to both imaging techniques . the bright - field images and the dark - field images are therefore combined at the image capture device 16 , for example , by addition or subtraction . if a shadowgraph image is generated , this will also be focussed onto the camera using the lens 31 , and so will be combined with the bright - field and dark - field images . in fig3 , as in fig1 , the angle between the light travelling from the small mirror 14 to the large mirror 13 , and the light returning from the large mirror 13 to the image capture device 16 has been exaggerated for clarity , and would be minimised in practice . as with the bright - field apparatus in fig1 , if desired , it is possible to remove the large mirror 13 , and have both the light source 12 and the image capture device 16 pointing directly at the glazing 11 . in this situation , the strip spherical surface mirror 15 is replaced with a full spherical surface mirror . preferably , the image capture device 16 used is a l304kc series line scan tri - linear colour ccd camera , available from basler ag , an der strusbek 60 - 62 , d - 22926 , ahrensburg , germany . the camera employs a tri - linear sensor having three lines of 4080 photosensitive elements , one covered with a red filter , one with a green filter and one with a blue filter to provide spectral separation . the camera may run in free - run mode , and has an external trigger for exposure time control . additional lenses , such as the lens 31 shown in fig3 , may be used to focus the images generated onto the camera . an areascan camera may be used as an alternative image capture device , in which case the strip spherical surface mirror 15 is replaced with a full spherical surface mirror . each of the lines of photosensitive elements is separated by a distance of 90 μm . it is possible to use this separation to help separate the illumination by the two light sources at the glazing . a 30 × magnification lens is used to focus the images of the glazing onto the camera . this produces an image separation of approximately 2 . 7 mm at the glazing . by separating the images , the angle at which the led line light source 21 is positioned relative to the glazing is reduced , increasing the height range of the glazing being inspected over which the led line light source 21 can be used without repositioning . when a blue led is used in the led point light source 12 , the separation between the blue and red photosensitive elements is 180 μm , and so the image separation at the glazing is increased to approximately 5 . 4 mm . both the wavelength used to generate the bright - field image ( λ 1 ) and that used to generate the dark - field image ( λ 2 ) should be within the spectral range of the image capture device used . preferably , the led point light source is an led light source available from lumileds lighting , llc , 370 west trimble road , san jose , calif ., 95131 usa . preferably , the led line source is a cobra ™ linescan source , available , from stockeryale ( irl ), ltd , 4500 airport business parl , kinsale road , cork , ireland . in the example above , the wavelength used for the line light source ( red light ) is 630 nm and that of the point light source ( green light ) 540 nm . at these wavelengths , images from the unused colour filters of the l304kc camera are generally suppressed . however , it would be possible to use different wavelength light sources , and / or an image capture device with a different spectral range to generate the bright - field and dark - field images . for example , lasers or white light sources with suitable filters may be used . once the images have been captured they may be displayed to an operator via a screen , or processed further by image - processing software , either immediately , or at a later date , after being stored in a memory storage device . a fault may be shown as a dark area in the bright - field image or as a bright area in the dark - field image . for faults causing distortion , where a shadowgraph image has also been generated and captured , the fault is normally seen in the bright - field image , surround by a bright region , or halo . the apparatus allows faults as small as 100 μm across to be detected . when a linescan camera is used to capture the bright - field , dark - field and shadowgraph images , the glazing is moved through the focal point of the camera and light sources such that the entire glazing is scanned . this is typically done using a conveyor belt system . alternatively , where an areascan camera is used to capture the bright - field , dark - field and shadowgraph images , the glazing remains stationary whilst the images are captured . such a camera is useful for off - line image capture . with suitable automation , images may be captured from glazings moving on a processing or production line . the method of the present invention may be used to inspect single ply or laminated glazings , each of which may be flat or curved . preferably , the glazings inspected are automotive glazings , for example , sidelights , backlights or windscreens . alternatively , the glazings inspected may be for architectural use . preferably , the method of the present invention is used as a final inspection on a glass processing line . | 6 |
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